Bosun (4 page)

We walk over a flagstone path toward the house. Like most lake homes, the entrance feels like the back, and we enter into a kitchen. The light clicks on and reveals an open main floor. The kitchen is divided from the living area by a breakfast bar. I wander past it while my zipper snicks down as I open my jacket. I head to the wall full of windows that overlook the lake.

Once I’m past the counter, the room opens up to a high-peaked ceiling, and I turn around to see a loft above the kitchen. I assume it’s the bedroom and discover a staircase along the back wall that leads to it. Bosun calls out. “Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate?”

“Hot chocolate, please.”

“You can go upstairs if you want.” I glance over at Bosun, and he grins at me as he says, “I’ll stay down here like a good boy.”

Insanely curious about the man, I jog up to the loft. There’s a bathroom off to my left, and I find a dimmer switch on the wall. The plastic is smooth under my finger as I lift it to light the room. It’s decorated in shades of blue and just as tidy as the garage. I think back to the pile of clothes on my bed. I barely notice much else as, once again, I’m drawn to the window, and I walk over to gaze down at the dock. Two Adirondack chairs are set out on it, and it makes me wonder who else has been invited here.

I turn away and take in the rest of his room. An oil painting of a forest landscape takes up most of the wall behind the dresser. The comforter on his bed looks plush, and my insides twinge as my mind imagines a naked version of Bosun under it.

I jump when his voice travels up the stairs. “You’re not going through my ‘wear drawer, are you?”

I call back. “I would have guessed you don’t wear any.”

His laugh makes me grin, and I make my way back down to the main floor. Bosun greets me at the bottom of the stairs with a steaming mug. I slip out of my jacket and reach for the cup as he takes my coat.

“Your house is gorgeous, and so neat. You’ll make a great husband some day.”
Oh God, why did I just say that?
I turn away so he doesn’t see my red face, and sip on my hot drink. Sweet chocolate flavor coats my tongue.

Bosun walks toward the counter and grabs his mug as I continue on to the wall of windows that overlook the lake. He says, “You can thank my mother. She kept a chore chart, and all the Lindholm boys know how to clean.”

“Then Katie is a lucky woman.” I stop and gaze out at the blue-black water. “How many of you are there?”

“Three. Brindle is the youngest, I’m the oldest, and Berch is in between.” Bosun stands next to me, and I feel myself lean toward the heat radiating from his body.

I ask, “Do your parents live around here?”

“They do.” He points across the lake. “See those three lights clustered close? That’s where they live.”

“How nice. My parents couldn’t wait to move to warmer temperatures, and once I graduated from high school, they were off for South Carolina.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Yes. But not as much as I’d thought I would.” I recall the numerous hours I’ve spent on getting my business up and running. “To be truthful, I haven’t had much time to miss them. I’ve put a lot of hours in at the salon over the last year.”

“And it’s doing well?”

“Not as well as I had hoped, but I had high goals. There are still days I twiddle my thumbs, waiting for someone to walk in, but I’m building a nice clientele of regulars.” I take a drink of my hot chocolate.

“I could help with that. You can offer a coupon to my customers if you want.”

I turn to face Bosun. “What do you mean?”

He nods his head over toward a desk. We walk over, and Bosun hands me his cup. His keyboard clicks as he pulls up a site on the internet. “I send out emails for my monthly special, and I could include a coupon to your salon in one.” A screen opens that shows a newsletter with his logo in the banner. “It would be simple to add.” He scrolls down through the email and toggles on a coupon he offered. A large number indicating clicks to the printable version pops up, and dollar signs roll in my head.

“You’d do that for me?”

Bosun stands and takes his mug from my hand. “Of course. It wasn’t that long ago I was struggling for clients. I know how lean the first few years can be.”

“Thank you.” My mind is racing with ideas, and I ask, “I’d like to increase my male clientele. What do you think about a half-price haircut?”

“I think I have a pack of friends who will be happy to take you up on it.”

Pack of friends?
I suppose that’s what the truck club is, now that I think about it. Bosun takes my mug from me, and his hand brushes mine. It’s as if sparks fly, because his skin is hot, and suddenly the business I’m thinking about has nothing to do with my salon. He asks, “Ready to go see the water?”

T
he nylon of my winter parka swishes as I slide my arms in, and Bosun leads me to the sliding glass door that takes us onto a porch. He grabs a blanket from the couch on the way, and we walk across a lawn. Our feet thump on the wood slats of the plank that leads us to a rectangular-shaped dock.

Bosun comes beside me and opens the blanket to drape it over our shoulders. “It’s too cold to sit in the chairs, so let’s see how long we can last under this.”

His teasing tone is gone, and I snuggle into the crook of his arm as he places it around me. The heat from his body seems unnaturally warm, and I say, “You’re like a furnace. You could be handy to have around during the winter.”

A howl startles me, and I press myself closer against Bosun. “Do the wolves ever make you nervous?” Silver Lake is known for its wolf population, and it was drilled into my head when I was a teen not to party here.

“No. They have no interest in hurting people.”

“How can you be so sure?”

His arm tightens in a squeeze. “Have you ever heard about an attack?”

“No. I guess not.” The same howl sounds again, and I imagine it’s a sad one.

Bosun says, “That’s a male, and he’s howling for his mate.”

“Will she answer?”

He nods and says, “Listen.”

The next time the wolf calls out, another voice joins in. It’s slightly higher in pitch, and they harmonize. “That’s lovely.”

“Yeah, it is.” Bosun turns his body and wraps us up tighter. “Here, hold this.” He hands me the corners that are keeping the blanket snug and places his palms on my face.

I lift my chin, and our parted lips meet tenderly. Bosun kisses me with soft nibbles, but I want so much more and dart my tongue into his mouth. He responds with a hunger that takes my breath away. I reach up and thread my fingers into his hair while I flatten my other hand against his chest. The blanket falls to our feet with a whoosh.

I break away and flutter kisses down his neck to taste his salty musk.
Oh, God.
I want him naked, and while I know it’s too soon, I have an uncontrollable urge to throw him down on the plush bed I saw earlier.

Bosun stops me and returns the favor, driving me wild as his mouth works on the nape of my neck and his breath is in my ear. I moan and arch my breasts up in an offering. He halts abruptly, and his chest heaves with his panting. Stepping back, Bosun says, “This is the part where I convince you to stay. We have a wild sexual relationship for the next few weeks, and then when you want more, I say goodbye.”

No.
That’s not enough. I shake my head because I’m already at the wanting-more stage. “I’m not sure what to say.”

He rakes his fingers through his hair and sighs. “I’m probably going to scare you off, because that’s not what I want to happen this time.”

“No?”

Bosun takes me by my shoulders. “No.” His gaze is intense.

My body believes him. But my mind is screaming for me to protect my heart. I’ve never had this kind of connection with someone before, and it scares the hell out of me. But I also know I want to be with him more than anything. I’m already craving his kiss again.
Is this what love feels like?
Can it happen this quickly?

Bosun says, “I swear this isn’t a line, and I’ve never said it to another woman. What if I told you I think I’m falling in love with you?”

Tears prick my eyes as my emotions rush to the surface.
He feels it too?
The stupidest idea comes to me, and I throw my head back to howl.

Bosun joins in, and we’re a sorry attempt at harmonizing. We burst into laughter. When we recover, I reach down and pick up the blanket as he says, “Devon. As much as I want you to stay, I think I need to take you home. I’m afraid I’m going too fast, and don’t want to ruin this.”

I nod because my tears are back, and I’m trying to swallow the lump in my throat to keep them from falling. I blink and turn to walk in front of him, but he grabs my arm. “Hey.” He twists me to face him, and I’m afraid he sees my eyes glistening in the soft moonlight. “Oh, sweetheart.” He crushes me with a kiss that floods me with so much heat I melt in the sensations. I return it with longing and desire for more, as if I’m an addict needing a fix.

He brings me down slowly in our kiss, and we end in an embrace that has my cheek against the soft sheepskin of his jacket. “Devon, I’ve never felt this way. I need time, and I think you do too.”

I sigh. “I’m overwhelmed.” I lift my head and glance up at him. My body is shivering from the cold and lust. “I swear this isn’t a line either. I think I might be falling in love with you too.”

Bosun traces my cheek with a finger. “Then taking this slow won’t hurt us at all.”

No, it won’t.
Because I just might be in for life.

I
may not have had sex with Bosun last night, but my dream self sure did. I float around my apartment, getting ready for work, as I replay every little detail of our date over and over. I think I might have skipped down the walkway to Katie’s car, too.

It’s a good thing Katie is my best friend, because I don’t think anyone else could have stomached my gushing on about how amazing Bosun is. I know I overdo it, because she gets quiet near the end of our ride to work, so I change the subject.

The coffee pot gurgles to announce it’s done, and I fill two mugs with the steaming-hot liquid. I add cream to both. Katie is out front, dealing with the emails that came in overnight, and I go to her with our drinks.

“Hey, I’m sorry I totally monopolized the conversation this morning.” Katie is frowning at the computer screen. “Is everything okay? Was I so wrapped up in my night that I didn’t notice something’s wrong?”

She glances up at me and reaches for her coffee. “No. It’s just that there’s an unusual amount of requests for men’s haircuts. I haven’t even had a chance to play the voicemails, but the machine says we have thirty.”

“Thirty?”

“Yeah. And I guess it’s more requests for an appointment. You’re about to be very busy. Did you run an ad?”

“Oh my gosh.” A grin covers my face when I realize what must have happened. “Last night, Bosun suggested putting a coupon for half-price men’s cuts in the bottom of his newsletter. I bet it went out already.”

I’m dying to mention how adorable my new boyfriend is, but I fear I’m being obnoxious. Katie chuckles and says, “Go ahead. Tell me what you’re trying not to say.”

“Okay.” I squeal. “Isn’t he sweet?”

“Very.”

“And can you believe he did this for me?”

“He’s pretty amazing.”

I sigh and fall back in a chair to swing back and forth. “I know it’s too soon to know, but I think I’m in love.”

My friend gets up and seats herself next to me. She perches on the edge of the chair, and her hands grip me by my knees to twist me to face her. “Dev, I hate to be a downer, but you need to be careful.”

“You know, if you weren’t my best friend, I’d be upset that you don’t seem thrilled for me. What is it that scares you about Bosun?”

“I can’t tell you. But if he doesn’t soon, I will. I promise.”

“Okay.” My mood won’t stay somber, and I bounce out of the chair. “I’m going to call him now to thank him for the newsletter.” I squeal again. “He’s just so cute!”

My happiness is contagious, because Katie smiles at me and says, “You do that. I’m going to go juggle appointments to fit these guys in.”

I find my phone in my purse and text Bosun. “
Can I call you?
”

“
I’ll call you in 5
”

I hold my phone against my chest and sigh as I picture his dreamy blue eyes gazing at me. I decide I need a special ring tone for him and giggle at myself when I search for wolf howls. I have it set up when I wander out to the main area before he calls.

When my phone rings, Katie glances over at me. “You gave Bosun a wolf howl ring tone?”

“I’ll explain later.” The glass of my screen is smooth under my finger when I slide it across to answer the call.  “Hi.”

Bosun says, “I know it’s been less than twelve hours, but I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.” Plastic rattles when I pull open a supply drawer to straighten out the combs. “But I think you’ve been busy. Did you send out a newsletter this morning?”

“Last night, after I dropped you off. Is the coupon working?”

“Ah, yeah. Poor Katie is swamped with appointments to schedule. Thank you.”

“That means you’re going to be busy.”

I move over to the hair care products display and slide bottles around so the brand name faces the front. “Not too busy to see you. I have an in with the boss.”

“So do I.” His tone is saucy, and heat rushes to my lower belly.

“Yes, you do.”

“You’ll be happy to know your car should be ready this afternoon. When are you finished with work?”

“I usually close up around seven.”

“Great. I’ll bring it to you, and then you can take me home.” Bosun’s voice lowers to a deep rumble for the last words, and I lick over my lips, remembering the way he tasted.

“Should I assume we have another date?” I ask.

“You should assume I want you with me every free night you’ve got. I’ll let you off the hook for special occasions, though.”

“Deal.” The door to my salon opens, and Greta, my next appointment, walks in.