Chapter 30
T HE U BER DRIVER pulled up to the tall iron gate guarding the Chennault estate. All these years Chris and Carrah had lived so close while in summer residence but had been kept apart. She couldn’t escape the irony that had foreshadowed their entire existence. Especially now as the gate opened and Chris strolled toward the car.
He opened the rear door. Carrah pushed away from the seat to get out, but then froze. The same thoughts she’d had moments ago as the car slowed and turned up to the gate flooded her head. She still wasn’t supposed to be here.
His family might see her. Her family would find out, and then what? The venture hadn’t repaired the fracture. Her father wanted nothing more to do with the Chennaults than for them to help Noir escape their current crisis.
“Don’t overthink it.” He peered inside. “My father went to dinner at the country club. Both Chloe and Carter are out with friends. No one will know you were here.” He offered his hand to her and she took it.
An unyielding satisfaction set the butterflies loose in her belly. They kissed her insides and made her knees weak. Once she was out and next to him, he dismissed the driver and closed the gate. She gazed up to the immaculate Tudor revival–styled mansion and instantly understood.
The steeply pitched roof, beams, and elegant stonework set against Lake Dora possessed unmistakable charm, like the man before her. His entire family had always carried themselves in a distinctly uncommon way that many envied and few attempted to copy.
“Your family’s home is beautiful.” She was breathless, exhausted from chasing her restless heart.
“ Ma chère. ” His thick Nawlins accent made a guest appearance. “You flatter me.” His lips quirked into a mischievous smile, and dear Lord, take her to the water. Not for a refreshing dip but for washing away the sins of her mind that featured him. “I’ve known this house my entire life so I never quite looked at it as you do. Come.” He pulled her by the hand.
Chris and Carrah disappeared down a path hidden from plain sight as their laughter filled the air. Once they emerged from the dense canopy of trees and shrubs, they were only a few feet from the bank of the lake. He continued on, leading her to the dock where one of the boats had been lowered into the water. They boarded with Chris taking the helm, and Carrah at his side watching as he launched from the dock.
The breeze was gentle, the water smooth, and salmon rays were beginning to melt at the horizon. Seeing the sun dangle over the wide-open water, the symphony of color exploding with blue, yellow, orange, and green before fading to black, had always been one of her favorite parts of the Shores. It was a peaceful conclusion to the day, and it seemed even more perfect that it would happen beside him.
“Sooo this is your surprise?” Both their heads turned to face each other. He lifted his shades and their eyes met for a second. She was so damn doomed.
He lowered his shades and focused back to the water. “You told me you liked landscapes, sunsets. I want us to chase it.”
Tilting the wheel, he accelerated the speed on the bow rider as it glided along the shoreline of Lake Dora. In no time they were coming up the backside of downtown. Hill House Bed and Breakfast stood prominently to the left before he curved around and zoomed by the yacht club. The old lighthouse at Grantham Pointe was a bright riot of color competing for attention. He promised to come back by when it was night to see it fully lit.
After which he steered toward the channel linking the chain of lakes. There were so many places they could end up by taking this route since it flowed into a thousand waterways. Carrah appreciated the surprise and welcomed the intrigue in discovering where they would end to say goodbye to the day together.
Chris cut his eyes across to Carrah, hearing her giggle as the water sprayed them. She was the sunset he was chasing. This time alone with her out on the water sharing one of his favorite parts of the day warmed his soul in a way he had least expected when the summer began.
He reduced the speed on the boat, following the signs as they entered the canal. Luckily the waterways were clear or else he might run out of time getting to the spot he wanted her to see.
“Have you done this before?” Her question seemed hesitant, almost accusatory. “Like, is this something you do with women?”
“What did he do to you?” The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. He stole a glance and saw that she’d folded her arms and turned away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—yes, I’ve done this before.
“A thousand times. It’s a moment in the day that brings a sense of calm. Allows me to reflect on life and most times leaves me breathless.” He scanned her, wishing she would turn back and face him. “And no, this is not something I do with women unless you count the times I’ve come out here with my mother and sister.”
She didn’t move and he wouldn’t pry. The best he could hope for was to give her a sunset that was worth more than words. He upped the speed once they exited the bypass and entered open water.
“Look!” he called to her.
The next thing he knew, she was standing next to him as he steered on toward the horizon.
“It’s everything I never imagined.” Her arms flung into the air and she closed her eyes. “ Merci! ” She pecked his cheek and then threw her arms back up.
He chuckled, slowing the boat until it was in the middle of Lake Beauclair. There was the illusion that if they reached up, they may be able to catch the golden ball and wish for everything they ever wanted.
Chris wanted her. He knew it with certainty the day she came to check on him at the cottage. However, Carrah still seemed to be straddling the fence even after he’d invited her into his world.
Instead of focusing on his bad timing earlier he reclined back in his chair and tuned into the nature around them. He heard the bass break the water and the song of small birds. Frogs croaked, and he imagined them hopping on top of the lily pads. The bellowing of gators in the wild tossed him back into reality. Carrah, however, remained silent and so did he for fear of saying the wrong thing again.
After a while she faced him, biting her lip between her teeth as her hands fidgeted. This was that rare side of her that contradicted everything he’d ever known about her being a spicy, stand-her-ground kind of girl especially when she sat at a card table talking trash or standing up to her father in a business meeting.
“He… Trent, never made me… feel like this.” She sat back down in her seat, staring straight into the sunset. Chris didn’t know how to respond to her confession, only that it warmed him, and just maybe she was ready to jump over that fence. It seemed she had more to say so he waited patiently. It was easy given where they were. “But you—what’s that old song?” She paused again, thinking, then hummed an old seventies ballad before saying the words “ You make me feel ” in the rhythm of the song.
“ Brand new ,” he sang. “ I sing this song ’cause you… ” Their eyes locked for a moment in time. He would never forget the way she made him feel. No woman had ever tapped into this side of him. While plenty had asked for and desired his attention, none had ever made him want to give it until now. “The Stylistics sang that, I believe. My parents loved that song.”
“Mine too,” she murmured, still searching him with wide eyes. “You sing… Tell me something I don’t know about you, Christopher Chennault.” She positioned herself in the chair so that she remained facing him.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He stared into her beautiful brown eyes and knew he would certainly sell his soul to her even if it was against the rules.
“Stop being so mysterious.” She giggled, breaking the tension, and swatted at him. “Waiting on an answer.”
“Fine,” he groaned. “My grandmother was a music teacher. She taught us all how to play the piano and carry a tune or two. Chloe is actually the songbird. Your mother as well. She was trained by my grandmother. Did you know that?”
Carrah drew back in her seat. Her face tightened and then she said, “I did not. Do you think the venture will restore what used to be between our families?”
Why did her question seem to match the darkness that was rolling in uncommonly fast this evening? He restarted the engine, not sure of what to say. He knew his father saw the venture as an opportunity to exact revenge and he didn’t want any part of it. But he could never betray his family by telling her.
“Can we change the subject? I’d prefer that we not discuss the business of our families. I don’t want this to be complicated by them.” His response was sincere. Though he wasn’t sure how she would take it, and he couldn’t look over to see given how rapid his visibility on the water was changing.
“You’re right, sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that into us.”
Us? He couldn’t help but steal a glance. What were they? Attorney and client didn’t seem to fit anymore. Not after he’d kissed her twice, and was now here with her like this. Yet it was safe. And it stayed that way as they made the ride back.
The night fishermen crowded on the boardwalk, and the twinkling lights that came from the houses in the hill held her attention until it seemed she got lost in her own thoughts.
“Where are we going?” She sat up and looked at him.
He guided the boat along a back channel and reduced the speed, pointing up ahead to the well-lit dock. “The cottage. By now my father will be back at the main house. My Jeep is here. I’ll take you into town and call an Uber to drop you off at home.”
“Guess I’m not the only one that cares about creating a family scandal.” Her words taunted him.
Chris barked a laugh without amusement and concentrated on docking the boat. He’d stopped caring a long time ago about what people thought. It was the only way he stayed sane after shirking legacy status at his parents’ alma mater and then removing himself from the family business. The only reason he attempted to comply with the standards set within their elitist crowd was because his father still cared and he was a Chennault.
He hopped off the boat onto the dock and began wrapping rope around the cleat. “Are you attempting to gaslight me?” He went back to the steps of the boat and helped her out. “You care much more about what people think than I do. It’s why no one knows we’re friends.”
She reached for his wrist and stilled them on the dock. “Is that what we are?”
“What else could we be?” He gently pulled away and gestured for her to exit the dock, and he followed as they cut through the backyard and up to the back porch.
Chris didn’t mean to be a smart-ass. He’d been on the opposite end of the rope with Carrah, enduring the tug-of-war between their attraction and longtime rivalry. Her reluctance was understood as was the hesitation he witnessed earlier to get out of the car. It made his question valid for both of them.
She abruptly stopped and faced him before they could enter the French doors of the cottage. “I don’t know. But I can’t stay in this limbo with you.” She took a deep breath and released a stuttering exhale. “Not when I think about you all the time, wondering what you’re doing and when I’ll see you again. I crave something more than our birthrights will ever allow… Maybe you can’t give me that but it’s what I want.”
He scanned her, eyes wandering to the deepest crevices of her soul. He sensed vulnerability that he wouldn’t take for granted. He took a few steps to close the distance between them and a deep breath to steady the rhythm of his chaotic heart, then he stared down into her eyes. “I told you I had jumped off the deep end. Been waiting for you to join me.”
“I can barely keep my head above water,” she confessed and then went on her tippy-toes and pressed her lips to his mouth. “I want to stay… with you… tonight.”
Chris threaded his fingers in her hair, his lips pressed to hers, and he closed his eyes. He’d captured his sunset and now a part of him was stirring, awakening to an explosion of emotions that had been nestled deep within, searching to break free and occupy his heart.
He broke the kiss. Her eyes were still closed, lips puckered, and before he claimed them again, he had to confirm her words. There would be no mistakes with Carrah. “Define ‘stay tonight.’”
Her chest rose and fell like it was collapsing, and then her eyes fluttered open. There was an innocence about her that he’d never noticed until now. She reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. “Is the door open?”
Chris unlocked the door then pulled it open. She led them inside. Her lips gently landed on his once more before she pulled at the short hem of her dress and lifted it over her head. Almost instinctively one arm moved to cover her breasts while the other traveled lower. He reached in and stopped her.
“Don’t hide.” He stared her in the face. His gaze roved over her body, taking in the full breasts and hourglass shape that made him wanton with need. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he growled, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he kissed her until they were breathless.