Sand, Surf and Sunnie Read online

  ~ Look for these titles from Rhian Cahill ~

  Now Available

  Bondi Beach Boys

  Sand, Surf and Sunnie

  Rhian Cahill

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Sand, Surf and Sunnie

  Copyright © 2013 by Rhian Cahill

  ISBN: 978-1-937976-78-1

  Edited by Matt Dale

  Cover by Valerie Tibbs

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: February 2013

  ~ Dedication ~

  For me because I had so much fun last time I wanted to bask under the hot rays of a summer sun once more.

  And as always, to the man who is my own personal sunshine. Love ya Babe!

  Together Forever.

  Chapter One

  “Fucking bastard.”

  Sunnie swung her arm in a wide arc and slammed the front door. The force rattled the walls and sent a gust of hot air sweeping through the hallway, lifting the hem of her dress.

  “Stupid fucking rat!” Sunnie pushed her skirt down with one hand and threw her purse and keys in the general direction of the hall table with the other.

  “Hey, Sunshine, date not go so well?”

  Fuck! What the hell was Rand doing home? He and Z were supposed to be out tonight. Dammit, she wanted to lick her wounds in peace and quiet. Alone. Maybe she could ignore him and slink off to her—

  “No point avoiding me. I’ll just come out there and fetch you.” Rand’s voice echoed off the walls.

  With a sigh, Sunnie kicked off her high heels and cursed herself a fool for going to so much trouble with her outfit. “Fucking rat bastard!”

  “What was that?” Rand yelled but—much to Sunnie’s relief—he didn’t come out of the living room. Yet.

  Shit! She wasn’t going to be able to hide. Any minute Rand would follow through on his threat if she didn’t show her face, and making a run for her bedroom wouldn’t help. He’d only bash on her door then pick the flimsy lock to get in. It wouldn’t be the first time he or Z had picked a locked door. That was the problem with sharing a house with your two best friends. There was no privacy.

  “Sunshine?”

  “Stop calling me that!” Sunnie stomped down the hall. Her bare feet made little impact against the hard tile surface but it was worth the effort just for the release of frustrated energy boiling inside her.

  “Uh-oh. The date was that bad?”

  Sunnie entered the living room to find Rand sprawled across the couch. His long, muscular body draped the leather cushions like a centerfold model, only with clothes on. Her insides stirred at the sight of all that male perfection. He held the TV remote in one hand and a beer in the other. She stalked over, plucked the bottle from his grasp and chugged down what was left. It was barely half full, but it was cold and wouldn’t take much more for her to get a buzz going. She had nothing in her stomach, after all. Her dinner date had been a bust on more than one front.

  “Whoa. Slow down there, Sunshine. You know you’re a cheap drunk.”

  Drunk! That’s exactly what she needed to be to forget her depressing, disastrous, nonexistent love life. “Got another one in the fridge? Never mind, stupid question. Of course you do.” Sunnie headed for the kitchen.

  Leather squeaked as Rand scrambled to get off the couch and follow her. “Sunnie, sweetie, it can’t be that bad. You remember how horrible it was last time you got a little tipsy.”

  Sunnie threw a glare over her shoulder. “Believe me, that hangover has nothing on the shitty way I feel right now.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. “Don’t. You’ll regret it tomorrow, Sunshine. Besides, he’s not worth it.”

  “This isn’t about him. It’s about me! And stop calling me that!” Sunnie yanked her hand free and continued in the direction of beer-induced oblivion.

  “You? What the hell?” Rand followed and scooted past to block her way. “What do you mean it’s about you?”

  Rand stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest, his imposing six foot two frame ramrod straight. He should have been menacing and she supposed he would be to someone who didn’t know him as well as she did. Sunnie mimicked his stance. His gaze lowered, snagging on her breasts which, she noticed, were pushed up by her arms and threatening to spill over the top of her dress. Great. Just great. “Ahem.”

  A smile teased his lips as his gaze met hers once more. “Sorry, Sunshine, but those beauties are a definite distraction to anyone with a cock. Probably for some without, too.”

  “Rand!” Dammit, the last thing she needed was for him to start drooling over her girl bits. God! Her long-neglected libido would take Rand’s attention and run with it. With a sigh she dropped her arms. “Can I please get a beer?”

  One brown eyebrow arched as he studied her. “Fine. But no getting drunk.”

  “Spoilsport.” Sunnie poked out her tongue as he stepped aside.

  She thought he groaned, but a glance over her shoulder revealed him heading back to the living room, his gorgeous ass on perfect display in his well-worn denim shorts. Warmth curled in her lower belly, but Sunnie did what she always had when it came to any possible signs of arousal for either of her housemates. Ignored it.

  Opening the refrigerator, she scanned the contents for something to eat. If she had any hope of keeping to Rand’s no getting drunk decree she’d need something in her stomach to soak up some of the alcohol before it hit her bloodstream. She’d barely swallowed a bite of bread stick before her date had been ruined. Besides, a rummage in the fridge meant she could stall a little longer. She knew once she went back to the other room Rand would want full disclosure of her sucky evening.

  There was nothing on the shelves except beer, half a carton of questionable milk, a block of fuzzy green cheese, and a plastic container with something that could have been edible at one time. Sunnie pulled out the vegetable drawer and instantly wished she hadn’t. The smell was nauseating. Pinching her nose and breathing through her mouth, she shoved the drawer closed. Where was all the food she’d bought the other week? Rand and Z had obviously eaten them out of house and home—again—and as usual, not bothered to replace anything.

  “Fucking men!”

  “Did you say something?” Rand yelled.

  “Do you want another beer?” Sunnie called in her sweetest voice.

  “No. I’ll share yours.”

  Damn him. He really was serious about the no getting drunk thing. Sunnie sighed and grabbed a beer. She spun on her heel and bumped the fridge shut with her hip before heading back to the in
evitable third degree Rand would subject her to.

  She found him in the same position as before, but as she approached he scooted up to rest against the sofa arm. One of his legs dropped to the floor while the other remained stretched out along the cushions. He patted the seat between his spread thighs.

  “Come on, Sunshine, tell me all about the latest unworthy male in a long line of unworthy SOBs.”

  Sunnie’s step faltered, her stomach clenched, and her bottom lip trembled. Her eyes stung, moisture rapidly pooling to blur her vision. “What’s wrong with me?” The question slipped off her tongue before she could think better of it.

  Rand dived off the couch. “Oh, no you don’t. Golden rule number one—no crying over the SOBs.” He wrapped his arms around her, tucking her against his chest.

  Warmth surrounded her and—not for the first time—she cursed the fact she couldn’t fall in love with him or Z. Why weren’t there more men like them out there? But Rand was right; years ago after a particularly nasty bust up they’d made her promise to never cry over a guy again. Sniffing back her tears she tried to pull from Rand’s embrace.

  “Don’t.” He tightened his grip. “Just let me hold you a second longer.”

  Sighing, she leaned into him and soaked up the comfort he offered. For just a moment Sunnie allowed herself to absorb the carnal delight of being pressed to Rand’s hard body. Her double D’s were squashed into his chest and her nipples puckered at the contact. She gloried in the thrill his innocent hug delivered. At least, she did until she moved her hips and brushed against something hard. Something that wasn’t his hip and certainly wasn’t innocent.

  Rand abruptly let her go and turned away. “Sit down, Sunshine. I’ll be back in a sec. Gonna grab a beer after all.”

  Sunnie watched as he all but ran from the room. Okay, she may be emotionally strung out after her disastrous evening and pity-party frame of mind, but there was no way she’d misinterpreted the bulge in Rand’s pants. What the hell was going on? First he’s checking out her rack and now he’s getting a boner from holding her? Dumbfounded, she lowered herself to the couch, her gaze glued to the doorway he’d disappeared through, and waited for him to return.

  Even though Sunnie was dying to confirm Rand did have a hard-on she couldn’t bring herself to check. The second he entered her line of sight she whipped her head around and stared at the muted television. None of the pictures flashing across the screen formed recognizable images to her unfocused eyes. Instead, like a preschooler’s finger painting, each color smudged into the next until it resembled a kaleidoscope of shades in perpetual motion.

  The couch dipped as Rand sat beside her and from the corner of her eye she saw him lift the leg closest to her and cross it over the other, hiding his groin area from view. Her eyeballs stung as she strained to turn them as far to the right as she could. It did no good. He’d blocked her visual access completely. Sunnie brought the beer in her hand to her lips. Cold metal clinked against her teeth and with a snarl she yanked it away and thrust it in Rand’s direction.

  “Open it.” She frowned at the rude tone of her voice. “Please.” The tacked-on courtesy did nothing to soften the demand.

  Rand chuckled as he twisted off the bottle cap and handed the beer back. “You really are in a foul mood.”

  Sunnie didn’t answer; there didn’t seem to be anything to say. She was in a foul mood and, although she wanted to, she couldn’t lay complete blame at the feet of her rat bastard date. No. This evening’s debacle was just the last in a lifetime of disastrous attempts to find the man of her dreams. Her chest rose and fell on a heavy sigh as she slumped back against the couch.

  “It couldn’t have been that bad.” Rand bumped his shoulder into hers. “Wanna tell me what happened? It might help.”

  She closed her eyes. “I’m not sure I want anyone to know the circumstances of this one.”

  “Oh, let me guess. The guy arrived naked with a one-inch dick hanging between his legs.”

  Beer fizzed up Sunnie’s nose as she snorted with laughter. Covering her mouth so the rest of her mouthful didn’t come spilling out, she tried to swallow. Humor quickly turned to distress when she choked on her drink. Rand plucked the bottle from her hand and placed it on the table while thumping her on the back in an attempt to help clear her airways. Managing to gulp down the beer, she gasped for breath.

  “Jesus.” Her chest heaved as she coughed out her words. “Way to kill me, Rand.” With her breathing under control she spoke easier. “Not an image I wanted in my head, Brandon Davis.”

  “At least it made you laugh. Before you choked.” He continued to pat her on the back. “You really should stop drinking, Sunshine. You can’t handle booze at all.”

  “Hey!” Sunnie punched him in the arm. “I can handle a drink just fine. It’s the nosy, annoying so-called friends that upset me.”

  “Ha!” He chucked her under the chin with his fist. “You love me and you know it.”

  “Of course I do.” Sunnie reached over and grabbed her beer. She carefully took a sip and allowed the cool liquid to soothe her raw throat. “Doesn’t mean I won’t kill you in your sleep.”

  “Why are we killing Rand in his sleep?” Z asked from the doorway.

  “Because he tried to kill me first. Twice.”

  “Twice? Determined.”

  “First he tried to fry my brain with my own imagination and when that didn’t work he relied on the tried-and-true method of choking.” Next to her, Rand shook with the laughter he was unsuccessfully concealing behind his hand.

  “I see he failed in both attempts. Do you want me to ring the cops and have him carted off?”

  Sunnie eyed a now openly laughing Rand. “Mmm…no, I think a suitable punishment would be for him to order and pay for pizza.”

  “Hey! It’s not my turn.”

  Sunnie poked Rand in the ribs with her index finger. “Shoulda thought of that before you tried to do me in.”

  “Paying for pizza seems a fair price for such a terrible crime.” Z walked over to the couch and offered her his hand. “And it just so happens I picked up some of your favorite ice cream while shopping. Come and help me put the groceries away while Rand organizes dinner.”

  “You bought food?” Sunnie didn’t resist as Z pulled her to her feet.

  “Sure did.” He curled his fingers through hers and towed her with him. “I’ve been making a list of what we’ve used in the last two weeks so that I could replace it. I know how it pisses you off to find the cupboards empty.”

  “Aw, my hero.”

  “That’s fine, Z. You steal my girl with your promise of sweet dessert, but she’ll be mine again the minute the pepperoni pizza gets here.”

  “Now, now. No need to fight over me. I’ll let you share.” Sunnie slammed into Z’s back when he stopped dead in his tracks.

  Z looked over his shoulder at Rand, eyebrows raised.

  “She’s tipsy. She doesn’t mean what it sounds like.”

  “What? What don’t I mean? What did I say?” Sunnie swiveled her gaze back and forth between her two friends.

  “Christ.” Z’s grip tightened on her hand. “Come on, let’s get this food put away before it goes off.”

  Before she could protest further, Z headed for the kitchen, tugging her with him. She glanced back at Rand and tried to interpret the twisted look on his face. Sunnie was immediately jolted from her thoughts when they entered the kitchen. The counters were covered in bags of shopping, and more lay scattered on the floor.

  “Wow, Z. Did you buy the whole supermarket?”

  “What? Oh.” He shrugged. “I got two of everything so we wouldn’t have to shop again so soon.”

  Sunnie stared at the person who looked like her best friend and wondered when the aliens had taken over. Neither of the guys ever purchased food without her dragging them to the shops. And with her kindergarten class being dismissed at three o’clock it was simpler for her to grocery shop on her own after work.


  “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “But you never do the shopping.”

  “Doesn’t mean I’m not capable of doing it.” Z moved over to pick up a bag. “It’s just…you always beat us to it.”

  “Pizza’s on the way.” Rand stopped in the doorway. “Shit, Z. Did you leave anything on the shelves?”

  “Ha-ha. Make yourself useful and put the cold stuff away.”

  “Um, I think we better clean out the fridge before we fill it. Other than the beer, there isn’t one thing that doesn’t need burning.”

  “Is that what the smell is?”

  “Smell?” Sunnie looked at Rand.

  “When I got my beer earlier there was a strange smell in there.”

  “God, Rand, you could smell that without opening the vegetable drawer and you didn’t clean it?”

  Rand ducked his head and walked over to the sink. “Maybe.” He grabbed a roll of paper towels and the bottle of cleaner from the cupboard. “I’ll do the fridge. You help Z with the rest.”

  Sunnie smiled at the grim look on Rand’s face. Anybody would think he was off to the gallows. “I’ll do it. You never get all the corners properly.”

  “Nope. I’m doing it. You can supervise if you want, but it’s come to our attention that you’ve been doing the majority share of the cleaning over the years so I’m fixing that now.”

  “Okay, who are you two and what have you done with the real Brandon and Zeke?”

  “Oh, we’re all comedians this evening.” Z handed her a bag. “Here, go put the bathroom stuff away.”

  She glanced in the bag and burst out laughing. “You bought tampons?”

  Z blushed. “You’re down to your last box.”

  “You checked?” Sunnie was astounded at Z’s thoroughness.

  “I checked every cupboard and drawer in the house.” Z turned his back and busied himself with the contents of another bag, effectively ending the conversation.

  Sunnie headed to the bathroom with the bag of supplies. Z hadn't missed anything. The bag contained everything from tampons to razor blades. He’d even bought the face moisturizer she preferred. She placed the last bottle of shampoo in the cupboard as Z came in.