Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
J ade rechecked her appearance in the mirror. Was the outfit she’d chosen too much? Not enough? Was it too clingy, too low cut? She sucked in a breath and smoothed her hands down the bright yellow sundress. Why was she doubting herself? Looking attractive was something she was good at. The one thing she’d always had.
She stared back at her reflection. Not the one thing. She had a list of things she was good at now; networking, building relationships, growing a book business… she was a fucking great manager.
Her reflection smiled back at her.
Had there ever been a longer, sweeter kiss than the one Liam had given her after he’d walked her back to the bookstore from their day on the water? Instinctively, her fingers brushed across her lips, still feeling the imprint of his. The gentle press of his sensual mouth, the tease of his tongue. Drugging kisses that had gone on for so long her lips had become swollen. Yet his hands had stayed on her hips, keeping them a tantalising distance from each other. Oh, she’d known he was hard, could see the magnificent outline of his erection, but that was all she’d been able to do, look.
If this was his way of torturing her until she gave in, then mission frigging accomplished. She was ready to wave the white flag, would even wear a T-shirt saying I want sex tonight , if it pushed him over the edge. The fear of falling for him, getting hurt… it was a worry for another day. She was only interested in now.
The rap on the door made her jump.
She grabbed her handbag and a lightweight shawl before racing down the stairs to open it.
‘Hi.’
His gaze skimmed over her face, eyes darkening as they focused on her lips, then turning even stormier as they travelled down her body. ‘Fuck.’
‘You don’t like it? I can change?—’
‘No chance.’ He heaved out a sigh. ‘The dress shows off the dynamite curve of your ass, the swell of your spectacular tits. It’s perfect. You’re perfect.’
‘Oh.’ Confidence fully back in place, she eyed him curiously. ‘Then what’s the problem?’
‘The problem is I’m going to spend all night with a hard-on.’ He dragged a hand through his hair. ‘Bad enough, but where we’re going…’
He trailed off, muttering something under his breath as he took her hand and began to march them back down the wooden pontoon towards his boat.
‘So where are we going?’ He’d not said yesterday, just asked her out to dinner.
‘Martha’s Vineyard.’
‘Oh, wow, okay.’ She pushed down the niggle that he didn’t want to be seen with her in Nantucket. ‘I’ve not managed to visit there yet. This will be fun.’
‘Fun?’ He exhaled a long breath. ‘It’s going to be torture.’
‘Um, is that torture because of your, er… predicament?’
He snorted, jumping onto the boat before helping her. ‘My permanent state of arousal when I’m around you?’ His eyes flicked to her dress. ‘Especially when you wear something like that. Christ.’ He drew a hand down his face. ‘Maybe I should wrap you in a blanket or something.’
‘Well I have my shawl. The restaurant might not like it if I sit there surrounded by bedding?—’
‘We’re not going to a restaurant.’
‘You’re taking me all the way to Martha’s Vineyard to eat, but not at a restaurant? Oh, is that why I need the blanket? Is it a picnic on the beach? Because that’s great. I love a picnic, though I should warn you, me and sand don’t always get on. It gets everywhere, and I mean everywhere . Not just in my food, but, you know…’
‘We’re having dinner at my grandma’s.’
Oh, my God. Her heart thumped against her ribs and she stared back at him. ‘You’re taking me to meet her?’
His jaw clenched and he looked away from her. ‘This was a stupid idea.’
‘Well, it was only stupid if you don’t want me to meet her.’
Slowly his silver-grey eyes found hers. ‘Of course I want you to. That’s why I set this up.’ His Adam’s apple slid down his throat as he swallowed. ‘The question is, do you mind spending the evening eating questionable fish pie with a seventy-five-year-old or would you rather go to dinner at a restaurant and dine on something infinitely more edible?’
She was aware of the giant step he was taking. Just as she was aware of the vulnerability behind his throwaway words. He wanted her to meet the most important person in his life. The person a few weeks ago she’d thought he was actively avoiding her meeting. ‘What’s questionable about the fish pie?’
‘Likely to have one or two main ingredients missing. Or replaced with cat food.’
‘It sounds delicious.’ She reached up to put a hand on either side of his guarded, ridiculously handsome face. ‘I’d be honoured to meet your grandma.’
His gaze jumped to hers, eyes narrowed. Whatever he saw must have reassured him because his expression lost some of its tension. ‘Yeah?’
‘Absolutely.’ She grinned. ‘Does this mean I also get to hear lots of tales of Liam Haven as a boy because I seriously can’t wait for that. I might need to take notes, so I can tell Jeremy, so he can tell Leroy, so he can spread it to the rest of the staff.’
His eyelids fluttered closed as he heaved in a breath. Mumbling something about bad ideas, he went to untie the ropes from their moorings. She watched on, appreciating the perfection of his bum, outlined by the smart dark jeans and the play of muscles on his forearms, revealed by the rolled back sleeves of his white linen shirt.
The hard pull on her heart could not be ignored, yet neither could the fear that, unlike Rob, unlike Paul, this complicated, brooding man, whose own damaged heart held a fierce love for his grandma, had the power not just to break hers, but leave it shattered and unable to be repaired.
* * *
His grandma loved Jade. Of course she did. It had never been in doubt, because everyone loved her, yet seeing the pair of them laughing together as they discussed their favourite books had a profound effect on Liam. She’d put on an act with April, and with Sabrina, the only other women he’d brought home. It had been subtle, but he’d seen it in the polite smile, the way she’d put on her best dress.
Put fresh flowers in the vase.
She was herself with Jade. The flowers were there, the best dress was on, but the smile wasn’t polite. It had been wide, warm and welcoming from the start. And now there was added laughter. He could put it down to their shared love of books, but somehow he knew Jade would have found a way to connect with his grandma whatever her interest.
He cleared his throat, and they both looked over at him. ‘Just checking you both know I’m here.’
His grandma smiled. ‘Of course we do. Have you checked on the fish pie? And we could both use a top off.’
‘Isn’t the whole point of going to someone’s for dinner, that they serve you?’ he grumbled, rising out of his chair.
‘You’re not here for the food. You’re here so I can get to know this charming young lady you keep talking about.’ She pinned him with a glare. ‘And how can I do that, if I’m fussing about in the kitchen?’
Suitably chastised– how had he suddenly turned ten again?– he slunk into the kitchen. It didn’t help that Jade looked like she was trying not to erupt into laughter. As he rummaged in the fridge for the open bottle of wine, he felt an arm slide around his waist. ‘She thinks I’m charming.’
He gave Jade a sidelong glance and scowled. ‘Doesn’t mean she’s right.’
‘Aw, come on grumpy pants.’ She plucked the bottle out of his hands. ‘I’m a natural with people, you said so yourself. But don’t worry, you’re going to teach me business, and I’m going to teach you how to be more human.’
With a wink, she turned and walked back out, hips swaying mesmerisingly. Groaning, he adjusted his hard-on. He should have taken Jade out for a quick bite to eat at the resort, then invited her back to the yacht for dessert. Then spent the rest of the evening fucking her senseless.
Except she wasn’t sure about him, so sex was off the table. And he’d already hurt her by making her think sex was all he was interested in, so he had to suck this up. If all he got out of the next two months was her friendship, and the knowledge he’d helped her see herself for the amazing woman she was, then he would have achieved something remarkable.
And if the way she’d just teased him was anything to go by, she was getting there.
‘So how come you live in Martha’s Vineyard?’ he heard Jade ask as he slipped back into the room having ascertained the fish pie was coming to no harm. At least no more than it had probably come to already in the preparation. ‘Didn’t you both used to live in Nantucket?’
‘We did,’ his grandma confirmed. ‘But Liam decided it was time for a change of scenery.’
‘Oh?’
‘It’s a different vibe here. Nantucket can be… snobby, stuffy. It’s more laid back on Martha’s Vineyard.’ His grandma looked at him, as if for agreement. He gave her a small nod of his head. ‘When Liam bought up the land to build his first resort on Nantucket, some were against him. They didn’t like so-called “new money” demolishing their history and replacing it with modern monstrosities. Of course, one person’s monstrosity is another person’s chic, modern resort that employs plenty of locals and encourages tourism to help many other businesses on the island. But some are too shortsighted to see that. And some couldn’t handle the fact that the boy they’d shunned, was actually doing well for himself.’ She smiled proudly. ‘I was happy to stay, give them a piece of my mind, but Liam didn’t want me upset by the nasty talk, or ostracised, so he bought me this lovely place.’ Her expression softened as she caught his eye. ‘But lovely as it’s been, it’s time to go back to my roots. To go home.’
‘So you’re moving back to Nantucket?’ Jade’s gaze swivelled between the pair of them.
‘Liam’s finding me a house in Siasconset.’
‘I’m building us a house,’ he corrected. ‘We’ve been through this.’
‘And I told you, no.’ She batted a hand in his direction. ‘You’re a single guy in his prime. You don’t want to be living with a silly old woman.’
‘True. But I do want to live with you, so deal with it.’
Jade cleared her throat. ‘This is exactly what I talked about in the kitchen.’ She patted his grandma’s hand. ‘Excuse me while I give him his first lesson in how to be more human.’
His grandma sat up, all perky now. ‘This, I want to hear. You go ahead, sweetheart. It’s about time somebody dared to stand up to him.’
Stand up to him ? Between Jade, Jeremy and his grandma, he’d never been put in his place so frequently. Or so effectively.
Jade grinned before turning to him. ‘Why do you want your grandma to live with you?’
‘So I can take care of her.’
‘And?’
Christ, it felt like he was in the dock. ‘Keep her out of trouble.’
Jade raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘And?’
What was he, five now? ‘And because I fucking love her and I want to keep her close to me.’
‘Bingo.’ Satisfaction lit up Jade’s face. ‘Now I could be wrong, but I believe that’s what she wanted to hear.’
‘Oh no, you’re not wrong dear. In fact you’re very, very right.’ There was a glisten to her eyes when she looked at him, and a tremor to her voice. ‘Do you really want me with you? I won’t be a burden?’
For the love of God. ‘Of course I do. I told you I did.’ He saw Jade’s smirk and sighed. ‘Fine. If I didn’t make myself clear before. We’re a team. Always have been, always will be. Where you live, I live. End of story.’ Because he felt his own voice begin to crack, he jumped to his feet. ‘Now let’s go and eat this damn fish pie.’
He set off to the kitchen, but not before he heard his grandma thanking Jade. ‘I really thought he was just doing it to make me happy.’ She sniffed. ‘Didn’t realise it would make him happy, too.’
He glanced back over his shoulder, expecting to find Jade giving him a triumphant smile, but instead she looked troubled. ‘I can’t imagine your grandson does anything he doesn’t want to.’
A few months ago, he’d have agreed with Jade’s statement, but now he was starting to wonder. He’d wanted to knock down the bookstore. Instead he was contemplating not just keeping it, but changing all his plans for the waterfront.
He’d also wanted to keep everyone at arm’s length, protect himself. Now he was going to be a best man for Jeremy, and had let a blonde dynamo get so close he was worried he’d not be able to let her go when the time came.