Pulse: Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 6) (10 page)

T
he halyards clang
against the mast, and a sail flaps as it gets hoisted up to fill with air. I tilt my head back and let the wind whip through my hair. The speed is exhilarating, and I soak it up from a comfortable seat as Drew and Nick take care of the business of sailing.

The layer of sunscreen on my face that used to feel heavy is now light compared to the makeup I wear every day to work, and I bask in the warmth of the sun safely. Drew comes to sit next to me.

I say, “Thanks for letting Nick take the wheel. He’s having a blast.”

“No problem.” He tugs on a piece of my hair as he says, “It’s fun to share a great love with him.”

I gaze into eyes the color of the sea and experience a twinge of nostalgia. Drew and I used to come out on his boat as often as we could. He asks, “When was the last time you sailed?”

“With you. The day before I left for Colorado.”

Drew’s face falls. I think he’s remembering how we both cried as we said our goodbyes. We decided it was best for us to go out and conquer the world in our own way. He wanted to stay near the city, and I couldn’t wait to leave it. He seems to shake the thought and smiles. “Sea Witch and I are happy you came back.”

Drew stands and says, “We’re almost to the cove. I’ll go relieve Nick. Why don’t you get the champagne? We have things to celebrate.”

Along with a picnic, I brought a bottle to share in honor of Drew’s new position. I make my way carefully into the galley. The varnished teak handrails are smooth on my palms and remind me of how much care Drew takes to keep Sea Witch in top shape. He’s a man for detail, and I couldn’t ask for a better assistant. I grab the soft fabric cooler and place the strap over my shoulder to have my hands free for the heavy-duty plastic glasses Drew keeps on the boat, and to climb back up.

Nick and Drew are talking, but I can’t hear their words over the wind. I move to the back of the boat to wait for them to sail us into a protected cove, where we’ll set the anchor. Water splashes along the side of the hull, and I gaze down at the ocean as it races by. I’m eager to swim. Even though the temperature is going to be icy, I wore a suit under my clothes and packed underwear for afterward.

When the sails get furled, I’m tempted to help, but one look from Drew tells me I’m unwelcome. Both he and Nick insisted that I enjoy my day off and let them pamper me. So I lie back on the bench seat cushion to gaze up through my sunglasses. Puffy white clouds float in a blue sky. While it’s not as blue as Colorado, the seagulls and scent of the ocean make up for it.

I’m completely relaxed and close my eyes as the boat slows down. A chain grinds, and I’m aware that the guys are dropping the anchor, but I’m too tired to sit up, and let myself doze off. A gentle touch on my cheek makes me open my eyes, and I gaze into Nick’s warm brown ones.

“Hey, babe. Would you like to stay asleep?”

I sit up. “No. I’m going for a swim. Want to come?”

“You’re crazy.” Nick chuckles as I strip off my fleece and long pants.

Drew comes over and shakes his head at me. “You
are
insane. That water isn’t even sixty degrees yet.”

I toss my shirt at him. “Chicken.”

Goosebumps break out on my skin as the breeze dances over me. I step up on the edge of the boat and glance at the water many feet below. With a push of my feet, I launch off and dive into the water. As expected, it’s so cold it takes my breath away, and I break the surface to gasp. I immediately begin a fast crawl stroke to warm up. Swimming is as natural to me as walking and skiing, and my motions are smooth as my hands cut through the water.

I stop and turn back to swim as quickly as before. When I get near the boat, I tread with my feet and look up at the guys. “Come on in!”

Nick can’t resist a challenge, and he works at removing his fleece. Drew can’t stand to be left out, and I laugh when the rope ladder crashes down along the side of the hull. He’s swimming too.

Nick’s arms and legs flail as he jumps off the boat, and I guess he has no idea how cold it really is. I watch as he pops up and gulps in air. His eyes are wide in shock, and he opens and closes his mouth a few times before he lets out a noise. I swim over to him, and he asks, “What is wrong with you?”

Drew yells down. “So many ways to answer that question.” He executes a perfect dive, and his body slices into the water with hardly a splash.

Nick watches and says, “You two are like fish.”

I wind my arms around his shoulders as I maintain a rotating motion with my feet to keep afloat. “Stick with me, and you’ll become one too.” I kiss him and taste salty water on his lips.

Pushing away, I say, “Try to catch me.” I take off to swim a lap around the boat. I don’t go all out so that Nick has a fighting chance, and I let him touch my foot before I slip away. I stop near Drew, but Nick keeps swimming to the ladder.

He pulls himself up and says, “Enough for me. I’m freezing.”

Drew and I look at each other, and he smiles. “It is really cold. But I’m not going to tell him that.”

I grin. “Me either. Catch me?”

I take off for another lap, but this time I have to try, because Drew was a swimmer too. He manages to grab my ankle halfway around and yanks me back. I relax and let him slide over me and ahead. But it’s only so I can do the same in return. I pour on the steam and make it to the ladder first.

Nick is waiting at the top with towels. He wraps one around me and says, “Thanks for packing me extra briefs. How’d you know I’d go in?”

I reach up and push a wet strand of hair off his face. “Because you love an adventure. Thanks for coming on this one with me.”

He leans down to give me a kiss that makes me wish we were alone. Drew clears his throat behind us, and Nick tosses him a towel without breaking away. But I’m uncomfortable and do. I turn to Drew. “I’m going to go change. I’ll be quick.”

I scramble down into the galley and collect my thoughts. Why the hell should I care if Drew sees me kissing Nick? But I did, and that has my stomach in knots. My wet bathing suit sticks to my thighs as I remove it.

Scenes of past sexual escapades on this boat flash through my mind. Drew and I definitely had a good thing, and sailing with him again must be bringing all those memories back. I turn my thoughts to Nick and what he looks like in my bed at home.
Much better.
I tuck my chin into the soft fleece collar of my jacket and relish the warmth as I make my way back up the stairs.

The guys have opened up the cooler and are munching on cheese. They stop talking when I arrive, and Nick pops a piece of cheddar in my mouth as he says, “We’ll be right back to open the champagne.” The guys retreat to the galley to change.

Cheddar flavor is sharp on my tongue as I chew. I sit and start organizing the food on the plastic plates I packed. Nick comes back up first and joins me. “I’m so hungry. It must be that freezing water.” He shakes his head. “I can’t believe you.”

“But it was fun, wasn’t it?”

Nick kisses my nose. “Yes.”

Drew comes up and says, “Celebration time.”

I do the honors of opening the bottle. When the glasses are full, Drew says, “Did she tell you she shut down the marketing department the other day?” He whistles. “Talk about showing everyone who’s boss.” He tilts his glass toward me and takes a sip.

Nick frowns. “No. What happened?”

“I’ll let Megan tell you,” says Drew.

I shrug. “It was no big deal. I just didn’t like the stale plan and decided to shake things up.”

“And that she did. Everyone’s buzzing about how she’s going to revive the company.” Drew lifts a cracker in the air and waves it as he speaks. “People are excited. Your girl is kicking butt and taking names.”

Nick smiles at me, but it’s not quite a full one. “It’s going better than you expected.”

It is. But I feel as if saying so is a betrayal, and I try to explain. “The more I get to know about Bellae, the more I want to fix things. And the interesting part is, with Alex”—I wave my glass at Drew—“and Drew, I know we can take the company to the next level.”
Because I care.
I came back because I couldn’t risk the financial well being of the people that are the fabric of Bellae. I had to learn to do my job well so that I didn’t have to lay off the thousands that rely on us to support their families.

I
recall
the adrenaline rush that came to me after I gave the marketing team a new direction, and my mother’s words come back to me.
“May she discover her true calling.”

I
think I have. But I’m not sure it would have happened if I hadn’t run away to grow up. I needed to be nothing but Megan Donovan the skier to prove to myself that I was capable of being a leader without it being handed to me on a silver platter.

And I needed Nick. I still do.

Bubbles fizzle in my mouth before I swallow champagne, and I avoid Nick’s gaze, because I’m afraid of what I might see.

“
W
hoa
, what was that in there?” Alex’s heels beat out a bad imitation of mine as I storm down the hall to my office.

I stop, and she bumps into me. I say, “I swear to God. If one more person tells me this isn’t how your mother would do it, there’s going to be bloodshed.” My heartbeat is pounding in my ears, and I experience rage I haven’t felt with anyone but my mother.

“I’ll hold your earrings.”

I stare at Alex for a second before I get her joke. My anger dissipates as I force a smile. “That’s funny. Maybe soon I’ll laugh.”

“Take deep breaths.”

Apparently a daily talk show called The It Girl that features four has-been celebrities decided to skewer me for fun this morning. And all hell broke loose over the PR nightmare it caused. I continue walking to my office, and when the door clicks shut behind me, I ask, “Was I awful?”

“No. Not even close. They used to work for Mom, remember?” Ice cubes clink in two glasses as Alex prepares me a drink. “They’re surprised, because you come off as levelheaded and nice.” Fizz is still rising from my seltzer when she hands me the glass. She says, “I’m definitely the one they like now.”

I snort. “I like to think I’m not like Mom, but oh my God, who the hell cares if I don’t wear makeup every day? What ever happened to good old healthy skin?” I gulp soda, and it burns with the carbonation as it goes down.

“They’re out of material. People are talking about you. But you know this.”

I do. I’m aware that a twenty-six-year-old nobody has heard of taking over a company is news in the business world. I huff, because the image the talk show women were talking about is the one I want to change. “Why are there so many damn people in the way of us getting our new fresh line out there?” Part of the rebranding of Bellae is to create a line of natural-looking makeup that provides sunscreen with only a bit of color to enhance skin instead of hide it.

Alex drops to my couch and kicks off her shoes. They fly up in the air to land with a thud. “Do you really need me to answer that?”

I sit across from her and do the same. It’s strangely satisfying to send expensive shoes up in the air to crash on the floor. I say, “Let’s get HR in here. I feel like clearing out the slackers. You in?”

Alex sits up and leans forward with excitement in her eyes. “Totally. Let’s kick butt and take names.”

I recall Drew saying that about me after my first week, and I smile as I reach for my phone. In the past two months, I’ve made drastic changes, and I’m about to make more. “Drew. My office.”

“Got it.”

Alex has a smirk on her face, and I ask, “What?”

“You’ve got that man jumping when you snap your fingers.”

I frown. “He’s my assistant. Isn’t that what he’s supposed to do?”

Ice rattles as Alex swirls her drink. “Oh, sure. But I think he wants more than he should.”

I sigh. Drew definitely hints that he’d like us to be more. But he’s never crossed a line, and I doubt he would. “It’s not like that.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. But I wouldn’t want to be in the same room with Drew and Nick if I were you.” Alex lies back on the couch and stretches out.

I glare at her because my stomach is unsettled thinking about what that could mean. I don’t have time to ponder it before Drew raps on the door quickly before walking in. He sits next to me and lifts my foot to massage it. Alex raises her eyebrows at me before he looks up and asks, “So, what’s up?”

A
fter a little less anger on
my part and a lot of help from Miranda, the head of HR, I feel as if we’re going to grease the wheels of this company and get things done. I send her off to work on hiring the kind of people we want, and Alex, Drew, and I start the process of reorganizing the remaining employees.

A sense of pride swells in me when I get to promote people that I’ve worked with this year. Good people that deserve the recognition. My phone buzzes with a text. It’s from Nick.

“We still on? You’re not home yet.”

We made plans to go to the Rusty Anchor, a small bar near the yacht club, where I’d meet his sailing friends. I forgot, and guilt eats at me as I text back.
“Sorry, caught at work. I’ll meet you there by nine.”

I say, “Guys, I need to go. I’m supposed to meet Nick in an hour at the Rusty Anchor.”

“But you’re an hour and a half away,” says Alex.

“I know. Drew, can you call Reggie for me?” I stand and gather up papers while he makes the call. I say, “I hate to ask you guys this, but can we work at the house in the morning to get this done?”

Alex says, “Of course. I won’t be able to sit on this all weekend.”

“I was going to sail tomorrow, but we can all go in the afternoon if you’d like,” says Drew.

I grab my purse to pull out a lipstick. I’m tempted to smear it on my teeth and hope photographers get an image of that. “That’s a great plan. I’m sure Nick will love it.” I slide smooth color over my lips and give them a quick smack as I walk out the door. I lift my hand and say, “Ciao!”

When I get in the car, I say, “Reggie. I need to get to the Rusty Anchor by the Hampton Yacht Club by nine.”

He chuckles. “I’ll see what I can do.”

I glance out the tinted window and watch as we weave dangerously close to other cars. The knot in my stomach is big knowing I’ve let Nick down, again. For the past month he hasn’t been able to wait up for me to get home, because he needs his sleep to teach young children sailing in the morning.

But even before he started working, we never saw each other. My days start early and end late. A horn blares, and the car jerks to a stop, making me lurch forward a bit before the seat belt locks me in place. I hate not spending time with my boyfriend, but there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done at Bellae as it is. Even so, I’ve got to make time for Nick, because I fear he’s drifting away.

At nine fifteen I walk through the door to the local bar. It’s dark, with wooden floors that are warped with time. The tables are painted blue, and the color is worn away on the edges. I don’t have to look far in the sparse crowd to find him. Nick is sitting with a group of people with the sunbaked look of those who work outside all day.

Nick stands when he notices me coming toward him, and he grins as he slides behind a guy’s chair. “There’s my girl.” His eyes scan my body quickly, and I realize how overdressed I am.

I walk over and hug him. He kisses the tip of my nose. I say, “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late.”

He wipes his mouth, and I realize he got makeup on his lips, and it probably tastes horrible. “Tough day at work?”

I sigh. “Long.” A waitress is hovering near us, and I turn to her. “I’d love a draft. Something imported?”

Nick says, “She’d like the Stella.”

I touch his arm. “Thanks.”

He introduces me to the staring faces. They probably think I look like their mothers, with my business hairstyle, makeup, and formal clothes. I wish I were in frayed shorts and a cropped T that showed off my fit summer body I don’t actually have. But by the time I finish my beer, I’m laughing along with everyone about the stories they tell. And they are amusing, even if I find myself tuning them out to think about work.

I eat cheese fries and play pool in an effort to make this fun before Nick is ready to leave. When we finally do, I’m relieved. I link my arm with his as we exit the bar. Salty air is heavy with fog, and the lights from the restaurant cast a yellow glow over the cars in the parking lot. I say, “I like your friends.”

“I’m glad. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go when you walked in.”

“The TV show, right?”

“What? No, I was talking about the entire package. You came in as if you were going to clear everyone out to reorganize the place.”

The passenger door of my Subaru groans as he opens it for me. “Really?” But I know what he’s talking about. It’s how my mother used to appear when she’d show up at a swim meet or a school function. She exuded power. Nick pokes the key in the ignition, and the engine rolls over to life. I ask, “Do I really appear unapproachable?”

“More domineering.” Nick is facing me as I frown. He places a hand on my knee. “Don’t worry, we’re older than those kids. And you have a real job now. You’re probably used to dealing with intellectuals.”

“I suppose I am dealing with a more serious crowd.” I sigh as Nick clicks the gearshift into reverse and backs up. I ask, “So you haven’t heard about The It Girl women shredding me to pieces for not wearing makeup?”

Nick frowns. “What is wrong with people?”

“I don’t know. This fame thing isn’t for the weak.” I make an attempt at a laugh and say, “I wish I were teaching sailing with you.”

Nick glances at me before he turns onto our street. “Me too. You know I’d rather you never wear makeup. So don’t let it bother you. Those women have nothing better to harp about.” He twists the wheel and focuses on the road as we both remain quiet with our thoughts. He breaks the silence and says, “I miss the old you.”

I reach over for his hand. “I’m still that girl. I just have bigger responsibilities now.” But his words resonate, because he’s talking about more than my appearance. “I feel like you’re slipping away, Nick, and I hate it.”

“I’m not going anywhere, but I’ll be glad when you get things in order and can work less. We need more time together.” The fog is heavier now, and Nick drives slowly because of the lack of visibility.

I think about how I’ll be spending my morning poring over paperwork as I make another big change in the company. The truth is I don’t really want to be teaching sailing with Nick. I like my new position and the sense of accomplishment it gives me. But I’m too tired to contemplate this, and I let out a big yawn before I say, “Drew invited us to go sailing tomorrow afternoon. Alex too.”

“That’ll be fun. Want to get bagels and coffee to eat in bed tomorrow morning?”

“I can’t. Alex and Drew are coming over for us to finish up the project we were working on today.” The two beers I had are adding to my exhaustion from too little sleep every night, and I’m close to dozing off.

“Oh.” Nick doesn’t speak but pulls his hand away. The headlights appear to bounce back at us in the dense white of the fog, and I squint to see where we’re going.

I say, “I know. Why don’t I make us waffles before they come? They’re arriving at eight.”

“No can do. I’m going on a ride with the racing crew from the Bike Shop.” Nick was super excited about hooking up with them when we first arrived and even more thrilled when he found he could keep up.

“Okay. Hey, when does my mom leave for her African trip?” She’s off for a two-month excursion, and I’m looking forward to being able to sleep with Nick again.

Nick shakes his head. “You’re so involved in work you don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

“She left today.”

I suppose I should have remembered, but I can go days without seeing her. Which explains why she no longer feels like a thorn in my side. Another yawn escapes, and I say over it, “That means we get to sleep together. My room or yours?”

“Yours. The bed’s bigger. But I think we’re just sleeping tonight, aren’t we?”

I’d love to say no, but he’s right. I can barely keep my eyes open. “Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You warned me this wasn’t going to be a party. I’m fine.”

I reach over and stroke his cheek. The stubble from a couple days is rough under my fingers, and I say, “I love you so much that sometimes it hurts. I don’t know why it is I’m lucky enough to have you in my life.”

Nick’s warm fingers cover my hand, and he pulls it away to kiss my palm before dropping my hand. “Same.”

But his heart isn’t in his voice, and I’m sure he’s thinking words are cheap. I twist the ring he gave me around my finger and vow to myself I’m going to make some changes to keep him, because lately our relationship has been one-sided, and that can’t possibly last.