Page 58 of The Cottage on Pelican Bay

Zara slipped out of the bed, trying not to awaken Saint. Their wants and desires had been in rare form after returning from the Blueberry Festival. Who would have thought that a one-night stand would come to this? They had been two travelers who’d wanted no more than a night of pleasure to help heal broken hearts. They’d gotten more than the healing they’d sought. But she’d never intended for their fake affair to lead to this, an affair that was, on her part, anything other than pretense.

What have you done, Zara? she silently asked herself, as she looked over her shoulder at the man sleeping soundly in her bed. A man she knew for certain she had fallen in love with. A man she knew would never love her back. She had known that. It was the plan from the very beginning.

No emotional attachment. No commitment. No expectation of anything other than the moment.

How could she have forgotten the very elements on which their hookups had been founded? Pretending an affair should not have changed anything, but for her it had. Spending more time with Saint over the past weeks had sealed the deal for her. She had seen what Mia Givens had failed to see. Evans Toussaint was a keeper. A man worthy of any woman’s love.

Leaving the bedroom, she closed the door and went into the kitchen. Today had been perfect. The weather, the Blueberry Festival and the man she’d spent it all with. She’d even met Saint’s parents when they ran into the older couple at one of the booths. Although they were friendly enough, she could pick up on his mother’s guarded air. Regardless, Irene Toussaint had reiterated the invitation to join them on the Fourth of July. Zara had thanked her and said she would be there.

Zara thought about what Saint had told her earlier. Namely, the Toussaints and Givenses had a close relationship that had been built on the belief the two families would one day be united by marriage—Saint and Mia’s. Why would his mother want her son to get back together with a woman who had caused him heartbreak?

A part of her wanted to think that Saint’s mother believed another woman was worthy of her son. Otherwise, she wouldn’t keep trying to fix him up with local single women. Yet, it was possible she was still hoping there would be a Saint and Mia one day. Why was the woman stuck on Mia as a future daughter-in-law, and why did it bother Zara that she was?

She had just poured a glass of wine and taken a sip when she heard a sound behind her. Turning, she saw Saint leaning against the kitchen door with a sleepy look on his face. If seeing him walking across the pier with his jacket slung over his shoulder was a sexy image, then this was another level. That barely woke look in his still drowsy eyes, which were filled with intense need, took her breath away. At least he’d pulled on his khaki shorts, although they weren’t fastened, and the zipper was undone.

“You left me,” he grumbled. His throaty voice washed over her body like a sensual caress.

“You were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”

He strolled over to her in that sexy walk of his. “Sweetheart, you can wake me up anytime.” When he reached her, he took the wineglass from her hand and placed it on the counter before pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

How was she to prepare for when she would leave him to return to Boston? Specifically, the night that would be their last one together. And deep down she knew it would be the last. She couldn’t expect him to be willing to renew their hookups whenever she came back to town. He needed to get on with his life like she needed to get on with hers. But then, how would she manage to get on with hers when she loved him? Would that be the story of her life? Falling in love with men who couldn’t or wouldn’t love her back?

She forced the thought from her mind as Saint deepened the kiss to the point she began purring. When he finally released her mouth and pulled her closer to him, she knew what she should do was to suggest that after tonight they stop seeing each other. She should be spending more time with Vaughn, Sierra and Teryn since they were back in town. But she was spending her time here at the cottage where she and Saint had turned it into a lovers’ hideaway. There was no way she could ever return here to Pelican Bay and not be swamped with all the memories they were making here together. In a way, she would need those memories to fight all the lonely days that lay ahead of her when they parted ways.

“Zara...”

“Hmm?” She pulled back to look at him when he didn’t respond. She saw something in his eyes and when he blinked, it was gone. “What is it, Saint?”

He drew in a deep breath. “Nothing.” He then pulled her back into his arms to kiss her again.

“Come on in and make yourself at home, Margie.”

Margie looked around as she entered Levi’s home. Because it was dark she hadn’t seen much of the structure outside; however, she could tell it was a Victorian-style home, just like her parents’ home. It wasn’t sitting on a lot like all the other homes on the street but sat on what appeared to be several acres of land. He told her this parcel had been in the Canady family for generations and the first Levi Canady, according to Catalina Cove history, had been a faithful crew member who’d once saved Jean LaFitte’s life. His family had been proud of that fact evidently, which was why there had been a Levi Canady named in every generation since. It would have ended with him, though, since his only child had been a daughter.

The moment Margie crossed the threshold and he turned on the lights she saw that like her parents’ home, it had a welcoming feel. Another thing she noticed was how neat and clean it was. It definitely didn’t look like a single man with a dog lived here. And speaking of a dog...

“Where’s Chip?” she asked, recalling the dog’s name.

Levi led her through the living room to the kitchen. “Chip is on loan as a stud for a few days.”

“Excuse me?”

He looked over at her. “A friend of mine has a female version of Chip named Bell. He’s ready for Bell to have puppies and asked if Chip could impregnate his Bell. He hopes it’ll be successful and will result in enough puppies to give one to each of his four grandkids.”

“Oh.” She figured he’d seen the blush she hadn’t been able to hide.

“Please have a seat at the table, Margie, and I’ll get the coffee started.”

“Thanks,” she said, sitting down.

She watched him head for the coffeepot to start it going. Scanning the kitchen, she noticed that unlike her parents’ home, his had all modern appliances and evidently, at some point, he had remodeled with granite countertops. She liked the spacious setup.

“I baked a sour cream pound cake on Sunday and there’s some left. Would you like a slice to go with your coffee?”

“You bake?” she asked, surprised. Ron had been a great physician, but she would never have allowed him in her kitchen. She had a feeling Levi probably could do anything he put his mind to doing.

“I try to. It’s one of my favorite pastimes,” Levi said, intruding into her thoughts.

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