Brushing Off the Boss: A Half Moon Bay Novel (Entangled Bliss)

by Annie Seaton

  Georgie and Ana followed him inside and Sienna slowly made her way over to where Jack had parked. He’d changed out of his costume and into a pair of jeans and a snug black T-shirt. Standing beside the bike, he looked as sexy as hell. Deep down, Sienna was afraid. Her emotions had been on a roller coaster for the past week, and she had to dig deep for strength. She couldn’t hook up with Jack for a lot of reasons, no matter how much she wanted to.

  “I thought you’d left.”

  “Blake invited me to stay, but I’ve got some business I have to attend to. I’ve postponed the golf game. I wanted to wish you a good vacation…and say no hard feelings. I guess I read too much into things between us.”

  He took a step closer to her and a shiver ran down her back. “I’ll look after the gallery while you’re gone.”

  She shook her head. “It’s your gallery now, Jack.”

  He ignored her. She backed away as his intent became clear, but she wasn’t quick enough. His warm fingers glided up to her face and cupped her gently as his mouth settled on hers. Sienna stretched up onto her toes and kissed him right back.

  It was a sweet kiss. A kiss made for lovers, and she couldn’t resist his mouth, losing herself in the sweetness that she didn’t want to succumb to. Warmth flooded through her.

  By the time Jack lifted his head, Sienna had managed to recover a grip on her emotions. She dropped her hands; she hadn’t even been conscious of holding on to him as his lips explored hers.

  “It would have been so much easier if you hadn’t done that,” she said.

  He stared at her for several heartbeats before his soft reply. “Probably, but I wanted to say good-bye…properly.”

  He swung his leg over the bike, turned the key, and the engine fired with a throaty roar. Before he could put his helmet on, Sienna grabbed his arm.

  “Jack?”

  Those beautiful green eyes held hers and she swallowed.

  “Good-bye.” It broke her heart, but Sienna tried to put conviction into her words. She wanted him to know she was really saying good-bye.

  “For now.” Jack stared at her for a moment longer before he lifted his helmet on.

  Sienna stood for a long time until the bike and its rider were a small black speck in the distance. For the first time in her life, her heart yearned for another. A little niggle of regret snaked its way through her thoughts.

  For now?

  Chapter Nineteen

  The flight from San Francisco to Milwaukee was delayed, and Ana and Georgie made the most of the time, hitting Sienna with a barrage of questions. Finally, they realized they weren’t going to get the answers they wanted from her. Sienna stared off into space as Ana and Georgie chattered away beside her. Change was in the wind, just like it had been when they’d sold their business to Blake, and Ana and Blake got together. Ana had just told them that she and Blake were moving to New York for a while to help out Jack’s father while he wound down his business interests.

  “But it’s only temporary? Right?” Sienna hated the thought of them moving so far away.

  “Yes, it is…and just think of the galleries you can visit when you visit us.” Ana squeezed her arm. “You will visit, won’t you?”

  “Of course I will.” Sienna laughed. “I need to find a job first.” A little voice niggled at her. You could always stay at the gallery and work for Jack.

  “What about you, Georgie? What are you going to do?” Sienna asked.

  A new manager was coming in to oversee the Nebbiton store while Blake was away, and she wondered whether Georgie would stay.

  “I’ve booked an around-the-world air ticket. As soon as the new guy is settled in, I’m off. I may see Machu Picchu for my next birthday yet.” Georgie squeezed her hand. “It’s about time I learned to stand on my own two feet.”

  Despite all the change and her own uncertainty of what the future held for her after she finished up at Jack’s gallery, Sienna felt settled—almost. If only she could keep Jack’s face out of her thoughts. She put her hand up to her lips. After he kissed her this afternoon, he smiled at her, and her toes curled now as she remembered the feelings that had run through her.

  Georgie tipped her head to the side. “Now what about you? Maybe the sale fell through and you didn’t want to stay there, but I know when there’s something going on.”

  “I’ll tell you about it when I come home next week.”

  Georgie narrowed her eyes. “You are coming back?”

  Sienna nodded. “Of course I am. What do you say we start up our restoration business again?” She didn’t like the thoughtful look that Georgie shot her as she picked up her bag.

  “Don’t you go meddling in anything that doesn’t concern you, okay?” She hugged her cousin first, and then Ana. “Thelma and Mitzi are bad enough. Just let me sort my own life out. Remember, I’m more than happy being alone.” She looked at Georgie. “I am.”

  …

  Jack leaned back against the front door of the gallery, his legs stretched out in front of him. The cold marble tiles pressed against the backs of his legs and he shivered. All the way back from the party on Sunday night, Sienna’s good-bye had echoed through his head. He’d known she meant more than a casual good-bye and was trying to tell him something more. He’d come straight back to the gallery, planning to stay there until he found something more permanent. He’d spent the first night castigating himself for telling Sienna how he felt too soon. He should have given her more time, but he’d been scared of letting her go without telling her how he felt. And he’d blown it.

  No matter how it turned out, he’d been honest. Her words of a couple of weeks ago stuck in his mind.

  “Your family is loaded and you have a playboy reputation.” She said she’d had no idea why he saw her as a challenge, because he knew now the challenge was getting her to love him back. But would his honesty give them both happiness? After a sleepless night, he unlocked the storage area and pulled his biggest sculpture into the studio. He managed to lose himself as the creative muse kicked in and thoughts of Sienna fled—almost. It was as though she was there with him as he shaped and molded the metal. He’d smiled to himself as he made his perfect “pancake” mix of enamel.

  He pushed himself to his feet and pulled out his phone and snapped a series of pictures of his creature from all angles. A creature it was—certainly different from any of Sienna’s small creatures. His had the shape of a phoenix rising from the ashes, but from the front view it appeared to be a dragon, the small pieces of scarlet enamel looking like fire surrounding its long jaw.

  He messaged his parents and attached one of the photographs. A short message that he knew would please his father.

  Beat the deadline by three days, Dad.

  His phone beeped almost immediately and a surge of satisfaction rushed though him.

  Proud of you, son.

  He stared down at the phone. No. He was going to give her space when she was in Milwaukee. As he held the phone, it rang and he looked down at the unfamiliar number for a moment before taking the call.

  “Jack?”

  “Yes?”

  “It’s Georgie. I was hoping you were around.” Disappointment hit him; for a moment he thought maybe Sienna had gotten hold of him. He wasn’t going to push her. He’d decided what he wanted; she had to come to him of her own accord.

  Jack ran a hand across his face. Since he’d been immersed in the enameling, he hadn’t showered or changed. His stomach grumbled and he realized he hadn’t eaten since yesterday.

  “I’m coming to town and I was hoping I could meet with you?”

  “Sure, what time will you be in town?”

  They made arrangements to meet at the coffee shop where he’d eaten with Sienna on his first day in town. He was about to end the call when Georgie continued.

  “And Jack? I hope you don’t mind me stepping in. I hope I was reading you right when I saw the way you looked at my sister?”

  Jack ordered the biggest plate of pancakes
and bacon from the menu and was on his third coffee by the time Georgie arrived. She slid into the chair opposite him and smiled.

  “You look like you haven’t slept.”

  “I’ve been working.”

  “Missing Sienna?”

  “You are spot-on there.” Jack frowned as he forked the last piece of bacon from his plate. “The place isn’t the same without her.”

  “Sienna will kill me when she finds out what I’m going to tell you.” Georgie settled back into her chair and looked at him as the waitress poured her a coffee. “But I want her to be happy. She’s kidding herself that she can ignore the way she feels about you.”

  Jack’s fork clattered to the table as he stared back at her. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I know my sister. You have to know a bit about our background to understand why she protects herself so much.”

  Jack’s world filled with color. For the first time he noticed the bright flowers spilling from the half wine casks scattered around the terrace they were sitting on. Even though he’d been working with colors for the past two days, everything apart from his sculpture had looked gray and bleak.

  “I know she cares about you—otherwise I wouldn’t be here.” Georgie stared at him and her words filled him with happiness. “Sienna’s always been the tough one and so independent, but I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She just doesn’t trust that anyone could really love her.” Georgie put her hand on his arm. “I know she’s scared that you’ll leave her if she gives in to how she feels about you.”

  For the next half hour, Georgie told him of their family and how Sienna had been hurt so many times. When she told him about what they’d recently heard found out from Marietta, everything began to fall into place for Jack. Knowing that it was Sienna’s personal circumstances that had caused her so much angst relieved the burden that pressed on him. He carried a lot of guilt because he’d changed his mind about selling the gallery, and then Arielle’s arrival had topped it all off.

  “Once she’s been to Milwaukee and accepted what she finds there, she’ll be ready to listen to you. I promise. I know her almost as well as I know myself.” Georgie had filled in a lot of the gaps for him about why Sienna kept herself so private. “She doesn’t share her emotions easily, but I know how she feels about you. Trust me.”

  Even though Sienna had said good-bye, the way she had kissed him before he left the party had filled Jack with a smidgeon of hope. Knowing that his actions had nothing to do with why Sienna had canceled her show was a relief. A glimmer of an idea began to form as he thought of a way to make her happy.

  “Georgie, have you got a day or two to spare before Sienna comes home?”

  It had taken a long time to get things organized. Jack knew what he wanted to do, and the conversation with Georgie had nailed it.

  Now all he had to do was persuade Sienna to trust him. He loved her and he had to convince her it would be forever. And he’d share his life with her. He grinned as anticipation filled him. Hell, he’d even share the studio with her.

  Maybe he was kidding himself, but he really hoped that the welcome he and Georgie had planned would convince Sienna where his heart lay. His future—their future—depended on the next couple of hours. Now all he was waiting for was the text from Georgie to say they were on their way.

  Jack flicked the collar of his white shirt and straightened his tie as he looked around the gallery with satisfaction.

  Chapter Twenty

  The week in Milwaukee reaffirmed Sienna’s belief in herself as an artist. She’d wandered around art galleries, taken in a few exhibitions, and learned to relax. She’d stayed in bed late and eaten in a different restaurant every night. But she hadn’t slept. Despite being there to find closure about her family and say good-bye to her mother, her mind had been filled with thoughts of Jack, wondering what he was doing and how he was coping with the gallery.

  By Wednesday, when she’d picked up the phone for the tenth time to call, she finally admitted to herself that if he’d have her back, she’d keep working for him. She could accept his casual interest in the gallery. And he had a work ethic, no matter how much he pretended he was laid-back and didn’t care. The argument went back and forth in her head until she sighed and cleared her thoughts. If she didn’t get some sleep, she’d be no good working for anyone.

  And he’d said he loved her. That had to count for something.

  She was filled with uncertainty, and it didn’t sit well with her. Sienna, who always knew what she wanted and went for it; Sienna, who had been secure and comfortable where she was in life was struggling with the knowledge that she’d finally fallen for someone and fallen hard. If only she could trust that Jack wouldn’t let her down, too. But she couldn’t let go of that fear.

  The half hour she had spent in the small cemetery beside the plaque with her mother’s name on it finally brought her closure. This woman was someone she’d never known. She had no regrets and bore no malice. She’d done her research; there was no other family to look up. Her grandparents were dead and her mother had been an only child. There was nothing for her in Milwaukee apart from a lonely grave.

  Back in California was a man who had kissed her and told her to think about that kiss. A man who loved her. She had thought about him constantly, and a feeling of lightness filled her as she came to a decision. Her true family was back at Half Moon Bay. Her heart—she finally admitted to herself—was with a green-eyed Prince Charming in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

  Sienna’s flight arrived late Friday night, too late to text Georgie to pick her up, so she stayed in a hotel and called the next morning.

  “Can you pick me up and take me to Nebbiton?” Sienna stared out over the bay from her hotel window. It was good to be back on the coast.

  “I’ll do better than that. I’ll drive you all the way to Carmel. I’ll be there in an hour.” Georgie disconnected before Sienna could say she’d planned on spending the weekend catching up with Blake and Ana before they moved to New York. It had nothing to do with her nervousness about seeing Jack again.

  She checked out and headed down to the restaurant to have a coffee while she waited.

  “Blake and Ana are away for the weekend,” Georgie said as she drove past the exit to Nebbiton.

  “I’ll spend some time with Renzo and Lucia instead.”

  “They’re away, too.”

  “Who’s running the restaurant?” Sienna had never known Renzo to take a day off when they were growing up.

  “One of the chefs, apparently.” Georgie shrugged.

  “Take the next exit. I’ll go and see Thelma and Mitzi.”

  “They’re away, too.”

  Sienna narrowed her eyes. “They never go away.”

  “They are. They got invited to a…party.”

  Sienna was curious, but Georgie didn’t say any more for a while, focusing on the road ahead.

  “So you had a good trip?” Georgie shot her a glance.

  “Yes, went to lots of galleries and had a good break.”

  “You look relaxed. So what are your plans now?”

  “I’m still not sure.” Sienna didn’t want to share just yet in case things didn’t work out. “Maybe we could find a house to restore?”

  Georgie took the exit into Monterey from Highway 1 and Sienna looked across at her.

  “Time for a coffee,” Georgie said with a grin.

  “It’s only five minutes to my house.” Now that she was almost home, Sienna was keen to get there. “I’ll make you a coffee there. Or better still we can go into Carmel and I can…”

  “Can what?”

  “Nothing.” She’d been going to say call in at the gallery. “I’m not sure if my car will start. That’s why Jack gave me a ride to the party. She’s been a bit temperamental. “

  “A bit like her owner.” Georgie shot her a grin.

  “Thanks, sis.” Sienna waited as Georgie found a parking spot. “I guess we’re having coffee here.”

  They
found a coffee shop that wasn’t too busy across from the wharf, and Sienna examined the art on the walls while they waited for their order and Georgie sent some texts. She was up to something. Sienna knew her all too well.

  “Not a new man?” She gestured to the phone.

  “What? Ah, no. Just some texts for the…er…store.”

  “Just be careful, Georgie. No more Cals, promise?”

  “No more Coles, that’s for sure.” Georgie laughed. “Hurry up, finish your coffee and I’ll drop you at home.”

  “We just got here.” Sienna narrowed her eyes. “Please tell me you haven’t done something I’m going to hate.”

  “I’ve done nothing. And that’s all I have to say on the matter. Now come on.” Georgie picked up her phone and purse, and waited for Sienna to finish her coffee.

  When she overshot the exit to Forest Lake and Sienna’s cottage, she knew Georgie was up to something. Sienna folded her arms and didn’t say a word.

  Georgie drove down Ocean Avenue and turned onto Fifth Avenue.

  She parked the car and turned to Sienna. “Have you got your lipstick handy? And fluff up your hair. Someone’s got a little surprise for you.”

  “Who?”

  “You’ll see. Now stop asking questions, make yourself pretty, and follow me.”

  Bemused, and slightly nervous because she knew Jack was involved, she let Georgie lead her along the street until they turned back onto Ocean Avenue and headed toward the Sea View Gallery. The tourists were out in force this morning and a large crowd was gathered outside the gallery looking at the window display. Sienna thought back, trying to remember what she’d put on display before she’d left last week.

  A group of white bowls certainly did nothing to get that much attention.

  “I like the red one with the dangly leg.” The woman’s voice carried across as they finally cleared the crowd and stood at the door. Sienna looked up and her ears began to buzz. She put her hand up to her chest.