Just A Kiss

by Elks, Carrie

  The sun had hit the line between the ocean and the sky, casting orange shadows across the waves. Only a few more minutes and the moon would be visible. It was the end of another day.

  “I can’t imagine living anywhere but California,” Lucas said, his voice soft. “Or Angel Sands now that I’m with Ember. But I’m not sure we’re going to be able to live on the beach forever.”

  “Why not?” Breck asked, crossing his legs in front of him. “I thought you loved your cottage.”

  “I do, but it’s small. Too small for a family.”

  “You got something you want to tell me?” Breck asked, grinning. “Do I need to bring a shotgun to your wedding?”

  Lucas laughed. “Nah, nothing like that. But we want to start a family soon. Ember loves kids and I love making her happy. Plus I kind of like the idea of being a daddy, too.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day,” Breck said, lifting his bottle to his lips. “Remember when we all planned to live at the beach together? You, me, Griff, and Jack? Imagine how bad that place would have smelled.”

  Lucas wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, it would have been disgusting.”

  “Have you thought about extending the cottage? Or demolishing it and building something new?” Breck asked. “I could take a look if you want me to, make some suggestions.”

  “Yeah, that could work.” Lucas nodded. “Though I’m still thinking about the risks of bringing kids up so close to water. I need to work it through.”

  “Just say the word and I’ll come over.” Breck shrugged. “We can go over now if you’d like?” It wasn’t as though he had anything else to do, and he’d probably welcome the distraction. His mind had been way too full of a certain woman for his own comfort.

  “I wouldn’t do that to you, my friend. Rachel’s visiting with Ember and they’re talking about you. When she started waxing lyrical about your abs, I decided to make myself scarce.”

  “She’s never seen my abs.” Breck shook his head. “And they’re not that great.”

  He shifted in his chair, uncomfortable at the thought of Rachel talking about him. Things were getting out of hand. He needed to find a way of letting her down gently. Maybe after the wedding. It was only three weeks away, he could avoid her until then.

  “That’s not what she said,” Lucas carried on, oblivious to Breck’s discomfort. “Washboard tight, is how she described them. I had to get out of there before she said something I couldn’t unhear. I don’t want to have a detailed description of any other part of your anatomy.”

  “She’s never going to see other parts of my anatomy.” Breck drained his bottle, and threw it at the can in the corner of the deck. It hit the rim, before sliding inside with a clatter. “So you don’t have to worry there.”

  “You know she wants to, right? She’s got her heart set on getting into your bed. Before you know it, you’ll be walking with her down the aisle for a second time.”

  “Shut up.” Breck sighed loudly. “Seriously, I’m not interested. She seems like a nice girl and all, but she’s not my type.”

  “Who is your type?” Lucas asked, smiling at him.

  Your sister, Breck wanted to say. He winced at the thought. Lucas would never accept him going there. “I’m not sure I have one.”

  “Come on, you must’ve had girls back in Boston you dated. And I remember you hanging around some when you lived here. You’re not exactly a monk.”

  Breck laughed. “No, not exactly.” He regretted throwing his bottle in the trash. He wished he had something to hold, to mess with. His hands felt jittery and empty. “I guess if I needed to choose a type, I’d say I like a girl with class. Intelligence. Someone with a sense of humor who isn’t afraid to push me, and doesn’t take my shit. A girl with her own interests, who’s ambitious, strong, and doesn’t want to hang around me all the time. At the end of the day, I guess I want what everybody wants. A girl to sit and talk to as the sun goes down.”

  “And then you take her to bed and have hot sex.” Lucas raised his eyebrows.

  “Classy.” Breck groaned. Why was it when Lucas said that, Breck’s mind automatically flew to Caitie?

  “I’m just telling it like it is. There’s no point in having a relationship without the sex. The talking is nice, so’s the being together, but when you get down to things, it’s all about sexual compatibility.”

  Breck blew out a breath. This conversation was moving into uncomfortable territory. A stark reminder of why he shouldn’t shit on his own doorstep. What kind of guy thinks about sex with his best friend’s sister?

  “Anyway, back to your list. For a guy who said he doesn’t have a type, that’s pretty extensive criteria. Are there any girls out there who can even match up to them?” Lucas asked.

  “Apart from Ember?” Breck raised his brows.

  “Ah, as gorgeous as she is, even my girl doesn’t meet your criteria. You’re never going to get all that with one girl.”

  Only with the wrong girl. “Now you know why I’m single.”

  “You’re going to end up being a lonely, old man. Maybe you should call Rachel. At least you’d have someone warm to cozy up to.”

  “I’ll pass on that, thanks.”

  Breck’s phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. He pulled it out, planning to forward it to voicemail. Probably Rachel calling again. After his conversation with Lucas, he definitely didn’t want to chat with her anytime soon.

  But it wasn’t Rachel calling. Caitie’s name lit up the screen. Angling it so Lucas couldn’t see his sister’s name, Breck quickly accepted the call.

  “Hey, you okay?” he asked her, aching to hear her voice.

  “I’m good.” She sounded upbeat. Different to the woman who’d walked out of his bungalow without a backward glance. “Just getting ready for the big presentation tomorrow. I thought I’d call really quick and say hi.”

  “Well hi.” Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Lucas who was looking at his own phone, scrolling through messages. It didn’t make Breck feel any less awkward that he was talking to his sister where he could overhear. “Did you get there okay?”

  “To L.A.? Yeah, the roads weren’t too bad after the holiday weekend. And the suite I’ve got is pretty swanky. So at least I can panic in luxury.”

  “You’re panicking?” He felt anxious himself. “Is it near the water?”

  That comment garnished Lucas’s attention. He glanced at Breck with interest.

  “No, I mean panicking about the presentation. We’re in the middle of a built up area. There’s a pool, but we’re not overlooking it, and if I close my eyes, I can pretend it’s not there.”

  Lucas had given his full attention to Breck. He could feel the back of his neck prickle up under his friend’s scrutiny. Breck was intensely aware of everything he said, trying to veil his words so Lucas wouldn’t realize it was Caitie he was talking with. If he’d felt awkward before this was a whole new level. And exactly why getting involved with Caitie was the worst idea ever.

  So why did talking to her feel so good?

  “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. It’s great to hear from you.”

  Caitie breathed, soft and deep. “So, I wanted to thank you again for looking after me yesterday. And to apologize for running off so quickly.”

  Breck shifted in his seat. He was holding the cellphone so tight against his head it was digging into his temple. The thought of Lucas overhearing the other side of the call was making him sweat. He needed to cut this off. Quick. “Um, I’ve got someone with me right now. Can I call you back later?” he asked.

  “Oh. Right. Yeah, of course,” she said quickly, sounding as though all the air had gone out of her. “I should go anyway. I have a ton of work to do. I’m sorry I interrupted you.”

  He hated the way her tone had turned on a dime. From being friendly to guarded again. How the hell had he managed that?

  Lucas cleared his throat. His eyes were full of amusement.

  “I’ll talk to you later, okay?�
� He needed to end this call now, before any more secrets spilled out. His lips were so dry they felt cracked. “You take care now.”

  “Yep. Bye.” She ended the call before he could reply. Breck slid the phone back into his pocket. His face felt warm, but his soul felt cold. He felt like an asshole for dismissing her so fast, but what other choice did he have? Lucas was still staring right at him, a grin on his face.

  “Tell me that wasn’t a girl you’re interested in, and I’ll call you a liar.”

  * * *

  Caitie switched off her phone and plugged it into the charger, before she slumped back onto her bed. Embarrassment covered her like an unwelcome blanket, weighing her down, and making her muscles tremble. She should never have listened to Harper. Breck must have thought she was such a fool. Some little school girl, following her brother’s friend around with puppy dog eyes.

  “I’ve got someone with me right now.”

  Of course he had. And it didn’t take a genius to guess who it was. Thank god she hadn’t made a complete fool out of herself before he’d told her exactly what she needed to know.

  She needed to push him out of her mind. Him, Rachel, and all of Angel Sands. They weren’t important. She’d take a shower, go to sleep, then get up and hit it out of the park with her presentation. When it was over she’d go home to New York. To her safe place.

  Things weren’t so painful there.

  * * *

  She wasn’t picking up her calls. Breck pressed her number for the fifth time since Lucas left and winced as it connected to her voicemail. Again.

  “Cait? It’s Breck. Call me back.” His chest tightened. Was she pissed with him? Annoyed because he had to end their call abruptly? What choice did he have – another minute and Lucas could have guessed who it was. Neither of them wanted that.

  He leaned on the rail circling the deck, and looked out at the dark ocean. The night air did nothing to cool his heated skin. He wasn’t sure anything would. Drumming his fingers on the wood, he took a deep breath, willing his mind to calm down. But he knew tonight, like last night, when he closed his eyes to sleep it would be her he saw behind them.

  Sighing, he grabbed his phone again to check if he had reception. All four bars were lit up. She was probably busy getting her pitch ready for tomorrow.

  He breathed in, letting the air fill his lungs. He couldn’t do this anymore. Couldn’t keep telling himself she was off-limits, and that he should forget her. God knew he’d tried. But she was there, in his mind, in his body, in everything he looked at. He knew he shouldn’t want her, but he did.

  There was only one thing for it. When her presentations were over, he’d drive up to LA and hash this thing out. Maybe he could talk to her, get her out of his system, and somehow find the common sense that had been desperately eluding him ever since his lips touched hers.

  Yeah. They could talk. That would work. Because god knew nothing else would.

  18

  “So that’s it,” Felix said, blinking as they walked out of the building and into the parking lot. “Now we wait and see.”

  “I guess so.” Caitie pulled her sunglasses down, filtering out the bright November sun. It was blinding here in L.A.. “It’s going to kill me to wait. They must know who they’re going to hire. What’s the point in making us hang on for a week to find out? And did you see how smug the people from Holiday Hope looked? Do you think they know something we don’t?”

  Felix unlocked the rental car with his key, and opened the trunk, loading their boards and folders inside. “They don’t know any more than we do,” he said, taking her laptop bag and stashing it in the back. “I had a quiet word with Claire, their exec assistant. They’ve been told the same thing as us.”

  That was the great thing about Felix, he wasn’t afraid to talk to the enemy. “I guess we’re all in the same position.”

  “Except we aced it and they didn’t. According to Claire, their proposal was pulled apart over the last three days. They were up all last night rewriting it.”

  “Really?” Caitie relaxed for the first time all day. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week. I was positive they were doing so much better than us. Every time I saw their CEO in the corridor he gave me such a cocky look. At one passing he said something about offering me a job when they’d won the contract.” They climbed into the car. “What I wouldn’t give to see his expression if they don’t win.”

  Felix turned the engine on. “It’ll be almost as good as your expression when we do win.”

  It took them an hour to get back to the hotel. The L.A. traffic was living up to its reputation. All the freeways running through the city were almost at a standstill. When they arrived, Felix stopped the car in the semicircular driveway, and the doorman walked forward to open Caitie’s door.

  They climbed out of the car and Felix popped the trunk, passing her the laptop bag.

  “So I’ll see you back in New York,” Felix said. He was taking the red-eye back home.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to take the boards back?” Caitie gestured at the trunk.

  “Yeah, I’m going to check them. It’s all good.”

  Caitie leaned forward to give him an uncharacteristic hug. “Thanks for all your hard work. And for being my rock this week. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Felix blushed. “We’re a team, and I enjoyed it. If we get this gig, hopefully I’ll be able to help with that, too.”

  “If we get this gig, Felix, you’ll be doing a lot more than helping with it. I’ll need you to take the lead on some of the other contracts,” she told him. “I wouldn’t trust anybody else.” Funny what a difference a week could make. Though she’d had some faith in Felix before, now she was seeing him in a completely different light. There was no doubting his ability, not when he’d shone in all of his presentations. “If we win, you’ll be getting a big promotion.”

  “Fingers crossed.”

  “Amen to that.” She released him from their embrace. “Have a good flight. I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”

  Felix got back into the car, and Caitie gave him a wave, watching as he pulled away. Her whole body ached, the result of constant talking, walking, and being on her best behavior for the last four days. Like an actress performing the longest show of her life, she’d taken her final bow and now her muscles were making her pay the price.

  She was grateful for the coolness of the air conditioning as she stepped into the lobby. She stopped for a second, closing her eyes to appreciate the sensation on her skin.

  “Cait?”

  Her eyes flew open. She blinked to see if they were working. Because the man standing right in front of her looked and sounded like a doppelganger of Brecken Miller.

  He smiled at her, and she realized it was Breck. Nobody else could make the muscles in her legs feel this weak.

  He was dressed for business, wearing dark grey pants and a crisp white shirt. The collar was unbuttoned at his throat, no tie, and the sleeves were rolled up. The skin surrounding his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. A thousand questions lingered on her tongue. Why was he here? What did he want? Why the hell was her heart beating so fast? She ignored them all, and smiled at him.

  “How did your presentations go?” he asked, coming to a stop in front of her. She never failed to be surprised by his height and his strength. She wasn’t the smallest woman in the world, but he always made her feel tiny in comparison.

  “They went well. We just finished the final one,” she told him. “Now we have to wait for their decision.”

  “Always the worst part. It’s like being a kid again and waiting for exam results. I swear it doesn’t get any easier. When do you find out?”

  “They said I’d get an email by next week, but I’m guessing that’s when the loser will find out. If I haven’t heard anything by Tuesday I’ll assume the worst.” She couldn’t shake off how strange this was, standing in the lobby of her hotel talking to the man she’d dreamed about for the past few night
s. Him being here couldn’t be a coincidence, L.A. was way too big a city for that.

  “You’ll get the job.” His voice was certain. She wondered what it would be like to come home to him every day. To unload her worries and hear his reassurances. There was something so strong about Breck, so certain. He was a rock in the middle of a tempest. “And if for any reason you don’t, you know you did your best. It wasn’t meant to be.”

  “You sound like my mom.”

  “Deenie’s a wise woman.”

  “She thinks Elvis is still alive. And the moon landings were all a conspiracy. Wise isn’t always the first word that springs to mind when talking about my mother.”

  Breck laughed. Why did he have to be so handsome? It was really distracting. “Elvis is definitely alive. I saw him driving a truck in New England last year. White suit and all.”

  Another wave of exhaustion washed over her. She reached out to steady herself against a chair. Breck stared at her white-knuckled hand, frowning. “Sorry, you must be tired. I was in L.A. for meetings and wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ve left you a few voicemails.”

  Caitie bit her lip. “Oh yeah, I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy this week…”

  Busy avoiding thinking about him and Rachel.

  “It’s okay. I know how it can be. But I didn’t want you going back to New York without us having a chance to talk.” Breck shifted his feet. “Can I take you out to dinner or something?”

  She swallowed hard. There was nothing more she wanted to do than spend time with him, but that would be crazy. It was already impossible to get him out of her mind. She didn’t want to make things even worse. “I’m supposed to be going out with Harper. It’s our last night here.” She looked around nervously. “Maybe you could join us?”

  He put his hands in his pants pockets and shook his head. “It’s okay. I don’t want to butt in.”

  “You should come, Harper will be pleased to see you. I just need to take a shower. Do you want to come up to our room? We’ve got a living room and a minibar. You can sit down and wait while I get ready.”