"Damn," someone muttered behind me.
"Right?" I reached up and smiled at her. "Hey, you. Your brother okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks again, Brody." She reached down and slid into my arms, fitting almost too well. Guilt blasted through me, but I couldn’t find a reason to hold onto it. I was doing Cora a favor. Having come to respect the beautiful brunette over the course of a week or less, I was taking a step back and leaving her alone because she was too much woman for me. Plain and simple. I'd never admit it in a million years, but the fact still remained.
"Guys, this is Vanessa." I moved back, releasing her and getting into the driver's seat. The guys greeted her as I started the boat. "You just need a lift to the island?"
"Yeah, and a date for the big Fourth of July party they’re throwing out here. I don't suppose some lucky girl already has you for the night?" She gave me a sexy smile that should have thrown my hormones in overdrive, but I felt nothing but a small thrill over the fact that my favorite holiday was coming up.
"I'll give you my number, and we can talk about it later. I'm pretty sure I have plans, but if not, I'm all yours." I winked at her and turned back to the wheel before pulling on the gearshift and hitting the gas.
The boat picked up speed fast, and I moved us easily in between the various boats around us. The wind felt good in my hair and rushing past my skin. I should have been enamored with the beautiful blonde beside me, but I couldn't seem to find any desire to do much more than press the gas harder and push my luck with the speed of the boat.
"Hey. Slow your wild ass down, or you're going to get us a ticket. Shit." Clay patted my shoulder, reminding me that there were rules that even I had to keep to.
"Sorry, man." I glanced up and looked over to find Veronica watching me closely. I winked at her again before pulling my glasses out of the container below the dash. I was going to force myself to pay her a bit of attention, but it wouldn't come naturally. I couldn't shake the thought of how badly I wanted it to be Cora watching me like that, fucking me ten ways to Sunday in her mind.
I pulled up to the dock, slowing down significantly and smiling over at Veronica. "We're here, pretty girl. You need help off?"
"Are you not coming?" She stood and moved just beside me.
The guys got off and left me to deal with the girl and the anchor on the boat. I stifled the need to sigh and stood up as Veronica reached out and brushed her hands over my chest.
"I'm coming. I just wanted to let you get to your friends or whoever you're meeting over here." I reached out and gripped her narrow hips, not really having anywhere else to rest my hands.
"Then, I'll help you and we can go together. I owe you for helping me this morning." She took a step toward me, filling the space in between us and sliding her hand up my chest to cup the back of my neck.
"No need to pay me back." I kept a firm grip on her, not quite sure I could spend the afternoon with a girl I wasn't interested in.
"I want to." She pulled me down and lifted to her toes, pressing her mouth to mine and brushing her tongue across my lips. I opened up and let her in, sucking on her tongue and closing my eyes so that I could imagine her to be Cora. It was horrible, and yet ever cell in my body woke up at the idea of it.
I pulled her closer and ran my hands over her ass, letting my fingers play along the side of her bathing-suit as she groaned softly into my mouth.
"So hot," I whispered against her lips and tugged at the soft curves of her rear to press my budding erection more firmly against her tummy.
"Let's go find somewhere to get lost in each other." She nipped at my lips as I opened my eyes.
I had to force myself not to take a step back. Instead, I dropped down into my seat and reached for her, tugging her into my lap and clasping my hand over her thighs, the other around the back of her neck as I brought her down for another wave of kisses.
My eyes closed, and I was right back there again, the woman in my lap none other than the intelligent, sexy, rich girl that was sure to spike my pulse from afar for the rest of the summer. Every girl could be her. I could do this. No big deal.
"Cora," I mumbled against the girl’s mouth as I dove in deep, greedy in my need to claim her as my own.
Chapter 19
Cora
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Emily pushed her shoulder against mine as we sat out on the dock, watching the boats drive by. It had been three days since my date with Brody, and where everyone else had been hanging out off and on together, I hadn't seen him, or any of them, since our date. I was still confused over what had happened. Did he just want to have a quick warm up round with dinner and the movie and not sleep together?
He wanted to sleep with every girl on the island, but I make a move and he pushes me back? What the hell? Was I not good enough?
I guess not. I wasn't for Brandon, either.
"Cora?" Dedra nudged me from the other side. "Hey, tell us what happened. Did he force himself on you?"
"What? No. No." I glanced over at Dedra and then Emily. "No. I don't know what happened. Dinner was great, and we skipped the movie to go walking on the beachfront, and then we danced a little, and I don't know... I guess he thought I wanted to sleep together."
"So he asked you to spend the night, or what? You haven't said a word about this shit in three days. We're all a little worried." Emily gave me a stern look.