Sea Breeze 03 While It Lasts (17 page)

             
With reverence I took my old friend out of it
s velvet lined
case. Tonight I w
ould just tune it. That would b
e enough for now. Holding it in my arms
,
I closed my eyes at the familiar feeling. It was as if I’d come home. My eyes stung with unshed tears as the emotion that came with being a
ble to hold it in my arms again sank in.

             
I began tuning it as I strummed each string. The simple melody surrounded me. The world around me fell away. Just like before, it was just
me and my music
. Every emotion I’d held inside over the past year and a half began to bleed out into the
music. I played through my sorrow, my anger, my bitterness, my forgiveness and finally the hope that was slowly taking root inside me.

             
My
out-of-
practice fingers began to numb and I slowed to a stop. The wetness on my face surprised me. They weren’t sad tears. Not this time. This time they were happy tears. Maybe there would be a tomorrow after
all.

             
The sound of clapping startled me and I opened my eyes to see my daddy standing in the doorframe. His eyes were watery and a smile tilted up each corner of his mouth. “That’s my girl,” he said in a husky voice thick with emotion. “You don’t know how good it was to come inside and hear that sound.” He pressed his lips together tightly and inhaled deeply through his nose. “I look forward to hearing more of that.” He nodded once in approval and the
n
headed on down the hall to his room.

Cage

             
I pulled Eva’s badass little Jeep into the parking spot
reserved for my apartment unit.  Eva’s dad was
gone for the weekend on a deep-
sea fishing trip so I’d brought her home with me. The moment I’d finished work I’d washed up and changed and we’d headed out. I wanted her to go out with me tonight and meet my friends. I also wanted her in my bed.
My nice
big
king size bed.
Having her in my space suddenly seemed real damn important.

             
“It’s right on the water?” Eva gasp
ed
as I reached behind her seat and grabbed her small suitcase.

             
“Yep and I intend to get you out on that beach
in your hot little bikini with me while we’re here.”

             
She smirked at me then opened her door and got out.

             
I walked arou
nd the back of the Jeep so I could
grab her hand. The idea of her being here made me ridiculously happy.

             
“It’s almost nine. Will your friends still be out? Or will everything be closed?” she asked as I led her to the stairs.  Innocent little country girl was used to everything closing down with the sunset.

             
“We’re at the beach Eva. There’s
a nightlife
here. I doubt anyone is even at Live Bay yet. Band doesn’t normally get started until ten.”

             
“Oh,” was her simple reply.

             
When we reached the door to my apartment I unlocked it and prayed Low had gotten someone over here to clean it for me.

             
The fresh smell of Pine
Sol
hit my nose and I relaxed. I knew Preston had used it a few times last week and I didn’t know what he m
ight
have left behind.

             
“It’s so big,” Eva breathed in awe. I looked around and didn’t think it was all that big but I wasn’t going to argue with her.

             
“Oh and you can see the water,” she squealed and ran over to the window overlooking the gulf.

             
I sat her bag down on the new leather couch I’d
hardly used since I bought it. I needed a kiss.  Eva was here all in my personal space and I wanted to celebrate.

             
“Come here,” I whispered as I came up behind her and turned her around to face me.

             
I dipped my head down so I could press a few soft kisses to her lips then reached up and cupped her face with both my hands before I deepened the kiss. Her eager mouth opened willingly and the taste of her made me just a little crazy. It always did. Being this close to her just got better each time.  Her two hands crept up my shirt until she found the barbell I’d inserted back into my nipple after my shower just for her. I’d wondered how long it would take her to search it out.

             
I grinned against her lips and a small laugh escaped her. She thought my nipple ring was naughty and something about that fascinated her.

             
Eva
pulled back and looked up at me.
“What time do we need to leave?” she asked
,
still rubbing her thumb over my nipple.
It was
a little hard to form coherent words when she did that.

             
“In about thirty minutes,” I replied.

             
With a sigh
,
she stepped back out of my embrace. “Then I need you to direct me to a bathroom so I can freshen up and change.”

             
“You can change in my bedroom. I’ll even help you. It’s full service around here,” I replied
,
reaching out to take her hand and pull her back toward me.

             
Shaking her head
,
she backe
d up just out of my grasp. “If you want to take me to meet your friends then I need to get ready.”

             
“You look incredible just like that but if you must go change then use the door off the kitchen and the bathroom connected to it.”

             
I watched her as she grabbed her bag and headed back to my room.  I had never actually brought a girl here
like this before
. Low didn’t count and every other female that had been in my apartment had been with someone. They weren
’t
here to get dressed in my room or sleep in my bed. Not once had I ever considered it.
Bringing girls into my personal space had never appealed to me.

Eva

             
The parking lot was
packed
with cars. I tugged on the hem of my black skirt. I wasn’t sure how everyone would be dressed. Cage wasn’t much help in choosing an outfit. He liked everything I tried on and he was wearing a pair of jeans
and a snug fitting light blue tee
shirt that did amazing things for his eyes.

             
He had driven my Jeep here because he said he’d need to park it. Now I understood why. He pulled around bac
k
into the “employee only” parking.

             
“What are you doing?” I asked
,
horrified. I was not leaving my Jeep here to get towed.

             
Cage reached over and squeezed my knee, “Relax baby. I’ll make sure they know this is my car. It’ll be just fine.”

             
I wasn’t so sure about that. He opened the door and got out. I wasn’t okay with this. Cage walked around the front of the Jeep and opened my door. “Get your pretty little
behind
out of this Jeep.” H
e stepped up and slid his hands over the tops of my legs. “Or we could stay out here a little while longer and I could enjoy this skirt you decided to wear.”

             
Laughing
,
I slapped at his
hands. “I want to go in but I’
m worried about my Jeep.”

             
Loud squealing startled me and I snapped my head up to see a skinny blonde with very little clothing on and really large boobs running toward us. I was a little afraid her boobs were going to bounce right out of her top. What was she doing?

             
“
Caaaaage
!” s
he added to her loud squeal. Unsure who she was I waited. Cage turned around at the sound of his name.

             
“
Pris
,” he replied as she barreled herself into his arms.

             
“
Whoa
girl.
” H
e grabbed her by the waist. I wasn’t sure if he was doing it because he wanted to or because he was trying to keep her from knocking them both down. She didn’t seem
real steady on the hot pink six-
inch
platform
stilettos she was wearing.

             
“Where have you been?” s
he asked running her hands down his chest like she was ready to get him naked right now out here in the parking lot.

             
“I’m wor
king out of town for the summer.” H
e reached up and
pulled her
hands
off
his body.

             
She pouted when he put her hands back down at her side and took a step back from her. Was she for real? Her bottom lip was stuck out so far she might step on it with those ridiculous heels.

             
“But you’re back tonight?”

             
“Yeah
,
just for tonight,” he replied
,
taking another shift in his body until his back was touching my legs.

             
The blonde’s eyes finally tore themselves away from Cage and she focused on me. “Oh, you already got someone for the night,” she started to pout then a slow smile appeared and she leaned into Cage and made sure she rubbed her breast
s
up his chest. “You know I don’t mind sharing. We could do a threesome. I know how you like one girl to—“

             
“Uh, NO. Bad idea,
” Cage interrupted her and reached back
to pick
me up by my waist, setting me down beside him. He kept his arm wrapped protectively around me like he might need to keep me from harm
’
s way.

             
“Why not? Is she not—
“

             
“Because th
at isn’t my scene anymore. Y
ou can do something for me
though
. Make sure parking knows the Jeep is mine.”

             
The girl frowned
,
slightly confused
,
then
nodded. “Okay. I will. But call me!”
             
Cage had already started walking us toward a back door.

             
“Who was that? And did you really have a threesome? Like with two girls at once?” I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. I mean I knew people talked about them but I didn’t think they actually did them.
Eww
.

             
“That was Priscilla. She’s a waitress here. 
L
et’s not discu
s
s my past sex life. I made a lot of mistakes, let’s leave it at that.”

             
My jaw dropped open, “You so did have a threesome.
Ohmygod
,” I breathed as he sighed
at my reaction and opened the door for me to go inside.

             
The Cage I knew and the Cage that girl knew didn’t even seem like the same guy.
             
“Come this way,” he said as he placed his hand on the small of my back and led me down a hall toward loud music. “
Jackdown
is playing tonight. I have friends in the band. They aren’t the best but they don’t suck.”

             
“You have friends in a band. No wo
nder you’ve had threesomes.
” I couldn’t let that one go.  How many girls had he actually been with?

             
“There they are,” he said with obvious excitement in his voice. He called out over the noise, “Bring me two.” He dropped his eyes
to look at me, “W
ait. What do you want to drink?”

             
“Coke,” I replied. He studied me a moment then nodded and looked back up at the bartender who was sta
nding a good distance off but
watching Cage for his order. “Make that one and a coke,” he called out again.