by Cathryn Fox
His heat goes through me, warm sensations awakening the needy spot between my legs. “Last night, that was out of character for me too,” I say. Why on earth am I telling him this? He doesn’t need to know any personal details about me. We’re having an affair while he’s pretending to be my boyfriend, and whether he believes the rumors that I fall for every leading man isn’t important. We’re together for the duration of this movie—for my protection—we’ve made that clear.
“Um, yeah,” I mumble. “I’ll let Mason know you agreed.”
He glances over my shoulder, and his eyes telegraph a message that I can now understand. “No letters today,” I say. “Maybe you already scared him off.”
He nods, “It’s not that I think you’ll need to fight, Haven. I don’t plan to let you out of my sight, but it’s always a good thing for a woman to have a few self-defense lessons. I made Summer and Kylee take them.”
“Summer and Kylee?” I ask, working hard to ignore that ridiculous jolt of jealousy nipping at my gut.
“My sisters-in-law, Sean and Jamie’s wives. You’ll meet them.” My shoulders relax, a strange sense of relief moves through me. I’m sure women throw themselves at Tyler, and the thoughts of him being with another woman while we’re pretending and sleeping together doesn’t sit all that well with me.
He cocks his head. “What?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly.
He steps closer, crowding me, and a few eyes turn our way. I guess maybe this will put the rumors to end that I always sleep with the leading man—Tyler is anything but. Wait, maybe that didn’t come out right. He’s definitely leading man material, he’s just not into acting. Then again, we are acting here. What’s going on here isn’t real.
“Just you and me, Haven. For the duration of this movie. Agreed?”
I swallow at the intensity in his eyes as they move over my face. “Agreed,” I say.
“Good, because I’m not good at sharing. When you’re in my bed at night, you’re mine and mine alone. Got it.”
“Got it,” I croak out and as my entire body damn near liquifies beneath his hungry gaze, one thought races around inside my lust-addled brain.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
7
Tyler
There’s nothing I’d like more than to take a fast break, head to one of my brother’s places on the ocean, and dive in, but I promised Haven I’d watch out for her and that’s what I damn well plan to do.
I reach over my head and stretch, having momentarily lost sight of her as she heads inside one of the trailers. Her leading man Jonah follows her in, and my nerves ramp up. I don’t like her alone with him, and not because she’s known to fall for her co-stars, but because he could be the asshole sending the letters. I wish I could convince her to go to the cops, but I have to respect her wishes. I don’t want to go behind her back, but…
“Hey,” Carter says, coming up behind me. I spin around. “Jared says I’m needed here.”
“You finish the Mackenzie place?” I ask.
He links his fingers together, stretches them and cracks his knuckles. “All done.”
“Good, you can take over for me here. Once this gazebo is finished, they want to construct the outside of a bakery, and a strip mall.”
“Fuck man, I hate this shit. When I build something, I want it to last. I hate all these temporary structures.”
I put my hand on his back totally understanding where he’s coming from. “Me too, cuz. All this effort to build and tear down again. What a waste of manpower and lumber.” I shake my head. “Dad would have hated this.” My stomach cramps and Carter goes quiet at the mention of dear old dad. He was pretty much a father figure to my cousins too, considering they all moved into the homestead when their folks died. They were on the receiving end of his tirades as much as his own biological children were. Fuck, man, we could never do anything right.
Jared steps up to us, and I glance past him to see a reporter trying to snag an interview. They must have come in from the city, looking for a big news event. I hate the paparazzi, hate how they twist a story just to sensationalize it. Christ, a few cameras were set up outside the house this morning. There was a time I played to the cameras, but now, I just want to be left alone. I can’t even imagine what it would be like for Haven. Never a moment’s peace.
“You two losers just going to sit around knitting all day or are you going to help?” Jared asks.
I catch Haven coming from the trailer, and drop my hammer. “I’m taking a break,” I say.
“So you and Haven, huh?” Carter says with a knowing grin.
I turn to him and consider what I’m about to say before saying it. Trust and honesty is a big factor in my life, and while I promised Haven her secrets were safe with me, I need my brothers with me.
“Listen, can you keep your eyes open for anything strange, anyone who doesn’t seem like they belong here.”
They both stare at me for two seconds, and then, without question, nod their heads. My heart squeezes tight. We might all fuck with each other, tease and torment the shit out of one another, and even though we’ve all been away, doing our own things, any one of my brothers would drop what they’re doing if I was in trouble, no questions asked.
Jared nods, his face a measure harder. “Yes.”
“You got it,” Carter says, his grin long gone.
“Just, ah, watch the crowds, okay?” I say as I look around at the locals and news crews watching the action from behind a cordoned off area.
I spot Officer Walker watching us. The damn man is always watching us. He eased off a bit after my big brother Sean dropped a criminal in his lap, and all the papers deemed him a hero for the bust. I take a step, and Carter’s hand on my arm stops me.
“We’re here for you. Whatever you need.”
I nod, glad that they’re not pressing for answers. “Thanks.” I’m about to leave again, and turn back. “Have either of you been to the fishing cabin?” Two sets of eyes stare at me like I just sprouted a second head. “What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Jared says. “Why are you asking about it?”
I shrug. “I was just thinking about camping out there until the shoot is over. There’s no privacy at Gram’s now that she opened the house to all these people.”
“Been locked up for ages, Tyler.” I don’t miss the worry in Jared’s voice. “You sure you want to open it up again?”
When he says open it up, I get the sense he’s talking about past hurts, not the cabin. “Yeah,” I say, and turn from them as old wounds that have been taped up and closed off, slowly begin to seep. I walk away, not wanting them to see the pain in my eyes. Christ, the last time I stepped foot in the cottage, I was only ten. Sean and Jamie were fourteen and thirteen respectively, out chasing girls and the twins were only seven and with Mom.
A smile touches my mouth as I recall my mom. Jesus, I miss her. Absentmindedly, I cross the road, and head toward Haven as memories bombard me. My mind flashes back to our old man. He was a hard son of a bitch and I don’t know where everyone else is mentally. I only know that Sean and Jamie have mellowed since coming home, but I still harbor a lot of pain, unable to move past the hurts Dad inflicted on me, especially that morning at the cabin after I tried to impress him. I don’t know why I bothered; I was never good enough, could never do anything right by him. So yeah, it’s been a long-ass time since I stepped foot in the cabin, and to be honest, I’m not sure if it has something to do with needing my privacy, or if it’s something I think it’s time I faced.
As I think about that, a small hand lands on my arm and pulls me from my stupor. I blink, and focus in on Haven. Fuck, how am I supposed to protect her when I drift off like that?
I shake my head to clear it, glad she interrupted my trip down memory lane. I don’t want to remember—which makes me question my sanity. I fled the fishing cabin at ten, and never stepped foot in it again. As my head pounds, working hard to push down the memories, I turn
my attention to Haven.
“What’s up?”
She eyes me. “Are you okay? You looked like you were a million miles away for a second there.”
I shove my hands in my pocket. “Just a lot on my mind.”
She goes quiet for a second, and nods, and I’m grateful she’s not prying. “You look hot.”
I know what she means, but I grin at her and tease, “You think I’m hot.”
It pulls a laugh from her and lightens my insides. I laugh with her, so at ease around her. I like that. A lot. “How’s it going anyway?”
She tugs her phone from her back pocket. “I’m not needed for about an hour. Want to grab something to eat?”
“Yeah, and how about a swim? It’s a thousand fucking degrees today.”
Her eyes widen, gloriously. “I would love to swim.” She inhales deeply. “Funny, the Atlantic smells different than the Pacific.” I give her a look that suggests she might have been dropped on her head as a child. She laughs and says, “What?”
“You’re kind of a weirdo.”
She whacks me and I capture her hand. “I’m serious. The Pacific is saltier.”
“You’re saltier.”
“How does that even make sense?”
I laugh, and it’s so strange. I grew up in this town, spent my days biking and skateboarding down Main Street, greeting those who summered in Blue Bay. Officer Walker didn’t quite think of it as a greeting though. No, he preferred to call what we were doing, ‘terrorizing the vacationers’, but nah, we were just having fun. I haven’t felt like that kid in a long time.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I say, embracing the childish side of myself.
She shakes her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Are you twelve?”
I pull her to me until our bodies are aligned, meshed. “Want me to prove to you I’m not?”
Heat moves into her face, and it’s not from the sun. “You kind of already did that, and to be honest I’m not opposed to learning that lesson again.”
I laugh out loud at her playful response, and tug on her hand. “Come on. Let’s go jump in the less salty Atlantic.”
She laughs as we take off, and a strange sense of freedom washes over me as we head down the road, walking quickly as we pass through main street, passing by Sugar, the ice cream shop, and Benny’s, the main grocery store.
“Should we grab something to eat?” she asks and points to Brewed Awakening, our local coffee and sandwich shop.
“Nope.”
My stomach takes that moment to growl. “You must be hungry.”
“I am.”
“Then why can’t we—”
“Why would we pay for food, when we can get it for free?” Hey, I’m not a penny pincher—well okay, maybe I am. I have been socking away all my cash, wanting to build a better facility for my club. The one I’m in now is temporary, pretty much loaned to me by the town, but as soon as someone wants to purchase it, I’m out on the sidewalk. I can’t let that happen. I love giving back to the town and giving the kids purpose, something to do other than terrorizing the vacationers. Okay, maybe we flexed our local muscle a time or two. Sometimes those rich motherfuckers who flashed their money and thought they were better than us needed a lesson or two.
I practically drag Haven through town, and she stops when we see the ocean in the distance, all the cottages lined up. I tug her to me, and point. “That house there is Sean and Summer’s, and that one there is Jamie and Kylee’s. Pick one. We’ll raid the fridge.”
She laughs. “We are not doing that.”
“Yeah, we are.”
“No—” she begins, but I give her little choice. Fuck knows why I want to bring her to meet Summer or Kylee, or both. It’s not in my nature. I chalk it up to the fact that she’s staying at Gram’s and my sisters-in-law would like to meet a famous movie star. I mean, what other reason could there be for it?
“We can’t just invade unannounced,” she says when we reach Sean and Summer’s home, the chiropractor sign hanging from the door. “She could be working.”
“Yeah, right,” I say with a laugh. Haven however, sees no humor in the situation. A dog barks before I can knock, announcing our arrival. “That would be Scout,” I say. “She’s a golden retriever, and you will love her. Wait, do you like dogs? ‘Cause if you don’t like dogs,” I wave my hand back and forth between us, “I can’t be with any girl who doesn’t like dogs.”
“Of course, I like dogs,” she says and whacks me.
“He probably deserves that,” Summer says as she swings her door open and backs up to let us in. Before we can take a foot in, Scout comes running over. She gives me a quick look then turns her attention to Haven, sniffing out the new girl.
“Hello there, cutie,” Haven says and bends to pet Scout as she wags her tail so hard, she nearly knocks me over.
“Don’t bend over too much,” I tell her.
“Why?” Haven asks and tucks her hair behind her ear, just in time to get a big tongue across the face.
“Ohmigod,” she says.
“That’s what we call an SSL,” I tell her as I pull Scout away.
“What’s an SSL?”
“Severe Scout licking.”
She laughs. “Oh my God, you are still twelve.”
I laugh with her and give Scout a rub, right around her ears as she likes.
“You could have warned me five minutes ago,” Haven says, and I glance at Summer, who is standing there taking in our exchange with a smile on her face.
“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?”
She gives me a whack, and I let loose a loud oomph. Scout barks, like she’s laughing right along with the two women, and I start to feel outnumbered.
“Hey, where’s your loyalty, girl,” I say and she runs off to grab one of her toys.
“Get inside already,” Summer says.
I put my hand on Haven’s back and usher her in as Summer rubs her protruding stomach.
Summer’s eyes go wide and her hand freezes mid-rub. “Omigod, you’re Haven Roberts.”
“That’s me,” she says, her sudden bout of shyness taking me by surprise. I think there might be a lot more to this girl than she lets people see.
“What are you doing here?” Summer asks, blinking rapidly as she tries to piece it together. “I mean, I know why you’re in Blue Bay. But what are you doing here?”
Haven backs up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”
“No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, welcome. I’m just surprised to see you here, at my house, and with this clown, nonetheless.”
I grab hold of Summer, fake a choke hold. She just shakes her head and taps my arm three times. “He’s such a goofball, Haven. You should run while you still can.” Haven laughs at that as Summer puts her cheek out for a kiss and I lay one on her. “Have you two eaten?”
“See, I told you she’d feed us.”
Summer rolls her eyes at me. “All he does is eat. If he doesn’t eat every two hours, he gets hangry. But I guess as his girlfriend, you’ve already figured that out.”
“Oh wait, Tyler and I—”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I heard him say he couldn’t be with any girl who didn’t like dogs, and with the way you two bicker, I just assumed.” She gives me the evil eye. “Did I assume wrong?”
“No,” I state quickly.
“Then why didn’t you tell me you were dating this gorgeous, talented woman?”
“It just sort of happened.” Haven meets my eyes, and she slowly blinks, as the realization kicks in. If we’re pretending, we have to pretend with everyone. I snap my fingers. “Haven met me last night and she knew a good thing when she saw it.”
“My God, that ego of yours,” Summer says and whacks me. “It’s more like Tyler knew a good thing when he saw it,” she says and glances at Haven. Summer holds her hand up for a high five, and Haven slaps palms with her as a wide smile lights up her face, the two instantly hitting it off like I knew they would. I’m n
ot sure why that’s important, I only know that it is. Strange, I know.
“What’s with all the stomach hits?”
Completely ignoring me, Summer says, “Follow me, girlfriend, I was just about to make a sandwich.” Haven follows Summer to the kitchen, leaving me behind like I’m the ugly cousin, but I can’t stop smiling as I watch them go. Scout comes back with her toys.
“At least someone loves me,” I shout after them as I try to tug the ball from Scout’s mouth.
“Oh, stop fishing for compliments,” Summer says.
“How far along are you?” Haven asks.
“Eight months, but it feels like twelve, especially in this summer heat.” She laughs. “Why am I always pregnant when one of the guys introduces his girlfriend?”
“How many kids do you have?” Haven asks.
“Oh, just two, and of all eight Owens boys, only two of them are married. I just happened to be pregnant with Devon when Jamie finally found love with Kylee. Wait until you meet her. She’s a sweetheart.”
Speaking of hearts, mine, for no reason at all, beats double time as I watch the two women bond. Maybe they’ll stay friends after Haven leaves. She might be surrounded by people, but I get the sense that she’s alone in a crowd, missing that one true person she can be honest with, one she can be herself with.
Damned if I don’t want to be that guy.
“Can I help?” Haven asks as Summer pulls a bowl out of the fridge, along with a pitcher of lemonade.
“Sure, why don’t you get the glasses down and pour us all some lemonade.”
“What’s for lunch?” I ask, stepping into the kitchen.
“Well, I’m making chicken salad. Does that meet with your approval?” Summer asks.
“It’ll do,” I tell her and open the cupboard and pull out three glasses, saving Haven from blindly searching.
“Thanks,” Haven says, and a shiver moves through her as I lightly brush my hand over her sweet ass.
Summer clears her throat. “Don’t think I can’t see you, Tyler.”
