What the Shell Read online

  What the Shell

  Eve London

  Contents

  Foreword

  Preface

  1. Evan

  2. Shelby

  3. Evan

  4. Shelby

  5. Evan

  6. Shelby

  7. Evan

  8. Evan

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Eve London

  Copyright ©2020 by Eve London

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, or stored in any storage or retrieval system without written permission of the author. Violating these rights is forbidden and punishable by the fullest extent of the law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, person living or dead, locales, or other status is entirely coincidental.

  All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders. The author is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.

  Dear Reader,

  Thanks for taking a chance on my Summer Lovin’ Series! It’s full of fun in the sun and falling in love. I hope you enjoy reading about my heroes and heroines as much as I enjoyed writing them!

  If you haven’t picked up your free first book, Life’s A Beach, you can grab it here: https://geni.us/LifesABeach.

  SWAK!

  Eve

  WHAT THE SHELL

  My best friend’s little sister is all grown up.

  Two tipsy wedding guests…plus one night of getting sand in all the wrong places…equals me handing my heart over to Shelby Pace. It shouldn’t matter that she’s my best friend’s sister.

  She’s all grown up, the perfect blend of beauty and brains, and there’s no way I’m going to let her be the one who got away, no matter what her brother says.

  1

  Evan

  “You ready for tomorrow?” I clapped my hand on my best friend’s shoulder. As his best man, it was my job to make sure he didn’t get cold feet before he tied the knot.

  He shrugged it off. “Yeah, I’ll be ready. Just a few last-minute jitters.”

  Burton and his fiancee, Celia, had gathered their friends and family on the perfect island paradise to bear witness to the ceremony. I hadn’t been to Florida before, much less a private island off the west coast. By the time we arrived last night it had been well after dark, so I was looking forward to catching my first glimpse of the gulf.

  “What do you need me to do today? Any last-minute prep work?”

  “Nah. The resort takes care of everything. I’ve got to meet with the event planner so why don’t you head down to the beach and I’ll catch up to you later?”

  “You sure?”

  “Go.” He pointed to the door.

  I’d already changed into my swim trunks so I grabbed a towel, slid my shades over my eyes and made my way to the private stretch of sugar sand beach right outside the two-bedroom bungalow we’d shared.

  The sun sat high in a clear, blue sky. I set my towel down on a lounge chair and pulled my shirt over my head.

  “Evan Dixon.” A voice behind me immediately took me back to a night of unleashed passion and spurred a craving deep in my gut. “Is that really you?”

  I tossed the shirt down on top of my towel and turned around. The woman in front of me couldn’t be my best friend’s little sister. Last time I’d seen her, she’d been a senior in college who’d come to Kansas City to spend the weekend with her brother.

  We’d shared one amazing night together—the hottest night I’d ever had—and then she left to go back to school all the way up in Michigan. It might have been a year since I’d had my hands all over her, but I’d never forgotten. Neither had my dick. The traitor stirred in appreciation at the sight of her.

  “Hey, Shelby. I wondered if I’d see you this weekend.” That was a lie. I hadn’t just wondered, I’d hoped like hell she’d be here. I hadn’t been able to get her out of my mind since that perfect night. She’d ruined me for all other women.

  She laughed, the sound making my chest tighten, and my fingers itch to pull her close. “I’m the sister of the groom. Where else would I be?”

  My face heated, and it had nothing to do with the scorching rays from the Florida sun. “Yeah. I figured we’d run into each other.”

  “I’m glad we did.” Her pink lips parted, spreading into a smile that seemed equal parts sass and spitfire.

  Fuck, it was good to see her. I’d kept up on what she was doing over the past year and a half thanks to Burton, but I’d never wanted to seem too eager. If he knew we’d hooked up, even though it had only been that one time, he’d never forgive me for violating his baby sister.

  There was nothing babyish about her then or now. She’d been a knockout in college, but she’d matured since then. Made me wonder how many guys she’d been with since me. I’d never been the kind of man to get jealous, but with Shelby all bets were off the table. She made me say and do things I’d never imagined. Around her, I didn’t know who I was.

  “You looking for a place to catch a few rays?” I gestured toward the lounge chair next to mine. “You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”

  She glanced back toward the resort. “My cousin is meeting me out here. Are you sure you don’t mind the company?”

  I shook my head. Mind? I’d give anything to have her to myself for a few hours. Anything but my friendship with Burton. I met him our first year of college and we’d seen each other through some major shit. We thought of each other as brothers, which meant I should think of Shelby as my own little sister. But honestly, the thoughts I had about her were far, far from brotherly.

  She set her bag down on the lounge chair next to me and reached for the hem of her cover up.

  My gaze followed the path of her short sundress as it skimmed her thighs and passed over her swim suit bottoms. White string bikini bottoms with an allover print of bright red cherries. As eager as I was to spend some time around Shelby again, I wasn’t looking forward to spending the entire weekend with a major case of blue balls.

  “Oh, hey Corrine.” She let go of her cover up, and the dress fell back down.

  I had to prevent myself from groaning out loud. My cock practically wept. Taking a few deep breaths, I willed myself back to half mast.

  “Evan, have you met my cousin, Corrine?” Shelby asked.

  I glanced over at the petite, dark-haired woman who joined us. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you, too.” Her mouth quirked up as she shot Shelby a knowing grin. No way she knew about the night we’d shared. Both of us swore we’d never tell a soul.

  “Evan’s invited us to join him on the beach.” Shelby motioned to the chair next to hers.

  “Well, isn’t that nice of him?” Corrine settled herself on the lounge chair and pushed a set of ear buds into her ears.

  Rather than stand there and wait for my dick to rise again, I climbed onto my chair. “You don’t have to do anything to get ready for the wedding today?”

  “Not until later. Burton and Celia decided to keep things super small. You’re the best man and her sister is the maid of honor. The rest of us are off the hook until the rehearsal dinner tonight.” As she spoke, her fingers went to the edge of her shirt again.

  I couldn’t trust myself to look at her without getting a raging hard on, so I jumped to my feet. “I’m going to take a quick dip. Be back in a few.”

  Before she had a chance to say anything, I took off toward the water. I’d known it would be weird to see her again. I thought I was ready. That I’d be able to keep things
casual.

  But I’d miscalculated. The hold Shelby Pace had over me was just as strong as it had been the last time I saw her. And there wasn’t a fucking thing I could do about it.

  2

  Shelby

  “So he’s the one, huh?” Corrine pulled her ear buds out and rolled onto her side to face me.

  My heart pounded in my chest so hard I was surprised I couldn’t see it through my skin. “Yeah.”

  She shook her head as a smile spread across her mouth. “He’s hot.”

  “Tell me something I don’t already know.” I yanked my cover up over my head and settled onto the chair. Not only did he look as good as I remembered, he looked better. How that was even possible was a mystery. On a scale of one to ten, the man was already a fifteen.

  “Do you think the two of you will have a chance to, uh, talk about what happened back then?” Corrine tapped her fingertip against her chin. “What did you call it? Something like the most magical night of your life?”

  “Cut it out.” I took a half-hearted swipe at her with a magazine I pulled out of my bag. “I doubt he even remembers.”

  Corrine peered over the rim of her dark sunglasses. “Holy shit. He looks even better wet than he does dry.”

  I followed her gaze to see Evan pop up from under a shallow wave. He ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head, flinging water droplets in every direction.

  “You might want to pick up your jaw there, sweetie.” Corrine let out a laugh.

  I snapped my mouth closed, not realizing it had fallen open. Huffing out a breath, I reached in my bag for my sunscreen as she pushed her ear buds back in.

  Yes, I’d spent an unforgettable weekend at Burton’s place. He and Evan had moved to Kansas City after college and were sharing a two-bedroom apartment just north of the Plaza. They took me out to the bars in Westport that Saturday night, and Burton got so wasted he passed out as soon as we got back to their place.

  What happened between me and Evan had been nothing more than the perfect culmination of proximity, opportunity, and combustible chemistry. That’s all it could be because of my brother. And hell yeah, I was disappointed about that. But we’d promised each other we’d never tell, and I’d kept up my end of things. Corrine didn’t count. She was the sister I never had, and we shared everything. Well, almost everything. There was no way I’d consider sharing Evan.

  I spread sunscreen over my arms and legs and was just about to ask Corrine to get my back when Evan returned to his chair.

  “Want me to get your shoulders?” He could have been asking if I needed a refill on my water bottle. There was no flirty undertone.

  “Sure.” I handed him my SPF50 and turned away.

  He squeezed some into his hands and rubbed them together as I coiled my hair on top of my head to keep it out of the way. At the first contact of his fingers on my shoulder, a slow shiver spread over my skin. I bit my lip. It had to be almost a hundred degrees, yet goose bumps covered me from head to toe.

  “You okay?” He leaned in close, his breath brushing my ear.

  “Yeah, just fine. Thank goodness for that breeze, right?” He didn’t buy it, I could tell by the deep chuckle.

  “Right.” His hands lingered, taking much longer than necessary to spread sunscreen over my back.

  When he lifted the tie of my bikini top to get the area at the nape of my neck, my pulse ticked up. My breasts tingled and my nipples perked. I tried to fill my head with thoughts of anything besides Evan Dixon and the way my body responded to his.

  His hands moved under the tie across the middle of my back. I wished he’d pull it loose, reach around and cup my breasts. Just like his large, capable hands had fondled every inch of me the night we spent together.

  “Done yet?” I let go of my hair, and it cascaded down my back.

  “That should do it.” He rubbed his hands together, working the excess sunscreen into his skin. “For now.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You ready to do me?” Even though I knew he was only flirting, the double meaning of his words made my skin pebble again.

  I twisted around to face him. “Excuse me?”

  “I could use some sunscreen on my back.” He gave me a cocky grin that proved he knew exactly how his tone was coming across and that he liked it. So much for keeping the flirting to a minimum.

  Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing how being around him still had an enormous effect on me, I grabbed the bottle and squirted some into my hands.

  His brows rose in question, then he slowly turned around.

  “Come closer, you’re too big.”

  His shoulders moved as he laughed. “Can I record you saying that? For posterity’s sake?”

  “Stop, you know what I meant.” Even with his ass perched on the edge of my chair, I had to climb to my knees to reach his shoulders. I may have forgotten how tall he was, but I had no trouble remembering how broad those shoulders were. Especially when I’d clung to them and called out his name. Over and over and over again.

  “Finished so soon?”

  “Isn’t that what she said?” I clamped my teeth down on my lower lip, proud of myself for volleying a zinger back his way.

  He leaned back, resting his large frame against my chest. “Not with me, babe.”

  “Get over yourself.” Grinning, I pushed him away, needing space to cool the heat that sparked between us.

  Groaning, he shifted from my chair to his own. “Let’s be honest, Shelby.”

  “Why start now?” I rubbed my hands together in an attempt to rub in the extra sunscreen.

  “You’ve got to admit, you like it.”

  “Like what? Your preference for salacious humor? Seeing you parade around with your bulging biceps?”

  He studied me through his sunglasses; the moment stretching into several long beats. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  I shook my head. He was wrong about that. I wasn’t the same stars in her eyes, naïve college girl who’d been hell bent on fulfilling a fantasy with her brother’s buff best friend. Back then I was willing to settle for one night of magic, thinking it would be enough. Now I knew better.

  “I’m going to hunt for shells.” I needed some space. Needed to catch my breath and remind myself of everything I had going for me. Before I let myself get lost in the memories of how it felt to give myself to Evan and did something I’d regret.

  3

  Evan

  I ran through the conversation from start to finish. The look in her eyes when she hopped up and stalked away would haunt me forever if I didn’t figure out what kind of asshole comment I’d made and try to make it right.

  “Shelby, wait.”

  She hadn’t made it far, so I caught up to her easily. Her hips swayed back and forth, making the cherries on her ass look like they were bouncing on their stems. I’d never been a huge fan of cherries, but I craved them now like a parched patch of earth ached for rain.

  “What did I say?” I put my hand on her arm, intending to slow her down.

  She stopped, whirling around to face me. “I don’t want to do this with you right now.”

  “Do what? Hunt for seashells?”

  “You know what I mean.” Her bottom lip jutted out in a tiny pout. I couldn’t remember a time I’d ever wanted something as bad as I wanted to pull that lip into my mouth and make her forget all about her afternoon plans.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She set a hand on her hip, drawing my attention to the strings of her bikini bottoms, the only things keeping her ass covered, and glared up at me. “For what?”

  “For whatever I said that pissed you off.”

  Huffing out a breath, she continued her path down the beach.

  “What?” I jogged the few steps to catch up. “What did I say now?”

  “Look, if that’s how you want to play it, like we’re just two old friends catching up after a long time, that’s fine. But stop the flirty banter. And for heaven’s sake, stop
looking at me like that.”

  Guilty. I was guilty of each one of those fucking little things. “Okay.”

  “Okay, what?”

  “Okay, I’ll stop.” I glanced at my feet, trying to figure out a way to explain the thoughts running through my head and the crushing feeling squeezing my heart. “I meant it when I said it’s good to see you.”

  Her eyes softened. “It’s good to see you, too.”

  “And if things were different…” I didn’t know why I’d said that. Because as much as I might want to make things different… live in a world where Shelby Pace wasn’t my brother from another mother’s very own little sister… it wasn’t going to happen.

  A long, drawn-out sigh made her shoulders rise and fall. “I know.”

  The levity of the situation settled around us like a big, wet blanket smothering a fire. The heat was still there. I could feel it in my gut every time she looked at me. But no matter how much I wished things were different, she’d always be Burton’s little sister. Which meant she’d always be off limits.

  “So how about those shells?”

  “You want to help me look?” she asked.

  “Sure, why not? I didn’t know you collected shells.” The connection between us felt so strong, so deep, that we’d fast forwarded through all the get-to-know-you details. Sure, I knew about her family and the highlights of what she’d been up to since we’d been together. The job in Chicago, her volunteer work. But I didn’t know the everyday stuff like what she put on her toast or what side of the bed she preferred.