Lilly took one look at my face and disappeared off to the kitchen. The next time I saw her she was knocking on my door and poking her head around, saying she’d brought hot chocolate to make it all better.
She tried to convince me to jack it in after listening to my nightmare of a first shift, but there was no way I was throwing away a paying job—not yet, anyway. Yeah, the place gave me the willies, but it could just be my own fear taking over. It might all be fine once I’ve settled in a bit.
I laid in bed staring at the ceiling long after the sun had gone down, running the events of my short few days down here around in my head. I thought it was going to be quiet and peaceful, but I’m yet to experience much of that. Between bumping into and ogling Dec on the beach that first morning to dancing on his dining table and my new bellend boss, it’s been nothing but drama. To be fair though, it’s definitely taking my mind off everything I left behind. I lift my arm up and fiddle with my charm bracelet. I guarantee she’s up there now, looking down at me and laughing. I eventually fall asleep with a smile on my face as I think about what she’d say about all this.
Chapter Four
Declan
“Lilly,” I say into my phone as I rest back in my chair and put my feet up on the desk.
“Have you hired a manager yet?”
I manage to contain the groan that wants to rumble up my throat. “No, there’s no one suitable.”
“Hire Nicole.”
“How many times, Lill? I’m not hiring her.” It’s been four weeks since I dropped her off at Lilly’s after she slept in my bed, and I still can’t get the image of her standing at my balcony in my t-shirt out of my mind. The sun pouring in made the fabric almost see through. I could see every single one of her alluring curves. My fingers twitched to touch her, to remind myself of how soft her skin was against mine the night before. My mouth watered to taste the perfectly milky-white skin of her neck.
“Declan.” Ugh, she sounds just like our mother as she pulls me from my erotic memory. “It makes perfect sense. She’s got experience and you’re desperate. Sorry, but you sound exhausted. You can’t do all this yourself.”
“Well being the organ grinder and the monkey will do that,” I snap. The shack is all ready to go and I have every intention of it being open for business for the bank holiday next weekend, even if I’m pulling the pints myself.
“Plus, Nicole really needs to get out of that pub. It’s not a good place for her to be. Dec please, I’m begging. She’s perfect for you.”
I ignore the hidden meaning to that statement as I rub my hand over my face. I hate to admit it but I think I’ve run out of options.
“Please,” she begs. “At least talk to her, find out her experience. Give her a trial if you have to, but she’s perfect. You’ll see.”
I let out a sigh before saying the words I really don’t want to pass my lips. “Get her down here.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“It’s almost 10pm.”
“So?”
“Give us thirty minutes.”
I throw my phone down on the desk in frustration. Employing Nicole has never been the issue. I have no doubt she’ll be amazing at the job. The reason I’m reluctant to employ her is my issue. I don’t think us working closely together is a good idea. It’s going to end up with us either killing or fucking each other. Both of those outcomes terrify me.
When Nicole walks into my office twenty minutes later, my concern about her working for me vanishes. Anger like I’ve never experienced before crashes into me, wave after wave.
“What the fuck is that?” I’m up out of my chair and cupping her face in my hands before I know I’ve moved.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s not fucking nothing. Who the fuck did this to you?” My eyes flick between her bruised eye and cut lip. I need to know who did this so I can fucking kill them.
“It’s not important. Lilly said you wanted to see me about something urgently.” The fact that she pushes my concern for her away so flippantly only ignites my anger.
“Tell. Me. Who. The. Fuck. Did. It,” I spit as I step into her, she flinches and backs up against the door. A fierce possessiveness engulfs me, one I’ve only experienced before with my sisters. The fact I feel this strongly for Nicole’s safety freaks me the fuck out.
“Just some drunk idiot from the pub.”
“This happened at work?” Now Lilly’s earlier comment about her getting away from that place makes sense. “It’s all locals who drink in that place. Who was it?”
“Leave it, Dec.” That won’t be happening, but I know better than to keep pushing the issue. This is a small town. I’ll find out one way or another. “How about you tell me how I ended up here in the middle of the night instead of my bed.”
I’m immediately assaulted with images of her in my bed, her auburn hair fanned out over my pillow, my t-shirt riding high on her hips, giving me the tiniest glance of what could be hiding beneath. Fuck me, I’m getting hard just thinking about it. I step away from her before she notices and return to my seat behind the desk.
“Lilly says you have experience managing a bar.”
“Yeah, and?”
I was under the impression Nicole was going to know why she was here. It’s not like my sister to keep anything from her.
I run my hands through my hair before laying it all out on the table. “I need a manager for this place. I can’t find anyone suitable and Lilly thinks you’d be perfect.”
“Wow.”
For some reason I thought she might like the idea but as she walks over and places her palms flat on my desk I think I may have misjudged it. Pulling my gaze away from her cleavage that’s now right in my eye line, I look up to her face. It’s hard and her eyes are boring into mine.
“It all makes sense now. Lilly asking questions about my previous jobs, what my duties were. She’s been begging you to employ me, hasn’t she?” Nicole doesn’t give me time to figure out an answer. “And now you’ve exhausted all other possibilities you’re giving in and offering it to me. The last person on this earth you’d want to work for you.”
I’m fucked. Well and truly fucked.
“I haven’t been able to find anyone else, no.”
“So I’m you’re last chance? I’m assuming you want to open before bank holiday?”
“That would be ideal, yes.”
She pushes herself from my desk. I’m partly glad and partly disappointed she’s removed her tits from my face.
“I’m presuming you’re going to make it worth my while to even consider it. I mean, no offense, but I’m not sure you being my boss is a good thing.”
“I agree, which is why you’re my last choice. It’s got nothing to do with your skill.”
“So…” She comes to sit in the seat opposite me and waits for my offer.
“I can’t offer you a lot. I may believe this place is exactly what this town needs, but I’m putting my neck out and trying something new. What I can offer you, though, is a safe place to work.” I glance at her cut lip and grit my teeth as the image of someone hurting her returns. “Once we’ve got everything in place, you’ll be in charge. You can do the staff rotas so you can pick and choose your shifts. I’ll give you as much flexibility as possible if you give me your all.” I’m pretty sure I’m only asking for her all at work.
“Money?”
I write a figure down on a scrap of paper beside me and slide it over. It’s obviously more than she was expecting because her eyebrows rise the second she sees it.
“Done. When do I start?”
“Now?”
“Now? At eleven o’clock at night?”
“Okay, fine. Tomorrow morning. Be here first thing and we’ll start going over everything and getting this place ready for some customers.”
“So that’s it? I now work for you?”
“It sure looks that way, Gingernut.” I can’t help but laugh when she growls at my use of
one of her many nicknames.
Her mouth opens as if she’s about to tear me a new one when the sound of paws hitting the wooden floor out in the bar area take her attention. Seconds later her dog comes rushing through, followed by my windswept sister.
“He doesn’t stop,” she pants as the fur ball collides with the wall behind me before putting his sopping wet feet on my thighs so I can give him some love. He must have realised I’m no real threat to his mum, because last time he saw me he was bearing teeth.
“I said you could let him off the lead, Lills. He won’t run away.”
“I wasn’t brave enough so I ran with him. You two all sorted here?”
“I think so,” I say before Nicole has a chance to respond.
Getting up from the chair Nicole bends down to take the dog’s lead before heading towards the door. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
“First thing.”
“Boss.” She salutes before disappearing from sight.
If Lilly wasn’t my sister, or a woman, the smug as fuck look on her face would earn her a slap. Deciding against admitting she may have been right all along I focus on a more important matter. “You should have told me about that,” I say nodding in the direction Nicole just disappeared in.
“I didn’t think you’d care,” she says innocently.
“Fuck that, Lills. Anything happen like that again, you tell me, straight away. Got it?”
“Sure thing.” The amused smile she gives me does nothing for my frustration. Lilly knows everything there is to know about me. Our weird twin shit means nothing passes us by, and that smile tells me she knows my exact thoughts regarding her best friend. She’s been going on at me for years about how I don’t really hate Nicole and that the reason she irritates me so much is because I care more than I will ever admit. I still think she’s talking bollocks. So what if I want to find out if she riles me up as much inside the bedroom as well as in everyday life? It means nothing, right?
Nicole
I knew Lilly was up to something. If her telling me we were going out for a night time walk on the beach wasn’t suspicious enough, the look on her face told me everything. She was a shit liar when we were kids, and it seems she hasn’t mastered the skill in the time we were apart.
I stare at my bruised eye in the mirror and think back over the events of the previous night. One of the regulars had got well and truly shit faced on the cheap arse whiskey the pub kept. When I refused to serve him another, he turned nasty. A couple of the other regulars talked him down and escorted him out. I didn’t think anything more of it until I left for the night.
I was walking across the dark car park when a figure stepped in front of me and backhanded me across the face. I didn’t see it was him but I don’t think I’ve pissed anyone else off enough for them to want to attack me in my short time here.
The slap stung like a bitch but I didn’t think it would have left any damage. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I pulled my sun visor down and got a glimpse of my quickly swelling eye and the small trickle of blood running down my chin. Tears stung as I thought about how naive I’d been, but never in a million years did I think that dickhead would do anything like that. He’s been pleasant enough to me for the past month or so I’d been working there—but then, I guess alcohol changes people.
I knew there and then I’d never be returning to that place.
Vowing to phone in the morning and explain, I started my car and headed back to Lilly’s. Not getting paid this month really doesn’t help with me getting out of her and Lucas’ hair and finding my own place. Every day I’ve been online, looking for a rental within my budget. At this rate, I’m going to have to set up a tent in their garden if I want to get out of their way.
I thought maybe Lilly just wanted some peace and quiet after a day with two boisterous twins; it never occurred to me to put two and two together and figure out that all the questions she’s been asking me about my previous bar work had any relevance to anything. I thought she was just trying to find out more about my life up north. I didn’t realise she was interviewing me, in a round about way. I also never would’ve believed that Declan would have even considered having me work for him. Stranger things have happened I guess because I am now a Dec’s Surf Shack employee. No, not just an employee—I’m his manager. We’re going to be working side by side as we get it ready for opening. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Yeah, it’ll be totally fine.
I shake my head at the crazy turn my life has taken since arriving in this seaside town. Maybe this is the start of something new between me and Dec. Maybe after all these years we can put whatever it was that made us hate each other all those years ago to one side, and we can be friends like we were always meant to be.
* * *
Waking up the next morning with a new lease of life knowing my shitty job at the guesthouse is behind me, I grab Bailey and head out for a morning run. It’s not as sunny out as my mood, but I can still see a glimpse of the sunrise through the breaks in the clouds.
I’m not surprised when I spot a small figure out in the distance. I try to put thoughts of my new boss to one side as I run along the wet sand and watch Bailey bound off in front of me.
Is working for him a good idea? I wonder for the millionth time. I keep coming up with the same answer. Yes. Dec is an incredible businessman and I’m sure he’ll be nothing but professional while we’re working together. I’ve no doubt his attitude towards me will continue to be the same as ever outside of the shack, though.
The clouds start to clear, allowing the early morning sun to shine down just as I get to the rock I sat on previously. Seeing that Bailey is starting to flag, I pull myself up and repeat my actions from that morning a few weeks ago until I spot Dec emerging from the water.
“Come on, pup, time to go.” I jump down from the rock and start to walk towards the end of the beach when I hear him shout.
“Hey, wait up.” Turning around, I watch as he jogs towards us. “I know I said first thing, but this is early to start working, even for me,” he pants out.
“Just enjoying my new home.”
“Oh, you were looking at the view, right.” He winks before I spot him starting to lower the zip on his wetsuit out of the corner of my eye. I fight to stay focused on his face and the arrogant smile playing on his lips.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m going to take him home and have a shower. Then I’ll be back.”
I watch as he thinks for a few seconds. I’m about to turn away when he speaks. “We’re just going to be lugging boxes around and unpacking furniture, a shower seems pointless. And…” He trails off as he looks down at my exhausted puppy.
“Bailey,” I add.
“He can stay. What harm can he cause?”
“Says the person who’s never owned a puppy. You have no idea what he can get himself into.”
“It’ll be fine, come on.”
I follow him in, this time allowing my eyes to drop. Unfortunately all the effort I put in earlier not to check out his chest is shot to shit when he suddenly turns around and finds me staring intently at his arse.
“Nicole,” he snaps, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You are capable of doing your job, right, and not just objectifying your boss?”
My face flames red and my temperature soars as I attempt to look anywhere but him. “I’m sure I’ll be fine,” I mumble.
“This is going to be such fun.” His voice is amused but his face is deadly serious, so I have no idea how to take that comment.
He disappears through to the office, leaving me in the box filled shack. Letting Bailey off his lead, praying he doesn’t start chewing on the newly plastered walls or something else equally as disastrous. I walk behind the bar and start familiarising myself with my surroundings. I didn’t pay much attention when I was here last night, but it looks incredible. It really is the ultimate surf shack with its natural wood, boards propped up against the walls, and different colours everywhere you look.
“Official opening day is next Saturday, but I’ve invited people here Friday night for a test run.”
“Okay. Set me to work then, boss.”
We spend the day unpacking the tables and chairs and getting the place looking ready to be filled with paying customers. Dec talks to me about his plans for the place and the staff he’s already employed. They’re coming in Thursday for training, and they’ll all be here opening day.
“Here,” he says, throwing a catalogue at me where I’m sat at one of the new tables, taking a break. “Write down whatever you want and I’ll get it ordered.”
Glancing down, I see multiple images of t-shirts, vests, hats…anything you could need branded, really. I flick through and see one of the pages that has the corner turned down is for swimwear.
“You expect me to walk around in a bikini with your name printed on my tit?”
“What you wear is up to you, as long as it’s branded and is in keeping with the theme around here. I ordered them for the female surf instructors, but if you want to serve in one, I’m sure it’ll help get us some customers in.”
“You’re a pig.”
He shrugs off the comment and I go back to looking at my uniform options while he faffs about behind the bar.
“Here,” I say, placing a list on the bar.
“These are for you.” He slams a couple of boxes next to my piece of paper. “Over the next few days, I need you to give out as many of these as possible.”
Falling For Declan (Falling Book 8) Page 5