Chapter 23
23
PORTIA
I woke up with the taste of last night still on my lips. The taste of him and his kisses. And other parts of him.
I was in my own bed, which was fine. Last night, I woke up in his arms. I did my best to sneak out of bed with the intention of getting dressed and going back to my house. I didn’t want to do the whole morning routine thing. He didn’t ask me to leave, but I knew it was what we both wanted.
He woke up when I was halfway dressed. When I told him to go back to sleep, he insisted on walking me back to my place. I wasn’t offended he didn’t ask me to stay longer.
He had given me a soft kiss at the door and walked back to his place.
This was better. I was glad I wasn’t in bed with him worrying about morning breath and smudged makeup. I stretched beneath my covers, my skin still humming from Dean’s touch, the weight of his hands, the way he’d looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered. It had been magical. And far more amazing than I could have imagined. I knew he’d be good, but damn.
The morning light had a way of making things feel too real, though. In the cold light of day, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and what last night meant.
I stared up at the ceiling. My mind wouldn’t stop racing, replaying every moment from last night. Dean’s hands on my skin, his voice low and rough, the way he’d looked at me like I was something worth keeping. It had been perfect. Too perfect.
What did last night mean? What did he want it to mean? And more importantly—what did I want? Dean was not the kind of guy who settled down.
I assumed. It wasn’t like we talked about it. Why would we? It was all about hooking up.
I threw the blankets off, got up, and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains to let the morning light flood in. The lake glittered in the distance. It was comforting in a way to be home. But sleeping with Dean added a complication. He was unpredictable, guarded, and complicated in ways that made my chest ache just thinking about it.
I’d always been drawn to him, even when he irritated me with his scowls and clipped replies. There was something about him—something raw that I couldn’t ignore. Last night had only confirmed what I’d already known: I cared about him. More than I probably should.
But caring wasn’t enough. Not when it came to someone like Dean.
He wasn’t the kind of man who let people in easily. Hell, he wasn’t the kind of man who let people in at all. I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I pushed too hard or expected too much, he’d shut me out completely.
Was I willing to risk that? To put my heart on the line for someone who might never fully let me in?
I bit my lip, turning away from the window to pace the room. Part of me wanted to run—to protect myself before things got too complicated. But another part of me wanted to stay, to see where this could go, even if it scared me.
Dean wasn’t easy. He wasn’t safe. But maybe that was what made him so intriguing. I never did the safe thing. That was how I ended up in New York. And look where that got me.
Last night had changed something between us—I could feel it in the way he’d held me afterward, like he didn’t want to let go. And it had changed something in me too.
I walked into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. I had brunch scheduled with Alexis. It was exactly what I needed after last night. I had to talk to someone who wouldn’t let me overthink this into oblivion.
I got dressed, putting on my usual shorts and a flowing blouse. I put on a pair of wedge heels and headed out. I didn’t bother looking to see if Dean was at home. I didn’t want to talk to him. Not until after I sorted through everything with Alexis.
As I walked to the café, I caught a lot of looks from townsfolk. The aftermath of the festival was still evident on the streets. There was a cleanup crew picking up paper plates, cups, and so on.
“Portia,” someone called out. “How is Dean?”
“What?” I asked with confusion. Why were they asking me?
“Is Dean okay? Was he burned badly?”
I didn’t really think it was my place to answer, but I also didn’t want them hounding Dean. I knew he would hate that.
“He’s fine,” I said.
“That was a wild show last night,” she said with a shake of her head. “What prompted Dean to put his life on the line?”
I forced a smile. “You should ask Dean about it.”
I wasn’t ready to admit that I knew exactly how he felt about it all. Even if I was, it wasn’t mine to share. They were acting like we were a couple and spoke for each other. I didn’t understand where they would get that idea.
“Oh, I doubt he’ll talk to anyone.” She laughed. “He’s not exactly a talker. They say opposites attract.”
I frowned. “I suppose. If you’ll excuse me, I’m meeting someone.”
“Tell Dean we’re all so grateful for his heroic actions last night,” she said. “He saved that little boy.”
Again, I wasn’t sure why I would need to give him the message. “If I see him, I’ll pass it along.”
I continued on my way to the diner. I didn’t know if I was being paranoid or what, but I could have sworn people were looking at me and whispering—again. I thought the natural progression of gossip generally meant things died down. It felt like someone had doused the embers with gasoline. Or maybe I was just being paranoid.
When I finally reached the café, Alexis was already there, sipping a latte and scrolling through her phone. She looked up as I sat down. There was a silly grin on her face.
“I need a gallon of coffee,” I said.
“You’re glowing,” she said, her tone teasing.
“I am not.” I waved the waitress over. “Can I get a coffee and orange juice?” I looked at Alexis. “Did you order yet?”
“Nope. I was waiting for you. I wasn’t sure you would want to eat.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to eat?” I asked with confusion.
“I’ll be back with your coffee,” the waitress said. “We’ll figure out if you’re going to eat then.”
After she walked away, I looked at Alexis and laughed. “That was rude.”
Alexis leaned forward. “I take it last night with Mr. Broody McBadass went well?”
“What are you talking about?” I didn’t know why I was in denial. And I was going to tell her about it, but it felt like she was stealing my thunder.
“Oh, are you going to pretend there wasn’t fireworks on the ground as well as the sky?” she teased.
The waitress delivered my coffee and juice. We ordered breakfast.
“Spill,” Alexis said.
“Okay, yes, I did go to his place after I got home,” I said. “Just to check on him. I was worried. The idiot didn’t even go to the hospital.”
“Did you play doctor?” she teased.
I laughed. “I did take very good care of him.”
“Keep going,” she said.
“It was…” I hesitated. Magical. But saying that out loud felt dangerous. So instead, I shrugged. “It was good.”
Alexis grinned. “Good? Honey, people don’t ‘glow’ over good.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop.” I took a deep breath, stirring my coffee absently as Alexis leaned in, her eyes wide with anticipation. “Okay,” I said keeping my voice low despite the chatter of the café around us. “After I left the festival, I went to his place. I didn’t even really plan it—I just… I needed to make sure he was okay.”
Alexis nodded, her grin widening. “And?”
“And he was shirtless and gorgeous.” I shook my head, recalling the sight of him.
“Go on,” Alexis said.
“I stayed,” I admitted.
“Was it amazing?”
“I shouldn’t kiss and tell.”
“But you’re going to anyway.”
I flashed a grin. “Okay, it was amazing.”
“And does that mean you guys are a thing now?”
“No. I don’t know. It’s Dean. It’s just one of those things that’s been building. Now that we scratched the itch, I don’t know if we need to do it again.”
“Bullshit.”
I laughed. “Okay, I said we didn’t need to do it again, but that doesn’t mean we may not want to.”
“Well, as far as the town is concerned, you guys are a hot couple.”
“What?”
Alexis handed me her phone. “Have you seen the latest article?”
My stomach dropped. “Article?” The word came out a bit high-pitched.
“Read,” she said and gestured at her phone.
A photo of me and Dean under the fireworks. We were locked in each other’s arms. It was just before the kiss. The picture made it look like we were together. Like a couple really into each other. The headline made me want to crawl under the table.
“Local Hero or Local Heartthrob? Dean Jackson Stuns in Fireworks Rescue—But Who Really Stole the Show?”
I groaned. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Alexis laughed. “Oh, it gets worse. Keep reading. They go on about how ‘sparks were flying in more ways than one’ and speculate on whether you two have been secretly involved since you got back.”
I dropped my head onto the table.
“They’re even calling him the ‘Reluctant Romeo.’” Alexis grinned. “I personally think that’s hilarious.”
I did not. Because if there was one person who was going to hate this more than I did—it was Dean.
I groaned as I scrolled through the article on Alexis’s phone, my stomach churning with every overdramatic word. “Who even writes this stuff?” I muttered, my voice muffled as my forehead rested against the table.
“Lila,” Alexis said simply, as if that explained everything. And honestly, it kind of did.
Lila was the self-proclaimed “voice of Larkspur Lake,” though most of us just called her the town’s most persistent gossip. Lila had a knack for taking the smallest details, like someone sneezing at the farmers’ market and spinning it into a full-blown conspiracy. She was relentless, always lurking with her camera and a notepad, ready to pounce on anyone who might make for a juicy story.
She was the one who’d been writing about me since I got back. The woman clearly had a real thing for me.
“What is her problem?” I asked. “Why does she keep coming after me?”
“New blood.” Alexis shrugged.
I sat up straighter, pushing Alexis’s phone back toward her. “She’s ridiculous. Does she even have a life? Or does she just spend her days stalking people and making up nonsense?”
Alexis chuckled. “Oh, come on. You know how she is. This is her version of entertainment. Besides, you can’t deny it’s kind of entertaining.”
“Not when it’s a pile of lies,” I grumbled.
The waitress returned with our orders. I snatched a piece of bacon and chewed absently.
“I think Lila sleeps with Seth, but she wants the big dog,” Alexis said.
“Dean?”
“Oh yeah.” She nodded. “She wants Dean and the money. Seth is the consolation prize. She uses him to get close to Dean. And you’re here stealing away her cash cow.”
I couldn’t help but snarl. I was suddenly very protective of Dean. Like he was mine to protect.
I stabbed at my pancakes with more force than necessary. I shoved a bite of pancake into my mouth, chewing furiously as if the act could somehow burn off the agitation bubbling under my skin. “She’s delusional,” I said after swallowing. “Dean wouldn’t give her the time of day, let alone—ugh.” I shook my head, cutting myself off before I could spiral further.
Alexis raised an eyebrow, sipping her coffee with the kind of calm that only someone who wasn’t in the middle of a gossip storm could manage. “You sound awfully defensive of him.”
“I’m not defensive,” I snapped, then immediately cringed at how defensive I sounded. Alexis’s smirk told me she noticed it too. “Alright, fine. Maybe I am. But it’s not like that. Dean’s… complicated. And Lila’s article is just going to make everything worse.”
“Worse how?” Alexis asked, leaning forward again. “It’s not like you two are a secret anymore—or at least, according to Lila, you aren’t.”
“Exactly!” I groaned, gesturing wildly with my fork. “That’s the problem. Dean doesn’t do this kind of thing. He doesn’t like attention. He doesn’t like people poking into his business. And now? Now there’s an article about him being some kind of ‘Reluctant Romeo.’ Do you know how much he’s going to hate that?”
Alexis shrugged, unfazed. “Maybe he won’t care. Maybe he’ll just brush it off.”
I snorted. “I think I should introduce you to Dean Jackson.”
She laughed. “Okay, fair enough.”
“Seriously, this Lila bitch is starting to piss me off.”
“Spoken like a woman jealous of another woman trying to move in on her territory.”
“Stop,” I muttered.
“Oops, was that a little too close to the truth?”