Not waiting for an answer, Lori made a beeline for the screen door, Tessa at her heels. She crossed the lawn in long strides, headed for the secluded gazebo, hoping that a quiet moment alone would calm her anxious nerves. Sliding into one of the rocking chairs, she stroked Tessa’s head. Was this how she was destined to spend the rest of her life? Moving from place to place, leaving behind friends and giving up her dreams? It had all seemed so doable before, considering the alternative. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“There has to be a solution out there,” she said softly as the dog solemnly stared back at her.
“When you find it, let me know.”
Lori jumped out of the chair with a squeak. She turned to find Miles with his back propped up against one of the wide posts and his long legs stretched out on the bench in front of him. He was facing away from her, his body obscured by the honeysuckle plants that surrounded the pillar. She stepped around her chair to get a better look at him. Dressed in navy slacks and a pinstriped shirt, he’d neatly draped his suit jacket on one of the Adirondack chairs next to him. He didn’t bother turning around, instead continuing to seemingly contemplate the B and B’s garden shed located behind the gazebo. A bottle of beer dangled from his fingertips.
“I thought you were in Raleigh for the day.”
“The day is almost over, Sweet Cheeks,” he said before taking a pull from the beer.
Something wasn’t right. She could sense it in Miles’ demeanor. The anxiety Lori had been feeling moments earlier ebbed into concern for Miles even as her brain was telling her to ignore it.
“So what problem are we trying to solve today, Lori? How to make the sheets softer? Or maybe your cupcakes more addictive?” His questions had an edge to them as he swung his feet over the side of the bench and finally turned to face her. A maelstrom of emotions swirled about in his eyes, the intensity forcing Lori to take a slight step back. “Or maybe you’re trying to solve that dark secret you’re hiding behind?”
Something told Lori this wasn’t about her or her secret. The same voice was telling her she was already in too deep in this town and not to get wrapped up in anything more with these people, particularly anything having to do with sexy Miles McAlister. Her eyes darted to the inn, but Miles looked as troubled as she felt and her feet didn’t listen to her brain when it told them to flee.
“I’m not the only one who’s hiding, apparently,” she said, ignoring her grandmother’s sage advice not to poke the bear.
The laugh he gave her was menacing. “Even I get tired of Squeaky Clean Miles McAlister once in a while.” He took another swig of his beer. “Oh, wait, it’s Dudley Do-Right to you, isn’t it?”
Lori leaned her bottom against the back of one of the Adirondack chairs. “He’s not such a bad guy,” she said softly. “Trust me, the world needs lots more people with a conscience.”
“I’m pretty sure life in politics is going to totally obliterate my conscience.”
Her chest squeezed at the cynicism in his voice. It was so unlike the Miles she’d watched from the shadows these past few months. “That must have been some meeting with the governor.”
He snorted. Then he looked across the manicured lawn at the B and B, grand and peaceful in the sleepy summer afternoon. “Oh, it was. Greer was correct. I was blindsided all right.” He gulped from the beer bottle in his hand. “Essentially, I’ve got two choices: Smear Faye Rich by revealing a youthful mistake she made. Or divert the media’s interest in my father by marrying the governor’s daughter.”
She dug her fingernails into the wood of the chair at her back while trying to draw breath through her lungs. Miles married to Greer. Just another reason why she needed to hightail it out of this town. She didn’t want to be around to celebrate Greer’s good fortune.
But the idea made sense. What had Coy called it? A match made in political heaven. They would certainly make beautiful babies. Her mouth went dry at the thought.
“And how does Greer feel about being bartered off?” Stupid question. The woman would be a fool not to want to marry Miles, Lori thought to herself.
“She’ll do anything to please Daddy. Whether she agreed with his tactics or not.”
Lori’s stomach rolled with nausea. Apparently she and Greer had a lot more in common than either of them knew.
“She was eager to throw herself on the mercy of the campaign,” he continued. “Apparently I missed her subtle hints yesterday.”
“Well, um, congratulations, I guess.”
He sprung off the bench and began pacing the gazebo. “Seriously? Does everyone think I’m that blinded by ambition? That I’d let the governor coerce me into a freaking marriage of convenience just for some political gain?”
Lori gnawed on her bottom lip, feeling guilty that she felt a twinge of happiness that he might not marry Greer. “Are there other options?”
“None that I’ve found yet, but I’m only two beers into this six-pack, so give me a half hour.”
“I’m sorry.” The words sounded lame as they left her lips, but Lori sincerely meant them. She of all people knew what it felt like to be out of options.
“Oh, don’t feel sorry for me. The thing is, marrying Greer makes perfect sense. She’d be a solid partner in my career. Having grown up in the public eye, she’s no rookie when it comes to politics and the media. That flawless skin of hers is very thick. We’d be very compatible together. It’s a brilliant tactical move.” His tone didn’t sound the least bit sarcastic.
Lori’s stomach bottomed out. “I don’t understand.”
He placed the empty beer bottle into its cardboard carrier with the others before sitting back down on the bench. “I don’t like the idea that her father practically has his shotgun out. He’s supposed to be helping me get elected, not trying to get some sort of leverage over me. I don’t want to be in anybody’s pocket.” Miles dragged his hands through his hair. “Hell, I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.”
“I’m a good listener.” She wasn’t really. Had she listened to her mother, she wouldn’t be in Chances Inlet right now lusting over a man she could never have. A man who apparently was just like her: willing to sacrifice his integrity for his ambition. Even if he doesn’t want to admit that truth to himself—yet.
His laugh sounded a bit manic as he stood up and began pacing the gazebo again. “Faye Rich dared me to do something outrageous. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it beats the alternative.”
Damn, is he actually considering it? “You said you two were friends without benefits,” she blurted out.
Miles shrugged. “I’m sure the benefits part will have to be reevaluated. She’ll want kids, no doubt. But we’ll never be more than friends.”
Lori’s fingers were gripping the chair so tightly she thought it might snap in two. Would he kiss Greer with the same passion he’d kissed Lori with in the Aberdeen Suite? The thought made her angry, even though she knew she had no right to be. He’d been honest with her that day, just as he was being painfully honest with her now. “That’s a pretty bleak way to start a marriage,” she challenged.
“It’s the only kind of marriage any woman is going to get from me.”
“You can’t be serious?” Lori needed to get back to the B and B. She was giving too much of her inner feelings away.
Miles stopped his pacing and propped a shoulder up against one of the columns supporting the gazebo. He stared out over the lawn again, his gaze seeming to look for something far off on the distant shoreline. “You’re missing a vital part of the story, Sweet Cheeks. I already had my one great love of a lifetime.”
“Your college sweetheart who died in a car accident.”
Miles glanced over his shoulder at her, a bemused smile on his face. “I’d ask if you were some sort of spy, but this is Chances Inlet. Nothing is sacred in this town.” He turned back to his perusal of the shore
line before continuing his tale.
“Justine was my girlfriend all through college. She was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Until she wasn’t. We were backpacking in Europe. I came back a week before she did to register for law school. She and some friends were in a car accident. The others survived. Justine didn’t.”
Tears stung the backs of her eyes as she watched him swallow harshly. She ached for his loss—and for hers, as well. They were kindred spirits, she and Miles. Even if she wanted to, Lori could never allow herself to fall in love, either. She’d never want to burden another with the guilt shadowing her. Another place, another time. How she wished things could be different. For both of them.
His voice had become raspy with emotion. “Greer and I would be compatible, but Justine was my soul mate. There won’t ever be another.”
“Does Greer know this?” she whispered around the boulder in her throat. Lori found herself sympathizing with the other woman. From the few encounters she’d witnessed, Greer clearly had feelings for Miles.
“Her father does. Imagine a dad who would knowingly use his daughter for his own gain?”
Lori’s stomach rolled and she gripped the chair even tighter in order to stay upright. She didn’t have to imagine.
Miles refocused his attention back on her. He took a step closer, then another, while his eyes continued to study her as if she were a cell beneath a microscope.
“Not that I have it any easier. Every choice I make seems to result in some sort of collateral damage. Tell me, Lori, are you someone’s collateral damage? Or the instigator of it?”
She swallowed painfully as he closed the distance between them, intense scrutiny still in his eyes. There was no way she could answer that question honestly so she kept her mouth closed.
“Still hiding behind your secret, huh? Even after I’ve just bared my soul to you,” he said as he fingered her long braid. His fancy loafers were parked on either side of her white Keds, essentially pinning her to the back of the chair. Miles’ other hand found its way to her waist, where he bunched up the fabric of her T-shirt and gripped it in his strong fingertips. He smelled of hops and summer and aroused male, and Lori put her hands on his chest to push him away.
Something happened when her fingers made contact with his muscled chest, however. Her body seemed to drift toward him of its own accord. “Knowing my secret won’t make your decision any easier, Miles. Rely on your integrity.” She desperately wanted him not to give up on love so easily. Almost as desperately as she wanted her own destiny to be different.
He growled low near her ear. “By tomorrow I might not have any integrity left.” His lips nuzzled that sweet spot on her neck, the one that always made her knees weak. “Tell me something,” he murmured. “Just give me a clue as to what’s behind the mystery of Lori. Anything.”
She moaned when his teeth nipped at the shell of her ear. His hand crept beneath her T-shirt and his warm fingers pressed into the small of her back. Desire made her a bit woozy.
“I . . . I . . .” Lori sucked in breath when Miles’ fingers slipped beneath her bra. “I . . . I snore!”
His hands and his mouth stilled and Lori nearly wept when he lifted his lips from her skin. She felt his body begin to shake beneath her fingers. The sound of his laughter had her burying her head against his chest.
“That must be a really nasty snore if it has caused you to hide out in the depths of my mother’s B and B,” he said, still chuckling.
“I’m told it’s pretty deafening,” she murmured against his shirt.
He laughed again as he lifted her chin with his fingertip. She was relieved to see that his face had relaxed, allowing the sexy laugh lines to fan out from his eyes. “I guess I should be thankful that you sleep on the third floor.”
Lori nodded, mesmerized by the desire starting to cloud his pupils. This was madness. Miles pulled in a ragged breath. “Damn it,” he said before his mouth seized hers.
Any thought of resisting never entered Lori’s mind. His confession made her feel even more lost and helpless and her body desperately craved physical contact. Not to mention, Miles was a damn fine kisser. He kissed like he did everything else: with a confident self-assurance. At least Greer wouldn’t be disappointed on all fronts. Taking his time to make sure they both enjoyed the experience, he slowly explored her mouth as though they weren’t in full view of anyone who walked by.
Her common sense began screaming and Lori started to pull away, but Miles had other ideas. His fingers pressed into her back, bringing her flush with his hard body. Heat shot to her belly as she sighed into his mouth. That was all the invitation he needed. The kiss that had felt reassuring and comforting became greedy and intoxicating. Miles slid his tongue over hers and Lori’s knees would have buckled had she not been clinging to him with such need. He delved deeper into her mouth, still looking to uncover her secrets, she was sure. Another few minutes of his lips and hands on her body and who knows what she might confess to him. Certainly that she wanted him, wanted this, as much as he seemed to want her.
The sound of a train rumbling through town shook her loose. Lori forced her fingers to unclench from his shirt as she pulled her mouth from his. He was breathing as hard as she was, but he didn’t try to pull her back. Instead he reverently traced his lips along her hairline while he pulled his hands from beneath her shirt.
“What will you do?” she asked.
“Damned if I know.” His sigh sounded more like an anguished groan. “But I know what I’d like to be doing and it involves the both of us naked.”
She smiled. His words were a definite boost to her confidence right now. “You say that in the heat of the moment, but it would be reckless and stupid. And you’re neither of those things, Miles.” He snorted and she bit back a laugh. She patted him on the chest. “We’re going in different directions, you and I. Don’t forget that.” Stretching up on her toes, she kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t ever give up on who you are.”
Slipping out of his arms, she headed for the B and B and the afternoon tea that needed to be prepared and served. She felt his eyes on her back, watching her as she crossed the lawn. But she didn’t dare look back. Lori wasn’t sure how many more times she could resist Miles McAlister. As much as she dreaded having to move on from Chances Inlet, it would be better to sever the connection between them once and for all as quickly as possible.
THIRTEEN
“I couldn’t be happier.” Patricia hugged Ginger as she fought to keep the tears from her eyes. “Now, let me get a look at that gorgeous ring.”
“Ooo, I need to take a picture of it so I can tweet it out.” Cassidy pulled out her phone. “You’re gonna want all his fans to know he’s off the market, Gidget,” she said, calling Ginger by the nickname Cassidy had given her when she’d first arrived in Chances Inlet.
Gavin groaned. “I really wish you’d shut that Twitter account down, Cassidy. The show’s over.”
“It had better be a gorgeous ring,” Kate said. “A girl’s got to have some consolation prize for agreeing to marry this goofball.” She kissed her brother on the cheek before clapping him on the back. “And your tens of thousands of Twitter stalkers need to see it.”
Patricia shook her head. Some things never change. Still, she loved that her children continued to engage with one another. They teased and bickered, but when push came to shove, they had each other’s back. Her kids had been her rock these past few years and Patricia was grateful for their love and support. She was also thrilled to add Ginger into the mix.
Ginger and Gavin—along with Kate, Alden, Miles, Cassidy, and Lamar—had crammed into her small sitting room in the carriage house to make their announcement. Alden was pouring champagne into flutes and the mood was festive and happy, which was a boon to Patricia’s sagging confidence.
“I know I wasn’t always supportive of you two as a couple,”
Patricia tried to get out but the lump in her throat was painful. “And for that I apologize. I’m proud to have you as my daughter-in-law, but I hope you’ll know I’m always your friend, too.”
Ginger’s eyes were damp as she leaned down to kiss Patricia on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Gavin smiled over his fiancée’s shoulder. “Great, now they’re forming an alliance against me.” He leaned in to deliver his own kiss. “You’ll always be my girl,” he whispered in her ear. The words caused Patricia’s heart to skip a beat. His father had always said the same thing to her. It made her feel good to know that Donald would live on through his children’s mannerisms.
“Have you set a date?” she heard Kate ask.
“We thought we’d wait until the baseball season is over so that Ryan can be here,” Gavin said.
“Maybe a Christmas wedding?” Ginger gave Gavin a wistful look before he kissed her on the forehead.
He wrapped an arm around his fiancée. “Whenever you want, just as long as it’s soon.”
“Aww.” Kate took a flute of champagne from her husband. “Remember when you were that whipped, honey?”
“I still am. Emily’s sleeping over at her friends’ house tonight.” Alden winked at Kate. “Remind me to show you later.”
Miles heaved a sigh before waving his glass. “Are we going to toast or sit around and share TMI with each other?”
His harsh tone quieted the jovial room. Patricia eyed her oldest son carefully. He’d been withdrawn and moody since he arrived at the carriage house earlier. His mouth was drawn in a formidable line, so unlike the easy smile he normally wore. She knew he liked Ginger, so Gavin’s decision to marry her couldn’t be the problem.
From where he stood behind her, Lamar lowered a hand and gently cupped the back of her neck. “Miles is right, we need a toast.”
Patricia searched Miles’ face. He wouldn’t be happy to have Lamar insinuating himself on a family event in such a way, but her son’s eyes remained distracted and distant. That concerned her even more.
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