Seaside Hearts (Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, Book 2) Contemporary Romance (5 page)

“Face it, girlie. You’re hooked on Petey,” Amy said in a singsong voice.

Jenna groaned and buried her face in her hands. “No, I kind of regret telling Charlie no. And if I am still hooked on Pete, then I’m an idiot.”

“No. He’s the idiot for waiting so long to really take notice,” Bella said.

“Yeah, but who hangs on to a crush for this many years? I think I have to go out with Charlie again, don’t you? I mean, to be fair, he really was pretty great.” Jenna ran her finger along the edge of the table, remembering what it felt like to be with Charlie. “He was attentive and not at all like I expected. I thought he’d be rough around the edges, which I know is a gross generalization because he’s a construction worker, but he wasn’t at all. He was easy to talk to and fun and...”
Not. Pete.

“So, what’s the issue?” Amy leaned her elbow on the table, her chin in her palm. “Did you kiss him?”

Jenna smiled.

“She did,” Bella said. “And?”

“And he kissed me good night despite my being a mute bimbo…It was nice. He’s a good kisser.”

“Therein lies the problem,” Bella said. “Nice? Really? Nice?”

“It was. He was sweet and kind, and—”

“Come on. Your first kiss should never be
nice
. It should be wild, passionate, intense.” Bella slid her eyes to Leanna. “Right, Lea?”

“Absolutely.” Leanna glanced at her cottage. “Your first kiss should basically suck the air from your lungs and leave you mindless.”

“Spineless,” Amy added.

“You’re such romantics. It should leave you wanting to rip his clothes off and take him right there and then.” Bella raised her brows in quick succession. “Listen, Jenna. Your first kiss should leave you hot and flustered. Anything short of that? Or
nice
?” She wrinkled her brow. “No one wants to take
nice
to bed.”

Jenna rested her forehead in her hands.
Maybe Pete thinks of me as nice.

“I would take
nice
to bed,” Amy said.

Jenna turned her head, looking up at Amy from her bent-over position. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Well, I would. I like nice. I like hot and sexy, but nice is…nice.” Amy glanced at Tony’s cottage.

“Jesus, Ames.” Bella rolled her eyes. “There’s no way Tony is
nice
in bed. With a body like that, my money’s on animalistic. Pure passion. Take-me-to-the-moon-and-back passion.”

Jenna shot to her feet. “Okay, well. I think I need to give Charlie a second chance. I’ll bring him with me tonight. Is that all right, Amy?”

“Sure. Blow me off for a
nice
kisser.” Amy shrugged one shoulder.

“You could set him up with Amy, and then you could ask Pete out,” Leanna suggested.

“No sloppy seconds for me.” Amy pushed to her feet. “I need to go take a shower.”

“And I need to bonk my head against the wall about a hundred times before going to the library. Anyone want to join me?” Jenna arched a brow in Amy’s direction. Amy never turned down a trip to the library.

“I’m in for the library, but you can head bonk by yourself.”

The roar of a motorcycle drew their attention back to the road.

“Holy cow. Who is that?” Amy’s eyes widened as a muscular, tanned man parked by the laundry room and stepped from the motorcycle.

He pulled off his helmet and Jenna gasped. “Charlie? Still think he’s
nice
in bed?”

Bella grabbed Jenna’s hand. “Nice just got a whole lot hotter.”

FRUSTRATED, EDGY, AND still confused over the way his body and mind were reacting to Jenna, Pete put the cleaning supplies in the pool house and forced a smile for Vera. She often sat down at the pool in the morning, before the sun got too hot. She’d tried to spark up a conversation with Pete when he came down, but he was in no mood to chat, and he was in no better frame of mind now.

Today marked one of the very few times that Jenna had been home when he was cleaning out the pool, and she didn’t peek at him from her deck or
happen to
walk by with Amy, Leanna, or Bella. Not only did she completely ignore the fact that he was there, but she’d fricking turned away from him when he stopped by in his truck. She might be shy around him, but she’d never before intentionally turned away.
She did at the Bookstore Restaurant.

He’d taken it as a good sign that she’d come home last night. At least that indicated that she probably hadn’t slept with Dipshit.

Who was he kidding? It indicated exactly nothing.

Shit. Stop thinking about her
.

Yeah, that’s not happening anytime soon
.

He waved to Vera. “Have a nice morning, Vera.”

She smiled and nodded as he climbed into his truck. A motorcycle roared into the complex as Pete started up his engine. Seeing Jenna with that guy last night should have been enough to quell his attraction to her. Instead it fueled his passion for her and made him realize how close to losing her he really was. Caden had invited Pete to a documentary at Town Hall tonight, and he thought he might use that as a chance to get closer to Jenna. Until now Jenna had been sexy as hell, confusing as rain on a sunny day, and safely nestled in the friend zone. Pete was about to kick the damn friend zone into oblivion.

He was going to drive by Jenna’s cottage one last time. If she ignored him again, he’d forget her altogether. He wasn’t a glutton for punishment after all. That’s exactly what he’d do. Forget that she was ever interested in him. He’d drive out of Seaside, and the next time he returned, his mind would be solely focused on his duties as related to the cottages and pool maintenance.

Jenna crossed the road in front of his truck wearing her red bikini top and a pair of cutoff shorts that bared the curve of her ass. Pete’s eyes lingered on her ass.

Her eyes were locked on the guy climbing off the motorcycle.

The construction guy drives a Harley?
Pete white-knuckled the steering wheel.
Son of a bitch.
He shifted his attention back to the road as he rolled past, just as Dipshit bent down and took Jenna in a hot and heavy kiss.

Look at the road. Look at the goddamn road.

His eyes did not get the message. They shifted right and caught on Jenna, her arms wrapped around Dipshit’s neck, her sweet hips pressed against his, and that was no little kiss. He was devouring her.

Pete hit the gas.

There was no way he was going to let that asshole take Jenna from him. So what if she confused the hell out of him, or lost that blazing confidence around him? So what if his nights were interrupted by phone calls from his drunken father?  One way or another, he’d make damn sure that he was on the other end of Jenna’s next kiss, and he’d damn well make her forget the Harley-driving construction worker ever existed.

“THAT WAS QUITE the PDA.” Amy looped her arm around Jenna’s as they walked down Main Street toward the Wellfleet Library.

“Tell me about it. That man knows how to kiss.” Jenna had been floored when Charlie showed up earlier that morning, even more so when he took her in a deep, passionate kiss. She’d been trying to convince herself all day that she’d enjoyed it. “But it just felt
nice
.”

“Oh, Jenna. I want a nice kiss like that.” Amy leaned her head on Jenna’s shoulder and sighed as they passed Town Hall.

“Want me to set you up with Charlie?”

“What? He’s your date tonight, not mine.” Amy laughed. “I’d never take another woman’s man.”

“Yeah, he is my date, but…”

“Oh Lordy. What is it?”

“Charlie’s a great guy, but I still didn’t feel sparks. It was a good kiss. A great kiss, even, but it wasn’t a mind-numbing kiss.”

“Oh no. No, no, no. Jenna.”

“I hoped it was going to be. Believe me, I tried. I even deepened the kiss with the hopes of feeling that tingling sensation that would bring me up on my toes.” Jenna shook her head. “Nothing. Zilch. He had his hands in all the right places. His body…oh my God. It felt so good against mine, but the kiss? Eh.” She held her hand level with the ground and wiggled it from side to side.  

“Why? It looked amazing. Even Pete was gawking at you two.”

“I’ve been trying not to think about Pete, thank you very much.” But he was all she
could
think about as they walked into the library. “I made a point of not looking at him when I crossed in front of his truck. I thought he’d just drive by, you know? But I heard his truck slow down, and then when Charlie kissed me, I was so focused on trying to feel something that I lost track of Pete altogether.”

“Hi, ladies.” Candy Taylor waved from behind the desk. Candy was in her late twenties and she’d worked at the library during the summers since her junior year of high school. Now she was married, with a little towheaded boy named Jason. Jenna thought she’d probably still work behind the front desk thirty summers from now.

“Hey, Candy. How’s Jason?” Jenna leaned over the desk and picked up the framed picture of Jason that Candy changed every few weeks.

“He’s on a lobster kick. I gave him a taste of mine one night, and now he thinks he should have it every night.” Candy set down the book she was reading and tucked her blond hair behind her ear. “I swear, I’ve never heard of a four-year-old even liking lobster.”

“It could be worse. He could want all of your chocolate.” Jenna wiggled her eyebrows. “This is adorable. Was it taken on the pier?”

“Yeah. He loves to go fishing there. Hey, I don’t suppose either of you wants to volunteer to help at the annual book sale this year? We’re shorthanded, and, Jenna, I know how you are about organizing. We could really use you.”

The annual book sale was a big event in Wellfleet. People planned their weekends and vacations around it. The sale was held in the front yard of the church and overflowed into the alley between the church and Abiyoyo, a novelty store on Main Street. Jenna and her friends enjoyed going to the sale, and Jenna had volunteered a few times. Working hadn’t been on her agenda for this summer, but it might be a good distraction from her mother and Pete.

“What kind of help do you need?” Jenna asked.

“We need people to handle the sales, organize the books, and you remember how it was when you volunteered. People drop off books all day long, so we also need people to coordinate the incoming books. If you want to help and have the time, we could also use some help in here getting ready before the sale.”

Amy and Jenna exchanged a glance. Jenna had no interest in giving up her time in the sun, but she wouldn’t mind helping later in the day, and she could tell that Amy was thinking the same thing.

“Can we help in the late afternoon or early evenings?” Jenna asked.

“That would be awesome. Whatever you can do. A day, a few days. Whatever works for you two. We appreciate any help we can get.” Candy wrote down her phone number. “Just let me know.”

Amy and Jenna spent the next two hours working their way through the romance and suspense titles, and after they’d each chosen a handful of books, they went around the corner to the Juice Café and shared a veggie pizza. Then they went back to Seaside and lay out in the sun, enjoying their newly borrowed books.

Vera was gathering her things when they arrived.

“Oh, I’m sorry I missed you girls, but I’ve had enough sun for one afternoon,” she said with a smile. Vera wore her hair in a pixie style, similar to Jamie Lee Curtis’s hairstyle. She wore a beach cover-up over her bathing suit and a big floppy hat.

“Want me to walk you up?” Jenna asked.

“Goodness, no. I’m fine. You girls enjoy your time, but the next time you go to the harbor, I’d love to join you. I fear Jamie’s not going to be up for a while.” Duck Harbor was one of Vera’s favorite beaches, as well as Jenna’s.

“You’ve got it, Vera.” Jenna waved and watched her walk back up to her cottage.

Just being at the pool made Jenna think of Pete. It had taken all of her willpower to look away from him this morning, and—Lord help her—when Charlie kissed her, she’d wished it was Pete kissing her like she was all he ever wanted and holding her like she was all he ever needed.

They stayed by the pool until the sun began to set and they saw Bella walking around the quad. They carried their blankets and books and joined Bella on her deck.

“Hamburgers?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah. I don’t have any tomato, though. Do you?” Bella pointed to a plate of lettuce. “I need mayo, too. I probably should have gone to the grocery store today.”

“I’ll get some. Can you throw one on for me?” Jenna called over her shoulder as she crossed the quad—the grassy area between the cottages. She noticed Amy and Bella whispering to each other. She was sure they were talking about her and Charlie’s kiss.
Ugh. The kiss
. The kiss that should have set her world on fire but instead set her mind spinning in circles. She’d invited Charlie to join them tonight with the hopes of stirring some sort of feelings inside her stupid body, but it was like her private parts were on vacation. She didn’t even get a fluttery belly when they’d kissed, and she hadn’t been able to stop wondering what it would be like to kiss Pete ever since.

She brought a plate of tomato and mayo back to Bella’s and found her and Amy whispering again.

“Why do I feel like I’m missing out on something?” Jenna asked as she walked into Bella’s cottage.

“You’re not,” Bella called through the screen door. “Margaritas are in the bucket in the freezer. Bring ’em out?”

Amy went inside to help Jenna. “I’ll get the glasses.”

Jenna carried the bucket of margaritas out to the porch with Amy on her heels.

“When is Charlie getting here? Should I cook him a burger?” Bella asked.

“He’s meeting me there. He had to go home and shower after work, and he had to run a few errands. Where’s Evan?”

“He’s at Bobby’s. They’re meeting us there, and Leanna said she and Kurt are meeting us there, too. She had to fill a rush order this afternoon, and she said Lacy is going to hang out with us. Should be fun.” Bella loaded the burgers onto a plate, and as they sat down to eat, Caden pulled up. “There’s my handsome hubby-to-be.”

“God, you guys need to come up with new pet names. You make me feel very single.” Jenna took a bite of her burger.

“Hey, babe.” Caden leaned down and kissed Bella, then patted Jenna on the shoulder. “Heard you had a magnificent kiss today.”

Jenna covered her mouth, which was full of burger, and glared at Bella.

“What? It looked pretty magnificent to me.” Bella laughed.

Jenna rolled her eyes.

“Uh-oh. You mean a kiss that looks that good to one woman might not actually be that good to another? I don’t think I want to know this.” Caden went inside the cottage.

“She didn’t feel a zing,” Amy whispered.

“No zing?” Bella’s eyes filled with worry; then they widened. “See? You aren’t over Pete. I mean, unless this guy has a forked tongue or something, what else could it be? He had the whole possessive hold thing going on, and, girlfriend, your body was plastered to his, so I’m sure he was doing all the right things.”

Jenna pushed her plate away. She wasn’t hungry after all. “When you first kissed Caden, you
knew
, right?”

Bella glanced inside the cottage and leaned closer to Jenna. “Don’t you remember? He turned me inside out. Still does.”

“Charlie didn’t even fold down my edges, much less turn me inside out.” Jenna sighed. “I’m gonna go shower and get this date over with.”

“Why did you even invite him to come with us if there wasn’t a spark?” Amy asked what Jenna had been asking herself all day.

“Because it must be me. If Charlie had kissed either of you, you’d have felt a goddamn zing. I want a zing! It isn’t fair. I want a zing so badly I’m ready to fake it.”

Jenna let out a frustrated breath. “I keep hoping something will kick in. He’s hot and sweet, and…” She stepped off the deck.

Bella shifted her eyes to Amy, and as Jenna walked across the lawn to her cottage, she was sure they thought she was just as nuts as she did. She went inside and stared into her closet. She had no idea what she wanted to wear. Did it even matter? She was with a hot guy and felt nothing. Maybe her body really was broken. It had been a long time since she’d had a real date. Could a person’s body just turn off like that?

No. She completely lost all semblance of intelligence around Pete, and her body went all tingly. She was still alive in some way, even if it was a mindless way.

Mindless
. She mulled the word over, then went to the window and gazed out at the pool. She’d missed peeking at Pete when he was cleaning the pool that morning, and now that he’d seen her not only practically throw herself at Charlie, but then kiss him in what apparently looked like a
magnificent
kiss, he probably wouldn’t want anything to do with her. Thinking about Pete made her stomach quiver. Was that out of longing for what she’d never have, or was it something more?

Jenna wanted it to be so much more. She wanted a kiss that made her mindless.
I want Pete to make me mindless
.

Being mindless would be so much better than being mindful while kissing. So mindful that she couldn’t put her finger on what was missing.
A great kiss should steal my ability to think
. She sighed loudly, and then she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She’d give this one more shot.
Dress sexy, act sexy, and damn it, no more evaluating
. And she was going to kiss sexy! When had kissing become such a pain?

She stepped into the shower and relaxed her head back—until the water turned ice-cold. Jenna screamed and scrambled from the shower. She wrapped a towel around herself and pushed the lever all the way to hot. She stuck her finger under the stream of water and still it was ice-cold. She turned it off, stomped out of the bedroom, yanked a picture off the wall, and flipped open the fuse box. No fuses were tripped.
Great. Now what?
She threw open the door and ran over to Bella’s cottage.

“Bella? I need Caden,” she said as she breezed through the cottage door.

Bella ran her eyes down Jenna. “He’s not here. What’s wrong, and why are you in a towel?”

“My hot water isn’t working. If Caden’s not here, and Tony and Jamie aren’t here, what the heck am I going to do?”

Bella grabbed her keys and dragged Jenna outside. “You have to call Pete. He’ll come fix it. But I have to leave. I’m meeting Caden. Now. I’m meeting him now.”

“Can I use your shower?”

Bella’s eyes widened. “Um. Of course, but you need hot water. You should call Pete.”

“But—”

“Call him. He’ll come fix it, and you never know. If the hot water doesn’t work, the toilet could be next.” Bella climbed into her car.

“The toilet? Why?” No toilet? Overnight?
This cannot be happening
.

“Plumbing,” Bella said out her car window as she backed out of the driveway. “Call Pete before he goes out for the night.”

“Ugh!” She waved to Bella and turned to go to Amy’s, but she was backing out of her driveway, too. Damn it. Jenna wanted to cry. She glanced at Vera’s cottage, but what could an eighty-year-old woman do to help? Maybe she should just shower at Bella’s, then not worry about the damn hot water.

Or the toilet
.

Oh God
.

She dragged her ass back to her house and called Pete. She hadn’t exactly been nice to him lately, and she wouldn’t blame him if he ignored her call. She hadn’t tried to be a jerk. She was afraid that if she fell into their normal friendly pattern, her crush would seize her and she’d never get over him. She’d spend every summer in the future longing to rip his clothes off and acting like she didn’t know how. She knew how. Damn, did she know how! She was no stranger to being the aggressor in a relationship, but with Pete, her stomach got all fluttery, and she spent more time staring at him than anything else. It was ridiculous, really, and it kind of pissed her off. She was a grown woman, not a teenager. She should be able to walk right up to him and say,
Pete, let’s go out for a drink.
Then make a move during the evening. But they were friends, and they’d gone for drinks plenty of times with the rest of their friends, and she’d never once made that move. Neither had he.
Maybe he doesn’t feel the same.

Her call went to voicemail. She tapped her foot as she waited for the beep. “Pete, this is Jenna, over at Seaside.”
Duh
. Like he doesn’t know that? Jeez, even on the phone she was a nimrod around him. “My hot water isn’t working. Would you mind coming over to fix it? I’m sorry. I know it’s late, but Bella said the toilet could go next, and—” The voicemail recording cut her off.  She stared at the phone.
Stupid phone. Stupid shower. Stupid Peter Lacroux
.

This summer was supposed to be about Jenna finally taking charge of her life and finding her own happily ever after—with someone other than Pete. She’d found a really great guy. A damn hot one, too, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it was Pete that was messing with her ability to detect zings in their kisses. She’d spent too many years ogling him, hoping and praying to make something happen, and all the while, turning into a shrinking violet around the one man who did more than make her body zing.