by Marie Force
He kissed the back of her hand and then released it to tuck her arm under the warm blanket. “You matter to me.”
“Why?”
“Do I have to have a reason? Can’t it just be because I like you? That I like spending time with you, that I like what you did for that dog even if I don’t like that you risked your own safety to do it?”
The intense moment between them was interrupted when a nurse came in to check on Julia. She took her temperature and blood pressure again. “Your temp is up a little, which is good. Do you feel warmer?”
“Getting there.” Julia wondered if she’d ever feel warm again. Since she had hardly any body fat, she was almost always cold to begin with. A dip in the still-frigid Atlantic had been about the last thing she’d needed, but she had no regrets. Deacon’s sweet words had given her a warm fuzzy feeling on the inside that made the rescue mission doubly worth it.
“Let’s get you cleaned up, young man,” the older woman said as she approached Deacon.
“Can we do it here so I can stay with Julia?”
She looked at each of them and smiled. “It’s like that, is it? Of course. I understand you want to be with your girlfriend. I’ll go get what I need to clean that wound.”
After she left the room, Julia looked up at him, amused by the nurse’s misunderstanding. “So now I’m your girlfriend?”
“If you’d like to be.”
“I told you I’m done with all that.”
“Ah yes, the dick diet. How could I forget?”
Julia’s face burned with embarrassment. What had she been thinking telling him that? “I probably should think before I speak so bluntly.”
“Please don’t.” His gorgeous golden eyes became even more so when he smiled like he was now. “I think it’s awesome. If I’d been through what you have, I’d be on a dick diet, too.” He paused, seemed to realize what he’d said and then laughed. “Not that I’m a fan of dick other than my own, mind you. I’m a big fan of his. Underline the word big.”
By then, Julia was laughing helplessly. “Stop. I can’t.”
“You’re even more beautiful when you laugh.”
Before she could formulate a response to that, the nurse came bustling in with a tray of supplies. “All right, young man, let’s see what you’ve got going on.”
He grimaced at Julia and offered his arm to the nurse.
Julia couldn’t look away from him. Just when she was sure there wasn’t one good man left in the world, she’d met Deacon Taylor. He was giving her reason to question everything, especially her dick diet.
Maybe if she took a spin with him, she’d begin to feel better about what’d happened with Mike.
No. No, no, no. This was what she always did. Swore off men until the next charmer came along and made her willpower disappear in a cloud of smoke. Just because Deacon seemed better than most didn’t mean anything. She’d found out the hard way that they always seemed better than most until they showed her who they really were.
She refused to be swayed by another handsome face and more sweet words, even if they seemed sincere.
He winced when the nurse squeezed the wound to produce more blood that she wiped away before thoroughly cleaning it and covering it with gauze. “You’re going to want to stay on top of it by regularly applying antibiotic ointment and keeping the wound clean and dry. Do we know the animal’s vaccination history?”
“We don’t,” Deacon said, “and we won’t know if he’s positive for rabies until he’s observed for the next ten days.”
“If he’s positive, we’ll need you back for treatment.”
“I already had rabies treatment when I was bitten five years ago.”
“Then you might still be covered, but we’ll need blood work to confirm.”
“Got it.”
A couple of hours later, after Julia’s grandmother delivered dry clothes for her, they were both discharged when Julia’s body temperature returned to normal, even if she still felt chilled to the bone. They were surprised to find Blaine in the waiting room.
“Have you been here all this time?” Deacon asked.
“I left for a while and came back to give you a ride home.”
“Oh, thanks.” Deacon sounded surprised.
“Where to?” Blaine asked when they were in his SUV.
“The vet, please,” Julia said, trying not to shiver from the chilly spring air coming in through Blaine’s open window.
“Put the window up, will ya?” Deacon asked. “Julia needs to stay warm.”
“Oh, sorry.”
With everything Deacon said and did, Julia had to fight harder to remind herself that he was off-limits to her as anything other than a friend. The one thing she couldn’t deny, however, was her growing attraction to him. Man diet or not, this man had the potential to be big trouble, and she needed to keep herself in check or run the risk of diving into something new before she’d fully dealt with her last disaster.
That could not happen.
Keep reminding yourself of that.
Deacon turned from his spot in the passenger seat to check on her. “You doing okay?”
“I’m fine. How’s your arm?”
“It’s good. Nothing to worry about.”
“You look like you got shot,” Blaine said, referring to the blood all over Deacon’s formerly pristine shirt and shorts.
Deacon glanced down at his clothing, seeming surprised to realize it was covered in blood. “I hope it comes out. This is the only good shirt I brought with me.”
“I know how to get it out. I’ll do it for you.” Julia spoke before she took a second to consider the implications of getting in deeper by the second with him. It was just friendship. As long as she remembered that, it would be fine.
“Hey, um,” Blaine said to Deacon, “so I wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened at my house earlier. I never should’ve said what I did. Of course you’re welcome in my home and with my family.”
Deacon stared at his brother. “Have you had a stroke or something equally mind-altering?”
“Shut up and accept my apology, will you please?”
“Why?”
“Because! I mean it. I’m sorry I said what I did. You weren’t doing anything wrong, and I totally overreacted to you being in my house with my wife and daughter. I was out of line, and I’m admitting it.”
Deacon continued to stare at his brother for a long moment, and then he smiled. “Tiffany’s pissed at you, right?”
“No.”
“Yes, she is, and she made you apologize to me. Did she shut you off until you did?” He busted up laughing. “Oh my God! She did! She’s closed for business until you fix this with me, right? I love her.”
“Shut up,” Blaine said on a low growl.
“Do I have to tell her you apologized to me before the red light turns green again? Oh damn, I’m gonna be really busy over the next week or two with my new job and everything. I might not get a chance to talk to her.”
“You’d better tell her today that I apologized to you—and that I meant it, which I did.”
Deacon hooted with laughter.
Julia put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t be tempted to join him. She had a feeling Blaine wouldn’t appreciate that.
“You really met your match with her, didn’t you, bro?” Deacon said when his laughter subsided.
“Something like that.” Blaine sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth.
“I love it. I already knew I liked her, but this takes it to a whole other level. And guess what? Your precious Addie loves me, too. She and I are gonna be best friends.”
Blaine seethed silently, his entire body stiff with tension.
“Still want me here for the summer?”
“Fuck no, but you’re staying, and that’s the end of it.”
“This is gonna be an awesome summer. I got my new best friend Julia to entertain me. I’ve got my nieces to hang out with and my other new best friend Ti
ffany to get to know. Gansett Island is looking so much better to me this time around. I really have to give you credit, Blaine. You knew just what I needed.”
“I’m gonna fucking shoot you before this summer is over.”
“If you want to get laid, I’d recommend against that. Tiffany digs me.”
“She does not.”
“Oh, yes, she does, and that just chaps your ass, doesn’t it?”
“You want to know what really chaps my ass?”
“I bet I can guess.” Deacon lost it laughing. “Having to apologize to me so your wife will reopen for business?”
Blaine pulled up to the vet clinic and brought the SUV to an abrupt halt. “Get out.”
Rather than open the door, Deacon seemed to make himself more comfortable in Blaine’s passenger seat. “So you’re counting on me to report in that you apologized, am I right?”
Julia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Deacon was enjoying this way too much.
“Do you mind getting out of my truck so I can get back to work?”
“Of course,” Deacon said. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll try to schedule some time to have a chat with Tiffany to get you back in the saddle. Not sure I’ll be able to fit it in today since I have to make sure Julia’s all warmed up and our little puppy is okay. Might be a while before I can get with Tiffany, but I’ll be sure to clear things up for you just as soon as I can.”
“You do that.”
Deacon got out of the passenger seat, opened the back door for Julia and held out a hand to help her out.
She didn’t need help, but she took his hand anyway and was surprised when he held on to it after she was out of the car.
Blaine sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
Deacon lost it laughing.
Chapter 11
“That was the most fun I’ve had in decades,” Deacon said, eyeing the taillights of his brother’s vehicle.
“That was mean.”
“Oh, come on. Give me a break. He’s been busting my balls since I was old enough to walk. This is the first time I’ve ever had a leg up on him, and you’d better believe I’m going to enjoy it.”
“I said it was mean. I never said it wasn’t funny as hell.”
Laughing, Deacon held the door to the vet clinic for her and ushered her in with a hand on the small of her back.
The proprietary way he touched her gave Julia mixed feelings. On the one hand, she wanted to tell him to knock it off. They were just friends, and there was no need to touch her the way he would a lover. But on the other hand, he’d been nothing but kind and helpful to her, and she didn’t want to be a shrew about some harmless touching.
And then there was the fact that she kind of liked it when he touched her.
Dear God, she was hopeless. Her man diet hadn’t lasted four full months, and she was already having all the feels for a new guy. But this guy… He seemed different. And yes, at first, Mike had, too. But that hadn’t lasted long. There’d been signs he wasn’t all he’d pretended to be long before he asked her to help with his mother’s medical expenses.
She was so tired of being such a fool when it came to men, and even though she wanted Deacon to be different, she was still wary.
Janey was at the front desk again when they entered the vet clinic. “Hey, guys, you’re both looking a little better. Are you all warmed up?”
“Yes, thank goodness,” Julia said. “How’s my little buddy?”
“He’s doing great. We’ve got him on some fluids, and he’s mostly been sleeping. The poor guy is exhausted.”
“Can we take him home?”
“Doc Potter wants to keep him here for observation possibly overnight. We can let you know in a couple of hours.”
“Um, how much will all that cost?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Deacon said. “I’ll cover it.”
Julia wanted to protest, but how could she? There was no way she could cover a hefty vet bill. Not right now, anyway. “Thanks.”
“Let me get your number so I can call you when he’s set to be released,” Janey said.
Julia recited her phone number.
“Great. I’ll call you.”
“Thanks again, Janey.”
“No problem. I’m so glad you guys found him in time.”
“That was all Julia,” Deacon said. “She’s the one who saved him.”
Most of the men Julia had met would’ve taken credit for the rescue. They would’ve said it was their boat, and they were the one who’d been bitten during the rescue. But not Deacon. He gave her all the credit, despite having been more seriously injured.
They said their goodbyes to Janey and left the clinic, beginning the short walk back to the Sand & Surf Hotel.
“What’re you up to for the rest of the day?” Deacon asked.
“I don’t have any plans.”
“You ought to take it easy and stay warm. Get in bed and watch a movie.”
“That actually sounds perfect.” She glanced at him. “You want to watch it with me?”
Her invitation surprised him, but he made a poor effort to hide that. “What kind of movie are we talking about?”
“Something like Sex and the City or Dirty Dancing.”
“Hmmm, as appealing as that sounds…”
Julia cracked up laughing. “Just kidding.”
“Oh, thank God. I thought you were so cool until you went and ruined it with Dirty Dancing.”
“That movie is a classic. Everyone loves it.”
“No, not everyone.”
“This might be a deal breaker.”
He cast her a comically puzzled look. “Do we have a deal? I’m still not sure.”
“We have a deal to be friends, and friends watch TV together.”
“Ah, got it. So you’ll be the only one in the bed. I see how it is.”
“Exactly.” He was endlessly amusing. She had to give him that.
“Well, that’s not as much fun as it could be, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Julia couldn’t allow herself to think about the many other kinds of fun she might have with him in a bed.
They entered the lobby of the Surf, where a woman Julia didn’t know was working at the desk. She nodded to them as they went up the stairs. Julia was thankful that she’d gotten in without anyone from her family seeing her with Deacon. She hadn’t considered the potential for gossip when she’d casually invited him to join her in her room.
Why had she done that, exactly? Because she enjoyed his company and wanted more of it. That was the simple explanation. The other, far more complex explanation wasn’t something she cared to think about right then, not when she needed all the fortitude she could muster to remember that she wasn’t in any condition to get involved with yet another man.
Julia’s invitation had surprised him. Deacon had expected to walk her back to the hotel and tell her he’d see her tomorrow, when they would figure out what to do about the dog they now apparently owned together.
They had a baby! And he hadn’t even kissed her yet. Deacon wisely chose to keep that thought to himself as he followed her up to the hotel’s third floor.
He really wanted to kiss her. She had the sweetest, sexiest lips, and the expressive eyes that gave away her every thought, every fear and every wish had him all twisted up inside, wanting to soothe and comfort and provide whatever she wanted or needed.
Blaine would say he was doing his hero act again, but it wasn’t that. Exactly. It was something else with her, something deeper and more compelling than anything he’d experienced before. It should’ve scared him to be so drawn to a woman who wasn’t in the market for the sort of things he wanted from her, but it didn’t.
He could be patient when he needed to be, and he had a feeling she’d be worth the effort. More than anything, he wanted to show her that not all men were jerks, that some could be trusted to be honest and straightforward.
When they were in her room, she gestur
ed for him to take the second bed while she got comfortable in the one she’d left unmade. The room was so small, it might’ve been mistaken for a closet. Other than the twin beds separated by a tiny bedside table, there was only a dresser with a flat-screen TV and an equally tiny adjoining bathroom.
“This was my summer home when I was a kid.”
Before he sat on his assigned bed, Deacon went to the one window to check out the view of endless ocean. He could picture Julia curled up on the window seat as a girl, looking out at the water and dreaming of a different life than the one she’d had waiting for her at home. It must’ve been torture for her and her siblings to leave this place at the end of every summer. He wished he could ask her about that, but he never would. He could only hope that someday she’d share that part of her story with him.
“I can see why you loved it,” he said, turning away from the window to kick off his shoes and sit on the other bed.
Julia had curled up on her bed and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She looked much better than she had earlier, but a tinge of blue remained in her lips. “Do you want me to get you some tea or soup or something warm?”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I’m offering anyway.”
“Maybe some soup from Stephanie’s?”
He stood, shoved his feet back into his Sperrys and headed for the door. “Coming right up.”
“Let me give you some money.”
“I’ve got it. Be right back.” He went downstairs to the restaurant and ordered the ultimate comfort food—takeout bowls of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for both of them. While he waited, he checked out the dinner menu and decided he’d like to take Julia to Stephanie’s Bistro if she ever agreed to a real date with him. The more time he spent with her, the more he hoped she’d agree to that real date.
Despite what she said about wanting to keep her distance, he’d caught her looking at him a few times, as if she was seeing something she wanted but couldn’t allow herself to have. He totally got why she’d erected walls around her heart after the nightmare with her ex.
Speaking of that, when he got back upstairs, they were going to make a plan for how they were going to handle him. He wasn’t going to get away with stealing from her. Not if Deacon had anything to say about it.