“Really?” She turned and peered up at him with an adorable naiveté in her eyes.
As if that kaleidoscope of blues didn’t have him drowning enough normally.
Thankfully, his feet ignored the disjointed rhythm pounding in his chest and backed him a cautious step away.
A hint of sass shifted her demeanor. “Wait a sec. Aloe? This is a beach guy’s smooth come-on tactic, isn’t it? Sucker a girl into allowing you to rub lotion over her back?”
And once again, Ti Russo took home the World’s Most Straightforward award. He laughed. “More like a beach girl’s tactic.”
“You’re kidding. Girls really use that line?”
“What? You don’t think girls come on to me?”
Her gaze traveled over him. “Oh, no. I’m positive they do. I’m just surprised they use such cheesy lines.”
“You have better ways?” He shouldn’t enjoy baiting her this much.
A slow blink fanned her long lashes toward him. “You just act naturally.”
Who needed tactics when a single look incapacitated him? He managed another step backward. “I’m gonna go grab that aloe.” And maybe take a cold shower while he was at it.
In the upstairs bathroom, Drew splashed water over his face and stared at his reflection. “Fun. That’s all this is. Two single adults flirting. Don’t complicate it.” He retrieved the aloe from under the sink and faced the mirror one more time before trekking back downstairs. “Just be smooth. You got this, Anderson.”
As soon as he rounded the corner, Ti jumped away from the counter and hid something behind her back. He appraised the room. The only thing it could be was . . .
Unable to suppress a grin, Drew started toward her. “Is that my tea?”
“No.” She slinked along the counter while sheltering the contraband behind her.
“You’re actually starting to like green tea, aren’t you?”
She shook her head and slid farther away.
“Then what are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, really?” Drew set the aloe on the table and closed in on her. “So, you won’t mind if I take a peek behind—”
Ti squealed and made a run for it, but he caught her at the waist and spun her around. A flash of his mug she hid behind her slid into his periphery, but nothing was pulling him away from the flustered look in her eyes.
Backed into the corner, Ti braced both hands against him. “Okay, fine. Your grass tea is halfway drinkable. Happy?”
Drew clutched the counter on either side of her. “Is that an official concession?”
“Don’t push it.”
“Only fair, considering you push every border I have.”
She raised a brow.
Under the ceiling vent, loose strands of blonde hair spilled down her neck and rocketed Drew’s temperature in the opposite direction.
He edged even closer. “You know, you do the no-tactic thing pretty well.”
Her smile pulled to the side, his eyes following every move. “I’m not flirting.”
“No?” His gaze lingered over her lips. “Then why do I want to kiss you right now?”
Her lashes dipped. “Green tea withdrawals?”
Hints of his favorite drink on her breath ushered him another inch forward. “I think I know a way to remedy that.”
She lifted those ocean-blue eyes to his, and the current pulled him under. Shutting out every other thought, he leaned in until his lips barely brushed hers. Soft, silky. The proximity alone ignited a hunger he’d almost forgotten how to feel. He raised both hands to her cheeks. “Ti . . .”
The creak of the back door opening sent Drew flinching a solid foot backward.
Cooper made it only two steps inside before freezing. His all-too-observant glance between Drew and Ti merged into an obnoxious grin.
Drew stared at the tiles while raking his fingers through his hair. “Thought you were watching a movie tonight.”
“Well, you know, some people say you find the best entertainment right in your own home.”
The amused lilt in his tone was two seconds away from getting him hurled back out the door.
Cooper opened the fridge. “Sorry for interrupting. I only stopped in for a sec to grab something.” He waved a six-pack in the air as corroborating evidence. His smirk followed him all the way to the door. “Just pretend I wasn’t here.”
Like that was happening.
A thick silence hovered in the kitchen once the door shut.
Drew tugged on his ear. “Good thing we’re all pros at acting naturally.” The churn of the air conditioner absorbed his attempt at a lighthearted laugh. He tapped his thighs. “So, I guess we should probably scrounge up something for dinner.” Or anything to circumvent the awkward vibe taking over the room.
“Good idea.” Ti reclined against the back of the chair closest to her.
While setting a couple of take-out containers on the counter, he glanced her way. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at the dating scene.”
Ti picked up her hat and folded the brim back and forth. “You want to date me?”
The softest uncertainty in her words tightened across his chest with reminders of how she viewed him. Of course she wouldn’t want to date him. He backpedaled. “Nothing serious. I mean, I know you’re not sticking around. And I understand if working together takes this off the table. I just thought we could have a good time this summer. You know, keep it light. Unattached.”
She nodded without looking up from the tiles. “Unattached. Yeah.” Swallowing something unspoken, she tucked her hat under her arm and grabbed her camera. “Listen, I think the sun took more out of me than I thought.” She strode for the door. “I’m gonna turn in for the night.”
“You sure?” He lifted a container. “It’ll just take a minute to heat up this Thai food.”
“No, it’s cool. I’m pretty wiped.” She already had her foot on the first step outside. “Thanks for today, Drew. It was really nice . . . all of it.” Her momentum drove her right past the hitch in her voice.
The door closed and ushered another round of weighted silence over Drew, but this time a sense of loss closed in with it. What just happened? A moment’s hesitation spurred him into a jog. He hit the bottom of the stairs before she reached the trailer.
“Ti, hold on.” He turned her around. “I’m sorry if I crossed a line in there.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Are you sure? ’Cause I don’t ever want to make you uncomfortable.” He squeezed his shoulder blade. “I really like hanging out with you, and I don’t want to ruin that by overcomplicating things.”
She kept her gaze fastened on the hat she was still fidgeting with. “Summer dating’s hard to complicate. Like you said, it’s just unattached fun. And if you’re lucky, you walk away with half-decent memories to add to your collection. Everyone wins.”
“Um . . . I’m not sure that’s what I—”
“Don’t worry. I’m known for a good time. It’s actually the only noteworthy quality I have on that résumé you’re always talking about.”
He ran a knuckle across his brow. “Okay, can we start over here? ’Cause I think something got lost in translation.” Wasn’t this what she wanted?
A long breath finally lifted tragically beautiful eyes toward his. “The only thing lost is me. I shouldn’t have stayed here this long.”
She didn’t want to be here. Pangs of rejection quaked through him like muscle memory. “No, I shouldn’t have thought—”
Her cell phone’s ring struck the space between them.
Turning, Ti took the call. “Hey, Mia, can I call you . . . ?” She strode a few steps away. “Wait, slow down and start from the beginning.”
The concern in her voice ratcheted Drew’s already-raised pulse. He circled around to survey the look on her face.
Her sunburned skin paled. “He what?”
Chapter Sixteen
Illusions
&nb
sp; Ti ended the call and started to pace. How could he break into her art studio? And what did he expect to find? A safe chock full of hundred dollar bills? This wasn’t a John Wayne movie.
She pressed both sets of fingertips to her forehead. Figures he’d gotten out of there without leaving any evidence behind. Must’ve wised up some in prison these last eleven years.
Images of him violating her space crawled up her skin, repressed memories shuddering back. If any of the neighborhood kids had been in the studio when he’d snuck in, Ti wouldn’t have forgiven herself.
Shame burrowed into her with the nails digging into her palms. She should be there, protecting the ground she’d fought to gain. Not hiding like the powerless girl she used to be.
Drew interrupted one of her back-and-forth strides. “Are you okay?”
The genuine concern in his eyes wrapped around her like arms of assurance. The very ones she wanted to hold her right now. Could she tell him the truth? “Drew, I . . .”
Another ringtone butted into the silence. This time, from Drew’s cell. He swiped the screen. “Maddie?”
Ti’s heart rate kicked up a notch.
Drew looked from the ground to Ti, forehead creased. “Yeah, she’s right here.” He held out the phone. “She wants to talk to you.”
Ti stole a minute to iron out the tremble in her voice. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Hey. If my dad’s standing right there, just play it cool.”
Ti met Drew’s curious gaze, tried not to give anything away, and turned to mosey in the opposite direction. “Cloak-and-dagger. Got it. So, what’s up?”
“Winnie and I were talking about birthday parties, and it got me thinking. Dad’s birthday’s coming up. He never makes a big deal out of it. But I want to do something special this year. Maybe a big party. I don’t know. Just something where he can have fun and stop worrying so much for a change.”
Only ten years old, and the girl caught on to more subtext than most adults.
Ti’s heart pinched as she looked behind her toward Drew’s broad shoulders under the porch light. “I think he’ll really like that.”
“Me too, but it has to be a surprise. Winnie’s older sister helped us come up with a whole undercover plan. Starting with this call. She said to tell Dad I was asking about shaving my legs. That should make him squirm enough to drop it.”
Ti covered her mouth too late to rein in a laugh.
“I think we should have the party at our friend Jacob’s. I’ll call him tomorrow from here so Dad doesn’t overhear. We’ll need to go shopping and work on the gift, so I’ll tell Dad you’re helping me with a school project. That way we’ll have an excuse for not working on it at home.”
Who knew someone so cute could be so cunning. “Sounds like you have a pretty good plan in place.”
“But it’ll only work if you help. Please?”
Two phone calls. Two parts of her pulling in opposite directions. She couldn’t forsake the life she’d built in Queens. But what about the one she was falling in love with here? How could she let down people counting on her in both places?
Another glance at Drew confirmed she couldn’t leave. Not yet. “Consider it done.”
Squeals erupted through the phone. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ti.”
“Me too, love.” She cleared her throat. “Now, stop conspiring and go play Girl Talk or something.”
“What’s that?”
Nothing like a reminder of how old Ti was getting. “Never mind. Just have fun.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow?”
Ti peered toward the trailer she’d just been on the verge of packing up to leave. “Tomorrow.” Two and a half more weeks. The competition would be over then. She could stick it out that long before going home.
She ambled back over to Drew, surrendered his cell, and lightened her tone. “Girl stuff. She thinks she’s ready to shave her legs.”
Maddie had called it. Drew played hot potato with his phone, a look of horror shooting down his face. “She what!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll talk her into waiting a few more years.”
Avoiding her gaze, he slid his phone in his pocket and hardened his tall frame. “I appreciate that, but you don’t have to stay, you know. You obviously have things at home to take care of.” A slow blink lifted green eyes full of regret toward hers. “There are no obligations holding you here.”
Obligations. That’s how he viewed things? She swallowed the sting. “I know.”
“Good.” His line of sight rebounded around the patio. With his thumbs in his pockets, he tapped the front of his thighs. “So, we should probably get some sleep. I’ll tell Maddie you had to go.”
He wanted her to leave? Ti didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. She simply held her arms across her torso and prayed they’d keep her insides together until Drew disappeared in his house.
As soon as the door closed, she fled into the trailer. She chucked her earrings on the desk and clenched the back of the chair. Unattached. The word seared into her like a branding iron.
The ceiling fan swooshed above her. Unbidden, dark images funneled to mind. Deep voices rumbling against her chest. Musty perspiration stinging her nostrils. One after the other, tainted memories shivered down her skin. “She’s not worth it.”
Ti stared at the blades circling overhead and sang to herself until the song she and Cass wrote together as kids finally shut out the words repeating in her head. But the deeper she strived to escape into the song, the deeper the yearning collided with the security she’d felt with Drew earlier today. The kind she wanted to be real.
Stupid. Her knuckles whitened over the top of the chair with relentless flashes of things she’d done and who she’d been all her life. Did she really think Drew would see her differently than any other guy did? She knew better. Knew her past branded her. Always would.
She shoved the chair into the desk, grabbed her Mandala coloring book, and curled up on the bed. Halfway through the page, Ti tossed her colored pencils aside. It wasn’t helping. She grabbed her camera instead and headed to the ocean.
A cool breeze whispered through her hair as she ran her toes through the warm sand. The view of the stars out here almost rivaled the one from the Catskill Mountains. Her pulse gradually mimicked the wave’s rhythmic flow the more she lost herself in taking shots of the moonlight glimmering over the water.
Near the empty lifeguard tower, Ti lowered the camera and waited for the beauty around her to paint over the darkness.
“It’s enticing, isn’t it?”
Ti whirled toward a voice coming from under the wooden tower. Cooper came into view, sitting alone in the sand. She released a breath. “What is?”
“The beach, the moonlight, the whole charming island.” He fanned a beer bottle around the shore. “It’s a romantic notion. Traveling here for a summer getaway. Leaving the pressures and demands of life behind. You have to admit its lure is hard to deny.”
Ti joined him in the sand, leaning back against the opposite post. “Sometimes escaping is all we can do.”
Cooper raised his drink in a toast. “To escaping.”
She set her flip-flops aside and let the wind extract the remaining tension in her muscles. Better to focus on Cooper instead. “So, who’s the girl?”
“What girl?”
“The one who has you hoping she’ll come back some day. A summer fling, I take it?”
“You don’t miss much.” He laughed softly. “It was more like the summer of a lifetime.”
“What happened?”
Cooper swished his bottle around, eyes saying what he didn’t have to. “We can’t escape forever. She went back to her real life. Like everyone does.”
Like Ti was getting ready to do.
She traced the suntan lines left on her feet from the flip-flops Drew had talked her into buying when she first got here.
The summer of a lifetime. Did it have to end? She boxed out the thought. “I think it’s sweet, you know.
What you’re doing here.”
“And what exactly am I doing here?”
“Pretending you got laid off when, really, you gave up your corporate life to move home and help Drew and Maddie out. Nice ruse.”
“I may not be as altruistic as you think.”
“But more than you’re admitting. Don’t worry, Don Juan. I won’t blow your cover. How’s day trading going, by the way?”
Two pronounced dimples hedged in an impressed smile. “You have a knack for reading between the lines.”
“I didn’t really think all your time-sensitive appointments were spent doing your hair. Can’t miss the right time to sell a stock.” She shrugged one shoulder. “And it’s not hard to miss things when you’re living in someone’s space.”
Wiping the sand off her hands, she twisted toward him. “Speaking of which. I want you to know how grateful I am for you letting me crash at your pad this last month.”
Cooper held her gaze. Instead of words, hazel eyes searched hers for unspoken meaning he obviously already knew.
Ti blinked and rubbed her arms. “It’s been really great.” So much so, she almost let herself believe it could be more than it was.
“Ahh . . .”
She looked from the sand to a telling grin. “Ahh, what?”
“Time to run already?”
“I have responsibilities at home.”
He raised a brow. “Says my brother’s dutiful understudy.”
Ti folded her arms over her knees while watching sandpipers test the waves’ reach up the shore. “Drew might have more things figured out than you think.”
Cooper laughed. “Of that I have no doubt.” He polished off his brew. “Too bad for all of us, love will always be an unsolvable mystery.”
“Nothing mysterious about an illusion. Drew said it himself. Love fades like anything else. Makes you wonder why we keep grasping for something we can’t keep, doesn’t it?”
A wave raced up the sand and splashed white foam along the tower’s front two posts.
Cooper returned his bottle to the empty slot in the cardboard carrier, rose to his feet, and extended Ti a hand. “Maybe we were made to hope.”
Begin Again (Home In You Book 2) Page 14
