What the Shell Read online

  “It’s just for fun. But I try to pick one up every time I get to the coast.”

  “And what do you do with them when you get home?” I scanned the surrounding area, on the lookout for shells.

  “I have a little collection.”

  “Like in a shoebox?” I tried to picture what the inside of her apartment might look like.

  She shook her head. “More like a curio cabinet. It sits in the corner of my living room with flashy lights and plays music when you open the door.”

  “What kind of music?” I was ninety-nine percent sure she was joking but wasn’t about to call her out on it.

  “It goes something like,”—she started humming a catchy melody—“she sells seashells by the seashore.”

  I laughed out loud. “I think I know that one.”

  “I’m joking. I keep them in a box my grandma gave me years ago for all of my treasures.”

  For a moment, I wondered what else she’d consider precious enough to keep in her box of treasures.

  She stopped and reached for a shell half-buried in the wet sand, then tossed it back in the ocean.

  “What was wrong with that one?”

  “I’ve become more selective over the years since I don’t have as much room to store them. I only keep the best ones now.”

  I squinted at her and took a step. Something sharp pierced the bottom of my foot. “Ah, shit.”

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know.” I sat down in the sand to examine my heel. Blood trickled from a minor cut.

  She knelt next to me. “You’re bleeding.”

  “Just a little cut. There it is, that’s what got me.” I snagged a long shell with a pointy end from where it had lodged in the sand. It was smooth all around with uniform splotches of brown.

  Shelby took it from me. “It’s a Junonia shell. They’re super rare.”

  “Well, it’s super sharp, too. Look at that pointy top.” I ran a finger over the top. “And it must have broken when I stepped on it.” A minor piece had broken off from the ruffled edge. “I guess we toss it back since it’s not perfect, right?”

  “Not this one.” She wrapped her fingers around it and held it against her chest.

  “You want to keep it?”

  “Only if you don’t want it. Finders keepers, and all that.” She might say that, but I could tell by the way her lip quivered the tiniest bit that she wanted that shell.

  The only thing I needed to figure out was what she’d be willing to give me for it.

  4

  Shelby

  “One dance.” I pursed my lips, not about to let Evan practice his extortion games on me.

  He gestured to his foot. “I bled for that shell. Surely that’s worth sitting next to me at dinner. Celia’s been trying to set me up with one of her friends from college for months.”

  A pang of something that felt a little too much like jealousy sliced through me at the thought of Evan focusing those chocolatey brown eyes on someone else. I ran a finger over the smooth surface of the gorgeous shell. In all the years we’d been traveling to Florida, I’d never found a Junonia.

  “Fine. One dance and I’ll sit next to you at dinner. But that’s my final offer.” I thrust my hand out to him.

  “You drive a hard bargain, Ms. Pace.” He got to his feet and took my hand. “Can we hug on it instead?”

  A hug. I braced myself for the impact. One hug from him might tempt me to turn my back on the promise I’d made to myself to keep him in the friend zone. He was pushing my limits, but when he opened his arms, his chest practically begging to be snuggled, I couldn’t resist.

  I let him draw me in, wrap his arms around me, and hold me close. The scruff of his chin brushed the top of my forehead as he pulled me closer. He rested his chin on the top of my head and I pressed my cheek against his pecs. I closed my eyes, trying to cement this moment in my memory.

  The waves crashed on the shore behind me; the sun shone brightly overhead, and the smell of the sea spray mixed with the intoxicating scent that was Evan’s alone. The only thing that could make this moment perfect would be if he pulled back and claimed my mouth with his.

  Like he could read my mind, he leaned in even closer, his whiskers scratching against my cheek as he lowered his head. Our eyes met. Heat blazed in the depths of his beautiful dark eyes. He was going to kiss me. I knew it with a certainty I couldn’t explain. He rubbed his lips together and a shadow of doubt flickered in his eyes.

  “Hey, Evan!” My brother’s voice came from the other side of a clump of short palm trees.

  Evan’s arms dropped to his sides. We broke apart so fast it seemed like the world had tilted on its axis, leaving me lightheaded and a little dizzy.

  “Over here.” Evan shot me a look that was equal parts apology and regret.

  I closed my eyes for a long moment and summoned whatever inner resolve hadn’t already been shattered the moment I’d set eyes on him again.

  “Hey, what are the two of you doing?” Burton shaded his eyes from the sun, his gaze bouncing back and forth between us.

  Neither one of us spoke, and the silence dragged. Then we both tried to talk at the same time.

  Evan’s “We were just—” mixed with my “Looking for shells.”

  “Go ahead.” Evan motioned for me to go first.

  “We were looking for shells. Evan found a Junonia.” I held it out to Burton like its existence would prove that I hadn’t been about to lock lips with his best friend right before he interrupted.

  “Cool.” Burton barely glanced at it before turning his attention to Evan. “Think you can help me with something for a bit?”

  Evan dragged his gaze away from mine. “Sure. Whatever you need.”

  “See you later.” Burton’s lips parted into a carefree grin.

  “Stay out of trouble.” I waved as he walked away. Evan hung back for a moment like he wanted to say something. I wrinkled my nose and nudged my chin toward the resort. “You’d better go.”

  “Shelby…” He gave a slight shake of his head.

  “Go on. You’re the best man.”

  Nodding, he seemed to resign himself to the fact that whatever sizzled under the surface between us needed to stay there. Then he turned around and walked away.

  I waited until I’d made sure he picked up his things from his beach chair before I headed back. Evan was… well, he was Evan. Everything I’d ever wanted in a man, rolled up into one broad-shouldered, smoldering-eyed, totally buff package.

  But that package didn’t have a gift tag for me on it. He was meant for someone else.

  5

  Evan

  I didn’t see Shelby again until after we’d run through the rehearsal and everyone gathered on the beach for a party. The chefs rolled huge grills to where the sidewalk met the sand and were busy prepping whatever fresh fish they’d caught that morning. Reggae music played through speakers placed around the property. Everyone, including me, enjoyed the free-flowing rum punch.

  Then something in the atmosphere shifted, and I felt her presence before I saw her at the edge of the crowd. Shelby had on a flowery strapless dress. A slit in the side showed off her long, tanned legs. My pulse ticked up at the sight of her. She scanned the crowd; her gaze stopping when her eyes met mine.

  I gravitated toward her, moving through the small crowd with one goal in mind. Get to Shelby. I had to get my hands on her, even if it would be limited to total platonic contact.

  “Hey.” She smiled as I moved closer. Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the light from the torches they’d set up around the perimeter of our section of beach.

  “You look beautiful.” I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. No one could fault me for greeting the sister of the groom. Even though I wanted to linger, breathe in the scent of her light perfume and let everything else fade away, I straightened.

  She tensed. “Evan.”

  “Just saying hi.” I motioned to the bar. “Can I get you some punch?”
>
  “Sure, that would be great. But just one for me tonight.”

  “You feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just want to make sure I keep my wits about me.”

  A weight dropped into my gut. “I hope that’s not on my account.”

  Her lips tipped up in the slightest of smiles before she broke eye contact. “I want to make sure I don’t do something I’ll regret.”

  I hated the fact that being with me fell into that category. “Don’t you think Burton could take it? You’re not his innocent little sister anymore.”

  She laughed. “We both know I was never his innocent little sister.”

  Yeah, we did. It had surprised me exactly how un-innocent she’d been the night we got together. She was more than willing to try anything and everything I suggested. Even thinking about it threatened to rile me up again. She had a way of getting me so turned on I couldn’t see straight.

  “I’ll grab the drinks and be back in a sec.” I needed to put some distance between us, even if it was only long enough to catch my breath.

  She nodded, and I left her standing at the edge of the crowd while I made my way to the bar.

  “Hey, Evan.” Celia sidled up to me while I waited for the bartender, her cheeks flushed. “When you have a sec, I want to introduce you to my bestie.”

  “I need to run this over to Shelby, but I’d be happy to meet her later.”

  Burton saw us standing at the bar and came over. Wrapping his arm around his fiancee’s waist, he set his empty glass on the bar and motioned for a refill. “Having a good time?”

  “It’s fantastic. You couldn’t have asked for better weather.” I glanced up at the starlit sky.

  “I promised Celia the perfect wedding, so I had to deliver.” The two of them smiled at each other, and I felt like I was intruding on a private moment.

  As I picked up the glasses from the bar, Burton whispered something to Celia and she moved away.

  “Celia said you’re taking that over to Shelby?”

  “That’s right.” I sensed I was treading on potentially dangerous ground. The less I said about Shelby, the less likely I’d be to fuck things up.

  “Did she tell you she got a job offer in Kansas City?”

  I almost tripped over my own feet. “What?”

  “Yeah. I wanted to ask you a favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If she takes it, she’ll need a place to stay.” He glanced toward his feet. “I don’t want to hinder your game, but with Celia and I being newlyweds and all, do you think she could move into one of your spare bedrooms? You’ve got more than enough room.”

  My heart thundered. Was he fucking joking? I gulped down half my cup of rum punch in one swallow.

  “Forget it. I’ll see if she can stay with Celia’s friend instead. I’d just feel better if I knew she was safe.”

  “No. She can stay with me.” How the fuck was I going to keep my hands off her if she was under my roof? My mind filled with images of Shelby at my place, lounging on the couch in her pajamas, standing at the kitchen sink doing dishes, bending over to get laundry out of the dryer. Even the most mundane everyday tasks would be unbearable.

  “You sure?” Burton grinned. “You have no idea how much it means to me. I don’t have to tell you I consider you family. Knowing she’s got another big brother looking out for her sure takes a load off.”

  “My pleasure.” I could barely breathe, much less speak. Was I really committing to have the one woman I couldn’t touch move in with me?

  By that time we’d reached the spot where I’d left Shelby. I handed her the punch I’d brought her as Burton joined us.

  “Good news. I told Evan about your job offer. If you take it, he’d be happy to let you take over a bedroom at his place.”

  Shelby lifted her gaze to lock onto mine. “That’s very generous of you.”

  “Anything for family.” I shrugged, trying to stifle the barrage of emotions ricocheting through me.

  “Glad that’s settled.” Burton put one hand on Shelby’s arm and one on mine. “You two have fun. I’ve got to go find Mom and Dad.”

  He walked away, but I barely noticed. I held Shelby’s gaze and tried to keep my voice steady. “So how do you picture this working out? You think we’ll make good roommates?”

  6

  Shelby

  “We can’t be roommates.” I shook my head, not willing to entertain the idea of being around Evan all the time. “I’m not even sure about taking the job.”

  He sighed, like he was letting out the same frustration I was feeling. “Is it a good offer?”

  “Yeah, it is.” I gulped down some punch. Maybe it could cool off the heat that sparked every time Evan entered my line of sight.

  “You want to tell me about it?”

  “Sure. Should we grab a seat?” I gestured to a table that had been set up on the beach.

  He held a chair out for me, and my heart melted. He’d always been a gentleman. I was the one who’d pushed him into hooking up the last time we’d been together.

  “So tell me about this job. Burton said you’ve been working for a non-profit up in Chicago?”

  “That’s right. It’s been fantastic to see so much progress. The organization wants to spread out a bit and they’ve asked me to start things up in Kansas City.”

  “Is it something you want to do?”

  “There are pros and cons.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, the biggest con is the pay. I’d get a new title, but not a raise. They’re strapped for cash so it would be awhile before they could offer me much more than I’m making now. And that’s barely enough to survive, even with two roommates.”

  He studied me, his brown eyes rimmed with long lashes that should have been illegal on a guy. That was one thing I loved about Evan. He always seemed so thoughtful, so deliberate with his words. “That seems a small price to pay if you believe in the work you’re doing. How about the pros?”

  “Well, there’s the benefit of promoting literacy for children. You’re right, you can’t really put a price on that.”

  He lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip. My gaze followed the tip of his tongue as it whipped out to lick a drop from the corner of his mouth.

  “And there’s you.” My voice came out so soft I wasn’t sure I’d actually said the words out loud.

  He paused for a long moment, his gaze trained on his hands. “Do I fall under the pros or the cons list?”

  I sighed. “Both.”

  “What do you want me to do, Shelby?”

  A million possibilities danced through my mind. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to fill me up like he had the night we’d spent together. I wanted him to hold me tight and never let me go. Everything I wanted, I knew he’d never be able to give me.

  “How about that dance?” I held out my hand.

  He stood and helped me from my chair. As we joined the other couples swaying on the dance floor, he put a hand at the small of my back. I reached up and clasped my hands together behind his neck. His other hand went to my hip, practically searing the spot where he touched me.

  We barely moved to the slow beat of the song. All I wanted to do was stand in his arms and pretend like it could last forever.

  “Shelby…” his whisper landed in my hair.

  I pulled back enough to meet his gaze. The desperate desire I saw there matched my own.

  “You want to get out of here?” I asked.

  He bit his lip and gave a slight nod.

  7

  Evan

  I knew better. Fuck. What was I doing? Did Burton’s friendship mean so little to me that I could throw it away for a quick fuck? A mist of sea spray from the ocean blew over us and I took in a deep breath, trying to make sense of everything. Shelby was so much more than a one-night stand. I could see a future with her. For the first time in my life, I wanted to make a commitment to someone.

  Not just someone.


  Her.

  Shelby led me down the beach. When the light from the torches barely sparkled against the inky backdrop of the sky, she stopped and twirled around.

  I caught her lips in mine, desperate to taste her.

  Her hands gripped my shoulders, pulling me closer.

  She smelled like paradise. She tasted like rum punch. She felt like heaven in my arms.

  I slid my tongue against hers, taking the kiss deeper. I couldn’t get close enough, not even when I wrapped my arms around her back and held her as tight as I could against my chest.

  “Wait.” She pulled away, breathless.

  I tucked her hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek with my palm. “What’s wrong?”

  She gazed up at me with the same desperate need I felt deep in my core. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’ve never been so sure about anything. You?”

  Instead of answering, she reached for the buttons on my shirt and unfastened the one on top. I waited, so eager to run my hands over her skin that my fingers ached. She took her time, working her way down the front of my shirt until she slid it over my shoulders and let it fall to the beach.

  I bent down and spread it across the sand. “Come here.”

  She knelt next to me and we faced each other. The moon perched high in the sky, bathing us both in a silvery light, making everything feel like a dream. A dream I never wanted to wake from.

  Reaching down, she lifted her dress over her head. I helped her pull it loose. She hadn’t worn a bra and the sight of her bare chested, her hair flowing around her shoulders, made her look like a siren who’d come straight from the sea.

  “Shelby.” Her name wrenched out me like a prayer as my gaze swept over her. She was everything…my hopes, my dreams, my future. Then my hands were in her hair, my lips capturing hers.

  She responded eagerly to my kiss, skimming her palms over my chest, pressing her hips against mine.

  I laid back, pulling her down on top of me. Her legs straddled my waist, her breasts pressed against my chest. The need to be inside her, consume her, claim her, barreled through me. Her fingers fumbled with the button at my waistband. I reached down and helped. Within seconds, I’d kicked my pants off, followed by my briefs. The only thing between us was a pair of lacy white panties.