Ex on the Beach

by Kim Law

  And wasn’t that the million-dollar question?

  Andie looked at both friends — Roni, with her cool, casual, do-him-and-don’t-look-back attitude, and Ginger, with her romantic streak a mile wide — and while she was glad to have both women in her corner, they were turning out to be of little help. They hadn’t convinced her of anything that she hadn’t already talked herself into.

  Because yeah, she wanted to do it. She was a grown-up. Why shouldn’t she be able to handle a little affair? They were talking less than two weeks.

  What could go wrong?

  Other than getting her heart broken again.

  “I have to admit something,” she said.

  Both of them looked at her with anticipation, and Andie felt her face heat.

  “We did kiss Sunday night,” she admitted. “In the ocean — with our clothes on, of all things.”

  “Oh my God.” Ginger’s eyes went wide.

  Andie nodded. “But it was closure. It was a good-bye kiss.”

  Roni silently studied her before asking, “So you’re ready to date, then?” At Andie’s nod, she added, “Someone other than Mark?”

  Andie nodded again.

  “Good. I’ll set you up.”

  “No, no setups. I’m going to make a list. I’ll ask someone out myself.” She shifted her gaze away from her friends and mumbled, “But maybe I’ll wait until this wedding is over.”

  Both of them went silent for several seconds before Ginger whispered heatedly, “You’re going to sleep with him.”

  Andie fought to deny it, but in the end she lost. She nodded. “Probably.”

  “And you’ll really be okay if you do?” Roni asked. “Can you keep emotions out of it?”

  Andie lifted her shoulders in a shrug. She sure hoped she could, but honestly she had no idea. All she knew was that Mark’s proposition seemed like the best thing she’d heard in years. Four, to be exact.

  “Maybe it’s not such a good idea after all,” Ginger offered.

  “Two minutes ago both of you were for it, telling me to use him and don’t look back. What’s different now?” Andie asked.

  “You have that look.” Gingers fingers closed around hers. “Like it’s already more than sex.”

  “No, it’s not.” Andie shook her head, trying to convince herself as well as her friends.

  “Do not go to bed with him if you’re ultimately just going to get hurt,” Roni stated. Wise words. And a wise woman would heed them. Certainly someone responsible and always working hard to prove herself would not do something so stupid as to risk getting her heart entangled again with the man who’d already broken it once.

  But Andie was kind of tired of proving herself. She wanted orgasms, and she wanted Mark to give them to her.

  And she wanted to pretend that was all it was going to be.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The strains of music filled the air at Gin’s on Thursday afternoon as Andie went about cleaning the shelves lining the walls. Roni was at the piano, playing something classical — Mozart maybe. It was three in the afternoon on a bright, beautiful day, and the only customers were a couple of ladies on the patio who seemed to be enjoying the music as much as Andie.

  On slow days, Roni often spent time at the piano. Though she’d given up playing as a career, it wasn’t as if she could give it up for life. It was a part of her. When she’d moved to the island, she’d brought the piano with her, installed it at the bar, and declared herself Andie’s newest hostess/entertainer.

  Andie hadn’t minded. In fact, she’d thought it an ideal situation. A piano was exactly what the bar had needed. And someone to play it on occasion was even better. And though Roni was playing classical at the moment, she often pulled out jazz or contemporary pieces in the evening. Sometimes old show tunes. Whatever the selection, the patrons seemed to enjoy it.

  Classical was her go-to, though, and if the place wasn’t filled with men watching ballgames, it was usually what she played.

  As the tempo picked up, so did the swipes Andie took with the duster. The regular bartender had called in sick, so she had rearranged her schedule to help out for the afternoon. It wasn’t as if she had to get to some hot affair or anything.

  She gritted her teeth at the thought — as she’d pretty much been doing since she’d come in from the deck the night before. Where she’d stupidly been waiting for Mark to show up and have that promised conversation.

  Instead, he hadn’t returned to the house until after midnight.

  As Andie had waited for him alone on the deck, she’d finished off an opened bottle of wine by herself, made her list of men to date, and then had gone in to bed when she’d caught sight of him, Rob, Penelope, and the rest of the wedding party staggering across the beach.

  They’d obviously gone to Gin’s after dinner, but what had gotten to her wasn’t that he’d forgotten the conversation the two of them were supposed to have but that Mark had his arm draped around Wendy’s shoulders. The bridesmaid-from-hell Wendy.

  Andie had watched them part ways at the back of the house. He’d headed inside with Rob and Penelope and the maid of honor while Wendy had trudged back to the bungalows with the remainder of the group. But even after seeing them go their separate ways, Andie’s irritation hadn’t subsided. Though she supposed she should have been grateful.

  Not that she was jealous.

  Or that she’d answered the soft knock at her door only moments later.

  She figured he must think he could play with both Wendy and her, and that would be okay.

  Not in her lifetime. Andie may be willing to try a casual summer fling, but she wasn’t going to share while she did so.

  He could just forget it. She didn’t need the complications from getting involved with him, anyway. And she didn’t need sex.

  She sighed. She just wished her libido was in sync with that last part.

  One of the ladies on the patio signaled for Andie’s attention, so she headed past the gauzy curtains separating the bar area from the patio to see what they needed. A server was working the afternoon shift, but given how slow business was just then, Andie had suggested she take her break. She and Roni could handle the front for the time being.

  “Can I get you something else?” Andie asked.

  The two women looked to be in their twenties. They wore sunglasses and bikinis with near-sheer cover-ups, and they’d been enjoying cocktails on the patio for the past hour.

  The one who’d called her out giggled, and the other didn’t pull her gaze from the beach. Andie followed her line of sight, discovering that the Jordan party had made its way to the volleyball net not too far from where she stood. It was a beach day for the group, with a formal dinner slated for evening, but this was the first she’d seen of any of them since they’d headed out earlier that morning.

  Before leaving, Mark had tried catching her alone, but she’d made sure to stay busy. She’d also refused to acknowledge to herself how delicious he’d looked in his navy swim trunks and tight T-shirt. With his hair unkempt and a relaxed smile on his face, he’d seemed more at ease than she’d seen him since he’d arrived.

  Apparently spending time with Wendy had been good for him.

  She gritted her teeth again.

  “I’d like a Sex-on-the-Beach, please,” the lady watching the action said. Her tone was somewhat dreamy, and her intention clear. There was something — er, someone — in the good-looking beach group she’d like to do more with than just watch play volleyball.

  Andie empathized.

  Mark had pulled his shirt off, and even from this distance, she could make out the firm muscles that sculpted his chest. And his shoulders. Oh geez, she would love to run her hands over those bare shoulders.

  And down his back.

  And over his rear.

  Another giggle jerked her attention back from the beach to the women before her. She blushed when it became apparent from their pointed looks that she’d been caught staring. “Sorry about that,”
she said.

  “Oh, we understand,” the first woman replied. “Though there’s a nice breeze out here, the temperature has definitely soared since they arrived.”

  Andie had to agree. Every man in the group could be on the cover of a magazine. Even Rob, who now chased a runaway ball with Wendy. Andie glanced at the bride on the other side of the net, noticing her arms crossed tight over her chest. Rob was a jerk for not taking every opportunity this week to make his bride-to-be feel special. Penelope definitely deserved better.

  “Look at the one in red trunks,” Sex-on-the-Beach said. “Ohmygod, he’s heading this way!”

  Andie pulled her attention from Mark — where it had once again drifted — and noticed Gray making a direct path to the bar. He looked like a man on a mission. When he caught sight of the three of them watching him, he shot them a wide, bright grin and tossed out a wave.

  Andie waved back.

  “You know him?” Sex whispered.

  “I know all of them, actually.”

  “Even the tall one on the far side?” the first one asked. “The one in blue.”

  That would be Mark. Who was now chatting up Wendy. That girl sure got loads of attention.

  “Um … yep.” Andie nodded. She wanted to say that he was her ex, in hopes of keeping the women at bay, but kept her mouth shut. Who he did or did not hook up with was none of her business. As long as he didn’t think he could toss her into the mix, too.

  She shifted her focus back to the woman. “Can I get you something else to drink?”

  “I’ll take another pomegranate martini. A strong one.” The woman watched Mark a little longer, and as if he sensed the attention, he turned his head in their direction. All three of them held their breaths.

  Though it was impossible to tell for certain who he was focused on, with the three of them lumped together, the back of Andie’s neck tingled. She had a very strong suspicion of just who he was looking at. And she had the sense he was telling her that she wouldn’t avoid him another night.

  “Hey, Andie!” Gray called out as he crossed the sand and entered through the patio gate.

  The two women tittered in their seats, as if their very own man-Popsicle was being hand delivered.

  “Hey, Gray. Tired of the game?”

  His gaze strayed to the curtains behind her, where the music was roaring to a crescendo in the bar. “Just thought I’d take a quick break.” He nodded toward the ogling women, then looked back at the curtains. “Roni happen to be inside?”

  Andie smiled. Looked like Roni wasn’t the only one interested in a little summer fun. “That’s her playing the piano.”

  “Oh.” His tone was one of surprise. No doubt the music had drifted down to the beach, reeling him in like a siren’s song.

  “Go on in,” Andie suggested.

  “You don’t think she’ll mind being interrupted?”

  She put her hand on Gray’s arm, and when he looked at her, she said conspiratorially, “I think she might like it.”

  One side of his mouth hitched up in the cutest smile, and she couldn’t help returning the look. Roni was about to be one very lucky girl. It made Andie wonder … if Gray didn’t have his sights set on her friend, could she get past her infatuation with Mark by spending time with someone like him?

  Interesting question. Not that it mattered. She still had a business to run.

  She was still smiling as Gray headed into the bar, which is when she glanced back at Mark. He was standing in the middle of the players, ignoring the volleyball as it bounced around him, and this time there was no doubt about who he had his gaze on.

  Her pulse spun out of control. Even from a distance, the man had the ability to bring her to her knees. Which only proved that even if someone else was interested in her, it wouldn’t make an impact. She had Mark right smack in the middle of her head.

  Forcing herself to look away, she turned back to the women who were still watching Gray, and murmured that she would be right back with their drinks.

  Likely, she’d find the server and send her out. Because she certainly didn’t want Mark to see her again, and get the idea to follow Gray up to the bar.

  Andie collapsed back against the sofa, laughing at the two children still under her care. She’d had four to watch tonight, a ten-month-old baby girl, a three-year-old girl, and these two, Max and Anna, who were brother and sister. Max was seven and Anna six.

  Seaglass Celebrations provided onsite child-care services for some events, so tonight while the grown-ups had gone to an exclusive seaside restaurant on the mainland, she’d volunteered to relieve the regular babysitter. She’d been playing charades with these two since the others had been picked up a little over thirty minutes ago, and Andie had to admit she was not good at the game.

  “I can’t believe you couldn’t get that movie,” Max said. “Everyone knows Brave.”

  Except her, apparently.

  “I really am bad at this game, aren’t I?” She’d thought putting them on a team against her would be fair. Big mistake.

  The outer door opened and Andie looked up, expecting to find the kids’ parents, but instead it was Celeste Kavanaugh, Mark’s mother. She and Wayne hadn’t arrived on the island until a few hours ago, and since they were staying at the hotel, Andie hadn’t yet had a chance to say hello.

  She stood and headed toward the woman with her arms outstretched. Celeste was dressed to the nines in a tea-length pale pink dress that set off her short black hair. A gorgeous diamond bracelet circled her left wrist, and a matching necklace glittered from her neck.

  “Mrs. Kavanaugh,” Andie greeted her warmly, squeezing her hands. “It’s so good to see you again.”

  She’d once loved being around Mark’s mother. Had enjoyed hanging out and talking with her, helping her with her charity work. She was so much more relaxed than Andie’s own mother.

  “Andie,” Mrs. Kavanaugh said. “It hasn’t been so long that you don’t remember my name, surely. Please, call me Celeste.”

  Celeste held Andie’s arms out at her sides, taking her in. Then without warning, she wrapped her in a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you, dear,” Celeste whispered. “I was so sad about …” she paused, then leaned back and gave Andie a sad smile, stroking a hand down her face. “About everything. I hope you’re doing well.”

  Andie nodded, refusing to let herself get teary at the memories that seeing Celeste stirred up. She’d been so ready to be a part of the Kavanaughs. “I’m doing great, Celeste. And I’m so happy to see you. I was hoping you and Wayne would be able to make it down before the wedding.”

  “Oh, sweetheart …” she started, letting go of Andie and glancing around to take in the two children who sat watching them. “I had to drag that man out of the office this morning. Since he’s retiring soon, he kept insisting he couldn’t take a vacation. But it’s little Rob’s wedding — we’ve known him since he was a baby. We had to be here.” She stopped and tilted her head as she looked at Andie. “Maybe you weren’t aware Wayne’s retiring? I’m going to get that trip around the world he’s always promised me.”

  Andie laughed, enjoying the moment. It was good to see Celeste again, even though Andie knew Mark calling off the wedding four years ago had probably pleased the family more than Celeste would ever admit. Andie would love to know the reason Celeste had thought they shouldn’t get married. Had it been lineage, as she’d assumed, or something else? “I had heard, actually. About the retirement. Mark told me.”

  An interested expression crossed Celeste’s face. “I see. So you two are … talking?”

  “Yes.” Andie nodded. Talking. And not having a hot affair. “We’ve cleared the air a bit. It was good. We needed to talk.”

  Celeste patted Andie on the cheek. “That’s terrific, sweetheart. I know it couldn’t have been easy. But I want you to know, I gave him a piece of my mind for the way he ended things. That was no way to treat a lady.”

  “Did you?” The conversation was moving into a
n area Andie preferred it didn’t go. Maybe she and Mark had moved on, but it didn’t mean she enjoyed talking about it. “Well, I do appreciate that. I suspect it turned out for the best, though.”

  And the funny thing was, she really was starting to believe it had. She’d been angry for so long, she hadn’t realized that maybe they hadn’t been ready to get married. She wasn’t sure when she’d started thinking that way, but it felt right. She’d been wrapped up in work, and he’d been … she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she felt as if calling off the wedding might have been a relief to him. He’d started as many arguments as she had in their last few months, and it made her wonder now if he’d been looking for things to pick at. Had he been hoping for an excuse to end it?

  She returned to her seat and motioned for Celeste to follow, telling herself she’d chase that train of thought later. Right now she wanted to spend time with Mark’s mother. “Tell me about this trip you’ll be taking,” she said. “When will you be heading out?”

  “As soon as I can drag him off.” Celeste chuckled as she spoke. She sat and they continued talking, the two of them catching up like old friends. They soon formed a team against the kids. They still lost, though Celeste was better at charades than she was.

  “I guess my grandchildren keep me more in tune with what kids know these days than I realized,” Celeste said.

  Andie’s heart squeezed at the thought of the Kavanaugh clan. She’d loved spending time with them. She’d first met them all at Christmas Mass the night after she and Mark had first gotten together.

  Being with them at the holidays was one thing she’d truly missed over the years. They were a close family. She liked that. But she had Aunt Ginny, and Ginger and Roni, of course. Though Roni returned home for Christmas each year, she, Aunt Ginny, Ginger, and Ginger’s mother often ended up spending the holiday together. Andie no longer went home to Kentucky for holidays, though her mother and stepfather were always invited down to Aunt Ginny’s. They just never came.

  “How many grandchildren do you have now, Celeste?”