Debbi Rawlins - Anything Goes...

With a startled cry, Ginger spun around. “What the—” Her voice died on the warm salty breeze when she caught sight of the hunk she’d crashed into.

Right beside him in red trunks with a smooth bare chest was Rick.

Carly’s breath caught.

Carly could barely keep her eyes off Rick. She’d seen him without a shirt before, but he’d been sixteen and a little too thin. Not anymore. Holy—

“Hey, Carly.” Rick smiled. “So we meet again.” Without taking his gaze off her, he inclined his head toward the other guy. “This is Tony Marretti, my buddy from college. Carly’s a friend from way back.”

A friend. She sighed to herself. That’s all he’d ever considered her, even when she’d had an impossibly mad crush on him for the entire summer.

“Nice to meet you, Tony. And the bulldozer is my friend Ginger Robbins.”

The guys grinned. Ginger glared at her. But only for a moment and then her attention was directed solely on Tony.

“You two just cruising the beach?” Tony asked, obviously interested in Ginger, as well.

“Yup,” Ginger said at the same time Carly said, “No.”

Seeing Rick in the flesh again brought on waves of second thoughts.

Last night under the covers in the dark it had been easy to believe they could possibly have a harmless little fling. But the way her stomach tensed and knotted just looking at him, maybe it wasn’t such a hot idea.

Ginger gave her the eye—one that said she liked this opportunity better than the one they originally intended to pursue.

“By the way, I’m Rick Baxter,” he said to Ginger. “An old friend of Carly’s.”

“Are you kidding?” Ginger grinned. “I know all about you.”

Carly groaned and took her friend by the arm before she said anything she’d have to kill her for. “We have to go now. We’ll see you guys later.”

“Hey, wait a minute.” Ginger jerked away. And took Carly’s sarong with her.

Carly tried to grab it, hold the fabric in place, but the knot over her breasts untied and the sarong slid to the sand. She stooped to get it but Rick was quicker, and snatched it up. But didn’t hand it over. Instead, he stared. He stared at her breasts, then roved her belly and lingered on her thighs. The look in his eyes was of raw desire and it made her so hot she thought about running for the blue Caribbean water.

But then he’d see the back of her suit. Or lack thereof. God help her.

“Thank you,” she murmured and held out her hand.

His gaze narrowed as though he didn’t understand, and then comprehension registered and he handed her the lime-green fabric.

“Don’t put that back on,” Ginger said, trying unsuccessfully to grab it. “Doesn’t she look good in that bikini? You’re fretting for nothing.”

That did it. She was going to kill her. Or better yet, tell her how much redder the sun made her hair. Ignoring them all, and keeping her gaze lowered, she retied the sarong over her breasts and then tugged at the hem to cover the tops of her thighs.

Tony noisily cleared his throat. “You two want to go have a beer or something?”

“Sure.” Ginger was all smiles.

Carly sighed. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“What?”

“Justin. Didn’t you promise we’d meet him?”

Ginger waved a dismissive hand. “It’s too late now. By the time you had to go buy a new swimsuit and all—”

“Fine,” Carly said, cutting her off before she said something Carly didn’t want to hear—and didn’t want the men to hear. “Let’s go have a drink.”

“Great.” Tony took Ginger’s hand. “The pool bar makes awesome pina coladas.”

Rick stared at Carly, a hurt look in his eyes. “Hey, if you don’t want to join us, no problem.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Ginger stopped. “Of course she wants to come. Why wouldn’t she?”

Rick’s gaze stayed on Carly. “Your call.”

Ginger gave her a private wink and then lifted a coy gaze to Tony. “Let’s go find some shade.”

“I agree.” Tony gave both Rick and Carly a puzzled look before steering Ginger toward the hotel.

Carly wanted to run after them. The sudden silence between her and Rick was awkward. “Come on, let’s go join them,” she finally said.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” He threw the towel he was carrying around his neck. “I think I’ll go for a walk. You go do whatever.”

“Rick?” She laid a hand on his arm when he started to turn around. “I know I hesitated. It’s just that I don’t want to intrude on your vacation. Ginger can be a little overbearing at times. Besides, last night I got the feeling you were trying to brush me off.”

“Hell, no.”

“You disappeared so fast. What was I supposed to think?”

“That had nothing to do with you. Anyway, you were acting a little weird yourself. I figured you came with a jealous boyfriend or something.”

“Nope. No boyfriend.” She cleared her throat. “I’m just here to—” Her throat seemed to close, and she breathed in deeply.

His lips curved. “Here to what?”

She briefly closed her eyes. Was she crazy? She couldn’t explain to him why she was really here—to find out what she’d been missing. Her only two sexual experiences had been so dismal…both comedies of errors—and so frustrating that curiosity was eating her alive. Yes, modern women did it all the time. Set their sights on a guy, made their move, but for her this wasn’t easy.

She opened her eyes and summoned all her courage. “This is sort of a last fling for me.”

His brows drew together in a puzzled frown.

“You remember how small Oroville is, and I just finished graduate school so I’ll be going back home soon and, well…” She groaned, the heat starting to invade her face. What the heck had she been thinking? She couldn’t do it. Not with Rick.

She’d just make the best of her vacation—get some sun, eat and drink too much…watch everyone else having a good time. Darn it!

“I see.”

Carly caught the amusement in his eyes and her cheeks flamed with scorching heat. She thought seriously about making a run for her room. She could stay there for the next six days and order chocolate from room service. Lots of chocolate while she watched television and tried not to think about what a dope she was, and how Rick was probably still laughing his butt off at her ineptness.

She swallowed, forcing herself not to look away. “I don’t think you understand…”

“Am I in the running?”

Her heart started to race. “For what?”

One side of his mouth lifted, and she decided it would be better not to let him answer.

“It’s just a vacation.” She fidgeted with the hem of her sarong. “Like at the end of a school year when you want to party and celebrate, except once I get home I’m going to be a working stiff, and so I—What?” she said at his knowing expression.

“You did know that this resort is a notorious pickup spot for singles.”

“Really?” She was the absolute worst liar. Horrible. Even strangers knew when she was lying. “I had no idea.”

Rick laughed.

“I didn’t. Ginger planned the vacation.” Carly knew her face was a hopeless shade of red. But she lifted her chin and stared him in the eyes.

“Take it easy. I believe you.” He didn’t, of course. That was clear by the way his lips twitched but she could ignore that.

“Well…” She looked around, praying for a distraction, anything that would allow her to escape gracefully. “I really don’t want a drink. You go ahead and join them.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Go for a swim.”

“Sounds good.” He looked out toward the horizon. The water was smooth and crystal clear. “I’ll join you.”