Chapter 17
NATALIE
Ipaid special attention to my beauty routine.
I shaved, slathered myself with lotion, and sprayed on my favorite strawberry-scented body spray from Victoria’s Secret.
It was one of my guilty pleasures. That and the new panties and bra I was wearing.
I wasn’t sure what happened with Hudson earlier in the week, but I felt like I needed to up my game.
I had been certain sex was on the menu when we started fooling around at the beach.
He was hot and bothered and making me see stars with one of the most explosive orgasms I ever had, and then he wasn’t.
All week I had been trying to figure out where I went wrong. Did I not turn him on? Did he change his mind after bringing me to orgasm? Throughout the week, there had been plenty of heated kisses and some rather promising threats about what he wanted to do to my body.
Was he all talk? Was it just the way he spoke?
I had no idea, but just in case another opportunity presented itself, I wanted to be ready.
If he was going to see me naked, I wanted to look my best. More than once, I had considered the idea I was making it too easy for him.
He might have been hoping for a little more cat and mouse.
I could play hard to get if that was what he wanted, but I kind of felt like we were too old for those games.
I wanted him. I ached for him. That was all there was to it.
Life was too short to pass up opportunities, and sex with Hudson very much felt like an opportunity I didn’t want to miss out on.
I knew the guy. I knew it would just be sex.
At first, that bothered me, but not anymore.
Not after that night on the beach and the lingering, lascivious looks all week. I was ready to get naked and have fun.
The doorbell rang and I knew exactly who it was.
I rushed to answer it. Hudson was dressed in his usual cargo shorts and tee.
I had opted for distressed jeans and a white shirt tied in the corner.
“Let’s skip the party,” he said and pushed his way inside with his hands on my hips. “We’ll have our own party.”
He kissed me with that skilled tongue sending my heart racing. I pushed him away. “Everyone is expecting us,” I said. “I don’t want them thinking naughty thoughts about where we might be.”
“You would prefer I spent the night thinking naughty thoughts?” he said.
“I suppose I do,” I said with a laugh. “Let’s go.”
We walked to the pub. The party was already underway. Teresa was providing appetizers for free but was selling pitchers of beer for two bucks. There were going to be a lot of drunk people in town tonight. Hux was already surrounded by women hoping to take advantage of him.
“There’s my best friend!” Hux shouted when he saw me.
Clearly, he was already drunk. “Oh, Huxley,” I said with a shake of my head. “You started early.”
“I’m not drunk,” he said and threw an arm around my shoulders. “I know you’ll look out for me.”
“I think you might want to find someone else to do that,” I said. “I plan on enjoying the cheap beer.”
“Party pooper,” he pouted. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Hux,” I said and patted his chest.
Hudson was carrying a pitcher back to the table. He raised a brow as he passed us. “I don’t share,” he said as he walked away.
Huxley laughed off the thinly veiled threat from his older brother. “Guys! Everyone! Can I have your attention!”
“Hux, what are you doing?” I hissed.
“Everyone, raise a glass to my best big sister, Teresa Steele,” he shouted to be heard over the chatter and laughter filling the pub.
“You’re making an ass out of yourself,” I said.
He had a death grip on my shoulders. I wasn’t going to be able to free myself from the spectacle he was making.
“Teresa kicks ass! Our dad started this place forty years ago. All three of us spent our summers here waiting tables and doing dishes in the back until Dad got busted for having kids in a bar. Assholes.”
Everyone laughed. Huxley wasn’t done. “When they died, we knew we couldn’t let the place close, but Hudson and I were not interested in the pub business. Teresa picked up the reins and ran with it. She has kept this place running. We’re very proud of her. Everyone, thank the lady behind the bar!”
The eruption of cheers burned my ears a little. Huxley was enjoying himself and apparently wasn’t done making a fool of himself just yet.
“Hey, hey, hey!” he shouted. “Wait, I want to say something else!”
I managed to dislodge his arm from around my shoulders and retreated to the table where Hudson was waiting. I took the offered glass of beer and sucked half of it down.
“Does he always do this?” Hudson asked.
“No,” I replied. “Never.”
“My best friend just got away, but I owe her a big thank you as well,” Huxley said.
“I didn’t want to work in the pub. I wanted to be on the water and to put people on the water.
Thankfully, Nat knows all there is to know about boats.
If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be able to have our little business.
Nat, thank you for keeping me from getting dishpan hands and being forced to take orders from my sister. ”
I felt my cheeks burning. “I’m going to kill your brother,” I said to Hudson.
He smirked. “I’m going to kill him if he tries to kiss you or professes his love for you one more time.”
He was jealous, which was incredibly flattering. Huxley went on to thank my dad for teaching me about boats.
“Hudson!” Huxley shouted.
“Oh no,” I groaned.
“Guys, my big brother is home! He’s kicking ass but now he’s doing it here in town! The Steele family is back together!”
It was a pretty mild speech, but for those that had yet to welcome Hudson back home, it shone a light on him. He was dragged away by some guys we had gone to school with. I was happy to hide in the corner and wash down the peanuts I was munching on with a healthy amount of cold beer.
“Why are you all alone?”
I looked up to see one of the guys Hudson had hired standing at the side of my table. “Am I alone?” I replied. “I feel like I’m surrounded by people.”
He sat down in the seat Hudson had vacated just ten minutes ago. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.
I pointed to the pitcher that was half full. “I’m good.”
“Come on, a lady like you must want something a little more elegant,” he said. “How about a cocktail?”
“Teresa isn’t big on cocktails,” I said. “She likes to keep it simple.”
“Alright, then let’s turn this party up a notch,” he said. “Don’t move.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. I wasn’t going anywhere. I was enjoying the atmosphere. I didn’t feel alone. There were plenty of friends around. I didn’t need to be doted on every minute.
The new hire, Trey, had been flirty at work.
He was younger than I was and still had that cocky veneer that took a few decades for guys to lose.
Especially guys like Trey that were attractive.
I recognized him as being a good-looking dude, but I wasn’t interested.
Something about him just did not do it for me.
He was cocky but not like Hudson. Hudson could pull it off.
Trey just came off as abrasive and pushy.
“Here we go.” Trey returned to the table with two shots of what I guessed were tequila.
“What do you plan to do with that?” I asked.
“We’re doing a shot,” he said.
“No, thank you,” I said with a friendly smile. “I don’t like to mix alcohol. It always leaves me hungover.”
“One shot,” he said. “Come on. I’m celebrating. I finally got a good job thanks to a beautiful, talented woman.”
“I know Hudson would not appreciate being called a beautiful woman,” I joked. “He’s the one you should be thanking. This whole program was his idea.”
“Ah, but you are the backbone of that business,” he said. “You’re the talent, we’re just the help.”
“Thank you,” I said.
There was something about him that gave me the heebie-jeebies. I had always heard women ignored their gut instincts. They ignored them because we didn’t want to offend anyone. I didn’t want Trey to feel bad.
“I’ve checked out your designs,” he said. “They’re impressive. Without you, Huxley wouldn’t have a business.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “He’s very business savvy. He knows how to run a business. He would do just fine.”
I kept a smile on my face while casually searching the crowd for Hux or Hudson. This was me sending up a flare for help. I was uncomfortable and wanted out of the situation.
“Let’s take the shots,” Trey said and pushed the shot glass toward me.
“I don’t think I should,” I said. “Tequila doesn’t sit well with me.”
“One shot,” he said and flashed me a grin. He reached for the saltshaker and, while staring at me, licked his hand. It was lewd. There was no other way to describe it. It was meant to be flirtatious or sexy, but it did nothing for me. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end.
I reasoned the best way to get rid of him was to just appease him. I would do the shot and he would move on. “One shot,” I said.
“Lick your hand and I’ll sprinkle the salt on,” he said.
I felt so weird. I lowered my head to somehow keep him from seeing me lick my hand. It was very dainty. He reached for my hand and sprinkled the salt on. “Ready?” he asked.
This was one of the strangest experiences I had ever had. I quickly did it, licking, drinking, and then sucking on the lime wedge all while trying to keep my face from contorting. “Done,” I said.
He chuckled and wiped his mouth. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“No, I suppose not. If you’ll excuse me, I need to visit the ladies’ room.”
“I’ll get us another one,” he called out as I walked away.
I practically ran for the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and took several deep breaths.
That had been too weird. Of all the women in the place, why was he hitting on me?
I was certain any one of the single women would be more than happy to lick his hand and do twenty shots with him.
I didn’t understand why he was coming after me.
I didn’t believe he was actually attracted to me. Unless he had a thing for big girls.
He was not a man I would ever want. I suspected he was under the impression I was an easy target because unlike some of the other single ladies at the party, I wasn’t putting myself out there.
I didn’t have a flock of men panting after me.
If he thought I was easy prey because I wasn’t the most desirable woman, he was very wrong.