Gull Harbor (11 page)

He brushed his lips against hers tentatively, and a moment of exquisite anticipation spun out between them. Then his mouth captured hers in a bruising kiss that sought to make up for the years they’d been apart. She returned his fierce kisses, moaning as their lips and tongues met with frightening urgency.

A tiny voice inside her head whispered a warning, reminding her that he still hadn’t explained why he’d left her that way. She shoved it aside. She didn’t need explanations, she needed him. On her, inside her, filling every space. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung to him as he lowered her onto the bed. Every nerve in her body burned for him, and she arched her back to rub her hips against the solid length of his erection.

His hand slipped under the hem of her skirt, and his rough fingertips left a trail of fire as they traveled up her thigh. Her hands explored the ridges of muscle under the smooth skin of his back. She kissed his neck, tasting the salty sweat from the day’s heat.

The shrill ring of a phone pierced the air, shattering the silence. Claire’s eyes flew open and she froze as though she had been caught doing something wrong.

Max lifted his head. “Damn it,” he growled. “That’s the intern’s ring tone.”

“You should get it.” She pushed on his shoulders gently. “Really.”

His phone continued its demanding ring from its perch on her dresser. “I’m sorry,” he said, rolling off of her with a groan.

The ringing stopped as he reached for the phone. His eyes darted back to Claire, lying flushed and breathless on her white comforter. He contemplated putting off the return call for a few minutes. He could jump back into bed with her, and they could quickly finish what they’d started. But the call was about his business. And the beautiful woman in the bed was Claire. She hadn’t had sex in five years—she deserved better than this. Hell, he hadn’t even taken her out on a proper date.

Jabbing at the call button, he stalked over to the new window as he waited for his intern to pick up. “Hey, Sean. What is it?”

By the time his intern had finished describing the chaos at the tavern, Claire had composed herself. She leaned against the headboard, her long legs crossed at the ankle, her flared skirt arranged to cover her thighs. The spiral notebook lay on her lap, and she tapped a pen against her swollen lips.

Max crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m really sorry. Sean’s in over his head. I’ve been gone a few hours now, and it’s Friday night. An entire order for a large party never got placed, and they’ve been waiting almost two hours. And a group of drunken college kids are giving the bartender a hard time because he doesn’t want to serve them anymore.” With a sigh, he reached for her hand. “I know it sounds like trivial stuff, but—”

“But it’s your business,” she said, cutting him off. “I understand about making sacrifices for a job you love.” Her gaze flicked down to the notebook page.

“I guess you do,” he agreed. He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear with his free hand. “Will you come by tonight?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said playfully. “What’s in it for me?”

“A free dinner. Compliments of the house.” Sliding his fingers to the back of her head, he pulled her in for a quick kiss. “I hear the owner likes you.”

Chapter 15

The beauty of the Cape Cod National Seashore never ceased to take her breath away. She lingered at the top of the majestic dunes, letting her gaze wander down the steep drop to the flat stretch of sand below. Colorful splashes of towels and umbrellas dotted the beach, and small waves curled toward the shore.

She maneuvered carefully down the switchback trail that led to Gull Hollow Beach. Glancing at her watch, she unfurled a blanket in an unclaimed spot near the water’s edge. Max should be meeting her shortly, but she understood the nature of his business made being punctual a challenge sometimes.

Apparently it made dating a challenge as well. He’d been very apologetic when he’d asked her for a lunch date, but she thought it was sweet. His nights were busy, and a picnic lunch on the beach sounded heavenly.

Dropping her flip flops on the blanket, she picked her way through the sun-baked sand to cool her feet in the surf. The waves crashed around her calves, wetting the edge of her sundress. She looked around at the crowd of vacationers, relaxing under the bright sky in bathing suits. Should she take off her cover-up to reveal the strapless bikini underneath?

She was nervous. It was ridiculous—she’d been spending the better part of a month around Max at this point. Years ago, they’d been inseparable. But now, suddenly he calls lunch a date, and she was paralyzed with indecision.

Returning to the blanket, she tugged the dress over her head. He’d seen her body a million times. Still, she pulled her beach bag onto her lap as she saw Max approaching, carrying a large blue cooler. Her pulse quickened, and she rummaged through her bag, pretending to search for her sunscreen.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said, plunking the cooler down in the sand. He bent over and kissed the top of her head. Eyeing the sunscreen in her hand, he added, “I’d offer to help you with that, but, you know…there are people around.”

She laughed, relaxing slightly. “Good point. I guess today we’ll just have to talk.”

“And eat,” he added, opening the cooler with a flourish. “I wish I could take credit for this, but I had my sous-chef prepare lunch. He makes great chicken salad sandwiches.”

“Sounds awesome.”

“Wine?” he asked, holding up a chilled bottle of Chardonnay.

“Wow,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “Fancy. Sure, I’d love some.” She accepted the plastic wine glass. “Wait, you’re not going to make me drink alone, are you?”

He poured another glass. “I have to go back to work, but I can have one glass. I brought water and soda too. Also grapes, pasta salad, and cookies. I hope you’re hungry.”

Nodding, she bit her lip. “Max, this is great—really. Thank you.”

He shrugged. “I’m sorry it can’t be a nice dinner at a restaurant. Soon, though, I promise. Sean’s getting more confident every day.”

“A picnic on the beach is perfect. It’s better than dinner and a movie.”

He held out his glass, touching it to hers. “To our first date.” His eyebrows pulled together behind his sunglasses. “That sounds strange, given our history.”

She smiled as she sipped. “We were never what you’d call traditional, anyway.”

“How’s this for traditional—let me take you to see the fireworks on Wednesday night. I know you’ll be at Dan’s cookout for dinner, but I think I’ll be okay to leave the tavern by 7:30 or so. Can I come and steal you away?” He leaned back on one elbow and flashed her a lazy grin. “There’s a great spot to watch them from over by the lake. It’s very secluded; none of the tourists even know how to find the trail to get there.”

A flood of heat that had little to do with the warm July sun surged through her. How was it that this man aroused her so? Sexual tension swirled between them, thick and heady. “I’d love that,” she said softly, dipping her head down to hide her flushed cheeks. She rooted around in her bag and pulled out her notebook. “Do you want to hear what I learned this morning?”

“Absolutely.”

“I think she was here illegally. She paid the captain of the
Barracuda
to bring her here, to the states.” Claire sighed and took a sip of wine. “She had a cousin who made it into the U.S. and worked as a cleaning lady in Boston. Maria was hoping to find a similar job, so that she could send the money home to pay for her grandmother’s medications.”

“That’s awful. No sixteen-year-old girl should have that kind of weight on her shoulders.”

“I know. It’s so sad. Apparently Gary wasn’t expecting to have to transport a woman along with the heroin. He and the captain got in an argument, but Maria couldn’t understand it since they were speaking English. The captain convinced Gary to take her.”

“You’re doing great, Claire. Really.” He sat up and reached for her hand.

Twining her fingers with his, she blew out a breath. “It’s such a slow process. I’m going to ask her to send me more images—like scenes from her memory to go with the words. I think that will help speed things up. But it takes a lot more energy, from both of us. It’s exhausting.”

“Well, I’m not sure I can do anything for Maria,” he said, squeezing her hand before he released it. “But I
can
help take care of you.” He opened the cooler and began pulling out cartons of food. “Let’s get you fed.”

She stuffed her notebook back in her bag and moved it off her lap. “This looks delicious,” she said as she began opening containers.

“After we eat, we can take a walk, or go for a swim, or just lie here in the sun. Whatever you want to do.”

“You’re the local,” she said, popping a grape into her mouth. “You choose.”

“Oh, I don’t think you want to let me choose the activity.” He raked his eyes over her bikini appreciatively. “What I have in mind might get us kicked off the beach.”

****

They lingered after the last of the colorful firework explosions had faded from the sky, cuddling under the stars. Claire shivered in his arms, and he pulled her tighter into his body. “Ready to go?” Max asked softly, nuzzling her ear.

“Okay.” She tipped her face one more time up toward the heavens, and then let him help her up. “Thank you for bringing me up here. I loved how we could see the reflections of the fireworks in the pond as well—it was like watching two shows.”

He bent down to fold up the blanket. “Locals call this spot the Cliff. Sometimes kids come up here to party, but as you can imagine, it’s really hard to get a cooler of beer up here.”

“So to find this place, you just have to know where to look for that hidden path off the main trail?”

Alarm shot through his veins. He should have seen this coming. “Claire, please don’t try to get here on your own. These paths don’t get used much, and it’s really easy to get lost. And you don’t even have a cell phone to bring with you.” Handing her the blanket, he added, “Shine the flashlight on these rocks so I can climb down first. Then you can toss me the stuff and I’ll help you down.”

He lowered himself carefully down the steep ledge, holding on to the trunks of the small, stubborn trees that had managed to get a foothold in the rocky ground. His feet found the first level stretch of terrain, and he caught the blanket and the flashlight as they sailed through the darkness toward him.

Propping the flashlight up in a tangle of roots, he adjusted the beam upward. “Be careful,” he warned as he stood below her, his arms extended to guide her down.

She paused as his hands connected with the lower curve of her bottom. “Oh, I see—you planned all this to cop a feel. Clever.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he maintained his firm grip. “I won’t say I’m not enjoying the view, but seriously, focus on your footing. I want to get you down in one piece.”

His fingers slid to her waist as she descended slowly, and then she was safely beside him. “Okay?” he asked.

“I’m great. It gets easier from here, right?” She slipped her hand into his and tucked the blanket under her other arm.

“Yes, but we still need to watch our step. There are a few more tricky areas.” Shining the flashlight’s beam on the ground, he led them down the ridge.

They emerged on the north side of Mill Pond, joining the main trail that circled the water’s edge. Crickets and bullfrogs serenaded them as they followed the path south toward Claire’s house.

“There’s something I want to tell you.” Her words sounded ominous, whispered above the music of the night.

“Sure.”

“I know you saw me kissing Keith. We did date for a while, it’s true. But that’s all it was. We were never…intimate.”

So she didn’t remember her earlier confession. That was probably for the best. It meant she didn’t remember the details that had come next. “You were right, it’s none of my business,” he said gruffly.

She squeezed his hand; waiting, he knew, for his own confession. He contemplated his choices as they walked in silence. “You want me to explain.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes,” she said simply.

“There’s…something I need to do first.”

“Come up with a convincing story?” Her playful tone wasn’t quite able to hide the hurt that lurked below the surface.

“No,” he said, his jaw tight with frustration. She deserved the truth, although he wished he could protect her from it forever. His explanation would cause her pain. And how could he live with himself if he jeopardized a possible reconciliation between her and her father? He had to find out if there was even a remote chance of repairing that relationship before he told Claire anything.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t joke about it.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I don’t mean to sound so cryptic.” Lights from her house welcomed them as they crossed through the wooded back yard. “I guess I’m asking you to trust me, even though I know you’ve got no good reason to.”

He assumed he wouldn’t be getting a response by the time he followed her up the porch steps. But she turned toward him outside the front door, looking somehow both fragile and strong in the velvet shadows.

“I do trust you. I have no idea why, but I do.”

“Then I would call this a successful second date.” He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling the sides of her face with his palms. Tipping her lips up to his, he kissed her possessively. The hunger inside him flared brighter, and he closed the distance between their bodies.

Backing her toward the house, he pressed her up against the door. She returned his kisses with equal passion, moaning when he pushed his thigh between her legs. Her fingers wandered to the front of his jeans, then hesitated, her nails grazing the skin of his abdomen.

He tore his mouth from hers reluctantly. If he didn’t stop her now, there would be no turning back. Bracing his hands against the door, he struggled against his body’s demands. They would make love when Claire was ready, not before.

“I should go,” he said, his voice rough. Their breath mingled in short, quick gasps. He lifted his head and locked his gaze with hers.