He’d been disappointed but it was the reminder he needed. Nic was the whole package. Not only was she extremely intelligent and funny, she was so beautiful, she made his chest hurt. He could get caught up in believing this was all real when it wasn’t. He was here to spend time with his friends and Nic’s presence allowed him to enjoy himself without worrying about Tinsley. Something he’d do well to remember.
A shadow fell over him and he glanced up.
Tinsley stood beside him, dazzling in a shimmery turquoise bikini. “Good game out there. Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“Sitting over here all by yourself?” she asked, her tongue pushed between her teeth.
Maybe wallowing in space hadn’t been a good idea.
“Appears so.” He watched as Nic threw her head back and laughed at something Bronwen said.
Tinsley lowered herself onto the end of his lounger and pushed her sunglasses up on her head. She stared at his shirtless chest. “You’re looking great, Benji. Are you doing something different?”
“Not really.”
Unease with her constant attempts to seek him out prickled his scalp. He would’ve been incredibly flattered, instead of annoyed, if he’d believed her attention had anything to do with him as a person and not her perceived belief in him changing because of what he’d acquired. He was the same person now as he was six years ago; it was his personal wealth and status outside of his family that was new. He moved back, increasing the space between them.
“Are you sure? I don’t remember you being so . . .” She inhaled, then tilted her head down, her long blond tresses tumbling forward over her arm and her breasts. She glanced at him from beneath her lashes, as she reached over and began lightly stroking his thigh.
He sighed and put his hand over hers, trapping it flat and preventing her fingers from traveling any higher. “Stop.”
“What?” She fluttered her lashes. “We’re just talking.”
He encircled her wrist and removed her hand from his leg. “I know what you’re doing. I’m very familiar with your moves.”
She bared her unbelievably white teeth. “You used to like my moves.”
“I did. But that time has passed.”
“We can bring it back,” she said playfully.
“No, we can’t.”
Her expression hardened and she turned her head to look away from him. “Because of her?”
Remembering his purpose here, he answered, “Partly.”
But what Tinsley didn’t seem to understand was that even if Nic wasn’t in the picture, he still wouldn’t be with her. She’d left him when he’d needed the support of the person he loved and wanted to marry. Long after the affection disappeared, the betrayal remained.
He just wasn’t interested in her anymore. He wished she would listen to what he was saying. He didn’t want to have to hurt her feelings.
She tried again biting her glossed lower lip. “Is there anything I can do?”
Actually— “You can apologize to Nic.”
Tinsley’s head jerked back.
“For what?” she asked, all traces of her kittenish demeanor and coy remorse gone.
“For what you said last night.”
“It was a joke!”
“Hennessey and Courvoisier. They sounded familiar but I didn’t understand why you’d bring them up.” Or why doing so had made Nic angry, though she’d denied it. “So I googled them and I’m pretty clear about your intent.”
“Benji—”
“Nic is my guest and the way you acted, what you said, it wasn’t cool.”
“It’s not that serious. If Nic was offended, she should’ve said something.”
She was actually going to sit there and try to defend her behavior?
“She shouldn’t have to! It’s not her job to activate your morality. You shouldn’t have said it. But you did and it was fucked-up. You owe her an apology.”
She pressed her lips together and set her chin.
He removed his sunglasses, so she could see how serious he was. “What are you doing? The snide remarks, the rudeness, the lack of respect? Did I ever seem like the type of man who’d think that was okay? I mean, even if I were interested, and I’m not, do you think I’d find that behavior attractive?”
Her mouth trembled. “Why are you speaking to me this way? Is this something you picked up from your girlfriend?”
“No.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Forget not being in love with her. At this moment, he didn’t even like her. He couldn’t believe he’d ever asked her to be his wife.
“That’s not news. You never could accept that I knew my own mind.”
Her eyes narrowed and her features tightened, but before she could respond, Nic ran up. The smile slid from her face and she glanced from one to the other. “Am I interrupting anything?”
He’d been expecting Tinsley to take issue with the intrusion, and was prepared to address it, so he was surprised when she said, “No, we’re done.”
Her response must’ve astounded Nic, too, because she didn’t try to hide her incredulity. She cleared her throat and held out her hand to him. “Walk with me?”
“Absolutely. Excuse us.”
Pushing to his feet, he took Nic’s hand, his skin tingling at the contact, and headed down the beach. With the sun shining bright and the sounds—in stereo—of the waves crashing and seagulls cawing, Ben felt a serenity settle over him. He released Nic’s hand and slung his arm around her shoulder, thrilled when she slid a corresponding arm around his waist and snuggled close.
“Is she watching us?” Nic asked.
The question disturbed his peace. “I don’t know.”
She bumped him with her hip. “Then look. But don’t be so obvious about it.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
Nic exhaled audibly. “Oh my God, men can be so useless! I bet if I asked Bronwen to do this, she’d know exactly what to do.”
She stopped abruptly and turned to face him, raising her arms and clasping her hands behind his neck. He did what felt natural, grasping her around her waist. Though she stared up at him with eyes hidden behind a pair of oversized sunglasses, she said, “She’s still watching us. Let’s talk.”
He felt ridiculous. “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”
“Then let’s continue.”
She laid her hand flat over his heart and it hammered inside his chest, beating wildly like it wanted to break free and touch her palm.
What this woman did to him!
He struggled to come up with some innocuous topic of discussion. “I can’t wait until we go into town for dinner tonight.”
Smooth, Ben. Real smooth.
“Me, too. I think my stomach is finally settled enough to eat. You must’ve worked up quite an appetite.”
“Excuse me?” he said, certain he’d somehow given himself away.
“Volleyball.” She motioned her head toward the net. “I didn’t know you could move like that.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve got lots of moves,” he said.
“Oh really. Why haven’t I seen them?”
Though uttered with levity, the question hung in the air between them, a hovering verbal grenade that could explode any minute.
She refused to meet his gaze. “Never mind.”
“You should join us for the next game.”
He noticed a lone curl nestled below her earlobe. He grabbed it between his fingers.
Her lips parted on an exhale.
He wanted to kiss those lips. And not like the fleeting peck from earlier. He wanted to capture her mouth with his, nibble at the fullness, tug it gently beneath his teeth before running his tongue along the seam of said lips and deepening the kiss.
His cock strained against his shorts.
She swallowed before responding. “No thanks.”
“Why not? I remember you mentioning a game you played with your friends on
your recent vacation.”
“That’s pool volleyball. Very different from beach volleyball.”
He released the curl, then traced it flat with his finger against her skin. “How?”
Her pulse throbbed at the base of her neck. “The water. It’s like a secret weapon, giving you extra athletic ability. I’m able to dive and jump in the pool in a way that would terrify me on the sand. Damn, she’s persistent. She’s still watching us.”
Nic pulled away from him and jerkily touched her hair.
Thinking of his recent conversation with Tinsley he said, “I wouldn’t worry about it. She’ll get over it.”
“Are you sure you want her to?”
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Just that Tabitha may be a lot of things, but she’s not stupid.”
“Tinsley,” he corrected, more to play their little game than over any real concern that Nic got her name wrong.
“Whatever. If you were truly clear about your feelings, she’d stop. I have a hard time believing she’d chase someone she knew didn’t want her.”
“Whoa. If?” She didn’t believe him? She thought he was lying or playing some game? “Do you think I’ve been vague about what I want?”
“She’s responding to something.”
“I don’t know what she’s responding to, but it’s not any mixed messages from me. In fact, I told her as much before you walked over.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
“I did,” he said forcefully. He lowered his voice. “And I owe you an apology.”
“No you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. I’m embarrassed I had to google it to figure it out, but I get the point of her comment last night and why it made you so angry. And I’m sorry.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “That wasn’t you. That was her.”
He caressed her cheek. “I would never knowingly invite you anyplace where I thought you wouldn’t be treated with the utmost respect. I’m sorry I didn’t get what she said, not only because it was ugly and ignorant and you had to hear it, but because I couldn’t have your back and you had to deal with it on your own. But no more. If she says something like that again, I want you to tell me.”
She rolled her eyes. “You can’t protect me twenty-four seven from all the intolerant bullshit I have to deal with.”
Unfortunately. Though he’d gladly sign up to do it.
“I know.” He cupped her shoulders. “But here, with these people, I can. Promise me, okay?”
Her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip and he almost groaned.
That’s my job!
“Okay.”
“Good. Now, can I propose something completely wacky?”
She eyed him suspiciously. “How wacky?”
“You graduate in a couple of weeks and a little after that you’ll be gone and I’m . . . I’m going to miss you. We’re here for three more days. Starting with tonight, let’s just enjoy ourselves.” He spread his arms wide. “It’s our first vacation together. I know it can’t possibly live up to a Ladies of the Fever vacation, but—”
“Ladies of Lefevre,” she said, a grin lighting up her face.
He knew. He just liked looking at her when she laughed.
“And I’m going to miss you, too.” She went into his arms, her soft curls tickling his chin.
This was it, all he could ever have with Nic. Friendship. She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything more between them and he had to respect that. Any outward affection she showed him was for Tinsley’s benefit.
His theory was proved moments later when Nic lifted her head. “Hey! You were right. She’s finally gone.”
She moved away, leaving him unsettled and oddly bereft.
Chapter Fourteen
Nic glanced at the clock on her phone, then shielded her eyes and stared at the guys laughing and throwing a football on the beach.
“Leave them,” Bronwen said, her ponytail swaying as she shook her head. “They’ll be out here for another hour.”
“I thought you said our reservation was in ninety minutes?”
Their lack of concern about the time was making Nic anxious and turning her into Caila, something she did not appreciate.
“It is. But, if history is any indication, they’ll saunter in, take a shower, throw on some clothes, and still be the most gorgeous things there.” Bronwen wrinkled her pert nose. “Sickening.”
Nic laughed. She could see that. All three men, though completely different in looks, possessed a handsomeness and an easy elegance that elevated anything they wore. She’d once seen Ben attired in a wrinkled shirt with a pair of jeans and hadn’t been sure if he’d grabbed it off the floor of his closet, or if the designer had intended it that way.
Ben caught the ball on the run and tucked it close to his body, raising one triumphant arm in the air. The early evening light added dimension to his dark strands and she bit her lip. Damn, but she enjoyed watching him. When he caught her staring, one corner of his mouth lifted in a confident grin . . . just before Palmer crashed into him and they fell in a tangle of limbs. Davis scooped up a mound of sand and chucked it on them, over their laughing protests.
Nic snorted. “What are they, twelve?”
“When all three of them get together? Yeah.”
Nic watched Ben execute a move that brought Davis down. Even as she winced, leery of the broken bones that could carelessly occur, she admired the easy camaraderie born from knowing each other for years.
“You’re going to love this restaurant,” Bronwen said. “It’s a Vineyard institution and the food is spectacular. We haven’t been there in years, but Palmer introduced me to it when he brought me here for the first time.”
Nic mentally ran through the clothes she’d packed. “Is it dressy?”
“Not really. I wouldn’t go like this,” Bronwen said, pointing to her bikini top and cut-off shorts, “but a simple sundress is fine.”
“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”
Leaving the men behind, they climbed the wooden steps and crossed the walking bridge. They closed the gate behind them and descended the steps to the manicured back lawn.
“Hey, before we go in . . .” Bronwen stopped Nic with a hand on her arm. “I want to apologize for Tinsley.”
Nic resisted rolling her eyes. Not only was she tired of talking about this woman, Nic was annoyed that through Tinsley’s actions, she’d been turned into some sort of a victim.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“She can be a lot of fun, but how she’s acting is inexcusable. I didn’t object when she invited herself along because the guys can be a handful when they get together and I thought having another woman here would be nice. But if I’d known about you and Benji . . .” She massaged her temple with her fingers. “It’s a mess and I’m sorry.”
Nic tried to imagine herself in Bronwen’s shoes. She’d thought she was going to spend a few days with some close friends before heading halfway across the world to selflessly help others for three years. Instead, she was having to deal with a real-life soap opera. And Bronwen had been nothing but friendly and welcoming toward her, despite the truth that Nic was crashing their party. She could cut the other woman all of the slack.
Nic reached out and squeezed Bronwen’s hand. “I appreciate that, but it’s all good. I can handle Tinsley.”
Bronwen’s expression softened and her lips pressed into a wobbly smile. “I’m glad to hear that because . . . Ben looks great.”
Nic recalled him shirtless on the beach, the muscles in his back rippling when he served the volleyball.
“That he does,” she murmured.
Bronwen’s bark of laughter surprised them both. “I didn’t mean it that way, although . . . uh, yeah. But, the two of you together, you look happy.”
Nic thought of her relationship with Ben, not just here, but over the past three years. “We are.”
“If anyone deserves a l
ittle happiness, it’s Ben. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll deny it to my dying day, but with Palmer, it was love at first sight. That doesn’t mean I didn’t make him work for it,” she said impishly, “but I knew he was the one. It didn’t take long before he introduced me to Ben and Davis. Those boys are his brothers as much as Pete is. And now, my brothers. I worry about them. With Davis, his issues are obvious.”
Nic pictured the tall man with his jet-black hair and light blue eyes and nodded. “You can read that book from a mile away.”
“Oh my God, right?” They shared a look before Bronwen continued. “But with Benji, most people don’t dig beneath the surface. They assume his life is perfect, but . . .”
“It’s not,” she finished.
Nic had been one of those people. She’d heard his last name, saw his easygoing manner, and couldn’t imagine his life being anything but charmed. The more she’d gotten to know him, the more she’d been treated to the reality of the true man who was smart, generous, and funny. But also, really lonely.
“Anyway, it seems like I didn’t need to worry. You obviously make him happy. Thanks for hearing me out.” Bronwen started walking. “I already know what I’m going to order. Did I mention the restaurant is Italian? Their osso buco is to die for.”
Carbs. Just what she needed. It amped up her anticipation for the evening. But Nic needed to do something first. “You go ahead. I’ll be up in a second.”
“Okay.” She waved then continued up to the house.
Nic sat down on one of the white Adirondack chairs and pulled her knees up to her chest. She tapped the screen of her cell phone with her thumb and waited for the call to connect.
“Hey you,” Ava said, her beautiful face breaking into a smile.
Nic grinned. “Your Honor. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“My trial ended early and I’m finishing up some paperwork.”
Behind Ava, her credenza and hutch were filled with books, knickknacks, and framed pictures of her family and the four friends during their vacation to see the giant redwoods in California.
Ava didn’t wait for Nic to respond. “Your girl’s a trip. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. She’d mate with a spreadsheet if she could. She needs help.”
Like Lovers Do Page 14
