The shrill sound of my cell phone ringing wakes me. Startled, I sit up and look around. The room’s bright, the sunlight streaming in through the small window that doesn’t have curtains. I don’t recognize my surroundings, and panic grips my belly for a split second before the warm body beside me stirs.
Bronn.
Realization of where I am dawns, and my shoulders sag in relief.
“What the fuck is that noise?” he grumbles, scrubbing a hand over his eyes.
I stare at him over my shoulder, admiring his handsome face for what feels like the thousandth time since we met.
“Morning,” I say softly.
His head whips up, his eyes widening when he catches sight of me.
Okaaaaay.
“Oh, Grace. Hey. Uh…” he trails off, pushing a hand through his hair. His arm flexes with the movement and I’m overcome with the desire to feel it wrapped around me again.
I lean back, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “We must have fallen asleep last night.”
His body relaxes as he places an arm around me, as if he had read my mind just a moment ago, and pulls me closer to him.
His lips pressed into my hair, he murmurs, “Morning, Grace.”
The warmth from his body spreads over me and I sink further into his embrace. My body aches, but in the most delicious way, and as I remember the way my shitty day ended, my belly begins to heat with desire all over again.
The morning after can go one of two ways. It can be awkward and stiff, unsure of whether I should stay or go. I’d had enough of those to know that the answer is always go.
Or it could be relaxed and comfortable, like it wasn’t the first time you were intimate with a man.
Like this.
I’d never been more relaxed, more content, more blissful than I am in this moment.
I nestle in closer to him, my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat strong and steady, and let my eyes drift shut.
We’d had sex last night. But it wasn’t just sex. No, it was more than that. Way more. I felt it, and I hope that Bronn did, too.
I want to do it again.
And again.
And then once more.
But the rocking of the boat begins to lull me back to sleep, and I think that maybe Bronn has the right idea, living on this thing. Just as I drift off, my phone begins ringing again.
“What the hell?” Bronn huffs.
Groaning, I scramble over his bare chest and hang over the side of the bed, digging through my purse. I’m reminded that I’m naked when Bronn begins rubbing his hand back and forth over my skin, causing goose bumps to break out on my flesh. I pretend to swat his hand away, giggling, but it doesn’t deter him. And the more he rubs, the less interested in answering my phone I become.
Getting my hands on the offending item, I don’t even bother looking to see who it is, just hit the accept button and put the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” I say, breathless.
“Grace?” Riley’s tinny voice invades my ear. Fear grips my gut.
“Is everything okay? Nana?” I squeak, fearing the worst.
“What?” he asks, the panic turning to irritation. “Your Nana’s fine. You just saw her yesterday, remember?”
I’m still hanging off the bed, the blood rushing to my head. “Oh, thank goodness.” I breathe.
“What took you so long to answer?” he demands.
With a sigh, I roll my eyes and push up on the bed until I’m sitting cross-legged. Bronn eyes me, no doubt hearing the male voice on the other end and I roll my eyes again, making a gun with my thumb and finger and putting it to my head.
“I was asleep. What time is it anyway?” Glancing around the room, I don’t see a clock anywhere, so I raise my eyebrows in Bronn’s direction.
He checks his watch and mouths, “Twelve-thirty.”
Before Riley can answer, I shout, “In the afternoon?” I want to be shocked that I slept so late, but considering who I was cozied up against, and the long day I’d had before, I believe it.
Ignoring my outburst, Riley continues, “Where are you, Grace?”
Frustrated, I push off the bed and begin to stalk to the door of the boat when I hear a throat clear from behind me.
Glancing over my shoulder, Bronn’s eyes are almost dancing. With his hand, he makes a sweeping motion and says quietly, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the view. But, not sure you want the local shrimp guys to get an eyeful?”
I look down to see what he’s referring to, and my eyes almost pop out of my head when I realize that I’m still naked from last night.
Screwing my eyes shut, I take a deep breath and tell Riley. “Listen, Ri. I’m fine. I’ll call you later.”
I move to disconnect the call when Riley’s distressed voice causes me to pause. “Did you not hear what I said? I’m at your house.”
“My house?”
“Well, the place that you’re staying at. I’m sitting on the porch, enjoying a glass of tea with your neighbors, wondering why the hell you aren’t here.”
Anger bubbles up and I press my lips together tightly to stop from shouting at him. How dare he show up unannounced after I told him the night before that he had to give it a rest.
As much as I care about him and appreciate everything he has done for my family, and for me, I am not interested in a relationship with him. It doesn’t matter that I have told him that, in many ways in the past. He is convinced that I don’t realize that we are the perfect match.
It doesn’t help that he had my Nana’s blessing, that she has all but forced me on him after he’d taken on her estate and affairs as her attorney.
I count to ten in my head before releasing the breath I’d been holding, and through clenched teeth tell him, “I’ll be home in fifteen minutes. And then we need to talk.”
I don’t bother waiting for a response before ending the call. With calculated effort, I walk to my purse and put my phone away to keep from throwing it across the room.
Racing around the tiny space, I retrieve my clothes and begin to put them on.
“So…” Bronn lets the word linger, waiting for me to fill in the blanks for him.
I’m sure it looks suspicious, a man calling repeatedly asking where I am, but I don’t have the energy to go into detail about our relationship, or lack thereof.
“Cliff notes version,” I say, pulling my shirt on over my head. “Nana thought that I would be a great match for her young, handsome attorney. Riley’s a great guy, but I am not a great match for him. He disagrees and won’t let it go. I tried the friendship route and––“ I break off, throwing my arms to my sides in frustration. “Obviously, that shit isn’t working either.”
I plop on the edge of the bed that Bronn is still just lounging in, and the longing to climb back in with him overwhelms me.
I want nothing more than to spend the rest of the day in his arms, under his body, and between his legs.
My irritation grows as my eyes roam Bronn’s chest, remembering how his skin tasted beneath my tongue last night.
With a sigh, I slide my heels on and stand. “He’s at my house, apparently, having tea with one of the neighbors.”
“Let me get dressed, I’ll go with you.” His voice is soft, but I don’t miss the edge to it.
He’s watching me intently, and there’s something there that I can’t quite put my finger on. The longer he stares, the more intense his eyes become.
Is it doubt?
Jealousy?
I shake my head. “No, you don’t have to do that.”
He pushes to his feet, grabbing his jeans from the floor and slides them over his muscular legs. My gaze follows them to his thighs and I look away, not wanting the desire in my belly to intensify more. I don’t have time for another romp in the sack, no matter how badly I want it.
“Sounds like this guy doesn’t know the meaning of no.” His voice is tense.
Shaking my head, I tell him, “Riley’s a good guy.”
Bronn’s eyes narrow, the suspicion from earlier making another appearance, and I hold my hands up.
“Really, he is. He’s been such a good friend to me. I think he’s just hopeless maybe?” I scramble, the guilt of painting one of my closest friends out to be a villain washing over me.
I don’t want to hurt Riley, or ruin our friendship, but he can’t go on thinking that we will ever be anything more than just friends. I just don’t know what to say that will get my point across.
Maybe I should let Bronn go with me.
Shaking my head, I run my fingers through my hair, wishing that I had time to style it and put fresh makeup on. I pick my purse up from the floor and throw it over my shoulder before taking a deep breath and turning back to Bronn.
With an apologetic smile, I tell him, “Sorry I have to rush out. I’ll call you later though, okay?”
His lips are set in a thin line, his eyes still wary, but he nods.
Throwing him one last apologetic smile, I hustle through the door into the bright sunshine.