Lavender Beach (27 page)

“Why is it that people are so negative when they talk about Tucker?”

“Maybe because his father lived here for decades and was a genuine asshole.”

There was a break in performers as the group Ninth Dog took to the stage. All the young people in the crowd went wild. This was far from classical or country. Ninth Dog offered up bold guitar riffs, killer drums and crazy keyboard sounds. These musicians relied on a synthesizer that hit somewhere between punk and acid.

Eastlyn turned her attention back to Cooper. “I thought you wanted to dance?”

“Not to this. I’m waiting for something slow and soulful.”

They endured the synthesizer until the pharmacist, Ross Campbell, stepped up on stage and sat down at the piano. Ross’s brown face showed concentration as his lean fingers sailed over the ivory and black keys. Showing off a knack for the sweet sound of rhythm and blues, his varied song list ran the gamut from Bill Withers to Stevie Wonder, sending the adults of a certain age on a journey back through the ’70s.

“Who knew?” Cooper whispered as he leaned in, swaying to the beat in his chair. “Ross never said a word about his talent when I bought a box of condoms from him at the drug store.”

Eastlyn’s hand muffled a laugh. “You didn’t?”

“Last week. What’s so funny?”

“I bought a box, too. Yesterday.”

“I’m sensing a united front here,” Cooper said, his voice full of hope at the prospect.

They sat under a canopy of Japanese lanterns strung from one end of the pier to the other. The lights rocked in the breeze, overhead, illuminating their way to the dance floor. In invitation, he held out his hand. “It’s time you danced with me.”

If there were stares from the curious gawkers as the two took to the dance floor, Eastlyn paid no mind. Once his arms circled her waist, she was lost in the rhythm of their bodies, their gypsy souls swaying to saxophone and keyboard.

His arms went around her as they moved to Ross’s soul rendering voice. Cooper decided her hair smelled like silk and summer, a mix of burnished sea and sweet-smelling lavender.

They weren’t even aware when Ross left the stage. Nor did they notice that the music had changed to more patriotic flare at the first pop of fireworks over the water. As the fireballs rocketed up in clusters of red, white, and blue, they kept moving to their own beat. While the flashes lit up the deep purple night sky and spread out in a dazzling display above them, they were lost in each other.  As the colorful bursts fizzled out and trailed down in glittery brocade, their minds drifted to another kind of celebration.

Eastlyn lifted her head skyward, took in the roof full of stars above them. After everything that had transpired over the course of the last two months, she figured she was due. No more putting off Cooper.

“Your place or mine?” she asked as he nibbled her neck.

“Your house is closer, but I’ve got a bigger bed,” he said, pulling her down the pier and along the boardwalk.

“Is that a euphemism?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

They crossed the street. High on the moment, Eastlyn teased, “We should take the car.”

“That’d be a little difficult to do since we hotfooted it here.”

She looked out at the line of parked cars slotted in tight spaces at the curb. A laugh escaped. “Let’s just borrow one of these. People in town are so friendly. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Coop chuckled. “No way do I want Brent showing up in the morning putting a damper on the mood after a perfectly good night of sweaty sex.”

Her heart thudded at the idea. “You’re pretty sure of yourself.”

“Right now, you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The rest of the walk home was a blur until they reached Cooper’s courtyard. They stumbled their way into the atrium in a whirl of growing lust. That need to mate unleashed an impatient wave to get each other naked. They stumbled into the umbrella tree almost snapping off one of the delicate branches.

Hot tastes and flurried kisses had her yanking him by the shirt for a lot more.

They bounced along the wall into the living room.

“I have to get you out of this dress before I rip it to shreds.”

She spun to give him access. He gladly slid the zipper down. The dress puddled to the floor around her feet.

In the dark, his eyes flicked sharp and hot. “You’re not wearing a bra.”

“I didn’t see the need since I’m the A cup variety.”

He whirled her around to judge for himself. All that was left was a thin strip of pink scalloped lace, slung low, hugging her hips. He ran one finger around the trim, moved up, filled his hands with those perfect breasts. “Every part of you I uncover is so damned beautiful.”

Before she could worry about him seeing her stump, he grabbed her hips, hoisted her up. She threw her legs around his waist. Impatience had him taking off down the hall, carrying her to his bed.

From the moment she’d relinquished control to him, Coop wanted to show her all the magic he possessed, all the finesse he could gather. He was by no means a ladies’ man or an accomplished lover. But with Eastlyn, he was determined to take his time no matter what.

One toss on the mattress and her wedge sandal thudded to the floor. He bent down, tried to get the other one out of the foot thing. “How do I get you out of this?”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

He looked down at himself, picked up her hand, ran it across the front of his jeans. “Does that answer your question?”

“I believe it does. I’ll leave my liner on…for now anyway.” She reached down, pressed the pin release causing the prosthetic to drop to the floor with a clunk.

He shoved her back on the bed, roamed his hands over her breasts. “You let me know if I do anything that hurts.”

His touch made her feel alive, like he’d found her in the desert, thirsting for water. “So far you’re doing just fine,” she said as she arched her back, offered herself up.

Taking the hint, he ran the tip of his tongue along each pebbled nipple, licked the perfume off one bare shoulder, used his teeth to graze, and sampled skin from throat to belly.

She tried to get his shirt unbuttoned but her hands were far from steady. She gave up when his head moved between her legs. Her pulse skidded. Her blood pumped like fire.

On the race to that higher peak, she willed him not to stop. Frenzy followed the line of pleasure as it burst like a thundercloud, bringing with it the lightning that rolled through her.

Rising up, she reached for him, undoing buttons so she could get down to skin.

He tried to shuck out of his jeans as she nipped at his throat, scraped her nails down his chest.  When she decided he was taking too long, she urged him on. “Hurry.”

His body rocked above hers until she bucked up and rolled, reversing their positions. She felt him grip her hips. That one touch had her picking up the pace. She felt him tighten around her so she rode him, fast and hard.

Lightning did strike twice. It lit up the sky in purple and silver before thinning out to a slow, satisfied peak sending them crashing back down to earth.

Out of breath, damp and sweaty, she floated over him and then slid down, dropped onto his chest.

He flicked a finger over a pebbled nipple. “I…that was…I think we broke something.”

“I hope it wasn’t something important that we’ll need for later.”

His laugh bellowed out as he wondered how to persuade her to spend the night. But in the end, he didn’t have to coax her at all. She cozied up, dropped her head to rest on his shoulder. 

Cooper ran a hand over her thigh, did a slow perusal of her body. That’s when he noticed the ink on her right shoulder—a hawk with wings fully spread in flight positioned over a full, glowing, fiery sun.

“You’re a wonder, Eastlyn Parker. I’ve never met anyone quite like you before and I’ve traveled all over the world once or twice.”

“If I get my license back I’d like to take you flying sometime.”

“It felt like you just did.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Any higher and we’d have both flown off the bed.”

Her laugh, generous and warm, rolled out in waves. “Oh, I like the idea of that. I see us flying over Pelican Pointe, a bed sailing through the air. There’s a news crew standing on the ground waiting to capture the moment when we land, a mix of
Mary Poppins
and
Sex and the City
.”

“You’ve got a warped streak in you.”

“I thought you’d never notice.” She ran a hand past his stomach and felt him come to life.

“Oh, I noticed.”

“Okay. Then let’s see just how warped we can get.”

They made love again with all the zest and zeal of new lovers. Later, they drifted into lazy slumber as the soft night breeze from the ocean flowed in through the open windows, lulling them into eventual exhaustion.

Seventeen

T
he week building up to the end-of-school event was a nerve-racking one for Eastlyn.

There were nights Cooper did his best to alleviate her fears. But his soothing words often fell on deaf ears. She was like a prickly pear—try to pluck off the fruit and you risked getting poked by the needles causing a sting that lasted for hours.

One night they were watching a baseball game together on TV, a pastime they both enjoyed. Suddenly Eastlyn picked up the remote, flicked off the screen and declared, “God, how do you stand being around me? I’m making you crazy. I’m making myself crazy. The only thing to do is to go to Julianne, make her listen to reason, and get her to take me off the list. Surely there’s someone in town—Nick or Cord maybe—who could offer more in the way of motivation than I would.”

While Cooper felt a measure of sympathy for her angst at getting up before a crowd and talking about herself, he chose a more realistic path.

Keeping his voice level and calm, he proposed what he thought was a better solution. “Or, you could come up with a heartfelt, five-minute talk that reflects the time you spent flying Black Hawks. Focus on what you love about flying. The kids are eager to hear about adventure. You don’t necessarily have to hit them over the head by talking about your disability. Bring them into your army exploits—as a pilot you must have a hundred of them—minus the death and destruction of war. Get them to hang on every word that comes out of your mouth. Inspire the girls in the audience to learn to fly. Be the motivation behind them. Be the instrument of inspiration like your dad was for you.”

Eastlyn turned to gape at the man sitting next to her on the sofa. She looked at him as if he’d fallen down to earth from another galaxy wearing a Wookiee suit. At that moment, it felt like her heart melted in her chest.

Not since the last time she’d been in a cockpit had she felt such euphoria. The joy tried to bond together with the security and trust that welled up inside. She sat back, suddenly realized the importance of the moment. “All this time you’ve been trying to tell me and I wouldn’t listen. I’ve made your life miserable for the past week and yet, you hung in there with me. Why?”

Cooper lifted a shoulder. “It’s simple. I care what happens to you. Besides, I bet after tomorrow they give you a commendation for your oratory skills.”

“Bite me.”

He moved closer. “Where should I start?” He held a finger to her lips. “No, the choice should be mine.”

She gave him a playful little push. “See, that’s what I mean. You keep me laughing. You’re easy to talk to, so unassuming and patient after I’ve spent the last week freaking out. I’ve never known a man like you before.”

He took her chin. “You know what you need?”

She leaned in. Her hand cupped his neck. “I do. And I sense you’re gearing up to give it to me.”

“Maybe you should give it to me first.” To show her he meant business, he boosted her up to straddle his lap. “Since you turned off my ballgame, you owe me.”

“And I always pay my debts.”

Clothes began to fly while he ravaged her mouth.

The scrape of teeth, the way his tongue tagged hers, caused pleasure to curl through her, the knots and tension fading away. Arching her back, she offered herself up. Her hips rocked as glorious waves, jagged and urgent, rippled hot and hard. She called out his name.

“Say it again,” he demanded.

“Cooper. Now, Cooper.”

Their eyes locked. His hands went around her hips. They came together, quickened the rhythm. The pace was on to satisfy lust and greed. Sensations punched like a sea between angry riptides and undertow as he dragged them up and over.

Out of breath, Eastlyn dropped her forehead onto his.

He framed her face between his hands. “There’s a joy in getting naked with you.”

She burst out laughing. “I second that.”

Later, they sprawled out on the bed with a bottle of fingernail polish nearby as Cooper helped Eastlyn paint the toenails on her adjustable foot, a nice purple shade that would go with the outfit she’d chosen for tomorrow.

“I’ve never bothered to do this before,” Eastlyn admitted. “I feel kinda silly. It seems like a waste of time, or maybe overkill.”