Mine to Steal (Mine to Love)
Page 10
I hope she has better tastes than Brad Emerson.
“You said something about canoeing, didn’t you, Cal?” Faith looks at him like a little kid eager to get her surprise. We all turn to gape at her, somewhat surprised by the shift from hiking to canoeing.
Cavette’s gaze darts between Faith and me before directing his question at her. “You sure you’re up for it? It’ll make for a long day.”
“Oh yeah.” She nods with renewed energy.
“Is it okay if it’s kayaking, instead?”
“Of course.” She says, a smile playing on her lips.
“Alright, well, we’ll have to go to another area to do that, but I had already reserved kayaks, in case everyone was up for it later.”
Faith turns to me and raises a well-manicured brow. “You up for it, Mr. Miller?”
I’m not sure why, but the way she says my name - the formality of it - feels like there’s supposed to be an underlying insult, but I like it. The moment we shared is long gone, and in its place, there’s a reinstated fight, a focus to get this job.
“Actually Ms. Young, I am. It’s been a whole week since I’ve gone kayaking,” I answer honestly. She has no way of knowing how often I manage to get outdoors. I might not camp very often anymore, but I’m most at home doing things like this.
“Gray,” Cavette hollers to get his grandson’s attention, “let’s head back and get everything put away so we can head on out to the other site.”
“Why do we have to change sites?” Faith asks as she trails behind the Cavette men.
“It’s not safe to swim in this water,” I notify her, because I read up on the area before we headed out and know the answer myself. I wanted to know the basics.
“I didn’t say I wanted to swim,” she argues.
“Are you sure you won’t fall into the water? I mean you wouldn’t want to get cut stepping on something, would you?” My knowledge of this park is limited, but I’m doing my best to one-up her, especially when she keeps looking at me like I’m a jerk. She narrows her eyes when I’ve finished, but it’s obvious she doesn’t know how sexy she is when she does that. I smirk in return before nodding my head at the men ahead, alerting her we need to keep up.
You’re not going to win this.
Her irritation with me is something I need; it’s spurring me on to do anything to win this job. However, I need to tread lightly here, because there’s a chance it’s doing the same thing for her. With a tight shake of the head, she spins around to continue the walk to our campsite and stumbles.
It feels like slow motion.
One minute she’s in front of me—full of venom and fight—and the next, she’s falling headfirst toward a steep ravine that is nothing but jagged rocks. I hear the scream, but only after I see her body collapsing in front of me. Without another thought, I lunge forward and tug firmly at her arm that is closest to me while her hands are grasping for my reach. I use my free hand to try to grab a hold of any part of Faith that I can to bring her toward me. She lands with a thud against my chest.
Three times in my life this woman has been in my arms, and she only remembers two of them. It’s so familiar to have her against me, and I have a need to keep her where she is. Somewhere inside of me there is a voice warning me to stay away for self-preservation.
The silence is deafening, only broken by the pants of two people trying to catch their breath. Faith’s arms are wrapped around me grasping at the back of my t-shirt like she did so long ago. My arms are securely around her, holding her to me, and I wait for her breaths to return to normal. We stand there for what feels like minutes before she turns her chin up and looks at me with eyes full of fear.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I run a hand over her cheek.
She shudders and nods her head slowly with her eyes still locked on mine. “I will be.”
Her hold on me is tight, but I don’t care. My face slowly moves to hers, and I see her swallow hard in anticipation, but she turns her head to the noise coming from behind her.
“Faith,” Grayson calls, running toward us with Cavette behind. “Are you okay?”
She gently releases me from her hold and pushes away before turning to answer. “I’m fine. I tripped, but Trey caught me.”
He checks her over, looking for scratches, and she huffs a laugh. They are talking, but I can’t hear what they’re saying before he turns to resume walking down the path again. She turns her head over her shoulder and mouths a thank you.
I’m standing here like an idiot because she was almost hurt and all I can think is - I want her back in my arms.
* * *
It’s early enough in the day that we can still do so much. At a little past noon, we find ourselves in front of a rental facility for kayaks, canoes, mountain bikes, fishing gear, and horses. It’s obvious this is the place to rent anything and everything you need when camping.
Cal and Grayson head over to speak to the person in charge of rentals, leaving Faith and I to walk around, pretending to examine the souvenirs and gear while doing our best to avoid each other.
I don’t think I’ve ever simultaneously disliked someone and yet been so attracted to them. She’s wearing a pair of black athletic shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt over her bathing suit. Her sculpted arms are accentuated by her perfect tan—and then there’s those legs.
She’s perusing a clothing rack when her eyes meet mine. Her expression gives nothing away when she continues looking around.
“You’re staring,” she mutters, with her head down while she pushes the t-shirts along the clothing rack.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I use her words from the plane.
“If you have something to say -”
Gone is the woman who I’ve shared brief playful moments and in her place is the competition.
I turn my back to her while rifling through another rack and shrug. “I’m not the one who name dropped a boyfriend.”
“You were touching me. I thought it was fair to let you know.”
I turn to her and she shoots a suspicious glare at me, “Noted. But you were touching me, too.”
You were all over me two nights ago, I want to say, but I bite my tongue.
Her eyes are full of shock, and her neck is growing red. I can’t help but enjoy how I make her squirm. “I wasn’t. I mean, it’s not like that,” she fumbles over her words.
“Then what was it like? One minute you’re looking at me like you want me, and the next you’re raking me across the coals because I’m Jett’s brother; I’m starting to get whiplash, and it’s only been a day.”
“What? Because I'm not fawning all over you like -” She stops herself before she says anymore.
“Like what?” I challenge, curious if what Jett told me about her was true. Her cheeks flush and for once, she doesn’t seem to have a comeback. Fortunately for her, she doesn’t need one.
“You two ready?” Grayson asks, walking to Faith’s side. “You feeling okay? Your cheeks are a little red. It’s not too hot out here is it?”
I walk toward them and watch as she begins to fidget with her hair. “Yeah, he’s right. You okay? Need to cool off?”
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head before fixing an angry glare at me. “I’m fine. Nothing a little time on the water can’t cure.”
And once again, she’s back.
Grayson steps aside so she can pass and waits until she’s out of earshot to comment. “Damn, that girl is sexy.”
I can’t help but agree before looking away. “Careful man, she’s taken,” I offer a friendly warning to save him the embarrassment.
“I’m not trying to settle down.” He laughs, his eyes leering in her direction.
I’m here to try to get his grandfather to sign on with my company, not fantasize about my competition, even though I can think of nothing else. I distract myself by looking at my phone and glancing at some old framed images on the wall. When he realizes I’m not going to respond, he follows behind to meet up
with her and Cavette.
“Let’s head out,” Grayson says as he starts to walk away. He looks back over his shoulder and nods at the device in my hand. “You might want to get a waterproof case for that.”
* * *
According to my phone, it’s ninety-two degrees out here, but it feels like a hundred and two. You would think it would be more comfortable on the water, but the only comfortable thing about it is the occasional breeze that blows through.
Gliding along the smooth surface of the water, we explore the area, stopping every so often to give our arms a break from rowing.
Grayson has made it a point to keep Faith close by, complimenting her ability to keep up, and at times, staying ahead of everyone. It is impressive, but she appears uncomfortable with the attention he’s paying her. Besides, it’s not like she’s doing something other women can’t do.
I row my kayak in their direction, intent on ‘helping’ to ease the tension, and maybe make her look a little less than capable in Cavette’s eyes. I know it’s a shitty thing to do, but hell, we’re on the water and everyone gets wet. Right?
The oar is gripped in my hands while I paddle effortlessly. As I pass them on my left, I stick my oar in the water and hold it so the kayak stops movement, but also causes me to splash her.
The scream Faith lets out it one of shock, not fear or anger. She’s stunned, doing the sharp breathing thing you do when you step into an ice cold shower. She isn’t drenched, but it’s enough that her tank is sticking to her bathing suit underneath. I catch myself staring as she tries to catch her breath and start laughing as I offer a fake apology.
“Are you okay?” Grayson asks before shooting a glare in my direction.
She swipes her hand over her face and hair and huffs a laugh. “I’m fine, Grayson.” She turns to look at me and shakes her head before taking her oar and gliding toward me. “You did it wrong.”
There’s a teasing smile playing on her lips, and I get the feeling she’s about to splash me back, but she doesn’t. “Watch your back, Miller.”
“There’s a little beach area over there, would anyone like to take a break?” Cavette asks, pointing off to the left and ignoring our water games.
Everyone agrees, and we make our way to the landing, halting any further juvenile antics. I give my oar one last row as I glide to a stop, but it doesn’t move. When I move to see if I’m stuck on something, Faith is standing in the water up to her thighs, and she smiles. “This is how you do it.”
Before I can register anything, she has rolled my kayak over so I am immersed in the water, sitting on the rocks beneath me. My hair is dripping water into my eyes while all three of them laugh as I try to get to my feet. The rocks are slippery, and I land back on my ass with another splash.
She’s still laughing when she sticks her hand out to help me up but as I reach to take it, she yanks it back and offers a warning. “Don’t even think of pulling me in.”
There is an understanding between us, and I wonder if there is more to her statement than the obvious. There’s no need to dwell on it, and I’m actually relieved for the unexpected dunk. As I step out of the water, Grayson, who’s still laughing, looks at me and shakes his head.
“How’s your phone?”
Faith mouth drops open and her hands fly to cover it. She didn’t think about that, did she? I stick my hand into the water and grab the device so I can wave it around.
“Thanks for the advice.” I laugh and watch relief flood her features.
Cavette walks over and shakes his head. “You said you like fishing. You up for it?”
“I sure am.”
“Great. Let’s take these rods over there and see what we can catch.”
I don’t hesitate to agree. I love fishing. It’s the one thing I still manage to do pretty often because I find it calms me. My dad got me into it when I was a kid, and I still enjoy it.
We stand no more than fifteen feet apart, casting out rods and waiting for a bite. Something about this type of quiet always helps me to clear my thoughts and relax. I don’t care if I catch anything. Hell, if I do, I usually toss it back anyway.
“So, tell me, Trey, what can your company do for Cave that Rock Solid can’t?”
And there it is. He’s ready for me to make the pitch. I went over my notes again on the plane yesterday, so I’m ready for this.
“Cal, Rock Solid is a great company, no doubt. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. I wouldn’t have worked for them for three years if they weren’t. But the problem then, and the problem now, is that they are too big. Most people might not see it as a bad thing. TM is small, but we are growing at a steady pace, one I actually like. I started this company because I saw a group that was being underserved. The little guys, as it were, were pushed aside in favor of the large corporations that have the funds to pay for more. But my thoughts are that even the smaller companies have the opportunity to be huge, given the proper marketing and public relations. And that’s where Cave and TM can be unstoppable.”
I stop to bait my line, but Cal doesn’t seem to be in any hurry for me to continue. I reach into the small tub and grab a stinkbait to stick on the hook. The reel is lightweight; I cast the rod and listen to the whirring zip of the line, followed by the drop of the hook into the water.
“Everything I know about Cave shows you have built up a great following, locally. I know in other places, take here - Texas, for example, you’re competing against larger state-known companies. What I would like to do is work on marketing your store in these places and get your name out as, not a small business, but as an outdoor sporting company that can meet the needs of customers the others can’t. Show the locals you’re one of them.”
“And what do you think Rock Solid wants to do?”
I squint my eyes, thankful my sunglasses are shielding them, but still slightly blinded by the rays. My answer has to be expressed perfectly. I can’t tear down RS, because it would, in essence, be challenging his business acumen, but I have to show how TM is better.
“In my experience,” I start, still not looking at him so I can appear nonchalant. “First thing they’ll do is show you their four-part plan. Step one; assure you that they can improve your visibility by twenty-five percent. Step two; tell you they’re putting their “best” people on your account. Step three; work up a preliminary marketing plan and meet with you in two to three months after you sign, to set it in motion. Step four; wait. Step four is unofficial.”
“So what is your plan?”
“I have two steps, Cal.” My line tightens, and I feel the familiar pull of a bite. “Step one; get you to sign the contracts.” I slowly reel in the line, pausing for a moment to tug the rod. “Step two,” I continue reeling steadily until the fish is flopping around on the end of my pole, fighting to be free. “Show you the marketing plan I’ve already created.”
Cavette watches me as I free the fish from the hook and hold it up. He has a grin on his face when he speaks. “That’s a good lookin’ catfish.” I nod in agreement. I don’t need to measure it, because I know it’s a keeper, but I do anyway.
“Dinner?” I ask.
“Not sure how we’d get ‘em back to the site.”
The fish is fighting to be set free, so I remove the hook, toss it back into the water and watch it swim away from the shore. Cavette begins putting away the fishing gear and I help while we remain in awkward silence. I’m not sure if he liked my pitch, but I’m pretty certain I got my point across. Time will tell which way he wants to go with this, and I can only hope it goes my way.
Walking back up to join Faith and Grayson, who are loading up to get back into the kayaks, I’m confident everything is working out as it should.
“Catch anything?” Faith asks Cal with a grin.
“Trey did pretty well,” he boasts. “I wasn’t so lucky. He sure knows what he’s doing.”
Her smile fades a fraction before she replaces it. “Hey Cal, what’s on the itinerary for tonight?”
I’m not one to go to bar with clients, I prefer to keep things professional, but Cavette looks hopeful, and Faith is eager to please. “Sounds like fun. What time are we going?”
“They said the fun starts at sundown. If we want to go, we should probably start heading back.” Cal starts to return the fishing gear to his kayak, ending our outdoor activities for the day.
Chapter 11
Today has been the busiest day I’ve had in a long time. Between the early morning hike, Faith’s little trip, kayaking, and now the evening at the bar, this will go down as an unorthodox workday for me. After returning the kayaks and fishing gear to the rental facility, we grabbed a late lunch before heading back to our site. They were all okay with leaving everything unaccompanied, though I’m not sure why. It didn’t matter to me because I had my wallet and phone with me, anything else could be replaced.
The entire drive back to the site, Cavette has been prattling on about his favorite things to do with his family while camping. I remain silent, taking in the sights and running over my ‘meeting’ with Cavette. But I’m not able to focus because my thoughts end up drifting to Faith and so do my eyes. When she isn’t aware, I find myself glancing at her profile - the way her hair sticks to her neck or the traces of dirt on her legs. If she notices, she doesn’t let on, but I’m fascinated by her easy beauty.
“Trey?” Faith nudges me, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Cal asked if you dance.”
I look at her as if she’s lost her mind, buying myself a few seconds to recover. If she does remember dancing with me, she’s convincing of the contrary.
“Dance? No, I don’t,” I scoff at the thought. “I’ve been to clubs, but the only way I’ve ever danced was when I was dragged out to the floor against my will.”