Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
~SHAWN~
T he ferry is going to be the bloody death of me. Death. Of. Me.
It’s late. Again. It’s Friday, my fifth day commuting into downtown Seattle from the island, and I think it’s safe to say this isn’t working. I didn’t want to temporarily relocate to the city, mostly because my family is on the island, and I like being close by if anyone needs me.
I can even pitch in at O’Callaghan’s Pub whenever Keegan is shorthanded. And my brother is shorthanded more often than not. But my siblings and I don’t mind taking a turn pulling taps and bussing tables once or twice a week.
In fact, we enjoy it. The Celtic music and friendly customers make for a fun evening.
But I may have to take myself out of the rotation and spend the next three weeks, give or take, in Seattle so I can work on this project with Lexi.
How a woman can be so stunningly gorgeous and infuriating at the same time is beyond me. I can’t remember the last time I was so mesmerized by the way a woman smiles. And then want to turn around and strangle her the next instant.
Lexi’s an enigma.
And she’s going to be pissed, again, at my tardiness. She hasn’t said a word, but the way she puckers those kissable lips and narrows her eyes at me speaks volumes.
Honestly, I can’t blame her. Being late is a huge pet peeve of mine. My ma would have my hide if she knew I was late every day this week.
On the ferry docks, I make my way through morning traffic, ready to pluck my eyes from my head by the time I pull into the parking garage for Williams Films.
As expected, Lexi is sitting at the table, squinting at her computer, a bright orange throw blanket draped over her legs.
“I know, I’m sorry,” I begin as I hurry inside. “I’ll move to a hotel this weekend.”
“How long does the commute take you?” she asks.
“About ninety minutes, give or take.” I open my laptop and sigh as I drag my hand over my face.
“I got this for you.”
She passes me a cup of coffee.
“Oh, thank you.”
“The chef said he remembered how you take it,” she replies. “I figure the commute’s been a pain in the ass. You need it.”
I blink as I take a sip and stare at her. In moments like these, I feel as if we could be friends. Lovers, even. She’s kind and thoughtful, and when her lips tip up into a smile, I want to bend her over the table and fuck her seven ways to Sunday.
“This scene is all wrong,” she announces. And just like that, I’m reminded why I want to spank her ass.
“Give me five minutes to let the caffeine soak in before we go at each other,” I reply and take another sip. She sits back and waits, sips her drink, and fiddles with the blanket in her lap. “Is that a new blanket?”
She nods.
“You have quite a thing for linens.”
She smiles, and my heart stops.
That grin is a dangerous weapon.
“I always have, ever since I was a child. I even turn the air-conditioner down in the summer so I have to wrap up in a blanket to get warm.”
I raise a brow. “It’s always cool at my house. I live on the water, so it doesn’t get too hot, even in the summer.”
“That would be lovely,” she says. “Now, can we talk about this scene?”
“I don’t think you’ll let me get out of it,” I reply. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Again, you’ve taken the intimacy out. He has to cradle her to him, to reassure her.”
I shake my head in frustration. “We’ve gone over this a thousand times this week, Lexi. You have to consider the blocking of the scene. If he cradles her the way it’s described in the book, we won’t be able to see them on camera.”
“I disagree.”
“Okay.” I push my hand through my hair and grab my phone. I set it up across the room, balanced against a water glass, and hit record. “Come here.”
Her eyes narrow. “Why?”
“I’m going to prove my point. Come here.”
She carefully stands from her chair and walks around the table to me. I glance at the book to remind myself what happens, then reach for her hand and tug her into my lap.
“Now, the way you have it written, I’d cup your cheek like this,” I press my hand to her cheek. “And then I’d kiss you like this.”
I lean in, but I don’t press my lips to hers—no matter how much I want to.
“I’ll play it back in a minute to show you that we can’t see you. But first, I want to show you how I wrote it. Instead of cupping your cheek, my hand would be down on your neck, leaving your face clear for the camera. And now if I lean in to kiss you—” I lean close but don’t actually touch her lips with mine. It’s torture. Her scent is fresh and clean, and I want to kiss her more than I want to breathe. But I hold myself back. “We’ll be able to see it on the camera,” I finish.
I boost her to her feet and then fetch my phone. Sitting next to her, I play it back.
She hasn’t said a word, and her hand is a little shaky as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Here, see?” We lean in together and watch as I explain the difference between the two. “In the first one, I can’t see your face at all. But in the second, I can. That hand makes all the difference.”
I refuse to comment on the intense look in Lexi’s eyes as she stares at me, or dwell on the way my hand landed on her ass while I had her in my lap.
Or how it felt to have her seated on me, pressed against me, my lips just centimeters from hers.
Nope, not gonna entertain that.
“I see it,” she whispers. “Excuse me, I have to use the restroom.”
She jumps from the chair and hurries out of the room. Jesus, did I take it too far? She’s like a frightened rabbit.
I play the video back on my phone. The sexual chemistry sizzling between us could fry an egg. Her gaze flicks from my eyes down to my mouth as if silently begging me to kiss her.
I don’t know that anyone has ever looked at me like that.
And the kicker is, I’m giving it back ten-fold. Just watching the video gets me hot and bothered.
I tuck my phone away and walk out to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. I’m going to need all the caffeine I can get.
If she fidgets in that chair one more time , I’m going to make her sit in my fucking lap again.
“I can’t concentrate like this,” I announce with a sigh. “You can’t sit still, those idiots out there are loud as fuck, and all I can smell is fish from the kitchen.”
“Yeah, whoever ordered that should be shot,” Lexi mutters with a cringe. “It’s only two in the afternoon. We could probably finish work for today at my Air BNB. It’s not far.”
I’m already shaking my head. I can’t believe what I’m about to suggest. Just the mere thought of it means I should be committed.
But I don’t see a choice.
“I want to permanently move our workspace to my house on the island.”
Lexi frowns and then starts shaking her beautiful head.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Shawn.”
With the way she says my name, I’m not convinced it’s a good idea either.
I’m a fucking tosser.
“You can’t get comfortable. No matter how many pillows and blankets and extra bloody pens you bring in here, it’s not going to change the fact that you aren’t comfortable. I’m also ready to throw myself off a bridge. Just the idea of coming back here Monday morning makes me want to scream.”
“So you want me to commute to you ?”
“No, I want you to move in with me.” Her eyes go round in surprise. “I can honestly say I’ve never said those words to a woman before.”
My lips twitch in humor. I want her to say yes. I need her to say yes.
“We’re not accomplishing much here, Lexi. We’re a week in, and we’ve only written three scenes. This isn’t working. Bring your blankets and pillows to my place. It’s a hell of a lot more comfortable, I’ll tell you that.”
She stands and paces to the window that looks out at the Seattle skyline.
“Where will I sleep?”
I scowl. “In my guest bedroom, of course. It’s a suite, actually, with your own bathroom, as well.”
“Does the door lock?”
“Jesus, Lexi, I’m not asking you there so I can have my bloody way with you.”
“I didn’t say you were.” She turns back to me now. “I’m uptight, remember?”
“It’s hard to forget.” I cross my arms, waiting for her to make a decision.
“I’ll go with you, as long as you agree to bring me back to the city if I decide I hate it there.”
“Agreed.” I jump out of the chair so quickly you’d think it bit me on the ass. “But you won’t hate it. I have ocean views, no neighbors, and it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable than this place.”
“Personal chef?” she asks with a grin.
“Okay, you’re losing that, but I have a way in the kitchen myself. You won’t go hungry.”
“Your Irish accent comes through when you’re worked up a bit,” Lexi points out. “Most of the time, you don’t have a lilt at all, but there are moments when I hear it.”
“I was a toddler when my parents moved us here,” I say as I finish packing my things into my briefcase. “My younger sister, Maggie, and I don’t have much of an accent. But the older siblings have more of a lilt.”
“How many O’Callaghans are there?” she asks as she folds a blanket.
“Five,” I reply. “You’ll likely meet them.”
She pauses and stares at me. “Why would I do that?”
“Because they all live on the island, and I see them often. Don’t worry, they don’t bite.”
I wink and gather our things.
“I don’t have much to get from the rental,” she says as we walk to my SUV. “I never unpacked all the way.”
“Were you planning to run away?” I ask and watch as she flushes from her neck to her cheeks.
Damn, I bet she does that when a man’s inside of her, too.
“I thought about it, but no. No running away.”
The drive to her rental doesn’t take long. It’s an apartment in downtown Seattle that she’s likely paying an arm and a leg for.
“I hope you can get out of your contract without losing a bunch of money,” I say as I follow her down a hallway to her unit.
“I originally only rented it for the week,” she says with a shrug. “I asked the owner if I could stay awhile, and she agreed, but I just cancelled the reservation on the way over. It should be fine.”
She wasn’t lying earlier. Most of her things are still in the unzipped suitcases lying on the floor. She gathers her toiletries from the bathroom, and in less than ten minutes, we’re in my SUV headed for the ferry.
“I’ve never been on a ferry before,” she says as I park on the boat and motion for her to stay put until I circle the hood and open her door. She lets me take her hand as I lead her out of the vehicle, and I don’t drop it when we walk to the observation deck.
“You’ll get some amazing views of the Sound,” I inform her and lean against the railing. She lets go of my hand, and I want to snatch it back immediately, but I just smile at her. “Do you enjoy the ocean?”
“Never been,” she says again and takes a deep breath. “It’s salty.”
“You’ve never been to the ocean?” I ask with surprise. “Ever?”
“I’m not exactly what you’d call a traveler,” she says with a shrug. “I’ve been diagnosed as slightly agoraphobic, but I think I just like to stay home. I’m obviously not paralyzed with fear.”
“My family is from a small village by the sea in Ireland, and my parents moved us to the island because it reminded Da of home. I’ve always been near the water. Maggie says I’m moody like the sea.”
“Moody is a good word for it,” Lexi says with a laugh. “I just chalked it up to being a writer. I’m moody, as well. Temperamental. I mean, I bought two hundred dollars’ worth of blankets and pillows just because it feels nice . So, yeah, temperamental artist is my middle name.”
“I think my whole family has moments of moodiness, truth be told.” I point off into the distance where a spray of water shoots into the air. “A whale.”
“Oh God, a whale ? Are we safe?”
“You’re on a large vessel, Lexi. It can’t jump up and snatch you off the deck.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know that, would I?”
Another spray goes up.
“It’s getting closer,” she says.
“I believe there’s more than one.”
Her startled eyes whip up to mine. “How many are there?”
I laugh and tuck a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. “I have no idea. Could be a mama and her baby.”
“Oh, right. Because whales have babies.” She visibly swallows and grips the railing so hard, I’m surprised it doesn’t snap under her grasp. “Can we make a noise or something to make them go away?”
“Most people like to see them.”
“Oh. Why?”
“They’re not exactly great white sharks, Lexi. They’re only dangerous to seals and stuff. I don’t think they’ve eaten any humans lately.”
She nods and swallows hard when another plume of water shoots into the air about a hundred yards from the ferry.
“Is this the only way on or off the island?”
“It’s the shortest route, but it’s not the only way.”
Her eyes whip to mine again. “You mean we could have driven?”
“It would have taken several hours,” I say, trying to reason with her. “This ride is only an hour, tops.”
She nods but doesn’t seem reassured.
“Are you afraid of the water?”
“Of course, not.” She firms her lips and raises her chin almost defiantly. “Like you said, I’m on a big boat. No need to be scared.”
She’s quiet for the rest of the journey, and much to my relief, we don’t see any more whales. When we’re given the signal, we return to my SUV, and I drive us off the boat and back onto dry land.
Lexi visibly sighs in relief next to me.
“What did you think?”
“It wasn’t bad.”
“You hated it.”
She smiles but shrugs a shoulder. “It wasn’t bad,” she repeats.
I drive to the other side of the small island and turn into my driveway. “I bought this place last year when my sister, Maeve, told me it was for sale. She’s a realtor here on the island. The previous owner passed away, and with no family, it went back to the bank. I got it for a spectacular deal. I had parts of it updated, but it’s the view that stole my heart.”
I park the car and jump out, excited to show Lexi the inside of my home.
“I’ll come back for your things,” I say as she steps out of the vehicle. “Let’s go inside. I’ll give you a tour.”
“Thank you.”
The house isn’t enormous. At just over two thousand square feet, it’s modest but has plenty of space for me.
“The kitchen is brand new,” I inform her. “I love to cook, so I needed an updated space.”
“I like that it flows into the living space, and we can see the ocean from here.”
“It didn’t used to be this way,” I reply. “There used to be a wall here, but I tore it out. My room is over there, to the right. The guest rooms are upstairs. Come on, I’ll show you.”
She follows me up, and I can already see a difference in how she’s holding herself. She looks almost relaxed.
“Oh, this is lovely,” she says as she sits on the side of the queen bed in the guest room. “I love all of the colors. And this vase is divine.”
She points to a teal and yellow glass piece beside the bed.
“My brother made it.”
“He made it?”
“Yes. Kane O’Callaghan.”
She blinks at me and then looks at the vase. “Your brother is the famous glass sculptor?”
“One and the same. Your bathroom is through here. All of the linens are new and washed. No one’s used them yet.”
When I turn around, Lexi is standing at the big picture window, staring out at the ocean.
“This is a good place, Shawn.”
“It is, yes.”
“Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Thanks for coming along,” I reply. “Feel free to settle in. I’ll bring your bags up. And I’ll have dinner ready by six. Then, we’re going to the pub.”
“We’re going to a pub? Tonight ?”
“That’s right. It’s Friday, and Keegan can probably use my help. If you’d rather not go, you’re welcome to stay here, but you’ll have much more fun at the pub.” I wink at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk you into it.”