Building Faith (Long Beach Series Book 2)

by Dani Matthews

  “How old are you?”

  “You know how old I am.”

  I nod to the swimsuit I'd unceremoniously shoved back on the rack. “That screams thirties. It's too old for you.”

  Her eyes turn troubled. “But it covers my...” Her lips clamp shut, and she looks away.

  I am completely clueless as to how the female mind works. Since she's not comfortable admitting whatever the problem is, I grab the swimsuit and hold it up, studying it. It's backless, so she's not worrying over her back. The bottom is a regular high-cut bikini. If she were concerned about her ass, she'd be looking at shorts or those ugly suits with attached skirts. My eyes lift to the ruffle across the top that would effectively hide her tits.

  Now I get it.

  I open my mouth to say something but find myself hesitating as I study her. Her back is to me, and she's looking through another rack—probably hoping I'll forget about her little slip-up. I want to tell her how much I like her tits, and that there's nothing wrong with them being small. But is that something a strictly platonic male friend would say? I'm afraid if I start praising her body parts, she might think I'm hitting on her or something.

  Bloody hell.

  I've never been just a friend to someone like Faith before. If it were Zoey getting all worked up over her tits, I'd be making crude comments about what could be done with those full C's of hers. But Faith isn't Zoey.

  Thank God.

  I try to figure out how to handle the situation. If I don't step in, Faith is going to be buying an ugly one-piece that will do nothing for her delectable body. It makes me wonder what she sees when she looks at herself in the mirror. Does she see what I see? Or... It suddenly sinks in why she's doubting her body. Motherfucker. If the bastard wasn't rotting in prison, I'd seriously consider taking a road trip to Harrison to pay her ex a visit.

  It takes me a moment to reign in my temper. When I do, I calmly put the one-piece back and glance at Faith. She's still going through racks, and I see two one-piece swimsuits are draped over her arm. Nope. Not happening. Instead of trying to coax her away from the one-pieces, I begin to do some browsing of my own. She's pretty small, so I'm guessing smalls for bottoms, XS if they have them. I look for bikinis that are in Faith's size range with a thirty-two cup. She's not going to want something that makes her look flat, so I look for the ones with padding.

  “What are you doing?”

  I have about six small bikinis in my hand, and I'm looking at a seventh when Faith's voice speaks up from my side. I glance at her with a lazy smile. “I thought I'd help,” I say, motioning to the bikinis I'm holding.

  She looks at them doubtfully. “For me?”

  “Do these look like they're my size?” I joke dryly.

  That causes her to laugh softly. “Would you be willing to try them on to find out?”

  “Not likely. Here.” I hold them out to her.

  She doesn't reach out to take them. Instead, she looks down at the swimsuits she already has. “I already picked some out.”

  “It doesn't hurt to try on these, too. You never know, you might just like them,” I coax. I watch as she bites her lip, and I know her well enough to know what she's thinking in this moment. She doesn't want to hurt my feelings by making me put the bikinis back.

  “Okay,” she murmurs as she reaches for them. She adds them to her pile, and I see her touch the padded cup of the one on top with her free hand. Her head tilts slightly, and she shrugs, clearly deciding they are worth trying on after all.

  We make our way to the dressing rooms and since the clerk isn't around, I follow her inside the main hallway.

  She looks over her shoulder at me with surprise. “You're coming in?”

  “Not in the room, but I'll sit right here by the three-way mirror. I'll help you decide what looks best.”

  Those blue eyes widen. “You want to see me in them?”

  “Wouldn't I be seeing you in one of them tomorrow anyway?”

  “Oh. Okay.” She turns and disappears into a dressing room, firmly shutting the door.

  “Bikinis first,” I call out.

  She mutters something under her breath, but I can't make out what it is. I grin and walk over to one of the chairs by the mirror. My eyes zero in on her feet beneath the door of her dressing room. We have the place to ourselves, so I watch unabashedly as she kicks off her sandals and begins undressing. When she slips off her shorts, followed by pale blue lace panties, I find myself adjusting my jeans. I have a feeling I'm going to be hiding a boner most of the day tomorrow.

  After five minutes, I realize she's standing stock still in the dressing room. I'm guessing she's not wanting to come out.

  “Come out, or I'm coming in,” I warn in a tone that will let her know I mean business.

  “I don't know, Ace...”

  “Let me be the judge. C'mon, Angel.”

  She sighs, and a second later the door opens. She tentatively steps out, and I stare at her. My eyes roam over her, taking in the blue, floral bikini top that pushes up her breasts perfectly. Soft swells appear above the top, giving her the illusion of full B's—exactly what she was probably hoping for. As my eyes trail down, they focus on her flat belly and her small, innie belly button. I fight not to lose myself to R-rated thoughts as I enjoy the sight of her softly rounded hips clad in the brief bikini bottoms. My eyes drift to those long legs of hers.

  Damn.

  Faith has a hot, little body. It's perfect. She's not too skinny or too curvy. The body she's rockin' is the best I've seen in a long time.

  She clears her throat awkwardly.

  I look up and see the uncertainty in her eyes. “Turn around,” I tell her.

  Her lips purse, but she obediently turns for me.

  Oh, fuck me.

  I'm not sure what turns me on more. That tight ass, or the butterfly design all across her back that is bared to me.

  Shit.

  I'm screwed tomorrow. And I mean figuratively, but I sure as hell wish literally.

  “Angel, you don't have to try on anything else. That's the one,” I say firmly as I fight my growing erection.

  She turns around and looks down at herself doubtfully. “You sure? I feel almost naked.”

  “Almost naked looks damn good on you,” I tell her bluntly.

  Her head jerks up, and she stares at me. She blinks, then gives me one of those sweet smiles as she gives in. “Okay. I'll get it.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Faith

  Ace takes me to the beach the following afternoon, and at first I am nervous to strip down to my bikini. As I tentatively slip off my shirt, I remember the way Ace had looked at me in the dressing room yesterday. He'd looked at me like I was the sexiest woman on earth. When he'd slowly looked me up and down, I swear I'd actually felt the burn of his gaze on my skin.

  “Angel?”

  God, I love it when he calls me that. I've never heard him call anyone else by that nickname, so I know it's specifically just for me. I glance at him and see that he's stripped down to his navy blue swimming trunks. My eyes have a mind of their own as they instantly focus on his pierced nipples. I am beyond fascinated with them. I want to touch them—better yet—tease the piercings with my teeth. I guess I can now understand why Zoey thought Caleb might like her piercing.

  “Faith?” Ace asks in an oddly strained voice.

  I quickly jerk my eyes upward to meet his gaze, and his eyes are unreadable, but a muscle tics ever so slightly in his jaw. It's then that I realize he'd caught me staring at his piercings. I can feel my face beginning to heat, but I fight it as I hold his gaze. “Did it hurt when you had them done?”

  I see a hint of a smile, but I still can't decipher what he's thinking. “Not too bad.”

  I nod and turn my attention back to stripping down to my bikini. Under normal circumstances, I'd probably be refusing to walk around in the two scraps of fabric—especially in public. However, the fact that Ace likes it on me has me relaxing. After I set aside my clot
hes on the beach towel, I straighten up and look at him.

  His gray eyes flicker over me, and he gives me one of his easy-going smiles. “I'm glad you bought that bikini.”

  I put my hands on my hips and arch an eyebrow. “You didn't really give me much of a choice.”

  He shrugs unapologetically. “When I like what I see, I usually don't hesitate. If you hadn't bought it, I would have.”

  “I don't think it would have looked as good on you as it does on me,” I tease.

  His eyes drift over me, and he gives me a wolfish grin. “Agreed. Last one in the water owes the other dinner tonight. Preferably home cooked.” He's gone the second his taunt leaves his lips.

  “Cheater,” I grumble as I quickly take off after him.

  For the rest of the afternoon, we play like little kids. When we're in the water, he stays close since I can't swim, and we spend an obscene amount of time trying to dunk and tackle each other. I feel comfortable enough around him to playfully attack him, and I know he'll never retaliate by getting mad or hurting me.

  When we grow bored of playing in the waves, we throw the Nerf football back and forth that he'd brought. I'm a little self-conscious running and diving around, but I soon grow comfortable. It helps that most of the other people around us are focusing more on Ace than myself. Yes, most of them are women, and they ogle his body with hungry eyes. I'm pretty sure I'd be jealous if it weren't for the fact that Ace ignores them completely, all his attention focused entirely on me.

  By the time we arrive back at the apartments, we're both sweaty and sandy. We pause outside my door, and I look up at him. “I'm going to leave the door unlocked, so just come on in when you're done showering. I'm sure you'll be done before me.”

  He nods, running a hand through his sweaty hair. “Anything you want me to bring for dinner?”

  I fight back a smile. “Do you have any real food in your refrigerator?”

  He looks slightly offended. “Of course, I do. You don't have to cook to eat vegetables and fruit,” he points out.

  “I didn't take you for the healthy eating type.”

  He grins. “I'm getting there. In my field of work, I should be following the same rules that are stressed to the athletes we deal with. Otherwise, I'm a bit of a hypocrite. I still toss in pizza and beer...about every third day,” he muses.

  I shake my head and pull out my key from my pocket. “If you have the makings for a salad, bring it.” I turn back and give him a firm look. “And if you don't have it, don't go to the store just to bring something over. I have plenty of that stuff in my own refrigerator,” I warn. Knowing Ace, he'd run to the store if he didn't have what he thought I would want.

  “Yes, ma'am,” he drawls with a chuckle before he turns and walks towards his own apartment.

  I walk into my own and firmly shut the door. The first thing I do is go straight to the bathroom where I'd locked Daisy up for the day. There's just barely enough room between the wall and toilet for her litter box, so the bathroom is the ideal location to keep her secure while I'm gone.

  When I open the door, she meows happily when she sees me. I quickly pick her up and cuddle her close to my face as I walk back to the kitchen. “Hey munchkin. Hungry?” I ask as I set her down near her small food and water dishes. She sits down next to the empty food dish and gazes up at me with adoring eyes.

  I quickly grab her kitty food out from beneath the lower cupboard and fill her dish for her. Then, I shut it and point my finger at her. “Be good while I shower,” I warn. She completely ignores me as she chows down hungrily.

  Since I'm running short on time, I quickly preheat the oven for BBQ ribs before rushing to my room to grab a fresh bra, panties, a tank and shorts. I toss them on the counter top and shut the door firmly. It takes me a couple minutes to unwind the shower curtain that I'd rolled up around the curtain rod so Daisy wouldn't shred any more of it.

  Finally, I hop in the shower and as soon as the warm water hits my sandy skin, I turn it as hot as I can stand it and let out a soft sigh of pleasure. I love showers. I'll stand beneath the hot spray for a full half hour if I'm not short on time. I know I have to be quick, but I still end up spending about twenty minutes washing my hair and re-shaving my legs and underarms.

  When I'm finished and clothed, my hair damp around my shoulders, I open the bathroom door and let the steam float out into the hallway. I carry my dirty clothes to my bedroom and toss them in the clothes basket that works as my hamper before strolling back towards the living room.

  Ace is sitting on the couch looking relaxed and freshly showered. His blond hair is slightly damp, and I note that his short-sleeved shirt is sticking to him in a few places while his feet are bare beneath the hem of his jeans. He looks like he belongs here in my apartment. I am a little taken aback when I spy Daisy curled up against his thigh.

  Ace ignores her completely and smiles at me in greeting. “I put the salad stuff in your refrigerator.”

  I pause in front of him and smirk. “Looks like you made a new friend.” I get the feeling that Ace isn't big on animals, which makes it all the more sweet that he'd surprised me with Daisy.

  He grimaces and glances at the snoozing kitten. “She followed me wherever I went. I had no choice but to give up and let her have her way.”

  “Aw. That's so—” I halt what I was going to say when he shoots me a warning look. I roll my eyes and walk away. “As if anyone's around to hear me call you sweet. What does it matter?” I ask with a laugh as I walk over to the oven to see if it's ready.

  A shriek escapes me when I feel fingers tickling my ribs from behind. I laugh helplessly and manage to plant my fist in his stomach before I squirm away to safety. I toss my hair out of my face and shoot him a look as I stand by the refrigerator. “What was that for?”

  “You're ticklish,” he muses with realization.

  “So.”

  “So every time you call me a pussy, I'm going to retaliate.”

  “I didn't even call you sweet!”

  “You implied you were going to,” he points out.

  My eyes narrow, and I study him, spying laughter in his gray eyes. I think he secretly likes it when I call him sweet, it just gives him a reason to do something in retaliation. Evidently, he finds me entertaining.

  I point a finger to one of the stools by the counter. “Sit. I have no intention of flavoring our salad or BBQ ribs with your blood. Unless you tickle me again,” I add as I give him a look. I'm not used to being tickled. It was weird...but not off putting.

  Ace's eyes light up. “You're making ribs? Looks like I owe you a movie tonight after dinner.”

  “I'll take you up on that offer,” I agree as I turn and open the refrigerator to pull out the ribs.

  “Jeremy will probably be out tonight, so I can hit the local Redbox down the block and we can watch it at my place. You really do need to buy a TV or something.”

  “I'll get one eventually.” I begin rinsing the ribs and patting them dry before placing them on aluminum foil. After I season the ribs, I seal them up in the foil and carefully place them in the oven. “There. They should be ready in about an hour.” I glance at Ace and see that he's text messaging someone. I don't want to bother him or be nosy, so I walk over to the sink to wash my hands.

  I am drying them off with a paper towel when Ace speaks up. “Sorry. That was Jeremy. He's going out with the guys tonight, so we'll have my place to ourselves,” he explains as he pockets his phone and turns his attention on me.

  “What kind of movie are we getting?” I ask as I lean a hip against the island while gazing at him over the counter. He's sitting directly across from me, and he looks so sexy tonight. I can't help but wish he were here under different circumstances. The second that thought enters my mind, I shove it aside. Ace is my best friend, and I need to stop lusting after him. Because seriously, I am lusting after him. Hard.

  “What do you like?” Ace asks in reference to my question.

  “Action. Or horror.
I haven't seen a horror movie in forever,” I confess.

  “Horror it is,” he agrees. “This is off topic, but I know you have college on your list. Have you looked into it yet?” he asks lightly.

  I shrug, resting my hands on the counter top. “Not really. I just want to work on putting my life back together before I make such a huge commitment.”

  His eyes search mine. “Is this temporary? Are you going back to Harrison eventually?”

  “I had only planned on staying for a year, but I'm thinking of sticking around permanently. Harrison holds too many memories, and I feel free here. Nothing is holding me back from living life anymore,” I tell him.

  “You always did what he wanted to do, didn't you?” he comments, his tone now cautious. He's being careful not to upset me.

  I chew my bottom lip and debate whether or not I want to talk about Justin with him. Our relationship is easy, and most of the time we joke around now that I've loosened up around him. Once in a while we get on the topic of something serious, but I usually divert any conversation that deals with Justin. We'd talked a bit about him when we first met, but we haven't since then. I don't want to delve into my past and my obvious stupidity. “Are you thirsty?” I blurt out awkwardly.

  Disappointment flickers in his eyes, but he still flashes me one of his devastating smiles. “Sure.”

  It's the disappointment that has me pausing as I take in his smile. It dawns on me that Ace is trying to take our friendship to another level. He wants me to be okay with talking to him about the not so great parts of my life.

  I'm suddenly feeling confused.

  Without a word, I turn and walk to the refrigerator to pull out two cans of soda. When I come back, I slide one to him, and he grabs it easily and pops the tab. I don't make a move to open mine as I sort out my thoughts. It's ironic really. Most people avoid the topic and tiptoe around me and my past. Yet here's Ace, willingly asking about it because he wants to get to know me. Why push away someone who isn't afraid to go to that bad place with me?

  “Faith,” Ace says softly. “I didn't mean to upset you.”