Page 57 of Inseverable (Carolina Beach)

He looks at me again. “Do you think she?”

“Sean, just shut up already. I don’t need another visual.” I point to one of the waitresses. “Go and talk to Loretta over there.”

He frowns. “Don’t you mean Lindsey?”

Whatever. “Sure. Talk to her. I’m sure she’ll keep your mind off things.”

Like Sean, Lindsey likes to talk, excessively. She’s also been getting too close and searching for any excuse to hang out with me behind the bar. I don’t want Trin to think she has anything to worry about because she doesn’t. I meant it when I told her I only think of her.

I’m only wondering what’s keeping her. Her team’s already been here an hour and she’s still not . . .

Becca saunters in, dressed in a way that causes a few locals to whistle when they spot her. She looks nice, but she’s not who keeps my interest. Trin trails in behind her, showing me what’s kept her.

Normally, she bounces in wearing her lifeguard bathing suit and a pair of shorts, or sometimes shorts and a shirt if she squeezes in a shower before she leaves work. Sand typically coats her feet or her hair’s still damp from freshening up. It’s never bothered me, nor retracted from her beauty. But tonight . . . tonight I have to say she’s more than beautiful.

Her hair’s extra shiny and falls loose around her bare shoulders. One of those black strapless tops wraps around her breasts, riding up enough to give me a peek of her waist. A long colorful skirt flows behind her, falling just above her black sandals and freshly painted toes.

Where Becca’s met with wolf-whistles, Trin’s met with “oh’s” by the local women, and “don’t you look pretty?” from the men.

No, she doesn’t look pretty. My girl looks exceptional—sexy and innocent in one alluring package. Lord help me, I can’t tear my eyes from her as she makes her way toward me.

She takes a seat in front of me, but doesn’t quite look up, not right away. When she does, I catch a small trace of a blush.

“Hi,” she says, smiling lightly.

“You took a shower,” I say, like a dumbass.

She laughs into her hands then drops them down. Maybe it’s me, but it’s like she’s suddenly shy or something. Why is she acting shy around me now?

“I was trying to look nice for you,” she admits.

“You always look nice,” I tell her. I mean what I say, but somehow she seems disappointed.

She turns her head from side to side like she’s trying to think of what to say. What the hell? Trinalwayshas something to say. I’m guessing I’m supposed to say something about her clothes.

“It’s a cute dress,” I offer.

Apparently that wasn’t it. Whatever’s left of her smile is now long gone. “Thanks,” she mumbles. Her focus drops to the bar. “It’s actually a skirt. I . . .” She lifts her gaze. “I know last night wasn’t good.”

“It wasn’t,” I agree. “But it had nothing to do with you.”

“I shouldn’t have cried.” It’s what she says, but her eyes shimmer anyway. “I know that didn’t help, and probably made it worse for you. I’m sorry. I just?”

Lindsey, taps my arm. “Excuse me, darlin’, coming through.”

I glance at her as she flounces by, annoyed. She could have slipped behind me. There was plenty of space. When I return my attention to Trin, her stare drifts from me to Lindsey and then back.

I frown, not sure what’s bothering her. “What is it?”

She starts to tell me when Lindsey passes. This time, she slaps my ass with her tray. “Sorry, not a lot of room back here,” she says, laughing.

Her flirting needles me. But what she did was meant to bother Trin. It doesn’t take a scholar to recognize she’s upset now. She straightens in her seat, pretending to play with her hair so she doesn’t have to glance directly up.

I tickle her chin. “Hey. You all right?”

Instead of answering, she lifts her stare, watching as Lindsey stomps away in a huff. But I don’t care about Lindsey. I only care about this sexy little kitten in front of me who clearly has no idea how bad I want to carry her out of here and into my bed.

“Tell me what you were saying,” I ask Trinity, softening my voice and folding my arms across the bar.

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