by Diana Gardin
“Okay,” he said evenly. “Then I get a repeat. No wonder you don’t want it to happen again. You only thought it was nice. So I guess I’m going to have to rectify that.”
“No! I didn’t mean—”
He held up a hand to silence her, and her words fell short. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve already made up my mind. I’m kissing you again. Sometime today. You won’t know it’s coming until it comes. And there’s no goddamned way you’re going to call this one nice.”
She felt the now-familiar blush creeping across her cheeks. She tossed her hair over her shoulders to camouflage it, and nodded. “I accept this challenge. But if this kiss doesn’t get me to change my adjective, are you going to forget about trying to make something happen between us?”
He gazed stonily at her. “I agree to nothing.”
She groaned. “You’re one stubborn man.”
“I know.” He grinned wildly, and her traitorous heart flipped upside down in her chest.
Eight
Hope’s presence in Nelson Island—the place where he slept, ate, hung out, and sometimes worked—was doing something to Reed he was trying his damnedest to fight. It was tough, though, and he couldn’t figure out what exactly it was about this woman that completely captivated him the way she did.
Sure, she was beautiful. But Reed had taken so many beautiful girls to bed he couldn’t even keep count. Okay, she was feisty. But he grew up with a sister who wrote the book on that character quality. Hope was a complete mystery to him—maybe that was it. Throughout the day, he had learned tiny bits and pieces about her life that weren’t quite clicking to make a whole picture. That was puzzling to him, because most girls their age were wide open and ready to share everything.
Not Hope.
So far today he had learned that she worked with kids (which he found endearing and weirdly sexy), she had a younger sister whom she clearly adored, and she lived with her mother and her stepfather. Although her day job was working at the Center with the kids, she spent most weekend nights working for her stepfather. This portion of her life was unclear to Reed, and digging further to uncover the details seemed like invading Hope’s privacy. So he’d backed off, filing the information away for a later date.
He’d also learned that she had a smile that knocked the goddamn breath right out of him.
He’d taken her all along the boardwalk, showing her some of his favorite shops and restaurants. They’d gotten in her car, and he’d driven her around the island, showing her some of the quiet beauty the place possessed. At one point, they’d stopped in front of one of Reed’s favorite ocean views, a jetty that overlooked a private beach not far from his parents’ ranch.
“This is probably the most gorgeous view I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Hope had murmured, her voice wistful and longing.
Reed heard so much more than the innocent observation she’d intended in that statement. He heard the desperation he thought he’d glimpsed in her the first night they met. He heard the voice of a woman who wanted to get away, and maybe never return to her previous life. And he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and take her there, wherever she wanted to go.
And that was just insane.
After a day of sightseeing around the small island, they ended up at Sunny’s for a plate of chicken wings and a beer early in the evening.
“So, do you like my island?” asked Reed, lifting an eyebrow in question.
“Oh, it’s your island? I’m sorry, I thought your name was Reed. This is Nelson Island, right?” Hope met his gaze with a rare twinkle in her own.
Reed laughed. “You got me. Did you like it?”
“I loved it,” she said quietly, looking him directly in the eye and causing a bit of heat to rise low in his gut as a result. “Thank you for showing it to me like this, Reed. I could have driven around for a week by myself, but I never would have seen half of the beauty that you just captured for me in one day.”
Reed sensed that this dose of raw vulnerability was rare, and he wished he could bottle it up so he could pull it back out again when he was alone.
“You’re welcome,” he said, pleased.
“So this is where you play most of the time?” she asked, gesturing around the bar. “I still can’t believe it’s literally a part of the pier.”
That was Sunny’s claim to fame; it was perched atop a pier over the ocean sound, and plenty of tourists feared it might one day fall into the water. Those who grew up in Nelson Island, however, knew better. Sunny’s had been standing longer than any of them could remember, and they knew it would be there long after they were gone.
“Yep, I play here most weekends. I’ve only just gotten into playing on the Charleston club circuit. It’s a brand-new environment for me, playing there. Here, I know everyone. Hopewell Enterprises’ main office is in Charleston, so it’s familiar territory, since I work most days out of that office. And I went to college in Charleston, too. So I know people, but it’s just not quite the same as playing at home.”
“I guess I can understand that,” Hope mused. “You know…I go to a lot of different clubs when I’m working on the weekends, and I’ve heard a lot of people play. I would never have admitted it that night, but you’re pretty special. I’ve never quite heard a voice like yours, and coupled with the way you handle a guitar…you have star potential.”
Reed allowed his mouth to drop open in mock surprise. “Star potential? Hope Dawson, are you telling me you think I’ve got a chance at making it in the music business? Like…you think I’m good?”
“Don’t make me say it again, Reed,” she warned. “But I’m just saying…why are you wasting your talent in Charleston at all?”
His brow furrowed in thought. “I honestly love it here. I thought about moving on to Nashville or Austin or somewhere like that after school, but I just never got around to it. And honestly, as much as I love playing, singing, and writing music? I think I love Nelson Island more. Don’t ever tell my parents that, though.”
She nodded. “I can totally understand why you love it here so much. I can’t believe this place was only a bridge away and I never visited. It’s a gem.”
Reed noted that it was rare for a newcomer to notice exactly how special his hometown was. He’d dealt with hordes of “summer people,” and they never seemed to grasp what a diamond Nelson Island was. He could always tell they thought of it as just another beach. And it wasn’t. It was more special than that.
But Hope seemed to understand right away, and that made her special in her own right.
“So,” he said, clasping his hands together under the table. He wanted to reach out and touch one of the legs that had been calling out to him all day, or rub a lock of that silky hair between his fingers, but he wasn’t getting a vibe from her that she wanted him to touch her. She was very closed off, turning her body away from his whenever they were close. He could read the signs.
He just wasn’t sure why. He knew she had enjoyed their kiss the other night just as much as he had. Why was she pushing him away so forcefully now? Had he done something wrong that night? They were two single adults who had a mutual attraction for one another. What’s the problem?
He wasn’t going to push it. He’d just spent an entire day with her and enjoyed it more than he’d ever enjoyed a day with a woman. Actually, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent a day like this with a woman. A night? Sure. A day? Never.
He watched in utter fascination as she tore a wing apart with her teeth, sucking the meat off the bone and then daintily licking her fingers free of orange-colored buffalo sauce. He swallowed thickly as she finished. The sight of Hope gently dabbing at her luscious lips with a napkin sent a throb of pleasurable pain sizzling down to places she seemed such an expert at awakening, and he wanted so badly to adjust himself in his seat so he wouldn’t embarrass himself or her when he stood up.
“You know what?” he said, by way of a distraction.
“What?” she said, her curiosity lighting up he
r beautiful face.
“You haven’t had any word-upchucks today,” he said.
“I know.” She beamed. “Guess I haven’t felt awkward enough today to blurt out anything embarrassing.”
“Hmm,” he mused. “Awkward moments cause it, huh? I guess it’s a good thing I haven’t made you feel awkward, then.”
She smiled at him. A genuine smile that creased the corners of her eyes and wrinkled her nose the slightest bit. “You’ve actually made me feel very comfortable today, Mr. Hopewell. Thanks for that.”
He returned her grin. “You’re welcome, Miss Dawson.”
“You ready to get out of here?”
Reed looked around. It was a weekday evening, so Sunny’s was slow and relaxed, but he still thought he might see a friend or two. No one had shown up, so he nodded.
“Yeah, you want to drive me back to my condo?”
She agreed, and they walked outside toward where her little car sat, looking lonely in the gravel parking lot.
“Wait,” Reed said.
She turned, both her eyebrows shooting skyward.
“The sun is about to set. Do you want to watch it from the second-prettiest view on the island?”
She nodded without hesitation and allowed him to take her hand to lead her out and over the pier that Sunny’s was perched upon.
They walked out to the very end, and stood stock-still while the sun sank lower and lower over the horizon. It finally disappeared in a brilliant burst of purple and crimson and gold, and Hope sucked in a sharp breath as she watched.
Reed glanced at her, and she was holding her bottom lip between her teeth as her hazel eyes focused on the place where the ocean met the sky.
“You liked it?” he asked, his voice soft.
She tore her eyes away from the sight and met his steady gaze. “Beautiful.”
He hesitated, keeping his gaze locked on her face. He scanned her hazel eyes, her glowing bronze skin on her high cheekbones, her perfect, round little nose, and finally her succulent, plump lips. Then he ripped his eyes away and took her hand in his once more.
“Now we can go,” he declared.
Hope had agreed to spend an entire day with Reed, and if she was completely honest with herself, it was on the hope that he would make good on his promise to kiss her again.
And he hadn’t. There were so many opportunities she didn’t have enough fingers to list them on. Nelson Island was truly a gorgeous, serene place, and they’d stopped in spots that were beyond fitting for a kiss. But he hadn’t touched her. She’d gone rigid in almost all of those spots in anticipation, but he’d never once looked at her like he’d even wanted to kiss her again.
Maybe she’d been imagining the whole thing. Maybe he wasn’t really attracted to her at all. Hell, there’d been alcohol present on her birthday. He could have been just as drunk as she was, and the kiss, so hot it was stupid, they’d shared could have been a result of drunken idiocy, not genuine attraction or passion.
So when she pulled up to Reed’s immaculate condominium community and left her engine idling, she was shocked to her core when he turned to her and invited her to come in.
“It’s getting late,” she murmured. “Don’t you have to get up early for work?”
“I’m the boss’s son,” he reminded her. “I can get there when I want. Plus, it’s not that late. Come on up.”
She hesitated a second before nodding her consent. “Okay.”
He led her up the steps to the third floor and unlocked the steel door. It was a surprisingly contemporary design; she wasn’t expecting to see it on the island. It didn’t match the traditionally kitschy designed beach houses and condos nearby. But its modern lines seemed to suit Reed’s personality completely.
As he led her into the condo, she stared around her in appreciation. The place was all clean lines and smooth stone, from the dark gray concrete floor to the lofty, white walls. The kitchen was to the left, right off the entrance, and the stainless steel and rich, dark wood caught her eye.
“Oh. My. God.” Hope breathed each word like a solemn prayer.
“What? Do you like it?” Reed’s voice was reserved in his question, almost as if he was really nervous as to what her answer would be.
“I freaking love it!” she squealed. “This kitchen is so badass. Can I come cook in here sometime?”
His eyes widened and hers did, too, as she realized what she’d just asked. It was too late to take the words back, no matter how badly she wanted to.
“You want to come and cook in my kitchen,” Reed said evenly, raw emotion brimming behind his words. “The answer to that is Hell. Yes.”
She smiled in relief. “Good. I’d really like to. It’s beautiful in here, and I love to cook.”
“I seriously don’t think Tate or I have ever cooked anything in here other than frozen pizza. So yes, you can come and cook anytime.”
She beamed at him, and he smiled down at her in return.
They continued to walk through the space, with Reed pointing out facts about the architecture or Hope commenting on something she found pretty or interesting. Circling back to the kitchen, Reed opened a cabinet and pulled out two tumbler glasses.
“I have to ask this,” Hope said with wide eyes. “Who decorated this place? I mean you and Tate are two young, single guys. There’s no way you two did this by yourselves.”
Reed actually flushed crimson. The effect was so deliciously adorable she reached out and touched his cheek where it flamed scarlet. She left her hand there for a second, feeling the heat beneath his skin and relishing it.
“Uh.” He worked his mouth a few times before he answered. “No, yeah, our moms helped us out. Tate’s is an interior designer.”
Hope nodded. “Now that makes sense. The place is amazing. I could stay here for hours, just looking around at everything you’ve done with it.”
She’d done it again, inserted herself into his life as if she’d be a regular fixture there. What the hell is wrong with me? She cringed, peeking at Reed’s expression through the curtain of her hair.
And was floored by what she saw. His face was glowing. Like he actually liked the idea of her invading his privacy and his personal space that way. Like he wouldn’t mind if she actually did stay for hours at a time in his condo.
Now she was just confused. Her best friend was a young, single guy. She knew how they operated. There was no way in hell Morrow would want some girl he barely knew staying at his place for a night, much less hanging around for hours at a time.
The more she got to know Reed, the more twisted her opinion of him became. Her entire life, with the exception of Morrow, the wants and desires of the men in her life were made perfectly clear to her from the beginning. And Morrow had never wanted anything from her other than friendship.
But with Reed, she just didn’t know what he expected from her.
“So? What are you having?” Reed was asking as she snapped out of her internal reverie.
“Sorry. What are my choices again?”
“Okay, space cadet. We have Coke. I can put rum in it if you’d like. Or we have beer. Or water. Or OJ.”
“Well I have to drive all the way back to the city tonight, so I’ll just have Coke, no rum.”
Reed opened his mouth, as if to say something, but promptly closed it. He obviously had more control over his speech than she did.
“Yeah, okay,” he replied, fixing her a glass of Coke. He handed it over, and then gestured over the bar toward the couch in the living room.
She sat, sinking into the soft black leather, and emitted a sigh of comfort and relaxation. She never felt this relaxed when she was sitting on the couch in Frank’s home. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like she could let her head roll back and stop worrying about who’d come walking through the door.
Never. She’d never felt like that once in her entire life.
She looked over toward the kitchen and was surprised to see that Reed was still standing by
the bar, watching her.
“What?” She patted the cushion next to her. “You don’t want to sit down? Do I look like I bite?”
His eyes flashed a darker blue, and he took a step toward her. She liked how casual his office look came off on him. His pants weren’t typical office slacks, but more of a slim-fitted Dickies that spoke to his musician side. They’d both kicked off their shoes at some point during the tour, and Reed with bare feet was giving her insides the squeezes as she sat there staring at him.
“That’s just too damn bad,” he answered her. His smile became predatory. “I was hoping you would.”
Her sharp intake of breath gave her away, as cool and collected as she tried to remain. He hadn’t kissed her today, and he’d had a million chances. Was that about to change?
As if reading her mind, he continued to close the gap between them with slow, deliberate steps. His eyes were melded to hers the entire way, and when he reached her, he dropped to his knees in front of her. Without breaking his stare, he slowly placed his hands on her thighs, just resting his palms on top of her legs as he gazed up at her.
“I have a promise to keep,” he said. His voice barely registered as a whisper, and the blue of his eyes was so intense and deep that she thought she might be staring into the ocean’s depths.
She nodded numbly. “You said you were going to make sure that I never called one of your kisses ‘nice’ again.”
“That’s right,” he murmured, and he slid his hands up her legs until they were cupping her hips and sliding her forward on the leather seat. “I did say that. Did you think I forgot?”
Hope’s mouth was steadily going dry as she continued to hold Reed’s stare. “No. I just thought you didn’t want to.”
He laughed softly. “No, beautiful. That wasn’t it. I was just trying to read the moment, and it never seemed like you wanted it bad enough.”
Her eyes widened as she took him in. This gorgeous man, with the face of some kind of devious angel and what she was sure was a body to match, was kneeling before her like she was a goddess. Her vision blurred a bit as his fingers grazed the bare skin of her sides where her skin was exposed above her shorts.
