by Dena Blake
“Thanks.” Wynn pressed her lips together. “At least one good thing happened today. I mean, besides you right here and now.” She blushed as she continued, and Carly was even more captivated. “I adopted another dog.” The smile that came across Wynn’s face was gorgeous. Carly’s pulse quickened. She caught herself watching Wynn’s mouth move as she talked, memorizing the way her lips curved, the way her cheeks crinkled when she smiled. “Another dog? You already have one?”
Wynn nodded. “I didn’t really think it through, though. They might be a little more than I can handle, but they’re both so sweet.” She chuckled. “Buttercup is a chocolate Lab, rescued from a puppy mill, and Shadow is one of her pups.”
“That’s so sweet. You adopted her because you didn’t want them to be separated.”
“Well, not exactly. I didn’t realize they were related until I went back to get Buttercup.”
“But you went back to get her?” Wynn had just captured a little more of her heart.
She nodded. “Yeah. I couldn’t get her out of my head.”
Carly’s heart exploded with love, and she took Wynn’s face in her hands and kissed her. Her mind swam as she filled with the excitement of something new but a familiarity she couldn’t shake. They fit perfectly together, and she hadn’t even kissed her before. Wynn’s hands slipped around her waist and urged her closer. When they touched, the fire between them stoked even higher. Why had she never kissed Wynn before? She deepened the kiss, dipping her tongue inside, teasing Wynn as she responded, keeping control as she’d never done before, and desire raged through her. She was ready to take or be taken right here, right now on the pier. The feeling of surrender that overwhelmed her was almost too much to grasp, and she broke the kiss.
Cheeks pink, and eyes wide, Wynn stood staring at her. “That was—”
“Bold. I know. I’m sorry.” Heat blazed within Carly as she touched her own lips, felt their swollen tenderness.
“I was going to say wonderful.” Wynn tilted her head and scrunched her lips into a cockeyed smile. “Don’t be sorry.” She slipped her arm around Carly’s waist and urged her closer to continue the mind-blistering kiss.
Carly caught sight of Jordan watching them and now coming their way. She placed a finger on Wynn’s lips. “Hold that thought, please.” She dipped her chin toward Jordan.
Wynn looked to the sky and shook her head. “She has the worst timing.” She curled her fingers into Carly’s back, which sent a breathtaking quiver streaming through her. “Can we continue this later?”
Carly couldn’t think of anything she wanted more. “I certainly hope so.” She backed up, cleared her throat, and swiped her hands across her hips to smooth her dress.
“What are you two still doing out here?” Jordan asked as she joined them.
“Wynn was just telling me about her dogs.”
“Did you say dogs? As in more than one?”
Carly nodded.
Jordan’s eyebrows rose. “You adopted another dog? When are you going to have time for them?”
“I’m unemployed. Remember?”
“Right, but that won’t be for long.”
“I don’t know. I might take a break from work for a while.” She turned to Carly. “I don’t suppose you’d like to travel the world on a sailboat with me.”
Her nerves were all aflutter. Traveling the world with Wynn sounded like an absolutely wonderful adventure. There were worse things than making love under the stars, waking up floating in the wide-open ocean, and looking into those dreamy blue eyes.
“Don’t be stupid.” Jordan scoffed. “A woman like Carly is too sophisticated to be a deckhand on your crazy adventure.” She glanced at Carly. “That’s exactly what you’d be because Wynn is ridiculously cheap.”
“I like to do things myself, that’s all. Unlike you, I don’t need a crew of twenty to push away from the dock.”
“You can’t afford it either.”
That remark seemed to silence Wynn for the moment. “I’ll get you a drink.” Wynn smiled at Carly as she turned to go to the bar.
Jordan watched Wynn walk away. “Wynn’s a good kid, but she’s got a lot to learn when it comes to business.”
“Really? I wouldn’t have thought that at all.” There was a time and place for brutal truth, and it wasn’t at an event in front of others, especially after your sister had just been fired.
“She’s still pretty naive when it comes to reading people. Like you, for instance.”
Heat flashed across her neck. “What about me?” What could Wynn or Jordan possibly read about her?
“That you’ll be easy to conquer. She’s a bit of a Casanova. Watch out for her.”
“I will.” The words escaped her lips slowly as she glanced at Wynn leaning on the patio bar, thinking about their discussion earlier. Had that all been an act to get her into bed? Now who was the naive one?
Wynn made eye contact as she came across the patio with their drinks.
“Get lost, little sister. Carly and I are making magic here.”
Wynn looked at Carly and smiled and then back at Jordan. “Don’t you think you should be mingling with your donors?” Wynn pointed to the guests who were now spilling out onto the patio. “It’s your fund-raiser. Shouldn’t you be using that charm to beg for money?”
Jordan pulled her eyebrows together. “Is that your third or fourth scotch?”
Wynn lifted her glass. “First. I’m sure you passed me before I even arrived.”
Jordan quirked an eyebrow. “First glass, third refill, you mean?”
Wynn sucked air through her clenched teeth. “Oh, that’s right. You stick to vodka at these things so it looks like you’re drinking water.”
Carly watched and listened as the urgency in their voices became clearer as they interrupted and talked over each other. They were fighting over her. She’d been through this before and didn’t like it at all. Soon they would be discussing who was taking her home without even considering she was going home alone.
No matter how amazing the kiss she’d shared with Wynn was, Carly wasn’t a trophy to be collected in any competition. Especially one that wasn’t of her own making.
She held up her hands. “Stop it. Right now.” She looked at Wynn, then at Jordan. “I am not a prize to be won. Tonight or any other night. You two need to grow up.” That was the last straw. She was done for the night. She’d text Suzanna when she got home.
* * *
Carly tossed her clutch onto the couch after she got inside. She’d never been so irritated by two women. Number one, Wynn and Jordan were acting like idiots, and number two, because she’d felt the need to leave the event early. Both of them had acted like Neanderthals. She wouldn’t have been surprised if each of them had pulled out a club and started physically fighting over her. She hadn’t even been able to sneak a bite to eat yet. Thankfully, she had leftover lasagna from dinner at her parents’ home earlier in the week. Her mother never let her leave the house without food.
Her urge to text Wynn was overwhelming, but she wasn’t about to play into whatever game she was playing. If what Jordan said about Wynn was true, Carly refused to become another notch in her belt. But, sweet Lord, the kiss they’d shared had been off the charts. It had awakened all kinds of nerve endings she’d thought to be dead long ago.
After finishing the last bit of leftover lasagna, she crawled under the covers and found herself caught up in that kiss with Wynn again. Holy fuck, it was hot. Her phone chimed, and she hoped with everything she had that it was Wynn. She didn’t seem to be finished with her yet. She picked up her phone, and a tingle ran through her.
I’m sorry for the way I acted. I never intended to make you feel anything but special.
That was all she needed. You’re forgiven. She added a smiley face before she typed, Are you okay?
No. Not at all.
A sinking feeling appeared in Carly’s stomach as she watched more bubbles appear on the screen.
I’ve never felt like this with anyone before, and I didn’t want Jordan to spoil it. Seems like I did a great job of spoiling it myself.
She typed, Felt like what? Then she immediately erased the question because she was fully aware of the feeling. She typed, I know what you mean.
Then she erased that and stared at the phone for a moment before she hit the call button. She didn’t understand the emotions fleeting through her and needed to hear Wynn’s voice to see if she was feeling the same.
“Hey.” Wynn’s voice was soft and low, a sound she hadn’t been able to get out of her head all night.
“Hey.” She hoped one word wasn’t enough to reveal her excitement.
“I was an ass, and I’m sorry.”
“Yes. You were. Both of you were.” Although she’d been flattered at first, the banter between Wynn and Jordan had morphed into something ugly. Carly didn’t intend to remain the cause of it, but she had to address the feelings she’d had before the argument started. “About the kiss…I don’t know what came over me earlier. You were just so vulnerable, and it touched me.”
“Thank you for listening. Honestly, I’m not one to air my feelings so publicly.”
“Can I see you again?” Carly surprised herself with her boldness again.
“Yes. Of course.” Wynn chuckled. “I was afraid I’d blown it.”
“You kinda did, but I’ll give you a chance to make it up to me.”
“Phew. That’s a relief.”
“I’m glad you messaged me.”
“Best decision of my life.”
“So far.”
“Right. I’m hoping you’ll be involved in the next one too.” The soft contentment in Wynn’s voice had crazy things happening in Carly that she’d thought might never happen again.
The line was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry if I woke you. I’ll let you sleep.”
“Please don’t hang up. I don’t want to be alone tonight.” The vulnerability in Wynn’s voice was clear. “I mean with all that happened today.”
That was a relief. Carly really didn’t want to hang up either. “How are the pups?”
“Buttercup is asleep between my legs, and Shadow is snoring on my chest.” Carly’s mind went immediately to the gutter, thinking how she’d love to be in either one of those positions. “I couldn’t move if I tried. Shadow is dreaming. Listen.” Soft whines of puppy dreams came through the phone.
“What are you going to do about them? You’re not going to take Buttercup back to the shelter, are you?”
“No. I would never do that.” Wynn sighed. “I’m going to have to persuade my neighbor to take her. Then she’ll be right next door, where Shadow can visit her.”
“You don’t sound like that’s going to be easy.”
“His wife has an aversion to dogs.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“I think she had a bad experience when she was a kid.”
“Oh, that’s not good and might be hard to overcome.”
“I know, but I have to try.”
“Maybe I can help her work through it. It’s not my specialty, but I have a little experience in how the mind works.”
“That’s right. I can’t believe I forgot.” Wynn chuckled. “I hope you don’t know too much about how my mind works, or I’m in trouble.”
A thrill coursed through Carly, and her cheeks burned. “I think we may be on the same path.” Again with the boldness.
“Tell me some things about you that I’ll never forget.” Wynn’s voice was soft, but seemed eager.
“I love the ocean. I don’t really have a favorite food, but if you feed me Italian or Chinese for the rest of my life, I’ll be happy.”
“Noted.” Wynn let out a slight snort. “When did you learn to swim?”
“When I was five.”
“Wow. That’s young.”
“My dad taught me, so I could join the swim team with my sisters.” She chuckled. “I used to cry every day when they went to practice because I couldn’t go too.”
“You’re the youngest in your family?”
“Yep. The baby, and my brothers and sisters never let me live that down. They complain that I got everything they didn’t.”
“My sisters say that too.” Wynn’s voice rose as her excitement came through.
She laughed. “It’s probably true.”
Carly soaked up the happiness in Wynn’s voice as she relaxed. The only place she’d rather be than in her own bed right now was closer to Wynn, watching her facial expressions as she spoke. Such a beautiful face. “Tell me more.”
“I have a scar just above my hairline from a bicycle accident when I was seven, and I…”
Wynn’s voice faded as Carly’s eyelids became heavy. She couldn’t force them open any longer. She drifted off to sleep listening to all things Wynn and couldn’t feel more content.
Chapter Fifteen
Wynn rubbed her eyes, glanced around the room, and sighed. The same day was beginning again, and she had no idea why, but she was grateful for another chance. She’d fucked up royally at the restaurant last night. When she and Jordan had started sparring, firing insults at each other like children, she saw the disapproval in Carly’s eyes. It was evident that she’d said something wrong, if not crossed the line completely.
When Carly had called last night after she’d gone to bed, she’d tried so hard to stay awake. She’d had a bit of false hope during the night when she’d dozed briefly and the phone had gone silent. She’d immediately called Carly’s name, and she’d responded—her soft, sleepy voice came through the line and she’d said she was still listening. She ached to see her face as she slept, wanted to bolt out of bed and go to her, so she could wake up next to her this morning.
She’d tried talking until dawn to get through this crazy day. She wasn’t comfortable talking about herself, but Carly had asked, and she’d honestly give Carly anything she wanted. She’d rambled on about herself until she heard tiny little snores coming through the speaker, which made her love Carly all the more. Somehow, the universe had given her a second chance. If she could just put all the correct pieces into play, maybe—just maybe she could change her destiny with Carly.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, so she picked it up, hit the button, and said, “I’ll call you back.” She knew exactly what Jordan wanted. She now realized the opportunity it presented with Carly. She would be at the fund-raiser later, but she had to accomplish other things during the day to make this weird time loop turn out right. She immediately sent a text to Carly.
I could use your help today. Are you free for a couple of hours? That should be enough time to go to the shelter, adopt Buttercup, and hopefully convince Jack and Maria to adopt her.
Hi. I can probably make time if it’s important. The smiley face at the end made Wynn’s smile broaden more than it should have, but spending time with Carly made her ridiculously happy.
You’re awesome! Can you meet me at my house at noon? She dropped a location pin into the message. Wear jeans.
Okay. I’ll see you then.
She immediately called the office and talked to Jack, told him to meet her in Evelyn’s office in an hour. He was curious just like the last time, but he didn’t question her once she said she wanted to discuss his improvement plan. There would be no ass-hauling involved this morning. She was fully prepared for what would come this time.
Now she had to get to work and make sure no one got fired, including herself. She went to her closet and pushed through the suits until she found something different to wear today—something less “I mean business” and more “I care about my people.”
She ordered coffee on her phone and zipped in and out of the shop, narrowly escaping Sally again. Once she got back to her Jeep, she sent her a text acknowledging what an ass she was and apologizing for the way she’d handled things. She received an unexpected and unwanted response letting her know that Sally was open to letting her apologize over dinner. But that wasn’
t going to happen, because it would put her right back in the same shitty situation.
When she arrived at work, she was, again, prepared for the security guard this morning, her badge around her neck and visible. She held the badge up to the card reader by the door, and the light changed from red to green. She smiled and said, “Good morning, George,” as she passed the security desk. He smiled and waved her on. Stopping before she reached the elevator, she spun around and walked back to talk to George. “I might need your help.”
“Sure. What can I do?” He glanced at another employee who was entering and waved.
“I need to play a harmless practical joke on a colleague.”
He immediately grinned. “Whatcha got in mind?”
“It’s Joe Davis’s fortieth birthday, you see, and I’d like to decorate his office. Maybe rearrange the furniture. You know, just for fun.”
George’s eyes widened. “What do you need from me?”
She glanced at her watch. “Can you call him at, say, quarter to ten and tell him his car alarm is going off? That should give us enough time to get into his office and set everything up.”
“Sure. I can detain him longer if you need me to.”
“I might take you up on that. If he comes back in less than fifteen minutes, keep him occupied until I give you the green light. Better yet, send him to security to get a new badge.” She would need George to detain him. She’d have Evelyn notify security to deactivate his badge long enough to keep him sidetracked. Davis parked in the back lot, where the mantrap was installed, so she hoped that would be enough time.
George took out his phone. “Quarter to ten.” As he set an alarm, he grinned as though he’d been included in the surprise party of the century. “Got it.”
“Thanks so much, George. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” And she didn’t at this point. He’d just taken a huge task off her plate.
“Always here to help.”