Chapter 18
“Is everything put back together?” Andie whispered to Clay when they’d climbed out of the truck back at the bar. She ran her hands down her gown, checking for the fortieth time that it wasn’t caught somewhere—though there wasn’t much it could get caught on since Clay had ruined her underwear.
“You look amazing,” he said, then pressed a light, intimate kiss just below her ear.
Andie shivered and touched her hair. “No bedhead?”
He laughed quietly. “How would you get bedhead when there was no bed?”
“About time you two showed up,” Evan said out of the darkness. “The masses are demanding ice.”
Andie could only smile and mutter that she was off to find Macey. For the first time in her life, she understood what people meant when they said they were floating on air.
She floated around the perimeter of the party, searching for Macey’s white dress, thinking it was even more crowded than when they’d left for ice. The wedding guests who’d been on the beach must have migrated up to the patio to be closer to food and drink.
As she made her way along the wall between the patio and the beach, toward the bar itself, she wondered if maybe she’d missed out on another bathroom run, because she couldn’t see Macey anywhere. What she did see, however, stopped her cold.
Across the way, just off the bar’s property and close to the hotel on the other side, a man stood in the shadows. Watching her. She could see his outline from the streetlights, and she’d recognize him anywhere, even though it’d been three years.
Trevor.
She froze—long enough for him to know she’d seen him.
But he didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge her.
Forgetting her search for Macey, Andie moved into the relative shelter of the bar.
It was closed to the public tonight and full of wedding guests, and Kevin was at the counter filling orders for mixed drinks.
No one was in the kitchen, though, since the caterers had set up on the patio.
Andie slipped behind the counter, nodding at Kevin as he mixed a cocktail, and disappeared into the kitchen. She turned the light off and moved to the door that looked out toward where she’d spotted her ex.
He stood in the same place, leaning against a wall, arms crossed.
Andie’s mouth went dry and she couldn’t swallow.
How had he found her? Why was he here? He wasn’t looking toward Andie’s window, so she had plenty of time to stare.
She’d give anything to be wrong about who it was, but no.
He looked mostly the same, maybe a few pounds lighter, hair a little longer, but undoubtedly the man who’d hurt her so badly.
She had to get out of here.
He’d seen her outside, and he’d probably be watching for her to leave so he could catch her alone. Whether he intended to hurt her or not, she couldn’t handle the thought of being by herself with him. Talking to him. Hearing that voice. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.
Her dress would make it damn hard but she’d escape to the restroom first, then into the darkness on the other side of the building.
There was another tall hotel on that side of the patio, and once she got around it, she’d be out of sight from the reception.
Glancing around, she searched for any extra clothing Macey—or anyone—might have left lying around. Nothing.
She’d leave a message on Macey’s phone—which she knew for a fact Macey didn’t have on her—that she’d begun to feel sick as soon as she and Clay had returned.
Clay. God, how had her night gone from him to this? Not that she and Clay had any kind of chance at long-term anything, but couldn’t the high she’d been on have lasted longer than fifteen minutes?
Andie avoided Clay and everyone else on her way to the restroom.
Once there, she waited in one of the stalls till the room was empty, and then she left and went the opposite direction from the party.
The duplex was the other way, but she couldn’t walk by out in the open.
Like a criminal, she crept around the hotel in the shadows, on the side nearest the street, heart pounding out of control, and dammit, it pissed her off that Trevor forced her to do this on Macey’s big night.
She went two blocks out of her way to the west and then angled south toward home.
As far as she knew, no one had seen her and she didn’t have a tail.
She’d never been so glad to see the house she shared with Clay and Payton, never been so relieved to have, as Jonas had mentioned, a door with a lock.
Heart still pounding, she let herself inside, closed the door quietly but firmly, and locked it with a reassuring click. Leaving the lights off, she slid to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest, trembling like a little girl.
Clay knocked on Andie’s door again.
Where the hell had that woman gone? Had sex in the truck really flipped her out so much she had to disappear? He’d never kidded himself that she was a stable influence, but he’d thought she could handle some mutually consensual fun. Especially since she’d initiated it.
Mother of God, it had driven him wild to see her hike up her dress and climb on top of him.
“Andie!” He pounded on the door one more time, at a loss for where to search for her next.
He was about to walk away when he heard movement inside.
“Andie, it’s me. Open up.” He spoke more quietly now, bowing his head next to the door. She was right on the other side. He could practically hear her debating with herself whether to open it or not. “Don’t be a damn coward.”
The door opened.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected when he finally laid eyes on her, but it wasn’t to have her search left and then right to make sure the coast was clear.
“What are you looking for?” he said, stepping inside.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered.
It dawned on him there was no light in the room behind her. “Were you sleeping?”
She closed the door softly and the lock clicked home.
“Can we turn on a light?” he asked, so confused that he forgot he was annoyed at her.
“It’s too late. What’s up, Clay?”
“Why don’t you tell me? Where the hell did you go?”
“I…felt sick.”
He could hear it in her voice she was lying. She sounded…scared.
“Did you hear from your ex or something?” he asked. He’d heard what she’d said about bullies to Payton the other day and couldn’t help but wonder if he was the only one and what exactly he’d done to her, what she’d gone through.
Andie tensed. “My ex?” She shook her head, distracted. “No. He hasn’t contacted me.”
He wasn’t altogether convinced.
There was enough light coming in from the balcony door that he could see her outline, and he reached for her hand. Led her over to the futon and pulled her down next to him. When he drew her into his side, she didn’t resist. Clay pressed his lips to her temple and tried to ignore the rush of lust.
“Why’d you really take off?” he asked. “Wedding party isn’t supposed to leave until everyone else is gone.”
“So it’s over now?” Andie asked.
“Not quite. Winding down though.”
“Then why’d you leave if the wedding party isn’t supposed to?”
“Because we were concerned about you. No one saw you leave. Macey was ready to send out a search party when you didn’t answer your phone.”
“I didn’t want to worry her on her wedding night. Just…needed to get out of there. Too many people.”
“So you weren’t running away from me?”
Andie sat up and searched Clay’s chiseled face in the near-darkness. The insane, overwhelming panic that seeing Trevor had caused was dissipating as she became more attuned to Clay and the present moment. “Why would I run away from you?”
He shrugged. “You don’t seem like the type who sticks around for cuddling and conversations if you can help it.”
Andie laughed, not sure she liked the picture he was painting of her. But then, he wasn’t far off the mark. “I’ve been known to do both,” she said. “Though at the very least I would require room to stretch out for cuddling.”
Clay laughed. “I haven’t been compelled to do anything like we did tonight for years.”
“So I’m not just a notch in your dashboard?”
“Nope. The truck needed to be christened.”
He smiled his killer smile, then cupped her cheek in his palm and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. He looked into her eyes questioningly.
She’d have to be superhuman or three-quarters dead to turn this man away. Selfishly, she wanted that chance to be with him again, unhurried, un-cramped. Now that she’d had a sample, she wanted more. That it would distract her from the rest of her life was icing on the cake.
Andie took his hand and stood. “The sheets here are cotton, not satin, but they, too, need to be christened. If you’re up for the job.”
“I’ve always been one to rise to the occasion.” He got up from the futon and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her. She wound her legs around him, and he carried her to the bedroom.
Andie opened one eye, enough to get her bearings.
Excellent bearings they were too—Clay slept naked, facing her, inches away, his arm draped across her middle.
Enough light came in the window above the head of the bed for her to see the shadow of hair on his jaw and the peaceful look on his beautiful face.
And that body. It was a thing of beauty. She could stare at it for days.
Over the course of the night, he’d shown her what that body could do. He was an unselfish lover, definitely well versed in satisfying a woman. Over and over and over again.
“Clay,” she whispered. “You should go soon. The sun’s coming up.”
He didn’t stir. She ran her fingers down his solid chest, biting her lip against the urge to follow her hand with her tongue. Before she realized he was awake, his arm tightened around her. He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him.
She was toast. She had to have him one more time. Because after this, once he walked out that door, she had to be done.
He kissed her till she couldn’t breathe, ran his strong hands all over her, making her feel feminine, sexy. As if he couldn’t get through the next minutes without her.
He rolled her to her back in a sudden movement and wedged himself between her legs, then proceeded to lavish her with attention from his mouth and hands.
“Clay, please…”
He made his way up her body. “Want to make sure you start your day right, biker girl.”
“Um, yeah.” She caught her breath and arched into him. “Anyone ever call you an overachiever?”
His laugh was gravelly and sexy. “Like to cover my bases.”
“If we’re going the baseball route, it’s time for a home run. Bases are loaded.”
Clay growled as he took his sweet time with her, teasing her, driving her into a frenzy.
When she was giving serious consideration to somehow wriggling out from under him and taking control, he leaned to the side and reached for the nightstand.
They’d made their way through a portion of the box of condoms last night—after Andie had proven to him they weren’t expired.
He sheathed himself and returned to her within a few seconds, but it seemed too long.
She looked up at him through lust-heavy half-closed eyes and was surprised to find him staring at her with…
tenderness? Not something she’d had a lot of experience with.
It warmed her clear through and, if she was honest, scared the shit out of her.
Clay brushed a rogue strand of hair off her face.
“You’re shaking,” she said softly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. This is what you do to me, Andie.”
Without another word, he buried himself in her, her name on his lips. She liked the way he called her just Andie. Not Miss Andie. Not biker girl. For some reason, that affected her almost as much as what he was doing to her body.
After, as they lay together sated and quiet, she rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart pound. His arms were still wrapped tightly around her, her head tucked under his chin. She didn’t remember ever feeling so content. So safe, protected.
But safe and protected because of someone else was not what she was looking for.
She only had a week left on the island. Why should Andie deny herself this or whatever little bit of this Clay might be willing to give her?
The custody issue wouldn’t go away until after the hearing later this week, and Andie wouldn’t push him. She wanted Payton to live with Clay about as much as Clay did. But she would no longer fight her attraction for this man. She could keep it casual for seven days.
Andie’s cell phone started to ring in the living room, but she didn’t move. It was probably Jonas. She’d left him a frantic message last night after sneaking out of the wedding reception.
“You going to get that?” Clay asked, propping himself up on his arm.
She shook her head and ran her finger across his chest distractedly. The urgency to talk to her cousin had disappeared. Having Clay here had calmed her down, allowed her to think about something besides her ex. She wasn’t ready to step back into that stress yet.
Ignoring her touch, Clay sat up and turned to put his feet on the floor. He picked up his tuxedo pants and boxer briefs from the floor and pulled them on. It took Andie a few seconds to realize he wasn’t happy. His movements were quick, staccato. Jaw clenched.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I need to pick up Payton.” He didn’t bother with the dress shirt that was missing most of its buttons, just grabbed it along with his shoes and stood. “I can let myself out.”
Obviously that incredible bond they’d just been sharing had come to an abrupt end. She guessed he knew something was bothering her—hiding it when he’d arrived last night had been impossible—but it was her business.
She kicked the covers out of her way and headed for the shower, more upset than she wanted to be that Clay might not be around as much as she’d thought for the next week after all.