I’m running out of air, but I can’t find her. My chest burns with the need to breathe and the edges of my vision start going dark. I’m going to suck in a lungful of water if I don’t get back to the surface fast.
The water churns again and something rolls a few feet away from me. I surge in that direction and reach out, connecting with something. I grab on. It’s Becca’s arm. I yank her toward me, but I barely know which way is up anymore. Bubbles rise around me and I have just enough oxygen left in my brain to realize I can follow them. I wrap my arms around Becca and kick as hard as I can, desperately trying to get us above the water.
My head breaks the surface and I suck in a deep breath. I cough and gasp, but make sure to get Becca’s face out of the water so she can breathe.
“Oh fuck, Becca.”
Her leash is still attached to her ankle, so I rip it off. I don’t give a fuck about our surfboards right now. I swim us in toward the beach, keeping Becca on her back. I can’t tell if she’s breathing.
We make it to the shallows where I can stand, and I scoop her up in my arms like a child. Her back clenches and she coughs up water.
“Holy shit, Becca. Breathe, baby. Breathe.”
I get her to the beach and lie her down on the sand. She keeps coughing, but I can hear air getting through. After what seems like an eternity, she starts to breathe normally and her eyes open.
I grab her and pull her against me. She takes a few more breaths and I can’t let her go. The terror I pushed aside in order to get her out of the water surges through me, turning my blood to ice.
“Oh my god, Becca.”
“Lucas?”
“I’m so sorry,” I say, still cradling her in my arms.
Her body shakes and for a second, I’m afraid she’s choking. I pull back and look at her face, expecting to see her gasping for air.
She’s laughing.
There is absolutely nothing funny about any of this. But she’s motherfucking laughing.
“What the hell?” I ask. “Why are you laughing?”
“I don’t know.” She turns her face and coughs a few more times. “It’s just so insane. I was scared, but then everything was great. I caught that wave. Did I really catch the wave?”
“Yeah, you did.”
“I did it. I was scared, but I did it.” She touches the side of her head and winces. “But did your surfboard hit me in the head?”
I want to die right here. I promised I’d keep her safe and I almost fucking killed her.
“God, Becca, I’m so sorry.” I gently touch her temple. I can feel a lump already forming. “You rolled off your board and I couldn’t find you. I thought I killed you.”
She meets my eyes and smiles. “I’m okay.”
“No, you were under the water and you couldn’t breathe and—”
She touches her fingers to my lips. “You don’t understand. I know something bad happened—the thing I was afraid of, even. But I’m okay.”
I hug her against me again, holding her close. I don’t want to stop. If anything had happened to her…
Although the sun is shining down on us, the breeze is cold. Becca starts to shiver, so I reluctantly let go.
“Do you think you can stand?”
She nods, her eyes sparkling. I can’t believe she’s so calm. I’m filled with the desire to scoop her up in my arms and kiss her.
But I hold back. There’s a hell of a lot of emotion sparking between us right now, and I’m not sure how to handle it. I’m afraid something as intimate as a kiss—at least, a kiss when we aren’t in the midst of fucking each other into oblivion—would be a mistake.
I help her get into dry clothes and put her in the car with the heat blasting. I change out of my wetsuit and we head back down the highway. I left the surfboards in the water. I’ll have to replace them, but at this point, it’s not worth it to me to get them. I want to take her to the ER to make sure she’s okay, but she adamantly refuses, claiming she feels fine. In the end, I convince her to go to the urgent care clinic in town, just to be sure.
The doctor assures me she’s not seriously injured. There’s no water in her lungs, and she doesn’t have a concussion. Hearing it from a doctor eases some of my fear and I feel the knots of tension in my back finally release.
The sun is setting as we drive back to our building. Becca is quiet, looking out the window, a small smile on her face. Nothing about today went as planned—she literally could have died—but she tells me over and over again how great it was.
It’s hard to imagine that this is the same girl who looked so lost and upset at locking her keys in her car. She’s come a long way. I can’t really take credit. Sure, I’ve had the ideas, and I’ve provided the push she needed. But she’s been in the driver’s seat the whole time. I wouldn’t have been able to force her to do anything she didn’t want to do.
The truth is, she didn’t need to become Sandy at the end of Grease. She just needed to be herself, free of all the perceptions other people had of her.
She was perfect already.
18
18: Becca
It’s pretty busy in Finn’s pub. I come in and spot Juliet, sitting with our other best friend, Madison. I squeal and run over to them. Madison stands and gives me a big hug.
“There she is,” Madison says.
“Sorry I’m late,” I say.
“You’re fine,” Juliet says. “We just got here.”
I take a seat at the table and hang my purse on the back of my chair. It’s so good to see Madison. “How was the drive down?”
“Not bad,” Madison says. “I feel like I haven’t seen you two in ages. I can’t believe you both had to go and move three hours away from me. You’re straight up bitches, you know that, right?”
“We just need to get you out here too,” I say. “Then everything will be perfect.”
Madison smiles. “Not likely, But at least you moved somewhere that’s cool to visit.”
A waiter comes out and takes our orders. The three of us catch up on what’s been going on in our lives. Madison and her husband Eric just found a new apartment. Juliet fills us in on her wedding plans—she and Finn are going to have a low-key wedding on the beach next summer. I tell them about my job, and what it’s been like living by myself. I side-step around the subject of Lucas, because I’m not really sure what to say.
What is there to say about him? I don’t think my girlfriends will understand our relationship. We’re good friends, and yeah, we’ve been sleeping together. A lot, as a matter of fact. It was kind of like a dam breaking—once we started, we couldn’t stop. One of us shows up at the other’s back door almost every night, and whether we have different intentions or not, we always wind up in bed. Or on the couch. Or the kitchen counter. Or Lucas’s desk.
Lucas’s desk was really fun.
At first I was worried it would make things awkward between us. But it hasn’t. Hardly anything has changed, other than he gives me an endless stream of orgasms. Seriously, I had no idea a woman could actually climax every time. Sometimes more than once. To say he’s changed my outlook on sex would be a vast understatement.
The front door opens, letting in a draft of cold air. I glance over my shoulder and my heart skips. It’s Lucas.
He notices me right away and grins. I give him a little wave, and he walks over to our table.
“Hi, ladies.” He moves behind me to the empty seat and tugs on my hair as he passes.
“Do you remember our friend, Madison?” I ask.
She reaches across the table and they shake hands.
“I think we sang a song together,” Lucas says as he sits down.
“Right,” Madison says. “Oh man, that night was fun.”
Everyone starts talking about our first trip to Jetty Beach, when we came for Juliet’s birthday, and she ended up meeting Finn.
I don’t know why I’m so tense, but having Lucas sit next to me like this is doing all sorts of funny things to my insides.
He’s talking to the others, but his eyes dart to me a few times. I wonder if this feels strange to him too. The air between us seems thick, a barrier keeping us apart. I resist the urge to move my leg so it brushes up against his.
Cool it, Becca. You’re just friends, and this is how friends behave.
After a while, he stands. “I’ll let you ladies get back to your night.” He winks at me. “See you later, Becca.”
Lucas goes over to sit at the bar and starts talking with Finn and Gabe. I smooth down my hair and hope that my face isn’t flushed.
Madison raises her eyebrows at me and leans forward, speaking quietly. “You’re fucking him.”
“What? I am not.”
“You so are,” she says. “You and Lucas are totally getting it on. Were you going to tell us?”
I glance at Juliet out of the corner of my eye. She’s staring at me, open-mouthed. Oh, god, I can’t even look at her.
“I…”
“Becca,” Madison says, her tone stern.
“Fine.” You know what? I’ll own this. “Yes, I’ve been sleeping with Lucas.”
“Becca, what are you thinking?” Juliet says, her voice a low hiss.
“I’m thinking I’m a grown woman and I can sleep with a man if I want to.” I cover my mouth. I can’t believe I just said that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Madison points at me. “Don’t apologize. That was awesome. You are a grown woman, and you can sleep with a man if you want to.”
“Of course she can, but she shouldn’t be sleeping with Lucas,” Juliet says.
“Look, I know what I’m doing,” I say. “And I know what you’re going to say: Lucas doesn’t do relationships. I’m well aware of that. I’m not his girlfriend. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just… friends with benefits.”
“I love this,” Madison says with a smile.
“If you knew Lucas, you wouldn’t be so excited,” Juliet says.
“Why?” Madison asks. “Is he an asshole or something? He seems really nice.”
“No, it’s not that,” Juliet says. “He’s just so anti-commitment. Like Becca said, he doesn’t do relationships.”
“Yes, and the point is, I know that,” I say. “I have no illusions about what’s going on between us.”
“How did this even happen?” Juliet asks.
I take a deep breath. “I wanted to loosen up a little and take some risks, maybe try things I’ve never done before. So I asked him to help. At first, it wasn’t sexual at all. We did some other stuff, like that night he got me to sing with him. But then we both realized this was an aspect we weren’t exploring. And if I want to be a little naughty, what better way than sleeping with Lucas?”
Madison and Juliet both gape at me.
God, I’m so tired of them looking at me like their innocent little friend. “He also got me high.”
Madison bursts out laughing and Juliet keeps staring at me.
“What?” I ask. “It’s legal.”
“Please tell me he didn’t get you high and that’s why you started sleeping together,” Juliet says.
“Oh my god, no,” I say. “That was before. And it was just the one time.”
“But the sleeping together is a regular thing?” Juliet asks.
“Yeah, pretty much,” I say. “Honestly, Jules, I know what this is. We’re friends. We have sex sometimes. That’s it. It will run its course. I’ll be ready to date again for real someday, and we’ll go back to being friends who don’t have sex. It’s no big deal.”
“I totally approve of this plan,” Madison says.
“How were you the first one of us to get married?” Juliet asks Madison. “That’s a serious question.”
Madison shrugs her shoulders. “I know, it surprises me too. I always figured it would be Becca. But who cares about me. Becca, is he well hung?”
Juliet rolls her eyes. “I don’t think I want to know that about Lucas.”
Madison leans closer. “Then close your ears. Tell me.”
I know I’m blushing, but I don’t even care. I hold up my hands to demonstrate. “He’s like this.”
Juliet covers her face and Madison’s mouth drops open.
“He’s hung like a fucking whale,” Madison says.
I laugh. I never talked to them about Brandon like this—or any of my old boyfriends. Was I really such a prude?
“And he knows how to use it, too,” I say. “You guys, he’s done things to me I didn’t even know existed.”
“Please tell me you got him to put that tongue between your legs,” Madison says.
“Yes,” I say. “That was the first thing he did.”
“And?”
I lean my head back and look up at the ceiling. “It was so fucking good.”
They both squeal. “Becca!”
“What? You guys say that word all the time. Why can’t I?”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my sweet Becca?” Juliet asks.
I shrug. “I’m learning how to be the real me. I’ve always done what everyone else expects. And moving here showed me I could do something else. I could start making my own decisions. Lucas has helped me figure out how to do that. He’s amazing. He’s been sweet and caring, and yeah, he tries to push me sometimes. But I need that. This has been good for me. He’s good for me.”
Juliet presses her lips together. She looks concerned. “I’m glad you’re feeling good about all this, but what you just said is what I’m worried about. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt.”
“You know what, Jules? I might. But I’ve spent my whole life shying away from things that could hurt me. I’ve always had people looking out for me, trying to make sure nothing bad happens. But bad things happen anyway, even if you’re trying to avoid them. I still had my heart broken, and puked all over Brandon in the middle of a nice restaurant.”
“True,” Juliet says.
“I’m tired of hiding,” I say. “I don’t want to keep going through life doing only what’s expected, always letting other people shield me from the world. This thing with Lucas might be a big mistake, but I want to find that out for myself. I want to stop being timid Becca. With Lucas, I don’t feel like a spineless little girl anymore.”
Madison beams at me and Juliet’s smile brightens.
“I’m sorry, Becca,” Juliet says. “I don’t mean to be critical. I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” I say. “I’m happy with where my life is right now. I’ve never really felt that way before.”
“I love this,” Madison says. “Good for you.”
“And you guys, seriously.” I glance at Lucas, sitting at the bar. “Whatever else happens, the sex is so good.”
“It better be, if he’s got a dick like that,” Madison says.
The three of us laugh and Lucas glances at me over his shoulder. I wonder if he can tell we’ve been talking about him.
Our food comes out and our conversation turns to other topics. It’s great to be with my two best friends again, but I’m so distracted. My eyes drift over to Lucas constantly. He’s sitting at the bar next to Gabe, talking with Finn. The muscles in his back pull against his shirt when he shifts on his stool. He runs a hand through his hair, and all I can think about is what it feels like to have my hands in his hair, when he’s—
I turn my attention back to Madison and Juliet, trying to force myself to quit thinking about him. But there’s an ache between my legs, and being near him like this is maddening. I notice him glance in my direction a few times. Is he thinking about me, too?
When I look again, he’s gone. My phone dings with a text and I peek at the screen. It’s from him.
Get your ass to the bathroom.
I do everything I can to keep from smiling, but I’m ready to burst. A hit of adrenaline rushes through my veins. Oh my god, he wants to—
“I’ll be right back, I just need to go to the restroom.”
“Sure,” Juliet says. “Do you want m
e to order you another drink?”
“Yeah, sounds great.”
I clutch my purse with nervous fingers and try to keep my face still while I head to the back. My heart beats wildly and the butterflies in my stomach are fluttering like crazy.
I tap on the men’s room door a few times. Lucas peeks out, then grabs my wrist and yanks me inside. He shuts the door and locks it, then pushes me up against it, his mouth crashing against mine.
I drop my purse and he grabs me, lifting me against the door. I wrap my legs around his waist. Our mouths lock together, our tongues lashing in a frenzy. I’ve never wanted anyone like this before. My body is on fire for him, like I can’t live another second without him inside me.
“Fuck, Becca,” he says. He puts me down long enough to pull out his cock and I’m so grateful I wore a skirt tonight. “You were driving me nuts out there.”
“I know, me too.”
He smiles and kisses me again before getting out a condom.
“Are you sure we should do this here?” I ask.
“Positive.” He lifts me up again and pulls my panties to the side. Any objection I might have had flees as he slides his cock inside me.
My eyes roll back. “Oh, god, Lucas.”
He thrusts into me, pushing me back against the door. “That’s it, baby. Tell me what you want. I want to hear it.”
“Fuck me.”
Lucas groans into my neck. “Say it again.”
“Fuck me, Lucas. Fuck me hard.”
His fingers dig into my thighs and he drives his cock in and out. I’ve never had sex in a public place before. I’m half terrified someone’s going to knock on the door, or my friends will notice I’ve been gone too long and look for me in the women’s room.
But Lucas’s thick cock pounding into me erases all my worries. I’m consumed with the feel of him. His breath on my neck. His low growls in my ear. His muscles flexing and tensing with every thrust. Tension builds fast as he slides in and out. My pussy heats up and clenches around him.
Good Girl Next Door: A Steamy Small-Town Romance (Jetty Beach Book 6) Page 12