by Becca Barnes
Technically, I hadn’t crossed any lines yet. I hadn’t gotten any information out of Ellie that I couldn’t have researched through other means. Well, except for how she felt about her stepmother.
None of that had factored into my offer, though, or Kat’s acceptance of it. But I was a damn fool if I tried to convince myself Ellie would see it that way for one minute.
Today had been so perfect because we’d been able to get away from everything and everyone that could possibly complicate things. And now we were headed straight back to all the complications.
It was like I was steering through the eye of a hurricane on these peaceful waters.
As if to confirm my growing unrest, I must have crossed into range of a cell tower because all of my devices exploded in notification bells at once.
“Back to reality.” I sighed as I stared down at my tablet and phone, glowing like two giant lightning bugs on an otherwise darkened deck.
I reached over and grabbed my phone, scrolling down the notifications without even focusing on what I was looking at. It wasn’t until the phone switched to the home screen without me entering the security code that I realized it was Ellie’s phone I held, not mine.
I glanced down at the screen as I was about to place it back on the table.
It was open to her Instagram account, and there was a draft post uploaded.
Pawsh?
What the hell? Was she thinking about leaving S’Paw Box? She loved the place.
Maybe that was for the best, though. The timing might be good for her to branch off since the store would be changing its branding anyway.
But why would she announce it on the store’s Instagram account?
Wait.
I clicked on the store’s profile settings.
No.
Not the store’s profile.
It was her profile.
Her personal profile.
This account never belonged to the business in the first place. Ellie could change the name to Dumpy’s Junk Emporium if she felt like it.
“Shit,” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. How had I missed this small yet enormously important detail? Actually, I knew exactly how. I’d been so focused on spending time with Ellie and getting to know her that there was no telling what had slipped through the cracks.
My dad would kill me. Not lecture. Not look disappointed.
Straight up murder me.
The name S’Paw Box was practically worthless without the built-in followers. It would take years to develop that kind of fan base organically.
Subscription boxes were a good investment only if you could build them up quickly and sell them off fast.
Okay. Think.
I looked at the clock. There was still time to fix this mess.
I pulled out my laptop and shot off a few quick emails to our lawyers and accounting team to let them know what was going on. There was still a chance that this could be salvaged, but I didn’t want to take any chances and not cover all my bases.
All of my bases.
I gripped my phone and drummed my fingers across the back. The sooner I got this over with, the better.
I peeked inside the cabin to make sure Ellie was still asleep then dialed.
“Hi, Kat,” I said, thankful that the call had gone to voicemail. Keep it all business. “This is James MacCarthy. We’ve run into some hiccups with the sale. After further review, I’m afraid that some of the information you provided about your social media presence was inaccurate. I’m hopeful that we can still work something out before the contract expires, but as of now, it’s void until we’re able to ensure that all related social media accounts convey with the sale of the asset.”
There. That contained enough bullshit lawyerese to please even my father.
I stared out across the water, as deep in thought as the ocean floor was beneath. So deep in thought that I didn’t hear Ellie as she skirted up behind me. I startled as she wrapped her arms around my torso.
“Hey,” she said. The warmth of her breath tickled the hairs on my neck.
And just like that, I was back inside the bubble.
“Sleep well?” I asked.
We weren’t far from the marina now. She had to have gotten a solid two hour nap.
“Mmm.” The sound vibrated against my back like a cat’s purr. I drew her around in front of me, her rump pressed against the boat’s vibrating wheel. Any remaining thoughts of acquisitions scattered from my mind as I lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and began kissing me in that way that made me forget what my name was, much less silly details about a business deal that, quite frankly, at that moment, the sharks could circle up and devour for all I cared.
Speaking of devouring.
I killed the engine and carried her back down to my cabin. Her breath caught as I tossed her on the already rumpled bed.
“Shouldn’t we get back?” she mumbled half-heartedly as I sowed a trail of kisses starting at her toes and working my way up.
“You gave me until sunrise.” I paused above her knee. “And I intend to take advantage of every minute of it.”
She raked her nails through my hair and squirmed when I reached her inner thigh.
Ticklish. Something to remember for later.
As I neared my target, my mood shifted from playful to purposeful. And from the sharp gasp that escaped her, nails clawing into the skin of my arms in pleasurable agony, I knew that I’d hit my mark.
Thirty
Ellie
Could bliss be a verb? Because I was so blissing right now.
No.
Beyond blissing. I’d melted into a pool of bliss only to reform into my body and be blissed again. And once more for good measure.
The man was a freaking machine.
But, oh. He was the one pushing all the buttons.
At some point, I’d fallen back asleep. Or maybe passed out from pleasure. The vessel was still and quiet around us. Mac must have docked at the marina. When I concentrated, I could feel the tug and hear the slight creak of the vessel strain against its mooring.
A puff of steam escaped the master bathroom, and I realized that Mac was showering. I grinned at the thought of joining him.
But first, I was parched. Apparently, paradise really took it out of a girl.
Mac had pointed out the stocked fridge in the galley and told me to make myself at home. I slipped down the hall and opened it up, picking out a fancy bottled water whose name I wasn’t going to try to pronounce.
As I walked back toward the bedroom, I noticed the glow of a laptop coming from the coffee table in the living room or salon or whatever it was called. I hadn’t checked my email all day, and I had been expecting a shipment of kibble to arrive. While tracking UPS deliveries of dog food didn’t exactly qualify as the height of romance, we were technically attached to land. Which meant I was technically back to reality.
Sigh.
Back to work.
I turned the computer around to face me.
And jumped as the word “S’Paw Box” sprang off the screen.
What the—?
It was pulled up to Mac’s work email, and there were a half dozen messages at the top, all with “S’Paw Box” in the subject line. All marked urgent.
Without hesitating, I opened the top one and began reading.
There was a lot of technical jargon.
Assets. Acquisitions. Re-negotiating offer price.
Deprecated monetary value of social media presence.
I wasn’t a lawyer, but I certainly got the gist of it.
And the signature at the bottom of the message: James MacCarthy II.
Hot tears bit at the corners of my eyelids and spilled over onto my cheeks. But the heat of my tears was no match for the fiery rage growing in my chest. I fought the urge to slam the laptop closed and hurl it across the room.
The rat bastard!
When had he started using me?
I bit down on my knuckles. H
ow could I have been so stupid?
Who buys a four-hundred dollar dog harness when they don’t even own a dog?
Someone who was scoping out their next business conquest.
I’d been his unwitting pawn from the moment he’d walked into the store.
He must have taken me for the most pathetic idiot.
I’d had all the information at hand. I knew Kat was courting an offer.
Stupid and blind.
I was so busy berating myself that I didn’t hear the shower turn off. I didn’t hear Mac’s soft tread as he came up behind me until his hand was on my shoulder.
I stiffened at his touch.
“Hey,” he said, rubbing a towel over his wet hair. “I was wondering where you…”
His voice trailed off as he looked down at the opened email.
“I can explain,” he said quietly.
“No need.” I whirled around and snapped the laptop shut.
“No! I owe you a full explanation.”
“You owe me nothing.”
“Ellie, please.” The anguish on his face appeared real.
Well, as real as it could be coming from a bold-faced liar.
I rushed past him in search of my clothes. Where had they gone?
“Ell, if you’d just give me the chance to explain—”
“Do not call me ‘Ell.’ In fact, don’t call me anything. I don’t want you to even look at me.” I managed to find my swim bottoms, and I tugged them on. There was no telling what had happened to my shorts, bra, and shirt along the way.
Oh, well. I’d already kissed my dignity and my pride goodbye. What were a few lost garments?
“Tell me one thing,” I said as I shoved on my flip-flops. “Was any of it real? Was it all a subterfuge to distract me while you picked off my life’s work? What am I saying? Maybe bedding me was simply the easiest way to tackle opposition research.”
“Ellie, no. Of course not.”
“Or maybe I was a fun side game to you? It’s not like you needed to worry about the idiot dog-washer impacting your plans.”
The tears were back in earnest as I pushed past him.
“Don’t go,” he said.
As I passed, he caught the hem of my shirt--his shirt--that I was still wearing.
“Please, Ellie. I’m begging you. Give me the chance to explain myself. Three minutes.”
I paused. There was no way I could will myself to look at him. But maybe I could hear him out.
“Three minutes. I’m listening.” Listening to the reasons he’d betrayed me.
“First off, I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t even realize that buying S’Paw Box’s name would hurt you until I was already”--he blew his breath out slowly—”until I was already falling in love with you.”
My shoulders hitched involuntarily.
“When I first came to town, based on my initial research, I thought I was going to be dealing with a brilliant, savvy small business owner who was doing all the right things in a hard market. In short, I thought I was going to be dealing with you. And then when I met the actual owner, I realized that the deal was going to be a lot simpler than I expected. Kat’s not exactly the sharpest tack on the cork board. And I certainly didn’t know she was your stepmother at the time.”
I eased back, the tension in my muscles relaxing a tiny bit.
“I admit”--he let go of my shirt, but I didn’t move away--“that when I first met you, I was in the store for research purposes. And when I asked you out to dinner that night, I did plan to pump you for information.”
“What stopped you?” I asked without turning around.
“What?”
“You didn’t pump me for information that night. Or at least nothing about S’Paw Box.” I finally flipped around to face him. “So what stopped you?”
“I...forgot.”
“Forgot? I thought it was the whole reason you came to Lavender Beach. Buy off the unsuspecting pet store owner.”
“That’s not exactly...okay, yes. But once we started talking, I was focused on you. I wanted to get to know you. You. Not to gain insider knowledge. Not to figure out how you could help me acquire the store name. I thought you were simply a worker there. I had no idea what the full situation was with the inheritance issue. By the time I did know, it was too late.”
“Too late to tell me the truth?”
“Too late to tell the truth without hurting you.”
“So you waited until my back was turned and stabbed me. Very smart. I’m definitely not hurt now.”
“I’m doing a terrible job at this,” he said. “But if it makes any difference, it looks like I’m not buying the name after all.”
“Why not?”
He grimaced.
“That’s actually the one thing I need to apologize for.”
“The one thing?”
“No, that came out wrong. I’m sorry about all of it. But I accidentally saw your Instagram draft post earlier. I grabbed your phone by mistake, and the picture was queued up. Not exactly stealth corporate espionage, but I still acted on the information. I didn’t realize before that you’re the owner of the social media accounts. Without them, the name is almost worthless to us. I called off the deal.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and I am so, so sorry. For everything.”
“So now are you going to try to get me to sell those social media accounts to you?” I was still furious but genuinely curious as well.
“I hadn’t gotten that far yet.” He shook his head and let out a mirthless chuckle. “As of five minutes ago, the totality of my plans consisted of how to get you back in the shower with me. And maybe how to talk you into extending the sunrise deadline.”
I let out a sound halfway between a huff and a guffaw.
This was a mess. One, big complicated mess.
But like the inevitable tide, my fury had begun to recede. The bubble had definitely burst. The man standing before me was no Prince Charming. But despite his deception, he was still Mac.
The entire reason this hurt so much was because I cared so much about him.
I needed to get away. I needed space and time to sort through the gazillion different thoughts and emotions that were swirling through my brain like wisps in a cotton candy machine.
“I’ve got to go,” I said. “And think.”
“Okay.” He grabbed a pair of shorts out of his dresser. “I’ll walk you home.”
“No. I want to be alone.”
“I’m going to make sure you get home safely.” He said it matter-of-factly.
“It’s only a few blocks.” I rolled my eyes, but the side of my mouth cocked into a hint of a grin. “I think I can make it on my own.”
“But you’re holding my dog hostage.”
“Ahh, Lulu. Should have known the real reason.” I cracked another small smile. This one came easier.
He looked at the clock as he pulled a shirt over his head. “If we hurry, I can grab you a slice of key lime pie at Willy’s before he closes.”
I sighed. How sad was it that I could be bought with a buttery crust?
“All right,” I said as the clock in the narrow hallway rang out its first stroke of midnight. Hard to believe it had only been one day since we’d set sail. I followed Mac up to the deck, but he stopped mid-step on the top stair.
The last bell chimed as I peered around him and caught a glance of what had made him pause.
It was my stepmother. She stood on the edge of the boat wearing a trench coat.
Before I had a chance to say anything, Kat dropped the coat to reveal what she was wearing underneath.
Absolutely nothing.
Thirty-One
Mac
It was like every nightmare scenario my anxious mind had managed to piece together rolled into one.
The devastation on Ellie’s face. The confused but satisfied smirk on Kat’s. I grabbed the coat and wrapped it back around Kat as quickly as possible, but the damage was done.
Ellie almost fell in the water in her hurry to get away from me across the gangplank. I began to pursue her, but she flipped around just long enough to shove a justifiably furious finger into my chest and shout, “No!”
So I stood there and watched her leave.
As I got back on board the cruiser, I rubbed my face.
“What are you doing here, Kat?” I asked, my voice flat and bleak.
“I wanted to talk to you about S’Paw Box.”
“Naked? At midnight?”
“Well, I got your message earlier. I thought you could use some convincing.”
“Okay, I have no idea where you got the idea that this was...a possibility, much less a good idea. But you need to leave. Now.”
“But—“
“Now. From here on out, all communication will be going through my lawyers.”
“I should have known she’d ruin this for me.” Kat’s lips slid into a sulk.
“What?” I snapped. “Are you talking about Ellie? She didn’t have anything to do with this. Leave her out of it.”
Kat’s lips went from pouting to trembling. She looked like a dam of tears was about to burst. Damn it. I didn’t need this on my conscience, too. So she’d gotten the wrong idea. That was my own fault for flirting with her before.
If I’d only been honest with Ellie from the beginning, I could have avoided this whole catastrophe. Or better yet, I should never have tried to buy a fan base I hadn’t earned in the first place.
How had I managed to screw this up so badly? Ellie was the best thing that had ever happened to me. And I’d lost her. Over what?
Money.
What the hell did I need with more money?
I already had more of the stuff than I knew what to do with.
But now, no Ellie.
“Look, I’m sorry I snapped,” I said. “And I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression along the way. I care deeply about Ellie, and I’ve done a bang-up job of hurting her. I know that wasn’t your intention in coming here, to hurt her even more, but, well, it has. I’m furious with myself. Not you.”