Chapter 19
L ike I might die if you ever stop kissing me.
McKenzie revisited those words as she fell asleep and then as she awoke to a new day full of exciting possibilities.
Duke Sullivan.
She smiled so big, it was a wonder her face didn’t break.
The thing with him wasn’t without risks, especially after the ordeal Eric had put her through. But she wasn’t thinking of him or his lies as she lay in bed for a few more minutes before beginning another day. No, she was thinking of Duke and how cute he’d been coming to her door last night to apologize for being weird.
Of all things, he’d been jealous of the way the guys from the fire department and Coast Guard had looked at her.
How silly and sweet.
She hadn’t noticed a single one of them. Why would she bother with them when she had the full attention of a man like Duke, who knew how to treat a woman with respect and kindness?
A loud crash followed by beeping outside had her getting up to see what it was. Nothing was happening out front, so she went into the kitchen to look out the other side. Through the trees, she could see equipment and men working on the cabin.
Filled with excitement, she went to get Jax from his crib, then got him changed and fed so they could walk next door to check out what was going on.
Mac was standing in the yard with another man, who looked like a younger version of him. “Oh, hey, McKenzie, this is my cousin Riley. He’ll be supervising things here.”
McKenzie adjusted Jax on her hip so she could shake hands with Riley. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
“This is Jax.”
“Hey, Jax. Nice to meet you, too.”
Jax was dazzled by the orange machine that was pulling pieces of busted wood and other materials off the pile that had once been the cottage.
“Hope we didn’t wake you,” Mac said.
“No worries. We’re thrilled to get started on the repairs.”
“I received your questionnaire, and I’d like to meet with you in the next few days to go over some basic plans to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“Sure, I’m around whenever you have time. I’m going to be working with Tiffany at her store, but she’s closed this week.”
“Yeah, I heard that.”
“Have you heard how they’re doing today?”
“My wife, Maddie, talked to her this morning. She said they managed to get some sleep, but Ashleigh has a lot of questions for which there’re no easy answers.”
“I don’t envy her that.”
“None of us do, but Ash will be very well loved through it. I’m leaving you in Riley’s capable hands. If you need me for anything, you’ve got my number.”
“Thank you again for jumping on this so soon.”
“Glad to help.”
After Mac left, Riley asked for her phone number and punched it into his phone. “Where are you staying while the house is being rebuilt?”
“Next door at Duke’s. He was nice enough to loan me his garage apartment.”
“Oh great. I’ll keep you posted on things here, or pop over here any time to check in. Mac said you’ll be meeting with him to go over the floor plan and other details?”
“Yes, in the next day or two.”
“Excellent.”
As she was about to walk back to Duke’s, a large truck pulled in with a dumpster that was deposited in the yard.
McKenzie was excited to watch the construction progress and was thrilled by how quickly things were moving.
Duke was rolling his big motorcycle out of the garage as she came into the yard. “Are they working over there?”
“Yep.”
“Nice.”
“Mac put his cousin Riley in charge of the project. They sure do make those McCarthy boys handsome, don’t they?”
He grumbled out an inaudible response and then tilted his head, giving her a look that set her blood on fire. That’d certainly never happened before. “How you doing this morning?”
“Good. You?”
“Excellent.”
“Did you sleep well?”
She gave him a coy look. “I was a little tossy-turny. Can’t imagine why.”
“Probably for the same reason I was.”
“Maybe.”
“Any regrets this morning?”
“Not a single one.”
“You should be dating one of those handsome McCarthy boys.”
“Are you really going to start that nonsense again?”
He shrugged. “It’s true.”
“I’ll just go see if Riley is single, then.” She spun around to walk away, but Duke was right behind her, reaching for her arm to stop her from getting away.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
“I suck at this.”
“Yes, you do.”
“I just can’t for the life of me figure out what a goddess like you wants with me.”
“Until you figure that out, maybe we should press Pause on the kissing and stuff.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
“Then you need to stop questioning what you bring to the table, because I’ve told you—repeatedly—it’s more than anyone has ever brought to any table in my entire life.”
“That’s a damn shame.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked at her with such tender affection that her knees went weak—another thing that hadn’t happened before. “You ought to be treated like the queen you are.”
“I don’t want to be treated like a queen. I just want to be treated with care and respect, two things you’ve shown me time and again.”
He enveloped her and Jax in a hug. “You two are turning my whole world upside down.”
“Does that upset you?”
“Not in the least, which is rather incredible.”
McKenzie had no idea how long they stood there, holding each other, before Jax began to protest being squeezed between them.
They pulled back, smiling as Jax blew spit bubbles that made Duke laugh.
“Everything he does is so damned cute.”
She thought so, too. It was nice to have someone else around who agreed. “He’s pretty cute.”
“So’s his mama.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a black key that he handed to her. “That’s for the truck. Use it for whatever you need to do today. I’ll ride the bike.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. If you wanted to come visit me at the studio, I’d be happy to see you.”
“I’ll come by to look at your books.”
He grimaced. “You’re going to want to smack me around when you see the mess I’ve made of them.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Thank you for loaning me your truck.”
“No problem.”
“Where’s your helmet?”
“I was just going back for it when I saw you two coming.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Lying is a deal breaker for me.”
“I’m not lying,” he said with a laugh. “I was about to go grab it when I saw you.”
“Go on, then.”
“Sheesh,” he muttered as he walked toward the garage, returning a minute later with a helmet that had no face coverage. “Satisfied now?”
“No. It doesn’t protect your face.”
“My face is fine.”
“Yes, it is, and I want it to stay that way. Don’t you have one with the shield thing that covers your face?”
“I might.”
“Go get that and quit playing games with me.”
“Honestly,” he said on a huff as he went back to the garage. “Never knew you were such a bossy thing.”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Sure you didn’t.”
He returned a minute later with the requested helmet, which was covered in dust that he blew off as he walked.
“Looks like that one doesn’t get used very often.”
“It’s collected some dust.”
“It won’t anymore, will it?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Excellent.”
“Are you quite pleased with yourself?”
“I rather am.”
“You’re awfully cute when you’re bossy, but then again, you’re cute pretty much all the time.”
She made a face at him. “No woman wants to be called cute.”
“Is sexy as f-u-c-k better?”
Flustered by the way he looked at her, she said, “Yes, that’s better.”
Duke dropped the helmet to the ground and closed the distance between them, placing his hands on her hips as he worked around Jax to kiss her. “Couldn’t wait another second to taste those sweet lips again.”
He kissed her three more times in rapid succession, until he had her head spinning and her breath caught in her throat. Then he kissed the top of Jax’s head, stepped back and bent to retrieve the helmet. Turning to face her as he put it on, he held her gaze until he had it snapped into place. He flipped open the visor. “You might want to take him inside before I start this thing.”
“Good idea. Be careful.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Stop making fun of me.”
“I’d never do that.”
“Now you’re lying again,” she shot over her shoulder as he laughed.
He waited until they were inside with the door closed before he fired up the loudest engine she’d ever heard.
“ Roooooom ,” Jax said.
Startled by the noise, McKenzie sat on the sofa with him. “That’s right, buddy. Is that really going to be one of your first words?”
“Rooom. Rooom.”
Smiling, she clapped his hands together. “Room, room.”
“Roooooom.”
She couldn’t wait to tell Duke that he’d inspired one of Jax’s first words.
A day passed slowly when you were waiting for something to happen. Duke caught himself looking toward the door every five or ten minutes as he applied the latest portion of a full-back tattoo he was doing for Kyle, who worked as a deck hand on the ferries.
Kyle had been given a few days off after helping take the boats out to sea during the storm and was spending one of them in Duke’s chair.
As he filled in the detail on a set of wings on a raptor, Duke let his mind wander to the night before on the sofa in the apartment. Kissing her had been one of the most thrilling experiences of his life, and he couldn’t wait to do it again very soon. Would she want to pick up where they left off later? Things had gotten pretty heated the night before, but they hadn’t progressed beyond kissing. And why hadn’t they, exactly?
He couldn’t say, but something told him to take it slow with her and let her set the pace. She’d been through a rough ordeal with the last guy she was involved with. Duke didn’t want to press her for more than she was ready for.
“Duke!”
He turned to see Sierra standing behind him.
The other guys were out to lunch, and Kyle, who was wearing headphones, was dead asleep.
“Where the hell were you zoned out to?”
“Nowhere.”
“I said your name twice, and you didn’t even react.”
“Sorry, what’s up?”
“That’s what I was coming to ask you. What’s up?”
“Uh, nothing. Why?”
“That’s not true. You’ve got yourself a little family all of a sudden.”
“What?” Her comment shocked him. “No, I don’t.”
“Sure looked that way to me last night at the marina.”
“What is it that you want to say, Sierra?”
“I’m just wondering what’s up with her. It’s like she’s cast some sort of spell over you or something.”
“Don’t be dramatic. We’re hanging out. Is that okay with you?”
She shrugged, but he could tell by the belligerent set to her jaw that she had something to say. “Sure, it’s fine with me.”
“Thanks. Can I get back to work now?”
“It’s just that this woman shows up out of nowhere, and now you’re suddenly all domesticated.”
“Are you trying to piss me off?”
“Not at all. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t want to see you hurt again like you were the last time.”
“Totally different situation.”
“Is it? Is she here to stay forever, or is she going to get bored like the last one did and want something else in a couple of months?”
Sierra’s question struck fear in his heart. McKenzie was having the cabin rebuilt. Would she do that if she didn’t intend to stay? “Don’t worry about it, okay? It’s all good.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so. She’s coming in later to take a look at my books. You want me to have her stop by next door?”
“Sure.”
“Are you okay, Sierra?” It was wildly out of character for her to question his choices, so he felt the need to ask.
“Of course.”
“I’m going to get back to work, then.”
“Okay.”
She started to leave, but then turned back. “I know she’s Rosemary’s granddaughter, and you feel loyal to her for being such a good friend to you. But you don’t owe her granddaughter anything. Be careful.”
With that, she walked out the door, leaving Duke wondering what the hell she was warning him about. He’d reached out to McKenzie before he’d known she was Rosemary’s granddaughter. He’d invited her to use the apartment for as long as she needed. Before he’d gone to see her at Tiffany’s, McKenzie hadn’t known he existed or that he was a friend of her grandmother’s. What sort of nefarious plot did Sierra think McKenzie had hatched?
She just needed to get to know McKenzie, and then she’d see what he did. That McKenzie was a good person, like her grandmother had been. She was also a wonderful mother and had been nothing but honest and open with him about her past. What did he have to fear from her other than a broken heart if things didn’t work out between them?
He lost himself in the work, the way he always did, but Sierra’s doubts crept in to make him question everything. He’d known her for years and had developed a brother-and-sister bond with her, or at least that’s how he’d always thought of it.
Had she viewed their relationship differently? Was she interested in him herself but had never said so? Not once in more than twelve years of close friendship had that possibility ever occurred to him.
Ace came back from lunch, bringing takeout for Duke. He was bald, muscular and, according to several women on the island, sexy as hell. Ace was the only person Duke had ever met who had more tattoos than he did.
“Thanks, man.”
“No prob.” He leaned in for a closer look at the tattoo Duke was working on. “Looks great. How’s it going?”
“Slow but steady.”
“Funny how some of them sleep through it and others whimper like babies the whole time.”
“I know.” Since the question was eating at him, he looked up at Ace. “You ever pick up a vibe from Sierra toward me?”
“What kind of vibe?”
“The interested kind.”
“Nah, not really. Always thought you two were buddies more than anything.”
“Me, too, but she said something just now…”
Before he could tell Ace the rest, McKenzie came through the door with Jax in his seat. “Hi there.”
“Hey, come in.”
“Am I catching you at a bad time?”
“Nope. I was just about to take a break to eat some lunch.”
Ace gave him a curious look.
“Ace, this is McKenzie and her son, Jax. MK, this is Ace.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said.
“You, too.”
“She’s staying in my garage apartment while her place is rebuilt after the storm.”
“Oh, cool.”
Duke took the bag Ace had brought to the sofa and sat next to her. “Hungry?”
“No, thanks. I had a PBJ at home.”
He’d ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and fries. After squeezing ketchup packs into a corner of the container, he nudged it toward her. “Have some fries.”
“Maybe one.”
“Have as many as you want.”
She dipped one in ketchup and ate it. “Those are good.”
“I know, right? They’re from the Wayfarer. Best fries on the island.”
“Good to know.”
He took a bite of his sandwich. “Laptop on the desk has the dreaded QuickBooks on it. Remember, you promised not to be appalled.”
“I won’t be. I’m sure I’ve seen worse.”
“I doubt that.”
Smiling, she said, “I need bank and credit card statements, too.”
“Uh, I think I’ve got them around here somewhere.”
“You want me to poke around for them?”
“You’ll have a stroke when you see the drawers.”
“I’m sure I’ll survive.” She got up to go to the desk, positioning Jax in his seat so he could see her while she worked.
“Let me know if you have any questions.”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
Duke was wondering how he was supposed to concentrate on lunch or work or anything else while she was there, looking so pretty and kissable. “Sierra said to stop by to talk about her books when you get a chance.”
“I’ll do that when I’m finished here.”
“That’s apt to take a week or two.” He’d never been particularly embarrassed by his recordkeeping until now.
“I meant done for today.”
“Ah, okay. So…”
“Stop fretting, Duke. Everyone’s books are a mess when they bring in someone who knows what they’re doing.”
When Ace’s afternoon client arrived, Duke got up to show her to Ace’s station.
“Can I get you anything to drink?”
“No, thanks,” she said, running her eyes over him and seeming to like what she saw.
Where in the hell was all this female attention coming from now that he was interested in McKenzie? Had McKenzie noticed the way the customer had checked him out? He ventured a glance her way and determined that, yes, she’d definitely seen it.
Shit.
Why did this stuff have to be so goddamned complicated? He liked her. Based on how she’d kissed him the night before, she liked him just as much. So why were his insides tied up in knots thanks to Sierra and some other woman he’d never laid eyes on before five minutes ago?
He went back to work on Kyle’s back, relying on nervous energy to finish the wings and start the next part of the design before this session ended.
But he kept stealing glances at the woman across the room as he tried to calculate how many hours it would be before he could be alone with her to continue what they’d started the night before. How was a man supposed to concentrate on anything when she was in the room?
He’d much rather look at her than Kyle’s back.