Free All the Pretty Lies by M. Leighton Page A

exhale, too. “Okay, first things first.
Let’s get off the beach and go across to Savannah and find a place
to hole up for the night. Then we’ll go from there. Cool?”
    “Cool,” she repeats.
    I throw all our stuff in her bag—clothes,
shoes, sunscreen, my sunglasses.
    “Shit! I must’ve dropped your glasses. I
don’t have ‘em.”
    “That’s fine. They were cheap. And I guess I
can let you off the hook since you were trying to rescue me and
all.”
    “How kind of you,” I reply drolly. “I’ll buy
you another pair before we leave.”
    “That’s really not necessary.”
    “Maybe not, but I will anyway.”
    I throw her bag over my shoulder and start to
reach for her.
    “I can walk,” she says, rolling to her feet
and dusting sand off her butt. She turns around and grabs her towel
to shake it out, but I notice the frown she’s wearing.
    “What? Something else is wrong. What is
it?”
    She shrugs and shakes her head, a clear
indication that I’m right.
    “It’s just that…I don’t really have…”
    “Just tell me,” I prompt when she keeps
stammering.
    “I wasn’t expecting to be getting a room, so
I didn’t really bring that much money with me. And my card—”
    “Hey, this was my idea. You wouldn’t even be
here if I hadn’t suggested we come to the beach.”
    “But you wouldn’t have suggested it if I
hadn’t asked you to teach me about tattooing.”
    I can see that she’s genuinely bothered by
having to admit the money thing.
    “Do you know how many other ways we
could’ve done this? I wanted to get you in a bikini. So sue
me.”
    I see the smile play at the corners of her
sexy mouth. Makes me want to rewind to when I was just about to
taste them again in the water.
    “You’re just—”
    “I’m a guy. I like looking at your body. This
is my penance. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?” She doesn’t look
convinced. “ God! Stop beating me over the head with it! I
said I was sorry! What do I have to do to make it up to you? Put
you up for the night? Tend your wounds? Help you get ready for bed?
Make sure you get all the important places washed in the shower?” I
sigh dramatically. “Fine. Damn! I’ll do it. Just stop talking about
it already. Shit, woman!”
    Sloane laughs and I hold out my arm for her
to lean against as we walk. I doubt she’ll take any more charity
from me at the moment, so I won’t offer to carry her.
    Even though I wouldn’t mind.
    It’ll be a long time before I can get the
feel of her pressed up against me out of my mind. In the meantime,
tonight is liable to be pure hell.
     

CHAPTER THIRTEEN- Sloane
     
    Not that I needed any more reasons to
be enchanted by Hemi, but being on the receiving end of his careful
attentions and seeing him take charge really adds another dimension
to his appeal. And there was a whole lot of appeal there to begin
with!
    On the way to Savannah from Tybee, he pulled
off at a huge convenience station, where he bought a bottle of
vinegar and a box of baking soda. When I asked what they were for,
he just muttered, “Don’t ask.” He also bought me a Coke and a
Snickers, a combination that I was fond of before and now find
nearly intoxicating. Even though I’m not sure why and I’m pretty
sure it’s stupid to feel that way.
    Now, I’m sitting in the car on the street in
front of what looks like a mansion. It’s actually a posh hotel with
a rich sunset-colored brick exterior, intricately carved moldings
and a whimsical spire that looks perfectly at home with a
horse-drawn carriage parked outside. If I had to guess, the
building is probably some sort of historic landmark. It sits right
on Forsyth Park, so waiting for Hemi to get us registered is hardly
a chore.
    I’ve already called Sarah to let her know
she’ll have to extend her part in my cover story until morning. She
squealed and started to launch into a hyper inquisition about
whether or not I was planning to sleep with Hemi. “Sarah,” I