by Lindsey Hart
“I’m paying,” Curtis confirmed with his smirk firmly back in place. It was wondrous what being back on the ground could do. Or not. She didn’t actually mind his barfy, vulnerable alter-ego that much. “For the record, those demands were ones you were only too happy to comply with, even if you can’t admit it. Hop out and I’ll be happy to take the lead.”
Of course, as soon as she was up and out of her seat, Curtis James did exactly that. Unfortunately, that meant that he reached for her hand and practically dragged her off the plane like he was worried about her getting lost in the airport. She managed to untangle their fingers somewhere between the off ramp and the baggage claim, but her heart wouldn’t stop pounding out a beat that she was sure was somewhere near violent enough to kill her.
No. Sam wasn’t right about her or Curtis or any of it. She wasn’t right at all. Why then was Sam’s evil text playing over and over in her mind? The one with the word. She could practically hear Sam singing it in her ear in a sweet, too high-pitched voice. Lexi and Curtis sitting in a tree. D-I-C-K-I-N-G.
Who was she freaking kidding? Sam was right. About all of it. Sam was so right and apparently, that made her as transparent as a nice sunny window. Barf or not, jerk or not, boss or not, she was in lust with Curtis. In lust, and maybe a little of something else. Something dangerous. Something she’d never admit to because no matter what was about to transpire, they weren’t a match. Physically, maybe they’d lit up a roaring fire on a few stolen moments if that presumptuous kiss was anything to go by, but in real life, they weren’t compatible. It would just make a mess of everything and shit was messy enough as it was.
Lexi knew she was in serious trouble because even if there couldn’t be a chapter two in their story, she was no longer so certain she could get through the next four days without there being a chapter one, one hell of a shit storm, and a really bad ending.
CHAPTER 15
Curtis
Sitting lakeside, a few hours from Calgary- the blue sky drifting above him, the lake a glass mirror, the green grass under his ass and between his toes, a gentle wind that smelled like the mountains tugging softly at his sweat soaked shirt and ruffling his hair- was pretty much the best part about being alive.
At least it was his best version of being alive. He couldn’t speak for anyone else, but as his cold beer can sweated in his hand, he was pretty sure that his silent companion was enjoying herself too.
He’d taken Lexi straight from the airport in a rental sedan to his favorite breakfast spot in the city. They had the fluffiest of waffles, topped with all sorts of real whipped cream, fried bananas, homemade Saskatoon berry sauce, cherries, and chocolate. Lexi couldn’t even muster a complaint about the place. Not about the delicious dark roast coffee that was their specialty, not about the to die for waffles, not about the fifties style décor or the jukebox that played old fashioned tunes, not about their genuinely nice waitress. Nothing.
She was silent on the few hours’ drive up to the cabin. The view was gorgeous, green grass, mountains, endless blue sky. Lexi seemed like a city girl through and through. He didn’t know why, but he pegged her as someone who would have a hard time roughing it, but the second he pulled up to the cabin- a rustic log structure that his father updated with running water and electricity when he was still a kid- Lexi’s eyes actually lit up.
Her face was radiant now when he snuck yet another sidelong glance at her. If she was beautiful normally, which she was, she was somewhere close to exotic at the moment, her cheeks flushed by the warmth of the day, strands of hair pulled loose and escaping her braid to frame her sun-kissed face. Her eyes were shiny and wide, a deeper blue than normal, mirroring the lake’s surface as she looked out at it. An untouched beer condensed in her right hand.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He didn’t really want to break the silence, but he did want to have a conversation.
“Yes.”
“I think we should just get something out of the way.”
Her eyes tore away from the lake when he said that, and her face jerked so sharply to the side and her neck creaked in protest. Her lips parted. She looked flustered, panicked even. She managed to maintain eye contact though, which he admired about her. No matter what, she refused to back down from a fight.
“That’s what my friend said as well,” she blurted but clapped a hand over her mouth right after. He stared at her in momentary confusion. Her neck turned scarlet and the heat crept into her cheeks as she blushed.
“What? What did your friend say?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head swiftly as if dismissing her own irrational thoughts. “Nothing. Uh- what- what were you going to say? Get what out of the way?”
He laughed awkwardly and she joined him, but it was forced and strained. He had no idea what she was talking about. What had she told her friend? Had she talked about him out of work? Was that tough front finally cracking?
“So, you reviewed those files last night? The ones I sent you during the day?”
“I did. Obviously. I sent you notes back on them. Or maybe you didn’t see them. I sent them late.”
“I did see them.”
“Then why did you ask…” she trailed off, shaking her head. Her lips actually allowed a shadowy smile of amusement. “You’re asking because you want to talk about my notes. You could have just said that.”
“Right.” His hand tightened on his warm beer can. “I’ll just be direct. I liked your notes. I liked your ideas.”
“Uh- okay.”
“Do you like being my assistant?”
Lexi’s lips thinned out. He’d taken her by surprise again. She recovered quickly, shooting him a sardonic smile. Her words dripped with sarcasm. “Uh- that’s a loaded question. I don’t think I can answer that properly. I would say of course I don’t, but that seems too harsh.”
“Right. I forgot. I’m supposed to be your robot boss, way up there on my pedestal, high on my own entitled self.” When Lexi turned scarlet, he took pity on her. “What I wanted to tell you is that we’re going to have some positions opening up in the marketing department. Good positions. Not senior ones, but not junior ones either. I think you should apply.”
“What? W-why? Am I not a good assistant?”
“Yes. You are. I just thought that you wouldn’t want to do that forever. You’re wasting your talents. Those notes you made were excellent. I wanted to get your thoughts since I was going to ask you about the position soon enough.”
“Of course you did,” she huffed like he’d had it in mind the entire time to trick her. “I don’t have a Marketing Degree. I’m not qualified.”
“That doesn’t matter. My grandfather never set foot inside a college and somehow, he managed to start this entire thing. Why would you need one to give your opinion and ideas about the products we put out there. You use them daily. Ones just like them. You have ideas about what they should do and how they should function and what they should look like. You’re not thinking about it from a market perspective. You’re not trying to sell people things or ram notions of what they should have down their throat. You reviewed those appliances like someone who would actually use them and that’s what I want. A real, honest opinion.”
“My opinions don’t matter. They’re flawed.”
“You should give yourself a little more credit than that. The position comes with a big pay raise. You’re smart, talented, and a quick learner.”
“Tell me about your grandpa.” Lexi’s voice was soft when she changed the subject. Her eyes glistened with sincerity, but she was also wary. She knew that it was a bittersweet topic for him. “I- I mean, if you want to. Since we’re here- at the cabin you said that he bought. I think you said that.” She glanced over her shoulder at the small log cabin surrounded by a copse of dense trees. The driveway to it from the road was long and winding. They were completely remote. The lake was round and small, with a few even smaller rocky islands dotting its surface. There was only one other cabin on the la
ke and it was miles away, out of sight. It honestly felt like they were the only people in the world at the moment, like they were part of the earth itself.
It wasn’t that Curtis didn’t like to talk about his grandfather. It hurt, like a scab being ripped off a not yet healed wound, like peeling an orange and accidentally squirting yourself in the eye or getting kicked straight in the spleen. The latter was probably the most apt description. It also felt good to talk about him, which was a massive contradiction. The pleasure was all mixed up wrong with the pain, which was why he usually avoided doing it for anything other than cursory conversation.
“My grandpa…” he let the words linger in the air. He knew she was deflecting, but he was going to let her, for the moment. “I don’t know where to begin. He was the best man I knew. Smart, but not in the textbook way. He could build absolutely anything. He bought this cabin, half finished, and worked on it himself, for him and my grandma, so that they’d have a place to escape to, once they had a little money and things started getting busy. It’s been in the family for years. They didn’t even have any children at the time. My dad used the cabin. His two sisters as well. Now, my aunts just come every couple of years. My dad and I try and get up here at least once a year for a fishing trip. I come more often. I don’t mind being by myself.”
He stared out at the rippling surface of the lake. The breeze was picking up. It cooled the beads of sweat on his forehead and the ones rolling down the back of his neck. Lexi sighed softly beside him. He didn’t look at her. She didn’t look at him. They both faced forward, staring at the lake, the great beauty and keeper of secrets.
“Your grandma is still alive?”
“She is. She talks about my grandfather all the time. They had this love story that’s pretty much unrivaled. They were married for over half a century. My parents are really in love too. Everyone around me seems to be. My sister. My aunts. My mom’s brother is still married to his wife. My cousins are either married or engaged or getting there. I pretty much gave up on having that for myself. Maybe I wanted it too badly. Maybe because I grew up watching it, experiencing it, maybe because I’m too familiar with it. Maybe that’s the reason I’m not built for it. I never met anyone who could just see me without all the bullshit background noise.”
Lexi cleared her throat roughly. “Maybe you’re trying too hard. Or not hard enough.”
“Maybe I never met anyone who wanted to be married to me and not the billions of dollars behind my family name.”
“You certainly don’t seem to lack for arm candy.”
He stiffened, digging the toe of his bare foot into the lush grass. It was beyond needing to be cut, even though they paid a guy who lived twenty minutes away to come and do regular yard maintenance.
“You know that those women pictured are just platonic? They’re friends. Work acquaintances. They agree to go to functions because they enjoy networking. They wouldn’t go by themselves, but it’s a good way to advance their business. At least, for the past year, that’s what it’s been.”
“A year? What about before that?”
“Before that was some trial and error, mostly error, that didn’t work out.”
“Because they were gold diggers?”
“Because they weren’t you.” There was a collective gasp, a rush of air between them, like even mother nature just inhaled sharply at that little declaration. Lexi sounded like she’d just swallowed her own tongue. She made a choking noise that made him crank his head around to see if she needed mouth to mouth. Real mouth to mouth, not just bullshit mouth to mouth.
“Come on,” Lexi said as she dropped her eyes back down to the grass. She set her still full beer aside and plucked up some of the green blades between her fingers. “You’re just pulling my leg. Asshole.”
I’d like to do far more than pull your leg. “I’m serious. I’ve been watching you for three years.”
She shuddered visibly. “That’s seriously creepy.”
“It isn’t. Or maybe it is. I wouldn’t change it. The only thing I’d change is that you don’t hate me. If you actually got to know me, I think that you might change your mind.” He thought about that for a second while Lexi furiously pulled out the grass like she was on a mission to mow the entire lawn with just her bare hands. “Or maybe you wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, I probably wouldn’t.”
He’d intended to finally make a move, do something about the blue balls that were likely the size of grapefruits, but it wasn’t right. Lexi wasn’t facing him. She wasn’t looking at him. She looked like she was actually trying to dig a hole to disappear in. He decided to change tactics. Spend a day actually trying to show her that he wasn’t such a bad guy, instead of trying to tell her. Spend a day with her on the lake, make her a home-cooked meal, watch the sunset and build a fire. Do something to actually earn her trust before he tried to get in her pants. He wanted her to see him. To see him like he’d waited years for a woman to see him. Waited an entire lifetime. If it was even possible, it was going to be possible with her, but he couldn’t just barge ahead and wreck everything.
“Great.” He jumped up, brushing discarded blades of grass from his jeans. Lexi stared up at him, blinking rapidly like he was the sun, too bright for her to look up at. “Let’s go fishing.”
‘I- I don’t have a license!”
He shot her his signature James smirk, the one he knew women loved, and Lexi, though she tried to pretend otherwise, was no exception. “Fortunately for our future starving stomachs, I do. The gear is in the cabin and the boat is ready to go. Let’s do this.”
“I’ve never fished before.” Lexi bit down hard on her lower lip and his cock hardened unmercifully. He let out a breath. It was going to be a long fucking day. A long fucking weekend if she kept like that. Looking so sinfully innocent and effortlessly tempting.
“Also fortunate for you, I happen to be a pro.”
Lexi stood slowly. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” She was back to being her normal spitfire self since she just shook her head and started off down the gently sloped hill, in the direction of the small sandy strip that served as a beach, towards the dock where the red metal fishing boat was tethered.
He grinned at her back for just a second, like a fool, before he set his half full beer on the grass and stalked after her. He’d catch their dinner if they had to stay out on the lake all day. There were definitely worse ways to pass a day than under the warm summer sun, on a beautiful lake, in the serenity of nature and the shadow of the distant mountains. With. Lexi. She wasn’t the icing on the cake. She was the cake.
He was a lucky man.
CHAPTER 16
Lexi
Something was happening to her. Something she wanted to fight but was defenseless against. Maybe it was the peaceful setting of the lake. The tranquil escape. She’d never been anywhere so remote. The log cabin was beautiful and quaint. The lake was absolutely gorgeous. The day was warm and magnificent.
Curtis wasn’t actually bragging when he said he knew how to fish. He’d caught dinner in the matter of an hour and then they’d just stayed out, drifting aimlessly in the boat. He didn’t make her watch him clean the fish, which was a small mercy. He’d cooked it along with fried potatoes and made lemon pepper carrots. Before they’d come out to the cabin, he’d run into a grocery store while she waited in the car. He’d also grabbed a few cases of beer, which she rolled her eyes at, but she hadn’t said anything.
It was pretty hard to hate a guy who shared his special escape, opened up about his grandfather, spilled about the pain and loneliness he’d felt over the years, who fished and cooked like a pro. She’d never tasted anything so delicious in her entire life. There was a first time for everything. Maybe there was a first time for not being able to detest Curtis James too.
Even though they’d been up early to catch the flight and it was supposed to be a business trip and so far they hadn’t discussed business at all, after Curtis washed the dishes and cleaned up- anoth
er shocking first that made Lexi’s legs feel watery- when he suggested they go back down to the lawn to watch the sunset, she couldn’t refuse.
He brought a patchwork quilt and she followed him outside. The evening was still warm, and the bugs were surprisingly not that thick. Curtis had a can of bug spray he threw down on the quilt just in case, after he spread it out.
Lexi was a city girl through and through. She could admit it. That afternoon in the boat was her first time on a lake. Ever. It was her first time fishing, even though she’d just watched Curtis. She didn’t camp out. Going to Mexico with her family and staying at a four-star resort was probably as close to roughing it as she’d ever come. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d been outside Seattle.
She sat down on the edge of the blanket, as far away from Curtis as she could get because she didn’t think she could handle being close to him, feeling his body heat or inhaling his dark, delicious scent. She drew her knees up to her chest. She felt a little stale and sweaty after baking under the hot sun all day, but it felt good, in that weird sort of being out in nature kind of way that she’d never honestly experienced before.
She liked that when she inhaled, she could smell the strange, earthy scent of the lake and the sweetness of the grass they’d just crushed with the blanket. She loved the call of birds and the hum of bugs or frogs or something in the distance. The sun dipped lower in the sky as they sat watching, and the pallet of reds, pinks, and purples that colored the sky was nothing short of magnificent.
She was scared. Scared of how much she’d enjoyed herself. Of how easy it was to be in Curtis’ company. She hadn’t even thought about how she hated him. Not once. All day. She knew she was letting her guard down. Maybe it was better just to get it over with. She could take the marketing job after her weekend spent with Curtis making terrible decisions, and never really have to even deal with him again.