Page 38 of Falling for the Wrong Guy

The last thing I needed was to start having feelings for Kellan’s girlfriend, even if they appeared to be on the outs. I was in Whisper Cove to help Quinn, and that had to be my primary focus. I’d searched some rocks and tidal pools yesterday, and it all felt so hopeless. Quinn would never have shoved a box of priceless coins into a rocky crevice where any beachcomber could find it. And so many of the rocky outcroppings were underwater part of the day. There’s no way he would have stuck his treasure in a place where the tide could roll in and wash it away.

I showered and got dressed. This time I was ready for action in a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans. I fed Gus, pulled on my coat and headed down the dock. The ocean and the marina were quiet at this time of the morning, when there was no more than a whisper of daylight and the fog was cold enough to seep into your bones. I lifted the hood on my coat and pushed my hands into my pockets. I walked with purposeful, confident steps toward the café, but those same sure steps faltered when I reached Aria, and she peered up from beneath the hood of her coat. Her brown gaze drew me right in. It was something I’d noticed almost from the start, from those first harrowing moments when she stared up at me, wet and shivering, on the dock.

Awkward smiles and greetings followed. There was my proof. I hadn’t imagined the moment between us when I held her arms and we stood face-to-face, inches apart. She walked straight to the coffeepot, and I headed into the kitchen.

It seemed the awkward silence was going to lurk around for a while. I focused on getting my ingredients gathered, and she worked on making sure the coffee was brewing and the tables were ready for guests. We worked that way for about ten minutes until she carried a cup of hot coffee back to the kitchen.

“You were reading my mind,” I said, and reached for the cup. My big hands were impossible to avoid. Our fingers touched as I took the cup, and I was sure I heard her suck in a breath. I could still feel the heat of her fingers even after she pulled them away. And then it happened again. We locked gazes.

She broke away first. “I’ll be in the office starting my purchase orders. Call if you need anything.” She scurried away as if the floor beneath her was hot lava.

I got to work breaking the dozens of eggs I’d need for breakfast. There was a knock on the door. “Aria, I think Isla’s here with the breads. Should I get it?”

“I’ve got it, thanks.” Aria walked to the front door. “Kellan. What are you doing here?”

I put down the egg I was holding, took off my work apron and walked out to see what was going on. Kellan was standing in the doorway. His hair looked ruffled, and he hadn’t shaved—unusual for him. The second he spotted me cold rage filled his expression.

“I see he’s still working for you.”

Aria glanced back at me, then turned back to Kellan. “I told you he had a two-day trial.”

Kellan pushed past her so forcefully, she shrank back in fear. I’d never seen her look anything but strong. Kellan stopped in front of me. There were dark circles under his eyes. He pointed a finger right in my face, but I didn’t flinch or move away from the finger.

I looked straight back at him. “Since you can’t seem to handle me working here, I won’t. But I’m not going to leave Aria hanging today. I’ll finish the day, and that will be the end of it.”

Kellan’s jaw shifted back and forth. “It’s not enough. I want you to get out of town, today.”

I shook my head. “Not going to do that.”

I could see from the corner of my eye that he had his fist curled. It wouldn’t be the first time my brother punched me in the face. I never fought back. It would be too dangerous … for him.

“If you want to hit me, fine. But not in the café, and you know I’m not going to fight back. But if it makes you feel better, then slug away.”

“This is ridiculous,” Aria said. “You’re not going to hit your brother.” Kellan finally looked at her. There was that adorable defiant chin lift I loved to see. “I finally found a cook, and now, I’ll be back to square one. If you cared about me at all, you’d have been happy that I found someone, but it seems your lifelong pettiness about your brother has buried itself so deeply in your soul, it clouds your judgment and your reasoning. I’ve also discovered a side of you that you kept very well hidden for the first six months. Your short temper is a major turnoff. I’ll leave it up to Dex if he wants to continue working for me or not. And you and I are officially through. I can’t be with someone who has to have control of everything. I’ve been independent for years, and I will continue that way until the day I die. So, goodbye, Kellan. I hope you find happiness in your life.”

Kellan’s face scrunched up with anger as she spoke, and while I’d always stuck to my number one rule of never laying a hand on my brother, I was ready in case his temper made him lose control.

He stared at Aria, and she stared right back at him hard.

“I want those earrings back,” he sneered.

“I will mail them back to you today. Now, I have a business to run.”

He looked around at the dining room. “Business, right,” he scoffed. He shot me one more murderous glare and stormed out.

Aria stared at the door for a long moment. Her body began to relax as she released the breath she’d been holding. Then she turned, walked straight toward me and sank with relief into my arms.

ChapterTwenty-Four

Aria

Iwas glad the morning rush was over. The day had started with such drama, I hadn’t recovered. Not that I was upset about breaking up with Kellan. I was just glad I saw his real side before I let things go any longer. That was the problem with dating. Too many people were skilled at hiding their true persona, the Mr. Hyde side of their personality that they knew would turn a prospective match off. Kellan was particularly skilled at it. Not only that, but his Dr. Jekyll side was so attractive and presentable it was hard to even imagine that he had a Hyde side. The scene this morning had been so intense and, frankly, frightening, that I’d nearly collapsed with relief once he left the café. Dex and his marvelously strong arms just happened to be right there when I needed an embrace. And his hug felt deliciously protective, something I hadn’t ever felt before; certainly not with Kellan. I stood wrapped in his arms for as long as I thought prudent, but I could have stayed there all morning. We returned back to our work right after and hadn’t spoken of the drama since.

With the breakfast rush over, I finally had time to catch my breath and work up the courage to talk to him. Dex had poured himself a cup of coffee to take his first break of the morning.

I had a whole speech planned in my head, but he spoke first. “I’m sorry about all this. In that respect, my brother is right. Trouble likes to follow me. And now I’ve ruined your relationship.”

“And I thank you profusely for that,” I said.

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