I smile. “Well, I’m not at all logical, so feel free to lay it on me, I want to listen.”
She blows out a breath that concaves her stomach. She’s wearing a powder-blue bikini and she’s tiny everywhere. “I resisted him for years. I’ve always been one of those women that got along better with guys than girls. The guys were the smartest ones in our rotation and I wanted to study with them, so I infiltrated their group and basically told them they didn’t stand a chance with me. But from the start there was always something between Ted and me. We fought, sparked, argued. I hated every girl he dated and he hated every guy I brought around. But we were friends. And those stupid guys, they mean everything to me. I know it’s weird being the only girl in a group of males, but they are my best friends in the whole world. Med school is demanding, I’ve lost touch with the people I used to hang out with. My family’s okay, but I don’t get along great with my sisters so these guys are my people. I didn’t want to ruin that. So I resisted the attraction. Until I couldn’t anymore. Now I’m scared if we go out into the world instead of sneaking around we won’t make it and I’ll lose them.”
I touch her arm, nodding. “I can understand that. But you know you’ll never know until you try.”
“I know. I’m just avoiding it.” She bites her lip. “What if it’s so hot between us because we’re hiding it?”
“What if it’s not?” My gaze drifts over to Christopher. “But I do understand, life’s not always convenient, is it?”
“Isn’t that the truth.” She looks me up and down. “So what about you and Christopher?”
I can’t stop the heat from flaring. “Like he said last night, we’re just friends.”
“Yeah right.” She snorts. “Nobody’s buying that story either. Why else do you think Jace and X stay so far away from you?”
I glance over my shoulder. “We’re trying to be friends. But the truth is, I don’t really know him at all. I met him the first time a couple of days ago at his brother and my friend’s engagement party.”
She raises a brow. “And?”
“We hit it off.”
“And?”
“We were drunk.”
“And?”
I shrug. “We might have slept together, but that’s all behind me now.”
She laughs, as though the idea is preposterous, and maybe it is. “Yeah, no, it’s not.”
“It has to be.”
“Why?” She smiles at me. “I think you guys would be great together and I love you, so you have to stay.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m five years older than he is.”
“So?”
“We’re at different times in our life. I’m thirty-two and that kind of thing starts to matter.” I don’t want it to matter, but it does. And I have my quest to think about, I’m nowhere near finding myself.
There’s a few moments of silence before Shelly says, “All I know is that he really likes you and you fit with us.”
I swallow hard, and spot them walking back to us. “They’re coming.”
She jostles me with her shoulder. “Give him a chance.”
The guys stride up to the edge of the blanket, saving me from having to answer. I look at Christopher, holding out a drink to me, a smile on his face. I just want to melt. He’s not wearing a shirt and his shoulders are bare, broad and defined. His chest is sculpted, his abdomen toned. I remember how he felt under my hands, the flex of his muscles under my fingers. The movement of his hips between my thighs.
He must catch the direction of my thoughts because his gaze darkens, and dips to my lips. He crouches down, puts the drink into a grove in the sand before returning his attention to me. “Do you want to go swim a bit?”
I should say no, because he’s charmed me completely, and I’m smitten by him. I open my mouth to refuse, but instead say, “Yes.”
He takes my hand, and without looking away says, “We’ll be back.”
Then he stands, taking me right along with him.
In silence we walk to the ocean’s edge. The water is warm, lapping against my bare toes and I stare out into the sea. What am I doing? And why am I doing it?
He squeezes my fingers, and then tugs. “Let’s go this way.”
Off to the left the beach is more deserted and we walk, the water brushing our feet as we make our way past the crowded section before wading into the ocean. A wave crashes into me, almost knocking me over, but he catches me around the waist and holds me tight.
As our bodies slide together I gasp with the shock of it, my hands skim over the muscles in his arms when I should be pushing him away. I meet his eyes, so hot on mine.
I should shift out of his grasp, but I stare into the depths of his brown eyes, warm like whiskey, and I don’t. I stay right where I am. Right where I want to be.
I take in a quick breath. “You’re not making this easy.”
His hands walk a path up my spine, tracing the droplets of water he finds there. “I don’t want it to be easy.”
“I need it to be.”