Ex on the Beach (30 page)

“He didn’t say anything on the boat,” Andie answered him as she clicked on another lamp. The room was cast in a warm, inviting light, showcasing that it was as pristine as ever. “Though Lord knows, he shot me enough venomous looks,” she continued. “But he did catch me downstairs as I came in.”

“What did he say?” Mark had the fleeting urge to go upstairs and pound a fist into Phillip’s face, too. Seemed like a great way to end the evening.

“That Penelope is upset.” She crossed to the bed.

“Oh?” Not what he’d expected.

“Apparently she’s been humming a lot.” Andie turned down the covers on the side of the bed closest to them. “Seems she does that when she’s upset.”

What did humming have to do with anything? And were they about to crawl into bed together like a couple? His heart picked up speed. He hoped so. He forced his mind back to the conversation. “Did he bother to ask
her
about it?” he asked.

Andie shrugged as she moved to the other side to turn down the covers over there. “Her mother did, apparently. But Penelope’s not talking. However, Phillip
knows
she’s upset, therefore he assumes it has something to do with the wedding.” Andie gave Mark a tight, sarcastic smile. “It is now my responsibility to figure it out.”

“The man wouldn’t abuse a bonus clause, would he?”

“Just like he wouldn’t sneak his future son-in-law into office.” She shook her head as she headed to the small kitchen area that held the minifridge and a microwave. “What a piece of work. Both of them.” She whirled on him, her eyes wide. “Rob
wants
to be in the state’s attorney’s office? Why? Is it purely the notoriety?”

“Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t serious about wanting to go all the way to the Supreme Court someday. He’s got to start somewhere, I suppose.”

“So he’s using them as bad as they’re using him.”

“Probably worse.” Mark was still pissed at Rob over that. Even without everything else that had been said, the guy should not be using marriage simply to slide into office. “He’s made a habit of using people over the years.”

Their friendship. Mark’s father to get a job. No telling what else.

“Poor Penelope,” Andie said softly.

Mark nodded in agreement. The girl didn’t deserve the mess she was walking into.

Andie grabbed two bottles of water and a plastic-wrap-covered piece of pie from the fridge, and they met on the small couch. She handed him a bottle, and he noticed the pie was, in fact, cheesecake. His favorite.

“I feel like I should say something to her.” Andie sat on the couch, one leg bent underneath her as she unwrapped the cheesecake. “If I was that madly in love with someone and he didn’t love me back, I’d want to know.”

Yet telling Penelope would put Andie right back where she’d started the day. With no wedding. No bonus money.

Mark wondered what she would do.

She suddenly looked up, studying him as if she were working to figure something out. “After you punched him, I thought you’d leave, you know? If he didn’t tell you to get lost first.”

Mark reached out and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger for a moment. He hadn’t even considered leaving. Instead, he’d had more of a quiet celebration because he no longer had to.

“He won’t kick me out,” he said. “It would mess up the symmetry of the wedding party. The pictures would be off.”

Andie nodded in understanding and took a bite of the cheesecake. Brides weren’t known for being happy if the wedding didn’t go off as planned. Rob may not love Penelope, but he respected the trouble she would make if he sent his best man home.

“And I stayed because of you,” he told her.

Her eyes widened slightly, and then she reached out and fed him a bite.

The creamy filling was rich and decadent, and he had the urge to smear the rest of it all over her before licking it off.

“You stayed so we could have a fling?” she asked. Her tone was light and teasing, but he could see beyond the words. She was wondering, as much as he, where they were headed.

“I stayed because I want to be with you,” he admitted. “To figure this out.”

He didn’t want to scare her away, so he kept the tone easy. She bit down on her bottom lip and fed him another bite.

After he swallowed, he took the plate from her and set it aside. Then he wrapped her hands in his. “You were pretty upset outside, babe. About the house. Your father. Want to talk about that some more?”

“I do,” she admitted. “Just like I want to know about this ex that you supposedly killed.”

Mark froze. He did
not
want to talk about that. Not tonight. He wished he could get away with never.

However, knowing Andie was ready to share things with him warmed him. That was different than the past. Even different than a day ago when her mother had shown up. They could start off slow. Build up to his past.

“Okay.” He nodded, keeping hold of her hands. “Then let’s talk. You go first.”

She peeked up at him, her nose crinkling with a grimace. “Don’t think I’m avoiding the issues, because I’m not. But everything has just been too much today. How about we finish the dessert I stole for you from downstairs, I return
the favor
, and then we talk in the morning?”

He was about to argue, thinking she was just trying to get out of a tough conversation, when his brain engaged to decipher what she’d just said. “Return the favor?” he asked. He’d heard those words earlier that day. On the boat. As he’d been pulling up her panties.

He gulped.

She grinned.

“I have to tell you, though,” she spoke in a loud whisper, “you’re going to need to try to be quiet. Aunt Ginny already heard us going at it up here yesterday.”

Mortification had him jumping to his feet. “She heard us?”

Andie nodded. “Asked about it, too. She wanted to know if it was any good.”

“I hope you told her it was none of her business.” He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if his mother questioned him about a similar situation. What was wrong with the woman?

Andie only smiled sweetly and stood, cheesecake in hand. “I told her it was off the charts.”

She forked a bite of cake and slipped it between her lips, and he went hard.

“Take your pants off, Mark,” she said after slowly chewing and swallowing the bite. She licked a spot of cream cheese off her lip. “Then climb into my bed.”

No dummy, he had his pants off before she’d finished the request.

He lowered himself to her bed, stacked two pillows together, and lay down on them, legs stretched out down the middle of the mattress. Then he realized he was still wearing his shirt. He quickly sat up and shrugged out of it, tossing it to the floor.

“You shaved,” she said. She made it sound as if he’d done something wrong.

“I showered after I got back.” He rubbed a hand along his cheek. He hadn’t shaved that morning since they’d only been going out on the boat. “Figured I should clean up.”

She set the plate down momentarily, then slipped her dress off over her head. She had on white bikini panties and a white strapless bra underneath that did amazing things to her breasts. They were lifted and separated just right. With the bracelets she wore, the mix of colors and shapes circling one arm up to her elbow, she looked like a mythical goddess.

His breathing became a short pant.

“I liked the rugged look,” she admitted. She picked up the plate and climbed onto the bed with him, then straddled his feet. “Did you want another bite?” she asked.

He nodded. He had no clue what he wanted at the moment, but he would say yes to anything she asked.

She forked up a mouthful and leaned forward on her knees, holding it out to him. At that angle, her breasts looked as if they were about to slip right over the edge of her bra. He was prepared to catch them, but they stayed firmly tucked away.

“You left your underwear on,” she accused.

He nodded again. “Seemed forward to remove them,” he explained.

“Yet I just told you that you are about to get a blow job.”

His dick turned to stone, and he smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

She lifted her ass up off him and slid another bite of cheesecake between her lips. He kicked his boxer briefs past his feet.

Then he lay back, splayed out before her, his cock waving like a flagpole, and she still didn’t touch him. She only scooped up another bite and made love to the damned fork.

“You’re killing me down there, babe.”

“I’m trying to decide how I want to start,” she said. “And what will get you to make the most noise.”

His eyes bugged. “I won’t be uttering a sound.”

“Yet everyone heard me on the boat.”

“That was different.” That wasn’t him. And he knew it would be a sexist thing to say, so he kept his mouth shut.

She grinned wickedly. “Guess we’ll just have to find out if you want to finish or not.”

She set the plate aside then dipped and immediately took him into her mouth. He gasped and came up off the bed but held in the groan. The woman was naughty.

Long reddish-brown hair brushed against his stomach. He reached down to sweep it back out of her face so he could watch. She was beautiful. And he was going to lose his mind trying to stay quiet as she worked him with her mouth.

One of her hands reached out to the side and scooped cheesecake with her fingers. Then she stretched her hand up to his mouth. She lifted her heated gaze from his crotch and watched as she slid one finger at a time into his mouth. He licked the sweet dessert from her fingertips, all while she continued tugging on him with her lips.

When she lowered her gaze and once again completely focused on what she was doing, he dropped his head back against the pillow. His eyes crossed with the sweet torment of her mouth. It became a struggle to breathe.

Her fingers now sought him out, wrapping low around the base of his cock, and then she squeezed. He gritted his teeth.

He moaned — just a little — as she looked up at him again from under her lashes. She pulled back slowly, sucking the tip of him hard before popping him out of her mouth entirely and licking her lips. His moan turned to a groan.

He took in the smattering of freckles across her nose, her wickedly evil grin, and he knew he’d do whatever he could to get her back in his life. Permanently. He loved her that much.

He wanted to tell her but feared that would ruin the moment.

She reached behind her and undid her bra, and his hands suddenly burned with the desire to touch her. Everything about her was exactly what he wanted. Her insides, her heart. Her body. He just wanted
her
.

Her full breasts swayed as she once again dipped forward, letting them lightly rub against him. The softness of her contrasted starkly with the hardness of him, and he couldn’t help but take her in his hands and press her around him.

He pumped a little, involuntarily — and then she lowered her head and he let out another sound as her mouth once again found him.

He shuddered. There was an overload of sensation going on, and he suddenly didn’t care who heard him. It had been too long since she’d touched him like this, and he almost shouted at the joy of it. He didn’t want to be without her ever again.

Wednesday brought sunshine, blue skies, and the fourth day without Mark.

Before they’d gotten out of bed on Sunday morning, his cell had rung. His brother was calling from Boston. One of their longest-standing clients was in the middle of a crisis, so Mark had rushed back to help with the situation.

It had been three and a half long days since he’d left, and he wasn’t supposed to be back until the following evening. To Andie it felt as if he’d been gone forever. Which was no good at all. It made her needy. Left her open to hurt.

They were having a fling here. Nothing more.

They were having a good time.

Saturday night had been spent focusing on fun. First, she’d done her best to make him be too loud in the eerily quiet house. He’d ended up holding a pillow over his head, groaning into it as she’d divested him of his strength to do anything else. Then they’d turned to each other during the night, both being as quiet as possible but giving up nothing in terms of what they’d sought from each other.

He was a good lover. Always had been. And unlike her, it seemed he’d practiced over the years. The man had some good moves.

She’d planned to spend Sunday morning talking with Mark, not intending to rouse to the outside world until noon or after. It had been her day off, so she’d been determined to make the best of it. Ginny had suggested she go for love, but she wasn’t quite on board with that way of thinking. There were things she needed to know first.

Like … who had died? And why?

And how in the world had Mark been involved?

But because he’d had to tiptoe out of her room at dawn, she’d gotten no questions answered.

Until she did, she wouldn’t consider anything more between them. She would not risk heartache again.

Something had held him back from marrying her four years ago. She’d let it go with his explanation about her using him, because it had been easier to do that than to hear something along the lines of “You weren’t what I wanted.” But she knew there was more to the story.