by Violet Duke
*
EDDIE GLANCED UP from his iPad that had the jobâs details on it and saw Haley and Amber standing in front of him. Both looked just as shocked to see him as he was to see them.
âHey,â he said, doing a double take, confused for a moment at what they were doing there. He was about to ask that very question when he saw the look on Haleyâs face. âWhatâs wrong?â his voice thundered in the vacant space.
âWhat?â Haley asked, her brow furrowed, seeming to be just as confused as he just felt.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amber looking slowly between the two of them before she said, âEverythingâs fine. I just made a stupid joke.â
Haley blinked in understanding and shook her head slightly, a sheepish grin appearing on her gorgeous face. âOh yeah, I just was freaked out for a sec. It was nothing.â
Amber and Haley exchanged glances, and although he didnât speak woman code, he felt like they were communicating and he was being left out of the conversation. Okay, he thought. I might as well get to work.
âI am supposed to be meeting a Mr. Jones here.â
âActually, that is our landlord. I already loved him, but now that heâs hired Sloan Construction, I love him even more,â Amber explained.
Looking around, Eddie quickly put the pieces together. His eyes landing on Haley, he asked, âSo this is yours? This is Tempting?â
Haley smiled from ear to ear and nodded. âWe just signed the lease.â
âWow.â Eddie was seriously impressed. He hadnât spent much time on Riverwalk East since theyâd begun gentrification. Heâd always loved this part of town, and he was happy to see the older rundown buildings having new life breathed into them. âThis space is perfect.â
âI know.â Haley looked around. He saw the awe in her face.
Damn, he was so happy for her.
âOkay, well, I need to head back to Bella.â Amber grabbed her purse and phone, which were sitting on a stoolâthe lone piece of furniture in the place. âHaley will fill you in on all the details.â Turning, she pulled Haley into her arms. âCall me if you need anything.â
Haley nodded against her shoulder. He got the sense that she might be a little overwhelmed, which was totally understandable. This was a big deal, but he knew she was going to be amazing.
âAll right. See you both later.â Amber pulled away and gave Eddie a quick hug before heading out.
Eddie heard the swooshing sound of the glass door shutting behind him, and the energy in the brick-walled space instantly changed, becoming electrified. He hadnât spoken to Haley or seen her face to face since theyâd had their talk a week ago. His eyes, of their own accord, narrowed in on her pink pouty lips like a heat-seeking missile.
His predatory gaze continued farther south. Haley was wearing a fitted white button-up shirt, black slacks, and red high heels. She looked like a walking fantasy come to life. He gripped his iPad tighter to stop himself from dropping it and reaching out to unbutton the delicate buttons on her cotton shirt, slowly revealing whatever lacy or silky lingerie she was wearing beneath it.
Eddie didnât just want to strip Haley naked. He wanted to take his time doing it, layer by layer. Not just exploring her body, but memorizing every line, every inch.
Through his lust-riddled brain he heard Haley clear her throat and he lifted his eyes to hers. He noticed a faint pink flush on her cheeks as she asked, âSo you finished the Martin project?â
Shit. What the hell was wrong with him? He had to stop mentally undressing her.
âYeah. Finished it last week.â
âThatâs great.â A genuine smile covered her face, and like the sun shining in through the large glass windows located on the far wall, it lit up the entire room. Then understanding dawned on her face as she asked, âSo then you talked to Jason? Youâll be working closer to home for a while? Emily is going to love that.â
âActually, for more than a little while. As of about thirty minutes ago, I am officially the new vice president of Sloan Construction.â It hadnât really sunk until this very moment. Somehow saying the words to Haley made it real.
Haleyâs jaw dropped and her eyes widened in excitement. âOh my gosh! Congratulations!â she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck.
His arm automatically encircled her. He tried to keep his body in check as her luscious curves pressed hard against him. Where he was firm and muscular, she was soft, and she molded to him perfectly. His large hand covered the width of the small frame of her back and it rubbed up and down as she continued to hold him tightly. He kept his electronic device secure in the other. It was the only thing grounding him to any kind of reality.
He heard her speaking but her words were muffled against his chest and he couldnât make out what she was saying. âWhat?â
Her body shook from her chuckle beneath his touch, and she raised her head, looking up at him with joy glowing from her beautiful smiling face. âI said, Iâm so happy for you.â
Usually when Haley smiled, it put a smile on his face as well. But he wasnât smiling. His jaw was locked as he breathed through his nose.
âThanks.â He heard the need filling his voice.
He was holding on by a very thin thread of control. His body felt strung tight like a rubber band and he was terrified that at any moment it would snap. He felt his jaw tense as he stared into the sexy blue pools of her rounded eyes.
As she sucked in a breath of awareness, the smile faded from her mouth as her chest rose and fell in rapid succession. Her only movement was her labored breathing; otherwise, she was perfectly still. Her blond hair was falling down over her shoulders and halfway down her back. Eddie loved the way the silky strands brushed the back of his hand as he moved it slowly up and down.
Her lips were just a few inches away. All he would have to do was lower his head and he could claim her with a kiss. He couldnât remember ever wanting anything more in his life.
The Nike slogan, Just do it, was playing on repeat in his head like a record skipping. It was just a kiss. What could one kiss really hurt? Without giving it another thought, he leaned down. At his movement, Haley closed her heavy-lidded eyes in anticipation of what was to come, causing his hard length to twitch against the zipper of his jeans.
âDo you have any idea what you do to me?â he growled as he covered her mouth with his.
A soft sigh of need escaped her mouth as her lips parted. Slipping his tongue past her soft lips, he explored her mouth slowly, thoroughly, in long, languorous strokes. She met him lick for lick as their tongues entwined in a sensual dance.
He savored the feel of her tongue against his and the wet warmth of her mouth. Kissing her. Licking her. Tasting her. She was sweeter than anything heâd ever tasted before.
Their lips matched perfectly, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Her fingers threaded in the hair at the nape of his neck and he felt the pinch of her fingernails in his skin, the stinging sensation shooting straight to his groin. His rock-hard member strained against the layers of cotton and denim material that were covering it, demanding release.
Desire ripped through him with hurricane-like forces. The arousal he felt was more powerful, more raw, more primal than anything else heâd ever experienced in his life. Every cell of his body was alive and pulsing with need.
Somehow, in the back of his mind, Eddie knew that he had to stop this now or things would get to the point where they would be out of his control. Reaching deep into his soul, he somehow found the strength and willpower, he didnât even know he possessed, to break the sensual kiss.
The moment their lips parted, he heard a soft sigh of disappointment or desperation leave Haleyâs mouth. As much as he wanted to answer it by once again covering her mouth with his, he knew he couldnâ
t.
Apparently though, all of his willpower and strength must have been depleted because he couldnât force himself to let go of her yet. Holding her with his arm firmly against her, he rested his forehead on hers as they both struggled to regulate their breathing.
He waited for the regret to crash into him, for the guilt of crossing the line with Haley to take over. But neither of those things occurred. He didnât feel the slightest bit of guilt or even a hint of regret.
A disarming smile spread across her face, and when her eyes met his, he felt as if he could see all the way down to her soul. His forehead was still resting against her soft skin as she simply said, âWow.â
She didnât ask what that kiss was about, question him about why heâd abruptly ended the kiss, or even make a move to continue it.
Instead, she took a step back and moved out of his arms. âOkay.â Smoothing her trembling hands down her blouse, she said with a professional tone, âWell, I guess I should show you what weâll need done.â
Eddie nodded and listened as she went over the basics of the dressing rooms, front counter, and shelving he would be installing. He tried to concentrate on what she was saying as he typed in notes on his iPad, but he was having a much more difficult time than Haley seemed to be as she animatedly talked about the plans for the shop.
He shouldnât be surprised. Her kiss, just like her response and reaction to it, had been an exact reflection of who she was. Real. Honest. Perfect.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HALEY PULLED OUT several more heavy photo albums from the plastic tub sheâd stored them in. Her hunt to find the Grease pictures with Chase in them to show Em was not only taking her on quite the little trip down memory lane, but it was also making her realize that she hadnât taken a photo and had it developed in years.
Sure, she had a ton of pictures on her laptop, dozens of albums on Facebook, and hundreds of shots on Instagram, but those were all digital images. Haley had forgotten how much she enjoyed holding and looking through physical pictures. It was just different. Somehow flipping the page of the album or feeling the smoothness and weight of a photograph in her hand connected her more to that memory.
She opened her yellow and white polka-dotted album and hit the jackpot. The first picture she saw was of a ten-year-old her and an eleven-year-old Chase Malone. She wore a pale yellow poodle skirt with a matching cardigan, a white collared shirt, ankle socks, and saddle oxfords. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she had a scarf around her neck. Chase wore jeans, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket with his hair up and greased back. Em was going to love this.
Haley heard her door opening and looked up just as Krista was walking in. Uh oh. She quickly shut the book.
âHey, I just got off the phone withââ Her sister stopped mid-sentence and looked at the mess of photo albums that was strewn across Haleyâs white and blue down comforter. âWhatâs this?â
Trying desperately to keep her face as neutral as possible, Haley answered honestly. âJust looking for some pictures I promised Emily Iâd show her.â
Kristaâs green eyes narrowed into an assessing gaze. Haley was waiting for a follow-up but was spared when her sister thankfully dropped it and continued on with her original thought. âOh. Anyways, I just got off the phone with Jessie and sheâs coming home for the summer instead of taking that internship. So she and Becca will both be home in time for your birthday and the grand opening.â
âSeriously?!â
âYep,â Krista confirmed happily, plopping down on the bed and picking up one of the albums Haley had already gone through, so thankfully she knew it was safe and Chase-free.
âWhy isnât Jessie taking the internship?â Haley asked.
It seemed like a very un-Jessie-like thing to do. She was all business all the time. After graduating with honors from Boston University, Jessie decided to stay in Massachusetts to work on her MBA. Her reasoning was that she was more focused in that environment than she was when she was home in Illinois. Hometown equaled too many distractionsâher words.
âShe didnât say. You know how she is.â Krista shook her head as she flipped through the book.
That didnât surprise Haley. Of all of her sisters, Jessie was by far the most private. She had been born with the belief that everyone was on a need-to-know basis, and in her opinion, most people didnât need to know anything. In fact, before she started kindergarten, their mom had been worried that Jessie didnât know her ABCs because she would never repeat them when asked. But after Jessie had been in Mrs. Garciaâs kindergarten class for only a week, the teacher had called their mom and said that Jessie not only knew her alphabet, but she was reading at a fourth grade level and could not only add and subtract but could also do multiplication and division.
Haley remembered sitting at the kitchen table when her mom had asked Jessie about why she hadnât told her the alphabet if she knew it. Her sister had looked her mom right in the eye and simply said without any hint of backtalk in her tone, âI didnât know why you were asking.â
That was really all there was to it. Even at the tender age of five, if Jessie hadnât known why you wanted information, she felt no obligation to tell you.
A few years later, it came out that the only reason Jessie had answered all of the questions Mrs. Garcia had asked was because sheâd thought it was an interview to see if you could pass kindergarten and get into first grade.
âI hope everythingâs okay.â Haley bit the inside of her lip.
Jessie had been excited when sheâd gotten accepted into the internship program in NYC. Sheâd been chosen from more than five hundred other applicants. Haley knew that it was a lost cause but decided that she would be giving Jessie a call as soon as she got back from seeing Emily.
âIâm sure itâs fine,â Krista said, clearly not concerned. Krista was not a worrier. Haley was. âSo how are things going with tall, dark, and brooding?â
Haley immediately jumped to Eddieâs defense. âHe is not tall, dark, and brooding.â Other people just didnât see the lighter side of him. He did, Haley herself could admit, tend to be serious, but he had a lot of responsibilities.
Krista tilted her head, looking at Haley as if she almost felt sorry for her and the river of denial she was floating down. âYeah. He is.â
Haley dropped it. She knew it wasnât her place to defend Eddie. Plus, someone saying that he was brooding was better than saying that he was an a-hole.
âHowâs the shop coming?â
Butterflies flittered in Haleyâs stomach every time she thought about the store. She was happy. Excited. But also, she had to admit, a little nervous. âThings are good. Theyâre almost done with the renovations.â
Krista wiggled her eyebrows. âAny more tongue action?â
âNo,â Haley was sad to report. Since theyâd shared that magical kiss over a week ago, there had been nothing.
At the shop, he was never alone, always with at least one other worker. Add to that the fact that Haley was pretty sure heâd been purposefully keeping his distance from her. Not metaphorically, literally. There always seemed to be a good six feet between the two of them. It was so strange that she figured it had to be on purpose. Sheâd even tested out her theory that the distance was intentional and not accidental or coincidental.
The night before, when sheâd been setting up displays in the store and he had been finishing up the dressing rooms, heâd had a question about a curtain that needed to be hung. When heâd come out to the floor room to ask her, she hadnât quite been able hear him. So sheâd taken a step forward and asked what heâd said. As soon as her feet had moved, Eddieâs had as well, but he moved away from her, not towards her. So sheâd done it again and received the same react
ion. While theyâd been doing their little dance, the lyrics of that old Ludacris song were playing in her head. âWhen I move you move, just like that. When I move you move, just like that.â It had been so comical sheâd almost burst out laughing.
âI still donât know why you just totally let him off the hook after he planted one on you and then had the nerve to act like nothing happened.â
Haley knew her sister would never understand. Krista was a confronter. If something was bothering her, she said so. If she wanted to know something, she asked. If she felt like someone had wronged her, that person would answer for it.
âIn your faceâ had never been Haleyâs style. After Eddie had kissed Haley senseless, her decision to move things along by returning the focus to work had been a strategic one. It had been a three-pronged strategy.
First, if she didnât address it, then he couldnât make any stupid statements like, âThat should never have happenedâ or âThat can never happen again.â
Second, because deep down she truly believed it would happen again. Considering how things had been elevating between the two of them, sheâd naïvely thought that they wouldnât be able to be in the same space with one another without something happening. Kissing. Touching. At the very least flirting.
Sheâd been dead wrong. Her âletâs get back to workâ tactic might have saved her from hearing Eddie say the words âThis is a mistakeâ or âNothing can happen between us,â but that hadnât changed the fact that that was obviously how he felt. His actions were living proof that thatâs how he felt.
The last thing Haley wanted was for Krista to think badly of Eddie. Like heâd intentionally done her wrong. âHe was excited about his promotion. I was excited about the store. It justâ¦happened.â
Haley knew for a fact that, even though she might disagree with his logic, his actions hadnât been selfish. In fact, they had been the exact opposite. Eddie wanted her. That much was obvious. But he wouldnât act on it because he was trying to protect Emilyâ¦and Haley. Maybe even himself. He truly believed that if things became physical between them it would change everything.