Half-Hitched

by Isabel Sharpe

  Dark. Quiet. Soft steady breathing from Sarah. Addie wilted in relief. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain any of the bizarre comedy of tonight’s errors to her friend.

  She crept into the room, laid the glow stick on the small table next to her twin bed and fumbled under her pillow for her pajamas. Sleeping naked was sexy with a man, but alone it felt all wrong and cold.

  Sarah’s sweater dropped off her easily; her pajamas bottoms went on easily. But when she swung her arms after pulling on the tops, she bumped the table and knocked the glow stick to the floor. Not only did it hit the boards with a bang, but it rolled noisily before she could grab it.

  “...Addie?”

  Argh!

  “Hi, Sara-a-ah,” she whispered soothingly. “Don’t wake up...I’m just going to bed.”

  “Don’t wake up?” Sarah was already up on her elbows, eyes wide, turning on the electric lamp next to her bed. “How can I possibly sleep? What happened? Why are you back so early? Tell me everything.”

  Good Lord, zero to sixty in two seconds. “In the morning, Sarah, I’m exhaus—”

  “What do you mean morning? Are you kidding me? I’ll go out of my mind.” She tossed aside half the covers and patted the mattress next to her. “C’mon. Spill.”

  Addie sighed. If she wanted any sleep tonight, she’d have to tell everything. Otherwise Sarah would be at her until the end of time. She crossed reluctantly and sat next to her friend; let Sarah fuss putting the covers back over their legs.

  “Now, tell.”

  “Okay.” Addie blew out a breath. “First off all, Sarah, Kevin’s room is on the left at the top of the stairs.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s on the—” Her eyes shot wide. She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Omigod. Omigod.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But if you turned right...wait, did you turn right?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “So you went into—” She gasped. “Derek’s room!”

  “Yup.”

  “You walked in and took off your clothes in Derek’s room?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “No!” She gave a strangled yell that could have been laughter but probably wasn’t. “Tell me you didn’t climb into bed with him.”

  “I did.”

  “Oh, God! At least tell me he threw you out right away or you bolted. At least tell me he didn’t touch you.”

  Addie turned to look at her incredulously. “Uh, Sarah?”

  “He did.” The wail was anguished and unexpected. “I knew it.”

  “For heaven’s sake.” Apparently any contact between her and Derek was highly offensive to everyone tonight. “I apologized, we talked for a couple of minutes and I left the room.”

  Sarah was nearly in tears. “I’m sorry. I am being ridiculous. It’s just that you always...”

  “Always what?”

  “Get the guy!”

  “Sarah!” Addie was more stunned at that moment than she’d been all evening. And it had been one hell of an evening. A vision of her neat and ordered rooms in Aunt Grace’s apartment floated temptingly. Maybe she wouldn’t get a condo. Maybe she’d stay there forever with her lovely routines and cats, flossing regularly, and never change anything in her life ever again. “I didn’t ‘get’ Derek. I don’t even want him. And I have no idea who else you could mean.”

  “Kevin.”

  “Wait, you want Kevin?”

  “No!” Sarah wailed.

  Addie pressed a hand to her temple. This was going to make her insane. “Do you want me to finish the story?”

  “Yes.” She sniffled. “I’m sorry.”

  “Okay. So I charged out of Derek’s room, still pretty much naked, and I bumped into Kevin. Literally.”

  Sarah gaped at her. Let the record show that for once Addie had managed to render her speechless.

  “You. Did. Not.”

  Speechless at least for one second. “I did. And you know what? When he found out I’d been going to seduce him, he said he’d rather get to know me again slowly first.”

  Another gasp. “Oh, Addie! That is adorable. I knew you and Kevin were right for each other. Derek is seriously bad news.”

  For a weird second Addie wanted to defend Derek. Quite hotly. But that would get her exactly nowhere. Besides, she had no proof that Derek wasn’t a player, just Sarah’s word, which, depending on Sarah’s mood, might or might not mean anything.

  “So now you and Kevin are good?”

  “We’re good.” Actually Addie had no idea what they were, but she smiled and squeezed Sarah’s leg anyway by way of saying good-night, and got up, completely drained, not wanting to think about Derek or Kevin or any combination thereof for the rest of the night if not weekend. Sarah turned off her lamp and Addie got into bed by the nauseating green light of the glow stick, which she never, ever wanted to see again.

  “Addie? Are you going to go after Derek now?”

  Addie paused, about to bury the offending light under her pillow. What the hell was she talking about? “Of course not. Why, do you want to go after him?”

  “Me? Me?” Sarah laughed loudly. “As if. I would never go after a player like that. His criteria for choosing a sex partner is female and breathing. No, no, I was just worried you’d get hurt.”

  “Okay, then.” Addie sighed, feeling like she’d been hollowed out and filled with sadness. Maybe she’d give up this whole man thing. At least for now. It had all become way too complicated.

  “Hey, Addie. I had a great idea.”

  Addie groaned. “If this has anything to do with men, I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Aw, Addie. C’mon. You...” Silence, while Addie could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. “No, nothing about men, it’s to cheer you up.”

  “Go ahead.” Addie yawned and nestled into the pillow, immediately having to banish memories of lying nestled against Derek.

  Oh, dear.

  “There’s a secret cove on Storness Island. No one knows about it but our family. The entrance to the path is camouflaged and you can’t see the beach from the water, either, because there’s a spit of land in the way. Let’s go there and sunbathe nude tomorrow. Take a break from guys and everything....”

  “Sure,” Addie murmured drowsily. Sarah was up to something, but right then she didn’t have the energy to care. “Fine. Whatever.”

  “It’s great, you’ll love it.”

  “Mmm...”

  She was asleep in about ten seconds. When she woke up, she was sorting boxes in Great-Aunt Grace’s old bedroom, patiently and meticulously organizing the contents, letters here, photographs there, all spread out on Aunt Grace’s four poster bed.

  Where suddenly Derek was lying naked, smiling devilishly.

  Impossible. He didn’t know where Aunt Grace lived. He was in Maine.

  A blink later, she was naked in bed with him, but not at Aunt Grace’s anymore, he was back in Maine, and she was kissing him ravenously until her body caught fire. Literally. And then Kevin was in bed with them, too, not seeming to mind the heat, making odd sucking sounds through his lips. Derek, not at all fazed by the bed being in flames, kicked with incredible power and sent Kevin flying across the room, where he curled up fetal and was instantly covered with seaweed, dribbling sand and water onto the braided rug.

  Awestruck, Addie looked up at Derek, looming over her, the two of them within a circle of fire now, like Siegfried and Brünnhilde from Wagner’s Ring cycle, which her parents had dragged her to as a teenager over her violent objections.

  You are mine, Addie. You know it as well as I do. We belong together. I felt it the second I met you, and you did, too. Kevin isn’t fit to wash your underwear.

  The dream changed and slowed. The fire was gone, t
he bed, clean and white again, floated on the sea, rocking gently, blue water all around, white clouds overhead, sweet breezes blowing it toward the sunset. What didn’t change was the passionate heat in Derek’s eyes, and the figurative fire in her body.

  He moved over her, and kissed her. She spread her legs and he slid inside her, his motion echoing the rocking of the bed and the waves, making love to her in time to nature’s rhythm, back and forth, in and out...

  As her arousal grew fierce, Addie began waking up.

  No, no. Not yet, not yet!

  She kept her eyes shut, keeping out reality, holding on to the feel of Derek’s body on top of hers. Her hand crept between her legs. In her mind she was still with him, out on that bright sea, tasting the salty breeze on his skin, moving her hips in time with his, feeling him moving deep inside her.

  Her fingers rubbed faster, then faster. The orgasm hit her hot and hard, alone in the dark.

  Derek Bates.

  Kevin Ames.

  What the hell was she going to do?

  8

  DEREK LIFTED THE ax high into the air and brought it down with a satisfying thunk. The small birch log split neatly down the middle; he added the pieces to the good-size stack he’d already cut. That morning he’d run twice around the island, done a punishing calisthenics workout, taken a ball-shrinking dip—couldn’t really call it swimming, more like flailing, splashing and gasping—in the icy sea, and was now involved in chopping enough wood for the Bossons to burn for the next twenty summers.

  Hey, he was happy to help them out. Less charitable was the fact that every time the ax bit deeply into the wood, he was imagining Kevin Ames’s head.

  Thunk.

  Last night he’d barely slept after Addie left.

  For one thing, he couldn’t erase the feel of her. The softness of her skin, her lips, the gentle swell of her breasts, the warm length of her body under his.

  From the first shock of discovering her in his bed, he’d suspected she’d made a mistake. Last night at dinner she’d made it quite clear that she was still determined to go after Kevin. God only knew what kind of Freudian slip brought her to his bed instead, but he didn’t believe for a second it was only an accident. Somewhere deep in her subconscious, Addie had known exactly what she was doing. For that reason Derek had no qualms about trying to prove she was in the right place with the right man.

  He’d almost succeeded, too. Together they’d generated serious hunger and heat. But while he wasn’t above a little underhanded persuasion, he wasn’t going to tie her down and force her to stay.

  Thunk.

  Ha. Derek had thought letting her go was agony. No, he’d tasted true agony when he realized she’d walked out of his door straight into the arms of the man she’d intended to have all along. He’d stood there, incredulous, still smelling her scent on his skin, listening to them talk for a few seconds before he moved away, not interested in hearing anything they were saying, not wanting to think about what might happen next.

  Thunk.

  Could Addie respond to him the way she had and then jump into bed with Kevin? He’d sure as hell like to think not. Whatever was between Addie and himself, whether it was simple chemistry or something deeper, he’d never experienced anything close to it. And he’d be willing to bet by Addie’s clear struggle between wanting out of his bed and wanting to stay in it, that she’d been surprised and overwhelmed by their passion, as well.

  So now what? Spend the next three days watching her throw herself at a drunken jerk who wouldn’t let her finish a sentence or express a thought? A guy Derek had caught the day before flirting outrageously with Carrie, who’d been puppy-dogging after Joe, who was tagging after Sarah, who was still semi subtly presenting herself to Derek, who was going crazy for Addie, who wanted Kevin?

  Thunk.

  If Addie was trying to land a really great guy, it would still be hard to step aside, but Derek wouldn’t hesitate. He had nothing to offer a woman long-term but a nomad’s life on the sea or a lonely life in port, waiting for him to come home. There were undoubtedly some women out there who’d embrace that life, but Addie had spelled out quite clearly that she wasn’t one of them. Nor was she the type to enjoy the here and now and to hell with later.

  He laid the ax across the stump he’d been using as a chopping pedestal, enjoying the faint breath of breeze across his bare torso. Hot day. At this rate he might make it back into the ocean for more ball-shrinking fun.

  “Hey, Derek.” Incredibly the object of his ax-wielding fury strolled into the clearing and lifted his fist for a bump. Derek hated fist bumps. “Puttin’ in some good sweat there, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  Kevin put his hands on his hips and slouched into a casual pose, apparently settling in to watch. He was wearing plaid shorts. Derek hated plaid shorts. With a yellow polo shirt. Derek hated yellow.

  “Nice day.” Kevin yawned wide and long, without covering his mouth.

  “Rough night?” Derek couldn’t help himself, even knowing he should shut the hell up.

  “Man, yeah. Crazy night.” Kevin laughed, scratching his head enthusiastically. “Amazing night.”

  Derek picked up the ax, sweat turning cold, stomach sinking. Addie had gone from his bed to Kevin’s.

  No, he couldn’t believe she’d do that. Did that make him perceptive or in denial?

  “That girl is a gymnast.” He put his hands to his lower back and bent side to side. “Wore me out.”

  That girl? Derek’s grip tightened on the handle. Did he forget her name already? With the amount Kevin had to drink last night, Derek wouldn’t be surprised. Though until he heard that Kevin had for sure been with Addie, he wasn’t going to believe it. Not totally. She was an intelligent, passionate, exciting woman, and Kevin...wore plaid shorts. “Congratulations.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” He yawned again. “Have you seen Addie around this morning?”

  Derek blinked. Something about the way Kevin emphasized her name—as if he’d been talking about someone else before—gave him some hope. “Not lately.”

  “Thought I’d see if she wanted to go on a walk with me this morning.”

  “Yeah?” He hauled up the blade for his next swing, trying to look as casual as possible. “When did you last see her?”

  Thunk.

  “In the middle of the night.” Kevin smirked. “Guess she paid you a visit by mistake first.”

  Derek held Kevin’s gaze. Very bad idea to taunt a man holding an ax. “She spent some time in my room, yeah.” Not sure she thought it was entirely a mistake.

  Kevin’s turn to look uncomfortable. “Well, I haven’t seen her this morning.”

  Damn it. Still no definite answer. She might not have spent the whole night with him.

  Sarah sprang into the clearing holding a towel around herself, cheeks rosy, body glistening. She stopped short when she saw the two men, then her eyes lit up and she pursed her lips as if about to whistle. “Well, gentlemen, hello.”

  “Are you naked under there?” Kevin’s eyes were practically shooting out of their sockets.

  Derek snorted. Didn’t the guy ever listen to himself? “I think what he meant was, ‘Hi, Sarah, great to see you.’”

  “That’s what I thought.” Sarah spared Derek a glance then turned to Kevin. “Addie and I were sunbathing in the altogether.”

  “Where?” Both men spoke at once then glared at each other.

  “Ha!” Sarah snapped her fingers at each of them. “Like I’d tell you?”

  “Okay.” Kevin turned to Derek, all pretend business. “We’ll split up. You take that way, I’ll take this way, we’ll search the island.”

  Hilarious, Kevin.

  “Yoo-hoo!” Carrie bounced into the clearing, beaming. The woman made Sarah look low-energy and depre
ssive. She sent Kevin a slow, sexy wink that made Derek straighten up and take notice. “There you are.”

  “I’m here.” Kevin laughed nervously, looking from Sarah to Derek and back.

  Well, well. Wasn’t that interesting.

  “Hi, Sarah!” Carrie gave a cute little finger-wiggle at Sarah who gave an even cuter finger-wiggle back, wearing a gruesomely overbright smile, which went right over Carrie’s head.

  “And hel-lo, Derek.” She looked him up and down in a way that made him want to put his shirt back on. “You are lookin’ fine this morning.”

  “Derek’s helping the Bossons out with their firewood supply,” Kevin said. “I was about to take over.”

  Like hell.

  “So, Kev-i-i-n.” Carrie sashayed over to him, and tiptoed her fingers up his arm, sticking her face up close to his. “How’s my wild man this morning? You tired from last night or ready for more?”

  The last sentence came out in a stage whisper that everyone heard. Kevin’s face turned cranberry-red. He stuttered out a few syllables. Somehow Derek managed not to pump his fist and shout, yes!

  Sarah froze and blinked at Carrie, then at Kevin. Then back. Her eyes narrowed into furious slits. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “What?” Carrie gaped at her in wide-eyed surprise. “Oh, no. Y’all aren’t dating him are you?”

  “No, I’m not dating him.”

  “So what’s the problem?” She looked so bewildered Derek nearly felt sorry for her. But yesterday she’d been all over Joe, now Kevin, so he doubted she cared much for anyone but herself.

  “Uh, so, Carrie.” Kevin pried her fingers off his biceps. “What are your plans this morning?”

  Carrie beamed and tucked her arm all the way through his. “Whatever you’re doing.”

  “You know, Kevin, in case you feel like a long walk...” Sarah smiled with dangerous sweetness. “There’s this short pier on the other side of the island.”

  Kevin had the sense to look mortified.

  “Ooh, maybe we’ll do that.” Carrie pulled him around, clearly missing the insult, which Derek remembered as one of Sarah’s father’s favorites. “Come on, Kev. See y’all later!”