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Filipe and Matty returned. The four of us lay side by side, our arms and legs touching.
“She is, thanks.” I saw the smile form on her lips. “Anyway, imagine my shock when I landed at LAX and a sleek town car transported me to a helipad. A helicopter brought me to his house here in Malibu. My mom kept so much information from me, I honestly had no clue. Pools, servants, my own dedicated assistant and chef, a wardrobe for miles. My bedroom was the size of my parents’ house in Thailand. Thankfully I had a humble upbringing before I landed here, and my mom and I talked every night on the phone. She gave me the cold, hard truth about being related to someone famous, so that kept everything from going to my head. At a certain point, though, I came to resent all of it.”
It wasn’t difficult for me to imagine that at all, though I was sure it was a different sensation at ten years of age versus eighteen.
“Our girl’s a rebel,” Filipe said with affection.
I focused on Filipe’s choice of word “our” there, as if Joan was our collective girlfriend. I was still so confused on the nature of their relationship, but I figured that was a question for another time.
Beside me, Matty said, “If anyone can imagine what you went through Joan, I’m sure Ciaran might. We didn’t pick him up in a helicopter,” he added with a gentle laugh, “and he scarcely had anything approaching a wardrobe, but we’ll get that fixed soon.”
“People will start to gossip if I keep wearing your clothing, Matty,” I said. What I didn’t add was, I’m sure people will gossip for other reasons, too.
“You mean the clothing that’s all but destroyed in your closet?” Joan asked. She propped up on an elbow to offer us a shit-eating grin. “Miss Paulina is going to be horrified when she discovers the mess.”
“Good lord, don’t remind me,” Matty said with a low hiss. His hand went to his forehead. “Do you think she’ll believe me if I tell her someone from the party did it?”
Filipe laughed so hard that I thought he might start crying. Clearing his throat, he said, “If you think Miss Paulina doesn’t already know everything that’s going on at Vaulteneau, you’re living your life with rose-colored glasses, Matty. I bet she knew about your kiss before you two got around to letting it happen. Miss Paulina is an omniscient old broad, and I say that with deep affection and terror. She can be as ruthless as Stefon, and that’s saying something.”
Worry swirled in my belly. “Maybe we should go clean it up, Matty.”
“How about,” Matty said as he kissed my forehead, “we don’t and instead go to bed.”
His finger traced my jaw before it lightly skimmed my lips.
A silent gasp hung in my throat. An entirely different feeling replaced the worry in my belly. A ball of excitement expanded and a jolt of sheer pleasure went through me. I wasn’t sure I could speak, even if I wanted to. I wanted to see how Joan and Filipe were reacting to this but I couldn’t tear my gaze from Matty’s shadowy face as he hovered over me.
I wasn’t ashamed of my feelings for him, and I sure as hell wanted him to touch me, but I wasn’t sold on the idea of Matty doing any of it in front of others. Instinct told me that Matty, Filipe, and Joan had a sexual history together, but that was none of my business…unless they continued it.
Matty studied my face in the darkness. Perhaps my silence conveyed my tinge of discomfort. A cool gust of wind blew in from the ocean and I shivered.
“Yeah, Ciaran,” he said softly as he sat up, “we should go clean it.” To Joan and Filipe, he said, “Come by tomorrow and bring your wetsuits. I have a few ideas about Zoey and I’d like to plan it together, but I want to do it out on the water where no one can hear us.”
“Sure thing, bro,” Filipe said.
Everyone came to a standing position. Matty and Filipe did the bro-hug thing while Joan pecked Matty on the lips.
“See ya, babe,” she said to Matty. “Go slow with my darling Ciaran.”
Oh God, I thought, as my face burned hot with embarrassment. Did everyone know I was an inexperienced virgin?
Matty merely said, “Ciaran’s calling all the shots.”
I thought I was free from her affection, but she pulled me down into a fierce hug. In my ear she whispered, “Goodnight, sweetie.” On tiptoes she also smacked me on the lips. She smelled like cherry cola and Sun Bum coconut lip balm, a scent I’d come to associate with her.
Behind her, Filipe also hugged me, but it was more of a side hug like he’d given Matty. “Night, bro.” Thankfully, he didn’t try to kiss me.
With that, we left Joan and Filipe on the beach as they settled back on the blanket.
I didn’t argue when Matty took my hand. “The trail can be tricky,” Matty said by way of explanation.
We turned toward the cliff and I followed Matty up a winding path that led up over Point Dume, which would bring us to another path that traversed between the mega estates along the cliffside.
Mentally, I calculated how long it would take until we got to the Vaulteneau Estate. Fifteen minutes? Twenty? I was nervous about what might happen when we got there.
But, as the butterflies went haywire in my belly, I was also very excited.
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