Nobody But You(43)

As if he couldn’t tell by the energy crackling off her, enough that he could have popped corn off her skin. He blew out a breath and stepped on board as well. “Sophie—”

“No,” she said through the door. “You wielded around your power like…like you’re some male alpha dog whipping it out to pee all over everything and mark your territory!”

“I rarely ever whip it out to mark my territory,” he said, hoping to make her smile.

What he got was silence. “Soph.”

Nothing.

“Listen,” he said. “Did you ever think that I kept seeking you out because…well, because I wanted to talk to you?”

He waited while she processed that, waited as she hopefully remembered three truths and a lie. Or more accurately just the terrifying real truths over a bottle of Scotch. Their kiss.

The time they’d spent in his bed…something that hadn’t been far from his mind. How she’d felt in his arms, the way she’d looked at him, like he really did it for her, like he was enough, just as he was, screwed up and all.

She opened the door and looked at him. Color tinted her cheeks. Yeah, she remembered everything. But there was something else going on here, something far deeper that was upsetting her. And he didn’t buy that it was simply because she’d misunderstood him being lake patrol. No, she was upset because she thought he’d lied to her.

Her past was rearing up and lifting its ugly head, and he got that. He did. But he wasn’t going to let her make him the bad guy here. “I’ve never lied to you,” he said.

He could feel her doubt and wished he could eradicate it, but only she could do that.

“I need to think,” she said.

“Can you think over dinner? I’ll cook so you won’t have to.”

She looked at him doubtfully.

“No, really, I’ll surprise you.” And himself…

But she shook her head. “I can’t think in your presence.”

“Why not?”

“Because looking at you is like…” She tossed up her hands. “It’s like walking down the chips and cookie aisle at the grocery store. I can’t resist you, and then I’ll forget why you’re bad for me.”

“How about I promise to be so good to you that you’ll forget the bad?”

Her gaze had started to soften, but then she apparently found her resolve, because she shook herself out of it and said, “Argh!” Then she jabbed a finger at him. “No. No more of your magical kisses that make my clothes fall off. You’ve got to go.” To prove it, she moved to the captain’s chair, started the boat, and revved the engine.

He’d have liked to push the issue and talk her down, coax her into coming back home with him, but he knew pushing her right now wasn’t the smart move.

And he wanted to be smart here. Wanted to be smart with her. Careful. She needed to be in control, and he got that. “Promise me one thing,” he said. “That you’ll moor at my place. No more sneaking around, trying to find a place at the end of a long day when you’re too tired to be behind the wheel. My dock is open to you. No fee, no paybacks, no worries. Period.”

She stilled. “Okay,” she murmured.

Okay. She’d be back when she needed to moor the boat for the night, and they could talk then. On her terms.

He barely got out of the boat before she hit the gas and was gone, leaving nothing but a wake.

Hud came down to the dock to stand next to him, smirking, the ass. “You’ve been back, what, two weeks, and you’ve already pissed off the hottest redhead in town. I think that’s a record, even for you.”





Chapter 15



Jacob shook his head. He hated letting Sophie go, but she needed a moment, and he could give it to her, knowing she’d be back tonight. “Don’t start,” he said to Hud, and turned his head to eye his twin—who up until now had barely given him the time of day, even though they’d spent a lot of time at the resort together.

He’d done his best not to care. He’d spent time with his mom. He’d also been working on the cabin here and there, fixing some things that had been bothering him, like a loose floorboard and some wonky electrical that made it so he couldn’t run his TV and make toast at the same time.

He’d been taking long paddleboard rides, pretending not to search for one crazy hot and adorable redhead’s boat.

But he was restless, spending too much time not doing what he’d come here to do.

Which was not one Sophie Marren. “What are you doing here?” he asked Hud.

“You’ve been visiting Mom.”

Jacob stared at him. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

Hud didn’t answer that. Instead he said, “You went a long time without seeing her.”

This conversation was a one-way-road straight to Troubleville. Because he had seen their mom, as often as he’d been able to manage it. “Was there a question in there?” Jacob asked.

Hud didn’t react to this, but there was something in his eyes, something to suggest temper even though he looked calm and patient and utterly in control.

But Jacob wasn’t nearly as patient, never had been. “Why don’t you just say what you came here to say.”