Redemption Bay_Contemporary Romance

by RaeAnne Thayne

  “It’s a bad habit, I know. Sorry.”

  “Not a bad habit at all,” he argued. “It’s very sweet, actually. You are very sweet.”

  Something about the low tenor of his voice made her swallow. Awareness seemed to swirl around them like the currents under the dock.

  She wasn’t sure if she moved first or if he did, but a moment later, his mouth was on hers. It seemed inevitable, somehow, as if they had only paused for the past few hours to take a breath and now they were right back where they were in the hidden alcove of Linda Fremont’s boutique.

  That first kiss had been fiery and wild. This was softer, like the evening, and every bit as seductive.

  Desire seemed to sigh through her and she wanted to tug him down onto the cushions of the swing, to wrap her arms around him and forget all the reasons this was a terrible idea.

  She hadn’t been with anyone in so very long, not since she left Chicago and the college boyfriend she thought she might one day marry—until her father asked her to come home and she realized how staid and meaningless their relationship had become.

  Nothing would be staid and meaningless with Ben, she suddenly realized. On the contrary. The sweetness of his kiss was devastating enough. She couldn’t imagine how shattered he would leave her if she slept with him.

  The owl soared just offshore, his wings flashing white in the moonlight, enough to distract her and yank her back to reality, to her hands gripping Ben’s shirtfront and the tangle of their mouths and her heartbeat, loud and demanding in her ears.

  She drew in a shaky breath and settled back on her side of the swing, aware as she did that her hands were trembling.

  She folded them tightly together, hoping he couldn’t see, and tried for a casual voice. “Well. That was fun. You’re a terrific kisser—but then, you probably know that already.”

  He gave a low laugh that trickled through her like slow-dripping honey. “You know, I don’t believe that’s listed on my curriculum vitae.”

  “It should be, trust me.”

  “I’ll make sure to add it, then.” He smiled, his mouth just a flash of white in the moonlight. At least she amused him. She found a funny kind of happiness in that, since she had the feeling he was far too serious most of the time.

  “You know,” he murmured, “I’m all about a person improving his strengths. I think I could use a little more practice in the kissing department. It’s been a while and I’m feeling a little rusty.”

  Oh, it would be so very tempting to slip into his arms again, to let the night and the heat and the magic of being here with him seduce her away from all common sense.

  She drew in the last bit of strength she had left and rose from the swing. “Sorry, Ben. As much as I would like to help you out, I have to go to bed.”

  “That would work, too.”

  Oh, he was a hard man to resist. She drew in a shaky little breath and forced a smile, even as his words and his intent sent her insides spinning.

  “I’m not going to sleep with you,” she said firmly.

  “Is that right?” He rose as well, big and gorgeous and male. If she were smart, she would dive into the lake right now, both for safety and to cool herself down.

  “Yes.” To her mortification, her voice wobbled a little on the single word.

  “Why not?” Ben asked. “Are you seeing someone? I should have asked earlier. I just assumed you weren’t, for some reason.”

  She thought of Jonathon. Neither one of them had cared enough to pursue a long-distance relationship after she came home. Since then, she had dated here and there but nothing with any meaning, which she suddenly found rather depressing.

  “First of all, if I were dating someone, we wouldn’t be in this situation, since I would have shut you down the first time. Second of all, why do I have to be seeing someone to think that sleeping with you might be a bad idea?”

  “Why, again, is it a bad idea?”

  “On what planet would it be a good one, barring the immediate—and, okay, probably incredible—sexual gratification?”

  He cleared his throat. “Again, why is it a bad idea?”

  Men. She wanted to toss him into the lake.

  “A hundred reasons. A thousand. Do you want the condensed version? Okay. Here it is. I don’t do flings, especially with a man who has the potential to save or destroy the town I love.”

  “This has nothing to do with Haven Point. This is about two available adults who are attracted to each other taking that to the obvious conclusion.”

  “Maybe in your mind. I’m very attracted to you, yes, and I like you far more than I would have expected a week ago when I only thought you were an evil, soulless billionaire out to ruin my town.”

  “That’s something, at least.”

  She shook her head, even as she felt an unwilling smile curve her mouth. “It’s not enough, at least for me. I’m going to bed. Good night. Come, Rika.”

  Her dog rose to her feet with great reluctance to leave her new best friend. She came, though, which touched McKenzie’s heart, and followed her into the house.

  After the noise and chaos of the day—not to mention the past few glorious minutes in his arms—her snug little house on the bay seemed to echo with emptiness.

  Usually she didn’t mind the solitude and actually enjoyed it most of the time, but right now she found it more depressing than a comfort.

  Had she done the right thing, walking away from him? It had been the sensible choice, a smart, wise woman’s decision, but right now, if he had followed her into the house, she was very much afraid she would have traded wisdom for the heat of his arms.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  MULTIPLE CHILDREN WERE outside his window—and by the sound of the shrieks and cries, somebody was being tortured with chains, cudgels or possibly kitchen implements.

  Ben glanced out the window and saw two blond boys chasing each other around the yard next door, with Rika in hot pursuit. He watched for a moment but nobody seemed to be in imminent danger. He couldn’t tell whether Rika or the boys were enjoying themselves more. Satisfied he didn’t need to call in the paramedics, Ben finished the email to his executive assistant, hit Send and closed his laptop.

  The day had been remarkably productive. He had finished a half-dozen projects on his to-do list for weeks and had even managed to fit in a conference call with Aidan and their marketing director overseeing a product launch for a new productivity app Aidan had developed over the holidays. Ben fully expected it to be another home run for Caine Tech—hence the need for a new facility as soon as possible.

  Aidan had been right, as usual. Ben had needed a vacation, even if the unlikely destination was Haven Point. That morning, he and Hondo had gone hiking across the lake to Mt. Kisomma, the highest peak in the Redemption Mountain Range—named for the Blackfoot word for sun. They had been the only ones on the trail at daybreak and had hiked back into a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by towering granite peaks.

  All in all, not something he would have done in San Jose, though he did enjoy the sea and surf and natural beauty of his adopted state.

  He had come back to the rental brimming with possibilities to supplement the ideas the marketing director had for the product launch and had spent the past few hours fine-tuning everything.

  He put in very long hours in California, usually up before the sun rose and not leaving the Caine Tech offices until ten or eleven at night, with very little leisure time.

  He had designed his life that way on purpose. He loved his work, loved knowing his contribution mattered. Ben knew his dedication was an effort to silence the voice in his head that, not surprisingly, sounded just like his father—the one that insisted loudly and vociferously that he was worthless, that he was a waste of air, that he would never amount to anything.

  H
e hadn’t really believed those things in a long time—even before he and Aidan had created their first million-dollar idea together. The insistent voice was still there, though, pushing him on. That was probably why he hadn’t yet learned to slow down a little, to relax and enjoy the fruits of all their hard work.

  He was trying, though. After Aidan’s health scare last year and then Marshall’s death from a heart attack, Ben knew his single-minded focus on work wasn’t healthy. He needed to take these little breaks from the office, even if he was ostensibly mixing business with recreation.

  Hondo went to the door and whined with a pathetic sort of look.

  “Do you really need to go out, or do you just want to go hang out with Rika and those kids, whoever they are?”

  The dog gave him an impatient, figure-it-out sort of look and paced back and forth in front of the door, the canine equivalent of a kid dancing in place with his legs desperately crossed.

  Ben gave a rueful chuckle and grabbed the leash off the hook by the door. He wasn’t sure how the dog did around children—especially considering Marsh had been a confirmed bachelor without a family. Aidan didn’t particularly want to risk finding out the German shepherd wasn’t crazy about them.

  The July afternoon was warm, with a lovely breeze drifting off the water. It looked as if plenty of people had chosen a lovely Sunday to be out on Lake Haven. He could see a couple of personal watercraft, a few sailboats and even some water-skiers.

  He also spotted a couple of older model Killies and he had to wonder whether their owners lived in the area or had been visiting for the wooden boat festival.

  Hondo barked and strained a little at the leash, something highly unusual for him. He didn’t seem interested in taking care of business, despite his little con job earlier. Instead, he headed straight for Rika, who had come onto their lawn with the two young boys close behind.

  The poodle greeted Hondo with delight, then turned to do the same to Ben.

  “Hey there.” He scratched her between the ears while he scanned the area for her grown-up human. All he found were the boys, freckled and blond and extremely adorable.

  Were these two small creatures really the source of all the commotion of the past ten minutes? He had a tough time believing that—judging by the screaming, he would have expected an entire platoon of small fry.

  But then, he didn’t have any more experience with children than Hondo did. Less, probably. The dog seemed to be perfectly fine with the situation. He was writhing around in happiness, his tail wagging as he eagerly licked the two newcomers, who giggled and petted him with matching enthusiasm.

  “Hello,” Ben said with a healthy dose of wariness.

  The boys gave him looks that seemed split between curiosity and a little apprehension.

  “Do you live there?” the larger of the two demanded, pointing to the rental house.

  “Temporarily,” he answered.

  “We’re being quiet so we don’t bother you,” the younger one announced.

  Oh, is that what they called it? He managed to hide his smile. “I appreciate that.”

  “Kenzie said we had to,” the kid said. “Why do we have to be quiet because of you? Were you taking a nap or something?”

  It had been a very long time since he had last taken a nap—though right now, he had to admit that sounded quite appealing. That seemed the kind of thing one did when one was on a quasi-vacation.

  “I was working,” he said.

  “Did we a-sturb you?” the younger boy asked.

  “Not at all,” he lied. He had to admit, they were cute. He held out his hand. “I’m Ben.”

  The older one looked at him with caution for an instant, then Hondo licked him again and he giggled, apparently forgetting all about stranger danger. “I’m Caleb Keegan. This is my brother, Luke.”

  “Nice to meet you both.” He shook hands solemnly with each boy in turn.

  “I’m six and a half years old and Caleb is nine,” Luke announced. “How old are you?”

  He had to smile again. “Old.”

  Luke snickered. “You’re not that old. I bet you’re not even as old as our grandpa Keegan.”

  “Probably not quite.” He hoped not, anyway. It was one thing for his friends to all start having kids. He could get that but he wasn’t quite ready to be compared to somebody’s grandfather.

  “What are you guys doing out here?”

  “We were playing fetch with Paprika,” Caleb said. “I can throw a stick really far. Want to see?”

  “Sure.”

  Taking a chance—and figuring if the dog were going to attack, he would have to stop licking the boys first—he took Hondo off the leash.

  Caleb picked up the stick and tossed it about twenty feet across the lawn. The two dogs bounded after it. Rika reached it first and trotted back to them triumphantly.

  Luke was about to take a turn when the back door of McKenzie’s house burst open and she hurried outside with a panicked sort of look in her eyes. It eased a little when she spotted the two kids with him.

  “Boys! What are you doing outside? I thought you were watching the show with the minions.”

  “We’ve seen it about a hundred times,” Luke announced. “We were tired of it. And then Rika wanted to come outside because she had to pee, so we came, too.”

  “Next time, how about a little warning?”

  “You were on the phone,” Caleb said. “Mom says it’s rude to interrupt grown-ups when they’re on the phone.”

  “I don’t mind. When you’re at my house, interrupt me all you want, especially if you’re coming outside by the water, got it? I need the info.”

  Caleb nodded. “Okay. Sorry, Kenzie.”

  “Not a problem, kiddo. Just remember it next time. Looks like you’re playing fetch. Have you tried a tennis ball? If you do, she’ll be your best friend.”

  Luke giggled. “I want to! Where is a tennis ball?”

  “Up there on the deck. See that big white box? I keep cushions and toys and things in there. You should be able to find two or three balls in there.”

  The boys immediately took off at full speed toward the white box in question, with two dogs hot on their heels.

  McKenzie turned to Ben with a rueful expression. “Sorry. I hope they didn’t bother you. I should have been more diligent about keeping an eye on them, but a friend from college called. I haven’t heard from her in years and I got distracted, catching up with her. I thought the boys were occupied watching a movie but apparently I’m the world’s worst babysitter.”

  He smiled a little. “Surely not the worst. You didn’t dangle them over a pit of hungry crocodiles.”

  “Okay. Second worst.”

  She looked beautiful in the warm July sunshine, wearing flip-flops, a pair of tan shorts and a peach T-shirt that made her look sweet and fresh and good enough to eat.

  He sighed a little, aware of the low ache inside of him. He had it bad for her. The night before had been magical, out there on that swing on the edge of the water. He had kind of hoped the fierce desire had been a temporary condition, but it returned stronger than ever, here in the bright sunlight.

  He had spent a restless night, filled with wild, tangled dreams, and had awoken restless and edgy—which might have explained why he had been compelled to get up before sunrise and take Hondo on a grueling hike into the mountains.

  He pushed away the memory of those dreams and of the soft, sultry embrace that had preceded them. “So who are the munchkins?”

  “Oh. These are the kids of an employee of mine, Lindy Keegan. Her maiden name was Blair. You might have known her, back in the day.”

  “I remember Lindy-Grace. I believe she asked me to the girl’s-choice dance during my junior year.”

  “Yes. That’s Lindy-Grace. Sh
e told me about the dance and she said you were a perfect gentleman—much to her disappointment. Anyway, LG and her husband went on a quick overnight trip to Boise for their anniversary. You probably don’t know him, since he and his family moved here from the Hailey area after you left town.”

  “Got it.”

  “Anyway, I owe her about a million favors so I told her I would take the boys for the night. We have great plans. We’re going to roast hot dogs and marshmallows later out here on the deck and have a Harry Potter marathon.”

  “Sounds great.”

  The kids came tumbling off the deck, each carrying about seven tennis balls.

  “Look, Kenzie! We found some. We found some!”

  “Whoa, guys. Let’s work with one ball at a time. You don’t want to drive the dogs bonkers trying to figure out which one to chase,” McKenzie said.

  “Me first!” Caleb said.

  “No. Me. Me!” Luke insisted.

  “Hold on. We can take turns.”

  “Two boys, two dogs, two balls,” Ben said, paring the issue down to the essentials.

  The boys dropped all the balls onto the grass and picked up one each.

  For the next fifteen minutes, he enjoyed the pure loveliness of a summer afternoon, the laughter of children and the excitement of a couple of dogs doing their favorite thing—not to mention the subtle but omnipresent attraction simmering through his veins for McKenzie.

  Rika and Hondo tired long before the boys did. They both headed to the lake for a drink, then wandered back up to flop on the grass.

  “That was fun. Thanks, Ben,” Caleb said with politeness probably drilled into him from Lindy-Grace. “You throw far.”

  So apparently his days as an all-state high school pitcher weren’t completely behind him.

  “You’re very welcome. I had a great time.”

  “You’re welcome to have a hot dog with us later, if you’d like,” McKenzie said. “And you could even join us for the movie marathon, if you’re into Harry Potter.”

  “Who’s not? Tempting. Very tempting.”

  “I make excellent popcorn.”