Page 27 of Somewhere You Belong

“Well, we’re coming back to the geese, but you really caught my attention with sexy bar owner. Now we’re getting somewhere.” Shauna laughs and I roll my eyes. “Spill, Willow. I knew there had to be another reason for this call.”

Sighing, I muster up the resolve to admit the main source of my frustration. “I stopped into his restaurant to have a couple drinks the first night I got here, and he lectured me about my manners.”

Shauna laughs. “I like him already.”

I scoff. For someone who acts like the chief of the manners police, he sure didn’t make any effort to make me feel welcome. At all. It’s ironic, given that his restaurant and all of Carrington Cove thrive on tourism. And the way he demanded I give him this house. Truth be told—a part of me was ready to hand him the keys the second the words left his lips, just to rid myself of the hassle. It would certainly be the easiest option. But like I said, once Penn and I started talking about the house and what needed to be done, my heart lurched with want—the desire to do it myself.

And now, knowing he wants the house so badly only makes me want to hold onto it that much more. Maybe Mr. Manners needs to earn it. And maybe he needs to stop being so damn attractive that I’m contemplating entirely unethical ways in which he could earn it.

So what if he’s tall and muscular, and his neatly trimmed beard is so tempting that I had to fight the need to reach out andstroke it?

So what if his jeans hugged his sculpted ass, indicating his clear dedication to his body?

And so what if the way he pursed his lips in frustration makes me wonder what those lips would feel like against my skin?

I’m just horny, haven’t been tended to by something other than my hand or a vibrator in very long time. And using him to scratch that itch just isn’t a smart idea.

“No. He was rude, grumpy, and way too hot for his own good,” I say, setting Shauna straight.

“Oh, then he’s definitely the one you need to sleep with.”

I shake my head. “Um, did you not hear me before when I said he wants to buy this house?”

“I did, and what I’m confused about is why that’s a bad thing. It’s perfect. Have some good hate sex while you’re down there, fix up the house, and then voila! You already have a buyer when you’re ready to sell.” I hear her rap her knuckles against a table. “What’s the problem?”

Sighing, I say, “I don’t need another distraction or obstacle right now, Shauna.”

“Yeah, that’s where I think you’re wrong. A good distraction is exactly what you need. Your life is about to be very different for the next few months, so I say you jump in with both feet, and that includes getting down and dirty with a handsome bar owner.”

I close my eyes and groan. “Why can’t you just be on my side for once?”

“Because your side is boring.”

“God, he’s so hot, Shauna,” I mutter softly, like saying the words is physically causing me pain.

She clicks her tongue. “We’ve established that. So, what’s he look like?”

I slump as I take a seat on the edge of the shower, picturing him standing on my front porch and in my living room just now. “Tall, broad, jet-black hair and a trim beard on the kind of jaw you want to lick. And his forearms…” I hum in approval.

“I love forearms,” she moans enthusiastically. “I think they’re one of the most underrated body parts on a man. Forrest’s make me feral.”

“Agreed. I swear, I could lick his and I think I’d have an orgasm just from that alone.” We share a hearty laugh. “But he acted so self-righteous that my attraction was flipped off as fast as you flick a light switch. Don’t get me wrong, it took a lot of balls to make me that offer, I’ll give him that. But the look on his face when I told him I wouldn’t sell the house to him because he didn’t saypleasemade me more thanpleasedwith myself.”

Shauna laughs. “Well, now you know what he wants, so I say you use that to your advantage.”

“I don’t know.” I shake my head, staring at the wall in front of me. “I want to screw him and punch him in his pretty face at the same time. That can’t be a good sign.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But itisa sign that you’ll be facing some choices in the next few months, Willow, and maybe even a few that will benefit your vagina.” We share a laugh again. “But the real question is, are you willing to choose what you reallywant, not just what you think is safe?”

I wish I could give her an answer.

***

“Don’t stress.” Katrina rests her hands on my shoulders as we stand in my office back at MarshallAdvertising.

“Easier said than done.”

“Willow, I’m telling you. Everything will be fine. Natalie is more than capable of managing things while you’re gone.”

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