by J. H. Croix
“Okay. I thought it’d be nice to see the beach by the harbor.”
“Every beach here is like a postcard,” he replied with a wry smile.
She couldn’t keep from smiling back because it was impossible not to when it came to him. “That’s one way to put it.” She turned to face the bay again, watching as a raven took flight from the harbor sign. She gathered herself and turned back. She could do this. All she had to do was act normal. “You might want to know I decided to let Garrett help me out.” She wasn’t sure why she offered that detail, but she knew he’d ask. She was still disgruntled inside about accepting help, but she needed it.
Owen’s eyes widened and then narrowed as he scanned her face. “What changed your mind?” he finally asked.
“I don’t like that I need help, but I do. Garrett’s pretty confident he can get Dr. Parkhurst to back off for good. I’d like to put the whole thing behind me, so it seemed silly to keep arguing about it.”
“Garrett’s aggressive as hell when it comes to legal matters. You couldn’t be in better hands. I had a message from the HR Department calling me back yesterday. I was tied up, so I didn’t get it until after they closed. I’ll follow up Monday.”
“You don’t have to…”
“I know you don’t want my interference, but with Parkhurst trying to contact me about you, it’s good for them to know. If you want, I won’t call without you. Would that make you feel better about it?”
Slightly surprised, she nodded. A curl of warmth slipped around her heart. It was a small gesture, but it felt so good to know he was trying to respect her need not to have everyone take over. “I’d appreciate that.”
They stood in silence together for several beats before Owen spoke again. “Don’t suppose I could take you to dinner?”
She was so startled, her mouth dropped open. His lips curled in a slow smile, which did funny things to her insides. “I thought maybe we could try an actual date,” he finally said, a flash of uncertainty blinking in his eyes.
Just that tiny moment and her heart clenched, a smile tugging inside. She sensed this wasn’t easy for him. If he was going to try, even a little, to make what was happening between them real, then she couldn’t say no. She met his eyes and nodded. “Okay. When and where?”
Chapter 18
Owen watched Ivy walk away from him, the wind catching her hair and swirling it behind her as she reached her car and climbed in. He had to close his eyes and ball his fists to keep from following her. He wanted to demand she come home with him and wanted to fall asleep beside her. Before he’d seen her car late this afternoon, he’d decided he would try to stop relegating his feelings for her to stolen moments at the office. He didn’t quite know what he was doing, but he couldn’t compartmentalize her to a corner anymore. Dinner seemed like a normal thing to do under the circumstances. He sensed she was guarded against him, and he wanted to show her he was done trying to hide what was happening between them.
Dinner had been one long, slow tease for him. As was the case every moment he was around her, he’d entirely underestimated the effect she had on him. They’d had dinner at The Boathouse Café, the same place he’d taken her to lunch what felt like eons ago now. With her amber hair glinting under the soft lights and her eyes like fire, he’d had a hard time focusing. After she’d peeled off her jacket, he realized she was wearing another one of those fitted, zippered athletic tops, which should have been completely unsexy. Yet, he could barely keep his eyes away from the shadowed valley between her breasts and couldn’t stop thinking about sliding her zipper down. He knew what he’d find there—her perfect breasts hidden behind something silky. If he could have, he would’ve drenched the silk with his tongue before shoving it out of the way. His mind flashed to the way she’d looked the other afternoon—leaning on her elbows on the table, her nipples taut and her thighs falling open, her folds pink and glistening, so damn tempting.
Yet tonight, she’d been warm, but kept up a wall. He wanted to punch through it, but he sensed that would be pushing too far, too fast. They’d finished dinner and he’d walked her outside where she’d politely thanked him for dinner and walked away quickly. Leaving him rock hard with need. He watched her drive away and stalked to his SUV.
When he entered his home a short while later, it felt empty and bare. He’d never thought much about the fact he was so often alone when he wasn’t at work. It had certainly never bothered him. It suddenly hit him that Ivy was the one and only woman he’d ever brought to his home. Right here, right now, he missed her presence so much he ached inside.
He swore to himself and kicked off his boots, striding quickly to the fireplace. After he got a fire started, he settled onto the couch where he usually worked when he was home and pulled up some reports he was working on. Hours later, he woke. His laptop had slid between his hips and the back of the couch, his neck was at an awkward angle, and he had a headache. After making sure he’d saved whatever he’d been working on before he fell asleep, he stood and went to the bathroom. He chased down some ibuprofen with water, set the glass down on the counter and stared in the mirror. He had dark shadows under his eyes. He’d been sleeping poorly for too many days, tossing and turning with thoughts of Ivy constantly spinning through his mind.
He turned away from the mirror and climbed the spiral staircase to his bedroom where he tried to fall asleep, yet again failing miserably because he couldn’t turn his brain off. Ivy had taken up residence in his heart and mind and wasn’t going anywhere.
Ivy sat at the round table in Garrett’s office and stared down at the paperwork he’d just handed her. Garrett was seated across from her, patiently waiting. She finally looked up, her eyes wide. “You think we should threaten to sue him?”
Garrett nodded firmly. “Sure do. You have a case. I’m not saying you should, but if you want to, I’ll be happy to take care of it.”
When her eyes widened further, he flashed a grin. “Here’s the thing: he’s playing hardball, so we have to beat him at his game. I’m good at that, so let me handle it.”
“But…”
Garrett angled his head to the side and arched a brow. While he didn’t elicit even a tiny zing for her, she could certainly see what Delia saw in him. He was devilishly handsome with his dark hair, his blue eyes and his sly sense of humor. “I’m guessing you want to be nice about it.” He shook his head firmly, his eyes sobering. “Nice doesn’t work. All we’re doing is listing what he’s done so far and telling him to back the fuck off. This isn’t an actual legal filing. It’s a letter of intent, an official way to tell him to go straight to hell and if he tries to sue you, it spells out what we’ll do if he does. That’s all.”
She looked over at Garrett and sighed. “Oh right. We’re not actually filing something in court.” She set the papers down and nodded. “Send it on. You have a point anyway. Being aggressive like this isn’t my thing, it’s probably how come it took me so damn long to file the HR complaint against him. How do you think he’ll respond?”
Garrett grinned. “Can’t wait to find out. I love a good fight, but my guess is he’ll back down fast. I’m sending a copy to him and to the HR Department. They won’t want any part of a suit being filed against them for negligence in their investigation and in failing to protect you after you filed the harassment complaint.”
Ivy leaned back in her chair and shook her head slowly. “I guess it’s a really good thing Cam talked me into letting you help out. I’d never have the nerve to send a letter like this. I hoped the formal complaint would get him to leave me alone.”
Garrett signed the letter as he replied. “Hate to tell you this, but men like him don’t usually back off until they’re made to. That’s what attorneys like me are for. I’ve got no problem making this as difficult as possible for him.”
He stood from the table and walked to the copier in the corner of the room. He tapped a few buttons and turned back to her. “Consider it sent.”
“Huh?”
> “Just scanned it and sent it via email. The original will go out snail mail this afternoon. All communication is supposed to go through me, so if you get any calls from Parkhurst or HR, call me immediately.”
Ivy stood up, a sense of relief washing through her. Garrett’s strong support and confidence in his ability to handle this gave her the first hope in months that she might finally put this behind her. “I can’t thank you enough,” she said as she tugged her jacket on. “I still feel weird you’re doing this for free…”
Garrett waved a hand and shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. You’re like family. I have plenty of paying work. It’s nice to be able to help out when and where I can. Plus, I don’t get to handle too many testy cases anymore. I like those,” he said with a wink.
Ivy laughed. “Good thing you do. Well, if there’s any way for me to return the favor, let me know.”
“What comes around goes around. Especially in Diamond Creek,” he replied with a chuckle. “You headed up to ski before we lose the last of the snow?”
“Actually, that’s where I was going now. Cam tells me we probably only have a few more weeks before it’s too slushy to ski on the mountain.”
“If you’re around the this lodge evening, I’ll probably see you then,” he said with a wave as she reached the door.
She stepped outside and took a deep breath of the bracing air. As she drove up the winding road to Last Frontier Lodge, she felt lighter than she had in over two years. With Garrett’s strong support, along with that of her family and friends, she finally thought she might leave Dr. Parkhurst in the dust. Her mind immediately shifted gears, landing on Owen. After dinner the other evening, it had taken all of her discipline to leave before he had a chance to kiss her. Because one kiss and she was lost to him, adrift in the tide of desire. She needed to keep some semblance of sanity with him. She sensed he was trying to show her he might consider her as something other than a furtive desire he kept tucked away. That meant she couldn’t just give in every time they were near each other. Of course, she’d gone home hot and bothered and desperate for release. It had taken another dose of discipline to keep from texting him.
A short while later, she rode the lift up the mountain. The lodge was still booked to capacity and the slopes below her were dotted with the bright colors of ski jackets. She swung her legs and looked out over the view. The mountain peaks in the surrounding area were still snowy, but she could see patches of green breaking through along the lower flanks. Kachemak Bay sparkled under the sun in the distance. A soft breeze coming from that direction blew the subtle scent of the ocean with it. She didn’t know if she’d ever get accustomed to such a spectacular view. The lift rounded the top of the mountain, slowing automatically. She skied off and paused to glance around. She’d yet to try all of the slopes here and tended to avoid the more advanced ones. As she skied in a slow circle, she swung around when she heard her name.
Owen was skiing toward her from the chair lift. He pushed his goggles back when he reached her. He wore typical ski gear—sleek fitted leggings and top, both black. She could see every inch of his muscled form. She tried to take a deep breath to slow the dash her pulse had taken, yet as usual, he stole her breath. His eyes matched the sky, and his hair was mussed from the wind. He skied to a stop beside her, his skis mere inches from hers. “Hey there. Didn’t know you’d be up here today,” he said, a perfectly normal greeting.
She must’ve stared a few beats too long because he arched a brow. Talk Ivy. All you have to do is talk. “Hey. I figured I’d better get some skiing in before we lose all the snow.” Flutters spun through her belly, and heat slid through her veins. Meanwhile, all he was doing was standing there. He lifted a ski pole in a wave at Don Peters whom she’d met in passing.
When his eyes met hers again, it was as if electricity charged the air around them. She was hot and cold at once, relieved for the cool breeze up on the mountain. He reached over and curled his hand over hers where it rested on her ski pole. She hadn’t tugged her gloves on yet where they hung loosely at the ends of her sleeves. His touch hit her like a bolt, right at her core. She had no idea how long they stood like that when someone else calling her name jolted her out of her heated stupor. She glanced around to see Cam skiing in their direction. Owen didn’t move his hand from hers, and she didn’t want him to.
Cam came to a sliding stop beside them. “Ginger’s waiting for you in the restaurant,” he said by way of greeting.
“She is?”
“That’s what I said. How long have you been up here?” he asked.
“I’ve had a few runs. I’ll take this last one and meet her there.”
She glanced to Owen, uncertain what to say. His hand was still warm over hers, the point of connection sending heat radiating through her with every breath. Owen caught Cam’s eyes. “Race you down?” he asked.
Cam flashed a grin. “I’ll race anytime you want. You taking the same slope down as Ivy?”
Owen glanced to her. “I don’t know. Where were you headed?”
“Probably not where you two might like to go. I’ll meet you guys down there. Don’t wait on me.”
Owen gave her hand a squeeze before pulling it away. Her hand was abruptly cold, and she missed that single point of connection instantly. She quickly pulled on her gloves and tried to collect herself. It was ridiculous how much he affected her. This was nothing more than a casual moment interrupted by her brother. Yet, she was all a twitter inside and didn’t want him to ski away. She forced herself to push off on her skis, giving Owen and Cam a little wave. “See you in a few!”
With the icy wind blowing past her, she skied down the slope, enjoying the glide of her skis as she curled through the turns. When she skied into the open area where the slopes joined at the base of the mountain, she saw two skiers barreling toward the bottom and knew it must be Owen and Cam. Snow swirled in a cloud around them as they came to a stop. Ivy grinned when she heard them laughing. She slowed her speed and eased up beside them.
“Who won?”
Cam shrugged. “I think we have to call it a tie.”
Owen’s grin flashed, sending her belly into a slow flip. “Fair enough.”
Before she knew it, Cam had invited Owen to join them for an early dinner at the lodge. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Owen to join them. The problem was more that she desperately wanted any time she could find with him. Seeing as she was trying to get a handle on her feelings and still uncertain how he’d shifted in his thinking about them, she wasn’t so sure it was a brilliant idea to have him around. Yet, she couldn’t think of a graceful way out and didn’t really want to.
Within minutes, she found herself seated in a booth across from Ginger with Owen beside her. Within seconds, she was suffused with heat, hyperaware of his presence beside her. Her body hummed. While she was busy telling her mind to stop wanting him so much, his hand slid onto her thigh to find hers. When he laced his fingers into hers, she nearly melted right then and there.
Chapter 19
“So, do you play baseball?” Ginger asked.
Owen had been distracted most of the night, what with Ivy’s warm, soft body beside his, but he managed to turn his attention to Ginger. Her sharp blue gaze met his. “Baseball?” he asked.
“Yes. Baseball,” she replied, enunciating the word clearly.
“I haven’t played in years, but I played some in school when I was a kid. That’s about it,” he said, curious about her question.
Cam muffled his laugh with a chug on his beer, while Gage’s shoulders were shaking with laughter. Ginger ignored them both. “Perfect. You won’t mind if I add you to our team this spring then.”
“Team?” he asked dumbly. He knew Ivy’s presence had him distracted, but this was so out of left field, he didn’t know what Ginger meant.
“Diamond Creek Batters,” Ginger said, as if he should know what that was. “It’s one of our local teams. I help manage it, and we need more players. It’ll b
e great. You and Ivy can both play. You’ll get to know more people in Diamond Creek, and we’ll kick ass.”
Ivy’s gaze flicked from him to Ginger. “Me? I’ve never even played baseball.”
Ginger shrugged blithely. “It’s okay. You can be back up.”
Just as Owen was about to protest, Quinn Haynes, whom he’d only met for the first time tonight, spoke up. “This his how Ginger recruits. I got roped in last year and apparently she’s already committed me for this year,” he said with a grin. “It’s actually fun. If I can find the time to fit it in, I’m sure you can.” Quinn was one of two doctors in Diamond Creek and married to Lacey, Marley’s sister. Owen was rapidly expanding his tiny social circle since Ivy’s move to Diamond Creek. He found he didn’t mind because it meant he got to spent time with her.
He felt Ivy shrug, her shoulder shifting against his arm. “Okay. As long as you don’t expect great things from me.”
“I’m in,” he added. Ivy’s yes cemented his own. Any chance to weave his life closer to hers, he would take.
A while later, Owen walked beside Ivy out to the parking lot. His body was nearly vibrating with need. Hours sitting beside her had set him to humming inside and out. They reached her car, which was parked beside his SUV. She curled her hand around the door handle and looked up at him, her amber eyes catching glints from the lights in the parking lot.
“Well, I should…”
“Don’t go.” He stepped close to her and threaded his hand in her hair, the silky locks sliding through his fingers. He dipped his head to angle beside hers. “Come home with me,” he whispered roughly.
He could feel the subtle tremors rippling through her body and nearly groaned in relief when she nodded, her hair sliding against his cheek. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, seeing his wild desire reflecting back at him in her gaze. He managed to step back, even though what he wanted to do was lift her high against him and take her right here, right now. With raw need pounding through him, he opened the passenger door to his SUV and helped her in.