Chapter 14 #2
“She does that with most of her properties, though,” Claire added. “Almost to the point of sabotage. Like, I don’t know what she’s thinking sometimes. Some of those clauses and terms she wants to include are just nuts.”
A corner of Ozzie’s mouth kicked up. “Yes, well, it’ll be a little harder for her to stonewall me. I’ll remind her she could be charged with obstruction, or even aiding and abetting, if she knows where he is and doesn’t tell me.”
Claire tipped her glass toward him and smiled. “Good luck.”
He grinned, the expression slightly cold and calculating. “Thanks, babe.”
I said a silent prayer of thanks I wasn’t the one Ozzie was about to interrogate. That look was a little scary.
Dinner conversation turned to more mundane subjects, and the four of us fell into the easy rhythm of friendship.
I was still aware of the undercurrents passing between myself and Mina every time our eyes met, but the relaxed atmosphere helped to keep it banked.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed, and the evening was winding down.
“You know, I enjoyed this.” Ozzie’s low voice rumbled as he walked over to sink to his haunches beside me as I crouched in front of the fireplace, rubbing Betty’s belly. We’d let the dogs in after dinner, and she had immediately demanded attention. I’d been perfectly happy to provide it since.
“Me too. I’ve been so busy lately, it was nice to forget about work for a while.”
“I hope it can happen more often.” Ozzie studied me for a long moment.
“I see the way you look at Mina. I can also see there’s some tension between you two that isn’t all the pleasurable kind.
Don’t hurt her. I won’t hold Claire back when she comes after you if you do.
” His wry smile softened his words, but the look in his eyes told me he was still serious.
“I have no intention of hurting Mina. I was a bit of a dumbass and didn’t call when I should have, but we’ll work through that. She’s amazing, and I’d like to see what happens.”
“Good. Now why don’t you see her home and apologize properly for your faux pas?” Ozzie’s smile widened.
I snickered. “You just don’t want the two of them to talk until midnight.” I nodded toward the women. They were parked at the dining table still, chatting away.
“Maybe.” Ozzie chuckled.
Giving Betty one last pat, I stood, then held out a hand. “Thanks for the update and for dinner. Next time, you and Claire will have to come to my place in Juneau. We’ve got great pizza.”
Ozzie nodded once, rising next to me. “Sounds good.”
I headed over to the table, gaze fixed on Mina. Would she let me follow her home? Even if I didn’t stay, would she want to say goodnight? We’d laughed and joked all evening, but Ozzie was right. There was an undercurrent of tension there not brought on by our attraction.
When I approached, the women stopped talking and turned to look at me.
“It’s getting late. I’m going to head out. Mina, can I see you home?”
Her brow furrowed, but a spark of heat flashed in her eyes.
“Oh. Um…” She checked her watch. “Wow. I didn’t realize it was so late.
” Her gaze met mine again. “Sure.” Pushing away from the table, she stood.
“Claire, I’ll see you later.” Looking at Ozzie, who’d come closer and was holding Betty, she pierced him with a look.
“You better keep the updates coming and keep your word about my café space. Those renovations need to get rolling.”
“I will do my best to clear out as soon as possible, I promise.”
With hugs and words of thanks, Mina gathered her purse, and I ushered her out the door.
“You don’t have to follow me home. I can make it just fine. It’s not far.”
“I’m sure you can, but I still want to. You and I need to talk.”
She blew out a long breath as we reached her car. “Luke, it’s late. I—”
I waved a hand, cutting her off. “I’m not asking to come in or to stay the night. I just want to make sure we clear the air, and we both know where we stand.”
She pressed her lips together, glancing away for a quick moment, then nodded. “Okay.” Rattling off her address, she unlocked her car. “I’ll see you there.”
I hurried to my truck as she climbed into her car and started the engine. She’d given me her address, so I didn’t think she would change her mind, but I didn’t want to give her the chance. Going home without some sort of understanding about things wasn’t happening.
The drive to Mina’s took about ten minutes.
Parker’s Landing wasn’t a large town, but it was long, stretching out over the coastal highway.
She lived on the opposite end from Claire and Ozzie.
Luckily, it was also the side closer to Juneau.
I would be closer to home once we finished our conversation.
Pulling in behind her car, I parked and cut the engine. She was already out and walking up the driveway to the front door of her quaint tan house.
Picking up my pace, I hurried to catch her before she could unlock it. I grabbed her hand.
She turned to look at me. The quiet pressed in around us, broken only by the soft chirp of the crickets and the rustle of wind through the large pine in her front yard.
Her brow puckered. “You keep looking at me like you’ve got something to say,” she said finally, her tone sharper than her eyes, which shimmered with something softer. “So say it, Luke. Don’t just sit there staring at me.”
I huffed a laugh that wasn’t really a laugh.
“I love your bluntness. Fine.” Inhaling a breath through my nose, I did my best to give voice to the thoughts swirling through my head.
“The truth is, I don’t know what we’re doing or where this is headed.
All I know is, I like you. Our business relationship complicates things, and I think you’re a little hesitant about my age. Am I right?”
She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Maybe.” Quickly, her eyes darted away. “I can’t afford for this to be a fling. Not with my business on the line. Not with everything else going on.”
I nodded slowly. “I get that. But this isn’t a fling to me. I’m sorry if I gave that impression by disappearing for several days, but that wasn’t my intention. What we shared…” I trailed off and shook my head. “Well, it scared me. The intensity of it, you know?”
Those gorgeous eyes of hers met mine, shining a silvery blue in the evening sun. “Yeah, I get that.” Her gaze darted away again for a quick second, but she didn’t pull her hand away, which I found encouraging.
“How do you feel about our age gap? I mean, you’re six years younger than me. That may not matter to you now, but one day—”
I put a finger over her lips, silencing her words. “No. Six years is nothing. If it were reversed, would you even bat an eye?”
She brought her free hand up and removed my finger but held on to my hand. “I guess I see your point.”
“Good,” I said, my voice low. “Because I’ve wanted you since the day I walked into that building with a clipboard and found you ready to stab me with your keys.”
That pulled a reluctant smile from her. “You did look suspicious.”
I chuckled, holding her gaze. “Age doesn’t matter. Titles don’t matter. Mina, I want you. That’s the problem. I don’t just want this job, I want you.”
Her breath hitched, and a long silence stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Finally, she shook her head. “You scare me. My feelings scare me.”
I untangled one hand from hers to skim my fingers over her cheek. “Ditto.” A soft smile lit my face. “Maybe if we’re both scared, that means this is real.”
Her tremulous smile set a quiver of need through my veins.
“Yeah. Maybe.” Her words were nearly a whisper.
I leaned closer, needing to taste her lips. “You should know, I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you tell me to walk away.”
For a long beat, she didn’t say anything. But then a slow, sexy smile appeared on her lovely face. “Well, don’t do anything stupid and maybe I’ll let you stick around.”
The laugh that bubbled free only just made it past my lips before she cut it off with a fierce kiss.
Groaning, I speared my fingers into her dark hair and clutched her close. I wanted to take her keys from her and let us inside, where I could ravish her before we made it past the entryway.
But I’d meant what I said when we left Claire and Ozzie’s.
Ripping my mouth away, I rested my forehead against hers, breathing hard. “I didn’t follow you home just to get into your bed.”
“I know.” She stroked my face with her fingertips, nearly derailing my thoughts.
Swallowing hard, I lifted my head. “If we’re going to make this work, it needs to be about more than sex.” With a monumental effort, I stepped back. “So, on that note, I’m going home. But”—I tapped her nose—“you and I are going on a date tomorrow.”
Her brows dipped. “What if I’m busy?”
I returned her frown, considering that. “Are you?”
She grinned. “No.”
I laughed. “Tease.” Pecking a quick kiss on her lips, I backed away.
“Seven o’clock tomorrow evening. I’ll pick you up.
Wear something comfortable. Not fancy.” While I had no doubt she would look amazing all dressed up, I had a feeling that, like me, she preferred comfort over fashion.
A low-key dinner somewhere and hunting for sea glass on the beach felt like a perfect date.