Into the Tide (Cottonwood Cove #1)(6)

“Yes.” I raised a brow, wondering where this was going.

“She said he gave her three orgasms in one night. Three. Ummm, have any of you ever experienced that?”

“Holy shitballs. Boomer needs to up his game.” Sloane rubbed her hands together.

“Well, I don’t know how to even respond to this breaking news. But I do have a meeting with him tomorrow about the job he offered me.” I shrugged.

“That’s who you should have sex with,” Sloane said too loudly, and we all looked around to make sure no one was listening, and I shot her a warning look. “What? It could be a job perk. He’s experienced and obviously a great lover. The man just knows how to please his women. I swear I orgasmed when he asked me how my beer was last night. That voice. Those hands. That freaking hot Jesus hair. I am here for all of it.”

“Does Boomer know that you’ve put this much thought into the way Hugh Reynolds pleases his women?” Delilah asked, because Sloane and Boomer had been dating since high school.

“Please. Boomer doesn’t worry about that. Not with all the sex we’re having since we moved in together. But there’s no shame in looking, as long as you don’t touch, right? And you could make this happen while you’re here.”

“What if you made a list of all the things you want to do while you’re home? You know, like a bucket list. You have this other life out in Chicago where you’re this superstar runner and a big-time businesswoman, but you’re here for a few months. You can do all the things you want while you’re sort of on this break from your regular life. Like girls gone wild on spring break in Miami Beach, this is summer break in Cottonwood Cove, Lila-style. Find a guy to have a fling with and knock it right off the list,” Rina said as she smiled at Sloane, and they nodded like this was a genius plan.

“For God’s sake, you two. It’s not a grocery list; it’s her virginity. It’s not something you check off a list.” Delilah was always the voice of reason.

“You lost your V-card to Scotty Manchester. He had chronic tuna breath. I think that was something you checked off a list,” Rina said with a smirk.

“You know, some people think that his tuna breath is because ole Scotty-boy likes to head down south more than your average man.” Sloane waggled her brows before holding up her hand for another round.

“I assure you, that is not the reason for Scotty’s tuna breath.” Delilah raised a brow, and we all lost it again. I polished off my beer around a fit of laughter. It felt good to be here with them, having a great time just like we always did. I didn’t have to worry about practice the next day, or racing, or midterms or finals. I didn’t have to worry about making sure I secured a job for my future. I felt like just a normal person for the first time in my life, if I were being honest with myself. I wasn’t driving toward some epic dream or trying to accomplish something that everyone thought would be impossible.

Unless you counted losing my virginity, which had apparently become the impossible dream.

I’d planned to lose it a few different times, but it just hadn’t happened.

We spent the rest of the night carrying on like fools, drinking far too much, and I slept at Del’s place. She lived with her sister, Jory, and we’d tiptoed in way too late. But it felt like old times, having sleepovers and laughing with my friends.

It was exactly what I needed.





The next morning, my head pounded as I walked to Reynolds’ Bar and Grill. I’d hurried home and taken a quick shower and pulled myself together. I hadn’t ever been hungover because I’d always been too busy to allow myself to feel like crap the next day. I had always been very consistent about my work ethic, so I was embracing my inner rebel as I pulled open the door.

“Bear?” I called out, because I didn’t see anyone in the bar area. I’d called him that since we were kids. He’d called me Snow, and I’d called him Pooh Bear, but he’d insisted I drop the Pooh when we got older. I still laughed when I thought about the way he’d tried to gently ask me to just use Bear because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings.

Hugh Reynolds was a huge man with a big personality, who women had chased for as long as I could remember—but to me, he’d just been Bear. Charming and protective and kind. Sure, I’d gotten mad at him and Trav and Brax more times than I could count for running off any boy who tried to talk to me when I was in high school. I probably had those three to blame for my current situation, although they hadn’t followed me out to college, so I guess that was on me.

He came around the corner, carrying a large box in his big arms. I couldn’t help but zone in on his hands now that Sloane had mentioned them.

My God, those were some giant hands.

He set the box on the bar and reached up for the brim of his navy baseball cap, spinning it around in one quick movement. The man managed to make turning a cap around on his head look like the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

“There she is. I heard you were out getting into trouble at Garrity’s last night.” He smirked.

Dark, thick hair that stopped at his shoulders and sage-green eyes framed by long, black lashes. He had more facial hair now than he did a few years ago when I left for school, and it worked for him. I’d always known Hugh was beautiful, but it was more than just physical. He was smart and loyal and funny, and people had always been drawn to him. I’d been more of a sit-back-and-observe kind of gal, and I’d admired the way he owned every room he entered.