eyond Desire Collection

by JS Scott, M Malone, Marie Hall, et al

  “Then that must be the only thing that hasn’t changed, because my life is now shit, and that’s thanks to you. Goodbye—Eirik.”

  ***

  After relaying her cursed problems to Logan and Lucy, she swiped at the last of her tears, all cried out, her eyes swollen and the box of tissues empty. Logan pulled her against his side and wrapped his arms around her, while Lucy poured them some sort of frozen concoction she had whipped up in the blender.

  “Ry…what the hell was he thinking?” Logan shook his head in dismay, his lips pursed in a frown. “I can’t believe he’s behind the sale of the inn.”

  “The entire time I’d been freaking out about it all, and he didn’t say a single word.” And the more she thought about how things played out, the more she wondered if he’d been manipulating things in his favor all along. She didn’t want to think he could stoop so low, but in light of everything that had happened, she couldn’t dismiss it either. “So…is it just me or does it seem awfully convenient that I was first told to take a vacation, and then he was more than happy to whisk me away out of state to get my mind off my problems, only to have Holt push the sale of the inn through while I was away? Someone please…tell me it’s all just a coincidence.” Tears stung her eyes once more.

  “I wish I could say you’re wrong, because you know I like to think the best of people, but it does seem like he’s planned all this from the start.” Lucy handed her a glass, the slushy mix the color of a tropical lagoon. “Drink up, sweetie. I’m just glad you found this all out before getting in too deep.”

  If only that were the truth. Yet it was too late, even if it had been no more than a week since he’d walked back into her life—and mere hours since she’d pictured herself in the kitchen of his new place like some merry fucking homemaker.

  He’d staked his claim and stolen her heart. He’d been her first true love, and she’d fallen in love with him once again, plain and simple.

  And then he’d lied to her. Tore her heart to pieces. Ruined the place she loved most. Destroyed her most precious memories.

  Lucy must have seen the truth in her face, because she suddenly plopped herself in a seat, a pout on her full lips. “Oh no, sweetie. The bastard worked quick, didn’t he?”

  “It wasn’t just this week together. I knew him when we were teenagers. He’d been so sweet back then, and you know what it’s like when you’re that young. Everything’s so fresh and bright and all-consuming. He…” She let out a weary sigh. “He was my first…my first everything. And I don’t think I ever got over him, even after we’d gone our separate ways.”

  “Oh!” The wide eyes on Lucy told her she understood the depth of her heart. “Oh, Riley…no wonder you’ve taken this so hard. That’s just horrible.”

  When Riley nodded, Logan got up to pace—a telltale sign that he was annoyed and frustrated. “Yeah…I can see how it’d be hard to get over someone so sweet and handsome. And let’s not forget manipulative.”

  “I already feel miserable enough without you giving me grief for being stupid. It’s not like I planned to fall for him, Logan. And I didn’t realize until now…” She grabbed his hand to keep him from pacing, knowing that it couldn’t be easy for him given their past. When she said she’d never gotten over Thorsen, it also meant that she’d never been able to fully commit to Logan, and she hated herself for hurting him. “I’m sorry, love. I really am.”

  He shook his head and sat back down by her side, taking her hands in his with a sigh. “I don’t regret our time together, Ry. But I am worried about you. Despite your past with this jerk, you sort of threw caution to the wind—and I probably encouraged you to do so, though I sure as hell didn’t expect you to fall in love with him.”

  “Just to play devil’s advocate, since I can’t imagine you being so wrong about a guy you’d carry a torch for all these years.” Lucy leaned back in her seat and twirled her thick red curls up into a knot before grabbing her drink and taking a long sip. “What if he really did think that buying the inn was a good idea and that you might actually be happy about it? I mean, it’s sort of romantic that after all these years he was still thinking about you and the summers you guys spent together. Not that it excuses how he went about things, but…I don’t know.”

  Riley knew Lucy might have a point, yet it didn’t excuse his actions, and she wasn’t anywhere near ready to forgive him. “Then he should have come clean when he knew I was desperate and heartbroken over the inn. He should have told me, Lucy.”

  “No one’s disagreeing with you there, cupcake.” Lucy sat forward, her horn-rimmed glasses framing her bright blue eyes. “But if you really do love him, that sort of leaves you in a bit of a pickle. What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like I was all that successful in forgetting him before, though I sure as hell have more of a reason to get over him now. And I hate to say it, but I really don’t know if I’ll be able to stay at the inn.” And that left her heartbroken. “Somehow, it’s stopped feeling like home. I used to have nothing but good memories, and now…”

  Logan pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Maybe you just need to get away for a bit—or make new memories.”

  “You might be right.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Cursing under his breath, Thorsen walked away from Riley’s cottage and down the path towards the inn. He’d been reluctant to leave her when she was so upset with him—and rightfully so—but he had to deal with Mark if he had any hope of saving the inn.

  Talk about his good intentions going to hell. Not only had he not made her happy, but the entire inn might be in jeopardy. She might be angry and upset with him right now, but if he didn’t put a stop to Mark getting his way and partnering with Durham, her anger would turn to pure hate and she’d never forgive him.

  At this point, it didn’t matter that his cousin was going to make a big deal of him being on the island before the completion of the sale. It didn’t even matter that Mark would likely try to persuade the board to yank his position and power in the company. He’d sacrifice everything to keep the inn safe and mend the damage he’d done to his relationship with Riley.

  It didn’t take Thorsen long to find his cousin and Anna, discussing things on the front lawn of the inn. He closed the distance between them, and by the time he reached them, his anger was barely kept in check. A quick grab of his cousin’s arm spun Mark around and right into Thorsen’s fist as Anna jumped out of the way with a squeal. “You fucking bastard.”

  Mark wobbled on his feet as he grabbed his jaw. “You’ll…you’ll fucking pay for that. You’ll lose everything by the time I’m done with you. Do you hear me?”

  “You underestimate me, Mark.” Thorsen resisted the urge to grab his cousin and shake him until his eyes rolled in his head, pacing the ground instead, his muscles coiled and ready to react. “And that’ll be your biggest mistake.”

  “Is that what you told your girlfriend, too?” Despite his split lip, Mark managed a cocky grin. “I can see she was really impressed with you and your lies. Maybe I’ll have to take her out and console her.”

  The thought of Mark even talking to Riley was enough to push Thorsen over the edge. Lightning fast, he lashed out and grabbed Mark’s shirt in his fists, yanking him forward and off balance, forcing his cousin onto the tips of his toes. “Leave her alone, Mark. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget she even exists.”

  “You’re insane.” Mark barely squawked the words out past his lips.

  “And you’d be wise not to forget it.”

  ***

  “Riley.” Thorsen knocked on her cottage door. He knew it was late, but hoped she was still up.

  He’d spent hours on the phone with Ethan. The family who owned the land caught on that they might have something of value on their hands and were now dragging their feet on selling. Ethan had convinced them not to speak to Holt if they had any hope of negotiating a higher price, but Thorsen was going to need
to convince them to make the sale.

  There was no time to waste, because if Mark found out that he was trying to steal the land deal, then he’d lose whatever advantage they currently had. But he needed Riley—needed her to help explain to the family why it was so important that they sell the land to him and not to Mark.

  “Riley…please. I need to speak with you.” He pounded on the door again and was finally rewarded with the sound of the latch being flipped.

  Except that it wasn’t Riley who answered the door.

  Logan stood there, bare-chested and barefoot, looking at him through appraising eyes and a cocky stance, wearing jeans and little else. “Riley’s…busy. And she sure as hell isn’t interested in anything you have to say or offer. You had your chance and you blew it.”

  Logan went to close the door, but Thorsen stopped it with a firm hand, trying to ignore the jealousy that was flaring up in his chest. “I need to speak to her, and I’m not going anywhere until I’ve done just that.”

  “And I’m telling you she doesn’t want to see you.” He shook his head, giving him a look of disgust. “She deserves better than someone who’ll lie to her and break her heart.”

  “I know she does. But it doesn’t change the fact that I need to speak to her. It’s not just my relationship with her that’s on the line, Logan. The inn’s in jeopardy and I can’t keep it safe if she won’t speak to me.”

  “It’s fine, Logan. He can come in—for the sake of the Siren.” Riley wandered over from her bedroom, wearing shorts and an old t-shirt that had been altered at the neckline so it now hung precariously off her bare shoulder, the thin fabric skimming over her perfect breasts and pert nipples. By the gods, it was killing him that Logan was with her, and it took all he had to not grab the throw off the back of the sofa and wrap her in it like a goddamned burrito.

  And then he saw that she was still upset, her eyes red-rimmed and her voice weary. His heart ached with a pang, leaving him desperate to pull her into his arms—except that he couldn’t when Logan was still standing between them. He turned to Logan and patiently waited for him to step to the side so he could enter, knowing nothing good would come from annoying her friend.

  “As you wish, Ry.” Logan let out a sigh and moved out of the way so Thorsen could pass.

  Thorsen took a deep breath, a small sliver of tension easing in his chest. “Thank you.”

  “Thank her, not me.” Logan turned to Riley. “Do you want me to stick around? I don’t mind.”

  “I’ll be fine. Thanks.” Riley went onto the tips of her toes, and kissed Logan’s cheek, his hand drifting to her waist with a familiarity that gnawed at Thorsen. “Can I catch up with you in the morning?”

  Logan nodded and then disappeared into Riley’s bedroom. Minutes later, he returned fully clothed—which did little to squash the possessive streak Thorsen knew he had no right to have, especially now. On his way out, Logan whispered something to Riley, his head bent to hers. She nodded, and he saw himself out.

  Once it was just the two of them, Riley crossed her arms in front of her chest, her dark disheveled hair falling down over that bare shoulder of hers. “What do you want, Thorsen? It’s late, and I’d like to get back to sleep.”

  “Is that what you were doing then? Sleeping?” He cursed under his breath. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never been the jealous sort—never had a mouth he couldn’t control, especially given his training. So why was it she drove him over the edge? Why was it he couldn’t think straight around her?

  She pinned him with a glare, her brows perked in question. “Really? You’re going to go there? You have some nerve.”

  “I’m sorry, Riley. Fuck…I can’t think straight, love. And I’m sorry that I was less than truthful with you about what was happening with the inn, but it was too risky to tell you.” Thorsen closed the distance between them, though he didn’t dare touch her, even if there was nothing he wanted more. He didn’t want to risk angering her further, especially since she’d likely despise him by the time he finished filling her in on Mark’s plans. “I need to tell you everything that’s going on—and I need your help. If we have any hope of saving the inn, I’ll need to leave for Vermont—tonight preferably—and I need you to come with me.”

  “Oh. Is that all?” She shrugged and gave him a sarcastic smile. “Let me just pack a bag then.”

  “Darling…”

  She took a step closer and poked him in the chest. “You don’t get to call me darling or love or anything other than Riley or Ms. Carter. Are we clear?”

  “Aye, sweet Summer.” He couldn’t help himself, and hoped it’d offer a bit of levity in what felt like a dire situation. “Perfectly clear.”

  She looked away, shaking her head. “You know, you’re a real pain in the ass.”

  He could have sworn he heard her voice crack—just a little—and when she squeezed her eyes shut for a long moment, he knew he hadn’t imagined it. “Riley…please don’t cry, love. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you again.”

  And then any vulnerability was gone, hidden behind a steely glare. “What do you want, Thorsen—other than having me join you for your trip to Vermont? ’Cause that’s not going to happen. I’m not falling for yet another one of your ploys to get me out of the way so I won’t cause trouble while you work on some other deal. My forced vacation? A convenient getaway out of state? And all the while, Anna’s able to bump up the sale of the inn.”

  He felt the blood drain from his face, mortified that she’d think him capable of manipulating her like that. “I swear, Riley, I had nothing to do with your vacation. You’ve got to believe me…”

  “Why the hell should I, Thorsen?” She wrapped her arms around herself, as if warding off a chill.

  “I wish I knew what to say. Honestly, I had only wanted to spend a bit of time with you and thought getting away would help take your mind off what was happening here at the inn.” He ran a rough hand across his face, fully aware that the troubles she was trying to avoid in the first place had also been of his doing. “Just hear me out, Riley. I think you’ll see why it’s so important that you come with me to Vermont.”

  She shook her head and plopped herself down on the couch. “Fine then. Start talking.”

  Thorsen took a seat next to her, knowing he should put some distance between them and yet unable to help himself. The only chance he had of her ever forgiving him hinged on being completely honest with her—and saving the inn.

  And so he told her everything. He told her of his original intentions for the Siren. Told her of Mark’s plans to purchase the parcel of land next to the inn and why they had to be the ones to close the land instead. And he told her of the family who currently owned it.

  “I know this is a lot to take in, Riley, but now you see why I need your help. If you tell them why the inn is so important to the island, and tell them of the people that’ll be affected, they’ll see that selling us the land is the right thing to do.” He knew it was a lot to take in, but the fact that she hadn’t spoken a word and all the color had drained from her face left him worried. “Talk to me, darling. Say something.”

  “Swear to me that this is the truth, that these aren’t more lies…” Her voice was so raw with emotion and she sounded so defeated, it killed him that he couldn’t take her in his arms and comfort her.

  “I swear it’s the truth, Riley. You have to believe me…” He knew she had every right to question what he was saying, but he couldn’t believe things had deteriorated between them to such an extent.

  She gave the tiniest of shrugs, almost as if she couldn’t manage anything more. “Even if it is the truth, how will we get the money together for the land? I don’t have anywhere near enough, Thorsen.”

  It would take a good chunk of the money he had stashed, but it was worth everything if it would right things between them. With a heavy heart, he took her hand in his, even more worried when she didn’t pull back. She looked numb. Barely there. “I’ll take care of it. But I’
m worried about you, darling.”

  She shook her head and slowly pulled her hand free. “How the hell will you take care of it, Thorsen? And how could you bring this to my doorstep?” Her tears spilled over and slipped down her cheeks as she lowered her head, as if unable to bear the sight of him.

  “Riley… I swear I didn’t realize any of this was going to happen. I had only the best intentions—even if it’s all gone horribly wrong.” His heart was aching—aching for the misery he’d caused her and aching for the loss of what they’d had. “I can’t fix this without your help, and there’s too much at stake to let my mistakes get in the way. Please, Riley…”

  She swiped at her tears though her gaze was hard when she looked at him. “Fine. I’ll do what it takes to save the inn—even if it means I’ll have to deal with you until this gets sorted. But don’t go thinking it means anything more. We’re through.”

  Hearing her speak those words left him feeling gutted. And yet he couldn’t blame her. “Aye, love. I expected as much, though I truly wish I could make things right between us.”

  “I’m not discussing our relationship, Thorsen.” She looked away and shook her head as if annoyed with herself. “I can’t. I can’t even bear to think of it.”

  “As you wish.” All he could do is hope that with time, her hurt and anger would ease. And in the meantime, they had more than enough to deal with. “I’d like to get on the road as soon as you’re able. They’re in Montpelier, Vermont and my assistant scheduled a meeting with them for nine in the morning. I don’t know how long the negotiations will take, but it might take a couple of days, so you’ll want to pack accordingly.”

  She nodded and stood, but didn’t move further, her eyes locked on his. “I trust you to do what you can to make this right, Thorsen. But just so we’re clear—it changes nothing between us.”

  He didn’t say anything, but he was damned if he was going to let her go without a fight.

  ***

  They’d gotten to Montpelier in the middle of the night after a five-hour drive through woods and mountains, and booked two rooms not far from town. After very little sleep, Thorsen managed to drag Riley out of bed—her own, unfortunately—and were now meeting up with Ethan at a diner for a quick breakfast before heading to the lawyer’s office.