The Art of Loving Lacy (Sweet with Heat: Weston Bradens Book 4)

by Addison Cole

  Dane stood before a fish that looked to be around three and a half feet long. “That’s a tuna, believe it or not,” Dane said.

  “They’re kind of cute, actually.”

  His arm grazed her shoulder, and Lacy looked up at him. She loved how tall he was, how thick his chest was, and when he reached for the fish, she remembered how good his strong hands had felt on her body.

  “I don’t think too many people would call this fish cute,” he said. “But then again, you’re not like anyone else I know.”

  Lacy felt her face flush. She looked down.

  “Sorry, Lace. I don’t mean to embarrass you. We’re going to be getting to the models of sharks next. Are you okay? How do you feel?”

  “I’m okay,” she said. She contemplated reaching for his hand. Even if she wasn’t nervous yet, she could say she was.

  “You sure?”

  His eyes were so sincere that she couldn’t breathe. She smiled. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

  “The next one is a black-tip reef shark,” he said. He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her forward.

  When the warmth of his hand touched her back, she realized how much she enjoyed his nonsexual touch. Who was she kidding? She enjoyed everything from the way he looked at her to the way he’d had to grit his teeth earlier in the day to keep from kissing her.

  “See the distinctive black markings? These guys are fast,” Dane said.

  Her heartbeat sped up as she touched the model, but Lacy couldn’t tell if it was from the model of the shark or from her thoughts of Dane.

  Dane ran his palm over the model beside Lacy’s hand. Their thumbs touched, and he looked down at her.

  “You still okay?” he asked. His eyes darkened seductively as he held her gaze.

  “I think so,” she said. This is harder than the darn sharks.

  “Should we move forward?” Dane asked.

  Yes. Gosh, yes. His eyes held her captive.

  He motioned to the next model, and Lacy let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She forced her legs to move toward the next model. Get a grip. He’s doing something nice for you and you’re acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.

  Lacy followed him to the next model, and when she reached for his hand, it was to settle her nerves.

  “I’m right here. You’re okay.” Dane held her hand tightly and took a step closer so his chest was against her back.

  Lacy nodded. She leaned back enough to feel the security of him. She stared at the model of the massive bull shark.

  “That’s a bull shark. They’re very aggressive,” Dane said.

  I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay. “One of the most common sharks,” she said.

  “Yeah, they’re pretty common in warm waters,” Dane said. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” she said. “It was easier to deal with the smaller ones.” She turned to face him. Her eyes were an inch from his chest. She looked up. “I know they’re not real. I’m not sure why I’m so nervous.” Lacy wondered if what Danica thought was true. Was she nervous because of Dane and the sharks, or was her heart beating double time solely because of one or the other?

  “Let’s not push it,” he said. He nodded down the hall.

  Lacy followed his gaze to a sign that said, MEET THE SHARKS. She had to know if the issue was Dane or the sharks. She hadn’t had a panic attack yet, so maybe it had less to do with Dane after all.

  “I want to try to go in, but I can’t make any promises,” Lacy said.

  “I don’t know if it’s a good idea, Lace.”

  She drew on the advice Danica had given her. I’m fine. They’re in tanks. It’s okay. “I don’t have to go all the way in if I get too nervous, but I think I want to try.”

  He held her hand. “It’s your call, but if you feel anything bad, you have to clue me in.”

  “Dane, you’ve been watching me like a hawk. You’ll know,” she said with a smile.

  He nodded. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I appreciate it.”

  “Okay.” He took a deep breath, as if he were the one who was afraid of sharks. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good,” she lied.

  He must have heard the hitch in her voice, because he squeezed her hand. She was thankful for the strength of his grip and the surety of him.

  “You can hold my hand, but remember, no falling in love,” he teased.

  She nodded, unable to pry her voice from her lungs. I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.

  They walked past the last two models without stopping and followed the signs to the shark exhibit. Beneath the arched entrance, Lacy came to an abrupt stop. Before them was a wall of glass, behind which were three sharks passing in quick succession. Lacy held her breath and looked around. The tank wrapped around the room, and the sharks followed a pattern around the room and then back again.

  “They can’t touch you, Lace,” Dane assured her. “I’m right here, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  Lacy’s eyes were locked on the sharks as they swam a streamlined path around the tank.

  “Lace?”

  “Yeah?” I can’t do this. “I think I’d do better if they weren’t so big.”

  “Let’s go, Lace. No need to push it,” he said.

  Face your fears. Lacy closed her eyes and said, “Ask me questions.”

  “What?”

  She looked up at him, trying not to allow her urge to bolt to take over. “I can’t walk in there, but ask me questions about them. If I’m concentrating on facts, it’ll help.” She held his arm with her other hand. “They can’t touch me. I know that. But my heart is thundering, and I feel like I want to run away. Danica said to face my fears, and I’m trying my best. Please ask me questions.”

  “What kind of sharks are they?” Dane asked. His eyes never left her face.

  He stepped closer, and Lacy leaned against his side to settle her shaking body. Ohgoshohgoshohgosh. “Um…” She squinted, concentrating on defining the species. She looked at their shapes, their noses, the breadth of their bodies, their tails. “Is that a sand tiger shark?” She couldn’t release his arm to point to the shark as it glided past. She heard the trembling in her voice. I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine. “Right there, that one.”

  “That’s my girl. Yes, a sand tiger shark,” Dane said.

  My girl. Lacy tried to concentrate on what he’d said instead of the anxiety that prickled her nerves. She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the sharks.

  “That one there, I know what that is.” Lacy looked at Dane, then back at the tank. “That’s a…Oh my goodness, I know this. Oh, oh, a nurse shark, and probably a female, based on the size.”

  “You’re right on target, Lacy,” Dane said.

  When she looked up, she was met by his proud smile. She couldn’t force a smile to her own lips, but she felt a swell of pride for not running away—or passing out.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I think so. If I’m distracted, it’s much easier,” she said.

  “I’ll try to remember that,” Dane said.

  She didn’t miss the flirty note to his words.

  “I think that’s enough torture for today.” It was a statement, not a request.

  Dane guided Lacy down the hall. The minute they passed the large models, she felt the tension in her limbs ease.

  He grabbed her arms with a beaming smile on his lips. “That was huge, Lacy. How do you feel?”

  She blinked away the fear she’d felt when she was in the room with the sharks. “I…good, I think.”

  “I’m so happy for you.”

  He embraced her, and in his arms, the rest of Lacy’s anxiety dissipated. I love when you hold me.

  “Since you did so well, I want to show you something really special.” Dane guided her away from the shark area, through another corridor, and stopped by a door marked PRIVATE.

  “I’m not sure
we’re supposed to go in there,” Lacy said. If he thinks I’m going to make out in the aquarium, he’s very wrong. I think…

  Dane knocked on the door, and a tall, thin woman with short brown hair opened the door.

  “Dane Braden!” She opened her arms and Dane hugged her.

  Lacy felt a pang of jealousy. Was this one of his other women? No. He wouldn’t bring me to meet someone he’d slept with.

  “Sara, this is Lacy Snow,” Dane said, placing his hand on the small of Lacy’s back. “Lacy’s the one I told you about.”

  Told her about?

  “Hi,” she said. Dane’s hand remained on her back as they followed the woman into what appeared to be a laboratory, and the intimate touch made her feel special.

  “Sara and I have worked on several research projects together. She has the greatest job,” Dane explained.

  “So you’re the one who turned Dane’s heart into mush?” Sara said with a bright smile.

  Lacy felt her face flush, and when she looked at Dane, she realized that he was blushing, too. The streak of jealousy she’d felt fell away with the love in Dane’s eyes.

  “Yeah, I do have a pretty great job,” Sara said with a bright smile. “Lacy, come look at this tank.” She motioned to a tank that was about ten feet by six feet and the height of Lacy’s chest.

  Lacy peered into the tank, aware of Dane’s hand, which now touched her shoulder blade. Inside the tank were two baby sharks. Lacy gasped.

  “Dane, look,” she said, reaching for his hand.

  He came to her side. “I know. Incredible, right?”

  “It’s rare for shark pups to be born in captivity, and they usually perish, so we feel very lucky to have our newest little additions. These are sandbar pups. We’re cautiously optimistic about them,” Sara said. “I get to spend my days monitoring these little rascals.”

  Lacy didn’t realize she was holding Dane’s arm until they stepped back from the tank. “Can I touch the skin of one? I read all about how thick their skin is, and…” She looked at Dane and drew in a deep breath, still holding his arm. “I think I know how rough it is, but can I just touch it with one finger?”

  Sara and Dane exchanged a glance. Dane nodded.

  “Normally we wear gloves when we handle the sharks, but Dane explained to me what you’ve been through. I’m glad to see you are interested in understanding our misunderstood friends. If you wouldn’t mind using that special soap”—she nodded at a sink to her left—“then yes, of course you may.”

  Lacy’s heart raced. I’m going to touch a baby shark. A shark! She was surprised by her lack of fear. There were no tremors running through her, her nerves didn’t feel like live wires, and when she looked at Dane and saw the concern in his eyes, she couldn’t help but feel proud.

  “Okay. I’m ready,” she said.

  Dane held out his hand, and Lacy took it, then went to the side of the tank. Dane’s eyes never left her face, and knowing he was beside her gave her strength. I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine. Lacy held her breath. She reached her hand toward the water, and it began to tremble. She took a few deep breaths. Dane let go of her other hand, enabling her to hold the edge of the tank; then he rested his hand firmly on her lower back once again.

  “Go slow, Lace,” he whispered.

  Lacy nodded, reaching forward again. She broke the surface of the water with her index finger as the pup swam beneath, brushing its rough skin against the pad of her finger. She pulled her hand back to her chest with a gasp, her eyes still trained on the water.

  Dane leaned in closer. She felt his warm breath on her cheek. “I’m right here.”

  She nodded, then looked at Sara. “May I? One…one more time?”

  Sara nodded.

  Dane stepped closer, his body against her side, one hand on the small of her back, the other on her hip. She reached in again as the pup swam below, and this time she reached down and closed her eyes. She shivered as the unfamiliar roughness marred the tender tip of her finger; then she drew her hand out of the water slowly.

  “You’re trembling,” Dane said. He wrapped her in his arms and held her against his chest. His heart beat against her cheek. Lacy closed her eyes, and pride filled her heart. I’m fine. I did it, and I’m still okay. Dane pressed his arms tighter around her back, and when she looked up, his eyes were suspiciously damp.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “THAT WAS THE most incredible afternoon. I touched it, Dane. I touched the baby shark, and I didn’t panic. I didn’t pass out or run away in tears. I did it,” Lacy said.

  They had spent another hour at the aquarium, and now they were on their way back toward Chatham. The sun hovered just behind the tree line, casting a pinkish gray over Route 6. Lacy hadn’t stopped talking since they’d left the research area, and to Dane, it was music to his ears. The enthusiasm in her voice mirrored the enthusiasm she’d had when he’d first met her in Nassau.

  “I’m so happy for you, Lacy,” he said.

  “For me? How about for you?”

  Dane glanced at her. She’d bundled her blond curls in one hand and secured it with an elastic band at the nape of her neck. The blue of her eyes was vibrant and alive with hope. “Oh, Lace, you’re so beautiful,” he said, and instantly regretted it. He was afraid she’d pull away from him and quickly got back on track. “Sorry. What do you mean for me?”

  “Dane, you can tell me you think I’m pretty,” she said. “Thank you. I was surprised that you had told her about me.”

  “You’ve been my world since the day we met. I told everyone about you, Lace,” he admitted.

  For a minute she just looked at him, like she didn’t know how to respond or was waiting for him to say more. When he didn’t say anything more, she said, “This means I can probably get over whatever fear rattled me so badly on the boat.”

  Dane wanted to take her in his arms and allow the joy he felt about her progress to sweep them both away, but he didn’t trust himself not to get carried away with her and push their friendship into a relationship, and that was not his call to make. He was determined to let her make that decision without any pressure.

  Instead, he said, “That’s true. As I said, I’m happy that you’re conquering your fears. It will allow you to have a fuller, richer life, not hamstrung by fears.”

  “Thanks…I think,” she said.

  He could feel her eyes on him as he drove toward town. “Should I drop you at your cottage?” he asked.

  “I guess.”

  He heard the disappointment in her voice. How am I supposed to navigate this? I want you to fall in love with me, but if I act on my feelings, I’ll scare you away.

  “I want to check on Rob,” he said.

  “Oh, good idea,” she said. “I hope he’s doing okay.”

  “Me too,” he said.

  They drove in awkward silence to Lacy’s cottage. He walked her to her door, wishing he knew how to bridge the gap that had formed between them over the past twenty minutes.

  Lacy’s keys hovered over the lock. She spun around and looked up at Dane. “So, what now? I just follow the itinerary tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, that works.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but he really wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t speak.

  She nodded. “Tomorrow’s the Brave Exhibit?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  She nodded again, looking down at her keys. “Dane,” she said.

  “Hmm?” Invite me in. Let’s have some wine, laugh, talk. Anything. Just don’t say good night.

  “I have to check in with my boss tonight. I’ll tell him that it’s a good fit after all.” She turned and unlocked the door.

  Dane’s eyes dropped to the curve of her hips, but his mind was still playing over her words. A good fit after all. “Thanks, I appreciate that. I know today was stressful, but if overcoming fears was easy, no one would need immersion therapy.” Dane cringed.

  “Immersion therapy?” Lacy drew her eyebrows toge
ther.

  “I might have called a friend and asked her how to help you through your fear.” Dane looked away, focusing on a tree in the front yard. The muscles in his arms and neck tightened, as he expected her to be angry.

  “You did that?” It wasn’t an accusation.

  He turned to face her. A breeze swept curls across her cheek, and he reached up and tucked them behind her ear. She closed her eyes for just a second as his finger brushed her cheek, and she smiled, easing his worry.

  “I did. I wanted to help,” he explained.

  “Dane, I can’t believe you did that. That’s really thoughtful.”

  She touched his arm, and his body cried out to embrace her again, but he was too nervous now. Baby steps. “I’m glad you’re not upset with me.”

  She shook her head. “Just the opposite.”

  He smiled. “Good. Tomorrow we’re going to see the Brave Exhibit. No live sharks. I promise,” he said. He kissed her cheek, trying to ignore the pull in his groin caused by the scent of her. “Good night, Lacy.”

  He turned to leave, and as he descended the front steps, she called his name.

  “Yeah?” he asked.

  She held his gaze for so long that Dane almost crossed back the way he’d come to kiss her again.

  “Thanks,” she said. “For everything.”

  He nodded. “Sure. I only want you to be happy.” He went to his car and watched as she went into the cottage and closed the door behind her. He hated the idea of leaving her again, but he took solace in the fact that he’d helped her today. At least that’s something.

  He started the car, and before he drove away, he called Rob.

  “Hey, Dane,” Rob said. He sounded rested and much stronger and clearer than he had when Dane had left him earlier in the day.

  “Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?” He rubbed his temples with his thumb and index finger in an attempt to focus on Rob instead of how much he longed for Lacy.

  “Fine. Good, in fact. I called Sheila. She’s going to bring the kids to the Cape,” Rob said. “And I went to an AA meeting earlier. I really appreciate your help, Dane, and I’m not going to let you down. I know how to slay this monster.”