Page 14 of Bargains with Benefits
It couldn’t be that easy, right? I hadn’t changed anything. This couldn’t possibly be a customer. I hurried toward the entry. Whoever they were, I didn’t want them to think we were closed.
Upon opening the door, the last person I expected to see stood before me: Vincent Andiveron.
My heartbeat raced as I took in all the features Seraphina and I had labeled a paltryhandsomelast night. He was a work of art, as stunning as the view from the back porch over the sea. His wind must have knocked on the door for him because he was a few steps back, leaning against the porch rail. Even in the casual pose, he was taller than me. I hadn’t noticed yesterday. Likely because I’d jumped into the water. We were on even ground now, and I still tilted my head slightly to take him in. He wasn’t big and bulky, but he looked strong, lithe, and even graceful as he appeared to await my assessment. His thick brown hair had that just-tousled look that I was confident his wind helped with.
Since meeting him, his dark brown eyes had swept into my mind more than once. Today, they didn’t hold the warmth Iremembered. I tracked their focus...reminding me that I still wore my mismatched knit blanket around my shoulders. He stared at it as if it offended him. It likely did.
This was fine.
Of course, his deep brown jacket from last night had been freshly cleaned. I held in an eye roll. This was off to a great start. “Hello, Vincent. Nice to see you again.”
His gaze pulled away from my offending garment to meet my eyes before he pushed from the porch rail, his spine straightening like he’d been slapped. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and all I could think was that my blanket wasn’tthatbad. Rationally, I knew the change couldn’t be from my clothing, no matter how off-putting, but I had no idea what I’d done. How dare I...greet him?
Silence wasn’t my strong suit. So, I did the only thing I could—I invited him in. He still hadn’t said anything, just stared at me icily. Words flooded from my lips to fill the gaping space between us. “I was heading to the library. Would you care to join me?”
If possible, this was going worse than last night, when a drink had ended up dripping down his face. He would never agree to feature the inn in his column at this rate.
Yet, to my utter bewilderment, he nodded at my invitation and entered. I guessed that made sense. He had come here, after all, no matter what had changed in the last few seconds. My mind reeled as it caught up with the scene. Had I even told him my name yesterday? How had he known where to find me? I’d been so focused on the fact that I’d found out who he was—and what I needed to ask him—it hadn’t occurred to me that he might also be looking for me. Gooseflesh covered my arms and neck, less comforting than when his wind had wrapped around my legs the other night.
I gestured for him to head down the hallway into the library. This was an inn; anyone was welcome. His audible gaspas the view from the library windows became apparent was my first sense of comfort. If he could appreciate the beauty of this place, I could deal with whatever he was here for. My hand swept to the plush leather chairs, offering him a seat. Although they had seen better days, I still deemed them acceptable for a cozy library.
“Would you like some tea?” I asked hesitantly.
He looked unsure but nodded. “Thank you.” His gaze still showed no warmth, but the tick of his jaw was gone. I took that as a good sign. “I was hoping to talk to you.”
“And I was hoping to talk to you,” I replied. His shoulders stiffened again, and his brow furrowed as his gaze narrowed with suspicion. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. “Let me get the tea. I’ll be back momentarily.”
There was a small kitchen between the library and the main office. It didn’t have much, but it was easy enough to find some tea. I could almost imagine baking here. Nothing too extravagant. A few loaves of bread, muffins, maybe pastries. It would be tight, but it could work. I loved baking. Perhaps I could do it and wouldn’t need to hire someone. The ideas wouldn’t stop coming now that they’d started. Guests first, I reminded myself. The water boiled as I considered my current guest. What could he possibly want? The answer wasn’t going to appear in this kitchen.
I collected two mugs, poured the water, and rolled my shoulders back as I summoned all the confidence I had with my return to the library.
Vincent sat quietly where I’d left him, his gaze fixed out the window, on the sea.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked as he took the offered mug.
It seemed he was doing everything he could to avoid making eye contact with me. I couldn’t help but remember Seraphina’s words from last night.He couldn’t keep his eyes offher.Well, he certainly could now. It was unclear if that was a point for me or not.
“This view is breathtaking,” he said as he thanked me again for the drink.
“It’s one of my favorite places on the property.”
“One of?” A touch of warmth flooded back into his gaze with the question, like maybe he couldn’t help himself, but I was reminded how quickly his mood seemed to change.
“I don’t think you came by to hear the list of my favorite locations at Cliff House. How did you know where to find me?”
He shrugged. “Your boss mentioned your name last night when she called you. It didn’t take much searching after that.”
I took the seat across from him in another plush chair. “And you’re a reporter. You couldn’t help but investigate.”
He flinched again at that.
“So...” I prompted. He had found me first. I couldn’t help thinking it would be better if he said whatever he came for before I asked for my favor.
Indecision was plain on his pale face. And maybe regret? He wrapped his long fingers around his mug. “You go first.”
“Well.” That was easier said than done. “I know we didn’t get off to the best start, but I wanted to ask you a favor.”
He seemed to steel himself for whatever came next, but the thin line of his mouth and the returning tick in his jaw said he was preparing himself for something truly awful. Maybe this was a bad idea.
