Chapter 15
fifteen
FRANCIE
“Thank you,” I say hurriedly, tugging at the door handle like it’s a lifeline. No way am I giving Toe-zilla the wrong idea. “You got me out of a real bind.”
Simon and his stupid cab were nowhere to be found. Next time I’ll walk home with a flashlight and a taser.
I close the door behind me and give him a quick, awkward wave, hoping against hope that he doesn’t follow me. Then I power-walk toward the lighthouse, exhaustion setting in like someone hit the ‘off’ switch on my legs.
Behind me, a car door slams. My heart jumps.
Of course it does.
I turn slowly. Reed is headed my way, gliding silently in those freaky shoes like a ninja yogi.
“I’ll just make sure you get in safely,” he says.
“You can do that from your car,” I offer helpfully, without stopping. Because there’s no way I’m giving the man an in. I just want him gone.
“Yeah, but I’d kill for a coffee.” He grins.
“Isn’t caffeine a capitalist toxin or something?” I ask, quickening my pace. “Anyway, I’m going straight to bed. Alone. Thanks again. And good luck with… the breathing.”
“I won’t bite,” he murmurs.
Men who won’t take no for an answer are almost as annoying as the ones who push you away before you have a chance to say yes. Like a certain overprotective security expert who’d rather stare at a screen than at me.
Not that I’m thinking about that guy right now or anything.
“I’m good, really,” I say, pasting on my brightest please leave me alone before I have to fake a seizure smile. “You’ve been super helpful tonight, but I’m going to dive straight into bed and pretend today never happened.”
Reed doesn’t move. He shifts his weight onto one freaky toe-shoe’d foot and gives me a look I think he believes is sultry. Needless to say, it’s more pained than sexy.
“I could come in for just one,” he says, pushing his lips into a pout. “We don’t even have to talk. We could just… breathe.”
“Tempting,” I deadpan, “but I’ve hit my inhale quota for the day.”
My phone buzzes in my hand. I glance down at the screen and nearly drop it.
Asher Fitzgerald appears across the glass. I don’t know whether to be annoyed or stupidly relieved.
I decide to go for relieved and flash a smile at Captain Chakra.
“Sorry, this is important,” I tell him. “I need to take it.” I swipe accept and lift the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” I try to sound casual, like I’m not currently in the midst of batting off the advances of a breath-loving forty-something who is so not my type.
“Francie. You okay?”
I stiffen. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Look behind you.”
Something flickers down my spine. A mix of fear and something else I don’t want to name. I do what he says, half expecting to see the man himself casually leaning against the front door of the lighthouse. But of course he’s not there.
“Look up. Above the door.”
My gaze lifts, and I see what he’s talking about. There’s a little black camera with a flashing red light. “Oh,” I murmur.
“You look uncomfortable,” Asher says. “Am I right?” There’s the softest tone to his voice. Like he’s trying to calm a frightened animal.
And I realize that’s exactly what I must look like to him right now.
“Yes,” I say, my stomach tightening.
“Pass the phone to him, please.”
“What? Why?” I ask, because this whole situation has just turned even weirder on me.
“Francie.” He still has that calming-frightened-rabbit tone. “Please just do it.”
I sigh and hold the phone out. “Reed,” I say, “it’s for you.”
He frowns. “Who is it?”
I shrug, because I have no idea how to explain my relationship to Asher. And quite frankly, I just want Reed to leave. He reluctantly takes my phone, lifting it to his ear while flashing me a confused look.
“Ah yeah?” Reed says, looking nonchalant.
There’s a beat of silence, then Reed’s brows furrow until they form one perfectly hairy line. He nods, even though he doesn’t know Asher can see him, then hands me back the phone like it’s about to explode.
“I gotta go,” he mutters, not catching my eye.
“I have an early flight. And I can’t miss my sunrise yoga.
” He stumbles over his words as he abruptly turns on those terrible shoes.
“Peace out.” He practically runs to his car, yanking the door open and flinging himself inside.
I only take a single breath before he starts the engine and reverses like a bat out of hell down the driveway.
“Francie?”
I blink. Asher is still there.
“Are you okay?” he asks again. His voice is still gentle. And I like it. Way too much. More than the angry, accusing Asher that I seem to awaken every time we talk.
“What did you say to him?” I whisper.
“I might have misquoted Liam Neeson’s speech from Taken,” he admits.
“You told him you have a very particular set of skills?” I don’t know whether to laugh or not.
“Something like that. Now go inside and lock the door behind you.”
I do as he tells me, flicking the lights on, and taking a deep breath as I kick my shoes off, the weariness I felt earlier coming back tenfold.
“Can I check the lighthouse?” he asks me.
“What do you mean? You want me to put you on video?”
There’s a gentle laugh. “No, I’m asking if I can turn on the cameras to check that you’re safe.”
“Wait, cameras? You’ve been watching me?” I ask him, shocked.
“No,” he says quickly. “Not once. They’ve been off since Autumn left.”
I can tell by the tone in his voice that he’s telling the truth. “Okay. Then yes, please turn them on. Just to check. Then off again, right?”
“Right,” he confirms. “I won’t turn them on unless you ask me to.”
“Thank you.” I believe him. There’s a silence, then I see a flashing light in the corner of the room. “Can you see me?”
“Yes,” he murmurs. “You look anxious.”
“That’s because you’re looking at me.”
“Are you really okay?” he asks. His voice is so soft I feel like it’s wrapping around me.
“I’m not sure,” I murmur. “Is the rest of the lighthouse okay?”
“It’s fine.” There’s a pause. “He’s not your boyfriend, is he?”
“No,” I admit. “I made that up to get you and Myles off my back.” There’s no point in hiding it now. Especially since he went to all this trouble to check on me. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry for making you feel like you had to.” He takes a breath. “He looked like a dick.”
I start to laugh. “He was. Those shoes…”
“Can you believe people wear them and still think they’re gonna get laid?” he asks.
“Nope. I’m going to have nightmares about them tonight. Who wants to see toes like that?”
It’s Asher’s turn to laugh. “You’re all clear. Alone. Safe.”
I turn to look at the camera, knowing he’s looking right back at me. It’s weird, not being able to see him back. Yet there’s still this weird sense of peace washing over me. “Thank you,” I tell him, staring right at the lens.
He clears his throat. “You’re welcome. And by the way, I just got notification that your ex-date is on the ferry.”
“I thought he was staying at the hotel,” I say, confused.
“He was. But I wanted him off the island. Away from you. I told him to head to the ferry and his things would follow. I thought you’d feel better with him gone.”
My mouth drops open. That’s weirdly sweet. In a stalker kind of way. “Did you really quote Liam Neeson?” I ask him. A wave of warmth washes over me.
“I didn’t really quote. Just said something similar. I can’t remember the exact words. I was a little…” he trails off like he’s finding the right word. “Annoyed with him.”
And I’m a little turned on. More than a little, if I’m being honest.
There’s a silence. It’s not awkward, more charged than anything. Like the space between lightning and thunder.
“I should go,” I murmur, though I make no move toward the guest bedroom.
“Yeah,” he says, but he doesn’t hang up.
I stare at the blinking light above the camera. “Are you still looking at me?”
There’s a beat of nothing.
“I haven’t stopped.”
Something flutters low in my belly. Stupid, traitorous thing.
“Goodnight, Francie,” he says, his voice a tad rougher. “I’m going to turn the cameras off, okay? But call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“I will,” I whisper. “Goodnight.” Though I’m pretty sure I won’t be sleeping.
The flickering light stops right as I end the call, the screen going dark in my hand. But the warmth doesn’t fade. Nor does the aching need deep inside of me.
And later, after I’ve showered and checked that all the cameras are indeed off, when I reach for my toy and press it against me, I don’t even try to pretend it’s not his name on my lips.
ASHER
I stare at the computer screen long after I’ve switched off the cameras. There’s a still image of her on the screen, staring at me, her eyes hooded, her lips parted. I’m hard as a fucking rock and I can’t look away.
Her hair is a little messy. Her cheeks are flushed. She looks like she’s just whispered my name, and not in thanks.
I reach down to adjust my aching cock, but my hand lingers. The door to the study is closed, I’m all alone.
Just me and an image of the woman I shouldn’t want. I imagine walking toward her, running my thumb over those swollen lips. Pushing it inside to feel the velvety warmth of her mouth.
My groan echoes in the quiet study as I unzip my pants, my need too strong to ignore. I curl my fist around myself, remembering that night I touched her. How soft her lips were against mine, how hot her breath was as I slid my fingers inside of her.
How fucking tight she was as she came around them.
What if she let me in? What if I didn’t have to hide how much I want her?
When I reach my peak, I groan out her name, spilling my desire all over my stomach in long, achingly pleasurable pulses.
I’m not sure how long I can keep doing this. Watching. Waiting. Pretending I don’t care.
I want her.
But I shouldn’t. I know that. That’s what stops me from calling her again. From ruining everything. From telling her the truth – that she’s the only damn thing I want.