by Jacob Chance
Once I’m safely inside, I press a hand to my tight chest and release a relieved sigh. I feel silly for running off on Oliver, but I had to get away from him. Being in his arms, having his hands on me, felt too real and too right. I can’t afford to fall for anyone; especially him. He’s not in a position to start a relationship any more than I am. I refuse to set myself up for another heartache.
Leaning forward, I study my face in the mirror. Pink cheeks and bright eyes reflect back at me. This is what being in Oliver’s arms does to me. I’m acting like I’ve never had a guy pay attention to me before. Get a grip, Ava. He’s not losing his head over me. After this weekend, he’ll walk away without looking back and I need to do the same.
Exiting the bathroom, I come face to face with Brian.
“Ava, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” I turn to walk away. He catches hold of my arm, spinning me around to face him.
“You need to listen.”
Oliver appears behind him. “Get your hands off her before I break your fucking fingers.”
Brian releases me and turns toward Oliver. “This has nothing to do with you.”
Oliver moves closer, standing taller than Brian. “The hell it doesn’t. Ava is my girlfriend, not yours.” He pokes Brian in the chest. With his dark eyes and the angry set of his jaw, he looks intimidating. “Last I checked you have a girlfriend of your own. Did you forget about her?”
I tug on Oliver’s arm. “Come on. We don’t need to deal with this. He’s my sister’s problem.”
Oliver doesn’t take his eyes from my ex as he imparts one last threat. “Stay the fuck away from Ava.”
My palm slides down his wrist until I clasp his hand. We walk off silently. I let Oliver take the lead and he steers me out onto the back patio of the restaurant. It’s too cold for any of the patrons to dine outside, so we’re alone.
He stops at the farthest iron railing, cupping both my cheeks in his palms. His dark chocolate eyes study my face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Did he hurt you?” His fingertips slowly trace out the shape of my face.
I place my hands on his biceps and squeeze. “No. I promise. I’m good.”
“You’d tell me?”
“I would.”
“I wanted to kick his ass.” He grits out.
“Why?”
“Because he cornered you.” His eyes are wild with anger.
“He didn’t threaten me, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“He shouldn’t be speaking to you at all.”
“Oliver, I’m a big girl.”
“I know you are, but I couldn’t help myself. I saw him close to you and saw red.”
One of his hands slides from my cheek to cup the nape of my neck. His other hand tips my face up.
“Why were you so angry?”
“Because he hurt you in the past and I’m not going to let him have another go at you.”
His protectiveness has me blinking away tears. “Thank you for taking care of me. I’m so glad you’re with me.” I smile, my lips quivering with emotion.
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” he husks, his dark stare earnest. His face slowly lowers toward mine.
Oh my God. Is he going to kiss me?
My heart galloping wildly behind my rib cage, my eyes drift shut as his lips brush mine, whisper soft. Just as I think I may have imagined the contact, his mouth drags across mine from one corner to the other. Soft and full, his lips tease back and forth over mine until they part. Trailing my palms up his arms to his shoulders, I lean into Oliver, meeting the first bold sweep of his tongue.
A deep groan rumbles from his chest to meet my gasp. The hand on the nape of my neck climbs up, fingers tangling in the long tresses of my hair as he tugs my head back, deepening the kiss. His other arm wraps around me, his hand gliding down to my ass, urging our bodies together.
Every impressive inch of him is solid from chest to groin. My head spins, dizzy with longing and the realization I’m living out my longtime fantasy of kissing Oliver Ice. This is so much better than anything I imagined.
His mouth is magical, weakening my knees with only a kiss. I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’ve never had someone’s touch make me tremble with need.
His tongue tangles with mine, hot, wet, and commanding. I’m ready to go anywhere with him. Do anything he asks of me. As long as he never stops kissing me. How have I lived twenty-one years without a soul-consuming kiss like this?
A car alarm goes off in the parking lot. A loud siren blares and lights repeatedly flash up at us. Oliver draws back, staring down at me in stunned silence. Maybe our kiss affected him as much as me? His tongue traces over his shiny bottom lip, teasing me. He tips his head toward the door. “Come on. We should get back inside before we’re missed.”
So much for our kiss affecting him. “Sure,” I mumble, trying not to feel humiliated or embarrassed by his lack of reaction.
I follow him across the patio and back inside. “I think I’ll get a drink,” I say, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.
“Good idea.”
We trek over to the bar and mingle with a couple of my cousins.
“So, how good are you on the ice? Are we talking NHL good?” Jack asks.
Oliver shakes his head. “I’m good, but not that good. I’ve never had aspirations to play professionally.”
“Well, that sucks,” my cousin, Rachel, states.
“It sucks for me, but how does it suck for you?” Oliver questions.
“It sucks for Ava. I thought she was going to end up with a millionaire.”
“Rachel,” I scold. “Oliver’s got plenty to offer without playing professional hockey.”
“You should see me naked.” He winks and she blushes. I shove his shoulder and widen my eyes at him.
“How did you guys meet anyway?” Jack questions. “Are you a puck bunny, cuz?”
I scrunch my nose up. “What’s a puck bunny?”
The guys laugh before Oliver fills me in. “There are girls who are like groupies for hockey players.”
“Ew, no. I never went to a game before Oliver.”
“Wait, you never said how you met. I want to hear the details.”
I wave my hand. “It’s not a big deal. We met at work.”
“Are you a bouncer?” Rachel looks Oliver over.
“No, I’m a bartender. And I’ll tell you how we met. I fell for Ava while she didn’t even know I existed.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. Tell me the rest. How did you ask her out?”
Where is he going with this?
“I first fell for your cousin watching her dance on the stage at work. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”
His words have my stomach dropping as if I’m on a roller coaster. If only that story could be true. He continues to embellish the details of our ‘relationship’ until it sounds like something out of a romance novel. By the time he’s done, I’m sad and I don’t know why. He’s only doing what he’s here for. But after the moment we just shared on the patio, it somehow feels wrong. Like he cheapened what happened. But how can he cheapen something that wasn’t real in the first place?
It sucks that the best kiss of my life was part of a performance.
Downing champagne seems like as good an idea as any. And it helps to ease the hurt and keep my anger at bay. It also allows me to put up with Oliver’s act for the rest of the party. I leave his strong arm wrapped around my shoulders and focus on sipping the bubbling beverage in my hand, continuously reminding myself to ignore my attraction to Oliver.
Sip. Smile. Nod. Sip. Smile. Nod. That’s how the remainder of the party goes for me.
I roll over on my side of the bed to face Oliver. “I hope I don’t feel sick in the morning.” After drinking copious amounts of champagne, I’m regretting it now. Returning to our hotel room gave me some time to thin
k and put the party into perspective.
“You did consume quite a bit. I was wondering if you were upset about something.”
Is he referring to our kiss? I’m no longer upset about that. I’m not going to regret such a phenomenal kiss. It can be the measuring stick for all others. “Not really. I guess there’s a little guilt about lying to my entire family.”
“We’re not hurting anyone by pretending,” he offers.
No. We’re hurting me. I already know that once we’re back at school, I’ll miss him. But no matter how many times I remind myself that this isn’t real, or to protect my heart, it doesn’t seem to work. Oliver’s one of those guys who makes you forget all the reasons why liking him is a bad idea. He’s like a slap shot into the net. He got past my defenses so fast, I didn’t even realize he had.
We’ll be back in Boston tomorrow night, and life will resume as usual. Getting into my regular school and work schedule will keep me busy. Oliver will be just another coworker again in no time.
Chapter Eleven
Oliver
“Where are we heading?” I ask, starting the engine.
“Take a left out of the hotel and it’s about a five minute drive.” Leaning forward, Ava grabs her sunglasses from her beach bag and slides them on. “I’m glad it’s hot today.”
“Is your family going to be there, or are we the only ones going?”
“My family will be there too. This is part of our reunion tradition. We spend the final day at the beach. There will be all kinds of food and games.” She chews on her bottom lip.
“Why do I feel like you’re not telling me something?”
“A girl has to have some secrets,” she teases. “I’m not going to reveal all of our plans for the day. Some things are more fun when they’re spur of the moment.”
“I’m certainly not going to complain about a sunny day spent on the beach with a beautiful girl.” Whatever she has in store for me, I can handle. It has to be easier than remembering we’re just friends.
Kissing her last night was the ultimate fuck up on my part. The moment our lips touched was life changing for me. I’ve never experienced so much chemistry with someone, not even Stacey. Tearing my lips from hers was almost impossible, but I forced myself to. There’s no future for us. Sometimes, timing is everything. And our timing sucks all around.
“Take a left into this parking lot. During the season we have to pay to park, but since it’s the end of September, there won’t be a fee.”
“It doesn’t look like there’ll be many people here either,” I comment, glancing at the handful of cars parked in the lot.
“Probably just my family and the locals who live nearby.”
I grab the towels and a blanket that have been in my trunk since we left Boston and follow Ava onto the beach. Kicking off my slides, I let my feet sink into the soft, warm sand with a sigh. Patches of long seagrass are interspersed along the gently curving dunes. We trek down the incline toward her group of relatives. The number of people is substantially smaller than yesterday.
“Some of my family had to fly back today,” Ava explains as if she heard my thoughts. “My sister and Brian are going to come late. They had a christening to go to.”
“Too bad. They’re missing out on a gorgeous day.” I tip my head back, letting the sun’s rays beam down on my face for a brief moment. I’m glad I won’t have to deal with Brian staring at Ava for the time being. “Where do you want this blanket laid out?”
“Right next to us is good. Then we’re not far from all the food.” She points at the three large coolers nearby.
I nod once. “Good thinking.” Gripping the edge of the blanket, I hand the other side to Ava and we spread it out on the sand. She drops the towels down on the blue material and digs through her bag.
“Can you help me out?”
“Sure.”
Straightening up, she hands me a bottle of sunscreen. “I need to put this on, but I can’t reach my back.” She grips the bottom of her t-shirt and draws it up and over her head, leaving her in a mouthwatering, tiny, blue bikini. Silently, I watch as she shucks her cutoff shorts, kicking them onto the blanket.
Oh fuck. Her body is perfection. Long and lean with gently honed muscles, her legs alone have me speechless. But her hips… damn. Those curves are deadly. And it’s not like I haven’t seen her in skimpy costumes at work, but nothing compares to having her right in front of me practically naked. I’m scared to see her ass in her bikini bottoms. I might embarrass myself and pop a boner. And in my board shorts there’d be no hiding it.
She spins around, presenting the back side of herself. “Try not to miss any spots if you can help it.”
Oh yeah. Sunscreen. I’ve been struck dumb by the sight of all her bare skin. She should come with a warning sign. Dangerous curves, beware.
Squeezing some of the lotion onto my hands, I start on the top of her shoulders, rubbing over every inch of smooth skin. I work diligently, focusing my eyes on her back and not allowing my gaze to drop any lower. And my plan works pretty well, until Ava takes the bottle from my hand. Bending over in front of me, she applies the sunscreen to the back of her thighs while I watch transfixed, like some schoolboy who’s never seen legs before. But in reality, I’ve just never seen legs like hers before. Is she doing this on purpose? Is she trying to kill me?
Clearing my throat, I look out at the endless sea of blue-green water. Think about the ice cold water. Brrr. “The waves are decent today,” I comment for the sole purpose of distracting myself.
She turns to face me. “Jack probably has his surfboard with him, if you like to surf.”
“I love it. But that waters gotta be freezing by now.”
“He probably has his wetsuit with him too,” she tells me.
“Are you a surfer?”
“Are you kidding? You know all about my lack of coordination. What makes you think that me standing on a board, moving on a wave is a good idea?”
I glance down at her knees. “I only saw you trip once so far. And your knees look a lot better.”
“I heal fast, I guess. Maybe it’s because my body is used to getting banged up.”
“It’s about time you guys got here,” Jack calls out, walking our way. “We’re all just about ready.”
“Ready for what?” I question.
Jack grins. “You didn’t tell him what we do?”
“Nope.” Ava makes the p make a popping sound.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Now would be a good time to fill me in on what we’re doing.”
Jack and Ava glance at each other and laugh.
“Guys, really?” I’m getting annoyed and I know it shows in my tone and expression.
Ava places her hand on my arm to calm me. “We’re all going to jump into the water together.”
“It’s gotta be fucking freezing. We’ve had some really cold nights lately.”
“Oh, it will be. But we have to take the plunge, so to speak.” She winks.
“That’s a horrible pun by the way. Okay, let’s do this.” I rub my palms together, feigning excitement I don’t feel. I’m about to freeze my nuts off. What’s fun about that?
The three of us walk to the edge of the shore where the rest of her family has gathered. I take hold of Ava’s hand. “We’re doing this together.” There’s no way she’s backing out on me.
“You’re not very trusting are you?”
I arch a brow. “What do you think?”
She laughs. “Good point. But Stacey I am not. I’m going to run into this water like it’s as warm as a bath.”
“I’m not sure how I’ll feel once the water hits above mid-thigh, but I’ll do my best.”
She laughs. “There’s no way to prepare for how cold this is going to be.”
“Everyone ready?” Mr. Madigan shouts and we all quiet down. “On your mark. Get set. Go.”
I run forward, pulling Ava behind me. She and most of her family shriek when we hit the water and I feel
a slight hesitation on her part.
“What did you say about bath water?” I jest, yanking her along with me as I go deeper into the surf. There’s no quitting at this point. We’re committed and going to see it through, no matter how bone chillingly cold the sea is.
When the water hits my groin I yell, “Holy shit.” But I don’t stop. And the deeper I go, the easier the frigid temps are to deal with. Maybe it’s because my nerve endings are too frozen to feel anything.
When the water gets chest deep, I drag Ava under a wave with me and we body surf in about twenty feet. She comes up out of the mid-thigh water sputtering, clutching the top of her suit. I don’t know how to tell her that her bottoms are what she should be worried about.
“Uh, Ava, you might want to fix your bikini bottoms.”
She releases her top and glances down. “Shit.” She tugs them back up her hips. They’d slid so low they were in danger of revealing the promised land. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and let gravity do it’s thing.
“I hate you, Oliver.”
“Come on. You don’t mean that. The water is refreshing.”
“Refreshing would be eighty degree water. Not sixty degrees.”
“It doesn’t count as going in unless you go underwater too.”
“That’s not a rule.” She rolls her eyes.
“It should be. From now on, you need to go under.”
“You won’t be here to make me, so I guess you don’t get a say,” she sasses.
Damn. She’s right. I won’t be here next time they have a reunion. Who will be here with her? It better not be Brian. If she’s learned anything from this weekend, I hope it’s that she’s better off without him.
“Oh yeah? Is that right? Well, I’m here now.” I scoop her up in my arms and carry her out deeper.
“Oliver, put me down.” She tries to kick her legs, but my arm is beneath her knees.
“I’m going to put you down, don’t worry.” I chuckle.
“No, put me on my feet. Please. I don’t hate you anymore. But I will if you throw—” The splash of her plunging into the water cuts off the remainder of her words.