Tan Lines and Salty Kisses Read online

  Tan Lines and Salty Kisses: A Chasing Carolina Novella

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Prologue

  It’s been eight months since I kissed Becca goodbye out front of Chase’s beach house. Finally, in only two more days we’ll be together again with the whole gang for an entire week. With all of our lives being scattered across the entire United States it’ll be great getting all of us together again.

  Chase has been so busy since entering the Sprint Cup Series, which kicked off its new season last month, that we’ve only seen him when he comes home to Charlotte to prepare for the following week’s race. He spends almost all of his free time at Kenzington Motorsports.

  Vance and I have to practically drag him out of the garage for our weekly get together at TGIFridays every Wednesday night. It’s the one day we all set aside to get together and try to catch up on everything going on in each other’s lives.

  When I broke the news to them last week, shocked doesn’t even begin to explain what they were feeling. Now I’m sitting here on the edge of my bed staring at my luggage piled on the floor as I hold the letter in my hand that’s going to change my life. I’ve known for a week, but I couldn’t find the words whenever I tried to call, FaceTime or text Becca to tell her.

  I know she’s going to freak out.

  Our relationship is rocky enough, doing this long distance thing with her in Athens and me in Charlotte. It hasn’t been easy. We both suffer from jealousy and frustrations of being hours apart, living two separate lives while trying to be together.

  Thankfully my father gives me his private jet to use as I please. So for Valentine’s Day I flew to Georgia and surprised Becca on campus. The smile that reached ear to ear made the trip more than worth it.

  We only had two days together, but they were two days that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.

  These last eight months have been hard, but a great test showing me how Becca can handle being apart from me. It’s been far from easy, but to us it’s worth the struggle. I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s feisty, speaks before thinking, and dances to the beat of her own drum. She is unlike anyone I’ve ever dated. Those few short weeks we had last summer were amazing. It was spontaneous, crazy, and whirlwind romance unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

  Along the way I found myself falling in love with her. I’m hoping she loves me enough to stay with me after I break the news to her I’ve been dreading to tell her. I don’t want to spend our only week together with her upset or worst case scenario: telling me she never wants to see me again. So I’m going to make the most out of this week with her, and then before I head back to Charlotte I’ll break the news to her.

  I squeeze the envelope in my fist before I get up off of my bed and walk over to my suitcase. I stare at it one more time before stuffing it into my suitcase. I know deep in my heart this is what I have to do. She won’t be happy but I hope she’ll understand. I need to separate myself from my family. Make something of myself that will make people say Parker Maclaren and think of me. Not of my father the Congressman, or my mother the alcoholic socialite who’s hanging onto her life as she knows it by a thread.

  Mostly I want to be the man that Becca can be proud of.

  Chapter One

  “Back to my favorite place on earth,” Chase shouts from the driver seat of our rental car.

  He was here a month ago kicking off the new season for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Of course he ended the first race of the season driving past that checkered flag claiming his first win of the season.

  “Time to do nothing but drink, go boating and have my dick shined multiple times a day by hot college coeds," Vance says clapping his hands together as he stares out the window watching the scenery quickly change from the city of Daytona as we leave the airport to the strip of hotels and condos along the ocean.

  He’s taken man whore to a whole new level since him and Reagan split up. They tried the long distance thing with her attending a community college in Myrtle Beach and him living in Charlotte. But it ended abruptly just before Christmas after he decided to surprise her by driving down to Myrtle Beach. He walked into her apartment and found her fucking some guy. The biggest shocker wasn’t finding his girlfriend with another guy. It was the fact that she was banging her gay best friend. I guess she forgot to mention the part where he was into both guys and girls. To say he was shocked would be an understatement.

  Poor guy was even planning on dropping the big L-word to her for Christmas.

  Relationships are scary territory. You never know what you are going to get when you open yourself up to someone. I’ve been lucky with Becca that she was willing to give us a chance even with everything going on in our lives.

  Chase and Ashlynn have a weird set up going on. It’s like they’re together but not together. I can’t keep up. He constantly talks to her on FaceTime and they’re always texting, but then he’ll be out hooking up with other girls. Especially when he’s on the road. He’s always in the press now that he’s entered the Sprint Cup Series. All the women he’s taking out after the races are plastered across the front pages of every gossip magazine. But Ashlynn is the only girl he stays in contact with.

  I imagine this week with them will be either great or a disaster depending on how Ashlynn can handle press and fans hassling him since we’re in Daytona where he is like king to this city. Especially being the grandson of the legendary Arnold Kenzington.

  We definitely don’t deserve them, but I know I thank God every day that he brought a girl like Becca into my life.

  “Well, while you're busy being the Gigolo of Daytona Beach, I'll be busy making up for the last month and a half of having to use my hand. I think it's safe to say it's the same for Chase. Especially since he was a douche and made Ashlynn spend Valentine’s Day alone.”

  Reaching between the two front seats Chase punches into the back seat hitting me in the arm. "Shut up asshole. We had a FaceTime date for your information. I was too busy getting my car ready for Daytona to go to Athens. Plus, we agreed to keep things casual between us. If I had flown down there to see her it would’ve sent her the wrong message. We’re both too busy to do anything more serious than we are right now."

  Rubbing my throbbing bicep I glare at him. “I was there. Your FaceTime date and expensive chocolates and flowers were sweet and all, but I think me showing up to bring Becca out on a real Valentine’s date kind of screwed you. If you two have this crazy ass understanding where you’re together but not together, I think she still would’ve liked to have someone there to spend Valentine’s Day with her. If you keep blowing her off and banging half the country, that girl’s going to move on at some point and be with someone who can give her what every girl wants.”

  “And what does every girls want?” Chase asks, glancing into the back seat at me. The hint of annoyance in his tone is evident. I’ve struck a chord with this whole Ashlynn thing.

  Vance, suddenly feeling like the relationship professional chimes in, “I’ve learned the hard way that girls say they can handle long distance relationships, but the reality of it is they love having a guy there close to them to make them feel loved and wanted. They want to feel as if they are your number one priority. Girls love being showered with affection, over the top mushy shit and gifts. Especially they love having a dick ready an
d waiting for them whenever they want to fuck. If you’re hundreds, even thousands of miles away, she’ll settle for the next best dick. Sometimes in the rarest occasions she ends up falling for the guy, and a night of meaningless sex turns into multiple nights. Before you know it they go from just fucking to actually spending time together outside the bedroom. That’s when he’s able to swoop in and steal what you want because he is able to give her what you can’t. He is there whenever she needs him no matter the day or time. Sometimes that convenience wins over the feelings you two share.”

  Chase makes a grunting sound brushing off Vance’s comment and turns onto the road leading to the condo we’re all staying at. “Ashlynn and I are not you and Reagan. We have a connection that no other guy or chick can replace. We’re happy with what we are for right now. After she graduates college things will be simpler and we’ll finally have our time.”

  Vance’s words ring loudly in my head. He’s speaking my biggest fears out loud. I need to try to stay positive and trust that when I break the news to Becca, she’ll be able to support me on this decision and be faithful while she waits for me to return. Because losing her is not an option. The thought of her with another man makes my blood boil and my fists ache to punch something or someone.

  I need to ignore the negative and try to focus on the positive or I’ll never get through this week.

  Chapter Two

  I barely slept at all last night. I couldn't stop thinking about seeing Parker today. I know Ashlynn is just as excited to see Chase. Probably more so than me seeing as Parker flew to Athens to see me last month, but she hasn't seen Chase since we left Myrtle Beach last summer.

  It's been a crazy eight months. Some days it feels like we were all together just yesterday, and then other days are hard to get through. It feels like it's been an eternity since we were with the men who stole our hearts in Myrtle Beach.

  My friends call me crazy for doing a long distance relationship, but for me there's no one else out there who compares to him. He's worth the tears, the struggle of getting through months apart with nothing but text messages, phone calls and random FaceTime chats.

  When the thought that life would be easier if I was dating someone on campus crosses my mind I think of Parker. There's been no one else who makes me feel the way he does. The thought of me being with someone else or him with another girl makes me sick to my stomach and want to be violent when I'm not a violent person.

  I still can't believe one random summer road trip to Myrtle Beach brought this amazing man into my life. Same for Ashlynn, but with her and Chase seems to be coasting in their relationship. They're together but not together.

  They agreed to date openly and lord knows Chase has. It kills me every time I see Ashlynn torturing herself reading the shit these gossip magazines publish about him and his many conquests. She keeps dating too, but I never seen her go home with anyone or vice versa besides one time when we first came home. I feel bad for her because I know she wants more than what he's giving her.

  I'm lucky that Parker is such an amazing man. We discussed where things would go with us once we went back to our normal lives. We both brought up the idea of casual dating like Chase and Ashlynn have, but after talking more we agreed that we both wanted to be exclusive with one another.

  It sounds insane and way too fast, especially seeing as in eight months we've only really spent maybe thirty or so days together—but I feel it deep in my heart that I'm in love with him.

  I wanted to tell him on Valentine's Day but thought it would be too cliché. Plus, he didn't make any attempts to say it to me so I chickened out.

  But I plan on telling him this week. Plus, I have another big secret to tell him that I know is going to shake the very fragile foundation we are already attempting to build our lives on. I've only told Ashlynn and she has sworn herself to secrecy, promising me that she wouldn’t breathe a word of it to anyone.

  Especially Chase.

  I know guys hate to admit it, but they gossip just as much as girls do. I know if she told him he wouldn't be able to keep his big mouth shut. I want to break the news to Parker myself.

  I'm terrified of how he's going to react, but I can only hope that he loves me as much as I love him, and won't freak out too much when I finally break the news to him.

  "I just heard a car pull in!" Ashlynn squeals with excitement as she jumps up off the lawn chair she's sitting in beside me.

  We're waiting on the deck of the beach house we rented for the week with a group of friends from college for the guys to get here.

  Parker and Vance flew in on Parker's father’s jet and waited at the airport for Chase to fly in from Las Vegas. He had a race in Vegas Sunday but has the entire week off to spend with Ashlynn. So we've been waiting here on the deck for the last twenty minutes since they texted us saying they were on their way.

  It's going to be a week we'll never forget as the whole gang gets together again.

  The sound of car doors shutting makes my heart jump in my chest and my stomach flip flop as we run down the tall wooden stairs leading down to the beach below.

  Turning, we run towards the large driveway filled with cars from all of our friends carpooling to Daytona, and spot a SUV with rental plates along with three men climbing out of it.

  "Oh my God! You're here!" We scream in unison as we run into the arms of the men who've had our hearts with them for these last eight months.

  I leap into Parker's arms wrapping my arms around his neck and beam down at him with the biggest, cheek aching smile. "I'm so happy you're finally here!" I say before crashing my lips to his.

  I don't give him a second to respond. I've missed him too much to waste time talking. The feeling of his lips pressing against mine makes my heart flutter in my chest and butterflies invade my stomach as I open my mouth eagerly excepting his tongue.

  “Thanks for making me feel like chopped liver,” Vance says jokingly beside us breaking our moment.

  Jumping down from Parker’s arms I spin around and pull Vance in for a hug laughing, “Sorry, Vance. We missed you too.” Releasing him I step back grinning as Ashlynn breaks away from Chase and gives Vance a hug too.

  “Is Vance feeling left out?” Ashlynn teases. “Luckily for you we have a lot of hot single friends who we’ve told them all about you and they can’t wait to meet you.”

  A cocky smile appears on his lips as he looks from Ashlynn to me. “That definitely is making this trip sound a whole lot better.” Walking ahead of us towards the stairs he yells over his shoulder, “What are we all standing around here for? Let’s get this party started and introduce me to all these hot college chicks.”

  It may be a different beach—but it feels like the same goofy group all over again.

  “Everyone’s down on the beach tanning and surfing. So I suggest you turn your direction towards the water and not the deck unless you plan on partying alone,” I shout to him as I leave Chase and Ashlynn to catch up for a few minutes alone.

  Parker laces his fingers with mine and pulls me once again into his arms as our feet hit the sand.

  “I’ve missed the hell out of you,” He says pressing a kiss to my very welcoming lips. It’s a short and sweet kiss but I’ll take anything I can get.

  “I’ve missed you too. It sucks we only have a week, but we’ll make the most of it.”

  He kisses me one more time and then tells me, “Jump up onto my back. I’ll carry you down to the water, baby.”

  Jumping up onto his back I snuggle tightly against him and squeal with excitement as he takes off sprinting down the jam packed beach laughing as he blows past Vance.

  Chapter Three

  We've been in Daytona twenty four hours and already the guilt of not confiding in Becca months ago is eating at me. I tried to tell her after we went to bed last night and finally had a moment alone. But seeing the excitement on her face and the contentment from us being back together stopped the words in my throat.

  She's seemed a little
off too as if she has something at the tip of her tongue she wants to confide in me about. But whenever I try to ask her if anything is wrong, she brushes it off saying it's nothing.

  For now I've decided I'll push my worries into the back of my mind and focus on nothing but spending as much time with her as I can before the end of the week gets here and we have to leave each other again.

  Right now we're all loading up into a speedboat that came with the beach house rental. It feels like old times watching the girls lather on their suntan lotion and sprawl on the front of the boat while us guys get the wakeboard and tube ready for some hot summer fun.

  Becca's sorority sisters Nikki and Tamara came along on the spring break getaway too. Last summer I had noticed Nikki flirting a lot with Vance, but he was too preoccupied with that Reagan chick. But now that he's single he's been flirting back a whole hell of a lot more.

  Right now he's rubbing lotion on her back and getting that same mischievous spark in his eyes that he had every time he was around Reagan. I think the Gigolo of Daytona might decide to retire and spend the week chasing only one girl in particular.

  Setting the cooler down I grab myself a beer and shout to the girls asking, "What would you ladies like to drink?"

  "I'll have a water," Becca says, flashing me a small smile.

  The rest of the girls ask for water too, claiming it's too hot to drink alcohol just yet.

  They're all nineteen besides Becca who turned twenty at the end of February. The only way they can drink when we go out is by using the fake I.D's they got back in Myrtle Beach.

  Since we weren't able to celebrate Becca's birthday a few weeks ago because we were both in college, I'm planning a birthday celebration with everyone tomorrow night at the restaurant on the pier.

  Everyone knows about it but her. I can't wait to surprise her.

  Grabbing a handful of waters out of the cooler, I climb up to the front of the boat handing out the bottles of water before sitting down beside Becca. "Hand me the bottle of lotion and I'll make sure that there isn't an inch of your backside that isn't covered with it."