Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
J ade breathed in a lungful of fresh sea air and relaxed against the cream leather seat at the back of the yacht… nope, aft. When she failed to get the lingo right, Liam would simply stare at her, eyes gently amused, until she corrected herself. Turns out it was quite an effective teaching method. If only her own teachers had employed it. Then again, it was likely only effective when the person doing the staring was a broodingly sexy guy she spent a disproportionate amount of time picturing naked.
Handsome man, blue sky; anticipation hummed through her. What a perfect start to her Sunday.
‘Where are we going?’ She glanced over at Liam, who was busy doing something with ropes. He’d tried to teach her, but as she’d pointed out, quite reasonably, why would she want to learn when it was such a treat to watch him work, forearms rippling with muscle, biceps bunching and relaxing?
He said something, but her brain was too focused on the sexy rope show. ‘Sorry, what did you say?’
He gave her a knowing smile. ‘We’re going to the other side of the island. ’Sconset.’
‘The most picturesque place on Nantucket. So I read.’
‘I would agree.’
‘Is that why you’re building a house there?’
‘It is. Plus, it’s also the most exclusive place on the island.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, Mr Money Bags.’ She followed him through the salon to the bridge, noticing a couple of large cool bags. ‘Are we having a picnic?’
‘Do you want a picnic?’
‘Definitely. I love eating sandwiches on the beach. I’m sure that’s where they get their name from. I bet they started off as wiches, but were renamed after they were eaten on the beach and everyone realised it was impossible not to get sand in amongst the cheese and pickle.’
‘They’re named after the Earl of Sandwich.’
‘Ha, I knew that.’ She winked at him. ‘Just checking you did.’ He laughed, and it was hard not to swoon. He made her heart flutter when he was serious, but when he relaxed, when that laugh came out to play, he was devastating. ‘What if I’d said I didn’t want a picnic?’
He pushed a lever and the boat eased away with a smooth surge of power. ‘Then I’d have asked what you did want.’
‘And we’d have done that?’
‘Yes.’
How on earth was she supposed to keep from falling in love with a man so hellbent on pleasing her? ‘Lucky for you, I’m a cheap date.’
His intense grey eyes rested on hers. ‘There is nothing cheap about you.’
Holy mackerel. ‘You’re good at this.’
‘What?’
‘Making me feel good, yet really, really turned on at the same time.’
‘I’ll keep the turned-on bit in mind.’
Her belly did another low flip. ‘So…’ She cleared her throat and tried again. ‘So we’re having a picnic on the beach. Any other plans? I’m wearing my bikini, in case swimming is involved, and in my beach bag I’ve got a towel and my book in case sunbathing is part of the deal.’
‘Wearing the bikini is a given. Anything else we do is up to you.’
‘But I have to be in the bikini.’
‘For at least some of the day, yes.’
‘Sounds reasonable, as long as you’re in trunks. No T-shirt.’
He flicked her a look. ‘That can be arranged.’
‘Good. Equality at last.’
He gave a little shake of his head, but she noticed his mouth curve upwards.
A little while later the beach came into view, flanked by rugged cliffs and rolling dunes. He drew the boat to a stop and dropped the anchor.
She gazed across at the beautiful stretch of deserted sand opposite, waves lapping gently up to it. ‘Is this the part where we swim to shore?’
‘If you like, but I’m taking the dinghy.’
She felt like she was in one of Enid Blyton’s adventures as he stowed the cool bags into the small dinghy and then helped her on board. ‘Oh, no oars.’ She mock pouted as he started the small motor. ‘I was looking forward to seeing your rowing prowess. Plus watching your muscles ripple.’
‘I thought you’d done that earlier, with the ropes.’
She sighed dreamily. ‘You noticed, huh? But surely my viewing isn’t rationed.’
He looked bemused for a moment, and then let out a low laugh. ‘Fuck, you’re good for my ego.’
She was about to argue that his ego didn’t need any help, but then remembered the difficult childhood he’d had, the way he’d been cruelly ditched because he hadn’t been rich enough, and decided she was glad she’d massaged it.
He cut the engine and leapt into the knee-high sea, pulling the dinghy out of the water and onto the sand before helping her out. ‘Wow, this beach is beautiful. And there’s no one on it.’ Her gaze drifted ahead, to a huge grey house surrounded by a white picket fence, with steps down to the sand. When she turned back to Liam, she saw he was watching her. ‘Oh, my God, that’s it, isn’t it? Your new house?’
He nodded. ‘It was finished two days ago.’ He lifted a set of keys out of his pocket. ‘Want a tour?’
And that’s when she realised why he’d been so cagey about today. He’d wanted to show her his house. Unbelievably touched, she smiled and reached to kiss him. ‘Do the Brits love tea?’
They strolled up the steps, Liam carrying the cool bags while she took it all in. It wasn’t the only house along the beach, but there was enough space between them that it felt like it was. He’d kept to the Nantucket tradition of grey shingles with white trim, the steps leading up to a wide porch, rose bushes planted along the right side.
‘Grandma’s got her own entrance.’ He pointed to an attached wing. ‘I would have built her more, but she was happy with a kitchen, bedroom, living room and bathroom.’ He smiled. ‘And a door that gives her access into the main house.’
‘Adam called it your fuck-off mansion,’ she murmured as he pushed open the front door to let her in.
‘I’m not interested in what he thinks.’ Liam dropped the cool bags on the floor and turned to her. ‘I want to know what you think.’
‘Bloody hell, Liam.’ She walked around the ground floor in a daze, peeking into the rooms one by one. White walls, dark wood floors, feature grey-stone fireplace. Giant windows that overlooked the sea. ‘It’s incredible. Tasteful. Homely, but with a giant dollop of blow your socks off.’
She wandered into the huge kitchen, all white wooden units, chrome range cooker and luxury white-marble worktop streaked with grey.
When she turned, she found him staring at her, an expression on his face that was hard to read. But then his eyes fell to her mouth, and when they met her eyes again, what he was thinking was obvious.
Obvious enough to make her breath catch.
‘Would you like to see upstairs? To be clear, I mean the master bedroom.’
She swallowed. ‘Yes please.’
She gasped as he swept her into his arms, heart pounding as he carried her easily up the stairs. Burying her face in his neck, she wondered how on earth she was going to walk away from this, from him.
Yet how could she stay, when everything between them was so uncertain? One change of his mind and she’d lose her job, her accommodation, possibly her self-respect because who gives up their life on a hope and the whim of one man?
She’d also lose her heart, forever buried in Nantucket. Never to be seen again.
* * *
Liam watched as Jade filled the kettle with water and bent over the range cooker, pressing buttons until she found the way to ignite the gas.
Fuck, she looked exactly like he’d imagined she would. As soon as the builder had confirmed it was completed, he’d needed to show her. He didn’t know why, only that he’d wanted to see her standing in his home in her bikini top and tiny denim shorts.
But now he had, he knew the image would be forever imprinted on his mind. He wouldn’t be able to walk in here and not see her. Even when she was thousands of miles away.
‘Here.’ He rummaged in the cooler and brought out a box of teabags. He’d arranged for all the essentials to be delivered; beds, bedlinen, towels in the bathrooms, a sprawling sofa, televisions, dishware, pans and utensils for the kitchen. The rest he’d add to in time. ‘And you might want this.’ He slid the teapot he’d bought onto the granite island, took out the pastries and bread rolls and then walked over to the fridge to dump the rest of the contents of the cooler; breaded chicken, cold meats, milk, beer, wine, salad boxes.
He heard a gasp, and turned to find her holding the teapot, a look of awe on her face. ‘You bought me a teapot?’
He shrugged, like it was no big deal. Like he hadn’t scoured the island to find one, before giving up and getting a local potter to make him one instead. ‘Figured it might make that hot water more appealing.’ She inhaled a shaky breath, and damn if she didn’t look like she was about to cry.
‘Holy cow, it’s a worm.’ She sniffed, her hand tracing the daft creature he’d asked the potter to incorporate into the design. ‘A worm holding a book.’ She lifted her eyes to his, and the blue glistened. ‘You didn’t just buy me a teapot, you had one made for me.’
‘Teapots aren’t in high demand here, apparently.’
She carefully placed the teapot back onto the granite island before leaping into his arms. ‘Thank you. That is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me.’
‘Jesus, Jade.’ He shifted them so his hands were under her perfect ass. ‘You deserve more than a freaking teapot.’
I’d give you the world.
She was warm and curvy in his arms, her eyes bright with delight, lips curved with pleasure, but the words were stuck in his throat. For too long he’d had to protect himself, to live with the mantra of not letting anyone see how he felt, he wasn’t sure he could live any other way.
Maybe he’d find his bravery before she left.
‘Don’t disrespect the teapot,’ she admonished. ‘It’s perfect.’
And so was the day, he thought later as they sat on the beach together, remnants of their picnic shoved back into the cooler. They’d been for a swim, Jade had her bikini on. His hangover from Friday’s Bachelor party had finally subsided. All was well with the world.
‘What are you looking for?’ he asked mildly as she started to pull everything out of the beach bag she’d brought with her. Towel, hat, sunscreen, some lightweight see-through thing he thought might be a sarong, bag of… ‘Gummy bears?’
‘Of course. Can’t have a day trip without sweets… Ah, there they are.’ With a triumphant yelp, she dug two books out of the bag and pushed one over at him. ‘This is yours.’
He glanced at the front cover. ‘I told you, I don’t read.’
‘But you also asked me to recommend a book to you.’
‘That was when I was trying to win you over.’ He looked down at the book again, and then at her face, the eyes that held a touch of disappointment. ‘Sorry, that was rude.’
‘It’s okay. Books aren’t for everyone.’
She reached to take the book away, but he held on, aware that if he was to have any chance of winning her over permanently, he needed to open up. ‘I’ve always resented books. Grandma used to disappear into one for hours, and then she’d emerge, misty eyed, telling me about the lives of the people she was reading about, often involving travel, usually a romance.’ He felt the familiar tightening of his throat as he tried to push past the memory. ‘I grew to hate the reminder that I was cramping her style, stopping her from living the life she could have had if she hadn’t had to bring me up.’
Compassion swamped her eyes. ‘You know she adores you, don’t you? That if you were to ask her to choose between travelling the world or being with you, she’d choose you every time.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Oh, my God, you ninny. Definitely . I’ve seen the pair of you together, remember.’
He suspected she was right so he let it go and focused back on the book. ‘Why this one?’
‘It’s a thriller, which I figured was probably your genre as you like to work things out, but it’s set in the world of finance.’ She smirked. ‘I know how interested you are in money.’
He studied the back cover, wasn’t sure if it would be his thing or not, but that wasn’t the point. ‘You bothered to choose me a book.’ That was the point. ‘The least I can do is read it.’
And that was how they spent the next couple of hours, reading together, her lying on her back, using his chest as a pillow. They stayed until the sun set, filling the sky with a pallet of oranges, pinks and reds. There was nothing quite like a Nantucket sunset, as it was a 360 view.
‘Today has been epic,’ Jade told him as they headed back later that evening.
He held her gaze. ‘It’s not over yet.’
She laughed. ‘I say yay to that, but before you turn my brain to mush again with your dirty sex talk, I wanted to thank you for sharing your new home with me. It was… I was…’ She huffed. ‘Okay, I’m going to sound cheesy, and maybe too much, but it was an honour to be let inside, to see that glimpse of you.’
She was honoured? ‘I wanted to show it to you. Wanted to see you in it.’ He took her hand and raised it to his mouth, dropping a kiss on her knuckles. ‘Your opinion of it mattered to me. You matter.’ It was as far as he could go, at least for now.
His bravery was rewarded when her eyes shone, the blue deepening as she tightened her hand around his. And just when he thought the day couldn’t get any better, she whispered. ‘You matter to me, too.’