Kiss of a Stranger (Lost Coast Harbor, Book 1)

by Lily Danes

  “What? Why?” She tried to think of an excuse. “I don’t know if I’m feeling well.”

  “Bullshit.” Erin walked to her and pressed a hand to her forehead, then felt her pulse. “You just need a break from all the stress and recycled office air. Nurse’s orders.”

  Maddie scowled. “You think breathing the air of a bunch of drunk men is a better choice?”

  “Hell yeah.” Bree pointed her upstairs. “And we’re doing this because it’s time. We’ve been trying to get you to rejoin the world for ages now, and you can’t tell us you’re not ready anymore. Between the dates with Declan and that tattooed god, we’ve decided you’re back. Now go. Change.”

  Maddie stopped fighting a battle she’d never win. She went upstairs, then took the time to wash her face and even put on a dab of mascara and lip gloss. She didn’t have time to do her hair, but she brushed it and pinned it into a looser bun than she normally wore. Maddie pulled on the black skinny jeans and her favorite pale blue sweater Bree had left for her, though she skipped the thong. If it turned out to be a thong night, Maddie was in real trouble.

  She felt an unexpected shiver of excitement at the thought of going out. A night on the town held a bit of possibility, a chance something would happen. A chance to run into the man she hadn’t seen in six days.

  Bree and Erin whistled when she came downstairs. She flipped them off, and they followed her out the front door, laughing.

  The three women walked into town, keeping each other distracted from the cold with the kind of teasing only best friends could get away with. By the time they reached Donnelly’s, Maddie was glad her friends had forced her to join them.

  They stepped into the welcome warmth of the pub. Like a magnet, her gaze was drawn to the bar and the man sitting on one of the stools.

  Gabe was there—and he wasn’t alone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Gabe still looked like trouble, but he also looked good. He wore a black v-neck sweater she hadn’t seen before. The material was thin, and it clung to a new muscle every time he moved. He held a beer—so much for his claim that he didn’t drink—and gestured with his right hand while speaking to the woman next to him. Maddie knew her a bit. Sally had been two years above her in school, and now she worked at the local elementary school. She was also pretty and graceful, even sitting on a bar stool, and their two dark heads bent toward each other looked damn good.

  She’d never had a reason to hate Sally, but now she wanted to claw her eyes out.

  “Need me to hold your earrings?” Bree asked.

  Maddie forced herself to turn away. She’d spent a week trying not to think of that asshole, and here he was, already moving on to his next victim. “She’s welcome to him. Poor girl doesn’t know what she’s getting into.”

  Erin made no effort to hide her amusement. “Yeah? Then how about you go to the bar for our drinks?”

  “You’re the ones who dragged me out. You’re buying.” Maddie stalked away, choosing a booth on the opposite side of the room. One side faced away from Gabe, and she immediately claimed it. He’d never even know she was there.

  As soon as she sat down, she wanted to change sides. Just so she could keep an eye on him.

  A minute later, Erin and Bree returned with the drinks. As usual, Erin drank red wine while Bree had some unfamiliar concoction with too many ingredients, the sort of drink that was closer to alchemy than mixology. To Maddie’s horror, she’d ordered two.

  “Were they out of white wine?” She tilted her head, regarding the dark brew with suspicion.

  “I’ve decided you’re no longer allowed to drink chardonnay. It’s been three years of one oaky note after another. Even I’m bored, and I didn’t have to taste it.” Bree raised her glass in a toast. “To trying something new.”

  Bree’s movement was enthusiastic. Erin’s was steady as always. At last, Maddie joined in. The drink looked dark and deadly, but it tasted like caramel. She took a second appreciative sip.

  “So what’s the plan?” she asked. “We drink till one of us gets sloppy and threatens to embarrass herself, then go home?” That sounded far too appealing. If she got drunk, she might not care who Gabe was with. “If that’s what we’re doing, I vote for Erin. She’s too responsible.”

  Erin threw a balled-up napkin at Maddie. “I’m fucking reliable. It’s a good quality when you’re in charge of saving people’s lives. You, on the other hand, are boring.”

  Maddie made a face. Erin returned it, unrepentant.

  “It’s a wonder we’ve stayed friends with you all this time.” Bree was teasing, but there was a bite to her words. A reminder that Maddie wasn’t the same woman they’d met years before. “Seriously. Remember when you used to do stuff? Skinny dipping in December, or sneaking out to catch the midnight screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show—in costume? We love you, Maddie, but sometimes we miss that woman.”

  Maddie stared at Bree, hurt. “The woman who made so many bad choices she almost ended up in prison? Who lost everything because she married the wrong man? You think that was a better version of me?”

  Erin leaned across the table. In contrast to Bree’s wild looks, Erin was sweet and pretty, with dimples that flashed every time she smiled. She almost looked innocent, until she started cussing like a sailor. “Bullshit. That’s not what we’re saying. We know what you’re capable of, Maddie, and it’s not becoming some soulless business drone who only has fun when her friends force her to.”

  That was too much. “You guys need to let that go. You’ve been against me going to school this whole time.” Maddie knew she was twisting their words, but she didn’t care. Friends were supposed to support your choices, not question your entire life plan.

  Bree gave Maddie her best “are you fucking kidding me?” look. It was one she’d practiced a lot over the years. “School’s awesome. I’m glad you’re finally able to go. But working toward an MBA? No. You might be good at math, but you used to sleep through algebra. That was never what you wanted to do with your life.”

  “No, I wanted to be a trapeze artist. Plans change. And going to business school will help me be secure. I’d actually have a cushion for the first time in my life.”

  Bree shook her head. “You’re not building a cushion. You’re building a wall. One that keeps you so safe no one can take anything from you ever again. That’s not how life works. It doesn’t matter how much you protect yourself. Shit happens, and it will happen to you. Might as well meet it head-on, instead of hiding in your house with only a paycheck and a degree for company.”

  “The house I almost lost! The one I only managed to pay off because I was being cautious!” Maddie reminded her friends. This night wasn’t nearly as much fun as they’d promised her.

  Erin kept going. “Which means you own a house outright before you’re thirty. You have more security than most people your age. This isn’t a night out. It’s a goddamned intervention. No more chardonnay, no more Friday nights at home. We all know there’s no fucking chance you’ll be the woman you were. You’ve changed too much, and that’s good. We’re supposed to grow up, but we’re supposed to get braver the more we go through. You went in the other direction. No one aspires to be in middle management. If you keep on this path, you’re still letting Charlie make decisions for you.”

  Bree pointed at Erin. “Exactly what she said. Plus, you’ve got two guys in your life, and for once they’re not named Ben & Jerry. You still planned to hide at home tonight. We don’t care if you decide to keep them both or throw them out, but we do care if you run away from a chance to have a fuller life. So I’m saying this with all the love in my heart: get over it. Get over Charlie and the past and move on.”

  Maddie focused on the easiest part of Erin’s speech to dispute. “Two guys?” She barely held back a snort. “I haven’t seen or heard from Declan since the party, and Gabe…you’re not seriously suggesting I take a risk on him? Not only has he given me zero reason to trust him, but he’s here with anothe
r woman.”

  “Then why does he keep looking over here?” Bree asked.

  Maddie banged her head against the padded booth. “Stop it. You two may have your careers in order, but you’re in no position to offer relationship advice.”

  Erin shrugged. “Our relationships may suck, but at least we’ve had sex since the last presidential election.”

  “And sometimes the sucking part isn’t so bad.” Bree grinned. “Hey, Erin. You need to go to the bathroom?”

  “I do, Bree, thanks for asking.” Her friends climbed out of the booth.

  Maddie blinked at them in confusion. Her friends had never been the sort to pee in pairs.

  Before she left, Erin leaned over and whispered, “Remember—no more running.”

  Before Maddie could grasp what was happening, Gabe claimed the spot vacated by her friends. “We need to talk.”

  “No, we don’t,” Maddie replied.

  He knew she wouldn’t make it easy, but he was still unprepared for the look she gave him. His hope that her anger had mellowed over the past week looked pretty foolish now.

  “We can talk here, or I can follow you home and talk the entire way.”

  “That’s not talking. It’s stalking. It rhymes, so I can understand your confusion.”

  Gabe lifted his bottle, trying to hide his smile, and took a long swig. “I thought you never went out.” He picked up her drink and took a sniff. “That’s not a Coke.”

  “And I thought you didn’t drink.” She looked pointedly at his beer.

  He shrugged. “Non-alcoholic. You can probably taste the difference, if you want to try. I wouldn’t know.”

  Maddie shook her head, the movement a little too fast. Bothered by the thought of placing her lips where his had just been? That shouldn’t make him hot, but he wasn’t surprised. She could probably wear a muumuu and an Easter bonnet and he’d still get a semi.

  “Won’t your date miss you?” she asked.

  Her jealousy definitely made him hot. “Sally? Nice girl. I met her tonight. Should I go back to her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you mean that?” He stretched his hand across the table, and she snatched hers back before they could touch.

  “What do you want?” The words were brusque.

  “I want to have a drink with you.”

  “That’s it?” Glaring at him, she took a long swallow of her drink.

  Gabe pointedly took a small sip. He’d nurse that beer all night if he had to. “It would be nice if you talked to me while we drank. I want to explain, as best I can.”

  Her lips tightened, and she hurried to change the subject. “I’ve gone through all the files in Oliver’s office. There’s nothing there.” She blurted it out, then snapped her mouth shut.

  Gabe understood. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “It’s okay. The music’s loud enough. You haven’t told anyone else?”

  “Tell someone I’m betraying Oliver? Sure, I’ve shouted it to the town.”

  He ignored her sarcasm and bent his head even closer. “Good. This one is our secret. Just ours.”

  For a moment, Maddie leaned toward him, her lips soft, then she recalled herself. Sitting upright, she pushed herself as far into the padded back as possible. With a little more force, she’d be sitting in the booth behind her.

  “I’ve ordered archived files,” she said. “They’ll arrive in a couple days.”

  “Hmmm. And what will we do in that time, Maddie?”

  Under the table, Gabe’s toe nudged hers. She stomped on his foot.

  “I didn’t sit down to discuss the files.” It was true. He should have been obsessed with what she’d found, but it hadn’t occurred to him until she brought it up. He wanted to talk to her. To convince her she didn’t need to hate him—even if she had every reason to do so. “About the other night…”

  Maddie sucked down the last of her drink. “There. We had a drink together. Will you leave now?”

  Gabe held up his bottle, showing her how much beer remained. “Is it so bad if I stay?” He stretched one leg and rubbed it against hers.

  Maddie used her other leg to kick him.

  Gabe caught her calf between both of his.

  “You don’t seem all that indifferent to me, Maddie.” He squeezed her leg.

  “I never claimed to be. Loathing isn’t indifference.”

  “I can’t change what I did, Maddie, but can you give me a chance to fix it?” He kept his voice level. He wouldn’t beg, damn it.

  So why did his breathing stop while he waited for her answer?

  “It’s too big a risk.” Her words were so soft, he barely heard them.

  Fine. If she wouldn’t listen to him, he’d use the only other weapon he possessed. Gabe had no problem fighting dirty. The connection between them was real, and they both knew it.

  “Tell me about the night of the party. Tell me what you wanted when we were behind the curtain.”

  She swallowed, and her cheeks grew even more flushed. “That was before I knew you were using me.”

  “But you knew I was up to something, and still you wrapped yourself around me. You wanted me to touch you, to slide my fingers inside your sweet pussy.”

  She stared at him, eyes wide. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. He didn’t think she even knew she was doing it.

  Gabe pressed his advantage. “I lied, and I’m so fucking sorry. It was all I knew to do. I told you I wasn’t okay. I’m still figuring out how to be a part of this world, and I know you understand that. You’re not pulling away this hard because I told a lie. You’re using that lie as a reason to pull away. To pretend you don’t want me as much as I want you.” It was a shot in the dark, but the storm clouds that filled her eyes told him he’d hit a target.

  “You have no idea what I want.” How could she sound so calm when just the reminder of that night had him hard as a rock?

  “Your face is flushed,” he told her.

  “It’s the alcohol.” Maddie raised a hand to her cheek.

  “And you haven’t tried to free your leg from mine.”

  “Were you touching me? I didn’t notice.”

  Gabe leaned as far as he could across the table. “Are you wet for me right now, Maddie? Because I’m as hard as I’ve ever been. I want to touch every inch of your body. I want to taste you, slide inside you, feel you underneath me. I want you to come with your pussy clenched around my cock instead of my fingers. Can you honestly tell me you don’t want that, too?”

  Gabe swallowed the last of his beer and stood. Maddie’s eyes dropped to his jeans, stretched tight against his straining erection. He bent to whisper in her ear.

  “I know you’re angry that I used you. So I’ll make a deal with you. If you want, you can use me, too.”

  Use him, too. It was a preposterous suggestion, and the fact that he delivered it in a low voice, with his warm breath caressing her skin, didn’t change that.

  Use him. Like he was nothing but a toy she could ride to slake her lusts. Had she really been celibate this long to break it with something cheap and meaningless?

  She’d been waiting for someone like Declan, who would be tender and respectful, who’d call the next day and maybe even send flowers.

  Okay, he hadn’t called after the party. Probably because, like everyone else in town, he’d seen her dance with Gabe, her body plastered against his. But it wasn’t too late. She could still fix it.

  Except…she didn’t want tender and respectful. Not between the sheets, at least. Gabe would talk to her the whole time, the words dirty and primal. It would be rough and fast and hard.

  And she’d love it.

  Bree’s fingers snapped in front of her face. “Right here, Maddie. I’m supposed to be the drunk one.”

  Once Gabe left her table, Maddie was too unsettled to remain angry at her friends, and they’d quickly made up with booze. Bree wasn’t drunk, not really, but they’d both had a second drink before walking home.

>   Now they sat on Maddie’s couch while Bree sobered enough to drive back to her cabin. Erin lived in town, so they’d parted ways at midnight.

  “I’m here. Kind of.” Maddie hesitated. “Have you ever hate fucked someone?” she asked in a rush.

  Bree perked up. “It doesn’t matter if I have. You definitely should. Tattooed god?”

  “You can call him Gabe, you know.”

  Bree shook her head. “My name is more accurate. Why wouldn’t you?”

  Maddie gave her friend the best “oh, come on” expression she could manage. “You know what he did. I’m not going to reward him for being an asshole. ‘Hi, you treated me like crap, here’s your orgasm!’”

  “Whatever.” Bree waved it off. “You’re not really mad about that.”

  “Am too.” It was the alcohol that made her sound like a petulant child. She was sure of it.

  “Really? So you, an innocent woman who almost went to prison because of someone else, can’t imagine what an innocent man who did go to prison would do?”

  Maddie plucked at a loose thread on a throw pillow. Bree was making a little too much sense. “You’re that sure he’s innocent?”

  “Yeah. And not just because he’s hot. I think he’s a good guy. I like him.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “Because he looks at you like you’re bacon.”

  Maddie laughed at the image. “I look like fried pig meat? That’s a good thing?”

  “Hell yeah. Bacon makes everything better, and that’s how he looks at you. Like just being around you makes everything better. It means he’s smart enough to recognize a good thing when it’s right in front of him. So I like him, and I wouldn’t like a guilty man.”

  Maddie chucked the pillow at her friend. “We don’t have enough time for me to point out all the flaws in that argument.”

  Bree shrugged, unconcerned. “All that aside, why would he be here if he wasn’t innocent?”