Stripped(49)
Her stomach churned anxiously as she rang the front doorbell, and a middle-aged woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt answered.
“Hi, I’m looking for Chris Reneau. He was coming here with Reed?” Abby second-guessed her decision to come, sure something was going to go wrong. It wasn’t the right house, or they hadn’t come at the last minute, or Chris would be upset with her.
“Come in,” the woman said warmly. “They’re out on the deck. I’m Angela, I work here. Can I get you a drink or take your bag if you have one?”
“No, thanks,” Abby said, following Angela through the foyer into a magnificent room with a high ceiling that was filled with elegant but comfortable looking furniture.
“This place is amazing,” she said, admiring the walls of windows that maximized the view.
“It is. You’ll have a great weekend here. Just through that door.”
Abby took a deep breath as she opened the door. Three women sunning themselves on chaise lounges looked over at her.
“Hi,” one of them said, covering her eyes to block out the sun. “Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Chris.”
“Abby?”
Chris was emerging up the stairs of a large pool, and Abby stopped short, admiring his broad chest, gleaming with beads of water. His dripping hair and huge smile made him look young as he rushed over to greet her.
“Hi,” she said, grinning. “I decided to come. I hope it’s okay.”
“It’s great!” Chris said, reaching for her but then pausing. “Do you mind getting a little wet?”
“Not at all,” she said, opening her arms up to his neck.
“I’m so happy to see you,” he said in her ear as he squeezed her close.
“Me, too.”
“Hey, I found it!” a male voice called as he climbed the stairs to the large deck, carrying a volleyball.
“Reed, this is Abby,” Chris said. Abby flushed as she recognized the dark-haired man she had danced for at his bachelor party, but he showed no sign of recognition.
“Glad you came, Abby,” he said, smiling. “Maybe Chris will stop sulking now.”
Chris led her by the hand to the lounge chairs.
“This is Kelana, she’s Ty’s wife,” he said of a blond in a red bikini. “And that’s her friend Jen, and Charlotte is Reed’s wife.”
“Where is Ty?” Reed asked. “I found the ball, let’s play.”
“He went to get his knee brace. He shouldn’t be playing beach volleyball,” Kelana said, sounding irritated.
“Give me a few minutes with Abby,” Chris said, leading her back inside the house.
“This is beautiful,” Abby said, admiring the view of the ocean again.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, reaching for her hand.
“I’m here, but I have nothing. I went from my office to the airport.”
“I’ll take you shopping. If you want to go now, I can postpone volleyball.”
“No, go ahead. We can go later. I’m not sure I’ll swim, though, it’s not hot here.”
“Yeah, that was a pretty cold swim I just had. There’s a hot tub, though, you’ll need a suit for that. Or not.”
He grinned at Abby and she looked away, flustered by his lusty stare.
“A suit, I think,” she said shyly.
“Come on, I’ll show you our room.”
“Our room? I’m sharing with you?”
“Of course. Don’t worry, I’ll behave as well as you want me to.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, laughing.
“Let’s just forget about all our issues and hesitations while we’re here,” he said, turning serious. “Getting this much time alone together is a big deal for us. Let’s enjoy every moment.”
“Sounds perfect,” she said as he led her up an open metal stairway to the second floor.
“I’ve never been in a house like this,” she murmured.
“I think this place has seven bedrooms. Ours is down at the end.”
“Wow,” she said as they walked in. A breeze blew in from the glass doors that opened onto a balcony overlooking the ocean. The room was enormous, with a king size four-poster bed, a sitting area and a large, beautiful en suite bathroom.
Abby went straight to the balcony, admiring the bright, expansive view.
“I love it,” she said softly. “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the ocean.”
“Really?” Chris said, approaching and wrapping his arms around her from behind. “We’ll have to do our best to make this a memorable first time, then, won’t we?”