As Timeless as the Sea Read online

  “Well, we’re not drunk this morning,” he pointed out.

  She smiled. “That’s true. I don’t know what excuse I can give this time.”

  He cupped her face and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “Do you need an excuse?”

  She shrugged, lowering her eyes. “I suppose not. There’s nothing wrong with pleasure for the sake of it.”

  That wasn’t quite what he’d meant, but he didn’t say anything.

  “It’s the best wedding I’ve ever been to,” he said when he eventually lifted his head.

  “Mmm, me too. I thought I was going to get bored watching Ginger and Sam mooning over each other.”

  He settled down beside her, propping his head on a hand. “You don’t resent her being happy though?”

  “Oh God no, of course not. I was being flippant. She’s had a tough time. You know about her ex, right? How when they broke up, he accused her of stealing from his mother’s restaurant?”

  “Yeah, Sam told me.”

  “Between you and me, I was glad when she dumped him. He wasn’t good for her. He was very controlling—he hated her going anywhere without him, and would get really jealous and possessive.”

  “I’m surprised she stood for that,” Jace said. The feisty strawberry-blonde hadn’t struck him as the sort to do what a man told her.

  “Ginger’s all bark and no bite. She loved him, I guess, and for a while she was swept up in him. It happens.” Her eyes darkened, like the sudden approach of a storm in a summer sky.

  He opened his mouth to say And what about you? What happened to you that you’re so afraid of telling me about? But Sandi had rolled over to look at the clock, and she sighed, sat up, and swung her legs over the bed.

  “I need to get going,” she said. “I have to get breakfast ready for the guests.” She rose and stretched, standing in the shaft of sunlight streaming through the window. Her creamy skin turned a blush pink, and Jace grew hard again at the sight of her plump breasts with their tantalizing nipples. Her gaze dropped to his crotch, and he covered himself hurriedly with the duvet.

  Her lips curved up. “Are you never sated?”

  “Says the woman who had three orgasms and came back for four more.”

  She laughed and walked over to the bathroom. “Touché. I’m going to have a shower. She stopped just inside the doorway, turned, and winked at him. “You can join me if you like.”

  Jace didn’t need telling twice. He leapt out of bed, tangled himself in the duvet, fought with it for a moment, tossed it aside and grabbed a condom, and followed her hastily into the bathroom.

  Sandi welcomed him willingly into the shower cubicle, washed him down with great pleasure, then happily let him massage the shower creme into her skin. He soaped her breasts and slipped his hands between her thighs, and soon they were making love again, steaming up the bathroom, and filling the air with their sighs.

  Jace turned her away from him so her hands were on the wall, rolled on the condom, and slid into her from behind. As he moved inside her, he tried to concentrate on how well they fit together and how amazing it felt to have her in his arms, rather than think about the fact that soon it would all be over. He knew goodbye sex when he saw it—God knew he’d done it himself often enough. Sandi wasn’t planning to see him again. For her, this had been a one-night stand from the start, and she had no intention of continuing the relationship.

  He wanted the moment to go on forever, but she was so fucking slippery and sexy and sensual in his hands, and he couldn’t wait any longer. Sandi came—just the once this time, but her cries loud enough to tell him it was a powerful orgasm—and he thrust harder, riding her through it, then came himself, his hands curling into fists on the tiles while he spilled again and again, his passion touched with an edge of desperation as he fought to stay in the moment of ecstasy as long as he could.

  But it was over all too soon, and they exited the shower and dried themselves, then he returned to the bedroom to dress in the clothes he’d worn the night before.

  Afterward, he stretched out on the bed, and watched Sandi getting ready for the day, dressing, drying her hair, and adding a touch of makeup in the mirror.

  He kept the conversation light, talking about the wedding, about what Mac and Fred were doing with the vineyard, and about his work, and Sandi chatted away. When she was ready, he came to stand behind her, and slid his arms around her waist.

  “You look stunning,” he said honestly, liking her relaxed look of cropped blue pants and a sleeveless pink top.

  “It’s going to be warm today.” She lifted up and kissed him, letting her lips linger for a moment.

  When she eventually drew back, he looked into her eyes for a long moment. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in asking for another date?” he said.

  Wariness crossed her features. “Jace...”

  “I know,” he said softly. He bent his head and kissed her again. “Think about it. I’d like to see you again. But I know you’re hiding something from me. You’ve been hurt before, and you’re afraid of being hurt again. I get that. Relationships are like alchemy—they’re a mysterious process where you try to turn base emotions into something magical. Often you just get ash, but very occasionally you can turn lead into gold.” He smiled.

  “You think you have a philosopher’s stone?” she asked softly.

  “Maybe. We won’t know unless we try.”

  “It’s been amazing,” she said. “I’ve had such a fantastic time. But I don’t want a relationship. I’m happy how I am.”

  “Fair enough,” he said. “How about regular sex?”

  She laughed and swatted his arm. “Honestly.”

  “I’m serious. You’re amazing in bed. And you seem to enjoy it with me. If you ever want a reenactment, I’d be happy to oblige.”

  She met his gaze, her lips curving up. “You’re serious.”

  “Think about it.” He kissed her forehead. “I’d better go.”

  “You’re welcome to stay for breakfast.”

  “No, I’ll slip out while everyone’s still asleep. I don’t want to embarrass you.”

  Her brow flickered with a frown. “I’m not embarrassed about what we did.”

  He smiled. “You’re really not, are you?” He bent and kissed her lips. Then he picked up his wallet and car keys. “I’ll see you around. You know where I am.” He took one of his business cards out of his wallet and placed it on the bedside table. “Call me anytime.”

  “Jace...” She hesitated. “Thank you.”

  He blew her a kiss and left.

  Outside, the early morning sun was dazzling. He slid on his sunglasses and stood for a moment looking down at the bay. The Pacific Ocean sparkled, and at the edge of the bay he thought he saw the dark flash of a fluke—there was an orca pod out there, chasing a school of tuna or herring. The killer whale was actually a member of the dolphin family. He’d seen them many times while out fishing. He knew dolphins mated for pleasure, and females tended to have multiple partners in a single season.

  He pursed his lips and walked back to his car. Sometimes it was better not to know these things.

  Chapter Twelve

  “MORNING,” FRED SAID, leaning a hip against the dining table.

  Sandi was finishing off clearing away the remains of the guests’ breakfasts. She glanced at her sister, her look turning wry at the grin on Fred’s face. “Morning.”

  “Sleep well?” Fred asked.

  “Don’t start.”

  “I’m just asking.”

  Sandi poked her tongue out at her, picked up the last pile of plates, and left the room, taking them into the kitchen. Some of the other kitchen staff were already there, getting started on the menu for the day. Keeping out of their way, she began rinsing the dishes in the sink in the corner, and stacking them in one of the dishwashers.

  Fred came in and leaned on the counter. “Aw, come on. Spill the beans. Did you have a good time?” Her eyes twinkled.

  Sa
ndi rinsed another plate, then paused and looked at her sister. They both started laughing.

  “He was amazing,” she said, continuing with the next plate. “Best night I’ve had since...” She thought about it. “Forever?” She grinned and placed the plate into the dishwasher.

  “I was so pleased when I saw you heading off together. I just knew the two of you would get along. He’s one of the good guys.”

  “Yeah. As far as we know.” Sandi began on the glasses, stacking them carefully on the top rack.

  Fred chewed her bottom lip. “Did he ask to see you again?”

  “Yes.” She placed the last glass in, added a tablet, and shut the dishwasher door.

  “What did you say?”

  She sighed and pressed the button to start it. “I said I wasn’t interested.”

  “Oh, sweetheart...”

  “Fred. Leave it.”

  “But he’s so gorgeous,” Fred said, following her back into the dining room. “And he’s a lawyer. And he’s got an amazing house on the inlet. He’s, like, perfect.”

  “We both know there’s no such thing.” Sandi sprayed the dining table with cleaning fluid and began to wipe it down.

  “No man is perfect, I’ll grant you that. But neither are we. All we can do is try to find a guy who fits us in the best way possible. Mac has his flaws—he can be grumpy in the mornings, he likes really loud rock music that I can’t stand, and he always puts too much chili in our stir fries. But he’s kind and gentle and he loves me. I don’t expect perfection, and neither should you.”

  “I get that,” Sandi said with some impatience. “And I don’t expect anyone to be perfect. Quite the opposite. I know any guy I date has the potential to hurt me. And I’m not willing to go down that road again.”

  She scrubbed at a mark on the table. Then she stopped and leaned on the surface. Finally, she sat heavily in the nearest chair, and her shoulders slumped.

  “Feel better now?” Fred asked, sitting opposite her.

  Sandi looked out of the window, suddenly disconsolate. Jace had left, so why did she still feel his presence around her? She could feel the touch of his lips against hers, the brush of his fingers on her skin. She could smell his aftershave. It was as if he’d risen from the bed and left an indentation in the pillow.

  “I miss him,” she said.

  “He’s a very miss-able kind of guy,” Fred agreed.

  “I’m being dumb,” Sandi stated. “Am I being dumb?”

  “I think you’re trying to protect yourself, and that’s perfectly understandable.”

  “But it’s dumb, too.”

  “It’s not dumb. Stop saying that. It’s... overprotective, maybe. Overly cautious. Just because you’ve been hurt once, it doesn’t mean you will be again. Not every man is an arsehole.”

  Sandi’s lips curved up. “I might get that on a T-shirt.”

  “I’m serious. Are people selfish? Yes, on the whole. But do they go out of their way to make your life a misery? No, of course not. I don’t believe that was Brodie’s plan. I don’t know what his plan was—I have no idea what went through his mind, but I don’t think he meant to hurt you.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Brodie.”

  “All right.” Fred sat back. “I’m just trying to help.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I know I’m being bristly. I like Jace, that’s all. He’s funny, and he’s warm, and he’s sexy. I like that he didn’t dance with another woman all evening—I didn’t even see him looking at anyone else.”

  “He only had eyes for you. I’m not just saying that. He watched you all evening.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. You know he asked Mac and Sam about Brodie?”

  Sandi pursed her lips. “No, I didn’t.”

  “I’m guessing you didn’t tell him what happened.”

  “No. Did they tell him?”

  “Of course not. I think Mac let it slip that Brodie died, but that’s about it. I think you should tell him.”

  “What good would that do?”

  “He’ll understand then why you’re so scared of getting involved.”

  “I’m not scared. I’m being... sensible.”

  “Sure,” Fred said.

  Sandi wiped the cloth slowly over some drops of spilt orange juice. “You’re one of the only two people in this world who knows what I went through. Loving someone and then losing them would be bad enough. But the betrayal... I don’t know if I’ll ever get over that.”

  “Maybe the only way you can is to let yourself be loved again.”

  “But if it were to happen again... I don’t know that I could cope with it.”

  “It’s very unlikely to happen again,” Fred said.

  “Not that in particular, I mean if it didn’t work out... If I fell in love with Jace, and he decided he didn’t want to be with me... You said that Brodie broke my heart into a million pieces, and that you were going to stick it back together with Super Glue. But we both know if you did that to, say, a Ming vase, it would never look right. It would always be weak where it was stuck together.”

  “I don’t know, Super Glue’s pretty strong. You might know where all the cracks were, but I think it would look good as new.”

  “Fred...”

  “Yeah, all right. I know what you’re saying. And love doesn’t come with a guarantee. I can’t sit here and say Jace won’t break your heart. I don’t know him well, and neither do Mac or Sam, not really. He’s only been in the area for a couple of years. Maybe he got married six times and murdered all his wives and buried them under the floorboards.”

  “I thought you were trying to make me feel better.”

  “The point is that in the end you can only go by gut feeling. And my gut feeling tells me Jace is a real sweetie. He’s funny, and not in a sharp, sarcastic way, but his warmth comes from the heart, you know? He’s a family lawyer, for Christ’s sake—Ally told me her sister went to him when she was going through her divorce. She said he was really respectful and fair, and made her feel as if he was on her side while making sure not to demonize her husband. He’s gentle, for a big guy, and he’s kind.”

  Sandi thought of the way he’d made her laugh all evening, and how he’d touched her with his big careful hands. She sighed.

  “Yeah,” Fred continued, “you might go out with him and it might not work out, but honestly? I’m surprised that you’ve let Brodie have this hold on you for so long. I’m surprised you would let him spoil your chance of being happy. Don’t you want to get married? Don’t you want to have kids?”

  Fred’s eyes were kind but held a touch of steel. The sisters had never been afraid to tell the truth to each other, and she certainly wasn’t holding back now.

  “We used to talk about being pregnant together,” Fred continued. “And joke about who’d have a baby first. We said it would be great because the children would all grow up with their cousins nearby, because we were so sure we’d always be close.”

  A tear ran down Sandi’s cheek. Fred saw it, but just tipped her head to the side. “You have so much to give,” she said. “You’re better than this—hiding away, saying ‘please don’t hurt me’ to every man who comes by.”

  Sandi bit her lip hard and wiped away the tear. Fred stood and came over to her sister. She bent and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Just think about it,” she said. And she left the room, closing the door behind her.

  Sandi leaned her elbows on the table and put her face in her hands.

  Although Fred knew the basics about what had happened, she didn’t know everything. She didn’t know how hard it had been to live with a man who suffered from premature ejaculation. The truth was that it had been hell. Brodie had been embarrassed and angry about it, feeling that it somehow made him less of a man. Sandi had worked herself into the ground trying to bolster his self-image, and learning about the condition so she could help. Ignorant as she was about the truth, she’d spent hours talking to him, counselling him, attempti
ng to understand what might be causing it. She enjoyed sex, but it had come to be something she’d dreaded, because it held such pressure every time.

  She’d loved him with all her heart and had given it unconditionally. And then it had all gone wrong, not terribly wrong, not badly wrong, but catastrophically, end-of-the-world wrong.

  Maybe she’d have started to recover if the rest of her world hadn’t crumbled soon after. First, Ginger had gone through all the problems with her ex and losing her job, which had been traumatic for all three girls. Then out of the blue they’d heard from a lawyer stating he’d been in contact with a man—Mac—in New Zealand. They discovered that their father, Harry, had died five years ago, and he’d left a letter bequeathing them the Blue Penguin Bay estate, and saying that he was sad none of them had replied to his letters over the years. Only then had their mother, Louise, admitted she’d burned his letters, and had never sent those that Fred had given her to post to him.

  All three girls had been devastated to think they could have known their father. Fred had possibly been the most upset, because she was the one who’d written to him so many times, and she’d walked out on Louise. A sufferer of bipolar disorder, Louise had been unable to cope with all the emotion, and she’d taken her own life.

  Sandi turned her head to rest her cheek on her hand, and looked out of the window again. How different would life have been if their mother hadn’t killed herself? If she hadn’t hidden Harry’s letters to them? Or if their father hadn’t left? Would she be a different person now? So many forks in the road, and Sandi felt as if she’d been forced down the wrong one every time.

  If only there was a rulebook to follow for a happy life. But there were no guidelines, nothing to follow except her own judgment.

  She got to her feet, lifted her arms, and stretched her body. Her muscles felt warm and loose. How wonderful it had been, making love with Jace. She leaned on the window sill, feeling the sun on her face. It had been fantastic to give herself to him, and not worry about anything except how amazing it had felt to have a man worship her. He’d taken such delight in her body, and he’d seemed thrilled that she’d been so responsive to his ministrations.