21. Chapter 21
twenty-one
Eight days to the wedding
Rowan lingered in bed even as the sun rose above the horizon. Normally, by this time, she'd be out on the porch watching the morning sky with her first cup of coffee.
But not today. Because Chris would be out there.
In fact, she’d heard him rummaging around the kitchen, brewing the first pot of coffee about a half-hour ago. The man woke up as early as she did. And being the extrovert he was, Chris was ready to chat her up as soon as he saw her.
Rowan needed to linger on that first cup of coffee before she could handle any chattering. But if she was being honest with herself, mornings with Chris Sullens actually had been pleasant. By now, he’d deduced her routine and would give her space until she was ready to engage.
Today, she needed a lot of space. After that kiss, how could she not?
When the pub crowd had demanded them to kiss, Chris had taken her in his arms and locked eyes with hers. Trust me , he seemed to say.
Rowan couldn’t have done anything but trust him. She couldn’t possibly refuse to kiss him without blowing their cover. And she’d known Gibbes had orchestrated the whole thing to push them into a corner, but neither she nor Chris was going to let him win. They’d taken one for the team. That was what she’d told herself.
Until his lips touched hers.
Despite understanding that they'd been two actors, acting as lovers, that kiss had felt searingly real. Though Rowan had braced for it, she hadn’t expected the powerful wave that swept her into the deep sea. Everything around her faded into nothingness, and all she could sense was Chris: the trace of the whiskey he’d just drank, the earthy scent of his skin, the prickly feel of his evening stubble. And the most delicious thing was how big he felt as he enveloped her in his embrace.
The kiss probably lasted only a few seconds, but it must’ve deprived her of oxygen because her brain hadn’t functioned well after that. She hadn’t even realized when Chris had escorted her out of the pub and walked her to the truck.
He’d taken her key and driven them home. They hadn’t discussed what had happened and kept the talking to a minimum on the drive. Until they returned to the inn and Alex demanded an update. But neither of them mentioned the theatrical kiss.
Coward! You have to face him, eventually.
The thing was, admiring Chris Sullens from a distance was safe. She could indulge in a little fantasy in her head. But now she knew how it actually felt to be touched and kissed by the man. The fantasy wasn’t good enough anymore. Now she wanted more. He seemed to enjoy the kiss, too. Maybe…
Bad idea, Rowan! It’s an all around bad idea.
Chris Sullens was an internationally renowned hotelier. As soon as he was off this island, he’d barely remember her as his friend’s half-sibling. He’d return to building his next gorgeous resort somewhere in another remote corner of the world.
With a sigh, Rowan kicked off the covers and rolled out of bed. When she stepped out of the shower, she heard Alex’s voice in the kitchen and was grateful for her friend’s presence. She was ready in ten minutes, complete with the damn boot the doctor had ordered her to wear for a couple of more days.
“Good morning,” Alex greeted cheerfully when Rowan walked into the kitchen.
Oliver was already at the stove. “Want a breakfast burrito?”
“Sounds good. A small one, though,” Rowan distractedly answered as she looked around .
“He’s outside,” Alex said, gesturing a phone with her pinky at her mouth and thumb by her ear.
“I wasn’t…” Rowan made a face and shook her head.
“Uh-huh.” Alex sounded like she really believed her—not. “What’s going on between you and Chris?”
“Nothing.” Rowan poured herself some coffee.
“Really?” Alex scrutinized. “I sensed a vibe around you two from the first night—”
“What does that mean? Vibe?” Rowan interrupted.
“Like y’know… energy, synergy.” Alex spread out her fingers and interlocked her hands to illustrate her point. “Connection. And that vibe got intense last night.”
Rowan almost choked on the coffee she’d just gulped.
“Something happened last night,” Alex pushed. “Tell me!”
“You might get more answers if you wait until I’m not in the room,” Oliver suggested as he rolled a mini burrito for Rowan.
The guy was too perceptive. But Rowan doubled down. “There’s nothing to tell. We just had to prove to the crowd we were a couple.”
“That’s weird,” Alex mumbled. “How?”
“Never mind how. No one will doubt it now,” Rowan dismissed.
Alex scrutinized her through narrow eyes. “I know you’re not telling me something.”
“What’s on your agenda today?” Rowan deliberately changed the subject and smiled at Oliver when he handed her a plate. “Thanks, O.”
“We’re heading to town,” Oliver said, sparing Rowan from Alex’s interrogation. “We want to get some things set up for the weekend meals. Get the orders for that weekend checked and confirmed.”
“Gotta scout a spot for the clambake on Friday night. Plan it out with the kitchen staff. Continue training. It’ll be a full day,” Alex added.
“Good. How can I help?” Rowan asked between bites of her food.
“You’re supposed to take it easy for a couple more days,” Oliver said.
“I can do stuff.”
“Do some paperwork then,” Alex said. “We got things under control. You shouldn’t be walking around, anyway. ”
“There’s still a lot to be done,” Rowan balked. “There’s a little painting left. I gotta do that now, so there’s time to air out the rooms.”
“Ask Chris,” Alex suggested.
“I will not ask Chris to paint walls.”
“Why not? He’s proven he’s handy. I’m sure he can handle a bucket of paint and a roller.”
“I prefer if he’s training staff. That’s what I need him for.”
Alex shrugged. “I’m sure that’s already on his agenda. Anyway, we should get going before the morning gets away from us.”
Oliver was just putting away the pan he’d washed and was ready to follow Alex out the door. Besides being perceptive, Oliver was efficient as fuck. And a damn excellent cook. She really liked him for Bobbie. But he was only here temporarily.
Just like Chris.
And don’t you forget it.
“Good work this morning, guys,” Chris told Tim, Pete, and Sammy. “You guys have great ideas on how to deliver the guests’ bags. You’re sure you don’t want to switch to the inn side permanently?”
The young trio laughed. Tim replied, “We don’t mind being floaters. The farm and the inn are one and the same, right?”
Chris liked Tim’s attitude. “That’s right. Eventually, they’ll work together in supporting each other’s respective business.”
“We heard the town folks gave you guys a hard time last night,” Pete said. “Sorry about that. Sometimes we small-town folks can’t mind our own business.”
“It was nothing. Rowan handled them great.” Chris meant the words wholeheartedly. She was phenomenal.
“By the way, we heard about the engagement. You guys totally shocked us,” Pete said. “Congrats.”
Chris thanked them and then dismissed them. But now he wondered where his fiancée was. Alex and Oliver had left for town earlier, but Rowan hadn’t been with them. He was actually surprised she hadn’t joined him for the training. He didn’t need her to train the boys in doing the guest pickup and delivery procedures, but she usually wanted to be present.
Thinking about it, Chris hadn’t seen her since last night.
Chris blew out a breath as last night automatically replayed in his mind—particularly the kiss, in repeat. That had been an unexpected turn of events—that simple little kiss. It really had been a standard, run-of-the-mill kiss where lips met.
Except, it wasn’t.
It’d given him almost the same sobering feeling when he’d jumped into the cold sea. It’d shocked his system, burning everything inside him at record speed. And he’d wanted to seek more and delve deeper into her warmth. Even as he stood here in the middle of the lawn, he remembered how perfectly she’d fit in his arms.
Sleep hadn’t come easy last night as he’d been sporting a semi-erection from wondering how else could they fit perfectly together.
Jeez, Sullens. She’s out of bounds. You need to get your head out of the gutter.
Chris shook off the thought and headed back to the main house. He should check with Rowan to see how she felt about the kiss. She’d been reticent on the drive back. The kiss might have blown his mind, but she might see it as him taking advantage of their pretend relationship.
He peeked at the kitchen first, but she wasn’t there. Neither was she in the office, library, or the game room. He wondered if she’d gone to the cottages, and he was ready to check when he heard a light thump above him. He looked up and listened. There was another soft thump, then silence.
Chris calculated it was the room above the game room and ran upstairs. He walked past his room and straight to the last room on the left. The door was ajar, and he pushed it open.
Inside the room, he found tarps covered furniture and Rowan standing on top of a trestle ladder, painting the top edge of the wall. She leaned away from the ladder to stretch her reach, creating a strain on her left ankle, which caused her to curse and overcorrect herself. Her momentum wobbled the ladder. She held herself steady, but it made the paint in the tray she'd placed on the ladder slosh.
“Shit,” she swore as paint splattered her arm.
“What the hell are you doing?” Chris demanded as he rushed to her.
Rowan jumped. This time, the tray almost fell off completely. She saved it with both hands, but her brush flew onto Chris and splattered paint all over his T-shirt.
“Great.” Chris looked down at his chest with his arms opened to the sides. “Now I only have one clean T-shirt.”
Rowan glared at him. “That’ll teach you not to startle people with paint.”
“You shouldn’t be up there painting in the first place,” Chris scolded her. “Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? Rest. Elevate that leg. You have no business climbing ladders. You trying to break your leg or something?”
“I know what I’m doing,” she dismissed him. “I’m fine. Hand me my brush, would you?”
Chris bristled at her reply. “No. You need to come down.”
“I’m almost done. Just that tiny corner, then I’ll do the rest with the roller.”
“Rowan, get off the ladder,” Chris asked her evenly. “I saw you almost topple the whole thing over not a minute ago.”
“But I didn’t,” she retorted stubbornly and pointed to the brush on the floor. “Brush.”
“Either come down on your own now, or I’ll do it for you.”
“You’re not really my fiancé. Stop telling me what to do.” Rowan glared at him.
Chris shook his head at her stubbornness. “That’s it.” He closed in on her in one stride and lifted her off the ladder by the waist.
“Hey!” Rowan went to grab the top of the ladder, but Chris was faster.
“I gave you a chance.” Chris moved away from the ladder, holding Rowan up by the waist and was about to heft her onto his shoulder, fireman style, but the woman struggled like a monkey.
“Put me down!” Rowan ordered.
“Goddamn it,” Chris cursed as his hold slipped. He didn’t want to drop her on her bad foot. “Hold still, for god’s sake. Watch your ankle!”
But the hardheaded woman wriggled around, trying to push off him, and Chris completely lost control of the situation, as if he had control in the first place. They stumbled over each other’s body and limbs—again—and fell .
“Ooff!”
Chris didn’t have time to reverse their position this time, and he fell on top of her, but thankfully into something cushy. He pushed up to move his weight off Rowan, but found her staring at him with big, rounded eyes. Those mesmerizing eyes. They were a mix of heat and ice this time. And he froze, hovering over her. Any early annoyance fled him; the only thing going through his mind was the woman under him.