Gansett Island Boxed Set Books 1-16 (Gansett Island Series)

by Marie Force

  “There’s no place like home.”

  His smile reminded her of old times, many of them good times. “Ain’t it the truth?”

  A customer in need of assistance interrupted them. “Excuse me,” Abby said. “Duty calls.”

  He left with Stephanie a few minutes later, giving her a wave and a thumbs-up on the way out. It had been nice to see him and to feel nothing more than warm friendship toward him.

  Abby spent the rest of the day on her feet with no time to think of anything other than work and customers and inventory. It was just like old times, and it was exactly what she needed.

  She hired a high school girl to work some weekend afternoons in the store, which was how she was able to break free for Janey and Joe’s shower at Mac and Maddie’s house two Saturdays after the store opened.

  The guys had apparently done some significant grumbling about having to attend a baby shower, but Maddie had made the case that the baby was Joe’s, too, so why should he be left out? And if he had to be there, he needed reinforcements.

  Abby suspected Joe would’ve been happy to leave the shower to Janey and the women, but he knew better than to say so. As one of the hostesses, Abby helped Maddie and Laura with the food and drinks, and then sat next to Janey to record who each gift was from so Janey could write thank-you notes.

  With the exception of Joe, who sat dutifully next to his wife as she opened their gifts, the guys retreated to the kitchen, where Mac had stashed a case of cold beer. They occasionally shouted ball-busting words of encouragement to Joe, who replied with a raised middle finger each time.

  “Joseph,” his mother said sternly after the third such incident sent the guys into hysterics, “you need to set a better example for your child.”

  The comment earned her a middle finger from her son, which made everyone laugh—no one more so than Carolina.

  Abby’s laughter died on her lips when Adam strolled in through the sliding door from the deck, wearing a sharp navy pinstripe suit with a light blue dress shirt that was open at his throat.

  His mother jumped up to greet him with a hug. “Adam! I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

  He returned his mother’s hug, but over her shoulder, he sought out Abby. “I was able to get free sooner than expected. Slim flew me over.”

  “We’re so happy you could make it,” Janey said, waddling over to hug her brother.

  He kissed her cheek. “Wouldn’t have missed it, brat.”

  Since it was a complete surprise to her that he was due home, Abby’s entire body felt like it was on fire as he trained his intense gaze on her. It was all she could do to keep track of the gifts as Janey opened them when she wanted to run to him and hug him and kiss him and tell him how much she’d missed him.

  And she’d missed everything about him. The sound of his voice, the scent of his cologne, the brush of his whiskers against her cheek, the soft slide of his lips, the rippled muscles on his belly—

  “Abby?” Maddie’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts about Adam. “Did you get that one? The tub and bath products from Francine and Ned?”

  “Yes, right.” Her face flamed with embarrassment when she realized all eyes were on her, including Adam’s. His small smile told her he knew he’d rattled her by showing up unexpectedly.

  “Need a break?” Laura asked.

  “Of course not. I’ve got this.”

  An hour had never passed more slowly. Janey oohed and aahed over every tiny article of clothing and each piece of equipment. How one baby could need so much stuff was beyond Abby. The whole time, she wanted to urge Janey to hurry up.

  Adam was in the kitchen with his brothers and the other guys, laughing and talking and seeming completely at ease as he leaned against the counter with a beer in his hand and a smile on his face.

  How could he be so calm when she was coming out of her skin?

  “That’s it,” Laura said, relieving Abby of the notebook. “You’re fired.”

  “Sorry. I’m distracted today.”

  “No kidding.” Laura followed Abby’s gaze directly to Adam. “And you said it was over… Doesn’t look over to me.”

  “Hush. It is over.” Abby’s words rang hollow to her own ears. All her resolve to resist him had fled the second he walked through the door looking better than any man had a right to look.

  Laura snorted in disbelief. “Whatever you say.”

  After what seemed like hours, Janey finally finished opening the mountain of presents. With Joe’s help, she got up and made a beeline directly for the bathroom.

  Abby knelt on the floor stuffing wrapping paper into a trash bag, wondering how to go about getting a minute alone with Adam with his family all around them. A shadow fell over her as black leather wing tips appeared before her eyes.

  “Come outside with me.”

  Startled by his voice and his nearness, she looked up at his outstretched hand as a million thoughts spiraled through her mind, including all the reasons why she’d be better off declining his gruffly spoken invitation. But then she made the mistake of looking at his face and at the dazzling blue eyes that were gazing down at her with blatant affection and desire.

  “Please?”

  As if there’d ever been a choice. She took his hand and let him help her up. The conversation around them died out as they headed for the door, where Grant stopped them with a hand to Adam’s chest.

  Grant looked at Abby. “Everything okay?”

  “Yes,” she said, amused and touched by his protectiveness. “Everything’s fine.”

  Grant gave his brother a long look before he lowered his hand and stepped out of their way.

  “Sheesh,” Adam said when they were outside. “My brothers are the biggest jack asses.”

  “You love them.” Abby followed him down the stairs from the deck to the yard where Mac and Maddie had exchanged vows two summers ago.

  “I thought Janey was never going to finish opening her presents,” he said as they walked hand-in-hand away from the house toward the meadow that abutted the yard.

  “Me, too. I was dying.”

  “How come?”

  She bumped against him. “Like you don’t know that you’ve been driving me crazy!”

  “I did exactly what you told me to do.”

  “You did much more than that, and you’re fully aware of what it did to me.”

  “What did it do? Tell me.”

  “It made me want things I said I was done with. It made me wish I hadn’t already been through this same thing twice before so I could say to hell with it and do what I really wanted to do.”

  “Which was what?”

  “Write back, to start with.”

  His smile unfolded slowly across his gorgeous face, making his eyes light up with mirth. He stopped walking and turned to her, the late afternoon sunlight bringing out red highlights in his hair that she hadn’t noticed before. The light blue shirt made his eyes even more vivid than usual. She’d never been so happy to see anyone in her life. “What would you have said, if you’d written back?”

  “That I’m happy you got your company back.”

  “Are you?”

  “Of course I am. That company was yours, and what happened was wrong.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Did you see Sasha?”

  “Once, briefly, when I was packing up my stuff in the apartment. She apologized, I said thank you, and that was the end of it. She knows she screwed up royally.”

  “Were you…happy to see her?”

  He shook his head. “Not one bit. I couldn’t be happy to see her when I was so busy thinking about you all the time.”

  Only with him standing right next to her, with his expensive cologne filling her senses, was she finally able to fully acknowledge how desperately she’d missed him. “You did?”

  Nodding, he said, “Did you think about me?”

  “All the time.”

  His smile warmed the places inside her that had gone cold
when he left.

  “I’m glad it worked out for you, Adam.”

  “It hasn’t worked out for me. Not yet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you know why I went back in the first place?”

  “To get back the company that was rightfully yours?”

  “Primarily, but it was also to take care of the employees who’d made the company successful. After I was restored as CEO, my first order of business was to recommend to the board that we entertain one of the many offers we received when word of the shakeup in our ranks hit the news. It took a while to find the right buyer. I wanted someone who’d retain my staff.”

  Abby was still trying to wrap her head around what he was saying when he added, “I sold the company. We signed the papers this morning. Thus the suit.”

  “You…you sold the company.”

  “I sold the company.”

  She looked up at him, daring to hope… “Why?”

  “It’s not what I want anymore. I want other things now.”

  “What other things?”

  “For one thing, I thought it might be fun to be the island’s resident computer geek. Things are a mess around here. They need me.”

  It wasn’t lost on her that he’d used the same words she’d used to describe the fantasy she’d built around him.

  He put his arms around her, drew her in close to him and pressed his lips to her forehead. “And then there’s this girl I can’t seem to stop thinking about. She looks a lot like you, actually. She’s sweet and funny and thinks she needs to become someone else entirely before she’ll be worthy of the kind of love she deserves. But, you see, she’s managed to make this guy fall madly in love with her just by being her perfectly perfect self.”

  Abby had to be dreaming. Was he really saying these things to her? Was he really in love with her? Was his life in New York really over, and was he home to stay?

  “Say something, will you? Please?”

  “I love you, too.”

  And then he was kissing her, and it was all very real and very, very perfect.

  A loud cheer erupted from Mac and Maddie’s deck.

  Adam laughed against her lips and held her tighter so she couldn’t get away. Not that there was anywhere she’d rather be, even with his entire family watching them.

  “I missed you so much,” she said, her eyes closed as he held her against his chest.

  “I wanted to call you every day, even though I promised I wouldn’t. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and had to send the texts, even though I was worried they’d make it worse for you.”

  “They didn’t make it worse. They were like a lifeline. It meant so much to know you were suffering, too.”

  “I was suffering. Big-time. The only reason I went back was to get rid of the company so I could come home to you. I didn’t think it would be fair to tell you what was going on until it was a done deal. I was afraid it would drag on for months, but then one of our rivals came forward and made an offer we couldn’t refuse. Since they’re retaining my entire staff, I didn’t even have to stick around to deal with transition issues. I’m done as of ten o’clock this morning. I had Slim waiting for me at the airport, and here I am.”

  “Is this really happening, or is it just another fantasy?” It had never occurred to her that he’d sell the company and come home.

  “Your fantasy was so much better than any reality I’ve ever known. When faced with running the company again or being here with you, it was a no-brainer.”

  All the time he’d been gone, he’d been laying the groundwork to come back to her. Abby wondered if a heart could burst from happiness.

  “It’s about time you finally got your happy ending, sweetheart.”

  “It’s about time you got yours, too.”

  “You’re my happy ending.” He kissed her again, this time more intently as he fisted her hair and teased her with his tongue, tempting her with promises of much, much more. Many passionate minutes later, he seemed to remember where they were and who was watching. He glanced at the deck and then back at her. “I guess we’ve officially gone public.”

  “Looks that way.”

  He held out his hand, and Abby happily took it. “What do you say we get busy turning your fantasy into reality?”

  “I say I’m all for it.”

  “And how do you really feel about six kids?”

  “I think you’re freaking crazy.”

  Laughing, he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head as they strolled toward the house. “Crazy about you, but your swearing still needs work. We’ve got time to work on it. Lots and lots of time.”

  Epilogue

  “I brought you a present,” he said hours later when they were finally at her place, finally alone. His entire family, including Grant, had seemed thrilled for them, which had only added to Abby’s joy at being with him again.

  “What is it?”

  He gestured toward the hallway. “Let me get it.”

  “It’s in my room?”

  “I dropped my stuff here on the way to Mac’s.”

  “You were taking an awful lot for granted, mister.”

  “I was hopeful.” He kissed her and seemed to forget all about her gift until she squiggled free.

  “You said something about a present?”

  “Ah, right. So I did. Be right back.”

  Abby watched him walk away, still wanting to pinch herself to believe this day had actually happened.

  “Don’t look.”

  She curled up on the sofa and covered her eyes. “I’m not looking.”

  When he sat next to her, the pervasive odor of leather filled her senses. “Okay, open your eyes.”

  On the coffee table, he’d laid out a black leather jacket with matching pants and gloves.

  “If you want to learn to ride a motorcycle, you need the protective gear.” From his side of the sofa, he produced a sleek silver helmet with a built-in face mask that he handed to her.

  He understood her so well—better than anyone ever had. “This is awesome! I love it. Thank you.”

  Taking the helmet from her, he put it on the table. “I can’t wait to see your ass in those pants.”

  Laughing, she hurled herself into his arms and held on tight. “It’s the best present I’ve ever gotten.”

  “Some girls want diamonds and gold. My girl is happy with leather and tattoos. How did I ever get so lucky?”

  Hearing him call her “his girl” was the frosting on the cake of a perfect day. “We both got lucky.” With her hand on the back of his head, she dragged him into another kiss. After weeks without him, she couldn’t get close enough fast enough.

  Starting at the hem and working his way up, he pulled the dress she’d worn to Janey’s shower over her head and tossed it aside, taking a minute to appreciate the lacy pink bra and panties she’d worn under it.

  She yanked on his belt buckle and moaned with frustration when it refused to give way.

  Laughing against her lips, Adam took care of it for her and groaned when she wrapped her hand around his erection. “Condom. Need one.”

  “No. I’m on the pill. Please…hurry.”

  “You don’t like to hurry.”

  “I do now.”

  Still wearing the suit coat, dress shirt and pants, he pushed aside her panties and gave her what she needed in one thrust that made them both gasp from the sheer thrill of it.

  She had no thoughts of the past when she took him in effortlessly, as if she’d been born to love this man and this man only. The powerful relief of being back in his arms and their swift, frantic coupling combined to leave her breathless.

  “God, Abby… I love you so much. I can’t even tell you how much.”

  “I love you, too,” she said, her arms tight around him.

  Knowing they had all the time in the world to give each other, she came, sobbing his name, clinging to him as he surged into her, lost in his own release.

  Abby ha
d traveled a long and winding road to get to where she belonged. It turned out the third time really was the charm. With her heart and soul filled to overflowing with his love, she’d finally gotten it just right.

  Turn the page to continue with David and Daisy’s Story, Time for Love!

  Chapter 1

  Daisy scurried about the spacious living room, picking up toys, folding blankets, plumping pillows and generally doing anything she could to stay busy. It had taken forever to get her friend Maddie’s three-year-old son Thomas into bed. He’d been excited to have Daisy babysit for him and his sister Hailey, and Daisy was praying she’d heard the last of both kids as she prepared for her special guest.

  Thinking of him made her stomach flutter with nerves. Why in the world had she invited him to come over to keep her company after the kids went to bed? Why in the world was she running around Mac and Maddie’s house, straightening up as if it were her own home? As if she’d ever live anywhere this nice.

  Maddie sure had tumbled into a pot of gold when she met and married Mac McCarthy. Not that Daisy begrudged her friend’s happiness. Quite the opposite, in fact. Maddie was one of the best friends Daisy had ever had, and no one deserved to be happy more than Maddie did.

  It’s just that sometimes Daisy wondered if she’d ever find the kind of happiness Maddie had with her devoted husband. Daisy’s most recent relationship with Truck Henry had turned into a disaster when he got violent with her—more than once. That was over now, and for good this time.

  She’d learned her lesson about giving second chances to people who didn’t deserve them. Too bad she’d had to suffer badly bruised ribs and a host of other injuries before she wised up. She’d rather not think about those unhappy memories when her new friend David Lawrence was coming over to hang out with her.

  Why had she invited him?

  It had been a weak moment the night before. He’d taken her out for a lovely dinner at Stephanie’s Bistro and had asked what she was doing the next night, which was how she’d ended up inviting him to her babysitting gig.