14. Alessandra
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
alessandra
Weirdly, I’m not as smug as I thought I would be once Booth regains himself.
I’d only planned on proving to him I could handle the ocean.
Not that he couldn’t.
Honestly , it shocked me.
And Petey .
“Go, get.” My newest friend flaps his hands at me and Booth —who’s keeled over a mooring bollard.
“ My son is on his way down. He’ll help get this all off boarded. Look after young skippy there. Ain’t never seen him like that.”
I’d much rather freeze my fingers off hauling the traps than take care of Booth .
As if hearing my thoughts, he moans weakly.
“ Aly . Call my mom.”
“Good lord.” I roll my eyes and attempt to pull him to standing.
“ Help me out here, you big baby. You’re all muscle.”
Apparently, a passing compliment is the cure, because he beams up at me, skin ashy and clammy.
“ You like my muscles?”
“I’d like you to weigh thirty pounds less.”
“Liar.”
With his arm slung over my shoulder, I drag him down the jetty.
“ Where do you live? I’ll call you a cab. ”
“Don’t bother.” He raises a shaky finger to point at a teal-colored boathouse.
“ My humble abode awaits.”
“That’s your house?” I ask in surprise.
“Don’t—” He breathes deeply, and I worry he’s going to be sick again.
“ Don’t be a snob. We can’t all live in penthouses on the Upper East Side .”
“That wasn’t—never mind.”
I steer us toward the little shack; the silence stretching between us with each step.
Half of the house sits above the water, elevated by thick wooden stilts.
A small wooden boat, covered in tarp, bobs in the water below.
He unhooks his arm and holds himself up against the door frame.
I’m obviously not going to leave him to be pecked to death by the gulls.
But this is awkward.
“Can you take it from here?” I ask.
He nods, still resting his head on the wood.
“ Lemme get my keys.”
A few seconds pass.
“ You’re not moving.”
“Oh, believe me. Everything is moving. Just gimme a sec,” he whispers.
Sighing, I move next to him and fish my hand into his pockets.
There’s no childish joke, proving how ill he is.
With his keys located, I make quick work of the lock before shuffling him inside and shutting the door.
It’s warmer than I expected, but still cold, and the wind whistles against the boarded sides.
Imagine a bachelor pad meets a lobster fisherman’s grotto.
A bed, sofa, and plasma TV .
That’s it. His kitchen seems the most equipped.
On the narrow counters sit a stack of cookbooks, two knife blocks filled with gleaming steel, a spotless gas top stove and oven, and a huge fridge much too large for one man.
What surprises me is the coffee table littered with LEGO .
A half-built structure sitting in the center.
Recalling he has a niece, I hold in my questions .
I forget where I am, until a deep groan sounds behind me, followed by squeaking springs.
Turning , I find Booth facedown on the mattress.
Minus his coat and T -shirt.
The corded muscles on his back flex with his deep breaths, and I try, I really do, but my eyes follow the path of golden skin until it reaches the dimples in his lower back.
Motherfucker.
He’s quadruple dimpled.
“Is this your first time being seasick?”
He shakes his head, and I just make out his muffled “ No .”
“Hold up.” I walk over and stand next to the bed, nudging his ankle with the toe of my boot.
“ Petey said he’s never seen you like this.”
He twists his neck, drowsy blue eyes on me.
“ I forgot to take my anti-sickness medicine.”
My lips curl around my teeth.
“ So your plan was to get me to puke my guts up. How did that go for you?”
Sighing, he hides his face again.
“ Terribly . Now , if you’ll please leave me with some of my dignity intact, today’s tour is over. Don’t forget to leave a review.”
Overlooking his failed ploy, I actually had fun today.
I forget about his condescending comment regarding my knowledge of Sutton Bay because he wasn’t wrong.
Now , thanks to Petey , I know the history of this little fishing town, of the first families that moved here, and what’s in season when.
Unintentionally, Booth gave me the best day I’ve had since arriving.
I didn’t worry about work or second-guess why I’m here.
Which is why I grab him some water, find a towel in the bathroom, and wet it before returning to his still form.
I place the glass on his bedside table and lay the cool flannel across his nape.
He sucks in a breath before melting into the comforter.
Goose bumps raise the flesh of his back .
“You’re being awfully nice. Do you treat all your victims like this before murdering them?” He sits up on his elbow and drains the glass in three large gulps.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’d pay someone to do my dirty work.”
He chuckles.
It’s deep, masculine, and wraps around my body, stroking and caressing me all over.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Silver . You surprised me today. Are you jacked underneath all those layers? You were hauling those traps up like it was your last mission on Earth .”
I scoff and fold my arms. “ Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Jesus, Mary , and Joseph , Alessandra .
Stop talking.
“Do not answer that, Booth . I can see it in your eyes. Bad boy.”
Well, that pours gasoline on the fire.
His eyes light up and his angelic expression turns dangerous.
“ Oh , but I can be such a good boy for you. Or not. Take your pick.”
I ignore the shiver that runs down my spine.
And I certainly don’t envision him being good or bad.
Because that would be stupid.
Asking for trouble. Impulsive —which I’m not.
Or am I ?
I’m here, in a random town with no plan.
What’s one more impulsive decision?
Nope. Nope . Nope .
There’s no denying he lights a fire under me in so many ways.
Nine times out of ten, he’s infuriating, but there’s something about him that lures me in.
My phone dings, notifying me of a new email.
Pulling it out of my coat, I read each word.
Then again. I take a deep breath, that does nothing to calm me, and silently turn back to Booth .
Noticing the shift in mood, he frowns.
“ What’s wrong?”
I’m an idiot.
It’s bad enough I took the bait this morning and agreed to our outing, but there was a tiny part of me—minuscule—that thought he could be a grown-up about this all.
That he would respect my position and me.
I flip the phone around, showing him the screen.
“ Perhaps it’s the invoice I’ve received for a dual deck gas convection oven. Specifically , the one I explicitly told you not to buy.”
“Fuck,” he hisses and jolts up, only to sway backward.
“ Double fuck.”
“You can’t help yourself, can you?”
“It’s not like that.” Whatever truce we had moments ago dies.
“What’s it like then?” I sweep a hand down my body.
“ You waited until now. Because you found out I was a woman—someone who’s easier to undermine?”
That gets his attention.
Nausea forgotten, he stands.
“ Your gender means nothing to me. Once again, if you knew anything about the restaurant, you’d know my predecessor is named Gloria . She taught me everything I know. My mother didn’t hesitate to step up when my dad passed away, even though she hadn’t worked in over twenty years. Johanna is one of the strongest women I know. Quinn built a successful business for herself from the ground up. My little sister could negotiate herself out of any situation. Heck , my niece is going places and she’s only five. So no, Aly , my issue isn’t that you’re a woman. It’s that you think just because your name is on the deed, you’ve earned our respect.”
I quickly close the distance, our toes touching, heaving chests inches apart.
“ Then what? I made it crystal clear that purchases above two thousand dollars had to be signed off by me.”
“How am I expected to manage a kitchen without working equipment?” His voice shakes, like he’s ready to crack.
The feeling is mutual.
“One chance, Booth . I gave you one last chance.” I raise my pointer and thumb between us, barely touching.
“ The ice is this thin. Stop making my job difficult and remind yourself that you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me to.”
His nostrils flare.
Shit. I realize my slipup, but it’s too late.
“Then why are you here?” His head tilts as he watches me closely, searching for answers.
“If you want me to trust you, then stop throwing tantrums.”
He throws his head back in laughter.
Nothing like the carefree rumble earlier.
“ For a moment, I saw a different side to you.”
I straighten to my full height, ready for whatever he has to say.
But he surprises me.
“Out on the water today, you actually looked content. Free . We don’t know each other, and I won’t lie, when we first met, I wanted to change that.” A muscle ticks in his jaw.
“ Fuck , for some insane reason, I still do. You waltzed in here, without a clue how it’s been the last few years. Nothing is easy about running a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, relying on tourist season, and hoping the weather doesn’t sabotage your forecasted revenue.”
Like a balloon, the fight hisses out of me and my shoulders deflate.
Something tells me Booth doesn’t lose his temper often, and from the tension in his body, he’s struggling with it.
We’re as stubborn as each other.
Neither one of us wants to back down.
The air crackles between us, popping and sparking with our animosity.
“You want me gone? Then prove I can trust you .” I poke a finger in the center of his chest. The thumping of his heart vibrates down my arm.
“ Prove to me you won’t make rash decisions simply to get a rise out of me. I know you’re talented, so don’t throw it away because you’re bullheaded. You want to be enemies? That’s your call. But I promise you’ll throw in the towel before the last round is over. ”
In the blink of an eye, his large hand encompasses my wrist, and I smash into his chest.
“Don’t tease me with a good time.” His heated stare evolves; the devious smirk morphing into a megawatt smile, dimples on full display when he finds me watching him.
It’s the blue flame eating up his irises that gets my attention, though.
I snatch my hand back and put some much-needed distance between us.
“Those dimples won’t do much to save you. Lucky for you, you have a few days to get your act together.” I spin and stride to the door.
With a chaste glance over my shoulder, I say, “ Merry Christmas , Booth . Don’t make me regret giving you another chance.”
Before he can respond, the door slams closed behind me.
A week with my family is exactly what I need.
Far , far away from Booth Sadler .
Had I stayed another second, feeling the scorch of his eyes or the warmth of his touch, I would have said exactly what I was thinking.
Or worse.
I might have gone against all my rational instincts and kissed that stupid grin off his face.