He shoved the couch into the new position and plopped down on it, moving his chin right and then left. “One can.”
“Excuse me?”
“See out the window and then toward the doorway. One … can.”
Lacy laughed. “Oh.”
“What’s next?”
“Well, I was thinking of trying that end table on the west end, but I might change my mind so—”
He put up his hand as a stop sign again. “Ah-ah-ah. Drink your wine.”
She took a sip, dutifully.
“I’ll give it a try and if you don’t like the way it looks, I will move it for you. Capiche?”
Lacy went silent. This catering to her every whim was going to take some getting used to. But she was willing to try, especially when he used Italian on her. It reminded her of, well, home.
For the next forty-five minutes, Lacy directed Finn to grab furniture pieces from various spots in the house—upstairs and in bedrooms—and place them strategically in the great room. His lighter side was showing, in spades. “How do you like it here, darling?” he’d said more than once.
And she would answer him, “Over there, dear.”
She watched him moving pieces, then looking to her for direction, then moving them again. At one point, he showed mock exasperation and flopped onto the couch, as if in protest. His hair, usually styled to smooth perfection, had shaken loose into waves. His tee clung to his chest, his biceps full from use.
A new kind of tension flowed through her. Her back had relaxed some, and she no longer feared another spasm. At the moment, she feared nothing at all.
Finn stood. Was he planning to leave? Did she dare to hope that he wouldn’t? She knew then, undeniably, that she had a crush on Finn. Could he read that in her? Her own readings on him were mixed, at best. She’d felt a new warmth from him at the grunion run the other night. Even thought he might have feelings for her that she hadn’t detected before.
Or maybe it was simply the sea that had brought on a change in his demeanor. Maybe some time away from Manhattan had cured the soberness of Finn Hastings. The beach had a way of doing that to even the most uptight people—not that she would ever have described him that way.
He stretched lightly. “Mind if I join you with some wine?”
“Not at all. Please do.”
He pulled another wineglass from the cupboard and poured himself a drink. He brought the bottle over to her. “A refresher?”
She nodded. After another sip, she eyed the couch. “I think I’d like to try moving to the couch.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Because you want to make sure you like the new positioning before you let your servant leave the castle?”
She cracked a smile. “Something like that.”
He stood and offered her his arm. “Careful, okay?”
“Yes, sir.” She put her wineglass down onto the newly placed end table. Slowly, she pushed herself up with one hand and latched onto his arm with the other. No sign of a spasm, although a lingering soreness caused her to move at the pace of a tortoise.
Lacy lowered herself to the couch and stuffed a pillow behind her back. Finn watched her with anticipation and she frowned at him.
“In pain?” he asked.
“No. I need my wine.”
He laughed as he grabbed it from the table and brought it to her. “Your Highness.”
She bit her lip but couldn’t stop smiling. “Would you mind handing me my phone as well.”
“Certainly.” After he had retrieved her phone, Finn took a seat dangerously next to her, glass in hand, and for a few minutes they sat there in the quiet, watching the sun set on the horizon. The moment felt both intimate and off-limits, but she leaned into it anyway, less embarrassed than she should have been when a ripple of a sigh flowed from her.
He sighed too and she followed the sound of it. Finn was staring out the window, the sky showing off in shades of pink and orange. She picked up her phone, focused, and took his photo.
He turned, his gaze brushing over her lightly, no mention of the paparazzi picture she had just taken. “How long do you plan to stay in Colibri?”
“I’m here for another two weeks.”
“Do you usually spend your vacations rearranging the furniture?”
“The short answer to that is no. But I’m not exactly on vacation.”
He continued to watch her, more questions in his gaze.
She continued. “My parents were beautiful people, but eccentric in some ways. After they passed away we learned they had given most of everything they had to charity—except this house.”
“They left it to you, then?”
“Sort of. Well, yes. But with a catch. Each of us—there are five in all—has to spend one month in the house before we can sell it. Otherwise, it goes to charity. Hasn’t been easy with our work schedules, but so far, four of us have managed to take a month.”
“That’s why you took a sabbatical.”
“Yes. We all decided that we would make changes to the house with the idea of selling it after our sentence was paid.” She laughed, knowing how absurd that statement must sound. The more time she spent in Colibri, the more she had asked herself why she ever left. “Anyway, Grace made a list of what needed to be done. Jake floored us all by replacing the kitchen. Maggie painted the worst places, and I’ve been doing some staging.”
“Ah. The reason for the photo and furniture rearranging.”
“Yes. Exactly. I was supposed to take the last month, but my sister Bella asked me to switch with her.”
One of his brows lifted. “So you weren’t supposed to be here this month?”
“I wasn’t.”
Silence fell between them. She hadn’t thought about the original plan and how very different her time at the house would have been if Bella had been here instead of her. Suddenly, in the quiet, Lacy felt … self-conscious.
“I am very glad you decided to switch places.” He put down his glass of wine.
She allowed her eyes to meet his, to stay there and let him see her. She licked her lips, allowing her gaze to drop briefly to his mouth before snapping back to his eyes. “So, you’re saying you don’t like my sister.”
He grinned, widely, and gently took her face in his hands, sending a sizzle through her. “What I’m saying is I am glad I am here—with you. Only you.”
He kissed her then, that sizzle turning into a flame. She didn’t pull away, wanting him as much as he did her. He overwhelmed her, shocked her, his kiss a combination of tenderness and passion, of surprise and familiarity.
Lacy sank beneath the waters, submerged in … the kiss. Her boss, her crush—Finn Hastings was kissing her.
He pulled away from her, his hands still cupping her face, his fingers entangled in her hair, his expression momentarily stunned. Finn offered her a soft smile and tipped his forehead to meet hers. “What have you gotten me into, Ms. Morelli?” he whispered.
“I can’t say that I know, Mr. Hastings.”
He sighed and kissed her nose before pulling farther away from her. He eyed her, though, the look of it dangerous. “You tempt me.”
“Is that so bad?”
Finn ran a hand through his hair, roughly. He wore a smile, though there was a certain sadness to it that she couldn’t completely decipher. Did he regret kissing her? Did he want to leave? Worse, was he worried she would call foul since he was, technically, her boss?
“What about … my brother?”
“Your … oh. Adrian?”
He nodded.
Finn was worried about his brother, how he would be able to handle things if she were to leave the Vegas property. “I don’t know what to say.”
Finn looked away, blowing out a breath. He returned his gaze to her. “Tell me I’m all wrong. Tell me you aren’t committed to him.”
“Committed to the hotel, you mean. Of course, I am.” Did she dare mention the promised promotion? If she did, woul
d he misconstrue her interest in him?
Finn look pained. He ran his palm down his face, slowing near his mouth, as if thinking about the … kiss. Was he uneasy now? Lacy had not been this conflicted in, well, she couldn’t remember. She had made it her policy to be straightforward, to go after what she wanted, to seize the moment.
Except when it came to Finn. Since the moment they had connected on the porch next door, she had been confused, caught up in what ifs and other possibilities. Her eyes had been dazzled, but she had kept herself poised to run the other way. Her heart wasn’t ready to become invisible, should she decide to reveal it.
But now it was too late. She’d revealed her heart the moment his lips met hers. She wanted him again, and not for a play thing. Though she had not understood this until now, Lacy was beginning to see her future … with Finn in it.
The fear that she had managed to skirt suddenly found her.
Finn clasped his hands in front of him and hung his head. “I’m a fool.”
Her guard began to rise. “For kissing me?”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I can’t do this to my brother. He told me he was lost without you.”
“Lost … how?”
“You don’t know?”
Lacy leaned her head to the side. “Finn, I have zero idea what you’re talking about.”
Finn’s smile turned rueful. “I know he’s a private guy, but I can tell when my brother is, uh, smitten.”
She coughed a laugh and Finn looked stricken.
“Adrian is not smitten with me. He’s not into me at all—I’d know it if he was. My gosh, Finn! That’s crazy talk. Is that why you think he’s lost without me?”
“It’s not crazy, Lacy. He has said as much. Well, he said he was lost without you.”
“As an employee, and frankly, I’m very honored that he would say that.”
He narrowed his eyes, as if thinking. “Perhaps I misinterpreted his meaning …”
Lacy allowed herself the freedom to laugh at that. “You definitely misheard him. Adrian and I, well, we’re a good team—I’ll give you that. And I hope that he really meant it when he said that I am next in line for the director position, but I think being lost without me is a stretch.”
“Is that right?” Finn wore a comical smile on his face now and Lacy blushed.
“Not that I’m trying to get myself fired or anything.”
“Never crossed my mind.”
“I’m quite glad about that.”
He grinned. “Are you now?”
She blushed again and they both turned silent, the sound of distant waves their backdrop. The tension in Finn’s face had ebbed away and he reached for her glass of wine and handed it to her.
“A toast,” he said. “To getting lost … over the next two weeks.”
She smiled at him, amused. “Salud.”
They tapped their glasses, sipped their wine, and settled into the sound of roaring waves.
Five
“I thought this was going to be a tiny wedding.” Lacy stabbed Maggie’s lemon cheesecake with her fork and took a bite. “I mean, party favors? Don’t buy candles and burlap on my account.”
Maggie slapped her hand. “They’re announcements, not favors. Would you look at these, please?” She gave Lacy an exasperated little frown. “What’s gotten into you anyway?”
Lacy smiled, unable to hide it. She took another bite of Maggie’s cheesecake then quickly pulled her hand away to avoid another assault. “Nothin’s going on with me. It’s just a lovely day in the neighborhood.”
“Really? This coming from the girl who had seriously no interest in coming back. Or so she said.”
Lacy sat back, her body relaxed, her mind hopeful. “What can I say? I’ve seen old Colibri in a new light lately.”
Maggie stuck her tongue to her upper lip and squared a look on her sister. “Do tell.”
“Do tell … what? We’re at the beach. Can’t a girl relax on her vacation?”
“Maybe. But, I don’t know, you seem awfully giddy.” Maggie quirked her chin, eyeing Lacy. “Did you get that promotion?”
The promotion. For the first time in months, she had forgotten all about the carrot that had been dangling in front of her. A sweet, hot, unexpected kiss could do that to a girl. She licked her lips, smiling. “Not yet. But I will, soon.”
“So you’re still in talks for it.”
“I am.”
“Well, then, great!” Maggie plucked an announcement from the samples. “This one. I like this one. What do you think?”
Lacy peered at the sketch of a happy couple with a thought bubble over their heads. Wasn’t formal, like she would choose, but considering Maggie was marrying the town’s hotshot surf pro, she thought it worked for them. “It fits you. I suggest you order a million of them right now so you can move on to the next thing on your to-do list.”
Maggie smiled and continued to stare at the sample announcement. Lacy had never seen her big sister quite so happy before, and though she considered a few sarcastic comments she could interject, her usually snide self was in hiding today. Nothing Maggie could say could change her mood.
“I have a favor?”
“Shoot.”
“Would you be willing to take some candid shots on Saturday? Luke talked me into hiring a local photographer for professional shots, but I’d like to have some that don’t look so posed.”
“I’d love to. I don’t have a fancy camera anymore, though.”
“You’ve got the newest iPhone, so that would be perfect. I’ll ask Daisy to take some too so you aren’t burdened so much.”
“Speaking of pictures, I want to show you something.” Lacy took her phone from her purse and clicked on the photos icon. She found the one of Finn contemplating the deep and vibrant sky just after the sun had set last night.
“Is that Finn?”
Lacy began to say yes, when she noticed Maggie looking elsewhere. She followed her sister’s gaze toward the window. Finn and Lillian Madsen were walking on the sidewalk at a fast clip, like they were late for a meeting. She leaned forward, noticing how different he looked compared to last night. Though he wore a sport coat instead of a suit, Finn looked stiff, his hair in an ultra-professional smoothed back style, unlike the waves she ran her hand through last night.
She shut her eyes, remembering all the feels time with him had brought. Had it been a dream? A one-off? Her eyes snapped open and she drew a harsh breath and shook her head.
Maggie watched her with a certain curiosity. “I know you think I’m just your nosy big sister, but girl, you have it bad for him, don’t you.”
Lacy’s eyes bored into Maggie’s.
“It wasn’t a question.”
“Define bad.”
“Ha! I knew it.”
“Quiet down,” Lacy hissed. “It’s all sort of new.” She turned her glance toward the window again, but Finn and Lillian had disappeared just as Rafael wandered into the bakery. She pulled her attention back to her sister.
“So why is he hanging around Lillian? She’s such a pill. Did you know she marched into Luke’s shop the other day and told him she had a buyer?”
“Luke’s selling his shop?”
“No! She’s just trying to sniff out listings. He played with her a little and asked to see the offer, even though he has no thought of selling. She wouldn’t discuss it without him signing a year-long listing agreement—which he would never do.” Maggie crossed her arms. “There’s something wrong with that woman.”
Brooke Lamont appeared at their table, a grim look on her face and a coffee pot in hand. “Lillian giving you ladies trouble again?”
Lacy’s mood was quickly sinking. “It’s her super power.” She pushed her coffee mug over to the side of the table and watched Brooke fill it up.
“How about you?” Maggie asked. “You any closer to getting that boyfriend of yours to settle down?”
Brooke smiled, but it did not stretch as far as her eyes. “Oh we
’ll see, we’ll see.”
“Sorry if I’m being too nosy.” Maggie gave Brooke a sympathetic smile.
“May I ask,” Lacy said, “who is your boyfriend?”
“Oh that’s right. You don’t know.” Maggie gestured toward the window. “Brooke’s dating Lillian’s son, Trent.”
“No way.”
Brooke grinned. “Way. And I didn’t mean that there’s anything wrong, it’s just”—she shrugged—“he has been traveling a lot lately, and I think we may have just hit the muddy middle.”
Lacy laughed. “What does that mean?”
“Oh, you know, the middle of the story when you don’t know exactly what the hero and heroine should do next to take things to the next level.”
Both Lacy and Maggie stared at Brooke, wordlessly.
Brooke giggled. “My mom was a novelist.”
“Makes sense,” Lacy said.
Maggie slid her coffee cup over for a refill. “If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about a thing. I’ve seen you two together and that guy’s smitten.”
Lacy jerked a look at her sister.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just I haven’t heard the word smitten in years, and now I’ve heard it twice in twenty-four hours.”
Maggie slapped the table and pointed at Brooke. “See? It’s a sign.”
“I’ll take it!” Brooke smiled, her expression visibly relieved. “Anything else I can get for you ladies?”
They assured her they’d had their fill of sugar and caffeine for the morning.
As she walked away, Rafael stopped by their table. “Mornin’, ladies.”
Maggie held up her coffee mug. “Hey, Rafael.”
He nodded at her but fixed his gaze on Lacy. “Sorry I didn’t make it over yesterday. I was tied up.”
Lacy avoided Maggie’s penetrating stare. No doubt her mind was lingering on Rafael’s use of the term tied up and wondering what he meant …
“I forgive you,” Lacy said, hoping he’d just move on already.
“Let me make it up to you.”
She shook her head. “Not necessary. I ended up having all the help I needed yesterday after all.” Lacy winked at Maggie before returning her gaze to Rafael.
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