Tucker stood nearby, his arms crossed; looking unconvinced Sean would go through with his plan.
He hovered over her with the bucket of seawater, taking aim.
“Do it, Donovan, and you’re a dead man.”
Dianna hadn’t moved a muscle, but the threat in her voice was clear.
Sean shrugged and tossed the entire bucketful of water on her back.
“Shit!” She cried out and flipped over. “You bastard!”
Sean spun around, but before he could take a step, she grabbed his ankle. He fell to the sand, the bucket flying out of his reach.
“You are going to pay dearly for that.”
He turned over to find Dianna kneeling next to him, an uncapped water bottle, precariously tilted over his chest.
He slapped it from her hand.
She let out a loud “Ugh!” then launched herself on top of him, her knees straddling his waist.
Sean tried to sit up, but her hands on his shoulders held him down. “Wow, you’re surprisingly strong.”
“Are you two going to wrestle?” Patrick stood above them, glaring. “Because if you are, let me know now before you ruin lunch again.”
“I should just kick his ass,” she said.
“Jeez,” Tucker said. “You guys sound like an old married couple.”
“Ha, like any sane man would marry her.”
Dianna grabbed his ear and pinched. “Keep it up and you’re having sand for lunch.”
“Technically it’s not lunch time yet, Di,” Derek said.
Dianna released Sean’s ear and faced her brother. “You’re not helping.”
Her sudden move offered him the chance to escape, until it registered in his brain that the tension in his body wasn’t from their horsing around, but her unexpected move against his bathing shorts.
Shit!
In one fluid motion, Sean set her off him, plopping her to the sand, and jumped to his feet.
“For God sakes, Sean—”
He didn’t hear the rest of her tirade as he ran to the ocean. He dove into the cool water.
What the hell—no, what the fuck!
Ever since she’d suggested they tone down their friendship and his eyes had lowered to her lips, his brain had brought her into his dreams against his will and now his dick was turning against him as well.
Seeing her in that revealing nightgown earlier really screwed him up.
This had to stop! His thoughts never strayed into those areas where Dianna was concerned. So why was his body suddenly reacting to her like this?
After a few minutes, his thoughts and body settled enough to allow him to leave the ocean. Now all he had to do was come up with a good reason for bolting away like he did.
“Feeling a little stiff this morning?” Tucker stood at the water’s edge, a sly smile spread across his face.
Sean glared at his brother. Typical of him to get right to the point. “No, I had to get away from her before she made me eat sand.”
Tucker shook his head. “Tsk. Tsk. It’s never good to lie. Hasn’t Dad ever told you that?”
“I’m not…lying. I needed a few minutes to myself, that’s all.”
“You needed a cold shower is more like it.”
“That’s not true.” And just to prove he was lying, his skin heated. Jeez, he was probably bright red right now, and Tucker wasn’t dumb enough to believe it was from the sun.
“Oh, come on. You were the only idiot in the ocean.”
Sean sighed. “Okay, fine, but what do you expect with her sitting on me like that and moving all around—”
“Hey, calm down. I guarantee I would’ve reacted the same way. I just would’ve been more vocal about it and saved myself the seaweed in my trunks.”
“Yeah, and I would’ve kicked your ass for it.”
“Dude, what is your problem? So you got excited. It’s not a big deal.”
“Yes, it is!” Sean snapped, pulling in a few deep breaths. “Dianna is not like other women. She’s special.”
“Wow, man.” Tucker shook his head. “How the hell do you even see her from the pedestal you have her on? She’s a woman. You’re a guy. It happens.”
“Not to me.” Sean headed back to the blanket, his thoughts a mass of confusion. She was still there, talking to her brothers without a care in the world, while his whole body turned against him. “Shit like that doesn’t happen. Not where Dianna is concerned.”
“Jeez, Sean, you might be her best friend but you’re still human. Don’t get all freaked out about this.”
Freaked out summed it up nicely. He stopped and changed direction. “I’m going for a walk.”
Without another word to his brother, he headed toward the lifeguard stand.
The last thing he wanted to do was take his confusion out on Dianna again.
***
Angie sat on the sand lotus style, her elbow propped on her knee, chin in hand, trying to read the last Harry Potter book. But, despite the fascinating read, she couldn’t focus. Exasperated, she marked her spot and set the book aside.
This assignment was boring. She’d hoped when Sean threw the water on Dianna and they started play fighting, there would be some spark between them. Instead, Sean tossed her aside, seemingly more interested in swimming in the ocean than the woman he was meant to be with.
Her eyes shifted to Jack, who’d ventured further up the shore to where two young boys and a girl played. They’d been searching for sand crabs without much luck. Until Jack showed up. Even though they couldn’t see him, the children shrieked with glee every time Jack flicked the sand with his toe, guiding them to where the crabs hid.
She smiled. What a shame he never had kids. He would’ve been a wonderful father.
A sudden and sharp pain pierced her heart, enough to make her gasp.
She stared at Jack, her eyes welling from the sense of loss. But what kind of loss? What wasn’t she remembering?
Jack must’ve somehow sensed her pain. Within seconds he was kneeling by her side.
“What is it? Tell me and I’ll fix it.”
Briefly, her fingertips touched his cheek, but she pulled them away when the feeling of loss deepened. “I’m fine. I think I just got overwhelmed by the children’s laughter.”
“I know what you mean.” He sat beside her and threw his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. “Kids are pretty damn cool.”
Angie was amazed that she and Jack had remained friends for so long. What just happened with the kids was typical. She’d sit back and observed over the top of a book while he’d be in the middle of the action. Drawn to each other at the age of nine because they’d been born on the same day, Jack had always been the yin to her yang. She’d watch as he’d played videogames. Sat in the bleachers while he swung the bat. Covered her eyes while he raced his car around the track. Her life had been dull while endless adventure filled his. He seemed so happy to be here again, while she ran from demons she couldn’t remember.
No wonder they’d never been more than friends.
Angie jerked away.
“What?”
Just for a moment, a lost memory was within her grasp. A foggy image of her watching him chatting up some girl. But it slipped through her fingers before she could latch onto it. “Nothing. Just a chill.”
The way he studied her made her breath quicken. Then he smiled and rose. He held out his hand. “C’mon, break’s over. We need to plan our next move with Sean and Dianna.”
She took his hand and let him help her up, if for no other reason than to touch him.
***
Later that afternoon, Dianna stared up at the fading sky, lost in her thoughts. Sean sat next to her munching on chips, absently offering her the bag every few minutes, even though she’d declined the last three times.
Derek, Tucker, and Patrick walked along the beach with a quartet of women they’d met while playing volleyball.
She sighed to herself. Must be nice. Her brothers were both tall
and gorgeous with dark auburn hair and the same emerald green eyes as hers. They never had any trouble finding a willing companion.
Unlike her. Always, just one of the guys.
A chill ran through her and she turned to Sean, running her hands over her arms. “Can I have my jacket? It’s getting nippy.”
“Sure, it’s—” Sean turned in his spot, lifting the duffle bag and moving towels. He dropped everything and searched the small area. “I swear it was right here.”
“And now it’s not?”
“No.”
“Well, it didn’t just get up and walk away.”
“Do you see it?”
Dianna got on her knees and dug through the bag. When she couldn’t find it, she searched out her brothers, looking to see if one of them had it. “Great. Now I’ll freeze to death.”
“Oh shut up and come here.”
Dianna scooted over until her back was against his chest. He put his arms around her and laid his cheek against her hair. Dianna let his warmth surround her as she watched Patrick steal a kiss from the woman by his side.
She sighed again. Out loud this time.
“Hey, what was that sigh for?”
“Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Whether I’ll ever fall in love and get married.”
“Of course you will. You’re destined to make some guy miserable.”
With a not-so-gentle jab in his ribs she said, “Bite me.”
“Is all this talk because you and Kirk broke up?”
She focused on the crash of incoming waves, suddenly needing more chips. She reached into the bag and grabbed a handful. “Maybe.”
“I’ll tell you what. If we reach our thirty-fifth birthday and neither of us is married, I’ll marry you.”
Dianna sat forward and turned to glare at him. Sean puckered his lips and leaned in. With a shake of her head, she shoved a chip into his mouth. “Don’t do me any favors.”
He chuckled and pulled away, munching on his treat. “One day you will succumb to my charms.”
She let out a loud ha! But wasn’t sure if it was because she actually thought what he said was funny or to cover the sudden flutter in her heart. And lower.
That was odd.
Tucker and her brothers approached with their new friends and Dianna moved even closer to Sean, making room for them to sit.
“Enjoy your stroll?” Dianna asked.
The tiny brunette, Trudy, if Dianna remembered correctly, nodded and smiled. “You two should have joined us, although you looked like you preferred to be alone.” She winked.
Dianna sat up abruptly. Sean scooted away.
“We’re just friends,” they said in unison.
“Really?” Trudy glanced at Sean and offered a sexy grin. “That’s very good to know. You just look so comfortable with each other—”
Dianna got on her knees and gathered up her things. “We’ve been friends a long time.”
“Too long,” Sean muttered.
Dianna grabbed his jacket and went to swat him with it, but he jumped up before it made contact. “It’s gonna seem even longer if you don’t shut up.”
Tucker shook his head. “Like I said, an old married couple.”
“Oh, hush up, Tuck, and give your brother his jacket.”
The younger brother studied the garment in her hand. “Unless he’s suddenly a female size medium, that’s not his jacket.
“It’s not? Then whose—” Dianna felt another chill attack her system when she realized what she held. He was right; this wasn’t Sean’s jacket.
It was hers.
Chapter Seven
EARLY TUESDAY MORNING, Dianna forced herself to sit at her desk and not procrastinate any longer. She’d made a decision and now she had to see it through.
And that meant finding a man willing to teach her the secrets of lovemaking.
Unfortunately, the search wasn’t going too well.
She was nearly to the end of her address book and still had not found a suitable man to help her. Some just didn’t do it for her; others were either engaged or married. For one desperate millisecond she’d considered calling Kirk, but then she got real. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“Ugh! This is hopeless.” Dianna slapped the next page over, agitated that she’d gotten all the way to V and still found no one who fit the bill.
Then she came upon a name she’d refused to let herself think about.
Dean Vaughn.
Even now, nearly two years after their last date, the thought of him still made her heart beat a little faster.
Dianna took a deep breath before picking up her cell to punch in his number. She and Dean had dated only a few times. He was a sweet guy, knew how to laugh and have a good time. He was always up for a walk along the shore or a night of just hanging out and watching TV. As long as it didn’t cost money, because he was cheap.
Man was he cheap.
That hadn’t bothered her since they still managed to have fun. Plus, he was so damn sexy. The kind of guy who could make a woman melt just by winking at her.
But Dean had been very upfront about his expectations. He wasn’t looking for just a fun companion. He wanted a lover. Dianna considered it, really considered it, but in the end she stuck by the Saving It Sisters’ Pact and told him she wasn’t the girl for him. When she explained why, Dean was one of the few people who didn’t look shocked or confused—or slightly freaked out. He simply kissed her on the forehead and said with a grin, “Call me when you grow up.”
She gripped the phone as the call connected. Her stomach jumped and bile rose in her throat.
Don’t do this! Hang up the phone! You’ll never go through with it!
Her breath came in heavy bursts. She was about to hit the end button when a masculine voice picked up.
“Hello?”
Dianna froze.
A 30 thirty-year-old virgin.
Always on the outside looking in.
Circus freak!
“May I speak with Dean, please?” she forced out.
“This is he.”
Another deep breath. “This is Dianna Sheldon. Do you remember me?”
“Dianna Sheldon.” A loud creak, like someone leaning back in a desk chair, echoed over the phone. “Of course I remember you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Dianna swallowed over the boulder in her throat. She could still picture him with his soft, wavy brown hair, misty green eyes, and a body that made the month of July seem cool.
“I’ve grown up.” Would he catch her meaning?
There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. “Really.” He voice turned low and husky. Oh, he’d caught her meaning all right. And that made her feel all gooey inside.
She’d basically just asked the man for sex.
Dianna rubbed her chest, at a loss for how to go on.
Dean had no trouble picking up where she’d left off. “I’m leaving for a conference in a few hours, but I’ll be back next week. How about dinner next Friday?”
She nodded. Then realized he couldn’t see her and managed to squeak out. “Sure. Seven. I’ll text my info. Bye for now.”
Dianna hung up the phone and jumped to her feet, her fisted hands in the air. “Yes! Yes!” She’d done it! But could she really go through with this? She never could in the past.
Shaking that thought aside, she envisioned Dean making love to her. Her heart fluttered even faster. He was the right guy—the only guy for the job. Maybe they would even pick up where they’d left off and she’d be able to find out what she hadn’t had the chance to do before.
Discover if he was The One or not.
With that thought in her head, she got to work. Her eagerness for next Friday night to hurry up and get here aroused her creative juices; she pulled forth her sketchpad and pencil. She always drew out her comic strip first before translating it to her computer.
She hummed to herself while she sifted through her color
ed pencils until she found her favorite light peach, sketching Sandy with as much ease as she signed her own name. By the time Dianna finished drawing out the details of Sandy’s adventures with Chip, her excitement was ready to burst. “Sandy, I’m finally going to have sex!”
The pencil holder sitting on her desk wobbled, tilted, then crashed to the floor. Dianna jumped up from her chair. Her heart pounded in her ears.
“What the hell?” She scanned the room, not sure what she was looking for, other than some explanation as to why a stationary object had suddenly fallen over.
With shaking hands, she reached for the scattered pencils. Yet another thing to add to the growing list of odd incidents happening lately.
She swore she’d heard voices the other night. The same night she’d rammed into the open linen closet door as she sleepwalked to the bathroom around five in the morning. She never left that door open and she certainly would’ve noticed it since she’d have had to walk around it to get into her bedroom. Then there was her jacket disappearing and then reappearing at the beach on Sunday.
And now the pencil holder.
Cautiously, Dianna walked through all the rooms in her house. None of them felt unwelcoming or cold and heavy. No sign of forced entry.
She hugged herself. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her home.
But something sure as hell wasn’t right.
***
“Hey, there. Lunch is almost ready.” Sonia stepped aside, allowing Sean to enter.
After a quick kiss, she led him into her tiny kitchen and pointed to the small table where she’d set up a tray of cold cuts and chicken salad.
“Nice spread. What’s the occasion?” He tossed his jacket over the back of the chair and took a seat.
She sat across from him. “I just wanted to do something to make up for the way I acted on our last date.”
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“Well, I did anyway.” She grinned. “So eat.”
They chatted and laughed throughout the delicious meal. He wished it could always be like this, but he knew deep down, they would have the same fight again. There had to be some way to keep that from happening. If he and Sonia were to continue their relationship once she returned to her home in Nassau County, they had to stand on firm ground first.
Angels in Seashore Cove (Love and Laugh in Seashore Cove Book 2) Page 8