Page 2 of Resting Beach Face
Amy led me to the front entrance, using her key to let herself in. A lamp sat on the check-in counter to the left of the door, casting a soft glow over the great room, where guests could lounge on sofas and chairs that looked like they’d come straight out of the 1970s. Declan really needed to redecorate.
It was late enough I might miss his scowl altogether. That was a shame.
Amy veered toward the staircase that led to the second floor. “I’ve got the treehouse suite,” she said. “It’s gorgeous. We can fuck out on the deck.”
I cringed as her voice carried.
The door from the kitchen swung open and Declan stepped out, lips pressed together, brow furrowed. He wore a surprisingly adorable pajama set covered in SpongeBob characters and pineapple houses.
“What are you wearing?” I raked my gaze over him as he crossed the dining room, my smile widening with delight.
Sadly, the PJs were cotton and didn’t cling to his chest and thighs the way his usual navy silk pajamas did.
“What?” Declan glanced down, a breath of displeasure escaping. Color darkened the back of his neck. “My niece gave them to me.”
“Aw, sweet,” Amy crooned, reminding me she was still there. “Sorry if we disturbed you. Cash and I were just on our way upstairs. Right, Cash?”
Was that right? I wanted to linger and tease Declan. Amy didn’t interest me. But I had given her certain expectations…
“Right.” I stepped closer to Declan, unable to resist one parting shot. “You know,” I murmured. “The upside-down pineapple is a symbol swingers use.” I poked his thigh where SpongeBob’s house was floating upside down. “You never told me you were so adventurous, Dec.”
His eyes widened as he sputtered a denial. I turned with a laugh to follow an impatient Amy up the stairs.
“Please keep it down,” Declan called after us, so sternly it sent a little shiver across my skin.
Amy led me to the suite, unlocking her door and stepping inside. I followed, looking around even though I was already familiar with the king-size bed in the center of the room, the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the large soaker tub in the corner.
The lights were off, but moonlight poured in, silvering everything in a gentle glow.
Amy turned to me with a smile that surely worked on most men. “I thought we’d never get up here. The owner is such a stick-in-the-mud.”
My reflexive smile tightened on my face. “Declan is a good guy.”
“Oh, of course,” she said, moving in close. Her hands rested on my waist, and she leaned up to kiss my neck. “He’s just…you know…kind of weird.”
I stiffened—and not in a fun way.
Amy didn’t notice, too busy trying to feel me up. She slipped small, soft hands under my T-shirt. Not at all what I was craving.
Unbidden, an image of Declan rose in my mind. He wasn’t a bear of a man by any means, but his hands were large and callused from all the gardening he did around the B&B grounds. One night when I’d pushed him too far, he’d taken my arm and walked me to the door. My biceps twinged, an echo of the bruising touch that had turned me on even more.
All the thoughts of Declan were helping my body respond appropriately, but Amy’s touch was still all wrong.
Her words were even worse.
“Declan isn’t weird,” I snapped into the quiet space between us. “He’s gorgeous and smart and…and I know he’s a bit of a grouch, but it only adds to his charm. He’s sweet under that exterior. He doesn’t show it often, but…”
Amy pulled back from me, eyes wide. “Are you gay for him or something?”
Oh, nothing like a little bi-erasure to make this shitfest of a night better.
“No, I’m bisexual, Amy. Pansexual, really, not that you’d even understand the nuances.”
She looked affronted. “My name is Annie, and I never agreed to that.”
I barked a laugh. “You never agreed to my sexual identity? Well, good thing it’s not up to you.”
“You know what I mean. I’m not having a threesome with you and that…that…”
