by Brooks, Abby
In truth, she was disappointed with herself. She’d wanted to impress him with her ability to adjust and learn quickly. She’d wanted to be an invaluable help. Right there. At his side. Ready to take on any task he gave her.
That hadn't been the case. At all.
She didn’t know the names of the tools when he asked for them. She wasn’t strong enough to lift some of the larger pieces of wood by herself. And she had zero ability to use a power tool…in the least.
All in all, she felt pretty worthless.
Ian leaned on the deck railing and stared out toward the sea. “I'll be honest with you.” He handed Juliet a bottle of water he’d brought out earlier. “I didn't expect you to be much help at all. I have to say you’ve taught me a lot about what to expect out of a New Yorker.” He swiped a hand across his brow then rubbed that hand against the back of his jeans.
I bet that butt feels as magnificent as it looks.
“You’re sweet to try and make me feel good,” she said, ignoring the indecent thoughts parading through her mind. “But go right ahead and call it like it is. That was harder than I thought it’d be, and I wasn't any good at it. I was in the way more than anything.”
“You're something else, you know that? When I got here today, did you know anything about what we were doing? Did you know the names of any of those tools? Did you even know how to properly swing a hammer?”
Juliet hung her head and swiped a bit of damp hair from her eyes. “No. Not really.”
“But you do now, don't you?”
“Kind of. I mean I could show you which screwdriver goes to which screw, and I could tell you what that circular saw over there does, and I now know that just because you make all that wood look light and easy to carry, it doesn't mean it is light and easy to carry.”
Ian chuckled. “There's a joke in there, but I'm gonna let it slide. Be a gentleman and all that.”
“And what if I’m not interested in a gentleman?” Juliet had no idea those words were on their way until they popped out of her mouth. And then, there they were, hanging in the air between them like an open window into her dirty mind.
Ian stared, his lips parted, eyes dilated, hunger burning in his gaze. Juliet’s whole world shrunk into that one moment, the space between her breaths. Her chest heaved, and her heart thundered away as if it wanted all of Ian’s attention to itself.
He licked his lips and dropped his gaze to her mouth. Silence hung between them, punctuated by the crash of the waves on the beach until finally, Lulu started barking at them from behind the backdoor.
“Oh no!” Juliet wrenched her eyes off Ian’s bare chest and swallowed. “She’s been locked inside all day. I hope she hasn’t had an accident.” She bit her lip and made an apologetic face before she scrambled up the steps to let the dog out. Almost as soon as she was free from the weight of his gaze, she could take a full breath again.
What was she thinking, saying something like that to him? On one hand it was true, she liked things rough, but if her experience with Peter had taught her anything, she most definitely wanted a gentleman over a possessive egomaniac.
Oh man, could she imagine the things Ian must be thinking about her…
As soon as the door opened, Lulu bolted past her, desperate to find a place to do her business. Juliet intended to head straight into the house, making an excuse about checking for accidents, but Ian grabbed her arm, his grip forceful but not hurtful, stopping her in her tracks and pulling her back outside. He spun her around to face him and brought his other hand to her cheek, sliding his fingers into the loose tendrils of hair that had escaped from her ponytail.
And then he pressed his lips to hers, his mouth soft yet insistent.
His stubble scraping her tender skin.
Juliet welcomed the kiss, parting her lips to meet Ian’s tongue. Her entire body came alive with desire and she slid her hands into his hair. He groaned into her mouth and let go of her arm, his hands sliding down to cup her ass, pulling her hips forward until she felt his erection through his jeans. He smelled of sweat and cologne and felt so strong, his hard body pressed against her soft curves.
Peter had been methodical. Cold and sterile. But Ian hit her like a thunderbolt and desire sizzled to life.
She wanted him to grab her breasts.
Tangle his fingers in her hair.
She wanted her hands on his dick, to stroke his hard length and feel him grow harder still.
Ian wrapped her long ponytail around his hand, yanking down on it and tilting back her head. She gasped through her open mouth and he trailed kisses down her jawline to her neck and then to the soft spot at her throat.
“Like that?” he muttered against her skin and pressed his hips into hers.
“Yes,” she whispered to the sky, “like that.”
From what sounded like a million miles away, Lulu started barking.
And barking.
And barking some more.
Juliet slowly came to the realization that the dog had left the back yard and found her way out to the beach. She pulled out of Ian’s arms and saw the terrier darting back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, telling the ocean exactly what she thought about it.
“Damnit,” she murmured, stepping out of Ian’s embrace.
He turned and saw what had stolen her attention and gave a solemn shake of his head. “Fucking Lulu.”
Chapter Fifteen
Ian
As Juliet ran after the dog, Ian put himself back to rights. After adjusting the raging hard-on in his pants, he took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. It hadn’t been easy working next to her all day…
Not that it had been particularly difficult, either…
Truth was, he couldn’t help but stare, nor could he help but notice how she kept staring back. And when she made the comment about not wanting a gentleman…his desire sprang to life and all but ordered him to bend her over the railing and fuck her till she begged for mercy. It was only the memory of those pictures—the look in her eyes, the bruises on her arms—that kept him from acting on his urge.
That, plus the fact that he had no interest in taking her against her will.
Their kiss though? It told him that not only was she willing, not only did she want him as much as he wanted her, but she might be exactly the kind of woman he was looking for.
A woman who liked things a little rough.
A woman who appreciated a man that took charge.
The kind he’d begun to doubt existed—at least there in Bliss, a town so small no one was willing to admit what they really wanted for fear of gossip.
His feelings for Juliet went deeper than possible physical compatibility, though. He’d spent the day wondering if she was the woman he was looking for in all ways.
Strong enough to take care of herself, but willing to let down her guard and allow him take care of her, too.
And in return, ready to give him everything she had, down to the last.
Without holding anything back.
And because of that hunch, Ian wasn’t willing to risk ruining everything by moving too fast. He wanted to get to know Juliet. To understand her likes and dislikes, to understand what had her so afraid in those pictures. He wanted her to let him in, let him protect her from the world.
Get a hold of yourself, now. You haven’t known this woman long enough to know if any of that stuff is remotely true.
But no matter how many times his head reminded him to slow down, something else inside kept insisting she was worth the time it would take to find out just how compatible they were.
As he watched her chase that silly little yapper around the beach, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Whaddaya know,” he whispered to himself, “Ian Moore may have finally met his match.”
Chapter Sixteen
Juliet
Juliet couldn’t believe Ian kissed her. And, exactly the way she liked to be kissed, too.
All hot and needy, claiming h
er as his.
No asking permission, or tentative eye contact to make sure she was on the same page.
He just grabbed her and kissed her and, holy shit, was it good.
Fucking Lulu.
The dog was soaked from chasing after the receding water only to be hit by the next wave rolling in. Her fur clung to her body and Juliet did her best to brush her off before sweeping her into her arms. As they made their way back to the house, her little paws paddled through the air as if she thought she was swimming and Juliet couldn’t help but laugh.
Ian leaned on the railing, his eyes locked on their sand-trudging progress. A small smile tugged at his lips as he studied her.
What was he thinking? Did he regret the kiss? Would he cheapen it by trying to apologize?
More importantly than what was going on in his mind, Juliet couldn’t make heads or tails over what was going on in hers. She just broke free from a crazy relationship. One born of lust and held together with dominance and submission…and one hell of a lot of rope. Ian wasn’t the kind of guy she wanted to rebound with. He was too…too everything she ever wanted.
Or—she wondered as he straightened and shoved his hands into his back pockets—am I just feeling that way because I’m all wrapped up in the romance of my new life, my new freedom, here in Bliss? Does Ian seem like everything I want, because Bliss is everything I want?
His face was frustratingly unreadable as she climbed the steps. “Seems like one of us is always trekking out to the beach after that dog and coming back covered in sand. Might want to get her a lead or something.”
Ahh…
So they weren’t going to talk about the kiss at all.
Juliet painted on a smile. “Probably a good idea.” She looked around for something to clean Lulu with. “I guess I need to run inside and grab a towel. My landlord would kill me if he knew I let her track beach into the house.”
“Here.” Ian tossed her his shirt. “Use this.” Juliet started to protest, but he arched one dark eyebrow. “I don’t like being told no, Ms. Lane.”
There was that devilish grin again.
The one that set fire to her libido and washed away all forms of common sense.
The kiss hovered in the air between them and Juliet couldn’t find her voice through the tension. She couldn’t even bring herself to meet his eyes because every time she did, lust flared hot and bright in her belly, her lower muscles clenching deliciously.
How could she hold a half-decent conversation with the man when she was completely distracted by the idea of his mouth exploring every inch of her body? She dropped her gaze in case he could read her as easily as she thought he could.
Reluctantly, she used Ian’s shirt to dry Lulu’s feet, doing her best not to imbed the scent of wet dog into the fabric the way it permeated the air. After she deemed her pet sufficiently dry, Juliet opened the door and put her inside, only to find herself utterly unable to turn around and face the man behind her. She practically jumped out of her skin when Ian placed a gentle hand on her arm.
“Look at me, Juliet.”
Still frozen, she turned her head over her shoulder, trying to comply even though her body fought against her.
“All the way.” Ian placed both hands on her shoulders and spun her around, but Juliet felt so ashamed of herself, she couldn’t meet his gaze. “I said all the way.” Ian lifted her chin with a finger. “You should never be afraid to make eye contact with me.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry…” she began, but trailed off, unsure why she was apologizing.
He was the one who kissed her, after all.
And she liked it.
So what was with the guilt and shame?
Damn Peter Vox and the way he messed with my mind.
“Don’t be sorry.” Ian smiled. “I’m not.” His gaze traveled over her mouth as he brushed her cheek.
“Promise?” She breathed the question like a prayer.
“I don’t just promise, I swear on everything that’s holy.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip before putting some distance between them. “And, I think it’s only fair to warn you, I’m gonna want to do it again.”
Juliet practically melted with relief. She leaned in, prepared to pick up where they left off, but Ian put a finger to her parted lips.
“Not now, Julz.”
“Why not?” She pulled back, pouting, then leaned in again, hoping to steal a kiss anyway.
Ian grinned, but still evaded. “Greedy girl.”
“I’ll stop you when you’re wrong.”
“I like a greedy girl. I want you to want me more than anything. More and more of me. All I have to give, in fact. But”—he held up a finger—“I’m dirty and smelly and I want to take you on a proper date, first.”
Suddenly very aware of the long day of sweat and hard work followed by carrying a wet dog covered in ocean water, she realized her own scent was pretty pungent. Juliet nodded. “I like the idea of a proper date.
“Good. So here’s the plan,” said Ian with a decisive nod. “You go inside and get cleaned up. Put on a pretty dress. Do your hair, fix your nails, whatever it is you do to get ready, and I’ll go home and do the same.”
Juliet smiled wickedly. “You’re gonna go home and do your nails?”
“Hey, you do you. I’ll do me, okay?” Ian waggled a finger and tried to look stern. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’ll go home and get cleaned up, and I think we can both agree that I’m allowed to do it in any way I choose, right?” He waited for her to nod through her giggles before continuing. “I’ll be back to pick you up at seven.”
With that, he gathered his toolbox and loaded it into the bed of the truck, climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled away, leaving Juliet staring after him from the driveway.
“What the hell was that?” she asked aloud, shaking her head and releasing her hair from her ponytail as she wandered back into the house.
Chapter Seventeen
Juliet
What in God’s name was she doing?
She only left Peter two days ago.
And somehow, she was already making out with hot men on her back porch? Not to mention spending more than an hour getting ready for a date. That couldn’t be healthy.
And it certainly couldn’t be normal.
And yet, she was happy. So damn happy. She felt better than she had in longer than she could remember.
She hummed while she put on her makeup. Sang while she fixed her hair. Danced naked in front of her closet while deciding what to wear. She even lingered longer than she wanted to admit while mulling her underwear choices, because, again, should she really be wondering if Ian would prefer white or black lace at that point?
In the end, she settled on black because it made her feel the sexiest, and a short red dress that flared at the waist, because it was the only other dress she brought with her. Desperate for a reason to stop pacing, Julz took Ian’s advice and sat down to do her nails. She only had a travel manicure kit and some clear polish, but it would have to do. On a whim, she pulled out her phone and texted Willow their code.
A call came in from a number she didn’t recognize, and Juliet answered, a little burst of excitement detonating in her belly. She missed her friend and couldn’t wait to tell her about Ian.
“Hello?” she asked cautiously, capturing the phone between her ear and her shoulder.
“Julz! Heeey!” Willow sounded relieved to hear from her. “I’ve been so worried about you! Did you get to where you were going? Also, I bought a burner phone, for what it’s worth.”
That explained the unknown number. Juliet let out a little sigh of relief. Take that, Peter Vox. “It’s so good to hear your voice! Good idea on the phone and yeah, I landed where I wanted to. Plus, I’m way more setup than I thought I’d be.” Considering she was getting ready to go on a date, that last sentence was quite the understatement.
“Sounds like the way you do things. You’re Juliet the Impenetrable. Julz the Phoenix. The
cat who always lands on her feet.”
“You make me sound like a superhero.”
“Well? You kind of are. You take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’, my friend. Always have.”
Juliet giggled, glad she thought to call her friend. Willie’s lighthearted nature anchored her, helped her to find a bit of reality in an otherwise surreal day. “So…I need your advice.”
“You’re looking for my advice?” Willow exploded with laughter. “Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to assume you’re doing okay...”
“I met a guy.” Juliet dragged the brush across her nail and paused, waiting for her friend’s response. “Will?” she asked after what felt like too long
“Julz…” Disapproval dripped from Willow’s voice. “It’s too soon.”
“Believe me. I’m very much aware.” Juliet put the nail brush back in the bottle. “But, when I’m with him, it’s like…like…time stops. And my smile is real. For the first time in my life, my smile is real. And all that stupid sadness is gone, and I just want to breathe him in.”
“But you’ve only been gone three days…”
“I know, but I met him two nights ago and we’ve spent hours together each day since.” Juliet filled Willow in on everything, careful never to say where she was or use Ian’s full name. She felt like a creep for keeping stuff from her friend, but Peter Vox was the self-proclaimed Tech Lord, after all. Burner phones and secret codes or not, she couldn’t be too careful.
“He gave you a house?” Willow sounded as incredulous as the situation deserved.
“Well, he didn’t give it to me. He’s just letting me stay here while he gets it ready for renters and I get on my feet.”
“I see.” She didn’t sound like she saw at all.
“I know how crazy it all sounds. That’s why I called you. I swore to myself when I left Peter that I’d never get involved with anyone again. I wanted to be me, on my own. No relationships of any kind. But Willow, I never loved Peter. And he definitely never loved me. Our relationship was sexual, more business merger than anything. And now that I’ve met Ian, it’s like, I don’t know, melting. Blossoming. It all sounds so dumb.”
