Business & Pleasure_A Dad's Best Friend Romance

by Tia Siren

  “Yeah. It’s just that my mom has this great gift for making me feel like I’m still two years old,” she said. She gave the sandwich and sides a leery glance.

  Gray almost laughed but didn’t. It was obvious that she was really upset by whatever had been said during the phone call. “I understand. Dad’s always belittling me like that. He acts like I don’t have a degree in business, like I’m some kind of clueless Martian trying to pass as an Earthling.”

  “Exactly,” she said as a reluctant smile crossed her lips. “Let’s not talk about it. I’m starving.” After one more wary glance at the thick roll loaded with boiled, seasoned shrimp, mayo, lettuce, and tomato, she picked it up and took a bite.

  The surprised expression on her face made Gray laugh so hard he almost shot soda out his nostrils. “It’s good, right?”

  She chewed slowly, then nodded. “Yeah, I’ve gotta admit it’s pretty darn delicious.”

  “You were scared, right? You can say it,” he said smugly before biting into his fish sandwich.

  “I was, but so what?” She shrugged and flashed a grin, then picked up the plastic fork and sank it into the potato salad. “Gray, I think you should know I’m not really sure about all this.”

  “C’mon, Riley. It’s pretty standard potato salad, and I’m sure the mayo’s not more than a couple years old,” he joked, trying to deflect her true meaning. He was afraid if she said the words out loud, he would have no choice but to take her back to the airport and let her go, and he didn’t want that at all.

  She took a bite and chewed slowly, then swallowed and reached for her soda. “It is, but that’s not what I meant at all.”

  “I know,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “Riley, if you think it’s a mistake, I understand.” He didn’t like it, but he understood. He wanted to fight for her, but he had no idea how. Nothing in his life had prepared him for the way he felt about her or to conquer the obstacles that stood between them. He had no clue what to say or do, and he could only hope she’d stay just a little longer so maybe they could figure it all out.

  Wait. Figure what out? he silently considered. What then? She’ll eventually have to leave, and I’ll be left behind to nurse this damn heart she’s sure to break. Damn it! He hadn’t even thought about all that, as he’d been too busy trying to stop himself from hurting her. They were doomed, a modern-day Romeo and Juliet: Island Edition. The only conceivable outcome was one or two broken hearts. Sooner or later the magic of their little opposites-attract romance would wear off, and they would tire of one another. Then, the beautiful and magical thing they now shared over greasy seafood after her escape from the airport would seem foolish. The whole thing will crash and burn, and we’ll just be left with the stupid ashes. None of that sounded very appetizing. He wanted them to last. But, all things considered, how can we?

  He suddenly felt guilty, worried that he’d made a drastic mistake in going after her. He wondered if that would only hurt both of them more in the end. Maybe it’s just better to take her back to the airport and put her on the next plane out. He thought that was probably true, but as he watched her take another bite of her po’boy, he knew he could never go through with it. He was going to have a hard enough time with her departure when she finally had to go, and he really hoped that would be later rather than sooner.

  “So, where am I supposed to buy these genuine locals’ clothes anyway?” Riley asked, licking a dollop of mayonnaise from the corner of her mouth.

  Gray’s heart nearly stopped. The look on her face made it clear that she intended to stick to her decision, but he wasn’t sure it was the right one for either of them. He knew he needed to put on his man pants and make up his mind but he just couldn’t seem to do the right thing, which he was sure was stop it before it got too big. She’s worth it, he finally decided, worth whatever happens next, even if it hurts. He then smiled at her and said, “That depends. What all do you need?”

  “Everything.”

  “Really? Because I prefer you in…nothing,” he teased.

  “Very funny.”

  He leaned back in his chair, grinning from ear to ear. “Well, in that case, I think I know just the place.”

  They left the small shop an hour after they wandered into it. It was far away from the hustle and bustle of the main drag across the bridge. The adorable place catered to people who could only afford cheaper rent off the water, in the more laidback older motels and hotels scattered along the street. Riley bought half a dozen shirts, a few pairs of shorts, a few bikinis, and some slinky panties she referred to as “throwaways,” which only gave Gray naughty ideas. He also reminded her to grab a few pairs of flip-flops, which were surprisingly inexpensive at a buck a pair.

  “I’ve got a good idea where we can stay,” he said as they stepped onto the scalding-hot sidewalk.

  She stopped, and a glimmer of excitement shivered through her that Gray didn’t miss. “We?” she teased. “Don’t you have to work?”

  “My brother comes back tomorrow, and I have today off. Once he gets home I’m basically useless.” The way he said it, even he could detect the hint of bitterness in his voice. She didn’t press it. They both had their own personal baggage to deal with. “I mean,” Gray said, trying to recover, “I’ll probably have to help out some at the resort, but… You know what? If they can blow me off, I can return the favor. Maybe it’ll teach ‘em a lesson, make them realize they actually do need me.”

  “I’m sure they know that already, Gray,” she said, her gaze pinned to his face. “Your brother’s older than you?”

  He nodded as resentment bubbled up inside him again. “Yeah, and he’s always been the favorite,” he confessed, though he knew it was better not to say why. In fact, there were many things that were best left unsaid about his crazy, messed-up family.

  Thank goodness Riley didn’t press it.

  Gray walked faster toward his truck, and she fell in step beside him. She put a hand on his arm, and he let his hand rise up and take hers. The joining of their flesh made his cock stiffen and rise, something that always gave him a little shock. He was used to women and wasn’t shy about making love to them, but none he’d met had ever had quite the effect on him that Riley did. Everything about her was magnetic and electrifying.

  “I was thinking we can stay on the boat. That way, if anyone…well, you know.”

  “If my parents decide to send a posse or alert the press that I’m running wild, we’ll be out of sight, right?” she asked with a wink.

  “If need be, we’ll just sail off into the sunset.” As soon as the thought occurred to him, he felt a tremor of fear of how tempting it was. Watch it, buddy, he warned himself. That sounds a little possessive and crazy. It was an idea he liked, though, the two of them just sailing away from all the things that stood between them and the forever he already wanted to share with her.

  “That sounds like a great idea.”

  “Uh, I’m glad you like it,” he said, not sure if she was talking about sleeping on the boat or sailing off forever. Deep down, he hoped she was referring to both.

  “You know, I never thought I’d ever agree to spending a night on a boat,” she teased. “You’re changing me.”

  “You’re changing me, too.”

  “I am?”

  He opened the door for her, like a true gentleman. “Yes…and for the better, too.” Gray closed the door and walked around to his own. We’ll end someday, he pondered sadly. In the meantime, though, he planned to make love to her as much as possible, to let her give him whatever she’d give, whether it was just her body or her heart…or both.

  Chapter 17

  Riley stood near the front of the boat, one hand up to shade her eyes as they slid up against a long floating dock. “So this is Pensacola?”

  Gray tied the boat off, flexing his muscles as he did so, and the sight of that sent Riley’s belly flip-flopping. She was so turned on by every single thing about him, and that lust was so huge and so powerfu
l that it frightened her as much as it excited her. He’d come up with the idea of going farther down the coast, and she had agreed. They both needed a break: him from his worries about his father and her from her worries about her folks showing up or sending someone after her, like those two inept goons they’d sent as bodyguards at the start of her trip.

  He finished with the ropes and let them go, the knot hanging perfectly. “It’s a nice beach, especially this side. It’s really calm, with barely any waves. That’s why it’s called Quietwater. It’s great for swimming.”

  He took her hand and they dived in. The shock of the slightly warm water felt good against Riley’s hot skin. As Gray promised it was very calm, with hardly a ripple, despite the number of people swimming and floating on inflatables nearby.

  They floated on their backs, still holding hands. The water rose below them, then dropped them again. Riley closed her eyes, basking in the sudden feeling of freedom that washed over her senses. This is what it’s like to really be alive, just breathing, feeling, and not constantly running from one thing to another in a mad attempt to please everyone but myself. That thought swelled her happiness. It was enough to just be out there on the water, side by side with Gray, to feel his hard body bumping against hers, to feel the strength of his limbs moving through the sea in tandem with hers. The sun was shining, and the music thumped from all the different bars and eateries that lined the boardwalk. For the very first time in her entire life, Riley knew exactly what it meant to be happy.

  Gray eventually put his feet down and stood. Riley blinked at him. The water near the dock was deep, but in the area where they were floating it only came up to his waist. When she put her feet down to touch the bottom, he said, “We need to get you under some shade. You wanna go hang out under the bar awning?”

  “Sure.”

  Gray swam back to the dock and retrieved the shoes they’d left on the side, along with her sundress and a shirt he’d tossed on top of their shoes. They then began to make their way out of the waves, toward shore. She was still floating on a cloud of happiness and peace, and she stumbled slightly as they made their way out of the surf and onto the fine white sand. His hand immediately steadied her and she gave him a goofy, giddy smile. He let her lean against him as they headed down the boardwalk, the wooden planks warming their feet through the thin soles of their sandals.

  Riley looked down at herself and saw her dress clinging tightly to her wet body. “Maybe we shoulda brought towels,” she said, a wry expression on her face.

  He groaned. “Yeah, I agree. I’ve got saltwater all up my ass crack.”

  Riley blinked, then howled with laughter. “Oh, wow. TMI.”

  “It won’t be later,” he said, then gave her a smile that made her heart stop, her core clench, and more laughter come flying out of her mouth all at once.

  “I assure you I’m not getting up close and personal with your ass crack anytime soon…or ever, for that matter.”

  He sighed. “Damn. I guess I’ll have to find someone else to tend to that fetish. What a shame.”

  “You’d better be joking.”

  He laughed. “I thought you were.” Then leaned in to press his lips against her forehead. “I’d lick the salt of your body without complaint.”

  The images that followed erased all the giggling on her lips. She swallowed hard instead and could only nod.

  They ducked into a small bar. Riley, already feeling the effects of the sun, ordered a bottle of mineral water with a glass of ice and a sliced lime, and Gray asked for a beer. They took their drinks to a shaded table and sat down.

  They gazed out at the vista, and Riley found herself in awe of the natural beauty of the place all over again. “I had no idea how beautiful it is here,” she said. “I mean, when I think of Florida I always think Daytona, which is sort of run-down, and Miami, which is way too hectic.”

  He tipped the bottle back, then set it on the table. “How did you end up here anyway?”

  She pushed salt-laden strands of hair away from her face. “It was the oddest thing. I was trying to figure out where to go, and…well, you know the internet. I was searching for a beach vacation, and a bunch of stuff just popped up.”

  “Yeah,” he said, coaxing her to continue.

  She rested her hands on the sides of the glass, letting the ice and water cool her, a small trick she’d learned years earlier from some woman at one of her father’s fancy dinner parties. “Well, I didn’t want to go to the Hamptons, because everyone who goes there knows me. Ditto on South Beach and the Bahamas, and places like that. I’d heard of this place once or twice, and an ad for it popped up. I guess it was a fluke that I found your resort, one of those happy Googling accidents. You really need better SEO.”

  “I know,” he said as his face took on a gloomy expression. “Tell that to management.”

  “I should. I should check right back in and say, ‘Hey, you really need more staff and a little extra visibility and…’” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Gray, how much was your dad expecting mine to invest?”

  His eyebrows raised. “You don’t wanna know.”

  “Actually, I do.”

  He gave her a long stare.

  There was anger below the surface, and she saw it. She held up a hand. “Fine. Don’t tell me now, but I eventually want to know, okay?”

  He shrugged.

  The anger dissipated, but she was sure she’d spoiled a beautiful moment. Damn it. What’s wrong with me? I shoulda known it’s too soon to bring up that touchy subject. She took a deep breath and asked, “Do you like that song?”

  “I do,” he said, his face impassive again.

  She worried that she’d gone too far, locked him out. She had just blurted what was on her mind, without thinking it through, something she always seemed to do with Gray even though she was so careful with everyone else in her life. As the music continued, desperate to correct her mistake, Riley asked, “Do you want to dance?”

  He chuckled. “You must have no regard for your life. There’re about fifty drunk people out there on a floor meant for twenty. We’ll be stampeded. Besides, look at her,” he said, pointing at a very curvy woman, twerking like her life depended on it. “I don’t wanna get in her way.”

  Riley shot a look at the floor and grinned. The woman was at least fifty, very drunk, and obviously having the time of her life, with no regard for the potential for physical injury for anyone within five feet of her. “Yeah, I see your point.”

  Gray rested a hand on top of hers. The warmth of his touch instantly filled her body and sent little jolts up and down her skin. She managed to look at him without blushing, but she wasn’t sure whether or not he could read the very dirty thoughts going through her mind. He always managed to make her hot, but she wondered if that was enough. It is for now, she finally told herself, then gave him a grin.

  Once they finished their drinks they strolled the boardwalk again, then stopped at a few more of the quaint shops before finally climbing back on the boat.

  “Would you mind helping me untie her?”

  “No, not at all.” When Riley neared him, she couldn’t help smiling. He smelled like sun and good, clean sweat. There was a fresh coat of gold on his shoulders, and she wanted to run her fingers all over him. As he hauled the line toward him, Riley untied the knots quickly.

  “Are you having a good day?” he asked.

  “It’s a whole lot better than jetlag,” she said, laughing. “After this morning I didn’t think I’d be saying yes to a question like that, but yes, Grayson, I’m having a very good day.”

  “Good. I’m glad.”

  He took the controls and she stood by, watching as he maneuvered the boat away from the dock very carefully, then headed along the glistening sickle of shoreline. Other boats tooted their horns, and people waved. Riley, caught up in the carnival-like atmosphere, waved back.

  They made their way back to Maggie’s home dock slowly, taking their time. As they went, Gray drop
ped an arm over her shoulders. The heat and weight of it felt so right on her skin that she shivered. Slow anticipation began to build as they made their way through calm, deep-blue and sapphire-green waters. Palm trees waved along the shores, and seagulls and other birds swooped and glided overhead. The scent of the place, briny and yeasty somehow, was a smell Riley reveled in.

  The dock floated into view, and Gray carefully guided Maggie into her berth. He cut the engine and headed for the dock to tie her up again.

  “Let me help,” Riley said, but it wasn’t just about being nice. She’d never had any interest in boats or being on one, but her fears were assuaged by the long swim in the deep ocean and she was ready to be a part of whatever it was that Gray enjoyed.

  After the boat was secured, Gray turned to her. His hands fell onto her shoulders and her body pressed close to his, so close that her breasts flattened against his chest. His lips crashed down on hers like the waves against the shore. His teeth caught her bottom lip and tugged at it; it was a gentle gesture, but the fire that started by that slight sting was anything but gentle. Riley needed him so badly that she actually ached. The crotch of her bathing suit bottom was sticky and tacky, and when his hands slid down her back and pressed against her spine, resting lightly on each knob before sliding to the lush slopes of her bottom, they grew stickier still. Her breath moved in and out of her mouth in a hard gasp.

  “Maybe we should go to the cabin,” he growled out

  They broke apart and Gray led her below, into a small, cramped space that was home to a double bed and a tiny dresser. Riley didn’t care how small that bed was; she was just happy to crawl into it with her sexy captain.

  His hands tugged away her bikini, and she whimpered as her body came into view. There were some lighter splotches against her tan. Gray let his hands run over her, his fingers making a slow study of her curves and the jut of her hips. He caressed the span of her ribs, and then one finger dipped into her belly button before running down to the junction of her thighs. He cupped her mound in one hand, squeezing just enough that her labia collapsed in on her clit, pressed against it, and caused a terrific and unusual pressure that had her hips jerking and twitching as they fell across the bed, eager to touch either other in more ways.