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Dirty Summer
Matt
Idon’t dare move a muscle until I’m sure that Chelsea and Tristan are out of sight, and then I finally look down at Greer who hasn’t moved a muscle.
I notice the tears streaming down her face as I help her back onto her feet. Her chest is heaving as her tits strain against the thin fabric of her bikini top, and her eyes are downcast as she refuses to meet my gaze.
All the fire of a few moments ago is totally gone, and I’m surprised by how much I hate seeing her so defeated. “Greer, look at me,” I coax her with gentle fingers under her chin. “I’m sorry about earlier. I don’t even fucking know why I’m such an asshole sometimes.” I mean, that’s a fucking lie. I know exactly why I’m an asshole to her. I know how much I’ve wanted her from the very first time I saw her coming out of the arrivals at the airport. I know even better that I could never have a woman like Greer, and that there’s no way in this fucked-up world that someone like her could ever end up with someone like me. The way things go is that the Tristans of this world get their pick of someone like Greer Manning. They get to use them, neglect them, and betray them, treating them like pretty trinkets they get to own just because they can buy their fucking way into anything.
She keeps sobbing quietly, and all I want is to make it better, but I don’t know how. Seeing a woman cry scares the shit out of me. It’s always been that way, no matter if they are a girlfriend, my mom, or my sisters.
But no one has ever had the effect Greer has on me, and I want to pull her into my arms and kiss away her tears, but I don’t. What we were doing before… that was a close call, and if Tristan and Chelsea had spotted us, I would have fucked everything beyond repair for me and my friends.
I know I should walk her to her room and keep my distance, but I can’t leave her like this. I am not that big of an asshole.
She’s trembling, and I notice that the sun has gone down, disappearing into the sea, and the temperature has dropped on the beach. “Come on,” I say, keeping my voice as low and soothing as I can. “Let’s get you out of that wet bikini and maybe get you a drink.”
I take her hand in mine, and she follows me into the cottage I share with Brady.
I encourage her to sit on the couch and busy myself with getting her a drink. “We have coffee, and I think Brady might have some herbal tea somewhere.”
Greer shakes her blonde head. “I think I need something a little stronger than tea, Matt.”
I nod. I don’t fucking blame her. “Here, Drew makes this gin himself. He uses local plants and flowers for it. We plan on featuring this in our bar.” I pour the clear liquor into two coffee mugs and offer her one.
Greer doesn’t thank me. She downs the whole thing in one quick gulp, offering me the mug for a refill. “Whoa, slow down.” I half gasp, half laugh. “That stuff is stronger than you think.”
“What the fuck is wrong with me, Matt? Maybe you can tell me, since it’s no secret that you don’t like me.”
I feel like a complete piece of shit. “I—It isn’t like that, Greer.”
She snorts, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand. It’s an angry gesture as she sets her blue eyes on me. “Really? You’ve done nothing but yell at me since the first day we got here. But why should I be surprised that you don’t like me? My own mother and sister hate me, so it just makes sense.”
I open my mouth to tell her that she’s wrong, but I close it again when she narrows her eyes, her tone now scathing. “Don’t even try to offer me some bullshit platitude, Matt. I might be the spoiled princess you think I am, but I’m not stupid. Chelsea hates me. It wasn’t always like that, but she hates me and she’s jealous of my relationship with my daddy. She hates that she doesn’t have anything in common with our father. That’s why she started treating me like I’m scum stuck to the bottom of her fucking shoe, and she didn’t have to try that hard to find insulting things to say to me. Our mother offers her the perfect example to follow, since she’s never said one kind word to me for years.”
I sigh, at a complete loss as to what to say to comfort her. Her sister looks like a nasty piece of work, and her mother… It’s well known by all the staff here at the resort that she’s one of the “weekend wives.” She makes her rounds with the staff when her husband is away on business and leaves her here, stuck in her luxury suite. God knows she’s tried to get into my and Brady’s pants. She tried with Drew too, but he saw straight into her trap when she ordered room service and opened the door to her suite in nothing but her birthday suit.
Drew turned her down—like Brady and I did, but way more openly—and that’s why she’s had it out for him for weeks.
“Greer,” I finally say, “the way they treat you is a reflection on their character, not yours.”
“You can bet your ass it is!” she bites out angrily. “But I don’t know what to do, Matt. Tristan is fucking delusional if he thinks I’ll let him lay one finger on me, so losing his disgusting bet with his douchebag friends will hopefully teach him a lesson in humility. But I can’t let him marry my sister.”
I can’t hide my smirk. “Why not? The way I see it, that’s just karma. Those two assholes deserve each other.”
She sighs, covering her eyes with her hands. “Yeah, normally I’d agree with you, but I can’t let Tristan be part of the family, not when he’s fucking my mom.”
I bark out a laugh but stifle it immediately when Greer glares at me. “I’m sorry, but I can’t say that I’m surprised.”
It’s impossible to miss the anger in her voice. “This isn’t funny, Matt. My daddy doesn’t deserve this. I was already devastated when I saw Mom and Tristan together.” She shudders. “I can’t do anything about Daddy doing business with Mr. Aldridge, but—” She must notice the skeptical look on my face, because she asks, “What?”
I shrug. “Look, I can’t believe he has no idea what your mom does when he’s away on a business trip or he isn’t looking. God knows both guests and staff around here love to talk, and your dad isn’t an idiot. You don’t get far in business without being smarter than average.” Or by holding onto your integrity. I’ve seen enough to know that rich people like Mr. Manning are more than happy to get their hands a little dirty here and there if it lines their fat pockets. But I don’t say that out loud.
“This is a shit storm, Matt.” Greer sighs. “Daddy wants Mr. Aldridge to invest in the development of the island, and if Tristan married my sister, Daddy would forever be tied to a guy who betrayed him. I know I have to tell him, but he’s so close to Mr. Aldridge, I don’t know if he’d even believe me. I mean, he’s agreed to have the resort sponsor Tristan’s surfing team.”
I run a hand through my hair, hating how upset she is and wishing I could do something to make her feel better. “I would just stay out of this, Greer. Your parents’ marriage and who your father decides to do business with aren’t your responsibility. And Chelsea just wants to marry someone with a bigger wallet than your father’s. So let her marry Tristan or whoever else she wants. They’ll make each other unhappy while they count their billions. But do you know what would probably really teach Tristan a fucking lesson?” She shakes her head, and I smile, enjoying that I have her full attention. “If he lost that surfing contest to us. He can buy all the best equipment and best training, but in the end, he can’t buy victory. Let’s show him that he’s just a spoiled brat who’s nothing without his daddy’s money.”
I’m pretty proud of my little pep talk, but Greer lowers her eyes again.
