“Waiting on my lovely wife. She went home to check on the new puppy.”
“Goodness, I did hear about that. He’s a bit of a terror?”
“You have no idea. That cute ball of fluff can decimate a piece of furniture in minutes.”
“And don’t get me started on shoes.” Patricia, his wife had arrived.
“Hey Pat. Is he okay?”
“He was crying, but I got him a doll and he’s happy with that for now. I don’t hold out much hope that the doll will survive, but at least we’ll have a few minutes to eat. Are you going to introduce us to this fine specimen of a man?”
“Sorry. This is Evan Knight. Sully and Pat Sullivan.”
“Sully Sullivan?” Evan queried as they shook hands.
“My first name is a shocker, so everyone simply calls me Sully. Say, you’re the guy who’s taking over the Pearson’s business, aren’t you?”
Evan looked at Macy in surprise and she shrugged. “Welcome to small town America.”
“I’m here to look it over,” he told Sully. “Nothing more at this stage.”
Sully grinned in disbelief. “Well come on in and let’s get us a table.”
Macy hadn’t counted on that, which in retrospect was crazy, because in a town like Heaven there was no way they would be left alone, not even to eat.
She gave Evan a wry smile, and he grinned back at her. Perhaps this was safer. A group dinner and evening would mean less time for her to get even more hung up on him. Handsome as he was, Evan Knight was way out of her league.
The business came first and anything else had to take a backseat. Apart from her father. This was almost a mantra, yet, with Evan looking as he did, tonight it might be easier said than done.
When they found a table that had room for them to put their drinks, Macy found herself squashed up against him. He smelled delicious. Masculine and sexy, which pretty much summed him up. With a twist of lemon.
His jeans probably weren’t new, if the way they molded to his muscular thighs was any indication. Thighs she’d seen up close in those fancy board shorts that had hugged his butt more tightly than the jeans, yet both were a turn on. His new shirt was fitted, the signature blue he seemed to favor almost matching his eyes. Eyes that flashed with some hidden message each time he spoke to her.
But it wasn’t totally hidden. He leaned against her to pour a beer and she could feel a hardness that was a reaction akin to her own as her body responded in kind. Her nipples rubbed against the silken fabric of her best bra, and her matching panties were damp from desire.
It was a sensuous game of tease and be teased, and she doubted there would be a winner. Not outright.
“You okay, Macy? You look a bit flushed,” Sully asked, as his wife elbowed him hard. “What? Did I say something wrong?”
“Shut up Sully,” Pat said, “and get us all another round.”
He muttered something about women being unpredictable, and Evan followed him to the bar insisting on paying for the round.
Pat had noticed her flushed face. “So. He’s cute.”
“Spit it out Pat. I can see you’re busting to say something.”
Pat and Sully were not only her good friends from school, they ran the doctor’s surgery in Heaven Bay.
“This Evan, you like him a lot.”
“Says who?”
“Oh, honey. No one needs to say a darn thing. The way you two look at each other could light a fire under damp wood.”
Macy laughed. “You have to admit he’s incredibly good-looking.”
“I’d give him an eleven out of ten for sure.”
Macy grinned self-consciously. “Me too. He’s only here for a couple of days.”
“Now that’s a shame, but he might come back.”
“Come back here? Now, why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe if a certain curly-haired sailor were to impress him, he could find that a challenge he couldn’t refuse.”
“I don’t want to be a challenge.”
“What do you want then? A man like Sean?”
Macy blanched. “Hell no! Do you know he tried to force himself on me the other day? On my own damn boat!”
“I hope you made sure he got the message.”
“I didn’t have to. My Knight in shining armor came to the rescue. Literally. Turns out Evan Knight has a very good angry face. I thought Sean was going to wet himself.”
Pat laughed. “Sorry I missed it.”
“Missed what?” Evan put the tray of drinks on the table.
“You, getting Sean to back off.”
“I met up with him again at Pearson’s today. His charm hadn’t improved without alcohol.”
That made them all laugh, and Macy loved to hear Evan laugh. She sipped her beer, studying him over the rim of her glass. Without seeming to pay her any attention, Evan maneuvered himself to her side once more. His arm pressed against her breast each time he took a drink.
It was torture. Who knew that could feel so good?
Chapter Eight
The whole evening had been torture. Evan didn’t want to share Macy with a roomful of people. He wanted to take her home and make love to her, but he wasn’t sure if all the signals she was sending his way were on the same wavelength. Should he suggest they leave, and see what happened? He’d never been this insecure. He was a businessman, not a gambler as such, but used to taking chances. He did his research, crunched the numbers, and chased the outcome he wanted.
This was not that sort of venture. It was like nothing he’d ever encountered. Usually he met a pretty girl and if the attraction was mutual they would spend time together. Then he’d leave town, with little or no chance of furthering the relationship and few regrets. Macy wasn’t that kind of girl.
“Shall we call it a night, Mr. Knight?” she asked him now.
He raised his eyebrows, and she giggled. Was she drunk? He tried to recall how many drinks she’d had. As many as him? Surely not. But if she had, then she was probably quite drunk. Macy might be average height, but she was so slim even a smaller amount of alcohol would affect her more than a woman shorter than her.
Pat and Sully gave him a stern look. He got the message. He’d already figured out that Macy was special.
“I think we shall, my lady. Good night everyone. Nice to have met you all,” he said to the group at the table, and the room in general.
Those who heard him responded or lifted their glasses and he took Macy by the arm and led her out into the balmy night air. As they walked down the street she suddenly grabbed hold of a street lamp and spun around.
“You know, we never danced. I love to dance.”
“My family aren’t known for their dancing.”
“Most men say that, but if you tried you’d find it was so much fun. The key is, you have to do it like no one’s watching.”
That’s what she did. Eyes closed, she moved sensually to music he couldn’t hear. He didn’t want to dance, but he was happy to watch her as she wrapped herself around the pole in a very suggestive way. When she opened her eyes and her arms, he couldn’t help but step inside them and hold her close.
She stood on her tiptoes, and from chest to hips they were aligned. The friction was indescribable, and he was losing his grip on his determination to be a gentleman. With an effort, he pulled away and took her hand.
“Come on, young lady. Let’s get you home before you get me into trouble.”
“Party pooper.”
“That’s me.”
They did a classic half-drunken stumble down the main street and up the hill. A light had been left on, and the door was unlocked. Macy did not demur when he opened it and helped her inside.
“Where’s your bedroom?”
“That door there.” She pointed to one on the left.
He took her in and lay her on the brightly colored coverlet. Her hands clasped around his neck. “Don’t go, my Knight.”
“Macy, you have no idea how much I’d like to
stay, but I can’t.” He undid her hands and tucked them by her side.
“Can’t or won’t?” She reached up, grabbed him once more, and kissed him passionately.
He could have kissed her forever. The sweetness of her mouth, the softness of her lips called to him, but she was drunk. It wouldn’t be right. Reluctantly he pulled away, tucking her hands together.
“Be good and go to sleep. I’ll stop by tomorrow to say hi.”
“Hi!”
“Shhh. Close your eyes.”
She gave him a saucy wink, closed her eyes and began to snore lightly.
He removed her sandals, and pulled a light blanket over her. She was a handful, but right now she looked as innocent as a lamb. He was still grinning as he went out into the hall way.
“Thank you for taking care of Macy.”
Heart in his mouth, Evan swung around to find Macy’s father at the doorway to another bedroom.
“Sorry if we woke you, Mr. Heaven. Macy had one too many, but she’s okay.”
“Call me Charlie. I got that. She’s not much of a drinker, so it’s unusual, but she’s home safe, which is the important thing.”
Evan shook his outstretched hand. “I’m Evan Knight. I should have looked out for her better. I’m sorry.”
“If I know Macy, which I do, telling her what to do wouldn’t have worked. She must have felt relaxed and safe with you.”
“I appreciate you saying so. She’s a lovely woman.”
“She is. Are you trying to take her away from me?” The strange question was backed up by a strange look. Fear?
“Pardon?” Evan said.
Charlie stepped out into the main room. “I’m teasing. Macy was born to this life. She’s not going anywhere. Not now there’s only her and me to work the place. Would you like a coffee?”
Evan was tired, but the opportunity to learn more about Macy was a compelling reason to stay. That, and the fact he probably shouldn’t be driving yet.
“I’d love one.”
“Pull up a chair.”
Evan took a seat at the dining table and while Charlie brewed the coffee he studied the cabin. It was neat and clean and had family photos adorning every spare surface.
Charlie brought the pot and mugs to the table and poured Evan’s. He thanked him and sipped the strong, hot liquid. “Great coffee.”
“Not as good as my wife’s,” Charlie said, instantly looking sad.
“Did she work at the marina?”
“We all did. The four of us. Chantelle, my older daughter, struggled with the physical nature of the business, but she was good with the clients. Macy was the complete opposite. She’s so clever with the books and a fantastic sailor.”
“Don’t you find it difficult with only the two of you to run things?”
“It’s hard on Macy. I don’t do much more than the maintenance these days, so she’s doing most of the work, and that’s too much. I wish I could hire some help.”
“Looks like the place needs a bit of a face-lift too.”
“Couldn’t hurt.”
“Charlie, have you thought about taking on a partner?”
“You mean sell some of the business?”
“Yes. A cash injection could get the place back on its feet.”
“It wouldn’t be my business then, would it?”
“It would be a shared business. Perhaps fifty-fifty. It’s what I do, putting like-minded people together to save businesses like yours. My family might be interested in backing you. If that happened you could get your face-lift and not have to sell any of your boats to make your payments.”
Charlie’s chin shot up. “I’m not about to sell any boats.”
“No, of course not.” Evan beat a hasty retreat from that conversation. “The other plus would be that Macy could have some time off to do the things she loves.”
“She loves boats.”
“I can tell. When was the last time she sailed for the love of it?”
“I . . . Well now, I suppose that would be a while.”
“Anyway, there’s no pressure. I thought while we had this time I’d mention it and maybe later we can talk about it more in depth.”
“I appreciate your interest, son. Who knows, it may be a plan. I don’t know. Then again, my mind is not always what it once was. If it weren’t for my daughters, especially Macy, I think I would have . . .” His voice trailed off as he stared at a large photo of an older version of Macy. When he eventually turned back to Evan, his face was composed, even though his eyes were damp. “More coffee?”
“No thanks. I should get going, before they hand my room to someone else.”
“Thanks again for taking care of Macy.”
“My pleasure, sir.”
As Evan walked down the hill to his car, he had to wonder about their conversation and where it had been headed. Was Charlie so unhappy he wanted to take his own life? He must have misunderstood the man. He hoped so, for Macy’s sake. She loved her father so much, she was willing to be miserable to keep him happy.
She was right, his own life was a lot easier than hers. He had money, and his mother was fiercely proactive in the business, but he was certainly working in a job he was less and less interested in. Despite being good at it.
Just like Macy.
Chapter Nine
Sitting at the outside table, under a large sun umbrella, Macy felt like she’d been driven over by a steam roller. She heard footsteps on the stony path, and turned.
Evan. The way he carried himself, his self-assurance, not to mention his face and body, meant he looked like a movie star. It wasn’t fair when she knew she was a mess.
He carried a large bottle of water, the condensation slipping down the sides, and she licked her dry lips. He dropped a paper bag on the table.
“Fried chicken and Tylenol.”
“You are a god,” she said as she ripped open the bag and with shaking hands tried to open the bottle of drugs.
Evan was trying not to grin, and doing a bad job of it as he took the bottle and uncapped it, then handed it to her. She drank deeply, swallowed the pills, then drank some more. When she was done she gave a small belch.
“Sorry.”
“Feel better?”
“Let’s say I’m alive and leave it at that.”
“How was the morning?”
She shrugged. “I had to cancel a couple of things, and I managed to con a couple of dad’s buddies to help him out for the day.”
“I was going to come by and see if you needed a hand, but I had an unexpected meeting.”
“Oh?”
“Pearson’s, but that’s a secret.”
“I’m good at keeping them.”
“Me too.” He winked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You wanted me to ravish you last night. It was very tempting.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. “We didn’t?”
He grinned. “No. You were in no fit state, and I don’t make love to women who don’t know what they’re doing.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Thank goodness.”
“If you say so.”
“I don’t know what got into me. I’m not a big drinker.”
“I wouldn’t have known that.”
“Stop teasing me. I’m not well.”
He pushed the bag towards her. “Eat the chicken.”
“I really don’t think I could.”
“Trust me. It’ll make you feel better.”
Feeling better was more tempting than the actual idea of eating, so she tentatively opened the bag. “It does smell good.”
She pulled a piece from the container and nibbled it. Darn, it was good. She ate two pieces in quick succession, then sat back with her hands on her stomach.
“Better?”
“Much. How did you know?”
“Experience.”
She laughed. “What are your plans now?”
“I’d like
to spend time with you.”
“I look a wreck.”
“There is no way you could ever look bad. I’m happy to do whatever you want.”
“Getting in help means for the first time in ages I have some spare time. Let’s take Maggie for a sail.”
“If you’re feeling up to it?”
“Thanks to you, I am. Give me a minute to tell my father.”
When they went inside her father was sleeping in his chair. Macy put a finger to her lips so Evan wouldn’t wake him. Then she wrote a note and sat it beside him so that he’d find it if he woke and found her gone. A couple of hours wouldn’t hurt. They crept outside.
“Come on, my Knight.”
She took his hand and they ran down the path, with Evan carrying the water and chicken. For the first time, when they were aboard, she sat back and let someone else take charge.
Evan cast them off and sailed Maggie as if he knew her the way Macy did. From where she reclined on the squab by the wheel, she watched him. Watched the way his body moved as he adjusted sails, finding the wind and reveling in it. Just as she did.
Words were not necessary.
After a couple of hours, they headed for home. Macy came and stood beside him and he put his arm around her shoulders.
“I seem to have to keep saying it, but thank you, Evan. This is exactly what the doctor ordered.”
He looked down at her and smiled. “I have something else you should take several times a day.”
“What’s that?”
His lips took hers, the way she wanted them to, and the gentle kiss bloomed into something that took her breath and had her wanting more from him. When they broke apart after a minute they were gasping.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said.
“I know.”
His eyes shone at her. “I’m coming back.”
“For Pearson’s?”
“For you.” He pulled her back into his arms.
“Don’t make promises, Evan. I don’t need them.”
“I do. Will you wait for me?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
She touched a hand to his cheek. “Yes, it is.”
“Oh.”
Needing no further encouragement, he kissed her again. Many times. In ways she hadn’t been kissed before.
Restless Billionaire (Billionaire Knights Book 1) Page 4