by Cate Beauman
“I agree one hundred percent,” Molly said with a decisive nod. “Although you ditching Liam wasn’t all that terrible.”
Gwen flinched, surprised and hurt by Molly’s words. “That’s an awful thing to say.”
Molly shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m not sorry, and I think it’s something you need to hear.”
Gwen blinked as her eyes filled. “I know you never liked him—”
“I absolutely didn’t.” Molly captured Gwen’s free hand, squeezing. “He started holding you back the first day you met him. He was never, ever good enough for you. The day you caught him in bed with that woman was the best worst day of your life. You two were married, big sister, but it was mostly a technicality. He never loved you the way you deserved—the way Nate loves Callie. The way Brad loves me. And I want that for you.”
Tears poured down Gwen’s cheeks as she sniffled because everything Molly said was absolutely true. “I’ve made such a mess of everything.”
Callie handed her a napkin as she smiled sympathetically. “We all have at one point or other. But now your life gets to be whatever you want it to be. You get to spend it with whoever you choose. Concentrate on that.”
Nodding, Gwen dabbed at her eyes. “Thanks. I always feel better after I talk to you two.”
Callie smiled again. “That’s what we’re here for.”
“But where do things stand with you and Cade?” Molly chimed in again.
“He made me orgasm twice last night, so I’ll let you decide.” She laughed when Callie and Molly’s eyes popped wide.
“Uh, we’re going to need more details,” Callie said, pushing her chair closer.
Gwen laughed again—at the absurdity of it all. “It just sort of happened. Mom and Dad took Kaitlyn to Kay’s. Cade and I walked along the beach with bowls of ice cream. He started pushing the issue about the two of us trying things out as a couple, and I pushed back—”
“Get to the good stuff,” Molly interrupted, motioning a speed-it-up gesture with her hand.
Gwen shook her head, trying to figure where she should pick up the story. “Um, we were arguing a little. When we got back to the kitchen, he kissed me.” The rush of heat was back in her belly just from remembering it. “Then I was pinned against the sink, and his hands were everywhere—on me, in me. He made me scream.”
Molly smiled slyly. “That’s our boy. And what about his penis? Where was that during all of this?”
Gwen laughed—hard—as Callie did. “God, you’re crude.”
Molly grinned as she shrugged. “It’s a valid and important question.”
“It was in his shorts. Mom and Dad came home with Kaitlyn before any clothes came off. He left through the French doors before they walked inside.”
“Will there be a repeat performance?” Callie wanted to know, wiggling her brow, chewing on a strawberry.
Gwen nibbled her bottom lip as her heart rate kicked up. “Inevitably, yes. I don’t see how there can’t be. He said that the next move is mine—but I need for us to take our time because as much as I want him, I’m also a little afraid.”
“That seems normal,” Callie said. “It’s been a while.”
Gwen nodded. “It has. A long time.” The last time she’d had sex was the night of Kaitlyn’s conception—and before that, she couldn’t even remember. But she smiled anyway, because it didn’t matter anymore. “Cade’s absolutely delicious—so sexy and bold. It’s never been like that before. No one has ever done anything like that to me.”
Molly frowned. “That’s because your former bedmate was a putz. He was probably very proper and civilized. Missionary all the way.”
Gwen winced because Molly wasn’t far off. “Something tells me he saved the good stuff for Jessica—the partner he actually wanted.”
Callie captured her hand again. “Well, now you get the good stuff with the right person. When you’re ready.”
Gwen nodded as she exhaled a long breath. “I need to think about the whole birth control thing, which is a little more complicated because I’m nursing.”
“So, talk to Brad,” Molly suggested.
Gwen wrinkled her nose. “That’s the plan, but I don’t love that my brother-in-law and I have no secrets. Like none.” As the island’s only physician, Brad had seen all that there was to see.
“It’s a little strange,” Callie agreed, because Brad was her doctor, too, and Nate’s best friend. “But I’m mostly over it because he was so awesome when he delivered Kaitlyn. I know he’ll be the same way when it’s my turn.”
Gwen nodded because she couldn’t argue. “I’ll stop by the clinic to schedule an appointment as soon as we’re finished here. I learned the hard way not to leave my sexual health in anyone else’s hands.”
“Bastard,” Molly murmured.
“Yes,” Gwen agreed because she knew Molly remembered the day Gwen had told Liam he was going to be a father. Kaitlyn’s conception had been a pleasant and welcome surprise, but her daughter certainly hadn’t been planned. The condom Liam had used had been defective, and he’d accused her of getting pregnant on the sly.
“Liam’s an ass. But all of that’s over now,” Callie reminded her.
Gwen nodded, doing a double take as she glanced at her watch. “How is it ten already? We don’t have time to talk about the business.”
Molly jerked her shoulders. “So, we’ll email anything pressing and talk next Tuesday. This was more important—and way more fun.”
Gwen felt lighter. Talking to her two best friends was exactly what she’d needed. “You girls are the best.”
Callie smiled. “We’re always happy to help. But what’s the plan now?”
Gwen shrugged, because she had no idea, which was an entirely foreign situation to her. Cade Paxton had breezed into her life, decimating her tidy goals and long-term projections. But she had today, and she could focus on that. “I’m going to make my appointment with Brad. Tonight I’ll have dinner with Cade and my daughter. That’s all I can tell you at this point.”
Callie nodded. “Something tells me you two will figure everything out together.”
Cade stood at the information desk with Charlotte Deacon by his side, his right-hand woman and frequent lifesaver at Carter Island Air. He’d been flying planes since the age of thirteen, but operating an aircraft and running a growing airport weren’t even close to the same thing.
“They look great, honey. Really classy.” Charlotte beamed as she swiped through the pictures of the first two planes that had been repainted and reupholstered with the new branding colors and logo. Tomorrow, another two planes would have their turn until the entire fleet was rebranded and spiffed-up.
He smiled, pleased with the progress. Next week, Jeremy and one of his crews would start gutting two of the passenger bathrooms—the first official step in the airport’s face-lift. “Thanks, Charlotte. I’m glad you approve. I know how much this place means to you and Buzz.”
“We know you do.” She reached for his hand, giving him a squeeze. “I’m just happy I get to stay on and give you a hand.”
He puffed out a laugh. “I couldn’t do it without you.”
Charlotte pinked up as she grinned, clearly pleased. “You’re far more capable than you give yourself credit for. You’re a Paxton, after all.”
“And every Paxton knows that a quality business isn’t possible without a great team, which is why I’d really like you to reconsider my offer. It would ease my mind to put you in charge of the day-to-day operations in an official capacity, with an office of your own and an appropriate pay raise.”
She shook her head. “I like being out here where I can help our customers. Customer service is key.”
He nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I need someone who’s looking out for our customer’s needs from every standpoint—what they need from the moment they walk through our doors until they leave. Attention to detail will only become more vital as we expand—keeping the home-away-from-home feel. I wo
rry that the personal touch might suffer if I have to bring in someone from the outside—someone who doesn’t understand Carter Island and our vision.”
“Huh,” she said with a slight frown as she handed him back his phone.
He shoved it in his back pocket, knowing he had her attention. “Give it some thought.”
“I would have to talk to Buzz.”
Which was progress. Every time he’d brought up the idea in the past, she’d immediately shot him down. “Absolutely.” He glanced up, doing a double take, when the goddess in a blue-and-white-striped sundress walked through the automatic doors.
Gwen smiled as she looked his way, sliding her sunglasses on top of her head.
He grinned, tossing her a wave. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Charlotte.
“Sure, honey. Tell Gwen I say hello.”
“I will.” He stepped around the desk, holding Gwen’s gaze, vividly remembering the sexy sounds escaping her throat while he’d made her come. He’d thought of little else since he’d left her in her kitchen. “Hey, you. This is a surprise.”
She smiled again. “Hey.”
He wanted to touch her, but he kept his hands to himself, not entirely sure where things stood after last night. “What’s going on? I thought I wouldn’t see you until dinner.”
She swiped her hair behind her ear. “Is this a bad time?”
It was never a bad time when Gwen walked into a room. He shook his head. “Not at all.”
She crossed her arms, then uncrossed them again. “Can we talk in your office?”
He wasn’t sure if he liked the sound of that, especially when she practically vibrated with nerves. “Yeah, come on back.” He walked with her down the long hall, letting her into the room before him, then shutting the door. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” she said as she clasped her hands in front of her, standing by the ugly plaid chair. “I thought I would tell you in person what I want for dinner tonight.”
He leaned his ass against the desk, getting comfortable, because Gwen wasn’t here to talk about dinner. “All right.”
She licked her lips. “I think we should consider salmon.”
He nodded. “I enjoy salmon.”
“Good.” She cleared her throat, raising her chin in that snooty way that she did. “I also think we should move forward with our relationship—see where things might go between us.”
His brow shot up as she surprised the hell out of him. “Is that right?”
She nodded, swiping at her hair again. “You said that we could go slow.”
It was his turn to nod. “And I meant it. Whatever pace feels right for you.”
Her tongue darted across her lips again. “It will be a far slower pace than last night. Not that I minded last night.”
He fought back a grin, enjoying this new side of Gwen—nervous energy with pretenses of dignified control. “I’m glad it worked for you.” He reached for her, pulling her to him, locking his arms around her waist as he nestled her between the V of his legs. “Is this okay?”
She settled her palms against his chest. “Yes.”
He held her gaze, studying the apprehension in her eyes. “And you’re sure you feel good about changing things? Because I thought you’d be happier.”
She sighed. “You were right when you said that we’re attracted to each other—that we have fun together. But I’m nervous and worried because of Kaitlyn. Plus, I don’t want to mess up our friendship. Then there’s our professional relationship, too.”
Exhaling a long breath, he rested his forehead against hers. “That’s a lot of thinking going on inside of that head of yours.”
Her fingers wandered to the nape of his neck, stroking his skin. “That’s who I am. That’s what I do. Especially when there’s so much at stake. This is so important to me, Cade.”
He slid his knuckles along her cheek. “It is to me, too.” He moved in to capture her mouth.
She evaded his gesture, shaking her head. “Let me kiss you this time. The next move is supposed to be mine.”
He smiled. “By all means.”
Cupping his cheeks, she held his gaze, kissing his chin before she touched her lips to the corners of his mouth. “How’s this?”
“If you’re trying to drive me crazy, it’s working.”
She grinned before she grew serious again, finally touching her mouth to his.
He groaned as her tongue sought his while she played with his hair. Pulling her closer, he let the kiss play out—gentle, easy.
Slowly, she drew back, fixing the collar on his golf shirt. “I should probably tell you that I stopped off to see Brad before I came here. He squeezed me in between appointments.”
He frowned. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “We talked about birth control—the mini pill. He wrote me a prescription, even though I’m not ready for sex. But when I am, we should be all set.”
He nodded. “I always use condoms.”
She swallowed. “Okay. We can use those, too.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to wear one when I’m with you. When you’re ready—when we’re together, I want to feel you against me.”
She swallowed again—louder. “Oh.”
He brought her mouth back to his, kissing her again, needing her to understand that this was about so much more than sex. “What if we focus on our evenings together—on our walks on the beach and damage control after Kaitlyn flings her food all over the floor?”
She laughed. “I like that idea.”
He grinned, wrapping a lock of her hair around his finger. “So, we’re doing salmon tonight?”
She nodded. “I’ll stop by the boat and pick it up after I get Kaitlyn. She’ll like the docks. The seagulls will definitely keep her entertained while they dive-bomb the boat crew.”
He laughed this time. “I’m sorry I’ll miss it. Will you be at the compound when I get there?”
“Yeah. Kay said she has more homemade baby food for Kaitlyn—a new recipe she found on Pinterest, so Kaitlyn’s all set for dinner. Although, Kay said the new recipe has blueberries in it.”
He winced. “So, you’re saying I should kiss my security deposit goodbye.”
Gwen laughed again. “We’ll put down some towels before she eats.” Then she stepped back, breaking their embrace. “I’ll let you get back to work. I need to get a little work done myself before it’s time to be finished for the day.”
He stood, taking her hand, lacing their fingers before he opened the door. “I’ll walk you out.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He stopped when they made it to the automatic doors. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
She settled her sunglasses in place. “We’ll see you soon.”
He caught her before she could turn to leave, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “I like this—where we’re going.”
Smiling, she kissed him again. “Me, too.” Then she let him go, walking outside.
“Okay, then,” he said to himself, grinning as he watched her walk toward her Audi. He and Gwen were officially doing the serious relationship thing.
Chapter 18
Gwen hurried up the Carter House steps in the glow of the outdoor lights. She paused as she let herself inside, taking care as she closed the door, realizing that all was quiet. Her evening consultation with her new William’s Pass clients had run far longer than she’d expected, which had been annoying, but necessary. Every quarter percent she put away in the bank brought her that much closer to getting her finances back on track.
Sighing, she locked up, setting her keys on the entryway table before she dropped her concept boards and laptop bag close by. Freeing her feet from her strappy heels, she headed for the den, where the TV glowed blue in the dark room. She walked to the couch, stopping short, smiling as she pressed her hand to her heart while she studied Cade, shirtless and sprawled out, deeply asleep while Kaitlyn snoozed away, snuggled on his chest in her polka-dot onesie.
<
br /> “How did I get so lucky?” she whispered as her smile bloomed into a grin. This was her life. These were her loves. She closed her eyes, savoring the exquisite moment of pure bliss.
The last week and a half had flown by in a blur. She was busy. Cade was busy. But they’d found their rhythm again—a new one. Dinners happened nearly every night, along with their walks on the beach or trips to the playground. Cade had even started joining them for breakfast—or “brekkie,” as he tended to call it, which made her smile and roll her eyes every time he said the word.
But right now, it was late, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do as she stared at the gorgeous, half-naked man with one of his legs splayed over the coffee table. Cade had a long day in the sky tomorrow. Surely he wouldn’t rest well on the couch, but was she ready to invite him to stay in her bed?
Sighing again, she sat on the edge of the cushion, stroking her fingers through his hair as she pressed a kiss to his mouth.
His lips responded, moving into a smile as he opened his eyes. “That’s not a bad way to wake up.”
She grinned. “You’re a true Sleeping Beauty.”
Chuckling, he slid his hand up her arm. “How was the meeting?”
She glanced at her watch. “Long. They were talkers, but they like my ideas for making their house salable fast. I’ve got a lot of work to do—tons of furnishings to move in and out. But that’s the name of the game.”
He nodded. “It tends to be.”
She wanted to touch him—to let her fingers wander over his muscles and smooth skin, but that seemed unfair when she was asking him to move at her pace. And he’d been a perfect gentleman, never once pressuring her. Their evenings ended with a goodnight kiss and nothing more. “How were things here tonight?”
“Fine. We did some playing on the floor. When we got bored with that, we took a walk down to the beach to dip our toes in the water. I gave her a bath. Then we did a little reading and the whole bottle thing. She spit up on me pretty good when she let out a monster burp—hence the naked chest—but that was pretty much our night.”
