“What are you thinking right now?”
“That, along with a great ass, you also have great boobs and since I’m now free to appreciate them, I intend to take my time about it.”
“We don’t really have a lot of time, so maybe do more appreciating with your hands and less with your eyes.”
“I can do both,” he promised, and then he took his time proving it.
* * *
The breakfast buffet was set up in the formal dining room, and Carly actually stopped walking when she crossed the threshold and saw the natural light streaming through the wall of windows that looked over the rocky part of their private beach.
“Look at this place,” she said quietly to Noah. She knew he was close enough to hear her since he’d bumped into her when she stopped short.
“I hope the coffee’s as good as the view.”
She laughed and led him to an empty table. They set their phones down to claim their seats, and she was thrilled to see there were silver coffee carafes and cream and sugar on the table, so they’d only have to make one trip.
She and Noah parted ways halfway through the line, when she went for the fruit and he went for the variety of breakfast meats. She knew he’d get too much, so she’d steal some of his bacon rather than dodge the elbows to get a chance at the tongs. Then she bypassed the warmer full of fluffy scrambled eggs to get in line for an omelet.
Sara and a woman who’d been introduced to Carly as a cousin but whose name she’d forgotten were waiting for omelets, and Sara gave her a warm smile as she approached them.
“Good morning, Carly. How did you sleep last night?”
Like a woman who’d been very thoroughly made love to, though she didn’t say that out loud. “There’s something about ocean air that makes me sleep like a log.”
“Me, too.” Sara chuckled, and then lifted her finger to point at a spot on Carly’s face. “You have a little...scruff burn? On your jaw.”
“Oh.” Did that nervous giggle come out of her mouth?
She needed to play it cool. While in her mind, she was thinking it wasn’t the first time she’d had a little beard burn, but this time was different because it was from Noah’s beard. Ohmigod, I had sex with Noah. But everybody else at this wedding assumed she and Noah had been having sex for six months, so it should be no big deal.
But it was a big deal. It was a very big deal.
“I probably should have put some makeup on,” she said, not sure makeup would even cover it since she didn’t have a lot of experience with the stuff. Zoe would know, but the last thing she was going to do was text her cousin.
Hey, funny story. I had sex with Noah and I need to know what to use to hide the marks his scruffy jaw left on my face.
Zoe wouldn’t send a text back. She’d actually call her so Carly could have the pleasure of hearing her laugh her ass off. She might even FaceTime her to see the damage for herself.
“Is Emily excited for her big day?” she asked, desperate to change the subject.
“I swear, she’s practically glowing.” She looked over at her sister, who was stealing fruit from her almost-husband’s plate. “The weather forecast is perfect, everything’s ready. It’s going to be magical.”
“And so romantic,” her cousin said. “Who knows, maybe Noah will even be inspired to get down on one knee.”
Carly laughed, because the idea of Noah proposing to anybody—never mind her—was ridiculous. Then she realized the cousin wasn’t kidding and stopped laughing. Both women were giving her expectant looks and she could almost see the dialogue bubbles over their heads. It’s been six months. Such a romantic place. Wouldn’t it just be dreamy if he proposed to you on the beach?
Nope. “Noah has some commitment issues.”
Sara’s eyes widened. “Six months seems like a good start, though.”
“Oh, he’s definitely committed to me,” Carly said quickly, and that wasn’t even really a lie. “But marriage is a big step and we’re not in any rush.”
“Maybe watching Jim and Emily get married will be a kick in the ass for him,” the cousin said. “You two make such a nice couple.”
“Thank you.” Carly wasn’t sure how she’d come to that conclusion after one evening—unless she was referring to the kiss—but they were good together. As friends.
“He’s a great guy,” Sara said. “I’ve met him a few times and Jim and Emily talk about him all the time. You’re a lucky woman.”
There was no hint the woman was being catty or passive-aggressive in any way, but Carly still couldn’t help wondering if Jim and Emily had wanted to set up Noah with her because they thought they’d hit it off, or because Sara had asked them to.
The jealousy hit her like a wrecking ball out of nowhere, and she forced herself to nod at Sara. She had no coping skills for feeling competition for Noah’s attention, because she’d never been jealous before. No matter who he was dating or how that woman felt about her, Carly knew what she meant to Noah and she was secure in that relationship.
They’d ruined everything. If she reacted like this to the idea that Sara might be interested in Noah, how was she going to handle him finding a new girlfriend? What was it going to feel like when she saw him kiss somebody, or put his hand on some other woman’s butt?
Now her stomach hurt and she didn’t want an omelet anymore, so she told the women she’d see them later and took what was on her plate to the table Noah was already sitting at.
When she sat down next to him, she saw him look at her plate. “Is that all you’re having?”
She’d gotten some fruit and a bagel with cream cheese before fleeing from the conversation with Sara and her cousin. “Yeah, but only because I’m going to steal some of your scrambled eggs and bacon. There’s no way you’re going to eat all of that.”
“I don’t know. I worked up an appetite.”
She felt her cheeks get hot and kicked him under the table. “Stop that.”
He just leaned closer so he could lower his voice. “Again, I’m not sure what kind of boyfriends you’ve had in the past, but we’re kind of supposed to work up an appetite—so to speak—when we’re staying in a hotel. Especially one like this.”
She knew that. She just didn’t want to talk about it because talking about it made it more real, and their relationship was supposed to be fake. And the sex was temporary.
What happens on the Cape stays on the Cape.
That was the deal.
Chapter Seven
The sundress with the flowers was going to be Noah’s undoing. He’d noticed she looked particularly good at Brandy’s birthday party, but now that he’d had his hands on those legs and on that waist—hell, every inch of that body—the flirty skirt and thin straps made his mouth dry.
“How much time do I have left?” Carly asked as she fastened a small gold hoop in her ear.
Her hair was swept up into some fancy ponytail and he wanted to lick his way from her earlobe down her neck to the strap of her dress. Maybe if he captured it in his teeth and tugged, he could—
“Noah!”
“What?” She was giving him an exasperated look, so he did his best to shake off thoughts of stripping that dress off of her. It wasn’t easy, though.
“How much more time do I have to get ready?”
He looked at the clock, which she couldn’t see from the other side of the room. “Five minutes, but you look ready to me. What else do you need to do?”
“Maybe put a little makeup on, but it usually takes me longer than five minutes because I never wear it and I screw it up.”
“Because you hate it. And you look absolutely beautiful right now.” He thought she’d smile, so her frown caught him off guard. “What’s the matter?”
“That’s a weird thing for you to say to me.”
“I...” He paused because he w
asn’t really sure what that meant, and he didn’t want to make it worse. “What do you mean?”
“That’s not something you would say to me. You tell me I look fine or that I need to fix my hair or you grunt and tell me to hurry up, but absolutely beautiful? That’s weird.”
“Sorry?”
“You can’t change, Noah.” She was a little panicky—he could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice—but he’d be damned if he could figure out why. “Our friendship can’t change because we had sex one weekend on Cape Cod.”
“Of course our friendship’s not going to change. You’re my best friend. You always have been and you always will be.” He had to believe that because he couldn’t picture his life any other way, and he didn’t want to try.
“And we’re just having sex this weekend because it’s fun. Like skiing or four-wheeling. So you shouldn’t be talking to me any differently.”
He finally got it. “Carly, come on. Yeah, I said you’re beautiful. You are, and you always have been. But we’re the same people we’ve always been, so you’re worrying for nothing.”
She looked uncertain, but then she sighed and smiled at him. “Promise?”
Ignoring the way that smile kicked him in the stomach, he nodded. “I promise. Now, you look fine, so let’s go.”
The ceremony was in the same place as the cocktail mixer, though it had been transformed. There were no tables now, but rows of chairs decked out with white ribbons. The doors were open, so the bride and groom would be framed by the ocean view without having to navigate the sand in their wedding finery.
They sat toward the rear of the room and Noah rested his arm along the back of her chair. It didn’t seem to bother her at all, since it was something he did a lot, and he was grateful for that. He didn’t want things to be weird between them.
“This is gorgeous,” she said, almost whispering. “I might have to rethink wanting to get married on Grandpa’s dock.”
“That’s been your dream for most of your life. You’re just caught up in this place right now.”
“It’s so romantic, though.” She chuckled softly. “And what are the chances I’ll find a guy who won’t mind getting married on an old wooden boat dock?”
“The right guy won’t care where you get married as long as it makes you happy.”
Noah didn’t want to think about that guy. He’d thought about it before—what would happen when there was some other guy in Carly’s life until death did they part—but he hadn’t worried about how that guy would take Noah being a permanent fixture in his wife’s life. Or how that guy would accept Uncle Noah teaching their kids how to ride quads and ski and all the other things he and Carly did together because that was going to happen, whether those kids’ dad liked it or not.
For the first time, as they all stood to watch Emily walk down the aisle to a very emotional Jim, he wondered how it would feel to watch Carly kissing another man after this weekend. To watch her fall in love and eventually walk down her grandfather’s boat dock to pledge her life and love to another man forever, forsaking all others.
Noah didn’t want to be forsaken, dammit.
“You look pretty emotional for a guy who never wants to get married,” she whispered while Sara read a poem.
“Not never. Just not anytime soon.” No matter who he dated, he’d never met a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he wouldn’t take that step unless he was absolutely sure. He didn’t think that was a bad thing, no matter how much crap he took for having commitment issues.
The ceremony was short and sweet—though sufficiently romantic, judging by the sniffling and tissue passing around them—and it wasn’t long before Jim kissed his bride. When Noah lifted his arm off the back of Carly’s chair to join in the applause as they walked down the aisle, he realized at some point his hand had stopped dangling off the chair and had been rested on her shoulder, and he tried not to read too much into that.
Obviously her mood from earlier had spooked him. They were the same. Nothing had changed. And once they left the Cape, this would all be behind them and it wouldn’t be weird when Carly dated again. He had to believe that.
For the formal part of the reception festivities, they moved to the large dining room where they’d had breakfast. There were cocktails while the photographer got some shots of the happy couple and the rest of the bridal party on the beach and in front of the wild roses and what felt like an hour’s worth of other locations.
“I’m starving,” Carly said when they had a moment alone amidst the mingling.
“You’re always starving.”
“I like this whole dessert before dinner idea, though. And the drinks aren’t hot pink.”
Noah was a fan of the pink cocktails, but it had nothing to do with the taste. “Jim and Emily were tied up in knots about the reception and clam bake for weeks. The clam bake was important to Emily and her family, but they all wanted the pretty party, too. I think it was Sara who finally suggested they do a quick reception and the cake cutting after the ceremony and then everybody could change and head to the beach.”
“She should have emphasized the quick. Did I mention I’m starving?”
Before he could suggest they sneak off to the inn’s kitchen to beg for snacks, the bride and groom were announced and the reception kicked into high gear.
As they listened to Emily’s father giving a toast, Carly bumped against him and Noah put his arm around her, pulling her close.
There were so many things about this woman he hadn’t noticed before. How perfectly she fit against his body. How soft her hair was against his cheek. The way her smile instantly lifted his mood.
He’d promised her nothing between them would change, but as he rubbed his thumb over her bare shoulder and felt her sigh at the romance unfolding in front of them, he very reluctantly admitted to himself it already had.
* * *
Carly was relieved the note included with Noah’s invitation had suggested everybody change into casual clothes for the clam bake at the end of the day. Her fancy sandals had been rubbing the back of her heel and she’d forgotten to pack the lightweight knit shrug she usually wore with the dress when the evening chill began setting in.
Even the bride and groom were in shorts, with cute T-shirts that proclaimed Mr. and Mrs. in fancy letters across the front.
Dressed in a summer-weight beige sweater and jeans folded up enough so she could bury her bare feet in the sand at the water’s edge while talking books with Emily’s aunt and an old family friend, Carly felt totally relaxed. Nothing was better than fresh seafood on the beach. And with most of the wedding traditions out of the way—though there was an area of the beach for dancing and many calls for the bride and groom to kiss—the atmosphere was more beach party than reception and she was enjoying herself.
So was Noah, judging by the way he kept laughing during a conversation he was having with some guys farther down the beach. He was an animated speaker and she could tell by his hand gestures and body movements that he was telling the story of the summer they taught waterskiing classes for tourists and Noah almost got drowned by a terrified and stronger-than-he-looked ten-year-old boy.
“What are you ladies talking about so intently over here?” Sara asked, joining the small group. She was wearing a Maid of Honor T-shirt, but didn’t look any less elegant than she had in her dress earlier.
“Books,” the aunt said. “You know how we are about book talk and Carly owns a bookstore in New Hampshire. How perfect is that?”
“Totally perfect, Aunt Kay. I knew that and meant to introduce you at some point, but then everything got so busy and I forgot. I’m glad you found each other.”
Carly and Sara had crossed paths several times since her arrival, and she genuinely liked her. And she could see why Emily would want to pair her sister up with Noah, even if she didn’t share all of his o
utdoor passions. On the surface, they’d be an attractive pair and there was probably some appeal to sisters having a double-date night with two guys who were friends and professional colleagues.
Emily didn’t know Noah as well as she thought, though. With the exception of his parents, nobody knew him as well as Carly. Hell, she knew him so well she could tell what he was talking about by the way he moved as he spoke. And Sara was the kind of woman Noah would date, and he’d date her longer than most women because she was awesome. But eventually, the constant compromising about what she wanted to do versus what he wanted would chafe and he’d break it off.
And since she was thinking of Noah for the umpteenth time that evening, she glanced over at him. He was looking at her, and he winked before turning back to the guys.
Sara sighed. “I think I already told you what a lucky woman you are, but I’m just going to say it again. You’re a very lucky woman.”
“Owning a bookstore and a man like that?” Kay shook her head as she sighed wistfully. “I love my life but if I was about ten years younger, I might try to talk you into trading for a few days.”
“He’s coming over here, Aunt Kay, so behave yourself,” Sara warned, and sure enough, Noah was walking across the sand toward them.
Carly cursed the quickening of her pulse even as she felt the smile tugging at her lips. She couldn’t help it. He was wearing a white tee with jeans, and his hoodie was in a pile with hers, for when the sun went down. With bare feet and a bottle of beer dangling from his hand, he looked like a walking magazine ad.
And he was hers. Maybe only for this weekend in the carnal sense, and someday he’d have to share the spotlight with her future husband, but he would always be at her side.
“I hate to interrupt, but I have an urge to dance with Carly,” he said, after blessing them with his most charming grin.
When he held his hand out to her, she didn’t have any choice but to take it and let her lead him toward the place in the sand the wedding planner had used ribbons and bows to mark as a makeshift dance floor. They set their drinks down on a table they passed and Carly bit back a sigh as he pulled her into his arms and started swaying to the slow, romantic ballad being piped through the speakers.
One Summer Weekend Page 6
