Every Little Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 2)

I nodded and turned away because that bothered me. Not really because Vaughn had been with other women. I wasn’t naive about that, and I had been with other men.

No, it was the strange girls part of the scenario. The idea of hooking up with some guy I didn’t know in a bathroom stall sounded so empty.

Readying myself to let the ball fly, I was stopped by Vaughn asking, “And you?”

There was something about his tone . . . Looking over my shoulder, I found him no longer lounging. He was tense, and he wore this expression on his face that suggested that he was curious but almost afraid to know too much. I straightened and faced him. “Never. Tom wasn’t very adventurous,” I said, rueful. “And Ivy, Iris and Ira’s daughter, she was my best friend growing up. She had sex on the beach once and said it was the worst experience of her life. Sand got in some really awkward places and it was cold and icky. Her description put me off the idea for good.”

Vaughn studied me carefully. “But not the having sex in public part?”

“What?”

“It didn’t put you off the idea of having sex in public?”

Excitement coursed through me at the thought of having sex somewhere risky with Vaughn. I shook my head, biting my lip to stop myself from grinning like a big kid.

His eyes darkened with heat. “Where?”

Where did I want to have dangerous risky sex with him? “Surprise me.”

His answering smile was wicked with intent.

“No word from Vanessa then?” Emery said as we sipped coffee in the bookstore the next day.

“None.” I tried not to sound as worried as I felt and clearly failed because Dahlia wrapped her hand over mine and squeezed.

“It’ll be fine.”

“The deeper she gets into it with Jack, the more possibility things will not be fine.”

Emery lowered her gaze to her coffee, a slight blush tinting the crest of her cheeks. “Do you really think he’ll hurt her?”

Damn. Was Emery still crushing on him? “The old Jack is not someone who would ever have been interested in anyone as shallow as my sister.”

“He did sleep with Dana Kellerman,” Dahlia pointed out.

“Yes, once. Did he ever go back there? No.”

“Which makes him doing it and screwing over his best friend all the more confusing.”

“Right? It also means I’m almost positive Vanessa is going to get hurt in all of this.”

“Let’s forget about Vanessa’s feelings,” Dahlia huffed. “And worry about how this problem affects you and your inn that you have worked your ass off to make super-duper successful.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

“Oh?”

I shrugged. “I don’t think any of my people would ever let the Devlins do anything to hurt me or the inn. You all will crush them if they try.”

My friends grinned at me. “Yeah, and Vaughn will be first in line. How is Mr. Hartwell since you took him bowling?”

“Mr. Hartwell?”

Dahlia smirked. “Well he’s been getting awfully involved in town stuff since you suggested he should and he is in love with Hartwell’s local princess.”

“Cute, very cute. Don’t call him that to his face though, okay? His masculine pride has been hurt enough in the last twenty-four hours.”

“You whipped him at bowling,” she surmised.