“Well, if I were you, I wouldn’t worry about mending fences between Esterly and me. I don’t think we can ever go back. And I’m fine staying out of his way, just like I’m sure he’s good with staying out of mine.”
“I’m sorry, Brian.” She didn’t know what else to say.
“All water under the bridge at this point. It’s been six or seven years. I’m happy at Wainwright and Smith.”
She grinned. “And you have a cute little boy, so that has to make life good.”
He nodded, and before she realized his intention he reached out and touched her ponytail. He rubbed his fingers through the strands. “You have gorgeous eyes, but your hair looks and feels like silk. What do you use? I bet my wife would love to know your secret.”
Devi took a step back so he’d let go. She always wanted to be nice to people, but she sensed an undercurrent about this man she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Something seemed off. Most people didn’t get so familiar with near strangers, and if they did, they shouldn’t. Touching seemed way too invasive.
“Just normal shampoo.” She didn’t believe he actually wanted to know her hair care regime. And, from the looks of his wife’s own gorgeous head of hair, Devi didn’t think she needed the tip about using a mixture of avocado, olive oil, and shea butter to keep it soft and sleek. She pasted on a smile, trying to think of a way to end the conversation.
“You about ready?” Omar’s stern voice from behind made her jump.
Talk about great timing. She smiled at him. Probably the biggest smile she’d managed all week. “I’m ready. I hope you’re up for kicking some Jones boys’ butts.”
“Did you stretch?”
“Not yet,” she said.
He grabbed her arm above the elbow. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he flicked his gaze over Brian with a dismissive air. “Let’s get that taken care of. We can’t kick teenage butt if we aren’t warmed up.”
Pam walked up to them. Concern was written in the lines around her mouth as her gaze darted from Devi to her husband. “Are you ready to run the race, Bri?”
He nodded stiffly.
“Since we missed the kids’ race, Mikey said he’d be our biggest fan.” She nodded at Devi. “You and Omar are a team, right?”
“We are,” Devi said. “We’ll see you both on the course.”
“May the best man win.” Brian winked at Devi.
Her skin crawled at the look in his eyes. His wink wasn’t playful, but seemed to hold a promise. Of what? She didn’t know. She hadn’t felt uneasy around him until he’d touched her hair.
Omar tightened his hold on her, and they walked toward the rest of the group. As soon as they were a distance away, he loosened his fingers and began to stretch. She followed his lead.
After several moments of silence he said, “Watch yourself around him. I don’t like the way he was leering at you.” Omar’s voice held a steely edge.
“Do you think that maybe you have him all wrong? He seems nice enough.” Although she’d felt something not quite right with Brian, she preferred everyone got along. Was that silly? She tossed her doubt aside. For all she knew, Brian could be having an off day, or maybe Omar freaked him out a little. But did you imagine the creepy vibe when he winked and touched you?
“Trust me when I say I don’t. Your best bet is to steer clear of him.”
“Can’t you let the past be the—”
William blew the bullhorn, and Devi jumped.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Omar grunted.
Annoyance chomped down on her gut. She preferred to get things settled now, but she couldn’t hold everyone up while she discussed Omar’s dislike of Brian. She bit the inside of her cheek.
They moved toward the rest of the group. Excitement filled the air, and the kids all bounced on the balls of their feet, hopping from leg to leg in anticipation of the adults’ race.
“When I blow the horn like this”—William set off the bullhorn to the roar of all the kids—“then it’s every pair for themselves.”
Mikey Price tugged on William’s arm. “Since I didn’t get to run, can I blow the horn?”
The older man looked down with a smile and handed the bullhorn to the boy. “You betcha. Now, everyone else, your aim is to be the first to reach the yellow ribbon down there.” William pointed across the beach to a tiny yellow splotch of color twisting in the ocean wind. “First one there wins.”
“We won ice cream sundaes after dinner, what do the adults win?” Amanda asked, hands on hips.
“Bragging rights.” Her mother smiled.
“No. I mean, what prize?” Amanda puckered her mouth and rolled her eyes. For someone under the age of ten, she sure carried an air of authority. She’d be a force to be reckoned with as she grew.
“The winner gets first dibs on a surprise I have planned for Thursday,” William said.
From there all the kids clamored around him wanting to know what Thursday would bring. Devi loved all the commotion and noise. And she leaned in to hear William’s reveal, but he put everyone off with a few teasing comments between his laughter. She really liked him. He lit up around the kids. Although he’d been a confirmed bachelor his entire life, she sensed he now regretted his decision.
“He’s not an easy nut to crack.” She grinned up at Omar, nodding toward William.
Omar still wore a slight scowl. She followed his gaze to where Brian stood beside his wife. The two men were in the midst of a staredown. Brian looked away first when he noticed Devi watching.
“Let it go, O. Let’s have fun.” Devi nudged him in the shoulder to get his attention.
Jimmy and Joey walked past, taunting them with a few remarks about losers and their picture being on the poster.
“You’re going to eat it again, Omar and Devi.” Joey laughed.
“Not today, boys. You’re the ones who’ll be eating sand.” Omar took her hand and headed over to the starting line. The boys good-naturedly bumped Omar in the shoulder, and he grinned, giving Jimmy a light shove in the arm.
“Are we going to throw the race?” Devi whispered as the boys moved down the starting line. She knew Omar had a heart of gold and wouldn’t want to win over the boys.
“You know it.” Omar lifted her chin and brushed his lips over hers. A thrill of electricity shot through her. “But we’ll make it look like we gave it a shot.”
The adults lined up, all of them playfully nudging and jostling each other. The kids stood off to the side, tossing out comments about who they thought would win.
Omar wrapped his left arm around her waist and smiled down into her eyes. “Get ready to hang on.”
She threw her arms around his middle and held tight. “Don’t kill me.”
“Never.”
As the word left his mouth the bullhorn boomed across the beach. Everyone shouted and laughed as they took off. Omar gripped her waist and plunged across the sand. He had such large strides she had to work double time to keep up. She huffed beside him, and he hiked her up farther onto his hip so that he was doing most of the work, her feet barely hitting the sand.
She couldn’t stop laughing as they moved past some of the other couples. The O’Malleys tripped each other and hit the sand with a thud. Devi grinned over her shoulder as Wayne good-naturedly gave Cindy a hard time about being a deadweight.
Jimmy and Joey took the lead early, but their sisters, Kim and Kris, weren’t far behind.
“Let’s give them a run for their money.” Omar laughed.
“It’s all you, O.” She gripped his waist tighter as he kicked his steps into gear.
She laughed at the openmouthed, wide-eyed expression of Joey when he glanced over his shoulder and saw them coming up the rear. A second later Jimmy looked back. Both boys hunched down and booked it across the sand.
She and Omar passed the girls. Omar held his side, his face in a solid grimace.
“Come on. Get moving. At this rate I don’t think we’d have won anyway,” Devi teased.
Omar laughed, and then groaned as he dug into his side, leaning to the right. “Stop. I’m already getting a cramp.”
From out of nowhere footsteps beat down behind them. Devi leaned across Omar’s chest and saw Brian and Pam sifting across the sand at an amazing pace. They brushed by them. Brian gave Omar a look of triumph and Pam yelled out with a friendly wave. Devi wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Brian seemed to kick up extra sand as they passed.
Her stomach sank as the pair moved behind the Jones boys, then overtook them.
“Not happening.” Omar’s dark gaze collided with hers.
“What do you want to do?”
He shifted her up higher onto his waist so that her feet didn’t touch the ground at all. “If the boys aren’t going to win, then neither will Brian. We’re taking this.”
“Let’s do it.” Her pulse raced. Omar’s competitive edge kicked in, and the exhilaration excited her. She hung on tight, balling the material of his shirt into her fist.
He took off at a charge. They were only a few feet behind Brian and his wife. The other man glanced over his shoulder, and for the first time Devi couldn’t mistake the murky glare he shot Omar.
“Shit, my side is killing me,” Omar gasped.
She didn’t want Brian to win. It made her sick that he’d take the victory from two kids.
“Come on, O. If you win I’m yours for a midnight skinny dip in the Atlantic.” She slid her hand down his back, over his rounded rear, and pinched one solid cheek. “Me naked. You naked. Midnight.”
“Now you’re talking.” His second wind took over, and they flew past Brian and his wife.
Omar’s hard expression didn’t reveal his pain, but the tick of his jaw was a telltale sign.
Devi heard Pam laugh good-naturedly, and then Brian swear.
“It’s only a game,” Pam said.
Devi felt a little sorry for his wife. She’d noticed a small tenseness between the two, but now she heard the same thing in their tone with each other as they began to bicker.
The finish line was within arm’s reach. Omar grabbed hold of her tight and rolled them across the sand and underneath the finish line. As they passed beneath, he held up his hand and ripped the ribbon down. They rolled several times, breaking the ties that held their legs together, and he ended up on top of her.
Her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes. Bright and full of excitement, he lowered his head, blocking out the morning sun, and took her mouth in a kiss of possession.
“You always get what you want?” she asked breathlessly.
“Only when it’s worth having.” He kissed her again, plunging his tongue into the warmth of her mouth. She sagged into the heated sand, reveling in the feel of him on top of her, his hands cupping her face, his smell surrounding her.
“Before we enjoy our dip at midnight, I challenge you to a one-on-one race. You game?” Devi smiled into their kiss.
“What do I get if I win?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll win. And when I do, we still go skinny dipping in the ocean, but you give me a piggyback ride up to our room when we’re done.”
“And if I win, we go skinny dipping in the ocean. And you walk back up to the room. In front of me, teasing me with your gorgeous ass.”
She palmed his face and nipped his nose. “It’s a win-win all the way around.”
He rolled off and pulled her to her feet. A small crowd surrounded them with congratulations. Even the Jones boys were good sports.
“Nicely done, you two.” Pam shook Devi’s hand.
“It was anyone’s game for a minute.” Omar hugged Devi to his side and then broke away when William motioned him over.
Devi smiled at Gwen’s approach. She couldn’t help but notice Brian watching them with a blank stare. When he caught her eye, he winked. Devi looked away, grateful to Gwen when she blocked her view of the other man.
“I’ve known Omar a long time, Devi. I’ve never seen him so relaxed and at ease. You’re good for him.” Gwen linked her arm through Devi’s. They lagged behind the others as the group returned to the starting line.
Her comment took Devi by surprise. “Thanks, Gwen. I think we’re good for each other, too.”
William jogged backward ahead of the crowd and signaled to Mikey to hit the bullhorn. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth. “Brunch poolside in fifteen. Bring your appetite. And job well done, everyone.”
The taller woman squeezed Devi’s arm, pulling her closer to her side. “He’s always been so full of business. I didn’t believe he had a funny bone in his body. But the way he banters with you, the way he watches you…settling down is good for him. You’re good for him.”
“I hope so.”
Gwen picked up Devi’s hand and whistled. “Wow. A man who gives a woman a rock like this is crazy in love. You’re a very lucky lady.”
Devi’s pulse raced, and she licked her suddenly dry lips with an even drier tongue. For a moment she’d allowed herself to get lost in all of Gwen’s nice words. She’d grown excited that Gwen thought she and Omar were good for each other. That people noticed how Omar had changed, and they gave her the credit.
But she crashed down to earth as soon as the other woman eyeballed the ring. No denying Omar had loosened up. But he’d loosened up to have fun for one reason only. Hell, he’d come right out and said it last night. Had she forgotten because of their lovemaking and her daydreams? She’d gotten too caught up in their own ruse. Omar wanted nothing more than the contract with William, and he’d do all it took to get it. Even make sure he looked like a family-first, doting fiancé.
Don’t let yourself fall for your own ruse.
“Paul and I have always liked Omar. I’m glad to see him happy,” Gwen said. “When did you guys start dating? How’d he propose? Paul took me on a dinner cruise and got down on one knee. So romantic. I can picture Omar doing something like that, too.”
Devi shared their engagement story as the knot forming in her belly grew. She’d had fun with it at the office, but sharing the story a second time, after all that had happened, didn’t leave her with the same happy feeling.
…
Omar sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees and his hands locked under his chin. The day had flown by with badminton, miniature golf, and swimming—and another bathing suit choice by Devi. This time a simple black one-piece that took his breath away more than the first.
By early evening the entire group had gathered outside for a movie on the outdoor screen William had brought in. After buckets of popcorn and a couple movies everyone had headed to their rooms, but he and Devi were getting ready to go back out to make good on their bet.
“I’m almost ready. Just need to tie my hair back so I can see enough to kick your butt.” She stood in front of a full-length mirror, arranging her hair in a loose braid that hung down her left shoulder.
He shared a smile with her reflection. His promise of last night flicked across his mind for the millionth time today, but he pushed it aside. One more time, my ass. He didn’t know what he was doing, he didn’t understand this thing between him and Devi, but he felt powerless to stop it. He didn’t want to stop it. He’d go with the flow and see where this…this thing between them led.
“You still want to race, don’t you?” She twisted the tip of her braid and turned to face him.
“Sure. Why?”
“You look kind of dejected over there.”
He tried to give her a reassuring smile, although confusion clouded his mind.
He rubbed the side of his neck, and Devi frowned. She licked her lips, and her eyes were full of concern.
“What gives, O? You’re looking a little green again.”
He jerked upright, determined to pull himself out of the murky depths of his own mind. He wasn’t going to let a little stab of conscience ruin their night. They’d both agreed to live in the moment. The only problem was the idea was new to him. He didn’t know where or h
ow to begin.
“I’m okay. I’m just looking out for you. You sure you want to race? You’ve seen me in action, and I’m a sure win.”
Devi’s shoulders relaxed, and her smile stretched from ear to ear. “Is that your fear talking?”
“Just trying to give you a reprieve.”
“I don’t need one. You didn’t need to carry me earlier. I’m more of an asset than you think. I’ll have you know that I was the MVP two years in a row on my high school track team.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
“Whatever.” She squared her shoulders. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to have pity on you.”
“On me? I should have pity on you.”
“I’m going to give you a handicap.”
He stood and laughed straight from the gut. Who was she kidding? “You’re the one who’ll need the handicap. This guy ran track, too.” He thumped his chest.
She shrugged and gave a lopsided smile as she focused on his shoes. “You can wear your fancy running shoes, but you can look for me at the finish line. I’ll be the one in bare feet.” She hitched her hands to her hips and lifted her chin, kicking off a pair of fuzzy blue slippers and wiggling her toes. “That’s right, O. I can kick your ass barefoot.”
“You sure you don’t want to run in a pair of slippers? You have plenty to choose from.” He let his eyes travel to the closet floor and the several pairs piled on top of one another.
“No way, no sand on my babies.”
“And how come you packed three pairs of slippers—or is that four? We’re only here for a week.” Their teasing had become an aphrodisiac, and his heart raced.
She leaned her weight on one hip and sighed. “I thought we went over this already. Two reasons. One, I have my own personal foot fetish. Slippers, lotions, nail polish, and whatever is sparkly, girly, and makes me feel pretty. I love it all. Two, slippers are like swimwear. I have to have a few choices. Whichever one I choose is dependent on my mood.”
He’d never understand women. No point in trying.
“So, are you ready? Or do you want to slip into your socks and sandals first?” Her laughter filled the room, and she popped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, as if she were afraid she’d wake the house.
A Friendly Engagement Page 16