BooksBarbecue
Back Gilt Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

He looked over at her. “We’re old enough to know ourselves. And our limitations. I certainly know mine. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s the way I feel. Me in New York—I’d be like one of the oysters in this cage.”

Elodie felt her hands shaking. She couldn’t look at him. She felt like a fool.

How could she have let her guard down, opening herself up to this kind of hurt again? Now she couldn’t wait to get back to the city, away from this mirage of happiness. Once she was back home, her relationship with Tito would be put back into perspective. It was a summer fling. That’s all.

She looked around her. Solid land seemed very far away.

58

They ate takeout lobster rolls on Connor’s front porch. By now, she felt bad about confronting him at the gallery. Her personal stress was making her cynical, and it wasn’t fair to him. Afterward, they took a walk on the beach, holding hands, dipping their feet into the water.

When they returned to the house, she said, “Let’s go upstairs.”

The bedroom was warm and he opened a window and turned on the ceiling fan. She sat on the edge of the wrought-iron bed and patted the spot next to her. Connor moved to her side, tucking her hair out of the way so he could kiss her. She leaned into him. He smelled vaguely salty, the ocean air clinging to him. She tilted her face up to meet his lips.

The light in the room was fading with the sunset. All that was left was a golden cast on the white walls.

“You are truly beautiful,” Connor said.

He pressed his body against hers, and she lay back. She felt shivers up and down her body when he moved his lips to her neck, his hands entwined in her hair. She knew that holding out on sex with him was getting absurd, and really, why not? It was time to let go of the hope that she and Sanjay would ever get back together. Sex with Connor would punctuate that. Maybe that wasn’t the best reason to sleep with someone, but at least she and Connor were both getting what they wanted, if for different reasons.

Afterward, lying side by side and staring up at the whirling fan, he said, “Do you want company when you go to the city next week?”

She didn’t. The trip would be emotional—good or bad, she didn’t know. But she was certain she didn’t want to bring Connor into it. Not yet.

“Thanks, but I have some family stuff I need to take care of.”

“Oh, yeah?” he said, propping up on one elbow and looking at her expectantly.