Her head rolled back, and she tried to steady her breathing, begging her body to calm the swells deep in her belly. It had to last longer; she wanted him like this all night.
“No,” he whispered. “Look at me,” he demanded.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she witnessed pure and total desire in his gaze as he buried himself in her hard and strong. With both his arms wrapped around her waist, she snaked her hands against his neck and held on for dear life while she came fiercely in his grasp, wave after wave. Their eyes locked as he squeezed her tighter in his embrace and let the release bring them to their knees.
“Oh my God, Haven.” He breathed heavily in her ear. Both of them draped across the floor, unable to move, a tangled web of bodies entwined.
“Yeah, that.” She exhaled, running her fingers through his hair. Her body had never felt so exquisite—damp, warm, tender in the spots he had touched, his. She felt like she was his.
He kissed her shoulder and struggled to prop himself up. “Feel better? Did that clear your head?”
“Is that what that was about? And I just thought you were excited about the sleepover.” She giggled at him. He looked cute like this—his face flush, his body relaxed.
He reached over her head and snagged a piece of paper off the table. He held it out to her.
“What’s this?” It was dark. She could barely make out the words.
“In honor of hanging out for five weeks, I wrote something for you. It came to me all of a sudden.” He smiled, showing his white teeth.
Haven couldn’t believe it. He had never shown her any of his writing even though she had begged for weeks to read a chapter from his book. She held the page out, catching the crack of light from the window.
It would be easier if
You didn’t taste so sweet
If kissing you didn’t make me whole
My world wouldn’t be right if we didn’t meet
It’s like you looked at me and stole
My breath, my heart, and I’m in deep
It would be easier if
I didn’t crave your lips
If your warmth in my bed
Didn’t take me on a summer trip
This is something I’ve never said
But, baby, you saved me
“So? What do you think?” He was propped on his elbow, waiting for her to say something, but she didn’t know how to respond. What do you say when everything you’ve wanted to hear is written on a piece of paper? It was beautiful, simple, and perfect.
“I love it. I think it’s amazing.” She reached toward him, crushing his lips against hers. If he never said it out loud, it was ok. She knew he loved her. It was all in the words. “But I didn’t get anything for you. Was I supposed to?”
Jay laughed. She didn’t know what he thought was so funny. “No, darlin’, not at all. Lying here with you on the floor is all I need.”
“Good.” She crawled toward him, hovering over his chest. “But I think I know something you might like.” She kissed his neck. “Think you’re up for it?” Her teeth grazed against his collarbone.
She loved the smile on his lips. “Baby, I’m up for anything you have planned.” He settled onto the floor, and she did her best to show him that the past five weeks were the hottest, most amazing weeks of her life.
EVAN GROANED at the sound of the crickets. First, his phone and then Haven’s chirped with the morning alarm. It was dark, and he heard the rain pelting the aluminum roof. A man couldn’t possibly get out of bed with that perfect symphony tapping overhead.
A low rumble of thunder echoed, and she snuggled under his arm, radiating warmth against his bare chest. He pulled her against him. There was no way they were going into work at five thirty. He fished for the phones and silenced them, powering each one off. To hell with Denton Owen if he had a problem with it. Other than the hurricane, they never slept in together. Today was an exception. The store could take care of itself. He wanted to hide under the covers all morning with Haven and listen to the rainfall. He needed this; he needed her in his arms.
“I’M GOING to be in so much trouble. I can’t believe you turned our phones off.” Haven bent next to the bed to collect the lacy lingerie set Evan had peeled off her body last night.
“Do you ever call in sick? Have I ever called in sick?” he teased. He could tell she was annoyed, but he didn’t regret it for one second.
“That’s not the point.” She turned for the bathroom. “My father probably used to like you. Now, you’re done.” She closed the door behind her, and he laughed.
“I’ll take full responsibility. Ok?” he called to her through the flimsy door. The sink was running. He wasn’t sure she could hear him.
She slid the door open. “What are you going to say? That I stayed over here last night? Uh-uh. No way.” She closed the door. “You do not understand.”
Evan strolled to the hall and leaned against the opposite wall so he didn’t have to speak as loudly. “You don’t think he knows about us? Come on, Haven. We’re adults. We can do whatever we want. Who cares what your dad thinks?”
The water stopped and the door moved to the side. She clutched her toothbrush firmly in her hand. “I care. I don’t want him to think I’m anything like him.” Her eyes hit the floor, and he recognized the look when she was trying to push tears away.
He had never considered she would connect their relationship to her father’s affair. It wasn’t bad; it didn’t hurt people. Was it because they weren’t married? Sure, they were in a conservative part of the South, but Haven wasn’t close-minded. She had been to a liberal arts college, had relationships, slept with other guys—as much as he hated to think about that part.
He tried to gauge where all of this was coming from. “You know what we have isn’t in any way like some secret affair, right? We can be together, go out. There are no other people. There is nothing wrong with what is happening between us.”
She put her toothbrush back in the holder and turned to face him. “I didn’t mean for that to sound like it did. Of course, I don’t think there is anything wrong about us. I love being with you. I loved last night.” She smiled. “But my parents have preached waiting for sex until marriage since the day my mother gave the birds and the bees talk. As far as they know, I’m as virginally white as it comes. I’ve never let them think otherwise. When he finds out, my father is going to think of me the same way I think of him. Like I’ve done something bad.” She paused. “And he’s going to hate you for corrupting me.”
Evan arched his eyebrow. If they weren’t in the middle of such a serious discussion, he would throw out a joke about how there was no way he was the corruptor in this scenario, but that was better left alone.
“Then, that’s his own damn fault for not knowing what’s right and wrong.” Evan reached for her waist. “Because, this is about damn near perfect.” He kissed her lips, tasting the fresh mint on her mouth. “Don’t let him make you feel guilty about us.”
“I don’t have one ounce of guilt about you. This has been the best summer of my life.” He loved when her blue eyes lit up like this. “But part of me still doesn’t want to disappoint them. Is that stupid?”
“It’s not stupid at all.” At twenty-eight, he was still doing things to get his dad’s attention. Hoping the next movie would elicit some kind of praise or compliment. Where his mother was concerned, he didn’t want to embarrass her or cause her any pain. It wasn’t stupid. Haven loved her parents, faults, sins, and all. It wasn’t something you outgrew.
“But, at some point, they have to recognize you as an adult. And you can’t feel guilty about it.” He kissed her on the forehead before walking to the bedroom. His extra towels were in a drawer at the end of the bed.
“That’s easy for you to say. Your father isn’t having an affair and getting ready to find out you’re sleeping with the clerk you hired.” Her eyes closed and she leaned against the door. “This day is going to be a freakin’ disaster.”
> “Did you already forget about your call this afternoon? It can’t be a bad day.” He grabbed one red and one white towel.
“How can I forget that? I woke up thinking about Austin.”
He was glad she was so excited about the call. Blue Steel Records was owned by one of the wide receivers he played with in college. Bruce was a good guy; he would watch out for her.
He threw a towel at her. “Here.”
She tilted her head to side. “What’s this?”
“Get in the shower. Now.” He stood, towering over her.
“Oh no. There’s no way we’ll both fit. You can barely get in there.” Her head shook.
“Darlin’, we will fit.” He turned the knob on the hot water side. “But we only have seven minutes for me to wash all of these problems away for you, so stop arguing with me and get in.” His eyes darted to the stream of water sputtering behind her. For a second, he thought she might not take him up on his offer. He considered lifting her up and putting her under the water, but before he could act on it, she tugged the tank top off her chest, shimmied out of something silky and blue, and stepped into the shower.
“Damn, girl,” he muttered, bracing himself against the wall. Maybe she thought he did all of these things to make her feel better, to erase her doubts and fears, but she didn’t know that making her smile turned his world right side up.
“MR. OWEN, sir. I’m really sorry Haven and I weren’t here to help Nell open the store this morning.” Evan folded his hands behind his back and waited for the store owner to give it to him. He was prepared.
Denton stayed seated in the cramped office. “Son, I have brought you into my business. Maura and I had you over for dinner.” He cleared his throat. “And I’m having a real hard time right now listening to this.”
Evan realized this wasn’t the most comfortable conversation between two men. If he ever had a daughter, he knew he would be the kind of dad who eagle-eyed any boy who stepped within ten feet of her. Regardless of the situation with Betra Meeks, Evan did feel for the guy sitting behind the desk. This was damn awkward.
“I know. I know. And I appreciate everything, sir. I did not intend to keep Haven from work. It won’t happen again.”
“Fell asleep watching a movie and you both forgot to charge your phones?” the father asked skeptically.
Both men knew that wasn’t the entire story, but Evan was sticking to it. They could all pretend that’s what happened and maybe the consequences for Haven wouldn’t be so bad. He had volunteered to face the firing squad to spare her the embarrassment.
“Yes, sir. It was irresponsible on my part.” He hoped they could drop the details, and Denton would let him get back to the kayaks and snorkel sets.
“All right, let’s just leave it at that.” He cleared his throat. “If it happens again, you won’t get a warning.”
Evan nodded. “Yes, sir. Understood. It won’t.” He turned for the door, anxious to end the conversation. He had had knock down, drag out arguments with directors that were easier to deal with than the tension in this office. He closed the door behind him and strolled out to the docks.
A grandfather was teaching his grandson how to pin fish at the edge of the pier. The clouds had dispersed, and there were patches of sunlight peeping through.
Evan chuckled as he took his station in the rental stand. He hadn’t felt that much like a teenager since he was one. It was downright hilarious that he had almost gotten an ass-chewing from an overprotective father—now that was a headline Celebrity Watch should run: World’s Most Eligible Bachelor sent to time out. He flipped through the checklist on the clipboard and counted how many pieces of equipment were out on the water.
“WISH ME luck.” Haven clutched her phone in her right hand, and waited for Jay to say something calming.
“Good luck, pretty girl.” He winked. “Just remember, don’t agree to anything until they send over a copy of the contract and we read through it? I don’t want them to take advantage of you because it’s your first deal.”
He wouldn’t open up about his book contract, but he spoke with such passion, she could only assume he had a bad experience with contracts. The advice was good. She needed it. No reason to jump into anything before she had time to think through the offer.
“I’m so nervous.” Her knees might actually knock together she was shaking so much.
He held her by the shoulders. “They already love your music. You are the ones with all the cards here.”
“Right. Right.” She bit her bottom lip. Jay’s eyes drifted over her shoulder.
“Hey, what’s going on at The Windsheer?” He pointed toward the hotel across the street.
She pivoted on her heels and caught a glimpse of a large group climbing the stairs of the historic building. It looked like there were photographers following the party into the lobby.
“I have no idea. But Nell would know. She knows everything.” She turned back, needing reassurance from his eyes. They were always so soothing when she got worked up.
He patted her on the backside, followed by a tight squeeze. “Go get ‘em. It’s four.” He spun her out of the rental entrance. It would be silly to ask him to make the call with her, but part of her wanted him close by.
This was more nerve-wracking than her first day of classes at Carolina when she didn’t know a single soul, or graduation day, when the world opened up the black hole of uncertainty.
She forced a smile on her face as she walked to the parking lot. Wasn’t there a saying about smiling on the phone? She couldn’t think of it, but knew it mattered. It was stuffy inside her car; she turned the AC to high, hoping it would cool quickly. There was no privacy in the store, and after her late-morning stunt, there wasn’t any way she could take off early. A call in the seclusion of her car was the best she could work out.
The number for Blue Steel was in her back pocket. She pulled out the email, read the numbers aloud, and tapped the digits into her phone.
“Blue Steel Records. How may I direct your call?” a woman answered.
“Hi, this is Haven Owen. I have a conference call with Bruce Fisher.” Her stomach flipped with butterflies. This was actually happening.
“Yes, it looks like you’re on the call schedule. Hold please.”
Haven didn’t know if she was breathing in or out; her chest was so tight, it might have forgotten what it was supposed to do.
“Haven! Great to have you on the line.” A booming voice sounded in her ear. “This is Bruce.”
“Mr. Fisher, thank you so much. I couldn’t believe it when I got your email yesterday.” She hoped she sounded like a professional.
“Call me Bruce.”
“Ok. Bruce.” This time she had a genuine smile. She couldn’t help but think parts of his words reminded her of Jay’s accent. They were both from Texas.
“Let’s talk a minute. Looks like we have three songs of yours, and I have an artist in mind who could cut them.”
Haven’s heart stopped. “Really?” She thought they were going to discuss taking the songs on and shopping around for someone to record or demo them. It never occurred to her there would be someone lined up already.
“Have you ever heard of Carly Stone?”
“Oh my God!” Haven covered her mouth. All the prepping in the world couldn’t contain her excitement. It sputtered out. Ever since Carly had made a few YouTube videos that went viral overnight, people were clamoring for anything she could produce. This was unreal.
“So, I take that as a yes?” Bruce chuckled a deep, warm laugh on the other end.
“I’m sorry. You caught me by surprise. Yes, that is a yes. I know who she is.” Haven noticed that the crowd from The Windsheer had gathered again. They were crossing the street.
“Good. I think she’ll be the perfect fit for your songs. You’re both young and have that vibe that people really want right now.”
Why were there people taking pictures? The crowd was distracting. Great, they were headed in
to the store. She would have to wrap the call up quickly, and get back inside before Nell ratted her out. She could only barter for so much time away from the register.
“Haven, you there?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m here.” She shifted in her seat, turning from the scene in front of the store. “I am absolutely blown away. Carly Stone is amazing. I think she’d be perfect for my songs. I just can’t believe she’d want to record something of mine.” Carly was known for her indie roots, but this seemed too good to be true.
“Why wouldn’t she? She’s friends with Evan too.”
Haven didn’t want to sound like any more of a rookie than she already was, but she didn’t know who Evan was. Maybe a producer.
“When Evan’s agent called and said he wanted us to take a look at your material, it was a no brainer. Evan and I go way back. Played football together in college, but I’m sure he’s mentioned that to you.”
Haven shook her head. “Mr.—” She corrected herself, “Bruce. I don’t know an Evan.” This was embarrassing. He was probably an important and influential music maker, and she had to admit to the head of Blue Steel Records she had never heard of him.
“Evan Carlson? Tall guy? Makes all the ladies swoon? He’s got a Texas accent—likes cold beer? You don’t know the movie star, Evan Carlson?”
Haven slumped into the seat, her body stiff with fear. Or was it shock? Whatever it was, it made her shake and her stomach spasm. This didn’t make sense. Bruce Fisher could not possibly be telling her that she knew Evan Carlson. That wasn’t possible. The tall, heart-melting Texan she knew was named Jay.
“I-I don’t know.” It was the best she could muster considering the panic gripping her.
Finding Haven Page 18
