over at me. She didn’t respond. Had I woken her up?
“You are wearing sunblock, aren’t you?” I asked.
She nodded and pulled herself into a sitting position on the small bath towel she was using. Her body was distracting as hell.
“Good. I’d hate to see that smooth, creamy skin turn pink,” I replied before I could stop myself.
“I, uh, put some on before I came out here.”
I really should have looked away from her, but that seemed impossible at the moment. The tops of her breasts were right there, swelling over her bikini top. If she were anyone else, I would have no problem reaching over and tugging the small piece of fabric down until I could see her nipple. Then I’d . . . no! Dammit. I needed to focus on something else.
“You not working today?” I asked.
“It’s my day off.”
“How’s the job going?”
This time, she didn’t reply right away. I watched her as she stared up at me. She wasn’t paying attention to my words so much as she was studying my face. I liked that. Too damn much. “Uh, what?” she asked as her face turned slightly pink.
“How is the job going?” I asked again. I wasn’t able to keep the amusement out of my voice.
She sat up straighter and tried to look less interested in me. “It’s going good. I like it.”
The guys who no doubt flirted with her and gave her ridiculous tips annoyed me. “I bet you do,” I said.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked.
I let my gaze travel down her body slowly. “You know what you look like, Blaire. Not to mention that damn sweet smile of yours. The male golfers are paying you well.”
She didn’t get angry or snap at me. Instead, she looked surprised. I turned my attention to the water. I didn’t need to look at her. She distracted me. I forgot about everything else when I was focused on her. Remembering why she was here and that I’d had a hand in her pain should have made it easy enough to stay focused. But she made me forget everything. One bat of her eyelashes, and I was lost.
I had been so damn stupid back then. Asking Abe why he was so willing to leave his family of sixteen years for a daughter he had ignored for even longer would have made sense. But I hadn’t asked him. I had just been thankful when he showed up. But the asshole had left a broken family behind. A young girl alone to take care of her mother.
“How long ago did your mom pass away?” I asked her. I suddenly needed to know how long she had been struggling alone. It wasn’t like I could fix it now. I just wanted to know.
“Thirty-six days ago,” she murmured.
Fuck. She’d lost her mother a little more than a month ago. She hadn’t even had a chance to mourn. “Did your dad know she was sick?” I asked. I would kill him. Someone needed to make the bastard pay. He hurt everything he touched.
“Yes. He knew. I also called him the day she passed away. He didn’t answer. I left a message.”
I had never hated anyone the way I hated Abe Wynn at that moment. “Do you hate him?” I asked. She should. Hell, I hated him enough for both of us. When I beat his face in, I would do it for her. For her mother. And I wasn’t sure I would be able to stop.
“Sometimes,” she said.
I hadn’t expected the truth. Admitting that you hated your father couldn’t be easy. Unable to stop myself, I reached over and slipped my pinkie around hers. I couldn’t hold her hand. That was too much. Too intimate. But I had to do something. She needed some reassurance that she wasn’t alone. Even if I was the last person on earth who deserved to be there for her, I was going to be the one. I just had to find a way to do it and fix this hell I’d created.
“I’m having a party tonight. It’s Nan, my sister’s, birthday. I always give her a party. It may not be your scene, but you’re invited to attend if you want to.”
“You have a sister?”
I thought she knew that already, but when I thought back to the night Blaire had arrived, I realized that Nan had kept her distance and hadn’t actually met Blaire. “Yeah,” I replied.
“Grant said you were an only child,” she said, watching me carefully.
Grant had talked to her about me. He didn’t need me to explain anything to her. I wanted to protect her from the truth. I moved my hand away from her. “Grant really has no business telling you my business. No matter how damn bad he wants in your panties,” I said, before turning and walking back to the house. Why had I let that get to me? Dammit.
CHAPTER TEN
Nan had hired a party planner. I stood at the top of the stairs and watched as the decorating crew hauled in white roses by the truck-load. Did she think this was her wedding? What the hell?
“I don’t want to know what this party is costing you. Here,” Grant said, as he walked up behind me and shoved a glass of what smelled and looked like bourbon into my hand. “Drink it. You’re gonna need it.”
I took a long drink and let the smoothness of the liquor coat my throat. It didn’t make the fact that I was about to be faced with all of Nan’s friends any easier. Normally, when she had parties here, I limited the people she could invite. Tonight I had given her no limits. I was dreading that. All of fucking Rosemary Beach was likely to show up.
“The princess has ordered roses, I see,” Grant said, amused, as he leaned against the banister and watched the activity below.
“It seems that way,” I said. I was still pissed at him for talking to Blaire about me. I knew he wouldn’t tell her anything she didn’t need to know, but it still bothered me.
“Did you invite Blaire?” Grant asked, trying to sound casual.
“Did you expect me to make her hide under the stairs all night?” I replied. Because, honestly, I had thought about it. Inviting her to this damn thing only meant I had to watch her closely. Guys would be all over her, and girls would be vicious. She needed protection from both.
“Well, I wasn’t really sure. This is Nan’s party,” he reminded me, as if I needed reminding.
“It’s at my house,” I said, shooting him an annoyed glare.
Grant chuckled and shook his head. “Damn. Never thought I’d see you put someone else before Nan.”
“Don’t,” I warned him. “Don’t go there. I’m just being nice. Nothing more.”
Grant cocked an eyebrow, which he knew annoyed me. “Really?”
I slammed my glass down on the railing and walked back to my room. I wasn’t in the mood to watch any more of this or listen to Grant. It was going to be a long night.
One would think that Nan was the daughter of royalty, the way my house looked once the decorators were through. I moved through the rooms, keeping my eyes on the kitchen and, when I could, the pantry door. I hadn’t seen Blaire the rest of the day, but I knew she was here. I’d watched her while she’d lain out on the beach long after I’d left. I’d watched her swim in the waves and then take a walk. Hell, I’d even watched her read a book.
When she had finally picked up her towel and headed back to the house, I had stood up from my relaxed position on the sofa facing the wall of windows and went to get ready for tonight. I had wanted to make sure I was down here when she came out of her room for the party.
The party was getting packed, and the music was getting louder. Still no sign of Blaire. I wondered if she was scared to walk out into this. Should I let her stay tucked away in her room safely? Or did I need to go get her?
“I’ll keep my eyes on the pantry door while you go outside and get some blond surfer dude off the damn railing before he falls to his death,” Grant said in my ear, before shoving me toward the balcony.
Damn drunk college kids.
I went outside and found Jace already pulling the guy down off the ledge. “Dude, go drink some coffee,” Jace said with disgust, and slapped him hard on the back.
“You know him?” I asked.
Jace shook his head. “No. Just wasn’t in the mood to watch anyone die tonight,” he replied, before taking a drink of beer.
“Thanks,” I said.
Anya walked up and wrapped her arms around Jace’s waist, smiling at me. Seemed she had moved on. Good for her.
“Anya,” I said, nodding a greeting in her direction.
“Rush,” she replied with a teasing grin.
“And I’m Jace,” he said loudly over the noise. “As much as I love fun and awkwardness, I think we’ll go on out for a little walk on the beach,” he said, before leading Anya toward the stairs that led down to the sand.
I headed back inside and toward the kitchen. I was going to get Blaire out of that damn room. She didn’t need to stay there all night.
“She already came out,” Grant said, walking up beside me. “Woods has her in the foyer.”
“Woods?”
“Yeah, dude. Kerrington. Surely you’ve figured out that by now, he’s spotted her on the course. He plays a shit ton of golf.”
I shoved past the people in front of me and headed for the foyer.
The shy smile on Blaire’s face, looking up at Woods as he led her into the living room, stopped me in my tracks. Someone was talking to me, but I couldn’t focus on what they were saying. The blush on Blaire’s cheeks had my complete attention. Woods’s hand touched her back in a possessive way, which bothered me. How well did she know Woods? Had I missed this completely? Blaire said something to Woods, and he stopped to look down at her. They were discussing something. Then he leaned in close to her, and my annoyance instantly transformed into being pissed off.
Blaire’s eyes shifted and locked with mine. They went wide with surprise, as if she didn’t expect to see me at my own house. Then she moved away from Woods and spoke to him quickly as she put more distance between them. She was saying something to him, but he seemed amused and ready to say whatever he needed to in order to get her to stay.
I knew exactly the kind of guy Woods was, because he was just like me. I wasn’t letting him touch her. He saw her as a conquest, and I would kill him before I let him use her. The idea of Blaire doing anything with Woods made my skin crawl. I started moving. I didn’t stop and think about it, and I didn’t give a shit if my sister saw me.
“There is nothing about you that is unwanted. Even Rush isn’t that damn blind,” Woods was telling her as he moved closer to her. She was trying to get away from him.
“Come here, Blaire,” I said, reaching out to take her arm and pull her against me. Woods needed to understand that she was with me. I was protecting her. He should look elsewhere. “I didn’t expect you to come tonight,” I said in her ear. If I had known she was going to walk out of that room looking like something good enough to eat, I would have guarded the damn door.
“I’m sorry. I thought you said I could come,” she whispered, her face turning bright red. I hadn’t meant to embarrass her. She misunderstood me.
“I hadn’t expected you to show up dressed like that,” I explained, keeping my eyes locked on Woods. I didn’t want to do this in front of her, but if he pushed me, I would. The little red dress clung to Blaire in ways that should be fucking illegal. Didn’t she have a mirror in that room? Hell, I couldn’t remember.
Blaire suddenly jerked her arm free of me and started moving toward the kitchen.
“What is your fucking problem, man?” Woods asked, glaring at me and making a move to go after her.
“She’s off-limits,” I warned him, stepping in front of him to block his path. “You need to stay the hell away from her.”
Woods’s angry glare heated as he stared at me. “You deciding to claim her now? Making family work at the club is low, even for you, Rush.”
I took a step toward him. “Stay out of this, and stay away from her. That’s your only warning,” I told him, before walking away to find Blaire.
Grant met me in the hallway. “She’s hurt. Go fix it,” he said, shooting me an annoyed look as he walked past me and back to the party.
Why was she hurt? What had I done other than keep Woods from using her? I ignored two people and shook my head at Nan as she made her way toward me. I wasn’t dealing with her right now.
“Are you going in there?” she hissed angrily at me.
“Go enjoy your very expensive party, little sister.” I opened the pantry door and closed it behind me, locking it. I didn’t want someone following me inside.
I didn’t knock on her door. I knew she wouldn’t open it. I opened it instead and stared at her as she stood there, trying to unzip her dress. She let her hands fall back to her sides as she stared at me, then took a step back, bumping into the bed and sitting down. There wasn’t much room to move in here, which made me angry. How was she living in this tiny space? I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
“How do you know Woods?” I asked. The anger in my voice hadn’t been intentional.
“His dad owns the country club. He golfs. I serve him drinks,” she said nervously.
I knew all that already. I just wanted to make sure that was the only way she knew him. I couldn’t stand the idea of her spending time with him. With anyone. “Why did you wear that?” I asked, looking down at the dress that was going to star in my late-night fantasies of her.
Blaire shot back up, and her eyes turned from nervous to heated fast. “Because my mother bought it for me to wear. I was stood up and never got the chance. Tonight you invited me, and I wanted to fit in. So I wore the nicest thing I had. I’m sorry that it wasn’t quite nice enough. You know what, though? I don’t give a shit. You and your uppity, spoiled friends all need to get over yourselves.” Then she shoved me with her hand as if she wanted to knock me over. I didn’t move, but she’d put some force behind it.
She didn’t get me at all. She didn’t understand, and holy hell, she thought she wasn’t good enough. Was she kidding me? She was so damn near perfect it hurt. I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to look at her. I had to get away from her. This room was so small. She smelled so good . . .
“Fuck!” I swore, before burying my hands in her hair and covering her lips with mine. I had to taste her. I couldn’t control myself. We were alone and too close, and she smelled like heaven.
I had expected Blaire to fight me, but she melted into me so easily. I took what I could while she was still too shocked to slap me. Her mouth moved under mine, and I licked at the swell of her bottom lip. “I’ve been wanting to taste this sweet, plump lip since you walked into my living room,” I told her before taking more. I slid my tongue between her lips, and she opened for me. Each dark corner was better than warm honey. I could get drunk from her taste.
Her small hands grabbed my shoulders and squeezed. I wanted more. I wanted her. She caught on, and her tongue began to move against mine. Then she bit down on my bottom lip. Holy hell.
I grabbed her waist and put her on the bed behind her before covering her body with mine. More. I needed more. More of Blaire. More of her smell. More of her taste. More of the sounds she made. Just fucking more.
When I settled my obvious arousal between the open V of her legs, she moaned and threw her head back. My pulse sped up, and I felt my control slip even further. More.
“Sweet, too sweet,” I whispered against her mouth, and I realized I was almost done. I wouldn’t be able to stop. And she was sweet. Too fucking sweet for this. I tore myself away from her and backed up off the bed and stared down at her. The sexy red dress was up around her waist, and the pink satin of her panties was right there. The wetness that had darkened them made my blood roar in my veins. “Mother fucking shit.” I slammed my hand against the wall to keep from reaching for her. Then I opened the door. I had to breathe air that wasn’t filled with Blaire. Her smell was all over me. I had to break free.
She was too much. The word more kept pounding in my head, reminding me how willing she had been to let me taste her. To touch her. And mother of God, how wet she’d been. I slammed out of the pantry and headed for the door that led outside. Fresh air. Air with no Blaire. Fuck. I wanted her. More. I wanted so much more.
/> CHAPTER ELEVEN
I hadn’t slept. All damn night. I had walked for miles along the dark beach and then went to my bedroom and paced the floor. A cold shower hadn’t helped, either. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those pink panties and heard Blaire’s sweet sounds. I had to get her out of my head.
I needed to get laid. I hadn’t slept with anyone since the incident with Anya. That wasn’t like me. Tonight I had to work this out of my system. Keeping Blaire at a distance was all that would keep her from being hurt. It was only a matter of time before she knew and before she hated me.
I grabbed my phone and scanned the numbers I had saved until I found one that I knew was safe for a one-nighter with no strings. She’d require a dinner and some attention first, but Bailey had been trying to get my attention since she’d come to one of Nan’s parties. I’d taken her number and said I’d call sometime.
Once I had set a date for tonight, I got ready for my day with Nan. We were playing a round of golf today, her birthday request. I was hoping we would miss Blaire, but if not, I could handle buying a drink from her. I just wouldn’t breathe her in when she was near me. Or look at her. And I would not think about her panties. Fuck. I needed another cold shower.
Nan was standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face when I walked up to the clubhouse ten minutes late. “Sorry I’m late,” I told her, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek to soften her up a bit.
She shoved at my shoulder. “That’s not why I’m upset. I just got here,” she said, rolling her eyes at me. “Why did I have to hear from Bailey that you asked her out for tonight and not from you?” she asked me, looking annoyed.
Because tonight was about fucking Blaire out of my head. Nothing more. “Didn’t know you cared about who I planned to fuck tonight,” I replied with a wink, as I pulled my bag out of my Range Rover and handed it to the caddy, who had rushed over to greet me when I drove up.
“Rush, really?” Nan snapped at me.