Peachy Keen (4 page)

“My best friend
is
the movie star,” he said.

My knees folded up to my chest and I clutched at my head as the truth detonated in my brain. All I could do was gawk at him and let the only word that remained in my thoughts come out of my mouth.

“Fuck!”

4.

Stay with Me

Harrison

For as long as I could remember, listening to Evan Weston always had a way of getting me into trouble.

He said, “Take a fucking vacation, man. You deserve it.” He let me use his airline miles and his VIP perk points at the resort despite the fact that I could’ve easily afforded it on my own. He just kept saying I should go and relax and have a good time—get laid.

She sat still on the bed beside me with her head in her hands. Every now and then I’d hear her mutter something to herself that sounded like
motherfucker.
Finally, when she lifted her head and turned to face me, I saw her breathe deeply.

Why hadn’t Evan ever told me how fucking gorgeous Danielle’s best friend was?

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I don’t know what I am,” Georgia said as she swung her legs off the side of the bed and started picking up her clothes, putting them on piece by piece.

“I—uh.” I didn’t know what to say. What the fuck was I doing trying to talk to her?

She stared at me for a beat, tilting her head to one side and letting a sad little smile bow her lips. “Danielle has no idea I’m here. This was a secret—my secret. Just a quick break from reality to cure my restlessness.” She covered her face with her hands again and I could tell she was stifling either a scream or a sob. “Jesus, I’m supposed to
meet you
for the first time in a few weeks at your birthday party. So that’ll be awkward, huh?” She breathed a laugh. “Now you probably think I’m a major slut for getting into bed with you without knowing your name…so that just adds a whole other lovely layer of fucked up to this situation.”

The word cut me unexpectedly. The sound of it coming out of her mouth, the meaning of it placed upon her for even that split second, made me angry. “I don’t think you’re a slut.”

She rolled her eyes and hesitantly took a step toward me. I wanted to go on and tell her that nothing we’d just done made me consider her a slut. Or anything near it. But when she sat on the edge of the mattress, I shifted, praying she couldn’t tell I was half hard just looking at her. She still had that just fucked look on her face and I wanted to keep it there. Her expression fell, then she locked her gaze on the floor.

“Please don’t tell them.”

My head continued spinning wildly. This had gone from zero to sixty to zero in less than an hour. She flinched under my fingers when I reached out to her. “I won’t say anything. I—I didn’t know,” I stammered. “I’d say I’m sorry for it but—”

A sparkling smile split her lips and she rolled her eyes again. As sexy as she was, I would’ve called her cute in that instant. Really fucking cute. She put her hand on my cheek and sighed. “It’s nothing against you. I just came here for some fun. The no strings attached kind. And this…this is all kinds of tangled up in strings.”

Feeling the warmth of her tender palm through the thick beard along my jaw made me feverish. She needed to leave before I threw her against the pillows again and showed her some fun. I nodded and her hand fell away from me.

Georgia turned and swept her haphazard braid over her shoulder before peeking back at me. “Zip me up?”

Wasn’t she naked in my bed a few seconds ago? Why the fuck did I say her name out loud? I could’ve at least let it go unsaid for another few hours—until that second round she’d mentioned. But no, I wasn’t that guy. With careful fingers, I zipped her dress and wished like hell this had all been a dream. When she stood from the bed, I followed her.

“You sure you don’t want to stay? It’s still pouring outside,” I offered.

I saw her shoulders hitch up when she drew in a huge breath. She blew it out and turned to me just inside the door. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Harrison,” she started slowly. It was the first time she’d said my name. “Look, thank you for being cool about this. It was…you were…” She shut her eyes and another pained smile took her over. I’d never seen a girl look like that before. It was sad and beautiful and some strange mixture of yearning and regret.

“I just really wish you’d been a stranger.”

Words evaded me so I grit my teeth and nodded. Then she opened the door and walked out into the rain like nothing had happened.

What the hell?

I crawled back into bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to comprehend exactly what just happened. I’d just had the most amazing sex of my life and it turns out she’s my best friend’s girlfriend’s best friend. It sounded like I was a guest on a trashy daytime talk show.

When Georgia walked up to my table at the bar and started flirting, I’d silently thanked Evan. I’d really needed a vacation when he suggested it. I’d been working a lot more ever since he took the role on
The Heirs
. Evan could tell I was about to melt down but he knew I’d never tell him I needed a break. So he basically shoved me out the door with a plane ticket. He told me to have a good time and when I saw her—though a hookup wasn’t on my agenda despite the location of my suite and the atmosphere of the resort—I felt lucky she’d walked up to me, of all the men at the bar.

When she showed me her room key with that lustful look in her dark brown eyes, my brain shorted out. It took me a second to soak in the idea of her—the furthest thing from the kinds of girls I’d been with in the past. One in particular.

When the nameless minx grabbed my dick through my jeans, I didn’t need any more time to contemplate letting go and having fun. Everything about her, from the way she’d pinned me with a look at the bar to that little jewel in her navel, made me sweat. I didn’t quite know how to wrap my head around the events of my night. Evan told me a little about his girlfriend’s best friend and the girl I’d just encountered was exactly what he’d described. Wild. Fun. Bold.

All I intended to do tonight was have a drink and read my book while I enjoyed the humid air and the sound of the ocean in the distance. Evan knew the second he suggested I come to Desire that it wasn’t my kind of place. I wasn’t necessarily a Boy Scout (though Evan would disagree), but the idea of the hookup resort kind of put me off. It was beautiful and warm and free courtesy of my best friend, though. The last thing I expected was to be hit on at the bar. I purposefully tried not to emit a single vibe. I mean, I was hunched over classic fucking literature. I figured anyone who tried to catch my attention would have to settle for a smile and a “no thank you.”

And then she walked up.

What the hell was I going to do? I got it. She was the fun, wild girl looking for a fun, wild time, not a hookup with someone she knew and especially not someone to complicate things. I just didn’t know how I’d be able to look at her again without thinking of the way she rode me. I shook my head and flipped off the light. My thoughts reeled at maximum velocity—a rocky mess of blond hair and mind-blowing sex. As I forced myself into sleep as best I could, the only thing I kept thinking was how much I hoped to see her in the morning.

***

The last time I took a vacation—an actual vacation, not visiting Evan on set in Miami, not accompanying him and his ex-wife, Kim, to Paris for Fashion Week—was my fourth year of university. I took the typical spring break trip with a few of my buddies, Evan not included since he was already living the glam life. We went to Santa Monica and it was a lot like Desire in some ways. The entire trip was about getting laid, getting tan, and getting drunk. Thinking about it now, it seemed so juvenile, but I knew that was a thought left in my head by someone else—someone who didn’t deserve acknowledgement on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation.

Lost in thoughts of spring break, trying to push aside a fog of memories attempting to envelope me, I left my room to head for the pool. I’d had the dining room almost to myself when I ate breakfast earlier. I assumed a lot of the guests didn’t open their eyes until close to nine or ten after staying up all night. Insomnia struck me at about five in the morning and my mind instantly hurdled back to blond hair, a glittering belly-button ring, and the most perfect ass I’d ever seen.

“Good morning, Mr. Simms,” I heard from behind me.

I turned and my eyes landed on Georgia walking toward me wearing a bright smile and a black bikini.
Well, shit.
I was going to punch Evan in the face for sending me here.

I cleared my throat and felt like a complete tool as I dropped my towel onto a lounge chair. “Morning.”

To my surprise, she grabbed the chair beside mine and quickly spread her brightly colored towel out on it and took a seat. I watched her, a little stunned as she pulled sunblock from her bag and started slathering her body with it. How could she be so casual when we’d fucked up a storm less than twelve hours ago?

“We’re cool, aren’t we?” she said as her lotion-covered hands swiped over her taut stomach, leaving it glistening.

Cool?
 

“Like, you get why I left…right?”

“Sure.”

She flicked her sunglasses on top of her head and shot me a grin that nearly stopped my heart. “You and I are supposed to be cordial—friends, hopefully—so it’s probably better that we don’t…again. I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“You like it that rough, eh?”

Holy fucking ball sack.
That actually just came out of my mouth. Thankfully, I was wearing sunglasses and she couldn’t see the way I’d shocked myself with my own moronic retort. Her mouth tipped up in that same little smirk she’d shot my way when I made an ass out of myself at the bar by reminding her the drinks were included.

“Oh, wow,” she said, the smile coating her voice. “You really are his best friend. You’re both little smartasses.”

I cracked a smile despite the fact I felt the need to cower in sheer embarrassment. While I was tripping over my words in front of her, it also felt like I already knew her. That was the kind of joke I’d make to someone I knew I wouldn’t offend. It was familiar.

“You know what I mean…” she started quietly again.

“Yeah. I totally get it.”

I saw her draw in a little breath and I watched the way her lips twitched before she spoke. “It’s just that—” Georgia stopped and shoved the bottle of sunblock in my hands and turned her back to me. “Get my back, will ya?”

I let out some kind of strangled response that was half objection and half groan of delight.

“Our best friends are in love,” she continued. “Letting our fiery loins call the shots has the potential to fuck up all kinds of shit. It just doesn’t feel worth it to mess with what Evan and Dani have. I mean, not for the sake of a few nights of fun.”

My jaw clenched into a smile and I placed the bottle next to her hip as I stood to leave. I suddenly felt more like the beach than the pool. “We don’t have to talk about it anymore. And you don’t have to babysit me either. I didn’t come here to meet someone so really, it’s okay. I’m not heartbroken,” I said. A sharp pain nudged at my ribs for half a second and I let go of a dark laugh. “I’ll see ya around. Good luck finding your fun.”

I grabbed my towel, gave her a nod, and headed toward the beach access walkway, utterly confused as to how she’d just managed to piss me off.

5.

Girls Chase Boys

Georgia

That could’ve gone better. I wasn’t exactly sure what I heard in his tone but it set my nerves on edge. I watched as Harrison disappeared in the distance and I felt a little relief. Maybe my plan to bump into him casually was a little ambitious. Even if he wasn’t heartbroken, he didn’t seem ready to talk to me. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. I’d spent the break of day in mourning over the fact I’d never get screwed like that again and the second I saw him standing by the pool I felt that damning tingle between my legs. Harrison rocked my world in more ways than one but I couldn’t let a big cock and a smile muddy my stance on sisters before misters.

With a sigh, I squeezed a little more sunscreen into my hands and did my best to cover my back with it. I took a deep breath and leaned back, intent on soaking up some sun and relaxing. My intention all along had been to get away—from my job, my boredom, and
the bow-chicka-bow-wow
of apartment A. In a matter of minutes, I was drowsy from the scorching sun and Harrison and all of his exquisite body parts had drifted from my mind.

“Is he coming back?”

The deep voice pulled me from the haze that had blanketed me beside the crystalline pool and when I peeled my eyelids open to see who had spoken, I grinned at the sight of his chiseled face.

“Who?” I coyly asked the figure towering above me.

It was Superman from the bar. With his shiny black hair and the jaw that may as well have been outlined in ink—a speech bubble at his lips—he truly looked drawn to life.

He nodded his head toward the walkway that led to the beach. “Your guy.”

“He’s not my guy. We sorta know each other. We’re friends, I guess.”

He sat easily on the pool chair Harrison had been on and his lips tipped up slightly on both ends. I had a feeling his blue eyes were gleaming behind his dark sunglasses. “That’s too bad. A little competition makes things interesting. Plus, winning is so much fun,” he said.

My brows lifted and a little laugh escaped me. I equally loved and hated that kind of cocky attitude on a man. His eyes scanned my body, lingering on my breasts for a beat longer than anywhere else before finally he looked at my face once more.

“I’m Nate,” he said.

“Damn, I was sure it was gonna be Clark,” I chuckled under my breath.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I shook my head. “I’m Georgia. Nice to meet you.”

Nate’s tongue wet his lips before he shed his shirt, revealing a rather impressive set of abs (as if I expected anything less). Staring at his physique for a moment, I suddenly remembered I wasn’t just the hunter here, I was also the prey. Harrison had made me forget both with last night’s tryst. Once we got upstairs, we’d just enjoyed each other. Every inch of each other. Every breath from one another’s mouths.