Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
FINN
“ Y ou’re late,” Dad says as I enter his office.
“I had a late night.” I scratch the stubble on my jaw, not having had time to shave this morning.
Dad gives me a disapproving glare. He thinks I was out partying. He doesn’t know I was up watching the equivalent of a real-life David Attenborough documentary. But right now, I’ve more important things to discuss than my whereabouts last night.
“Please tell me you had nothing to do with the land grab at the Oceanside Oasis.” I stare at my father over his desk, the landscape of this quaint little town behind him through the large glass office window.
“Land grab?” His brow furrows, making his wrinkles deeper.
I drop into the leather chair opposite him and exhale with relief. Dad’s confusion at least tells me he wasn’t involved. “You worked on that development. Someone burned down the house that was there before.”
“They approved the planning and sold the land before I joined the development project. But the Kilmore family are ruthless. I wouldn’t put anything past them.”
“And you want to do business with them?” I straighten my spine, my whole body on fire, wanting to ruin anyone who’s ever hurt my turtle girl.
“The father’s on the planning committee, that's all. He sold the land to the Oceanside developers, which is who I worked for before I set up my development business.” Dad straightens his tie. “It was twenty years ago. What’s all this about?”
No wonder Shelly hates Chad Kilmore and his cousin Bentley. I run my thumb under my suspenders, wondering about the best approach here. “You can’t develop on the beach.”
Dad bursts out laughing. This isn’t the reaction I expected. “I’m not putting off a multi-million-dollar development so you can get your leg over with that sea life enthusiast.”
“You know about Shelly?”
“Son, the whole town knows about you and Miss Myrtle. It made the front page of the Magnolia Gazette .” He slides the paper to me. His laughter subsides.
“Kiss & Shell” is the headline on the front page. I read the article aloud. “Local girl, Shelly Myrtle, raises over $30,000 at her annual Save Our Seas fundraiser, beating last year’s total of $18,000. The turtle conservation team’s hosting of a kissing auction for International Kissing Day led to the increase in funds raised. The event captivated Finnegan Jones, a British tourist and son of British MP, Merryssa Jones. Finnegan bid an astounding $10,000 for one kiss from our conservationist, Shelly Myrtle, who has caught Finn hook, line and sinker.”
Dad leans over the large wooden desk. “You realise that money will take us to court over planning permission? If you wanted to pay for it , there are plenty of girls in the city who’re much cheaper and prettier.”
“Is that where you found Cordelia?”
He slams his fist against the table. “I won’t have you disrespecting Delia like that.”
I drag a hand over my tired face. “I’m sorry. I’ve nothing against her. She’s like the sister I never had.”
“Enough with the digs. She’s been nothing but kind to you.”
“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe Shelly’s ever wronged you, but here you are disrespecting the girl I like.”
“It will be someone else next week.” He goes back to his computer screen as if this conservation is over.
“You can’t build near the nesting area. Just get the plans redrawn. If she finds out I work for Dream Developments and Construction, she’ll never talk to me again.”
“Have you lost your mind? It’s one thing to pay to get laid, but another thing to ruin a multi-million-dollar development for the sake of some girl.”
I stand from the chair and lean over the desk, resting my knuckles against the wood. “She’s not just some girl.”
“Come on, there’s plenty more fish in the sea.” He chuckles at his pun.
I take in a deep breath and count to ten. There’s no reasoning with him. Just like when I bring up the subject of my career. I tug at the knot in my tie and pull it from under the collar. “If you go through with this development, I want no part of it.” I ball the tie in my fist and turn around, stomping towards the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Anywhere but here. I need some air.”
“Son.”
I stop in the door, gritting my teeth.
“If you want me to take you seriously with this girl, maybe you should bring her to dinner.” He continues to stare at his screen.
I slant my eyes, wondering what he’s thinking. Does he just want to scope out the sort of woman he’s fighting, or is he genuinely considering going back to the drawing board?
“Delia and I have dinner reservations at the country club on Saturday. Shall I add two more guests?” He looks over the computer with one raised bushy brow.
“I’ll see if Shelly has plans.”
I enter the hut on the beach with three large canvases under my arm. Leaning against the wall of the small cafe and shop run by the Save Our Seas volunteers, I admire my turtle girl, bent over as she tidies the stuffed turtles on the bottom shelf. The frill at the hem of her pretty flowered dress floats around her thick thighs.
My chest swells at thoughts that she’s not wearing her usual shorts and t-shirt in an attempt to dress up for me. Not that I care what she wears. If I had my way, it would be nothing, but the thought that she wants to dress up for me gives me some hope.
She turns around and steps back with a jump. “How long have you been here? ”
I walk towards her, sliding the canvases onto the counter. “Long enough. Just admiring the view.”
Her eyes widen as she tugs the hem of her dress down.
I slip my arm around her waist, bringing her close to me with a possessive need to claim my girl. “You look delicious,” I whisper in her ear.
Her body tenses in my arms.
“You didn’t have to get all dressed up for me, but I like it.” My nose grazes her neck, inhaling the scent of the ocean and a coconut sunscreen. “You smell delicious, too. I could eat you right up.”
Her chest rises against mine, her heart beating wildly against my rib cage. “I didn’t get dressed up for you. I got dressed up for me.”
“Whatever you say, turtle girl.” Biting back my smirk, I step away, leaving her with flushed cheeks. I want to see her laid out on my boat with that same flush on her chest, her thighs red from my stubble.
Tapping the canvases, I say, “I brought the paintings.”
She slips behind the counter and lifts one up. “These are going to sell like hotcakes. Do you have a minimum price to sell for?”
I shrug my shoulder. “Sell for whatever you can get.”
She asks her colleague to hang them on display before she grabs a straw hat and a large straw bag. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.” I take her hand in mine. For the first time today, I’m able to relax a little. Somehow, being with her just makes everything right. “I thought we could sail to Turtle Rock.”
“Sounds good. I haven’t been there in ages.”
At the marina, I lead Shell onto the sailboat. I’ve already prepped everything beforehand, so we just need to use the motor to manoeuvre out of the marina before I can harness the wind .
While I’m busying myself getting underway, Shelly looks around, opening the hatch to the cabin.
She looks back at me as if asking permission to snoop.
“Go ahead. It’s fine.”
She dips her head and steps down into the cabin. “This is really nice.” She pokes her head out. “There’s a little sofa in here and a toilet.”
I get the boat moving and steer us out of the marina. “It converts to a bed, too.”
Her mouth parts before she disappears back inside the cabin. I groan inwardly at having her just where I want her, but right now, I need to focus on manoeuvring us into the open ocean. But nothing’s gonna stop me when I get her all alone.