I slowly pulled out of her, slid off the condom and tossed of it in a nearby trashcan. She turned around, reached down to grab her panties and stepped back into them. I watched as she tried to get herself looking decent, and I found my belt to pull myself together. And to think, this night was only just beginning.
“Glad you just got it on with Dan Marshall’s son?” I asked before I could stop myself.
She’d already told me she picked me out anonymously from the crowd, but I was so used to women getting with me because of who my father was, I needed to hear it from her own mouth.
“Who?” She cocked an eyebrow at me, a half-smile on her face as though she suspected I was kidding around.
“Nothing.” I shook my head.
She sounded sincere. A grin broke over my face as I headed for the office door and back out onto the pulsing dance floor. What happened had nothing to do with my family or who I was. It just had to do with me. It was like Tucker had said before we went out.
I could have any woman I wanted, whether she knew who my family was or not.
Chapter Two
Aria
I leaned my head against the window and let out a long sigh. It was good to be out of the house.
“Uh-oh,” Floundy announced. “Fun police.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I peered into the rearview mirror, and sure enough, there was Claude, right behind us. I’d recognize that dogged expression and slightly disappointed frown anywhere.
“I can’t believe he found us,” I groaned and glanced over at my best friend. He raised his eyebrows at me and shrugged.
“What do you think your father pays him for?” he said pointedly.
I waved him off with my hand and focused on making it the rest of the way up the road.
“You’re right,” I said, sighing.
“I’m always right,” he teased, and I managed to crack a smile.
I was pissed I’d come all this way only to get stalked by the damn bodyguard I never seemed to be able to get rid of, but at least I had my best friend here to take the edge off.
Toby Lomax and I had met in grade school when the two of us had turned our noses up at doing a stupid art project designed by the teacher. We’d both objected to wasting a bunch of macaroni that could’ve been our dinner, and from then on, we’d never been able to shake each other.
I’d been the one to christen him with his nickname, Floundy, in honor of how badly he seemed to flounder in front of every single guy he had a crush on. As we got older, I realized from his choice in men he could also be described as a bottom feeder.
So, Floundy stuck.
Hell, I’d been the one to help him come out to his family when they didn’t have any idea he was gay. He was as protective of me as any bodyguard was, but also a hell of a lot more fun. When I made a break for our house at Sand Dollar Beach, he was the first person I called, knowing I could rely on him to show me a good time.
We headed up the winding road to the beach house, and I could almost pretend Claude wasn’t right behind us. I could make believe I’d gotten out of there unscathed, and I was looking forward to having a fun-ass time without the specter of my father looming over my head. But that was never how it worked, no matter how badly I wanted it to.
“God, why don’t you just move out here?” Floundy asked, sighing and pressing his face to the window as he looked out over the gorgeous vista surrounding my family’s property.
I shrugged. “Oh, trust me, I would if I thought it would get me a little privacy,” I grumbled.
I never believed I’d escape from Claude, but it was nice to pretend while it lasted. Betsy let out a whine in the back seat, and I knew how she felt. Claude had that effect on everyone. But then, he wouldn’t be much of a bodyguard if he inspired thoughts of cuddles and rainbows every time people saw him. Claude took his job seriously. A bit too seriously, if you asked me.
Sometimes, I wondered if he saw himself as a stand-in for my mother. I should say my absent mother. She mysteriously disappeared when I was two. I’d give anything to see her and ask her why she just up and left one night. I didn’t even know if she was still alive.
That probably accounted for my father being such a hardass when it came to me. He kept the reins tight to make sure no woman ever left him again. Not even his daughter. And I’m a grown ass woman!
When we arrived at the beach house, Floundy stepped out of the car and stretched his arms above his head, letting out a theatrical sigh. Then, he turned and glanced in the direction of Claude’s car.
“Dude is like a frickin’ PI.” Floundy noted as we grabbed our bags.
I scooped Betsy up in my arms. A small pug, she fit into the crook of my arm as though she was built to be there.
“Yep. He’s been a pain in my ass since the dawn of time,” I responded flippantly.
Claude had been guarding me since I was thirteen, since my first appearance on one of my father’s shows. Dad had a production company that churned out hit series and daytime dramas. I owed my stardom to Dad, even though he hovered like a typical helicopter parent way past the age when I should be on my own.
Floundy had felt like a good thing, someone to coddle me and keep me safe from the ridiculousness of a world that suddenly seemed far too interested in me. But now that I was a grown woman and choosing to continue on my father’s TV shows, it was completely different. I didn’t need some guy following me around to make sure I didn’t do anything the reporters might find scandalous. At this point, Claude was more brand protection than he was anything else, and it irritated the hell out of me knowing my father didn’t trust me.
Claude pulled his car to a stop and stepped out. He was almost a full seven feet tall, with dark hair and dark eyes and a stoic mouth set in a dead straight line as he approached.
“How’d you know where we were going?” I asked as he got closer, not bothering with a greeting.
“You always come out here,” he reminded me. “Whenever you want to get away from your father, you always come to Sand Dollar Beach.”
“He’s got a point,” Floundy remarked, hooking his bag over one shoulder.
I hugged Betsy to my chest. They were both right, but it still felt kind of crappy to admit how predictable I’d become.
“Let’s get down to the beach.” I turned to Floundy, ignoring Claude. “I want to catch some sun before it gets too late.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After dumping our stuff in the house and changing into our bathing suits, we headed down the short path leading to the water’s edge. It was surprisingly quiet. I was glad I wouldn’t have to deal with any of the little glances or stares as people tried to figure out if they were really sitting a dozen feet from Aria Triton.
“Ah, it’s so good to get out of LA.” I tilted my head toward the sun as we settled down on our towels. Floundy pulled out some sunscreen to make sure we didn’t end up fried by the sun.
“I have to agree with that.” He nodded and closed his eyes, lying flat on the sand and shuffling back and forth to get himself comfortable. “So, what are we doing while we’re up here?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “I just want to stay long enough so I don’t have to deal with that stupid party my dad’s throwing for me.”