The Elite: The Complete Series of Boomer and Player (With Bonus) (9 page)

I cut my losses and polished off the last bite of my steel cut oats. “All right, but don’t expect me to listen to your bitching when you get outta shape climbing the stairs.”

At that, he glanced up, and a slow, devious smile spread over his face. “Oh, don’t you worry about me. I get my cardio. I just prefer to do it in bed, with a stacked blonde.”

I laughed and set my bowl in the sink.

“Speaking of, you wanna go out again tonight? We could hit up Harvey’s again, or there’s a sports bar across town. We could go watch a game, shoot some pool, kick it.”

“Yeah, sure,” I agreed, before whistling for Princess. “We’re off. You working all day today?”

Aaron snapped his laptop closed and stood, stretching his arms over his head. “Yeah. We can’t all be lazy fuckers like you,” he teased.

“I’ll come out this afternoon and harass you.”

“All right man.” He grinned and took off, back through the living room. Seconds later, I heard his footsteps jogging up the stairs.

“Come on, girl,” I said, looking down at Princess. She knew what time it was, and although the excitement was gleaming in her eyes, she sat patiently by the door, waiting for me. “Maybe we’ll stop by that coffee shop after we’re done…”

I was used to my early morning workout, and didn’t usually find it hard to get out of bed and dive headfirst into a run, but since I’d seen Holly at the coffee shop, there was an extra level to my motivation. Since Aaron didn’t know her, I knew the odds were good that she was visiting, and not a resident of Holiday Cove, but I had no idea how long she’d be in town.

All I knew was that I wanted to see her again.

Within minutes, I’d made my way down the steep trail that led to the beach, from the heights of the Rosen property. I jogged in place, my sneakers kicking up sand, to get warmed up, and then set off at a brisk pace down the beach, sticking close to where the tide was rolling out, to get more traction on the sand. Music piped in through my headphones, and despite my protesting muscles, I quickly settled into a steady pace.

When I figured I’d gone about a mile and half from Rosen’s, I started scanning to the left, studying the silhouettes of the different businesses and houses that were wedged up against the shore. Although I had visited Holiday Cove on multiple occasions, I wasn’t as familiar with it as to remember exactly where the coffee shop had been. I was beginning to wonder if I’d passed it, when all of a sudden, the patio came into view.

I slowed my pace to glance through the small crowd of people seated at the bistro tables. The first time I’d seen Holly, she’d been sitting alone, and it was impossible to miss her. But, with the crowd of people sitting outside, it was almost impossible to see if she was there.

Princess hadn’t slowed down, and was racing farther and farther ahead of me. I tore my eyes from the patio and kicked into the next gear, easily catching up to her with a hundred-yard sprint that left my leg muscles screaming and my lungs heaving. I trotted to a stop and caught my breath, walking to the edge of the water.

What was I expecting? Even if Holly had been sitting outside, what difference would it have made? It was fairly obvious from her body language and actions that she wasn’t interested in me. Hell, for all I knew, she could have been married.

Why did it matter?

I sucked in the brisk, salty air as my pulse and breathing returned to normal, before starting back towards the bluff. I took it easy on the run home, and shifted my attention away from the mysterious woman that had captivated my interest, and forced myself to focus on my plan for the day instead.

After grabbing a shower and a change of clothes, I checked in with Aaron to see if he needed anything from the local market. He was busy with a group of tourists who had a slippery grasp on the English language, and waved me off. I loaded Princess into the car and drove down the road, dipping back into the small town, and parked on the street half a block from the market.

“Stay here, girl.” The top was still down on the car, leaving Princess free to jump out if she wanted, but I trusted her not to.

I grabbed a few things from the market, and after checking out, peeled back the wrapper of a protein bar on my way back to the car and started snacking. When I got to the car, it was empty.

“What the…” I spun in a circle, frantically scanning the street for any sign of Princess. I lowered the bag of groceries onto the passenger seat before starting back down the sidewalk, towards the front of the store, when I heard a familiar bark that flooded me with relief.

Princess was sitting on a wooden bench in front of the shop next door.

“Oh boy…” I muttered, noticing her companion.

A six month old, chubby, chocolate lab puppy that belonged to a certain mystery woman.

“Hunter!”

I turned at the frantic cry, and smiled widely at Holly’s approach. Her eyes were trained on Hunter, but when they slid from her rascal of a pup and met mine, they went wide with alarm, before darting back to Hunter and Princess, as though she’d only just realizing her dog had found mine.

“Hey there,” I greeted her. She was panting and windblown again, just like the first time we’d met. My eyes wandered down her body, admiring the way her pink tank top was sticking to her skin that glistened with a thin layer of perspiration after her run.

“Hi,” she replied, her voice clipped. She pushed back her thick, blonde hair and twirled the strands together into a side ponytail, keeping it grasped between her fingertips. “Jack? Right?”

“That’s right, Holly.” Her eyes drifted back to the dogs, who were sitting side by side, like old friends. “I don’t get it. You have some kind of magical spell on him or something. He’s
never
this calm.”

I laughed and walked over to the dogs. Princess didn’t make a move to come over to me, she was perfectly content to sit with Hunter. “It’s not me. It’s all Princess.”

“Whew,” Holly blew out a puff of air, still catching her breath. She looked up and down the street. It wasn’t busy, but there were cars coming and going every few minutes. “God, he could have gotten hurt…You probably think I’m like the worst dog owner ever.”

I tore my eyes away from admiring her toned arms and perky tits and shook my head. “No, not at all.”

She gave me a skeptical look.

I held up my hands, palms facing her and laughed. “I swear. Trust me, Princess wasn’t always this well behaved. In fact, she was supposed to be waiting for me in the car. Not over here. So, believe me, I get it. I’m just glad they’re both all right.”

Holly nodded. “I stopped to look at the window for the jewelry store back there,” she explained, pointing over her shoulder. “He spotted something and tore off like a bat outta hell.”

I laughed. “Probably saw her. He seems to have a little crush.”

Holly smiled at Princess and the way Hunter kept glancing up at her, as though he were posed, waiting for her approval. “I guess so. I kinda hate to break them up.”

“Then don’t.”

She snapped her eyes back to mine.

“Princess and I are free all afternoon. How about you and Hunter come take a drive with us. There’s this cool spot a little way up the 101 from here. They’d love it.”

“I—uh—I don’t…”

“Come on. It’ll be a good time, I promise.”

Holly shook her head but smiled politely. “Thanks for the offer, really, but I should get going.”

She started forward, calling for Hunter’s attention. He wriggled as she reached for his leash, and Princess got down and trotted back to my feet. Holly straightened, holding Hunter’s leash tightly in her hand. “Thanks again. Maybe another time.”

“Holly, can I ask you something?”

She looked away, past my shoulder, before circling her eyes back to mine. “Uhm, sure.”

“What are you running from?”

Her brown eyes went wide again, and in the sunlight, I could see that they were ringed with an amber gold. “I’m sorry?” She sputtered.

“The other day on the beach, when we met, you acted like you couldn’t wait to get away from me. Then, last night, I see you at Harvey’s. Now, I figure you were there for a reason. You didn’t just stumble inside. So, why did you charge out of there as soon as you saw me?”

She paused for a moment, her eyes wildly searching mine, while she thought up a reply. She planted her hands on her hips. “I’m not running from anything, Jack. Why are you even asking me to go for a drive? I don’t even
know
you.”

“My name is Jack McGuire. I’m a Lieutenant in the United States Navy where I serve my country as a fighter pilot. I’m single, I like good beer, football games, and flying. What else do you want to know before you agree to go for a drive with me? Go ahead, ask me anything you want.”

Holly’s expression shifted, more deeply confused than before. She stared at me like she’d just heard Princess start talking. My invitation had clearly thrown her off balance, and I had to bite back a smile, finding the bewildered look on her face to be both amusing and incredibly sexy.

After a long pause, she sighed. “Well, thank you for that thorough introduction, but, like I said—”

“—So, then why not come with me, see what happens?” I dared, not willing to let her off the hook.

Her full lips parted, as she readied her response, but after a quick glance at Princess and back up at me, it turned into a sigh. She shrugged. “All right. I’ll go.”

“Okay, Princess, you’re gonna have to sit in the back seat.”

Holly shot me a questioning glance.

I dropped a quick look at Princess. “Her. You got claim on riding shotgun.”

I grinned as her cheeks flushed pink, realizing her mistake. “Right.”

Princess hopped into the backseat, and Hunter followed close on her heels, ignoring the fluffy tail that was waved in his face. Holly and I both laughed as the dogs got settled. I pushed the passenger seat upright, locking it into place, and then stepped aside, allowing Holly to climb inside, before shutting the door and racing around to hop in the driver’s side, right over the door.

“Very smooth, Lieutenant,” she said, grinning over at me as I buckled in.

Chapter Eleven

Holly

Jack and I were a handful of miles north of Holiday Cove, and I was still impressed with the way he’d managed to convince me to go along with him. Between his charming smile, light dose of persuasiveness, and the conversation with Rachel that was still in the back of my mind, it had been impossible to say no.

“This is a pretty sweet ride,” I complimented, as Jack expertly shifted to get us up the winding curves in the road.

“Thanks. It was my dad’s actually. He bought it brand new, right after he got home from boot camp.”

“Wow. Is your whole family in the military?” I asked, fighting off the leeriness that had almost stopped me from going along with him. My ex-husband had been a different person after joining the Marines, and after our divorce, I’d made a promise with myself that if and when I started dating again, I’d never fall for a soldier. I’d been a military wife long enough to know that it wasn’t the kind of life I wanted.

And yet, there I was, cruising up the 101 with a handsome stranger, who was not only
in
the Navy, but also a pilot and high ranking officer.

“My dad retired a few years back after thirty years in the Navy. He went out as a decorated Admiral. My younger brother, Cody, he’s a Marine, stationed over in Hawaii right now. Lucky bastard.”

I laughed. “Sounds rough.”

“Yeah. I never got that gig.” Jack smiled over at me. “What about you? What do you do?”

“I’m a CPA. Not quite as exotic, but I’m kind of a numbers geek, so it works for me. I just started my own accounting business after years of working for a large corporate firm.”

“Congratulations. That must feel good, being the boss!”

I smiled at the way he said it. Most people complimented my success with the same, generic congratulations, but there was something warm about the way Jack said it that felt authentic and real, as though he were truly happy for me. “Thanks. Yeah, it’s about eighty percent awesome, and twenty percent sheer exhaustion and stress.”

Jack laughed. “You really are a numbers geek, huh?”

A laugh burst from my lips, surprised by his smart comment.

“So, what brings you to Holiday Cove, then?” He asked, before I could gather an equally smart retort.

I grinned over at him. “I’m celebrating the fact that I made it through tax season in one piece.”

Jack laughed again and the warm, rumble of it washed over me, making me more aware of myself as I sat in the passenger seat. Due to the winding roads, he couldn’t glance my way very often, and I was almost thankful there wasn’t a lot of eye contact. Being around him was intimidating enough without his dark, soulful, brown eyes penetrating my defenses. They held a solid wisdom that made me comfortable, but intrigued, and intimidated all in one mixed up moment whenever they landed on me.

“What about you? I didn’t realize there was a base nearby,” I asked, wanting to shift the conversation back to him before he could get the chance to dig too deeply into my life.

“I’m visiting an old Navy buddy. He runs the Rosen Air Museum, up on the bluff.” He paused, his lips still parted, and I hung there, waiting for what would come next, but he seemed to decide against whatever it was he’d been about to add.

I turned to peek into the back seat and smiled at Hunter, who’d managed to curl into a ball and fall asleep on the seat beside Princess.

“How’re they doing back there?” Jack asked.

I turned back to look out the windshield as he adjusted the rear view mirror to see the dogs. “Looks like Hunter will be all charged up for whenever we get to this beach you’re taking us to. I swear, he’s the king of power naps.”

Jack chuckled and flipped the mirror back to a neutral position. “It’s not too much farther.”

I nodded. We whizzed around a sharp corner and my hair billowed out in a tangled mess behind me. I yelped and frantically gathered it all back into a ponytail around my fingers, cursing the fact that I’d left the house without an elastic band.