by V. K. Sykes
“Oh, Christ. Go on, then.” Sean’s voice was brutally cold. “Say your piece.”
“Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to look at what Aiden’s trying to put together. Maybe it could even turn out to be some kind of win-win situation.” Bram’s eyes had been fixed on the opposite wall, but now he met his father’s angry glare. “I’ve always supported you, Dad, you know that. But it’s not like I’ve been totally comfortable with the Bay Island deal. Sure, the money would bail us out, but it’s not going to be much fun to live someplace where at least half the people blame us for wrecking the town. And hate our guts. I love it here, and I don’t want to be forced to move.”
Though Aiden wanted to stand his brother up and wrap him in a big bear hug, he held still.
Their father stared at his younger son, his puffy face filled with incredulity. “Jesus, Bram, not you too?” He didn’t shout, but the pain and sense of betrayal came through loud and clear.
Aiden seized the moment. “We can do this together, Dad. I promise I’ll work with you to make this plan happen and see that you and Bram get what you need. The islanders will love it because it’ll bring jobs and tourists, but without all the cars and the rest of the downside. Lily’s on board, and you know how much clout she has in Seashell Bay. It’s doable. It really is.”
Sean clutched at his forehead and closed his eyes. “Get out.” His voice was low and weary. “Get out right now, both of you. You’re nothing but a pair of damn traitors.”
Bram bolted up, his face a mask of unhappiness. But Aiden took his time because he still had something that needed saying. His father might try to lie, but his old, half-drunk eyes would tell the truth.
When his father finally opened his eyes again to give him a malevolent stare, Aiden forced his voice to stay calm and level. “So Dad, before we go, I have to ask you about Vietnam. What happened over there, anyway?”
And the old man’s eyes did reveal everything. Horror and utter disbelief were written there in bold, unmistakable strokes. What Lily had said was true.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” his father managed in a strangled voice.
Bram grabbed at Aiden’s arm. “Bro, what’s going on?”
Aiden could barely speak past the constriction in his throat. So many lies, and so much wasted time and emotion. It made him ill just to think about it.
“I’ll tell you when we’re out of here,” he said to Bram. Then he looked at his father. “I think I understand—I really do. And maybe it explains some things about what happened in this family. I just wish you and Mom could have been honest with us, instead of hiding the truth. It would have made a difference.”
His father simply stood there, his face sagging and blank, swaying on his feet like a small earthquake was rattling the kitchen.
“Someday I hope you’ll be able to talk to us about it,” Aiden said. “Someday I hope you can tell us the truth.”
Chapter 20
Lily’s downward dog collapsed into a facedown-plant on her yoga mat, with her forehead pressed against her crossed arms. She liked yoga about as much as she liked fog, but it did seem to relax her. And this morning she surely needed to relax—the result of being both wired and tired after a restless night and only a few hours of sleep.
Since the polling station at the Town Hall didn’t open until eight o’clock, she’d hoped to sleep in until six thirty or even seven. Instead, she’d given up on sleep much earlier. A combination of coffee, the Internet, and now yoga had helped get her going. She knew, however, that it would be a long, tense day pulling the vote.
Damn you, Aiden Flynn.
Lily had hoped against hope that he’d come back last night after confronting his father, but it hadn’t happened. She’d upset him by spilling the beans about Vietnam—that much had been obvious. But it might have been their last opportunity to be together before he left for the West Coast. So as each hour passed, the knot of disappointment in her gut had tightened more painfully. She’d wanted him in her arms at least one last time, and the thought of having to settle for just one night with Aiden—as spectacular as their lovemaking at Coastal Harmony had been—was crushing her.
Lily worried about him too. What had happened last night at his father’s house? Had it been so horrible that Aiden didn’t even want to talk to her? She’d poised her finger to dial the phone half a dozen times as the night wore on but had pulled back each time. She couldn’t stand the idea that he would think her needy or clingy.
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling fan slowly rotating above her, silently lecturing herself to get over it and stop acting like a heartbroken teenager. Today was too important, and she needed to concentrate on the vote.
As she pushed herself up from the floor, she heard footsteps crunching on the gravel out front, followed by two sharp raps on the door. “Lily, it’s Aiden.”
She flew across the living room and yanked the door open, drinking in the sight of the gorgeous but weary-looking man on her doorstep.
He dredged up a smile. “I know it’s early, but I wanted to catch you before you headed out.” His gaze lingered on her body, inspecting her scoop neckline racerback and skintight yoga pants. He definitely began to look interested.
“Sure, come on in. Did you walk?” Dumb question. She’d have heard a car or truck pull up to her cottage.
“Yeah, I wanted the exercise.”
She held the door, and he slipped past her. He wore jeans, Nikes with no socks, and a green Seashell Bay T-shirt. “Nice shirt,” she said wryly.
He tossed her a grin as he headed for the sofa in her small living room. “They had a two-for-one on them at the general store. Got a blue one too.”
“Wow, what a steal.” Aiden Flynn proudly wearing a Seashell Bay shirt? It didn’t compute, but she loved it.
Lily ducked into the kitchen and poured two coffees. She set one down in front of Aiden and pulled her rocking chair around so she could face him. “How did it go last night? With your dad, I mean.”
He took a careful sip of the hot coffee and then set it down. “He thinks the ecoresort idea is a crock. The only surprise was his claim that he and Bay Island could go ahead without my land if they had to.”
That caught her unprepared. “Are you serious? Everybody thought your land was the key to the deal.”
He grimaced. “It means we can’t rule out an alternative proposal, even though I’m not sure how seriously we should take Dad’s threat. He looked pretty shaken when I told him I wouldn’t sell to Dunnagan’s company under any circumstances.”
Lily jerked up straight, almost spilling her coffee. “You won’t sell to them under any circumstances? Not even if our ecoresort idea doesn’t get off the ground?”
He gave her a slow smile. “Not even then. And get this. In the end, Bram backed me up. He didn’t say he wouldn’t sell, but he told Dad he thought they should seriously look at our idea. Jesus, I thought the old man was going to stroke out on the spot.”
Lily struggled to find words. “That’s… that’s… incredible.” And how about Bram? Because of Aiden’s determination and strength, it appeared that his brother had finally found it within himself to stand up to their dad.
“I just can’t agree to Dad’s plan, Lily,” Aiden said. “Being back here… talking to you and Morgan and Miss Annie and all the others… I know it’s not right for Seashell Bay. And Mom would have hated it. I understand now why she left that middle parcel of land to me, and I just can’t ignore her wishes. It meant too much to her.”
Lily had to blink back hot tears. “I’m so grateful, Aiden. I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to be grateful, Lily. I was an idiot. I never thought I’d say this, but Seashell Bay is unique, and most people love the island as it is. It’s just too good in its own weird, time-warp way to let some big developer screw it over just to make a profit.” He grimaced. “I almost messed up, and I just hope it’s not too late.”
“It i
sn’t, Aiden. I believed in you. I might not have shown it as much as I could have, but deep down I knew you’d do the right thing for everybody, including your family. You always do.”
He looked embarrassed and tried to cover it up by taking a long drink of coffee. “Thanks, but the fight’s not over. Dad and Dunnagan might cook up something else that would still be bad. So the only way to kill more threats is to win the vote today. I can’t see any way a major housing development could go ahead without a guarantee of car ferry service to the island.”
“Dunnagan said Bay Island’s wouldn’t, if we can believe him,” Lily said, feeling a new surge of determination. “And we’re going to work our butts off today to make sure we sink that ferry.”
“On that note, the other thing I told Dad and Bram was that I was going to vote against the ferry myself, and that I was going to ask you and your people to spread the word. If I can sway even one vote, I’ll be happy.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or jump his bones. “We’ll tell everybody. We’re going to knock on the door of every supporter and every undecided, offering them a ride to the polling station.” She had to stop and get her voice under control. “I don’t know how to thank you, Aiden. You don’t know how much this means to us.”
Aiden’s eyes were full of emotion too. But then he gave a quick nod, as if to shake off the moment. “You’re welcome, babe.” He drained the rest of his coffee and stood up. “Refill?”
Lily rose too. “Not for me, but I’ll pour you one.”
“No, I’ll get it.”
She followed him and watched as he filled his cup. She drank in the broad shoulders that stretched the cheap, silly T-shirt and allowed her gaze to linger on his übermasculine body. For the rest of her life, no matter what happened, she’d never forget the feel of Aiden wrapped around her as they made love, making her feel so safe and cherished.
And as she watched him move about her little kitchen, looking as if he’d spent every morning of his life fixing his coffee right there by the sink, the problem she’d been stewing over finally resolved itself with the answer slipping easily into her mind. She’d been reducing the issue to one stark question—what was more important, Seashell Bay or Aiden? And when it came right down to it, the answer was so obvious. Because as much as she loved Seashell Bay—a wonderful, special place that deserved to be protected—without Aiden it would be empty of so much that mattered to her. The thought of giving up the life she’d worked so hard to build scared the hell out of her, but Lily knew now that she could do it to be with him.
If he could change—and he’d already changed so much—then she could too. She could start over and have a great life anywhere as long as he was there. It might not include fishing or her boat, but it could bring lots of other challenges and opportunities, ones she would gladly meet with the man she loved.
If, that is, he wanted the same thing with her.
Aiden took a drink of coffee and then let his gaze drift over her, his expression morphing from lazy appreciation to outright hunger. “Do you always look this hot when you get up?” Then he grinned. “Well, you did up in Castine, obviously, but I’m talking about when you’ve got clothes on.”
The heat in his eyes had her knees going weak. “I guess that means I’ll have to buy a few more of these Lululemon outfits, because the rest of me must look like crap.”
“Not even close.” His voice was a low rumble. He put his cup down on the counter and reached for her. “Come here.”
She fell into his arms in a rush. He held her tight while gently stroking her back.
“I missed you so much last night, you big jerk,” she managed.
“I’m sorry, Lily. I missed you like crazy too.” Aiden pulled back a bit to look at her. “And you were right about my dad. About Vietnam. Hell, you were right about everything all along.”
Overcome by a desperate urgency, Lily grabbed at his shirt, yanking it up so she could get her hands on his body. “Nothing matters except that you’re here now.”
Aiden swooped down and took her mouth, and she gladly surrendered. His fingers reached for the hem of her tank top as he deepened the kiss, his right hand moving up to find the curve of her breast. The searing contrast between her sensitive skin and his callused hand—even more roughened now from all the work on her boat—made her tremble all over with unbearable anticipation.
Anticipation but also a slice of anxiety because, despite her newfound understanding that she would do whatever it took to be with him, would Aiden want that from her? Even as his hands moved over her body, Lily knew this could very well be their last time together.
Aiden’s hands actually shook as he helped Lily out of her cute, little yoga outfit. God, she was so freaking sexy, and he berated himself as ten times an idiot for staying away from her last night. But he’d been royally pissed off at his dad, and he hadn’t wanted to dump all that anger on Lily. Besides, since Bram had been pretty devastated by the revelation that the old man was a war vet, Aiden hadn’t wanted to leave him alone. They’d talked for a long time while his brother downed several more beers and then stumbled off to bed.
But Aiden was here now, and he was going to make the best of their time together. He didn’t even want to contemplate the thought that he’d soon be leaving her, and God only knew when he’d see her again.
As Lily peeled off her yoga pants, she banged her elbow against one of the kitchen cabinets.
“Hey, slow down, babe,” he said, rubbing her arms. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
“The hell with that,” she said in a funny, tight voice as she pulled his T-shirt over his head. “I want you inside me—now.”
Yeah, he could get down with that idea. The sight of her lithe body, strong and tanned from long days on her boat, had him rock hard. And when he looked at her beautiful face, her eyes shining with so much emotion—so much love for him—he knew this moment would be forever burned into his memory. When he left, he would carry the image of Lily as she was right now as something he would always cherish.
She stood before him naked but for a tiny pair of briefs. When he pulled her into his arms, she wrapped herself around him and eagerly accepted his kiss. As the kisses grew deeper and hotter, Lily yanked down the zipper of his jeans and slid a hand into his boxers. Aiden hissed at the feel of her cool, slim fingers along his hot length.
“Let’s take this into the other room, babe,” he whispered as he lifted her off her feet.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him again with bone-melting determination. Aiden carried her to the living room. When he set her on the edge of the couch, she leaned back and whipped off her panties, exposing her sweet nest of curls.
“Christ, you’re so gorgeous.” With what little mind he had left that hadn’t been melted away by the vision of Lily naked, he jerked the drapes shut across her big picture window. He extracted a condom from his pocket, and then he skimmed off his jeans and boxers before getting himself sheathed in record time. He felt a bit like a horny teenager, but Lily was right there with him.
As Aiden went down on his knees before her, she wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck. He had to clench his teeth against the urge to push into her. No finesse, just burning need.
“Don’t hold back, Aiden,” she murmured against his cheek. She leaned up and nipped his earlobe as she rocked against him. When the tip of his cock slipped inside one beautiful inch, he lost all semblance of self-control.
“Not with you. Never with you.” His voice was a rasp he hardly recognized. He slipped a hand under her ass, tilting her, and then drove home. When she let out a moan and arched her back, pushing her pretty breasts against him, Aiden almost came on the spot.
Holding her still in his arms, he struggled for a few moments to catch his breath. Then he began rocking into her. Lily clutched his biceps, her emerald-flecked eyes wide as she stared into his face. Her lips were parted, and her gaze was alive with sensual heat, but he also s
aw a sweet, sad vulnerability that slammed his heart.
But the uncertainty he saw in that gaze soon burned away as Aiden began stroking into her. He held her steady with one hand while the other roamed over her smooth skin. There was nothing gentle between them—nothing like the lazy, seductive lovemaking they’d enjoyed on Saturday night. This was all about need and, he feared, about good-bye—at least good-bye for a very long time.
They took each other with a desperation that leveled his emotions to smoking ash. All too soon he felt her muscles contracting around him, pushing Aiden toward his own orgasm.
“Aiden,” Lily gasped out. She seemed to fall into him, pulling him even more closely into her embrace as she climaxed.
With her warm, welcoming arms tight around him, her sweet body milking his cock, Aiden went over the edge. He pressed his face into her shoulder, muffling a groan as his orgasm hit him like a freight train.
As he shook in the aftermath, Aiden held Lily tight and wondered how the hell he was going to ever let her go.
When Aiden strolled into one of the downtown Portland Starbucks, he spotted Adam Wicker sitting at a window table reading a copy of Baseball America while he sipped his venti-sized something or other. Adam had called Aiden first thing in the morning, asking for a meet-up later in the day.
Since he and Lily had bagged fishing because of the vote, Aiden had little to do but cast his ballot and make some phone calls to nail down the Boston meeting with potential investors. He’d managed to connect right away with Colton Booth from Coastal Harmony. Booth had been impressed with the efficiency and speed of Aiden’s plans, and he had agreed to come to Boston for the proposed investors’ meeting. Colton’s enthusiastic response had sure helped Aiden’s state of mind, and he’d caught an afternoon ferry to Portland in a pretty good mood.
Adam shook Aiden’s hand. For a few minutes, they shot the breeze about some of the high picks in baseball’s annual amateur draft held back in June. But from the get-go, Aiden sensed that his old teammate had something on his mind besides simply checking in with a friend. About ten minutes into the conversation, Adam got around to it.