Brandy says, “Take a shot if you swallow instead of spit.”
Our eyes move from one to the other and I end up being the only one to drink. I think I’m being played because these women don’t seem like pussies when it comes to sex.
Suzie is up next. “Take a shot if you have ever farted during sex.”
Again, I’m the only one to drink.
Everyone laughs and Melissa says, “You have to tell us this.”
I set my shot glass down and the table moves out of focus. Yeah, I’m wasted. “It wasn’t my fault. A guy I was dating took me to a new sushi bar. Afterwards, we go back to my apartment and, right in the middle, I get these killer cramps. I try to breathe through them, but I couldn’t do it. That’s when it happened. I ran to the bathroom and when I didn’t come out, he left. Never to be seen again.” The table erupts in laughter and I join in.
“My turn, my turn,” Melissa says in a singsong voice. “Take a shot if you love Bode.”
I don’t even wait. I just chug it back. Then I realize what I did. I gasp and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand in a Kimmie move. I blink and my head tips when it connects. “I love him,” I mumble.
“Ahhh, sweetie,” Brandy says and gives me a hug.
Tears well in my eyes. Is this what it feels like? I thought it was supposed to be birds singing, butterflies flittering, and heart pounding good. This hurts. My lower lips start to tremble, but then my eyes narrow. “I…I love him and the bastard broke up with me.”
Suzie hands me her shot and says, “Melissa, go get the bottle. We’re going to need more shots.”
Chapter 15
Bode
I’m pulling a beer from the fridge when the phone rings. I check the time and worry that a call after midnight can’t be good. I hear loud music, a lot of noise in the background, and a frantic female voice, “Hello, Bode? You need to come quick. We’re at the pub. Kimberly’s drunk and is more entertainment than these old geezers can handle. We’re afraid there’s going to be a few heart attacks. Oh, my God, she just took her top off.”
A cold shiver takes over and I shout, “WHAT!”
“Just get here,” she says and hangs up.
I grab my keys and jump in the truck and make it to the pub in record time. I hear the music as soon as I open the truck door. That’s the first hint that things aren’t right. Chandler keeps the music low because it’s hard for the older folks to hear each other over the loud volume.
Tonight, not only is the sound system booming, there’s also a chorus of cheers louder than the music. I grit my teeth. They’re only egging Kimberly on. Why hasn’t someone stopped her?
I pull the door open. My jaw drops and my blood pressure rises to critical levels. Kimberly is indeed on top of the bar, dancing in cowboy boots and a white short skirt. It floats around her thighs as she dances and I can clearly tell she’s wearing a thong. Those creamy white ass cheeks peep from beneath with every hip flex.
She’s waving something over her head like a lasso, which must be her top because her breasts are only being covered by a miniscule white lace bra and jiggling with every movement. Each man in the place has a lecherous look on his face as they watch her hips sway to the tune while they call out words of encouragement.
I growl and storm the bar, pulling Kimberly into my arms. She staggers and looks up at me, squinting. “Bode! I’ve missed you,” she slurs before throwing her arms around my neck. I pull my shirt off and tug it over her head, ignoring the complaints coming from the disappointed crew. I pick her up and give everyone a glare as I walk past them on the way out. They’ll be hearing from me… and the preacher on Sunday…and their wives.
Brandy runs out of the door, followed by Suzie and Melissa. “Here’s her handbag. We’re sorry, Bode. We tried to stop her.”
I take the bag and keep walking. “Well, you didn’t do a very good job.”
Suzie opens the passenger side of the truck. “We didn’t know who to call. I hope it’s okay that we called you. I’m afraid we got a little carried away with the shots.”
Gently, I sit Kimberly down and buckle her in while trying to keep her hands from roaming all over my naked chest. “It’s fine,” I snap, shutting the door. “How many did she have?” I ask, not really sure I want to know.
The three women look at each other and shrug. Melissa finally stutters, “Five…eight…ten. I’m not sure.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose to keep from going off on the three women I’ve always liked. To keep from saying anything I’ll regret, I walk around the truck and get in without a word.
I glance over and Kimberly is already asleep. Or passed out. At least I’m saved from drunk ramblings on the way to the Inn, which gives me a chance to calm down. I carry her inside and right to her bed. When I lay her down, her eyes open and she smiles up into mine, and my heart skips a beat. I’ve missed her so badly. She takes my face in her hands and says, “Don’t be mad, Bode. It wasn’t me; it was Kimmie.”
Now the drunk ramblings start. “I don’t care who it was. It was wrong.”
Her eyes close and I assume she’s fallen asleep. I turn away to go get her aspirin and water when she says, “I’ve gotta pee.”
I scrub my face and look up at the ceiling. Without peeking, I pull her skirt and panties off and carry her in the bathroom and to the toilet. I try to leave to let her do her business, but she starts to topple over, so I stay and keep my hands on her shoulders. I don’t have a problem with it, but once she’s sober, if she remembers how I was her lady’s maid, she’ll be embarrassed.
While we’re in the bathroom, I find her aspirin and have her take two of them and drink a full glass of water. Once she’s tucked back in bed, I turn the light off and there’s nothing to do but have a seat. There’s no way I can leave her alone.
“Bode?” Kimberly whispers dramatically in the quiet of the night.
It brings a grin to my face. “Yeah.”
In a louder, stern voice, she says, “I don’t accept your breakup.”
My lips pull up and I chuckle. She’s adorable. Little does she know that I don’t accept it either, but it’s for the best. Then she shreds me when she says, “And I love you.”
I’m ecstatic and stunned and then heartbroken because nothing can come from hearing that. Even if it’s true. A soft low snore comes from the bed and I wonder if she even realizes what she said.
The next morning, I wake up with a crick in my neck and a sore back. It takes a minute to remember where I am and why. My gaze goes to the bed and I find Kimberly sound asleep on her side with her hands clasped together under her chin. She looks so adorable. I want to join her in bed and pull her against my chest. But I won’t, even if I could. Henrietta has taken over my pillow. I glare at the chicken, pick her and an egg up, and creep downstairs.
I deposit the egg and Henrietta into her box with a pat to her feathers and start a large pot of coffee. I’m not a great cook, but I get by. Bacon, eggs, and toast will be easy to fix.
I serve my plate and fix another one for Kimberly. I’m shoveling the last bite in when I look up and find a tousled haired, dazed woman in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. It’s all I can do to keep my seat and not kiss her and pull her into my arms.
“Bode? What are you doing here?” she asks quietly.
I chuckle and push her chair out with my foot. “Come on and have something to eat and we’ll talk.”
Her face turns a ripe shade of green and her hand shoots to her stomach. “I don’t think I can eat anything just yet.”
“Trust me, you need to get something in your stomach to absorb the alcohol. It will make you feel better.”
She looks skeptical, but she eases into the chair and picks up the orange juice and takes a sip. She gives a pleasantly surprised sigh when it doesn’t come back up and she nibbles on a piece of bacon.
When she’s eaten half of the food on her plate and had two full cups of coffee, she asks again, “Why are you here?”
�
��You don’t remember anything?” I wait while I watch her search to grasp onto a memory.
She puts her fingers to her temple and rubs to ease what I am sure is a pounding pain. “The girls came over to take me out on the town,” she says.
I steeple my fingers under my chin. “That’s right.”
“We had some beers and did some shots.” She stops and closes her eyes.
She continues, “We danced and there was singing and then more shots.”
I let the story unfold.
She swallows and her eyes jerk to mine and I see panic in them. “Did I dance on the bar… topless?”
My lip quirks upward. “You did.”
She loses all color in her skin and falls face forward to the table. I yank the plate away just in time to keep her from face planting into scrambled eggs.
“Oh, no. Not again,” she whines.
Did she just say… “Again? You’ve done this before?”
“No, not me. Kimmie,” she cries out and squeezes her eyes shut.
I shake my head, even more confused. Is she still drunk? “You said that last night. What does it mean? Who is Kimmie?”
She sniffles and softly says, “Me. I’m Kimmie. Or I was Kimmie. Now I’m Kimberly.”
This is getting more baffling by the moment. I pick her up and carry her into the other room. I love the feel of her in my arms, so when I take a seat on the couch, I settle her on my lap. Her arms go around my neck and she nuzzles under my chin. My cock twitches and if she moves her ass, I’m a goner. “Explain,” I say, and feel her body sigh and sink into mine.
“Kimmie and Kimberly are me. I’ve always been Kimmie. After I won the Inn, no one here knew who I was. I wanted to be professional and make the Inn a success from my own knowledge and hard work. Nobody would take Kimmie seriously, so I turned into Kimberly.”
I have no words. I’ve never seen that side of her. To me, it’s just another reason why a relationship between us is impossible. “And Kimberly?”
“Kimmie is who I was before I came here. I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but growing up, it was hard to be the rich girl. I never knew why someone liked me. My track record isn’t very good, I’m afraid. I thought I was in love with the guy I gave my virginity to, but he recorded it without my knowledge and threatened to sell it to the media. He didn’t want money. He wanted the fame of being the first to bed the Westmoreland heiress. My dad got his lawyers involved and the guy and the tape disappeared. That was only the first and it’s why I don’t trust easily. I needed to be Kimmie…”
“To keep from getting hurt?” I say, and I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been. She would have developed a hard outer shell to protect herself.
“Right. Lili is my one true friend. To her, it doesn’t matter who my parents are or the number of zeros in their bank account.”
“I think you have lots of new friends who see you as just Kimberly.” I only see her as the woman I would love to spend a lifetime with.
“Yeah, I do. It’s really nice.” She leans back and looks up into my eyes. Her eyes are filled with longing. Silently she’s telling me how much she’s missed me. My palm goes to her cheek and I brush my thumb over her soft bottom lip. I’ve missed you too, sweetheart.
I see heat in her gaze from my touch, how badly she needs me, and I feel the same forceful pull. Arms reach, lips press to each other’s, hands pull at our clothes until we are naked and I’m lying beneath her on the couch. I watch, spellbound, as she takes my cock in hand and guides it to her entrance and then slowly slinks down until we become as close as two people can be. Watching her ride me is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I work my hand between us and press my thumb to her swollen clit.
She tosses her hair over her shoulder, arches her back, and cries out, “Yes!”
We don’t last long; we come together with a groan of release and Kimberly falls to my chest, pressing her face to my neck. My arms circle around her as we work to come down from such a quick, strong climax.
It was beautiful. And it has to be our goodbye.
Chapter 16
Kimberly
I know the moment I open my eyes that Bode is gone. How he could share something so special, so deep with me and then ghost is beyond me. I can only assume he doesn’t have the same feelings I do.
Which hurts.
The only way I can function is to compartmentalize. With only a week until the grand opening of the Faire Island Inn, I throw myself into work. I’d hired Suzie and Melissa as part-time staff. They are helping me get everything ready and then after we open, they’ll cover the front desk and kitchen.
I have a help wanted ad out for a chef, but so far no one has applied. Honestly, if someone doesn’t, I can handle a simple breakfast and buy pastries from the shop in town. I’m hoping the rumors I’ve heard about it closing are just that—rumors.
Our reservations have been filling up. I realize it’s just the novelty of the Inn reopening that is fueling them, but I have hope that through advertising and moving forward with the new technology plan for the town, I’ll see a steady growth.
I’m flying down the stairs carrying a caddy filled with cleaning supplies and make too sharp a turn, knocking one end of the caddy into the newel post. I see it happening, but can’t stop the newel cap from flying off and crashing to the floor.
I set my supplies down and mutter, “Oh, my gosh. Just what I need.” The intricate staircase is original to the house and the newel post is an elegantly turned masterpiece. There’s no way I can find a match. My best hope is to call Martin at the hardware store and see if he can come fix it. I pick the cap up and nails protrude from beneath the wood. How could I have knocked something loose that was so tightly nailed down?
As I’m peering down into the uncapped newel post, Brandy runs in from the kitchen. “What was that noise? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, the newel post, not so much.” I hold up the cap. “But I think I found something. Look down there, do you see it?”
Suzie joins me on the first step and looks down into the hole. “It looks like papers. Big papers.”
“I thought so too.” I reach my hand down into the void of the newel and grasp onto the papers. I ease my grip when I realize the papers are delicate and brittle under my touch. Gently I pull them out.
“What in the world is this?” I say as the roll emerges. The roll must be three feet in width. Suzie and I move to the dining room table and with the utmost care unroll the papers.
The first thing that catches my attention is the date—1821. A shiver of anxiousness runs through me. “It’s the original plans for the house.”
“Do you think this is real?” Suzie asks.
“No clue. I guess I would need to have someone test the paper, but I really don’t care to do that. It’s enough that we found them.” I study the drawing. Not much from the original structure has changed.
“What’s that?” Suzie points to the spot I’d been studying.
“It’s a room on the third floor, or maybe the attic, but I don’t remember seeing it. Maybe someone over the years combined two rooms. And then there’s a line drawn from the room to an area outside the Inn. Maybe somewhere near the shore.”
“Do you think that means there’s a tunnel that leads from the house to wherever that is?” she asks and points to the X on the map.
What I’m thinking is crazy. I point to the small room again. “I’ve never seen a room there.”
Suzie gasps and puts her hands over her mouth. “Oh, my God, Kimberly. We have a real-life mystery on our hands. This may even be a treasure map.”
I can’t help but laugh. It’s probably nothing more than a path down to the beach. “The only mystery is how we’re going to get everything ready for opening day. The ferry will be in soon and Rod said he would run deliveries out to us. Which means get busy, sista.”
I carefully roll the papers back up and stick them in the top of the entry closet. I’ll ha
ve them framed and we can use them in the Inn. Guests will find them interesting.
It turns out that Rod can’t bring our deliveries, so I jump in the golf cart and head to town. I go slow by the marina, my eyes searching for Bode. His boat is gone so he must be out with a client.
I park and walk down to the ferry office. Halfway there, I glance up and stop in my tracks. My lips pull into the biggest smile. I squeal and sprint the last few yards to throw myself into my brother’s arms.
“Tanner. What are you doing here?” All my brothers work in the family business. For the last year, Tanner has been in Tokyo getting a new hotel under construction.
“I got home last week and I wanted to come see how my little sis was doing before I have to fly back.”
I hug him again just because I can. “I really missed you, you big lug. Don’t stay away so long next time.”
“What is this about you winning an inn?” he asks.
I laugh and take his hand to pull him down the deck to find my packages. “Come on, help me load my stuff and we can talk on the way home.”
It takes a few trips and listening to Tanner gripe, but we eventually get all the boxes loaded and strapped down to the golf cart.
“I can’t believe you traded in your Beamer for this,” Tanner teases and pretends to be scared, holding on to the door brace when I take a curve at full speed. A whopping ten miles an hour.
I laugh but realize he’s right. “You know, my Beamer may have cost a bunch more, but I’ve gotten more pleasure out of driving the golf cart.”
Tanner meets my gaze and smiles. “I must say, island life looks good on you, sis. When Dad first told me, I thought you’d gone off your rocker, but then I thought it fit you perfectly.”
Going All Inn (Faire Island Bride Series Book 1) Page 12
