Inhibition-X (11 page)
“I’m fine. It’s nothing bad. Weird maybe, but not bad,” she swore.
“Girl, give me that suitcase. No way in hell this is going to close with the way you packed. You get your things, and I’ll pack them in. Deal?” P.J. snagged the shirt from her hands and folded it before tucking the top away in the bag.
Packed and ready, she gave her friends a few big hugs, slung her purse over her shoulder, and went to heft the suitcase for another mad dash down the island path.
“I got this.” Morgan grabbed the suitcase from her. “Come on.”
Once they’d reached the dock and the pilot, Morgan handed over her suitcase.
“I hope things work out. He can be an ass at times, but he’s had a thing for you forever.”
“Wait, you knew about this?” she asked, stunned.
“About Mick? Yeah. The others don’t, but every time you entered the room he’d get all doe-eyed. He always has. Ever since high school.”
“But you knew he came here?”
“He confessed a few things, and when he called to suggest coming here to meet you, I was all for the idea.”
“Did he tell you he intended to come in disguise?” she quizzed, casting her friend the side-eye.
“No. Only that he would try to get out of his other commitment early and come.”
Morgan spoke the truth. He always twitched his lip when he lied.
“When you guys get back, I expect the rundown between you and P.J., deal?”
“Deal. But I’ll tell you this much now. I think I’ve always had a crush on her. She’s…well, amazing.”
Again she saw the truth in his words.
“Yes, she is, and don’t you ever forget it.” She jabbed her finger in his chest for good measure.
She hugged him, thanked him for the truth, and boarded the tiny plane.
The pilot cranked up the engines, and she buckled her belt in advance of a bumpy ride. Thing wouldn’t do her any good, though, for the biggest turbulence would come after they’d landed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Standing outside Mick’s door, Heather wiped her palms on her pants, took a deep breath, and knocked. By the third knock she began to worry he’d gone to seek solace in the arms of someone else. Would serve her right if he did. She’d left him hanging under the impression she’d been angry by his admissions.
Angry? No.
Shocked? Hell yeah. Anyone would be. She’d just needed some time to let all the information soak in before saying anything stupid. Time to remember who Mick was. What he stood for and how, no matter what, he was a protector. Self-appointed? Yes. But the scars of the past haunted many. Some to a debilitating state, others to being like Mick. Never forgetting so as to never repeat those mistakes. How could she hate someone who, when all was said and done, had only tried to protect her while giving her what she wanted? He didn’t even realize what that had been.
Him.
“Wow. You’re the last person I expected to see.” His large frame blocked the doorway, and he didn’t make any move to let her by.
“May I come in?” His condo was in a secure and quiet building, but she’d prefer to speak to him in a more a welcome area then the hallway.
“Uh, yeah…sure.” He stepped back to allow her room to pass.
He appeared disheveled, as if he hadn’t slept since she’d left him in limbo. He wore a five o’clock shadow, which, truth be told, suited his features in the sexiest of ways. His clothes, though, were another rumpled story altogether. His shirt was half in, half out, and wrinkled as hell. Even worse than his clothes? The dark circles under his eyes.
“You left.”
“It seemed like the best course of action. I didn’t want to ruin the rest of your trip.” As he spoke, she caught the moment the light bulb went on. She was here, with him, and not on the island finishing her vacation. “Why’d you leave? Your trip wasn’t over yet.”
“Uh, duh.”
His gaze lifted from his shoes to meet hers.
“What?” he questioned with clear confusion etched on his face.
“I left because you did. You mistook my need to let all your information, or surprises may be a better word, sink in for me being angry. I wasn’t and am not angry. I was stunned, a bit tipsy, and still riding one hell of a sexual high when you hit me with everything. Um, turned out to be a bit of an overload.” She sought to read the expression he wore.
“You’re not pissed I lied to you?” He seemed wary. Reluctant to get his hopes up too soon perhaps.
“No, I’m not pissed. In fact, I actually understand all too well. You found the courage to do what I never did,” she admitted.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve never forgotten that long ago day by the lake. The kiss. But I figured you didn’t like me when you pretended to not remember what we shared. I’ve dreamed of you. Of us finishing that special moment. Every girl you showed up with made my stomach curdle. And very much like you, I feared chancing our friendship and work relationship to dare ever tell you the truth.” She saw the sudden flare in his eyes. “So am I upset you arranged a way for us to finally be together and take a chance? Hell no. I also know you wanted to see me safe. I’ve only one question left.”
The spark what had ignited his face dimmed a tad.
“What would that be?”
“What the hell took you so long?”
She took two steps to close the distance between them and stand before him on tiptoe to plant one on. The Marquis had been right. Life was short and should be lived to the fullest. Maybe things would work out, maybe they wouldn’t…but at least neither would live life always wondering what might have been.
They’d both taken the leap of faith and would never live with the regret of having not believed.
“Make up for lost time?” he muttered on quick breath.
“Thought you’d never ask,” she murmured back as he shocked her once more by tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her to his bedroom.
The rumors of the island had been true. It really did bring fantasy to life.
Epilogue
One year later
The dress itched horribly, but hell, these kinds of dresses always did. She looked like a giant pink marshmallow. Glancing across the room, she found Mick struggling with his tie as a few curses burst.
“Stupid shit. No matter how I’ve tried…” he complained.
“Come here.” She cut him off and, when he’d gotten close enough, did the ol’ rabbit tie trick. Over, around, and through the hole. “There. Now that wasn’t so hard. At least you aren’t going in this pink monstrosity.”
Heather glanced down to the plume of pastel she wore. If not for her love of her friend, she would be wicked ticked about wearing such an ensemble. But P.J., as they still referred to her—they all had chosen to keep their island monikers as an inside joke—was like the sister she’d never had.
“I would have never guessed P.J. and Morgan would hold such a traditional marriage. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this.” Mick yanked on the tight collar of his formal shirt.
“True. Well, come on, we can’t be late. Especially since I’m the maid of honor and you’re the best man.” She finger-combed the curl in his hair, which had come loose from its band. He’d grown his hair longer than he ever had before. She kinda dug it. Gave him a wild edge. “Seriously, we need to jet,” she reminded him when he went back to his dresser for the fifth time.
“One last thing, and I swear I’m ready.”
She grabbed her purse, gave her reflection in the mirror a quick glance, and turned, ready to yank him out the door with her, when she saw it.
Mick was down on bended knee with a small blue velvet box.
Words fled, her mouth grew dry, and her knees began to knock.
Mick popped open the lid to display a large, princess-cut diamond ring.
“Heather Greenly…I’ve loved you from as far back as I can remember. I can’t imagine a life that doesn’t include you by my side. Will you do me the honor, gift, and lifelong friendship of being my wife?”
So much for her wedding makeup. Tears streamed down her face as she saw the love beaming from Mick’s face. Prayed he recognized the love shining back.
“Yes.”
P.J. would have to get over her maid of honor being bare-faced, because she didn’t doubt by the time they walked out, she’d have no makeup left.
“I will love you, Mick Barrows, forever and always.”
Loose Id Titles by Bobbi Romans
Inhibition-X
Bobbi Romans
Bobbi lives in the South and tries to stay sane around her overly large family by escaping to worlds she controls and always end with a Happily Ever After. You can be sure, there are no dirty dishes or mismatched sock piles to be found in
her
stories.
Her worlds can be humorous, horrific, mysterious, adventurous, storm plagued, or even critter run.
A horror-movie nut (like, even watched
Poultrygeist
) and serious coffee-holic, she can usually be found in the kitchen cooking. Her first steamy book encounter was overheard (at church camp no less) being read by giggling older girls, and was none other than Harold Robbins’s
Goodbye, Janette
.
Thankfully she hadn’t understood a word they’d read.
She adores meeting and chatting with fans, so feel to drop her a line at
[email protected]
. You can also visit her at
http://bobbiromans.com/
and
https://bobbiromans.wordpress.com/