InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance) (73 page)

                        Forever
you will be my girl—you give yourself to me

                        And
with you by my side I’ll be the man I want to be

           
The group broke into a round of applause, and Tia
wrapped her arms around Dylan’s legs, resting her head in his lap as he stroked
her hair. “It’s beautiful, baby, thank you,” she whispered. “You’re
beautiful,” he whispered back, leaning down to rest his lips on her head. “I
have to say, it’s incredibly easy to write songs about how much I love you.”

            The fire
burned down, and couples started wandering in, heading for some much-needed
sleep after their long days of travel. Tony stood back, sipping his scotch and
smiling—everything was just as he’d hoped it would be.

            Bo couldn’t
sleep. He should have been exhausted—he’d spent most of the previous night
walking aimlessly up and down the beach much as he had on Orcas Island; more
anxious to see Lexi than he was comfortable with. Their first meeting had been
disconcerting, as he figured it would be, but as the music pulsed and the booze
flowed freely, he actually found her in his arms for a dance and couldn’t help
but pull her close. Oh damn, she smelled like coconut and rum and smoke from
the fire, and he thought he’d never smelled anything more intoxicating. With
her body pressed against him, he couldn’t help but wonder if she could feel his
desire pulsating through every tense muscle, and just as he was about to lean
in and whisper into her ear, Kelley cut in and Lexi spun away with Dylan’s dad,
her hair tossed back and her musical laughter drifting off to sea.

            “Isn’t this
just brilliant?” Kelley smiled as Bo put his hand on her waist and dipped her
low. 

            “Pretty close
to perfect,” Bo grinned back, watching Lexi over Kelley’s shoulder. It would be
absolutely perfect if things with Lexi would go the way he dreamed they would;
but the flip side of that was that he could completely shatter their already
cracked relationship.

            He wondered if
he could really give Lexi what she needed—he’d had had more than his share of
failed relationships, and wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he hurt
someone like her. Too many questions and not enough answers invaded his
thoughts. Would it be better to just hope for a return to their light-hearted,
flirty, and fun friendship, and not take the chance on something more? It would
certainly be easier.

            The song ended
and Kelley kissed his cheek before wandering off to find Steve, leaving Bo to
stand and watch as Tia grabbed Lexi’s and Jessa’s hands and pulled them into a
huddle. 

            Oh hell,
taking the easy route had never been his style. Besides he couldn’t stop
imagining what it would be like to kiss her; to press his lips against hers and
taste her sweetness…he imagined it would be like pineapple; sweet and tangy
with just a little bit of bite.
Sweet Baby Jesus
, he thought, feeling
himself going hard just thinking about a kiss,
I really got it bad for this
girl.
He didn’t know if the time was ever going to be right, but he did
know that he was going to put it out there, and that it was going to have to be
this weekend.

            He threw the
sheet off and stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the sea, enjoying
the soft breeze that cooled his skin. He took a deep pull of it, and looked up
at the incredible array of stars that blazed in the night sky. Sinking into a
soft chair, he leaned against the railing and looked out over the beach,
letting his mind wander. Lexi in a bikini…Lexi in the hot tub…Lexi in his
bed…and when he saw her there, he thought at first that he’d conjured her up
from his imagination.

             His heart
knew it was her…the solitary figure walking along the shore, kicking up little
splashes as gentle waves rushed up to meet her feet. She wore tiny shorts and
some sort of flowing camisole top that fluttered out behind her in the wind
that also tossed her long blonde hair. His gaze was focused intently and he
positively ached to go to her; to make sure she knew she wasn’t alone; to tell
her that he would give her whatever she needed to make her life happy again.
God knew his dick wanted desperately to go to her—it felt as if it were
actually jutting in her direction, reaching out for her in a way that was well
beyond his control. But he couldn’t think with that head, he knew.

             Lexi was
still hurting; he could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. She
was doing a great job of hiding it, but she wasn’t fooling Bo. He knew from
personal experience how hard it was to get over a betrayal like the one she’d
been dealt. She deserved so much more—could he give it to her? What did he have
to offer her, anyway? She was a smart, sophisticated woman—a lawyer—and he’d
dropped out of his second semester of college to pursue his music. It had done
well for him, sure; extremely well; but she deserved more than money and a lot
of empty hours while he was out on tour.
Unconditional love
, he thought,
that’s what I have to offer
, and it hit him like a punch in the gut. Oh
shit, he was in love with Lexi. What the hell was he going to do about it?

            As if she’d
heard his admission she turned in his direction, her face washed by moonlight,
and scanned the buildings. He sank back into the chair and melted into the
shadow, wishing that she didn’t see him as lovable old Bo, the laughing
jokester with the flirting complex.

            He
contemplated again going to her, but it wasn’t the right time—not yet. So
instead he  watched longingly as she turned back, heading for what had become
the girls’ building, and he slipped back inside, falling into the bed and
tossing and turning on all the words yet unsaid between them.

            “Ah,” Lexi
moaned as she took a delicate sip of her frosty cocktail. “Life doesn’t get any
better than this—sand, surf, sun, and some incredible eye candy to go with my
frosty umbrella drink!”

            “I’ll drink to
that!” answered Gina, who held up her own glass for a toast.

            A group of the
boys was engaged in a spirited beach volleyball game: Dylan, Bo, Ty, Sean,
Tony, and Dylan’s cousin Cameron on one side, and Max, Leroy, Collin, Chad,
Brett, and Dex on the other. You could almost smell the testosterone in the
air, and the men were sweaty, flexing, and scantily clad. The girls were
sunning themselves, sipping their frozen concoctions, and very much enjoying
the view.

            “I’d forgotten
that European swimwear left so little to the imagination,” mused Alana, “but
I’m not complaining! Who’s the one in the tiny little red shorts? He’s yummier
than a chocolate bar!”

            “That would be
Max,” Gina answered with a smirk. “I’d warn you off that one.”

            “Really? Is he
taken?”

            Gina laughed.
“Just about every night,” she said. “He’s a bit of a playboy, if you know what
I mean.”

            “Hmmm,” Alana
hummed, “now you’ve only gone and made him more intriguing.” She licked a bit
of foam from her drink off her lips and smiled.

            “Seriously,”
Gina giggled. “You take your chances with that one. He’s good looking, but he
knows it—and he’s not shy about using it, either. When Dylan moved to the
States, he openly joked that he was happy to no longer be the second-best
looking guy in the UK. He was always jealous of Dylan’s…” Gina caught herself
and her eyes went wide as she turned to Tia. “Oh, bloody hell,” she said. “I
didn’t mean…”

            Tia waved her
off with a smile. “Don’t worry about it,” she said casually. “I mean, you’d
have to be blind not to notice how sexy the man is.” As if he’d heard her,
Dylan turned toward her as the other team rotated and blew her a kiss. His long
hair was pulled back and carelessly tied with a rubber band and he was gleaming
with sweat and covered in sand. As so often happened when she looked at him,
she felt a warm spot in her stomach roll over and giggled like a schoolgirl
with a crush.  She blew a kiss back, and turned back to Gina. “I mean,” she
joked, “
bloody
hard not to notice!”

            “But he loves
you so much, you know that, right? I’m still absolutely amazed by the way he
looks at you.”

            “Me too,” Tia
agreed. “I lose my senses sometimes, I swear I do.”

            “Yeah, yeah,”
Lexi groaned. “The world’s perfect couple; we all know it!”

            “What about
the guy with the spikey dark hair and the tattoos?” Gina asked. “I could put
him on my ice cream, but he’s so hot it would just be a puddle in no time.” She
fanned herself with her hands in an exaggerated show.

            Tia answered,
“That would be Sean. An Irishman, so doesn’t that make you mortal enemies or
something?” she teased.

            “Oh, I might
be able to put aside our differences for the weekend,” she smirked. “Seriously,
what can you tell me about him? Is he related to you or Dylan?”

            “He’s one of
my best friends,” Tia said, not wanting to get into the whole story of how she
and Sean were connected, “and he’s a great guy. Single too. He’s an
audiophile—he designs home theaters, plays guitar…”

            “Oh, now
you’ve done it,” Margo teased. “She’s always had a weakness for guitar
players!”

As soon as the words were
out of her mouth, she regretted them, and shot another quick apology to Tia,
who waved her off.

“Quit
apologizing already, girls,” Tia said. “It’s no big deal, honestly. Everyone
has a past.” She turned to the other girls. “Gina and Dylan dated for a while
when he lived in England,” she explained.

 “About
a thousand years ago,” Gina interjected. “Listen Tia,” she said sincerely,
swinging her legs off the chair and leaning in her direction. “I want to tell
you how much it means to me that you wanted me to be here. Dylan told me that
he’d written me off, but that you insisted I come. Just for the record, I do
consider him one of the most incredible people I’ve ever known and a good
friend, and I feel the same about you. I’m truly happy for you two, and I’m
just thrilled that you included me.”

Tia
reached over and patted her on the arm. “I feel the same way—and I know. It
wouldn’t feel right if you weren’t here, and I’m really glad you came.”

Just
then, the volleyball came flying at them, landing at Gina’s feet. A very
sand-covered Sean stood up from where he’d landed when he dove for it and tried
to brush the grit from his sweaty body. Gina winked at Tia, scooped it up and
sidled over to him, smiling coyly as she held out the ball.

“Thanks,”
Sean said, shooting her his best smile. “Should’ve had that one.”

“It
was a good try,” Gina said brightly.

“I’m
Sean, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Gina,”
she answered, putting her hand in his.

“Thanks
again, Gina. I’ll see you around later, I hope?”

“I’m
counting on it,” she purred.

Tia
could almost see Sean’s heart skipping a beat, and he stood just a moment too
long, staring at her. Tony called out, “Hey, Sean, you playing the game, or
flirting with the bikinis?”

A
flush crept up his cheeks and he turned, jumping back into the game with
renewed energy, looking back to make sure Gina was watching.

 “I
think you better talk to Alana, my friend,” Tia smiled. “Sean’s her brother, so
she could give you the inside scoop.”

Gina
studied Alana for a moment before saying, “I do see a resemblance. So, think
you can hook me up?” She waggled her eyebrows and rubbed her hands together in
exaggerated interest.

            “I don’t think
that would be too hard,” Alana exclaimed. “Especially since the minute he
stepped off the boat, he spotted you and said, ‘Will you look at that, this
island just got even more interesting…’”

            “No
way—really?” Gina giggled. “Well then, I think you and I really need to have a
chat. How about I buy you a drink?” They headed over to the little tiki bar
toward the back of the beach and put their heads together.

            “I’ll tell you
who impresses me,” Margo cooed. “I have to say that Mr. Bo Collins is sure
looking good for himself. Who would’ve thought he looked like
that
behind the drum kit?”

            Lexi’s ears
perked up at the mention of Bo, and she turned her attention away from the game
to join in the conversation. She’d had a hard time keeping her eyes off him,
too—at six-foot-four he was easily the tallest player in the game, and she
couldn’t help but appreciate how his muscles rippled every time he spiked the
ball on the other team. It gave her a bit of a twinge to see the scars that
were still healing on his left leg, but he had an amazing six-pack and huge
arms, and, sheened with sweat, seemed to glow like polished marble.

            She hadn’t yet
figured out how to get some time alone with him so she could try to set things
right, but even though there was still a curtain of doubt between them, she was
sure she felt the same old Bo coming through when they’d danced together the
previous night. However, she thought she’d seen him later on when she was
walking the beach, but when she turned toward him to wave, he faded into the
shadows and disappeared. She just didn’t know what to think.

            “I was going
to say the same thing,” Jessa chimed in. “It’s been a little while since I’ve
seen him, and my, a lot has changed! When did he get so buff?”

            “He is
gorgeous,” Margo agreed, “like a Greek god or something. I remember meeting him
in England—he was such a flirt, and so much fun to be around. I might just have
to explore that a little further…”

            Lexi felt a
twinge of jealousy pluck at her heart. Bo had always been her flirting partner,
and the thought of him behaving that way with someone else bothered her on some
subconscious level that she couldn’t explain. She had no claim on him, of
course, but she somehow felt that they had something…exclusive between them.
She tried to shake the thoughts away—after all, it wasn’t like they had a
relationship, or anything. They were just friends, right? And these days, maybe
not even that. He could flirt with—or be with—anyone he wanted.  Besides Tia
and Jessa, she was the only other woman around during the tour, so he didn’t
exactly have a choice of flirting partners. Still, she felt a rush of heat
creep up her neck as the girls continued to talk about him like he was a piece
of chocolate. A creamy, delicious piece of chocolate that would melt on her
tongue…

            “Ladies and
gentlemen,” Margo crowed, “I think we’ve just found the world’s next sexiest
bachelor.”

            “Now it’s too
bad he isn’t wearing one of those tiny little swim trunks—you know what they
say about black men with big hands, right? And that boy has some serious big
hands.” Gina added.

            Margo giggled.
“Something like, walk softly, and carry a big stick?”

            “And we’re not
talking drum sticks, either!” Gina giggled.

            The girls
burst into peals of laughter, and Lexi held her drink to her forehead to cool
the flush that burned her face. She’d had the same thought, actually, but
hearing it out loud from the other girls made that jealous streak rise up
again.

            Jessa stood up
frowning. “I think this is where I take my leave, ladies,” she said with
exaggerated annoyance. “I have to spend way too much time around those guys to
have that picture in my head. I think I’ll go grab another round of drinks.
Anyone?” She waved her empty glass in the air, and several of the girls lifted
theirs in response. Jessa plunked them onto the tray and headed for the bar.

            “Sorry ladies,
but I’m afraid you’re going to have to forget about Bo,” Tia joked. “He’s only
got eyes for Lexi.”

            All heads
turned in her direction. “Seriously?” Margo asked. “You and Bo are an item? I’m
so sorry, I didn’t realize…”

            Lexi blushed.
“No!” she said, perhaps too quickly. “We just have this flirting thing, that’s
all. Tia has a tendency to over exaggerate.” 

            “You’re sure?”
Margo asked, “I wouldn’t step on on any toes…”

            “Positive,”
Lexi mumbled, grabbing the bottle of suntan lotion and squirting some into her
hands. She lowered her head so none of them could see the flustered look on her
face, and rubbed the cream vigorously onto her legs. What could she say? That
she was feeling things for Bo that she couldn’t explain? That her life felt all
kinds of empty if he wasn’t in it? She felt a prickle on the back of her neck;
had the sense that someone was watching her, and she turned her eyes toward the
game and saw Bo standing stock still and looking at her.

           
Damn
,
thought Lexi,
these boys must have some kind of telepathy when we’re talking
about them
. They locked eyes for a moment and there was something in their
exchange that confused her; something about the way he stood frozen on the
court, even as the ball sailed over the net and smacked him in the head,
providing the game winning point for the other team. The Brits exploded—it was
their first victory in three games, and they were letting the other team know
it.

            “Nice shot,
Collins!” Tony yelled, picking up the ball and tossing it back at Bo. “Maybe
next time you can keep your eye on the ball instead of your forehead.” He
glanced over and looked at the group of bikini clad girls and waved, adding,
“Oh, hell, you’re forgiven. That view is enough to divert anyone’s attention.”

            Bo stood for a
moment longer and smiled, then turned and trotted to the water. As though an
alarm had sounded, all of the boys followed, diving into the sea to cool their
hot—in every sense of the word—bodies.  They met in a little huddle and laughed
at their exchange, then ran back up the beach to shake the cool water on the
girls, who giggled and squealed with delight.

            Dylan grabbed
Tia’s hand, pulled her up, and carried her to the water, unceremoniously
dumping her in. The guys shouted encouragement to the rest of the girls, and
they all ran into the sea, laughing.

            “Let’s take
out the wave runners!” Margo exclaimed. She turned right to Bo. “Would you take
me out?” she asked. “I don’t know if I can handle all that power between my
legs.” She smiled suggestively, and took his hand.

            Bo was taken
aback by her tone and the way she looked at him as she wrapped both of her
hands over one of his. He tossed a sideways glance at Lexi, but she was focused
on something in the other direction and seemed not to notice. Or maybe she just
didn’t care. “Um…yeah, sure,” he stuttered.