With Strings Attached (17 page)

“We could skip the movie,” he suggested softly. “I could just take you home.”

“So early?” She knew what he meant.

His sexy mouth curved and the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Take me home with you, Corey.”

She studied him. He was sexy and wicked and fun…why was she hesitating? “Okay.”

As they drove along Shore Drive, past the boardwalk, Corey suddenly found herself saying, “You know what would be so good right now?”

“Surfing?”

She laughed. “Besides that. I meant walking on the beach. By the ocean.”

Dylan was silent. “I’m not sure how this stupid boot will do in the sand.”

“Oh. You should be able to walk a little. Right?”

“I guess I could try. I’m not sure how long I’ll hold up.”

“Park in the lot down by Cave Road. It’s pretty close so we won’t have to walk far to the water.”

Moments later they emerged from the car in a small parking lot right next to the sand. In fact, sand spilled from the beach into the lot. The squat, squarish lifeguard tower was silhouetted against the deep blue of the evening sky as they trudged across the sand toward the water. Stars glittered and the half-moon glowed, reflected by the black and silver undulating water of the Pacific Ocean.

“It’s beautiful,” Corey said. She paused to remove her flip flops, letting them hang from one finger.

“Yeah.”

She turned into the cool breeze to keep her hair out of her face, and Dylan took her hand in his. They reached the firmer sand near the water and strolled along the edge, out of reach of the waves crawling onto shore with foamy fingers. The rhythmic whoosh of water onto sand was soothing.

Dylan paused and stared out to sea, his fingers tightening on hers, and she watched him. She sensed a heaviness within him as he looked at the water. Was he missing his surfing that much? Was his foot hurting? She lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles, and he turned his head and looked at her.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

He closed his eyes and the flash of pain she saw there startled her.

“Dylan? What’s wrong?” Worry tightened her insides.

He said nothing, his mouth a thin line, his jaw tight. And then he opened his eyes and smiled. “Nothing. Come on, let’s keep walking.”

She didn’t believe him but she didn’t push it, walking slowly beside him. There was nobody else on the beach but them, way down here.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said. “That was really nice. And thank you again for noticing that shop for rent. I’ll check it out tomorrow.”

“Good.”

“How long do you think you’ll be here?”

“I’m not sure. Another couple of weeks, at least. As soon as I can get back on a surfboard, I’ll join back up with the tour.”

“Where will you go next?”

“Next competition is in France.”

“Oh, wow. I’d love to go to France.”

He turned to look at her. “Really?”

“Of course. France! You think you’ll be okay by then?”

She expected him to be pretty definite about that. Instead he said quietly, “I hope so.”

“Something’s bugging you tonight,” she said, stopping on the sand and facing him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” he said again.

His dark hair blew around his face in the ocean breeze, his silvery eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “Bullshit,” she said, her voice gentle. “But if you don’t want to talk about it, I guess that’s okay.”

“I guess I’m bummed about being here this close to the water and not being able to get back in it.”

“You could swim, couldn’t you?”

After a short pause, he said, “Yeah. I’m going to swim at the pool at the gym.”

“I guess it’s not the same, though.”

“Not quite, no.” Then he grinned and set his hands on her shoulders. “Hey. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I don’t know why I’m being such a fuckwit tonight.” He dropped his eyelids halfway, giving her a sexy look. “I wanted to take you out to have some fun tonight.”

“It is fun,” she said.

He laughed. “No, I’m being a big pain in the ass.” He bent his head and kissed her mouth softly, and her stomach did a slow roll at the feel of his lips moving on hers. He drew back and smiled down at her. “You’re so pretty, Corey.”

“No, I’m not.”

He chuckled. “Yes, you are. So pretty.” He brushed his fingers across her lips. “Your mouth makes me want to kiss you. Your eyes make me hot all over. Your body makes me want to jump you.”

She laughed. “Why thank you, you sweet talker you.”

He touched her hair and the gentle tug on her scalp as he brushed strands back made her skin tingle. “Let’s sit.” He pulled her down to the soft sand and tucked her against his body beneath one arm. They gazed out at the ocean, then he touched her chin with his fingers and lifted her face. He kissed her again, mouth warm and firm on hers, and once again, her tummy flipped with lust. He kept his fingertips on her cheek as he kissed her, opening her mouth to him, sliding his tongue inside, the cool air a contrast to the warmth of his mouth and the heat curling inside her.

“Mmm.” She couldn’t help but make the small noise of pleasure, and she reached for his shoulder with one hand and slid her other arm around his waist.

“You taste so damn sweet,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. “Weren’t we on our way back to your place?”

She smiled. “In a hurry, surfer dude?”

“My foot is hurting. I think we should go.”

“I just bet it’s your foot that’s hurting.” She slid her hand down his chest and felt the bulge beneath his shorts. Then, with some kind of wicked boldness, she slipped her hand up under the hem of his shorts, along the soft skin of his inner thigh, and found that thick shaft, bare and throbbing.

He groaned. “Yeah, that’s where I’m hurting.” She went even hotter inside as she stroked him. “Oh Christ. Let’s go.”

She jumped to her feet, but he was a little slower, getting first to his knees and then planting his good foot into the sand to rise. She started to extend a hand to help him, but he ignored her and stood. She reached behind her to brush sand off the butt of her jeans.

“I’ll do that,” he said, and turned her around so her back was to him. His hands swiped over her butt and she grinned. He took his time, brushing and patting, and then even cupping her butt cheeks in a way that made her go breathless.

“I get to do it to you,” she said.

“If you must.” Then they both turned around and she did the same to him, admiring the firm muscles of his ass beneath the soft cotton of his shorts.

“Nice,” she said.

“Thank you. You have a nice ass too.”

They shared heated smiles and started back toward the car.

They drove to her place through dark streets, the lights of street lamps and passing traffic flashing into the car, talking about this and that, nothing important, but sexual awareness shimmered in the air between them and Corey’s skin felt tight and tingly. He parked in front of her building and they walked inside. She looked at the stairs, then back at him, biting her lip. “You can do the stairs?”

He jerked his head. “I’m about to find out.” He started up. “I haven’t done this many stairs yet without the crutches, but the therapist said to weight bear as tolerated.” He made it to the top, Corey following anxiously behind.

Inside her small apartment she flicked on a lamp. “Would you like a drink?”

He perched casually on a stool at her counter and smiled at her, all big muscles and tanned skin and white teeth. Her pussy clenched hard and her fingers curled into her palms as he drawled, “Not really.”

Chapter Eleven

Matt strolled into the Black Bean Café Wednesday night, eyes searching out his little sister. He spotted her behind the counter, dressed in the white T-shirt and black pants everyone who worked there wore. The place was hopping for a weeknight, with every table full and a line-up at the counter. Neve wasn’t the only one working, there was a whole group of them back there, dancing around each other as they poured coffee, steamed and frothed milk, and rinsed pitchers. Music was faintly audible over the chatter of voices, laughter, clinking spoons and hissing espresso machines. Rich dark coffee scented the air.

He waited his turn in line, frowning. He hadn’t expected it to be this busy. He’d thought he’d wander in, order a coffee and sit and talk to Neve, but that didn’t look like it was going to happen unless she could take a break. He tried to catch her eye but she was so busy she didn’t notice him until it was his turn to order. He started to tell the girl what he wanted, but then Neve butted in. “I’ll get this,” she said to the other girl. “He’s my brother. What can I get you, Matty?”

He rolled his eyes at the name. “Decaf coffee,” he said. “Cream and sugar.”

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “Decaf? C’mon, bro, live a little. Go for something a little badass. Like caffeine.”

He pressed his lips together. One more person told him he was dull and boring and nice, he was gonna punch them. “Decaf’s good,” he said shortly. With a sigh, she turned to grab a cup and pour the coffee. He gave her the money, she passed the cup across the counter and handed him change. He waved at her to keep it.

She looked down at the coins in her hand. “Big tipper,” she said, and deposited them into a jar for group tips. Ah well.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked.

“I came to see you. Can you take a break?”

She surveyed the line-up. “In a few minutes, if things slow down.”

“Okay. I’ll wait.” He turned and checked out the place. A couple was just leaving at the back, so he made his way through the dark wood tables and chairs and settled into the love seat in the back corner. Here, he could hear the music better, Norah Jones. Colorful art posters decorated the burnt orange and ochre walls. This was a nice little place.

He still didn’t think Neve should spend the rest of her life working there, though.

He watched other patrons in the shop, mostly couples, a few people on their own, a group of women. Who were looking at him. What? Was his hair sticking up or something? He ran a hand over it.

He thought of Corey and Dylan out on their date. A heavy rock lodged in his gut. Yeah. He hoped they were having fun. His mouth twisted glumly.

He sipped his decaf coffee, smiling a little, remembering Corey compare drinking decaf coffee to non-alcoholic beer. Which he would never drink. “What’s the point?” she’d demanded, and he’d laughed. He agreed with her when it came to beer, but coffee, not so much. He didn’t need to lay awake all night, especially since he’d been doing that the last two nights since the hot ménage à trois he and Dylan and Corey had had in his bed. Now every time he got into bed, all he could think of was sex. Sex with Corey. Jesus.

Neve joined him a moment later. “So what’s up?” she asked, sitting beside him on the love seat with a bottle of water in her hand.

“Not much. How’ve you been?”

“Good. Busy.”

“Job’s going okay?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “It’s a job.”

“New piercing?” He gestured to her eyebrow.

She touched a fingertip to it and smiled. “Yeah. You like?”

“Not really.”

Her smile turned into a frown. He grinned.

“You hear about Mom?”

She smiled again. “And her new man? Oh yeah. Jenna filled me in. I haven’t met him yet, though. Have you?”

“Yeah. At her place last weekend. I went over to fix her toilet and discovered it had already been done. By Corwin.”

“Well. That’s good.” She paused and eyed him. “Right?”

“I guess.”

“What? It’s good for her to be dating.”

“But we don’t even know the guy.”

She laughed. “Jenna told me you were all worked up about this. C’mon, Matt, chillax. She’s an adult.”

He looked away. Jenna had been a little concerned too. He wasn’t all on his own on this. Was he?

“Are you upset because she’s dating?” she asked and he turned his gaze back to her. Her eyes focused shrewdly on him. “Or because she didn’t need you to fix her toilet?”

Matt frowned. Huh.

“Hi, Neve.”

Matt looked up at the woman standing beside their table, who’d greeted Neve but was looking at him. Pretty little blonde.

“Hi, Jaden,” Neve said.

Jaden waited expectantly. Neve sighed. “Jaden, this is my brother, Matt. Matt, Jaden.”

Matt smiled at the girl. “Hi.”

She beamed back at him. “Your brother? Hi! Nice to meet you.”

Silence blossomed around them in the noisy coffee shop. “How’s business?” Neve finally asked Jaden politely.

“Good! So, Matt, you must be Dylan Schell’s friend.”

Oh for— Another chick trying to get with Dylan. “Yeah.”

“My sister met him the other day,” Jaden continued, standing there with her purse over her shoulder and her cardboard coffee cup clutched in both hands. “Here. He’s going to be coming to our shop on Saturday to meet some of our little surfers. We own Surf Sisters: Surf, Sand, Sun. He said maybe he’d bring you too.”