Page 37 of The Art of Loving Lacy
“What?”
“Being so stinkin’ nice to me.”
Dane smiled again. “We should really talk about the details of the assignment, don’t you think?” Dane parked the car and opened the door.
As soon as his foot hit the pavement, her heart skipped a beat. She dragged her eyes down his body, remembering the feel of him on top of her. Inside of her.Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.Lacy took a step backward.
Dane reached into his pocket and handed her an envelope. “This has the address of the cottage I rented for you. It’s right in Chatham, so you won’t have to travel far each day. It’s nice—right on Cockel Cove. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
She took the envelope.You rented me a cottage? On a cove?
“Directions to the marina are in there, as is a list of local restaurants, stores I thought you might enjoy, and the address of where I’m staying in case you need anything. You have my cell number, so…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight?”
Lacy stared at the envelope. This was all happening too fast.I’m going to Chatham with him. He rented me a cottage.
“Eight,” she said. Maybe she should be alarmed at his assumptions and his planning, but she had just the opposite reaction. Dane was right there. He’d not only come for her, but he’d made all of the necessary arrangements to ensure they’d spend time together. After hoping he’d do just that for so long, now that he finally was, it was hard for her to turn away from it. She felt her eyebrows return to their rightful places. The tension in her jaw released.
“There’s an itinerary in there. I’m not going to pressure you, Lacy.”
“Like this isn’t pressure?” Lacy rolled her eyes.
“This is a nudge in what I hope is the right direction. But don’t worry. While I might nudge you to spend time in my presence, I’ll never pressure you with regard to anything physical. In fact, let’s make a pact, Lace.” He smiled, his eyes dancing over hers.
I love when you say my name like that.
“Let’s agree not to fall madly in love with each other. Okay? Because that would just be too much pressure,” Dane said.
“Not to…”No pressure. No falling in love. I already love him.
“Yes, I think it’s best. Let’s just see if we can be friends. I felt something up on that dune that I still don’t understand, and last night? Last night was torture. I’m so used to hearing your voice at night, even if by phone, that it was awful. I kept hearing the elevator doors shut and picturing your face, so upset, so angry.” He reached out and ran his finger along her cheek. “I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
“Friendship.”Geez, get a grip. Say something intelligent. Do you really just want to be friends?She was too confused to decipher if he was doing this as a safety net so she wouldn’t feel pressured, or if he truly wanted to hang on to their friendship above all else. Either way, she was going to agree to whatever he asked because being near him only made her want to see him more. “Okay.”Ugh.
“Okay?” His eyes lit up. “Okay, you agree not to fall in love with me?”
Lacy felt a smile push its way across her face. “I agree not to fall in love with you, but it’s a two-way street. No falling in love with me, either.”What am I doing?
“Deal,” he said.
She watched him pull away and dialed Danica’s number again, leaving another message. “You’d better call me. I think I’m in trouble.”
Chapter Thirteen
“SO LET ME get this straight. You’re in a cottage that he rented for you, in Chatham, and you’re going to do what? Follow his itinerary for the next few days? And your boss let you go?” Danica asked.
It was nine o’clock in the evening, and Lacy was sitting out on the deck of the cottage that Dane had rented for her, the sound of waves breaking and the cool air coming off the water, sending memories flittering through her mind.
She pressed her cell phone to her ear. “Yup,” she said. “He’s got really good taste, too. This place is amazing. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and—”
“Lacy,” Danica interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“You left me a message like you were in real trouble. What am I missing?” Danica asked.
Lacy sighed. “I can’t decide if this is all crazy. I mean, am I ignoring all sorts of red flags? Who does this type of thing? Rents a house, arranges for a week or two away from the office—and pays for it—for someone they like?” She walked down the steps to the beach and ran her toes through the sand. “I can’t decide if this is incredibly romantic or insanely postal.”
Danica laughed. “If it were a guy from any other family, I might agree with you, but the Bradens tend to do things all the way. Remember my wedding? The spa morning? Theisland, for Pete’s sake?” Treat had arranged for Danica and Kaylie to have exclusive use of an island for their wedding.
