“You’ll come back tonight? Stay?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Give me an hour to finish off.”
“Just an hour?” I laughed, standing up.
“An hour. I’ve been watching you in that bikini since you got here and I’m surprised I haven’t done something that would’ve gotten us both arrested.” He stood, taking my hand and guiding me over to him.
“You’re in Livi’s Land – no one gets arrested for things like that.”
“Not even when it’s her own daughter?”
“She knows when to turn a blind eye. She’s had enough practice with Lala.”
“But not with you?”
I was pressed against his chest now, my arms around his neck, his around my lower back, one hand grazing over my ass. This was possession. I had no desire to step away and to prove that I could, because I also knew that if I did, he’d let me go.
Tommy was a proud man. He wasn’t going to try to keep someone who didn’t want to stay.
“Not with me. I’m the good girl.”
“But I know how bad you can be.” He whispered the words in my ear as if they were a verse to a lullaby. “I know how you like it. And it’s not how a good girl takes it. Not flat on her back with her eyes closed.”
I breathed him in, my mind full of images of later, of last night. Of nights to come.
“Maybe I’m only a good girl in public.”
“Maybe you’re only a bad girl for me.”
He pulled his head back just enough to kiss me, his lips tasting of mint and him, a taste I knew I was going to end up liking too much.
This was all going to be too much.
I didn’t knowMarcus was there until I heard his voice. Livi had managed to have a few beach huts installed, for if anyone wanted some privacy to change or have a few minutes to themselves. Lala and I had grabbed one, deciding that it would be useful for, well, a range of things, and it’d been where I’d left my bag and a few other bits and pieces.
I headed over there, the sun becoming darker in the reddening sky, needing to do a repair job on my lips with some gloss or something after Tommy’s kiss.
I was sitting on the bench in the beach hut when I heard Marcus’ voice. I hadn’t even realised he was at the party. Maybe he’d just dropped by to pass something on, or he needed to see someone – I didn’t know, could only speculate.
“I told you I’m sorry and I’m sorting it.”
He sounded annoyed and almost upset through the wooden wall. There was no privacy in these things.
The voice coming back was familiar even though it was just barely audible. I caught the gist of what he was saying – it wasstupid, not part of the plan, too risky.
Lawrie.
My breathing was barely there, the sound of my heart too loud. I knew I should go – I didn’t want any part of this – only my legs wouldn’t work.
“They’re after Ash for it. They think he owes them. I swear it’s fine.” Marcus was frustrated, pissed. “Have you told Livi about this?”
There was swearing back, it became louder all of a sudden, Marcus having switched to speaker.
“Livi stays out of it, unless it’s wafted under her nose. Stay out of her way, the girls’ too.”
The line crackled, breaking up. My heart pounded a little louder. I guess we’d always known that Lawrie wasn’t a pure-as-the-driven-snow man we’d never been asked to believe, but this made me feel sick.
