I waited twenty minutes in the parking lot and cursed my stupidity. I’d never been stood up. The irony was that it wasn’t even a date. I rolled my eyes as I started my Jeep and began to leave when I saw her blue Prius pull into the drive. She had her baseball hat on and was slumped in her seat.
“You’re late.”
“Yeah, sorry. I had a rough night. I can’t do...whatever it is we were supposed to do today. I, uh...didn’t have your number so I drove down to tell you.”
I frowned as I looked down at her. “You could at least look at me when you ditch me.” What the hell was that, Rafe? You pussy!
I saw her exhale in defeat as she looked up to me. Half of her chin was tinted dark brown and so were her ears. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “What happened?”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at me. “I had an incident with a chemical.”
“Looks like the worst fucking spray tan in Charleston.”
She sighed as she straightened in her seat to turn her key. “I’ll see you around, Rafe.”
Still in our cars, I looked down at her with a smile. “I can see the bikini strings tied behind your neck.”
“It was a stupid move. I can’t go anywhere in public. You have no idea. I look like I haven’t washed in certain places in twenty years.”
“The waves will get it off. Hop in.”
“No way,” she said with a shake of her head.
“I promise not to bring it up or even look at you funny.” She gave me those wide, doe eyes, and I couldn’t help but acknowledge the kick in my chest. I raised my palm to her. “I won’t. I promise, Lesbian Alice.”
“Okay,” she said as she grabbed her bag and threw it in the back of my Jeep. She stood outside the passenger door, her arms crossed, and looked at me expectantly. I gave her a sideways glance.
“Whatever,” she muttered as she opened her door and climbed in.
The open air seemed to sooth her on our silent ride to Folly Beach. She had a thin sweatshirt on that hung from her shoulder and cut off shorts. I loved the shape of her small frame as it sat next to mine. Without thinking, I pulled the hat from her head and shoved it under my seat. Her blonde locks flew around her face as she looked at me in puzzlement and then gave me my first genuine smile.
Andy’s words hit me in that second.
You aren’t ready for the real.
Jesus, he was beautiful. His hair was loosely cropped around his crown, but he still had plenty of length to run fingers through. It was messy and thick and slightly wavy. His tank accented his insane build. The top of his shoulders were sculpted as if he were some sort of gladiator pre Jesus, and the rest of his upper torso was just as etched. I was tempted to rip the cut on the side of his shirt to see more. I let my eyes drift up to his face just as he glanced over at me. I realized I’d smiled at him and as he smiled back at me, I felt a hint of something as my pulse kicked.
Our eyes diverted, his to the road and mine to take in the sun dancing over the water. I couldn’t help but to remember how good it felt to be desired in his eyes for that brief moment in the bar.
I’d been hit on in the past. I’d had sex, and had no intentions of remaining celibate. It had been almost three years aside from my close encounter with a pilot last year who’d suddenly come up with a wife.
Hopes obliterated, I kind of shut down after that incident and sex hadn’t mattered as much. As I looked back over at Rafe, his tall frame taking up the majority of the cabin, his muscular arm was braced on the door and his other large hand on the gear shift, I could only think of his lips and skin and what they may feel like if they touched mine.
He oozed confident sex appeal, and by the manner he came on to me at the bar, I was more than confident he could deliver. Maybe a night with a skilled lover was just what