by Nina Lindsey
Though the inn’s floral décor was over-the-top, he liked how Aria looked all snuggled against the rose-patterned sheets, her hair spilling like silk over the pillows. Like a little fairy in a flower garden.
An image of his Manhattan apartment appeared. Black leather and metal. Gray walls. Industrial appliances. Spare and austere.
Discomfort tightened his chest. He rubbed his hand down her smooth back.
He’d make this work. He had no choice. He wanted to be CEO of Imperial Properties, but he was starting to want Aria to keep her café even more.
Unfortunately, his quitting the job or leaving the company made it even less likely that she would keep Meow and Then. If Hunter left, Bruce would just put someone else—probably Juliette—in charge of Oceanview. And Juliette had no sympathy for Aria or her cats or anything else about Mariposa Street.
Hunter also still believed what he’d told Aria. Mariposa had been a drain on the town’s economy for years. It was a prime piece of land that could be used to actually help rather than hurt Bliss Cove. Even if he did manage to kill the Oceanview project—which was unlikely—Mariposa, and by extension, the whole town, would still suffer.
No. He needed another plan.
He stayed awake long into the night as Aria slept soundly with her cheek pressed to his chest and her arm loose around his waist.
When sunlight filtered into the room, his phone buzzed with a text. Shifting away from Aria, he reached for his phone. She mumbled in her sleep and rolled over to hug a pillow.
Hunter pulled up the text from Bruce Sinclair. Cold slithered down his spine.
Mandatory NY meeting this week. Margaret will book your flight.
Chapter 21
After locking the door of Meow and Later, Aria drove to the Mousehole Tavern. She’d had to leave Hunter again early that morning to open the café, and she’d been unable to stop thinking about the fact that he’d be leaving tomorrow.
“Just for a day or two,” he’d assured her, even though his jaw was tense and his eyes dark.
Though the Oceanview situation had never gone away, they’d both been able to separate it from what was happening between them. Not that Aria wanted to think too much about them. If she did, she was afraid she might come to some realizations that would only intensify the pain of their inevitable separation.
While she was able to suppress the fears swirling underneath her thoughts, her feelings, both emotional and physical, had a life of their own. Her body surged with awareness whenever he touched her, and just the sight of him made her heart go through a full cardio routine of hops, skips, and jumps. His kisses aroused her unbearably, and his smiles lit her up with happiness.
When they were apart during the day, she couldn’t wait to see him again. And when she was with him, she didn’t want to leave.
It was all wonderful, dangerous, and scary at the same time.
Which was exactly the reason she tried not to think about it in too much detail or to worry about what would happen in the future.
She pulled open the tavern door and walked to the bar, where Grant was serving drinks.
“How’s the petition?” He tossed a dishtowel over his shoulder and started to make her a mojito.
“Three hundred signatures so far, which isn’t bad considering I started it a week ago.” She rested her elbows on the bar. “I’m trying to get Mayor Bowers to help fund the revival of the Historical Preservation Society. Unfortunately, she’s not very enthused.”
Setting the drink in front of her, Grant frowned. “Why not?”
“Oceanview Plaza, for one.” Aria sipped the drink. “Everyone is convinced Imperial Properties will win the vote. Even if they don’t, Mayor Bowers likes the idea of a Mariposa restoration, but she’s worried that pulling resources from other city services will cause problems.”
His frown deepened. “How did they fund the preservation society in the first place?”
“The town council subsidized it, but mostly it was funded with private donations and memberships. The society also partnered with a lot of corporations. The biggest sponsor was the Bliss Cove Fishing Company. When they closed, it started a domino effect, and membership declined because people were struggling financially. So that led to…well, where we are today.”
“Have you tried the corporate route yet?”
“I’ve written letters, yes, and I’ve filled out some federal grant applications.” Aria rubbed a spot on the counter, her mouth twisting. “Unfortunately, it’s a very long process, and I don’t have much time. The vote is in—”
Her heart stuttered. The vote was next week.
“All Imperial needs is a majority.” She struggled against a feeling of defeat. “Even if I had enough money to counter their proposal, I don’t have a solid, well-thought-out plan for how to make the Historical Preservation Society work in Bliss Cove. I’m making a plan, but it’s just in the beginning stages. Imperial has the Oceanview plan, which is…well, you’ve seen it. It’s like a masterpiece novel versus a board book.”
“There’s a lot to be said for board books.” Grant slanted his gaze past her, his expression hardening.
Aria followed his line of sight to where Hunter was coming into the tavern. In a T-shirt, faded jeans, and a hoodie, his hair messy from the wind, he was the opposite of a corporate tycoon. He was warm, approachable, beautiful, and her heart ricocheted happily.
She climbed off the barstool and approached him. “Hi.”
“Can I see you outside for a minute?” His expression inscrutable, he held open the door.
Wary, she stepped onto the front porch. The second the door closed behind them, Hunter crowded her up against the building and planted both hands on either side of her head. He bent to press a swift, hard kiss against her mouth.
“Hi,” he murmured. “I missed you.”
Breathless, she curled her fingers around his arms. “I missed you, too.”
“Can we go somewhere private so I can ravish you?” He trailed his lips over her cheek, flicking his tongue out to caress her earlobe.
Aria shivered delightfully. “Later. I’m starving.”
“Me too.” He kissed her neck and slid his hand down to cup her breast. “I’ve been craving Aria pie all day.”
She laughed and nudged his chest. “You’d better stop before someone sees us. Feed me some artichoke soup and chocolate mousse, and then you can take me home and ravish me to your heart’s content.”
“I guess I can wait.” With a reluctant groan, he lifted his head away from her, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips.
As she preceded him back into the tavern, he rubbed his hand over her ass. She smiled to herself. She loved his surreptitious little caresses. Steve had used his physicality to intimidate and control her, not to assure her he was there and to show her how much he liked and appreciated her.
They crossed the dining room to an empty table. As Hunter pulled her chair out for her, Aria was acutely aware of Grant’s suspicion, even from halfway across the room. To his credit, he brought her drink and took their orders without further comment.
“Did you get your flight straightened out?” She pushed the basket of sourdough bread toward Hunter.
He nodded. “The meeting is Wednesday at ten, so I’ll take the seven a.m. flight from SJC tomorrow morning.” The glow of the table lantern carved his face into planes of shadows and light. “Gives me a day to get some work done.”
“Do you know what the meeting is about?”
“Oceanview, probably.” His mouth compressing, he reached for his water glass. “I wish I didn’t have to go.”
She shrugged. Though she wished the same thing desperately, there was no use pretending that one day soon he wouldn’t have to go for good.
“Aria?” Callie’s cool voice broke through the air.
Oh, shit. Aria’s heart plummeted. Fixing a smile on her face, she looked up at her older sister. “Hey, Callie. What are you doing here?”
“Rory and I we
re just grabbing a bite.” Callie’s gaze slanted to Hunter, her eyes frosting over.
“Hello, Callie.” He stood and extended his hand. “Good to see you again.”
She didn’t respond, but shook his hand in return. Rory approached from the bar. In an almost identical manner, she shifted her eyes from Aria to Hunter.
“Rory.” He held out his hand to her. “Hunter Armstrong.”
“Yeah, I know.” She grasped his hand briefly. “Didn’t expect to see you two breaking bread together.”
Aria frowned. Last week, Rory had picked up on her and Hunter’s attraction, but she hadn’t seemed to think it was a bad thing. But now, her sister both looked and sounded wary.
“We’re just talking.” Aria sipped her drink, schooling her expression into one of casual indifference.
She and Hunter had established that phrase as their “code” for what to say in the likely event that they ran into someone Aria knew. She hadn’t considered it might be both of her sisters at the same time.
Not for a second did she think they didn’t see through her flimsy comment. Or her. She’d never been able to hide from her sisters. If she hadn’t moved to Denver with Steve, they’d have known immediately that something was wrong in her relationship with him.
Was it possible they’d also recognize that her feelings for Hunter felt right?
“Did you get my text?” Rory fixed her sharp blue eyes on Aria.
“Yes. Sorry I haven’t responded. I was…” Too busy thinking about Hunter. Too busy being with Hunter. “Busy.”
“We need to talk.”
“Fine. I’ll call you later.”
“How about now?” Rory put her hands on her hips.
Irritation prickled Aria’s skin. The last thing she wanted or needed was a lecture from her big sisters about what a bad idea it was to be romantically involved with Hunter. Rory and Callie could probably tell just by looking at her exactly how many times she’d slept with him. They probably knew she had his whisker burn on her breasts and a love bite on her shoulder.
“As you can see, I’m busy now.” She gripped her napkin. “I said I’d call you later.”
“Soon.” Rory’s features hardened.
“Fine.”
Grant, bless his heart, chose that moment to arrive with their food. As if sensing the tension in the air, he glanced at Rory, who met his gaze with a slight shake of her head. He deposited their food on the table and returned to the bar.
Tugging Rory’s arm, Callie stepped back. “Enjoy your food.”
Hunter remained standing as the two women said goodbye and left. Aria let out her breath slowly.
“You okay?” Hunter sat back down, his forehead creasing. “Maybe coming here again wasn’t a great idea.”
“No, I’m glad we did.” She picked up her spoon, resolve straightening her spine. “It’s none of their business who I choose to have dinner with.”
“They seem very protective of you.”
“They also always expect me to fail.” She stirred her soup a little too vigorously. “Well, Callie does. With good reason. It might be easier to deal with if she didn’t succeed at everything. You can guess what a lot of fun that was growing up. God. I’m sorry.”
She groaned and reached for her glass. “I don’t mean to whine. Callie is great. She dealt with everything after Dad died, and then Mom had a health scare a couple of months ago—she’s fine now, but Callie took charge again and got us all through it. She’s a control freak, but she’s smart, committed, hard-working, organized, loyal. It’s just hard to measure up to her.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t try.”
Aria lifted her gaze to his. The way he was looking at her with such tender warmth caused an ache to constrict her heart. If he’d already fallen for her, then she’d tumbled down right along with him. Holding his hand.
“I’ve been around, Aria.” A line appeared between his eyebrows. “I’ve dealt with a lot of different kinds of people. Some of them do what they’re good at or have a talent for. Others work because they stumbled into the job or they inherited a parents’ business. Some people tried to pursue certain careers, but either didn’t succeed or got sidetracked. A select few are doing what they love.”
He leaned closer, the lantern flame flickering in his eyes. “I realize this sounds ridiculous coming from a guy who worked nonstop for success and money, but my corporate ladder climbing came with a few lessons. Maybe the biggest lesson is that the luckiest people are the ones who have figured out how to use their hearts. And I’ve never met a person who puts as much of her heart into her work…into her life…as you do. You don’t need to measure up to anyone. The rest of the world needs to measure up to you.”
Aria stared into his candle-flame eyes, her heart thumping. She hadn’t just fallen. She was spinning wildly, plunging headfirst into a kaleidoscope of colors and light. She was whirling like a star. She was descending as slowly as a green leaf carried on a breeze.
“Any dessert?” Grant’s voice broke through the tense, lovely haze.
“Chocolate mousse.” Hunter sat back but didn’t take his gaze off her. “To go.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in her room above the café, pulling at each other’s clothes with fevered impatience. When Aria’s dress pooled around her ankles, Hunter lifted her to the bed, his eyes burning and his body corded with self-restraint.
He stripped her of her bra and panties before kissing her as if he wanted to devour her. His stubble scraped her skin, his hands gripped and squeezed her breasts, her rear, her hips. She stroked the ridges of his abdomen, nuzzled his throat, closed her fingers around his thick erection.
Along with the heat crackling through her like a wildfire, an astonishing sense of freedom filled Aria. With him, any lingering inhibitions or shyness slipped away, leaving room for nothing but passion and raw lust.
She asked for what she wanted in both words and sighs—kiss me, lick me, oh yes please—and he both heard her spoken desires and read her unspoken wishes. He taught her how to pleasure him and introduced her to new acts that had her arching off the bed and crying out in ecstasy.
She touched him without hesitation, pushing him to lie on his back while she kissed his chest and explored the landscape of his body, the slopes and ridges she could have mapped for hours.
When he took her from behind, his hands clutching her waist and his strong thighs pressing against hers, Aria buried her face in a pillow and squeezed her eyes shut. Endless pleasure streamed through her before it broke like stars shooting through her blood. His hold on her tightened, his rough shout followed by his own powerful release.
They fell back onto the bed together, breathing heavily.
“Chocolate mousse,” Aria gasped.
“Left it downstairs.” He kissed her bare shoulder. “I’ll go get it.”
“Cats.”
“I’ll take care of them.”
“No, they’re my responsibility.” Reluctantly, she pulled herself upright and reached for her cotton robe. “But I’ll share the mousse if you give me a hand.”
“Done.”
He tugged on his jeans, and they went down the worn stone stairway to the café. Aria’s phone, also on the counter, blinked with notifications.
As Hunter went into the Cat Lounge, she checked her messages. Two texts from Rory, instructing her to call, a text from Edith with a photo of a very content Buster lounging in his new bed, and an email from Nico.
She scanned his message. Her heart dropped.
Clutching her phone, she went into the lounge. Hunter was slouched on the sofa, rolling balls of yarn across the floor for the cats to jump at. Fang sat near him—not close, but not hunched out of sight either. Every so often, Hunter reached out to give the old cat a quick, gentle pat on the back. Fang twitched his tail.
One week ago today they’d first stepped over the line together. Aria had no regrets and would do it a thousand times over. But the line was still there.
As she approached the sofa, Fang edged closer to Hunter before leaping off and heading for one of the hideaways.
Hunter gave her a lazy grin. Light shone in from the outdoor streetlamps, burnishing his chest golden-brown in the light. His dark hair was tousled from the grip of her fingers. “Where’s the chocolate mousse?”
She extended the phone to him. A frown creased his forehead. After scanning the message, he let out his breath.
“Well, shit.”
“We knew it was coming.” She studied the agenda for the Mariposa Business Association meeting, which included one major action item. Her and Hunter’s debate, followed by the vote that would determine whether or not the shop owners would sell their properties.
He dragged his hands down his face. “I fucking hate this.”
“So do I.” Aria set her phone aside and edged closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest.
“There has to be something I can do.” He spoke almost under his breath, as if he were talking to himself. “Quitting won’t work because Imperial owns the contracts. They’d just send someone else in. But—”
“Hunter.” Resting her hand on his chest, she lifted herself up to look at him. Tenderness flooded her at the distress in his eyes. “I wish…”
She swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat. “I wish things could be different, but they’re not. They can’t be. As much as I love you for wanting to find another angle, I can’t let you do anything that might jeopardize your career or…”
Her voice trailed off. He was staring at her with dawning shock. Only then did Aria realize what she’d just said. What she’d confessed.
“I mean…” She managed to smile weakly. “We have a plan, right? We’re going to stick to the plan. There’s no miraculous revelation where we find some never-before-seen way we can both get what we want. There’s no magic wand. No ruby slippers.”
“Juliette was right.” Deep grooves bracketed his mouth. “We have eight verbal commitments. Possibly nine.”