Page 21 of Island Refuge

“Good night, Travis.”

She closed the bedroom door, but she couldn’t close him out of her thoughts. Weary, she changed into a nightgown. Her body ached all over and she felt as if she’d been hit by a truck. Silly to be aching all over simply due to the stress of having Travis foisted on her.

That kiss danced through her mind as she snuggled into bed and closed her eyes. She couldn’t put any stock in that moment, no matter how exciting. Any feelings that liplock had stirred up were fake. An illusion. He’d given a performance for anyone watching them. It was her responsibility to tuck it away and keep herself steady in his presence.

Her earlier joy of coming home was dust, crushed under the weight of the situation.

Maybe it was fitting, some sort of universal closing of the circle. The first time she’d changed her life to call Brookwell her home, she’d been doing it to escape her thieving parents. This time she didn’t know the thief who’d intruded on her life. She wasn’t sure that was any better.

Regardless, she’d shake off this mess just as she had done it the first time around.

No one was going to destroy her dream or derail her plans for the quiet, family-bakery life she’d been longing for.

Not even her self-appointed protector.

Chapter 7

The next day, Travis couldn’t fault Lila’s cooperation, planned or not. She’d emerged from the bedroom at just past seven, with a warm and friendly attitude. Definitely a morning person. He supposed that was a requirement for a pastry chef who wanted to run a bakery.

Dressed in jeans and a long sleeve Henley, with her auburn curls braided back from her face, she’d offered to order breakfast for them while he cleaned up.

Wary it might be some kind of trick, she assured him she wouldn’t leave the suite without him.

He’d asked her to trust him, the least he could do was trust her in return.

So he did. Sort of. He’d sent a request for Connor to keep an eye on the cameras around the Inn and then sped through his morning routine.

Just in time for the room service delivery that included the strudel her grandmother had promised.

The chilly ocean prevented them from eating on the balcony, though she’d opened the curtains to the bright and clear morning. He’d found everything delicious from the perfectly prepared omelet to the piping hot coffee.

The frown on her face told him Lila wasn’t equally impressed. “Something wrong?”

She shook her head. “What do you think?” she asked, holding up a corner of a croissant that had been served alongside the omelets.

“Plain,” he admitted. He refilled his coffee cup. “Especially compared to the strudel.” That earned him a smile that gave him a bigger jolt than the caffeine. “Coffee is excellent, along with everything else.”

She nodded, her critical gaze returning to the pastry. “I’m wondering if it’s environmental or just an off day. I remember these being much better.”

“Juliet claimed your croissants were better than anything she’d had in France.”

Her green eyes locked on him, sparkling with pride. “Seriously?”

He plucked up another slice of strudel. “She claimed this was the bomb too, and she was sure right about that.”

Lila’s smile widened. “Gram’s cornered the market on strudel. I’d say ninety-five percent of the locals are addicted enough to order regularly.”

“Why not one hundred percent?”

She chuckled. “Doctors and diets. Although Gram did modify the recipe to reduce the sugar and such. That was mostly for Chief Caldwell and his police department.” She poked at the croissant. “I think this is a humidity issue.” Peering up at him, her lips curled into a sassy smile.

He was pretty sure if she kept aiming that particular smile at him that he would need a doctor. The woman was potent, aspecial kind of addiction that he feared might be permanent. It seemed like every hour he had to remind himself he was here to protect her.

“You know why Juliet loves my croissants?”

“Because you’re talented?” he ventured.

“That too,” Lila agreed. “But I experimented with fillings and flavors while I was with her. She’s partial to featherlight tropical flavors and I managed to work that into the dough, to create something just for her.”

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