Dream of Me: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (4 page)

“This is just one example. He’s done many homes here on the island.”

Aubrey nodded. “I look forward to seeing them all in time.”

“Well, I’m going to leave Kirsten to do her thing. Now that you know where we live, don’t be a stranger.”

“Thank you.” Both women watched him leave.

Aubrey grinned at Kirsten. “Your husband is as nice as he is good-looking.”

“He is most of the time. Like most men, he has his moments. Anyway, let me show you around.”

As they moved through the house, Aubrey couldn’t help but admire the paneled walls, hardwood floors, decorative crown molding and arched doorways. There was no denying Corbin’s talent for combining practicality with elegance. The evidence of a thoughtful designer lurked in every room. She began to understand why he was in such demand.

When they returned to the porch, Aubrey held out her hand to Kirsten. “Thank you so much for showing me around.”

“You’re welcome. Come back again anytime.”

* * * *

Paul was unloading his minivan when Aubrey arrived at the house. Over his protests, she helped him carry in the last few bags of groceries.

“So, did you do it?” he asked with a grin.

“Why ask? You know I did. You’ll never guess what happened while I was there.”

“You got arrested for trespassing?”

“I didn’t have to trespass. I met the owners and got a personal tour. That place is something else.” She glanced around the kitchen. “Did Corbin do this house, too?”

“Of course; architects don’t live in houses designed by someone else.”

“That makes sense; is he from here?”

“He grew up in Savannah, but his parents moved to Macon a few years ago. That’s when he came over to Tybee.”

“Does he have any brothers or sisters?”

“Several of each. You should ask him about them sometime.”

“He’s not one for sharing personal information. I’ll just stick to questions about work.”

Paul laughed. “It takes him a while to warm up.”

“So there’s hope? That’s nice to know. I better get back to work. I’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

Chapter Two

Several days passed without Aubrey exchanging more than a few words with Corbin. That didn’t mean she didn’t hear from him. On most mornings, there were at least two or three notes stuck in prominent positions on her desk. She didn’t mind these impersonal exchanges nor did she resent his long absences from the house. She worked better on her own.

One drawback to her job was the hours spent in front of a computer screen. Aubrey’s eyes were still trying to adjust. Her tired glance strayed to the sparkling blue water and white sand visible through the window. It was torture to be so close to the ocean and be stuck inside.
What would it hurt to take a short break?
Corbin wouldn’t be home for hours.

Before she could change her mind, she shut off her computer and went upstairs to her room. Changing into a swimsuit, she stuffed lotion, beach towels and a book into a tote bag and made her way to the kitchen. After leaving a note on the counter for Paul, Aubrey left the house.

The warm sunshine and gentle ocean breeze felt wonderful. Aubrey felt a release of the pressure that had been building inside her all week. Keeping track of Corbin’s two careers was time-consuming and confusing. She was still learning the terminology of the construction world. Adding to her feeling of stress were the nightmares that continued to appear with relentless regularity every few nights.

It was undoubtedly the lack of rest that contributed to her falling asleep, something she wouldn’t have thought possible. As the afternoon marched on and the sun sank further on the horizon, the sudden cooling of the air wakened her. Noting not only the passing of time, but her reddened limbs, Aubrey sat up abruptly and began gathering her things to leave.

It was then she noticed the man sprawled on a blanket a few feet away.
How had she slept so long and so unaware of what was going on around her?
A few glances in his direction told her that he’d followed her example and fallen asleep, too. He made no movement as she walked quickly away and still lay in the same position when she glanced back from Corbin’s deck.

As luck would have it, Aubrey met Corbin in the hallway just as she was congratulating herself on having made it to her room unobserved. She knew she must look a sight with sand liberally sprinkled over her sunburned skin and her hair blown into wild disorder.

“I must not be giving you enough to do. To get that shade, you had to be out there for hours.” His attractive voice was laced with sarcasm.

“I didn’t intend to be gone so long, but I fell asleep,” she admitted sheepishly.

“Or maybe you couldn’t tear yourself away from your friend.”

“What friend?” Aubrey had forgotten all about the man on the beach.

Corbin ignored this; instead he reached forward and slid the strap of her bathing suit to the side, exposing the pale skin underneath. “You’re going to need aloe; lots of it. There’s a bottle under the sink in the hall bathroom.”

He didn’t wait for any reply Aubrey might have been tempted to make, but continued on his way downstairs, leaving her staring after him with a mixture of chagrin and annoyance.

Knowing he was right didn’t make it any easier to follow his advice. After retrieving the aloe, Aubrey surveyed the damage in the bathroom mirror. There was no doubting the truth of Corbin’s comments; she was as red as the proverbial beet.

Applying the cool gel to her face, shoulders and arms was no problem, but it was impossible to reach the majority of her back. A knock on the door sent her scurrying for a towel. Holding it in front of her, she called out a breathless, “come in”.

“Still at it?” Corbin asked as he closed the door behind him, seeming not to notice her startled glance. “I came to see if you needed any help.”

And to make sure she realized how stupid she’d been.
“I got most of it.”

He smiled faintly. “Unless you’re unbelievably flexible, you probably didn’t get it all. Turn around and let me see.” He walked toward the bed while she did as he asked. “Just as I thought. Lay down on your stomach.” He watched her efforts for a few minutes in silence. “Aubrey, you’re more than adequately covered. I promise; I can’t see a thing.”

“I know that,” she answered in an annoyed tone. “It’s just that we’re practically strangers and we don’t…” She stopped abruptly.

“like each other,” he finished for her with a knowing grin. “I understand that, but I think we’re adult enough to put aside those feelings for the moment.” When his hands touched her back, she stiffened. “Would you relax? I’m not planning on doing anything other than trying to save you from blisters.”

“Will you stop with the stupid comments? You’re only making things worse.”

His short laugh was equal parts amusement and pique. “Maybe this one will be better. I can’t help noticing you’re ridiculously tiny.”

“Especially when compared to you. We’re like two extremes.”

“Hopefully, we’ll match up better on a professional level.”

“What are the odds of that?”

“Better than they were a few days ago.”

“Have you factored in my behavior today?”

“Of course. All done; I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”

It hadn’t hurt at all, but she wasn’t going to admit that.
His hands had been surprisingly gentle for so large a man. “It looks worse than it feels.”

“That won’t be the case tomorrow or the day after. I put the aloe on kind of thick so you’re going to have to wait a bit before you get dressed. Otherwise, you’ll have a sticky mess.”

Corbin walked into the bathroom to wash his hands. He hoped he might be as successful in washing away the memory of touching her. It would have been wiser to send Paul to do this. When he returned, Aubrey was sitting up, the towel tucked under her chin.

“Thanks for your help. I would never have been able to manage this alone.”

His grin made her long to throw something at him. “I know and asking me was the last thing you wanted to do.”

“Can you blame me? You’re not the easiest person to approach at the best of times.”

“Don’t you mean at any time?”

Aubrey fidgeted with the towel. “No, I didn’t mean that, but when I’ve obviously made a mistake, you don’t make it easy to admit it. Anyone can get sunburn.”

“True, but not too many people do it on their employer’s time.”

“Don’t you ever give way to impulse?” she asked after a moment.

His eyes danced with amusement, and his lips formed a lazy smile that Aubrey had the greatest difficulty in ignoring. “Not usually, but I did recently, and I’ve been regretting it ever since.”

“I suppose that’s a reference to me. Have I been that bad?” she asked innocently.

Corbin shook his head. “I’m not falling into that trap.”

A sweet smile crossed her face, and he could feel himself responding to it. Then he remembered another smile – one that had promised everything and given nothing.

“I’ll make sure my next outing to the beach is on my own time.” Aubrey glanced toward the window. “I’ve never lived so close to the ocean,” she added wistfully and then laughed self-consciously when she met the look in his eyes. “I know that doesn’t excuse my behavior, but I couldn’t help myself. I expect that sounds silly to you.”

“Not silly, just young. I’m not so far gone that I can’t remember the feeling.” Corbin moved to the door. “Take care of that sunburn; it would be a shame to damage such lovely skin.” He was gone before she could reply.

For a moment, Aubrey sat staring at the door trying to figure out what had just happened. Corbin had shown a different side of himself; one that made him almost likeable. It was unfortunate they hadn’t hit it off, but maybe things would improve.
No one possessing a smile like that could be all bad.

* * * *

Since sun-bathing in the afternoons during the week wasn’t an option, Aubrey resumed her evening walks. These were some of her most enjoyable moments. She never tired of the beautiful sunsets, the outline of the lighthouse in the background and the magnificent star-filled sky. Only on rare occasions did Corbin join her. She surmised a woman was the reason for his late hours. A man with his looks would have no problem finding someone to share his free time.

One evening her absorption in her surroundings was so complete that she failed to notice the person approaching from the opposite direction. As they drew closer, the man, who appeared to be as preoccupied as Aubrey, finally turned his head in her direction. A faint smile chased the frown from his face and he stopped, waiting for her to draw level with him.

“I’ve been wondering if we would meet again.”

Aubrey was about to deny ever meeting him when she recognized him. “Was that your idea of a meeting?”

“No, but sleeping within a few feet of each other must count for something.”

“I suppose so. Do you live here?”

He nodded. “For now. I’m thinking of changing that. Anyway, I’m Richard Meadows.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Richard. I’m Aubrey Sommers. Why do you want to leave?”

“Do you really need to ask? This place is dead.”

“It’s quiet and peaceful. I like it.”

“Give it time, and you’ll be just as anxious to go. You work for Corbin, don’t you?”

“News travels fast around here,” she commented with a faint smile.

“This island is too small for anonymity. When someone new comes along, we all know about it.”

“And talk about it, too, I suppose,” she said wryly.

“Certainly. What else is there to do?” He watched her for a moment with narrowed eyes. “You know, with that long hair, you remind me of a mermaid.”

“Don’t mermaids usually have light hair?”

“I hope not. Blondes are very overrated.”

“Are you serious?” she asked with a laugh.

“Sure am - blondes just don’t do it for me.”

“This is a strange conversation,” murmured Aubrey.

“We’re breaking the ice, so to speak. Do you like working for the island workaholic?”

“I don’t know yet - it’s different from anything I’ve done before.”

Richard smiled at this. “I’m surprised he hired someone like you.”

“Is that a warning that my stay here might be short?”

“As long as you don’t fall in love with him, you’ll be fine.”

Aubrey laughed with real amusement. “I won’t be doing that.”

“How can you be sure?”

“For lots of reasons, but mainly because we’re too different.” 

Richard chuckled. “You sound as if you don’t like your new boss.”

“That’s not a requirement, is it?”

“No, but it’s surprising. Every woman within fifty miles of this place is a little in love with him. I think they invent work to be done on their houses just to spend time with him.”

Aubrey had been so preoccupied with her companion that she hadn’t noticed the setting of the sun. “I better start back, or I’ll be walking in the dark.”

“There’s a full moon – you’ll be able to see.”

“I don’t have a key, either. Corbin left the house when I did, and Paul said something about going to a movie. I don’t want to get locked out.” Aubrey reluctantly turned. As she did so, she inadvertently stepped on a broken shell half hidden in the sand. With a gasp, she bent to look at her foot. It was difficult to see the damage in the failing light, but the sticky wetness that met her probing fingers told its own story.

“What is it?” Richard asked from behind her.

“I cut myself. It’s bleeding a little.”

He moved closer. “More than a little. We need to get you back.” An arm snaked around her waist. “Rule number 1: Always wear shoes on the beach.” Without another word, he lifted her into his arms.

Feeling ridiculous, Aubrey protested, “I can walk back.”