Chapter 27
First date – especially anxiety inducing when it’s with your ‘fake’ husband
Chloe
I stare at myself in the mirror. “This is a bad idea. What was I thinking? Who goes to a beginner surfing lesson as a first date?”
“Is it a first date if you’re married?” Paisley asks. I glare at her through the phone. We’re FaceTiming since I’m at home trying on bikinis for my date with Lucas. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“Why do you think this is a bad idea?” Sophia asks. “He told you to plan the date.”
“Which is romantic,” Maya adds.
“Seriously? Is there anything you don’t think is romantic?” The woman needs to get her head out of a book and start living her life. Being pen pals with a soldier doesn’t count.
“It’s a fun idea,” Nova says before Maya can respond.
“I want pictures,” Sophia adds.
I roll my eyes. “As if the four of you aren’t planning to hide in the dunes and spy on us the whole time.”
Paisley clears her throat. “I wasn’t planning on hiding.”
“Aha!” I point at the phone. “You’re going to crash my date.”
“It’s not crashing if we merely observe,” Paisley says.
“I for one can’t wait to see Lucas in swimming trunks.” Maya wiggles her eyebrows.
I return my attention to the mirror. “Maybe I should wear a one-piece. I must have a speedo somewhere.”
Sophia growls. “You are not wearing a one-piece.”
I motion to my body. “But a bikini? On a first date?”
“He’s seen you naked. He’s not going to be put off by you wearing a bikini,” she reminds me.
“He’ll probably be fighting a hard-on the entire time,” Nova adds.
This idea has promise. Lucas turned on but unable to do anything about it. Teasing I can’t get in trouble for.
“Huh. Maybe this is a good idea after all.”
Lucas added a no sex rule to our agreement after Natalia almost walked in on us. I told him we could lock the door but he’s afraid his daughter is going to figure out what we’re doing. I don’t know what his problem is. Parents have sex.
“Is he still sticking to the no sex rule?” Sophia asks.
“Yes.” I groan. “Kissing is okay but no touching and no naked body parts.”
“Technically, you don’t have to be naked to have sex,” Paisley points out.
“I know. I tried to get him to stick his hand down my pants but he wouldn’t.” I ended up in the shower taking care of business because I was about to explode otherwise.
“Maybe you should wear dresses,” Maya suggests. “In historical romances, they lift the skirts and away they go with no one the wiser.”
“I don’t know. I think her tiny bikini and the water will work as well,” Sophia says.
“Is my bikini tiny? Should I wear another one?” I rush for the closet.
“You’ve tried on all of your bikinis. This is the best one,” Nova says. “Go have fun.”
Lucas knocks on my door. “You ready, Chloe?”
I grab my cover-up – an extra-large t-shirt with the words I stop for seals on it – and slip it on before opening the door. “Ready.”
I bound down the stairs and he groans.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to learn to surf after all?”
He adjusts himself in his swim trunks. “I want to learn to surf but I don’t know how I’m going to survive being around you with those long creamy legs of yours exposed the entire time.”
I smirk. A surfing lesson was a good idea after all. “Just wait until we get in the water and I remove my t-shirt.”
“You’re cruel.”
He snatches my hand and leads me out of the house to his truck. “We need to go now before I forget why I insisted on the no sex rule.”
“I’ve already forgotten why you insisted.”
He presses me against the side of the truck and thrusts his hard cock against my stomach. “You drive me crazy.”
I glide my hands up his arms until I reach his shoulders. “Right back at ya, hubby of mine.” I push up on my toes until our faces are level with each other. “What are you going to do about it?”
He grunts before wrapping an arm around my waist and dragging me close until we smash together. His lips meet mine and he shoves his tongue into my mouth. Yes . I’ve yearned for his taste on my lips all day. There’s nothing better. Not even the tastiest beer can compete.
His fingers dig into my ass and I squirm against him for some much needed friction.
He wrenches his mouth from mine. “We can’t do this outside.”
I sigh. Thwarted again. “Shall we get to our lesson?”
He helps me into the truck and we’re off. The beach where the surfing lessons happen is about halfway between Smuggler’s Rest and Rogue’s Landing. But it’s still less than fifteen minutes. Nothing is far away on Smuggler’s Hideaway.
We park and I notice Sophia’s car. When we walk to the beach, I spot my girlfriends sitting on a blanket in the dunes. They brought a bucket of beer and snacks. I’m glad my dating life is entertainment for them.
I ignore them. I don’t want Lucas to realize my friends are here. This is supposed to be our first date. Not a group activity.
We reach the hut to check in and I nearly groan when I realize who it is. Miles. I went to high school with him. He thinks he’s funny. I don’t find him amusing.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” he asks.
“Hi, Miles. This is Lucas.”
Miles grins at Lucas as he offers him his hand. “Nice to meet the man who tamed the wild child.”
Lucas growls. “My wife did not need taming.”
Goosebumps erupt whenever Lucas growls my wife . I’ve never enjoyed a man who’s possessive before but with him it’s different. Everything’s different with him.
“Alrighty then.” Miles cringes before shaking out his hand.
“You can’t break the hand of every person on Smuggler’s Hideaway who calls me a wild child.”
He winks. “I can try.”
“Serve and protect, Mr. Straitlaced.”
He steps close. “I already proved I’m not straitlaced. Maybe you need a refresher.”
I grin. “I totally need a refresher.”
He slaps my ass and steps away. “Wildcat, don’t get us in trouble before the lesson begins.”
“I didn’t start it.”
Miles clears his throat. “Go ahead and find a board and join the rest of the group.”
There are five men already waiting by surfboards. I find a free board while Lucas glares at all of the men. He frowns when he notices the spot next to me is occupied. He prowls to the man.
“I want to be next to my wife,” he grumbles at the man who immediately crumbles and scurries away.
“Be nice to everyone,” I hiss at him.
“I’m not being nice to any man who eye fucks you.”
“No one is eye fucking anyone.”
“Wrong.”
“Okay!” Miles claps his hands. “Let’s get started. We’re going to learn how to paddle, pop up on the board, and other necessary movements on the sand before we try them in the water. Everyone lay down on their board.”
I whip off my t-shirt.
“What are you doing?” Lucas growls.
“I’m not getting my t-shirt dirty,” I say as I stuff it in my bag.
“Do you want everyone to eye fuck you?”
“Just you, hubby.”
His eyes flare, and I bite my bottom lip. He groans. “Wildcat.”
“Lay down on your board and we’ll practice how to pop up,” Miles says.
I lay down on my board and Lucas follows suit. Several of the other students glance our way and he hurls glares and snarls their way.
I throw sand at him. “Stop being an animal.”
“No one should stare at my wife’s ass.”
“What are you going to do when we travel to Europe and I go topless?”
He growls. “You are not going topless.”
Nova rushes toward us. “I have a picnic set up in a romantic spot for you.”
Sophia chases after her. “You’re cheating!”
“He’s probably uncomfortable with a hard-on pressed against the surfboard anyway,” Paisley says as she joins them.
Maya is right behind her. She gives me a thumbs-up.
“Hard-on?” Lucas sputters.
Paisley’s brow furrows. “Do you not have a hard-on?”
“Is that Paisley the Perpetual Know-It-All?” Miles asks.
Paisley whirls on him. “Please refrain from using childish nicknames.”
He holds up his hands. “Sorry. It’s what my brother, Eli, calls you.”
“Yes, well, I have some childish nicknames for Eli, which I won’t use because I am not a child.”
I stand up to confront my friends and fist my hands on my hips. “I’m trying to have a date here.”
Lucas lifts my arms before dressing me in his t-shirt. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
“I am not going in the water with this t-shirt on. I’ll drown with how big it is.”
He grasps my hand before picking up my bag. “Good. Because we’re leaving.”
“There are no refunds,” Miles hollers after us.
“We’ll reschedule.”
“When I can have a private lesson with my wife,” Lucas adds as he drags me away. My friends follow.
“Who had less than fifteen minutes?” Sophia asks.
I glare at her. “It’s bad enough you were spying on us. Did you have to make bets, too?”
“I didn’t bet,” Maya says. “But I did prepare a picnic for you.” She motions to where a blanket is set up between the dunes with a picnic basket.
“Maya the romantic strikes again.”
“Do you want to have a picnic?” Lucas asks.
I tap my chin and pretend to consider it. “I don’t know. A picnic with a hot police officer who’s wearing a pair of board shorts and nothing else?”
He grins. “Picnic it is. Thank you, Maya.”
She blushes and ducks her chin. “Welcome,” she whispers.
We reach the blanket and I motion for my friends to go away. They bitch and complain, but they do leave eventually.
Lucas helps me to sit before sitting across from me. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” I narrow my eyes on him. “Did you sweat in this t-shirt before you put it on me?” I lift up my arm to sniff the armpits.
He chuckles. “No, I’m sorry I ruined our first date.”
“You didn’t ruin our first date.”
“I yelled at all the men for eye-fucking you.”
I smile. “I know. It was sexy.”
“You’re not mad we’re not doing the activity you had planned?”
I shrug. “As long as there’s beer in the basket, I’m good.”
“You’re amazing.”
I toss my hair. “Thank you.”
“No.” He shackles my wrists. “Don’t blow me off. You’re amazing. Someone should tell you how amazing you are every day.”
My heart catches in my throat. I would love him to be the one telling me I’m amazing every day. “Are you signing up for the job?”
“Maybe,” he whispers. “Maybe.”
His head descends and his lips meet mine. Another thing I want to experience every day. His lips on mine. His heat surrounding me. Me wearing his t-shirt.