One Foolish Night (Eternal Bachelors Club #4)

“I find that hard to believe. You’re successful in business, you take good care of yourself. What could she possibly have to complain about?”


Had Holly just paid him a compliment?

Paul shrugged, not wanting to give too much weight to a flattering remark. “Mothers. How do I know what makes them tick?” Then he changed the subject. “Let me show you to your room. My parents will assume that I’ll put you into the room next to mine so that I can sneak into your room at night without being seen. We have to keep up appearances.”

“I understand,” she answered, and turned toward the door.

As he led her upstairs, luggage in hand, he felt her eyes on him. Did she really think he was taking good care of himself? Had she meant this in a physical way? Fuck, he sounded like a thirteen-year-old wondering whether the most popular girl in school had the hots for him. Ridiculous! He had to stop thinking like that. Clearly it was his dick talking. Even after masturbating the previous night, and again in the shower this morning, he couldn’t get his libido under control. Maybe it would be a good thing if he didn’t spend the evening alone with Holly.

Paul opened the door to the guest room and ushered Holly inside, setting her suitcase on the floor next to the closet. “Make yourself at home.”

“This is very cozy.”

There was a full-sized bed with a bedside table, a small desk and chair at the window, and a comfortable armchair and ottoman, all in white and soft pink.

Paul smiled. “It used to be Olivia’s room, but since she’s going to come with her husband and her son, she’ll be taking one of the guest suites near my parents’ room.” He winked. “At least that means we won’t hear Jonathan screaming when he doesn’t want to sleep.”

Holly looked around. “Does this door lead to a bathroom?”

“Yes, but it only has a shower, so if you want to take a bath, you can use my bathroom.”

“Oh,” she said far too quickly, “that’s okay, a shower is fine.”

Well, he couldn’t blame her for not wanting to share his bathroom. “Just thought I’d offer.” He looked down at his feet, then said what he needed to say before he changed his mind. “Anyway, since my parents aren’t here until Thursday, I guess this means you’ll get the night off. No playacting for the next two days. If you want to, you can borrow my car and visit Sabrina. I heard that she and Daniel are visiting his parents for a few days.”

A smile spread over Holly’s face. “You wouldn’t mind?”

Did she seem overly eager to get away from him? “No, of course not. I’ll see which of my friends is around and go out for a beer.”

At least then he wouldn’t do anything stupid tonight.





13


Holly had dropped him off at the Dune Bar and then left to drive to the Sinclairs’ house. Paul watched as his Porsche disappeared in the distance, before he opened the door to the bar and entered the dim interior.

It was a typical local dive. He’d come here since he was barely old enough to drink, happy about the fact that at this bar a man would be left alone if he preferred solitude and would have company if he sought company.

He glanced down the long bar and Zach waved at him. Next to him Jay downed the rest of his bourbon. As a Southerner, he insisted on drinking bourbon instead of whiskey.

Paul was glad that his two friends—and fellow members of the Eternal Bachelors Club—had nothing better to do tonight than hang out with him. Jay had just bought a house in Montauk which was under renovation. And Zach was working out of his beach house while his condo in New York was being repainted.

“Hey Zach, Jay,” he greeted them, and took the empty barstool next to Zach.

“Paul, great to see you!” Zach responded.

“I’ll have another bourbon, and a drink for my friend,” Jay said to the bartender, then turned to Paul. “What are you having, Paul?”

Paul nodded to Steve, the guy behind the bar. “A pilsner on tap, thanks, Steve.”

“So you finally came, huh?” Zach asked.

“Finally?”

“Yeah, I ran into your mother the other day down at the general store. She was complaining about you spending too much time in New York and not visiting often enough.”

Paul rolled his eyes and took the beer Steve set in front of him. “I hope you didn’t take her side.”

Zach laughed. “I know how to handle mothers. Trust me on that.” He lifted his beer glass and clinked it against Paul’s. “Cheers.”

“Wait a sec!” Jay motioned to the bartender. A moment later, he had his bourbon in hand. “Now I’m ready.”

They toasted each other, then drank.

Paul liked the feel of the slightly bitter liquid as it ran down his parched throat, cooling his body from the inside. Being around Holly had made his body temperature rise to an uncomfortable degree.

“Ahh, I needed that,” he commented as he set his half-empty glass on the worn bar. “Steve, start working on another one of these.”

Steve acknowledged his request with a nod.