His Kind of Wonderful (Sugar Bay #2) (6 page)

His smile died when she didn’t reciprocate but she couldn’t. She felt odd, like her equilibrium was off.

“I think I’m too old for the swing.” She took a breath and moved towards Janie’s lookout tower, her favorite spot of the structure. She climbed to the top and heard him follow. A rope hammock was slung between two anchoring posts but she didn’t sit down. She hadn’t yet discovered a graceful way to get in the damn thing and wasn’t interested in him laughing at her efforts. She moved to the railing and looked out at the view of Dylan’s property.

She felt Joe move behind her, his body heat rolled off of him and she struggled against the desire to step back.

“The hard part is we’ll have to pretend to like each other,” he said, his voice low and thoughtful.

“That’ll be difficult, no doubt.”

He chuckled and moved closer. She bit her lip.

“If it’s too much, we’ll figure something else out.”

“No, that’s okay,” she said then grimaced. She hoped she hadn’t sounded too eager. “I think I can manage.”
Or at least she hoped she could manage without melting into a puddle of wanton need
.

“Will you stop bouncing?”

She stilled, not realizing nerves had electrified her body and she was like an excited puppy. Thank goodness she didn’t have a tail or she’d have no secrets at all. She closed her eyes and tried to think Zen thoughts.

He moved closer. She felt his hands near her elbows. His heat skimmed her and she swallowed hard.

“Sometimes we’ll have to be physically close to one another and I can’t have you freezing up like you did yesterday.” He grasped her elbows lightly then slid his palms higher to cup her shoulders. She tried to relax, tried to remain calm but every fiber in her body was alert. “My girlfriend would never act like that when I put my arms around her.”

“No, I guess not.” Dani tried not to pant.

“No, she most
definitely
wouldn’t.” He turned her to face him and massaged her gently. The kneading motion from his strong, hot hands sent ripples of want throughout her already primed body. She felt herself melting and let out a little moan before she caught herself.

“No. Don’t do that. It’s okay to like it.” He doubled his efforts and moved higher to where her shoulders and neck met. This time, she didn’t bother holding back her moan. He was good.

“That’s my girl.” He slid his hands down to grasp hers, interlacing them. “See. Not too bad, right?”

“No. Not bad.”

He grinned. “So no more jumping when I touch you, okay?”

“I’ll try not to.”

“It’ll be over soon and then, you can go back to hating me.”

“I don’t hate you, Joe.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“No, really, I don’t.” She didn’t know how to explain the fact that she’d always admired him, but since he saw her as Derek’s kid sister and teased her as if he were her brother, it had been easier to pretend not to like him. The last thing she wanted was to give herself away and drool over him, like every other girl he knew. That fear kept her silent.

He looked into her eyes and she held his gaze. The moment was hinged with possibilities.

Something had changed.

“Derek is my best friend,” he said after a long silence. His words were so soft she barely heard them, almost as if he were reminding himself of the fact but she already knew.

Deep down, she was aware the odd dance that had become their norm was because their lives were wrapped in a way that it would be awkward if things were to change. She cringed at the thought of him ever knowing how often she thought of him and how many of her heroes were based on him.

He held her hands loosely and brushed his calloused thumbs against her wild pulse. The look in his eyes was fierce.

“Dani—“

“Why are you holding Aunt Dani’s hands?”

The two adults sprang apart; each retreating to the opposite ends of the platform. “Hey there, little bits,” Joe said to Esme while Dani gathered herself.

“Hi Joe! Mommy wants to know if you want to eat dinner with us?”

“Tell her thanks, sweetheart, but I’m going to head out. Next time, though, and I’ll bring more cupcakes again.”

“Oh yeah. Thanks for the cupcakes you sent with Aunt Dani. They were
so yummy
!”

He grinned and smoothed Esme’s cheek. “I knew my girl would love them.”

Esme waved and clamored down the steps. “See you, Joe!”

“I’ll be right down, Esme. You guys can start without me,” Dani called down.

“Okay.”

They listened to her climb down and Dani wondered how she’d missed Esme’s approach.

“Do you think Esme is going to tell?”

“There isn’t anything to tell.”

“She saw us holding hands.”

“So?”

“That never happens. She’s a smart four year old.”

“Relax, it’ll be fine. People will find out eventually—that’s the whole purpose, remember?”

“Right. I forgot for a moment.”

He nodded. “Just stay away from the professor and we’ll play pretend for a little while. No harm. No foul. Think of the greater good, Dani. Lisa can’t ignore a girlfriend so she’ll have no choice but to move on. What could go wrong?”

Dani read another review for latest novel, Her Highland Warrior, and shook her head. She wished she hadn’t given in to the temptation. The author boards warned against reading reviews but it was sort of a compulsive addiction. For the most part her readers loved her Scottish historicals. She’d received loads of positive feedback, but they hated her covers and wanted a higher level of spice.

With her agreement with Professor Higgins, the cover part was being taken care of. In exchange for providing editing services for his thrillers, he would create custom covers for her. When she’d first published, she been too excited and hadn’t realized how important the cover was, but now, she was embarrassed. After reading indie author blogs, she pulled together a better cover than the initial ones but it was nowhere near the quality she wanted.

In February she’d attended the faculty art show and fell in love with Isaac’s painting style. He reminded her of the artistic genius, Pino, so she’d contacted him. Over coffee she’d discovered his writing attempts and they had struck a deal. The only drawback was the strange fascination by local gossips in their relationship. She’d grown up in Seattle where no one cared who you went out for coffee with, but life in Sugar Bay was strange in that everyone cared. On the whole, Sugar Bay was charming but the gossiping aspect was something she was still getting used to.

Derek’s recent grumblings made her more determined to ignore it. Maybe it was because she was the youngest. Maybe she was plain ornery. Maybe she’d spent too many years listening to people tell her what to do. The result was she was rebellious and balked at being told what to do as if she didn’t already know.

In this case, the rebel in her refused to do anything differently—let them think as they would.

She’d met Isaac’s wife once in passing, a petite woman with an understated beauty who’d looked exhausted. Later, when Dani had seen her at the groceries with the couple’s five children Dani had understood the exhaustion aspect.

She didn’t know the dynamics within the couple’s marriage but she understood marriage was tough. Maybe Isaac felt neglected. Maybe he was a selfish asshole. Maybe his wife didn’t care about his extra curricular activity as long as he left her alone. Dani didn’t know and it was none of her business. She didn’t envy Mrs. Higgins, but she certainly wasn’t going to be another woman to hurt the lady. All she wanted from Isaac was his artistic talent.

She hadn’t exaggerated the truth when she’d told Joe that married men were not for her. She wasn’t even sure love was for her. She adored the concept—hell, she wrote about it—but she wasn’t sure if love was real.

As a kid, she’d watched her father chase love, usually in the form of dynamic but flighty women. She’d watched him during the varying stages—the initial euphoria, the middle bliss, and then the debilitating end as the women left in search for the next relationship and the excitement associated with it. No one wanted to stay the distance or to experience the relationship through its natural ebb and flow. It was always on to the next best thing.

Maybe that was why she wasn’t eager to settle with one person. She didn’t want to hurt anyone and she didn’t want to be hurt. It seemed as if she existed in a purely numb state. Although she dated plenty, no man had ever touched her heart. So the heat level her reviewers requested was a much more difficult problem in her eyes.

Her sexual experience was minimal. Her sole experience in grad school had been pathetic and best forgotten. Good old Keith might have had an incredible grasp of Chaucer but he hadn’t known what the hell he was doing in the bedroom. Everything she wrote regarding the experience between a man and woman, she’d gathered from her favorite romances and imagination.

She was afraid she would never experience the type of heat her readers wanted. Between her protective older brother, his pain-in-the-ass best friend and her worrisome inability to connect with men, the future of her sex life was uncertain.

The sound of the front door opening jarred her from her depressing thoughts. She glanced beyond the transaction counter and caught her breath.

Her boyfriend
. Correction—her pretend boyfriend.

“Hey. What’s up?” She didn’t want to focus on his incredible hotness. Instead she met his eyes and avoided the rest of him. She tried not to notice the way he filled out the worn cotton T-shirt or how wide his shoulders appeared or how his faded blue jeans cupped his you know what or how taut his thighs appeared as he walked towards her.

Nope. She hadn’t noticed any of that.

“Is Derek around?”

“He’s in the back, working on a display unit for a new jewelry store opening up.”

“So, he’s busy. Perfect.” Joe leaned against the transaction counter and peered down at her.

“You’re not going back there?”

“Nope. I came to see my girlfriend.”

“Not a good idea, oh-boyfriend-of-mine.”

“Why’s that?”

“Esme mentioned she saw us holding hands during dinner last night so Dylan knows. And if Dylan knows, Derek probably knows. So if you don’t leave, you’ll soon be my oh-so-dead boyfriend, or at the least my damn-what-happened-to-your-face boyfriend. Either scenario isn’t good.

“It’ll be okay. For it to work, everyone has to believe it, even your family. You know how gossip works. If you’re family is in on it, Lisa won’t believe it, then I won’t be able to get rid of her. Basically—abject failure—and not ideal.”

She sighed. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m positive.” He leaned over the transaction counter, the height higher than her desk in order to preserve her personal space from hovering customers. The purpose was completely lost on Joe who leaned over it to whisper. “The truth is—I need another favor.”

“Wow, you’re starting to rack them up.”

“Yeah, start an invoice and tally up the charges after services have been rendered.”

“I’m kidding.”

“Although since it’s partly your fault, I think you should throw me a freebie.”

“My fault?”

“Yep.” He grimaced. “I got a call from Lisa about the stupid bachelor auction.”

“Fun stuff.”

He made a face. “Right. It seems that Lisa and the committee loved the MacKinnon’s idea about shooting my layout at the cottage. Some bullshit about it setting a sexy mood and gathering marketing momentum.” He shook his head.

“Ummm…sorry?”

“Too late for sorry, darling girlfriend of mine. You’re being called to duty. The photographer, a stylist and Lisa are coming out this weekend so I can pose like a punk in front of the cameras for the titillation of strangers.”

“Why must I go? I trust you implicitly.”

“Nice try but you’re going.” His tone was flat and non-negotiable.

“Hmmph. Esme ate the last of the cupcakes for breakfast this morning.” Dani straightened some files on her desk and looked at him from under her lashes.

He let out a sigh of resignation—the epitome of a frustrated man. “Fine. I’ll throw in a dozen of Charlie’s goodies, you little sugar monster. Now, will you please come be my bodyguard?”

“Okay, okay. If you insist.”

“Great. Saturday at 4pm. She said something about capturing the golden light. Whatever the hell that means.”

The front door opened and Tyler walked in with a bag. He looked from Joe to Dani then back to Joe and turned bright red. Dani worried he’d spontaneously combust. Someone posted a video of a watermelon wrapped under a hundred rubber bands, one moment there, and the next—watermelon daiquiris. Any second now and they’d have Tyler bits on every surface—a worrisome thought.

Tyler put the bag of food on the counter.

“Thank you, Tyler.” She gave him a warm smile and handed him payment along with a generous tip. The kid’s blush deepened and he dropped his gaze when her fingers brushed his.

“You’re welcome,” he mumbled then took off.

Once the front door closed behind Tyler, Joe sent her a knowing look. “You’re going to have to take it easy on that boy, Dani. Stop smiling at him. I don’t think his heart can take the strain.”

“He’s a sweet kid.”

“Sure he is, but he’s no match for you.”

“Very funny.” She rummaged through the bag and pulled out her chicken salad sandwich and jalapeno kettle chips.

“Hey, Joe. I didn’t know you were here.” Her brother stood in the doorway.

“Dropped by to say hi.”

“Good because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?” Joe looked at Derek expectantly and something about the sudden tension made Dani stop her search for the white chocolate chip cookies she’d ordered.

“It’s probably nothing to worry about, but Esme told Dylan she saw you two holding hands.”

“We’ll actually—“

“What if it were true?” She interrupted, feeling the irrational need to protect Joe.

“I’d tell you, you were an idiot.”

“Hey!” Dani couldn’t believe Derek still questioned her judgment. She was twenty-nine years old yet he treated her like she was fifteen.