Page 33 of Resting Beach Face
I brushed past him into his living area without waiting for an invitation. Declan’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t stop me.
“You heard about that, huh?”
“It’s a small town.”
He smiled wryly. “And I told your boss today.”
I winced. “Don’t blame Sky. He was just being a good friend to me.”
Declan waved a hand. “It’s not a secret, anyway. I just called Sky for some advice on how to deal with developers.”
“Developers?” My brow creased. “You’re not selling to someone who wants to run the B&B?”
“They want to put in condos. It’ll be good for Swallow Cove to have more housing. Good for people like you, Cash. I know there aren’t enough affordable places to live.”
There were a lot of reasons I stayed at home. That seemed like the least significant one. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but he also wasn’t entirely right.
“You really think lakefront condos are going to be affordable?” I asked with a snort. “No. It’ll just be one more place for wealthy summer residents to stay. The rest of us will be exactly where we are now.”
Declan’s face tightened. “You don’t know that.”
“Maybe not. But do you really know what you’re getting into?”
He frowned. “Well, that’s why I talked to Skylar. I’m not just going into this blindly, Cash. I’m in negotiations. I won’t sign anything until I’m satisfied with the terms.”
If he hadn’t signed a deal, it wasn’t too late to undo this.
“Don’t sell,” I blurted.
“Cash…”
“Please,” I said quickly. “We can find a way for the B&B and the resort to both succeed. We’ll funnel overflow bookings to you or maybe we can coordinate events. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”
“That’s not why I’m selling. The resort is bringing more people to Swallow Cove, not less. My business isn’t suffering.”
Oh, shit. Itwasbecause of me then.
I swallowed hard. “Okay. So I’ve been too flirty and forward. I’ll back off and leave you alone, okay? I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just… I like you. But I’ll keep my distance, I promise. Juststay.”
He drew in a sharp breath. “Oh, Cash, no. It’s not because of you. You’re one of the brightest spots in Swallow Cove.”
I took a step closer, heart thundering. “Then why do you always push me away?”
“It’s complicated.”
I looked into his eyes, and there was nothing complicated there. I could see want and longing and so much loneliness.
“I want you to kiss me, then.”
His eyes flew wide. “What? Why?”
“You want to. I can tell. What’s stopping you?”
“So many things…”
I stepped forward into his space, careful not to touch him. Careful not to lean in and close the gap. But my eyes locked onto his, and there was a magnetic pull between us.
One I was certain he could feel, too.
