Page 6 of Kiss Me Again

“No,” I tell her, smiling. I love that Linda worries for my kids as much as I do. “And Aiden is fine, too. My lunch order is not some crystal ball.”

“You ordered tuna on rye the day you told me you were getting married, and tuna on rye the day you told me you were getting divorced. You haven’t ordered it before or since. So, yes, Cormac, it is a crystal ball into that thick skull of yours.”

“What am I going to do when you retire? No one else knows me as well as you do.”

She shrugs, then smirks. “You’ll train a new one.”

“Ugh,” I sit back and pout. “That’ll be your job the last year you’re here.”

She sighs, happily. “Thelastyear has such a ring to it.”

“Are we really so terrible?”

“You know I love you like you were my own, Cormac, but an old lady has to do what an old lady has to do. For now, that means ordering your odd salad, but don’t come whining to me when you’re craving a Reuben later on.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” I’m still craving raspberries.

3

Lily

Oversleeping, when done right, is an art-form.

It’s the one thing I’ve really enjoyed since my restaurant burned away. Well, that and Cormac. Just thinking about his name makes me smile. Silly really. I’m never going to see him again.

I sigh and reluctantly open my eyes. Can’t guess the time—the sun is past my window for the day. But when I open it, I catch a whiff of the breeze, and my head goes straight to Cormac. I hadn’t noticed it at the start of things, but once we were in the elevator, his cologne hit me. It smelled like the ocean air.

Turning to my room, I take stock of what I have. I could sit back and ruminate over everything I’ve lost, but that doesn’t seem useful. Thankfully, my parents disproved the old adage about not being able to go home again. I’m luckier than most—at least I had a soft landing when I fell on my ass.

I’m staying at their B&B in a first floor room. Not the fanciest room they have—that goes for too much money to be given to family. But it’s nice enough. Pale hardwood floors throughout, with white walls and blue brocade curtains. The linens are soft and light blue, and they make me want to sleep forever.

Or maybe that’s just life making me want to sleep forever.

I plop onto the bed and huff at myself. I cannot keep mulling over it, but I also can’t stop myself from doing exactly that. Until I think of Cormac, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Laughing, I decide on a shower.

I have never gone for a guy like him. He was too straight-laced, too proper for me. Usually, I kept things simple and hooked up with restaurant guys who knew it would go nowhere. Running a restaurant meant I didn’t have time for a steady boyfriend. But Cormac seemed like the boyfriend type. He was definitely not my kind of man.

But hedidmake me come, which is more than I can say for most men.

Scrubbing down in the shower, I keep thinking about him. The way he touched me, the way he moved. It is hardnotto think of him when I’m naked. He was so damned good looking. Lacking the usual tattoos and piercings of my normal hook-ups, but still. And the way he kisses is enough that the memory makes me shiver. His hands, strong and resolute. I smile, thinking about him. Touching myself the way he touched me, but my phone goes off.

I lean out the shower curtain. It’s Paxton again, so I ignore it.

He let me down in the biggest way, and there is no good that can come of speaking to him while I’m still pissed off. We were friends before the fire that ruined my life. I’m not sure how to forgive what he did.

My restaurant had been my dream since I was a little girl. Seeing it go up in smoke felt like I lost not only my business, but a part of myself, as well. Oyster Hill was my baby. And I couldn’t save her.

Paxton’s fuck-up makes the loss so much worse.

It would be one thing if the insurance company had sent only one notice to renew. But he ignored three notices. His excuses ranged from, “My dealer got me some really good shit,” to, “Mercury is in retrograde,” to, “Maybe I shouldn’t have been the one in charge of something so important.”

At least we agree on the last one. Not that it matters anymore.

I have to give it one more shot. While drying my hair, I decide I will do whatever it takes. I have to get Oyster Hill back. Not only am I screwed, but so are my employees. They don’t deserve this.

Once my hair is dry, I call the insurance company and ask for whoever I need to speak to on the matter. But I get bumped from one to the other, because they know what’s coming. Finally, a rep who sounds old and tired gets on the line. That’s how I feel, so I think we can find common ground. I give him my best spiel, explaining the whole thing. “…so, I know the insurance lapsed, but I’m asking for some flexibility. We’ve been good clients for years, and—

“I don’t mean to be rude, but what makes you think that? We’ve had to chase you down every renewal period.”

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