by Abby Brooks
But there’s no way she could afford it. She’d cleaned out her meager savings and had all four grand of it in an envelope in her purse. And, since she was trying to be untraceable until she knew if Michael was more of the cold-and-sadistic brand of bad guy rather than the crazy-stalk-you-and-kill-you type, she wasn’t going to open a bank account. She really didn’t want to ask this guy if he’d take cash. Probably make him think she was a criminal or something.
“That sounds amazing, but I’m sure I couldn’t afford it. Maybe it’s something I can keep in mind for when I’m more established.”
“Hey, it was a long shot. Just didn’t want to leave a pretty woman all stranded and homeless when I have homes to offer.” He reached into his pocket again and brought out a card. “Call me if you change your mind. Or if you find yourself in need of anything.”
She took the card, purposefully brushing her finger against his just because she liked the way it felt. The little flicker in his eyes told her he liked it too.
Stop it. Stop flirting. This guy is everything you don’t need.
And now they were just standing there in the middle of the most awkward silence ever. What was she supposed to say? She glanced at the card, expecting to find the name of his company, but the only thing written on it was his name.
“Ian Moore,” she read as she flipped the card over and found his phone number and email on the back. Nothing else. How perfectly mysterious. “It’s very nice to meet you.” She used her formal voice and extended a hand, the business card somehow switching on her inner New Yorker.
He noticed the change and straightened, took her hand in a very alpha male, his-hand-on-top type grasp. “The pleasure is mine, Miss…?” Somehow, he managed to make powerful so very appealing, the little glimmer of a smile in his eyes softening the whole dominant male thing.
“Lane. Juliet Lane.”
Ian checked his watch and shook his head. “I’m now officially late for my brother’s engagement party and my sister will never let me live it down.”
Julz started to apologize and Ian held up his hand. “Stop. No more apologizing.” And then he slid one eye closed in the most captivating wink Juliet had ever seen. “It’s all good. I get a kick out of annoying my sister. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Juliet Lane.”
And with that, Ian hopped into his car and pulled out of the parking space, gave her a sharp little salute, hit the gas and zoomed out onto the road.
As soon as he was out of sight, Juliet let out a long breath through pursed lips and shook her head. “I don’t know if I should be mad at you or if I should thank you,” she said to Lulu as she buckled herself back into the driver’s seat. “That man is absolutely perfect, and just about everything I don’t need.”
Although, just because I don’t need it, doesn’t mean I can't want it, she thought as she pulled her own car out of the lot and hit the highway. She drove the rest of the way, following Ian’s directions, daydreaming of sunrises and new beginnings.
After so many years in the city, living in a constant state of rush, rush, rush and late, late, late, the thought of leaving all that behind and starting over was decadent. She’d fought hard throughout college to stay at the top of her class. And when she graduated, she worked hard to stand out amongst her peers. And when luck came her way, she was prepared for it. Or at least that’s what everyone said when she’d gotten the job offer to be Michael Phillips’ admin with almost no applicable experience on her resume.
She had to wonder what they’d think now, if they knew about the whole whips and chains thing. The whole ‘yes, Sir, if it pleases you, Sir’ life she’d been living for the past couple months. Would they still call her lucky? She doubted she’d ever get to find out. Her dad was busy loving his other family. Her mom was busy focusing on herself. And her step dad never did anything to earn that title other than marry her mom. Plus, there was the whole non-disclosure clause she’d signed in the contract Michael had presented her that day in the boardroom. The one she’d signed almost gleefully.
Ugh.
Enough is enough already. She’d put those days behind the moment she’d packed up her car and walked out the door. No more looking back. No more being afraid. And for god’s sake, no more getting involved with men who were used to getting their own way!
Even if they were rich, handsome, dog saving heroes.
Chapter Three
Everything about Juliet Lane told Ian she was bad news. From the hastily packed boxes in her back seat, to the houseplant spilling over on the floor behind the passenger seat, to the fucking MapQuest directions to a town she’d never been to and didn’t even bother to check as to whether or not it had the kind of hotels she needed. Who used MapQuest anymore? The kind of woman who named her dog Lulu, that’s who.
So what if she had gorgeous dark hair and sultry brown eyes? So what if she had long, lean legs that would look fan-fucking-tastic wrapped around his hips? So what if she had the perfect combination of confident directness and blushing self-consciousness? The girl clearly was a long way from having her shit together and Ian was all kinds of done with those kinds of girls.
Fucking Lulu.
Ian shook his head and laughed, remembering Juliet’s sexy little body leaning over the fallen woman as her dog took off like a bat out of hell and his dick twitched in his pants as he remembered how great her ass looked in her shorts. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. He was now officially Very Late to James’s engagement party and their sister, Lilah, was sure to be losing her fucking mind. The last thing he needed was to arrive with a hard on he couldn’t get rid of.
With effort, he put Juliet out of his head and finished the drive to his parents’ beach house without giving her another thought. Lilah had really outdone herself this time. The normally inviting Moore family home was even more so after Lilah had her way with it. Paper lanterns that were just beginning to shine in the falling twilight lined the driveway. Strings of white lights swooped from palm tree to palm tree. Flower arrangements lined the walks.
Ian parked his car and followed the gentle murmur of conversation around back to where the guests were gathered in one of several large white tents. Lights and candles flickered everywhere, dancing in the mild breeze coming off the ocean. There was even a string quartet set up on the back porch of the house, playing sweet music that mingled delicately with the many conversations coming from the multitude of guests. Lilah sure knew how to put their parents’ money to use.
Speaking of Lilah, there she was, striding up to Ian in heels so high he didn’t know how she didn’t fall right over. “Where the hell have you been, Lieutenant Moore?” She clutched his elbow and pulled him towards the giant table she had set up for the wedding party at the front of the main tent. She had to be pissed; she only used his naval rank when she wanted to sound tough. “It’s time for the toast and you better thank your lucky stars you weren’t late enough to miss that.”
“You look very nice, Lilah,” said Ian, ignoring her bad mood. “Red is a lovely color on you.”
“You can suck up all you want, big brother, but you’re still in trouble.” Lilah pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile, and deposited him at his seat next to James. “You better have a speech prepared.” She raised one delicate blonde eyebrow and Ian considered telling her he had no idea what she was talking about. One look at the tension in her little bird shoulders and Ian decided that sending Lilah into cardiac arrest wasn’t exactly the best way to show his brother how happy he was for him regarding his impending marriage.
He patted his chest pocket. “Right here,” he said, and reached inside his jacket to pull out his notes.
Lilah finally took a breath and smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down. You like being the hero too much.”
“And you like being the boss too much.”
She hit him lightly on the shoulder. “You better believe I like being the boss.” And then in a great swirl of perfume and evening gown, she swept down the table, picked
up her champagne glass and struck her fork lightly against it. The ringing sound carried out over the gathered crowd and everyone quieted down, turning expectantly towards Lilah. Even the string quartet softened their music and expertly switched to a rich, romantic theme, perfect for a toast from a loving older brother. Lilah had this party planned down to every last detail.
“Excuse me,” she called, her blonde hair glistening under the lights. “I’d like to thank you all for coming to celebrate my brother James finally getting serious enough to ask Erin to marry him.” She paused for the light laughter that followed, everyone either knowing the Moore family well enough to know that James and Erin had dated since middle school and lived together since graduation, or being polite enough to know when to laugh when appropriate.
Lilah went on, expertly warming up the crowd with her introduction and stories and Ian studied the people who’d gathered here at his parents’ home to celebrate his brother’s engagement. He saw designer dresses and tuxedos, cultured smiles and manicured hands. He saw jewels and watches and tasteful hair. But none of it held a candle to what he’d seen in Juliet Lane.
Sure, she was a little unkempt. Her brown hair long and lose. Her life packed into the back of an old Hyundai. But her beauty outweighed all the high polished socialites he saw here tonight. And the more he thought about it, the more he started to think she had to be running from something. That she was in danger and might be in need of help. Why else would she be on her way to a town she'd never been to before? With enough boxes to suggest she meant to be here awhile, but not enough to actually be moving in? He thought maybe he’d stop by the hotel he’d suggested to her tomorrow and see how she was getting on.
Or maybe not.
Because he wasn’t supposed to be wasting his time on fluffy-headed little girls anymore. Or, for that matter, overly independent, high-powered bitches were off the table, too. He’d had enough of both. He needed a woman with substance, a woman who needed him but didn’t use him. A woman who could think for herself, but included him in her decisions. A woman who liked to fuck as much as she liked to make love. Because there were differences there. Very important differences.
Ian imagined Juliet’s wrists clamped in his hand, pinned over her head as he thrust himself deep inside her. Would she like it? Would she beg for more? What about when he slapped her ass ? Would her eyes go all wide? Would she get wet? Or would she wriggle out of his grasp and run away, unable to deal with his darker side?
His dick twitched in his pants again and he adjusted himself under the table while Lilah finished up her introductions and got ready to introduce him as James’s big brother and best man. Great. Perfect fucking timing. He let his eyes roam the guests one last time until he found Vi, a particularly frosty ex-girlfriend. That did the trick. Ian had never been less turned on in his life than when he stood up to give his speech, smiling at the light applause and clinking glasses.
“Lilah’s right. It’s about damn time James got serious and asked Erin to marry him. God knows she’s been patient enough, waiting for him to come to his senses over the last ten years.” He paused while laughter threaded itself into the sweet song of the string quartet. “But in all seriousness, I envy James. Envy the love he has for Erin. The constancy of their relationship. The trust and friendship they share. I know they’ve made each other happy for more than a decade and I wish them many decades of happiness to come.”
He smiled down the table at his brother who beamed at his fiancée. Ian meant what he said. He truly did envy them. And maybe one day, if he ever found someone whose head wasn’t filled with cotton candy or who wasn’t a total bitch, he’d give Lilah the chance to throw another party.
He looked down at the speech he’d prepared and realized he’d already said all that mattered, all the rest was redundant and pretentious. “To James and Erin!” he finished, and took a long drink of his champagne while the rest of the guests echoed him.
Ian sat down as Harrison—the youngest Moore sibling—stood up to make his own, less serious, toast. Ian only half listened as he scanned the crowd and found half the women eyeing him like they’d just found something rare and exciting. Lilah would be sure to have him in the arms of about fifteen eligible bachelorettes before the evening was over. In fact, now that Harry had finished his speech and a slew of waiters were winding their way through the tables, depositing plates of food in front of guests with efficient flourishes, Lilah stood and made her way back down to whisper in Ian’s ear.
“Your speech was lovely. You made Mom cry, dad smile, and James couldn’t be happier. Sorry I got a little … err … stressed.”
“Is that what you call it? Stressed? Because I have a different name for it.”
Lilah pouted. “Shush, you.” She scanned the guests, all making happy little exclamations over their dinner. “You know you can have your pick of the single women here tonight after what you just said. Probably some of the married ones too. Very smart.”
Ian grimaced. If Lilah thought his speech was designed to get him into some unsuspecting woman’s panties, he wasn’t going to bother to correct her. “Whatever you say, little sister.” She patted his shoulder and went back to her seat while Ian studied the food on the plate in front of him. He’d meant what he said about envying James and Erin. But he also wasn’t interested in having any of that kind of relationship with just anyone. He lifted his gaze from his plate and let his eyes wander around the women who were busy eyeing him and came up with a great big no thank you.
Maybe, as crazy as it sounded, he really would go check up on Juliet Lane in the morning.
Chapter Four
“What do you mean, you don’t allow dogs?” Juliet knew it was a stupid question, but after driving since before the sun even started to think about coming up and finally making it to Bliss as the sun was going down, and realizing the little town was truly everything she ever wanted, she couldn’t believe that she wasn’t going to have a place to stay.
“I don’t think I can be much clearer, ma’am,” drawled the heavy set man behind the counter.
“Couldn’t you just make an exception, just the once, Bobby?” Julz asked, reading the man’s name off his nametag. “I literally have nowhere else to go.”
Bobby wrapped his arms over his considerable girth and shook his head. “I don’t make the rules, I just get fired if I don’t follow ‘em.”
“And you’re sure there aren’t any other hotels in the area?”
Bobby raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Bliss doesn’t warrant having one hotel, let alone options.”
Juliet thanked Bobby for his help, even if he was kind of a jerk. Cursing herself for even bringing Lulu inside with her in the first place, Julz left the little hotel and stood on the sidewalk out front. Now what? Here she was, heart set on staying in Bliss, and she was all alone with nowhere to go and nightfall just around the corner. Well, she knew one thing for sure, she hadn’t made it this far only to be stopped from seeing the ocean. Maybe she’d get some great dose of inspiration on how to solve her problem, sitting out on the beach, watching the vastness of water and sky, lulled towards relaxation by the rhythm of the waves.
Or something like that.
She plopped down in the driver’s seat with a dejected sigh and deposited Lulu on the seat beside her. All she knew was that the ocean was somewhere to her left, so using this as a chance to learn more about Bliss, she took off in that general direction. Twisting and turning through the streets only solidified the fact that this is where she wanted to be. The shops were quaint and well cared for, the streets were clean and actually drivable. Julz even saw a woman wave to a friend on her way out of a bookstore and stop for a conversation. As if that would ever happen on the streets of New York!
Before too long, she found the beach and a place to park. Humming to herself, she grabbed a blanket and some food, clipped Lulu’s leash to her collar, and started off trudging through the sand. She only made it a few steps before she stopped and too
k off her sandals because she was slipping and sliding all over the place in them. Wind rustled in her hair and warm sand tickled in between her toes. So what if she was homeless? At least she was here.
Right?
Of course.
No doubt about it.
So what if she’d never really done anything without planning it out to the fullest before? So what if she was going to have to sleep in her car? She was free from Michael. She was about to build a life near the ocean, something she’d always wanted. And she was pretty damn smart and resourceful. So, maybe things looked bad right now, but that only meant they’d have to get better from here.
Right?
She spread her blanket on the ground and sat down, opened some of the snack food she’d grabbed from the car, and she couldn’t keep herself from grinning as she let her gaze focus out on the spot where the sky kissed the water. It felt like after years of being a round peg in the square hole that was New York City, she was finally in the place she belonged. Which was silly and irresponsible and totally based on nothing other than instinct since she’d been in Bliss for all of half an hour and hadn’t met a single person, yet.
Well, other than Ian Moore.
“Except I’m not supposed to be thinking about Ian, right Lulu?” Lulu just stared at the bag of chips in Juliet’s hands and licked her lips. “Even if he is totally lick worthy.”
Julz smiled and shared a few chips with Lulu. Then she settled back on her hands and watched the sunset flare across the sky, a triumph of red and gold that faded into pinks and finally purples. As light succumbed to darkness, Julz considered calling her mom with the prepaid phone she’d bought at Walmart somewhere along the way.
Just as quickly as she had the idea, she put it out of her mind. Her mom wouldn’t even notice she was gone, at least not for a few more days and her dad didn’t deserve a call. Besides, she didn’t want to connect to her past at all right now. Things felt shiny and new and safe and … hers. She wasn’t ready to share it or explain it, especially when she didn’t have a place to call home.