Chapter Sixteen
Search: what to pack for a night on the beach?
Kieran stared at the results. Swimsuits, bug spray, extra towels, water shoes… Did people actually wear water shoes? And what the hell was a Dopp kit?
He turned his glare to his laundered clothes and rooted through the pile he’d not had time yet to fold. Sweatpants and a hoodie in case it got cold after dark, a change of clothes for tomorrow, an extra pair of boxer briefs, his swim trunks, and a towel, of course.
His phone buzzed, and Sebastián’s name appeared on the screen. Seb wasn’t the texting type. Too impatient.
Kieran put it on speaker and tossed his phone onto the bed. “What?”
There was an undercurrent of sound in the background, brassy and lyrical.
“‘What?’” Sebastián repeated, his tone scandalized. “I call my best friend. My brother from another mother. And all you can say to me is ‘what?’”
He huffed out a laugh. “What would you prefer? Kieran’s House of Pain. You beg, we please. How may I be of service?”
Sebastián’s crow of laughter filled Kieran’s bedroom.
“Shit, Sullivan, that sounded too real.” There was a shuffling, like the man was physically pulling himself together to speak without laughing.
“So anyways, my cousin Mariana’s having a party tonight.
Lots of good food and good music. Good tequila, too. You in?”
Kieran shook his head to himself. “Nah, I’m busy.”
“Too busy for your best friend, huh? What could possibly be keeping you busy?”
Nosy bastard. Kieran folded a hoodie and tucked it into his bag. If he didn’t answer, Seb would come to his own conclusion. Most of the time, it was more exciting than what he was actually doing, which was being a responsible adult.
“Or maybe it’s not a what but a who…”
Kieran could almost hear the rust grinding between the gears in Sebastián’s head.
“Is it Lily?”
It wasn’t quite two weeks ago he’d kissed Lily like a starved man on live video.
But even when Neal dragged him into his office and asked what was going on between him and Lily, he’d handled it.
It was just for the views, he’d explained.
The hype surrounding their kiss would drum up even more excitement for the Local Legends tourney. Everybody loved a romantic hero, right?
Neal came around, but that didn’t stop Kieran from feeling like an asshole, especially when his boss threw in an extra helping of guilt in the form of a “don’t lead her on” speech.
Meanwhile, Seb and the guys had been pestering him since the kiss, wanting to know if it was for real.
Kieran rolled his gray sweatpants and placed them on top of the hoodie. A little truth might pacify him. “Lily invited me to see the fireworks with some of her friends.”
“Dude, you’re meeting her friends? I knew it. That was more than faking it for the camera.”
Sebastián was nothing if not relentless. Kieran shook his head and changed into his swim trunks. “Calm down, fangirl. We’re just friends.”
“With benefits?”
It couldn’t hurt for Seb to know, right? Natalia knew. Hell, all Lily’s friends at the beach house would know by morning if they didn’t suspect it already.
“Yeah.”
“I knew it!” If a grown-ass man could squeal, Seb was doing it. “I thought you were crazy for swearing off relationships with staff members, but—”
“It’s not a relationship, Seb.” The words rushed out as if ejected from his racing heart, harsh and brooking no argument.
“No strings, just fun. And low-key.” And if Sebastián said anything to the contrary at work, Kieran might as well turn in his two weeks.
Nothing was more important than keeping the gym alive and maintaining his loyalty to the man who’d saved him. Not even Lily.
His gut soured.
“Yeah, I got you.” Metal clanged in the speaker’s background. “You need me to stay home and take Danny for the night?”
Tension eased from Kieran’s shoulders. He could count on his friend to keep his mouth shut. He shoved his beach towel and a bottle of sunblock into his bag. “Nah, I already dropped him off at Maeve’s. Go to your party, asshole.”
Sebastián chuckled. “Still grounded?”
“He got his phone back, but I can’t trust him to be on his own for the night.” He rolled a pair of gym shorts and a shirt together and shoved them into his bag. He still needed to pack his toothbrush and toiletries.
“Well, have fun with your friend tonight.”
“Yeah, yeah. Catch you later.”
“Pack cond—”
Sebastián’s shout cut off when Kieran ended the call.
At least Sebastián was good for one thing. Kieran grabbed a pack of foils from his nightstand and shoved them into his bag.
* * *
Lily’s friends greeted them with cheers and cocktails when they arrived at the tiny waterfront property near Gary, Indiana.
The two-bedroom rancher was the childhood home of Alex—the guy with the dark pompadour—and his dad, who still lived there, was away on business.
Lily also introduced him to Natalia, though really she needed no introductions, and her spouse, Jack.
Alex’s boyfriend was in the kitchen, a tall guy with white-blond hair.
“Remember when I told you I kept my ex’s cousin in the breakup?” Lily asked and led him to the blond prepping hamburgers for the grill. “Kieran, I’d like you to meet Ilya.”
Kieran offered his hand and raised his brows. “So, you’re the guy I get to interrogate for that asshole’s whereabouts.”
His words surprised a laugh out of the blond. Ilya stepped out from behind the small kitchen island with hands covered in hamburger and bumped elbows with Kieran. “I try to stay clear of that side of the family. Pretty sure they’d shoot me on sight now that they know I’m gay.”
Kieran grimaced. “Damn, that’s fucked up.”
When Shauna came out her junior year, it was a relief to everyone at home.
No more stompy, moody Shauna trying to figure out if she wanted to be like other girls or be in relationships with other girls.
Now he had her and Stephanie’s wedding to look forward to right before the Local Legends tournament.
Ilya glanced toward the beige-walled room where Alex, Natalia and Jack had migrated, and his expression softened. “Yep. Now I’m free to be myself and love whomever I want, and I’ve never felt so lucky, you know?”
Kieran couldn’t stop himself from looking at Lily. She’d turned, gazing out the window toward the lake. “Yeah,” he answered. She glanced back toward him, her expression relaxed and her smile softening her eyes. “I think I do.”
She wound her arm around his as if she meant to escort him. “Come on. We should drop our bags in our room and help Ilya prep lunch.”
After a simple meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and chips, they spent most of the day swimming in Lake Michigan or on the loungers along the deck, drinking and eating and playing ridiculous games—Lily’s favorite was Sing or Swim, which landed Kieran in the lake each time because hell if he knew the lyrics to America’s Top 40.
It wasn’t at all awkward like Kieran imagined.
When Ilya’s ears began to turn pink from the sun, they dipped back into the air-conditioning of the beach house. Stuffed into a small kitchen nook was a dining table with a bench seat and chairs.
Natalia disappeared to the tiny guest bedroom and returned with a Jenga box.
“It’s time for Drinking Jenga, bitches!” She waved the box over her head as she sashayed over. “I hope you’re ready to be impressed by the amazing feats of engineering designed by yours truly.”
Lily inched around the small table, aiming for the space on the padded bench beside him. “Don’t let her fool you. Nat always topples the tower first.”
After sharing Lily with her friends all afternoon, it felt good having her back in his embrace.
She curled up against him on the seat, her legs folded under her, and he tucked her in with his arm around her back and his hand resting on her hip.
He turned his head and placed his lips near her ear where he could inhale the coconutty scent of her sunblock.
“What’s the point of playing if we know she’s going to lose? ”
She turned her head, so her cheek brushed his. Her lashes feathered over his cheekbone. “Because no one loses in Drinking Jenga,” she whispered back.
Who needed alcohol when he had Lily? “What the hell is Drinking Jenga?”
Lily jerked her head back and stared like he’d just admitted he wanted to give up coaching MMA to become a coffee shop owner.
“You’ve never played?” She straightened in her seat and smoothed back her baby hairs as if she needed to look professional for teaching him this very important lesson.
Even when tipsy, she tried to be the best version of herself.
He hadn’t expected that. He liked it.
“It’s the same as regular Jenga.” Lily pointed at the tower, all seriousness now.
“You try to remove a piece and place it on the top without knocking it over. You knock it over, you finish your drink. The fun part is every piece has a rule written under it. You do what it says or take a shot. Whoever loses each round takes a drink. So, like, Floor means touch the floor. Heaven means point to the ceiling, and the last person to do those things has to drink.”
Everyone grabbed their respective drinks and crowded around the table.
The game began with Alex drawing Categories, and everyone had to name a Liam Neeson movie or drink; Natalia lost. Ilya got Mate. He picked Alex to take a drink each time he did. Jack pulled Waterfall, and everyone had to chug their drink and couldn’t stop until Jack did.
The turn fell to Natalia. Her lips turned up in a wild grin, and she triumphantly raised five fingers.
Lily shrank against his side. “Nooo,” she whined.
He inched up the white crochet hem of Lily’s bikini cover-up until her upper thigh was bare under the sweep of his thumb. “What’s that mean?”
Lily leaned into him more with a little sigh. “Never Have I Ever. Commence the roasting.”
Everyone lifted one hand, so he did, too.
Nat’s lips pursed, and she looked up, as if searching the ceiling for answers. She coiled a strand of hair around her finger while tapping her chin. Finally, she locked eyes with Lily. “Never have I ever gotten off to the thought of a coworker.”
Wow, that was very specific. Kieran blinked down at Lily. That knockout rose flush climbed her chest and bloomed on her cheeks. Apparently everyone in the room except Lily, Jack and Natalia were guilty. Except he knew better. Judging by the looks on her friends’ faces, they knew, too.
“Congratulations on being the only couple to meet pre-college,” Lily grumbled and put down a finger.
Alex rolled his eyes. “Never have I ever purposefully embarrassed a friend during a drinking game.”
Good man.
Nat shrugged and lowered a finger. “It was worth it for the look on her face.” She nodded at Kieran, still smiling. “Your turn, GG.”
GG? That was a new one. Short for Gym Guy, maybe? Kieran scanned the group, and a small smirk tugged at his lips. “Never have I ever gone to college.”
They all swore and dropped a finger. He whispered against her temple. “You’re up, Princess.”
Lily shivered against him, goose bumps rising under his thumb, but he doubted it was from being cold. She pinned Natalia with a vicious grin. “Never have I ever participated in an Eiffel Tower.”
“Oh, come on,” groaned Natalia as she dropped a finger. “It was one time!”
“We could make it two,” Alex purred, and Natalia swatted his leg.
Everyone started ganging up on Natalia, even Jack.
They picked easy traits as their Nevers, and the brunette lost the round.
The Jenga game recommenced. When Lily drew the Casanova block and had to kiss the prettiest person in the room, she grinned at him before telling him to scooch and giving Alex a kiss on the cheek.
Alex squealed like a blushing bride, sending them all into another round of laughter.
Then it was his turn. His fingers a little less dexterous with the buzz of drink, he wiggled a tile out of the towering monstrosity. He turned the tile to see its rule. “Talk with an accent.”
All eyes turned on him. Shit. Between his grandfather and his father, Kieran had plenty of experience hearing and mimicking his family’s accent, but it’s not like he was in the habit of practicing it. Had he used it a few times on the MMA circuit to charm women? Sure, but that was ages ago.
Lily tilted her head back so she could grin up at him. “If you don’t do it, you lose.”
Kieran sighed. He didn’t have much of a choice. “Enjoy it while it lasts, a mhuirnín,” he answered, softening his vowels and letting the musicality of the accent fully seep in. He almost sounded like Daideo.
“Oh.” Her eyes widened and she fidgeted against him, as if trying to inch impossibly closer. “Say something else.”
He held her gaze, memorizing the soft blues and grays of her eyes. “You’re more precious to me than a thousand sunny days, and your eyes are more beautiful than a misty sunrise over the lake.”
She all but melted against him. “See, you do know how to be romantic.”
The soft press of lips cooled the heat on his cheeks, and under the table, an equally soft touch cupped his cock through the thin material of his trunks. His knee jerked and hit the table, sending the Jenga tower tumbling down. The weight of her hand disappeared.
Natalia jumped out of her seat with a victory cry. “It wasn’t me this time!”
Lily stood as if in slow motion and teased him with a wicked gleam in her eye. “Drain your cup, Sullivan. I’ll get you a refill for the next game.”
Screw the game. He wanted some time with Lily before the fireworks started. Kieran excused himself and joined her at the kitchen counter. “How about some fresh air instead? Just you and me?”
Lily poured Captain Morgan into his cup, topped it with Coke then did the same with hers.
“Yeah, it’s getting a little hot in there.
” She tested her drink and winked over the brim of her cup.
Taking his hand, she led him out of the small home and down the dock, walking to where they were furthest from the light of the home and closest to the ladder into the lake.
“How’s this for a view?” Lily asked, tugging him down onto the planks. The night sky engulfed the lake like a beautiful dark enchantment, but all he could see was her silky silhouette.
“Perfect.”