Read Online Kate Takes Care Of Business by Rachel Cartwright - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Cartwright
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herself when they first met at Maxwell’s. Kate shrugged it off. “I don’t care.” The car swerved to one side. “Just keep your eyes on the road.”
Kate’s teeth had been on edge for the last few minutes. She was worried that Sterling’s mind was not on his driving. He looked jittery and was constantly checking his rearview mirror even though there was clearly not another single car on this isolated back road. “Everybody’s really pissed,” he said. “My old man won’t even speak to me unless I can do something to help fix this mess.”
“My dad’s the same way.”
“Remember our promise, Kate?” His voice carried a note of desperation. “I . . . I don’t want to wait any longer . . . do you?” With one hand on the wheel, he slid his other over her warm thigh.
“Secrets?” Bridget squealed from the back seat. “Are you two keeping secrets from us? Oh my God . . . you better not be talking about what I think you’re talking about.”
Jeff laughed. “Ahh, you’re too late, honey. Always a bridesmaid but never—”
Bridget blasted her poor boyfriend. “Shut up and have another drink.” She pushed Kate in the shoulder. “So is it true?”
Kate was silent. The world was whirling too fast on its axis and she was too numb to care who knew her secrets anymore. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Sterling grinned like a mischievous monkey. “Okay, enough of that.” He swung his speeding car effortlessly around a wide corner. “We took a vote before we left and we came to a unanimous decision.”
Kate sighed. “About what?”
“We’re having a bonfire on our private beach and going skinny dipping. I mean, when was the last time we did that?” Sterling’s voice taunted Kate. “Unless someone doesn’t feel like it . . . again.”
Bridget leaned forward almost spilling out of her top, still trying to convince the man in the driver’s seat that she was still available. “C’mon. We’re all old friends. It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before, right Sterling?”
Sterling laughed. “At least try to keep your shorts on this time until we get there, okay?”
Kate’s hesitation was almost imperceptible. She turned away and grinned as she remembered the last time they had gone swimming butt naked in the ocean. Oh God, they were a bunch of drunken teenagers then, swimming at night in the dark, dangerous waves but feeling so excited and alive under the stars.
Jeff whispered in her ear. “You’re still not worried about sharks like you were the first time, are you?”
Bridget tittered. “Weren’t you in the water for all of five minutes before you screamed and ran out on the beach?”
With a toss of her shining hair, Kate defied her friend’s mockery and insulting expectations. After what Reid had done, there was nothing they could say that could hurt her so deeply again. “The only sharks I’m worried about are the ones in this car.”
Everyone whistled and laughed louder.
Kate glanced around at Jeff. “Can you save some of that until we get to the beach? We’re almost there.”
“Ahh . . . too bad, so sad. All gone.” He looked one drink short of being totally hammered. “But the good news is we don’t have to wait now to open up the second one. Woo hoo!” He unscrewed the cap and took a drink.
Kate laughed with her friends. She began to feel like summer was finally here. She was glad too that she had changed for the trip in a brief-sleeved yellow jersey blouse, long swing skirt of tangerine, and ankle strap sandals.
She opened her window. The rushing ocean air ruffled her hair across her shoulders and whipped her skirt provocatively about her slim, bare thighs.
Kate let Sterling steal as many seductive glances as he wanted because the harder she tried to ignore the truth the more it persisted.
With Reid gone and never there to hold her again, she had reached a point for no return with Sterling. In her heart Kate knew that tonight
Kate’s teeth had been on edge for the last few minutes. She was worried that Sterling’s mind was not on his driving. He looked jittery and was constantly checking his rearview mirror even though there was clearly not another single car on this isolated back road. “Everybody’s really pissed,” he said. “My old man won’t even speak to me unless I can do something to help fix this mess.”
“My dad’s the same way.”
“Remember our promise, Kate?” His voice carried a note of desperation. “I . . . I don’t want to wait any longer . . . do you?” With one hand on the wheel, he slid his other over her warm thigh.
“Secrets?” Bridget squealed from the back seat. “Are you two keeping secrets from us? Oh my God . . . you better not be talking about what I think you’re talking about.”
Jeff laughed. “Ahh, you’re too late, honey. Always a bridesmaid but never—”
Bridget blasted her poor boyfriend. “Shut up and have another drink.” She pushed Kate in the shoulder. “So is it true?”
Kate was silent. The world was whirling too fast on its axis and she was too numb to care who knew her secrets anymore. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Sterling grinned like a mischievous monkey. “Okay, enough of that.” He swung his speeding car effortlessly around a wide corner. “We took a vote before we left and we came to a unanimous decision.”
Kate sighed. “About what?”
“We’re having a bonfire on our private beach and going skinny dipping. I mean, when was the last time we did that?” Sterling’s voice taunted Kate. “Unless someone doesn’t feel like it . . . again.”
Bridget leaned forward almost spilling out of her top, still trying to convince the man in the driver’s seat that she was still available. “C’mon. We’re all old friends. It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before, right Sterling?”
Sterling laughed. “At least try to keep your shorts on this time until we get there, okay?”
Kate’s hesitation was almost imperceptible. She turned away and grinned as she remembered the last time they had gone swimming butt naked in the ocean. Oh God, they were a bunch of drunken teenagers then, swimming at night in the dark, dangerous waves but feeling so excited and alive under the stars.
Jeff whispered in her ear. “You’re still not worried about sharks like you were the first time, are you?”
Bridget tittered. “Weren’t you in the water for all of five minutes before you screamed and ran out on the beach?”
With a toss of her shining hair, Kate defied her friend’s mockery and insulting expectations. After what Reid had done, there was nothing they could say that could hurt her so deeply again. “The only sharks I’m worried about are the ones in this car.”
Everyone whistled and laughed louder.
Kate glanced around at Jeff. “Can you save some of that until we get to the beach? We’re almost there.”
“Ahh . . . too bad, so sad. All gone.” He looked one drink short of being totally hammered. “But the good news is we don’t have to wait now to open up the second one. Woo hoo!” He unscrewed the cap and took a drink.
Kate laughed with her friends. She began to feel like summer was finally here. She was glad too that she had changed for the trip in a brief-sleeved yellow jersey blouse, long swing skirt of tangerine, and ankle strap sandals.
She opened her window. The rushing ocean air ruffled her hair across her shoulders and whipped her skirt provocatively about her slim, bare thighs.
Kate let Sterling steal as many seductive glances as he wanted because the harder she tried to ignore the truth the more it persisted.
With Reid gone and never there to hold her again, she had reached a point for no return with Sterling. In her heart Kate knew that tonight
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