this tiny bikini out in public? She was lucky that she hadn’t been mauled by horny swimmers. Even nearly blue, she was gorgeous. Anyone would think so. Julie met his eyes finally, and he frowned as he wrapped the blanket back around her.
“Finn figured it out. He sent me to get you,” he whispered into her ear. “What the hell were you thinking? We could see you standing out there in the ocean, not moving. You’re lucky you’re not dead. Goddamn it, Julie. Why would you do that? Why are you here and not in California with your father?” He was angry and he couldn’t hide it.
Julie dropped her head forward and leaned into him. “Because he’s a jerk, and I’m a liar.” Her voice caught and she started sobbing.
Matt didn’t say anything, but he kept rubbing her back. Celeste moved behind Julie, pressing her between them. Matt didn’t know what to say, so he let Julie’s tears fall while he and Celeste held her.
“Please don’t cry, Julie. You were simply wonderful out there,” Celeste said.
“She was not wonderful, Celeste. She was a dope.” Matt managed to soften his tone. “But we’re glad you’re okay. You are okay, aren’t you? I mean… physically?” Clearly she was a mental basket case right now.
Julie nodded and then turned her head, still resting it against Matt’s chest. He was relieved beyond words that she was safe.
“Matt?”
“Yeah?”
“Did we talk on the phone last night?”
He paused. Oh, no. “We did.”
“Did I ask you…?” Julie seemed to fumble for words. “Did I ask you if you were a skilled lover ?”
Matt cleared his throat and paused again. He’d been hoping that conversation was lost forever. “You did.”
Celeste burst out laughing.
Julie tucked her head down lower. “Sorry.”
“Let’s get you into the car. It should still be warm.”
“Celeste, can you grab my bag?” Julie pointed from under the blanket to the benches on the other side of the beach.
“Absolutely. Hey, Julie?”
“Yeah, kiddo?”
“I’m glad that you’re here.” Celeste beamed. “Home.”
“Me too.”
“Meet us at the car, okay?” Matt stepped away from Julie and turned her in the direction of the street. Home. Celeste was right. Julie’s home was with them.
“So, Matt,” she started and looked up at him smiling. God, he’d missed that smile. “Last night? What was your answer?”
“I’m not going to tell you. Now maybe you won’t drink so much again.”
Julie sighed. “Believe me. Lesson learned.”
Matt got her into the front seat and cranked up the heat. Celeste bounded into the car with Julie’s bag, and they started the drive home. The frozen girl in the seat next to him periodically shuddered and held her hands in front of the car vents that didn’t seem to be producing enough heat for even a mildly chilly day.
Matt frowned and fiddled with the controls, finally hitting the dashboard. He wanted hot air blasting onto Julie immediately. “Come on! Come on, you piece of crap!” He slammed his hand down again.
“It’s all right. Calm down. I’m warming up,” Julie insisted.
“No, you’re not fine.” Matt was angry again. “That was a stupid thing to do. It was reckless. Seriously, what would possess you?”
Julie leaned back. “I don’t care. I’m glad I did it.”
“It’s called a plunge . It’s not a stand-in-the-dangerously-cold-water-and-stare-fixedly-at-nothing event. A plunge means exactly that. You plunge in and get the hell out. Not that you should have even been doing that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m not fooling around, Julie. That was stupid. Stupid.” Matt hit the gas, desperate to get Julie back to the house where he could take care of her properly. He would build a fire, and make her soup, and force her to drink lots of fluids. Hot tea, maybe? He was sure there was a wool blanket in the linen closet upstairs….
“Slow down, Matt!” Julie said hoarsely. “You’re going to get a ticket.”
“I’ll drive
“Finn figured it out. He sent me to get you,” he whispered into her ear. “What the hell were you thinking? We could see you standing out there in the ocean, not moving. You’re lucky you’re not dead. Goddamn it, Julie. Why would you do that? Why are you here and not in California with your father?” He was angry and he couldn’t hide it.
Julie dropped her head forward and leaned into him. “Because he’s a jerk, and I’m a liar.” Her voice caught and she started sobbing.
Matt didn’t say anything, but he kept rubbing her back. Celeste moved behind Julie, pressing her between them. Matt didn’t know what to say, so he let Julie’s tears fall while he and Celeste held her.
“Please don’t cry, Julie. You were simply wonderful out there,” Celeste said.
“She was not wonderful, Celeste. She was a dope.” Matt managed to soften his tone. “But we’re glad you’re okay. You are okay, aren’t you? I mean… physically?” Clearly she was a mental basket case right now.
Julie nodded and then turned her head, still resting it against Matt’s chest. He was relieved beyond words that she was safe.
“Matt?”
“Yeah?”
“Did we talk on the phone last night?”
He paused. Oh, no. “We did.”
“Did I ask you…?” Julie seemed to fumble for words. “Did I ask you if you were a skilled lover ?”
Matt cleared his throat and paused again. He’d been hoping that conversation was lost forever. “You did.”
Celeste burst out laughing.
Julie tucked her head down lower. “Sorry.”
“Let’s get you into the car. It should still be warm.”
“Celeste, can you grab my bag?” Julie pointed from under the blanket to the benches on the other side of the beach.
“Absolutely. Hey, Julie?”
“Yeah, kiddo?”
“I’m glad that you’re here.” Celeste beamed. “Home.”
“Me too.”
“Meet us at the car, okay?” Matt stepped away from Julie and turned her in the direction of the street. Home. Celeste was right. Julie’s home was with them.
“So, Matt,” she started and looked up at him smiling. God, he’d missed that smile. “Last night? What was your answer?”
“I’m not going to tell you. Now maybe you won’t drink so much again.”
Julie sighed. “Believe me. Lesson learned.”
Matt got her into the front seat and cranked up the heat. Celeste bounded into the car with Julie’s bag, and they started the drive home. The frozen girl in the seat next to him periodically shuddered and held her hands in front of the car vents that didn’t seem to be producing enough heat for even a mildly chilly day.
Matt frowned and fiddled with the controls, finally hitting the dashboard. He wanted hot air blasting onto Julie immediately. “Come on! Come on, you piece of crap!” He slammed his hand down again.
“It’s all right. Calm down. I’m warming up,” Julie insisted.
“No, you’re not fine.” Matt was angry again. “That was a stupid thing to do. It was reckless. Seriously, what would possess you?”
Julie leaned back. “I don’t care. I’m glad I did it.”
“It’s called a plunge . It’s not a stand-in-the-dangerously-cold-water-and-stare-fixedly-at-nothing event. A plunge means exactly that. You plunge in and get the hell out. Not that you should have even been doing that.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m not fooling around, Julie. That was stupid. Stupid.” Matt hit the gas, desperate to get Julie back to the house where he could take care of her properly. He would build a fire, and make her soup, and force her to drink lots of fluids. Hot tea, maybe? He was sure there was a wool blanket in the linen closet upstairs….
“Slow down, Matt!” Julie said hoarsely. “You’re going to get a ticket.”
“I’ll drive
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