by Elena Aitken
Despite the fact that Deanna seemed to be fundamentally opposed to what Gwen was doing with Ian, it was obvious she also couldn’t help herself when it came to details. “What are they saying?” she asked. “What do they want to see next?”
“Did you read last night’s?”
“About the kiss?” Deanna rolled her eyes. “Of course. I was kind of waiting for you to tell me about it, to be honest. I shouldn’t have to read everything about your life on your website, you know?”
“Fair point. But you were out last night when I got back and I needed to write about it while it was still fresh.”
“Whatever.” Deanna pushed what was left of her pancake aside and leaned in for details. “Tell me more. Is he a good kisser? Did you enjoy it? Or was it just business?”
“It was definitely not just business.” Gwen spoke before thinking and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.
“It’s okay, Gwen. You can tell me the truth. I’m your best friend. If you can’t be honest with me…”
It was true. And Gwen was dying to be honest with someone. The problem was, she didn’t know what the kiss meant. All night she’d tossed and turned and relived it in her brain. She’d be lying if she said there weren’t feelings when Ian had put his lips on hers. There were definitely feelings. Lots of them. She just couldn’t figure out exactly what they all were and what they meant. Besides, she had her future to think about. She couldn’t screw things up just because Ian McCormick was a good kisser. And man, was he a good kisser.
“That’s the truth,” she finally said. “I mean, how can a kiss just be business? That’s like saying, I’m totally dead inside.” And she definitely wasn’t dead inside. Especially when it came to Ian McCormick.
“So what happens next?” Dee asked. “I mean, I read some of the blog comments and it seems like your readers really want to see more. It’s actually kind of crazy how invested they are with this story. Don’t you think?”
Gwen shrugged. Normally she’d say yes, but Gwen had touched on a sensitive subject for her readers. One that they all could identify with and on some level, likely wished they could experience for themselves. When it came to love and men, particularly when a broken heart was involved, it was definitely a universal subject. “I get it,” was all Gwen said in response.
Deanna evaluated her for a moment and finally said, “It’s actually pretty cool how you have fans all over the world who care so much about your life. A little strange,” she added with a laugh. “But cool. So…tell me, what’s next?”
“Well…I think I’ll just see how it plays out. I mean, he did say we’d set a date for dinner and I promised to report for work, so I guess we’ll see if he follows through. As far as I’m concerned, the ball is in his court. He needs to chase me.”
The burning desire for Gwen to be the one to do the chasing filled her veins. But she’d be strong. He needed to come to her. She wouldn’t put herself out there. Not again. Not until she knew that she had him hooked.
“So what does that mean?”
Gwen smoothed her hair back off her face, looked her friend in the eye, and answered honestly. “I don’t know.”
*
“Thank you, Sam.”
“You already said that.”
“That’s because I really meant it.” Ian stood in the door way to Samantha’s office in the back of the Grizzly Paw and tried fairly unsuccessfully not to grovel. “You didn’t have to give her another chance.”
“I know that.” She looked up and smirked. “But I don’t really think she’s a bad kid. A little pissed off at life, sure. But weren’t we all at her age?”
Ian could distinctly remember being twenty-two and yes, it was probably fair to say he was a little pissed off at life. Well, maybe more than a little.
“Either way,” he said. “I really appreciate it.”
“I know you do.” Sam stood and gave Ian a quick hug. “Don’t worry about it. I have a good feeling about her, and I could use the help around here. Especially when things pick up in a few weeks. Now, don’t you have your own work to do? How’s the marina coming along, anyway?”
“Things are…well, they’re coming along.” Ian ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “There are definitely some challenges, but the boats and jet skis will be arriving early next week and then after a bit of fine tuning, I should be mostly ready to go. Just in time for the season to kick off.”
“That’s awesome, Ian. When you’re all ready to go, make sure to bring some flyers in and maybe we can do some sort of joint promo. Like…10 percent off beer and wings after a boat rental or something?”
Ian grinned. The entire community of Cedar Springs had been unbelievably receptive to him coming in and starting up, but no one as much as Sam. “Sounds like a great idea. As long as they enjoy the beer after they rent the boat. That’s the last thing I need.”
“Deal. Now get to work. And don’t worry about Chelsea. She’ll be okay.”
Ian did as he was told and headed across the way to the Dockside. He took a moment to examine Jimbo’s handiwork on the docks. They were coming along nicely and by the looks of things, they should be ready for boats soon. Which was a very good thing, because he’d invested in two brand-new boats that he’d use as rentals. He’d done his market research, and the increase in visitors to the area had definitely expressed an interest in more opportunities for summer recreational activities. Namely, boats. It was a huge outlay in cash, but if his predictions were correct, he should be able to make back his initial investment by the end of the summer. And quickly add the jet skis. He crossed his fingers quickly in reflex. That was a big if. But taking risks was a big part of business. And life.
Speaking of risks in life…
“Good morning.” He caught her off guard, but when Gwen turned around, there was a big smile on her beautiful face. It took his breath away every time. “I didn’t expect you here so early. You don’t have to come in until later if that works better.”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “This works great. Really, I’m up early anyway, so I might as well come in and from the little I saw, I’m sure you’ll have enough to keep me busy.”
It was true. “Well, I can’t deny that.” He laughed and reached past her to unlock the door. He paused a moment and took a second to inhale the sweet scent of her. With such a close proximity, he couldn’t help but notice the faint, but recognizable scent of orange with just a touch of vanilla. Simply put, she smelled absolutely delicious. It took a great deal of willpower for him to keep from pulling her up against his body and kissing her again. In fact, it took all the willpower he had. The only thing he’d been able to think about last night was that kiss. The taste of her on his lips, the way she’d felt in his arms, the way his body had—
Ian turned the key and pushed the door inside before he could let that particular train of thought carry on too long. No good could come of it. At least not at that moment.
“Are you ready to get to work today?”
When he turned around, she looked a little confused, maybe because he hadn’t acknowledged the kiss they’d shared. It’s not that he didn’t want to. He did. Oh, man, did he ever. But he needed to keep things separate. Or at least make an effort.
She nodded. “I guess I am,” she said slowly. She walked past him into the room and over to the desk where he’d set up the computer station. “I guess I should probably get started on—”
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t pretend there wasn’t something hanging in the air between them. Something electric and powerful and—he grabbed her arm and spun her around, cutting her off mid-sentence. Ian pulled her into his arms, pressing her body up against his chest but he didn’t kiss her right away. He looked into her eyes. He needed to see her. And more importantly, he needed her to see him. Only a moment passed before he pressed his lips to hers. She yielded to him almost at once; his tongue parted her soft lips, taking the kiss deeper. His senses filled with her scent, making
him almost dizzy with the need for her. He pulled her even closer. One hand slipped down to the small of her back; the other weaved through her hair, cupping the back of her head. She moaned into his mouth and it was almost his undoing.
With self-control he wasn’t even sure he possessed, Ian pulled back, sucking her bottom lip gently between his teeth.
For a moment, she didn’t say anything, but then a smile crossed her face, and she bit her bottom lip. “Well, that may have been the best orientation to a new job I’ve ever had.”
He laughed. “I’m sorry,” he said, not meaning it at all. “I probably shouldn’t have done that. No,” he corrected himself quickly. “I really should have done that. I’m only sorry I didn’t do it the second I saw you standing there.”
She reached out and took his hand.
“But really,” he continued. “I don’t want you to think that this is what it’s like working for me. I should be more professional. It’s just that—”
“Well,” she cut him off. “It’s not like it’s a permanent arrangement.”
Did she mean them? As in, the two of them together? It’s not as if Ian had given it any thought, at least not more thought than he was attracted to her. But hearing her say it out loud was different. Did she not want a relationship? Was she just looking for a fling? His mind went a mile a minute considering scenarios that he’d never before given any thought to. “Gwen, I know we—”
“I mean, I’m only helping you out here until you get the Dockside up and running.” She said it so casually, leaving room for him to interpret so much more. “So don’t worry about being professional.” She winked. “At least not when it comes to me. I assume you should probably shoot for professionalism in everything else you do.”
She laughed then, and the moment was over. “Let me take a look at what you’ve got so far.” She started typing on the laptop, opening applications, scrolling and exploring while Ian took a step back and caught his breath.
What had just happened? Had he seriously considered a relationship with a woman he’d just met, all because of a kiss? No. All because of two kisses. And it wasn’t as if he’d really considered it. But the idea had popped into his head. He couldn’t deny that. There was something about Gwen. Something he couldn’t put his finger on, but whatever it was, she had him reeling.
“Ian? Are you okay?”
He shook his head and then quickly amended it to a nod. “I’m great.” She was pointing to something on her screen, so he went to stand behind her.
“Why don’t you show me exactly what you were thinking when you set this up?” she said. “And then you can tell me exactly what you’re looking for me to do.”
He swallowed hard. Did she have any idea how suggestive she was being?
She winked at him, her eyelashes fluttering softly over her cheek.
Yes. She definitely had an idea.
Chapter Six
The work at the Dockside wasn’t as overwhelming as Ian had made it out to be, and it didn’t take long for Gwen to get an inventory tracking system in place, as well as a rental sign-up for the boats and some basic balance sheets for tracking his expenses. They’d worked side by side for just over a week, but besides that kiss on the very first day, there’d been no more from Ian. Every day, Gwen would show up for work in a revealing tank top, or shorts that were just a little shorter than the ones the previous day. She took her time with her hair and her makeup, and made every effort to flirt with him as openly as possible.
But nothing.
Well, not nothing so much as nothing that moved their relationship forward.
She couldn’t figure it out. Nothing had changed and he still did seem very much interested, but…
Gwen had decided early on that he would have to make all the moves. She didn’t want to put herself out there again, only to risk rejection. Not this time. Not for the purposes of her experiment. Her readers wanted to see a chase. They wanted to see that every fat girl could grow up and have the one who got away pursuing her for a change. But now that a week had gone by without any advancement, she was running out of ideas, so she’d set out for the marina that morning determined to move things forward. No matter what.
Only, when she walked through the door, something was different. “Good morning,” she called out. “I brought coffee.” She walked through the room and set the drinks down on the desk next to her computer. A double cream, one sugar for him. Black for her. “Ian?”
The curtain that led to the storage room moved aside, and a head that was definitely not Ian’s emerged. “He’s not here.”
Gwen tilted her head and examined the girl who stood there. “You must be—”
“Chelsea.” The girl nodded but didn’t offer a hand to shake. “I’m Ian’s little sister and he’s making me help out around here this summer.”
“Making you?”
“It’s a long story.” Chelsea shrugged. “You’re the girl doing the computer stuff?”
Her choice of words stung a little. Is that how Ian had referred to her? The girl doing the computer stuff? “I am.” She looked around. “Where is Ian?”
“He had to go over to the boat launch this morning. Something about a low water level and the boats arrived late last night so he needs to get them in the water, but he can’t. I’m not really sure. Hey, you look familiar. Do I know you?”
Gwen froze. No way this tiny little waif of a girl had ever read her blog. Well, it was possible, certainly. She had millions of readers. But…Gwen couldn’t imagine it. But what if she had read it? What if she was reading it right now and she knew that Gwen was writing about Ian?
“Have you ever been to Australia?”
Gwen shook her head, confused by the sudden change in topic. “I’ve never had the chance. You?”
“No. My brother is there, though, and he says it’s awesome.”
“Your brother?”
“Cal?” She rolled her eyes as if Gwen should know exactly who she was talking about.
“Oh, I thought you meant Ian.”
“Ian’s here.”
“Obvious—never mind.”
“He’s a model.”
“Ian?”
Chelsea sighed. “Cal. He’s not that well known here, but in Australia he’s a big deal.”
Gwen only vaguely remembered what Cal looked like. He was quite a bit younger than she was, but closer in age to Chelsea obviously. Although she hadn’t realized they knew each other. Not that she knew anything about Ian’s family, really. It was just a surprise.
Gwen let Chelsea go off on her tangent about how successful her brother Cal was. If it helped distract her from the where do I know you from game, Gwen was happy.
Chelsea ran a hand through her hair, just like her brother, Gwen noted. She wondered whether Ian had ever noticed the similarity between them.
Chelsea wandered over to the desk and picked up the coffee Gwen had brought for Ian. “Two creams?”
“One sugar.” Gwen confirmed with a nod.
“You know how my brother likes his coffee?” She narrowed her eyes in Gwen’s direction, but finally shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. “I think I’m going to go visit, though.”
She was changing subjects so quickly, it was hard to keep up. “Who?”
“Cal.” Chelsea looked at her as if she were missing some sort of major brain function. “My brother, remember?”
“Right.” Gwen fortified herself with a sip of her own coffee. “In Australia. You’re going?”
She shrugged again. “I’d like to. My other brother Declan wants me to stay here and find myself.” She used air quotes over her head. “But I’m not totally sure Ian would care if I left.”
“I’m sure he’d care.”
“Whatever.” She took another sip of coffee.
They stood in silence for a moment, each sipping their drinks. Finally, Gwen broke the silence. “I should probably go find Ian and see what he needs done today. He’s down at the boat launch?”
>
“Yup. Good luck.”
Gwen stopped in the door and turned around. “Good luck?”
Chelsea shrugged again. “Just sayin’.”
With a shake of her head and a smile, Gwen turned and went in search of Ian and the boat launch.
*
“I need to take the trucks back with me, McCormick. Sorry.”
Sorry? He was sorry?
Ian paced along the boat launch that was still entirely too shallow for launching boats. At least, it would be with his jeep. He needed a heavy duty truck. Something like the truck that was currently attached to the boat trailer.
“Just let me launch the boat with your truck, Ken. It won’t be a big deal and—”
“No can do, McCormick. The contract clearly states delivery only.”
“This is delivery. We need to deliver them into the water.”
“Not with this truck.” Ken, the delivery guy who was quite quickly getting on Ian’s nerves, crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground.
“What about that truck?” Ian nodded to the other truck, with a different guy in the front seat. “Maybe he’ll do it?”
“Nope.” Ken shook his head once. “He works for me. Does what I tell him and it clearly states in the contract—delivery only.”
“You can’t just leave them here at the launch. I need them in the water.”
“You’ll have to do it yourself.”
That was the problem. He couldn’t do it himself. Not with his jeep. It didn’t have enough towing capacity to haul the boats down so low into the waterline. He could wait a few weeks for the snow runoff to come out of the mountains, and raise the water level, but he really needed them in the water now. He stalked to the other end of the boat launch and back again, armed with his last-ditch effort.
“What if I give you each a couple hundred dollars cash? Under the table. Like a tip.”