by Terra Kelly
Her Beach Bum
Man Card Book Seven
Terra Kelly
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
A note from the author
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About the Author
Also by Terra Kelly
Books by T.M. Kelly
Acknowledgments
Synopsis
They say a phone call can change your life. I had to look at my phone a few times because I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I was the winner of a week-long getaway on an exotic island.
The idea of sipping cocktails with one of those cute umbrellas on the beach sounded like something I definitely needed.
There had to be a catch. I just didn’t realize the catch would stand six feet tall and be called Joey.
We were nothing alike. I don’t even know what to talk to him about. But something tells me talking is furthest from his mind.
The man card series is a collection of short stories that are full of steamy romance. You're guaranteed that perfect happy ending and a cupboard full of sweets from all the cravings.
One
Sasha
“So, how was it?” Leslie asked. “Was it everything you dreamed of and more?”
“Really? Dreamed of?” I put the phone on speaker and sat the device on my kitchen counter. “It was a first date, so every bit as awkward as you would expect.”
“Awww, come on,” he chuckled. “Give me better news. Did he at least kiss you goodnight?”
“No,” I said a little too quickly. “I mean, no.” This time I said it with a little more compassion.
“Ouch.” Leslie made a sound in the phone. “Was it that bad? Really?”
I was sprinkling salt on my scrambled eggs, stopped and attempted to sit the salt shaker back on the counter. Instead, it slowly fell out of my hand as my mind wandered back to the evening. I was startled out of my daydream when the shaker crashed onto the counter. “No, actually it was that good.” I picked up the shaker and held it in my hand. “Really good.”
My brother’s head was probably spinning at this very moment. I placed my palm over my forehead and tried think about my words before I said anything out loud. “Les, it’s a weird situation. I just don’t know how this can work.” I sat down on the barstool at the kitchen island. “He works in receiving and I’m upstairs in post-op.”
“Oh right, separate worlds that should never collide.” By the sound of his voice I knew he was fucking with me.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” I shoved a forkful of eggs in my mouth. While my mouth was still full I tried to reason my answer. “We have different schedules and we would never see each other.”
“If it’s meant to be, you would make it work.”
“How the hell am I supposed to know if it’s meant to be?”
I had worked at the local hospital for the last ten years. My date from last night worked in receiving and delivered equipment to my floor almost every day. He started in the department about four years ago but had recently started personally delivering to my floor six months ago.
“You’ll just know,” Les said and cleared his throat. “Listen, I need to go.”
“Yeah, sure.” I felt frustrated, but not at my brother. The date was so good, but I didn’t know if it could work between us. “Just leave me when I need you most.” I was teasing him of course.
“I think you’ll survive.” He chuckled. “Maybe you need to release some pent-up energy. There’s a guy in the hospital that has the hots for you, see if he wants to fuck.”
“Leslie,” I yelled and quickly hit end. “Seriously?” I mumbled. Then I closed my eyes and had a vision of Joey slowly dragging his fingers over my breasts and down my stomach. When he stopped at the waistband of my panties, I was silently begging him to go lower. “Fuck,” I shook my head and grabbed my plate to take to the sink. “What is wrong with me?”
My phone rang again taking my mind away from one particular man. “Hello.”
“Yes, is this Sasha Irving?”
“Yes, who’s calling?”
“I’m excited to share that you’ve won an all-expenses paid trip to The Bahamas.” The guys voice sounded too excited. This couldn’t be real. “Have you ever visited The Bahamas?”
“I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number.” Before the guy could say another word I hung up.
“Wait, let me get this straight,” Amy said and handed me a file. “Someone called to tell you that you won a trip to The Bahamas, and you hung up on him?”
I dropped my head onto the desk. “Yes,” I moaned and lifted back up. “Why am I so dumb?”
“I don’t know”–Amy said and handed me a sheet of paper–“but can you give them my number next time you decide to say no to an amazing opportunity.”
“You suck.” I crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it in the trash. “Maybe they’ll call back.”
“Or they found a winner that actually wants to claim the prize.” Right at that moment Joey walked through the double doors rolling a cart full of supplies. “Hey,” Amy tapped my arm with the end of her pen. “Did you go on a date with him last night?”
He was wearing khakis and a navy blue polo shirt that were way too big for his small frame. His hair was ruffled like he had ran his fingers through it a thousand times and all the curls were falling around his face. “Yeah, I did.” I couldn’t take my eyes off him. What if we were supposed to connect but I was messing with destiny by denying my feelings?
“And,” she insisted. “You better share the details.”
“It was fine.” I leaned over and grabbed a paperclip. “I need to do my rounds.”
“You just did them.” Amy burst out laughing. “So that topic is off the table, eh?”
“No.” I grabbed my stethoscope. “I can talk about it later.” Joey turned away to drop something off at the other nurses’ station. It was the perfect moment to disappear. “I forgot to check something.”
I went out with the guy because I felt bad. He had asked me out so many times over the last several months and I had declined every single time. After the hundredth time I decided to say yes. A small part of me felt bad. When I finally said yes I didn’t have any feelings for him. At least that’s the story I had told myself over and over.
Then he walked me to my door and surprised me by kissing me at the end of our date. The moment his lips touched mine, the ability to deny my true emotions disappeared. His lips were soft, inviting, and made my body ache for more. Instead of continuing to kiss him, I pushed him away and unlocked the front door.
I still couldn’t believe I ran inside without saying goodnight.
Two
Joey
“Here you go.” I handed Amy a box. “Is Sasha here?”
“She just stepped away to do her rounds.” Amy had her head down, probably avoiding eye contact with me. That was normal with most of the women in the hospital. Until Sasha. I wasn’t a guy that could grace the cover of a magazine. The women here at the hospital all chatted endlessly about how hot Brad Pitt or Chris Hemsworth were, but that wasn’t me, not even close. At least that’s what I thought.
“Oh, thanks.” I didn’t try to continue with a conversation that would go nowhere. There were three more boxes to deliver before I had to go back downstairs to my office. I was hoping to catch even a glimpse of Sasha but I had a feeling that was out of the quest
ion.
Just as I was rounding the corner to deliver another box, my body slammed into someone. I had a habit of not paying attention to where I was going. “Shit,” I reached my hand out. “Sasha.” I stepped back and realized I had collided with the very woman who was on my mind.
“Joey.” She pulled the chart she was holding closer to her chest.
“I’m sorry.” It was weird, it felt like she was trying to avoid eye contact with me, too. “It’s good to see you.” I shook my head at the question. “I mean. How are you?” My hands felt clammy as I rubbed them back and forth.
“Good.” She nodded a few times and rubbed her fingers over the edges of the clipboard. “Good. And you?” She seemed uncomfortable, yet she wasn’t running in the opposite direction from me. That was a plus.
When I kissed Sasha on her porch last night everything changed. In that brief moment I was able to let go of my insecurities. She actually seemed happy to be in my arms. Well, that was the impression I had in that moment. Then she stepped away and ran into her house. I realized then this thing between us was not real. It was all one-sided. It was all me.
“Okay, well, I better deliver these last few boxes.” I wanted to be as far away from this situation as humanly possible. That wasn’t really true. I wanted to be near Sasha all day and every day, but right at this moment I was feeling uncomfortable and I needed to retreat to the basement. “Take care.” I pushed the cart around Sasha and practically ran toward the double doors.
“Joey.” My hand was on the metal handle when I felt her lightly touch my shoulder, my name barely a whisper on her lips.
“Um.” I jumped from the contact. “Yeah.”
She stared at me for the longest moment. “I…” Right as she was about to say something another nurse stepped into the hallway. She glanced at the nurse and then blurted out, “Did you have a delivery for me today?”
“For you? No.” I really had no clue what she was talking about.
“Oh, I thought I was getting something.” She shrugged her shoulders, already having left this conversation.
“I didn’t have a package with your name on it, should I have something?”
“Probably not for a few more days,” she said and turned to walk away without another word.
I watched as she headed back to the nurses’ station only a few yards away. Her pace was fast; almost as if she couldn’t get away from me quick enough. So much for thinking Sasha was different. She was very much like the other woman in her department.
As I wheeled the cart out and toward the elevator, I thought about the date last night. Sasha acted like she was having a good time. Was it all just an act? I thought she was different from the other women here at the hospital. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough though.
My chest felt tight as I pushed the down button. The elevator on this floor usually took a few minutes especially at the busier times of the day.
My mind was locked onto the kiss from last night. The feel of Sasha’s lips over mine was memorable. I wondered if that was our first and our last kiss. With the sounds of people talking and equipment rolling on the concrete floor, I didn’t hear her approach.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered from behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder. I turned around to face her. “Joey, I–”
“I know.” I pushed the down button several times. “You made a mistake and you shouldn’t have gone out with me.” I was secretly hoping she would jump into my arms, but I knew that was wishful thinking. It was time to let go of my feelings for her and move on.
“What? No. That’s not at all what I was going to say.” She took a step forward. “I wanted to say I had fun last night.”
I glanced down each direction of the hallway and then back toward Sasha. “You did?” No one was in earshot at the moment. Did she mean it?
“Yeah,” she said and reached out to rest her hand on my forearm. “I’m sorry I ran off.” She glanced around and cleared her throat. “I just–”
“Sasha,” someone yelled from behind me. She stepped away from me and I could see by the look on her face she was about to run off again. The person yelling appeared from around the corner. “There you are. We need you in room 1024.”
“Oh, sure.” Instead of saying another word to me, Sasha turned and walked away.
The nurse stood and waited until Sasha was down the hall a few yards before following behind her. It felt awkward how the nurse gave me a once over before leaving. This was ridiculous. Why did I let myself get emotionally involved in a situation that was only ever going to be one-sided? Sasha was a stunning woman and could date anyone. Why would she date me?
The elevator was just about to close when a hand wrapped around the edges of the door. I stepped back expecting an employee to roll a hospital bed into the small space. Instead, it was Sasha, again.
“I guess we are just not meant to talk.” She leaned her back against the wall and smiled.
“I guess not,” I said and pushed the button again for the basement. “Listen, I get it. I’m not your type. It’s fine.” I was ready for her to tell me off. The way this conversation continued to get interrupted, I knew it was coming.
Sasha surprised me by placing her palms over my cheeks and bringing my lips closer to her. “Why do you have this effect on me?” she whispered and then kissed me.
I pulled away slightly. “Sasha, are you sure you want to do this in public?”
“Yeah, I’m very sure.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and peppered light kisses around my face.
I reached back and grabbed her forearms and pulled her body away from me. Something didn’t feel right. “I need to get back to work.” The bell dinged to let me know that I had reached my floor. Without another word, I wheeled the cart out of the elevator and down the hall. I wanted to glance back and see the look on her face, but I didn’t stop.
One minute she’s uncomfortable with me and the next moment she’s kissing me.
How was I supposed to know which emotion was real?
Everything about what just happened felt off.
Three
Sasha
I dropped my hands to the side and let my head fall back against the wall of the elevator. What was wrong with me? One minute I’m trying to avoid the guy and the next I want to jump him.
Joey was not drop-dead-gorgeous. Well, from what I could tell. His hair was shaggy and hung around his face. He wore clothes that were baggy and unappealing. The guy was just average but damn, he was so nice. There was something to be said about not judging a book by its cover.
“There you are,” Amy said and grabbed my hand. “We really did need you in room 1024.”
“Everyone was tending to Mr. Roberts. What did you need me for?” I followed behind Amy. “I figured you were all just trying to distract me.”
Amy burst out laughing and turned to face me. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Yes.” I groaned. “I mean…I don’t know.”
“Girl, what is wrong with you?” She handed me a chart. “Whatever it is, you need to leave it for a bit and tend to your patients.”
My friend was right, this situation with Joey had to wait until later.
A little after seven in the evening I decided to finally clock out. I had worked two hours past my shift, it ended up being the perfect distraction. On the way home I stopped for a drink at the bar where Joey and I went the night before. It was the same bartender which shouldn’t have been awkward, but this time I was alone.
“What’ll you be having?” The thirty-something woman said and leaned her forearms on the counter.
“Whiskey sour, please.” I pulled out my phone and planned to stay distracted with cat videos and booze.
“Did you ditch your date?” the bartender asked and slid the cocktail in front of me a few minutes later.
“No, no, I just–” She didn’t let me finish.
“Seriously, you can do better than that guy.”
Her words threw me off. “Why would you say that?”
“He just didn’t look like your type.” She was cleaning off the counter with a white cloth. “He sent off a nerd vibe. You could date models you’re so beautiful.”
The woman was starting to piss me off. “Do you know how shitty that sounds?” I dropped a ten on the counter and stood. “And for your information I don’t date models.”
“Sorry if I offended you in any way,” the woman said and walked over to take care of four guys that had just sat down. “You know I’m right though.” She laughed and nodded her head toward the men.
This woman was ridiculous.
I grabbed my keys from my pocket and quickly left. There was no way I planned to step foot in the bar again. Right as I was outside I realized I was the asshole. The bartender was just an outsider observing, but she did what Amy and I had done several times over the last few months. Judge the poor man on his looks.
Joey wasn’t the typical guy I would find attractive. I could remember making jokes about his hair the first day he rolled his cart into post-op. Yet, I went on a date with him. He obviously couldn’t be all that bad.
“Sasha.” I heard my name and spun around to come face to face with the man on my mind.
“Joey. You’re…here.” It was like every sign was being thrown in my face. Maybe it was time to listen.
“Yeah, sitting at a bar sounded like more fun than my house right now. The powers been out for an hour now.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.
