Page 79 of Booked for Summer

Adam’s smile froze. ‘I see. When is that?’

‘I’ll be outside the visitor centre in the historic district on Saturday from one p.m.’

He nodded curtly. A man who’d momentarily stood eight-foot tall before being expertly cut down to size. ‘I might see you there, then.’

The door banged shut behind him.

A charged silence settled between them. Liam knew he needed to get out and regroup. Let his emotions settle. He was prepared to beg for another chance, but to put himself through that when she had no intention of granting him one? Humiliation wasn’t new to him, but could he knowingly put himself through it again? ‘I’ll see you on Saturday.’

‘Sorry?’

‘For the book recommendation,’ he clarified. ‘Outside the visitor centre, one o’clock.’

‘Oh.’ She bit into her lip, a faint red to her cheeks. ‘You don’t need to come to the clinic for that. I only said it to Adam because he was being a twat.’

A low laugh escaped him, but jealousy still twisted inside him. ‘He likes you.’

‘I think he likes winding you up, more.’

Their eyes met and the weight of the moment felt heavy on his shoulders. Somehow, without his knowing it, he’d handed her the power to hurt him. He could, and had, also hurt her.

Neither was remotely acceptable.

He should forget her, forget this humming attraction for a woman working against him, causing him to delay his dream so she could fulfil hers.

‘You told Adam I was just an employee to you.’ Jade’s voice cut through his swirling thoughts. ‘I’m not saying that’s wrong, but my head is spinning with all thisI like you Jade, the sex was just what I needed. I want another chance with you. You’re just an employee.’ She slid her hands onto her hips. ‘Be straight with me. Which should I believe?’

Why did she have to look so magnificent, boldly staring him down? ‘Come out with me on the boat on Sunday. Let me show you.’ Humiliation and pain be damned, he’d never backed down, only ever stepped forward. ‘You show me books. I’ll show you whales.’

Her quiet blue gaze held his. ‘Is this just a ruse to push me overboard so you can get on with knocking down the bookstore?’

‘I can bulldoze it any time I want.’ He exhaled, matched her calm stare with one of his own. ‘It’s a ruse to spend time with you. To show you that the first and third statements are what you should believe. The second I apologised for, the last I said to Adam because I didn’t want him knowing how infatuated I am.’

She sucked in a breath and automatically his eyes were drawn to her luscious breasts. Fuck, he wanted to bury himself in them again so much, he ached.

‘What about sex?’

Guiltily he looked back up at her face. ‘You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen, and my body remembers every second of how much it enjoyed being tangled with yours. Of course I want to sleep with you again. But if we spend the next two months only as friends, I can handle that. What I can’t handle is knowing you’re around the corner and not being able to talk to you.’

Her expression softened, the blue of her eyes deepening. ‘That’s because I’m such awesome company.’

This was why he’d allowed her to distract him. She made him smile, made the self-imposed burden he carried around with him– the need to prove he was successful in the most visible way by making Haven Resort the biggest and best on the island– feel less heavy. ‘Sunday morning. I’ll knock on your door at ten a.m.?’

‘Pretty sure I can make it down to the yacht with no mishaps.’ He stared back at her. ‘Oh, crap, you’re remembering my unplanned swim.’

‘I’ll knock on your door,’ he repeated. ‘Bring a sweater, it can get chilly out on the ocean.’

‘Aye, aye captain.’ She gave him a wonky salute, which made him want to bundle her into his arms and spend the next hour kissing her.

Just as he was debating whether kissing was allowed in the new friendship he was trying to navigate, another customer walked in.

The lady looked him up and down. ‘You’re Liam Haven.’

His heart sunk. That question was rarely the start to anything good. ‘I am.’

‘We used to moor our boat on this wharf and enjoy shopping along the waterfront. Now we can’t moor it here and even if we could, this is the only shop left to enjoy.’ Her gaze darted to Jade. ‘Is it right that he’s going to knock it down, too?’

Jade slid him a glance. ‘Unless we can persuade him otherwise.’

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