by Naomi Porter
Her head pressed into my chest as she tilted her face toward mine. Those green depths of hers nearly swallowed me whole.
“Jerk.” She softly elbowed me in the gut, but I could tell she wasn’t upset. Her eyes glittered with amusement.
I followed her and Laney to a table out on the patio and took a seat beside her. Never have I been drawn to a woman as I was to her.
“What’s your name, Red?”
“Just call me Red.”
“But—”
“No, seriously. If we’re doing what I think we’re doing, I’ll only see you once. Why complicate things?”
Laney nodded. “Exactly. You two are way too different anyway. It’s better to keep it casual.”
Well, shit. Red was already writing me off.
“We might find out we like each other.” Why was I pushing this with her?
“True. And if we do, then I’ll tell you my name.”
“Here you are. Can I get you anything else?” the server asked, her gaze on me. “Hey, Leo.”
“This is great, thanks,” Laney replied when Red dropped her head and said nothing. I sensed she assumed I’d been with this woman. I hadn’t, but she’d flirted whenever I came in for fish tacos.
I elbowed her after the server left. “Are you okay?”
“Yup.” She nibbled on a fry.
“So do you live around here?”
“Why?”
“Just making conversation.” I bit into a piece of fish. It felt strange trying to get to know a woman who seemed closed off. Most of the time, I was the closed-off one when women tried to talk to me. It seemed the tables were turned with Red. Dang, it made me want to break through her walls.
“Yes, we live around here.” Laney was once again the voice for Red.
“Cool.” I took a long pull of my beer, then faced Red. “Did you grow up in California?”
“No.” She picked apart a helpless piece of battered cod. How could I get through to her when she apparently wasn’t interested in me? This was a first. Not to sound all cocky and arrogant, but I typically didn’t need to work so hard with women. It was just how it was. It was refreshing being forced to put in a little effort.
“Does she normally talk this much?” I directed my snarky question to Laney.
She glared. “Don’t be an ass. We just buried our best friend this morning.”
“Laney, shut up.” Red was out of her chair and running out the door.
“Look what you did.” Laney stood and I stopped her.
“No. I’m handling this.” I went after Red with my heart hammering against my ribs. I felt like a goddamn asshole. I searched for red hair, and when I saw it, a pain in my chest the likes I’d never felt almost made me double over.
She was leaning against the railing, facing the ocean. I could tell she was crying. Damn, I felt like a jerk.
I cautiously approached, my hands aching to touch her. What the fuck was going on with me? No question Red was beautiful, but she wasn’t my usual go-to when it came to women. She wasn’t trying to tempt me like the others. She was sexy without even trying. Hell, her bathing suit covered most of her body, but nothing could hide her curves or perfect tits.
I could tell this woman was dangerous. She was going to hurt me, but that didn’t make me run in the opposite direction.
“I am so sorry, Red. I’m such an ass.” I put my hand on her shoulder, letting it glide down her arm slowly. Goose bumps spread over her satiny skin.
She turned into me and buried her face in my chest. I could hardly breathe as she clung to me, fisting my T-shirt. I wrapped my arms around her and held her as she cried.
“She was so young. Twenty-four.” She sobbed, her body shaking. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair.”
Jesus, my heart broke for her. “She got a raw deal. A fucking raw deal.”
She nodded her head. Her hold on me was fierce. “Life is too short. You never know when your number is up.” She sniffled and looked up at me. “I could’ve died today too.” Her lip trembled.
“But you didn’t.” I took her face in my hands. “You’re alive, Red. Alive.” I stared into her grieved eyes. I couldn’t stop myself from pressing my lips to hers.
She lifted on her toes, her body flush with mine, and kissed me back. We leisurely discovered each other, tongues touching, teeth nipping, hearts pounding against each other. I could swear her heart was beating in time with mine.
I cupped the back of her neck, tugging her closer to deepen the kiss. She smelled like sunshine and sunscreen and felt amazing in my arms. She was so small and petite. My large frame swallowed her up. Needing her closer, I lifted her into my arms, and she easily wrapped her legs around my waist.
Our kiss exploded when I held her ass with one hand and grabbed the back of her head with the other. Her arms hooked around my neck. My spine tingled when her fingernails scraped across my skin, not too soft or hard, but just right.
I don’t know how long we stood there with people milling all around us, the waves crashing below the boardwalk, seagulls squawking, and the sun shining down on us. Kid Rock was singing “All Summer Long” somewhere behind us.
All I could think about was how I would get this woman to see me and not the man she believed me to be from the rumors she’d heard. I was more than Lifeguard Leo. I was a man with hopes and dreams. A man who wanted to make a difference. How would I get her to see that if she wouldn’t let me reveal myself? When all she seemed to care about were the lies about me fucking everyone with legs and a pair of knockers.
Clearly, I was fucking enamored with Red, and I didn’t even know her real name. She was like a siren singing to my heart, hypnotizing me with her green eyes. She bewitched me with silky red hair and knee-buckling lips, kissing me as if her life depended on it.
Fuuuck.
3
Scarlett
A THROAT CLEARED. I instantly recognized it as Laney. “I just tossed out a tray full of food.”
I couldn’t stop kissing Leo even though I heard Laney. I didn’t care about wasted food or money. I was too busy enjoying the best kiss of my life. Some best friend Laney was for interrupting it.
Reluctantly, I put my hand on Leo’s chest and patted it. His hand on my back pressed me into his chest to hold me in place. His disappointment was palpable. “We need to stop, big guy,” I said against his mouth.
“Uh-uh…” He squeezed my bottom tighter. “No.” He sucked on my bottom lip.
“Please.” My one word made him freeze. I pressed my hand to his smooth cheek. “We need to stop.”
“Shit, okay. Whatever you want.” He brushed his lips across mine, inhaling as if filling his lungs with me. He eased me down, my body dragging down his. The slow movement only increased my desire for him as I felt the large bulge in his shorts.
Did he want me to feel how hard he was just from our kiss? I had to assume so because there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed. I’d have to be paralyzed from the neck down. Once I was on my feet, Leo didn’t release me. He tucked me into his side and kissed my forehead.
The top of my head barely reached his shoulders. Leo towered over me and was more than twice my size with his broad chest, massive biceps and forearms, and long, athletic legs. He was perfection in every way, aside from all the women drooling over him as they walked past us. I could do without all the ogling eyes on him. But then, he was totally every woman’s wet dream.
So why was he here with me? Scarlett Smith dated cute, respectful, sometimes boring men. Not that I was dating Leo. I wasn’t sure what was happening between Leo and me other than Laney pushing me to let him deflower me. I shivered when the firmness in his shorts flitted into my head. I didn’t even want to imagine how it would fit inside my virgin pussy.
Laney pointed at the Ferris wheel. “We should ride it. Get it over with.”
“Okay.” I made a sad face, then craned my neck to look up at Leo. “We were going to do this thing as sort of a tribute and good-bye to our bes
t friend, Erin.” I swallowed, trying to not get emotional again. I was sure my face was blotchy. My eyes burned and were probably puffy. I must have looked god-awful. “I think we should part ways here.” Yeah, I was chickening out on sleeping with Lifeguard Leo. Pathetic, I know. I just didn’t want to embarrass myself with someone as… experienced and sinfully beautiful as him.
“What? I thought we were doing our own thing?” He leaned into me, placing his large hand on my cheek. I relished the feel of his touch, his scent. I should be so lucky to be with him, but I couldn’t.
“It looks like there are plenty of available options. You won’t be going home alone, I assure you.” My eyes darted around.
He pinched my chin. “I don’t want any of them—only you.” He kissed me again.
Like a silly, weak schoolgirl, I melted into him and even moaned. Leo’s lips and the taste of his tongue were so intoxicating I couldn’t help but get carried away with him again. It was a shame this was where we ended, but it would be one of my best memories ever.
Laney tapped my shoulder as if annoyed. “Enough, you two. We’re riding the Ferris wheel. If you’re still here, Lifeguard Leo, you can figure out how to get her to take you home.” She sounded snippy, but I wasn’t sure if it had to do with Leo not picking her or with me for changing my mind about him.
I sighed. “Honestly, Laney.”
“Deal. Go, do your thing. I’ll be waiting for you.” He kissed me once more.
“Fine. Whatever.” I slipped out of his arms and let Laney take me by the hand away from Leo.
As we got situated in our cart, my lips tingled and I throbbed down low. Neither were everyday occurrences for me. I rather liked the way I felt. It helped divert my mind off the excruciating pain in my heart and from almost drowning earlier. Thankfully I hadn’t swallowed much water because Laney grabbed me right away after the guy hit me.
“How are you doing?” Laney patted my knee, and the softer tone in her voice tore open my heart.
The ride started and I held her hand. “My heart hurts. I want this pain to go away, but that’s stupid. We just lost our best friend last week. I imagine we’re going to be sad and hurt for a long time.” The sting of tears returned. God, I hated crying so much.
“I don’t mean about Erin. Earlier could have been bad, Scar. I could have lost both of my best friends within a week of each other.” She swallowed thickly, and so did I.
“I just remember darkness, then light, then him.”
“Lifeguard Leo?”
“Yeah. What is going on, Laney? This day has turned into the craziest I’ve ever had.” My brain could hardly process everything that had unfolded today.
“I won’t argue with you. First, the funeral, then you almost drowned. Now you have this super-hot guy who seems to be fascinated with you.”
I snorted, rubbing my finger under my nose. Her comment nearly made me laugh, and thankfully, my tears instantly dried up. “He’s not. You said it yourself, he’s a manwhore. I’m just another conquest. A notch on his bedpost.”
“I don’t think so. Guys who only fuck women don’t hang with them. They don’t comfort or talk to them. They just have sex. Nothing more.”
I gazed at the Pacific Ocean. It was an enchanting sight from the top of the Ferris wheel. Sun rays bounced off the blue waters, making it shimmer and sparkle. Laney’s words tumbled through my head as the wind blew through my red hair, which was probably knotted and wild.
Why would Leo be interested in me? I was nothing but a hot mess. Heck, even on my best day I couldn’t live up to some of the beach bunnies. Maybe it was sympathy. He did seem like a really nice guy, despite being a bad boy surfer.
“Even if he did like me, it would never work. We’re too different.”
“Opposites attract.”
“My parents would hate him.”
“You’re an adult. It doesn’t matter what they think.”
She had a point, but… “It does to me. You know this.”
“Scar, why are you being difficult? You have a charming, stupidly sexy man who wants to sleep with you. Give this dude your V-card and enjoy the experience.”
“I’m just sad, Laney. I can be sad.”
“Maybe Leo is an angel sent by Erin. You’ve always struggled with relationships. Maybe he’s a gift from her.”
“Well, if he is, she sent the wrong kind of guy.” I pointed at Leo. “Just look at him. The woman standing there is the third to stop and talk to him since we got on the ride.”
“He’s obviously turning them away, because they don’t stay there long.”
“We don’t know what he’s saying to them. He could’ve given them his number. Can we just think about Erin and not Leo?”
“Fine.”
My thoughts wander to the last conversation I’d had with Erin. We were drinking our morning coffee before she left to work. Her office had a dinner thing planned for all its accountants, but she didn’t want to go to it. I wished she hadn’t because she never made it home.
I wiped away tears I hadn’t noticed were sliding down my cheeks. “Erin loved this stupid ride,” I muttered as I saw another woman talking to Leo.
“She said it made her feel on top of the world.”
“It makes me queasy.”
“That’s your emotions. You’re getting worked up over Leo.”
“Am not.”
“Are so.” She squeezed my hand. “I’m going to sleep at my parents’ house tonight so you can have the place to yourself with Leo.”
“No. You don’t have to stay away.”
“I know I don’t. But you should be alone with him. You’ll be nervous as it is and don’t need me lurking around.”
“What if he hurts me? He’s a stranger. It’s irresponsible of me to even consider taking him home.”
“The kiss you both shared didn’t look like two strangers kissing.”
It didn’t feel like we were strangers either. “But I won’t get to see you before I leave for my parents’. My flight is at ten.”
“Then I’ll hug you here. Going home for a visit will be good for you. It’s been a year since you last saw your family.”
“Yeah. Plus, it’ll give me time to figure out this job thing. I really don’t want another roommate, but we can’t afford the townhome on our own, and I don’t want to move.”
“Me either. We’ll figure it out. So tell me, are you going to give Leo your number or tell him your real name?” Her big brown eyes were wide and filled with excitement. Seemed she really wanted me to be with Leo.
“No. Tonight is only about losing my virginity. I can’t believe I even let you talk me into this.”
She nudged my shoulder. “Oh, please. I can tell you like him.”
She was right. I did like Leo. But as the ride stopped, another woman was with him. I pushed the idea of him out of my mind.
I needed to be honest with myself. Leo wasn’t boyfriend or husband material. He was a lady magnet. The rumors must’ve all been true, because women flocked to him.
My parents had taught me to only date someone I would consider marrying. That wasn’t Leo. The way I was raised probably contributed to my lack of boyfriends. Most men I met weren’t marriage material. Falling in love and having a family were important to me; I just hadn’t found the right guy yet.
Leo was the furthest thing from the right guy.
When we exited the ride, Leo was at the gate, waiting like he said he would.
“I’m going to take off,” Laney announced. “She came with me. Do you have a car?”
“I sure do.”
Laney gave him the stink eye. “If you hurt her…”
“Relax. I’ll treat her like a queen.”
“Right. Like all the others, I’m sure,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes.
I tensed when he glared at her. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” I reeled her in for a hug. “You could be nicer,” I whispered in her ear.
“My dad works for the highway patrol
. We have connections. Just a little warning.”
I sighed. “Stop already.”
“It’s fine, Red. She’s just protecting you.”
“That’s right, Leo. Be good to her.” She waved and stalked off.
I looked at Leo. “Now what?”
4
Leo
“NOW WHAT?” RED’S eyes darted around nervously as Laney left. “I mean, remember, virgin.” She tapped her chest. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
I wished I could say the same. It was true I’d been with many women. I’d even had a few short-term girlfriends over the years, none worth remembering. But going home with a woman? Well, I guessed I was an expert at it.
“Let’s take off and grab something to eat. I’m kind of hungry.”
She frowned. “Sorry you missed out on eating. I’ll buy dinner.”
“Hey, Leo,” a woman called.
I turned my head to see who it could be. Two women waved. I returned a nod because I wasn’t a dick.
Red walked away—power-walked away. Which wasn’t so fast with her short legs, but fast enough that I had to trot after her.
“Wait.” I caught up and took her hand, lacing our fingers together. “I’m buying dinner.”
She stopped hard and yanked her hand out of mine. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to do… you know, it. Have a nice life.” She took off again and I followed.
“Talk to me, Red. What’s wrong?” I couldn’t believe I was chasing after this woman. I never pursued anyone.
She had her phone at her ear when I stepped in front of her. “Just leave me alone,” she whispered.
“Who are you calling?”
“A ride.”
I snatched the phone away and ended the call.
“Hey!”
“Even if we don’t do it, I’m driving you home.”
“I prefer if you didn’t.”
“I don’t give a crap what you want, Red. You’re not being fair, and honestly, you’re being judgmental. I’m driving you home. That’s final.” I retook her hand and tugged her along.
“So now you’re going all bossy on me. Nice. Well, at least I know what kind of man you are.”
