Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
A s Jade watched the customers leave the shop, each clutching a book they’d been recommended at the library event the other evening, it was hard to keep the smile of satisfaction off her face. Not only had her idea been a success on the night, it had led to a definite increase in sales.
It wasn’t the only thing she had to smile about.
Her heart fluttered as she recalled Liam’s face as she’d left him early this morning. He’d been fast asleep, the harsh lines of his face relaxed, hair askew thanks to her restless fingers running through it, tugging on it when his tongue had reached exactly the right spot…
She gave a guilty start as the door to the shop opened.
‘Well, someone looks like they were having a raunchy daydream.’ Mary grinned. ‘I might be old but I still recognise that look. Anyone I know?’
Christ on a cracker. Her cheeks were so hot she was scared she might melt. ‘I wasn’t… um…’ Her eyes landed on the book next to the till. ‘I was thinking of the book I’m reading,’ she improvised, picking up Claire’s book.
Mary nodded approvingly. ‘I’ve read that one. Got me all hot and bothered, too.’
Desperate to change the subject, she pointed to the bag the older woman was carrying. ‘Is that what I think it is?’
Triumphantly, Mary pulled out a series of audio books and some large print books. ‘I tried to get a selection, like you said. What age did you say this woman was again?’
‘I don’t know, but you might. It’s Liam Haven’s grandma.’
Mary’s eyebrows bobbed upwards. ‘Pat Haven?’
‘I presume so. Liam only refers to her as “Grandma”.’
‘Well, well. It’s been a long time since I saw Pat. She moved to Martha’s Vineyard years ago. Can’t say I blame her. Must have been tough, bringing up her daughter’s child. There was a lot of sympathy for her, back in the day. But then her son decided to buy up the waterfront.’
‘I guess you could say that’s the price of progress,’ Jade argued. ‘Nantucket is a popular place for visitors, and they need somewhere to stay. If it hadn’t been Liam buying it, someone else would have done it. At least he was connected to the island.’
Mary eyed her quizzically. ‘The man’s got to you, hasn’t he? First you’re helping his grandma, next you’ll be rolling over and letting him take away this store.’
Jade could see both sides, and knew there had to be a middle ground that both she and Liam could be happy with. ‘I won’t be rolling over for anyone.’ To take the sting out of her words, she smiled and reached to take the books. ‘All I’m doing is helping a lady who’s losing her sight, continue to do what she loves, which is read.’
Mary pursed her lips together, then sighed. ‘Sorry, you’re right. Every time I saw Pat she’d have a book in her hand. Must be awful to have something as important and special as your eyesight, snatched away from you.’
Behind Mary, the door opened, and Jade’s heart jumped into her throat at the familiar large frame now blocking the doorway.
Liam nodded, his mouth curving in a slight smile which, together with the warmth in those silver eyes, unleashed a swarm of butterflies in her belly.
Presumably interested to see who’d caused Jade to lose the power of speech, Mary looked over her shoulder. ‘Ah, Haven. Sorry to hear Pat’s eyesight isn’t so good. Send her my love, won’t you? Hope she enjoys the book package this one here,’ she nodded at Jade, ‘is getting together.’
A guard immediately dropped over his eyes and his expression turned blank. ‘Thank you.’
‘Well, then.’ Mary’s head swivelled between the pair of them. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ Under her breath she muttered, ‘Claire’s book, my ass.’
Liam held the door open as Mary marched out of the shop. It closed behind her with a loud clunk, the sound echoing off the whitewashed walls.
Jade’s head buzzed with things she wanted to say. Last night was incredible. I want to do it again but I’m scared I might be falling for you. I think Mary knows about us.
‘You told her?’
Her head jerked back at his frosty tone. ‘About your grandma? I didn’t think it was a secret.’
He stepped further into the shop, tension radiating off him. ‘It’s a private health matter. Now the whole island is going to know her eyesight is fading.’
‘Does that matter? People will want to help, like Mary did.’ She held up some of the books Mary had left. ‘She brought over some audio books and large print books from the library. I thought I’d add them to those we have in the shop and maybe I could take them over to her, see if it helps. If they work for her, we can order in whatever she’s into.’
A jaw muscle jumped. ‘You were planning on visiting her?’
‘Well, not if you don’t want me to, obviously. I mean, you can take them if you prefer.’ She stilled, embarrassment stinging her cheeks as she finally twigged what was going on. ‘You think this is all part of some clever plan of mine to infiltrate your life, don’t you? Like I’m somehow going to use your grandma to put in a good word for me with you. Gah.’ Feeling stupid and unbelievably hurt, she stomped towards the back of the shop, dragged out a cardboard box and began dumping the books Mary had given her, plus ones she’d found in the shop, into it.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m getting a collection of things for you to take to your grandma that might help her read. The easiest thing would be to listen to audio books on her phone or computer, but I don’t know if she’s tech savvy so I’ve included a few CDs, plus some large print books.’ She threw her spare Kindle in there, too. ‘And this is my Kindle, which she can borrow. You can change the font size so that might help, too.’ Feeling tears burn her retina, she thrust the box at him, and when those stupidly long fingered hands grasped it she definitely didn’t think of the way they’d played with her body last night. ‘Here. I hope some of it helps.’
* * *
He’d fucked up. Liam didn’t know how he’d gone from anticipating giving Jade one hell of a good morning kiss to make up for the one he’d missed when he’d found himself waking up alone, to this. Her staring at him with scorn in her expression and fire in her eyes.
He needed to apologise. She didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, he could see that. Could even understand she was trying to help, but right now it felt like a betrayal. He was only just getting used to the idea of letting Jade see parts of him others didn’t. He certainly didn’t want her giving that information to others.
‘We’re private people,’ he said quietly, taking the box from her. ‘We don’t need or want help from anyone. Especially not people here.’
She nodded stiffly. ‘Sure, my bad. I’ll make sure to keep well away in future.’
‘That’s not what I meant.’
‘Oh, sure, you still want to sleep with me, but outside that I should forget everything you tell me and pretend like we don’t know each other.’
This was spiralling out of control and he didn’t know how to stop it without sending the wrong message. And it would be very wrong to march over and kiss her now. To tell her he missed her in his bed this morning. Part of him was so incredibly touched she was doing something to help his grandma, yet a bigger part was terrified by the squeeze on his heart he’d felt when she’d talked about going to see her. Jade wasn’t supposed to be kind as well as funny, smart and sexy as fuck. She was supposed to be a woman he could enjoy and forget. Not one he could feel wrapping her silky blonde tendrils around his heart.
Panic surged through him like a bolt of high-voltage electricity and he set his shoulders, taking an invisible step back from the emotional black hole threatening to suck him in– and inevitably suck him dry. ‘Look, I came to thank you for last night. It was just what I needed.’ Bile rose to the back of his throat as he watched the hurt slide across her face and his hands gripped tighter to the box. ‘And thanks for this. It was very… thoughtful. I’ll be sure to give them to her.’
‘You do that. And while you’re there, tell her I’m happy to help in any way I can, but to come to me directly. I don’t want to have to deal with her jerk of a grandson.’
Okay. He deserved that, revelled in it, in fact; because her hating him meant there wouldn’t be a repeat of last night. He wouldn’t get sucked any further into that place he swore never to visit again, where he gave someone the power to hurt him, reject him.
Yet when he turned to walk back out, clutching the box in his hands, everything felt wrong. Like he’d taken a bad turn into a dark, lonely alley. The sense of wrong intensified when he knocked into the stand near the entrance and felt a burn of hot liquid on his thigh.
‘Fuck.’ He hissed, shaking his leg.
‘What is it?’
He ignored her. He just needed to get out.
‘Wait, I’ll open the door for you.’
He did not want to smell the coconut shampoo she used. Or feel the brush of her breasts as she reached for the door handle.
‘There’s something wet…’ Her voice trailed off and mortification shot through him.
Did she think he’d pissed himself? ‘There’s a drink in my jacket pocket,’ he told her through gritted teeth.
‘Oh.’
He inhaled sharply, gripping tightly to the box as she rummaged in his pocket. Finding the take-out cup, she peeled off the lid and sniffed.
‘Tea?’
‘Must have got it by mistake.’ Christ, he was usually a better liar than this. ‘You keep it.’
Her expression softened. ‘Thank you.’
With a sharp incline of his head, he marched out as fast as his pounding heart and rubbery legs would allow him.
* * *
By the time he reached the safety of his office, he was a hot, wet mess. Literally. And finding Jeremy loitering outside did not help the maelstrom of emotions burning in his gut one little bit. ‘Is there a fire?’ he snapped. ‘A flood?’
Jeremy smiled in his unique, laconic fashion. It made Liam’s temper flare that little bit more. ‘I don’t believe so. Nor do we appear to be plagued by swarming locusts today.’
‘Then what are you doing here?’
‘Would you believe I’ve come to update my boss on the week’s activities, like I do every Tuesday at this time?’ His gaze fell to the box Liam was clutching as if his life depended on it. ‘Have you brought me cake?’
‘What?’
‘I thought you might be carrying a treat for your favourite employee.’
‘I don’t have a favourite,’ he muttered as he settled the box on his desk. ‘You’re all as bad as each other.’
‘Oh dear.’ Jeremy paused, a glint entering his eyes. ‘Surely there’s one employee you like?’
Liam was not in the mood to be teased about a woman he was terrified he’d already let get too close. ‘Tell me what you came here to say.’
Jeremy ambled up to the desk and took a look inside the box. Then smirked as he carefully sat down, crossing one neatly pressed cotton chino leg over the other.
‘What’s the smirk for?’
‘Just wondering what our Jade has done to put you in such a spin.’
Our Jade? Like Jeremy and the little band of Haven haters owned her. ‘What has she got to do with anything?’
‘Well, I added Liam plus box of books and got been to see Jade . Of course there’s also the fact that you appear to be, how shall I put this politely, not quite your usual self, which does seem to have become rather a habit since she started here.’
Liam glowered. ‘We are not discussing this. Or anything beyond your work here. Ever,’ he added, determined to push the point home because Jeremy had a habit of ignoring what he wanted to. ‘Understood?’
‘Absolutely. You’ve put your point across eloquently, as usual.’ Jeremy cleared his throat. ‘There is just one small thing I’d like to ask, before we definitely don’t discuss anything of a personal nature ever again.’ His gaze slid to Liam’s and there was enough of a twinkle in it to make the hairs on the back of Liam’s neck twitch. ‘Would you be my best man?’