The Charmer (16 page)

Tenley spun around, her heart skipping a beat. “No.”

“A customer.”

“It was just Randy Schmitt. He wanted to drop something off for me.” She held up the scraps. “It wasn’t important.” Tenley shoved the papers into her
jacket pocket, then picked up the mail that she’d dropped on the floor. “I’ll see you later. If Alex stops in, tell him I went home.”

Tenley hurried out the door, anxious to leave all thoughts of her encounter with Randy behind. As she strode up the sidewalk to the post office, she passed several people she knew. They smiled and said hello and Tenley returned the greeting.

Usually people avoided her gaze, knowing she wouldn’t respond. But things had changed over the past few days. Whatever they thought was going on between her and Alex suddenly made her “normal” again.

The odd thing was, she felt normal. She wanted to smile, even though she was still furious with Randy. In truth, lately, she found herself smiling for no reason at all. She picked up her pace as she walked and the next person she passed, Tenley made it a point to say hello first.

When she got to the post office, she made polite conversation with the postmaster and when she walked out, she held the door open for Mrs. Newton, the English teacher at the high school.

By the time she got back to her Jeep, parked beside the gallery, Tenley felt as if she’d accomplished something important. Though Sawyer Bay could be a difficult place to live, it also had its advantages.

She reached in her jacket pocket for her keys, but found the scraps of Randy’s envelope instead. She pulled them out and searched for a trash can that wasn’t covered with snow. In the end, she got in her car and set them on the seat beside her.

But her curiosity got the best of her. What had Randy found that warranted a personal visit and a plain manila envelope? All manner of possibilities came to mind. Alex Stamos was a criminal, a happily married man, a porn star.

Well, porn star wouldn’t be that difficult to believe considering his prowess in bed. But criminals usually didn’t run publishing companies. And she was pretty confident that Alex wasn’t married. Maybe he’d been married in the past?

Though that really wouldn’t change her feelings for him, she had to wonder why he wouldn’t have mentioned it. She picked the papers out of the envelope and spread them out on the seat, piecing them together one by one.

They were pages printed off a Web site called SmoothOperators.com. From what Tenley could see, the pages were a file on Alex. Beneath each screen name was a paragraph describing Alex—most of them in very unflattering terms. As she read through them, Tenley realized that these were written by women Alex had dated—and dumped.

As she flipped through the pages, she was stunned at the sheer number of women who had something to say about him. He appeared to be a serial dater. He was known as “The Charmer,” a nickname that appeared on the top of each page alongside his photo.

“‘Modus operandi,’” she read. “‘The Charmer finds more excitement in the chase than he does in what comes later. After he gets you into bed, it’s bye-bye and onto the next girl. He can’t seem to settle on just one
mate because he feels compelled to make every woman fall in love with him. He’ll love you and leave you, all in the same night.’”

This didn’t seem like the Alex she knew. But then, did she really know him at all?

“‘Stay away from this man,’” she read.

If this was Alex, and the picture proved it was, then perhaps she ought to be more careful. Maybe there wouldn’t be a future for them after all. Tenley scanned the photos of the women next to the screen names. Every single one of them looked as if they’d stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. If they couldn’t capture Alex’s heart, what made her think she could?

She closed her eyes and leaned back into the seat. Who was she kidding? She and Alex had enjoyed a vacation fling, an affair that was meant to have a beginning and an end. When she’d found him, she’d been willing to settle for just one night. Now, she’d have almost an entire week.

It would have to be enough. After he left, she’d move on with her life. And if they saw each other again, they could enjoy a night or two in bed—no strings, no regrets. Tenley quickly picked up the scraps and shoved them into the glove compartment.

At least her relationship with Alex proved one thing. She was ready to fall in love. And someday, maybe she’d find a man like him, a man who made her feel like she could do anything and be anyone she wanted to be.

T
HE WOODS WERE SILENT
around them. Alex held his breath, listening, waiting for some sound to pierce the night air. But there was nothing, just the dark sky and the bare trees and the moonlight glittering off the snow.

“Wow,” he murmured. “In all my life, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard complete silence.” He reached out and found her hand in the dark. “There’s always some sort of noise in the city, even when it’s quiet. It hums.”

“Shh! Hear that?”

He listened and heard the flutter of wings behind them. “What is that?”

“Owl,” she said. “Probably got a mouse. There are all kinds of things moving in the woods at night. In the summer, it’s like a symphony of sound. But in the winter, the snow muffles everything.”

He could barely see the features of her face in the moonlight, but he could hear the smile in her voice. “What if we get lost?” he said. “Will you protect me from the bears and the wolves?”

“We won’t get lost. I know every inch of these woods. Every tree. I grew up here.” She turned on the
flashlight and began walking again, her snowshoes crunching against the snow. Alex followed her until she stopped at a large tree.

“See,” she said, pointing to the trunk. Her gloved finger ran over an arrow carved into the tree, the head pointing down.

“Did you do that?”

Tenley nodded. “Underneath all this snow and about a foot or two of dirt is an old cigar tin. My brother and I buried a time capsule on our eighth birthday. We were going to dig it up when we turned eighteen.”

“Did you? Dig it up?”

Tenley shook her head. “I didn’t have the heart. I can’t even remember what we put inside. Maybe this summer, I’ll come here and find out.”

“What was he like?”

“He was…like me. In every way. It was like we shared a brain. We knew what the other was thinking all the time. I could look at him and know the next words that were going to come out of his mouth. Some people say twins have a psychic connection. When I come out here sometimes, I can feel him. Does that sound crazy?”

“No,” Alex said.

“I just wish I could go back and fix the mistakes I made.”

“What mistakes?” Alex knew the answer to his question, but he wanted her to tell him. And to his surprise, she started talking. Maybe it was the fact that she couldn’t see him in the dark or that they were out in the cold, alone.

“It was my idea to go out that night,” she began. “I dared him to sail out to the island. He said no, but I wouldn’t let it go. I kept picking at him and picking at him until he agreed.”

“It’s not your fault, Tenley. You were just a kid. You didn’t know.”

“I did. That’s the point. I knew it was dangerous. So did he. But I wanted him to admire me. I wanted him to think I was the most important person in the world. I wanted proof that he loved me the best.”

“But he did. You were important to him.”

“I wasn’t. Not anymore.”

“I don’t understand.”

He heard her draw a ragged breath. “Tommy had a girlfriend. He told me all about her, how much he liked her. How he was going to ask her to go sailing with him that weekend. I knew she’d be afraid to go outside the harbor. But I wasn’t afraid. I had to prove to him that I was better than she was.”

Alex reached out for her, but she pulled away, stepping back into the darkness. “Tenley, what happened was an accident. You didn’t cause it. There’s a million and one ways that bad things can happen. A million and one reasons why they do. You didn’t create the bad weather, the cold water or the wave that turned over the boat.”

“We were out there because of me,” she said, bitterness suffusing her tone. “Because I was jealous of some silly girl with blond hair and pretty clothes.”

He saw the tears streaming down her face, glittering in the moonlight. Alex wanted to take her into his arms
and make everything better. But he knew how much it had cost her to tell him. By trying to brush it away, he would only trivialize her feelings. “What if you had been the one to die that night? What if Tommy had lived? And he’d tortured himself the same way you’ve been doing? How would you have felt about that?”

“Angry,” she said. “But I wouldn’t blame him. He’d never do anything to deliberately hurt me.”

“Don’t you think he knew that about you? Don’t you think he realized how much you loved him? He wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life mourning his death. Hell, I don’t know Tommy. But if he was anything like you, he’d tell you to stop acting like such a baby and get on with your life.”

Tenley sat down in the snow. “I feel like I’m ready to let it go. But I’m afraid if I do, I’ll forget him. And then I won’t have anyone.”

He squatted down in front of her, reaching out to cup her face in his gloved hands. “You’ll have me,” Alex said.

“No, I won’t. You’re leaving in a few days.”

“I don’t live that far away, Tenley.”

“Don’t,” she murmured, brushing his hands away. “Don’t make any promises you can’t keep. I’m fine with what we’ve had. I don’t need anything more.”

This was it, Alex thought. Her grandfather had warned him it was coming, but he hadn’t expected her to turn on him for no reason—and so soon. “What if I do? Need more, I mean.”

“I’m sure you’ll find plenty of girls eager to take care of your needs.”

“Do you think that’s what this is about? Sex?”

She stumbled to her feet and brushed the snow off her backside. Then she shone the flashlight in his face. “That’s all this was
ever
about. We enjoy each other in bed. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I don’t believe you,” Alex said. “I refuse to believe you don’t feel something more.”

“What I feel doesn’t make a difference. Come on, Alex, be reasonable. We can pretend that we’ll see each other again, we might even make plans. But once we’re apart, the desire is bound to fade. I can deal with that. Don’t worry, I’m not going to fall apart on you.”

Alex felt a surge of anger inside of him. She sounded so indifferent, but he knew it was a lie. He had seen it in her eyes, had felt it in the way she touched him. They shared a connection that couldn’t be broken with just a few words and a wave goodbye.

“We should go back,” she muttered. “I’m getting cold.”

He knew what would happen when they returned to the cabin. Tenley would find a way to smooth over their discussion and she’d lure him into bed. And once again, he’d be left certain he was falling in love with her, yet completely unsure of her feelings for him.

Alex had to wonder if he’d ever know how she truly felt. Would she ever be brave enough to admit that she needed him? Or that she wanted someone to share her life? Maybe Tenley was right. Maybe they both ought to just move on.

She pointed the flashlight out in front of them and
retraced their steps in the snow. Alex had no choice but to follow her. They walked for a long while in silence, but when he saw the lights from the yard, Alex suddenly regretted giving up his room at the inn.

He wasn’t angry with her. He knew why Tenley was pushing him away. But Alex wondered if she could ever fully trust him. Or trust any man. He found it odd that her insecurities didn’t come from a series of bad relationships, but from never having experienced a relationship at all.

She’d obviously had sex before. She was far too comfortable in bed. But he suspected she treated sex the same way she treated a hike or a ride in her sleigh—a pleasant activity to pass the time and nothing more. Truth be told, that was the way he’d always approached it as well—until he’d met her.

From the moment he’d first touched her, Alex felt something powerful between them. And sex became more than just physical release—it became a way to communicate his feelings for her. For the first time in his life, he was actually making love.

“I think I’m going to work for a while,” Tenley said. “I’ll be in later. Don’t wait up.”

“Fine,” he said.

They parted ways on the porch, Alex watching as she walked toward the barn. He ought to pack his bags and leave. Let her see how much she liked her life without him in it. Maybe, with some time apart, she’d actually realize what they’d shared was special.

He unbuckled his snowshoes, then stepped inside to
find the dogs waiting. “Go ahead,” he said, moving aside. They bounded out into the snow in a flurry of flying feet and wagging tails. He watched them play. Dog and Pup.

She hadn’t even bothered to name her dogs. Was she afraid they were going to leave her, too, someday? He wasn’t sure what the two cats were named, if they even had names. And as far as she was concerned, he was probably just…Guy or Dude.

Alex had cast aside more women than he cared to count. Why couldn’t he bring himself to do the same with Tenley? Instead of being apathetic, he found himself angry. He’d made a difference in her life and she refused to acknowledge it. They were better people together than they were apart.

He saw the light go on in the tower studio and stepped into the shadows of the porch. Tenley appeared in the window overlooking the cabin. He watched as she moved about, remembering the previous afternoon and how she’d talked him out of his clothes.

Alex shook his head, wondering how this would all end. Hell, he couldn’t believe it had begun in the first place. Had he not ended up in that snowdrift, none of this would have happened. Eventually, he would have tracked down Tenley, made his proposal and been on his way. On any other day, he might have looked right past her, unaware of the incredible woman she was.

But something had brought them together, some great karmic design, some strange twist of fate. And he had to
believe that same force would keep them together, even though she was doing her damnedest to drive them apart.