That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance Book 1) (Volume 1) (21 page)

Her voice sounded thin and far away, like it was somebody else speaking. She mentally shook her head. Of course she wanted him to use a condom. She willed herself to relax again. To be in the moment because whatever else might have happened between them in the past, the present was shaping up to be pretty friggin’ fantastic.

He slid inside her, hot
and hard, filling her so completely that it took everything she had not to scream because it felt so good.

“Just for the record,” he said. “I bought those condoms yesterday.”

“Because…you knew this would happen?”

“Because I hoped it would happen. Prayed, even,” he said on a strained laugh. “Sorry, I don’t…I don’t think I can wait any longer.” Then he began to move.

Allie
wrapped her legs around his waist.

“
Yeah
, just like that,” he urged. From somewhere in the deliciously foggy haze that was her brain, she realized Tom was whispering in her ear. Telling her how beautiful she was. How much he’d missed hearing her laugh. How much he wanted her. How much he’d
always
wanted her.

If he had to talk during sex why couldn’t he just talk dirty? Why did he have
to be so darn…sweet?

She didn’t love him. And he certainly didn’t love her. But something was happening here. Besides the sex.

And it was in that moment that she realized what that something was. It was like all these years her heart had been in some kind of deep freeze. Stored away neatly in a big zip lock bag, just waiting for Tom Donalan to come along and thaw it out.

She
slapped her palm against his mouth, causing his entire body to go still.

“Shut up. This isn’t… It’s just sex. And for the record, you’re wrong. I’ve had
lots
of sex. With
lots
of guys. So this doesn’t mean anything.”

The instant she said it she wanted to take it back. But she couldn’t and a part of her didn’t want to anyway. Damn him. Why did he have to make this all so
personal
?

The corners of her eyes dampened. She squeezed her eyelids shut. It was one thing to let him see her cry because she’d been worried about Claire. She’d forgiven him for what had happened twelve years ago, but she’d never forgive him if he made her cry now.

He didn’t move or try to remove her hand. He was waiting, she knew, for her to open her eyes again. When she finally did, he was
staring down at her with a gaze as hard as the rest of him.

She eased her hand off his mouth. Now it was his turn to say something. But he didn’t say a word. Instead, he began to move again. Long, slow, delicious strokes that seemed to go on forever. And it was Allie who began to talk, like a patient in the middle of a delirious fever, spouting off whatever nonsense popped into her head.

Afterward, they both lay completely still. Tom carefully rolled off to the side and began pulling his clothes back on. It was the most awkward moment of Allie’s life. She didn’t know whether to apologize for telling him to shut up, or thank him for giving her the mother of all orgasms. Thankfully, she was too winded to say anything at the moment so she didn’t have to make a decision.

It was Tom who spoke first. “Big girls don’t cry?”

“
What
?” Allie finally managed to say.

“That’s what you said when you came. Big girls don’t cry. Not sure if that was a compliment. Although, by the way you were heaving around I’d say—”

“It’s a song. You know, from the sixties?”

It occurred to her that he was now fully clothed, while she on the other hand…so she started
pulling her clothes on, too. “I got that old Frankie Valle song stuck in my head.” She glanced up at him. “That ever happen to you?”

“I can honestly say I’ve never had
Big Girls Don’t Cry
stuck in my head.”

“Okay, so maybe not that song in particular,” Allie said. “But you know? Something else. A song you just can’t seem to shake no matter what.”

An odd expression flicked across
his face.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, it’s definitely something.”

“How do you know it’s something?” he challenged.

 “Because I just know. So you might as well tell me because I’m not going to let it go until you do.”

He contemplated this over a few seconds. “You wanted to know why I halted the demolition that first day?”

Allie nodded.

“The truth is,”
he said sheepishly, “I had that old Beatles song
Help
stuck inside my head. It was driving me crazy. Then I said I’d stop the demolition and the song stopped, too.”

Allie stilled. “You’re kidding.”

“You think I could make that up?”

 “That’s crazy! I had an old Beatles song in my head the other day, too.” She glanced around the empty room and took a deep breath. No warm smell.
No lemons. Just musty old building.

“You think your ghost is some demented Beatles fan who gets a kick out of taking over people’s heads?”

“Technically, not just a Beatles fan, since it was a Frankie Valle song I had in my head tonight.”

He offered her his hand, just like he’d done a couple of nights ago. This time she took it. He was right. Her “theory” sounded crazy, even to
her. She’d been at Mimi and Zeke’s both times she’d experienced the music in her head phenomena, and according to Tom he’d heard
Help
during their conversation in the parking lot, which was technically part of the Senior Center, but not
in
the building itself.

Her face must have showed her frustration because Tom shrugged, then said, “Hey, there’s still tomorrow night’s séance.”

“Speaking
of which, we can’t let Phoebe or this Madame Gloria know we um…you know, broke their rules by entering the building.”

“Right. I won’t tell if you don’t,” he said with a straight face. There was no smile at her lame attempt to make a joke. Or any hint of warmth behind his words. He deflated the mattress, picked up the backpack and headed for the door. “I need to lock up now. Get in the truck
and I’ll give you a ride to your brother’s.”

She thought about telling him that she could jog back, but something told her not to.

Neither of them said a word the entire way home.

She was afraid Tom would be angry or stand-offish (she didn’t think most men would appreciate being told to shut up in the middle of sex), but he appeared more pensive than anything else.

And
that was good, right? After all, he’d given her exactly what she’d asked for. Straight sex with no emotions. It was a relief really, to not have to pretend to feel something they didn’t. Allie turned to stare out the truck window. The weird thing was, she felt more like crying now than she had earlier. Which made absolutely no sense at all.

T
om walked into the
offices of Pappas-Hernandez Construction. Stacey, the receptionist, sat at her desk, cradling a phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She was in her mid-twenties. Cute. Good sense of humor. Killer ass. She’d asked him out once but he’d gently put her off. Not that he hadn’t been tempted, but generally it wasn’t a good idea to date someone from work. Too much
potential for disaster.

She quickly ended her phone call. “Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son.”

“I’m in that much trouble?”

“Mister, that building was supposed to come down three days ago.” She pointed to a stack of papers on her cluttered desk. “See those? Those are all the schedule changes I’ve had to make to keep everyone working.”

Tom winced.

She leaned forward.
“Can I ask you a question? What are you doing? I mean, I know it’s none of my business but isn’t your bonus tied into the timeline on this project?”

Well I ran into this girl I used to know
…

“Long story.” He nodded toward Steve’s office. “He busy?”

“Not for you he isn’t. Go on in.” She smiled in a way that made Tom think she might still be open to going out with him. The trouble
was, there was only one woman on his mind right now.

He opened the door to his boss’s office. Steve Pappas was a big guy, in his late thirties with an even kind of temper that suited Tom just fine. Steve glanced up from his laptop. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to keep you updated on the situation at the senior center.”

“I hear there’s going to be a séance tonight.”

“Word spreads
fast,” Tom said. He’d come to tell his boss the details himself but it looked like someone had already beat him to the punch. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or irritated.

“You’re going to be there, right?” Steve asked.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I hope she’s worth it.”

Tom raised a brow. “She?”

Steve leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands behind
his head. He smiled like he was enjoying himself. “I’m a married man. Which means I pretty much hear everything that goes on in this town.”

“Your wife’s been talking about me?”

“Not just my wife. Her whole Bunco group. Something about you and your old girlfriend getting back together. How romantic the whole thing is and how I’m supposed to help with the cause.”

“I’m a cause?”

“Brother, we’re all causes to them.”

“Yeah, well, this cause doesn’t need any help.”

“I didn’t think so.” Steve’s gaze turned serious. “I get the initial delay on the demolition. One day isn’t a big deal. But another two days after that? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

Probably.

“I didn’t think it was a good idea to continue. Not with the crowd we had. Delaying
the demolition makes us look like the good guys. It’s solid PR for the company.”

But he hadn’t done it for the company. The first time he’d agreed to delay the demolition was because he hadn’t been himself. Like he’d told Allie last night, he’d had that song in his head and it literally compelled him to put a halt to things. But this second delay? It had been easy to let Allie think it was
courtesy of Steve Pappas, but the truth was it was more likely courtesy of Tom’s bonus. He’d hated seeing the disappointment on her face when she realized her story was going nowhere. If this séance helped her land her dream job, then it would be worth putting his bonus in jeopardy. There would always be other projects. Other bonuses. But most likely, this was the only time he’d ever have with
Allie Grant.

Steve looked like he wasn’t buying the PR bullshit. “Just so you know, there’s no overtime for this project.”

“Understood.”

“So there’s no problem with the building coming down tomorrow morning?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.” He nodded toward a chair. “Have a seat. Now that we’ve cleared that up I want to talk to you about something.”

Tom settled himself into a chair but didn’t make himself too comfortable. Steve Pappas was a man of few words so Tom didn’t picture himself staying very long.

“You know my partner, Dave Hernandez, is growing the Tampa office. New construction is on the rise in the Bay area and now’s a good time to get an in there. You interested?”

Tom shifted in his chair. “In moving to Tampa?”

“Once the new rec center gets built. I envision that’s about the time we’ll be ready to expand our operation. I know you have an ex and a son here in town, but the money could be substantial. Hell, you could keep a place here and live on the cheap in Tampa. Come back home every weekend if you wanted. Have the best of both worlds.”

It was a similar deal he thought he could make work
when he’d stayed behind in Atlanta, and Lauren and Henry had moved back to Whispering Bay. But the weekend visits hadn’t always been regular, and even when they were they never seemed to be enough. He’d missed soccer games, a birthday, school teacher conferences, the everyday stuff that came with being a parent. The little stuff that added up to a life. A life he didn’t want to give up. On the other
hand, that life was definitely missing something. The last few days had taught him that.

Allie lived in Tampa. Plus or minus?

Yesterday it would have been a plus. But today? Last night she’d made her feelings crystal clear. She’d slapped her hand over his mouth and told him to shut up.

This doesn’t mean anything
.
It’s just sex.

Golden words to most guys. But he wasn’t most
guys. Those words had registered somewhere in that tiny portion of his brain that had still been getting some kind of blood flow. If he could have stopped, he would have. He would have rolled right off her and told her to go straight to hell.

Those words had served another kind of purpose, though. Before she’d spoken he’d been full steam ahead. He’d have lasted a few minutes, max, he’d been
so hot for her.

This doesn’t mean anything
.

It had been almost as effective as a cold shower. In retrospect, he should have thanked her. It had enabled him to gain control. Enough to slow things down. To draw it out. He’d wanted to make her scream. He’d wanted to make her want him as much as he wanted her. She’d screamed all right. There’d been a hell of a lot of satisfaction in that.

The crick that had begun in his neck last night seemed to have settled there permanently. He rolled his head from side to side trying to loosen it up. Did he want to move to Tampa? Not particularly. If he’d wanted a big job with big bucks he could have stayed in Atlanta. He’d moved to Whispering Bay to take charge of his personal life. Moving to Tampa seemed like a step backward.

On
the other hand, Tampa had something Atlanta and Whispering Bay didn’t. It had Allie Grant. Of course, if she got the job she wanted at
Florida
! magazine, chances were she wouldn’t be in Tampa anyway. She’d move on with her life. Just like he needed to.

I’ve had lots of sex. With lots of guys.

He’d wanted to call her out on that spectacular piece of bullshit, but what would have been
the point? He needed to get that out of his head. Get
her
out of his head.

“Thanks, Steve, I appreciate your confidence in me.”

“But you aren’t interested?”

“Didn’t say that,” he said, not wanting to burn any bridges. “But it’s definitely something I’d have to think long and hard on.”

*~*~*

A
llie decided to consult
Jen on séance protocol. She’d spent most of the day
on the Internet without much success. There was simply too much conflicting information out there, and Jen always seemed to know something about everything.

Jen answered on the first ring. “What’s up? You didn’t forget to the pay the electric bill, did you?”

“Is the electricity shut off?”

“No.”

“Then I didn’t forget to pay,” Allie said.

“True. So, why did you call?
Make it quick ‘cause I don’t have much time to talk. Sean and I are kind of in the middle of something.”

“Oh, um, should I call back later?”

“Not
that
kind of something, silly! I wouldn’t have answered my phone if we were having sex.”

“Who’s having sex?” Sean yelled in the background.

“Allie thinks she interrupted us having sex,” Allie heard Jen explain to Sean. He gave
a loud Tarzan yodel that made Allie momentarily forget why she’d called.

Jen giggled into the phone. “We’re playing strip poker and we’re both down to our socks.”

“And…that’s it?”

“That’s it.” More giggling. This time, from Sean.

“Okay, I’ll make this quick. There’s going to be a séance in the building tonight and I want to know what I should look out for.”

“Ooh!
I’m jealous! I’ve never been to a séance, but I’ve used a Ouija board. Same concept. There’s going to be a professional there, right? Like a medium?”

“Her name’s Madame Gloria, and yeah, I’ve been told she’s the area’s premier expert.”

“Cool. Don’t worry. You don’t have to do anything, doll. Just take your cues from her.”

“All right. Um, there’s one other thing. We were told
that the building was supposed to remain empty until the actual séance, to keep it pure, or something like that, but someone did kind of accidentally go inside.”

“You didn’t break in through a window again, did you? Who
are
you and what have you done with Allie Grant?” Jen asked playfully.

“I was kind of dragged inside. Well, picked up and carried in, really. By this guy I used to
know.”

“Guy you used to—this isn’t the guy in your high school prom picture, is it? The one you keep hidden in the bottom drawer of your nightstand. What’s his name, Tim?”

“Tom.”

Jen barked with laughter. “Allison Grant, did you hook up an old boyfriend?”

“I really hate that expression. And how do you know what I keep in my nightstand?”

“Oh my God. Sean! Allie had
sex. With a guy!” Allie could hear the two of them whooping it up.
What?
Did they think she was a nun or something?

“All right, so…I guess I really didn’t call to ask about the séance. I mean, I did, but I need some advice on something more personal.”

Jen cleared her throat. “Ask away,” she said in a serious tone.

“First off, is Sean still listening in?”

“Well—”

“Never mind, it’s okay. Maybe he can offer me some advice here, too. From a guy’s point of view.”
Pause
. “You were right. I did have a close encounter with my ex. But it was strictly a onetime thing.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“I have to see him tonight at this séance, and we left things a bit…awkward between us.”

Sean must have grabbed the phone away from Jen. “Hey, Allie, no
worries! The dude isn’t going to bring it or up or anything.”

“Oh, hey, Sean. How do you know he’s not going to bring it up?”

He laughed. “Trust me. His number one objective is to make you feel comfortable around him. So he can get in your pants again.”

“That’s not happening.”

“That bad, huh?”

“
No
—never mind. Can you put Jen back on please?”

Jean came back on
the line. “Okay, so here’s my advice. If you want this guy to know there’s no way it’s ever going to happen again, then just tell him up front. And then you end it by saying the sex was
nice
and that you just want to stay friends. Believe me, he’ll practically run away.”

“Cold, man, really cold!” Allie heard Sean shout.

“
Nice
. Okay. Got it.” Allie felt strange taking this kind of advice
from Jen, but who else could she ask? Certainly not Mimi. Her sister-in-law would throw a parade if she found out Allie and Tom had slept together.

“By the way, I’m glad you called. Sean moved a few things into the apartment. You don’t mind, do you?”

“What kind of things?”

“Just a change of clothes, that kind of stuff,” Jen said.

“Oh, sure, that sounds okay.”

“Listen,”
Jen said, trying unsuccessfully to muffle a giggle, “I’m down to one sock. Gotta go! And good luck tonight!”

*~*~*

A
llie glanced at her
wristwatch. Tom was two minutes late. Not that she was worried about him not showing up. Responsibility was his middle name, after all. Plus, he had as much to gain from being at this séance as she did. Two minutes was nothing in the scheme of things.
Heck, her watch might even be off.

Zeke caught her staring at the kitchen clock. “I could drive you, you know. You don’t have to go anywhere with that guy.” He sat at the kitchen table pretending he was reading the paper, but Allie wasn’t buying it. Zeke had already read the paper that morning while drinking his coffee.
Here’s the thing, big brother
,
Tom and I had sex, so not much else to
worry about there…

Wouldn’t Zeke just love that reply?

She probably shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help herself. “Why don’t you like him?”

“I already told you. That son-of-a-bitch broke your heart.”

“And I already told
you
no one broke my heart. Besides, I’m over it, so why aren’t you?”