He heard her coming down the hallway as Aimee talked to him about something cute Abigail did the other day. At least, he assumed it was cute. The little girl was only three years old, after all. He didn't hear any of it, because he was too busy listening for Karla.And Brad.Mitch grinned as he picked up his coffee cup, the steam bathing his face as he took a sip. He just set the cup back on the table when Karla appeared, stopping abruptly, causing Brad to run into her as she just stared at Mitch, acting as if she had just been caught doing something wrong. She still didn't understand. Even after their conversation a few nights ago about non-traditional relationships, she expected him to be just like everyone else.Mitch Greenway was far from being like anyone else. He didn't have a typical bone in his body or a typical thought in his head. As a matter of fact, typical was the last word he would use to describe himself or his lifestyle."Good morning," he said, smiling. "Aimee was nice
Wednesday night at Sand Dune boomed loud with music and laughing patrons, college kids and surfers fresh off the beach. Some even bothered to wipe the sand off their feet. Karla wiped down the counter, having to step on her tiptoes to reach the outer edge. She didn't mind, of course. Leaning over like that allowed her top to pop open as she teased the customers with her cleavage and promised them treasures just beyond their grasp. Heath, Sand Dune's bouncer five nights a week, winked at her as she glanced up, showing his appreciation of the view. Paul Kiser, owner and bartender, reached under her skirt and pinched her ass as he walked by on his way to the Glenlivet. Those who noticed, also cheered. Karla just yelped as she jerked upward, her squeal turning to laughter. She turned, smiling at him as she slapped her towel at him. He surprised her with the pinch, but it wasn't unexpected. Paul played grab ass with her ever since before he hired her. It was probably because of how much he
Cleaning the counter also gave her time to think about the fiasco of this morning. Mitch Greenway fascinated her about as much as he totally pissed her off. Their relationship, friendship, encounter—she had no idea what to call what they had—began, because she intended to manipulate him to fix her sister's piece of crap car. She threw herself at him, screwed him in his garage, and even had a threesome with him and her friend, Sandy, from the local radio station right outside Sand Dune on the beach. What did Karla get in return? He chased after Aimee, instead. Of course, Aimee and he never had sex, but it did put the twins at each other's throats for a couple of weeks.Her phone vibrated again. Because we're not dating. Isn't that the gist of what I heard you tell Brad this morning? And I paid last time. She growled. They weren't dating, that was true enough. However, Karla Harper didn't pay, not for dinner, not for car repairs, not for anything, and she told him that in her next text.
Mitch Greenway dropped his cell phone onto the work bench, as a chuckle escaped his lips. It was easy to get Karla rattled. She wore such a massive chip on her shoulder. He didn't understand why, either. She was pretty, no doubt. Sexy, even. However, she could really be a snot at times. His chuckle settled into a smile as he pulled a rag out of his back pocket, wiping his hands. Turning back to the Dodge Dakota he was working on, he made a five dollar bet with himself as to whether she would show up for dinner or not."Turned you down, didn't she?"He glanced over to where Sandy Elantra leaned back on the truck—her truck—with her hands gripping the edge of the truck bed, offering him a nice view of her round breasts as she made sure they were pushed out for his viewing pleasure. Her stance reminded him of the first night Karla appeared in his garage, offering herself up to him so that he wouldn't chase after her sister. It didn't stop him, of course. He fucked Karla right there in the
"He actually expects me to pay. For dinner. Me. Can you believe it?" Karla sat at their small kitchen table, a plate of half-eaten breakfast in front of her and a mug of lukewarm coffee held in her hands. "I mean, I know we've only been hanging out a short while, but you would think he would've learned something in that time. First, he just stops by yesterday morning, and now he wants me to buy him dinner? What the hell is he trying to prove?"Aimee Harper stood by the coffee pot, freshening up her own cup as her sister continued her tirade. Karla just stared at her, watching her sister ignore her. "Did you hear what I said? He wants me to pay for dinner." She watched, her face an incredulous expression, as Aimee slid into a chair across from her."Yes, I heard you," Aimee said, before blowing a cooling breath over her coffee. "I'm pretty sure Miss Fowler from down the hall heard you, as well. So he wants you to pay. What's the big deal?""What's the big deal? Are you serious?" She cou
"Mr. Meyers? Yes, this is Mitch Greenway from Greenway Auto Repair. We just finished the brakes on your car and you can pick it up any time." He held the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he used an old T-shirt to wipe the grease off his hands. Mr. Meyers said he would be there before closing, and then both men said goodbye and hung up. Well, that's one job done. He shoved the greasy T-shirt into his back pocket and stepped back out into the garage to work on a Toyota pickup that needed a new transmission. This one wouldn't be going home today.He loved working on vehicles. He found it calming, almost meditative. While working a socket wrench, he could allow his mind to focus on other things. Staring up at the underside of the small pickup, his real paycheck, his thoughts turned to Karla and how complicated her stubbornness made things. He let out a sigh as he put his hands on his hips and continued to stare upward, not really seeing anything. So much for working and thinking at th
Mitch left work in desperate need of a shower and still having four hours of work left on the transmission that would help him pay his rent that month. All day long, he fought the urge to reach out to Karla, asking her again to join him for dinner. It would only play into her way of thinking, make her feel like she had the upper hand in their relationship, if what they had could be called a relationship. She needed to come to him if what he hoped for was ever going to come to pass. She needed to realize not all relationships were the same. As he turned on the shower, allowing the water to heat up, Sandy's words echoed in his head again. Karla Harper doesn't do relationships. She does men. But why? What happened to her that caused her to be so frigid when it came to matters of the heart while being so hot between the sheets? That was what he wanted to discover, what drove him crazy not knowing. He stepped into the shower spray, the hot water pelting his flesh. Not for the first time h
God, he frustrated the hell out of her. Who did he think he was to make demands of her? That was not how it worked. She threw open her closet doors and stared at the dresses which hung there, trying to decide what to wear to a steak dinner she didn't want to attend. He'd probably order for her this time, all in the guise of being the perfect gentleman. It was a ploy, she knew. He was trying to prove he wasn't a player, that's all. Just like the other night when he made her practically beg for him to come into her apartment and fuck her.Karla unlocked the door to her condo, and then turned to see how Mitch played out the ending to their night. Once the meal was over, he ordered a cup of coffee and continued the conversation while he sipped it. Then, he paid the check and escorted her back to the car. She expected him to offer to take her back to his place, the garage, a dirt road, anywhere, but back to her condo. Yet, he didn't. He drove her straight home. He did insist on walking her
They were the last ones to arrive at the park, the others already choosing a spot and Marvin Asher firing up the grill. Karla wore a skirt that actually covered everything it should and had her breasts tucked conservatively out of sight. Aimee was shocked but glad. Clint's parents would get to know all about her sister soon enough. Aimee didn't need the first meeting to be a shocker for them.Abby ran to the Ashers first, giving them each a hug and squealing when her grandfather picked her up and threatened to throw her in the air. Then, to Aimee's surprise and delight, the little girl ran to Aimee's mother and hugged her as well. She offered the others a quick hello and then darted for the playground, Clint's mother following just to keep a nervous eye on her. Paul and Mitch stood beside the picnic table, Karla clinging to Mitch's side, as Aimee's mother sat in front of them, all talking and laughing. Aimee stood still a moment, soaking in this perfect scene. They were one big happy f
Aimee stretched, her arms extending out to her side only to come up short as her hand hit another body. Rolling over, she gently ran a hand over Clint's face, a smile dancing across her own. The Saturday morning light peeked through his curtains, calling them to rise and shine, but Aimee ignored it, as she had tried to do every morning since Monday night. Every night she fell asleep beside him, and every morning she woke up wrapped around him, her arms exploring his naked chest. No matter how tired they were when they went to bed, the two of them decided, for Abby's sake, they'd make sure they wore pajamas before falling asleep. A young girl still had moments of nightmares, after all, and needed her Daddy in the middle of the night. Monday night everything changed. Bonnie was no longer his wife. Oh, he still had to stand before the judge next week and make it official, but for all intents and purposes, it was a done deal. Nothing stood in the way of their happiness now.She ran a fing
When the kiss broke, he grinned down at her. "Just tell me we can do some more photo shoots."She laughed again, harder, freer. "Clint Asher, I'll do whatever you want. All you have to do is name it." She kissed him again, this time softer, with less urgency, but just as much passion.When the kiss was over, she slid back into her seat, scooping up her wine glass as she did. "So tell me about today."He did, sharing with her how Bonnie wasn't planning on signing the papers in the beginning. First, he told her Bonnie's revelation of a need for family and why she returned. Then, he explained how he convinced her how signing the papers was the only way for the two of them to get on with their lives, that she could be the best mother to Abby she could be, but she would never again be his wife. He told Bonnie that she needed to respect Aimee and make the transition as smooth as possible. They were Abby's parents, but they would never be friends.When he finished, Aimee told him about Bonnie
The night dragged on, and Aimee could not shake her nervousness. Clint had asked her over to join them for dinner but still had not said anything about what he felt they needed to discuss. He hadn't even mentioned his meeting with Bonnie that afternoon, which made Aimee keep quiet about how the woman visited her. No need to bring up the subject if he was going to end it with her.Abby was a bundle of energy, bouncing on the couch and wanting to dominate the attention. After growing bored with that, she dragged Aimee to her room and played tea, while her father cooked dinner and music played from the front room. As Aimee played dolls with Abby, she wondered if the girl knew the extent of everything that was happening in the lives of the adults around her or if she was blissfully oblivious. For the little girl's sake, she hoped it was the latter."Dinner's ready," Clint called from the front room. Aimee had to admit he sounded happy since she arrived, not as if he was ready to send her o
A knock came at the door. Aimee glanced over her shoulder but didn't move to answer it. If it was Clint, she wanted to postpone the inevitable for as long as possible.Whoever it was knocked again. Karla stepped out of the hallway, glanced at Aimee, and then moved to answer the door. "You worry too much," Karla said over her shoulder.Aimee turned back to the ocean, the curling waves matching the churning in her stomach. She knew she was being dramatic, but she couldn't stop herself. She hated defeat."What the hell are you doing here?" Karla's voice snapped Aimee's attention around. Expecting to see Clint standing there, she was stunned when she noticed Bonnie, the woman ramrod straight, her neck stiff, and one white-knuckled hand gripping her purse strap close to her shoulder. Aimee could feel the confusion furrowing her brow, her eyes squinting, as if trying to make sure she saw what she actually saw. "Bonnie?""Again I ask, what are you doing here?" Karla stood in front of the oth
Something went wrong. While Aimee had no idea what that something was, she knew it had to be about Clint's divorce. Why else would he text her saying they needed to talk right after meeting with Bonnie? The waves barreled onto the shore, breaking upon the sand and rearranging the Atlantic Coast, just as Clint's text rearranged her security, sending her spinning in the riptide of the unknown. She stared at the white foam as the ocean sucked it back out into the deeper waters, reclaiming it as its own. Had Bonnie succeeded in the same thing with Clint? Had she won the fight and taken her husband back? Once again regaining her happy little family?She closed her eyes against the onslaught of scenarios that pummeled her mind, her head screaming against the intrusion. With everything she could muster, she tried to fight the battle within her, giving Clint the assurance he wanted that she believed him when he told her he would be here forever. Yet, it wasn't her experience. Men said whatev
Clint pulled into the local Starbucks, deciding it was the safest place to meet Bonnie to get her to sign the divorce papers. Hopefully, the opportunity for her to respond negatively would be greatly reduced by the public meeting. He had no doubt that meeting her in private would lead to her doing something detrimental to the proceeding. He just wanted to get her to sign the divorce papers and get the whole thing over with, so he could get on with the rest of his life, get on with his relationship with Aimee.He sighed. Hopefully, get Aimee to calm down and return to normal. It wasn't that all the adventures she came up with weren't hot as hell. They were, and he wouldn't mind doing them, but not if she only did them to compete with Bonnie. He wanted Aimee to be Aimee, the woman he fell in love with, the woman who sat on the couch with him and Abby and watched Disney movies, the woman who jumped into a flour fight in the kitchen, giggling and tossing the white powder everywhere. He did
Aimee stretched, her body screaming its protest at her, hating the fact that morning was already here, and she needed to rise and shine. Only one part of that would be possible until after coffee. She rolled over, her gaze drifting to the sliding glass doors at the east of her bedroom. The morning sun coaxed her, urging her to call into work and take the day off, to make a day of it at the beach, the sun's rays kissing her flesh. She grinned, scrunching down into her covers, her mind drifting to Clint's lips on hers, the passion in each one of his kisses, warming her insides like the sun would warm her outside. If she was going to call out of work, she wanted to spend the day in bed with Clint.Once they left his workshop, he went to pick up Abby and then met her at Charlie's for dinner. Abby was a chatty little girl, while she drew on her kid's menu, excited about being out with them. It was even pleasant to sit at a table, Clint's arm stretched across as he held her hand, Abby bounci
They spent the next hour moving things around in his workshop, setting up a photo shoot of the furniture he intended on selling, and making each piece look enticing. Aimee threw herself into the task at hand, examining the shadows cast by the lighting inside the workshop and making a small studio spot off to the side with nothing in the background, using some of his dark dropcloths as background drops. Clint helped her move things around, happy to be the manual labor to her vision for his photos.Outside, night started to fall, casting darker shadows on the ground as lamp posts popped on, offering only a slimmer of light to illuminate the world. Aimee finished taking her pictures: rocking chairs, tables, even a dresser Clint had crafted himself. They teased, laughing at each other when Aimee wasn't so focused on what she was doing. This was her passion, taking pictures, and she could get lost in the process for hours, inspecting angles and lighting, zooming in and out, carefully select