Homesick. For Colorado. That was something, wasn’t it? I didn’t think I would be moving to Texas with my brothers. They may want me to, but I couldn’t. Not when I was sure that starting over someplace new wasn’t for me. I had a job I loved, and I was saving for a home eventually, but I enjoyed the place I was renting now. I loved my place. And I loved my people.
And though it was awkward, and it would be even more awkward once reality set in, I liked it there. I didn’t want to go to Texas with my brothers.
The girls said goodbye, the pings of their texts bringing me out of my thoughts. I quickly said goodbye, too then silenced my phone, stuck it in my small bag, and rechecked my lipstick.
I didn’t know why I was getting so dressed up for Beckett. Maybe I was just getting dressed up for me. For a date. That had to be good enough. Right?
Someone softly rapped their knuckles on the door, and I swallowed hard.
He was here. For our not-date.
Why was I so nervous?
Oh, yes, because I hadn’t really gone out to dinner at a nice place with a man besides Marshall since I was what, twenty? A teen? I didn’t even remember anymore. All the years just blurred together.
I quickly made my way to the door and opened it to see Beckett standing there in stone-gray slacks and a black button-down, open at the neck. He had rolled up his sleeves so his forearms were bare, the ink peeking out, and I swallowed hard.
Why had I never noticed his forearms before? And, honestly, why was I noticing them now? I shouldn’t be. I couldn’t be.
Why was I looking at Beckett like this? I’d lost my husband a year ago, and I was ready to date. Beckett wouldn’t be that person. He couldn’t be.
And yet, something in the back of my mind told me that I was wrong.
Or maybe it was just that this was wrong.
“You look great,” he said after he cleared his throat. I licked my lips, grateful I was wearing matte lipstick that wouldn’t smear, and then wondered why it mattered.
This was Beckett. My best friend’s brother.
Nothing more. But nothing less either.
“Are we walking over there?” I asked as he moved out of the way so I could close the door behind me. “Oh, and you look great.” I stumbled over the words, feeling awkward. Why was this so weird?
“It’s a couple of blocks down.” He looked at my feet. “Can you make it?”
“Maybe we can take a cab back.” I wasn’t great in heels after a few hours, even if they looked wonderful on my feet.
“The hotel has a car service. It’s free.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course, it is. This is so not how I normally live. This place is so classy.”
“And you think I do live like this? I’m not even wearing a suit jacket.”
I did my best not to rake my gaze over his body. That would be wrong. Oh, so wrong. “I looked it up, you don’t need one. It would probably make you feel out of place if you wore one.”
“I feel out of place not wearing a suit jacket when I’m walking through the lobby here,” he said dryly.
“True. You think it matters that I’m wearing discount heels?”
“Your legs look fucking amazing in those heels. I think you’re fine.” He paused as we stood by the elevator and then winced. “Should I not have said that?”
“You know what? I just…I like it. So, keep saying it. You don’t have to apologize.” And I could totally ignore the little fluttery sensation that kept popping up every time he mentioned something about me. I was losing my mind, but I was okay with that.
“You like it?” he asked, his voice soft.
I swallowed hard and looked at his lips, then told myself that I was going to hell. “I don’t mind being flattered.”
His gaze darkened, and I knew it had to be the lighting. Nothing more. “I guess we can make sure that you’re flattered tonight.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
The chime to the elevator dinged, and we looked inside at the nearly full cab. People moved out of the way, and we made our way in, a large man standing between us.
That was good. We would let the large, sweaty man in a suit coat of all things stand between us so I could get my bearings.
We made our way out and ordered a car service to take us to the restaurant. It was slightly overcast outside, a storm coming in. That was the beach for you, you never knew when a storm would show up.
We sat in the back seat, talking about home and Archer and Paige’s antics—nothing important.
Beckett didn’t compliment my legs again, but I did notice how his gaze traveled over them and took in the way I crossed my ankles.
Or maybe I was just seeing things I wanted to see. Did I want to see them?
I really needed a drink. Not that adding alcohol to the situation would help.
We made our way inside the nice restaurant and saw people wearing clothing similar to ours. I was grateful that I had looked it up. If we had dressed down any more than we were, we wouldn’t have fit in, but this worked.
Not that I truly cared what people thought of me. Still, I was nervous enough; I didn’t need to add to it.
“Montgomery, party of two,” the host said, and I nearly snorted. Beckett winked at me, and I knew it was just for the ease of the reservation. Montgomery, Wilder-Strong reservation for two was a bit ridiculous. And everybody already assumed we were Montgomery party of two. We might as well keep it going.
“Right this way,” the host said as he led us to a corner table. The sun was just setting, though the dark clouds looked a little ominous. The waves crashed against the beach a little harder than they had before, but it was still beautiful.
“Will this be to your liking?”
“It’s gorgeous,” I said quickly.
“Seriously,” Beckett added. “Thank you.”
“It’s our pleasure. Your waiter will be here soon to talk about the specials. Enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you,” I said as he pushed me into my seat. I looked over the wine list and shook my head. “Okay, when I looked up the menu, I think I was looking at weeknight prices.”
Beckett raised a brow. “Really? It’s not that bad, is it?”
His brows winged up more after he peeked. “Okay, so it’s not great. Don’t worry, tonight is on me.”
“Beckett,” I snapped quietly. Indignation filled me, and I tried to push it away. “I don’t need charity.”
His other brow rose. “Excuse me? You have a fantastic job, and I know you do well. However, I do pretty good myself. So, just let me take care of this. You can buy breakfast tomorrow.”
“Beckett.”
“Or we can split the bill. It’s your prerogative. However, I’m going to order this bottle of wine that I know Annabelle likes when she can drink. It’s one Jacob bought for her for their six-month anniversary, of all things.”
My eyes widened. “Wow, being a lawyer must pay well.”
“Apparently, it does. And I can afford it, don’t worry. So, either we split the check, or you let me pay for it all. Either way, we’re enjoying ourselves tonight.”
I knew I was being touchy and needed to stop. I was going to ruin a perfectly nice night if I didn’t get over myself and my issues. “Okay, fine, but I’m getting the grouper.”
He laughed, and I blushed. It felt weird not to worry about money because I always did. I saved, scrimped, and my art paid well, but what if it didn’t in the future? I needed to save. I didn’t indulge in things. I rarely could when Marshall was around because he didn’t like spending money at all. And I hadn’t been the one to encourage it.
I didn’t need to compare Beckett to Marshall. That was wrong.
The waiter came and mentioned the specials. There was indeed a grouper dish, and swordfish that sounded fantastic. We each ordered one, as well as the bottle of wine and some sparkling water.
“We’re going to split our meals, right?” Beckett asked as we sipped our wine and ate bread.
&nb
sp; “Of course. You didn’t think I was going to let you walk out of here without me eating off your plate, did you?”
“I just wanted to make sure,” he said, shaking his head.
“Do you feel more relaxed?” I asked softly.
He looked at me then, studying my face. I tried not to duck, attempted not to blush. “You know what? I probably could have relaxed at home if I had stayed once everybody knew my secret. Then again, maybe I did need a vacation.” He paused and looked down at the wine in his glass. “Maybe I just needed the beach and the company of a friend I really like.”
I blinked and looked up at him. “That’s…that’s nice.”
“I enjoy spending time with you, Eliza. I always have.”
“We rarely spend time alone, though,” I countered. “We’re usually surrounded by Montgomerys and Brenna. And Lee. And Jacob. And all the other boyfriends.”
“True. Brenna’s my best friend. I think I sometimes spend more time alone with her or Lee than I do Benjamin, and Benjamin’s my twin.”
I smiled at that. “I love that you and Brenna are so close.”
“We were friends before I introduced her to Annabelle. Now, we’re all this conglomerate where we say we’re all each other’s best friends, and it works.”
“Do you know how you’re going to make it up to her? Keeping that secret? I know you needed to, but you should also make it up to her. She’s one of my best friends, too.”
He winced and downed more of his wine. “No, I have no idea what I’m going to do. She knows that I’m here, though not at this resort.”
I winced. “Speaking of keeping secrets…” My voice trailed off. I met his gaze. Thankfully, he seemed to understand.
“We’ll tell them. Though it’s kind of nice having this time and space between the two of us. Does that sound like I’m a horrible person after just talking about not keeping secrets from Brenna?”
“No, I don’t think we’re going to keep secrets. I am enjoying this. It’s just a little awkward telling them over the phone what happened. Maybe on our way back when we’re driving home? We can send them a selfie of us on the beach and be like ‘look who I ran into,’” I said.
“That works. I don’t want to waste what little vacation we have left trying to explain to them something they might already know.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Don’t you think it’s odd that we’re at the same resort out of all the places in the world we could have gone? That Eli and Lee just happened to know the same person?”
I shook my head. “I thought it was odd. However, you’re Montgomerys. You know everybody.”
“It wasn’t a Montgomery who sent us here. Either of us. Not that we know of, anyway. Unless they orchestrated it all.”
“Now you’re making me think of like a spider and the Montgomerys just making their own little web to put people where they need them.”
“I wouldn’t put it past Paige. She does like organizing things.”
I snorted, and when the food arrived, we split it and shared. It was wonderful. It felt right. As if Beckett and I had been friends for far longer than we had. He had been right before. We didn’t spend time alone, but it worked now. He was easy to talk to, and the heavy weight that had been on his shoulders for so long seemed to be slowly breaking away, piece by piece as time moved on. He was relaxing. I didn’t think he had relaxed at all these past few months. And I didn’t like that I hadn’t noticed. I’d been so worked up over my issues that I hadn’t noticed he’d been in pain.
Well, I was going to do better. No matter what.
We declined dessert since we were both full and made our way back to the car service after Beckett called. I’d had three glasses of wine, same as Beckett, and I was a little tipsy but not too buzzed. Not drunk at all. I was warm and happy. And as I leaned on Beckett, I felt comfortable. And, of course, part of me felt a little uncomfortable, but I wasn’t going to think about that. I couldn’t.
He looked down at me and smiled, his eyes dark, and then we got into the car, and I told myself that I was imagining things. Again.
We made our way into the hotel, talking about dinner and his sisters, about Benjamin, work, my art. Nothing truly complicated. And then we made our way back to our floor.
“What size balcony do you have?” I asked out of the blue, thinking of my beautiful room.
He frowned. “I don’t know, the same size as yours, I think.”
I shook my head. “I’m on the curve of the building. I think your balcony is the size of a room. Mine’s a little ridiculous.”
“Okay, well now I have to see it.”
I had just invited Beckett Montgomery into my room to see my balcony. Might as well have asked him to see my etchings.
What was wrong with me?
I didn’t care right then. Not even a little.
I made my way into the room, grateful that I had cleaned up before I left. We walked past the suite area, and I noticed Beckett’s gaze move to the bed. I swallowed hard.
We made our way to the balcony, and Beckett’s eyes bulged. “I think your balcony is the size of my first apartment.”
I bounced on my toes as I looked around. “Right? There’s a hot tub. On my balcony.”
“Dear God,” he said as we took in the enormous area. “I thought this was like the penthouse suite’s balcony.”
“No, there’s one of those for the owner, and that’s above us. This is just mine. I’m kind of sad for your little balcony.” I giggled and, though I wasn’t drunk, I felt high on something. Maybe a Montgomery.
He grinned. “Hey, don’t make fun of the size of my balcony.”
I looked at him then, trying to keep a smile on my face, and then burst out laughing.
“You’re ridiculous,” I said with a laugh.
“Maybe, but damn it, now I’m kind of mad that you got this room, and I didn’t.”
“Balcony envy?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes and walked towards me. I moved with him, looking over the balcony towards the darkness of the ocean, the moonlight shining on the small, cresting waves, and I just wanted to breathe it in. Of course, I was me, and I slightly tripped over a divot for the water runoff. I cursed and clung to Beckett as he kept me steady. One hand found his chest, the other wrapped around his forearm.
“Eliza,” he whispered.
“Beckett.” And then he lowered his mouth, and I couldn’t think.
Chapter 14
Beckett
* * *
Eliza tasted of wine and sweetness. I barely held back a groan.
What was I doing? This didn’t make any sense. I shouldn’t be doing this. We weren’t drunk, far from it actually, and yet I felt drunk. Not on wine, though. On Eliza. Just her mere presence did things to me.
Had it always been this way? I didn’t think so. Wouldn’t I have noticed?
Or perhaps I just needed a moment to breathe. A moment to think. A moment to be. Maybe I needed all of that. Or perhaps I was losing my mind.
I leaned down to cup her face, and her fingers dug into my chest. Not pushing me away, holding me close. I swallowed hard, knowing that this might be a mistake. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop.
I needed to, at least for a moment. And so, I pulled away and rested my forehead on hers.
“Beckett,” she breathed.
“What are we doing?” I asked.
She was silent for a moment, and I was afraid we’d made an even larger mistake than I thought at first. “I just…I need you. Can you be what I need for the night? Can I be the same for you?” Her voice was steady after that first tumble, and she sounded like the Eliza I knew. And yet…
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered, my voice low.
“You’re not going to hurt me. Not if we both understand what this is.”
I laughed softly, my hands running through her hair. So soft, so amazing. “And what is that?” I asked.
She looked at me, her eye
s dark, full of the same need I felt. “Just you and me. For the night.”
“I don’t want to be too much. I don’t want to take advantage.”
“I want this, Beckett. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t ask for it.”
Her eyes were clear, her intent evident. And I knew that this might be a mistake, but it was one I was willing to make. There was something here, something I couldn’t quite pull away from. I needed this. And so did she. I kissed her again, and she groaned, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“Do you think the rest of the hotel across the way can see us right now?” she whispered against me as my hands slowly slid down her hips to grip her.
“Maybe. Should we take this inside?” I asked, my voice low. Rough. “We’ll take this slow,” I whispered, “We’ll stop whenever you want to.”
“And what about you?” she asked, her hands sliding down my sides. “We can stop if you want this to end, as well.”
“Eliza? I don’t think I want this to end.” Then I kissed her again.
There weren’t many words after that, I didn’t think. I just wanted her taste, her touch, the little sounds she made when I kissed her. The bed was decently far away, and I knew those heels had to be hurting her feet after all this time. So, I reached down and picked her up. She let out a squeal and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Your back,” she exclaimed.
“I think I can handle you,” I said before kissing her again. I carried her into the bedroom part of the suite—the double set of doors on the other end from where we had entered.
“Beckett…” she whispered.
“I’m here,” I said as I slowly set her feet on the floor.
I kissed her again, my hands slowly running over her body.
And when my fingers brushed along the tie at her side, her mouth parted, a sharp little gasp slipping out of her mouth. Her hand went to mine, and I froze. Then she kissed me harder before helping me untie her dress. It draped open as if it were made for that, and I swallowed hard, looking my fill. Her breasts were large, covered by a lacy bra that only lifted them higher. I could see her dusky pink nipples through the lace and licked my lips, my cock impossibly hard. Her hips flared out, her belly soft, and the rest of her was barely covered in a tiny scrap of black lace.
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