Aubrey had been so preoccupied with her companion that she hadn’t noticed the setting of the sun. “I better start back, or I’ll be walking in the dark.”
“There’s a full moon – you’ll be able to see.”
“I don’t have a key, either. Corbin left the house when I did, and Paul said something about going to a movie. I don’t want to get locked out.” Aubrey reluctantly turned. As she did so, she inadvertently stepped on a broken shell half hidden in the sand. With a gasp, she bent to look at her foot. It was difficult to see the damage in the failing light, but the sticky wetness that met her probing fingers told its own story.
“What is it?” Richard asked from behind her.
“I cut myself. It’s bleeding a little.”
He moved closer. “More than a little. We need to get you back.” An arm snaked around her waist. “Rule number 1: Always wear shoes on the beach.” Without another word, he lifted her into his arms.
Feeling ridiculous, Aubrey protested, “I can walk back.”
“Do you really want to add more sand and germs to that cut? I can get you home much quicker.”
“We’ve got a long walk ahead of us.”
“If I can’t carry you that far, I need to get a refund from my athletic trainer because I’m seriously out of shape. I believe my niece is heavier than you, and she’s only eight years old.”
Aubrey’s hope that Corbin might still be absent or at least in another part of the house wasn’t granted. It was he and not Paul who answered Richard’s loud thump.
“Aubrey cut her foot,” Richard explained.
Corbin led the way to the hall bathroom. Aubrey wanted nothing more than the floor to open up and swallow her. Anything would be preferable to enduring his cold stare while explaining this latest mishap.
Richard set her down inside the door. His fingers pushed back the hair from her face and tucked it tidily behind one ear, earning a frown from Corbin who seemed in no hurry to leave. Sending him an annoyed glance, which he ignored, Aubrey turned to Richard.
“Thanks for your help. I can manage things from here.”
“It was no trouble. See you around, mermaid.”
Corbin’s lips tightened at the playful nickname, but he didn’t comment. Aubrey was beginning to find his silence irritating. She let out a frustrated breath when he finally took the hint and followed Richard out the door. Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived. No more than a few seconds later, Corbin was back.
“Sit down and keep your foot elevated,” he said.
“I can do this myself.”
“Before or after you bleed to death. You don’t know where anything is – I do.”
Aubrey sank down onto the padded seat. Corbin found what he needed and bent down in front of her.
“Let’s see what the damage is.” He lifted up her foot and placed it on his thigh.
“You’re going to get blood all over your pants.”
“Won’t be the first time. It’s a jagged cut, but not too deep. This is going to sting.”
When Corbin rubbed the alcohol pad over the bottom of her foot, Aubrey tensed. Sting was putting it mildly. Her foot felt like it was on fire.
“Almost done. The band aids I have aren’t wide enough. I’ll cover it with gauze and use tape.”
“I can’t believe this happened.”
“It was inevitable.”
“Cutting my foot or not wearing shoes?” Aubrey asked innocently.
“Neither. I meant something else entirely.”
She looked puzzled for a moment and then she frowned. “He’s a neighbor; I was bound to meet him sooner or later.” At his knowing glance, she went on, “You don’t have to look like that. I’m not one of those man-crazy types.”
“Aren’t you? That makes a nice change; I thought all women were.”
“Maybe you hang around the wrong kind of women,” she insisted.
Corbin looked directly into her face. “We’re not discussing me. Your new friend tends to get around, and I don’t need an employee unable to do her job because she thinks her heart is broken.”
Aubrey threw him a pitying glance. “Aren’t you exaggerating? You talk as if I’m in imminent danger of making the greatest mistake of my life with a man I’ve known less than an hour.”
“With some people, thirty minutes is more than enough time for making trouble.”
She laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He set her foot on the ground and stood up. “I wouldn’t put too much weight on it. It might start bleeding again.”
“Thanks for your help.”
“Should I continue the chivalry act and carry you to your room?”
All her appreciation vanished. Did he have to be so sarcastic about everything? “No, thanks.”
“My advice is to wear a sock and forget about shoes for a few days.”
Corbin left the bathroom without waiting for her reply, something he tended to do frequently. She’d never met a man so talented at getting the last word of every conversation.
Wanting to stomp up the stairs, but knowing she couldn’t, Aubrey headed to her room at a more cautious pace. Once there, she sat down on the bed. Why did he always make her feel like a child? Cutting your foot could happen to anyone. He acted like she’d done it on purpose.
* * * *
Aubrey didn’t sleep well that night. She couldn’t find a position where her foot didn’t hurt. When her alarm went off the next morning, she shut it off and fell back asleep. She didn’t realize what had happened until Paul came looking for her. After assuring him that she wasn’t sick, she grabbed her phone. A groan escaped her when she saw how late it was.
“What else is going to go wrong?” she mumbled under her breath as she hobbled into the bathroom. When she caught a glimpse of her reflection, she groaned again. “It’s a good thing I don’t have to leave the house today.”
Skipping breakfast, she went straight to Corbin’s office and started working. Several hours later, she flexed aching fingers and with due respect for her bandaged foot, walked gingerly across to the window. Not far from the water, a little boy was shoveling sand into a bright red bucket while his mother watched nearby. A small smile formed on Aubrey’s lips. It was wiped away when a lazy voice spoke from just behind her.
“Taking a break?”
She whirled around quickly, finding Corbin too close for any sort of comfort. As she slowly raised her eyes to his face, she tried to quiet a pulse rate that had gone off the charts. “Yes. Isn’t that allowed?” she asked breathlessly.
He smiled slowly. “You have a habit of taking offense to everything I say.”
Aubrey wished he would step back. “I don’t mean to. I guess it’s because we’re still getting to know each other.”
“Are we? How long do you think it will take?” he asked softly. When she didn’t answer, he went on. “Do two people ever really know each other?”
Aubrey looked away from him then and with a restless movement, darted around him. Only then did she dare to look his way again. “I don’t know. Did you need something?”
Corbin accepted this change of subject with a grin. “I need you to print my original version of that article on museum preservation for Renovation Style. You’ll recall I asked you not to delete it.”
All the way to her desk, Aubrey tried to remember if she kept the original. She could only remember making dozens of changes. She fixed her eyes on the computer screen, hoping he would walk away and leave her to it. As the minutes passed without her being able to locate the right file, helpless tears formed in her eyes. It was gone! How could it be gone? She sensed Corbin’s intent gaze from his position just a few feet away and dreaded the moment she would have to confess yet another mistake.
“For goodness sake, what’s the matter now?” His fingers lifted her chin. “If you can’t find it, just say so. The worst thing I can do is yell, something I rarely do since it’s such a waste of time and energy.” Corbin grabbed a tissu
e from the box on her desk and gently wiped her face. “This is a first – I’ve never made anyone cry before.”
“I’m sorry; I seem to be making a mess of things.”
He folded the tissue and for some reason, put it into his pocket. His actions were purely mechanical at this point; his mind was dealing with the very unwelcome discovery that for a brief moment he’d wanted to kiss away Aubrey’s tears. Where had such an absurd idea come from? “Forget the file. I may be able to find an old version lying around somewhere.” He turned abruptly and left the room.
Aubrey leaned back in her chair, covering her face with both hands. How could she fall apart in front of him of all people? What must he think of her?
When they met later at lunch, one look at his face was enough to know the morning’s events were to be forgotten. She wondered if she would ever understand him. This meal, like so many others, was conducted in silence. It wasn’t until Paul began clearing the table that Corbin finally looked her way.
“I’ll be going out of town tomorrow. If things go as I expect, I should be back within three or four days. Since this was planned before you joined us, Paul arranged to have some time off to visit his family in Florida. This means you’ll be alone. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Not at all,” she assured him. “It will be nice to have the house to myself.”
“And the boss out of the way, right?”
She shrugged. “It’s not like you’re here that much anyway.”
“Something you should be thankful for.”
“I haven’t complained, have I?” she asked lightly.
His smile grew, and Aubrey felt the breath catch in her throat. When he smiled, it was like looking at a different person.
“If you’re finished, I’ll show you what to do while I’m gone.”
As they left the dining room, Paul appeared. “You got a phone call, Aubrey.”
Who would be calling her on Corbin’s home number? “Who is it?”
“Richard Meadows.”
Corbin scowled as he turned and continued on his way to his office. Aubrey was turning out to be all the trouble he’d envisioned and more. If she wasn’t hurting herself, she was losing things. Now she’d attracted the notice of the island playboy. He knew nothing good was going to come out of that. Why had he listened to Phoebe?
His mood wasn’t improved when not five or ten, but twenty minutes passed before Aubrey joined him. He made his annoyance felt by launching into a recital of work that would keep her chained to her desk for a week, let alone the few days he was going to be gone.
She closed her notebook with a snap. “Are you serious? I can’t possibly get through all that.”
He twirled a pencil between two long fingers. “Admitting defeat before you’ve even begun is ridiculous, don’t you think?”
“You think everything I do is ridiculous,” she said on a short laugh.
“Not everything; just some things.”
“Thanks; I feel much better now.” Aubrey gathered her notes and walked back to her own desk. She felt more than saw him get up and follow her.
“I’m going to regret saying this, but for what it’s worth, my advice is to forget about Richard and find another guy to hang around with.”
Aubrey had no special feelings about Richard one way or the other, but she resented Corbin’s attitude. “I’m the best judge of who I want to spend time with.”
“I knew I was wasting my breath. What you perceive as unnecessary interference in your affairs is at best disinterested and at worst tied up in some totally misguided sense of loyalty to Phoebe.”
“I don’t need your help with my social life.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting into nor will you have the least idea how to get out.”
Aubrey laughed at this. “Have you been listening to Phoebe?”
Corbin’s eyes never left her face. “Listening to her was my first mistake. I don’t need Phoebe to tell me the rest of this story.”
“Whatever way this particular story plays out, I won’t let it affect my job.”
“Can I get that in writing?” he asked with a wry smile. “I may be only eight years older than you, but it feels more like twenty.”
“Meaning I act like a child?” she asked with a frown.
Corbin flicked her cheek with his finger. “I mean that you credit your unselfish motives to others. Not everyone is as nice and uncomplicated as you are.”
After he left the room, Aubrey absently touched her cheek. Had he given her a compliment? It was a wonder she hadn’t fainted on the spot.
* * * *
The following morning Corbin watched as Aubrey gave Paul a quick kiss and then waved until his van was out of sight. As he trailed behind her into the house, he asked, “Do I get the same treatment when I leave?”
“Why do you have to ruin everything?” she protested.
His lips parted into an adorable smile. “I guess that means I’m getting a handshake.”
On a spark of mischief, she added, “Even that may prove too much.”
His eyes swerved to her face and the intensity of his glance made her look away. He laughed softly as her cheeks flooded with color. “You could be right; we better not risk it.” As was his habit, he delivered this parting shot and left her staring after him.
When Corbin made his departure, he did so without anything close to the same sendoff. Aubrey decided to put in a few hours work and take the afternoon off. The pile of research on her desk had little chance of being completed even if she worked nonstop. This was her first opportunity to explore the area, and she wasn’t going to waste it. She would do some sightseeing and deal with Corbin later.
When the sight of Savannah’s bustling riverfront came into view, Aubrey was delighted. Numerous antique shops and restaurants jostled together along the cobblestone streets. Glancing around appreciatively at the old factory buildings with their aged brick exteriors, she made her way down a steep set of worn steps and was soon swept along with a tide of people walking along the narrow sidewalk.
Her first stop was a Christmas shop where she spent a delightful hour gazing at dozens of trees cunningly decorated in every imaginable theme. Next to a Christmas village display, she discovered a mother cat and one kitten sleeping peacefully. Bending down, Aubrey touched the soft black fur of the kitten and watched as one and then both eyes opened.
“You’ve discovered Maddie and Horace.”
Aubrey turned to see an older woman standing behind her. “Do they belong to you?”
“No, the owner of this place found Maddie wandering the street a few months ago and started feeding her. We got a surprise when we came in one morning and found she’d enlarged the family with five kittens. Horace is the only one left.”
Not stopping to think how Corbin might feel about having his home invaded by a feline, Aubrey impulsively asked if she could take the kitten.
The woman waved a hand toward the back of the shop. “You’ll need to see the owner. He’s in his office now. Just knock on the door.”
Aubrey was bidden to enter by a familiar voice. As she walked through the door, Richard rose from behind a desk that almost completely filled the tiny room. In her surprise, she blurted out, “What are you doing here?”
Motioning her to the only other chair in the room, Richard resumed his seat, leaning back precariously on two legs. “I inherited this shop from a relative.” He laughed slightly. “It doesn’t exactly fit my image, does it?”
“What’s your real job?”
“Real estate. I deal mostly with rental properties, and since I’ve been able to hire a very competent secretary to handle the more tedious parts, my hours are very flexible. Ideal working conditions, don’t you think?”
A small “meow” prevented her from answering. Maddie and Horace had followed her into the office. Aubrey scooped up the kitten.
“This is the reason I’m here.”
Richard smiled ironically. “I though
t you came to see me.”
“Do you mind if I take Horace home?”
“Not at all. How did you manage to get away in the middle of the day?”
“Corbin and Paul are out of town.”
She didn’t notice the speculative glance Richard sent her way.
“In that case, let me take you out tonight. Do you like lobster?”
“That’s very nice of you, and yes, I love all types of seafood. What time should I be ready?”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” Richard came around the desk. He pointed to the kitten which had tired of playing with Aubrey’s braid and was chewing vigorously on her fingers. “Horace is a lucky guy.”
“I better get going so I’ll have time to get Horace settled before you arrive.”
Distracted by the unexpected turn of events with Richard, Aubrey was half way home before she realized she had nothing whatsoever for the care of a cat. Mentally kicking herself, she stopped at a convenience store to ask directions to the nearest pet shop. Luck was with her; there was a place a short distance away. Hurrying through the aisles a few minutes later with an indignant feline under her arm, she threw food, bowls, and toys indiscriminately into the cart.
As she stood in the check-out line, two things occurred to her. She was choosing to extend her acquaintance with the person Corbin had advised her to avoid, and she was introducing a pet into his household without his permission. Inwardly shuddering at the possible ramifications of these latest attacks on Corbin’s limited patience, Aubrey made her way back to the beach house. Little did she know at the time, but Horace would prove to be the least of her problems.
Chapter Three
Aubrey was ready and waiting when Richard arrived. His all-encompassing glance took in the silky blouse and pants before settling on the hair flowing loosely over one shoulder. His, “You look lovely,” had just enough sincerity to make Aubrey blush. It was fortunate she couldn’t read his mind. Her attractive, but unexciting appearance merely confirmed his earlier impression. He wondered why he’d bothered to ask her out.
“You look nice yourself,” she countered as he escorted her to a sporty silver convertible.
Dream of Me: A Sweet Contemporary Romance Page 4
