Chapter 7
Nina grudgingly woke up with the sun and dragged herself to the bathroom for a shower. She’d planned to sleep in. Sunday was the one day she indulged herself with some extra sleep and a slow start.
But last night with Boone, on what felt suspiciously like a date, had left her restless and uneasy.
Needy.
Her dreams had been too vivid, all of them involving her and Boone and every available surface. Still, she blamed the general restlessness on Spratt wandering about, free to cause whatever trouble he set his mind to. A situation she had zero control over, unless she wanted to escape to a safe house.
No, thank you.
Because, needy.
Unless they took Boone off her case and dropped her into a safe house with a protector she wasn’t wildly attracted to. Somehow, she didn’t see him liking that idea. And she wasn’t keen on running away from trouble. Not when Spratt likely knew exactly where she worked. She didn’t want to hear about him harassing Molly or anyone else on Central .
So she’d stay, which meant Boone would stay. He seemed relatively content to be hanging out, attached to her at the hip. He was always offering to cook or get food. The man liked to help and there wasn’t much for him to do at the shop unless heavy lifting was involved.
His helpful nature was a good thing. He applied himself to every task with a sincere and generous effort. She was trying to accept that at face-value. Wasn’t easy considering her lingering embarrassment over how they’d met. How she’d left him.
That brilliant act of cowardice had been running away. Clearly, the tactic didn’t serve her well.
And yet, Boone seemed invested in the job. In her. She caught a few glances he aimed her way when she was working.
Glances that made her knees weak and her heart skip. Made her wonder if one more night wouldn’t be good for both of them. For closure.
No. No. No. That kind of thinking had to stop. Sure, the attraction was simmering, but he was here watching over her as his job. Taking advantage of the unexpected proximity would be unethical.
Fun, but unethical.
Dressed in loose cotton pants and a tank top, she headed for the kitchen. After a cup or three of coffee, she’d go down and find flowers to take over to family dinner this afternoon. She hadn’t seen her parents since the incident in Charleston, leaving Jess to tell them about the mess she’d made.
Honestly, it was a wonder they hadn’t descended on her at the shop. Nash hadn’t dropped in either.
It should not have taken her this long to realize Jess had worked a miracle, somehow convincing the family that Nina needed space, not smothering .
If she’d been inclined to skip out on family dinner this afternoon, she dismissed the idea. Her future sister-in-law deserved better. Her brother and parents too, really. Her biggest fear was that her mother would read between the lines when she saw Nina and Boone together.
So it was best to practice keeping all her needy thoughts hidden away. Preferably until after Spratt was caught and Boone reassigned.
Her good, platonic intentions were immediately challenged. Boone leaned against her counter near the coffee pot, jeans loose on his hips, no shirt or shoes. Her hands tingled, desperate for another exploration of his sculpted chest and abs. She could study his arms, the movement of his muscles from his hands to his shoulders, for hours.
Rattled, she pressed a hand to her jumpy stomach. “Morning.”
His eyes were warm—hot—and his lips curled. “Good morning. Sleep well?”
“Sure.” It was a white lie. She could usually pull those off, but he shook his head.
“You didn’t. I heard you tossing and turning.”
Now she felt guilty. The apartment was small and the bedrooms shared what must be a rather thin wall. “So you didn’t sleep well either?”
“I’m used to sleeping light.” His eyebrows pinched together. “When I’m on the job.” The coffee finished brewing and he poured himself a cup before moving to the table. He pulled out a chair, spun it around and straddled it. “What’s your schedule today?”
She busied herself with her coffee, even though it didn’t smell nearly as good as he did. The first item on her agenda was not to drag Boone to the nearest bed and spend the day making new sexy-time memories.
“My family will expect us to go over for dinner this afternoon. Around two.”
“All right. ”
“Dad will want to grill something. Mom will handle the rest. I’ll take flowers.”
“Naturally.”
She raised her mug in a salute.
“And between now and then?”
She clamped her mouth shut before she suggested something they’d probably regret. “You decide,” she said. “We can relax here, or go… Somewhere.”
“I checked the weather. Looks like a good day for going somewhere.” He smiled. “I’d love to see more of the island.”
Predictably, that smile sent her heart into dizzying spins. It would be smart to get out of the apartment and her willpower could use the boost. Out in public, she would have to behave herself.
“For security or…”
He set his coffee mug down with a firm clink. “Nina. I’m not playing games here. I think it’s obvious I like being with you. If it’s not equally clear, I’m still very much attracted. To you,” he emphasized. “Given a choice, I’d gladly spend the day in bed with you.”
She was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open. “I…” She deliberately closed her mouth. Swallowed all the immediate reactions. Taking a slow sip of her coffee, she ordered her brain to come back online. Any cooperation was rendered useless while she resisted the urge to scamper off to the bathroom as her stomach rejected the caffeine.
“I said the wrong thing,” he muttered. He ran his hand across the whiskers shading his jaw. “Frankly, I don’t want to hold back because—” He stopped short.
Unable to meet his gaze, she stared into her coffee. “Because you’re afraid I won’t be around to listen later,” she finished for him.
“Yes. That. ”
His gaze was so somber her heart ached. “I’m sorry,” she said after a long moment. “I can’t really explain why I did that.”
“I don’t want you to be sorry.”
He stood and walked over, bringing his masculine scent and those warm muscles within easy reach. Tempting her beyond reason. What was she supposed to do with him? Her mind supplied way too many options, none of them appropriate for a professional relationship.
“Let’s start over,” he began. He tipped up her chin. Whatever he’d meant to say next, he changed his mind. “You’ve gone pale. Let me fix breakfast.”
She shook her head. “None for me, thanks. I’ll just have juice.” Another idea came to mind. “We could go down to the Bread Basket instead and have a picnic on the beach,” she suggested. The crisp ocean air always soothed her when she was feeling too much of anything. Overflowing with happiness, the sand between her toes added to the joy. Sad or angry, the consistent beat of the waves gave her perspective. And on the days when she felt lonely, she would sit and remember the many concerts and events on the beach with family and friends and those good times would perk her up again.
A breakfast picnic with Boone would be a lovely memory to carry with her after this was over.
“That’s a great idea.” His grin lit up the entire room.
“I’ll be ready in five,” she said, darting off to her room to change clothes. She pulled on her favorite breezy sundress. The soft fabric and terra-cotta pattern made her feel good. Confident. With sandals and a pashmina in hand, she stopped at the closet near the door for a picnic blanket.
Boone walked out of his room wearing khaki shorts, a blue linen shirt, and well-worn deck shoes. She hoped she wasn’t drooling. “I thought I could get the flowers ready while you stop in at the bakery. Then we can meander wherever you wish and we won’t need to come back here before dinner at Mom and Dad’s.”
In other words, she wouldn’t have to find the strength to resist him before he met her parents. As a bodyguard.
The distinction was important. She didn’t want her family thinking she was crushing on Boone. She was—absolutely—but she’d rather keep it to herself for as long as possible.
“Sounds like a plan.”
He did all the necessary security things, including getting her promise that she would wait for him in her locked shop rather than walk the few steps to the bakery when she was finished. When he returned, looking pleased with himself, she was ready to go. She’d packed the hand-tied arrangement with water tubes so the blooms would be fresh and lovely when she handed the bouquet to her mom in a few hours.
The breakfast picnic was a delight. Under a clear and balmy sky, they polished off the signature Bread Basket strudel while sharing a quiet conversation. He asked her about the concert events on Brookwell, and she could’ve talked for hours.
“Jess mentioned your passion for music and inviting good bands to town.”
She adjusted her skirt, hugging her knees to her chest. “You already know I’m a music addict,” she said. “And I do hope to be on the selection committee someday.” She grinned. “In the meantime, I harangue Reed—he owns the Pelican Pub—into inviting bands I find in Charleston.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Some of these folks need a refresher on the definition of current.”
His laughter joined hers and it was a wonderful, fresh harmony in her heart .
After their picnic, with more beachgoers arriving, she gave Boone a tour of the marina, pointing out various charter services and shops. “Miles runs the sailing school,” she said as they came to the end of the row of stores where several windsurfing sailboards were lined up. “He’s relatively new and already super popular, especially with kids who are eager to learn how to sail. Molly’s son is already asking when he can start lessons.”
“He’s little,” Boone protested, eyeing the boards.
The protective note in his voice made her melt. He couldn’t seem to turn off that natural inclination. “She brings him down to the marina to watch the boats. It’s one of his favorite things to do.”
He bobbed his chin and his shoulders relaxed as if the smidge of context made it all better. From the marina, they walked back to his truck and they drove the entire island. Probably for security reasons, but it was a little like a getting-acquainted tour. He talked about his hometown and his sister, and she pointed out the various landmarks that were important to her. Until they were at the nursery.
“This is your family legacy, huh?”
She had given that phrase significant consideration. “It is. Though we’re just now into the second generation. If we’re lucky, Nash’s kids might be inclined to take it over.”
“Or run off and open a flower shop,” Boone said.
She chuckled. “I suppose we should think about effective cross-training.”
“You want kids?”
“Someday,” she replied immediately. “I’m not exactly in a rush, but yes, I want to pass on what my parents gave me.”
“Which is?”
She stopped short of sighing. He’d warned her that he wanted to get to know her. “Roots. A sense of place. Pride in being part of the community. Empowered.” Until she’d said it, she didn’t realize exactly how true it was. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done my share of rebelling.” She opened the door and hopped out of the truck. “I’ll show you around.”
When he was beside her on the path leading to the front door, he murmured. “Couldn’t have been too much of a rebellion.”
“What makes you think so?”
“No one from the island grapevine has cornered me to tell me all about it.”
She rolled her eyes. “And miracles abound.” But it left her wondering how many people he’d met during his security walks around the shop. Lila wouldn’t tell any secrets from their high school days, though her grandmother still teased them occasionally about a certain crush.
“You could tell me about it first.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Then I could set the record straight if there’s any embellishment.”
“Well…” She was thinking about that crush back in high school. And her current infatuation with the one-night-stand who was now her protector. There were a few secrets she’d never shared. “Want to see where I had my first real kiss?”
His eyes lit up and her cheeks heated. “Lead the way.”
She used her key to show him around the nursery, past the offices and work tables to the greenhouse areas out back. He paused, his head tilting. “I can hear the ocean.”
“Yes.” She gave him a long look. “You’re on an island.”
He ducked his head, looking sheepish. “I know. It just seems louder here.”
The sounds were so familiar to her she didn’t notice the differences any longer. “Part of it is the building, but it’s also the location. Our nursery is the last privately owned property on this side of the island.” She pointed. “Beyond that strip of marine forest is the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Huh. And the kiss?” He looked around. “Let me guess?”
“Sure.” What was the harm? He didn’t know what a silly girl she’d been as a kid. He barely knew a sliver beyond the surface of the woman she’d become.
And yet, he walked around the space, through the rows of fruit trees and shrubs, and she had no idea how he wound up at the exact location. The nursery had been rearranged many times since that one night she’d snuck out to meet Grady Mills for a midnight walk.
“Here?” He looked so confident, standing there close to the back door, she wished she could lie.
“Yes.” She folded her arms. “How could you possibly know?” Who could’ve told him?
He shrugged. “It’s a guy thing. Male intuition.”
“Give me more than that. Please,” she softened the demand as she stalked over.
He waved at the door. “Back door, easy to escape in case your dad walked in.”
“Wouldn’t have happened,” she defended herself automatically.
“Ah.” His grin threatened to stop her heart. “So you were out late and making sure Nash wouldn’t catch you.”
“Nash had his own secret places,” she said. “You made a lucky guess.”
“No.” He caught her hand, drawing her closer. “Educated. I was a teenage boy once.”
Hard to believe when he was standing here, bigger than life, beautiful and strong. A man full grown in every possible way.
“If you’d snuck out to meet me, if you’d given me permission to kiss you, I’d want to do it right here.” He turned her before she realized what he was doing. She was tucked back against the wall, in the shadow of a citrus tree. “Right here,” his breath feathered over her cheek. “I’d shelter you from anyone who might catch us.” His hands were light at her waist. “Can I kiss you, Nina?”
“Yes.”
Breathless. Needy. The last time he’d asked, he hadn’t known her name. She hadn’t realized what she’d been missing. They’d been dancing and his touch had been more confident on her body. But the power here, of knowing each other, thrummed through her body. If he didn’t kiss her soon, she felt as if she’d be forever caught in an undertow of longing.
He moved then, claiming her mouth as if he understood exactly how to ease the desperation, how to feed her desires.
Because of course he did.
Nothing like her first-ever kiss in this very spot. His scent wound around her, blending with the citrus trees. She breathed him in. His skin, kissed by the sunshine, so enticing. She clung, eager to be closer, her hands crushing the linen of his shirt as she sought out the stability of his strong frame.
“Nina.” He murmured her name over and over as his mouth kissed a path along her jaw, over the shell of her ear, down her throat.
This man. A stranger once. A bodyguard now. And so much more. “Boone.” She gave herself up to every delightful sensation. Lost in him, in them. To be here with him, to have a second chance was a miracle.
Which felt like way too much pressure.
More likely the universe was just having a laugh at her expense. Laugh it up, universe. Because this man was an incredible treat and right now she didn’t care if she deserved a treat or not. Boone was better than ice cream on the Fourth of July or Lila’s tropical chocolate croissants any day of the year. He made her feel as if she belonged. With him. On the island.
Something about him made her feel like her best self.
A chill doused her so suddenly someone might as well have dumped ice over her head. It wasn’t Boone’s job to make her into her best self. That was on her. His job was to keep her safe during a crisis. As good as this felt, it was muddying the waters.
She pressed lightly against his chest and he eased back. Seeing the wrinkles in his shirt, she started smoothing them out. He ran his fingers through her hair, tucking the curls to his liking.
Oh, man. There was no doubt in her mind that she looked like a woman who’d just been kissed into a lovely senseless state.
Her mother would pick up on that in an instant. Nina did not want to deal with that speculation.
“Wow. You’re good at being a teenage boy.” She tried to lighten the mood. When he frowned, she hastily added, “A much better kisser, though.”
“Compliments like that will go straight to my head.” He was smiling, his gaze as soft as she felt inside. He kept fiddling with her hair, making her want to snuggle into his touch.
She laughed, nudged him back another step. “We need to get over to the house,” she said. “Mom and Dad’s house,” she clarified when an image of Boone in her bed filled her mind. “They’ll have loads of questions for you and Jess, I’m sure.”
“About security, you mean.”
“Yes,” she replied, though it hadn’t been a question.
He carefully extricated his hand from hers and something shifted in his gaze. He hadn’t exactly shut her out, but his guard was up. He was back in professional mode .
She felt a strange pinch behind her sternum. She’d made a mistake with him. Again.
But he couldn’t possibly expect her to waltz into family dinner and introduce him as anyone other than her bodyguard.
With her track record for dating only guys that were temporarily in town, that would be worse than admitting to her family that their introduction three days ago hadn’t been their first meeting.