PIERCE
Rian’s eyes go wide, and the very pink hue to her cheeks deepens further.
I laugh, not just at her expression, but at her choice of words. From the few interactions we’ve had, she doesn’t seem like she holds back much. “Lawn boy? That’s not very politically correct.”
“Maintenance man, you know what I meant,” she mutters, eyes dropping. They land on my chest and slide lower before shifting to the side.
“So now you know why I’m here. The mystery remains as to why the two of you are.”
“Our friends rented this place for the weekend.” Marley gestures behind her. “They invited us to join them. You can call to confirm that if you don’t believe me.”
“Mar.” Rian elbows her sister in the side.
“They actually called yesterday about additional guests. Interesting that it happens to be you two.” I can only imagine what my sister will have to say about this. She was all over me about Rian last night. Something about it being kismet. I’m sure she’d consider this proof that we’re meant to be. But if I’m being honest, I kept asking her out prior to discovering she was seeing someone because I find her attractive beyond the surface. Antagonizing her gave me a thrill I haven’t felt in a while. Based on how she’s looking at me, I think it’s probably mutual. Today’s outfit consists of a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a gauzy shirt, which gives me a fantastic view of her hot-pink bikini top. And that firecracker personality of hers is another check mark.
“Maybe we should go.” Rian shifts uncomfortably. “This is … weird.”
“Why? Because of the car? Or because you told my sister I’m an asshole?”
Rian blows out a breath, eyes trained on my chest as she says, “I thought you were checking me out while you were on a date.”
I’m fighting a losing battle against a grin as she continues to justify her actions. “In that case, it was very kind of you to issue a warning about my wandering eye. Although that problem didn’t seem to be isolated to me then, and it certainly doesn’t seem that way now either.”
Rian’s gaze shifts up to mine, her oh shit expression priceless. I’d like to snap a picture of her face and add it on her phone contact, although I have a feeling she might not appreciate that.
“Well, I guess this settles it then. I’m going to go put my stuff in a bedroom, and you two can let this sexual tension fester some more.” Marley turns around and struts back into the beach house, leaving me alone with Rian.
She’s right about the tension. It’s starting to make my boxers tight.
“You have to admit, it’s interesting the way we keep running into each other lately.”
Rian adjusts her shirt, which has slipped off her shoulder, and fiddles with the end of her hair. “And every single one of those interactions has been embarrassing for me.”
“I would say entertaining rather than embarrassing. Now, why don’t we start fresh, and this time I’ll try not to come off as a complete asshole, and we can pretend I haven’t asked you out and you haven’t said no half a dozen times, or accused me of trying to blackmail you into having sex with me.” I grin as I hold out my hand. “I’m Pierce.”
Rian bites her bottom lip, fighting her own smile. She slips her palm into mine. It’s warm and soft, but her grip is firm. “Hi, I’m Rian with an i instead of a y.”
“Hi, Rian with an i, why don’t I take you on a tour of the house?”
She chuckles and ducks her head. Her hand is still clasped in mine. Maybe my sister is right—maybe I’m not alone in my appreciation of this woman and her sassy, give-no-fucks attitude. I already know she likes what she sees, the mow her lawn comment is proof of that.
I open the door and motion her inside. “When do you expect Gel and Lauren to arrive?”
“They might not be here until tomorrow. Their dog ate something he shouldn’t have; they’re waiting for the aftermath to pass before they put him in a car.”
“Oh no, that’s no good. Will Noodles be okay?” One of the prime features of this rental is that it’s pet friendly.
She glances over her shoulder, looking a little surprised. “I think so. It’s not the first time he’s done it. It’s just unfortunate it happened right before their vacation.”
“I’d hate for them to miss the weekend, especially with the weather being what it is.” I give her a tour of the kitchen, showing her where to find everything.
“The finishes in here are gorgeous. Who did all the work?”
“I did a lot of it myself.”
Rian runs her fingertips across the countertop. “Wow. That’s … impressive.”
“I’m a handy asshole.” I give her another wink, which causes her to flush again.
“Sorry about that,” she mutters.
I lean in, getting into her personal space until she takes a cautious step back. “I’m just having fun with you. You’re wound up pretty tight, aren’t you?” Stepping around her, I motion for her to follow me. “Come on, I’ll show you where the bedrooms are.”
Her sister has commandeered the master suite, which I’m sure will only last until their friends arrive.
I open the door to the second bedroom. “You’ll probably want dibs on this.”
Her arm brushes mine as she steps inside. The room is spacious and light. The pale walls and white furniture are meant to echo the light, beachy feel of the house. “Who decorated this?” She runs her hand over the comforter and looks at the ceiling. Pushing up on the balls of her feet, she stretches to touch a crystal dangling from the chandelier. “The details are incredible.”
I shove my hands in my pockets, reveling a little at the compliment. “I did, with the help of Amalie.”
“Your sister.” Her finger trails along the footboard of the bed. “She seems like fun.”
“She used to get herself into all kinds of trouble when she was a teenager.”
“Really? But she looks so sweet.”
“That’s how she managed to get away with so much.” I follow Rian through the room. “There’s a private bath through here.”
She presses her palm against my shoulder, peeking in behind me to take a look. I tense at the unexpected contact and the shot of warmth that follows.
“Sorry.” She takes a quick step back, hitting her elbow on the edge of the dresser. “Ow!” She sucks in a breath, rubbing the spot.
“Are you always this jumpy?”
And she’s immediately on the defensive, again. “No. Sometimes. Not always. Just around people.”
“All people?”
“No, just cocky, self-assured, shirtless ones.”
I chuckle and head for the door. “Why don’t I show you how to work the hot tub and the barbeque, and then I’ll leave you to it?”
“Oh. Yeah. That’d be great.”
The barbeque is pretty straightforward, as is the hot tub. Rian gets a kick out of the rules posted on the privacy deck. “Who would eat in a hot tub?”
“You’d be surprised.” I pull the cover back over. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve found in there.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Probably not. Just because I post rules, it doesn’t mean people follow them. I’ve found a lot more than leftover chicken wings in there.”
Rian makes a face. “Like condoms?”
“Among other things.”
She makes a gagging sound. “Maybe I’ll skip the hot tub while I’m here.”
“It’s cleaned between rentals.”
“Every time?”
“Every time.”
“So why bother with the rules if you know they’re going to get broken.”
“Because if they break them, and I find out, I get to keep their cleaning deposit.”
“Ah. Now it makes sense.”
“Anyway. I should finish up the lawn so you can enjoy your afternoon. I’m down the beach if you need anything.” I motion in the direction of my brother’s beach house. It’s closer to the rundown mansion at the crest of the beach.
“Right.” Her eyes dart down and then come back up. “Okay, great. Thanks.”
I turn to leave.
“Pierce?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks for being so nice about this, especially after the car stuff.” She gestures to the beach house.
“Like I said, it’s just a car. And as long as you don’t throw any parties, we’ll be fine.” I leave her to settle in and get back to work.
Fifteen minutes later the two of them head down the path to the beach, towels and bags under their arms. Rian gives me a wave, rushing to keep up with her sister. They both have plastic cups with lids and straws.
I take my time on the lawn. Using the WeedWacker on the perimeter, being extra thorough since it allows me a great view of the beach and Rian. My patience is worth it. Her cover-up lasts all of two minutes.
Sweet fucking Christ. That body is something else. Her hot-pink bikini—it must be her favorite color—has ties on either hip, holding the tiny triangles of fabric together.
Where her sister is all straight lines and long limbs, Rian is lush and curvy. The two of them seem oblivious to the attention they’re drawing as they spray each other down with sunscreen.
It doesn’t take long for the volleyball players to invite them to join in. Marley doesn’t take much to convince, but Rian stays put. She stretches out on her towel, facing the beach house, and flips open a laptop. I go back to my weed whacking.
After I’m done with the lawn I don’t have any more reasons to stick around, so I grudgingly head back to my brother’s place. I find Lawson reclined in a lounger. Beside him sit Amalie Dolls in their own tiny beach chairs, wearing bathing suits and hats. A bottle of kid’s sunscreen—a product endorsement—is positioned on the small table between them. I’m sure if I check our social media feeds, there will be a series of images posted with those damn dolls, probably talking about sun safety.
It’s crazy what sells dolls.
“I don’t know why you don’t hire someone to mow the lawn. I’m sure there’s some kid who would do it for twenty bucks.” Lawson stretches his arms over his head and yawns.
I poke him in the stomach, hard. “Maybe you should mow a few lawns instead of drinking all those beers, brother. You’re getting soft.” That’s untrue, but for a guy who likes to dress like a hippie and pretend he gives zero fucks about anything, he spends a lot of time in front of a mirror.
Lawson bats my hand away. “Fuck off. My abs are steel.”
I head inside for a minute and grab the binoculars. Trip, my dog—whose full name is Tripod, because of his three-legged status—comes back outside with me. I need to take him for a run soon or he’s going to go stir-crazy. He might only have three legs, but it doesn’t slow him down. Plus, it’ll give me a reason to stop at the rental again.
“You creeping on the hotties?” Lawson asks as I drop into the chair next to him.
“I’m keeping an eye on our properties.” I scan the beach. Rian’s bikini isn’t difficult to spot.
She’s lying on her stomach, pen poised between her lips, feet crossed over each other, legs swinging.
“You mean, you’re keeping an eye on those girls renting out sixty-nine. Are they hot?” He grins like a perv.
“So you know that girl who hit my car in the grocery store parking lot?”
“How the hell could I forget? You bitched about it enough.”
“Did I mention she’s a twin?”
“No. You did not. Are they hot?” He takes off his sunglasses. “I wonder what a threesome with twins would be like. Do you think it gets confusing?”
“You’re disgusting.”
“Oh, come on. I bet you’ve thought about it, though, right? I mean, how could you not? Two hot girls who look the same, taking turns riding you. A threesome with twins is going on my bucket list.”
I give my brother a look. “You do get how messed up that is, right? That’s considered incest.”
“They’d be doing me, not each other. So it’s fine.”
“I think you need to stop subscribing to porn sites.”
“I only watch the free stuff. Anyway, back to the twins you’re not going to have a threesome with, which is really too bad.” After a few seconds of silence, he makes a go-on motion with his hands and folds them under his chin.
“They’re the ones staying in beach house sixty-nine.”
“No fucking way!” He grabs for the binoculars. “Gimme those. Dude, if you’re not gonna try and get in there, I sure as hell am.”
“There’s not a chance in hell either one of them would sleep with you.” At least I hope not. Especially since I’d like to be the one to get Rian into a bed eventually.
Lawson punches me in the side and nabs the binoculars, but I get him in a headlock. He loses his hold on them and they hit the deck, bounce once, and then slide through the three-inch gap between the glass panel and the bottom of the deck, landing on the ground ten feet below us.
“You dumbass! Now how am I supposed to check them out?” He makes no move to find out if the binoculars survived. I’m pretty sure they’re broken based on the fall.
“You’re not. We don’t have time for you to cross twins off your bucket list this weekend. We’ve got an open house tomorrow.”
“Yeah, about that. I think we might want to reconsider selling.” He settles back in his chair.
“What? I put weeks into getting that place ready. What’s the point of holding onto it?” More than that, the financial gain from selling is far more substantial upfront than rental fees. I’m not currently pulling in a salary while I’m off. I have money in my bank account, lots actually, but part of the benefit of flipping the house is having more capital on hand to make new purchases.
Lawson lifts his sunglasses and gives me his chill out look. “Just hear me out before you shit a pile of bricks. I know originally we were planning to flip, but what if we could capitalize on the summer rental market?”
“We already have sixty-nine as a rental.” Law and his grand schemes. He always has one going.
“So what’s one more to take care of, just for the summer? It’s prime rental time. People want to be on the beach in the Hamptons. It’s a smart move.”
“I don’t know, Law. Aren’t you kind of screwing the agent out of a commission?”
“No. I actually got some insider info that the Franklin house is going up for sale this weekend and it’s right down the beach from sixty-nine. It’s a smart buy. The Franklin place is in decent shape; all we’d need to do is some minor renos to make it palatable for renters. Then we bank all the money we make this summer. So if the agent can get us in to see the Franklin house first, they’d still get the commission.”
“Is that possible?”
He shrugs. “I’ll call and see what she can do.”
I wait for him to pick up his phone, but he just sits there. “Don’t you think you should do that now?”
“It’s not a rush.”
“The open house is tomorrow. And we want to know if it’s a rumor or if it’s actually true that the property is coming up for sale.”
“Oh, it’s true. I stopped by the Franklins’ yesterday. Their granddaughter was over. We had a nice little chat.” He grins and wags his eyebrows.
“Christ, Law, where’s your damn moral compass?”
“Calm your tits, her granddaughter is twenty-three. She thinks I’m supersweet. Gave me all the details and made me promise not to say a word.”
I shake my head and push up out of the chair. “You should probably still call, especially if you want to get in there first and make an offer.” I leave him to it, annoyed at the abrupt change in plans. Working with Lawson is a lot like riding on a roller coaster. I’m willing to put up with it because I see the potential benefits of real estate and rentals. I’ve been working for my dad for five years and I like it less and less. Working with Lawson might not be easy, but I actually enjoy the renovation side of this, and the rental part hasn’t been difficult so far, so I can see the allure.
As much as I enjoy what I’m doing, I don’t like the idea of letting my father down, not when he’s worked so hard to give us this life. I don’t want to appear ungrateful for all I have, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life doing something I hate either.