Page 86 of Tangled Up In You

That flustered her, made her unsure what to think. Had she read too much into the situation? She stood up and glanced at him. His white cotton V-neck shirt was wet and stuck to his skin, molding to the defined muscles of his pecs and abs. With a quick glance down at herself, she realized her wet sundress was plastered to her body in the same provocative way. The difference between them was that he was sporting a noticeable bulge at the crotch of his blue and white board shorts.

“Yeah, sure,” she said, and let him know with her eyes what she had discovered. “Just—no more. Okay?”

He moved toward her and said softly, “I’m really sorry, Sophie.”

He seemed sincerely embarrassed, and she just wanted this to be over.

“Don’t worry about it,” she told him quickly. “Let’s go back to the house.”

He agreed and they walked silently together. But when they got close enough to hear the music and the voices straining to rise above it on the deck, he steered them toward the front entrance. After a moment’s thought, Sophie realized he was right to want to hide the fact that they had jumped into the ocean together at three in the morning.

Inside, they separated and went to their own bedrooms. Sophie showered and crawled into bed, her head swimming. She tried to think about everything rationally.

Okay, so what if she was attracted to Conor? And a little curious about what might be different in being with another man. Wasn’t it normal to feel these things? Especially at her age and with no other relationship experience?

The bottom line was that the sexual attraction she and Conor apparently shared was inconsequential compared to the reality she had with Gavin. Her commitment and true desire was for Gavin and Gavin alone. He was a skilled and attentive lover, and could leave her body trembling from the intensity of her orgasms. He was all she needed. Her confidence in this was complete by the time she drifted off to sleep.

Still, when she woke an hour later as Gavin climbed into bed, she immediately reached for him, eager to prove her devotion.

49

SOPHIE

Christian’s excitement was contagious as he took everyone to a surfing beach in nearby Noosa National Park the next day. On the way over, he admitted he had been addicted to surfing all his life and that he loved to share the joy he got out of riding the perfect wave.

This beach was much more populated than where their hosts lived and featured an exposed point break that had fairly consistent and somewhat gentle surf perfect for newbies.

“Just look out for the sharks, jellyfish, and rocks, okay, mates?” Christian said with a wicked grin.

Sophie exchanged a look with Gavin, hoping he’d be careful. But he was too caught up in the moment and didn’t stop to reassure her. He and the others followed Christian to the blue-green water, while she and Patsy set out a couple of large, thin blankets on the sand.

Sophie found Patsy to be both a wonderful host and a genuinely nice person. She and Christian had also met while young, and Sophie took comfort in the fact that their marriage had survived over the last eleven years with them still seeming to be very much in love. Tall, with sandy hair and a laid-back demeanor, Patsy was the perfect complement to her rangy and intense husband.

“So, Sophie,” Patsy said as she pulled her sundress over her head, “will you go on tour with Gavin?”

Sophie piled her hair on top of her head in a messy bun as she replied. “No, I can’t. I’m still in school.”

“Hmm …”

“Uh-oh. What does that mean?” Sophie asked with a nervous laugh. She pulled off her tee shirt and shorts and adjusted her black bikini.

“Nothing really. Just seems like you two shouldn’t be parted again so soon. You know, I have to confess, I followed all of your tabloid stories!”

Sophie laughed. “I hope you don’t believe everything you read in those.”

“No, I know better, believe me. But …” She hesitated as she watched her husband gracefully ride a glassine wave.

“What is it?”

“Watch out for the story about you and Conor.”

Sophie’s chest tightened. “What do you mean?” she asked as calmly as she could. Had Patsy seen what happened last night?

“Or Shay or Martin. One of those rags will come up with a story that you’re about to run off with another member of Rogue. Happened to us, so it’s bound to happen to you.”

Looking out to the ocean, Sophie saw Gavin sitting on his borrowed surfboard, bobbing in the water next to Shay and Conor. The three of them seemed happy to simply watch their more experienced friend take on the challenge of the waves.

“I don’t think any of us take those magazines seriously,” Sophie said carefully, still trying to discern whether Patsy was intimating anything more than the obvious.

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