by Zoe York
But his body wouldn’t cooperate. Hadn’t cooperated when he’d thought about it, and now that she was actually here, in touching range, he was still a dysfunctional mess.
She waited until he turned toward her. Slowly, carefully. Weakly.
Then she smiled, so bright it hurt to look at. “So here’s the thing. I’m going to have hope for the both of us. You can tell me that’s foolish. But the Sean Foster I fell in love with wouldn’t have thought it foolish. He taught me a lot in our two weeks together, about taking risks and finding joy. You taught me a lot. So I’m not going to push you, but I’m going to be around, because…” She took a wavering breath and her smile trembled, but she kept going. “Because I love you.”
She hadn’t heard him at all. He rasped her name, a warning, but she was already leaning in. Her lips brushed against his, the barest, sweetest touch he’d ever felt in his entire life, and then she was gone. Standing up.
“I’ll be back tomorrow.” She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “This is my new phone number. I also left it downstairs. If you want anything, need me for any reason, I’m just a call away.”
SHE’D EATEN the rest of the chocolate cake for breakfast, and after that emotional visit with Sean, Jenna deserved something good, so she went to Mac’s.
It was a little early for the lunch rush, if Pine Harbour had such a thing, so the place was almost empty. She had her choice of counter or booth, and after some consideration, she went with the booth. It might look a little odd eating by herself, but this way she wouldn’t have to make small talk with the waitress beyond the niceties exchanged when she placed her order.
“Coffee, sweetheart?”
“Yes, please.” Jenna set the menu down. “What pie do you have today?”
“Apple, strawberry-rhubarb, and pecan.”
“Strawberry-rhubarb, please. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And…” she glanced at the menu. “What’s good for takeout?”
“All of it.” The waitress crossed her arms. “Sean’s favourite is the meatloaf.”
She filed that away for future reference, and hated the pang of envy that she hadn’t already known that. “It’s just for me,” she said evenly. “I’ll take the lasagna for when I leave.”
As she was stirring a sugar packet into her coffee, and trying to convince herself she didn’t need it, the door chimed and in came a wave of people. Jenna watched them all, curious about her new neighbours.
One of them was particularly interested in her, too. Tall, good-looking, with a ready, camera-perfect smile, and tousled brown hair… he had to be a Foster brother.
He veered toward her and slid into the booth without waiting for an invitation. “You’re Jenna.”
It was like she was wearing one of those HELLO, MY NAME IS stickers. She took a deep breath that did nothing for the butterflies in her stomach and held out her hand. “I am. And you must be Matt or Jake.”
“Matt. The good-looking one.” He gave her a grin. “Or so people say.”
She could just imagine what people said. “Nice to meet you.”
“I was told I couldn’t show up on your doorstep yesterday, but this doesn’t count, right?”
She shook her head. “I suppose not.”
“Do you mind if I join you for lunch?”
The door dinged again, and another wave of people entered. Dani Foster was among them, her baby in a wrap on her chest, and she was with a pretty blond woman with short, choppy hair.
The two women bee-lined for them.
Dani gave Matt a hard look. “Hey, there, mister. What are you doing? Hi, Jenna. Nice to see you again.”
He turned and gave the two new women the exact same big, goofy, flirty smile he’d given her. “Getting to know my new sister-in-law. How are you, Chloe?”
The blonde winked at him. “Hungry. You’re in my seat. Move.”
“I was going to have lunch with Jenna.”
“Well she’s in hot demand as a lunch date, we’re claiming her. Sorry. You can try again another day.”
Matt shrugged at Jenna as if to say, what are you going to do?
An excellent question.
“Fine. I should get takeout anyway. That was my plan before I saw Jenna.” He turned back to her and gave her a wink. “I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Yep,” Jenna said.
The blonde took his seat and leaned in. “Hi. I’m Chloe Dawson, the librarian.”
“And defender of town newcomers.”
Dani, who’d stayed standing because she was bouncing the baby, laughed. “Yep. She’s also good for book recommendations, and awesome for splitting a giant pot of chilli or stew with.”
“Now you’re talking my language. What kinds of books?”
“Pretty much anything.”
“You have any good ugly cry books?”
“Heaps.” And bless her soul, Chloe didn’t ask why Jenna wanted them. Or maybe it was obvious that she hadn’t cried yet, couldn’t cry, and was so damn brittle if she didn’t do something, she’d break into a million pieces.
Chloe grabbed the menu. “What are you having for lunch?”
“Pie.”
“Sounds great.” When Jenna’s pie arrived a minute later, Chloe and Dani both ordered the exact same thing.
“So you want some books?” Chloe asked after they’d stuffed their faces.
“Sure. I could come in to the library and get a card.”
“Oh yeah, definitely do that. But I’ve got tons at home, too. And if I bring you some, then we can also cook up a big batch of stew to split, and then we avoid having to run the Matt Foster gauntlet. I’m surprised he didn’t hit on you.”
“He knew who I was, so I guess I was saved. He was perfectly nice.”
“So he clearly hadn’t gotten to grilling you about their precious baby brother, then.”
Sean wasn’t a baby anything, and Jenna didn’t have anything to hide. They could bring on the grilling if they wanted to, she didn’t care.
“They mean well, but they’ll want to both protect Sean and warn you off of having any expectations.”
“I don’t have any expectations.”
Chloe nodded. “Good.” But she said it like she didn’t believe Jenna.
“I don’t,” Jenna insisted.
“I literally just met you,” the librarian said. Well, at least she acknowledged that fact. “So I shouldn’t weigh in on that.”
“But?”
“But you’ve flown around the world to stake your claim on him. I should hope you have some expectations. And you deserve some. He married you, and now he’s holed up in his brother’s house feeling miserable and sorry for himself.”
“He almost died.” More than once. Cold, slick fear rolled over her as she remembered his medical file.
The librarian reached across the booth and touched Jenna’s hand. “But he lived.”
“Excellent point, Chloe-who-I’ve-just-met.”
Chloe-who-she’d-just-met smiled.
Jenna laughed. “Okay. I’m trying my damnedest to manage my secret expectations. How’s that?”
“Better. Say, do you know how to make stew?” Chloe gave her a wicked, beaming grin. “Because I don’t. At all. So really, I’m good at grocery shopping and providing reading material in exchange for cooking.”
“Yeah, I can cook.”
Chloe held out her hand. “Then you have a dinner date for tomorrow night.”
Jenna took the proffered hand and shook it. “Deal. I’m staying in Dean’s old house.”
“I know. And conveniently, I live just down the street.”
“This really is a very small town, isn’t it?”
“The smallest. But we’ve got the biggest hearts.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
February, four months earlier
Seville, Spain
HER FIRST FLIGHT of the day, into Naples, had been rough, with zero frills. There weren’t any flight attendants on a C-130 Hercules. But it was
better than an eight-hour bus ride to Ankara, so Jenna was grateful for the travel advisory which meant as an NGO she was given a spot on the US Air Force transport instead of being expected to make do with ground transport to the nearest international airport.
Sean had been waiting as promised. He met her at the gate with a wide grin, his arms out, and as soon as she was close enough, he’d pulled her in tight for a hug, and then a sweet, stirring kiss.
Jenna nodded off after takeoff on their flight to Spain. She dreamed of stripping Sean naked and rubbing against him, and when she woke up, she was twisted around him for real, her face buried in his chest. Even worse her hand was under his shirt, her palm flat against his flexed, hard abs.
“Sorry,” she whispered, straightening up.
He caught her wrist and held her against him. “Don’t be,” he murmured back. “You feel good.”
She nestled closer and let her eyes drift shut again. He felt good, too. So good.
“I’m getting used to you nodding off on my shoulder,” he murmured. “Don’t worry, I booked us rooms close to the airport for tonight. By the time we pick up the rental car, it’ll be nearly dinner time, and I know you’re zonked.”
Her eyes popped open. “Rooms, plural?”
“I didn’t want to assume.” He grinned at her as he ran his fingers through the ends of her hair.
Since they’d been reunited, he’d been touching her almost non-stop, and she loved it. Right now his other hand rested gently against her knee, and when she returned his smile, he leaned in and kissed her.
“We’ve got two weeks ahead of us. I’m not in any hurry.”
Jenna was, though. She wanted to climb Sean like a tree and that scared her. If she rushed into something here, she might fall so far, so fast, she’d never see the heartbreak coming until it smacked her in the face. She reached for him and caught the front of his t-shirt with her fingertips.
He glanced down at where she was touching him and groaned under his breath. “Okay, that’s a lie. But I’m trying to be chivalrous.”
Why did his being old-fashioned surprise her? He’d been nothing but kind and attentive since they’d met.
It was a good reminder they were still strangers. Strangers with chemistry and affection for one another, but still two people with a lot to learn about each other.
To be fair, they hadn’t discussed room sharing. And this wasn’t how Jenna normally went about dating. She’d never been with anyone who wasn’t a friend first, for quite a while. Her love life had always rolled out in an orderly fashion, usually after a spark followed by a frank discussion about sex and boundaries.
Healthy, but not…romantic?
And there was something really romantic about Sean. If he wanted to be chivalrous and take his time, she would sink into the anticipation and enjoy it.
“Okay,” she whispered, kissing his cheek just as the captain informed them they were about to start their final descent.
They were both traveling light, so they didn’t need to wait for baggage. Sean took her hand as soon as they were off the plane and he held it all the way to the car rental counter.
“Do you want coffee?” she asked quietly after he handed over his license and reservation number. She pointed to the cafe at the end of the hall. “Something to eat?”
“Maybe something cold. Coke?”
She grabbed them both pop, and picked up two sandwiches and a fruit tray as well. There was no way she was waiting until the Spanish dinner hour to eat—if she even stayed up that late. Her cat nap on the plane hadn’t done much to dull her ever-present fatigue.
Now she was glad Sean had booked a hotel close by instead of driving to Arcos de la Frontera, where Sean had rented an apartment for the next ten days. She’d have only fallen asleep in the car, and she didn’t want to miss any of the adventure.
When she returned, the car rental paperwork was almost complete. Sean’s gaze locked onto her and he leaned in, his hand settling on the small of her back. She had all of his attention, and she loved it. It was the most delicious kind of foreplay.
“Here is your key. The car is located through those doors. Please follow the signs, and you will find it.”
“Got it,” Sean said, his gaze never leaving her face. “Thank you.”
Always polite, even when distracted. She was in such delicious trouble.
They found their car easily, and as Sean moved the seat back and adjusted his mirrors, Jenna typed the hotel address into the built-in GPS. The controls were in Spanish, but the interface was intuitive enough she figured it out.
It wasn’t the fastest, though. The screen took forever to load, and once they set off, there was a bit of a lag as it updated to their changing direction. But they found the hotel easily and Sean quickly spotted an open parking space in the crowded lot.
“Eagle eyes,” she teased him, and he gave her a quick grin and a kiss before hopping out.
The lobby was crowded, too, and when they got to the counter, the desk clerk couldn’t find their reservation. “Foster, Foster,” he kept repeating, and Jenna’s stomach dropped each time he stretched out Sean’s last name. Sean didn’t seem fazed. Jenna was super fazed. Or super tired, probably. Also, hungry. She wanted to devour that sandwich, then lie down and not get back up again for twelve hours.
“Ah.” The desk clerk frowned. “For two?”
“Yes.”
“We apologize. It was set aside. Yes, here it is.” Set aside? In a computer? Whatever. As long as they had it, that was all that mattered. “Mr. Sean Foster, reservation for two. Your room is in the north tower. One moment.”
Room? Not rooms? Not that she cared.
But Sean did. “A single room? I reserved two rooms.”
“A room for two, sir. That’s how we have it recorded. Perhaps there was some confusion.”
“Perhaps.” Sean’s voice stayed level, but from the way his jaw flexed, Jenna knew he was annoyed. So Mr. Steady and Calm had limits after all.
“It’s fine,” she whispered. “If it’s fine with you?”
He twisted around so his back was to the clerk. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Of course.” She held up their bag of sandwiches. “I’ll even buy you dinner before taking advantage of you.”
He laughed, his face softening. “You have a deal.”
A surge of desire pushed her fatigue to the edges again, and when he looped his arm over her shoulders, she leaned into him. If anything, she was relieved not to be saying goodnight at a door tonight.
Her heart thumped in happy anticipation as they headed to the north tower. The room was big, with a king-size bed, and a small couch and table filled the far corner.
She jumped as the door clicked shut behind them, but Sean was moving ahead of her and didn’t notice.
Pressing her hand to her belly, she forced herself to be normal. Chill. Food might help. “Hungry?” she asked as he stowed his bag in the corner.
He turned slowly and gave her a sexy grin. “Yes.”
Gah, her insides turned to mush and heat flooded her cheeks. She hadn’t meant it like that, but that worked too.
Carefully, she set the bag of food on the table then dropped her backpack. Sean watched, his gaze hooded, as she closed the gap between them and fisted the front of his shirt. A shiver ran up her arm as her fingers curled against the hard, broad expanse of his chest. Every time she thought she was getting used to the bigness of him, to his strength and virility, her body surprised her with another visceral craving for him.
He was gorgeous.
And they were finally alone.
She pulled him closer, the gentlest tug on his shirt, and he came readily. Big and strong and broad as he pressed against her, seeming to know she wanted an all-consuming, thought-scattering kiss.
His mouth covered hers, his lips immediately questing for more access. She opened for him and surrendered to his tongue, letting him taste her. He gathered her in his arms and plunged his fingers into her
hair, wrapping her in his embrace as he deepened the kiss. Harder, faster. He devoured her, and her pulse skipped and leapt along.
Yes, yes, yes.
When he eased back, he did it reluctantly. She could feel the tension vibrating through his arms, hard as steel around her. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and tugged, just for a second. Just enough to make something heady tug hard inside her.
More.
Breathing hard, he pressed his forehead against hers and tightened his hands in her hair. “Food. We should eat it.”
An out-of-control giggle burst forth from deep inside her. “Yes. We should.”
He kissed her again, hard. He nipped and pulled, and she pushed up onto her toes because she wanted more of that. “Sean…”
“Mmm.” His lips softened against hers, then he pulled himself back and cleared his throat, a faint blush colouring the tops of his cheeks. “Come here.”
He pulled her to the couch, and they sat next to each other as they ate their sandwiches. When they finished the last sips of their pop, he tugged her into his lap again. This time their making out was slower, more exploratory.
But before they went any further, she really needed a shower. Reality was so unromantic. And she wanted to shave her legs. It was probably too soon in their whirlwind romance to do that in front of him. “Do you want to take the first shower?” she finally asked as he kissed his way down her neck.
He shook his head as he patted her hip. “Ladies first.”
The old-fashioned thing was definitely working for her, especially when he was flexible about it.
“You sure?” she asked as she reluctantly eased off his lap.
He hung on to her hand as she stood. Maybe he was reluctant for their contact to end too. “Go on. You’ve earned that hot water.”
After four months of tepid water and horrible pressure, the shower felt like heaven itself. She stood under the heavy spray for a minute, letting the heat get into her pores as she tried to tamp down her excitement for this adventure to a reasonable, healthy level rather than the off-the-charts thrill ride it currently felt like. She needed to keep her attention focused on the travel and not so much the sex, although they were going to have sex, and she had no doubt it was going to be amazing.
