Chapter 25
Ruby
OH, GREAT. I COULDN’T keep my big mouth shut.
I always said too much and ruined things.
So he’d been talking to Sandra. Again. I happened to see them. Again. So what?
I was mudsliding fast—straight from denying my feelings to fighting them to being downright possessive.
I didn’t want to know what came next. Unless it was me.
It had only been a day, and I was already having withdrawal symptoms. Sebastian was still right here—with his chest and abs and biceps and shoulders and those deep brown eyes and that smooth hair and that smile and scent and care and dry humor. The whole goddamn package.
And I couldn’t let myself touch him. Because I didn’t even know what touching him would mean anymore, or what it would do to me. And if I didn’t know, how the hell was he supposed to?
It could only make things worse.
I wanted to scream.
Normally, it would be his name while coming. But right now, I wanted to scream at him.
For changing everything. For taking something simple and making it impossibly complicated.
I wanted to scream at myself, too, because if I didn’t have feelings for him (ones that would absolutely remain unnamed), then him wanting more wouldn’t have shaken me like this.
Other guys had wanted more from me before. And that had never touched a nerve. I’d either ghosted them without a second thought or had my fun until they got the message.
Maybe tonight, I could Ruby it again. Get it out of my system. That used to be my specialty.
Used to be?
No. Present tense. Get the fuck away, past tense. That is still my expertise.
A knock on my door saved me from going temporarily insane.
Sandra, of all people, came in to finalize the list of upcoming cabin bookings. That was, until she asked about cabin four, pretending not to notice that I’d taken it off the list.
“Sea Glass is closed for bookings until further notice. Will that be all?” I cut her off.
After she left, I busied myself with things that actually needed doing—restocking room supplies, reviewing the maintenance logs, and reassuring various vendors we’d be back to full capacity soon, so they wouldn’t jack up the price for the current smaller order.
Anything to keep myself moving and my thoughts out of places they shouldn’t go.
I had lunch alone in my office, a tray from the newly opened Bar & Grill. Then I headed out to see the progress on stripping the moldy upper wing corner and to make sure Dave had everything he needed for the updated plans.
“He’s not bad, that engineer of yours,” Dave said, straightening from his clipboard. “Smart, fast, keeps his head on even when things get messy, doesn’t talk just to hear himself. I’d keep him around if I were you.”
“Yeah.” I forced on a smile and nodded instead of shouting, Shut up, Dave!
Jesus. I needed to get a grip.
Or at least get laid.
Or maybe not. That was the whole damn problem.
“HANGING IN THERE?” Rio texted in the late afternoon, just as I’d decided to call it a day. I stopped by reception to make sure Lani had everything she needed for the evening shift, then figured I’d walk back to my cottage, where a long shower might help me decide when to head to Sebastian’s cabin.
Because I had to go to him. Get it out of my system before I drove myself crazier.
“Aha,” I texted back.
“Saving on words? Not a good sign. Owen and I are taking Walter to an Italian place. Join us. Might do you good.”
“Be around a lovey-dovey couple? Walter and I will rip you a new one.” Owen’s grumpy grandfather was one of my favorite people.
Rio sent back a laughing emoji. “Girls’ night out coming up. No excuses then.”
I sent a thumbs-up.
Just as I stepped outside, my phone dinged again.
“You never called. Can I swing by tonight, goddess?”
I didn’t recognize the number, but the over-the-top superlative was enough to make me gag.
Inflated praise was an immediate turn-off.
Only when I scrolled up to that number’s previous message I realized it was Craig-Kirk.
I nearly shuddered as I blocked him—like scrubbing off a mistake I no longer understood.
I was crossing the lawn when my phone pinged yet again.
“Drove to Blueshore. Surprise dinner with the parents. Couldn’t say no. Got the biddings now. Emailing them to you.” My goddamn heart skipped a beat just at the sight of his name.
“Great. We can talk them over when you’re back.”
“Taking my dad to a classic car show in Wayford after. Could be a late one.”
Another thumbs up from me. This time, it felt as if my fingers couldn’t decide whether to offer a quiet goodbye or type Please come back.