Chapter Thirteen
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
W e barely made it over the threshold before clothes began to litter the floor.
I wasn’t even sure we’d said good-bye to anyone at the cookout. We’d just bolted out of Marin’s studio and gotten the hell out of there.
Whatever. I’ll apologize tomorrow.
Right now, I only had one goal, and it was getting the man in front of me naked. So far, I was about fifty percent there. I’d yanked off his shirt after we both kicked off our shoes in the living room. Zander though was beating me as my dress flew over my head, leaving me in just a bra and the panties, which were still soaked from before.
His eyes raked over me with a look of pure masculine appreciation. “I’ve wanted to strip you bare since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he told me.
“No one’s stopping you.”
I hadn’t planned on sleeping with Zander today. But I hadn’t planned on not sleeping with him either. Sex wasn’t something I ever abstained from. If I was with someone and it felt right, I went for it.
With Zander, it felt more than right.
It felt real.
“All in good time.” He grinned, bending down to capture my lips.
His kiss was scorching, demanding, and all-consuming. He kissed me like he owned me, and part of me wondered if he just might in that moment.
His hand snaked around my waist, and he slowly dragged us to the couch, his mouth never leaving mine until the back of his legs hit the cushion and he fell back.
A laugh escaped from my lungs as I watched him stumble, but he quickly recovered and reached out to pull me on top of him. I fell into his lap with my legs straddling him. The smile on his face nearly took my breath away, and I couldn’t help but kiss those damn dimples on his cheeks.
I felt his hand slide up my spine as his mouth met mine again.
God, I could spend days kissing Zander, and considering the way he leisurely explored my mouth while his fingers dug into my hair gave me the impression he felt the same.
That hand that still rested on my spine slowly started to drift upward, reaching for the clasp of my bra. With a slight twist, it came undone. I pulled back as he slid the straps down my shoulders and dropped it to the floor.
“Come here.” His voice was rough as his eyes took me in. A hand slid under my ass as he hauled me forward on my knees. It created the perfect angle to?—
“Shit!” I cried as his mouth closed over my nipple.
With his free hand palming my other breast, he ran his tongue over the sensitive bud, making me buck in his arms. His fingers dug into my ass.
“How attached are you to these?” he asked, grabbing a fistful of lace under his palm.
“I could live without?—”
He didn’t even let me finish, twisting the material until it shredded under his strength. He did the same thing to the other side, and they fluttered to the floor.
Those had been expensive as fuck, but, damn, that was hot.
Those emerald-green eyes were roaming my body again, mapping every new inch of exposed skin.
I looked down at the black shorts he still wore.
I’d failed miserably at my task. He was most definitely not naked.
My hands went to his zipper. Time to remedy that.
He silently watched as I undid the button and worked on that zipper. When my fingers reached his waistband, he lifted his hips, and together, we slid off the last piece of clothing and dropped it to the floor.
I took in every impressive inch of him.
Once, when Marin had been pretty hammered on red wine, she’d gone into some rather lengthy detail about…well, Macon’s lengthy details.
I smiled. It seemed that some things indeed did run in the family.
“Shit,” Zander cursed. “Grab my wallet out of my shorts.”
Oh, right. That . I shifted in his lap, twisting around toward the floor.
“Jesus, Elena. You’re killing me here,” he said as I wiggled against his crotch.
I popped back up, laughing but triumphant. I handed him his wallet, and he opened it up.
“This had better not be one of those lucky condoms you’ve had in there since high school.”
He pulled out not one, but two condoms, setting the second on the side table.
That’s promising.
“No.” He gave me a pointed look. “I bought these a few days ago.”
Oh.
“A bit presumptuous, wouldn’t you say?”
He tore the wrapper open and quirked an eyebrow as he rolled it on.
“Hopeful maybe?” he said. “Confident even.”
His hand cupped the back of my neck, and he kissed me again. His lips brushed over mine like he’d done it a thousand times. I fisted his hair, rolling my hips against him.
“I need to be inside you,” he whispered in my ear.
Yes.
I lifted my hips while my hands wrapped around his cock. He sucked in a breath as I angled my body. His fingers dug into my waist as I lowered myself onto him.
“So fucking tight,” he cursed as I took every delectable inch.
I’d never felt so full, so overwhelmed by need.
I’d never needed to move so badly in my life.
The first roll of my hips felt like paradise. The second, nirvana. Then, his mouth closed over my nipple, and I started grinding on that cock of his like it was my last day on earth. He lifted his hips, thrusting into me as I continued to ride him.
A hand slipped between my thighs, and Zander’s thumb found my clit.
“Oh my God,” I groaned as those sensitive nerves hit his thumb every time I rode him.
I felt myself growing close, that fluttering feeling building deep in my belly. My hips moved wildly, and Zander rubbed his thumb in exactly the right place.
That was all it took.
I shattered, panting and moaning as my core spasmed around him, driving him into a frenzy. He grabbed me around the waist, and I suddenly found myself on my back. He pushed one of my knees forward, and I swore he sank in deeper.
He slammed into me as the sound of sex filled the room. It was fast and dirty, and when he came with a guttural groan, I couldn’t look away.
It was addictive.
He was addictive.
And that was when I knew…this was far from casual.
My eyes fluttered open as the morning sun filtered in through the window.
That’s not my window.
Wait, when did I start calling it my window?
I turned in the unfamiliar bed, and my heart fluttered.
It fucking fluttered.
Wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs, Zander was propped against the headboard with a sleek acoustic guitar resting on his thigh. He had a pencil tucked behind his ear as he glanced down at a notebook balanced on his bent knee while he absently plucked out chords.
It was like waking up to my own personal erotic fantasy.
“Enjoying the view, Louie?” His eyes found mine, and that lopsided grin spread across his face, making butterflies burst in my belly.
“Mmhmm,” I said, stretching languidly under the covers.
He watched every move, knowing how little clothing I had on at the moment.
Spoiler alert: it was none.
“What are you doing?” I pointed to the notebook.
“Messing around.” He shrugged.
“Do you write songs?”
“I used to,” he confessed. “But I haven’t in a long time. I haven’t had much time for it.”
He seemed to want to say more, but instead, he began to lazily pluck the familiar melody of “More Than Words” by Extreme.
“Is there any song you don’t know?” Amusement colored my tone, but mostly, I was just in awe of his talent.
“I’m sure there are a few.” He grinned.
“How long does one have to play to be a human jukebox?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been called that before.” He laughed as he moved on to another song—Led Zeppelin maybe? “I actually started a bit late. I’d been having some trouble dealing with our mom’s death, and I guess Macon giving me something tangible to focus on helped with all those unfamiliar feelings.”
My throat felt thick with emotions. I knew their mom had died. Macon had told me, but until now, Zander had never spoken about it.
“So, he bought you a guitar?”
“He said he got it from a thrift store, but since we don’t have one of those around here, I’m guessing he probably worked or traded for it,” he said, his expression heavy with guilt. “It was pretty beat up and worn, but I played that thing for years.”
And something told me he still did.
“So, you just taught yourself?”
He nodded. “I have a pretty good ear.” He shrugged. “And for a long time, I didn’t even know how to read music.”
“What changed?”
He chuckled. “Lance.” When I looked up at him in confusion, he clarified, “The Creeds.”
“Lance is Hendrix’s father?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed as he effortlessly plucked out those familiar first notes of “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses. “They’re well known in the music industry. Lance is my manager actually, but they also own a bar.”
“A bar?”
His mood was lighter when he spoke about the people who’d become his family, and I couldn’t help but be drawn in.
“I’d been in LA for months before I approached Creed’s—and I knew exactly who owned it. I knew what it could mean to have someone like that in my corner. I also knew I probably wasn’t the first person to try and worm my way in by getting a job at the bar.”
He smiled, and my eyes immediately fell on that bold tattoo on his arm that carried the family name.
“But I was willing to do anything to get in front of Lance Creed, so I busted my ass at that place—cleaning, bussing, and hauling equipment.”
“And did you get it?”
“No, I totally chickened out,” he confessed. “The first time I saw him standing behind that bar, I froze. And then before I could make a bigger idiot of myself, I turned and hid for the rest of my shift.”
I barked out a laugh. “Seriously?”
“Yep. I’d been there for weeks, waiting for him to show his face, and when he finally came back from a long business trip, I choked.”
“So, how?—”
“Hendrix,” he explained. “He came home from college for the summer and started working in the bar. We became good friends, and one day, he invited me over to play with him.”
“And the rest is history?”
“No.” He laughed. “The rest was a hell of a lot of hard work. Lance took one look at me and that beat-up guitar and knew I had no formal training. He put me through the wringer before he even considered representing me.” His eyes gleamed as he talked about his manager. “I worked in that bar for-fucking-ever before I landed my first gig.”
“But now, look at you,” I said, my gaze raking over his body. All that bare skin.
My body came alive instantly.
“Yes, look at me.” His voice was pure sex as he slowly put his guitar down next to the bed, moving toward me with purpose and a smoldering gaze.
We didn’t leave the bed for the rest of the day.
Marin
Do I need to come over there and drop off provisions? Food? Gatorade? Condoms? It’s been two days!
me
laughing emoji We actually ran out of condoms yesterday.
Marin
wide-eyed emoji What? You know how babies are made, right?
me
The only one of us who is flighty about contraceptives is you. I’ve had an IUD since college.
Marin
Rude. (But true.)
me
We had “the talk.” We’re both clean.
That had been an awkward conversation.
No one liked talking about their previous…exploits.
But I’d learned a long time ago that avoiding it was worse than just suffering through the uncomfortable exchange.
My part of the conversation was fairly short. My string of bad dates meant the only action I’d seen lately was the battery-operated kind. His required a bit more explanation, but the gist was, he was a single but highly responsible guy while traveling with a band on tour.
I’d tried not to dwell on that too much.
I sat up in bed, the sound of the shower running as the late afternoon sun streamed through the window.
I’d woken up to the soft melody of his guitar again today. I had firmly decided it was the best way to start the morning until I fell back asleep and woke up an hour later with his face between my thighs.
My skin still burned from the stubble on his chin.
I grinned, feeling my cheeks heat as I thought of something to text back to Marin, but as I was holding my phone, I spotted his guitar in the corner.
Seeing him play in bed was damn near pornographic.
Seeing him in concert…
I quickly looked over my shoulder, double-checking that the shower was still running. I didn’t know why, but I suddenly felt embarrassed as I typed his name in the search bar of the internet browser.
My stomach twitched with a mixture of nerves and anticipation.
Is this considered stalking?
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting—but definitely not this. I scrolled down and down, and there was nothing.
Literally nothing. A few other notable Zander Greens popped up, but none of them were the hot, tattooed guitar god who was currently naked in my shower.
I let out a sigh. Maybe that was just what it was like, being a session guitarist.
Always there, but never seen.
My heart hurt at that sudden realization because if there was anything I’d learned about Zander Green, it was that he wasn’t meant to lurk in the background.
He was the main attraction.
“Janet at the coffeehouse winked at me yesterday,” Zander said, his husky voice in my ear as his arms pinned me to the countertop. “Fucking winked, Elena. We should have never left the house.”
I snorted out a laugh as his mouth lingered on my neck.
“It’s only been a few days since the cookout. I’m sure it will die down. Besides, I’m not exactly sure who you think you’re complaining to, Trouble.” I grabbed a coffee mug and then went back for another. “I seem to remember it was your bright idea to lock us in Marin’s studio while half the town was in the backyard.” I grabbed the freshly brewed coffee and poured two cups. “Wasn’t my fault.”
“Yeah, but it was your loud mouth that got us caught,” he countered as I turned and handed him his plain, boring black coffee.
Weirdo.
“I can’t be held liable for that either.” I arched a brow before returning to my own cup. I threw in a little bit of sugar and some cream. “You were already aware of the volume level associated with”—I paused, taking a sip of coffee as I pivoted around to face him—“me being pleasured, so technically, that’s on you, too.”
“Did you just go all lawyer on me?”
God, those freaking dimples.
“Maybe a little.”
“It’s kind of hot,” he admitted as his eyes roamed over the Van Halen T-shirt I’d stolen from him. “Maybe we should role-play? I’ll be the corrupt—but hot—criminal, and you’ll be my super-sexy lawyer who just can’t seem to resist me.”
“Or we could just make out in the kitchen?” I suggested.
He set his coffee down and then did the same with mine. “So practical.” Amusement played across his face. “I’m not sure I could pull that one off anyway, seeing that I’m so gentle-natured and innocent.”
I sputtered out a laugh as he pulled me closer. “Innocent?” If he was innocent, I was the Pope. But sure. I’d play along.
“Wanna corrupt me?” A wicked grin spread across his face.
I wasn’t really sure who moved first, but we were on each other in an instant. My fingers fisted that inky-black hair. His hands wrapped around my waist as he pulled my mouth against his. Our kiss deepened as his tongue dived into my mouth. A hand slid down to cup my ass, urging me to wrap my legs around him.
But I had other plans.
He did want to be corrupted after all.
I pulled back, scattering kisses down his neck and torso. His breath was heavy, and I could feel his heartbeat as my fingers moved down the lean lines of his abs. I looked up to find his eyes on me, watching with that intense green stare.
I ran my fingernail over his hip bone, the sexy V that peeked out of his sweatpants. His stomach muscles involuntarily flexed as I reached for the waistband and slowly lowered it, taking his boxers with it.
I dropped to my knees.
His hands tightened around the edge of the counter as I took him in. I licked my lips in anticipation.
Zander was still silently watching me, still gripping that stone like his life depended on it. But this wasn’t my first time getting him off, and I knew the second my tongue grazed the underside of his?—
“Jesus, fuck,” he practically shouted, his head lolling back as I circled the tip of his cock, and then inch by inch, I closed my mouth around him.
“Shit, Elena.”
He really had no room to talk when it came to volume control. He was quite the talker in the bedroom.
I loved every minute of it.
My hand slid up his stomach as I worked him in and out, rolling my tongue around the sensitive head while I palmed his balls. He groaned as his fingers fisted my hair. He thrust his hips forward, and I nearly gagged, his cock hitting the back of my throat.
I let my tongue flatten as he took over, fucking my mouth over and over. Our eyes held, making the carnal act that much more intimate.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered, and I knew he was close.
I grabbed the back of his thighs, pinning him to me so he couldn’t pull away. His fingers tightened around my hair, and then he let out a groan. His head fell back as I swallowed down every drop of his orgasm.
His chest was still heaving when he hauled me up, his eyes shining bright as he pulled me in for a kiss. “Consider me thoroughly corrupted.”
I grinned. “With a dirty mouth like that”—I smiled, biting his bottom lip—“pretty sure you already were.”
“I don’t know,” he argued. “You bring out a whole new level of debauchery in me.”
I didn’t know if I believed that, considering he spent most of his life on tour with rock stars, but I’d let it slide.
“Speaking of”—his eyes swept over me—“you look very dirty. Want to join me in the shower?”
I couldn’t help but look at his naked chest, which of course only led to me picturing the rest of him naked.
“As much fun as that sounds,” I said, patting his chest, “you have plans.”
He adjusted his pants, and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he noticed me checking him out.
Smug bastard.
“Right, my brother’s bachelor party.”
I grinned. “Yep. Do you know where you’re going?”
“No, he’s being weirdly vague. Should I be worried?”
I shook my hand. “With Macon?” I scoffed. “No.”
“I assumed Macon was having a daytime bachelor party out of respect for Marin since you guys are doing”—he waved a hand—“whatever. Why do I get the feeling that’s not all there is to it?”
I tilted my head and reached for him. “Macon’s bachelor party was always low-key,” I told him. “Billy and Eli planned it that way.”
He stared at me intently as if he was putting the last piece of a puzzle together. “My brother’s an alcoholic, isn’t he?” Just saying the words seemed to pain him, and when I nodded, he flinched. “How long?”
“I think things got bad for him after Kristy cheated on him. But he’s been sober for a while now. He goes to meetings. He’s healthy.”
He went silent. The words seemed to take time to soak in, and I allowed him the time to process them.
“I wish I’d known,” he said. “I just never thought—after growing up with our dad. Macon is the strongest of the two of us, you know?”
“I think we always see our big brothers as superheroes, but they have flaws, just like the rest of us.” I cupped his cheek, making sure he saw me. “And you’re here now. That’s what matters.”
“So, what was the original plan for the bachelorette party?” he asked, leaning back against the other side of the counter, clearly needing a subject change. I handed him his forgotten coffee mug and I watched as he brought it to his lips.
God, that mouth.
“Definitely not whatever it is we’re doing now,” I answered, slightly distracted.
“You don’t know? Didn’t you just say you planned it?”
I sort of half shrugged. “If by plan, you mean did I call up Lani and say, ‘Hey, can we do some sort of low-key bachelorette party at your place?’then yes.”
“Lani is Taylor’s wife?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “And seriously the most gorgeous woman on the planet.”
His eyes glittered as they swept over me. “Doubtful, considering she’s standing right here.”
“Charmer,” I mused, even though I was totally swooning on the inside. “Anyway, she’s Lani Hart.”
His eyes widened. “As in Hart Hotels? That Hart?”
“Yep,” I confirmed. “Although I think she had some sort of falling-out with her dad. I don’t know all the details. Anyway, she and Taylor own the hotel right on the harbor.”
He slowly nodded. “I saw it when I was showing Hendrix around town. Used to be The Cozy Motel when I was younger. That place was a dump.”
“Well, it isn’t now,” I assured him, remembering the time I’d stayed there after Marin moved in with Macon. “It’s pretty swanky.”
“So, you asked Lani to set it up for you, but you really have no idea what it is?”
“I’m pretty sure there is food involved.”
“Well, that’s reassuring. Gotta keep up that stamina.” He gave me a wink.
I tried to ignore him, biting my bottom lip to keep from grinning. “And I’m hoping there will be at least a little bit of alcohol, but given that we switched to this low-key bachelorette party because we didn’t want to bum Marin out, I’m not counting on it.”
“You could have the bartender make you a mocktail,” he suggested. “They’ve become pretty popular. I’ve had a few at parties if you want suggestions.”
“I honestly think that would just upset her more because she’d feel like we were going out of our way for her.”
“As opposed to changing the whole theme of the?—”
I held out my hand. “Don’t even bother. I gave up trying to reason with her the moment I found out she was pregnant. The woman is growing a human inside of her and not just any human—our niece. She’s moody and a bit impractical at times, but she gets a free pass.”
He set his coffee down and moved toward me, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “You’re a good friend,” he told me.
“You’re not a half-bad brother,” I quipped, making him laugh.
I tiptoed up to kiss him. His fingers sank into my hair, tightening into a fist as his hunger for me grew.
A phone started to vibrate next to us, and he groaned.
“If that is Marin sending us on another wild goose chase, tell her we’re busy.”
“I don’t know.” I arched a brow, pulling away from him. “Our last one didn’t turn out so bad.”
“I know, which is why we’re very busy.”
My good mood died the instant I saw my phone screen.
“Elena, you okay?”
“Yeah. It’s just my mom,” I said, still staring at that screen. “She never calls me.”
“Ever?”
Outside of Daniel, we really hadn’t talked about my family. Not that there was much to say.
My mood darkened as I shook my head, answering the call. “Hello, Mother.”
“Elena.”
“Is everything okay? Is Dad?—”
“He’s fine,” she acknowledged, but didn’t provide any further information.
A second went by and then another as I waited for her to say something.
Zander watched me as I started to pace the kitchen, one bare foot in front of the other as I tried to ignore how clammy my hands felt or how erratic my heartbeat was.
“Did you need something or…” I huffed out a breath, hating that I still cared.
“I wanted to remind you that next month is the anniversary of Daniel’s?—”
“I know what day it is,” I clipped, my body coming to a halt. “I don’t need a calendar reminder for the day my brother died.” My tone was harsh, but I didn’t care. She hadn’t chosen to call me in years, and this was the topic she’d picked.
I felt Zander’s soothing presence step up behind me, and I leaned into it, seeking his warmth as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“I just wanted to be sure since you’ve likely been preoccupied with Marin and her wedding.” The word wedding rolled off her tongue like she was saying something uncouth or slanderous.
“Just because Marin is getting married doesn’t any of us have forgotten him.”
Her silence seemed to suggest she didn’t agree.
“Anyway,” she went on, “I’ve asked Father Thomas to come say a few words at Daniel’s graveside this year, and I’d like the whole family to be in attendance.” She didn’t want to look bad in front of the priest. “ Since I doubt Marin will come, it will be imperative that you do.”
“You’re making a lot of unfair assumptions about Marin,” I said.
“It’s not like she’s been to his grave much to begin with.”
“She lives thirteen hundred miles away. You know how much she wanted him buried close to her, but she chose not to fight you and buried him in the family plot. Do you know how hard that was for her?”
Another beat of silence.
Zander began to make slow circles with his thumb on my stomach. It felt like an anchor, and I focused on it.
I chose not to mention Marin’s pregnancy. It would only anger her more, and besides, it wasn’t my news to share.
“I’ll check my work calendar and?—”
“This is not negotiable, Elena,” she said, her voice rising. “If you can take three weeks off for a ridiculous wedding, you can spare a day for your brother.”
I bit down hard on my bottom lip, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks, and I took a deep breath. “Funny how I only seem to be part of the family when it suits you,” I said, and before she could get another word in, I ended the call, slamming my phone down on the counter for good measure.
As I tried to breathe through my anger, Zander stood there and didn’t say a word. He just held me, making those slow circles over my skin.
It was like, somehow, he could sense what I needed.
I wasn’t a woman who needed a white knight. I didn’t want a man to fight my battles or take control when life got overwhelming.
I just wanted someone to be there.
I turned in his arms. “As you can see, my mother is thrilled about Marin’s upcoming nuptials.”
“Has she always been like that?” he asked.
“I’d love to say no—that it’s just a byproduct of grief—but unfortunately, parenting has never really been her strong suit.”
A sad smile tugged at his lips as he took me in. “And what about your dad?”
I let out a sigh, tracing the edge of the tattoo that covered his collarbone. “He’s almost worse,” I said.
“Has he—” I could see his eyes harden.
“No.” My voice softened as I placed a hand on his chest. “Nothing like that. He just—” I let out a deep breath. “My dad had an affair before I was born. Or maybe it was a one-night stand—I’m not sure about the details. But he cheated. I was the result.”
“Your biological mom?”
I shook my head. “No idea. She dumped me off with my father shortly after I was born and bailed. At this point, my mom—stepmom? I have a hard time now, trying to figure out what to call her.”
“It’s okay.” He pulled me to his chest.
“Anyway, at this point, they could have done a lot of things—sane things, like divorce, or, hell, put me up for adoption—and gave me a fighting chance, but instead, they stayed together. Daniel was only a year old, so they moved to another town, started over, and no one was the wiser.”
“Except them.”
I nodded. “My mother has never forgotten. And she’s never forgiven him. She has been using me as a way to punish him ever since.”
“When did you find out?” he asked, his voice soft and soothing.
“Right after Daniel died,” I said. “In one of her grief rants, she told me she’d lost her only child, and when I questioned what she meant?—”
“I’m so sorry, Elena.”
I pulled back so I could look up at him. “It actually made a lot of sense,” I told him. “When she finally explained everything, it hurt, learning the truth, but it also answered a lot of my questions. Why I was never enough. Why I always came last.”
He tilted my chin up, and my heart melted. “You’re more than good enough.”
“That’s the first time she’s called me in over a year, and it was just to make sure I’d show up and make her look good.”
“I could come with you,” Zander offered.
“Oh God, she’d lose her shit,” I joked, but my belly fluttered at the idea of having him with me.
“What? Why?” That pierced brow rose as he grinned. “I’m a hit with parents. Look at me.”
He held out his arms wide, reminding me of that day in the studio when he’d let me do whatever I wanted with him.
“She’d take one look at those tattoos, probably cover herself in the sign of the cross, and promptly disown me.” I laughed. “Wait, that actually might work. Shit, we should totally get married.”
“I thought we already were,” he challenged. “Picked out a dress and everything.”
“I don’t know,” I teased. “I might need some more convincing.”
He grabbed me at the waist and threw me over his shoulder, intent on a shower and doing just that.
“Okay, so I might have gone a little overboard,” Lani warned me.
I’d barely stepped foot into the grand lobby of Windows Hotel and Resort when she ran up to meet me, hugging the shit out of me in a red maxi dress that made her look fucking lethal.
Seriously, could she dial it down a notch or two?
The worst part was, I knew she really wasn’t even really trying. She was that kind of pretty with bronze skin and long, thick brown hair that fell down her back like she’d been at the salon all morning, but really, she’d probably just let it air-dry while she fed her toddler.
And to top it off, she was incredibly sweet. Ugh.
“How overboard are we talking?” I asked.
We hadn’t exactly talked price when I set this up because in all fairness, I wasn’t strapped for cash, and how much could one measly bachelorette party cost?
Marin had offered to foot the bill when she discovered we had to change plans because of her pregnancy, but I’d shut that down real quick. This was her special day—days?—and I was the best friend with the large savings account and zero attachments, so if anyone was going to splurge, it was going to be me.
“A little.” Lani bit at her the baby pink polish on her nail before adding, “Okay, a lot, but I couldn’t help it. When am I going to be able to organize another spa day bachelorette party?” She had a point. Most women hit the clubs, and Ocracoke was a little sleepy for that kind of action. “But don’t worry; I’m covering all the extras. My present to Marin.”
“Oh.” I perked up. “That’s really generous of you.”
It’s beyond generous.
She swept me into the dining room that had been closed for the luncheon part of the day, and the moment I stepped inside, my mouth hit the floor.
“Lani, this is above and beyond,” I told her.
“I know!” She beamed, clearly thrilled with herself. “I got ahold of Marin’s florist and then sort of went crazy.”
Instead of the circular tables that normally adorned the dining room, she’d created a single long table for us in the middle. Small bouquets of peach roses and eucalyptus leaves lined the center with beautiful place settings and personalized menus. There was a photo wall and a custom cake.
Ten minutes later, when Marin walked in, she cried.
Not just cried, but, like, full-on sobbed. Through snotty tears, she went on and on about how much she loved each of us and how lucky she was.
I would have laughed if I didn’t think she’d murder me.
“Stupid hormones.” She sniffled after finally settling down and taking a seat.
“They’re the worst,” Molly confirmed. “The first time I was pregnant, we kept it a secret until after our wedding. I was so paranoid and was somehow convinced people could just tell by looking at me.”
“If anyone had given that secret away, it would have been Jake,” Cora cut in. She was the nurse at the medical clinic Jake owned and married to Dean Sutherland, Jake’s best friend—Molly’s ex-fiancé. Way too much drama for one tiny town. “He had a grin plastered on his damn face for weeks. I just figured he was sneaking you in during lunch for a quickie in his office.”
Molly’s grin suggested that wasn’t totally untrue. “Well, one day, he found me sitting on the floor in my closet, sobbing because my jeans didn’t fit. I told him everyone would surely find out now if I had to buy new clothes.”
“Yeah, I doubt anyone would have noticed that, even in Ocracoke,” Lani quipped.
“I know that now.” She laughed. “But hormonal Molly was never planning on leaving that closet. So, my amazing husband dried my tears, grabbed a rubber band, and made my jeans work for another two weeks. Problem solved.”
“What a great guy,” Marin said, and I could already see more tears forming.
Ohmigod.
“Okay, subject change! Otherwise, Marin is gonna cry all over her place setting,” Lani announced, making everyone laugh.
“I want to know about Elena and Zander!” Millie said from the other side of the table.
“Oh, me, too!” her traitor of a sister chimed in.
“Yeah, because, apparently, you were having way more fun at that cookout than the rest of us,” Millie quipped, holding her champagne glass out in a salute toward me.
“I didn’t even get to go.” Cora pouted while Lani added, “Me neither.”
“Well, the food was lovely,” Molly said. “As was the company, right?”
Everyone nodded.
“Elena especially enjoyed the company of one guest in particular,” Millie teased, making me roll my eyes.
“I just want to know which one of you motherfuckers told on us.” I pointed my finger at the crowd of women. “Because everyone in the town knows. Janet at the coffeehouse seriously winked at Zander yesterday!”
They all burst into laughter.
“Maybe they all just heard you.” Marin shrugged, making my mouth fall open. She didn’t even blush when she said it.
“In your neighborhood? I’d think they’d be used to it by now. What’s one of Macon’s favorites? Oh, yes. ‘Scream so the whole island can hear you.’”
Now, that got her blushing.
“Hey, there is nothing wrong with giving your man a little vocal encouragement,” Millie said as Marin’s shoulders shook in silent laughter. “Of course, when there are guests around?—”
Molly’s face blanched. “That was one time!”
“Mmm, it was more than once, sis. You screamed his name all night long.” She grinned before turning back to the rest of us. “And then she had to get up and play hostess the next day and serve them all breakfast!”
“Oh my God.” Molly buried her hands in her face before she shot back up, her eyes fixed on her sister. “You had a drunken one-night stand with Aiden when you were supposed to be looking after the inn!”
“Hell yeah, we did.” Her face went all dreamy, not embarrassed in the slightest. “But we were in the family wing, which, as you know, is in the back of the house—purposely away from the guest rooms. Unlike, say, the yellow room, which is?—”
“Lani and Taylor totally had sex in a restaurant!” Molly said, pointing a finger directly at her friend.
Man, she was just throwing everyone under the bus.
Several questions were thrown out at once.
“In front of other people?”
“Was it open?”
“Which restaurant?”
The last question made me laugh. Were they asking for a recommendation?
“It wasn’t…” Lani’s words stalled before she gave Molly a look. “We didn’t have sex. Taylor…” She tilted her head and widened her eyes a bit while making a vulgar hand gesture with her fingers.
“While you were sitting at your table?” Millie sounded impressed.
Lani nodded, and a faint blush painted her cheeks. “The waiter asked me a question about my drink order, and I literally slammed my hand down on the table and practically screamed, ‘Yes!’ at him.”
Laughter filled the room.
I could have totally pointed a finger at Marin and told everyone about the night she and Macon had snuck into the sheriff’s office and had sex on his desk. But since Macon had caught his ex-wife cheating on him in that very office, I had a feeling the intent of that rendezvous had been to erase some especially bad memories for him.
That all felt far too intimate to share, even among friends.
“Okay, back to bad-boy Green,” Molly said over the laughter.
“I agree!” Millie added.
“Since we didn’t grow up here, we don’t really know much about him,” Cora said, motioning to Lani. “But I have to say, there’s got to be something in the water because, seriously, what is up with the men down here?”
“Ocracoke does not get to take the credit for Zander,” Millie argued. “We were a few years apart in school, and I do not remember him looking anything like that.”
“I have to know,” Cora asked, a look of guilt spreading across her face, “And if any of you tell my husband I asked this, I’ll deny it.” She turned to me. “But how far exactly do those tattoos go?”
I bit my bottom lip, remembering all the times I’d licked that inked skin. “Down his whole chest, his back. He has a few on his legs, too.”
“God, that’s hot,” Millie said. “Why is that so hot? Like, I don’t want my husband to run out and get covered in ink, but on other guys?” She made a dreamy sigh.
“I have never gone for guys with tattoos. Or piercings.” I dated guys in suits. Guys who barely made nine o’clock dinner reservations because they barely left their office.
And wasn’t that pathetic.
“What about musicians?”
“There was a brief phase in college,” I answered, shuddering at the memory. “Not a great experience. Probably why I don’t normally go for the tattooed, bad-boy look now that I’m thinking about it.”
“Until Zander?”
“Yeah.” I let out a little sigh.
I was starting to worry that I was seriously monopolizing the conversation. Like, shouldn’t we be talking about Marin? And wedding shit?
“She likes him.” Marin beamed, clearly not upset with the conversation. “We’re totally gonna be sisters again.”
“I think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves,” I argued.
“Do you think this could be something that lasts beyond the wedding?” Millie asked.
She seemed highly interested in the topic of me and Zander. Maybe she just loved a good gossip story.
“Maybe,” I answered. “I mean, I want it to. It’s just?—”
“What?” Marin’s hand found mine, her brows all scrunched up in concern.
“It’s not something we’ve really discussed.”
“Like, at all?”
Well, he did make that comment about going with me to my parents’ today, but I’m pretty sure he was joking. Wasn’t he?
“I mean, a little,” I answered. “In the general let’s just give this a try and see where it leads sense.”
“But you haven’t discussed what happens when you go home and he goes…” Millie paused. “Where is he even going?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, hating how twisted my gut felt at the mere thought of him leaving. “He told us at the cookout that he’s signed on to do a tour starting in the fall, but can’t say who it’s for.”
“Hmm,” was all Millie had to say about that.
“You care for him,” Molly stated, her eyes softening as she looked my way.
“I think he’s a really nice guy.” I deflected, looking away. “But we’ve barely known each other for two and a half weeks. It’s too soon to know what I feel.”
Marin snorted, making me glance over at her.
“What?”
“It’s just that a year ago, when I was falling for Macon after just a few short weeks, I said something very similar. I distinctly remember someone telling me that there were no rules when it came to falling in love. In fact, I believe she also said that if she were lucky enough to find love, she’d run toward it with open arms.”
“No offense, but she sounds kind of like a cunt,” I said dryly, hating myself for my own stupid advice. “Besides, that advice was for you. Not me.”
“What can’t it be for you?” she argued.
“Because—”
Because I don’t deserve it.
Because I’m not worth it.
Because I’m scared…
All my insecurities and negative thoughts came rushing to the surface, and I felt panicky. What if I didn’t know how to love someone? What if this ended up being some epic failure and he left, like everyone else?
“I know the word love sounds intimidating,” Cora offered. “Especially when you’re talking about a person you just met. So, let’s replace it with the word connection . You and Zander sound like you have a real connection, and something like that is rare. Don’t deny yourself the chance to explore it because of fear. Believe us all when we say, we’ve all been there.”
A chorus of yeses and uh-huhs echoed her.
“It really only comes down to one question,” Millie said, and I looked at her intently. “Is he good in bed?”
Everyone roared. “What?”
She looked around, raising her hands in the air. “I’m serious! We all heard them in that studio!”
I swore a hundred sets of eyes all turned to me, and I felt heat creep up my neck.
“It’s so fucking good,” I admitted with a smirk.
The room erupted into cheers.
I rolled my eyes again.
“Have any of you ever tried the…” Millie started making hand gestures, but then paused. “We should totally make a group chat and exchange tips.”
“Oh my God,” Molly groaned.
“Just what I want—a group chat about my brother-in-law’s dick,” Marin joked.
“I mean, it wouldn’t be all about your brother-in-law’s dick. There’d be others, too.” Millie grinned. “Besides, Molly tells me all sorts of stories about Jake. It’s really good ammo if he ever pisses me off.”
“He is still so mad at you for telling Mom and Dad that the couple they heard having sex in the bathroom at your wedding was us.”
“Well, it was!” She shrugged, and then she turned to me. “See, you’re not the only one who has sex in other people’s houses. Molly and Jake totally did it in my bathroom. We hadn’t even cut the cake yet. What I don’t understand is why Mom and Dad were both headed to the bathroom in the first…” She paused as a horrified expression took over her face.
“You don’t think?” Molly’s eyes went wide, as she probably put two and two together, remembering exactly why her and her own husband would visit the bathroom together.
I snorted out a laugh.
Lani stood as Millie and Molly tried to wipe that thought from their minds. “Well, that took a disturbing turn. Anyone hungry?”