“Plenty have paid attention,” she murmurs and holds up her hand to stop my argument. “You’re just too busy not being interested to notice.”
“But I am interested this time, and I’m questioning why I am and why he is, and that leads me to wonder if I would be enough for him. I mean I’ve only been with one man in the last twenty years. How do I know if things are done differently nowadays?”
Her grin tugs a smile out of me. “I assure you sex is done the same.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do know. I know it’s scary and probably exhilarating all at the same time, but I say go for it. I say be the lacy boy shorts. The kind Slade can’t wait to rip off you before ravishing you.”
“Ravish?”
“Ravish,” she repeats with a nod. “And I have no doubt he will, and you’ll do just fine with it. In fact, you’ll actually enjoy it.”
“We’ll see about that.” I chuckle.
“I believe I said you’d see him again and he’d go on the retreat with you, right?” She throws her hands up. “Then, out of the blue, it happened, so I wouldn’t doubt me. I do believe I might have some kind of magical powers.”
I throw a pillow at her. “I’m not going to encourage that theory for fear of your head getting so big it will never fit through the doorway.”
“I have powers, so I’m sure I can manage regardless of the size of the doorway.” Kelsie follows me into the kitchen where I start to clean up our leftover charcuterie board. “Your plan is to leave together in the morning?”
“Mm-hm.” I toss a napkin into the trash. “We’ll figure out our story on the way up to the mountains. Three hours is a lot of time to kill.”
“Are you sure that’s enough time?” she asks as she pops an olive into her mouth.
“He had plans already. Who am I to ask for more time from him when he’s already giving me five days . . . you know?”
“I do, but I know how your little planning heart is probably having a freak out over not knowing it already.”
“I’m fine. It’s fine. I just need to pack and then I’m set.”
My phone on the counter rings, and I jump at the sound. Before I can grab it, Kelsie has it in her hand. “Speak of the devil.” She holds my phone out so I can see his name on the screen. “Put him on speaker so I can hear his sexy voice.”
“Give me the phone.” I stick my hand out, but there is a smile stuck on my face and a giddy feeling in my stomach, which is stupid considering I’m going to be seeing him tomorrow.
In a move that’s high school-ish and annoying and very much Kelsie, she hits the answer button and hits speaker at the same time. “Hello?” she says just in time for me to grab my phone from her.
“Hey.” Slade’s deep timbre comes through the speaker. It’s sex personified, and that along with all this talk of sex and rebounds with Kelsie has me thinking thoughts and creating scenarios Kels would be proud of. “You ready for tomorrow?”
Kelsie holds the back of her hand to her forehead and mouths, Swoon.
“Hi. Yes. Just doing some last-minute things.”
“Forget those last-minute things. Put a jacket on and come meet us.”
“What?” I laugh the word as if he’s crazy. “Where? Us? What are you talking about?”
“Spontaneity, Blakely. That’s what I’m talking about.” There is someone laughing in the background as I turn my back to Kelsie and lean my hips against the counter. “My friends and I have a monthly bonfire down at the beach. I missed the last one, but I’m here. Right now. The waves are at my back and the fire is in front of me.”
“And you want me there?”
“Yes.” His laugh is carefree. “I realized you might have some reservations about hopping in a car and going on a trip with a man you only know about through his own comments.”
“Seems like a rational thought.”
“Then come hang out with us. Come get to know me and put your mind at ease. Get a head start on that last item on the to-do list.”
Say yes.
“I don’t want to intrude on your time with your friends.” It’s a total contradiction to the yes my head is telling me to say.
“What better way to get to know me than through my friends? They’re brutally honest even when I don’t want them to be.”
“Slade . . . I—”
“C’mon, Blakely.” His voice is singsongy and possibly slightly buzzed, but the way he says my name makes me stand a bit taller. “Come put your toes in the sand for a bit.”
“We’re leaving in the morning.”
“The night’s still young.”
“I—”
“I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m texting you directions. See you in a bit,” he says before the call ends.
“Seriously?” Kelsie says at my back. “You were actually going to say no to a voice like his and a request like that? Are you insane?”
“Yes. No.” I blow out an audible sigh.
But he called me.
He asked me to go.
When Kelsie moves to my line of sight, there is a stern expression on her face and her arms are crossed over her chest. The look in her eyes warns me she’s going to fight the old me from turning down his offer.
And she’s right.
This ends right here. Right now.
Out with the granny panties. In with the lacy boy shorts.
“I need to go get changed,” I say.
Kelsie’s lips stretch into a grin as a loud whoop falls from her lips. “You are soooo getting laid this week.”
Blakely
The scene before me is gorgeous—moonlight over the water and fire dancing against the sand.
I don’t have an excuse not to get out of my car. No barely there bikinis on drunken women. No frat boy atmosphere. Just a small group of
