Embraced at Seaside

by Addison Cole

  “Then why are you giving up? Just because you lost one space that was handed to you? Let’s get out there and find you another space.”

  “Oh, like it’s that easy?” She rolled her eyes.

  “Nothing worth anything is easy. I mean, look at you.” His smile told her he was only half kidding, but he was right. Jana knew she was anything but easy. “Lucky for you, maybe it can be easier for you than for most people. You can use our empty building out on Route 6.”

  “I am not using your space.” She got up and paced the living room.

  “Why not?”

  “Because we’re involved. Mixing business and pleasure is never a good idea.”

  “Jana, it’s in the perfect location, with plenty of parking, no retail neighbors to complain about loud music or whatever other concerns you might have, and it’s mine, which means you can use it without worrying about a rotten landlord.”

  “No.” She continued pacing. “It complicates things too much.”

  He rose to his feet and blocked her path, anger rolling off of him in waves.

  “When will you step out of your own stubborn way? Open your eyes and take what’s being offered. Everything you want is right here in front of you.”

  She flinched at the tone of his voice and wondered if he meant him or the space he was offering. “It’s not a good idea.”

  “You made it very clear that we’re not girlfriend and boyfriend, and I can deal with that, but, Jana…” He pulled her in close again—he was always pulling her in close lately, and not just for sex, but making her feel special and important. Like she was the only thing that mattered and he wanted to keep her safe. She wasn’t used to that.

  The tension in him eased as their bodies came together. “Baby, what I’m offering has nothing to do with sex, or us, or commitments. It has to do with you achieving your dreams.”

  She wanted to trust that he was telling her the truth, but she was still reeling from how much had changed between them—and inside her—in the past few hours. She didn’t fully trust it. They were both committing to something they’d fought forever. But not really. She honestly hadn’t even tried to pick up a man in six months, and she’d only slept with Hunter. Whether she’d acknowledged it to herself or not before she was forced to, it was the truth.

  “So, your offer has absolutely nothing to do with control?” she asked. “Or wanting to keep me under your thumb?”

  He pushed away. “No. Is that what you think?” He fisted his hands and walked around the couch.

  She wondered if he was going to walk right out the door, and the thought brought a rise of renewed panic. She was messing everything up between them, and she didn’t want to mess them up; she just needed to slow them down. Or maybe it was her life she needed to slow down.

  Thankfully, Hunter didn’t head for the door. He went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter with his back to her. She had pushed him away so hard, so many times, and he never ran away. She took a step closer to where he stood and stopped when he turned around, his gorgeous dark eyes laden with defeat.

  “Jana, I know I’m aggressive, and I get why you’d think I want to control things, but can’t you see I’m trying here? I may be a jerk sometimes, but I’d never try to control you. You’re like a wild horse. You can’t be tamed or chained.”

  He searched her eyes as he had earlier, and this time she was sure he saw her heart opening up to him, because she couldn’t stop it if she tried. No one had ever seen her so clearly before, understood what she’d felt like her whole life. There was so much she wanted to do—boxing, dancing, theater…him.

  “That’s one of your most alluring qualities.” He smiled, shook his head. “Believe it or not, I like who you are, and I don’t want to change you. I just want to be with you. To experience life with you and see you happy. When you talk about opening your own studio, your entire face lights up, and I’d hate to see you give that up so easily. Especially when easy isn’t any part of who you are.”

  The sincerity in his voice was too genuine to deny. He really was interested in helping her, walking beside her, not carrying her. And at a time when he could have told her she was easy to get in bed, he didn’t take that half-teasing stab. He’d somehow made her feel stronger again, and that overwhelmed her, softened her toward him even more.

  “You are probably the only person who sees me for who I really am, and…” Her feelings for him warred with the fear of somehow hurting him—or herself. “I appreciate that more than you can know. And I love that you want to be with me, not control me. But can I think about it? See the space?” she asked as she came around the couch and joined him.

  “Of course.” He didn’t look mad, just resigned, like he knew she’d need time.

  “Shouldn’t you talk to Grayson about it first?” She reached for his hand, and this time when he pulled her in close, she wrapped her arms around him and soaked in the comfort he offered. “I’m sorry. Everything is changing so fast. You’re so sure of it all, and it’s just going to take me some time.”

  “To trust me.”

  It wasn’t a question, but she realized he only understood part of what she was saying. It was also about trusting herself not to hurt him.

  “To trust both of us. To trust the changes we’re talking about. I’m sorry.”

  He drew back and lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes with a look that told her that everything had changed. Gone was the competition, the games, replaced with something real. Replaced with more.

  She felt panic rising in her chest, and this time it was easier to push it back down.

  “Don’t ever apologize for being careful. We both have pasts, and they’re not pretty. They’re too much for most people to even try to understand. But you and me? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We’re so similar. We’re both stubborn, controlling, passionate. I want to cross this line with you. I want to build trust, but it goes both ways. We’ll argue, and we might take seven steps back for every one we take forward, and that’s okay.”

  You really do get me.

  Maybe they could do this.

  “Regardless of whether you tell me tomorrow that you made a mistake and we can’t be together or not, the space I’m offering you stands. No strings attached. I’ll talk to Gray, but he won’t mind.” He smiled and said, “You know where it is, right? Prime location. Right on Route 6 across the street from the Dunkin’ Donuts, with plenty of parking. It’s unfinished, and we can build it out however you’d like.”

  He held up their laced hands before lowering his lips to hers, sealing his hopes with a kiss and igniting hers.

  Chapter Nineteen

  THEY DIDN’T HAVE wild monkey sex that night, and they didn’t go see the space off of Route 6. After Hunter made a trip home for the necessities—clothes and condoms—they made a quick dinner and watched a movie. Jana fell asleep with her head on Hunter’s lap about halfway through Million Dollar Baby, for which Hunter was glad, because he knew she’d give him a hard time about his damp eyes. That movie got him every time, because he saw Jana in Hillary Swank’s fierce determination. He’d carried Jana to bed, and for the second morning in a row, Hunter had woken up with Jana in his arms.

  Then they’d had wild monkey sex.

  In the days since, life had been hectic. Between Hunter’s long hours working on the sculpture to make the deadline for the competition and the extra hours Jana was putting in at the studio, they rarely saw each other before nine at night. Thankfully, Jana hadn’t fought him on staying over, and they’d woken up together every morning for the past week. He’d kicked her out of bed for her boxing practices, though he had a hard time letting her leave the house in her sexy little workout clothes, inciting her to roll her eyes and tell him that if he didn’t stay over, she’d get out of the door quicker.

  He loved every minute of their bickering and somehow knew it might never change. He sure hoped it didn’t.

  Hunter had spoken to Grayson about letting Ja
na use the space, and as Hunter had assumed, Grayson was all for it. Meanwhile, Hunter and Jana discussed the what-ifs about her accepting the space ad nauseam. What if we break up? What if we stay together but owning my own studio doesn’t work out? What if I quit my job and no one wants to take my classes? They’d become experts at talking about the space, and Jana’s excitement about opening a dance studio had only increased. But Jana had successfully avoided or redirected every conversation about their relationship.

  It was Sunday evening, and their schedules had finally eased enough to go see the space.

  Hunter opened the passenger door of the truck and helped Jana out, handing her the keys. “Here you go, pretty girl. Check it out. See how it feels.”

  “This location is great,” she said as she walked toward the front door. “And you’re right. There’s plenty of parking.”

  Like most of the buildings on the lower Cape, the cedar siding was weathered and gray, and the storefront looked more like a residential house than a commercial property.

  “The gardens are overgrown, and the grass needs to be mowed, but those are easy fixes.” Hunter pointed to the right side of the parking lot. “I was thinking that we could put a sign up there, that way the trees out front won’t block it from traffic coming in either direction.”

  Jana turned and faced the street with a wide smile. “I can’t believe you guys don’t use this place. Or haven’t already rented it out.”

  Hunter shrugged as they made their way to the front door. “We were going to open a showroom, but right after we bought it we were so busy with orders that we pushed the idea off for a while. And now we work on a custom-order basis, so we don’t really have stock, and renting is a big time suck.”

  He placed his hand on her lower back as they walked up the front steps. “But I’d suck anything for you,” he teased, with a flick of his tongue over her ear.

  She giggled, and he watched her unlock the door. Lately he found himself studying her movements a little closer, capturing her energy to pour into the sculpture. He’d been so inspired this week that he’d completed the body. He’d begun fabricating thin, twisted strips of iron to create a skirt that looked like it was blowing in the wind, and over the next week or two he’d create a bodice out of hundreds of small pieces of metal and mirrors to simulate fabric for her top.

  Every moment he and Jana spent together bonded them on a newer, deeper level, and he woke up each morning more inspired than the day before. The sculpture was changing as quickly as their relationship. When he looked at Jana, his muse, he saw a woman breaking free of her own confines and evolving right before his eyes, and because of that, the sculpture had taken on a life of its own.

  Jana smiled as she pushed the door open. The property had been empty for so long, the hardwood floors were covered in a fine layer of dust, and Hunter realized his mistake. He’d been so excited to offer the space to her, knowing the location alone would practically assure her success, he’d forgotten about cleaning it.

  “Sorry, babe. I probably should have had it cleaned before showing it to you.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind a little dirt.” They went inside, and she turned in a slow circle, a sweet smile spreading her lips. “This is big enough to have a reception area up here with chairs for parents, and…” She walked across the floor, then turned to face him again.

  He was right behind her and folded her in his arms. “A reception area, huh? I was thinking that this was the make-out lobby.”

  She went up on her toes and wound her arms around his neck. “Mm. I like that.”

  “Wait until you see the get-down-and-dirty kitchen.” He slanted his mouth over hers and clutched her butt.

  “Hunter,” she whispered. “Why didn’t we start there?”

  He nibbled her neck as they moved toward the doors in the back of the building. She was walking backward, stopping every few seconds as he sucked or nipped at her skin.

  “Baby, I’ll start anywhere you’d like.” He lifted her into his arms and she wound her legs around his waist. How did she do this to him? Take him from a walk through a building to wanting to tear her clothes off in a matter of seconds? The rosy flush on her cheeks and lust in her eyes as her mouth met his in a hungry kiss always pulled him in.

  He pushed open the door to the kitchen and lowered her onto the counter. “You’re wicked sexy. I swear, Jana, you totally own me.” He crushed his mouth to hers.

  As the tension in her body eased and their lips parted, he said, “Want to see the naked stockroom?”

  HUNTER. OH, HUNTER. He was turning her inside out. He’d taken care of her in so many ways over the last week. Sex had become the icing on the cake instead of the cake itself. She never thought she’d meet a guy who was as sexual as she was. Yes, guys were all sexual, but most had no imagination. Hunter had no inhibitions. He took and gave in equal measure, and she loved that about him. He wasn’t put off when she was aggressive, and he was constantly surprising her in other ways, like texting just to say he was thinking about her. Sometimes they were sexy texts; other times they were so sweet they turned her mind to mush. When they’d argued last night, he’d taken out her boxing gloves and held up a pillow for her to work out her aggression. And probably the sweetest thing, which no one would ever believe if she told them, was that before bed, he’d begun rubbing her feet. You’re on these babies all day long. They need attention, too. Even now he took care of her, fixing her skirt and putting her shirt back on, making sure she was properly covered.

  She looked around the small break room as she tried to remember why they were there. The space would work well, but the idea of mixing business with pleasure still made her uneasy.

  “You like?” He kissed her again.

  “What you just did? Do you even have to ask?” She knew he meant the space, but she could still feel his touch, and she became too distracted to think about anything else.

  “Mm. That’s a great answer.”

  She hooked her finger in one of the belt loops on his jeans and tugged him through the only other door she saw. “Show me the naked stockroom, please.”

  The door clicked shut behind them, surrounding them in total darkness.

  “I feel like a teenager sneaking into a closet to make out.” She was whispering, even though they were the only ones there. “It’s my turn,” she said as she tugged his shirt over his head.

  “Come here.” He pulled her close and kissed her.

  His skin was hot, and the muscles in his back bunched as he deepened the kiss.

  “I could kiss you all night,” he said against her mouth.

  “Please do.”

  A million steamy kisses later, while he stroked her hair, whispering about how incredible she was, she touched her forehead to his chest, savoring the feel of being close to him.

  “Let’s finish looking around, go home and clean up, and then let’s go out to Race Point and watch the sunset.” He lifted her to her feet, tucked her hair behind her ear, and kissed her tenderly.

  As they drove back to her place, she wondered when it had become his home, too.

  Chapter Twenty

  THE NEXT MORNING Brock took Jana through a grueling workout. They worked the heavy bag, the speed bag—her least favorite, because she wasn’t very fast—and then he had her jumping rope and sparring for four rounds.

  “You don’t have as much steam as usual,” Brock said as she took a drink from her water bottle. “Anything going on you want to talk about?”

  She shook her head. “Not really. I just have so much going on right now.” She’d been thinking about the exhibition match. As much as she loved to fight, she knew she wasn’t up to par. She simply didn’t carry the same level of aggression as she had a week ago, and she knew it was the change in her and Hunter’s relationship. Maybe giving up the fight, easing up on her need to do absolutely everything, was the slowing down that she needed.

  “Hunter told me about the exhibition match, but would you be upset
if I don’t fight in it? I’m just so crazed with trying to decide about the studio and everything right now. I feel like one more thing might push me over the edge.”

  He handed her a towel and she wiped her face.

  “Not at all. Listen, fighting was your idea, and if it’s causing you stress, or you’re not enjoying it, don’t continue because of me. Take some time off if you need it.”

  “Thanks, Brock. I’m okay. I just don’t want the added pressure of an exhibition match. Thank you for understanding, though.”

  “I have to admit, I was surprised to hear from Hunter the other morning.”

  She’d wondered when Brock was going to get around to mentioning the call, and in the days since, she’d tried to figure out how to handle it when he finally got around to it.

  “Sorry about missing that practice and not calling you myself. The night before had been a particularly rough night.” She sat down on the bench and leaned her back against the wall.

  “Yeah, Harper told me.” His stare was steady, and she wondered just how much Harper had shared. “Sorry about the Seaside space. But I’m sure you’ll find someplace else.”

  “Do you think it’s a mistake?”

  “Opening a dance studio? Of course not. You’re so talented, Jana, and you love teaching. Why work for a guy who doesn’t appreciate it and takes advantage of you?”

  She nodded, thinking about Hunter, who appreciated everything about her and pushed her to do the same. “Hunter offered me his place out on Route 6.”

  “Seriously?” Brock’s eyes narrowed, as if he were questioning why Hunter would do that, and just as quickly the look faded and he smiled. “That’s prime space. Can you afford the rent?”

  “Gosh, we haven’t even talked about the rent. I don’t know how I feel about renting from Hunter.”

  “Why?” He cocked his head in that older brother sort of way that said, Do I need to hurt somebody?