Free Between Us: Sex on the Beach by Jen McLaughlin Page A

trust him.
    I didn’t know why I did, but it was true.
    Sighing, I continued. “You guys worry too much. I was only saying that I knew he was hiding something from me.”
    Cassie nodded. “But that’s reason to worry, right?”
    “What do you know about him?” Quinn asked, sipping her drink.
    I played with my cup of tea. “He’s a bartender who sings for fun and doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. And he has tattoos. Oh, and he’s a great kisser…among other things.” I grinned when they made little cheering sounds. “I had my people look into him, but there’s no reply yet.”
    “Well, now that you got what you wanted from him, maybe you should take a step back,” Quinn said. “You know. Distance yourself from him a little bit.”
    “I agree. He might be hiding something big,” Cassie muttered, peeking over her shoulder and playing with her blonde hair. “Maybe he’s a creep or something.”
    “Um…” I blinked at her, squinting at her tired appearance. Cassie had dark circles under her gray eyes, almost as if she’d been busy getting some action last night, but I knew better. She hadn’t been. Her texts had been filled with frustration over the guy she’d fallen for—the guy who had a girl waiting for him back home. “He’s not a creep. He’s a good guy. I would know it if he wasn’t.”
    Quinn rolled her eyes at Cassie’s comment. Quinn, on the other hand, looked refreshed and quite satisfied, as she should. She’d been getting it on all vacation, and looked all the better for it. “Not everyone is a psycho, Cass.” Quinn looked at me. “She’s been super paranoid lately. You’d think she saw a dead body or something.”
    Cassie paled. “Being careful isn’t a stupid idea. We don’t know any of these guys we’re hanging out with.”
    “Tell me more about your off-limits guy you texted me about.” I leaned forward and nudged her with my toe. “We already know that Quinn is hanging with some rich boy. What about you? Tell us all about your guy.”
    “I told you all there is to know about him already. I met someone,” Cassie admitted, her cheeks going pink. “But he’s got a girlfriend, so nothing is happening.”
    “Then you need a new guy,” I said. I’d told her that earlier, but it was worth repeating, in my opinion. “There are tons of them down here. Just pick one.”
    Quinn picked up her orange juice. “Mackenzie’s right. There’s plenty of time left. Let’s get you a new, unattached guy.”
    “See? We both agree,” I said, pointing at Cassie. “You need to move on.”
    “No.” Cassie crossed her arms. She might be a sweet girl, but when she said no? She meant it. Nothing would change her mind. “Tell me more about your secretive guy. Why are you all suspicious of him?”
    I leaned back in my chair and stared off into the distance. I’d taken off my hat earlier, but now I was wishing I’d put it back on. All it would take was one person to realize who I was, and my relaxing vacation would be over. So would my time with Austin…
    Well, crap. I slammed my hat back on. I couldn’t risk that. “I’m keeping the hat on. I can’t risk being seen right now.” I sat up straight, then leaned closer. “He just acts like a guy who has a lot of secrets. You know?”
    “You mean, kind of like you?” Quinn asked, eyeing me. She had a tinge of red across her cheekbones. Maybe because she’d been out and about with her dude the other day. “You’re not telling him who you are, after all.”
    “He knows,” I admitted, lowering my head. “He figured it out already.”
    “ What ?” Cassie squealed. “That’s not good, Mac. What if he tells someone, or sells the story of you two?”
    I shook my head. “He won’t.”
    “How can you be so sure?” Quinn asked, her brow furrowed. “Mackenzie…I don’t know about this. I thought he didn’t know who you were.”
    Geez. Even Quinnlooked worried. I got it, and I appreciated the concern. They were the