Finding Bliss: The Moore Family Book 1

by Brooks, Abby

  Not even a little bit.

  She shook her dark hair back over her shoulders. “Thanks again. Like, lots of thanks. All the gratitude. Big appreciation.” She clamped her mouth shut before more idiocy could find its way out. Great, Julz. Very articulate. Way to make a first impression. “I might have lost it if I lost her,” she added, almost laughing in relief when the statement came out normal.

  “It was my pleasure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go remove the beach from my shoes.” He gave her a wink and her stomach fluttered as he turned and walked away.

  What the hell was that all about? You’ve sworn off men, remember? Especially that kind of man. No more high-octane, commanding, take what they want kind of guys. You're leaving that life behind. Starting over. Keeping it small and simple and easy.

  Despite all the super positive, girl-power pep talk floating in her head, it took Juliet longer than she’d ever admit to peel her eyes off Mr. Handsome’s ass as he sauntered into the men’s room.

  And as much as she hoped—and chastised herself for that hope—that he’d look back, he never did.

  Chapter Three

  Juliet

  After retrieving Lulu’s leash and giving her a chance to go potty, Julz pulled out a set of printed directions along with a map of South Carolina and spread it all across the hood of her car. The map was new, courtesy of a not-so-friendly gas station attendant who didn’t understand why anyone needed maps in the age of smartphones and Google.

  The answer? Someone who didn’t have a smartphone anymore. The same someone who spent four hours lost in the hills of Virginia, trying to interpret directions she printed at the public library the day she decided it was time to pack up and run.

  In other words, Juliet Lane needed a paper map and that grumpy gas station attendant with the bad hair could suck an egg, thank you very much.

  Peering at the squiggles and lines depicting roads and highways, she ran a finger down the east coast and settled on the city she’d chosen based on nothing more than its name.

  Bliss.

  How could she not want to live in a small, coastal town with a name like that? The moment her index finger crossed over the little dot on the edge of the map, she’d known. That was it. That was where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

  In Bliss.

  She’d returned home...well...to Peter’s home. Time and again, he made it abundantly clear that she lived there because he allowed her to…and that she didn’t own a single thing in the posh penthouse. Looking back, the signs had been there from the start.

  She left the smartphone he’d given her on the kitchen counter where she knew he’d be sure to find it. Then wandered into the bedroom to pack. After digging through the closet, she came to the uncomfortable conclusion that what remained of her pre-Peter wardrobe fit in one bag.

  As that sunk in, she slung said bag over her shoulder, then picked up the houseplant and the box of old dishes she brought with her from her apartment. (Not one single piece ever made it out of the box because Peter wouldn’t deign to eat off them.) Then threw her whole life into the car and took off before she had the chance to talk herself out of it.

  “No service?”

  Julz jumped and spun, knocking the mess of papers off her car. The heavy map hit the pavement with a thwack while page after page of directions seesawed their way down to the pavement.

  “Sorry!”

  The apology popped past her lips out of habit as she dropped to the ground and gathered the papers into her arms before coming face-to-face with a pair of sand-less black shoes.

  “I’m the one who should be apologizing.” Mr. Handsome met her eyes as he bent down to help with the mess. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Sorry,” Julz said again. “Just jumpy.”

  Stop apologizing and get a hold of yourself. Or the next thing you know you’ll be calling him Sir. And that wouldn’t be weird at all.

  He lifted a finger and put on a serious face. “No more apologies. Understood?”

  Juliet’s heart sank to her stomach and then both organs plummeted to her feet. She opened her mouth to speak but clamped it shut when yet another apology threatened to leak out.

  Mr. Handsome’s face softened and his eyes searched hers. “Hey.” His voice was gentle as he held out his hands and showed his palms. “It’s okay. I’m just playing around.”

  Juliet buried the splash of fear behind what she hoped was a playful smile. “Well in that case, I’m sorry.” She made a silly face and hoped he knew that apology was a joke.

  The delectable stranger laughed, and she immediately wanted to make him do it again. He frowned as he stared at the crinkled map. “So, my uh, old-fashioned traveler, where are you headed?”

  She glanced at the mess of papers in her arms and went to work straightening and spreading them out on the hood of the car again. “A little town named Bliss. I think I must be close.”

  Surprise danced in his eyes as he leaned in, tapping the town on the map. “I’m from Bliss.”

  And you smell like heaven.

  She let her gaze travel over his body, from his expensive haircut, to his tux, to his fancy watch and shoes so shiny she could check her makeup in them. “Maybe it’s not as small as I thought it was.”

  His eyebrows scrunched together in the most adorable look of confusion Juliet had ever seen. And then he laughed again, and she couldn’t help but smile, too. “You mean the tux?” He waved his hand down his body and actually turned in a circle for her to see the whole thing. “Pretty sharp, isn’t it?”

  “Indeed. It’s very snazzy.”

  “I’m heading to an engagement party.” Juliet’s face fell and Mr. Handsome hurried on. “For my brother,” he clarified, looking almost embarrassed.

  “So am I close? To Bliss, I mean?” If she’d had any doubts about having picked the right town, they just flew out the window knowing her Mr. Handsome called the place home, too.

  Now stop it. Her internal voice wagged a stern finger. No men. Remember?

  “It’s about half an hour or so south.” He took his phone out of his inside jacket pocket and opened up Google Maps. Using his fingers, he zoomed in and out until both their location and Bliss were on the screen at the same time. Then, being perfectly chivalrous, he checked her paper directions and added some landmarks for her in the margin before tracing her route on the map. “That should help get you there in case your phone doesn’t find service first,” he said.

  She didn’t bother to tell him just how far she was from her phone. “Are there any good extended stay hotels there?” she asked, gathering the papers off the hood of the car.

  “In Bliss? I thought we just covered the fact that this is a small town.”

  “So, no extended stays?”

  “Not a one.”

  “Please tell me there’s at least a hotel.” Damn! Now what? she thought, totally aware that she actually sagged with disappointment. Her heart was set on the cute town with the perfect name. She’d convinced herself she’d find everything she needed there.

  “There’s only one I’d feel comfortable suggesting to you. I’m pretty sure it’s got rooms with kitchenettes, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

  Juliet beamed. “That will do just fine.”

  Mr. Handsome smiled and took the map from her arms, his fingers brushing against hers. She bit her lip as he bent to make another note, marking the hotel on the map and jotting down the name.

  When he finished, he leaned against the hood and studied her for a minute, considering something before taking a tentative breath. “Believe me when I say that I’m not trying to take advantage of a damsel in distress, and I’m fully aware how this might sound, but I own some rental properties on the beach. If you need more of a long-term solution…” He trailed off and handed her the map back.

  Juliet’s heart leapt.

  Beachfront properties?

  Yes, please!

  He was only talking about one of her
lifelong dreams—a bucket list item of epic proportions. She could just imagine it, falling asleep to the sound of the waves, waking up and tasting salt in the air. Watching the sun rise over the sea, light glinting and glittering off the water. Lazy days spent digging her toes into the sand while the sun thawed her frozen heart.

  But there was no way she could afford it. She’d cleaned out her savings, meager as they were, and had all four grand of it in an envelope in her purse. And, since she intended to be untraceable until she knew if Peter was just the cold-and-sadistic brand of bad guy rather than the crazy-stalk-you-and-kill-you type, she wasn’t going to open a new bank account. Afraid Mr. Handsome might think the worst of her, Juliet really didn’t want to ask if he’d take cash.

  “That sounds amazing, but I’m sure I couldn’t afford it. Maybe it’s something I can keep in mind for when I’m more established.”

  “Hey, it was a long shot. Just didn’t want to leave a pretty woman stranded and homeless when I have homes to offer.” He reached into his jacket again and brought out a card. “Call me if you change your mind. Or if you find yourself in need of anything.”

  She took the card, purposefully brushing her finger against his just because she liked the way it felt. The little flicker in his eyes told her he liked it too.

  Stop it. Stop flirting. This guy is everything you don’t need.

  And there they were, just standing in the middle of the most awkward silence ever. What was she supposed to say? She glanced at the card, expecting to find the name of his company, but the only thing written on it was his name.

  “Ian Moore,” she said aloud as she flipped the card over and found his phone number and email on the back. Nothing else. How perfectly mysterious. “It’s very nice to meet you.” The business card switched on her inner New Yorker and she squared her shoulders as she extended her hand.

  He noticed the change and straightened, took her hand in a very alpha male, his-hand-on-top type grasp. “The pleasure is mine, Miss…?” Somehow, he managed to make powerful seem very appealing, the tiny glimmer of a smile in his eyes softening the whole dominant male vibe.

  “Lane. Juliet Lane.”

  Ian checked his watch and shook his head. “I’m now officially late for my brother’s engagement party and my sister will never let me live it down.”

  Julz started to apologize and Ian held up his hand. “Stop. No more apologizing. It’s all good. I get a kick out of annoying my sister.” He winked, and the gesture was sultry, captivating, downright sinful. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Juliet Lane.”

  And with that, Ian hopped into his car and backed out of the parking space. Before he pulled away, he turned and gave her a sharp salute, then hit the gas and zoomed onto the road.

  As soon as he was out of sight, Juliet let out a long breath through pursed lips and shook her head. “I don’t know if I should be mad at you or if I should thank you,” she said to Lulu as she buckled herself into the driver’s seat. “That man is absolutely perfect, and everything I don’t need.”

  Although, just because I don’t need it, doesn’t mean I can't want it, she thought as she pulled out of the lot and headed back to the highway. She drove the rest of the way to Bliss, following Ian’s directions, daydreaming of sunrises and new beginnings.

  After so many years in the city, living in a constant state of rush, rush, rush and late, late, late, the thought of leaving it behind and starting over was decadent. She’d fought hard through college to stay at the top of her class. And when she graduated, she worked hard to stand out amongst her peers. And when luck came her way, she was prepared for it. Or, at least that was what everyone said when she got the offer to be Peter Vox’s admin with no applicable experience on her resume.

  She had to wonder what they’d think now, if they knew about the whole whips and chains thing. The whole ‘yes, Sir, if it pleases you, Sir’ life she’d been living for the past couple months.

  Would they still call her lucky?

  She doubted she’d ever get to find out. Her dad was busy loving his other family. Her mom was busy focusing on herself. And her stepdad never did anything to earn the title besides marry her mom.

  Plus, there was the whole non-disclosure agreement she’d signed with the contract Peter presented her that day in the boardroom. The one she’d scrawled her name to almost gleefully.

  Ugh.

  Enough was enough!

  The moment she walked out Peter’s door, she made a promise to herself.

  No more looking back.

  No more being afraid.

  And for God’s sake, no more getting involved with men who were used to having everything their way.

  Even if they were rich, handsome, dog saving heroes…

  Chapter Four

  Ian

  No doubt about it. Juliet Lane was bad news. From the hastily packed boxes in her backseat, to the houseplant spilling over on the floor, to the pages of directions to a town she’d never heard of.

  Who printed directions anymore?

  Apparently, the kind of woman who named her dog Lulu.

  So what if she had gorgeous dark hair and sultry brown eyes? So what if she had long, lean legs that would look fan-fucking-tastic wrapped around his hips? So what if she had the perfect combination of confident directness and blushing self-consciousness? The woman was clearly miles away from having her shit together and Ian had wiped his hands of crazy, hot messes.

  Fucking Lulu.

  Ian shook his head and laughed, remembering the way Juliet’s sexy little body leaned over the fallen woman as her dog darted off like a bat out of hell. The way her ass filled out those shorts wasn’t fair to men and women alike. Shaking off the thoughts, he swallowed hard and cleared his throat. He was now officially very late to James’ engagement party and their sister, Lilah, was sure to be losing her fucking mind.

  Not because James would be worried by his older brother’s absence.

  Oh, no.

  Nothing as compassionate as that.

  The only person who mattered to Lilah was Lilah.

  With effort, Ian put Juliet out of his head and finished the drive to his parents’ beach house without giving her another thought. Paper lanterns that were just beginning to shine in the falling twilight lined the driveway. Strings of white lights swooped from palm tree to palm tree. Flower arrangements lined the walks. Lilah had really outdone herself this time. The normally inviting Moore family home felt even more so with the sophisticated decorations.

  Ian parked his car and followed the gentle murmur of conversation around back to where the guests had gathered under a large, white canopy. Candles flickered everywhere, dancing in the mild breeze coming off the ocean. A string quartet played on the back porch, and sweet music mingled delicately with the many conversations coming from the guests. Stuck up or not, Lilah had a way of making everything perfect, especially if it meant putting their parents’ money to use.

  As if he’d conjured her out of thin air with the power of his mind, his petite sister strode his way in heels so high he couldn’t understand how she didn’t fall over. Clutching his elbow, she pulled him toward the giant table set up for the wedding party.

  “Where the hell have you been, Lieutenant Moore?” She had to be pissed; she only used his naval rank when she wanted to sound tough. “It’s time for the toast and you better thank your lucky stars you weren’t late enough to miss that.”

  “You look very nice, Lilah,” said Ian, ignoring her bad mood. “Red is a lovely color on you.”

  “You can suck up all you want, big brother, but you’re still in trouble.” Lilah pursed her lips, trying to conceal her smile, and deposited him at his seat next to James. “You better have a speech prepared.” She raised one delicate blonde eyebrow and Ian considered telling her he had no idea what she was talking about. One look at the tension in her bird-like shoulders and he decided that sending Lilah into cardiac arrest wasn’t the best way to demonstrate his happiness for his brot
her’s impending marriage.

  He patted his chest pocket. “Right here,” he said, and reached inside his jacket to pull out his notes.

  Lilah took what appeared to be her first breath of the evening and smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down. You like being the hero too much.”

  “And you like being the boss too much.”

  She hit him lightly on the shoulder. “You better believe I like being the boss.” And then in a great swirl of perfume and evening gown, she swept down the table, picked up her champagne glass and struck her fork lightly against it. The ringing sound carried out over the gathered crowd and everyone quieted, expectantly turning her way. Even the string quartet softened their music and expertly switched to a rich, romantic theme, perfect for a toast from a loving older brother. Lilah had this party planned down to the very last detail.

  “Excuse me,” she called, her blonde hair glistening under the lights. “I’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate my brother James finally getting serious enough to ask Erin to marry him.” She paused for the light laughter that followed.

  Lilah continued, expertly warming up the crowd with charming stories about James and Erin. Ian studied the people who’d gathered at his parents’ home to celebrate his brother’s engagement to the girl he’d dated since middle school. He saw designer dresses and tuxedos, cultured smiles and manicured hands. He saw jewels and watches and tasteful hair. But none of it held a candle to what he’d seen in Juliet Lane.

  Sure, she was a little…crazy seemed like too harsh a word, but he couldn’t deny the aura of ‘barely holding it together’ surrounding her.

  Her brown hair, long, loose, and windblown.

  Her life packed into the back of an old Hyundai.

  The ridiculous dog, bolting for the sea.

  But her natural beauty outweighed all the polished socialites at James’ engagement party. And her energy was refreshing, slightly crazed or not.

  The more Ian thought about it, the more he wondered if she was running from something. That she was in danger and in need of help. Why else would she be on her way to a town she'd never been to before? With enough boxes to suggest she meant to stay a while, but not enough to stay forever. While she could be taking a vacation, who packed for a vacation with boxes?