She shrugged but the sadness was evident in her eyes. “I think she feels responsible for the funk I’m in.”
“The ‘not getting naked’ funk.”
“That’s the one. Yup.”
“Well,” I said, carefully moving my hand to rest on her knee. “Tonight, we’re working on that.”
When I brought my hand further up her thigh to tease the skin under her dress, she cleared her throat and sat up straighter. Her chest heaved, and all I could think about what how she got herself off so fast the night before. Would she come that quickly if I touched her? Would her body shake and her moans get too loud? Did I want to hear her say my name when she got off?
Yes. Yes, I did.
“Excuse me, can I sit here?” a guy asked her. Her head jerked in his direction. She nodded and turned stiff as a board as the guy smiled at her. “Thanks. My friends are going wild, and I need a damn drink.”
“I know what you mean.” She sighed and grinned back at him, and I was so damn torn.
Did I let her flirt and talk to this guy? Because I certainly didn’t want to. Not at all.
But she pushed my hand away and angled her body toward him, so I took that as my cue. The sudden disappointment startled me because Lexi deserved to flirt and have fun and move on from her hang up about getting naked.
Only thing was, I really wanted the guy she chose to be me.
Chapter Five
Lexi
Oh, I was screwed. So screwed.
A beautiful man named Alex chatted with me, and conversation came easily, yet I wanted to talk to Will and tease him instead.Where is he?I scanned the bar after a good twenty minutes of talking to Alex, but there was no Will in sight. He wouldn’t have left Charley and me there, and the most uncomfortable thought intruded.
What if he’s hooking up with someone?
He had all the reasons to, but I really didn’t want him to.
“I’m so sorry, excuse me, would you?” I said to Alex. “I need to make sure my friend is okay.”
“Of course. It was nice meeting you, Lexi.” He smiled, and a part of me felt guilty that I wasn’t taking advantage of the situation. How could I when I had an important deal with my childhood crush?
My dress stuck to the back of my legs, and I adjusted the fabric to make sure I wasn’t flashing anyone. My anxiety grew into a dull thud when I didn’t spot his tall frame inside. Charley winked at me from the dance floor, her body plastered to the same guy from earlier, and I gave her a thumbs up. Maybe Will was outside?
I pushed my way through the crowd and went down the narrow hallway to the patio area where hammocks hung left and right. Music thumped through the walls, and the smell of the ocean mixed with smoke. A couple embraced each other on the hammock nearest me, and my chest tightened with envy. What would it feel like to be comfortable enough with someone to do that? To let go and be myself?
“Lex?”
Will frowned from a lounge chair on the sand, and my body sagged with relief.He’s still here.
“Hey, yeah. Hi.” I slammed my mouth shut to stop the awkward talk and eyed the way his shirt showcased strong shoulders. “Why are you outside?”
“Wanted fresh air. Come on, sit with me.” He scooted back in the chair and opened his legs. “Don’t leave me hanging, Lex.”
“Charley,” I croaked out, my throat void of any moisture. “We can’t… cuddle.”
“For starters, we both know she won’t leave that dance floor. Second, she’s so loud we’ll hear her coming. Third… live a little, Lex.”
Maybe it was the flash in his eyes or the wicked grin, but I took a few steps toward him and lowered myself onto the lounge chair. He pulled me so my back rested against his chest, and his arms came around my wide hips. I was a large woman, but he was bigger, wider, stronger. He fisted my dress in his hands and lifted the skirt up to the point my exposure was almost indecent. My thighs were out in the open. “Will! What are you doing?”
“Shh,” he said, dropping his lips to my neck and making all the thoughts in my brain disappear. “Relax.”
I gulped hard and sucked in a breath when one hand dipped under the fabric. “Are you… Are you going totouchme? We’re in public.”
