Page 19 of Unexpected Entanglement

While they did the introduction, Rowan’s attention was on the incoming motorcycle, which stopped behind Kieran’s truck. The rider took his time in settling his bike on its kickstand and taking his helmet off.

At this point, Rowan didn’t need the helmet off to recognize who the stranger was.

“You!” she exclaimed.

The tall blond she met earlier swung his long leg off his bike, sporting a grin. He joined the group, but his eyes were on her. “Rowan Kelly, I gather.”

“That was a quick lesson about assumptions you gave me earlier today,” Chris said to the petite woman looking slightly annoyed at him. “I thought Rowan Kelly was a man.”

“He told me about that.” Kieran smirked.

“It is commonly a male name,” Chris pointed out.

“And now that you’ve mansplained my name, care sharing yours?” Rowan asked with narrowed eyes still shadowed by the cap she wore.

Her sweet tone should’ve warned a wiser man that the punch was coming. But Chris didn’t quite have all his wits around her.

“Chris,” he answered and offered his hand. “Chris Sullens.”

“Is that Christian or Christine?” She smiled and gave him a firm handshake.

“Christopher.” He returned her smile and held her hand a tad longer than necessary.

A prickling sensation rippled under his skin as if a low electric current emanated from her. Between the unexpected buzz from her touch, her quick mouth, and the feel of calluses on her palm, he cautioned himself not to assume anything about Rowan Kelly again. It seemed there was a lot more to Miss Kelly than eye-catching curves and sexy voice.

Rowan glanced at her brother. “Did Mr. Sullens here also tell you he pretended he knew us?”

“I only asked about you. I never said I knew you. You inferred that yourself,” Chris said lightly.

“That was what you wanted me to infer, wasn’t it?” Her chin rose in a challenge.

“I merely wanted to ask you a few questions. My mistake was to assume you worked here—”

“That wasn’t the mistake.”

“You don’t like letting people finish their sentences, do you, Miss Kelly?” Chris kept his tone amiable. “If you did, you would’ve discovered my intent instead of assuming I was trying to fleece a ride with you.”

Kieran and the other two people watched the interaction with different levels of interest: Kieran with a raised eyebrow andarms crossed at his chest, the blue-haired woman with a gleeful grin, and the Asian guy looked unfazed.

“Now that you’ve made your way here, what’s the reason for your visit, Mr. Sullens?” Rowan pointedly asked.

“To check out the property.” Chris turned his gaze to sweep their surroundings. When he’d followed Kieran along the driveway, he’d glimpsed the cove view through the trees. From where they stood by the main house, the view opened up over an expansive lawn and through a break in the tree line by the water’s edge. He’d spotted a few cottages facing the water, and a larger Cape Cod-style house with an inviting porch stood higher on a rocky cliff.

The main house looming behind Rowan was a different sight on its own. It stood large and tall on a small hill, making it the property’s focal point. It was similar in design to his family’s beach house in the Cape, so he could guess what the layout and interior design looked like.

“What do you mean by that?” Rowan questioned.

The woman’s voice brought Chris’ attention back to her. Though its tone was sharp, the quality of it mesmerized him for a second. He didn’t expect someone of her slight stature to have a sultry bedroom voice. He imagined she could allure many guests to stay at the Bright Head Inn or men into her bedroom with that voice, like a siren to seamen.

“You’re Chris Sullens?” The woman with blue hair came forward, breaking the spell. “As in The Sullens Hotels?”

Chris had to consciously loosen his jaw, which locked in irritation whenever someone recognized his internationally known surname. But before he could respond to the other woman’s question, Rowan huffed.

“Is that why you’re here, Mr. Sullens? To offer us a price on our family’s land?” The suspicion in Rowan’s body language intensified at the mention of his family’s business. “Let me save you some time. We have no intention of selling our properties. The Bright Head Farm & Inn has been in our family for decades. Yes, we haven’t been operational for a while now, but my brother and I are correcting that mistake. We will make this place better than it used to be. And it will stay in the family for decades to come. So, please take your offer somewhere else. We’re not interested.”

There was pride and stubbornness in Rowan’s speech as if she’d given that little spiel more than once before. She’d straightened to her full height, which only reached Chris’ shoulder, and her chin cocked up in pride.

Finally, he could see her eyes. And how brilliant those eyes were—so similar to Rae’s and Kieran’s, yet different.

---