Seagrove Secrets Page 18

  “Holy fuck,” Felicity said. She and Scott both stood beside him, mouths agape as Shayla neared the house. “Why the hell did I even try?” Felicity said.

  Shayla opened the door and blinked as the three of them stared at her. “What?” She looked down at herself, craning her neck to see her ass. “Do I have something on me?”

  “You look stunningly gorgeous,” Scott said.

  Chase shot him a glare for stealing his line, and Scott cut his eyes at Chase, his lip curling up just slightly in victory.

  Felicity offered a hand toward Shayla, looking back at Chase. “How am I supposed to attract a man with that standing next to me all night?”

  Shayla frowned, glancing around. “Are we having a drink?”

  “Yeah,” Chase said, finally able to form words again. “Pilsner?”

  “I’ll just take a vodka rocks, please.”

  He headed to the dining room and got two glasses out of the cabinet. The speed of his heartbeat indicated her presence in the room with him. He opened the ice freezer and scooped ice in the glasses like nothing was wrong.

  She moved in close to him, and his chest ignited. “Can we call a truce for the evening?” she said in a low voice.

  He pulled a bottle of vodka off the shelf. “I’m not pissed at you.”

  She gave him a look and he poured the vodka and then handed her a glass, holding her gaze, his cock twitching at the sight of her. She was nothing short of breathtaking dolled up like that, her eyes all dark and smoky. She didn’t even seem like the same person. The idea of this mysterious side of her ran scenarios through this brain that were fit for a Fifty Shades of Gray movie.

  Her hand brushed his as she took the glass from him. “Bullshit.” Her fingers wrapped around the glass with her short nails painted black made his breaths come quicker, and he thought about her hand wrapped around his cock last night as she guided him into her.

  He cleared his throat, trying to collect himself, but wishing like fuck that two other people were not one room away and the lights of the limo were not illuminating his house right at that moment.

  He inspected his glass. “I’m willing to table any further discussions for the sake of the group, and Bo and Maya.” He held his glass up near hers.

  “Thank you.” She clinked her glass against his, and they both drank their vodka, watching each other as they drained their glasses. They both set their glasses down on the bar, and Shayla walked into the kitchen. “I think our ride’s here.”

  “Did you order an Uber?” Scott asked.

  “Limo,” Chase said. “Special night.”

  “Ooh la la,” Felicity said. “I’ll grab my purse.”

  Scott’s face colored a little, and Chase wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or pissed. Chase thought he should probably ease up on him…he’d keep thinking on that.

  The girls piled into the limo, and Chase waited for Scott to get in. Scott motioned at the door. “After you.”

  “No, you go ahead,” Chase said.

  Scott eyed him and then got in…and sat next to Shayla.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shayla had opted to watch her drinking closely. This was a long night, and they had a big day ahead of them, so she’d purposefully waited until the end of the dinner to have another drink. The one she’d had at Chase’s house was out of pure survival, especially after having seen Felicity in that J-Lo dress. Scott’s gaze was permanently attached to Felicity’s breasts, which was fine with Shayla. Chase hadn’t looked at it the whole night thus far that Shayla had noticed, which made her feel bad. What if the two of them had planned to relive their past this weekend, and Shayla had thrown a bomb in that plan last night? Shayla was a train wreck this weekend. She’d have to spend the next week apologizing.

  Shayla got a beer at the bar and headed back to the room where all of their friends and family were gathered full of smiles and laughter. Bo had his hand on Maya’s waist as they stood with Felicity, Scott, Dale, and Cindy. Maya swiped at her eye with her cocktail napkin, and Bo pulled her in closer to him with a look of satisfaction Shayla had never seen from him. How the two of them found each other in this huge world was beyond Shayla, but she couldn’t imagine Bo with anyone else. He’d spent his twenties in misery with his ex Angela, who dragged him to hell and back. If anyone deserved a woman as sweet, responsible, and adoring as Maya, it was her brother. Now Shayla was starting to tear up, dammit.

  Blake sidled up to Shayla. “Do you think there’s a chance Maya won’t cry tomorrow during the ceremony?”

  Shayla gave him a look. “During? She’ll be at it before it even starts.”

  Blake smiled. “I’m guessing Bo will at some point, too.”

  “That would be a sight. I haven’t seen him cry since we were little. And I really don’t remember him doing it much then.”

  “It’s a rite of passage for a man to cry tears of joy for the woman he loves.”

  She turned to him slowly, looking him up and down. “God, you people down here are hopeless.”

  Blake stared at Seanna who stood with Chase across the room, looking like they were talking business or something else that required no smiling. “What about you?” he asked.

  “What about me?”

  “Are you hopeless yet?” He took a drink of his beer, staring at Chase and Seanna.

  “No. Of course not.” Blake slid her a look, and her neck heated. “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “It’s fairly obvious, Shayla. The two of you can’t keep your eyes off one another, and Chase has shown zero interest in Felicity in that dress.”

  Shayla pursed her lips. “It’s not a dress. It’s a jumpsuit.”

  “It’s hot, whatever it is, and he hasn’t even noticed it. He’s only got eyes for you. Given, if I wasn’t a pseudo brother of yours, I’d probably think you looked pretty hot tonight, too.” She gave him a look and he smiled back then looked at Seanna. “But I only have eyes for my wife, of course.”

  “Of course,” she said with a smile. “Where are you all headed tonight for the bachelor party?”

  “Craft beer bar hop. But after talking to Bo’s co-workers, I’m thinking we should probably have done the whole thing at Alligator Alley.”

  Shayla nodded. “Yep.”

  “I would, but Chase has a thing set up at Amberjack.”

  She froze. “I have a thing set up at Amberjack. The one on 30A?”

  “Is there more than one?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Not that I know of. What’s Chase’s thing?”

  “He knows the owner. He set up a tasting or something. I don’t know. It’s a bunch of free beer. Who doesn’t want that? What’s your thing?”

  “Lingerie shower in their private room. Where’s your beer thing?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they have more than one private room. Or maybe they’ve got us in one of the little living room areas or on the back deck. There’s not as many of us as there are of y’all.”

  She rubbed her forehead.

  “Don’t stress it,” he said. “We’ll stay out of your hair.”

  Shayla motioned at Maya and Bo, who were even closer together than they were before. “You think those two can be apart from one another, knowing they’re in the same bar?”

  Blake smiled. “It’ll be a co-bachelor/bachelorette thing. We’ll be breaking ground.”

  She glared at Chase. “If I don’t break something else first.”

  “So the two of you never discussed what you were planning for tonight? Aren’t you living together?”

  Her cheeks warmed. “We’re not living together. I’m renting his pool house.”

  “But you have to bump into one another once in a while.”

  When she was taking off his pants, sure. “I see him from time to time. This just didn’t come up this week.”

  Seanna and Chase made eye contact with the two of them. Seanna smiled and nudged her boss, and they headed toward them, Chase looking like he’d rather be heading to the dent
ist’s office.

  “Everyone having fun?” Seanna asked.

  “Blake!” Bo shouted. “Come here. Bring your wife. Settle a bet.”

  Blake smiled at Shayla. “See you soon.”

  Chase stood there next to Shayla, looking down at her. “What was that about?”

  She looked up at him. “Amberjack?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ve got Maya’s shower set up there.”

  “Are you serious?” he asked.

  “Yeah. Where’s your beer tasting? We have the private room at nine.”

  “They’ve reserved one of the living room areas for us.”

  She shook her head, glancing around, her body on fire just from his proximity.

  “Is that the end of the world? All our friends together in one place?” he asked.

  “I guess not,” she said. “I just hope Sebastian doesn’t shame me. You know how he likes things like he likes them. It was all I could do to make him let me do this for Maya. He was itching to get his hands on this party.”

  “I’ll take care of Sebastian,” Chase said.

  She met his gaze. “No, I’ll take care of him.”

  He shook his head at her. “Fine. Have at it.”

  “I will.”

  They stood side by side, her insides twirling. She sipped her beer.

  “You look good tonight,” he said. “I mean, you always look good, but…never mind.”

  She looked him up and down in his dress pants and vest. “You look good, too.”

  He looked down at his chest. “Thanks.”

  Felicity grabbed Scott’s arm, laughing about something and he smiled back at her.

  “Does that bother you?” Chase asked.

  “No, of course not. Does it bother you?”

  He held her gaze, staring hard into her eyes with his emerald green ones. “No.”

  She had to blink, looking away from him. Bo looked over at her with a curious glance, and she smiled, holding up her glass. He did the same thing as Dale tapped him on the arm and got his attention.

  “You think he knows?” Chase asked.

  She glanced at him quickly. Her heartbeat in a frenzy “Knows what?”

  “That we’ll all be together at Amberjack.”

  She relaxed, knowing that’s not what he was thinking. “I’m damn sure not telling him.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “You think I’m telling him?” Bo looked at them again, and then stepped away from the group. “Here we go,” Chase said. He waited until Bo got into earshot and then said, “Act natural.”

  “You two are antisocial,” Bo said, gauging the two of them.

  “I’m saving my voice for cat calling the stripper later,” Chase said.

  Bo pointed at him. “I said I didn’t want a stripper.”

  “Relax, Virgin Mary. I’m joking. Have you met me?” Chase asked.

  Shayla had to hide her grin. She loved how Chase took on her brother.

  Bo rolled his eyes, his face red. “I just don’t want anything fucking up this weekend, you got it?”

  Shayla swallowed hard, her guilt bearing down.

  “It’s going to go smoother than your lily white ass, I promise you that,” Chase said.

  Bo eyed Shayla, and then turned his gaze to Scott and Felicity. “I’m confused. I thought he was your date this weekend.”

  “He is,” Shayla said, feeling Chase’s stare on her.

  “If you’re not careful, Felicity’s going to walk away with him,” Bo said and then looked at Chase. “Aren’t you supposed to be with her this weekend?”

  “The four of us are one big happy family this weekend. We’re having an orgy later if you want to stop by.”

  Bo glanced between the two of them. “Something up between the two of you?” he asked, ignoring Chase. “Are you together?”

  “We’re standing together,” Shayla said.

  “You know what I mean.”

  Chase tossed up his hands. “Okay, you know what. We fucked up.”

  There went Shayla’s heartbeat again.

  “Oh yeah?” Bo asked, looking at Shayla.

  Chase nudged her. “Tell him what happened. Tell him what you did.”

  She stared at him hard, him keeping his expression even. Bo stared at her, too, waiting to hear about how she’d fucked up.

  “All right, I’ll tell it,” Chase said. “Last night, Shayla forgot to tell me she’d booked the same damn place for Maya’s bachelorette as I booked for your bachelor party.”

  Bo looked between them, landing on Shayla. “That’s it?”

  “Sebastian’s going to kill me,” she said, her voice monotone.

  Bo smiled, looking back at Maya who was in conversation with Cindy. “I can deal with that. Where is it?”

  “Amberjack. But we can find another spot,” Chase said.

  “No, no,” Bo said, holding up a hand. “I like Amberjack.”

  “We’re gonna be separated in our private room from nine to ten,” Shayla said.

  “For what?” Bo asked.

  “The stripper,” Shayla said like he was stupid for even asking.

  Chase played along, nodding. God, she wanted him.

  Bo smiled. “Even you two can’t ruin this night for me.”

  “We’ll try harder,” Chase said.

  Maya walked up and put her hand on Bo’s arm. “My parents are ready to leave. We should—”

  “Yep,” Bo said and then turned back to Shayla and Chase. “Drink up, and let’s go.” He met Chase’s gaze. “Thanks, by the way, for the limos. They’re a big hit.”

  “No problem.”

  They walked off and Shayla looked up at Chase.

  “What?” he asked. “Oh, did you think I was going to tell him about…”

  She held back a smile.

  “I don’t even feel bad about that.” He leaned down into her ear. “The next time I make love to you, there’s gonna be a lot more to feel sinful about.”

  He walked away and joined a conversation with Shayla’s parents like he’d known them for years, leaving her in a puddle on the restaurant floor.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Maya opened the last gift, the one from Sebastian, of course, and the group roared at the items she pulled out of the basket. She picked up a vibrator and then tossed it back in. “Sebastian,” she said, her face coloring even worse than it had been the past hour. She grinned and picked it back up. “Would any of you ladies like this? I don’t need one anymore.”

  The group oohed and ahhed.

  “It’s not for you, sweetie,” Sebastian said with a waggle of an eyebrow, and then Maya looked back at the vibrator, which Shayla had to admit was shaped a bit differently from the ones she’d seen.

  Maya covered her mouth. “Oh, my God, Sebastian!”

  They were all laughing so hard she was afraid they would get themselves kicked out.

  She tossed it back in the basket. “You guys, thank you so much,” she said, glancing around the room, her gaze landing on Shayla’s. She mouthed another thank you while pressing her hand against her chest.

  They all flooded Maya with hugs, swooping into a big huddle around her.

  Maya hugged the vibrator to her chest once they all backed off. “Can we please go see the boys now?”

  “Only if I get to see Bo’s face when you show that to him,” Ashe said.

  Maya grinned while tossing it back in the basket. Shayla went to her. “I’m going to go ahead and load up the limo with this stuff, okay?”

  “I’ll help,” Maya said.

  “We got it,” Felicity said. “Go see your man.”

  “Thank you,” Maya said, and then Desiree was whisking her off to the main room.

  Seanna picked up several bags. “Don’t let Blake see any of this stuff. He’ll be pissed I insisted on keeping our wedding so private.”

  Felicity held up a pink negligee. “Here, sneak this one into your purse. I know her. She’ll never wear it.”

  Seanna e
yed it. “I couldn’t get my left nipple into that.”

  Felicity held it up to her own chest. “Yeah, me neither.”

  “Yes you could,” Shayla said, stuffing tissue into a bag.

  “On weeks I don’t eat, maybe.”

  “You go weeks without eating?” Seanna asked.

  “How else do you think I could wear something like this?”

  Seanna smiled and glanced at Shayla quickly like she was uncomfortable, and then headed out with the bags.

  “You look fantastic in that, by the way,” Shayla said.

  Felicity looked Shayla up and down. “Not as good as you. Where did you find that top?”

  Shayla waved her off and picked up some boxes.

  “It’s okay to look fabulous, you know,” Felicity said.

  Shayla blinked.

  “You seem uncomfortable when I comment on your looks. Do I make you uncomfortable? When I make those comments, I mean.”

  Shayla furrowed her brow, picking up Sebastian’s basket. “No, I just…no.”

  Everyone had cleared out of the room, Felicity stood in front of the door. “You’re beautiful, and you should own that. That’s all I’m saying.” Felicity stared at her, almost in challenge.

  “Well, I think you’re beautiful,” Shayla said, her words shaky but honest.

  Felicity smiled at her, turning her head. “I’m a pretty girl. I make myself beautiful with potions and spa visits. You’re naturally beautiful.”

  Shayla looked down at her clothes. “Not tonight.”

  “It’s more than your looks. You’re considerate and kind, and you seem to care more about everyone else’s comfort than your own. Do you ever take care of yourself?”

  Shayla couldn’t believe how blunt this girl was. “Yes, of course I do.”

  “Don’t forget to do that,” Felicity said, turning around and walking out.

  Shayla stood there, wondering what kind of vibes she was putting out in the world. Or maybe it was just this one nutty weekend.

  Shayla picked up the remnants of what was left in the room, and then headed out to the limo. When she got back inside, she found her crew of friends on the back deck, the night ocean set as their backdrop. She realized she hadn’t been to the beach in months…years? She certainly hadn’t been since she’d been back in town. She walked up to the railing and stood and stared at it a minute, realizing how much she’d missed the mesmerizing rhythm of the waves washing up to shore.