Wet (The Water's Edge #1) (8 page)

“Try me,” I shot back, bending at the knees and shifting my weight back and forth.

I was having a really great time for the first time in months, a perma-smile splitting my cheeks. It was the first night since the whole debacle with Asshole that I had felt like my old carefree self again. I looked around the table for Rue, wanting to share the moment with her, but I didn’t see her.

Boone took advantage of my distraction, and the puck slipped past me, putting him one up on me. Game point. I concentrated, and we went back and forth, the puck sliding furiously between us, ricocheting off the walls. Theo, Kendra, and Wyatt were egging us on. I’d almost scored twice, and I was flushed with excitement.

“You got this, Mullins!” Theo hollered from the corner.

Not to be outdone, Kendra chimed in. “Better watch my girl, Boone. She’s got skills.”

My mallet slipped a little in my hand, and I lost the rhythm. I tried to regain control, but I was off, chasing after the puck instead of connecting with it. A second later, I heard the hollow
thunk
as the puck slid into my goal. A shout went up on Boone’s side of the table, and a couple of the guys raised their arms in the air victoriously and chest bumped, spilling some beer on the floor. No one seemed to care. Boone worked his way around to my side and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, giving me a side hug. “You almost had me. A little more practice, and you might come out on top next time.”

“You just got lucky.”

“Not yet, but the night’s still young,” he grinned, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. I punched his arm, and he released me good-naturedly, saying he’d see me later at Grady’s, a hot promise in his eyes.

I pulled away from the crowd, still smiling, and passed the bar, moving toward the double doors to the deck so I could find Rue. Normally, she was the life of the party, laughing and joking alongside everyone else. It wasn’t like her to be so reclusive. I finally found her curled up on a bench in the corner of the deck, staring out over the marsh at a pelican perched on an abandoned dock piling. I sat down next to her, looking from her to the bird and back again. “He doesn’t seem like much of a conversationalist,” I pointed out.

She turned to me, her lips twisted and her eyes cloudy. She shook her head and focused on me.

“Hey,” I said softly, “Something wrong? We don’t have to go to Grady’s. We can just go home.”

“No! I’m fine. I’m fine,” she repeated with more force.

I raised my eyebrows. “You trying to convince me or yourself?”

She looked back at the bird and set her chin. “Maybe both. You ready to go? I saw Grady leave with Marissa awhile ago.”

“Who’s Marissa?”

Rue shrugged. “His flavor of the week, I guess. I don’t really know her. He stopped me to say hi and introduced us. She looks like an anime pixie, all big eyes and big boobs, with a tiny little body.”

I tried to contain my smile. “Jealous?”

Rue whipped her head back around to me. “Of her?
Hell,
no! Why would I be jealous? She’s just some chick passing through. No one will even remember her next week.” She waved her hand dismissively.

I sat there in silence, watching her with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Something about Grady seemed to get to Rue. And I’d never seen a guy get to Rue before. She had her jaw clenched and was avoiding eye contact. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you inside in a few minutes then.”

I was passing by the bar again to tell Theo we were heading out, when a hand grabbed my elbow. Turning, I found West looking down at me, brow furrowed. “Yes?” I asked.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You headed to Grady’s with everyone?”

“I’d planned on it. Although, I still haven’t actually met the guy.”

“Grady’s a good guy. Just…” He paused. “Just be careful there. Sometimes his parties get a little wild.”

I lifted the corner of my mouth, offering him a faint smile. “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

He looked at me, his gaze dragging over my face and dropping down to my legs. “Then why do I have to keep rescuing you?”

Raising my eyebrows, I looked at him in disbelief. He lifted his in return, challenging me. Nodding, I licked my lips. “Tell you what, West. If I need rescuing later, you’ll be the first one I call.” I patted his arm and started to move past him.

“Is that your not-so-subtle way of asking for my number?”

I paused, straightened my shoulders, then continued on without looking back.

His deep laughter followed me, taunting me.

CHAPTER 5

W
hen we got to Grady’s, Rue left me with Theo and disappeared to the makeshift bar set up in the kitchen. I started to go after her, but Theo caught my arm and steered me in the other direction. “C’mon,” he urged. “I’ll introduce you to Grady.”

I tried not to gawk as he led me through the foyer and into the living room. Grady lived in a show-off house. An
impressive
show-off house. As we entered the main living space, I couldn’t help but look up. The ceiling had to be at least three stories high in this room. It was ridiculous. Huge windows showcased the Intracoastal Waterway, where a few boats still zipped around. Sunrises and sunsets would look amazing from here.

This house was more Rue’s lifestyle than mine. Her parents’ house was a lot like this — echoing rooms, custom drapes, polished floors, clutter-free, dust-free, personality-free. The Hawthorne’s rental properties had more character and charm than their actual house, thank God. My upbringing was decidedly more middle class. My parents were sound engineers in Nashville and made a decent living. They didn’t work with the big names on a regular basis, but they’d worked with some of them when they were just starting out. My brother was part of the family business, too. I’d broken the Mullins music legacy, and I think they were all disappointed, but not mad per se.

I’d been raised to be independent, since my parents’ work hours were so varied, and they weren’t entirely surprised I wanted to strike out on my own. Home for me had been an average-sized ranch in a sidewalk neighborhood, where each lot had a matching oak tree in the front yard, the mailboxes were all painted the same shade of off-white, and
custom
was something you did to your truck, not your house.

Theo stopped moving, and I walked right into him, letting out a grunt and snapping my head down. We were standing in front of the guy with the buzz cut from the bar, and perched on sky high heels behind him was a girl who really did resemble an anime pixie. Her short black hair was so glossy it was almost reflective, and her boobs looked like they had special antigravity properties. I tried not to stare and instead focused on Grady.

Well,
shit
. No wonder Rue acted weird around him. The man was gorgeous. And his eyes, my God. He had the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen on a man, with lashes long enough to make any woman jealous and a clear green gaze that seemed to burn through you. He was mesmerizing. Even just wearing a button-down shirt with the top buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up, he oozed raw masculinity. He was probably deadly in a suit.

“Theo, my man, you finally hooked one?” he teased, holding out a hand to me. “I’m Grady Tomlin. And you’re the Sadie he’s been telling me about?”

I flushed, not sure what Theo had told him. Surely he hadn’t mentioned the incident with West in the ocean? “Nice to meet you,” I said, taking his hand. He had a firm grip and looked me right in the eye. I got the feeling he was a man who was always in control.

“Theo tells me you’re quite the photographer and that we might be able to utilize your skills at the Edge. I’d love to set up a time to talk to you about it next week. I’d say let’s talk now, but I’d rather not mix business and pleasure, and tonight is definitely not about work.” He winked, and it was charming, not creepy.

“Of course. Whenever it’s convenient for you. Just let me know.” I withdrew my hand. Damn, the man was smooth. I was going to have to corner Rue later. “You have a stunning home.”

He shrugged. “It’s nice. I bought it for the view mostly. Wait ’til we’re outside later. Then you’ll understand.” He tugged on the pixie, and she moved forward. “This is Marissa. Marissa, you’ve met Theo, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of Sadie this summer. You’re staying with Rue now, correct?”

Marissa smiled at me, all perfect gleaming teeth and big lips. I nodded at him, distracted, and smiled back at Marissa. I wondered if she could talk or if she was just for show.

Grady started to move away, dragging Marissa with him. “If you’ll excuse us, we’re going to get a drink and then head out to the dock. You guys should join us out there soon. It’s a beautiful night.”

I watched him go. He had a magnetic quality that made it hard to look away. Theo squinted at me out of one eye and then groaned. “Oh, no! Not you too! Please tell me you’re not going to turn into a weird girly little puddle every time he comes near. And he wonders why we don’t like to invite him to go places with us.”

I shook my head to clear it. “I’m good. I’m good. I just wasn’t expecting all that. He should come with a warning or something.”

“We need more alcohol. Let’s find Rue,” Theo said, grumbling.

Suddenly, the full impact of Grady’s words registered. I squealed and latched onto Theo’s arm. “He wants to talk to me about my photography! That would be amazing!”

Theo just smiled and shook his head. “That’s what friends are for, doofus.”

Trailing behind Grady into the kitchen, we found Rue flirting outrageously with a Latin-looking guy, giggling and rubbing his arm. “Sadie!” she yelped. “Come meet Hendrix.”

I said hi, and Hendrix took my hand, raising it to his lips for a kiss before turning back to Rue and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, dragging her to his side.

Rue giggled again and melted against him while Theo and I stood there in awkward silence and fixed ourselves a drink. Hendrix had pulled Rue against him and was whispering in her ear. She put a hand against his chest, her eyes closed and biting her lip, and nodded to whatever it was he was suggesting.

I squinted at Theo, silently begging him to save us. I did not want to stand here and watch this. Theo tipped his head toward the deck, and I turned, letting him lead the way. We leaned against the steel cables encircling the deck and looked out at the night sky. Now I saw what Grady meant. The view was breathtaking. The stars covered the sky like sprinkles on a cupcake, and below us the waves crashed into the seawall, the sound a soothing soundtrack to the evening. A small pathway to the left led to a dock that stretched out over the water, ending with a tin roof canopy. A few tiki torches lined the path and the end of the dock, and to the right, a bonfire was burning, circled by stone benches where a few couples were snuggled up roasting marshmallows.

An ear-splitting shriek from behind me jolted me upright, and I turned in the direction of the sound. Rue approached, pulling Hendrix out onto the deck with us. “I know!” she cried. “Let’s go play dirty truth or dare on the dock. Like old times.” She started dragging Hendrix down the steps and turned to pin me and Theo with a wide-eyed look. “You two better be getting your asses down there.”

Theo gave a helpless shrug, and we fell in line behind her. She collected people as she went, herding Grady, Marissa, Boone, Wyatt, Trevor, Dylan, and a small group of girls I didn’t recognize along the path. We ended up sitting in a loose circle on the dock, and Wyatt and Trevor set down a couple of bottles of liquor in the center. I was sandwiched between Boone and Theo, my knees pressed against theirs. A salty breeze blowing inland whipped my hair in every direction, so I tipped my head back and gathered it into my signature messy bun with the royal blue hair tie from my wrist. When I sat back up, I saw West had slipped into the circle and was sitting directly across from me.

My heart thudded an extra beat, its steady rhythm faltering.

Where had he come from?
Not
that I had been looking for him earlier.

West looked like he’d taken the time to go home for a quick shower. His hair was damp around the edges, and he was wearing an old faded concert t-shirt that was snug around his shoulders. His shirt looked soft, and I had the urge to run my hand over his chest just to feel the contradiction of worn cotton over solid muscle. He caught my eye and flashed a grin. I quickly looked away, flustered to be caught staring. His ego did not need encouragement.

“All right!” Rue clapped her hands and commanded everyone’s attention. “For those of you who haven’t played dirty truth or dare with us before, here are the rules. One person asks the group a question. If you refuse to answer it, you get to pick your dare. You take a shot, lose a piece of clothing, or kiss somebody. The person who asked the question gets to decide which piece of clothing you lose or who you kiss, if you pick that dare. And most importantly, you cannot, under any circumstances, pick the same dare twice in a row. Although…” She paused to look around the circle and let out a drunken giggle. “I’m not sure kissing someone from this group counts as a hardship.” She leaned against Hendrix. “Questions will move around the circle to the right.” She pointed left but didn’t seem to notice the contradiction. “You don’t have to answer your own question. Who wants to start?”

One of the girls I didn’t recognize piped up. “I will!” She tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and blinked at us from under thick bangs. “Um, have you slept with anyone sitting here?”

Surprisingly, everyone before me answered yes. When my turn came and I said a quiet no, every male head turned in my direction. It was like they could smell the fresh meat.
This is how a mouse must feel, when the cat is half interested in the chase and half with the meal at the end.
To my relief, Hendrix and one other girl answered no as well.

Even though, looking around the circle, I wouldn’t mind being hunted by one of these guys, I had a sinking feeling this game might not end well for me.

The other girl who said no was up next. She looked up in the air, as if inspiration would fall down from the stars and land in her open mouth. “So, like, everyone has tattoos these days. So, like, tell us what one of your tattoos means.”