A Stone in the Sea(88)

“I don’t care about them.” Her tone was hard, forward, and rushed. “What they do. As long as it’s me who you choose, I can handle all the rest.” Her hand fisted against her chest. “Just tell me it’s going to be me, Baz. Only me.”

The words got choppy. “It’s only been you since the first time I saw you at Charlie’s. You’re the only thing I want…the only girl I’m ever gonna take. You hear me, Shea?”

Relief washed through her expression, before it pinched in distress. “This last week…did you…?” She trailed off with the suggestion.

I raked a flustered hand through my hair. “Fuck, Shea, the only pussy I was thinking about was yours. Believe me. You don’t have to worry about that. I promise you.” I huffed out some of the frustration that’d been boxed up inside, all that anger and anxiety. Dread. “You think it was easy for me? Thinking about you moving on?”

“What?” She shook her head as if she were truly confused, like there’d never even been a chance of it.

Humorlessly, I laughed. “Lyrik…that asshole just wouldn’t let it go. Knew I was miserable without you and he rubbed it in every chance he got. Had me convinced that fucker Derrick was over here making his move, sweeping in to take care of you after I trampled all over your heart. I’ve been plotting that poor guy’s murder for the last week.”

I said it like a joke, but damn, it was no laughing matter. The idea of Shea with some other guy? Motherfucking torture. Lyrik had goaded me until he knew I was seeing crooked, my sight warped and disfigured, then he went in for the kill just to prove his point. Wonder what that country drawl sounds like with her screaming his name? Bet it’s hot. I wanted to rip his throat out. When he saw I was about to break, he point blank told me to go and get my girl before he went and got her for me.

“What…the sound guy?” Shea asked with her nose all scrunched up, all sorts of adorable, ruining me a little more.

“Yeah.” Dickhead couldn’t keep his eyes off her and I knew it was damn near impossible for him to keep his hands off her.

I understood the affliction.

“You’re ridiculous. There’s nothing going on between me and Derrick.”

“He wants there to be.”

“No, he doesn’t.” She giggled this sound that was all light and sweet.

A soft chuckle spilled from me, my mood floating on that honeyed harmony, eyes swimming in that warm caramel. “You’re completely blind, Shea. But right now? Let’s just say I’m completely fine with you not seein’ it.”

She smiled a coy smile. “That’s because all I can see is you.”

And I was probably grinning like a damned fool. But who could blame me? Hadn’t had something like this in my life before. Not ever. And it felt fucking amazing.

“I like your bed,” she said, tone turning seductive and teasing.

I groaned. “Don’t mess with me, woman…I’ll be over at your house and dragging you into this bed.”

“Oh, you will, huh?”

“Ten days without that body? Dying here, baby.”

“Can’t wait to see you,” she whispered, eyes turning intense, all that tangible energy billowing between the distance. Stronger now that we’d busted down some of those walls separating us.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday. You still have the day off, right?”

“I do.”

“Why don’t I pick you and Kallie up tomorrow morning…bring you over here? You haven’t ever been here before. We can hang out on the beach and barbecue or something.”

“Really? But are all the guys in town?”

A smirk lit on my face. Of course they were. It’s just what we did, supported each other, however our lives were going down. “They said if I was coming back, then they were, too.”

“Are you sure you want Kallie around all of them? Is that not weird?” Protectiveness rose up in her when Kallie’s name was mentioned, like she felt the need to defend her daughter. Truth was, the thought of Kallie hanging around all my hard-ass friends who had not a clue how to act around a little kid was kind of weird. But they were going to have to get used to it.

“It’ll be cool,” I said with a shrug.

Her smile was soft. “I think I’d like that then.”

“Good.”

A big yawn took her over, the girl all sleepy and sexy and about five seconds from being my complete undoing.

“It’s late. I better let you get some rest.”

“Yeah…but it’s hard to let you go,” she admitted shyly.

“Not letting me go. I’ll be right here and I’ll be there to pick you up at ten, okay?”