Ex on the Beach (24 page)

She gritted her teeth.

He pushed closer into her space, and she could smell the hint of coffee mixed with mint on his breath. “I could practically hear you breathing as you stood there, you know?”

And he was so close, he was practically breathing for her now.

She rolled her lips together, wishing she hadn’t come to the front of the boat alone. She’d needed some air. It had taken everything she had not to get sick through the rough twenty-five miles they’d sped across. She’d simply wanted to take a couple of deep breaths and focus before she spent the remainder of the day keeping tabs on Mark, ready to pounce the minute he’d talked with Rob.

“I …” She paused, suddenly feeling pressure behind her eyes. She was going to cry. Fury at her overwhelming emotions half blinded her.

“Ginny said you had dinner with your mother last night,” Mark said. He reached for the end of one of her ponytails and flipped it back and forth between his fingers, and Andie was grateful that he’d put a few more inches of space between them. “Was that why you stopped by my door? Did you want to talk about that? Did she upset you?”

Andie shook her head.

“Were you going to ask me again not to talk to Rob?”

She shook her head again.

Then she made the mistake of looking him dead straight in the eyes, and she knew that he knew.

She’d come to his door because she’d wanted him.

She’d wanted to crawl into bed with him, and let him wrap his arms around her.

And it hadn’t been purely for the physical benefits either.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

K
avanaugh!” The shout came from the back of the boat, and both of them turned to find Rob standing there — his feet apart and his hands on his hips — glaring in their direction. At least Andie assumed he was glaring. She couldn’t tell from his sunglasses, but the guy hated her, so no doubt the look was lethal.

Ginger stood behind him, eyeing the scene as well. Her look was speculative.

“You plan to fish today?” Rob asked.

Andie blinked, no longer needing to squelch the tears that had been threatening, and ducked her head when Mark turned back to her. She held her breath, hoping he didn’t insist on pointing out what she knew he’d just figured out.

“We’ll finish this later,” Mark said.

He rose from the bench, pulled his sunglasses from where they hung on the front of his lightweight button-down shirt, and headed to the other end of the boat. Ginger passed him about halfway and ended up standing in front of Andie, her stance similar to Rob’s.

“You slept with him,” she quietly announced.

Andie rolled her eyes at her friend. “Like that’s a shocker. You knew it would happen.”

“Oh yeah. I knew. When?” They hadn’t talked since they’d seen each other at the senior center three days before.

“Yesterday.”

Ginger shot her a quick look. “That why you’re so tired this morning?”

The sound of her mother’s voice explaining that she was getting a divorce pierced Andie’s thoughts. “Afraid not. We did it in the middle of afternoon.” She paused just long enough to watch the surprise cross her friend’s face, then added, “While Aunt Ginny and
my mother
were both downstairs.”

“Andie!” Ginger’s whispered response was a mix of shock, horror, and concern. She landed on concern. “Your mother is here?”

Andie nodded. “I had dinner with her last night.”

“She never comes down.”

“I know. Saves it for special occasions apparently.”

“And what was so special about this one?”

Andie wanted to go into detail, but she wasn’t in the mood for that level of discussion just yet. She would talk to Aunt Ginny first, see what that was all about, and then she’d get her girls together. After the wedding had been canceled and everyone had gone home.

If anyone could help her sort through the mess that was her life, it would be Roni and Ginger.

Andie turned to watch Mark, who stood at the edge of the boat among several men, all of them dropping their lines into the deep water. Ginger had gotten them started, then put her assistant in charge of watching over them. She rarely went out on the deep-sea trips but worked them into her schedule when she could.

However, spending time in the ocean was what she enjoyed the most. Not the actual act of fishing.

Andie shifted her gaze back to her friend, knowing she couldn’t leave her hanging. She gave a small, tight smile. “Mom’s getting a divorce. I don’t want to talk about it today though, okay? Too much else on my mind.”

Ginger lowered herself onto the seat beside Andie and reached out a hand to hers. “Oh, sweetie.” She squeezed Andie’s hand. “Okay, we won’t talk about your mom today. Not if you don’t want to.” She tossed a quick nod in Mark’s direction and waggled her brows. “Will you tell me about that, then? With details?”

Andie laughed, appreciating Ginger’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Of course.”

The last day and a half had been stressful — so, yes, she’d appreciate a little girl talk. Especially if she would be talking about how Mark had pushed her up against the wall.

Her thighs tingled just thinking about it.

“You’re blushing, Andie.”

She put a hand to her cheek and grinned at the warmth she felt. “Because it was really, really good,” she whispered.

Ginger sucked in a little fake gasp. “You’re going to do it again, aren’t you?”

Andie shrugged, because yes, she’d like to, but then she forced herself to admit the truth. She shook her head and sighed, feeling her shoulders droop. “No, actually, I’m not. He’ll be leaving, so-o—”

She stopped as she caught sight of Mark leading Rob over to the far side of the boat. Alone.

She had to hear that conversation.

Thankful the boat wasn’t filled to capacity, so there was plenty of room for a private conversation, Mark pulled Rob off to the side, determined to get the shit part of the day over. It was possible —
likely
— that when they’d finished talking, Rob would demand to go back immediately. Which would put everyone dealing with seasickness all morning for no good reason.

Mark should have had the conversation before they’d even pulled away. But Phillip Jordan had seemed to be constantly underfoot back at the dock. And then Mark had seen that Andie was going with them. And he’d selfishly wanted a chance to have some time with her.

But he couldn’t put the conversation off any longer. It was tearing both him and Andie up, and they had more important matters to discuss.

Like the fact that she cared for him, too.

He knew she did. He’d read it clearly on her face only moments before.

He just had no idea how to get her to admit it, or do anything about it.

Or if they even needed to do anything about it. They had spectacularly crashed and burned once upon a time. Why should he think they’d be any different this time?

“It’s been too long since we’ve done anything like this, bro,” Rob pointed out as they made their way along the side of the boat, their rods pointed toward the blue sky as they went. There were metal holders attached to the railing of the boat every few feet so they could move around, repositioning their rods throughout the day. So far, no one but the two of them had made it to the section where they now stood.

“Too long,” Mark agreed, though deep down he felt it probably hadn’t been long enough. Which was not a good thing for the best man to be thinking. “What? Three years?”

Three years ago the two of them, along with several other buddies from Harvard, had taken a long weekend trip to the Caribbean. It had been a bachelor party for one of the guys. Rob had partied hard and hooked up with several women that weekend, while Mark had wondered when he’d gone off and grown up without his buddy.

“At least,” Rob agreed. “We should make it a yearly thing.”

Mark didn’t answer. He suspected that after their conversation today, Rob might not want anything to do with him for a while.

Movement from his right caught Mark’s attention, and he realized that someone had entered the cabin and was sitting practically behind them, just inside the window.

He began to move farther down the boat, before recognizing the someone was Andie.

She was eavesdropping.

The knowledge should have annoyed him, but given the guilt he felt for what he was about to do, he would let her listen in. She needed to understand that some things simply could not be changed.

Rob put his rod down and kicked back, leaning against the wall of the boat directly in front of where Andie sat. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shorts pocket, and held it out to Mark.

“No, thanks.” Mark hadn’t smoked a cigarette since he and Rob had been teenagers, trying to act cool. “And I can’t believe you’re still doing that. Those things are nasty.”

“Yeah, but Penelope isn’t here. She gets all bitchy if I smoke around her, so I take the opportunity when I get one.”

Mark set up his pole and dropped his line into the water, wishing he didn’t have to be the one doing this. “Phillip doesn’t get on your case about it, then?”

He’d watched Rob’s future father-in-law today, and the man kept an eye on Rob, that was for sure. Probably making sure his would-be state’s attorney prodigy didn’t do anything to embarrass the family.

“I do what I want.”

“Except when Penelope is watching.”

Rob tipped his hand in a touché signal as he blew out a steady stream of smoke. Before he took another drag, he gave Mark a look. “So what’s up?”

It had been too many years since the two of them had held a serious conversation. The idea of doing so now suddenly didn’t sit well with Mark. But it wasn’t as if he could back out. Facts were still facts. Might as well put it out there and get it out of the way.

“Your fiancée and future father-in-law are setting you up.”

Rob’s posture went momentarily stiff before he puffed once more on the cigarette and then tossed it into the ocean. He straightened from his relaxed position and slowly exhaled, letting the thin stream of white smoke drift out to sea with the butt.

“What are you talking about?”

Mark glanced around to make sure no one — except Andie — was within hearing distance, then explained what he’d overheard.

“So it seems,” Mark finished up, “Phillip has plans for you, and Penelope is going along with them.”

Another cigarette appeared between Rob’s fingers. “And you feel this is bad because?”

It was all Mark could do not to let his mouth hang open. “Because you’re a defense attorney and have always wanted to be one.”

“Sometimes people change.”

“So you’re telling me you knew about this?”

“I didn’t
know
, but I had my suspicions.”

“Then you’re okay with it?”

Rob lifted a shoulder and gave the shit-eating grin he’d been using since elementary school. It didn’t make Mark any more comfortable now than it had twenty years ago.

“It’s one less thing I have to orchestrate,” Rob finally replied.

Mark dropped back against the boat, stunned. “One less thing you have to …” He stared at Rob. “Orchestrate?”

“Yeah. Far less work for me.”

“What are you talking about?”

Rob took another puff and looked around as Mark had done, stopping when his gaze landed at the front of the boat. Mark turned his head to find Phillip watching them.

“You don’t think I’m marrying her for love, do you?” Rob’s tone was derisive.

“Actually, I had assumed so, yes.”

Rob flicked the second cigarette into the ocean. “I’m not a pansy, Mark. I have plans. I’m acting on them.”

“I thought your plans focused on the firm where you are. Where you’ve made partner.”

“And now my plans are on being a state’s attorney.” Rob focused his flat gray eyes on him. “Next, a US attorney. Hell, maybe someday I’ll shoot for Supreme Court justice. I have the world, man. Do you know how far the Jordan name can get me? They aren’t only well-respected in Chicago, you know.”

Wow. The facts suddenly hit Mark in the face like a bucket of ice water. His best friend — the guy he’d always thought to be his best friend — was a complete jerk. Which suddenly made Mark wonder if they’d ever really been friends at all.

The Kavanaugh name was far bigger than Masterson in Boston. Maybe Rob had only liked him for that.

And Mark’s father had pulled some strings to get Rob his Chicago job.

Mark suddenly felt sick, and it had nothing at all to do with the waves. He stepped to the side of the boat, certain he would be the next one to lose his breakfast, and heard Rob laughing beside him.

The sound echoed in his ears as if it were being piped in from a long tunnel, and Mark fought the urge to turn and punch Rob in the face, certain in the knowledge that their friendship had never been more than a means to an end.

It was the elder Kavanaugh and elder Masterson who had been true friends all these years. They were the ones who’d held Mark and Rob together.

“Son of a bitch,” Mark muttered, glad when his stomach settled back down. “You’re nothing but a complete ass.”

Rob scratched the side of his chin and shot Mark a condemning look. “And you need to grow a pair. Quit playing with the help.” Rob motioned toward the front of the boat as if Andie was still where Mark had left her. “You shouldn’t have ever let Beth get away. She had the name and the prestige.”