Taking Chances: A Donnelley Brother's Novel

by Carbonneau, Alannah

  Knowing Collin would come searching for me after his tour, I taped a note to the door of my cabin to let him know where I’d be. Then, I set out with a beach bag filled with a towel, bottled water, and a beach blanket to lie on.

  Buster, the black and white dog that tended to hang with Collin met me on the path and walked alongside me to the lake. I set up my blanket and huffed as Buster settled his behind on the corner, before sprawling half on the blanket and half in the sand, to bask in the sun. I stripped from my dress and wandered to the lake. The water was chilly, but it wasn’t so bad that I wanted to walk back out. Taking a deep breath for courage, I dropped my body into the water all at once, and instantly sighed in relief, as the cool kiss of the water loosened the stiff muscles in my body.

  After a little swim, I walked back to the blanket and joined Buster in slumber beneath the hot July sun.

  ***

  “Hadley.” I felt a hand push against my shoulder. “Shit, baby, you fell asleep.”

  I moaned. “What?”

  “Fuck.” Collin growled. “You’re burnt, baby.”

  Oh crap. I’d fallen asleep. But, for how long?

  “What time is it?” I shifted to move up onto my knees and the skin on my back felt tight and a little painful. I winced.

  “It’s just past six.” His reply was clipped. “How long have you been out here?”

  I grimaced. “About three hours.”

  “Hadley.” Collin shook his head. “You’re back is really burnt.”

  He sounded angry - and that angered me. I defended myself on a sharp tone. “I was tired.”

  “Obviously.” He rose to his feet. “Let’s go.”

  I sat, tilted to my side, because quite honestly the skin on my rear stung. “Why?”

  “The sooner we get Aloe Vera onto your skin, the better.” He held his hand out to help me up and I took it. Once I was on my feet, Collin shook his head again. “I can’t believe you fell asleep under this sun.”

  “Will you please stop.” I snapped. The longer I was awake, the more I was feeling the stretching pain of the skin on my back. “I’m kicking myself for falling asleep. I don’t need you doing it too.”

  He scowled down at me before packing up my beach blanket and towel. Then he handed me my dress. “Think you can put this on?”

  “Yeah.” I gritted my teeth. “It’s not a scratchy material.”

  I lifted the material, trying to get it over my head, but the stretching of sunburned skin encouraged me to drop my arms on a strained moan of pain.

  “Here.” Collin swiped the dress from my fingertips. “I’ll do it.”

  I didn’t reply as Collin moved to dress me in my clothes with a gentleness that would have warmed my heart if I weren’t so filled with humiliation. I mean, seriously? How stupid did one have to be to fall asleep for hours, beneath a high July sun? What had I been thinking? Oh yes, I hadn’t been thinking.

  As the material rested against my tingling skin, Collin breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn’t winced once while he’d been settling my dress into place over my body. Stepping back, his eyes scanned my face and I looked down to my toes, feeling silly.

  Placing his finger beneath my chin, he lifted my face, forcing my eyes to connect with his emerald orbs. “I’m sorry, beautiful.” I felt my face heat at the endearment. He’d called me beautiful since we met nine weeks ago, and it still, to this very day, affected me. “I shouldn’t have been an ass about it. But I worry about you and now I’m worried about your skin.”

  I forced a smile. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

  His eyes darkened a shade and before he spoke, I felt the pad of his thumb move over the line of my jaw. Suddenly, I forgot the sting on my back as the fluttering in my belly triumphed.

  “Do you have Aloe Vera at home?”

  Stunned by the sound of his question infiltrating my mind, I took a moment before replying. “Um, no.”

  He sighed again. “We’re going back to my place.” His hand dropped from my face, and to my surprise, he gripped my hand in his.

  Pulling me alongside him through the trees, he led me to his house rather than to my cabin. I didn’t protest to him carrying my bag, and I definitely didn’t protest to him holding my hand, but I would be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that I was afraid of going to his house. In all the weeks that we’d been hanging out, we’d pretty much spent all our time outside, or at the Ranch cafeteria, or in the presence of other people. Since the night we’d spent together, Collin had done nearly everything he could to not be alone with me anywhere near a bed.

  So, I’d definitely be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous about spending time with him now - at his house - alone. Where there was a bed.

  Suddenly, without warning, I stopped as the backside of his house came into view. Stuttering, I asked. “Are you sure I should be coming over?”

  He turned slowly to look at me and I was certain he saw the fear in my eyes, because his own softened. “You need something on your back, Hadley.”

  “I know.” I grappled for words. “But, I’ve never...” I paused again. “Been in your house.”

  “Don’t typically bring women here.”

  “Huh.” The sound was nervous.

  “Hadley, we’ve been hanging out for a while now. I think it’s time you saw my place.”

  “Kay.” I nodded as though trying to convince myself more than him. “Um, sure.”

  Collin tipped his head to the side and a slow smile claimed his beautiful face. “Are you nervous, beautiful?”

  “What?” I squeaked. “No!”

  “I think you’re nervous.” He stepped toward me and I realized then that he was still holding onto my hand. “Why would you be nervous?”

  “I’m not!” I tugged on my hand but he held it tight, refusing to release me. “I just don’t want you to feel like I have to come over just because I fell asleep in the sun.”

  Again, he shook his head and his features tightened. “I still can’t believe you did that.”

  I frowned. “Me either.”

  “We’ll go inside, I’ll get something on your back, and we’ll make something to eat, okay?” His deep voice rattled me - or maybe it was the steady control I heard - or maybe it was the meaning of his words. Who the hell knew? Who the hell cared? I was rattled.

  “Sure.”

  Collin tugged me toward his house once again and this time, I followed him.

  ***

  The house was stunning. It wasn’t anything close to the size of my house at home in Toronto, but it was perfect. It was quaint and nothing like the bachelor pad image I saw in my minds eye. The downstairs was very open concept with the living room and kitchen practically connected. There was a large fireplace off to the left of the living room and the most bachelor pad part of his house was the large seventy-inch flat screen that had been mounted on the wall adjacent to the fireplace. There was a large black leather sectional and two chairs placed rather artfully in the living space. The cabinetry in the kitchen had all been stained a warm reddish brown color and the kitchen table, also wood, matched the cabinetry perfectly.

  “Wow.” I breathed. “It’s really nice in here.”

  “You thought it wouldn’t be?” He asked, leaning against the dark granite of the island counter.

  I shook my head. “Not exactly.” I shrugged. “I thought you’d live more like a bachelor.”

  “How does a bachelor live?”

  “Uh, chip bags and beer cans covering every surface.” I laughed nervously. “Socks and dirty underwear on the floor. I don’t know?”

  Collin laughed, pushing himself from the counter. “Do you like it?”

  “I actually do.” I found my eyes gazing at the table once again before landing on the living room coffee table. “Where did you get your furniture?”

  “Made it.” He replied gruffly and I spun to face him. He was close. I hadn’t been expecting him to be so close.

  “Seriously?” I
felt my mouth dropping. “You made it?”

  “Yep.” He nodded. “Bathroom’s this way, beautiful.”

  “Oh.” I whispered before moving behind him across the space to a bathroom. When Collin disappeared into the room, I felt my heart begin an unsteady pattering in my chest. Was I just supposed to follow him into the little room?

  Figuring that was exactly what he wanted me to do, I crept into the bathroom. Collin was standing with a bottle of Aloe Vera in his hand when I rounded the corner.

  After a minute of standing awkwardly in front of him, he spoke. “Well, are you going to take off your dress? Or just stand there and stare at me?”

  “I can do it - um, myself.” I reached for the bottle, suddenly feeling way more than only a little nervous.

  Collin shook his head. “I don’t think you can.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Can you even get yourself out of that dress?” His question was pointed and I did nothing but stand there, glaring at him. “That’s what I thought.” I watched him place the bottle onto the sink before closing the distance between us with an irritating saunter. “Lift your arms, baby, and I’ll help you.”

  “No.” I folded my arms over my chest. “I can manage on my own.”

  He sighed, sounding irritated but at this point in his teasing, I really didn’t care. Hell, I’d rather have no Aloe Vera on my warm skin rather than allow this man to undress me. There was only so much one girl could handle before she cracked - and I was beginning to think I was at my breaking point.

  “Hadley.” Tension filled his voice. “I promise you, that if you don’t cooperate, I’ll rip that dress in two, tie you down to my bed, and cover you in Aloe Vera from head to fucking toe. It’s your choice.”

  I gasped. “You wouldn’t!”

  He pinned me with matter of fact eyes. “Test me, beautiful.”

  My skin pebbled with goosebumps. “Um...” I took a small step backward to the door. I was going to run - and Collin must have known - because one moment I was moving to the door and the next I felt my dress snag, and then the sound of ripping tore through the silence.

  The thin fabric of my mint green dress was hanging open down the front of my body - and Collin was standing in front of me.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I shrieked.

  “Exactly what I said I’d do, beautiful. Are you ready to cooperate, or will I have to enact my next threat?”

  I promise you that if you don’t cooperate, I’ll rip that dress in two, tie you down to my bed, and cover you in Aloe Vera from head to fucking toe. It’s your choice. His words replayed in my mind and I shivered.

  “No.” I whispered.

  “No what?” Collin growled.

  What the hell had happened to the man I had been hanging out with the last nine weeks? I’d never met this side of Collin - the serious side. He was usually so teasing and rarely ever serious. But right now, in this moment, he was serious. He was the flipping definition of serious.

  “No. You don’t have to tie me - to anything.”

  “To my bed?” He grinned and I felt a smidgen of relief that the man I knew was back. I was more comfortable with the teasing side of Collin. I knew how to handle the teasing side of Collin. I didn’t, however, know how to handle the growly, demanding, serious side of the man standing before me.

  “Right.” I breathed. “I’ll cooperate.” And then I snapped in addition. “And you’re lucky I’m wearing a bathing suit under this!”

  “Take off the dress and turn around, Hadley.” Collin commanded.

  I huffed my irritation audibly as I shrugged from the ripped material. It fell to the floor around my feet and I glared up at the scowling man. “You can say please.” I didn’t wait for his smart remark as I turned my back to him.

  His sharp gasp filled the charged air and I felt the hairs on my body rise. “Awe damn, baby, this is bad.”

  “What?” I felt something that resembled fear sound in the undercurrents of my tone. Shifting my body in front of the mirror, I tilted my head to look at my back. And I gasped.

  My skin was a deep, punishing red. In some places, like my shoulder blades and the small of my back, the skin was already peeling. Ignoring the pain, I reached back for the string of my bathing suit and hissed in deep when my skin stretched.

  Collin stopped me. “I got it, baby.” He cooed gently.

  Lifting the string, he moved it soothingly to the side to show me the difference in skin color from the skin exposed to the sun and the skin that had been protected. It was bad.

  Feeling tears moisten in my eyes I sucked in a deep breath. “Thanks. You can put it back.”

  “You’re staying the night here.”

  “No I’m not.” I shook my head determinedly, but I could already feel the fight waning. I was tired, sore, and irritated with myself for my inexcusable stupidity.

  “Hadley.” Collin’s tone dared me to argue. “You’re staying the night.”

  Chapter 14

  For long moments, I did nothing other than stare up at Collin. He’d laid it down for me, and I knew that if I fought him to return home, it would be a useless waste of time. So I didn’t fight.

  Instead, I announced the only thing I could think to say. “I have no clothes.”

  “You have a bathing suit.”

  “I went swimming in the lake.” I whispered, feeling my emotions heighten to a point of hysteria. Outside, I knew I appeared still and calm, but inside I was a hurricane mess. “I can’t wear this all night.”

  Collin gritted his teeth before nodding. “Alright, if you went swimming then you need a shower.” He held his hand out to me. “Come with me.”

  I followed Collin and the Aloe Vera from the room, through the house, to a set of wide stairs. Then, I followed him upstairs, past a small sitting area, two more bedrooms and a bathroom, to the last bedroom in the house that I just knew, by instinct, belonged to the man himself.

  My breath caught as he led me into the bedroom.

  It was all Collin.

  Dark shades of brown with pops of navy covered the room and I recognized the design of his furniture as his own. I don’t know what it was about knowing he built his own furniture that made my heart feel all girly, but it did. I liked knowing he was good with his hands, and used that talent to create a more homey space for himself. The woman who finally caught this mans heart would be a lucky woman to share everything he’d built with him. Suddenly, I felt a little heavyhearted.

  The thought of Collin with another woman actually hurt me.

  Physically.

  I was short of breath.

  “This way, baby.” Collin’s voice interrupted my very unwelcomed thoughts and I followed him into a large bathroom.

  There was a massive jet tub that, right now, looked like a little slice of heaven. My little cabin didn’t have a tub like this and I had been desperately missing the one I’d had at home in Toronto. To sink down in warm water, feeling it sooth my raw skin, would be heaven on earth right now.

  “You can have a shower, or a bath, whichever you prefer.” He shrugged. “I’m going to run to your cabin and pick up some clothing for you.”

  “Wait?” I felt momentarily stunned. “What?”

  “Hadley, you just said you needed clothes.”

  “But I don’t want you going through my things.” I protested, although I really had nothing to hide.

  His eyes narrowed. “Well, you’re not leaving here tonight, so you can’t go get your clothes. You can wear nothing all night, that’s fine by me.” He smirked. “Or I can go and get you some clothes.”

  Feeling a glare set in, I mumbled. “You can go.”

  “I’ll admit I’m disappointed.” He winked and my traitorous heart fluttered. “I was hoping you’d agree to go naked.”

  “Will you grow up?” I demanded. “Like, ever?”

  He smirked. “Probably not.”

  “I’d like to have a shower and since you’re holding me hostage here
, I’m going to ask you to leave so I can do that. Alone.”

  He laughed. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “I’m sure you will.” I muttered, following him to the door.

  After shutting the door on his laughter, I made a point of locking it before I moved back to the vanity mirror. Spinning around, I reached behind me with a sharp breath for the string dangling down my spine. Tugging on it, the bathing suit came undone and I quickly pulled it off.

  After staring longingly at the bathtub, I decided to take a shower. Collin would be back soon from my cabin and when I allowed myself to have a bath it would be a nice, relaxing, long bath.

  Sighing heavily, I padded across the floor to the shower. Pulling open the glass door, I stepped into the warm brown tile with the chocolate veins and turned on the water. When the water was flowing a stream of steady warmth, I stepped into the fall and clenched my teeth against the sting. When my tender skin was finally used to the feel of water pebbling over the expanse, I went about cleaning myself.

  Everything Collin had in his shower was for men. After a moment of frowning at the thought of smelling like a walking spice, I shrugged and picked up his shampoo. When I was done washing my body and hair, I stood in the water for a few extra minutes before I turned off the stream, wrapped myself in the only towel I saw hanging on a rack, and stood in front of the mirror.

  After a few minutes of simply staring at myself in the mirror, I jumped at a knock on the door. “Hadley, you alright in there?”

  “Yes.” I called softly through the heavy wood of the door.

  “You coming out soon, or did you want me to come in?”

  “Um...” my voice was resuming its shaking. I was naked and Collin wanted to be welcomed into the room. I didn’t quite know how I felt about this. “I don’t know.”