by Natasha Boyd
“I just love men’s bodies. I’m not sure I have a type .”
“And then the big one, he has no interest in having kids. And well, I do. Someday.” I took a large gulp of mimosa and it tickled my nose, making my eyes water .
“When was the last time you saw Derek ?”
“Last year sometime.” At her raised eyebrow, I filled her in on my theory that he had other “ports of call.” “Look, honestly, if he never called me again, I might not even notice for a while. You’ll understand when you see us together .”
“Huh. So you’re basically friends who just sleep together ?”
I shrugged. “I guess so .”
“And you never slept with Beau like that?” Penny asked .
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I felt myself flush from head to toe. I was instantly back to our kiss in the alley. My stomach flipped and heat flared. I shook my head vigorously to rid my mind of all dangerous thoughts. Heck, if simply thinking about kissing Beau turned me into an unstable incendiary device, God knew what sleeping with him would do. Beau was definitely not the sort of friend one casually slept with .
“Wow,” said Penny, her jaw dropping open. She tugged her sunglasses down her nose and revealed her blue eyes that were wide and pinned on me. “What the hell was that ?”
I opened my mouth and closed it again .
“You slept with Beau?” she asked. “When ?”
“No!” I exclaimed so loudly my voice cracked and the volume drew several curious glances. I dropped my face into my hands. “Nobutwekissed,” I mumbled .
She drew my wrists away. “Say that again ?”
“No, but we kissed.” I squeezed my eyes closed. “This week. He freaking kissed me out of the blue. In the middle of an argument about that stupid ad. It was just, holy shit. It was …”
“Some kiss, apparently,” Penny said when it was clear I wasn’t able to articulate anymore. “Wow. For a moment there it looked like you were about to float off like a Japanese lantern .”
I snorted a laugh, then slotted the rest of my mimosa down my throat. “God, Penny. I’m so screwed .”
A whistle sounded from across the pool. It was one of our neighbors who lived a few floors below. “Looking good, ladies,” he called. “Let me know when you need more sunscreen, happy to oblige .”
Penny laughingly waved him off. “Sure, sure.” Then she fixed her eyes back on me. “Okay, plan A is definitely on. Tell me everything .”
“And Plan A is ?”
“You and Beau, of course .”
* * *
The pool party was in full swing. The DJ was playing summer beats and reggae, and people were dotted around in clusters on pool floats and loungers. The smell of hot dogs, chicken wings and sunscreen permeated the air. I checked my phone for the fifteenth time when it was clear neither Beau nor Derek had shown up .
“See,” I’d said to Penny an hour ago. “This is what happens when you’re just friends with the one you’re sleeping with and in love with the one you’re supposed to be just friends with.” I sighed. “Neither of them show up and you end up a lonely old maid .”
And maybe I’d had a few too many mimosas. They were refreshing though. And I was having a great time, I assured myself .
It was such a relief to be able to discuss how I felt about Beau with someone .
Penny had decided that if Beau arrived, she would distract Derek, with my blessing, and I would … I didn’t know what. Penny said I should “take him upstairs and bang his brains out.” Her words, not mine. I was leaning more toward simply talking about why the hell he’d kissed me out of the blue .
At any rate, it looked like our plans were for naught. But at least I was getting a great tan .
I heard my phone faintly from my beach bag .
It was Derek .
“Hello,” I answered loudly and stuck a finger in my other ear to drown out the sounds of the party .
“Babe, it’s me. I’m so sorry — ”
Someone squealed nearby, and I looked over to see a group of girls surrounding a guy that looked suspiciously like Euan, the bartender from Alice’s. “I didn’t hear that,” I told Derek. “Hang on, let me get somewhere quieter .”
I waved to Penny who was chatting with some friends of hers she knew from the hospital. I pulled on a linen cover-up over my new navy halter-neck bikini .
“Hey Gwen!” I looked over to see it was indeed Euan in the pool and he was waving. I waved back and motioned to my phone. He gave me a thumbs up and turned his attention back to his harem .
“Derek?” I asked as soon as I was back in the cool air-conditioned lower lobby of the building that housed the gym and pool access .
“Yeah, babe. Can you hear me ?”
I sat on an upholstered vinyl bench. “Yep. You okay ?”
“Not really, had to fly up to Ohio to see my mother. She’s not well. So I won’t make it today .”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry about your mom .”
“Really wanted to see you, but yeah, I had to be here. Sorry I didn’t call earlier. Was on an oh-seven-hundred flight and came straight to the hospital. She’s going to be fine though. A heart attack, but they got it in time .”
“I’m so glad you were back and able to be there for her .”
“Yeah, me too. Look, I, uh, I’m not sure how long I’ll stay up here .”
“It’s fine, really. You should stay as long as you can .”
“Hey, so about what you asked me to look into yesterday ?”
“The housing lists ?”
“Yeah. I asked around. Turns out I have a couple buddies who got married for that. And get this, one of them got married by proxy .”
“What does that mean ?”
Derek laughs. “It means he never even had to show up for the wedding .”
“What? Are you serious? How ?”
“Apparently there’s a law in Flathead, Montana that allows a minister to marry someone by-proxy. He gets stand-ins for the bride or groom if they’re deployed. Sometimes both. He does a lot, a lot , of military weddings. You can find him online .”
I sat there frowning. “And this is legal ?”
“Hundred percent .”
It really would be a great solution for Beau .
“You there, babe ?”
“Yeah, sorry, I was just processing. That’s crazy .”
“I know, right? It sounds made up. But hey, getting on the housing list sounds great. Any chance you feel like getting hitched ?”
“Ha,” I let out the half-laugh, half-shout. What was up with these men acting so cavalierly about marriage? “No. Sorry. Beau’s already asked me to be a childless spinster, thanks, and I turned him down.” I’d explained Beau’s inheritance predicament to Derek when we’d spoken yesterday .
Derek chuckled at my response. “Worth a shot. I’m still surprised you turned him down. Totally thought you two would end up together .”
“You did ?”
“Yeah. How come you’d be childless ?”
“Because Beau said he’d have no interest in sleeping with me .”
“Bullshit.”
“Excuse me ?”
“You heard me. It’s a good thing I’m a confident guy because not many would be able to handle the love fest between you two. I always thought it was only a matter of time before you both realized how you felt. Always knew I was borrowing you, babe .”
“Seriously, what is up with everyone thinking that ?”
“What’s up that you haven’t ?”
I laughed at the ridiculousness of this conversation. “Please .”
“Just telling it like I see it. No hard feelings. So who’s the Marine ?”
“I can’t tell you !”
“Of course. I don’t want to get anyone into trouble. I have honor you know? But if I know her, I may be able to make sure she’s on the up and up. For Beau’s sake .”
I chewed my lip and crossed my free arm over my body. It
was chilly inside after the heat of the sun. “Fine. Lt. Marjorie Smith .”
There was dead silence on the other end. I looked at the screen to make sure we were still connected .
“Derek?”
“No shit .”
“You know her ?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah. If it’s the same one. Nice girl .”
“Derek? You being facetious ?”
“No. I, uh, no, I really mean nice girl. Kinda had a crush on her back in basic. Shut me down, completely .”
“Huh.”
“Yeah. Beau should be good. Guy has all the luck, seriously. Tell him not to fuck it up. Listen, I’ve got to go .”
I frowned. “Okay. I hope your mom’s all right .”
“Thanks, babe. See you.” The line went dead .
I stared at the phone long after he’d disconnected .
Then I went to the inbox on my phone and pulled up the email from Marjorie Smith I’d asked the girls to forward to me .
I sent an email to Marjorie introducing myself and letting her know a bit about Beau without mentioning his name. I told her I was forwarding her email to him and that it would be up to him to see if they would work out. Then I forwarded her email to Beau. I was washing my hands of this thing as of this moment. I’d fulfilled my part in helping him like I said I would. What he did now was up to him .
Besides, apart from bringing that powder puff girl to the marina, he hadn’t called, texted, let alone seen me since he’d pinned me against my office door with his damn mouth .
It was obvious he was embarrassed and didn’t want to talk about it and deal with the fall out. Cowardly, but I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t sure how I would react if we had to talk about it. It would be a shame for almost twenty years of close friendship to sputter out to an acquaintanceship within a few days over a mistake, but it wasn’t impossible .
A mistake .
Was that what it was though ?
Once the mimosas wore off, I knew I might feel pretty upset, but right then, I felt numb. No, not numb exactly. My emotions felt flat, sure, but physically? I’d relived that kiss a thousand times over and it never lost its potency .
I squeezed my legs together and looked toward the pool deck and the sound of laughter and music, then at the elevator doors that would take me upstairs to cool, quiet, calm and a glass of cold water. Or maybe a cold shower .
Making up my mind, I punched the elevator button and headed for my floor. I needed to charge my phone anyway. Penny would bring my bag up for me if I didn’t make it back down .
As soon as I walked through my door, I headed to the bathroom to turn the shower on, stripping myself of my cover-up as I went. I was slick with chlorine, sweat, and sunscreen and ended up stepping into the shower with my bikini still on .
Pulling my hair tie out, I tossed it toward the sink and let the cool water pound my scalp and shoulders, washing the sticky heat off me. I sighed with relief and lathered up .
If only I could relieve the tension that had been beating inside me since my episode with Beau. It was complete agony to know what his mouth felt like. I closed my eyes and let myself relive the seconds again, the force of his kiss, his lips, his hands, his body. As if the whole of him had been kissing me, not just his mouth .
The hot slide of his tongue .
Warmth pooled fast and hot between my legs, and I moaned aloud .
What if I hadn’t turned away from him? I couldn’t imagine we would have had sex in broad daylight in an alleyway, but he’d been hard. I’d felt him against me. Had he felt as desperate, as hungry as I had? What would I have seen in his eyes if I hadn’t turned away ?
I ached .
God.
My fingers tangled with my knotted bikini top behind my neck for a moment to take it off, then gave up unable to wait, and I braced a hand against the cold tile wall as the other slipped into my bikini bottoms .
In my mind’s eye, Beau had me pressed to the door, his mouth devouring mine and his hand sliding up my thigh and under my dress .
Damn, the dress I was wearing that day would have been way too tailored to allow that. I did a mental wardrobe change. A flowy dress. Wait, how about this bikini? Yes .
Wait.
Ugh. I moaned aloud, this time in frustration. I couldn’t even get out of my own head long enough to get myself off. And I was so turned on .
Pathetic.
“Knock, knock? Gwen, you okay?” Beau’s voice came from the bathroom doorway .
20
Gwen
I screeched and whipped the shower curtain back, my heart pounding. “What the hell, Beau ?”
I stopped short .
He was in black swim shorts that rode low on his hips and flip-flops. His beach towel was slung over one bare, muscled shoulder .
“Where’s your shirt?” I snapped, trying for a towel just out of reach. “And what are you doing here ?”
I glared at him .
“Um, which question would you like answered, exactly?” he said, laughing. “You invited me, I took it off, and I thought you were hurt in there? Not sure if I got all those in the correct order .”
“I’m not.” The towel tag got stuck at the end of the rail. “Hurt.” I yanked. “Shit .”
He handed me his beach towel instead. “Are you sure you’re okay ?”
I paused, realizing how completely idiotic I was being. But I was worried if he saw my face, I’d look flushed and out of breath and, oh my God, he knew .
He was chewing the inside of his lip, trying not to laugh, but his eyes were blazing .
“My knot was stuck .”
“What?”
“My bikini top, behind my neck. It’s stuck. I was frustrated, that’s what you heard .”
“Sure,” he said and winked. “Need help ?”
A lock of his unruly hair, in need of a trim, fell across his forehead. It leant an even more roguish air to his normal mischievous good looks. And he was definitely looking at me funny. Like he knew something .
I frowned to hide my embarrassment. “Everything okay with you ? You’re acting weird.” Truthfully, I was so freaking happy to see him after the week we’d had. Maybe a few days apart was just what we needed, and things could go semi back to normal .
He shook his head, a smile playing around his mouth. “Nope. But hey, if it’s your top, here, turn around let me help you.” His fingers reached around my neck. “I guess we aren’t going to the pool party .”
“It’s fine, I can do it.” I swatted his hand away, then realized I had to set down the towel to have free hands. No big deal. I laid the towel on the vanity and fiddled with the knot. “Anyway, I was already there. You’re late. Can you, like, go and wait … shit. I really can’t get it undone .”
Beau stepped into the bathroom behind me. “You look great in that bikini,” he said, his voice gruff. “New ?”
I swallowed, not even sure I could flush any more than I already had at being caught quite literally with my hands down my pants. “Yeah. Um, thanks.” I risked a look at him in the mirror .
His brow furrowed as his fingers worked. Maybe it was just a friendly comment. “Jesus, why such a tight knot ?”
“It’s my biggest fear it will come undone in the pool and flash everyone.” I laughed uncomfortably .
“And have those pretty tits make everyone’s day .”
My breath left me like a popped balloon .
Abruptly, Beau turned and walked out .
I mashed my lips together, then blew out a long breath. Running cold water in the sink, I splashed some over my face. “You want to go back down there?” I called with as friendly and unaffected voice as I could. As if the last thirty seconds hadn’t happened .
“I just came to hang out with you, I don’t mind what we do.” His voice sounded strangled .
I snuck a quick peek out the door and saw Beau facing toward the window, hands covering his eyes and head tipped back .
He began to
turn, and I darted back into the bathroom, fiddling with the knot behind my head and pretending I’d never moved. “How’s Eileen recovering,” I called .
“She’ll probably have PTSD around all small dogs for the foreseeable future .”
“Uh huh .”
“Fuck it,” I heard him say, and then he was back in the bathroom, standing behind me, catching my eyes in the mirror. “Hold your hair up,” he said when he saw I was still struggling with the bikini top .
I licked my lips and slowly reached up one hand to pull my hair off my nape .
His fingers were warm against my skin. Scratch that, his whole body was like a furnace behind me .
Suddenly, both straps came slithering over my shoulders. I slapped my hands to my breasts to keep them covered .
Beau didn’t move from behind me. “I can’t stop thinking about seeing them.” Instead both his hands settled on either side of me on the vanity and his reflection looked up from beneath lowered lashes .
Them? My breasts? Was I breathing? I couldn’t tell. I felt faint, maybe I was breathing too fast. Or I was dreaming .
“What were you doing in the shower really?” he rasped from over my shoulder .
My throat felt clogged and my pulse skittered. “My bikini — ”
“Try again, Gracie .”
I tried to laugh, but it came out high-pitched and uncomfortable. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s the middle of the day .”
God, what did that have to do with anything ?
He shifted slightly, and I jumped as he slid a fingertip down my spine and snapped the bra closure of my top. “You’re still a little soapy. I guess you weren’t done yet. In more ways than one. Can I help with that ?”
I inhaled sharply and made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a whimper. “Beau. Is this some kind of joke? Back up .”
“Gracie.”
“Don’t call — ”
“Call you Gracie. I know .”
I wanted to drown in the scent of him—clean skin, heady spice, the faint trace of wood varnish and burned sawdust. And the heat of him behind me. His bare chest could press against my back, and I swore I would hit nirvana .