I watched the sand flutter over my feet. If I stared at the grains bouncing over my toes, I could avoid Laura’s stare, and the jealousy that had planted itself in the pit of my stomach.
“Do you see what I see?” Taylor danced over to me.
“Uh, no. What are you talking about?”
“Look at that.” She pointed to the fire. “They are actually working together.”
I stared in disbelief. Mason was handing Grey logs of driftwood while Grey added them to the blaze. If I didn’t know better, I might classify it as teamwork.
“Maybe I had too much champagne.” I blinked again.
Taylor laughed. “No, it just means that they are getting along. It’s all going to work out, Eden. You want something to drink? Connor said there’s a cooler in the back of his truck.”
I shook my head. “I’m good.” I lifted my water bottle. I had been taking it easy ever since our night at Pete’s. I wasn’t ever going to spend another night on our bathroom floor.
I watched as she skipped toward Connor’s tailgate. Sure, it was nice for a change that Grey wasn’t plotting how to knock Mason on his ass, but I didn’t expect it to last. It couldn’t. They definitely weren’t chitchatting or slapping each other on the back, but they were loading the fire with wood. It was something I never thought I’d see. There were some deep-seated issues between them. What worried me the most was that Grey might wake up in the morning regretting his decision to sell the Palm. It was a beautiful fantasy to think we could ride off into the grad school sunset and live off his fortune while Mason demolished the Palm and built a high-rise on it. How would Grey live with this decision?
“What’s going on in that head of yours, darlin’?” Grey stood next to me.
“Is it that obvious?” I was trying to keep up with the party spirit, but there was too much going on in front of me: Grey and Mason, Taylor and Mason, and the enormous Laura elephant.
His hands brushed over my shoulder as if I were wearing my hair down. “Did I tell you how pretty you looked at the wedding?”
I turned in the sand so that I was leaning into him, chest to chest. “No, I don’t think you did.”
“Don’t tell Marin I said this, but you were the prettiest girl in the church.” He kissed my neck. I felt little shivers cascade down my spine. His fingers laced through mine, drawing me even closer.
I giggled. “You are not supposed to say that. Today was Marin’s day.”
“But I mean it,” he growled against my ear.
We stayed like that for a while, pressed against each other, the bonfire roaring nearby while our friends danced up a storm on the beach. I loved dancing, but I loved being held by Grey more. For as long as we were there, I never say Grey turn his head once in Laura’s direction. By the time the fire faded, so had all the jealousy in my stomach.
“Grey?” I looked at his face, glowing with the last flames of flickering firelight.
“Hmm?”
“Take me to bed?”
He smiled. “Do you think we’ll make it in the house?”
I blushed, tipping my chin toward him, daring him to kiss me in front of everyone, although everyone was coupled off and I doubted anyone would notice.
“Do you want to make it in the house?” I teased. My eyes locked on his. This shameless seduction had me burning up for him. I didn’t think he was serious, but I was completely turned on.
“Why don’t we start walking back and you’ll find out.” He stood from the log we used as a seat, his hand extended.
Every part of me started working in overdrive. My breath was rapid, my skin sensitive to his touch, my pulse surging rapidly. All I could think about was how tangled up we were going to get before we even walked through the door.
I didn’t bother saying good-bye to Taylor or Connor. We disappeared into the shadows and followed the dunes to our cottage before anyone realized we had left the party. I started to climb the stairs when I felt Grey’s hands sliding along my bare legs. He was a few steps below me, and I kept a slow pace as I climbed to the next step, not wanting to lose his touch. I stopped, clutching the railing as his hand reached between my legs, and over my backside, gripping the waist of my panties and guiding them down my legs. I closed my eyes, reminding myself I had to breathe and keep climbing the stairs. I stepped forward, allowing him to work them over my ankles.
Thank God, we didn’t leave the lights on the ocean side of the house. I didn’t expect to arrive beachfront at the end of the night. I took another step. His hand was pushing the sides of my dress up as he eagerly fought to dip along my hot wet skin. I stopped until his chest was heaving against my back. I needed him to steady me, all the feelings were incredibly intense—the ones in my heart and the ones raging through my body.