Chapter 20
She doesn’t have my phone but I’m still chasing her.
Flynn
I snuggle into my pillow. It smells of mango. Sophia. I gave up struggling against my desire to have her last night. It was worth it.
I smile as I stretch my arm across the bed to touch her. My smile disappears when all I feel is cold sheets.
I open my eyes to confirm what I already know. Sophia is gone.
“Soph! Where are you?”
My question is met with silence. Son of a bitch. I finally have the woman of my dreams and she disappears on me.
Not if I can help it.
Five minutes later I’m in my truck driving toward Smuggler’s Rest. There’s nowhere on the island Sophia can hide from me. I’ll start with the brewery and continue from there.
The parking lot of the brewery is empty. Maybe she’s at her parent’s house. I turn left onto Main Street. There! Sophia’s car is at the bakery. I should have known. She needs her coffee fix.
I park next to her car before climbing out of my truck and stalking into the bakery. I frown when I notice the place is empty. Where else could Sophia be? None of the other stores are open yet.
“I’m Holly,” the young girl behind the counter greets. “Can I help you?”
“Unless you can tell me where Sophia is, I don’t think so.” I make my way to the door.
“Is Sophia blonde?”
I pause with my hand on the door. “She is.”
“I think she’s upstairs with Parker.”
Upstairs? What the hell is she doing upstairs?
“Thanks, kid.”
She points to the back entrance. “You can go through there.”
I march across the bakery and exit through the back door. I open the door next to it before climbing the stairs. The door is ajar and I hear Sophia’s voice. “I’ll take it! When can I move in?”
I see red. She is not running away from me after the night we spent together.
I kick the door open. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Sophia’s eyes widen. “Flynn.”
“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise,” Parker mutters before scooting past to the stairs. “I’ll be…” She doesn’t finish her sentence before fleeing.
I shut the door behind her. The entire town doesn’t need to hear our discussion, but you can bet they’d be eavesdropping at the door if they could.
“I asked you a question.”
Sophia glares at me. “You’re not my keeper. I can do whatever I want.”
“Including sneaking out of the bed we shared last night.”
“It was better than hearing I’m a mistake again.”
I growl as I stalk toward her. “You are not a mistake.”
“Really?” She raises her eyebrows. “I’m still your best friend’s little sister.”
“I don’t care.”
I palm her neck and haul her toward me. She hits my chest with a thud and I meld my lips to hers. She melts into me. This is how I was supposed to wake up. With Sophia warm and pliant in my arms.
I grasp her ponytail and tug. She gasps and I thrust my tongue into her mouth. I can’t get enough of her taste. My little temptress has an addicting flavor. It’s better than the smoothest whiskey.
I release her mouth to trail kisses along her jaw to her ear. “Now,” I whisper. “Tell me what you’re doing here and why you’re not in bed where I can sample you like a buffet.”
She shivers before shoving me away. “I told you. I don’t want you to say I’m a mistake.”
I frown. “What about last night made you think I’d say you’re a mistake?”
She pops out her hip and places her hand on it. “Nothing. Which is exactly how it always is. I think we’re finally going somewhere and then – bam! – you call me a mistake or tell my brother you’re not attracted to me. Not interested.”
I grit my teeth. “You are not a mistake.”
She studies my face and I let her see how determined I am to make her mine. “You’re serious?”
“As serious as you are about coffee.”
“Whoa. Coffee is serious business.”
I stalk toward her until she’s forced to back up. She hits the wall and I plant my hands on either side of her head to cage her in. “Not as serious as I am about you.”
“What’s changed? A few days ago, you weren’t attracted to me.”
I punch my hips so she can feel how hard I am. “Not attracted to you? This is what you do to me. What you’ve always done to me.”
“But—”
I place a finger over her lips. “No. We’re not discussing the past. Did I fuck up in the past? Yes. I own it. But from now on we’re moving forward. Together.”
“Together? I’m still Weston’s little sister.”
“I don’t care.”
“You’re going to strut around town with me on your arm in front of Weston and Dad?”
I cringe. I’m not ready to let Weston and Jack know about us.
She points at my face. “Your grimace says it all. I will not be your dirty little secret.”
“You’re not my dirty little secret. I’m just not ready to announce to the world how I’m fucking my best friend’s little sister.”
She ducks under my arm and struts away from me. “Good since we’re not fucking anymore and I’m moving in here.”
“You are not running away from me.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not running. I drove my car here. No running was involved.”
“Don’t be cute.”
“I can’t help it if I’m cute.”
“You’re fucking gorgeous but we’re not discussing how gorgeous you are. We’re discussing us.”
“There is no us.”
I growl. “I have a night of you screaming in my bed that says otherwise.”
“It was my bed, and I wasn’t screaming.”
I stalk toward her. She straightens her back and holds her ground. Her hazel eyes flash with anger. There’s my Sophia.
“You were screaming and you will scream again.”
She tilts her chin up. “I’m no one’s dirty little secret.”
“Sophia.”
She throws out her arms. “What do you think of my new place?”
“You’re serious?”
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? And there’s coffee a flight of stairs away. It’s perfect for me.”
“You can’t stay here,” I grumble.
She pokes me in the chest. “Giving me a few orgasms does not give you the right to tell me what to do.”
I grasp her hand and place it against my heart. “It was more than a few orgasms.”
She rolls her eyes. “Such a man.”
“I’m serious, Sophia. You can’t stay here.”
“I will stay here. In fact, I’m breaking my lease on my apartment since the owner of the building doesn’t seem interested in correcting the defects in the bathroom.”
“Break your lease. I don’t give a fuck, but you aren’t moving in here. You’re staying with me.”
She yanks her hand away from my hold. “I am staying here and you can’t do anything about it, caveman.”
“This apartment isn’t up to code.”
She freezes. “What?”
“The wiring is all messed up.”
Her shoulders drop. “You’re serious?” I nod. “But Parker was living here until a month ago.”
“Parker was the one who asked me to give her an estimate of how much it would cost to renovate this place.”
“Poor Parker. I don’t think the bakery is doing well. It sounds as if she’s desperate for money from a renter.”
I squeeze her shoulder. “You living in a fire hazard won’t help Parker.”
She sighs. “Fine. I won’t move in here, but I will pay her for a month’s rent since I did agree to live here.”
“Fair enough.” I grin. “Now, get your fine ass moving back to my place. It’s Saturday. I want to spend it with you.”
She dances away from me. “I’m serious, Flynn. I like you but I’m not entering into a relationship with someone who won’t fight for me. Who wants to keep me a secret.”
I catch her hand and draw her to me. “I don’t want to keep you a secret.”
“Do you need me to rewind the conversation? Or do you need me to explain what a secret is? I know it’s hard for people on Smuggler’s Hideaway to comprehend what a secret is, but secrets do exist. Unlike mermaids and hippocampus. What’s the plural of hippocampus anyway? Hippocampusses? Or hippocampi?”
I tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “I know what a secret is. I also know there’s no privacy on this island. What if I want to explore this thing between us before announcing it to the world?”
“But you will announce it to the world some day?”
I grin. “What we have is new and fragile. Let’s deepen this bond between us before we let the world in.” I lay my hand against her cheek. “I want you for myself for a while.”
“You promise you won’t keep us a secret forever?”
“I promise.”
She blows out a breath. “Okay. Let’s explore this thing between us.” I smile. “But if I ever hear you tell Weston you’re not attracted to me again, I’m going to shave off your eyebrows.”
I chuckle. “Deal.”
She waggles her eyebrows at me. “It’s not a deal unless it’s sealed with a kiss.”
“There’s my little temptress,” I murmur before my lips meet hers.
She clutches my shoulders and drags me closer. There’s no reason to drag me, Sophia. I’m all yours.