Sara snorted. “You’re hooking up with Dr. Houston Hayes, aren’t you?”
As Sara pulled out into mid-morning traffic, Josie wiggled around on the leather seat and tugged at her cover-up. “Well, only randomly, not consistently.”
Sara gave her a look that suggested it was a stupid comment. “You’re still ahead of me. I’m not having sex with anyone. I downloaded a few apps and I panicked. I have no idea what men are looking for.”
“You know, I don’t think I care anymore what men think.” Josie was surprised to find that she actually meant it. She didn’t need anyone’s approval. She was a skilled doctor and a good person and she was happy with her life, aside from her nervousness in the OR, which she was working on.
She had a lot to be grateful for.
Sara hooked a left into the parking lot by the beach and threw the car into PARK. “I totally know what you mean, but Josie, I’m just lonely. Maybe I should join a meet up group or something.”
“That’s a great idea. Sara, I think you have an old soul, you know? You were probably responsible and mature at birth. But I know what you mean about feeling lonely.”
She felt it in spades. More so since she’d met Houston and had sex with him, because even though she’d told herself not to catch feelings, she had, because he’d shown her a different side of himself. A kind, vulnerable, and even occasionally funny side to his personality. Now she wanted more. A relationship. And he wasn’t willing to give it.
“I don’t want to be responsible. I want to be a sexy siren.” Sara took off her glasses and put them in a soft pink case, tucking it into her beach bag.
Josie looked at her in amazement. “You’re scaring me.”
But Sara just laughed. “I want to see if men react differently to me in heels.”
“Well, you’ll have to go it alone. I’ve spent my whole life trying to convince people to take me seriously. I’m not about to start flashing a siren smile.” She grinned as she undid her seat belt. “Besides, I don’t think sirens can be short. It’s written into the contract or something.”
They started towards the water, Sara wincing as the hot sandslid over her feet, the sandals sinking just as Josie had predicted. Despite the fact that she looked like a twelve-year-old next to Sara, Josie was glad she had worn her trusty sneakers.
Josie scanned the Thursday morning crowd, looking for Houston. Given that it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, the beachgoers consisted mostly of families with little kids running around with colorful pails and water noodles.
She spotted Houston immediately, lounging in a beach chair, shirtless, his chest golden bronze. His right hand lay in his lap, while his leg with the sutures jutted out in front of him, the butterfly bandages gone and the black sutures visible even from where she stood.
He had his eyes closed, so maybe he wouldn’t notice the pink sexual flush that raced over her body, the way her heart picked up speed, and the heavy, eager breathing.
Sure. And maybe she would still have that growth spurt she was waiting on.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Houston was wondering if Josie was going to show up at the beach or not. He wasn’t even sure what had possessed him to ask her. But he had a growing desire to return to the beach—he missed the water—and he had wanted to share it with her.
He didn’t want to be alone when he came back to the ocean for the first time since the shark took a swipe at him. He had wanted Josie with him.
Watching her come apart for him in front of the mirror had reached something deep down in his gut, had made him feel both protective of her and proud. He admired her, respected her as a woman and a doctor, and he had wanted to make her feel better about the surgery, make her understand it wasn’t her fault. Whether he had been successful or not, he didn’t know, but he had distracted her.
And he had wanted her with him on the beach. Of course, somehow or other his sister and mother and Christian had managed to horn their way in when they heard he was going to the beach. He appreciated their concern but now he wasn’t going to have Josie to himself and that was a shame. He’d been lookingforward to coaxing her off the beach and up to his condo where he could make her scream and moan and come, again and again.
The thought had him shifting in his beach chair.
“What’s the matter with you?” Kori said, sprawled out on a towel at his feet. “You look like you’re in pain. I knew you shouldn’t have come back this soon.”
“What does being at the beach have to do with anything?” Houston flicked the sand with his foot, sending it skittering across Kori’s arm to annoy her, tired of being cosseted and treated like he had a terminal illness.
He was all but healed and was hoping Josie could take his sutures out today. He wanted people to stop walking on eggshells around him. He wanted his life back the way it had been before.
“Hey!” Kori frowned at him, brushing the sand off. She glanced past him, shielding her eyes against the sun. “Oh, look, Mom’s here with Larry.”
“Who the hell is Larry?” Houston craned his neck around and saw his mother wearing a black tank suit, a floppy hat, and little white shorts. A gray-haired man Houston had never seen before had his hand on her elbow.
“Um...” Kori was suddenly interested in squeezing sunscreen into her hand. “Mom’s friend.”
His mother had a friend namedLarry?“Since when?”