9. The Preview
9
THE PREVIEW
SOPHIE
Alone at last with my bestie, I brought Maisy a lemonade, and we sat under the shade on the porch together. I missed her terribly. Her surprise arrival landed like a sunbeam on fresh linen, instantly brightening my life after her trip to Buchanan Island with Brooks. Together, they radiated the kind of forever energy I’d longed for with a man someday.
The usual worry nagged at me. I grew up with a mother unable to sustain long-term situations, currently on marriage number three. Not exactly the healthiest example for how to do relationships. That, along with five years of bad dating, might mean I’m not meant for long-term relationships, either.
Music started up in the yard, and my attention diverted. Keaton danced with Paris to the tune of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. I melted, watching the pair of them. The green polo shirt he wore showed off his biceps, perfectly flexing in the golden sun. With his niece giggling, his infectious laughter with her had me grinning, too, especially when he swung her high in the air and flipped her around.
They were having a great time. I recalled exactly how his hands felt on me when we danced that one night at Hops?—
Maisy cleared her throat and caught me ogling him. “You look good, Soph… so does a certain brewery-owner.”
I snapped out of my daze. “Oh, well, he’s a stud in a beard with his own business and partially famous. He catches every woman’s eye everywhere he goes.” I turned the tables on her. “But look at you. Like you stepped out of a romance novel after finding your happily ever after.”
“It’s the island glow. I can’t recall ever feeling this happy before.” She tilted her head back into the cushion of the Adirondack chair. I envied her relaxed state, a far cry from the stress she’d been under when she was working at the Orion Mind Institute, and managing a major project as one of their newest neuroscientists. “So. Catch me up. Chelsea said you’ve been spending a lot of time with Keaton?”
My cheeks flushed instantly. “Yep, but it’s not what you think. I’m his marketing consultant.”
“Is marketing the only thing you lend your expertise to?” She teased and sipped her drink.
“I admit, we get a little flirty.” I let out a sigh. “It’s complicated.”
“Doesn’t have to be. Do you like him?”
“It’s hard not to.”
“I remember all the nights of you watching his TV show. Then, when you first met him, you were instantly smitten.” She nudged my side. “I can only imagine how you feel now.”
I laughed softly. “We’re good friends, that’s it. But… we will soon be fake dating in Vegas.”
Maisy’s brows flew up. “Wait. Back the eff up, girlfriend. Tell me everything right now.”
I spilled the entire story in a low voice, all about the branding deal, the Vegas wedding of his friends from the show, being his plus one for the weekend. By the time I got to that part, her jaw hit the floor.
“This is pure genius. You get him all to yourself for an entire weekend. A lot can happen in Vegas.” Her brows wiggled.
“Don’t get overly excited. This is just a work thing. I’m there to make sure he takes advantage of every opportunity to promote his brand.”
“Why not let him take advantage of you while you’re at it? Admit it, you’re attracted to him as more than a friend, aren’t you?”
God, she knew me well. I didn’t answer right away. My fingers curled around my drink glass, washing in the condensation.
“Yes, you are.” Maisy gave me a soft smile. “Then I can’t wait to see if what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
“You’re naughty. Nothing is going to happen,” I chuckled.
“Never know.” Her confidence in me, while impressive, didn’t resonate. “I’m entering a new phase of my life, Soph. A husband and kids? How did this happen to me? I’d love nothing more than my best friend by my side going through the same things with me.”
“I will be by your side, more than likely very single, though.” I reached over and patted her hand, taking a long look at the rock on her finger. “Brooks must be good for you, but I missed you. How did I survive these months without you?”
“I don’t know, but I guarantee if I’d been here, I would have made you fuck around and found out with Keaton long before now.” She winked, the playful tone of her words making me chortle.
“Maisy! We work together.”
“So did me and Brooks.”
Before she could persist down this line of thinking any further, her pleading eyes too much to bear, I called over to Flora to cut Maisy’s fascination with Keaton and me short. I interrupted her huddle with Chelsea and Vivian. “Wait until Colt hears Maisy’s news. Have you heard anything from him lately, Flora?”
“His communications are slow and spread out these days. I’m anxious about him.” She shook her head and drew in closer to where we were on the porch.
“He’ll be out of the Navy this fall. We’ll see him soon, Mom.” Chelsea hugged her to her side.
“He’s not coming home,” Flora said, her voice heavy. “He wants to hike the Pacific Trail. Find himself.”
Chelsea frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means he needs space,” I offered a calming opinion. “I think that’s really brave of him. He’s faced something difficult on the ship that he won’t tell us about. Spending time in nature could be really cleansing for his soul.”
“His soul?” Keaton leaned an arm on the porch railing beside my chair. “Didn’t realize you were two were close enough to know his soul,” he muttered under his breath, so likely only I heard. But of course, Maisy did, and she jabbed me with her elbow.
“If only we could all convince him to come home. I could hug him and assure him. He could talk to me and we’d all help him best we could, right?” Flora glanced around the group, each of us nodding and speaking assurances. “Here I was, thinking of selling my house. But maybe I should hold off for a while in case he comes back.”
Chelsea choked. “What? Our family home?”
“Well, with you kids gone, it feels less like a home. I’m getting older, and taking care of the house is harder. I want more time with my grandkids and less time cleaning a big old place full of memories. Besides, the roof needs repairing soon, and the yard has driven me absolutely crazy this summer.”
Chelsea chewed her cheek. “I see. Let me talk to Rex. We could hire someone to take care of these things for you.”
“Oh, honey, I don’t want you spending money on little old me like that?—”
“Mom, we’re fine, and I know Rex would agree with me.”
“If you end up selling, I’ve got a couple of spare rooms above the Hops. He could rent one of those. I could even give him a job until he lands on his feet,” Keaton offered. His kindness brought a curve to my lips, but before I could thank him, Richard yelled from the barbecue.
“Time to eat.” He proudly carried over a huge metal tray of ribs.
We all shuffled over to the table. I tugged at Keaton’s arm and we lingered toward the back of the group.
“That was really nice of you to offer to help Colt,” I said.
“He’s my cousin,” he intoned, like it meant something I didn’t get.
“Oh, shoot. I left the plates inside.” Vivian rushed toward the house again, but I was closest.
“I’ll get them,” I called.
“Great. Thanks. They’re in the pantry.”
Keaton followed me. “I’ll help.”
It wasn’t exactly a two-person job and the pantry, while well-stocked, wasn’t huge.
Keaton entered behind me anyway and closed the door, trapping us inside in the dimly lit space.
“Kind of intimate quarters here,” I chuckled nervously, searching for the plates.
“Are you close with Colt?” he asked, voice low.
“We’re friends,” I shrugged. “We email and text sometimes. I kissed him goodbye when he left a few years ago for the Navy, but it was only meant as a friendly goodbye sort of thing. Why do you ask?”
Forgetting the plates for a moment, I crossed my arms and leaned on the shelves across from him. He leaned, too, leaving only a couple feet of space between us. The heat of the day must have warmed up his after shave because the spicy minty scent of it permeated the room.
“Just wondered if there was something between you two I didn’t know about.” He shrugged it off as nothing, like when he asked me if I intended to go out with Declan a couple of weeks ago when the hockey player made another visit from Canada.
As cute as Declan was, I’d resisted his charms, especially after seeing his Instagram full of photos with him dating a Canadian pop star off and on over the past year. I’ve been a rebound date before and never intended to repeat that experience.
“Like I said, just friends. I found Colt to be funny?—”
Keaton’s jaw flexed. “Funny? Funnier than me?”
I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Mm-hmm. I suppose you think you have some claim on me since we’re about to go on this date in Vegas?”
He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and took a step closer. I couldn’t back up.
“I just know that Colt is not your type.”
“How about Declan? Is he my type?”
“Absolutely not.” His growly voice gave him away.
“Oh? And you think you know my type now?” I challenged.
“I’ve been observing. Purely information gathering. You know, out of concern because you say you haven’t had a decent date in so long.”
My heart beat faster. That explained the way I’d catch him staring at me sometimes.
“And what have you concluded, Kingston?” I enjoyed using his last name whenever I skipped into flirting territory with him.
“That you need someone more grounded. Someone who builds things instead of running from them. A solid man who knows what he’s about and where he’s headed.”
“Someone like you?” I arched a brow.
“Maybe.” He took another step, so close now I could feel his breath on my skin.
“Are you saying our date in Vegas could be the date to beat all the others?” I swallowed hard. I’d love nothing more than to see what Keaton was capable of when he went all out for a woman. Er, not that he’d be doing that for me, but in a pretend dating situation, I’d let him show me an example of a great date.
I fluttered my lashes up at him, staring straight into the blue depths of his eyes. His gaze dropped to my mouth as I licked my lips.
He leaned in, brushing my arms as his palms came to rest against the counter on each side of my waist. Closer still. Goosebumps rippled across my skin.
“I’m saying I could definitely show you a good time in Vegas, if you let me, city girl.”
If he leaned in a little more, we could kiss. I could finally stop fantasizing about his lips and know exactly how panty-melting things could be with him.
“Guess it’s time to revisit our discussion of the?—”
“—Terms and conditions for Vegas? Yeah, it is. And here’s a preview,” he whispered. “Something I’ve been wanting to do to you for some time.”
His lips brushed mine. A test. A tease.My heart thumped, dancing away with itself.
I whimpered as he pulled away. But I reached for his belt loops and tugged him to me, not letting him go. “Can I get another preview?”
The corner of his lips turned up slyly. Then he delivered a full, delicious kiss. My knees almost gave out. His mouth moved against mine with such deliberate hunger it captured my breath, taking it away. His mouth tasted of spice and swagger, a little danger and a whole lot of confidence, and I kissed him back like I’d been waiting my whole life for this one precious moment.
His hands slid up my waist, gripping at the curve there. He moaned into it and dammit, he could kiss. I never wanted it to end. This wasn’t just a casual attraction, but something deeper. I could fall into things with him—so fast and hard—and never recover. If there was a chance…
“Need help in there?” Vivian’s voice called out, entering the kitchen.
We broke apart, both of us breathing hard.
I turned, throat dry. “J-just grabbing plates,” I stuttered.
My hands trembled as I grabbed a stack, the china chattering. When I turned, Keaton still hadn’t moved.
“Coming?” I asked, my voice far too breathy.
He cocked his head, eyes dark, smirking like he knew exactly what he’d just done to me. “Definitely.”
We exited like nothing had happened.
Vivian questioned us with her eyes and brows, but said nothing.
Oh, but something had transpired in that tiny room.
With our journey to Vegas just days away, I had no idea how I was going to survive playing pretend. If this interaction was any indication, then our time in the desert could be a hell of a lot hotter, er, harder—more complicated than I’d ever imagined.
Because nothing about this kiss felt fake.