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  She reached up, with a satisfied smile and pulled my mouth to hers. The second her lips touched mine, I came. My whole body went rigid before breaking down into a shuddering mass. My breath came in heavy spurts as I collapsed down next to her. She curled up against me and kissed my chest.

  “Holy shit,” I sighed. “I never expected this.”

  She lifted her face, and her lip curved up on the side. “Expected what?”

  “This fucking want, this desire. I can feel it heavy in my bones and my chest. You make me ache with it, Noelle.” And it scares the shit out of me, I thought, but didn’t say aloud.

  Chapter 16

  Seth

  Seth Barringer, nervous about a girl, that would give both of my brothers a good fucking laugh. I wasn’t completely sure how I felt about my new status in life as a stumbling, bumbling fool, all over one girl, one unbelievable girl. But I wasn’t hating it. In fact, I couldn’t get her out of my head.

  I opened the door to Maverick’s. Noelle peered over her customer’s shoulder briefly before going back to helping the man pick out the right pair of sunglasses. Even that quick glance sent a rush through me.

  Grace half-skipped over from the display she’d been working on. “I was just telling Elle that a bunch of us, including that jerk you bunk with, are going to Reggie’s. It’s a dance place, and they serve great margaritas. But she wouldn’t commit, so you need to talk her into it.”

  “I don’t know about a dance place. We’ll see.” I glanced through the front window. Rocko was up on scaffolding with his welding gear. “I guess work started up over there again. Rocko came home yesterday and said Rice was having all kinds of trouble with inspectors and workers not showing up on time.”

  Grace laughed. “It was hilarious. He was pacing the sidewalk in those shiny loafers, with his phone pressed so hard against his ear, I thought he’d push it into his brain. And his face was red, but it had nothing to do with a sunburn. He must have straightened some stuff out because they’ve been busy over there all morning. Including Rocko, who seems to spend more time texting than welding. Not that I’ve been watching him because I really don’t give a damn.”

  “Give a damn about what?” Noelle asked as she walked up to us.

  “About Rocko,” Grace said. “I mean who needs him, right?” With that she walked away.

  Noelle peered up at me with her deep brown eyes. She was wearing a tight yellow tank top. The dog tags were back on her neck. The silver chain sparkled against her tanned skin. “She wants us to go to some dance place tonight.”

  “With the way you just said that, I’m going to guess that you don’t want to go.”

  “Good guess.” I followed her to the shoe shelves. I helped her pick up the shoes and boxes that customers had tried on and left on the floor.

  “I’m glad.” I handed her a box of sandals, not sure where they should be shelved. I glanced back toward Grace. She was busy with customers. Noelle pushed the box into a shelf, and as she turned around, I pulled her into my arms.

  “I was thinking about a bonfire with just the two of us,” I said quietly. “And you wearing that short, white sundress, and me, preferably not smelling like a cookie . . . and Duke if he wants to come. As long as he doesn’t want to huddle under the blanket.”

  “I don’t know, I’m getting kind of used to that cinnamon smell.” She pressed her body against mine, and my reaction was instant. My cock pressed against my fly, begging to be freed. “It’s sort of like that Pavlov experiment. I think every time I smell a snickerdoodle, I’m going to get—” She blushed. “Well, you know.”

  I leaned down and kissed her. “Damn, I’m going to start bathing in the stuff. So, what do you think about my plan?”

  “I like it. Say seven o’clock?”

  “Sounds good. I just hope I can make it that long.” I looked around. “Where’s Greg? I thought he was working today.”

  “He went to pick up some supplies for the board he’s working on. He should be back any minute if you want to stick around. In fact, since you’re such a giant, you can reach up there and pull some of those shoeboxes off the storage shelf for me. Then I won’t have to drag out the stepladder.”

  I reached up and started pulling boxes down. “I heard that Rice had his ass in a knot yesterday. Rocko wasn’t even sure there’d be work today.”

  Noelle grabbed the stack of boxes I handed her. “You could see the steam coming out of his ears from here. Greg and I had a good laugh watching the whole circus. I guess firing the main contractor wasn’t a good idea. Greg was in a great mood all day because of it.”

  I handed her another box. “It doesn’t bode well for the future of his store, that’s for sure.”

  “Speaking of Moondoggie,” Grace said, apparently listening to our conversation. She had her face pressed to the window that overlooked the street. “I think Greg accidentally bumped that expensive car, the one that jerk always takes up two spots with.” Grace leaned slightly to the left to get a better view. “Rice is yelling at Greg.”

  Noelle was out the door in seconds. I was right behind her. Rice had his arms waving in the air, swinging them toward his car and then toward Greg’s old truck. “You fucking old pothead, you’re so goddamn loaded you can’t even park a car.”

  Noelle raced over to Greg’s side. That seemed to make Rice angrier. I stayed back, not wanting to add fuel to the fire but ready to jump in if needed.

  “What the heck are you pissed about?” Noelle said back to him. “Your car doesn’t even have a scratch.”

  “No? Why don’t you come look closer. This is a fifteen thousand dollar paint job, and this old geezer, whose brain is soaked with saltwater and weed, shouldn’t be driving.”

  Greg just stared at him. There was a sliver of a grin on his face, but he kept from laughing out loud. “My brain might have had one too many hits on a bong, but at least I’m not stupid enough to park a car with a fifteen thousand dollar paint job at the beach.”

  Noelle smiled at his comment.

  “What the hell are you grinning at, you bitch.”

  I stepped forward into Rice’s line of vision. He stumbled back two steps. “You again. Do you fucking stalk her or something? You’re always showing up.”

  I glared hard at him. He flinched without me even taking one step. I looked over at Greg. “What happened?”

  Greg shrugged. “Might have nicked his bumper while I was trying to park. As you can see, this guy thinks he can take two spots with his car. There is always five feet in front of it. So I had to squeeze in behind.”

  “Stupid old fart, maybe you should hang up those car keys for good. You’re a menace to society,” Rice sneered.

  “And you’re a fucking prick,” Noelle snapped. She walked over to his car and jammed her foot at the fender. It didn’t make a dent, but she left a nice sandal print.

  Rice reached for her, but I had hold of his arm before he could touch her. He twisted around, his face red with fury. He yanked his arm, and I released it. “Did you see what that bitch just did to my car?”

  My fist tightened. “I think that you should walk back over to your half-assed construction site and cool your head before something happens here that is going to make you cry.”

  “You fucking asshole,” he said through gritted teeth. He pulled his arm back, and I caught his fist with the palm of my hand. I wrenched his wrist and arm into an unnatural position. “I’m calling the police,” he grunted in pain.

  “Go ahead. There are plenty of witnesses who saw you throw the first punch. Or at least you gave it your best private prep school try, eh?” I let go of him and he rubbed his arm.

  His mouth was pulled tight with rage as he pointed a finger at me. “You’re all going down.” He moved his finger pointing to Noelle and Greg. “That rundown shack across the street is on leased land. I’m already in the process of buying it off the landlord. You’re fucking done here, losers.” Rice glared hard at me before sliding into his Corvette and te
aring away.

  “Fun guy,” Greg said. “But you should have twisted his arm more. I would have liked to see him cry just a little.”

  Noelle hugged him. “You are warped, which is why I love you so much.”

  Chapter 17

  Noelle

  Grace left barely speaking to me and pissed that we weren’t going out with them. She told me I’d made Seth a bore too. All I knew was that I was thrilled to have him all to myself.

  Seth showed up exactly at seven with a blanket in one hand and a bottle of wine and chunks of firewood in a wagon. He motioned to the red toy. “I borrowed it from a kid two houses down. I gave him a five dollar bill and a guarantee that it would be returned to him before daybreak.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled paper. “He gave me a list of dos and don’ts.” He glanced over the list that had been written in colored sidewalk chalk. “Apparently, no one over sixty pounds is allowed in it, including dogs, and I am strictly forbidden from sticking my knee inside and using it like a scooter. Oh, and gum chewing is also a big no-no because his sister dropped her wad of watermelon bubble gum in it the other morning and it took his mom an hour to scrape it off the red paint. The key point being that he doesn’t want to put his mom through that again, I suppose.”

  I was laughing so hard by the time he was done, my eyes watered from it. He’d brought me to tears with laughter more than once already. I loved that about him.

  Seth looked appreciatively at my dress. I’d taken the dog tags off again, just for tonight. As much as I always felt better having them hanging near my heart, there were times when I needed to be free of them and the perpetual sadness they brought. I needed to be without them when I was with Seth. It just made things less complicated.

  “It’s a little cold for a sundress. I was thinking I should put on some jeans instead.”

  He lifted the blanket. “Between this blanket, the roaring fire I’m planning and the heat from my body, I think you’ll be fine.”

  “Ah yes, the heat from your body.” I leaned up against him. “I do like that body heat.”

  “And I like that dress. Been thinking about it all day.”

  I looked over at Duke. He was snoring with his tennis ball tucked under a paw. “Once that guy is out for the night, very little wakes him. We can leave him here.”

  We headed out the sliding glass door and stepped onto the beach. There was no fog, only a crisp, salty air that felt brisk on my bare legs. The wagon was unwieldy and squeaky in the sand, but Seth managed to pull it along without losing any of the goods.

  “Was Greg all right after the incident with Rice?” he asked.

  “He was fine. I wish I could let shit slide off of me the way he does. It takes a lot to light a fire under him. He always says that worry wastes minutes of your life when you could be having a good time. I’m sure the weed helps that ‘whatever’ attitude but hey, it works for him. That guy, Rice, is really awful. Can’t believe the mean shit he was saying to Greg.”

  “But you gave it to his five-digit paint job good with that Ninja kick.”

  “Surfing makes the legs really strong,” I said.

  Seth grinned down at me. “It was classic. He seems to be even worse than the first day I met him, and he was a real douche then. I think he’s losing control of his project, and maybe Daddy is putting a lock on the money flow. Either way, I’m starting to wonder if it’ll even get done. Subcontracted jobs sometimes end in disaster.”

  “As much as I never like to wish ill luck on people, disaster sounds like a perfect ending for that place.”

  “I’ve got to agree, but after Rocko finishes his job. Without work, he can’t afford to live down here, and without him, I won’t be able to afford it either.”

  I grew quiet as it dawned on me, stupidly, for the first time, that Seth was here just for the summer. In a few months, or less if money problems surfaced, he’d be gone again. I hadn’t really let myself think about that reality yet.

  Seth seemed to have sensed my sudden mood change. He stopped and the wagon creaked to a halt. He took hold of my hand. “I figure we’ll deal with me having to leave when that time comes. But I don’t want it to get in the way right now. Do you?”

  I shook my head. “No, you’re right. Live for the day and all that stuff, right?” It was a motto I’d adopted for now, to let myself have fun for a change. Glimmers of despair and even guilt would hit me at sporadic times throughout the day. More than once, I’d pulled my phone out, ready to send a text to Seth telling him that this was too much for me. But each time I talked myself out of it. For a change, it felt good to feel something other than sadness and loss and self-pity.

  We continued on to the first fire pit. It was made from a circle of cinderblocks. A massive pile of charcoaled wood and powdery ashes filled it. There was only one other fire, and it was a good distance away. We had the sand virtually to ourselves. Now that we were closer to the water, I was even colder.

  Seth took out the blanket and pulled it around my shoulders, like a great long cape. I held it tightly shut around me while he started the fire. It crackled and snapped and the flames twisted and bent in the breeze, struggling to stay lit even in the center of the pit.

  Seth pulled the wine bottle out. “I was so excited about securing transportation for our wood, I completely forgot the glasses.”

  “That’s all right. We can manage.” I opened one side of the blanket cave and he stepped into it. We sat down together, tucked in the warmth of the blanket, with the flames just starting to grow and produce a glowing heat.

  The moon was just a sliver of gold, and the ocean looked black and endless as it rolled up onto shore.

  I took a sip from the bottle of wine. It helped warm me up too. “The water always looks so scary at night, like shiny tar, sticky and dangerous. I’ve only been swimming at night one time.” I blushed thinking about it. “Skinny dipping, no less. But the whole time I was freaked out that something would reach up and grab my legs in the dark. Sort of ruined the whole experience. Stupid, I guess, since the same creatures are lurking underwater at night as in the day.” I peered up at him.

  He shook his head. “What? I’m sorry I lost focus after the words skinny dipping.”

  I elbowed him and grabbed back the wine. “Here, I confess to you my fear of the ocean at night, and all you can think about is me being naked in the water.”

  He blinked down at me. “Your point?”

  I laughed again. “I guess there isn’t one.” I lifted the bottle to my mouth and drank. “Of course, you probably spend a lot of your work day in water that receives no sunlight, which makes my confession sound even more silly.”

  He drank some wine.

  “Tell me, is there anything that scares Seth Barringer?”

  He lowered the wine. “Losing people I love, that’s always scary. A year and a half ago, my twin brother Luke was missing, and it seemed highly likely that he was dead.”

  “Oh my god, that’s awful. What happened?”

  “It’s a really long story. I’ll tell you about it sometime. I just remember the moment of relief when we found out that he was alive. I’d never been so scared in my life, and I hope I never go through anything like that again.”

  I gazed at him in the flickering shadows of the fire. Most people would have answered the question with a reference to their own death, but the thing that scared Seth had nothing to do with his own safety. He was worried about the people he loved.

  I wrapped my arm around his. “I’m glad it had a happy ending. I imagine being twins, even if you’re not identical, it must have been extra hard on you.”

  It seemed, for a moment, he was taken back to that horrible time when he’d thought his brother was dead. “It’s strange but the whole time we waited to hear word of what had happened to Luke, I had this weird sensation, these sparks of hope that told me he was still alive.”

  “They say that twins are always connected, no matter how far away from each other.�
�

  “I believe it. Luke and I are opposites in a lot of ways, but we’re really close.”

  “I always wished that I’d had a brother or sister. I think it would have made losing Hayden just a tiny bit easier if I’d had someone else who I was as close to as I’d been with him.” Several clouds drifted past the sliver of moon, blocking its reflecting light and making the beach darker and somehow colder. It was the perfect excuse to scoot closer to Seth. His muscular body gave me a sense of security that I couldn’t get enough of.

  Seth rested the wine bottle in the sand. His arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He tasted of wine and warmth and happiness. I was happy in his arms, blissfully happy.

  Tucked in our blanket cocoon in front of the glowing heat of an impressive fire was nothing short of glorious. Somehow, Seth managed to make every second spectacular. I realized how badly I’d missed this, the flirting, the intimacy, the thrill of getting to know one another.

  I wriggled against him. “I don’t see how this moment in time could be any more perfect,” I sighed.

  “What about adding a baby otter and your grandma’s brownies to the moment?”

  “Right. I stand corrected.”

  “There is one thing we could do in the absence of otters and brownies.” His hand reached down to my leg, and he pushed up the hem of my dress. He’d only lifted the fabric a few inches, but instantly, moisture flooded my pussy. My breaths came faster, and all I could think was that I wanted him to touch me. As if he’d read my thoughts, he dragged his calloused fingertips along the inside of my thigh over my panties. “First,” he said, with a hitch in his throat, “we need to take these off.” I lifted up slightly as he pulled my panties down. I curled my knees up and he took them off completely. The idea of sitting under a blanket with no panties and my pussy completely exposed sent a shiver through me. When his hand returned to my pussy, my legs dropped open. He pushed his fingers between the cream-covered folds.