The Art of Loving Lacy (Sweet with Heat: Weston Bradens Book 4)

by Addison Cole

  They parked by the road and walked down a steep hill toward the pier.

  “This is so cute,” she said as they passed the fish market.

  “That body of water is Aunt Lydia’s Cove, and see that little island? It’s Tern Island Sanctuary.” He took her hand in his. “Come on.” As they climbed the steps to the second-story deck of the fish pier, Dane let go of her hand, not wanting to push the limits.

  It was harder than he thought it would be to not reach for her again. He had to remain strong. No pressure. He pretended not to notice the questioning look in her eyes.

  She went to the far side of the upper deck. “Seals,” she said, pointing to the little dark heads popping in and out of the water by the island.

  “Yup. That’s why they called the Brave Foundation. In the last decade, this area has gone from a seal population of two or three thousand to more like fifteen or sixteen thousand. Seals came, sharks followed,” he explained.

  “To eat the seals,” Lacy said.

  Dane shrugged. “They have to eat.” They descended the stairs and walked toward the beach. “Are you okay to go out on the floating dock?” He watched her for signs of nervousness.

  “Yeah. I should be fine,” she said.

  A fisherman stood on the edge of the dock with a bucket. He tossed fish into the water as Lacy and Dane approached, and within seconds, there were three seals arching their slick backs out of the water, then poking their enormous heads up and looking at the man with the bucket. He tossed a few more fish into the water, and the seals dove under the water to catch them.

  “They’re so cute!” Lacy said. “Look how big their eyes are. And look at that one over there. See how it’s staring at us?” She moved closer to the fisherman. “Can you toss him one, please?”

  Dane loved her enthusiasm, and as she moved toward the edge of the dock, he stood protectively by her side. She crouched down, and he knelt beside her.

  “Dane, by saving the sharks, you’re allowing these cute creatures to be their meal tickets,” Lacy said.

  “Lace, what’s in the bucket?” he asked.

  “Fish?” she said.

  “Right. Are fish more important than seals?” he asked.

  “Well, no.”

  “It’s the natural food chain, babe. Seals eat fish, and sharks eat seals. We eat cows and chickens. It’s the way nature works. Oceans are the most important ecosystem on the planet and our best defense against global warming. Sharks play a vital role at the top of the food chain by maintaining the oceans.” He dipped his fingers in the water. “Did you know that oceans absorb most of the carbon dioxide that we put into the atmosphere?”

  Lacy shook her head.

  “The oceans convert that carbon dioxide into a large percentage of the oxygen we breathe. Destroying the sharks could destroy our oceans and our life support system,” he explained. “That’s just one example. There are a million reasons to save sharks, just as there are a million reasons to save seals.”

  “Thanks, Caleb,” Dane said to the fisherman. Caleb waved, and Lacy and Dane headed back up the hill to the car.

  “Don’t you ever feel guilty saving sharks when you hear about shark attacks?” Lacy asked as they climbed into the car.

  “Nope. I feel horrible when someone gets bitten by a shark, but sharks are not looking for humans to eat. If they were, there would be a lot more fatalities,” Dane explained. He drove around the corner and into Chatham.

  “So you buy into the whole thing about sharks thinking humans on surfboards are seals?” she asked with a touch of sarcasm.

  “Not at all. If sharks thought people were seals, they’d attack with torpedo-like speed. They’re curious creatures. When they appear in stealth mode, their goal is not predation. They use their teeth like we use our hands. When they bite something unfamiliar, whether it’s a person, a surfboard, or a license plate, they’re looking for tactile evidence about what it is. It’s like a test, a sniff from a dog. When they attack seals, they attack fast and hard, tearing them to shreds. It’s a different approach. So, yeah, I feel terrible when someone gets bitten by a shark, just like I feel terrible when a person gets bitten by a dog, stung by a bee, or hit by a car, but you don’t kill all dogs, snuff the bees, or dismantle the cars, right?”

  Lacy nodded. “I guess I can see your point.”

  “I sound like I’m lecturing. I’m sorry. I get a little passionate about what I do,” he admitted. “Rob and I spend a lot of our free time convincing people of the innocence of sharks. It’s a tough business.” Dane parked the car and they walked through the parking lot to Main Street.

  “Where is Rob? I thought he was arriving Sunday,” Lacy said.

  “He’s going through a hard time with his wife right now. To be honest, I’m a little worried about him.” Dane thought about Rob’s behavior on the boat. He’d have to remember to call him again later and see if he could get him to open up a little more about what happened between him and Sheila.

  “Gosh, you’ve told me so much about him over the last year and a half that I feel like I already know him and his wife. If you’re worried about him, maybe you should be with him instead of me.”

  “The enormity of your heart never fails to amaze me,” Dane said. “I’ll call him later. I left him a message this morning. You’ll get to meet him when we go out on the boat later this week.”

  Lacy’s eyes widened.

  “Don’t worry. We’re not catching sharks,” he assured her.

  Lacy looked up and down Main Street. “I can’t remember if I have ever been here. It looks familiar, but…” Lacy said.

  Despite the early hour, tourists walked along the sidewalk of the small town. Lacy and Dane peered into the shop windows as they passed. Unlike other parts of the lower Cape, Chatham was known for its predominantly preppy undertone. Pink Izod shirts and lime green shorts were displayed in almost every clothing storefront window. They looked over the books in front of the used bookstore, then headed across the street to Kate Gould Park, where Lacy walked through the plush carpet of grass with wide eyes.

  “I’ve been here. I know I have,” she said.

  Dane pointed to the white gazebo at the far end of the field. “To a band concert?” he asked. The Chatham Community Band had played every Friday night during the summers since just after World War II.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I remember old men in red outfits, I think. Gosh, I must have been so young. I haven’t thought of that in…forever.” Lacy smiled. “Come on.” She took off running down the lawn to the gazebo and flew up the steps, then twirled around on the empty stage.

  Dane jogged after her, watching the smile spread from her lips to her eyes.

  “You know what?” she asked.

  “What?” He wanted to touch her hand again, something, anything to let her know he was there for her, ready, willing, wanting to listen to whatever she wanted to share.

  She sat down on the steps of the gazebo. “I don’t think happiness is based on the amount of time you have with someone. I think it’s all about how you spend that time and the enjoyment of each other while you’re together,” she said.

  “You’re thinking about your dad,” he said.

  “My dad wasn’t around a lot because he had another family, as I told you,” she said. “But when he was with us, me and my mom, he was present. He was there. Emotionally and physically present.”

  “Lace.” He wondered if she was making the same connection he was between her father’s attentiveness and his own. “I’m sorry if it was difficult for you when you were growing up, and I’m sorry I wasn’t physically there for you for so long.” Dane watched her nod, then pull her knees to her chest. The heck with keeping my distance. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his side.

  “Thank you. You’ve heard me say it all before. I had a good childhood, but it was kind of weird knowing I had sisters that I had never met, and the kids at school thought I was making up stories.” She sighed. “But
my dad loves all of us, and I never had any hard feelings toward Danica or Kaylie even though he spent most of his time with them. After I met their mom, I felt horrible about what he had done, but he loves us all. Even their mom, I think. And my mom was always there for me. I guess that really made things okay for me.” She touched his hand. “Even when you weren’t physically there, Dane, I still felt your presence as if you were.”

  Dane closed his eyes, relishing in the confirmation of his attentiveness. He needed to hear that she at least recognized the efforts he’d made. It was another step forward.

  “I think you’re right, Lace. It’s not how much time we have. It’s how much we enjoy the time we have with others that matters.” Like spending time with you right now. Her body was warm against him, and he had to remind himself that she was not his girlfriend. He hated that invisible line in the sand that he had to try not to cross.

  “Are you thinking about your mom?” she asked. “You must miss her very much.”

  Dane’s chest tightened. A familiar lump formed in his throat. He pushed past it and smiled down at her. “I do, Lace. Some days more than others.”

  She smiled up at him.

  Not wanting to push his luck, Dane withdrew his arm from around her shoulder and pushed to his feet.

  “Library?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She reached for his hand, and he helped her to her feet. Lacy didn’t release his hand. Dane didn’t pull away; he didn’t grip her hand tighter. He let her control the connection between them.

  When they reached the stone wall in front of the library, Lacy walked up the edge of the grassy lawn and balanced as she crossed the wall like a balance beam, still holding on to Dane’s hand.

  “I would bet that I did this when I was here, too,” she said with a laugh. At the end of the wall, she released his hand as she stepped onto the grass and he climbed the steps.

  “This is gorgeous,” Lacy said as they passed through the entrance, lined with rich, dark wood, and crossed the Oriental rug to the hardwood of the library’s main room.

  Dane waved to the women behind the desk and then guided Lacy to a particular aisle and began pulling books from the shelves.

  “What are we doing?” she asked.

  “You got the itinerary,” he said with a smile.

  “All it said was, library therapy.”

  “That’s what we’re doing. Come on.” He carried a stack of books to a table in the back of the library and sat beside Lacy. “Here. Take a look at this and tell me three facts about tiger sharks.”

  “Tiger sharks?” She crinkled her nose.

  “You’re awfully cute. You know that?” he asked.

  “I haven’t been called cute for years. Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself,” she said.

  He pointed to the book. “Tiger sharks.” Dane watched her open the book, mumbling, Tiger sharks, under her breath. He opened another book and ran his finger down the index, then opened to a page and set the book aside. He did the same thing with the next three books in his stack.

  “Okay, I’ve got it,” Lacy said.

  “You’re a quick study. Let’s have it.” Dane sat back, expecting Lacy to rattle off the first three facts in the book.

  “They grow to be fourteen to twenty feet. They’re the fourth-largest species of shark; they’re solitary creatures living primarily alone—which is really sad. They must get lonely. They can live almost one hundred years. They sleep with their eyes open.” She stopped to take a breath, and Dane cut her off.

  “Lace, their sleeping habits aren’t in that chapter,” he said. A flash of excitement ran through him. Maybe she wanted to overcome her fear as much as he wanted to help her.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, biting her lower lip.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you have been researching sharks.” Dane took the book from her and set another one in front of her.

  “I might have read a few things about them,” she admitted.

  He pushed another book in front of her. “Have you read up on these?” he asked.

  “Basking sharks?” She clenched her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, she let out a breath. “The Cetorhinus maximus grows to a length of thirty-five feet; their mouths can reach three feet in diameter, and—this is cool—they swim with their mouths open because they eat zooplankton. I would think they’d eat seals, fish, gosh, anything, but they don’t. That’s weird, right?”

  Dane was still hung up on the fact that she knew the genus of the species. “Yeah, that is weird,” he managed.

  “And they’re known as sunfish because they like to swim up by the surface. I swear, if I saw one, I’d be scared to death, but they have these tiny little rows of teeth.” Lacy shook her head.

  “Lacy, what’s going on?” Dane asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why do you know so much about sharks?” he asked. “I wanted to help you to understand sharks, but it sounds like you do understand them.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned back in the chair.

  “Oh, that,” she said. “I sort of stayed up all night Sunday night reading about them. It was an accident. I was reading about a shark sighting off the Cape, and they mentioned Brave, and then I clicked around, and you know how the Internet is. A few hours later, I was neck deep in shark facts.”

  “Amazing,” Dane said. The right side of his mouth lifted. “You are full of surprises. How do you feel about them now?”

  “About sharks?” Lacy’s eyes darkened. “What do you mean?”

  Dane leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His hands stilled a few inches above her leg. He was careful not to touch her, though he wanted to take her in an embrace and kiss that confused look from her lips. “In here.” He touched his chest, just above his heart.

  “I don’t know. I guess I hadn’t thought about it that way. I mean, until we were out on that boat together, I didn’t even know how scared of them I really was. Now that I’m thinking about it, when I was reading about them, I had started out feeling a little creeped out by the pictures. But then, by the time I was ready to go to sleep, I was actively searching for more.” Lacy looked at the books that lay on the table. “You know, I think it helped.”

  “You beat me to the punch,” he said. “There’s a new aquarium about half an hour from here. Would you like to go?” Dane asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s one thing to see them in pictures and a whole other thing to see them up close and personal,” Lacy said.

  “It’s up to you,” he said.

  Lacy’s eyes met his and held his gaze. “You brought me here to try to help me understand sharks to help me with my fear, didn’t you? Not to learn about Brave.”

  Bingo. “Is that such a bad thing?” he asked.

  “It’s about the sweetest thing a guy could do.” Lacy reached over and touched his thigh. “Really sweet.”

  The muscles in Dane’s legs twitched. “Babe,” he whispered.

  Lacy leaned in closer. “Yeah?”

  Don’t kiss her. Do not kiss her. Dane leaned forward. No. No. No. No.

  Her perfume permeated his senses. Dane held his breath and pushed away. He moved her hand from his leg.

  “I’m sorry, Lace. No pressure. We have a pact,” he said. He leaned back, giving himself enough space to clear his mind. He was only human, after all. How close could he get without giving in?

  “The pact. Right.” She straightened her back. “Okay, Mr. Braden, what’s next on the Brave tour?”

  My lips on yours, my tongue in your mouth, my hands—Uh oh. Stop it. “Aquarium?” he asked.

  “You’re the boss,” she said, holding his gaze.

  They returned the books to the shelves in silence and left the library. Every glance stoked their fire, radiating tense, stifled passion between them as they made their way down the street toward the parking lot. Dane felt Lacy stealing glances his way, and it was all he could do not to turn and kiss her right there in
the middle of the sidewalk. Instead, he picked up his pace. Get to the car. I need a distraction.

  Minutes later, they were back at the car. Dane opened Lacy’s door for her. She leaned her back against the car, fiddling with the edge of her blouse.

  “I don’t know what you’re worried about. I’m not going to fall in love with you,” Lacy said with that same dark challenge he’d seen the night before in her eyes.

  Dane held the door with his right hand and clenched his keys in the left. He held her stare. Every breath pulled at his groin; every thought tightened the string of nerves that ran through his hard body.

  Lacy looked up at him through a handful of curls that had fallen into her eyes, looking devastatingly sexy.

  “Maybe you can’t help yourself from falling in love with me…but I’m strong. You can put that hot body of yours against me every night of the week, and I’ll be able to resist,” she said.

  Dane took a step closer to her. His mind raced, his body revved, and his hands had a mind of their own—reaching for Lacy, grabbing her by her slim waist and holding her tight, then pulling her hips against his. He leaned down and opened his mouth to settle it over hers. He couldn’t fight the feelings any longer, especially when she was flashing a green light with every breath.

  His lips hovered over hers. Lacy arched against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her breath was hot; her chest pressed against him.

  “Test me, baby,” he whispered, and then he strutted to the other side of the car, gritting his teeth against his raging desires. Anyone looking would have seen a confident man in control of his emotions. Dane could barely see past his intense yearning for her or hear past the curses he tossed at himself for not kissing her. He slid into the driver’s seat.

  Lacy threw herself into the passenger seat and clicked her seat belt in place. She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead.

  “You okay?” Dane asked in entirely too light a tone.

  “Perfect,” she said.