Page 81 of Booked for Summer

‘How’s your grandma?’ she asked as they drew closer to the wharf.

He slid her a glance. ‘Enjoying the books you collected for her. I set up the Kindle, which she says is the best invention in the history of inventions because it’s a modern gadget she can actually use. It was thoughtful of you to get her CDs, but I’m working on setting her up with the audiobooks, even though she curses a lot when I try and show her how to find and play them on her smartphone.’ His face softened, his voice warmed with such affection her heart gave a hard flip. ‘What?’

Belatedly she realised she must have been staring. ‘I was wondering about the woman who inspires such devotion in Liam Haven that he turns into a ball of goo when he talks about her.’

He grunted. ‘She’s my family. My world.’

‘I can see that.’ She paused, wondered whether to ask, then decided if he clammed up on her it would be a good thing. Stop her from making a rash decision to fall back into bed with him. ‘How many other women have turned you into a ball of goo, even if only temporarily?’

His eyes narrowed. ‘Is that your way of asking me about my exes?’

‘You saw through my subtle line of questioning, huh?’

His mouth twitched. ‘You have many attributes. Subtlety isn’t one of them.’

‘Noted, but I’ve told you about my exes, and you haven’t said anything about yours, other than the fact you’ve been hurt in the past.’

‘That’s all there is to say. Two serious relationships, one with a childhood sweetheart who turned out to have no heart. One further and final mistake which ended six years ago.’

‘Which one was Sabrina Ellis?’

He stilled, hands gripping tighter to the wheel. ‘Jeremy told you.’

‘To be fair, he only mentioned it because I asked him.’

‘You asked Jeremy about my past relationships?’

Jade slunk into the plush leather of the seat. ‘Yes, okay, I was interested to know who you’d dated.’

A small smile played around his mouth. ‘How long ago was this?’

‘At the library event,’ she muttered.

‘Um… and what juicy information did Jeremy manage to impart about Sabrina?’

‘He was pretty useless, actually. Said she was the daughter of the owner of the Ellis Hotel empire so go you, and that was it. He only brought her up so he could reassure me that you wouldn’t be fazed by… how did he put it… “interwork, non-curricular relations”? Something like that. I was too busy memorising her name so I could Google it later to really listen.’

He nodded, eyes now watching her curiously. ‘And were you reassured?’

‘By knowing the fact I worked for you wouldn’t bother you? Sure. But that diving into a hot affair with you was a good idea? No way, José.’

* * *

Liam slowed the boat and turned to face the woman next to him. The one he’d driven himself half mad trying to keep his hands off all day.

‘April was my first mistake, but I was young and inexperienced. Sabrina was the second. I was older and should have known better. She was the hardest to recover from.’ He paused, staring out at the harbour as he tried to gather his thoughts. ‘We’ve both been hurt in relationships, so we both have our reasons for being wary about what’s happening here. But the difference is, we’d go into this knowing it will end when your three months is over.’ It was the first time he’d thought of her going, and it caused a disconcerting tightening in his chest. ‘We talked before about what would make us regret it. What we didn’t ask ourselves was whether we’d regretnottaking this further. Not spending the next two months enjoying each other.’ He put his hand on her cheek, taking satisfaction from the hitch of her breath, the widening of her pupils. She wasn’t immune to him. ‘I know I would, but maybe I have more to gain.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I told you, I feel like I’m a better version of myself when I’m with you. I want to see more of that guy.’See if he can be brave enough to lower some walls, risk letting someone close again.Not someone. Her. He was prepared to risk it for her. Gently he ran his thumb down her cheek. ‘You told me you came out here to find yourself, prove you were every bit as smart and capable as your sister. Is there any way I can help with that, other than letting you work out your contract?’

She laughed. ‘Well, you could give me some of your “I don’t give a shit what you think of me”attitude. And a dollop of your “I’m so frigging successful nothing can touch me” confidence.’

She was joking, but he wondered if there was some way he could make her see what he did, what others did. ‘That attitude, the so-called confidence, I didn’t have as a kid. It came from building the business. Once you have belief in yourself, it matters less what others think.’

‘I can see that.’ Her eyes darted away. ‘And I’m starting to think maybe I’m not the worst manager the bookstore has seen.’

‘You’re a fucking great manager,’ he asserted, then laughed as he met a pair of blue eyes shining with mischief. ‘You deliberately put yourself down so I’d say something nice.’

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