Ever was still glaring at him, but he could see that her anger was softening slightly. “Talk to me, Ever. You are going off the deep end for nothing.” If she was this temperamental, then she was closer to the time than any of them knew. A were female often became unreasonably moody right before she gave birth. It was part of the leave-me-alone nesting complex.
“I don’t know what you want me to say that hasn’t already been said. I need to take a nap if I’m going to be put on public display tonight. Are you going to stay with me or go out with your brothers?”
Yes, the woman was testy. He hadn’t seen her in days and had really missed her company. “I’d like to stay, if it won’t upset you.”
She seemed to sink into the pillows as if her anger was making her weary. “Of course it won’t upset me.”
He sat up and kissed her stomach. “Be nice and don’t kick Mommy while she is trying to sleep.” Mick gave her a smile and lay back down beside her. “Are you cold?”
“No. I’m too hot.”
“Okay.” He put his arm over her body and she grasped his hand, weaving her fingers between his. He could feel her calming as he leaned and gave her a soft kiss. Ever closed her eyes and they lay in silence for a long time before he finally felt her drift into sleep.
Ever’s mind drifted into a past reality in sleep.
The club was busy, but not overly crowded. Mini gave her a cute smile and gestured with her head. “Look, he is on his way over.”
Angela fluffed up her hair with her palm. “It’s about time. It is also perfect, because I told Reggie to go fuck himself.”
That was a revelation. Angela didn’t hang onto men long. She had a real “love ’em, ’use em, and dump them” mentality. Of course, Angela was absolutely stunning with her platinum blonde hair, kept that way with tons of bleach. Her makeup was always perfect and she had large tits and a noticeable ass. Ever doubted that she’d had plastic surgery, but it was possible. Angela also counted on Ever to get through the tests that the teacher often threw at them without warning. It wasn’t that she helped Angela to cheat, but Ever often tutored her after school to pick up the finer points of business. Angela would be good office material and Ever had no doubt that she would be fine once school was finished. She would probably never be in management, but…
The man in question was an amazing specimen. He was just Angela’s type, tall and broad shouldered. His face was sculpted and he had beautiful, jet-black hair. He looked very Italian, with the exception of his stunning light-blue eyes. He bowed his head to both Mimi and then Angela, but to Ever’s surprise and probably Angela’s also, he set his strong gaze on her. “Would you care to dance?”
Ever was stunned. This man was stately and completely gorgeous. Was he really choosing her over Angela? She was so proud, but was trying not to gloat as she coyly nodded. “I would love to.”
In reality, she didn’t really like to dance, but she wasn’t about to turn him down. She could muddle through the basic moves on the dance floor. “If you ladies will excuse me.”
Angela was clearly miffed, but Mini gave her a grin of approval. Mini, or Minerva, was kind of the nerd of the bunch. She was plain, but for the most part, she was also very sweet and very intelligent. Ever was her friend, or at least she tried to be. Mini was occasionally hard to be friends with. The woman could also be very strange and have a somewhat unpredictable personality.
Ever was thrilled when he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. He was so handsome, and even his fingers were strong and muscular. Hopefully he wasn’t a complete airhead. It wouldn’t matter to her that he was beautiful to look at if he couldn’t carry on a decent conversation.
“My name is Carmen Amar, and you are?”
“Ever Wilson.”
“It is nice to meet you, Ever. I saw you here once before, but never got a chance to speak to you. Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?”
“Not recently. Of course, I’ve been busy with school.”
“Really? What are you going to school for?”
“Business management. I figure that I will have to start at the bottom and work my way up, but I don’t mind. What do you do?”
“I manage my family’s money.”
“Oh.” So he was a rich boy, probably used to walking around with fast women and money to blow. That was a strike against him.
“Please don’t say that in such a tone. My family owns land in Italy. They have vineyards that need to be overseen and such. I do the books and keep everything in line from the opposite side of the globe. It is a rather large undertaking.”
“Why don’t you just go back to Italy?”
“I have my reasons.”
Ah, he was being mysterious. Maybe he was in the mafia and he was in hiding. “So am I in danger to be with you?”
She was trying to be funny, but he didn’t laugh. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I don’t know. It was a stupid comment because you evaded my question.”
“I did evade it, but I will tell you when the time arrives.”
So he had plans for their future? That was an interesting twist.
“So how much longer will you be in school?”
“Graduation is in two weeks and then I have to get a job. It’s good, because then maybe I can earn some money and stop sponging off my folks.”
“I’m sure they don’t consider it sponging.”
“I do. I have a part-time job, but it doesn’t pay for much beyond my tuition.”
He smiled. Carmen had such beautiful teeth. They were perfectly spaced and as white as snow. He began to dance and she was horribly out-maneuvered. Carmen appeared to know all the current steps and she could only sway her hips and move her feet. He eventually got the point and grabbed her hand, leading her over to the bar. They grabbed two empty seats and sat down beside each other. Ever liked being this close to him, her body zinging with excitement and maybe even anticipation. She hadn’t been dating much, but until this moment, it hadn’t really bothered her.
Now, in the close proximity of this very enticing man, she was suddenly having wayward thoughts. Ever tried to pull herself away from the demands of the flesh as he asked her what she wanted to drink.
“I would actually love an apple cider.”
He smiled again. His smile was amazing and Carmen seemed to know it. It made her feel as if she was melting inside. He flawlessly flagged over the bartender and ordered her an Angry Orchard cider and a beer for himself.
“So tell me about Ever. Who are you?”
“No one special. Um, I guess I’m just a woman trying to build a new life for myself. I’m tired of the old one.”
“And you talk about me being evasive.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m not being evasive, there isn’t much to tell. My past was uneventful and kind of boring. What about yours? Did you come here from Italy?”
“No. My family came from there. I have never been.”
It seemed rather odd to her that he was overseeing orchards that he had never actually seen. “Oh. Does your family make wine from the grapes?”
“Yes.”
“Do they import the wine here?”
“Some of it. I’d rather not discuss that. It is boring.”
She shrugged. “Okay. So what isn’t boring? What do you like to do?”
“I like to spend time outside. I like to go where animals are and watch them. I guess that I’m kind of a nature buff.”
“I used to like those things. When I was younger, my friends used to do bonfires on the beach. I haven’t been to one of those lately.”
“I like the beach at night. It has a very serene quality to it. It is nice just to sit and listing to the sounds of waves.”
“I agree.” As if his words had brought the sounds to life in her mind, Ever closed her eyes and heard them resounding through her brain. It was the soft slap of the water, the unrolling of a wave as it crashed against the shore. It had always struck her as soothing and she suddenly missed it.
Carmen gently touched her cheek, his finger swishing over her skin. Ever frowned and open her eyes, seeing that his fingertip was wet. “Did I say something to upset you?”
“No. That’s odd. I was just thinking about the beach. I guess I have many memories there, and it is sad that they have now faded to the back of my mind.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Wanna blow this joint and go there now? I’m sure someone will have a fire. It’s a beautiful night.”
He had no idea how badly she wanted to say yes, but she couldn’t. It would be insanity to go to the beach alone with a man she had just met.
“I promise that I’m not a serial killer.” He seemed to suddenly perk up, as if struck by a revelation. “Actually, the summer carnival is going on. Do you want to go? I remember reading about it in the paper.”
She had read the same thing. It would be fun and a great way to get to know him better without being dangerously alone with him. “I would love to.”
He spun the stool, hopping down. “Cool. Then let’s go.”
Ever took a deep breath. She had come in Mini’s car and it meant that she would have to let him drive. There was something so compelling about his company that she was suddenly ready to risk it. She needed some excitement in her life.
* * * *
In her mind, the carnival zipped by at the speed of light. Before she knew it, she was lying on the beach with him, the moonlight playing off the waves. Carmen rolled to his side, his finger drifting over her lips. He had such strong fingers, but his touch was as gentle as silk.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
Ever shrugged. She supposed it was possible. “I guess.”
“Good, because I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. I imagined that we would be perfect together, and now I know it. You are perfect.”
She was glad that he couldn’t see the blush of her cheeks in full light. Ever was not accustomed to compliments of such magnitude. Carmen rolled further into her body, the strong feel of his chest like steel against her side as he kissed her. In a questioning gesture, he slowly slid his hand up the front of her shirt. She should stop him, but his touch was intoxicating and she didn’t want to. The brush of his palm over the fabric of her bra made her dizzy, a soft moan of pleasure leaking from her throat to be trapped by the crush of his mouth. The kiss became more vibrant, his tongue swishing and swaying against her own in a brush of wet flesh.
In a rush of unexpected urgency, he slid his hand to her back and pulled her to his body. She could feel the hardness of him crushed against her breasts, his taut, almost-heavy leg draping over her as she felt the swell of his cock beneath his jeans. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, but it was wrong. It was too soon, her body was melting with his touch, her pussy feeling like molten lava as it rapidly bubbled with pleasure. It was all happening too fast. Her lust was swelling as quickly as his dick and it overwhelmed her with an undeniable craving for more.
Releasing his hold on her, he laid her back to the sand. It was such a warm night, the moon sending a singular gold band across the ripples of the dark waves. Carmen caught her eyes. His seemed to glow in the night, boring into her brain and arousing her even further. It had been so long since she allowed herself to feel so completely wanted, and it felt wonderful.
She put her fingers to his face, feeling the soft stubble of the late hour. It had gotten late, the sounds from the festival fading in the distance. “I want you so bad, Ever.”
She wanted him also, but she didn’t know him. Would he take her as the final crescendo to a lovely, exciting evening and then never contact her again? Did she really care? She wanted to see him again, spend more time with him, but her body craved him in an unimaginable way. Ever suddenly knew that if she gave herself to him, on the wilds of this deserted stretch of beach, it would be a night that she never forgot. “I want you, too.”
“Ever, wake up. We have to get ready to leave.”
“What?” she asked in confusion.
Dreaming.
She had been dreaming of Carmen again. Why did they always wake her up before she was able to have sex? Her pussy was complaining and the babies were kicking the shit out of her.
Liam held out his hand and she took it, allowing him to help her off the bed. He dragged her to her feet and handed her a tank top. Ever slid it on, and when Liam held her robe up, she shoved her arms into the sleeves. She was trying not to be angry with him for waking her, but the dream had been disappointing. It had seemed so real, a memory of the night that she had first met Carmen. They had made love on the warm sand and it had been amazing.
Ever tried to flex her upper body. One of the babies was leaning wrong and she was trying to ignore the stitch in her side. The sharp, almost stabbing pain tore across her abdomen and then disappeared. Maybe it was just gas.
She wrapped the wonderfully soft fabric around herself and then buttoned the inner loop before doing the two outer ones.
“Do you want to put your shorts on?”
That was probably a good idea. They could be rolled down below her belly and she had no pants to wear. Ever sat down and allowed Liam to push them up her legs.