“What?”
Pulling the water bottle out from behind my back with a lace turquoise bra dangling from the cap, I couldn’t help but smile. We’d been so impatient to get each other naked that the moment we made it through the front door, we’d left a trail of clothes leading right to my bedroom door.
“Oops,” Claire giggled, taking a bite and leaving a cheese trail dangling from her mouth. It should gross me out, but it didn’t. Hanging with Claire was comfortable. Fun even.
Setting her lingerie down on my dresser, I flopped down on the bed and handed her her drink before snagging a slice myself. The first bite had me moaning. For a few minutes we sat there silently inhaling our dinner, eye-fucking each other over the box. Thank fuck she’d put the shirt on. There’s no way I would’ve been able to restrain myself if her tits were still on display. Those things were going to be my biggest downfall, but hell, what a way to go.
“So,” Claire began after dropping her crust back in the box and leaning back against my pillows.
“So…” I had no idea where she was going with this, but I hoped like fuck it wasn’t home. I wasn’t ready to let her go yet, let alone out of my bed.
“Where’d you get the idea?”
“Idea?”
“Oh, come on, Seth. You can’t honestly expect me to believe you came up with this afternoon all by yourself.”
“Why not?” I was slightly offended. I mean, she was right, but she didn’t need to know that. Well, I was hoping to keep it to myself as long as possible.
“Seth. It was fucking awesome. You pulled it off. And you got a thank you for your efforts. But I know it wasn’t your idea. At least it wasn’t all your idea.”
“How’d you know?”
“Be real. I live with a bunch of guys, and I am pretty sure they haven’t had an idea like that ever. Between them. Guys just don’t think like that.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t.” Now I felt like I was defending the entire male population. How’d this night go from orgasms and pizza to defending the male species?
“It doesn’t, but…”
“Fine. I may have had help,” I admitted.
“From?”
“Does it matter?”
“Hell, yeah it does.”
“Fine. I may have called Emma and asked for her suggestions. It’s just…” Damn, why’d I feel like such a chump admitting this? “When I saw you at work earlier you looked so defeated. I thought you could do with some fun.”
A look crossed Claire’s face and I couldn’t read it. I didn’t know her well enough. Not yet anyway. Her eyes fell closed, and a soft sigh slipped between her still kiss-swollen lips. I couldn’t sit there a second longer. Not like this. Shoving the pizza to the ground, I bounced on the bed and dragged her back into my arms, loving the way she fit there.
“Well, I had the best time. No one’s ever done anything like that for me before. Thank you. It was incredible.”
I let out the breath I was holding, relief flooding me. I’d thought I’d fucked up. Again. I mean, at the time she looked like she was enjoying it. After introducing her to Mary, we’d gone along to the stables and saddled up our horses for the afternoon before letting Mary lead us down one of the trails that wound through the national park before popping out onto a deserted beach. The moment Claire had seen the terrifyingly large brown horse, a smile had settled on her face so big I worried her cheeks would crack. She wasn’t afraid at all. She walked straight up to him, hand outstretched and patted him. It was an effort to keep my jealously in tack, I had to keep reminding myself that he was just a horse.
For two hours we’d ridden, well I’d walked along uncomfortably while Claire cantered through shallows her horse, Winter, kicking up water everywhere while she bounced in perfect rhythm with him. It was effortless for her. Like riding a bike. She’d done it before, and while I might not be a cowboy, I could tell it was something she’d never forget.
“We did. It was fun.”
“Thank you, Seth.”
“Anytime,” I confirmed, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “You looked good out there. You know how to ride.”
“Oh, you have no idea…”
Twenty minutes later I had a much, much better idea.
While I lay there trying to calm my racing heart, Claire reappeared from the bathroom half-dressed. “Where are you going?”
“It’s getting late so I thought…”
Glancing at the clock on the other side of the room I realised how late it was, but that didn’t mean I was ready to say goodnight. “Do you want to leave?” As much as I wanted her to stay, I wasn’t going to be that guy. I wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to.
“Well, no. But…”
“But nothing. Get those jeans off and get your sexy butt back in this bed.”
“You’re bossy, you know,” she taunted with a wink as she shimmied her jeans down her legs in a way that only chicks could make look sexy.
Instead of answering, I threw back the covers and waited for her to slide in before covering her up and hauling her into my arms. “What time do you work tomorrow?”
“I start at twelve.”
“Great. Plenty of time.”
“Time for what?” Claire asked, pretending to look innocent. It was a good thing I knew better. There was nothing innocent about her. Something she’d proven once or twice tonight already.
“Get your head out of the gutter. Sleep. Plenty of time for sleep.”
Leaning over her, I clicked off the lamp and snuggled down. For a minute Claire lay there stiff and unmoving. I could tell she was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t force her. I didn’t want to. With a heavy sigh and after muttering something I didn’t quite catch, she lifted my arm, dropped her head on my shoulder, and tangled her legs with mine before her breath evened out quickly.
I woke up to clattering, swearing, and the sound of something shattering. Sitting up, my head pounded and I was forced to sit there for a few seconds until the room around me stopped swirling before pulling myself out of bed and heading in the direction of the chaos.
Bounding down the stairs, I came around the corner and spotted something I could very easily get used to. Claire hadn’t heard me over her singing and dancing along to Cher’s greatest hits while she cooked something on the stove. Sitting on the counter was what appeared to be what was left of a coffee and the table was already set.
Leaning on the door frame, I watched silently as her arse shook back and forth wearing only my t-shirt and a pair of silky turquoise panties I had very fond memories of peeling from her hot body last night. When she spun around with a plate piled high with bacon in her hand, she almost dropped the lot.
“Shit, Seth! How long have you been standing there?”
Pushing off the door, I moved towards her, taking the plate from her hands and setting it on the table before grabbing hold of her hips. “Long enough to enjoy the show,” I admitted, bending down and kissing her like I meant it. Morning breath be damned.
When I pulled back, we were both breathless, and I was on the verge of lifting her onto the counter and devouring her for breakfast. “That was…”
“Good morning.”
“Oh.”
Feeling only slightly guilty about knocking her off balance, I forced my attention off the way her diamond pointed nipples were poking through the front of my t-shirt and instead focused on food. “What’s all this then?”
“Well, I figured since you worked up such an appetite, you’d probably be hungry, so I made breakfast. I hope that’s okay.”
I hated that she questioned doing something nice. She shouldn’t have to. But I understood. It wasn’t her place and we were just finding our way. It was too soon to put labels on anything, but we’d get there. That was one thing I was sure of.
“Of course, it’s okay. What’ve we got?”
Focusing on eating the food in front of us, instead of each other, Claire asked a million questions. It was lik
e being interrogated, but any time I tried to turn the conversation back around on her, she shut me down. Eventually I let it go. There was no point picking a fight with her after an awesome night.
“How’s the surfing going?” she asked with a wicked smirk.
“Yeah, I don’t know if I’ll keep going.”
“You’re giving up?” Her voice hitched up so high that I swear I could hear dogs in the neighbourhood whimpering.
“Not giving up. More, picking my battles,” I shrugged.
The truth was surfing was kicking my arse. I wasn’t getting any better and normally, I was a stubborn bastard that wouldn’t back down until I made it my bitch, but right now, I had more important problems to focus on. Like getting my mojo back on the soccer pitch before I spent the entire season with splinters in my arse from riding the pine. That wasn’t an option. My whole career, my whole future, my whole life depended on me playing. I had to get my shit together and time was running out. The season started in three weeks, and I was no closer to getting my hands on a starting jersey than I had been a month ago.
“You’ll get there. It just takes time and patience.”
“Yeah, I’m not really good on patience.”
Claire stood and started collecting dishes. “I never would’ve guessed,” she sassed.
After dropping her home, something I didn’t want to do, I dashed home, borrowed some of Luca’s equipment, and headed back to the club. Claire’s words still ringing in my head.
As she’d gone to climb out of my car, Claire had turned back to me with a deep, thoughtful look on her face. When she reached over the console and took my hand a warmth flooded me. “Seth, I know you probably don’t want to hear this right now, but try to cut yourself some slack. You don’t have to be the world’s best anything. Not today or tomorrow. No one expects you to be…”
“I expect me to be.”
“You need to ease up on yourself or you’ll give yourself a heart attack before you turn thirty. And I’m kinda wanting to keep you around for a while. So, if you could, I don’t know, maybe breathe… that’d be awesome.”
“So, you want me around, do you?”
“Is that all you took from that?”
“Was there more?”
“Boys!” she huffed, kissing me quickly before slipping from the car, leaving me watching her retreating arse with fascination and want.
17
Claire
I hadn’t even managed to get one foot through the front door when a slow clapping started.
“Nice walk of shame, sis.”
“Oh, bite me, Isaac.”
“What’d I do?”
“You look like shit. Have you even been to bed?” I asked, dumping my bag on the kitchen counter before grabbing a glass and filling it with water.
“Not my own.”
“Ew! I don’t want to know.”
“Well, seems I’m not the only one. Where were you?”
“Out with a friend?”
“A friend, huh? A male friend I’m assuming.”
“You know what they say about people who assume…”
“Yeah yeah. It makes an arse out of you and me. But seriously, Claire, you’re all good?”
Good? I was fucking floating on cloud nine. The last eighteen hours with Seth had been amazing. Unexpected, but amazing. When Mary had led the horses towards us, I almost dropped to my knees and sobbed. I was still pissed at Dad for not telling me he’d had to put my own horse down, which I’d only found out about a couple of days ago, but when I was cantering along, in the waves, I couldn’t not enjoy myself. With the wind whipping about my hair, I felt free. And maybe even more importantly, carefree.
“I’m okay.” I shrugged.
“And how was at it at home with the parents?”
“You mean other than the fact that my horse is dead, Mum tried to get me set up to work at ‘Bed Head’…”
“With Sharon?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow! What colour is that woman’s hair these days? Last time I saw her I think it was purple.”
“It’s a weird blue, lilac colour now I guess.”
“Shit! How’s she even get clients there?”
“Lack of options?”
“Has to be it.”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“And Mum wanted you to what exactly?”
“Take over. Learn the ropes. Build up my relationships with the clientele.”
“Clientele? Are you kidding me? Most of those busy body old bats have known you since you were in nappies.”
“I know,” I groaned, dropping into the couch and closing my eyes. I was getting a headache just worrying about this shit.
“You’re not going, are you?” Isaac asked, a tremor in his voice.
“I don’t want to,” I admitted, a sinking feeling filling my gut. I may not want to, but in the end, it may be exactly where I ended up. Back home in the small town, dying old Mrs Wilken’s hair her favourite shade of blue while I served her cups of tea and listened to stories about her grandson’s bathroom habits.
“Then don’t.”
“I wish it was that easy.”
“Why can’t it be?”
“Come on, Isaac. Sydney’s expensive. Even living here with you guys, which I’m sure is cramping your style has wiped out my savings.”
“You’re right. But you’re working now, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I don’t know how many shifts I’m going to get, but it helps.”
Isaac rose from his seat and walked over to where I was fretting and wrapped me in a hug. “You got this, Claire Bear. You got this.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.”
With one final squeeze, he left me there my mind whirling. I’d spent so many hours thinking and worrying about everything that it was becoming all-consuming. I hated it. But thankfully, I didn’t have time to work myself into a frenzy today. I had to get to work. It mightn’t be my dream job, but right now it was saving me from my nightmares.
Today was a better day.
Thank fuck.
I managed to survive my shift without pouring a drink in someone’s lap or covering myself in trash. I’d even managed to have a bit of fun while I was at it. Then, as the sun went down and we started to clean up, Isla pumped up the music and turned it into a dance party as we wound down for the weekend.
Everything was cleaned up, and we were winding down for the night. Beth, Jamie, and I had just finished stacking the chairs when Toby appeared with a tray of brightly coloured cocktails complete with tiny umbrellas and fancy fruit flowers.
The Beachside Café was an incredible place. During the day it was a family-friendly café – bright, fun, and funky. But when the sun went down, the cocktails came out, and the skirts got a hell of a lot shorter. That’s what made it awesome though. It changed, and I got to change along with it. I got to have fun, meet new people, and put some cash in my pocket. And after only two days, two very busy days my feet were aching, but my wallet wasn’t looking as pathetic. Turns out not only was working cocktail hour double the tips of the breakfast shift, but it was a hell of a lot easier too.
The fruity cocktails went down easily.
Too easily.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d be calling my brother to come and carry me out of here.
But the drinks weren’t the best part. Not even close. Commandeering a booth, Beth grabbed a couple of bags of potato chips and set them in the centre of the table. Before I knew it, we’d spent the better part of two hours laughing and trading stories about the men we’d loved and the men we’d lost.
I hadn’t realised how much I missed having someone to talk to. When I’d dished the dirt on my date with Seth, deliberately leaving his name out of it, they swooned, barely able to believe that he could be real. Not that I could blame them. I was still shocked.
“He took you horse riding on the beach?”
“Yeah.”
“On a first date?
”
“Well, uh, yeah. I don’t even know if it really was a date…” I started backtracking quickly, realising how many questions I still had about the whole thing.
“Girl,” Beth slurred. “He took you riding on the beach. And then he rode you all night long.”
“It was all night, wasn’t it?” Jamie added, leaning forward knocking her glass over.
“A lady never kisses and tells.”
“A lady doesn’t. But you, Claire, you need to.”
Isla appeared, and my hands started sweating. I thought she was going to kick our arses for sitting around drinking. I mean, it wasn’t like we were still on the clock, but still. “How were the drinks?”
“Really good,” I gushed quickly.
“Good. Well, if you enjoyed them, we’ll add them to the menu,” Isla professed before pushing into the booth wedging me in the corner.
Another round of drinks showed up complete with a round of tequila shot chasers, and the laughs just got louder.
“So, little miss country girl. What’d you think?”
“Me?”
“You’re the only country bumpkin around here.”
I’d tried so hard to make sure I didn’t look like the country girl I was raised to be – hell, I’d left half my wardrobe back at home just so I didn’t fall back into old habits and pull on my flannel shirt and favourite boots just to make myself a little less lonely in the big scary city – but I obviously couldn’t shake it. I was a country girl at heart and turns out, I couldn’t out run it.
“What do I think about what?”
“About joining us on a more permeant basis?”
“That would be fucking amazing.” As soon as it was out of my mouth, I clamped my hand over my mouth.
“Well, let’s just say, the way you handled that douche canoe earlier…your probation is over.” Isla raised her glass and Beth squealed.
“Already? I thought you said it was a two-week probation period?”
“You want to argue about this? Or do you want to accept my offer and I put you on the roster for five shifts a week?”
“Nope! Not arguing. Not me.”
“Good.”
Rookie (Playing The Field Book 2) Page 10
