Then I felt Sam’s arm lock around my waist, his lips touch my neck then move to my ear where he muttered, “Move over, baby, need the sink to shave.”
“Okay,” I muttered through foam, stepped aside and kept brushing.
Sam reached into the medicine cabinet and came out with shave cream. While he was rubbing it on, I became mesmerized with watching him because, even with all the time we spent together, I’d never seen him shave. And I’d certainly never seen him shave standing at the basin wearing only a towel around his hips.
Jeez. His jaw was very square.
Since I was mesmerized, I saw his head turn and his lips twitch before he asked, “Jesus, Kia, how long do you brush?”
Oh man.
I was such a dork!
I pulled the brush out of my mouth and covered with, “A long time.” Then I recommenced brushing.
He grinned at me and commenced shaving, muttering, “Must be why your teeth are so white.”
He was wrong. One of the first things I did when Cooter and Vanessa accidentally made me rich instead of making me dead was go to a dentist and have my teeth professionally whitened. I didn’t have ugly, yellow teeth but I found the idea of having your teeth whitened decadent. I always wanted to do it. So when I got my windfall, I did.
Deciding my work on my teeth was done and Sam might think I was a little crazy if I brushed longer and stared at him shaving like I wasn’t his girlfriend who was now apparently living with him but instead a rabid fan who was living the dream of standing in a bathroom with him, his razor and his hips encased in nothing but a towel, I pulled the brush from my mouth and garbled, “Sink.”
Sam gave me room; I spit, rinsed, put my toothbrush away and wiped my hands.
Then I muttered, “I’ll bring you a cup of coffee,” and started out of the bathroom but found myself unmoving and in Sam’s arms looking up at Sam with a shaved neck but jaws and cheeks that were still foamed. In my perpetual freak out at all that was happening, I therefore blurted, “Only you could look supremely hot with shaving cream on your face.”
Sam’s loose arms went tight as he burst out laughing.
And that was when it hit me, staring up at the man I loved who loved me, standing in his arms in his bathroom, him shaving, me about to go down and get him a cup of coffee, that not only could I do this, I wanted to.
North Carolina. Indiana. The moon. I didn’t care.
Knowing each other a month, a year, a lifetime. I didn’t care.
It wasn’t too soon.
I loved him. He loved me. And wherever we were, it didn’t matter, just as long as it was a place that had him.
Sam quit laughing, looked down at me and instantly proved that my earth-rocking decision was right by saying, “Well, baby, you look good in your little dresses and your heels, in your shorts, in your nightie but the best you ever look is in the morning when you roll outta my bed.”
See what I mean?
“Stop being sweet in the morning before I’ve had coffee,” I returned. “I don’t have the energy to demonstrate my gratitude.”
He grinned but ignored me, his face dipped closer and he went on in a low, rougher than usual but still velvet voice to finish, “Especially a morning after I fucked you hard, I fucked you long and I made you come often. Fuck, baby,” his voice went even more velvet as his gaze heated, “your eyes are dreamy, your hair’s a sexy-as-hell mess and your lips are still swollen.” He touched his mouth to mine and whispered, “Beautiful.”
Then he got shaving cream all over my face and he did this by kissing me for a really long time.
When he was done, I was breathing hard and Sam was swiping at the shaving cream on my face with his thumb when I decided my only reply could be, “I love you, Sam,” so that was what I said.
His thumb swept shaving cream across my jaw as his face got soft, his eyes went warm and he muttered, “Good.”
I grinned at him.
He grinned back.
Then he ordered, “Get me some coffee.”
“Bossy,” I murmured, he grinned again, gave me a gentle push to the door, I took his direction, nabbed a hand towel on the way and swiped at the shaving cream.
Then I got myself a cup of coffee and took one up to my man.
I went back downstairs because I’d seen Maris on the deck with Memphis so I took my coffee out to join her.
Memphis bounced to me, yapping.
Maris turned to me, smiled and called, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” I called back and asked, “You want time alone or are you good with company?”
“Live alone, honey, so company.”
I joined her, sitting in a chair already pulled up next to hers. Memphis joined us by jumping in my lap. I moved my feet to the railing of the deck, my fabulous robe dropped open to expose my legs and Memphis settled in a curl in her Momma’s lap so I could sip my coffee.
“Got shaving cream on your face,” Maris muttered, her sweet velvet voice vibrating with amusement.
Shit!
I swiped at my face, asking, “Where?”
“Right cheek,” she answered, still sounding amused.
I moved my fingers there, encountered Sam’s shave cream and wiped it away. Then I rubbed my fingers together to get rid of it. Then I started petting my dog.
“That robe sure is pretty,” Maris noted.
“Thanks. Luci has one like it and I admired hers so she took me to the place in Como that sells them.”
“They’d be hit at my shop but exporting is a pain in the behind. Tried it a couple of times, had to up the prices because of duty, stuff sat on the rails forever, even in Malibu.”
Knowing the cost of this robe, add duty, even in Malibu, I could imagine.
“Hap’s out running, by the way,” she continued.
“Okay,” I replied and took another sip then told her, “Sam’s had a shower and he’s shaving. He’ll probably be down in a second.”
“Right then I don’t have much time.”
Oh no.
Surprise attack.
I blinked at the ocean then turned my head to her, mentally bracing, wondering what was to come.
She didn’t tear her eyes from the beach and she didn’t waste any time.
“You’re not a mother yet, honey, and even if you were, I don’t know if you can imagine but I worried…” She trailed off, kept her eyes glued to the beach then went on in a quiet voice, “I so worried about my Sammy.”
I wasn’t sure where this was going. What I was sure of was that I was dying to know just as much as I feared finding out.
“Maris –” I started and that was when her eyes came to me, they were shimmering with tears so I shut up.
“He had his fun, I know this. He’s a man, he would. I also know this because it was up in my face all the time. Magazines, even TV. Those women…” She shook her head. “None of them…” She pressed her lips together then looked back at the beach. “After… well, later… well, until a few days ago, I despaired. They… women… it seemed…” She was struggling, she pulled in breath and looked back at me. “It seemed impossible he’d find one even worthwhile much less…” she pressed her lips together then finished on a whispered, “you.”
Oh God!
Now I felt my eyes shimmering with tears, my body warm all over and not from the early, summer North Carolina sun and I whispered back, “Maris.”
“You love Sammy.”
I nodded.
“No, honey,” she leaned into me, “you love Sammy.”
“Yes, Maris, I know exactly what you mean,” I told her quietly and I did. I knew what she was saying. I didn’t love Sampson Cooper. I loved her Sammy.
This time, she nodded.
Then she said quietly back, “You know I know what was done to you.”
“I know,” I replied.
“He’ll never hurt you, Kia.”
I smiled through my wavering tears. “I know.”
“I cannot tell you h
ow pleased I am he found you but, meeting you, now I can say I’m pleased you found my Sammy too.”
I moved my coffee cup to my other hand, reached out and grabbed hers. Then I held on tight.
Then I shared, “I can say that too.” I grinned. “Boy, can I say that.”
She gently twisted her hand from mine, leaned into me and placed it on my cheek, saying softly, “We share more than Sammy, honey. I know all about walking right through hell, years of it and suddenly finding yourself on the other side. Glad it gets to be me who greets you there. But more, I’m glad I can say I raised a man who would take your hand and lead the way.”
All right, she was killing me.
I clenched my teeth, sucked in breath and just managed to stop myself from bursting into tears.
Then I muttered, “Jeez, Maris, between your son being sweet and you being sweeter and me not even having a full cup of coffee, if you two don’t stop, I’ll be a wreck and never be able to face the day.”
She chuckled quietly then remarked, “There are worse things.”
She was right about that.
“Definitely,” I whispered.
She smiled at me. Then she studied me. Then she patted my cheek once, dropped her hand and turned back to the view of the beach.
“Do me a favor,” she whispered.
“Anything,” I whispered back.
“Make him happy.”
I sighed.
Then I promised, “You got it.”
That was when she sighed and we both fell silent. Thirty seconds later, Memphis yapped, leaped off my lap and bounced to the door. Maris and I looked through our seats and watched Sam approach.
When he arrived, he kissed my upturned lips; I smelled his aftershave and got even warmer. Then he shifted and kissed his mother’s upturned cheek. Then he bent down and lifted up Memphis who tried to kiss his exposed neck. As usual, he managed to avoid this but Memphis didn’t mind since she was snuggled to his wide chest with one arm and Sam was scratching her neck with his other hand.
“You ‘bout ready to go?” Sam asked his Mom.
“All packed, honey,” she told him then looked at me. “You sure you don’t want to join us for breakfast?”
I shook my head. “Thank you but this is Maris and Sammy time.”
Her face got soft, her eyes got warm, I saw that look on another face that day and I smiled into it as she smiled at me and replied, “Thank you, honey.”
It was then I suspected my face got soft and eyes got warm.
Sam handed me Memphis and told his Mom, “I’ll go up and get your bag.” His eyes came to me. “Be back around two thirty, baby. But if traffic’s bad, closer to three.”
I nodded.
He bent and touched his mouth to mine again, this time with his hand at my jaw. He finished the lip touch with his fingers doing a light, sweet jaw sweep then turned and strode back into the house.
Maris alighted, I put my coffee cup on the arm of my chair and Memphis and I came up with her. Then Memphis and I hugged her.
But it was only me who said, “I’m so glad you came. Travel safe and let us know when you get home.”
Memphis yapped her farewell.
“Will do, Kia,” Maris replied, gave me another hug, Memphis a few head pats then she followed her son into the house.
I looked from the door down to the beach to see Hap and his muscles jogging up to the walkway. I also saw a couple of female walkers watching him go. They were at a distance but even at a distance I could tell both of them were hotties. And lastly, I saw Hap was oblivious.
Yeesh. If he didn’t pay attention, he’d never find his fine piece of ass.
I decided while drinking more coffee and making Hap breakfast, my next item on the morning’s agenda was informing him of this fact.
Then I nabbed my coffee cup and turned to walk into…
I stopped.
I studied the house.
Then I smiled huge and walked into my home.
* * * * *
Twenty minutes later…
“So they were hot?” Hap, showered, shaved, sitting at the bar and shoveling in a huge bite of my scrambled eggs, asked after the girls I told him were checking him out at the beach.
“Did you not notice them at all?” I asked back.
He swallowed and grinned at me. “Babe, I’m the hunter not the hunted.”
I’d heard that before, kind of.
So standing at the other side of the bar to him, I rolled my eyes then rolled them back and surmised aloud, “You’re the cat; you want a mouse.”
“Word,” he replied and I stifled a giggle.
“Word?” I asked through my self-suffocation.
“Yeah,” he took a huge bite of buttered toast then said through a full mouth, “word.”
“Does anyone say that anymore?” I asked.
“I just did,” Hap answered.
I was about to tell him he was a goof when I saw movement on the deck, my eyes went there and I felt them get wide when I watched Skip stomping across the deck to the door.
Uh-oh.
“Uh… Hap, we have company,” I announced, beginning to move toward the door that I saw Skip was not going to knock on.
No.
He was coming right in.
Then he came right in and I was halfway across the living area when he stopped, sent daggers from his eyes at Hap, declared, “You do not exist,” then his eyes sliced to me. “What’s this I hear, you movin’ in with Sam?”
What?
“Uh –” I started.
“Luci called me,” he shared.
There you go.
“Well –” I started again.
“Know about your windfall, so you got money. Still, Sam’s got a fuckload more money than you.”
I guessed this was true. Though I had no clue why he’d come to Sam’s and barge right in to inform me of that fact.
“Yes, that’s –” I tried and failed again.
“Known each other, what, a month? Who the fuck moves in together after a month?” Skip demanded to know.
“It’s been more than a month,” I informed him.
“Yeah?” he asked belligerently. “How much more?”
I paused to calculate it which was a mistake.
“Skip, dude, this is hardly your –” Hap started, Skip’s eyes cut to him and he clipped, “I said, you do not exist.”
Oh man.
“Skip,” I called his attention back to me but that was as far as I got.
“This is a gold diggin’ operation, you fail, you answer to me.”
Oh my God!
Cantankerous character was one thing but rude and offensive was another.
“Skip,” Hap growled, leaving his seat. “That was out of line. What the fuck?”
Skip looked back at Hap and asked, “What’d I say?”
“Your crab shack, your rules,” Hap shot back. “But right now, like it or not, you’re standin’ in Kia’s house. I exist here and I’m tellin’ you to stand the fuck down.”
Skip assumed a battle stance which was to say hands up in fists, one foot behind the other, body turned to Hap and he invited, “Make me.”
Seriously?
I moved in between them saying, “Skip, Hap, really. There’s no –”
I didn’t finish. This was because I saw more movement on the deck and that movement was Celeste running, yes, running toward the door.
I was picking her up and wasn’t supposed to be at Luci’s place for another hour and a half. I didn’t even know how she got there since Luci was driving her everywhere and Celeste didn’t have a car. It was my understanding that Luci lived in a beach house down from Sam’s but it was a trek, at least a mile of beach and more if you took the winding coastal road.
What I did know was her running and the look on her face when she got inside did not bode happy tidings.
Memphis felt it instantly and yapped.
“Celeste –” I started but she cut me off.<
br />
“Luci’s disappeared.”
My chest depressed.
“What?” Hap asked and Celeste looked to him.
“This morning, she said she was going for a walk on the beach. That was three hours ago. She hasn’t come back. I’ve been up and down the beach. No sign and no one I asked has seen her.” Her eyes came to me. “I called you four times. You didn’t answer. I found the keys to her car and came here.”
My phone was upstairs in my purse in the bedroom.
Shit!
“She take her phone with her?” Hap asked, on the move to his bag which was sitting in a corner of the living room.
Celeste shook her head. “Left it on the kitchen counter.”
“Oh God,” I whispered.
“What’s goin’ on?” Skip asked, looking around the lot of us, eyes stopping on Celeste. “And who’re you?”
“I’m –” Celeste started but I bolted into action.
Darting toward the front door, my eyes on Hap who was pulling his cell out of the jeans he wore the night before, I said, “Gordo.”
“Yeah,” Hap said to me.
“Gordo what?” Skip put in.
I ignored him, shoved my feet into the flip-flops I left by the front door and asked Hap, “Where would she go?”
He pressed his lips together and shook his head, flipping open his phone. “This isn’t my place, babe. I come down. I crash at Sam or Luci’s. I hang but I don’t know their gigs.”
I turned to Skip. “Where would she go?”
“What in the sam hill is goin’ on?” Skip fired back.
“Luci’s not good,” I told him.
“Sam, Hap,” Hap said into his phone.
“Tell me somethin’ I don’t know,” Skip said to me.
“Celeste is here. Says Luci went for a walk three hours ago, didn’t come back,” Hap kept talking into his phone.
“Luci’s more not good than the normal not good, Skip, we have to find her,” I said to Skip, watched his leathery face pale and I finished, “Fast.”
“Would she go to his grave?” Celeste asked quietly.
“He’s buried in Arlington,” Skip muttered.
“Well that’s out,” I whispered and my eyes went to Hap.
“Right, we’re there,” Hap said into his phone, flipped it shut and looked at me even as he started striding to the front door. “Sam says Luci and Gordo used to spend time in Ruler Bay. It was their spot.”