Chapter 14
fourteen
SADIE
I’m signing for a box of new releases when my phone buzzes on the counter.
Would you prefer to be chased in daylight or at night? – Zach
The air catches in my throat. He’s not backing out. He wants to do this, maybe as much as I do. But still, the shock of it makes me laugh, causing the delivery guy to shoot me a quizzical look.
I put the phone down, pretending to check the delivery details.
Another buzz. And I can’t help but sneak a look at the lit up screen.
I’m going to be asking you a lot of questions. Take your time answering them. There’s no rush. – Zach
My pulse does the opposite of no rush. Instead, I’m thinking of the way he talked to me last night. His voice low, his expression soft. He looked at me like he couldn’t pull his gaze away.
And it’s been a long time since anybody did that.
The delivery driver takes his tablet back, satisfied with my unreadable scrawl on the screen and gives me a nod before leaving. But before I can think anymore about Zach’s question, Romy bursts through the door carrying two coffees and the scent of cinnamon rolls.
“It’s an all-out war next door,” she announces, bumping the door shut with her hip. “Mylene and Eileen both received invitations to the gala. Autumn’s leaving it up to them to decide who’s going and neither of them are backing down.”
The sixty-something twins refuse to be in the same room as each other, even though they live on the same tiny island. Apparently, they’ve not spoken to each other in over forty years.
The last time they were at the same party was before I moved here. According to Francie it was mayhem trying to keep them apart.
I laugh as I take the coffee from Romy. My phone buzzes again against the counter, and I don’t even have to look to know who it’s from. I’m guessing he has a few free minutes and has decided torturing me is the best way of passing them.
I slowly turn it over so it’s face down on the counter.
Romy’s eyes narrow. “Why do you look so guilty?” she asks me. “Who’s messaging you?”
“It’s a long story. Tell me more about Mylene and Eileen. Is it going to be pistols at dawn to decide who goes?”
She opens her mouth to answer when my phone buzzes again. I try not to look at it. I’d never make a good spy.
“Well aren’t you Miss Popular,” she teases. “Come on, tell me who it is.”
“I just got added to a group chat. With other bookstore owners. They’re shit talking about eBooks.” I try not to look surprised at how easily I can lie. Who knew?
“Sounds scintillating,” Romy says, already looking bored. Thank God.
The door swings open again, and a mom and her little girl walk in. Romy wanders over to talk to them and I pick up my phone to read Zach’s latest messages.
Would you prefer to know the location in advance, or for me to surprise you? – Zach
It’s a good question. And another I need to think about. I lift a brow when I read the latest one.
How rough do you want me to be, if at all? Give me an answer on a scale of 1 – 10, with no roughness being 1. – Zach
Romy asks the mom something and they laugh. I’m not sure I should be reading these dirty messages when there are customers here. But instead of putting my phone down, I grab my purse.
“I need to go see Jesse,” I shout out to Romy. “I think there’s a box missing and he might have it on the ferry.”
It’s a complete lie, but she doesn’t even blink. And I absolutely need some fresh air before I combust.
“Sure, I’ve got this. Take your time.”
The bell over the door jingles, sunlight spilling across my skin as another message buzzes through. I don’t even make it to the sidewalk before I check.
Do you want me to touch you? Taste you? Be inside of you? Your answers aren’t binding, I just want to know where you’re coming from. – Zach
The air hits my skin, cool and sharp, but it does nothing to ease the heat between my legs at the thought of Zach Fitzgerald’s mouth on me.
God, I know he’d be good. There’s no doubt in my mind about that.
I start walking, heading down toward the harbor. The wind carries the scent of salt and cut grass, and I pretend that’s why my breathing’s uneven.
Still, I can’t stop myself from replying to him. And even that sounds flirty.
You do realize some of us have to work for a living? All these questions are raising eyebrows in my very staid bookshop. – Sadie
I send the message and head down to the beach, the ocean breeze lifting my hair. Because it’s delivery day, I’m in a pair of short denim overalls. Books are great but damn they get dusty in the boxes. I’ve ruined more than one dress thinking I could look cute while unpacking stock.
That’s funny, because you look like you’re walking on the beach, not working in the bookshop. Which is far from staid, by the way. – Zach
He knows I’m here? I blink and look around. The beach is dotted with couples and preschoolers with their caregivers, but no sign of him.
How do you know I’m on the beach? – Sadie
It’s my job to know. – Zach
Oh, he’s being cute. My lips twitch. I crane my head around. There’s a boat about thirty yards away, but he wouldn’t be on there, would he? No, not even Zach Fitzgerald would sail a boat out on the off chance he could rile me up.
Or make me hot. Because the thought of him watching me is definitely making me steam up.
There are only a few people outside the Salty Dog and none of them are him.
God, this is aggravating.
Stop being evasive. Do you have me under surveillance? Tell me. – Sadie
There’s a pause. Then I see he’s typing. My breath stays deep in my lungs as I await his response.
Since you asked so nicely, I’m waiting for the ferry. I have an appointment on the mainland. I can see you from my car. – Zach
Sure enough, when I whip around I see a line of cars waiting on the road that leads to the jetty. At the back is a sleek sports car with tinted windows.
Even from this distance, I can feel the weight of his gaze, the quiet pull that makes my pulse skip. The car door stays shut, the engine purring low, but I know he’s inside. Watching. My skin prickles under the denim straps of my overalls, every nerve on alert.
You’re staring at me. – Zach
My heart skips.
Maybe I’m trying to figure out how easy it would be for your car to drive off the road into the ocean. – Sadie
The three dots appear, vanish, appear again. The ferry’s horn cuts through the silence of the ocean, as it approaches Liberty. A few minutes and he’ll be driving on. I guess I’m his distraction from boredom while he waits.
And that’s fine. Isn’t it?
And I thought I was supposed to be the predator. – Zach
I feel a flush of heat rush through me. I wish I could see him.
Though my imagination is pretty on fire right now.
He’s in the car, wearing a pair of dark pants and a crisp shirt, the sleeves rolled up.
And those sunglasses he always insists on wearing.
The ones that feel like a barrier between him and the world.
I want you to chase me at night. – Sadie
There. A question answered. I feel… free. Excited. Not afraid, not exactly. I trust him not to hurt me. Not physically, anyway.
My heart? Well I’ll worry about that another day.
Good girl. – Zach
God, he’s a bastard. He must know the effect of his words on me. I squeeze my thighs together. I imagine him smiling in his car, watching me standing here facing the jetty.
The ferry horn blasts a second time. They’re coming in. Unloading and loading is always fast. Jesse runs a tight ship, literally.
I have to go. Think about my other questions. And I have one more. – Zach
A chuckle escapes my lips.
Of course you do. – Sadie
His reply is almost instantaneous. Like he wasn’t waiting for my answer.
Can I choose what you wear for the chase? – Zach
I blink. I hadn’t thought about what to wear. But I know I’d agonize about it the day before. Should I look pretty? Should I dress for speed?
As long as it’s not a thong and nipple tassles, yes. – Sadie
We’ll save the tassels for another day. Go sell some books and we can talk later. – Zach
The ferry hits the dock and I hear the rumble of engines starting up. It’s weird how much those messages have made me smile. He has a sense of humor as well as being stupidly hot, damn him.
And then one last message arrives unexpectedly.
Are you okay? I know this is a lot. I just want to make sure I know your boundaries. – Zach
I’m absolutely fine. Now go… do whatever it is you’re heading to the mainland to do. Have a good trip. – Sadie
I tuck my phone back into my pocket, but the smile doesn’t leave my face. It’s breathtaking how the man can go from filthy to sweet in a few sentences. But that’s okay. It’s only a game. Only words. Just Zach being Zach.
Maybe that’s why it feels so safe, this thing between us. I get to let go. To stop thinking. To want what I want without worrying who it might hurt.
The ferry ramp hits the dock. His car rolls forward, disappearing onto the ferry, and I remind myself it’s not real. Once he leaves the island for good, this will be over. And that’s a good thing. Neither one of us is made for relationships.
So why am I already waiting for the next question?
ZACH
“Okay,” Dr. Rogan says, giving me the gentlest of smiles. He’s in his late fifties, with salt and pepper hair and wire framed glasses, kind of ironically for an eye specialist. “You’ve been diagnosed with late onset Retinitis Pigmentosa, correct?”
“Yes.” That’s the tentative diagnosis I was given after all the tests I had in Chicago. Following the clusterfuck of me tripping and not seeing the car coming right at me when I was crossing the road in Rome.