by Tami Lund
“Yeah, right,” she says, her breathing already choppy. I hear the sound of fluttering paper and then a thunk. I think she may have tossed the puzzle book onto the floor.
She’s drenched, of course, since we had sex three times last night, and God love the woman, it was bare. I’ve never had sex without a condom until now, and I think I’m addicted. It’s definitely a different sensation. A really, really good, different sensation.
Or maybe that’s sex with Vicks. I can’t say I wouldn’t be having these same thoughts if we had used condoms. Being with Vicks, naked and vulnerable and honest, is a level of perception I never thought I’d achieve. Hell, I never realized it existed or that I’d even want to be here. And now that I am, I never want to leave.
I thrust two fingers into her while swirling my tongue over her clit. She makes this gurgling sound and kicks off the comforter and then threads her fingers into my hair while wrapping her legs around my back.
I keep at it until I feel her muscles start to steadily clench and unclench. I know she’s close, so I abruptly pull away, roll onto my back, and grab her around the waist, lifting her so that she’s sitting astride me.
With my hands on her hips and her palms on my chest, we lock gazes as we move in rhythm. Her mouth is slightly open, and her eyes are glazed. Her breasts jiggle, the rosy tips so stiff and tight they are like erasers. Without breaking eye contact, I lean up and latch my mouth onto one of those lovely nipples. She cries out and throws her head back while her inner muscles clamp around me, and I feel the flood of heat as she climaxes.
It’s all too much. The physical sensation, the absolute pure rightness of this situation, and my own orgasm quickly chases hers.
I let out a gasping breath and relax my hold on her hips, and she drapes herself across my chest. I wrap my arms around her back and bury my face in her hair.
“Okay, let’s go,” she says, abruptly pushing away from me and bouncing out of bed like I’ve injected her with caffeine.
“Where?”
“Back to the beach. It’s the unofficial end of summer, remember?”
“Hang on. I might be able to improve on that idea.” I grab my phone from the bedside table and shoot off a text to Myra. She and my boss, James, live in a swanky neighborhood out in the suburbs, across the street from his two brothers, whose houses border a private lake. For as long as they’ve lived there, Myra has insisted I have an open invitation to come over and enjoy the secluded, quiet beach. I’ve been there numerous times for parties or family gatherings, but this is the first time I’ve actually initiated a visit.
All the Frosts will be here, and we’re BBQing in a few hours, so yes, please come over, is her responding text.
I wave my phone at Vicks. “We’re going to barbeque and to the beach.”
She snags the device and starts scrolling up, reading the myriad messages Myra and I have exchanged over the course of our friendship. When Vicks lifts her gaze to my face, her brow is furrowed. “Who are the Frosts?”
“I told you, James Frost is my boss.”
“Yes, but who are the rest of them? This sounds like a family thing.”
“It is.”
“Are you related to them?”
I shake my head. “No, but blood relation isn’t really an issue with the Frosts. They just sort of adopt people. Come on, you’ll like them.”
“I don’t know…” Her zeal from a few moments ago is now muted.
“Why not? We can take Toby too. They are big animal people. He’ll fit right in.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
Vicks is worried? What could she possibly be concerned about?
I snag her hand, climb out of bed, and pull her into my arms. With a kiss to the top of her head, I say, “I know you’ll have fun. The Frosts love everyone.”
She starts to shake her head, so I cup her face and press kisses to her eyelids, her nose, her lips. “Have I let you down yet?”
She sputters out a laugh. “No, not yet. But…”
“Have faith in me. You will enjoy yourself. I promise. Now, let’s get a move on. There is lots of fun to be had today.”
***
The Frosts are so different from what I’m used to. My mother has a small family who we, admittedly, rarely see, and I don’t associate with my father’s side. You would think it would have taken me a bit of time to get used to the barely controlled chaos that is a Frost family function.
But, like I told Vicks, they make everyone feel welcome. And they are exactly the sort of family I wish I had. I was comfortable with these people from that first time I met them, at Myra and James’s wedding.
Vicks, however, apparently does not feel the same way. She clings to my arm, while clutching Toby’s leash in her other hand, as we follow the path of stepping stones that lead us to the back of Paynter and Chloe’s house. Paynter is the youngest Frost sibling, and his wife Chloe is James’s partner at Frost, Inc.
Initially, Chloe and Paynter were neighbors, but obviously combined households when their relationship moved beyond the standard friendly wave or quick chat at the mailbox. That allowed Paynter’s brother, Garrett, and his wife and daughter to move into the house next door. And last year, James and Myra moved in across the street. And now that their sister, Ronnie, is engaged to Erin’s best friend, Danny, it sounds like they are house hunting on this cul de sac too.
A tremor shivers up Vicks’s arm as the backyard and all its occupants come into view. I shake off her hand and wrap my arm around her shoulders, tucking her into my body.
“Why are you so nervous?” I ask.
“Are you kidding?” She lifts her face to stare at me in apparent horror. “I have unicorn hair, for God’s sake. And a tattoo that will be visible to everyone if I take off my cover-up and get in the water. Not to mention, this”—she waves at the crowd of people—“is not anything I’ve ever experienced before. You know what my family life was like.”
“Yeah, I do, and I can tell you the Frosts don’t care. I’m sure there are other tattoos in this crowd, and your hair is gorgeous. See that guy over there?” I nod at the single blond man in the group. “That’s Danny, my boss’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. Want to know what he does for a living? He’s an escort. Gets paid to date women.”
Her jaw drops to her chest. “Are you serious? And he’s engaged?”
“To James’s sister.”
“But he sleeps with other women.”
I shake my head. “Dates, not sleeps with. There is apparently a rather large market of women who would rather pay an escort to attend functions with them than bother with the dating game. The business has grown so much they’re looking to hire a second escort. And Myra says they are thinking about expanding into other cities, maybe franchising.”
“Given the guys I’ve dated in the past—and I use that term loosely—I can see the appeal. I’ve always just gone to events stag, but it’s good to know there are options.”
I tighten my grip on her shoulder. “How about you check my schedule first?”
The ghost of a smile graces her lips before Toby diverts her attention by tugging at his leash, trying to get at Spot, who is bouncing around at the end of a leash held by Garrett’s dark-haired, four-year-old daughter.
“Is that a goat?” Vicks asks, watching the energetic, black and white spotted animal.
I chuckle as I nod. “Yep. That’s Spot. Paynter and Chloe adopted her a little over a year ago, I think. And that’s Abby, holding her leash. She’s Garrett’s daughter.”
Vicks shakes her head. “I’m never going to remember all of this.”
Abby notices us at that point, and cries out, “Another dog!”
The little girl comes rushing toward us, wearing a striped swimsuit, dark ponytail bouncing, while she urges the goat to follow so they can “meet the newcomer.” Not newcomers, plural. Guess the kid doesn’t care about the humans who arrived with Toby.
An actual dog, one that is about thirteen
sizes larger than Toby, also begins charging our way. A Siamese cat leaps out from behind a nearby shrub and chases after the dog.
And last but not least, a white duck flaps its wings and waddles along after the cat.
“Good God,” Vicks whispers as she watches the menagerie head our way.
“Told you they were animal lovers.”
“This goes well beyond simple animal lovers.”
I chuckle as Abby drops to her knees and scratches Toby’s head while the dog sniffs noses with the goat. The massive, clumsy sheepdog barrels his way between them, his feathered tail whipping against my leg with enough force to nearly knock me over.
“Barclay!” a male voice shouts, but whichever animal he is trying to summon is blatantly ignoring him.
Then there is laughter, followed by a feminine voice saying, “Max, he’s far too excited to listen to you. We’re going to have to go over there and get him.”
A good-looking guy who is probably around my age jogs toward us while a pretty girl follows him at a more sedate pace. Evie Lane, Garrett and Erin’s nanny. I had been attracted to her when I first met her, had even considered asking her out. But per my usual, I panicked and couldn’t do it. This guy has accompanied her to a few gatherings over the summer, and given he’s here now, I assume he wasn’t so shy.
Which is fine, because I have my arm wrapped around the girl of my dreams. I just have to convince her of that fact.
“Sorry about this,” the guy says while he drags the large, hairy dog away from Toby and the goat. “He’s still a puppy, and I don’t think he has a clue how large he really is.”
I shrug because honestly, none of the animals seem put out. Toby is currently snuffling the cat, who isn’t exactly moving out of reach. The goat is bouncing around like a wind-up toy, and the duck is flapping its wings and seemingly trying to copy the hooved animal. Somebody should be videoing this. It would probably go viral on Facebook.
“Isn’t there a parrot too?” I ask.
Evie laughs. “Yes, but Danny hasn’t quite broken him of his swearing habit, so he limits the bird’s interaction with small children and, well, the general populace.”
“Maxwell Holt,” the guy says, thrusting his hand at me while struggling to hold onto the larger dog’s collar.
“Alex Darling,” I say, accepting his handshake. “I work for James. I think we’ve met before at one of these gatherings.”
“Ah, I thought you looked familiar. Nice to see you again. You remember my girlfriend, Evie?”
I swear, the girl with him preens at the word girlfriend. I glance at Vicks. Would she do the same?
“Nice to see you again, Evie. This is Victoria.”
“Tori,” she says shortly, lifting her hand to shake Evie’s.
“I love your hair,” Evie gushes. “It’s so pretty. I’ve been thinking about dyeing mine pink.”
“With her coloring, it would be sexy as hell,” Max adds.
“Thanks,” Vicks says. “And pink would be nice.” She sounds so…wooden. I need to figure out how to loosen her up.
“Myra invited us,” I inform Maxwell. “Do you know where she is?”
He nods at the lake in the distance. “She’s down on the beach with the baby.”
“Thanks.” I place my hand on the small of Vicks’s back. “Let’s grab a drink before we go say hi. What do you say?”
She says nothing, simply nods and scoops Toby into her arms. She’d probably never be able to drag him away from his new friends if left to his own devices.
“Relax,” I whisper as we make our way toward the deck attached to the back of the house. The grill is fired up, and Paynter is standing over it, flipping what looks like steaks while holding a bottle of beer in one hand and chatting with Ronnie’s beau.
A smoker is cooking some other meat next to them, and there are tables behind them practically groaning under the weight of all the food. Ice chests, undoubtedly loaded with drinks, are lined up against the railing; an assortment of wine bottles are clustered in the middle of a glass patio table.
“These guys take barbequing seriously,” I joke as I guide Vicks up the steps toward the drinks.
“I guess.”
Wow, she is really out of her element. I hate that she’s so uncomfortable. I’m beginning to regret the idea of coming here instead the public beach, where we would be two nameless individuals in a sea of hundreds. But I truly thought this would be fun. I had hoped she’d fit in instantly.
“Hey, Alex,” Paynter greets us. He waves the tongs he’s using to flip steaks.
“And hello to Alex’s friend,” Danny says, moving our way with his hand outstretched and his gaze on Vicks. I resist the urge to go caveman on him, because he’s a harmless flirt, but more than that, I know he utterly adores Ronnie and has no interest in stealing my girl.
Still, it’s difficult not to wrap my arms around her shoulder and tuck her into my body, a blatant signal that she’s mine, mine, mine.
“Aren’t you a gorgeous one,” he murmurs, shaking with both hands while he peruses her body. “And you’re here with Alex? Is he paying you?”
Vicks finally cracks a full-on smile.
“How much?” Danny presses. “If I give you ten percent more, will you ditch him?”
A nervous laugh bursts from her mouth, and she glances up at me, a question in her eye. I shake my head and then give Danny a glare. “For your information, she’s here of her own volition.”
“Actually, Alex promised I’d get to stuff myself with excellent barbeque,” Vicks says, her voice sounding natural.
“Ah,” Danny says, nodding. “That’s always a safe bribe when attending a Frost party. Paynter here is the master of the grill. And smoker. And he actually has the patience to teach me a thing or two.” He puffs out his chest like learning how to man a grill when he’s in his late twenties is something to be proud of.
“I’m Danny, by the way,” he adds.
“Tori. Nice to meet you.”
“Welcome to the Frost compound, Tori,” Paynter calls out, his back to us while he focuses on his steaks.
“Thanks.”
Danny claps his hands. “What’s your poison?”
Vicks glances at the assortment of wine bottles and says, “What kind of beer do you have?”
“Too many to list,” Danny says, walking over to the row of ice chests. “What’s your preference? We probably have it.”
“Labatt’s?”
Danny glances at Paynter. “That one I’m not sure of.”
“Third cooler, right side,” Paynter quips.
“See?” Danny says, while shoving his hand into the chunks of ice. “Told you.” He extracts an icy cold bottle of Labatt’s, uses an opener on his keychain to pop off the cap, and hands it to Vicks, before giving me an imploring look.
“I’ll have the same.” With my lightweight status, beer is the safest bet for an all-day event like this. Especially when I have every expectation of spending the night with Vicks again. No passing out for this guy. At least not until after a round of fabulous sex.
“Thanks,” I say when Danny hands me a beer “Ready to head down to the beach?” I ask Vicks.
She glances over her shoulder to where the expansive lawn rolls into a line of trees, beyond which is a small beach area that bleeds into the lake. Before she can respond, Abby appears at the bottom of the stairs, the goat’s leash in her hand.
“Can your dog come play with Spot?” she asks.
Vicks hesitates for a moment and then says, “Yes, of course.”
Abby hurries up the stairs and takes Toby’s leash. “Does he have to stay on the lead?”
Vicks shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t think he’ll go far. Not with all these other animals here.”
“Good.” Abby unlatches the leash and hands it back to Vicks. Toby’s stubby tail is wagging so fast his back legs are practically hovering. “What’s his name?”
“Toby.”
“O
kay, let’s go find the others, Toby.” Abby beckons the dog while leading the goat back down the stairs. Toby obediently trots along beside her.
“Damn,” I say. “She’s like the animal whisperer or something.”
“No kidding,” Vicks says. “I didn’t actually think he’d go with her. Normally Toby won’t let me out of his sight.”
“That’s because he’s comfortable here. He knows these are good people.”
She snorts. “Or maybe it’s because he’s a dog and he’s fascinated by all the other animals.”
I shrug. “Might be a small part of it. Should I take you around to sniff everyone’s butts? Will that help you to relax?”
“What? No!” Her eyes widen like she thinks I’m serious.
I snicker. “Okay, okay. Well, what do I need to do then? Because you are seriously tense, Vicks.” I use my free hand to massage her shoulder. The muscles are like rocks.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. This is just so foreign to me, I don’t know how to act.”
“Like yourself,” I suggest.
Her phone chirrups, and she pulls it out of the beach bag still draped over her shoulder. As she looks at the screen, her eyes widen and her back stiffens. She shakes off my hand on her shoulder and walks a few steps away before swiping her finger across the screen and tapping out a reply to what I assume is a text message.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing,” she says shortly, staring at her phone. It makes another noise. “Crap. I have to go.” She looks around wildly and then sticks two fingers in her mouth and whistles sharply. An instant later, Toby tears across the lawn, heading our way.
“Wait. What do you mean, you have to go? Go where? Is something wrong?”
“No. Yes. No. Nothing’s wrong. I just—I have to go. I have—uh…” She glances down at her phone again, like she’s looking for an answer that might appease me.
What the hell?
“Vicks, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t.” She scoops Toby into her arms and hurries down the steps, onto the path that trails around the house to the front yard. I stalk after her, and she stops and swings around to face me when she reaches the row of bushes lining the porch.
