Page 13 of Lovers at Seaside
“Like you know anything about that?” She wasn’t about to admit she’d constantly made changes so she could read more of his thoughts on designs and the process he went through to come up with the final products. Or that when he wrote about his family, every word seemed like it came straight from his soul. No way was she going there. Their emails felt intimate in ways she was embarrassed to admit.
He arched a brow. “Overthinking?”
“Being held back,” she clarified. There had been a brief time, as a teenager, when she’d been bitter and angry and wanted someone to blame for her landing in foster care. But there was no one to blame but Mother Nature. Eventually she’d moved past those ugly emotions and realized that at least she hadn’t been born to a drug addict who lived on the streets. But she heard a hint of that bitterness in her tone now, and it made her sick to her stomach.
She put down her bag, and when she turned, she smacked into his chest. His enticing scent filled her senses, making her even more aware of just how many things she liked about him. “Sorry.”
“I’m not.”
“No. I mean…”You’re not?That made her falter. “I meant I’m sorry for snapping at you. I’m edgy because of Abe. I wish I could just forget that he was Bert’s brother and move on, but I can’t. He’s so unlike Bert that it’s hard for me to remember they’re family. But theywere, and the things he said pissed me off. I didn’t expect to get so upset.” She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.
“Don’t overthink it,” he said with the same calm confidence he seemed to do everything—except when it came to protecting her around Abe.
Or kissing me.
“You’re doing something that means a lot to you,” he reminded her. “But that doesn’t mean it means a lot to him. It’ll take time to break through to him, but you need to try.”
“Why should I bother?” She wasn’t sure she could go through another visit.
He looked at her for a long moment, holding her steady gaze before answering. “Because you care.”
He said it like it was a fact, and he was right. She’d never forgive herself if she gave up now, but that he knew that momentarily bewildered her.
“I’m going to leave these design ideas for you to look over.” He set the drawings on the counter. “Just give me a holler when you’re ready to talk about them.”
“You’re leaving?” She sounded as panicked as she felt. She was used to him being there, distracting her from missing Bert. And, okay, she liked him. A lot.A whole lotta lot.
He cracked a sexy smile that went all the way up to his eyes and simmered. “I do have a life.”
“Oh, right.” She waved a hand, feeling like an idiot. “Of course you do. I’m sorry. I’ll look these over and give you a call.”
“Great.” He turned toward the door, and the pit of her stomach sank.
When he turned back, hope sprouted in her chest.
“I know you’re going to overthink the whole Abe thing again, so I’ll say it once more so you don’t have to. We’re going back tomorrow because Bert was important to you, and you’d never forgive yourself if you didn’t at least try to fix their mess.”
She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, pretending he hadn’t nailed her with his assessment. “You think you know me so well.”
He shrugged again, apparently his go-to answer. Or maybe it was his way of letting her know she’d never really given him the chance to get to know her, which stung, because in all those months they’d been emailing, she’d absorbed everything he’d given—which was a lot—and she’d closed off her most intimate secrets.
“You think you’re so smart, all stable, and wise, and in control.”And able to leave so easily. Shutupshutupshutup.She tried to laugh it off, as if she were teasing, but she didn’t want him to leave her alone in that big, empty house. And she didn’t want to go back and see Abe tomorrow. But he was right. She was going to, no matter what. No one had ever read her so clearly, except Bert, which made her even more anxious. But she couldn’t tell him all those things now. He had a life.
“Don’t you ever crack?” she asked more calmly. “Stumble? Drink too much and wake up not knowing how you got in your bed?”
He sighed, his massive pecs rising and falling and making her stupid mouth water. He slid one hand casually into his pocket and rolled his shoulder back, looking at her with a careful gaze. “It must be hard trying to figure out who you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged again. Of course he shrugged, the big pain.
“Give me a call or shoot me a text if you want to go over the designs.”
Christmas came through the door again, and Grayson crouched to let him slurp his entire face. She wished she didn’t love that so much. And why did it make her a little jealous?
“See ya, buddy.” He gave Christmas one final pet, then pinned Parker with another sinful look that made her lips tingle. “Icarried you up to bed, right after you started to take your clothes off.”
He disappeared into the garage, leaving her in another panic, wondering what else she’d done last night.
