Sara Stone - Full Exposure

She nodded. “I was grounded for the rest of the year. I remember.”

“Liam told me about that and I lost it. I drove all night, planning to come home and beat the kid up so he never laid a hand on you again.”

Georgia bit her lip. He’d wanted her since junior year? No, it wasn’t possible. She’d tried to catch his attention, insisting Liam let her tag along whenever he was going places with Eric. But Eric had always treated her like a friend.

“What stopped you?” she asked.

“I saw you first. You were so happy despite the grounding that I couldn’t do it. So I drove back to school and buried my jealousy.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “You were jealous of Tommy Lewis? I had a better orgasm the other night, on your bed, than I ever had with him.”

“Not sure I wanted to know that,” he murmured. “And I think you have yourself to thank for that.”

“No. It was you,” she said softly, focusing on the trees speeding by outside the window. “It’s always been you. Even back when it was criminal.”

“Then let’s do this right”—his tone was firm—”and tell Liam.”

“No.”

She heard the rush of the road outside, but Eric remained silent. Still, his tension radiated through the car.

“What’s holding you back, Georgia?” he asked finally. “What are you afraid of when it comes to us?”

Georgia closed her eyes, her hands clenched tight in her lap. She felt as if she were out in the open surrounded by the unknown, and he was asking her to remove her body armor. If she set aside her defenses, if she let him in, what would keep her strong?

“I’m not ready,” she said evenly. “I’m just not.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “OK. I won’t tell him. You have my word.”

“Thank you.”

“But Georgia, don’t walk away from us. We could make this work. Trust me.”

She nodded. But in her head, the questions swirled. How could they move forward when he wanted more than she could give? Talking to Liam implied a future for them. A relationship bound with commitment and promises. She couldn’t travel down that path, not when her emotions were off the table. Georgia knew she should tell him. But she hated the idea that he’d see it as a problem that needed fixing, the same way he’d stepped up and offered her a job when her brother asked. Or how he’d jumped in to keep her from hiking with a perfectly capable firefighter.

Georgia stared out the window as they turned off the highway and headed for his mother’s house. Maybe that was the dead-end barrier they could not get past. How could she open up to someone who looked at her and saw her weaknesses, not her strengths?

ERIC HELD TIGHT to his frustration, knowing that if he let it loose, Georgia would bolt. But it took all his self-restraint not to punch his fist against the steering wheel. Georgia was slipping away, backpedaling out of his life as quickly as she’d walked in and dropped her towel.

He turned into his mother’s drive and put the car in park. Nate waved from the front window as if he’d been waiting for Eric.

“Do you want me to go get him?” she asked.

“No.” He opened the car door. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

He glanced over his shoulder as he raised his fist and knocked on his mother’s door. Georgia was still there. But he wasn’t so sure for how long.

“I should have listened to Liam,” he murmured, raising his hand to knock again.

His best friend had told him over and over that Georgia wasn’t equipped to handle a relationship right now. She had too much baggage. But Eric had let years of desire push that sad fact to the side. She’d said that she didn’t need anyone to help her, but she was wrong. She’d been through too much to handle it on her own. Hell, if they had any hope of moving beyond one night in his hot tub, she had to open up and let him help her.

“Eric.” His mother smiled, opening the door. “Come in.”

“Hi, Mom.” He leaned forward, kissing her cheek. “Georgia’s waiting in the car. Is Nate ready?”

“He’s packing his bag and saying good-bye to the puppies. They were born last night.”

“That’s great,” he said, knowing he’d hear about little else from Nate on the drive home.

“Please come inside,” she said. “I need to talk to you before you go.”

He shifted his weight but didn’t step inside. “Not today. I have to get home. I had a trucking problem this morning. I can’t stay and chat today. Maybe next time.”

His mother pressed her lips together. “We’re moving at the end of the month. To Arizona. Henry went down last month to look at condos. We found an independent living community we like.”

Eric froze. His mother was walking out his life again. Only this time, she wasn’t leaving just him behind. His jaw clenched and his hands formed tight fists at his sides. “Did you tell Nate?”

“Not yet,” she said. “I wanted to speak with you first. We didn’t make the choices lightly. The dry air will be better for us. Henry’s asthma is getting worse.”

Henry. Of course. The man who’d been in her life for five minutes trumped the son she’d left behind countless times and the grandson still moving past his parents’ tragic deaths.

“I’ll talk to Nate,” he said. “I’ll handle it.”

“I hope you’ll come visit us once we’re settled. We’ll have a pool. I think Nate might enjoy it.”

His nephew appeared in the doorway. Eric scooped him, holding him tight. “Hey, buddy. How are the puppies?”

Nate launched into a monologue as Eric carried him to the car and secured him in his car seat. Georgia kept the conversation flowing, asking questions about the dogs while Eric drove. An hour slipped by, and toward the end Nate fell asleep.

“It’s his nap time,” Georgia whispered.

Eric nodded, not trusting himself to say a word. His mother was picking up and moving away. Logically, he understood the reasons. But he couldn’t push past how easy it was for her to say good-bye.

Eric turned into the drive. “I’ll carry him inside and put him to bed.”

But when they pulled up to the house, Eric spotted Liam’s truck blocking the entrance to his garage. Georgia’s brother leaned against the driver’s side, his expression grim.

“Change of plan,” Eric said. “You take Nate up, and I’ll talk to Liam.”

“Do you think he knows?” she asked.

“No. And I won’t tell him. Not today.” He’d had enough for one day. And right now, if Liam took a swing at him, which his friend would, Eric would fight back. Liam deserved to land a punch. Hell, maybe two. Eric had violated his trust and taken advantage of his sister. When the time came, Eric would take the hits without fighting back. But not today.

She opened her door as soon as he put the car in park.

“Georgia.” Liam hugged her tight. “Doesn’t he ever give you a day off?”

“Eric is just doing his part to keep me out of trouble,” she said, her voice light and teasing. “Are you checking up on me again?”

“Wish I was.” Liam released Georgia and looked at Eric. “I saw Caroline Smith last night.”

Eric gently lifted Nate out of his car seat. “The regional director for the Oregon Department of Forestry?”

Liam nodded. “She had some interesting things to say.”

Shit, Eric didn’t have room in his head for another crisis. Not right now. “Come inside. We’ll grab a beer, and you can tell me.”

“While you two gossip, I’ll be inside putting Nate to bed,” Georgia said, taking the sleeping three-year-old from him.

“I’ll let you in.” Eric headed for the house, unlocking the door and holding it for Georgia. Liam followed close behind.

After she disappeared up the stairs, Eric led his friend to the kitchen. “What did Caroline Smith say?”

“The DOF is starting an investigation into the White Rock fire,” Liam said.

Eric ran his hands through his hair. “Not good news, but that’s their job. I was expected to cover my share, maybe more, of the cost to put the fire out. It was my land and my operation.”

“I got the sense they’re digging for more,” Liam said. “The good news is Caroline likes you.”

“The feeling isn’t mutual.” He opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles.

“I was thinking maybe you could take her to dinner.” Liam accepted the beer, twisting off the cap with his hand. “A couple of nights with her wouldn’t kill you. Might soften her up.”

“You came over here to set Eric up on a date?” Georgia walked into the kitchen. She glanced at Eric. “Nate’s in bed and sound asleep.”

“Good,” Eric said to Georgia before turning back to her brother. “And no, I’m not taking Caroline Smith to dinner. We’ll handle this through proper channels on Monday morning. We filed the correct paperwork and observed the regulations. We have nothing to hide, and we’re willing to pay what we owe.”

“Handle what?” Georgia asked.

Eric gave her a quick rundown of Liam’s not-so-good news. Her eyes widened as she listened.

“First the fire and now this. Liam, we’re not going to let you visit if you keep showing up with these doom-and-gloom reports.”

“Hey, I’m just the messenger, passing on what I heard,” Liam said, raising his hands in protest. “And Caroline wasn’t the only person I ran into last night. Chad Summers was at the bar. He was drunk and we got into it a bit. Before he left, Chad said Katie’s been hanging around here.”

“Babysitting. Georgia needed a night off,” Eric said quickly. The last thing he needed was Liam wondering if Eric was fooling around with Katie. He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than telling his friend he’d been with his sister.

Liam nodded, turning to Georgia. “So what did you do on your night out? Hot date?”

“Very,” Georgia said.

Eric choked on his beer, covering it with a cough. So much for a discreet babysitter. And if the Summers brothers were talking, others in town would soon be too. There was no such thing as a secret in a small town. They needed to tell Liam. Soon.

He glanced at Georgia, but she was too busy staring her brother down.

Liam frowned, his grip tightening on his beer. “Who is he?”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Georgia said with a smile.

And great, she was enjoying this, pushing her brother’s buttons. But Eric could tell from Liam’s stern expression, he didn’t find her game funny.

“Look, Georgie.” Liam spoke softly, but there were undercurrents of steel in his tone as he used her childhood nickname. “Eric and I have been talking, and we don’t think you’re ready to date. I don’t want some jerk taking advantage of you.”

“You’ve been talking to Eric about my love life behind my back?” Eric heard the warning in her voice. She wasn’t finding this amusing. Not anymore. But Liam appeared oblivious.

“We’re worried about you. You’ve only been back a few months. You need time to adjust,” her brother said. “So who is he?”

Georgia cocked her head. “What will you do if I tell you?”

“Have a conversation with him,” Liam said flatly.

“With your fists?”

Liam’s jaw tightened as if he was grinding his teeth. “If necessary. Has he done something that would make me want to hit him?”

Yes, Eric thought, closing his eyes and picturing Georgia in his hot tub.

“No,” she said. “But if he does, I’ll handle it. I’m a big girl, Liam. No one is going to take advantage of me. I can take care of myself. And I’m more than capable of choosing whom to date, which I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear is a big fat no one right now.”

“But—”

“Ask Eric,” she added. “I was with him the night Katie stayed with Nate.”

Liam turned and Eric braced for a punch. Part of him would welcome it because shit, he wanted Georgia’s words, big fat no one, to be a lie. He wanted her to be his. And he wanted to do this right, come clean to his friend and make her a part of his life.

“We went four-wheeling,” Georgia continued. “I’ve been a little stir-crazy, and since you two don’t approve of me running off to do things on my own, I brought Eric along.”

Eric nodded. He hated lying to his friend, but he’d promised Georgia. And if he wanted her trust, he couldn’t break his word.

Liam came over, resting his hand on Eric’s shoulder. “Thanks for looking out for her.”

“Always,” Eric said, looking straight at Georgia, hoping she heard the truth in that one word. “Always.”

“And last night, he took me to the coast,” Georgia added.