by Nina Singh
In a jumble of words, Tori blurted out everything that had happened, her embarrassment of the morning, and how confused she was about all of it. When she finished, she used the bottom of her apron to dab at her eyes.
Eloise had remained silent, patiently listening the whole time. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Wow. That’s a lot.”
Tori nodded. “Yeah, it is, huh?”
“So what are you thinking?”
“I don’t think I know what to think. It’s just... I haven’t felt this way about anyone ever.” And that was astounding considering she’d had the same boyfriend since tenth grade until they’d broken up a couple years ago. Or until she’d broken up with him, to be more accurate.
“I see,” Eloise said after a long pause.
“And I don’t know what good can possibly come of it. We’re from two very different worlds. I only see him when he has need of a bakery.”
“So you’re thinking about what’s going to happen in the long term.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
“Not all the time. Sometimes people throw caution to the wind. They just act spontaneously.”
“I know. But it’s not how I’m wired.”
“Maybe you need to be rewired—by a gifted and qualified electrician.”
Tori guffawed at the ridiculous metaphor, which, of course had been Eloise’s intent.
“Seriously, Tori,” her sister added. “Look how well things worked out for me and Josh when I finally decided to take a chance.”
Tori tried not to scoff in dismissal. “It’s hardly comparable, Eloise. You and Josh were the exception.”
“I’d say your current scenario is pretty exceptional, as well. You’re on a tropical island—a veritable paradise—far from home.”
That was certainly the truth. “I suppose you might have a point.”
Her sister chuckled softly. “Of course, I do. What better time to act a bit uncharacteristically?”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning don’t look so deep into things. Don’t overthink. Just see where things go and heed your heart about whether you’d like to follow or not.”
Tori had to laugh at that. “Okay, you’ve moved from ridiculous metaphors to tired clichés. But I see your point. And I have to admit, you’ve given me a different perspective.” She’d also managed to make her feel infinitely better.
“Hey, metaphors and clichés are what they are for a reason.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“So, will you try to throw some caution to the wind? And not be afraid to take a chance or two?”
Tori wasn’t sure how to answer that. Not just yet. She decided to veer the subject back to Eloise’s relationship instead. “So that’s what you did with Josh, then? Took your chances?”
“Yes.” The affection in her sister’s voice for her new husband was clear as a bell, even over the phone. “You know I did. And he was absolutely worth it.”
A smile spread over Tori’s face. “Well, make sure you don’t tell him that too often. Or he’ll be even more insufferable,” she joked.
Her sister chuckled. “I’ll be sure.”
Tori hung up after they chatted a few minutes longer, feeling much more lighthearted.
Without a doubt, her sister knew exactly what she spoke of on such matters. Eloise and Josh hadn’t had the easiest time on their journey to happily-ever-after. Not that she and Clay were on any kind of romantic journey.
Was Eloise right? Was she just scared? She certainly had cause to be cautious, given the way things had gone with Drew—though Drew and Clay had absolutely nothing in common.
With a groan of frustration, Tori shook off the useless thoughts and went to replace her apron with a fresh one. Enough wasted time, she had to get started on that fruit. She couldn’t avoid that part of the task any longer.
Like a lot of other things she wasn’t going to be able to avoid.
* * *
“Are you certain you don’t want to join us, Clay?” Gemma asked for the umpteenth time before boarding the van that would take the wedding party down to the retail area of the island. The planned excursion included a group shopping trip and outdoor beachside lunch. He had better things to do. He’d just wanted to catch his sister to explain about this morning before she and the others went on their touristy way.
He gave a mock shudder. “You know how much I loathe shopping.”
Gemma laughed. “Okay. Guess we’ll see you when we return.” She turned back after stepping on the van’s foot rail. “And apologies again for making assumptions about what I saw this morn—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “No need. I know how it must have looked.”
He waved as the van drove away. Finally, some time to himself, and there was plenty of work to catch up on. But he was having difficulty making himself head back to his room to fire up the laptop.
Tori was avoiding him.
He’d sent her several texts that, so far, had gone unanswered.
He had wanted so badly to pull her into his arms this morning in the kitchen, to comfort her. He’d had no idea she would be quite so bothered by Gemma and Tom’s incorrect assumptions about what had happened between the two of them last night.
Maybe even telling her that they’d seen him leaving her building hadn’t been such a great idea. Tori would have been none the wiser. And he’d managed to set the record straight with his sister easy enough.
But he’d never been a big fan of secrets. Too late to ponder that score, anyway. Cat out of the bag and all that.
Now, he was just trying to determine what he was going to do about it. He didn’t want there to be any kind of new weird dynamic between them simply because they’d spent one night together where nothing had ever happened.
A glance at his watch told him it was almost noon. She would be breaking for lunch at some point. Maybe they could grab a bite together.
At the least, he wanted to ask about the day’s dessert she’d been working on. The nutty, fruity smell in the air had had his mouth watering this morning. Maybe she could use a taste tester. Funny how he’d never particularly had a sweet tooth until he’d met Tori.
Armed with his excuse, he made his way to the building that housed the kitchen.
He found her with her back to the kitchen door, standing at the counter, stirring the contents of a bowl the size of a small tub. She was holding a container of salt in one hand.
He approached her from behind and was about to announce himself, to ask if it was a good time for her to get away, when Tori suddenly threw a pinch of salt over her shoulder. The seasoning hit him square in the face.
Just to be funny, Clay faked a sneeze.
Startled, she turned with a hand to her chest. “Clay! Sorry about that.”
“Beats being doused with iced coffee.”
She blinked in confusion until the puzzle piece fell in to place. “Oh. Like that day at the bakery. Seems like years ago.”
“Do you often toss salt around?”
“I just throw a pinch over my shoulder whenever I use it.” Ducking her head sheepishly, she gave him a small smile. “Bit of a superstition. Doing so is supposed to be good luck.”
“Till someone gets salt in their eye.”
Her giggle had him lighting up inside.
“What does a pastry chef use salt for, anyway?” he asked.
“Just to bind all the flavors of the fruit together before I pour the glaze over.”
“Huh. Fascinating.”
“Is there something you wanted, Clay?”
“As a matter of fact, I thought maybe you’d need a taste tester.”
She laughed. “You did, did you? I have no shortage of volunteers for that.”
“Hmm. Shame. Also, I wanted to see if you’d be up for a break. Maybe to
grab a bite?”
Her mouth tightened. “With you?”
The way she asked dealt something of a bruise to his ego. “That was the general idea, yes.”
“But I thought you were heading into town with the others.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Not my kind of excursion. I hate shopping.”
“Surprising, when you have two younger sisters.”
“That’s precisely why. Been there, done that often enough already.”
“Makes sense, I suppose. My brothers always complained when they were dragged out for school clothes.”
“Speaking of siblings, I sat Gemma down after breakfast and told her exactly what happened last night between us. Or didn’t happen, to be more accurate.”
Her eyes widened. “You did? And she believed you?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Why wouldn’t she? I have no reason to lie to her.”
“True.”
“She said it wouldn’t have bothered her, by the way.”
“Huh,” she chided, “you might have led with that, Clay. Considering I’ve been fretting about it all morning.”
“I left you several texts and a couple of voice mails.” He watched as she lifted a pitcher-size measuring cup of glaze and slowly poured it into the bowl of fruit. “So, what do you say?”
“About Gemma not caring if we are...?”
“What? No. I was asking what you thought about getting some lunch.”
“Oh. That. Well, I need to finish this up.” She motioned to the bowl.
“I can wait.”
Tori bit her bottom her lip at the lower corner and he had to make himself look away. She looked so utterly sexy when she did that.
“All right. I suppose I do need to eat at some point.” As if on cue, he heard her stomach emit a low grumble.
“Again, you flatter me with your enthusiasm.”
She took him by the shoulders and physically turned him the other way. “Right now, I have to get back to work. And you have to leave. Give me another hour or so.”
“You got it.” He let her give him a small shove toward the door. “I’m leaving.”
“Yes, you are.”
“You sure you don’t need me to taste anything before I go?”
“Don’t make me chase you out with the wooden spoon.” Her warning fell flat thanks to the amused grin on her face.
Having lunch with Tori was a much better prospect than spending the day browsing trinkets and T-shirts. Even though he’d fully intended to utilize his free time on some much needed work—spending the afternoon being lazily unproductive was a foreign concept—he had no regrets about following this uncharacteristic whim in the least.
Then again, he was doing all sorts of uncharacteristic things on this trip. And the common denominator motivating those decisions appeared to be Tori Preston.
She drew him in like a magnet. The hours he spent alone while she’d been working seemed to drag on and on, and he often found himself counting the minutes until she’d be free.
But he wasn’t smitten. Absolutely not. He was just trying to break the monotony. Just because he was so drawn to the woman didn’t mean his life would be altered in any way. Back in the States, he would return to long work hours and the occasional social outing to appease the clients who insisted on inviting him to their various functions.
That was the life he was meant to live. A solitary, peaceful one. He deserved it after what he’d been through.
And that life left no room for any kind of complicated relationship. Not even with someone like Tori.
Especially not with someone like Tori.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HE TOOK HER to a cabana beachside restaurant, one recommended by almost everyone on staff at the resort. The gentle lapping of waves by their table and the warmth of the afternoon sun set a soothing atmosphere and made for a picture-perfect lunch date. Clay felt his relaxation gradually grow to the point where the ever-present knot in his neck muscles slowly started to ease.
The menu wasn’t vast but everything on it sounded delicious. Tori ordered fish tacos while he opted for spicy jerk chicken. By the time their food arrived, he’d kicked off his shoes and had leaned back casually in his chair. For her part, Tori looked fairly relaxed herself.
He was glad he’d cleared the air with Gemma about what had happened.
The waitress stopped by to refresh their waters. “I heard there was a wedding taking place on the resort,” she said while she poured. “Would you two be the happy couple then?”
Tori paused in the act of lifting her taco to her lips, her cheeks reddening. “Uh, no.”
“My sister is getting married. I’m here to walk her down the aisle,” he explained.
“Oh, sorry,” the young woman said with a bright smile. “Honest mistake. You two look like a lovely couple.” Again, she’d made the wrong assumption. Why did that seem to keep happening to the two of them?
Tori’s cheeks grew redder as she took a small bite of her taco. She looked so cute when she was blushing. “Mmm...” she moaned as she chewed.
Clay felt the now familiar tightening in his gut. How had he not realized before how sexy a woman who really appreciated food could be? Tori had grown up in the restaurant business; she baked for a living. Food was a center theme in her life. He was finding that ridiculously seductive and attractive about her.
One thing was certain—if he continued to watch her eat, he was going to be much too focused on her to enjoy his own lunch.
The burn on his tongue from his spicy dish was a welcome distraction.
“So tell me...” Tori began, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. “If shopping is not your thing, what kind of outing would you have preferred?”
He smiled at the question. “I don’t know if I want to tell you.”
Her eyes lit with merriment and curiosity. “Well, now you have to.”
“You’ll laugh at me. Then tell me that it’s something a little boy would want to do.”
She leaned closer to him over the table. “I have two older brothers. I happen to know firsthand that all men are true little boys at heart.”
She was right. Only, he hadn’t felt like a little boy in a long time. There’d been no opportunity to act boyish since his father had died. And especially not since his mother had remarried after his father’s death.
It was why he’d been compelled to found and nurture a charity specifically focused on underprivileged youth. Children who’d often not had the benefits and advantages of growing up in a stable and safe home. He could more than relate to those kids. His own family had been about as broken as could be if anyone had bothered to look under the surface of the façade.
He’d had to grow up quick. For his sisters’ sake as well as his own. Maybe he’d tell Tori about it sometime... The thought took him by surprise. His past was not a subject he allowed himself to think about often, let alone discuss with others.
“I insist that you tell me,” Tori ordered.
Clay did a double take. For a split second, he thought maybe she’d read his mind. But it occurred to him she was referring to the question she’d asked about his preferred outing.
“Fine then,” he replied with feigned offense. “If you’re going to get all bossy about it.”
“Baby sisters have to be bossy sometimes.”
That was certainly true, as he knew all too well. “Well, this island happens to be a maroon spot.”
“A what? Like the color or something?”
She really was a delight. “No. Not the color. It was one of the islands that an unruly sailor who’d misbehaved was cast away on. It’s said the famous pirate Killjoy Bob was deposited here after he tried a mutiny against his captain onboard his ship. They left him here to die with nothing but a half-empty bottle of rum.”
She blinked at hi
m, tilted her head. “Killjoy Bob?”
Clay could tell she was trying not to giggle. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Go ahead and laugh if you want. But there happens to be a whole pirate museum in downtown Nassau. Complete with a fake town and cruise tours aboard a pirate ship. You can even walk the plank if you’d like.”
“Huh.”
She leaned back in her chair and took another bite of her taco. “Again, I remind you that I have two brothers. Every time we went to the Cape, they made us do one of the many pirate tour attractions.”
“Really?”
“Yep. In fact, they both mentor as Big Brothers. They take a group of kids every summer to the Cape and on one of those tours.”
Her brothers sounded like fun, Clay mused, and like decent, honest men. Would they approve of him? he wondered. It was no secret he had a reputation as a hard-partying ladies’ man who went through women like bar tabs. What brother would approve of someone like that for his baby sister?
Not that any of it made a whit of difference. He wouldn’t be in Tori’s life long enough for it to matter what her family believed of him. His spirits plummeting, he pushed the thoughts aside.
“Definitely,” Tori answered. “Wait till I tell them I was on an authentic maroon island. They’ll be so jealous.” She threw her head back and laughed in a comically bad impression of some sort of movie villain.
“In that case, would you like to also tell them that you went to a real pirate museum?”
She set down her taco and focused an intense stare on his face. “Are you asking me?”
Looked like he was. “I was planning on going alone. No way I’m going to miss it. But I’d love the company.”
The truth was, he hadn’t really wanted to go by himself, not if there was a chance she might come with him. Despite what he’d just told her, he probably would have skipped it, hoped for another time.
Tori’s answer brought an excited smile to his face. “Now, why would I turn down the chance to tease my brothers about how I was at a pirate town in the Bahamas?”
“Is that a yes?”
“You bet it is. Of course, I’ll come with you.”
