“You goin' down to the surf in five inch heels and a corset, hooker?” I ask Kimmi, and she punches me in the shoulder, pausing to put her hands on her hips and scope out the beach.
“You know me. I always come prepared. I've got a G-string on under this baby.” Kimmi touches her tits and pats them reverently. “But I keep the heels on. There's no debating that.”
I toss my boots across the wall and step over, holding my hand out for Kimmi. She takes it and joins me with more grace in her pinky than I have in my whole damn body. I get these weird thoughts that maybe she was a gymnast before joining the club, but I've never asked. A lot of us don't. We're all here for a reason, and we got shit to hide. Look at me, a failed career in the military. A pair of hands drenched in the blood of God only knows how many. The devil's got his hand wrapped around my heart and ain't nobody wants to look at that crap.
I drop my shirt and jacket on the pile and leave it there. Nobody's going to touch that shit. And if they do? Well, God help 'em.
I lean against a palm tree and light up one more cig before I hit the surf, scanning the people milling around in the sand. Straight ahead, underneath an umbrella that they got from God knows where, sit Triple M's newest married couple: Gaine and Mireya. Seeing them together makes me feel like a huge weight's been lifted off my shoulders. I swear to Christ, if I had to spend one more Goddamn day watching Austin play with Mireya, watching Gaine stare at her from the shadows, I mighta just shot myself in the damn head.
“Feels like spring is in the air, huh?” Kimmi asks me, stripping her clothes off and not giving two fucks if anybody's looking at her in a bathing suit that's illegal in a handful of countries. My lip twitches into a smile again. I spend most of my day smilin'. I spent a lot of my younger years with a frown, so you know, I gotta make up for it.
“Triple M's like a matchmaking service, ain't it? Sign up to ride with us and get yourself a gen-u-ine soulmate for the ages.” I blow out a mouthful of smoke and glance up at the sky. It's clear today, absolutely cloudless and perfect. I roll my shoulders to try and loosen up some of the tension. It's the first thing women notice. A man who's relaxed has got his shit together. A guy with tight shoulders is bad news. It's one of them hidden facts of life that nobody tells you about.
“I think it's cute,” Kimmi says, strutting up beside me in her bathing suit, nothing but a sarong around her hips. Despite her words, she's switched into a pair of sandals she got out of her purse. So much for heels on the beach. I laugh at her and push myself away from the tree, moving across the warm beach in my jeans. As I bend down to roll up the legs, I take stock of the available ladies lounging around me. There aren't many, not even on a day like this. Most of the girls I see are hanging out in groups. It's not impossible to snag their attention, but it makes it that much more difficult. Today, Beck Evans is lookin' for easy.
“Didn't think you liked the beach?” Austin asks, coming up from behind us and helping Amy over the wall. Her brunette hair is twisted up on her head and her face is practically glowing. I don't know much about the girl, but I see the way she and Austin look at each other. Two of my friends are down and out for the count. Now all I gotta do is worry about Kimmi and then I can retire a happy man.
“I made an exception today,” I tell him, trying my best not to scope out his new lady. Hey, I'm warm-blooded. It's just natural, baby. “Scopin' me out some bunnies, so I don't feel so lonely no more.” I give Amy a faux frown and she giggles, touching her fingers to her lips.
“You'll be hard-pressed to find any rabbits here, Mr. Evans. Possums maybe, or racoons. Perhaps a gull or two?” Amy points her finger up at the sky as Austin chuckles, weaving his fingers through hers. She blushes briefly and turns away with a sly smile on her face. Me, I just laugh because really, the whole world's funny if you look at it sideways. Best way to live. Trust me. I done gone and tried the other ways, and it left me a bitter, bitter man. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.
“I'll keep that in mind, Miss Cross,” I drawl, reaching out and pressing a peck to her cheek. She shrieks and Austin gives me a curled lip that makes me laugh just that much harder as I turn away and start my walk down to the shore. If I don't start my search now, I could be going to dinner alone tonight. And Beck Evans never misses out on a meal.
Tease
Chapter 3
My brother finds me later that night, sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette and nursing a beer. My legs are curled up on the chair and in my hand is a crumpled magazine that I was only half-reading. Most of my attention is focused out on the street, at the people walking by, the cars, the sounds and smells of the city. People-watching is one of my favorite activities in life. I could sit here all day and observe, letting my mind wander into the lives of strangers. That girl there, in the white pants and the sparkling shirt. She's got on tall heels, but no makeup. Her eyes are red like she's been crying. I start to spin a story in my head, imagining her climbing out of bed and getting dressed for the day, putting on a nice outfit, doing her hair. Maybe she was going out to lunch with her fiancé? Maybe, as she was standing in the bathroom getting ready to put on her lipstick, she got a call. He had to cancel. He was sorry, but he didn't see their relationship going anywhere.