by Bella Andre
“Are you going to the fireworks tonight?”
“Yes, and I can’t wait.”
After Eleanor gave her a thumbs-up, Shelley headed south one block, passing the bank and Bayside Market, which had baskets of fresh fruits and vegetables out front. She could easily imagine herself stopping there in the afternoons to pick up fresh vegetables for dinner.
She found Savory Delights on the corner, one block south of the town center, just as Griffin had said she would. She walked up a slate path between two colorful gardens toward the front door. The sweet aroma of cinnamon and chocolate assaulted her senses before she even reached the porch of the yellow cottage-style bakery. She was practically salivating by the time she pulled open the screen door and took a step inside.
“Hello there!” A twentysomething brunette peeked up from where she was bent over, putting a tray of muffins into the display cabinet. She wore a pair of purple overalls, which were covered in flour. Her hair was thick and wavy, like Shelley’s, and her smile was contagious. “It’s a beauty out there today, isn’t it?”
“It sure is, and it smells heavenly in here.” Shelley marveled at the plethora of baked goods. There were cherry tarts, chocolate croissants, several types of muffins, scones, and cookies in one glass display counter, but it was the colorful arrangements of tarts and miniature pies called pie bites in the other display that caught Shelley’s eyes. She’d never seen a bakery display with so many wonderful colors.
“Thank you. The aroma is my best marketing tool. Who can resist the smell of fresh baked goods, right? I’m Brandi, by the way.”
“Hi, I’m Shelley…Walters.” She silently chided herself for hesitating to reveal her last name. She refused to let worries about people connecting her with her family affect her excitement. “I’m working on bringing my specialty coffee shop here to the island, and I’d like to locally source baked goods, if possible. I had one of your chocolate croissants this morning, and it was delicious.”
Brandi leaned her hip against the counter and smiled. “Ah, you’re the reason Quinn Rockwell was nosing around at five this morning. When he’s in town, if you don’t get up at the crack of dawn and catch him jogging, you usually don’t see him at all. The man works like a dog. But he was here this morning, begging me to sell him croissants before I was even officially open for the day.”
Shelley nibbled on her lower lip, thinking about Quinn. Clearly, it was even a big deal to Brandi that he’d skipped his morning run to be with Shelley.
“I’ve only known him a few days, but he seems…” Wonderful, caring, attentive, intelligent, sweet...and sexy. So sexy her heart beat faster just talking about him. “Really nice, and fun.”
“Fun?” Brandi shook her head as she turned to wash her hands and spoke over her shoulder. “Maybe when he was a kid he was fun, but I think you’d be in the minority with that classification. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a great guy. A really great guy. He’s loyal, he’s honest, he’s hardworking, not to mention easy on the eyes. But fun?” She dried her hands on a towel and shrugged. “Then again, maybe you’ve brought out a side in him that the rest of us haven’t gotten to see in a really long time. If so,” Brandi said with a grin, “my hat is off to you in a big way.”
Shelley had certainly seen the struggle in Quinn to find that balance between workaholic and letting himself have a good time just enjoying being on the island—and with her, too. At first it had been almost as if he was afraid of giving in to his emotions. He had seemed to let go, at least somewhat, when they were clamming and watching the sunrise, but at other times it had been as if he’d catch himself having too much fun and felt like he needed to reel himself back. Either that, or his phone would ring and remind him of all the work he should be doing.
Everything seemed to have changed, though, since he’d apologized about the phone call. Now he didn’t seem to be holding back his emotions with her at all. If anything, he was even more attentive than before. Shelley didn’t need anyone to take their hat off to her. It would be more than enough to know that Quinn was happier now than he’d been in a very long time.
“So, you said you’re going to open a coffee shop on the island?” Brandi asked. “I’m sure it’s going to do really well—we definitely need a good one here—and I’d love to see if we can work something out. All of my products are organic, and I do all the baking, so we’d have to coordinate a schedule that fits both of our needs, but I think we could make it work. Once you have the details figured out, why don’t you give me a call or just come by again so that we can figure everything out?” Brandi grabbed a business card from a holder by the register. “I could even make special items just for your shop that aren’t sold here.”
“That would be wonderful. I would love to have an exclusive menu. I’m really taken with your tarts. They’re so colorful.”
Brandi sighed dreamily and looked out the window, as if she were recalling a fond memory. “I took over this business from my grandmother, and she believed that colorful foods were as important as giving your child the right name or being kind to others. That’s what she used to tell me, as if the three things were related.”
“She sounds very special.” A wave of longing passed through Shelley as memories of Aunt Marla rolled in again.
“She was. She passed away last year, but she left a legacy for me to live up to. From peach tarts to summer-berry cream pie and strawberry-lemon pastries. Thanks to my grandmother, I can’t bake anything without wondering what color it should be.” She reached into the display and handed Shelley a peach and blueberry tart. “Here, try this. It was her favorite.”
Shelley took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the taste of the sweet fruit, a delicious contrast to the smooth, buttery taste of shortbread. “Your grandmother would be very proud of your baking. I’ve never tasted anything so magical.”
“Magical? That’s exactly what my grandmother used to say, that because baking came from the heart, it added flavors of magic to our lives. I think you would have liked her, and she would have liked you, too. As much as Quinn Rockwell obviously does.”
By the time Shelley left half an hour later, she had gotten the scoop on what to expect with on- and off-season customer traffic. Apparently the resort was a major income producer for the whole town. They held a winter ball, and hosted a fall festival and a spring carnival, bringing enough tourists in year-round to sustain the other island businesses. Shelley was confident that she could make this work, and not only that, but from what Brandi had told her, most of the tourists came back year after year, and they loved talking with the local shop owners. It sounded as if Shelley’s love of getting to know people would be well received.
She walked down the road toward her cottage as she called her cousin.
“You’re doing it,” Taryn said when she answered the phone.
Shelley laughed. “How’d you know?”
“Because your energy comes through in your ringtone.”
“You’re such a goof.”
“A goofy genius, you mean! So you decided that you love the island, and you’re definitely not moving there just to hook up with Mr. Orgasm, right?”
“Taryn!” Shelley felt her cheeks heat up and looked around, as if anyone walking by could know what her cousin had said...or could know just how blissfully good Quinn made Shelley feel every time he kissed her, every time he touched her, every time he made her come apart for him.
“Hey, it’s been a long time for you. You deserve every orgasm you can get.”
“I really do, don’t I?” Taryn was like the sister she’d never had, and Shelley loved her dearly. “I can’t wait to get settled and have you down to show you the island.”
“I want to make you a proper island dress first. I’m thinking coconut shells over your boobs and a grass skirt.”
“For Halloween maybe!” Shelley said as they both laughed. “Although…I was wearing the honeymoon dress you made me when I met Quinn.”
“No, you weren�
��t. You were buck naked.”
“Oh God, yes. You’re right. I was completely naked when he first saw me.” Heat flooded her cheeks again, even though just last night he’d stripped away her clothes and given her unbelievable pleasure. Tonight, thankfully, held promises of even more. So much more that, for a moment, she lost her breath just imagining the hard, heavy thrill of Quinn moving over her. Into her.
“I’m so excited that you’re doing this, Shell. You’re the only friend I have who’s brave enough to create her own destiny. I love getting to live vicariously through you.”
They continued to chat as she walked back to her cottage, where Shelley was surprised to find a note taped to her door. She untaped the folded paper and a business card fell to the ground. She picked it up as she read the handwritten note that accompanied it.
Shell,
I was thinking of you this morning and stopped by the Realtor’s office to check on the house on the dunes. I checked with her and the house is still for rent. I went to school with her, so you can mention my name if you want, although it may not carry any weight. I was also really hoping to see you and sneak in a kiss before I get back to slogging through contracts. But now I have no idea how I'll focus on a damn thing when what I really want is to have you in my arms. I can’t wait to see you tonight.
—Quinn
She sank down to the porch step, thinking, not for the first time, about how thoughtful Quinn was. The idea that he’d reached out to the Realtor to help her make the transition to the island easier was beyond anything she’d ever expect anyone to do, much less someone as busy as him.
Quinn had been such a wonderful surprise her first two days on the island. At least, until his ignoring her for his phone call had cut her right where it hurt. But then he’d surprised her over and over, not only with countless heartfelt apologies…but also by freely giving his extremely limited time to her again and again. And by sharing himself with her, not just his kisses and the sweetest pleasure she’d ever known, but his feelings, too.
You’re the first person, the only person, who has not only obliterated thoughts of work, Shelley…but also made my heart pound like this.
As his words from this morning resonated in her head and she looked down at his note, it felt to her that their connection had touched Quinn as deeply as it had taken root in her. And as she thought through her emotions, she was aware of the faith she had in him, faith like she’d had with only two other people in her entire life—Aunt Marla and Taryn. But this felt even stronger.
Because the truth that she could no longer deny—a truth that she no longer felt like she needed to deny for any reason, not out of wariness or to try to keep her heart safe—was that Quinn was the piece of herself she never knew was missing, too. When she was with him, she knew he accepted her for who she was, quirks and all.
Plus, she thought as she lifted her fingertips to her lips, his kisses were utterly addicting. Heck, every inch of him was addicting, with everything bursting into brilliant color every time he touched her.
“Hello? Earth to Shelley.”
“Oh, sorry, Taryn. Quinn left me a note. He said he came by to give me the number for the Realtor handling the cottage I want to rent.” And for a kiss. One she also couldn’t wait to have.
Tonight couldn’t come soon enough. Especially since this time she had no intention of ending the night early.
“I know I told you just to go out and have fun this week,” Taryn said, “but Quinn is becoming more to you than just an island fling, isn’t he?”
Shelley didn’t so much as pause before telling her cousin exactly what was in her heart. “Much more, T. So much more.”
Chapter Seventeen
QUINN IGNORED THE first knock on his suite door that afternoon. He should have had his feedback on the contracts for the merger in Rich’s hands yesterday. Taking time to meet with his family and then meeting Shelley for fireworks at the cove would mean that he’d have to work through the night to get the information to his business partner by the morning.
Though he knew getting his work done was important, he’d missed spending the afternoon with Shelley and bantering with his siblings, even if it was only for a few minutes here and there. He realized that he might have even missed seeing his grandfather for a few minutes, strange as that was to admit to himself. The old man wasn’t exactly warm or loving, but as cold as Chandler was, he’d always been a stable force in the Rockwell family. Quinn couldn’t actually remember his grandfather ever not being there. He may have been standing stoic-faced in the background, but he was there for Quinn’s graduations, for his boating races, for every meaningful event when he was growing up.
Winning races and graduating with high honors were expected by his grandfather, and Quinn respected his expectations. It had fueled Quinn to work harder, as he’d always prided himself on becoming more successful than Chandler, no matter what the cost.
But being back on the island and spending time with Shelley had him wondering more and more why he felt so compelled to surpass his grandfather.
Whose praise was he trying to win?
And what had he given up to do it?
Because he sure as hell didn’t need Chandler to praise him. At least not anymore.
When another knock sounded on his door, he finally got up to pull it open.
Trent took in Quinn’s open, wrinkled dress shirt. “You taking a nap?”
“Yeah, right.” He walked back into the room, leaving Trent to follow. “I’ve got a ton of work to get through before meeting Shelley tonight.”
“You’ll have to do it later. We need to head over to Sierra’s for the five o’clock meeting. And speaking of our sister’s restaurant,” Trent added as Quinn mumbled a curse while gathering his papers and stacking them on the table, “I saw your girlfriend there earlier today.”
For a moment Quinn was taken by surprise that his brother would jump to girlfriend so quickly. But then he grinned. “I’m a seriously lucky bastard, aren’t I? My girlfriend is gorgeous, fun, and intelligent. And for some reason, she actually likes being with me.”
“She seems great,” Trent said. “Really great.”
But Quinn could see there was something more his brother wanted to say to him. “Spit it out.”
“Look,” Trent finally said, “as long as I’ve known you, you don’t have fun with women. You relieve stress, then go back to work. We all do, except Sierra—at least that I know of.”
Quinn gave him a sideways look. Sierra would always be their little sister, no matter how old she got or how strong she was, and he didn’t want to imagine her handling relationships in the same way that he and his brothers often did. Quinn grabbed his room card and shoved it in his pocket, then pulled the door open.
“And your point is?”
“We’ve all got a ton on our plates right now, and despite all that, when you’re at your busiest, Shelley’s gotten to you. But if you’re not careful...” Trent shook his head. “All I’m saying is don’t make the same mistakes I did. I put my career first with Reese, but it turns out that legal briefs are pretty cold company when they’re all you have left. I know you guys are still in the early stages of a relationship, but sometimes when it’s right—” His brother ran a hand over his face, looking terribly uncomfortable. “Hell, you know what I’m trying to say, right?”
Quinn nodded and said, “Sure,” and then mulled over his brother’s comments all the way to Sierra’s restaurant.
He hadn’t wanted to lead Shelley on by promising her something he wasn’t capable of giving, because if there was one thing he had always thought he knew about himself, it was that work came first. Except...it hadn’t for the last few days. What’s more, the thought of working all the time didn’t seem appealing anymore. Not when he was suddenly seeing, and remembering, all the things he was missing out on by spending hour after hour, day after day, locked up in his office.
And not when every second he and Shelley spent together was bringi
ng her deeper into his heart.
No, he definitely wasn’t leading her on. His intentions were clear—in his mind, and in his heart. Now he just needed to figure out a way to make the pieces of his life fit together while keeping Shelley as his top priority.
On one hand, that was an easy task, because she was the one person who was always on his mind.
On the other hand, he instinctively knew that promising and wanting to make changes—and really making those changes—were two very different things.
But Quinn knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was up for the challenge.
At the Hideaway, Quinn sank into the chair beside his mother and kissed her cheek. “Hey, Mom. I haven’t seen you much. How’s your week been?”
“Good,” Abby said with a smile as she touched his cheek. “Full of family, friends, and glassblowing, so I’m perfectly happy.” Their mother had always enjoyed working with glass. She’d had a studio built on their property, and she sold the vases, bowls, and other items she made at the resort gift shop as well as at several galleries in town.
“How about you, honey?” his mother asked. “You’re working so hard, and you look tired. I was hoping that since you had to be back on the island, it might give you an excuse to take some time off.”
His mother never made Quinn or his siblings feel guilty when they didn’t make it home for months at a time. She was simply grateful for the time they did have together. Shelley reminded him of his mother in that way. She wasn’t demanding of his time, and she took nothing for granted. Even her bucket list was filled with sentimental wishes, not grandiose endeavors.
“I’ve taken time off while I’ve been here,” he assured her.
“Do you mean the afternoon you left with Shelley?”
“We went clamming.”
“Clamming? Really?”
Quinn smiled at the surprise in his mother’s voice and the way she was now looking at him with a new light in her eyes.
