Chapter 16
Friends. Just friends. Probably.
Addy
M y brow wrinkles when Gage pulls a large cooler out of his vehicle. “I thought we were going grocery shopping for the barbecue.”
“We are.” He lifts up the cooler. “This is for the meat.”
My eyes widen. “How many people are you planning to feed?”
He chuckles and nudges me toward the front door of Mariner’s Market. “Football players eat a lot.”
“I don’t know if Mariner’s Market carries enough meat.”
“I ordered ahead.”
I grab a cart. “You can put the cooler in here.”
“I’m good.”
“If you’re trying to impress me, it’s not working.”
He lifts the cooler over his head. His biceps flex and his t-shirt strains over his chest. “What about now?”
“I’m impressed with your t-shirt’s ability to stretch.”
He laughs as he drops the cooler back down. “My little songbird isn’t easily impressed. ”
“Grow a mermaid tail and swim across a lagoon, then we’ll talk.”
“It was pretty impressive how fast you swam.”
I bow. “Thank you.”
He leads me to the meat counter. When it’s his turn, the butcher wheels a cart forward. My eyes widen at how much meat is piled up on it. Gage quickly places all the meat into the cooler.
When he lifts the cooler this time, I am impressed. It must weigh fifty pounds.
“Gage, put the cooler in the cart. You’re going to give yourself a hernia carrying a gazillion pounds of meat.”
“A gazillion pounds?” He smirks. “I’ll tell the team I’m now the heaviest lifter.”
“Stop joking. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I like how you’re worried, but there’s no reason to be.”
I scowl. “You’re stubborn.”
“Come on.” He motions me forward. “Let’s grab some chips and potato salad.”
Chips and potato salad? By the time we finish shopping, the cart is overflowing with all kinds of snacks.
“I thought you had weigh-ins,” I say as we load the food into Gage’s SUV.
“Are you saying I’m fat?”
I rake my gaze over his body. Fat is the last word I’d use to describe Gage Edwards. Fit, muscular, sexy. Those are the words that immediately come to mind.
I feign nonchalance. “I guess not. ”
He shakes his head as he slams the back closed. “I’m going to have to work hard to impress my songbird.”
No one’s worked hard to impress me before. Not even my previous boyfriends. They were too busy complaining about all the messages I received during dates. As if it’s my fault my sisters squabble like it’s an Olympic event they plan to medal in.
He escorts me to the passenger door, but I hesitate. “Should I drive myself? I don’t want you to have to drive back into town after the barbecue.”
“I’ll be happy to drive you.”
My nose wrinkles. “But then you can’t drink.”
“I’m in training. I won’t drink more than a beer or two anyway.” He opens the door and nudges me inside.
“If you’re sure.”
He tweaks my nose. “It’s my privilege to drive you, songbird.”
Privilege? He’s trying too hard.
Except when I gaze into those chocolate brown eyes with those green flecks, all I see is pure honesty.
I give in. “Okay.”
“Will Tanner, Nolan, Brock, and Corbin be at the barbecue?” I ask once we’re driving out of town toward the resort.
“I don’t know about Brock and Corbin, but Tanner and Nolan definitely will be there. Tanner because he’s a goofball who can’t resist a party. Nolan, because as the quarterback, he thinks it’s his job to keep us out of trouble. ”
I snort. “I doubt there’s anyone who can keep Tanner out of trouble.”
He glances over at me. “Tanner has issues.”
“Sammy!” I point to the road. “Stop! Stop! Stop!”
Gage brakes and manages to screech to a halt a few feet from the seal. “Holy shit. Is there a seal in the middle of the road?”
“I told you about Sammy.”
“I thought you were making up a story.”
“Nope. Sammy’s real. Let’s go move him.” I hop out of the SUV and Gage rushes after me.
“Should you touch him? He’s a wild animal.”
“I’m not going to touch him. Am I Sammy boy?”
Sammy honks at me.
“Sorry. Sammy the man.”
He bobs his head.
Gage’s mouth gapes open. “Does he understand what you’re saying?”
Sammy hisses at him. And he holds up his hands. “Sorry. Did I just apologize to a seal?”
I giggle. “You did.”
“This island is wild.”
“And proud of it.” I motion to the seal. “Now, let’s get him off the road before some tourist runs him over.”
Sammy growls.
I sigh. “I know it’s a beautiful day to sunbathe on the road. But you know how tourists are. They never pay attention.”
Sammy hisses .
“No, we can’t hate tourists. They’re important for the economy of the island.”
Sammy honks.
“Now, will you please get off the road?”
Gage inches closer to me to whisper, “You ask him and he moves?”
I motion to Sammy. He hasn’t moved an inch. “Sammy,” I growl. “Move to the edge of the road, or I’ll call the dog catchers.”
He hisses at me before galumphing a few feet. He’s still on the road, but he’s not smackdab in the middle of it anymore. Good enough for me.
“Thanks, Sammy the man. Have a good day!”
He barks and waves his flipper in the air.
When Gage just stands in the middle of the road staring at the seal, I grasp his hand and lead him back to his SUV. He shakes his head.
“I thought I’d seen it all after watching women race wearing mermaid tails today.”
I laugh. “Nope. Smuggler’s Hideaway has more surprises in store for you.”
His eyes heat and those green flecks appear. “I hope so. I hope so.”
A shiver runs down my spine. I don’t think he’s referring to the island. Friends, I remind myself. Gage and I are just friends.
When we arrive at the resort, Brock and Corbin are waiting for us. When we park, they stalk across the parking lot to us.
“About time,” Brock grumbles .
“Ignore him. He’s grumpy when he’s hungry,” Gage says.
“He’s always grumpy,” Corbin adds.
Gage opens the back and Brock lifts out the cooler while Corbin grabs all of the shopping bags. They march off without another word.
“We can help,” I holler after them.
“We wouldn’t want little Gage to hurt himself,” Brock says.
“Little Gage?” I glance up at him. “You’re well over six feet tall.”
He puffs out his chest. “Six foot two inches to be exact, but they’re both nearly six inches taller than me. It makes them think they’re superior. They’re wrong.”
“Does the shit talking ever end?”
“Nope.” He grasps my hand and a jolt of electricity hits me as our skin touches. I wonder how it would feel if he touched me in other places. Preferably while we’re both naked. My nipples pebble, and my panties dampen.
Friends. Just friends. I force sexy thoughts of Gage out of my mind.
I try to tug my hand away from his but he tightens his hold. I open my mouth to yell at him but we reach the beach and his friends. I’m not arguing in front of his teammates. They wouldn’t hesitate to stick their noses into our business.
“Gage!” Nolan waves. “Come play volleyball with us.”
“I’m good.”
“You don’t want to play volleyball?” I ask.
“I want to spend my time with you.”
“Go.” I yank my hand from his. “Have fun. I’ll watch. ”
“You sure? I invited you today. I don’t want to abandon you.”
“I’m fine.”
He scowls. “Women who say they’re fine aren’t.”
I motion to Alaia and Terri. “I’ll hang out with them while you play.”
When he still hesitates, I push him forward. “I’m not a damsel in distress. I can have fun on my own.”
“But it’s more fun when it’s the two of us.” He waggles his eyebrows before whipping off his t-shirt.
I purse my lips before I drool. Gage’s chest is magnificent. Sculptors could use it as a model. The hard angles. Those six-pack abs. The smooth skin.
He throws his t-shirt at me. “Hold this for me.”
He jogs off. The backside is as magnificent as the front. His shoulders appear strong enough to carry all of the burdens in the world on them.
Alaia and Terri join me. Alaia crosses her arms over her chest. “I’ve never understood the appeal of Top Gun before, but I get it now.”
“It’s all about the beach volleyball scene,” Terri says.
“I can’t believe you’re dating Gage Edwards, the NFL star,” Alaia says. “You hate Mainlanders.”
No one can hate Gage. He’s too nice and caring and sexy. I really need to stop drooling over him. He’s my friend. Nothing more.
“Gage and I aren’t dating.”
Terri snorts. “Does he know you’re not dating? ”
“We’re friends.”
She smirks. “Friends? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“I’m serious. We’re just friends.”
“Addy, I love you.” Alaia sighs. “But if you don’t jump that man and ride him like a pony, I will be mighty disappointed in you.”
My stomach tingles at the idea of jumping Gage.
It’s been such a long time since I’ve had sex.
I’d given up on it since my past boyfriends proved more exhausting than satisfying.
Their complaints about how busy I was and their bruised egos when my life didn’t orbit around them didn’t make them very attractive.
But Gage isn’t a boyfriend.
He doesn’t demand my time. He doesn’t make me feel guilty for choosing my family first. He looks at me like I’m something rare. Something he wants.
He’s my friend.
And friends… friends can have sex, can’t they?
I don’t have space in my life for a relationship. But maybe I have space for this. For one reckless, selfish decision that’s just for me.
And if it complicates things afterwards? I’ll worry about that later.