The Queensbay Series: Books 1-4: The Queensbay Box Set

by Drea Stein

  “I thought that’s what we have been doing.”

  “You know there’s something to be said about the anticipation,” he said, pulling her toward the door. “Or were you the type of kid who went searching for your hidden Christmas presents?”

  “Absolutely. And I ripped the paper right off. I bet you were the type of kid who saved all the wrapping paper.”

  “Folded it too,” he said with a wink as he closed the door shut. He still held her hand as he walked her down the catwalk to the steps.

  “So where are we going?” she asked.

  “My date. I’m not ruining the surprise,” he said.

  #

  They drove out along the coast, away from Queensbay. She was glad that they weren’t going to the Osprey Arms, since it meant that they’d be less likely to run into anyone they knew. She felt it was important to have him all to herself.

  “This is Sean Callahan’s, the chef at the Osprey Arms, other restaurant,” he explained as the lights of his car lit up the tower.

  “A lighthouse?” she said.

  “Yeah. Pretty cool, right? Sean Callahan and Chase were so successful with the Osprey Arms that Sean decided to open this place up. It’s out of the way and specializes in locally sourced food. It’s only been open a few weeks, but I hear it’s getting some great reviews.”

  “I’ve heard about it, but haven’t been,” she said, thinking that this sure beat the heck out of Salsa Salsa.

  He pulled up and a valet appeared, opening her door. Remembering to swing her legs out first, before the rest of her, she managed to gracefully exit the car.

  “Does the light still shine?” Lynn stopped, looking up at the tall stone tower.

  “No. They built an automatic beacon farther out on the coast, years ago. The local historical society bought it from the government but they were having trouble maintaining it, so when Sean and Chase suggested that they rent it and fix it up, everyone was happy.”

  He put a hand on the small of her back and ushered her into the building.

  The tower had a stone house attached to it, what must have once been the lighthouse keeper’s cottage. It looked bigger, roomier inside, and she wondered if it had been expanded to accommodate the restaurant. The ceiling stretched up the full two stories and in the corner, you could see the iron stairwell that must lead up to the tower itself.

  Whatever windows that had been there had been replaced with large, solid paned ones that looked out over the water. It was dark now, and in the distance lights were winking on, perhaps from the distant shore of Long Island, but more likely from boats still at sea. Without thinking, she felt drawn toward the window and she stepped over to see that they overlooked a cliff that dropped down to a rocky shore.

  “Impressive,” she said.

  “Isn’t it?” Jackson said beside her and she heard the pride in his voice.

  She had heard that he and his brother were partners on a lot of their projects and she wondered if this was one of them. If so, he had the right to be proud, she thought, taking in the space more carefully. It was light and airy, with beams flying overhead, and a giant hearth, where a fire crackled merrily. It smelled of wood smoke, leather, and richly spiced food. Tables were scattered, simple, rough-hewn, solid wood ones. The whole place seemed inviting and she thought, quietly expensive. This much simplicity cost money.

  “How about we take a walk?”

  She glanced unconsciously down at her shoes.

  He smiled. “I meant a climb. We can go up to the top of the tower.”

  “Really?” she said, feeling like a kid at Christmas. “The view must be amazing.”

  “It’s nothing to turn your nose up at.”

  With a hand at the small of her back, he guided her towards the steps and they started up. Luckily, the lighthouse had already been built on a raised bit of land, so the tower itself was short—relatively—for a lighthouse. They made it to the top after climbing the tight, circular staircase. All the way, she was breathlessly aware of Jackson at her back, never too close, never too far away.

  Small windows punctuated the sides of the walls as they climbed up, affording glimpses of the dark sky, but the real treat was when they finally ascended to the top platform. It was enclosed in glass and the giant light, while its powerful reflecting lenses, stood dark. There was a small door that led to a parapet outside and Jackson opened it with a key he pulled from his pocket.

  “It says ‘Do Not Enter,’” Lynn pointed out.

  “I know the owner. Besides, the best view is from out here. You’re not afraid of heights, I take it?” he asked, his voice light.

  “I like to climb rocks,” she pointed out as she stepped out onto the iron catwalk. It was covered over with weathered planks, for which she was glad, since it meant that she wouldn’t catch her heel.

  The moon was on the rise and the sky was dotted with the first stars of the evening, and she could hear the boom of the surf and the surge of the wind in equal measure.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said, taken away.

  “Not as beautiful as you,” Jackson said. He stood next to her and she leaned into him, thankful for his tall frame and the shelter it provided from the wind. He put an arm around her and she nestled into his warmth, feeling the heat surging between them.

  “Truly,” he said, his lips somewhere near her ear, “you look amazing tonight.” His lips grazed her cheek and she turned towards him, the sudden need for him overwhelming.

  “Even doctors can clean up when we have too,” she murmured, her neck arching, her lips searching out his. In a moment they met and their lips brushed each other, touched, and then his mouth covered hers and he kissed her.

  Their tongues met and she encircled her arms around his neck, standing up into him. His hands came around her waist, pulling her closer while they kissed. She twined her hands in the hair at the back of his neck and allowed herself to lean into his long, lean body.

  A moan, which must have been from her, escaped and she welcomed the heat and hunger as she felt his hands, hot on her back.

  “We should,” he said, finally pulling back, “go back down for dinner.”

  She nodded, marveling at how his light eyes were darkened with desire. He came in for one final kiss, then took her hand and all but dragged her back into the relative warmth of the interior platform.

  He led the way down the stairs this time, the descent leaving her breathless, though not from the exertion. Her stomach was flip-flopping, clenching in anticipation and, she realized, something else, deeper. Two-sided attraction, she decided, was a very powerful turn on.

  Dinner proceeded smoothly, with the two of them seated at a cozy table near enough to both the roaring fire and the window. Light music filled the air, and the place started to fill up, the volume going up, but never enough to be distracting.

  She was jumpy, too nervous to eat much, but what she did eat was delicious. A crab cake appetizer, a fresh greens salad, and then grilled salmon.

  “You know, you don’t have to be nervous,” Jackson said, somewhere between the salad and the main course, as his hand reached out for hers. She let him cover hers, feeling the warmth and the strength.

  “I’m not nervous,” she lied.

  “Oh really?” he arched one eyebrow.

  “Ok, maybe a little. It’s just that it’s been amazing so far. You, the drive up here, the tower, the food.”

  “You’ve never been out to dinner?”

  “Of course I have; it’s just that you know most med students are, well, a little on the impoverished side, so we usually go for places where the drinks come in plastic cups and the food is usually served in red plastic baskets.”

  “Truth be told, I’ve been known to enjoy dinner served in a plastic basket too,” he said.

  “I find that a bit hard to believe,” she said.

  “It may have been a while, but there’s nothing wrong with it. I just wanted to show you that you’re special. That you deserve this.”<
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  She looked at him, with his blond hair, the sculpted cheekbones. “You don’t have to, you know. I mean this is nice and all, but…”

  “Don’t,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Don’t talk yourself out of what you deserve. Lynn, you’re beautiful, accomplished, and hell, I’m betting you’ve saved a life or two; you’re funny, intelligent, and strong; and, well, the list could go on. You deserve the best, so please allow me to treat you that way.”

  She was speechless, reaching for her wine and taking a sip to cover her emotions. He was right, she thought. She had never demanded much from the guys she had dated, mostly because she had been too absorbed in pursuing her career.

  “Thank you…but I’m not impressed,” she added.

  “Then I guess I’ll have to try harder,” he said, a playful smile lighting up his cheeks.

  “Ok, so you know I’m a doctor and like working with kids, so why don’t you tell me what you like to do besides follow me places and play with power tools?”

  He shrugged. “Jake Owen and I used to run a lawn mowing service in the summertime, then we got into painting houses, then handyman stuff, all while we were in high school. I went off to college but we kept it up over the summers. Then one year I got an internship with a big construction firm in New York City. As project manager. You know, learning how to build skyscrapers while managing time and budget. I loved it and they offered me a job after college. I was supposed to do it for a year or two and then Jake and I were going to go into business for real, start a full service construction business. Sort of expand on what his dad had started.”

  Jackson toyed with the stem of his wineglass and Lynn waited.

  “Then the company offered me a chance to go to London, to work on a project there. I took it and for the past couple of years I’ve traveled, managing building sites in Dubai, Hong Kong, even Australia for a while.”

  “Sounds like you were quite the nomad,” Lynn said. She noticed that he didn’t mention why he’d left in the first place. Fine, if he didn’t want to talk more about Ashley, then she could live with that.

  “I was.”

  “Why did you decide to come back?” she asked, hoping that a question like that wasn’t off limits.

  He looked down, then up, and his blue eyes were dark but his expression was rueful, “Look, don’t think I’m crazy or into this hocus-pocus stuff, but I woke up in my hotel room one morning and all I could see was sand and tall buildings, hot, dirty, dusty. And I thought I had to get out of there. I’d been having a dream, of water, of boats, of Queensbay. I knew it was time. Like I was finally called home.”

  She looked at him. “For real, you felt a calling?”

  “I can’t explain it but I just decided to accept it. So far, things have been working out,” he said.

  “And just like that you quit?”

  “Well, almost. I gave them a decent amount of notice, but I also felt like I learned as much as I needed to, plus I sort of got more interested in green construction and remodeling older buildings—you know, bringing things back to life. My employer builds things on a massive scale. I want to do something smaller scale, more environmentally friendly, maybe even self-sustaining energy-wise. Right now, it seems like the next big wave will be solar power, really getting it to catch on, with all sorts of construction, big and small; and I want to see if I can be a part of that.”

  “So back to Queensbay? What are you going to do now?”

  “Well, Jake and I are joining forces. I’m redoing the old Sail Makers’ building—in case you haven’t noticed,” he said with a wink. “And Jake and I will get started on renovating the Osprey Arms soon. It should keep me busy for a while.”

  “And after that?” Lynn asked curiously, wondering if there really was enough here to keep a man who lived all over the world busily.

  “I have my eye on a few projects in the area. Some big, some small. I’m sure I will find things to occupy myself.”

  Lynn sighed. “Sounds like pretty soon you and Chase will own half the town.”

  Jackson laughed. “We won’t be that bad, but to be honest, Queensbay was on a long, slow, slide for a while. Chase and I, well, we’re happy to help bring it back to its former glory.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Not you too?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Let me guess, you got in early on Noah Randall’s IPO?”

  He laughed. “Chase and Noah have been friends for a long time. I just rode on their coattails; but yes, it was one of the best investments I ever made.”

  “And now you and Jake are going to be swinging hammers together?”

  Jackson smiled. “Something like that. Truth, I’m more of the sales and marketing guy. And Jake only swings a hammer these days when it’s for a friend.”

  There was a pause but before Lynn could ask another question, he said, “Perhaps you’d like to check out the dessert menu? I’ve heard the chocolate cake is amazing, as is the upside down walnut apple pie.”

  Lynn sensed that Jackson wanted to change the subject and decided that it was all right. After all, she wasn’t sure he’d want to hear her talk about the correct way to perform a tracheal intubation.

  “I’m game for it, if you are.”

  “Challenge accepted,” he said.

  She excused herself just after dessert, going to the ladies’ room and closing herself in the stall. Dinner was almost over, and this was it, she thought. She hadn’t been sure if it would be his place or hers, but she had made sure that she had fresh sheets on her bed. She leaned against the door, savoring the prospect. She was nervous yes, but more than that she was ready, her body humming with excitement.

  She let herself out of the stall, stood at the sink. The wind on the tower hadn’t done too much damage to her hair, but she rearranged it so the dark waves fell down on her shoulders. She wanted this, she thought, wanted this with him. She took a deep breath, to steady herself, telling herself she was ready.

  Jackson was waiting for her, her coat draped over his arm. As he helped her into it, her skin tingled from the brief contact. He took her hand and led them outside. The valet jumped to attention and his car was there in a moment.

  He guided into her the passenger seat, and she leaned back in the soft, buttery leather as he got in. The car pulled smoothly away, heading down the coast road back towards Queensbay.

  She didn’t know what to say, her tongue feeling thick. She almost jumped when she felt his hand reach for hers. He took it gently, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.

  Comforted by the gesture, she found her voice. “Thanks for dinner. It was lovely.”

  “My pleasure,” he said, throwing her a glance. They were almost to back to town and he pulled smoothly into a spot. She looked up. The third-story window of her apartment was there, with the small light she had left on, a beacon in the dark.

  Before she could open the door, he was there, his hand reaching for her. She let herself be pulled up and into him. She half expected him to kiss her, but he didn’t, just letting her linger in his arms while he sent her a lopsided smile that caused her stomach to curl in a tight ball.

  She led the way up the steps and when she reached into her purse for the key, he took it from her and in a smooth gesture, unlocked the door and opened it up for her. The door swung wide and she stepped in, turned. He was still standing outside the door, not coming in.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Saying good night.”

  She felt her face fall. “Don’t you want to come in?”

  “Not tonight,” he said.

  She took a step back as if she had been slapped. He held up his hands. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

  He stepped closer, but still stayed well outside the door. “More than you know, I want to come in, but then I might not be able to leave.”

  “Isn’t that what you want? It’s what I want.” Lynn was tired of beating around the bush.

  H
e looked at her, his eyes dark, unreadable. “You know it’s what I want. And I’m glad it’s what you want to. And believe me, I intend to get there with you.”

  “Then why don’t you come in?”

  He took a deep breath and a step back. “Because I’m enjoying the way things are going, Lynn. And truth be told, it’s a little fun to watch you beg.”

  “I’m not begging,” she said as she stepped forward, closing the distance between them, “I believe you respect me, if that’s what you’re worried about.” And she did. Whatever happened with Jackson, even if he didn’t believe in happily ever after, she knew that he would appreciate her, care for her while it lasted.

  “You know I do. But I want you to be sure. That you understand the rules. We’re attracted to each other, we want to be with each other…”

  “And that’s it. I got it, no strings attached. But seriously, I’m not sure how much longer I can wait,” she told him, as her insides clenched in frustration. Ok, there, she was almost begging.

  This time he let her get close to him and she kissed him. He didn’t respond at first and then his mouth came down on hers, covering hers with hot heat and possession. His hands twined in her hair and she stood up on her tiptoes. Before she knew it, he had backed her up against the wall in her apartment and was kissing her back, pressed into her. Her brain couldn’t think, lost in the heat and passion. She felt the tingle of excitement spread through her as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  He pulled away. “Like I said, you should have no doubt that I want you. But, not like this.”

  She looked around. “We could go inside. I have a couch, a bed…”

  He smiled down at her, a suddenly wicked smile that had knees trembling. “Don’t worry, I have plans. Do you trust me? I want it to be special. You said, after all, that it’s been a while.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Lynn said.

  “You didn’t have to,” he said with a sly smile.

  “I don’t need a trip to Paris or anything like that.”

  “Now there’s an interesting idea,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “But I was thinking that we’d spend the day together tomorrow.”