Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Remy
"Remy, look at the spring. My goodness, it's beautiful right now. It's so blue."
We're in my truck and I'm bringing Leilani home following an afternoon of working on the interior of her bar. When I'd arrived, my sister and my brothers' girlfriends had all been there, and somehow, they'd invited Leilani into their posse. Or coven. Or whatever it is.
Which, like everything else involving her, was adorable.
I'm glad Nat took my advice to visit her, and I'm doubly pleased that she brought Lauren, Kate, and Isabella.
As much as I enjoy being with Leilani, I know she's yearning for girlfriends.
She's talked about how much she misses her friends at the mermaid park.
My sister's no mermaid — she's more like a bull shark in a china shop — but she knows everyone in town and is a fierce friend. She'll be good for Leilani.
"See how the water sparkles, Remy?"
I glance out the side window of my truck, and yeah, the spring is particularly blue and glittery today. Its beauty is nothing compared to the woman sitting in my truck, though.
My gaze slides over to the passenger seat where Leilani is sitting.
"Let's go swim. Please? Doesn't the water look perfect for a swim?"
"Just like that, you want to swim? I thought I was taking you home." I grin.
She shrugs. "I like being spontaneous. Don't you?"
"Of course. Spontaneity is my middle name.
" Not literally, of course, but I'm also not kidding about that; it's one of the main reasons why I haven't settled down with any one woman.
Once I'm tied down, that'll mean routine.
Set times for meals. No nighttime fishing, no last-minute camping trips in the Everglades with my buddies, no spur-of-the-moment swim days.
I like my freedom. What can I say?
"I've got my bikini on underneath my clothes, so I don't even need to stop home first."
Leilani and a bikini? Record scratch noise.
That's the only encouragement I need to pull into the parking lot at Paradise Springs. I'd swim in a mud puddle if it meant watching her strip down to next to nothing.
"Wait, should we get your bathing suit, Remy?" She looks at me with concern.
"You're not the only one prepared, beautiful." I reach into the back of my truck, where I have a duffel bag full of towels, swim trunks and extra T-shirts. "A fisherman's always prepared.."
With a little laugh, she kicks off her sandals right in my truck, climbs out, and dashes across the parking lot, down the sand path to the spring's edge. I'm laughing, as I quickly change into my swim trunks. Then I run to keep up with her.
When we hit the sand, about ten feet from the water, she stops and rips off her T-shirt. She's like a sea goddess in that pink bikini.
Since my shorts do double duty as swim trunks, all I have to do is pull off my shirt and kick off my flip-flops.
By the time I do that, she's already barreling toward the water, her long, wavy hair flying in the wind.
A huge grin is plastered on her face and she's calling my name, telling me to follow her.
I watch as she dashes into the spring. She clearly is in her element here.
When she's about thigh-deep, she dives. For a half-second, I'd swear the water around her brightens, like the spring's glad to see her.
Then I blink and it's just sun on the surface again.
Trick of the light. Same trick of the light I saw the first time I laid eyes on her.
As for me, I casually walk in, not wanting to seem too eager. I do a slow dog paddle to where she's treading water.
"You're an incredible swimmer. How old were you when you started?" The water's not too deep here, shallow enough that I can stand. But since she's so short, it would be just a bit over her head.
She swims a little closer to me, making only the smallest, most contained movements to stay afloat.
"My mom got me in the pool when I was about a year old.
She was on the swim team in high school and wanted me to learn water safety and all that.
I've always loved the water. First, I was on a synchronized swim team at the Y, and then on my high school swim team.
Plus, growing up near the mermaid park meant that I saw them from the time I was little. I always wanted to be a mermaid."
"As far as I'm concerned, you are a mermaid."
She grins and dips underwater, then darts around me in a half circle and pops up behind me.
I turn to face her, and she's only inches from my body.
"You know, Remy, I was thinking." Little droplets of water cling to her long eyelashes, and for a moment, I'm captivated by them.
"Yeah? About what?"
"About being friends."
"What about it? Am I not being a good friend?"
She drifts into me and puts a hand on my shoulder. She's so close I can feel the warmth coming off her skin. I swallow hard.
"You've been an amazing friend these past few weeks. And now that we've gotten to know each other, I was wondering if you might want to move into a different kind of friendship phase."
My eyes practically fall out of my head, I open them so wide. Is this happening for real? Please let this be real and not some dream I'll wake up from.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still not looking for a boyfriend," she says quickly. "But a girl's got needs, you know?"
My body grows so warm that I worry that I'll heat the spring and further exacerbate climate change across the globe. "Needs? Tell me about these needs."
She comes closer, hugging me. "I thought they were pretty obvious," she purrs.
Is she seducing me? Holy cannoli. I'm toast. My hands find her waist and I pull her toward me, my mouth finding hers, because I can't control myself another moment around her.
Within a millisecond, her body's wrapped around mine and we're making out.
She's an amazing kisser, and I can't get enough.
I don't care if all of Cypress Grove has gathered on the sand to watch, we’re doing this.
She breaks away from our kiss. "I was just thinking that since we're so attracted to each other, we should indulge. While being friends. No strings. Can you keep it casual and not get attached to me?"
Her bright, blue eyes out-sparkle the water. This is the best day of my life. Better than winning the Boca Grande fishing tournament, even.
"I think those were all supposed to be my lines," I say, my hands sliding to her hips. "And to answer your question, yes. I can maintain a friendship with benefits. I won't make demands on you. Would love something like that with you, in fact. Respectfully."
"Good," she murmurs in my ear. "But I need to feel safe, and I trust you."
"You should, because I'd never hurt you."
"So, I was thinking that we could... take it slow. And there would be no consequences. We're friends. Simple, right?"
I inhale sharply, because she's pressed against me and I'm not going to be able to think clearly in about thirty seconds. "Sounds great to me, beautiful. But what made you change your mind? Remember, you ghosted me after Lime and Salt."
"I didn't know you back then. We'd just met, and I worried I'd made a stupid decision.
Thought maybe I'd picked another jerk. Turns out, I'd chosen well, because you're a good man.
You've proven that these past few weeks.
How you've mentored me, helped me. How you haven't tried to force yourself on me; how you've been a sweetheart. "
All I can do is grin stupidly.
She cups my face in her hands. "You didn't get angry when I said I wanted only friendship, and you still stuck around. You're a gentleman, Remy Hastings."
"But I dunno if I'm much of a mentor. I think you're a better businessperson than I am."
She grins sweetly. "You listen and that means a lot."
"I love listening to you." It's true. And not just because I think she's the hottest woman I've ever seen. Leilani has great ideas, she's excited about life, and she's just plain fun to be around.
She's studying my face, her eyes serious. "I'm in this new phase of life where I'm going to declare what I want and go for it. I decided to open a bar, and I'm doing it. I decided to leave my hometown and job, and I did."
"You should be proud of yourself. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks. So, I'm putting it out there, the ball's in your court. And if you decide you don't want, ah, us, anymore, we can stop. I'm sure I can find some other friends with benefits situation, eventually. Or not."
Or not would be my preference. "I'm up for the job and ready for immediate duty, so to speak. No need to look elsewhere."
She laughs, a low, sexy sound. "Glad to hear it. I didn't really want to find another candidate for my experiment."
"Are you some sort of unicorn? Because I feel like I just won the lottery." I rub my nose against hers.
She giggles and throws her head back, and I kiss her cheek.
"Why should men have all the fun?" she asks while fisting my hair in her hands.
"Excellent question. I don't think they should."
"So, do we have a pact?" Her blue eyes shimmer and tease.
"Remind me of our pact. I'm a little distracted right now."
"We demand nothing from each other."
"Pinkie swear. No demands." I raise my hand out of the water. She still has her legs clamped around my waist. We link pinkie fingers.
"No falling in love."
I shake my head. Why is my heart slamming against my chest? Is this for real?
"No living together, no marriage, no controlling each other. We both respect that we have other important things to focus on. My business, your river tours. Our attention needs to be on those." Her voice is serious, punctuated by the small waves lapping against our bodies.
"None of that. Promise. You focus on your business. I'll keep on fishing. We'll keep things respectful and fun."
She blinks, then nods. "Respectful fun between friends. I want to see what I've been missing."
I growl and draw her into my body, my hand on her jaw so that I can position her lips right against my cheek. "Beautiful, I'll show you what you've been missing and more."
So much more.