by Stephanie
He looked out at the scenery in front of him, taking in sights and sounds of the people gradually trickling onto the beach. It was rather early in the morning. The sun had barely risen over the horizon an hour ago. He suspected it’d be at least a few more hours before it really became busy and he planned to take advantage of the opportunity before it did.
He took the remnants of his bottle of water back into the house, grabbed a beach towel and the waterproof armband back off the counter. Stepping back out onto the patio, he locked the door then slipped the house key into the armband and secured it. He sat the towel on the chair then made his way down the steps toward the water. It should have just enough of the refreshing chill he’d enjoyed yesterday morning.
The closer he drew to the water’s edge, the more it splashed up onto his feet and ankles until he was eventually waist deep in the water. Once he was chest deep, he stopped and closed his eyes before diving under the surface. He came back up a few feet further out then maneuvered onto his back into a floating position, allowing the waves to help him drift along.
Amazing how weightless he felt in the water. There were days when it seemed like the heaviness of the world was on his shoulders. Yet he refused to give in to his troubles or worries. He floated on the surface for a little longer before turning over and swimming toward the shore.
When he reached it, he stood and trudged up the soft sand. The water had been as
refreshing as he’d hoped. Now he planned to get in a short run, then head back to the beach house and get his day started.
After he was clear of other beach goers he slowly jogged down the beach. When he reached a certain part of the shoreline he turned around and headed back to the beach house. He was so into his run he was almost back to the spot where he’d started before he realized there was someone standing there, bent over, stretching.
He decelerated to a walk as he drew closer. The person turned out to be a woman. When she stared up at him his heart skipped a beat. She straightened unhurriedly, one corner of her mouth curving upward into a wicked grin and time seemed to stop.
She had dark brown hair cut in a short and sassy style, complimenting her medium
complexion. Brown eyes the color of milk chocolate could probably make him melt if he gazed into them long enough. She had a petite but curvaceous frame clad in a tank top and pair of shorts that appeared made just for her body.
He quickly raised his gaze before he got himself in trouble. Something deep within him shouted it was too late. Sure enough, when his stare met hers, the other corner of her mouth had tilted upward and there was a twinkle in her eyes that made him extremely nervous.
“Did you enjoy your run?”
He blinked sluggishly as the huskiness of her voice traveled over him. When one of her dark brows arched high on her forehead, he realized he was coming across as a complete idiot. Clearing his throat, he nodded, running his fingers through his hair. “It was nice. Did you just get back from yours or are you getting started?”
“Getting started. I’m usually finished by now, but I stayed out a little later last night than planned with my sister so I’m off to a late start.”
“Well, don’t let me keep you. The beach will start to get crowded soon.”
“Yes, it will. It was nice to meet you. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Perhaps. Enjoy your run.”
Sterling turned away when she chuckled, hiding his body’s reaction. He made his way toward the beach house, not stopping until he reached the patio. When he glanced back the woman he’d shared a brief interaction with was bent over at the waist again. He bit back a groan of torture at the shapely derriere provocatively presented to him.
After picking up the beach towel, he fumbled for the house key. Once he was inside, he raced straight to the bathroom to take the coldest shower he could stand. He stood inside the shower stall in shock. He hadn’t had this sort of reaction to a woman in so long, he hadn’t thought it possible. On one hand he was happy as hell. On the other, he felt a little guilty.
Releasing a pent up breath, he picked up a washcloth and changed the water to a warmer temperature. There was no point in analyzing his reaction to a woman he’d never see again. He was in Myrtle Beach on vacation. Not to worry himself to death. He could do that after he returned home.
* * * *
Naja focused on keeping her breathing deep and even as she ran down the beach. It was
hard to contain her excitement. She’d hit the jackpot. Without even trying, she’d run into a man appearing to be the perfect candidate for what she desired. The fact he was her neighbor was icing on the cake.
It was hard for her not to break out in a sprint to hurry up and get back to the house, but she needed to plan. Her mystery neighbor had definitely appeared to be interested, but nervous. She didn’t know why. There hadn’t been a ring on his left hand when he’d run his fingers through his brownish blonde hair. And what nice hands they were. Wide palmed and connected to what appeared like lean fingers. Oh yes, he would most certainly have a nice firm grip.
She grinned. This vacation was definitely starting to shape up. She’d discovered one fine specimen of a man. When she’d first glanced up at the sound of approaching steps in the sand, she’d been weary, hoping she wasn’t about to be approached by another man who didn’t look as if he’d barely graduated high school. Instead she’d found herself staring at a man who was definitely mature. He had to at least be in his early to mid-forties. And he was sexy as all get out.
Even now she could picture his intense blue eyes. So blue they were almost gray. His shirtless broad shoulders and his long subtly muscled body deserved honorable mention too. He’d towered over her five-foot six frame when she’d straightened by almost a foot. He was definitely over six feet and just the right height for her to climb if he gave her the chance.
She laughed at the thought. It was bound to be one heck of a ride. The only thing she had to figure out how to get him to agree. While she could pick up on his interest in her, he seemed a little reluctant to act. Maybe he had a girlfriend. If he did, she’d walk away. If he didn’t, he was fair game.
Today was shaping up to be a good day. She turned around and headed back in the direction she’d just come from. Several moments later she slowed her pace as she reached the beach house.
She took a few moments to run through her cool down regime.
When she was finished she looked over at the house her gorgeous stranger had disappeared into. She wondered what he was up to. After making her way into the beach house, she made her way straight for the shower. Half an hour later she stood in the kitchen, cooking up a plan. Literally.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she found herself at the front door of her neighbor, hand raised to knock. A few heartbeats later the door swung open and her handsome stranger stood there. She stifled a chuckle when his mouth fell open before he schooled his expression.
“Good afternoon. I brought you a neighborly gift.”
His brows furrowed together. “Neighborly gift?”
“Yes.” She held up the small covered basket in case he hadn’t seen it.
His frowned deepened. “Did you say neighbors?”
“I sure did,” she said, nodding in the direction of her family’s home. “I’m staying right next door.”
“Interesting.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” she murmured. “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you. Just thought I would drop this by.”
She held the basket out to him. When he didn’t take it, she lifted the lid so he could see the contents. “It’s harmless, I swear.”
He finally took the basket, one corner of his mouth curving upward. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day.” She turned to leave.
“Hang on a second. What’s your name?”
Putting her brightest smile into place, she pivoted on her heels and extended her hand.
“Naja. Naja Westbrook. An
d you are?”
His large hand engulfed hers. “Sterling Henson. Pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well.”
When he made no move to release her hand, she pulled back. As much as she would like to continue to hold hands with him, she’d successfully completed her task and gained more useful information in the process. “Again, I don’t want to keep you. Enjoy.”
She spun back around and headed toward the steps.
“Wait,” he called out.
Naja stopped, but she didn’t turn around. “Yes?”
“It looks like you’ve made enough for two.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Yes, in case you had any guests.”
“It’s just me. Would you like to join me?”
“Are you sure?”
“Not really, but it beats eating this great looking food by myself.”
Naja fought a grin. Maybe he wouldn’t put up as much resistance as she’d expected.
“Okay then. It would be my pleasure to join you.”
“Great.”
When she faced him, he stood to the side of the doorway in invitation.
She walked toward him, slightly brushing up against him as she entered his home. It was nice and spacious.
“Would you like to eat in the kitchen or out on the patio?”
“It’s nice out. Let’s sit on the patio.”
“Okay. Let me just grab a bottle of wine, some plates and eating utensils. Are you okay with a cabernet?”
“Perfect. Let me take the basket while you get the other stuff.”
“Deal.”
Naja took the basket from him and headed out to the patio. She took the items out of the basket and placed them on the table. At least she was off to a good start. Not only had Sterling accepted her gift, he’d asked her to share it with him and he’d informed her she didn’t have any competition present.
She looked up when the glass door slid open. Her breath caught in her throat. He was so gorgeous it was unreal. How could a man like him be unattached? She planned to find out before their impromptu lunch was over.
Sterling sat the two wine glasses down and poured wine into them from the bottle he’d already opened.
“This really looks good, especially since I’m not the best of cooks.”
“Actually, none of this required cooking, just a lot of chopping and mixing.”
She’d made a crab salad, tomato, avocado and lettuce spinach wrap, along with a mixed fruit salad. Quick and simple, but filling. It didn’t take her long to plate the food. A few moments later she sat across from him, staring out at the water while sipping on her wine.
She glanced over at Sterling when he moaned. His eyes were closed and an expression of bliss covered his face.
“Wow,” he stated as he finished chewing. “This is really good.”
“Thank you. So is the wine.”
“I appreciate you bringing this by. Otherwise I would probably be eating another grilled cheese or turkey sandwich.”
Naja smiled. “Your cooking can’t be that bad.”
“Believe me, it depends on what I’m fixing. I have boxed meals down pretty well, but I’ve been known to mess those up a time or two.”
“Doesn’t sound or appear as if you are in any danger of starving.”
He chuckled. “No, I’m not.”
“So what brings you to Myrtle Beach?”
“My best friend Elton. He said I was long overdue for a vacation. So he offered up his beach home for a few weeks and I said yes. What about you?”
“Like yourself, I needed a vacation. But I’m also using this as an opportunity to meet my sister’s new boyfriend. I’m staying in my family’s beach house.”
“How long do you plan to stay?”
“Two weeks. You?”
“The same.”
“So you’re on vacation by yourself?”
One corner of his mouth tilted upward. “Is that your way of asking me if I’m involved with someone special?”
“Yes.”
His amusement faded. “No. I used to be, but not anymore.”
“Do you mind if I ask what happened?”
“Not at all. She died.”
Chapter Three
Naja’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She felt terrible for asking such a personal question, especially since it had such a tragic ending.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope my question didn’t seem too insensitive.”
“It wasn’t. You had no way of knowing. Besides, I don’t mind you asking. It’s a lot easier for me to talk about it now than it used to be.”
As much as she didn’t want to pry, she knew anything he revealed would give her insight to who he was as a person. While he was gorgeous, she didn’t want to take up with a man who wasn’t mentally stable. “Will you tell me about her?”
Sterling took a sip of his wine. “Amelia was beautiful, kind, caring and full of life, all the way up to the unexpected end.”
“Unexpected?”
“She died of a brain aneurysm.”
Naja instinctively reached out across the table. “I’m so sorry, Sterling.”
“So am I. As I said, it was sudden. Amelia was a total health nut. Ate right and worked out.
She was thirty eight when she passed.”
“Did the two of you have any children?”
“No, we’d tried unsuccessfully several times. We’d just decided to adopt a few months before everything happened.”
Naja’s heart tightened in her chest and she struggled to hold back the tears springing into her eyes. So much heartache. She saw the pain in his eyes.
“Amelia died eight months ago. At first it was everything I could do just to keep going. A lot of days I didn’t want to get out of bed. But my friend Elton refused to let me wallow in sorrow. He was there to pick me up when I needed it, gave me a shoulder to cry on if I couldn’t contain my sadness. More importantly he gave me several swift kicks when I needed them. He still does. I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for him.”
Sterling chuckled. “He says I need to balance out my work life and personal life. To an extent I agree with him. I’m ready to get back out there socially, but I want to take my time.”
“Then you should. No one knows you like you know yourself.”
“That’s true. What about you? Is there someone special in your life?”
“No. I run my own event planning business, which usually has me extremely busy so I don’t have a lot of time to date.”
“Ever been married? Any children?”
“No to both.”
“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but the men you’ve dated in the past must have been complete idiots to walk away from you.”
She reached out and picked up a strawberry. “Who says they walked away?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t make it any better. I would have thought they would’ve fought
harder to keep you.”
His comment gave her pause. He was starting to sound more and more like a guy who
wouldn’t go for a casual arrangement. That wasn’t good. While she was happy for her sister, she wasn’t looking for a permanent arrangement. Heck, she barely had time for casual. It’d been months since she’d done the horizontal—or vertical—tango with anyone. Sterling definitely seemed to be a good candidate, but she had to be certain.
“Sterling, do you mind if I ask how old you are?”
“No. I just turned forty-six in May.”
She smiled. Right in the age bracket she’d guessed. Man did he make forty-six look good. He clearly took care of himself. Considering what he’d just revealed about his former wife, that didn’t come as a shock.
“I’m thirty-one.”
“A very mature thirty-one,” he murmured.
“I’d like to think so. Which brings me to another question. Would you be open to becoming involved with someone while you’re here on vacation?”
Sterling titled his head to the side and studied her. “What do you mean involved?”
Okay then. He wanted straight and direct, she would give it to him. “Would you be open to a casual sex relationship?”
He took a sip of wine. After he swallowed, he cleared his throat. “To be honest, I haven’t had a casual relationship since I was in my late twenties. I was married to my wife for fourteen years, dated her for an additional two before that point.”
“So in other words, no.”
“Are you asking me if I would like to have a no strings attached affair with you, Naja?”
“Yes. I’m only here for two weeks like yourself. We’re clearly attracted to each other. I think we’re both intelligent, rational and professional people. You need to unwind and so do I. Why not do it together?”
He chuckled. “The corporate attorney in me likes your negotiation skills.”
“And the woman in me desires the man in you.”
“What if I told you you’re offering me something I’m not interested in?”
Naja grinned. “I wouldn’t believe you. You’ve tolerated my presence too long. You’re definitely interested. The question is in what.”
Sterling turned his attention to the water. “There’s a reason why I’ve been reluctant to get back into the social scene. I’m a man who doesn’t have time to play games. I have no desire to end up in a different woman’s bed every night. Nor am I looking to get married right away. What I want is true companionship. Someone I can take out, get to know without all the pressure and hassle of trying to figure out what comes next. If that leads to intimacy, wonderful. If it turns into something more, even better. But the most is important thing, Naja, is I want to take my time.”
Naja stifled a sigh. This man was saying everything she’d want to hear if she were in a position to have a relationship. But that wasn’t what she craved right now. When she returned home to Raleigh she had a schedule that would make any event planner scream. But she liked it that way.
She had a job she loved and couldn’t imagine doing anything better.
