Body Shot (Last Shot)(58)
She laughed softly as he pulled her into his arms. “You’re really good, Beck. You should be a musician, not a bartender.”
“I’m not that good. Believe me. But thank you.” He brushed his lips over her cheek.
“What was that song?”
“ ‘Fall for You,’ by Secondhand Serenade.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“What?” His shocked tone made her smile. “Well, we’ll have to rectify that.”
“I can’t believe your parents didn’t want you to play guitar.”
“Playing guitar was considered tacky. Vulgar.”
“What!”
“You have to understand my parents.” He paused. “My family owns Whitcomb Industries.”
“Okay…” She’d never heard of it.
“It’s a multinational corporation with subsidiaries in manufacturing, trading, and investments. Founded by my grandfather as a small sugar refining company. He grew it into a major food manufacturing company and branched out into a bunch of different areas. They own half a dozen companies, some big dairy farms. A European bank.”
“Oh.” She thought that over. “So your family is rich.”
“Filthy. And very concerned about appearances and keeping up with the Boston Brahmins. My poor mother never got that the old-money folks in Boston live the most inconspicuous lives. She was determined to be part of the elite society, all wrapped up in her designer clothes and mansion. My brother and I went to expensive private schools, took expensive music lessons, and tennis and golf lessons. The plan was that we would go to Harvard and get business degrees and work for Whitcomb Industries. Then after Aidan died…” He paused and she petted his shoulder. “All their hopes and dreams and expectations rested on me. Except I was never as good as Aidan. And I fucking hated that pressure, so I did everything I could to piss them off.”
“Oh, Beck.” She pressed her lips to his chest, her own heart aching for him as a boy.
“I never lived up to what they wanted me to do. I wanted to learn guitar, not piano. I wanted to be in a rock band. I wanted to play water polo, not go to golf camp at the country club. I didn’t want to hang out with their friends’ kids, because they were pretentious, privileged assholes.
“After Aidan died, it was like my parents didn’t really see me. They never cared what I wanted to do with my life. My mother had always been very…poised. Not one to get ruffled easily. With Aidan gone, it was like she had no emotions left in her at all. She smiled and laughed and showed sympathy to people when it was appropriate. She certainly didn’t show me any affection, and my dad…well, he never was one to be very nurturing. The business is his life.”
“So you’re not close with them.”
“Not even a little.” His body had gone tense against hers, and she kept smoothing her hand over his shoulder. “I hate their life. I couldn’t wait to get away. I sure as hell didn’t stick around to go to Harvard, and when I joined the Navy they were appalled.”
Hayden’s heart ached more. “But you didn’t just join the Navy. You became a SEAL. An elite special operations group. They should be proud of you.”
“Yeah, not so much. My accomplishments never impressed them. But that’s okay. I didn’t become a SEAL to impress them. I just wanted to know I could be the best at something.”
“You did it,” she whispered.
“Yeah. They still bug me to go home and work for Whitcomb.” He paused and she sensed he had a hard time saying the next words. “Sometimes I feel guilty about that.”
“You need to live your life the way you want to. That’s what any parent should want for their child…for him to be happy and satisfied.”
“Yeah, like I said, you haven’t met my parents. But enough of that depressing crap. They’re on the other side of the country…” He rolled her to her back and moved over her with clear intent. Heat bloomed in her core. “And you’re right here.”
—
Hayden agreed to go to the spa with Carrie the next afternoon mostly because she desperately needed to talk to her.
They sat side by side in the pedicure chairs as technicians worked on their feet, alternately soaking, buffing, and polishing the toes of each foot.
“Okay, so what happened with Will?” Carrie asked. “How did your date with him go?”
“Will?” She blinked at Carrie. “Oh right! Will.”
Carrie lifted an eyebrow. “That good, huh?”
Hayden made a guilty face. “Beck happened. Will took me to Conquistadors, and Beck wasn’t too pleased to see me there with another guy.”