Well, of course, right? He was here to get to know Paul’s friends, too. Plus the guy had put himself out there with her last night and she’d stomped him flat, why would he continue to show interest?
And why couldn’t she stop wanting him to?
Greedy Addie, wanting her hunk and to eat him, too.
She giggled at her own thought and nearly spit out the sip of punch she’d just taken. The group was assembled after quick-as-possible showers to save the water supply, enjoying a predinner drink or two.
The group minus Paul. Paul was not on the island because Paul had gone to the mainland to pick up Kevin.
Eek!
Addie was as light as the champagne, as bubbly as the...champagne, as fizzy as the...um, well...champagne. And clearly not big on similes.
Paul had been gone over an hour, which meant any minute he’d be back. Addie had come down by the cliff here, hoping to catch the first glance of Lucky’s approach, so she would know exactly when to start freaking out.
Or she could get a head start and do it now.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, fighting a sudden deep desire to be home organizing Great-Aunt Grace’s papers. So easy. So uncomplicated. This paper goes in this pile. That goes in that one.
“Hello, Addie.”
She started at the sound of Derek’s voice, luckily not standing close enough to the edge to pitch over. She immediately had to put the brakes on a fantasy of Derek saving her from certain death by hauling her back into his arms.
Honestly. Addie pulled herself together. “Hey, there, Derek.”
Then she made a fatal error. She turned to look at him.
He was breathtaking. A touch more sun on his cheeks made the contrast even sexier between golden skin and his white shirt, and made his vivid eyes practically jump out of his face.
No, no, Kevin was coming soon. Once glance at him and everything she’d ever felt for him over so many years would come rushing back again, and this Derek guy would be forgotten.
“Enjoying the view?”
“I am.” She put on a casual smile—ho-hum, nice to see you—and concentrated on the view, which she’d just been pretending to look at before. Yes, it was lovely. A sailboat was cruising in toward the bay, sails crisp white in the sunshine. A lobsterman was hauling traps just beyond the next island, his white and green boat bobbing gently in the waves. Breezes ruffled her hair; the air was sweet enough to drink. Why hadn’t she been enjoying this all along? “I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this view. The sea is always changing, the light, the birds, the boats...”
Derek chuckled. “Well, Ms. Manhattan. You’re describing the view I see pretty much every day. Maybe you need to give that life a try.”
She snorted, having to suppress yet another picture, this one of herself sunbathing on the deck of his yacht. “Do they pay full-time salary and benefits for someone to project the odds of running aground or sinking?”
“Um...” He tapped a finger on his very sexy lips as if trying to remember. “Not really, no. But I have an onboard bookkeeping position opening up in a few weeks. Are you interested?”
“Don’t think so, but thanks.” Addie made another serious mistake. She smiled at him. Then he smiled at her, and it was as if the scene around them wrapped itself up neatly and disappeared, the way backgrounds did sometimes in cartoons, leaving the two of them alone in nothingness.
Worse than how she’d felt the night before when she’d had to force herself to watch one of the most magnificent sunsets she’d ever seen. All she’d wanted to do was gaze into those cinnamon-brown eyes and drool.
Okay, Addie. Engage rational superpowers immediately. Like this: fine to look, fine to appreciate, but no touching.
An upswell of voices by the house made her turn to see what was happening.
Kevin was happening. Somehow she’d missed being first to see the boat, hadn’t heard it, either, and now he was right here, standing on the front porch, being hugged by Ellen, two or three others crowding around for their turns, grinning that old familiar straight-toothed grin that could still knock her for a loop.
And just like that, as if she’d been released from a sorcerer’s spell, Addie was able to move again, to walk away from the awesome but evil power that was Derek, and into the pure heavenly light of Kevin.
“Ad-die.” The last syllable of her name came out on a shout. She’d forgotten the special way he said it, and the memory made her legs move even faster. And there he was, disentangling himself from the other woman and sailing down the steps on his strong runner’s legs to grab and whirl her around in a joyous embrace that made her laugh and gasp for breath and nearly spill her punch.
Kevin Ames.
“God, look at you.” He held her at arm’s length, his face glowing. Eleven years later, he looked exactly the same. Maybe his face was thinner, maybe his skin was a bit weathered, and now that she looked, had he lightened his hair? But really, exactly the same. “You’ve turned into one seriously hot babe, Addie!”
His face might be glowing, hers was on fire. “Thanks, Kevin. You really—”
“Addie all grown up.” He shook his head, looking her closely up and down. Somewhat disturbingly, she noticed his eyes were the exact shade of brown as Derek’s. Medium caramel. Only for some reason they weren’t doing quite the same things to her. “Addie Sewell. I can’t believe it. You’re a real woman now.”
“Oh, well.” She was taken aback by his seductive tone then chided herself for being such a prude. Kevin wanting her was the whole point. “I just did the normal grow—”
“What were you, seventeen, eighteen last time I saw you?”
She nodded, unable to blush any harder than she was, or she’d try. “Eighteen.”
“I remember that time very well, Addie.” His voice lowered, his gaze turned tender. He touched her under the chin, making her shiver. “We never quite got synced up, you and me.”
“Uh, no. Not quite.” She peeked up at him under her lashes, trying not to be mortified by the memory of her outburst at their last meeting. He certainly didn’t seem to hold it against her. “I was a little naive.”
“You were?” One eyebrow rose suggestively. “So that means you’re not anymore?”
Man, her blush mechanism was going to wear out at this rate. But this was what she had come for. No matter how loudly Aunt Grace’s boxes were calling to her, no matter how uneasy and rattled she felt around Kevin, she wasn’t going to be the shy hide-away girl anymore. “No, Kevin. Not anymore.”
“I’m really glad to hear that, Addie.” He leaned in close, caught and intertwined her fingers with his, gave them a squeeze. “I’ve always had a soft spot for you. Actually...sometimes a hard spot.”
She caught herself just before she cringed, and smiled up at him without shame this time, waiting for the world to disappear around them the way it had around her and Derek.
Waiting...
And...
Hmm.
Well, she felt all warm and melty and sweet, that was something, right?
Plenty.
“Kevin!” A guy Addie barely knew—John, she thought—one of Paul and Kevin’s old track buddies charged out of the house and Kevin bolted away for the chest-bumping man-hug.
Addie grinned at the macho ritual then on impulse turned around, feeling eyes burning into her back.
He was still there, feet planted apart, hands on his hips, looking grimmer than she’d ever seen him, or pretty much anyone, look.
Not because of her and Kevin?
No. He didn’t look sulky or immature or sour-grapes. He looked...angry. And strong. And nobly determined.
And sexy as hell.
Turning head away, lalala, can’t seeeee you!
“Addie.” Sarah bounded toward her, drink in
hand. “We have got to talk.”
“Now?” She peered around Sarah at Kevin, relieved to have an excuse not to look back at Derek again. “Can’t I have a few more minutes?”
“No.” Sarah grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the crowd, across the top of the hill where Addie and Derek had walked the night before.
“What is it, Sarah?”
“I have to tell you something.”
“I figured that much.” She was used to Sarah’s drama, but this time Sarah seemed uncharacteristically uneasy. Usually Addie had the feeling that underneath the wailing and gnashing of teeth, Sarah was enjoying herself immensely. Not this time. “What’s going on, are you okay?”
“Fine. Better than ever. But I should have told you this before. Years ago. Coming here made it really clear.” She took a deep breath. “It’s about Derek.”
“Yes?” Addie had a feeling she knew what was coming. If Sarah’s story matched the one Derek told, that meant he’d been telling the truth.
“That night with Derek and me. He wasn’t— I was the one—” She gripped Addie’s arm, blue eyes wide and earnest, then seemed unable to go on.
“You made the move on him.”
“Yes.” Breath exploded out of her, Sarah-size relief. “Yes.”
“It’s okay, Sarah.”
“I’m so sorry I—” She frowned. “Hey, how did you know?”
Addie took a leisurely sip of punch, deciding how to answer. She could tell Sarah that Derek let it slip, but wasn’t sure it was her place to frame him. And she’d definitely had her own doubts about Sarah’s story. “Your anger at him was a little over the top. I wasn’t sure, but I thought something didn’t feel right.”
“Jeez, you, too?”
“Who else?”
“Joe. He said he figured it out pretty much right away.” She looked suddenly troubled. “That girl Carrie is really after him, have you noticed.”
Addie studied her friend closely. Was she jealous? Addie could only hope. Joe had been deeply in love with her for so long. It was heartbreaking to watch. Sarah had to realize on some level how perfect they were together. He calmed her down and adored her; she spruced him up and gave him purpose. But who knew if she’d ever let herself admit it. “Can you blame her?”
“No, of course not.” She laughed too carelessly. “Joe is the perfect man. I tell him so all the time.”
“Exactly.” Addie smirked, enjoying the situation. Sarah was jealous! Addie would be so pleased if Joe got his happy ever after with her. “Maybe they’ll end up together.”
“Maybe.” She bit her lower lip. “I’m not sure she’s his type, though. She’s too...obvious.”
“Uh-huh. Yeah, men hate when women make them feel totally sexy and desired.”
Sarah glared at her. “Not helping.”
“Trust me, he won’t even notice her extreme beauty and large breasts and—”
“So you’re not angry about Derek?” The abrupt subject change nearly made Addie laugh, but out of pity she switched gears, wondering if Carrie might be the answer to Joe’s prayers in a way Sarah didn’t even suspect.
“No, I’m not angry. He hurt you, and you lashed out, and then felt trapped by the lie. Welcome to the human race.”
“Aww, thank you, sweetie. I’m not sure I deserve forgiveness.” Sarah gave Addie a fierce hug. “But now wait, we need to talk about the most important thing. How are you going to seduce Kevin?”
“Seduce him?” She blinked stupidly. “Me?”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that the point of this weekend? I mean besides Paul getting married of course. The secondary point, then?”
“I thought he’d handle that.” The minute the words left her mouth she wished them back. Guys had always been the aggressors in her relationships. This week was about getting out of her rut, not settling back into it in a different place. “No. Forget it. Forget I said that.”
“Gladly.” Sarah fanned herself. “I thought I was going to have to smack you.”
“No, no.” Addie took a gulp of champagne punch for strength. Seduce him. Dear God.
“I’m thinking tonight you can play a little hard to get, just tease him.” Sarah wiggled her fingers gracefully. “And then tonight when everyone is in bed, sneak into his room and bang.”
The dancing fingers made a vicious grab.
Good Lord. Was she crazy? Just walk into Kevin’s room and attack him? Addie pictured him asleep in one of the second-floor bedrooms where Paul and Ellen had put their closest friends. Imagined fitting her naked body to his, waking him with a gentle kiss.
Well.
That would take her pretty damn far out of her rut.
“If I do this...” She shook her head as Sarah started a massive victory dance. “Sarah, I said if.”
“No chickening out.” Sarah waggled a warning finger, eyes flashing excitement. “You can do this. He wants you to, you saw his text and you saw how he greeted you.”
“True.” Deep inside her, little flutters of excitement, even though the concept was still surreal.
“Come on.” Sarah took her arm and dragged her back toward the house. “You need more punch.”
A second glass of punch later, Addie and Sarah were in line at the buffet near tables set up in the middle of a circle of tents, loading up on hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips and bean salad.
“Now we strategize.” Sarah surveyed the tables. “We want to sit somewhere empty, not too large, so you can get cozy with Kevin when he comes to join us.”
“And you with Joe.”
Sarah made a face. “I do not do cozy with Joe. That’s Carrie’s job.”
“Ha. I think if you ever wanted to get cozy with Joe he would be more than happy to.”
“What?” Sarah was still analyzing the table situation, effectively using her habit of blocking out what she didn’t want to hear. “Small ones are taken. That one will do.”
Addie followed her to a table for six set up at the perimeter of the clearing.
Sarah put down her plate, patting the place diagonally across from her. “You there. Then Kevin can choose if he wants to be intimately close to you on the bench, or to gaze longingly into your eyes across the table.”
Addie pretended disgust, giddy inside. “You are a piece of work.”
“Aren’t I? Hey, Joe.” She beamed as Joe sat next to her, and managed to keep the smile going when Carrie sat opposite him.
“May I join you?” Kevin’s rich voice—not as deep as Derek’s—came from behind Addie’s left ear.
“Absolutely.” She made a show of giving him room on the bench, then after he was settled, scooted back until their thighs touched. “Isn’t it great to—”
“Boy this looks good.” He grinned around the table. “Joe, how are you?”
“Not bad.” Joe’s features turned stiff.
“And you are Carrie?”
“That’s me!” Carrie gave a Miss America smile and giggled. She was a tiny redhead from Atlanta, who was so perky and cheerful and enthusiastic about everyone and everything it made Addie want to step on her. “I’m a friend of Ellen’s from grade school!”
“Welcome. This is a great gathering. And perfect weather. Supposed to keep going until the ceremony, too. Hey, Paul.” Kevin turned, leaning back into Addie, so his shoulder pressed against her breast. He raised his beer to his friend a couple of tables away. “This one’s for you, buddy!”
Addie turned to see Paul’s reaction, but her eyes never made it that far. Derek, holding a plate and a beer, was making his way...oh, no...straight to their group. Worse, he sat opposite her, where she’d have to look at him.
“Addie, my hot woman.” Kevin had turned back to the table and was gazing down at her. “Have I told you how fabulous you look
?”
She nodded, laughing. “You have! And then I told you—”
“Yeah, I remember now.” His eyes skimmed intimately over her. A sudden movement across the table made her glance at Derek, who was giving Kevin another I-would-kill-you-if-it-were-legal glare. Addie turned determinedly back to Kevin, who was still ogling. “You lost a bunch of weight or something, right?”
“Fifteen pounds.”
“Good for you. And you.” Kevin put his elbow on the table, pointing at Derek. “I know you.”
“Derek Bates.” He said it like a challenge.
“Derek, right. Right.” Kevin did a quick drumbeat on the table. “The s-s-sailor man.”
“And you’re the s-s-sales man.”
Kevin’s smile froze slightly. “Vice president of IT sales. Small company but we’re making big, big money.”
“Impressive.” Derek glanced at Addie. “You’ve known each other a long time?”
“Oh, yeah, Addie and I go way back.” Kevin draped his arm casually around her shoulders, and then let it slip across her back and down, landing on what the bench wasn’t using of her rear end.
Oh, my.
His hand was warm. His fingers started moving back and forth. She pressed her thighs together experimentally. No, she wasn’t dying of lust. But then they weren’t in a private room, able to concentrate only on each other and on their feelings.
“We met after Paul and Kevin became friends in middle school,” Addie said. “Kevin was—”
“John Witherspoon Middle School in Princeton, New Jersey. Cross-country team. I’d hang out all the time at Paul’s house.” Kevin leaned in to stage-whisper to Addie. “I always had a crush on you.”
She smiled into his gorgeous blue eyes, and then she felt it, a little tingle of chemical connection. Good. It was coming back. For a while she’d worried.
“Nice story.” Derek looked as if he’d eaten something that made him sick. The tingle died, and she felt slightly sullied and shamed.
What the heck for? What weird power was this guy starting to have over her? She didn’t know, but this had to be the beginning and the end of it.
Half-Hitched Page 5