2. Isla
ISLA
Why is Vaughn Madden sitting next to me in a hotel bar during a hurricane? And why do my instincts feel as though being trapped suddenly doesn't seem so bad?
I stare at him, intrigued or impressed by this twist of fate.
However, his devilish grin and the glint in his blue eyes inform me that there is no fate involved.
In fact, he hinted with persistence back at the wedding that it wouldn't be the last time we saw one another.
Damn, his dirty blond hair is a length that is short, but I could still comb my fingers through that wave on top.
“Isn’t this a coincidence,” I state as my head lolls to the side gently, with zero conviction in my voice.
“Hardly,” he says bluntly. “Your concerned friends let it slip that you were staying here, they don’t know that I’m seeing you, though.
And lucky for you, the league has postponed our upcoming home game.
Mother Nature just conspired with me, clearly angry that you never gave me your number, Isla,” he chides before he takes a sip of his drink.
“Hurricane-sized angry?” Doubt casts over my face before I quickly nod a thanks to the barman for my wine that he sets in front of me.
Vaughn leans against the bar, very confident with whatever he has up his sleeve. “You know, a late-season hurricane in November is extremely rare. Only a handful have hit Florida. But it might pass us and hit south or could stall, which would prolong our presence with one another.”
I scoff a sound. “Tell that to the airport that closed, and now I’m stuck here because of Hurricane Nora.”
“With me,” he points out.
I play with the stem of my wine glass. “How convenient.” I try to suppress the smile itching to escape my lips, but I can’t.
The tips of his fingers touch near my elbow, catching me by surprise, and my eyes dart to see the proof that our skin is touching, yet I already feel a flutter in my belly.
It’s not that I was playing hard to get or not very interested back during the wedding weekend. My gut was just telling me that it wouldn’t really go anywhere, not to mention I was so busy with everything. But in truth, I’m attracted to him, far too much.
“It is very convenient. Wasn’t planning on this occurrence at all.” Vaughn’s voice sounds playful, yet there seems to be an underlying truth.
“Neither was I. However, now would be the time to highlight what plan you conspired and is floating in your head.”
“Dirty things.” He’s direct.
I have to chortle because he won’t even try to hide it. “I figured.” A silence overtakes us, and we both glance to the television mounted on the wall, with a weather report on display. “I’ve never been in a hurricane before,” I mention.
“You know, they used to only give hurricanes female names, but then they stopped. However, it’s a historical fact that female hurricanes are by far more dangerous.”
I snicker. “Maybe I should be scared then.”
His fingers gently brush just below my elbow.
“Don’t be scared. It’s really a minor one, won’t even hit during high tide.
Tomorrow it will probably be sunny with no wind,” he explains, and I appreciate that it seems he is trying to ease my concerns.
He ends our touch so he can lean back on his barstool and get comfortable, as neither one of us can go anywhere.
“I’m not scared at all, so I won’t need your strong arms to hold me. I’m from the Midwest, I’ve been through plenty of tornadoes.”
Vaughn lifts his finger. “Now, a tornado and a hurricane are not the same thing, and once you realize that, then I’ll be here with my strong arms, willing to hold you.”
Warm heat hits my face, and I glance up to attempt to read his eyes, but my cheeks feel so tight from the wry smile I’m trying to keep tame.
“You’ve been through a tornado? Where are you actually from?
You’ve only played for Tampa for a short while, right?
” I take a sip of my wine, hoping to ease my curiosity of where this will all lead.
“I’m from Colorado, and I’ve been down here for nearly seven years. Hence, my expertise on weather.”
“Maybe I’ll appreciate it when the lights go out.”
He leans in. “Hurricane or not, the lights will be going out.” It’s a low gravelly husk that makes my body tingle.
Again, I have to laugh. “What is this, really? It’s not like you’ve been thinking about me for two months, so if you found out I’m here and thought what the hell, let’s have some fun, then you are…
” My lips quirk out, debating what to say, but I love honesty.
“Not exactly mistaken.” I have no qualms about enjoying sex.
Now he chuckles. “Thought so.”
We look at one another with ridiculous smiles, a connection that feels far too natural. To some, he may appear way too cocky, but I can tell it’s all in good jest.
“Why aren’t you at your home? You do live here,” I point out.
“Well, as much as this is probably going to be an easy hurricane, the only anticipation that I have is in regards to you, when I discovered that you were here.” He grabs a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar. “And by chance, you’re staying in the hotel that a buddy of mine invested in.”
Lines form on my forehead. “Did he help you land a room here then?”
Vaughn shakes his head. “Nah, me sitting before you about to blow your mind is all thanks to your friends freaking out about you being safe and my determined ability to nab a room using my celebrity status.”
A fond smile takes over me. “Hadley and Connor are great people. All of them are. Their parents, uncles and aunts, even the dogs. They’re family to me.”
A shade of interest and care hits his face while his gorgeous eyes narrow. “You don’t come from a big family?”
I tuck a few strands of hair behind my ear and look down at the floor then back up.
“No, not at all. It’s me and Briggs. Our dad took off before I was born, and our mom, well, decided she didn’t want to be a mom and left when I was five, so we lived with our grandmother who passed a few years back.
Never heard from either of our parents again, and truthfully, never want to.
” Wow, I just laid it all out there, and it feels like a relieving whoosh.
Vaughn reaches out to touch my shoulder gently in a comforting manner.
“Sorry to hear. I understand you completely. Our dad wasn’t around at all, except for the random times he would float in and out of our lives, always in trouble.
Our mom really did it all as a single mom, but now she lives in New Mexico with a new husband, so we don’t see her much, as she is more occupied with her new marriage, and to be honest, has kind of forgotten us, as though we don’t exist.”
“We?”
“My older brother, Stone. He used to play hockey too, actually. We have a sports gene or something. Now, he lives in Chicago. We’re pretty close.”
“Older brothers can be great. Briggs and I are close, as you’ve figured out.”
He chuckles again, this time deeper and at the back of his throat. “Oh, I know. But I don’t particularly care about his opinions.”
I grab some peanuts. “That was always clear.”
“What is it you do exactly at the sports complex?” Vaughn wonders, and I like that we are, in a way, getting to know one another.
“I work in marketing. At first, it was for the summer camps that Ford runs, mostly for kids and charity events. Then it was the development summer training for young pro athletes. However, since the Spinners moved to Lake Spark to train, I liaison often with the team marketing department. I’m super lucky that Ford is my boss, as he is a good one, laid back and lets me come up with my own ideas.
Trusts me until I have the end product,” I explain.
Vaughn’s lips purse out as he thinks about something. “Sounds kind of fun. I wanted to study sports management in college, but I was drafted at twenty so couldn’t finish. A shame, because I have only a few years, if at all, playing before I need to shift gears.”
“Well, you’re not the first guy to be in that situation.”
It’s darker than it should be in here because the hurricane shutters are closed as a precaution, but I think it’s late afternoon. I’m losing track of time because we’re picking up right where we left off two months ago.
“I wouldn’t have figured that you would manage to get yourself here, with determination flooding your eyes,” I note.
“You know, many people stress before a storm, but I always felt rest is key.”
I raise a brow at him. “You need rest, yet here you are.”
A suave grin appears to curl on the corner of his lips that look soft, and his dimples are my downfall, causing my inner walls to tighten. “Ah, so you’re saying I won’t be getting rest?”
Swirling on the stool to face me head-on, he plants his hands down on the edges of my seat to ensure I have no escape.
“Truthfully, I’m still kind of thrown by the fact you appeared here during a storm,” I admit.
“Shall I lay it out for you?”
I nod once purely to play along.
“I think you’re more than gorgeous, and your flirting game is strong. I’m not looking for serious, not now. Not even casual. But a night is something I can do, and I enjoy that it’s a little more than that. Talking to you is easy.”
I study Vaughn for a solid few seconds. “I don’t want you to think that I do this all the time.
I may enjoy a lot of things, but I’m not easy.
Since my last relationship, I accepted that there is no sense in planning or defining lines.
I’m more concerned these days about work, ensuring I’m first in line for the fresh cinnamon rolls at Jolly Joe’s, and trying to survive Hadley’s barre Pilates classes.
I’m not a model or anything like that.” I feel like I’m in good shape, and I’m confident with my looks, yet still I don’t spend hours on my appearance.
This time it’s Vaughn who swipes a few strands of hair behind my ear.
“A girl who isn't afraid of breakfast pastry, you say?” Did he even hear me? “I dated models, and it’s not for me,” he adds.