Moving lower, my gaze caresses the eight pack of defined muscles carved into his abdomen. Plaid sleep pants hang low on his hips. I find myself willing them to slip even lower.
He bends over, giving me a brief glimpse of his ass as he picks up the ice cream sandwiches. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Our fingers brush when he hands them to me, and a wave of heat engulfs me from head to toe; a full-body flush. I know my cheeks must be pink. Hopefully, with the dim lighting, he can’t tell. “Thank you,” I whisper to his chest straight in front of me. Still affected by his accidental touch, my voice comes out softer than usual.
Stepping forward, he invades my space, and I automatically retreat. Edging closer again, he drives me back until I have nowhere else to go. Nervous and excited, my heart clatters inside my chest. My eyes make a slow climb upward, locking on to his dark gaze. He grins, placing his hands on the counter, caging me in. White teeth glint in the dim light as he leans forward, like a vampire about to ravish my neck. His warm, beer-scented breath wafts over my mouth, making me long for a taste. I’ve never been a fan of beer, but somehow, I think it would taste much better on his tongue.
His nose nudges my jawline, and I tip my head back, giving him access to kiss me or do whatever else he wants. He drags in a deep breath, inhaling my scent before his lips press a soft, lingering kiss to my neck.
Can he feel the rapid drumming of my pulse?
“Lucky, you better get back upstairs before your ice cream melts,” he states matter-of-factly.
Lucky? Where did that come from?
Stepping backward, he’s completely unaffected, acting as if what just transpired was an ordinary occurrence, when it’s anything but.
Wordlessly, I pass by him. Once I’ve left the kitchen, I race back up the stairs to Maddie’s room. We sit on her bed watching a movie while eating our ice cream sandwiches, but I could be chewing on cardboard for all the attention I’m paying. My mind is occupied with replaying the bizarre interaction with Marshall. I’m not fully convinced I didn’t imagine everything that happened. It’s all so out of the norm for him.
Could this mean that he’s noticed me? That maybe he’s attracted to me too? Thinking about it has me feeling giddy.
Swallowing the last bite, I lick my fingers. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. By the end of this weekend, Marshall could ask me out. I smile, already picturing him walking me to all my classes. I’ll be the envy of almost every other girl in my school.
Pausing my recollection, I return to the present, shaking my head. I was so young and hopeful. Reliving it has me cringing at my own naïveté. Closing my eyes, I call up the remainder of that particular memory—the most painful part.
The doorbell rings out above the sound of Maddie washing dishes. “Crap,” she groans, buried to mid-forearm in soapy water. “Can you please get that?”
Placing the plate I’ve dried in the cabinet, I sling the dish towel over my shoulder and move toward the front of the house. The bell rings once more as I reach for the doorknob. “Son of a bitch that’s loud,” I mutter.
Gripping the knob, I tug the door open to find a teenage girl standing there. She looks familiar, but I don’t know her.
I smile politely. “Hi, can I help you?”
She looks me up and down. “Who are you?”
Wow. This chick’s rude. “Who are you?” I toss her question back. I mean, I am the one on the inside of the house. She’s the one seeking entrance. Right now, I’m tempted to slam the door in her face.
“I’m Lisa. I’m here to see Marshall.”
Now I really want to slam the door in her face, but I’m not that kind of person. Stepping aside, I say, “Come on in. I’ll go grab Marshall.”
“No need. He’s expecting me, and I know where his room is.” She smiles smugly before walking toward the stairs.
Dropping my head back, I sigh with frustration. Of course Lisa is pretty. If she knows where his room is, she’s obviously been here before.
I trudge back to the kitchen feeling discouraged.
“Who’s here?” Maddie asks.
Moving back next to her, I resume my dish wiping duties. “Some girl, Lisa, to see your brother.”
“Ugh.”
“I see you’re familiar with her?” I want all the details I can find out.
“Oh, yeah. She’s the latest one he’s paying attention to.”
“Are they dating?” I try to keep my tone even. I don’t want her to know that I’m interested for my own personal reasons.
“If you want to call it that. Mostly they stay in his room and probably do things I don’t want to think about.” She grimaces. “I saw them holding hands at school too.”
So much for my fantasy of him walking me to class coming true.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. We can go grab coffee at the cafe and see who we can find there.”
“Sounds good to me.” I don’t want to be here when they emerge from his bedroom. Suspecting what’s going on and seeing proof are two different things. If I don’t see them together, maybe I can pretend last night meant something to him. That it wasn't just a drunken moment already forgotten.
Who am I kidding? I don’t even register on Marshall’s radar, and I never will.
Looking back, I can admit to myself that I was just a momentary distraction for Marshall. If he had any romantic feelings for me, surely he would’ve acted on them by now. If it weren’t for him still referring to me as “Lucky,” I would be convinced he didn’t remember the events of that night.
Rising from the chaise, I take a final glance at the vast ocean. My Mr. Right is out there somewhere, and one thing that I know for sure—Marshall Winters is not him.
Chapter Two
Marshall
“What do you think Maddie is going to say when she sees us?” I ask, my gaze swinging to Shaw before returning to the road.
“She’ll be happy to see me. Not so sure about you, though.” Shaw smirks.
“Shut up. I’m her brother. Blood before water, remember?”
“Yeah, I think we both know that’s not true, but I won’t rub it in your face.” Shaw chuckles.
I turn into the beach house driveway and whistle. “Damn. Did you know what this place looked like?”
“Last night when I spoke to Maddie she told me how amazing it was, but I don’t think I imagined it looking like this.”
Shaw opens the back door and lets his dog, Buddy, out. We give him a minute to do his business before we head inside through one of the back sliders to look around.
Grabbing a blueberry muffin from a bakery box on the counter, I demolish it in three bites.
I scope out the vacant bedrooms, choosing one with a beach view. This room also happens to share a bathroom with the one that Clover is staying in. I noticed a bunch of her girly shit on the counter in there.
Dropping my bag onto the bed, I rifle through the mess of unfolded clothes until I find my bathing suit. I leave my boxer briefs on and slip my board shorts over them. I learned the hard way as a kid that the combination of salt water and sand on skin equals horrific chafing. I’m still emotionally scarred from the pain. I remember many a time having to do the wide-legged chafe walk leaving the beach. It was cute as a kid, but somehow, I don’t think any girls my age would find it attractive.