Summer at the Shore (Seashell Bay Book 2) Page 30

  Aiden ignored the taunt, just as he’d learned to ignore far worse from opposing teams’ fans as he patrolled the outfield. Morgan was trying to rattle him, just as Bram had wanted him to do with Lily. But Lily’s easy mastery of the game made it plain he was in over his head.

  Story of his life, when it came to Lily Doyle.

  “Let’s go, Aiden! You can do it!”

  He glanced to the bar where Laura was pumping her fist. He grinned at her, thankful that he had at least two supporters in the bar tonight.

  Aiden held his first dart lightly in the pencil grip he favored. Don’t think, man. Visualize the tip of the dart hitting the target and just let it go. He repeated that mantra twice and let the dart fly, a part of his mind jeering that he was taking a darts game so seriously. But it was Lily and it was Seashell Bay, so it mattered.

  The dart headed straight for the top of the twenty but clanked against the double ring and dropped to the floor. Bounce-out.

  Amid hoots from the crowd, Lily made a little shrug that held a lot more mockery than sympathy. Undaunted, Aiden launched his second dart. This time it angled perfectly between the wires for a double twenty.

  Lily’s eyes narrowed as she gave him a golf clap in response—all motion and almost no sound. Her cheering squad suddenly went quiet. Apparently the game mattered to them too.

  Aiden took a deep breath and held it as he threw his last dart, this time aiming for the more difficult triple ring. How better to set sweet Lily Doyle back on her heels than to score a triple twenty the first time he was up?

  And . . . thunk.

  He did it. To the sounds of breath being sucked in from all sides, Aiden casually strolled over to the board, plucked out the two darts, and then bent to pick up the bounce-out. When he straightened, he gave Lily a deep, exaggerated bow. Damned if he didn’t feel as good as if he’d just thrown out a runner at the plate.

  “Jackass,” Morgan Merrifield muttered from behind him.

  Lily simply tilted her head, looking more intrigued than worried. “Decent,” she finally said, then eased up to the throw line for her second turn.

  Aiden moved in close, practically whispering in her ear. “Not to blow your concentration or anything, but why the hell was Miss Annie so freaked out just now? It’s not like the stuff with the developer and the car ferry vote is a big secret.”

  Okay, maybe he was trying to blow her concentration, but as he inhaled her scent, the years melted away. He swore her hair smelled exactly the same as it had that last night in his car, when his lips were trailing kisses over her long, perfect neck and his hands were exploring the gentle swells of her breasts and ass. Her gleaming auburn hair was as sweetly fragrant as the roses that bloomed all over the island.

  He couldn’t hold back a smile. Yes, Lily had changed, had grown up. But she’d also remained essentially the same, and he found that incredibly appealing.

  Clearly unfazed by his comment—or by the fact that he’d crowded her sweet bod—Lily launched her dart and then turned to face him. “I’m sorry about that. Granny’s memory isn’t what it used to be, and she sometimes thinks people are keeping her in the dark. You remember how much she hates not being in the know about absolutely everything that’s happening on the island.”

  “Got it. But she sure still looks and sounds sharp to me.” Annie Letellier might be in her eighties, but she looked like the same fireball he remembered from when he was a kid. He hated to think it might be otherwise.

  Lily shook her head, her hair gently brushing over her bare shoulders. “She’s definitely still our Miss Annie, but you’ll notice some differences in her, for sure.” For a nanosecond she looked sad, but then she lifted an eyebrow. “If you stick around long enough, that is.”

  She was probing for clues again, but he wasn’t ready yet to give up that kind of info. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here. Depends on a lot of things,” he said.

  But after seeing you, babe, I may not be out of here quite as quick as I’d thought.

  Lily let out a derisive little snort and turned to throw again, scoring a twenty.

  “This match could be close,” she said over a shoulder that Aiden wanted to caress.

  “Don’t count on it,” he replied absently, letting his gaze drift down to her shapely ass.

  She turned to him and blinked, as if startled that he stood so close. A faint blush washed over her cheekbones, but then she put her hands on her hips. “Then maybe we should make a little wager before we get too far in. What do you think, city boy? You up for the challenge?”

  The gentle taunt in her voice tweaked his competitive instincts. “Name it,” he said.

  Lily tapped an index finger on her chin, as if pondering a weighty question. “Let’s say if I win, my tab tonight is on you. If you win—like that’s going to happen—I pick up yours.”

  “Even if I stay and close the place down?”

  “Even if. In fact, be my guest. On Darts Night, I usually don’t go home too early.”

  Which means you do every other night? He liked that idea. Lily tucked up in her bed safe and alone—preferably in a skimpy nightie that only he would ever see.

  “You’re on, then,” he said.

  Lily thought she’d done a fairly respectable job preventing Darts Night from deteriorating into full-blown war. Not that Bram would ever lay a hand on a woman, much less one almost three times his age, but Granny had lots of supporters in the Pot. Any one of them would have been more than willing to throw a punch on her behalf.

  Aiden had done his bit to keep the situation under control too. He’d reacted calmly and decisively, keeping his stupid brother locked down and treating Granny with a sweet, old-fashioned respect.

  And she had to admit that his understated confidence turned her on a little too.

  Okay, he was pretty much melting her panties.

  Once a high school hunk, Aiden had now matured into an incredibly sexy man with a laid-back assurance and masculinity that vacuumed up the attention of every woman in the bar but Granny. Every cell in Lily’s overheated body was telling her that he felt the pull between them too, and that he was more than willing to act on it. Should she use that attraction to get closer to him and probe for info? She hated the idea of using such sleazy tactics, no matter how just the cause, and the idea of getting involved with Aiden was even more anxiety provoking. She felt pretty certain that would be a one-way boat ride to a whole lot of heartache.

  But Gramps had made her mission crystal clear—find out where the boy stood on Seashell Bay’s future. Would he honor his mother’s inheritance, or would he side with his jerkwad of a father? From the few clues Aiden had dropped, she sensed that he had yet to make up his mind. Aiden wasn’t the kind of guy to let his father—or anyone else—force him to make a decision before he was ready.

  So there was time to push back, especially if he hung around for a while. And if he did, Aiden just might be a temporary fix for the other problem that was keeping her awake at nights.

  If she could get him to agree to it, and that was a very big if.

  She flashed him a bright smile when he hit the double ring to score another twenty-six points with the third dart of his turn. “Very nice.”

  Lily didn’t need to fake her compliment—he was damn good. Now it would come down to the first person to hit the double needed in order to check out.

  He casually rested his hand on the base of her spine as she took up her position. His hand, big enough to nearly span her lower back, sent heat through to her skin. The sensation forced her to lock her knees to hold her stance.

  “Feeling the pressure yet?” His deep voice made her want to press her thighs together. “You must really hate the thought of losing in front of the home crowd.”

  “Lose? In your dreams.” She mentally winced at the squeaky note to her voice.

  He was teasing, but his words contained an element of truth. Lily hated losing, and there were a few people watching who would find pleasur
e in rubbing it in. Folks in Seashell Bay took their darts seriously, and she’d been whipping their asses for years. Still, she’d developed a game plan, and she had to stick to it.

  Think big picture and get over yourself, girl.

  “Put him away, Lily,” Morgan shouted, her face lit up with loyal enthusiasm.

  “She’s gonna bust,” Bram retorted.

  Lily shut everything out and threw three straight darts just outside the double nine, scoring zero for her turn. Perspiration prickled along her spine where Aiden’s hand had rested only moments ago. It took skill to throw a game and not look suspicious.

  “Ah, so close,” Aiden said with a mock sigh as he moved up to the line.

  “Let’s see you do better, pal,” Lily shot back, secretly hoping he’d put his first dart straight into the double seven to check out.

  Deputy Micah moved in close, just off to her right beside Morgan’s table. He scowled at the board like he wanted to pull out his gun and blast it. Given Micah’s long-standing antipathy to the Flynns, she knew he was going to be pissed when Aiden won the match. Lily and Micah were old friends, and he wouldn’t take kindly to Aiden beating her.

  Despite the noise and catcalls, Aiden’s hand was steady as he tossed his dart to score the double he needed. Just like that, the match was over, and Lily was on the hook for his beer tab.

  Small price to pay.

  “Yes!” Bram leaped out of his chair, knocking it to the floor. Once he finished pummeling his brother on the back, he swung around to sneer at Morgan and Micah. “How about that, huh? A Flynn wins!”

  Aiden hauled him back. “It could have gone either way, bro. Lily just missed by an eyelash. She’s a great player.” Then he flashed her a seductive smile, turning her brain to fish bait. “Want to go again, Lily? Get your revenge on the city slicker?”

  Morgan jumped up from her chair and whispered urgently in Micah’s ear. Clearly, she’d figured out that Lily had tossed the game and wanted to keep Micah from acting like a bull-headed deputy.

  “What? Now you want to stick me with Bram’s beer too?” Lily said, struggling to find a light note.

  Aiden shook his head. “No, and you don’t need to buy mine either. I just like spending time with you. I always did.” His voice was deep and sincere, a quiet undertone cutting through the raucous bar.

  Lily was afraid she might melt on the spot, just when she most needed to focus.

  “If you really want to give me a chance to get even, I just got another idea,” she replied, trying not to sound breathless. She told herself the tight feeling in her chest was only about the crazy plan she was about to drop on him. “Are you up for a real challenge?”

  He gave her a lazy grin that curled its way right down between her thighs.

  Lord, the man could smile.

  “Lily, have you ever known me to back down from any kind of challenge?” he asked.

  She’d been counting on that, but not on the predatory heat in his gorgeous, dark eyes. He looked as if he was hoping she would suggest a wild night of strip poker as her next challenge. Now that would be a disaster. Getting a look at Aiden Flynn’s naked body would be as dangerous as going out on the Miss Annie in a winter gale.

  Bram was practically standing on his tiptoes behind his brother as he strained to eavesdrop. Micah started to move forward and Morgan scrambled after him, ready to run a little interference.

  “You always loved watching the lobster boat races, right, Aiden?” Lily asked.

  Every summer, up and down the Maine coast, various harbors hosted the races. Aiden’s father had often raced his boat, though never once had the bastard allowed either of his boys to go with him. He’d been determined, she suspected, to keep any glory to himself.

  “Sure,” Aiden said, suddenly wary. “Who doesn’t?”

  Lily gave him an easy smile. “Well, the Seashell Bay races are this weekend, and I’ll be racing my boat.”

  When Aiden’s jaw tightened, she knew he’d caught her drift. “So?” he said.

  “So, even though it hasn’t raced in a while, I figure your dad’s boat might still be one of the fastest out there. Right, Bram?”

  Bram looked as stunned as a deer caught in headlights. “Uh, you know Dad can’t race anymore, and neither can I.”

  “No, but this big, strong professional athlete surely can,” Lily said, pouring on the sugar. “Do you think you could beat me, Aiden? Could you outrace a girl?”

  Aiden let his thoughtful gaze roam over her. As always, he wouldn’t rush to answer. “Let’s just say for a moment that I agree to this little idea of yours,” he finally said. “What kind of bet are we talking about? What would I win when I whip your butt?”

  Oh, I think you’d like to spank my butt, wouldn’t you?

  Lily forced that too-enticing image from her mind. “Well, I was thinking the loser could grant the winner a wish. Say, something that involved a personal service.” She tried for as much sexual innuendo as she could without going completely hot with embarrassment, hoping he would take the bait.

  “Come on, Flynn. You’re going to take that bet, right?” Micah needled, taking an aggressive, wide-legged stance. “Or has the Boy Wonder just come home to sign away his heritage and hustle back to the big city again?”

  Crap. Lily had to repress the urge to smack Micah upside the head. If the well-intentioned loyalist of the Doyle clan managed to mess up her plans, she’d kill him. “Micah, come on. You know that’s not the way we do things in Seashell Bay,” she said in a firm voice. “Aiden will always be one of us.”

  Her friend grimaced but remained silent as he glared at Aiden.

  Aiden’s balled fists slowly opened, and he turned his gaze from Micah to Lily. He let the silence between them drag on for too long but then nodded. “I appreciate that, Lily. And if you want me to take a shot at the races, fine. As long as Irish Lady is up to it.” He glanced back at his brother. “Can we get the old girl in shape by the weekend?”

  If there was one thing the Flynns had in quantity it was pride, so it was no surprise when Bram started to look enthusiastic. “It’ll take some work, but damn right we can, bro. And it’ll be great to kick some Doyle ass again, even one as sweet as Lil’s.”

  Though Aiden was still looking wary and skeptical, Lily had been right in thinking he couldn’t refuse the challenge. Especially from a girl, and worse yet, a Doyle.

  But Mr. Aiden Flynn had no idea what he was getting himself into. After all, she’d won her class in the Seashell Bay boat races for the past two years.

  And he’d be in for an even bigger surprise when she finally laid out the penalty for losing.

  ALSO BY V. K. SYKES

  Meet Me at the Beach

  Acclaim for

  MEET ME AT THE BEACH

  “4 Stars! A sexy series starter set on an island where anyone would love to spend the summer, Sykes’s latest is a winner.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “As Aiden and Lily take a chance on their romance, neither knows whether it will be fleeting or turn into forever. Their intense romance is sensuous and moving, with a perfect small-town setting.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “V. K. Sykes has created a unique island removed from the chaos of the mainland, accessible only by ferry or private boat, and populated it with a community of strong-minded people who work hard, take pride in their heritage, and band together to celebrate the good times and get through the bad times as they protect and support each other . . . It’s a place I want to visit with people I want to know. They’ve touched my heart and I’m now invested in their happiness. I can’t wait to catch the ferry over for my next visit to Seashell Bay!”

  —TheRomanceDish.com

  “Genuine emotions plus intriguing characters make Meet Me at the Beach constantly enjoyable, and V. K. Sykes always keeps the reader engaged during every entertaining scene. This author is a talented husband-and-wife writing team, and they perfectly balance duty with dreams for
a very imaginative story.”

  —SingleTitles.com

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  Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. But now she’s a struggling single mom and stranded by a flat tire, until a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower… Fans of Lori Foster will love the newest novel in Kristen Ashley’s New York Times bestselling Chaos series!

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  Morgan Merrifield sacrificed her teaching career to try to save her family’s bed-and-breakfast and care for her younger sister. So she can’t let herself get distracted by rugged ex–Special Forces soldier Ryan Butler. But her longtime crush soon flares into real desire—and with one irresistible kiss, she’s swept away.

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  In the New York Times bestselling tradition of Robyn Carr comes the next book in Marilyn Pappano’s Tallgrass series. When Sergeant First Class Avi Grant finally returns from Afghanistan, she rushes to comfort the widow of her commanding officer—and ends up in the arms of her handsome son, Ben Noble.