Author: Roni Loren
And now he’d seen her moping alone on the beach and going skinny-dipping drunk. Stellar. If she’d wanted to show him how far she’d come, how put together she was now, she’d certainly gotten off to a shining start.
“I’m going to go grab the vinegar from Andre’s room,” Jace said, pulling her from her thoughts. “Why don’t you go in the bathroom and unwrap your leg? I’ll bring you the bottle.”
“Yeah, okay,” she said, proud her voice was steady despite her jangled nerves.
She made her way to the restroom and sat on the edge of the tub, arranging the towel to cover her lap. The burn of the jellyfish sting had lessened a bit from its five-alarm status, but still made it hard to sit still. Or maybe it was the fact that Jace was here that had her ready to jump out of her skin. Even after all these years, simply being near him had her stomach doing silly flip-flops. She needed to get it together.
She unwrapped the makeshift bandage and laid it over the edge of the tub right as Jace poked his head into the bathroom. “How’s it looking, Ev?”
The affection lacing her old nickname poked at something she’d long since buried. She forced a casual shrug. “Looks like I got in a fight with a jellyfish and lost.”
“Here.” He stepped inside and the room seemed to shrink as his tall, still shirtless frame filled up the space. He squatted next to her and uncapped the bottle of vinegar. “This should neutralize the sting. Might be a little cold.”
She winced when he poured the liquid over her thigh, but despite the shock of the contrast in temperature, the sting started to ease. “Ooh, that’s better.”
His hand cupped her knee and he ran a thumb over the curve of it, causing her breath to hitch. He glanced up from his crouched position, his eyes seeming to see right through her this-is-no-big-thing façade she was working so hard to maintain. “You okay, Ev?”
She could tell by the somberness of his expression, the edge of concern in his voice that he wasn’t asking about the sting. The combination of his touch and the sentiment almost undid her, almost brought forth the tears she’d hadn’t cried in a decade. She looked back at her leg. “I’m fine, Jace. Really.”
He blew out a breath and stood. “Pat your leg dry. I’ll be right back.”
A few seconds later, he returned—thankfully with a shirt on. God knows she was having enough trouble concentrating around him without the added distraction of his bare chest. He tossed a ball of blue fabric to her.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s a pair of track shorts you can use. They’ll be big, but hopefully the drawstring will help. You’re not going to want to put your jeans back on over that sting.”
“Oh, right. Thanks.” She stared down at the shorts.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, why don’t you go ahead and get changed. I’ll be in the living room.”
He’d already seen her in her underwear on the beach, but she knew why he was giving her privacy. Now that they knew who each other was, the wall of the past was firmly erected between them. There would be no more lighthearted flirting. Certainly not from her end.
Regardless, she appreciated the few minutes of alone time. It gave her time to regroup, pull her shoulders back, and slip back into the woman she was now—instead of the teenager she’d regressed to as soon as Jace had appeared.
When she stepped back into the living room, Jace was leaning over the small refrigerator, clanging bottles around as he searched for something. He glanced up from his task when she cleared her throat and sat on the couch.
“I was trying to see if we had any soda, but it looks like all we have is beer and water.”
She smirked. “I think I’ve had enough alcohol tonight. Plus, I need to get back to my room.”
A squeak from the other side of the room caught her attention. She turned her head just as one of the bedroom doors swung open on whining hinges. A drowsy-eyed man wearing only plaid pajama bottoms filled the doorway and leaned against the doorframe. “J, what the fuck are you doing in here? I’m trying to sleep.”
Jace frowned in the man’s direction. “Watch the language, Andre. We’ve got company.”
Jace’s roommate turned his head, his dark eyebrows lifting when he spotted her. “Oh.” His gaze traveled down the length of her, pausing at the borrowed shorts, and a sleepy smile crossed his face. “Well, hi there.”
Evan heated beneath Andre’s attention, the hint of Spanish accent and the flare of interest in his eyes singeing her. No worries about the two gorgeous men in the room being gay. That was for damn sure.
Jace snorted. “Back off, Romeo. Evan’s an old friend of mine and is only here because she has a wicked jellyfish sting. So you can dial down the flirt.”
“Wait a second.” Andre scrubbed a hand over his face and stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as if evaluating her closer. “Evan? As in Evan Kennedy?”
“No, Evan Litch—” Jace began, but she interrupted.
“Yes, Evan Kennedy.” She stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Andre sauntered forward and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth and planting a kiss on top of it instead of shaking it. “Pleasure.”
Jace walked up behind him, his brows knitted together. “You changed your name? Why does your new one sound so familiar?”
Andre laughed and sank into the armchair next to her. She would’ve answered Jace, but she had a hard time drawing her attention away from Andre’s lean, tan chest and the silver nipple rings glinting in the lamp light. Oh, my. Not to mention Jace’s well-built form in her peripheral vision. Man, she was like a starved woman at a buffet. Beyond getting away from her past with Jace, she needed to get away from all this testosterone.
Andre answered for her. “Because this lovely lady is engaged to the guy who’s running the whole couples shindig this weekend. She’ll be Mrs. Doctor Dan in a few months.”
She nodded. “Yes, November.”
“Hold up,” Jace said, drawing her attention back to him as he crossed in front of her and sat on the couch opposite her. “You’re engaged?”
She cringed inwardly. Why had she let herself flirt on the beach? She knew better than that. Now she looked trampy on top of flighty. Fabulous. “Yes.”
“To the Dr. Dan?” Jace eyed her in a way that made her want to shift her gaze to the floor. Like if she met his stare, he’d see every bit of the truth written on her face.
“Yes, the very one.” She stood and forced a brief smile. “And I doubt he’d be happy knowing I was half-dressed in someone else’s hotel room in the middle of the night. So I better head back.”
“You didn’t tell him you were going to the beach?” Jace asked, the frown lines around his mouth deepening. “That’s dangerous, Ev. You should’ve told someone you were going out there. What if that undertow would’ve kept you under and I hadn’t been there?”
Her jaw flexed. “I would’ve been fine. The jellyfish sting distracted me, but I would’ve been able to swim to shore. And I don’t need to report where I’m going every second of the day to anyone.”
“You do if your plan is to go skinny-dipping drunk in the middle of the night,” he said, his voice rising.
Andre looked back and forth between the two of them, but was obviously smart enough not to jump in the conversation.
Her cheeks heated with a combination of shame and anger. “I don’t need a keeper, Jace. I didn’t need one when you knew me before, and I don’t need one now.”
Jace looked ready to argue the point, but then his shoulders sagged and he released a breath. “You’re right. It’s none of my business. I’m sorry.”
Her fists, which had clenched during the exchange, loosened. This was ridiculous. Why was she arguing with someone she had no intention to lay eyes on ever again? Jace was her past. She’d spent a decade burying her old life and that version of herself. No good could come of dredging up any of those memories. She needed to keep Jace locked away in that “mistakes” box and get out of here.
“Look, I appreciate your help tonight. Really.” She turned to Andre. “And thanks so much for the vinegar. It really helped.”
“No problem, sometimes my Boy-Scout-like preparedness comes in handy.” Andre gave her a little mock salute, but she had a hard time believing the wholesome routine when he was so busy looking like Latin-flavored sin.
Her gaze strayed to the door. “Um, well, I’d better get going.”
Jace ran his fingers through his still-damp blond hair and sighed. “When are you leaving the resort?”
“Today. We have workshops until five and then we’re headed back to Dallas.”
“Let me buy you lunch,” he said, standing in her path when she took a few steps toward the door. “We can catch up.”
She didn’t stop walking. “Jace, I don’t think so. I’ve got a lot going on and am so busy with all this—”
“Hey.” He laid a hand on her forearm when she tried to move around him, halting her. “I want to hear how you’re doing. How your life has been. What happened after you left.”
He meant after she’d run away. And what had happened was that her life had fallen completely the fuck apart. Not exactly fun conversation to share over burgers. And not a story she could ever tell him. She shook her head. “I just can’t, Jace. I’m sorry. Thanks again for your help tonight. It was good to see you.”
Without warning, he tugged her against him and enveloped her in a bear hug. Her cheek pressed against his solid chest, and the intoxicating scent of male wrapped around her. No, not just male scent, Jace’s scent. A warm, familiar smell that yanked her back through time, back to the last moment she could remember feeling truly content.
He kissed the crown of her head. “Take care of yourself, Ev. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”
She pulled out of the embrace, swallowing past the tightness in her throat, and gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile. “I’m doing great, Jace. Just terrific.” Fan-fucking-tastic.
There was a storm behind his green eyes as he stared back at her, but after a moment, he returned her smile and stepped past her to open the door. “Glad to hear it. Now get back to your room before your fiancé comes hunting us down in a jealous rage.”
“Right.” She glanced at Andre, who was watching her and Jace’s exchange intently. “Nice to meet you, Andre. Y’all have fun on the rest of your vacation.”
He lifted a hand in good-bye and after one last look at Jace, she walked out of the room, holding her breath until she heard the door click shut behind her.
* * *
Jace let the door close and then dropped back onto the couch with a groan.
“Whoa, what was that all about?” Andre asked.
Jace pressed the heels of his hands to his brow bone to stave off the fierce pounding that had started there. “Which part?”
“Um, not sure what to start with—Dr. Dan’s woman being here at all or the fact that you totally jumped her shit like you had some right to her.”
Jace shook his head. “We have history. It’s been twelve years, but I know her well enough to see that she’s feeding me a platter of bullshit about being great.”
Andre stretched his legs out and propped them on the coffee table as if ready to settle in for a great story.
Too bad this story sucked.
“She seemed fine to me. You sure you’re not reading too much into it?”
“No, I watched Evan on that beach. She was sad—and drunk. I didn’t know who she was at that point, but I almost got up to talk to her to make sure she was all right. But then she started taking off her clothes, and well, I got a little distracted.”
And now he’d seen her moping alone on the beach and going skinny-dipping drunk. Stellar. If she’d wanted to show him how far she’d come, how put together she was now, she’d certainly gotten off to a shining start.
“I’m going to go grab the vinegar from Andre’s room,” Jace said, pulling her from her thoughts. “Why don’t you go in the bathroom and unwrap your leg? I’ll bring you the bottle.”
“Yeah, okay,” she said, proud her voice was steady despite her jangled nerves.
She made her way to the restroom and sat on the edge of the tub, arranging the towel to cover her lap. The burn of the jellyfish sting had lessened a bit from its five-alarm status, but still made it hard to sit still. Or maybe it was the fact that Jace was here that had her ready to jump out of her skin. Even after all these years, simply being near him had her stomach doing silly flip-flops. She needed to get it together.
She unwrapped the makeshift bandage and laid it over the edge of the tub right as Jace poked his head into the bathroom. “How’s it looking, Ev?”
The affection lacing her old nickname poked at something she’d long since buried. She forced a casual shrug. “Looks like I got in a fight with a jellyfish and lost.”
“Here.” He stepped inside and the room seemed to shrink as his tall, still shirtless frame filled up the space. He squatted next to her and uncapped the bottle of vinegar. “This should neutralize the sting. Might be a little cold.”
She winced when he poured the liquid over her thigh, but despite the shock of the contrast in temperature, the sting started to ease. “Ooh, that’s better.”
His hand cupped her knee and he ran a thumb over the curve of it, causing her breath to hitch. He glanced up from his crouched position, his eyes seeming to see right through her this-is-no-big-thing façade she was working so hard to maintain. “You okay, Ev?”
She could tell by the somberness of his expression, the edge of concern in his voice that he wasn’t asking about the sting. The combination of his touch and the sentiment almost undid her, almost brought forth the tears she’d hadn’t cried in a decade. She looked back at her leg. “I’m fine, Jace. Really.”
He blew out a breath and stood. “Pat your leg dry. I’ll be right back.”
A few seconds later, he returned—thankfully with a shirt on. God knows she was having enough trouble concentrating around him without the added distraction of his bare chest. He tossed a ball of blue fabric to her.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s a pair of track shorts you can use. They’ll be big, but hopefully the drawstring will help. You’re not going to want to put your jeans back on over that sting.”
“Oh, right. Thanks.” She stared down at the shorts.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, why don’t you go ahead and get changed. I’ll be in the living room.”
He’d already seen her in her underwear on the beach, but she knew why he was giving her privacy. Now that they knew who each other was, the wall of the past was firmly erected between them. There would be no more lighthearted flirting. Certainly not from her end.
Regardless, she appreciated the few minutes of alone time. It gave her time to regroup, pull her shoulders back, and slip back into the woman she was now—instead of the teenager she’d regressed to as soon as Jace had appeared.
When she stepped back into the living room, Jace was leaning over the small refrigerator, clanging bottles around as he searched for something. He glanced up from his task when she cleared her throat and sat on the couch.
“I was trying to see if we had any soda, but it looks like all we have is beer and water.”
She smirked. “I think I’ve had enough alcohol tonight. Plus, I need to get back to my room.”
A squeak from the other side of the room caught her attention. She turned her head just as one of the bedroom doors swung open on whining hinges. A drowsy-eyed man wearing only plaid pajama bottoms filled the doorway and leaned against the doorframe. “J, what the fuck are you doing in here? I’m trying to sleep.”
Jace frowned in the man’s direction. “Watch the language, Andre. We’ve got company.”
Jace’s roommate turned his head, his dark eyebrows lifting when he spotted her. “Oh.” His gaze traveled down the length of her, pausing at the borrowed shorts, and a sleepy smile crossed his face. “Well, hi there.”
Evan heated beneath Andre’s attention, the hint of Spanish accent and the flare of interest in his eyes singeing her. No worries about the two gorgeous men in the room being gay. That was for damn sure.
Jace snorted. “Back off, Romeo. Evan’s an old friend of mine and is only here because she has a wicked jellyfish sting. So you can dial down the flirt.”
“Wait a second.” Andre scrubbed a hand over his face and stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as if evaluating her closer. “Evan? As in Evan Kennedy?”
“No, Evan Litch—” Jace began, but she interrupted.
“Yes, Evan Kennedy.” She stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Andre sauntered forward and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth and planting a kiss on top of it instead of shaking it. “Pleasure.”
Jace walked up behind him, his brows knitted together. “You changed your name? Why does your new one sound so familiar?”
Andre laughed and sank into the armchair next to her. She would’ve answered Jace, but she had a hard time drawing her attention away from Andre’s lean, tan chest and the silver nipple rings glinting in the lamp light. Oh, my. Not to mention Jace’s well-built form in her peripheral vision. Man, she was like a starved woman at a buffet. Beyond getting away from her past with Jace, she needed to get away from all this testosterone.
Andre answered for her. “Because this lovely lady is engaged to the guy who’s running the whole couples shindig this weekend. She’ll be Mrs. Doctor Dan in a few months.”
She nodded. “Yes, November.”
“Hold up,” Jace said, drawing her attention back to him as he crossed in front of her and sat on the couch opposite her. “You’re engaged?”
She cringed inwardly. Why had she let herself flirt on the beach? She knew better than that. Now she looked trampy on top of flighty. Fabulous. “Yes.”
“To the Dr. Dan?” Jace eyed her in a way that made her want to shift her gaze to the floor. Like if she met his stare, he’d see every bit of the truth written on her face.
“Yes, the very one.” She stood and forced a brief smile. “And I doubt he’d be happy knowing I was half-dressed in someone else’s hotel room in the middle of the night. So I better head back.”
“You didn’t tell him you were going to the beach?” Jace asked, the frown lines around his mouth deepening. “That’s dangerous, Ev. You should’ve told someone you were going out there. What if that undertow would’ve kept you under and I hadn’t been there?”
Her jaw flexed. “I would’ve been fine. The jellyfish sting distracted me, but I would’ve been able to swim to shore. And I don’t need to report where I’m going every second of the day to anyone.”
“You do if your plan is to go skinny-dipping drunk in the middle of the night,” he said, his voice rising.
Andre looked back and forth between the two of them, but was obviously smart enough not to jump in the conversation.
Her cheeks heated with a combination of shame and anger. “I don’t need a keeper, Jace. I didn’t need one when you knew me before, and I don’t need one now.”
Jace looked ready to argue the point, but then his shoulders sagged and he released a breath. “You’re right. It’s none of my business. I’m sorry.”
Her fists, which had clenched during the exchange, loosened. This was ridiculous. Why was she arguing with someone she had no intention to lay eyes on ever again? Jace was her past. She’d spent a decade burying her old life and that version of herself. No good could come of dredging up any of those memories. She needed to keep Jace locked away in that “mistakes” box and get out of here.
“Look, I appreciate your help tonight. Really.” She turned to Andre. “And thanks so much for the vinegar. It really helped.”
“No problem, sometimes my Boy-Scout-like preparedness comes in handy.” Andre gave her a little mock salute, but she had a hard time believing the wholesome routine when he was so busy looking like Latin-flavored sin.
Her gaze strayed to the door. “Um, well, I’d better get going.”
Jace ran his fingers through his still-damp blond hair and sighed. “When are you leaving the resort?”
“Today. We have workshops until five and then we’re headed back to Dallas.”
“Let me buy you lunch,” he said, standing in her path when she took a few steps toward the door. “We can catch up.”
She didn’t stop walking. “Jace, I don’t think so. I’ve got a lot going on and am so busy with all this—”
“Hey.” He laid a hand on her forearm when she tried to move around him, halting her. “I want to hear how you’re doing. How your life has been. What happened after you left.”
He meant after she’d run away. And what had happened was that her life had fallen completely the fuck apart. Not exactly fun conversation to share over burgers. And not a story she could ever tell him. She shook her head. “I just can’t, Jace. I’m sorry. Thanks again for your help tonight. It was good to see you.”
Without warning, he tugged her against him and enveloped her in a bear hug. Her cheek pressed against his solid chest, and the intoxicating scent of male wrapped around her. No, not just male scent, Jace’s scent. A warm, familiar smell that yanked her back through time, back to the last moment she could remember feeling truly content.
He kissed the crown of her head. “Take care of yourself, Ev. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”
She pulled out of the embrace, swallowing past the tightness in her throat, and gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile. “I’m doing great, Jace. Just terrific.” Fan-fucking-tastic.
There was a storm behind his green eyes as he stared back at her, but after a moment, he returned her smile and stepped past her to open the door. “Glad to hear it. Now get back to your room before your fiancé comes hunting us down in a jealous rage.”
“Right.” She glanced at Andre, who was watching her and Jace’s exchange intently. “Nice to meet you, Andre. Y’all have fun on the rest of your vacation.”
He lifted a hand in good-bye and after one last look at Jace, she walked out of the room, holding her breath until she heard the door click shut behind her.
* * *
Jace let the door close and then dropped back onto the couch with a groan.
“Whoa, what was that all about?” Andre asked.
Jace pressed the heels of his hands to his brow bone to stave off the fierce pounding that had started there. “Which part?”
“Um, not sure what to start with—Dr. Dan’s woman being here at all or the fact that you totally jumped her shit like you had some right to her.”
Jace shook his head. “We have history. It’s been twelve years, but I know her well enough to see that she’s feeding me a platter of bullshit about being great.”
Andre stretched his legs out and propped them on the coffee table as if ready to settle in for a great story.
Too bad this story sucked.
“She seemed fine to me. You sure you’re not reading too much into it?”
“No, I watched Evan on that beach. She was sad—and drunk. I didn’t know who she was at that point, but I almost got up to talk to her to make sure she was all right. But then she started taking off her clothes, and well, I got a little distracted.”
