Flirty (7 page)

“Just some late-night noises that kept us up.”

“More screams from the bedroom?”

Oh yeah…

Wait!

He cocked his head. “How did you know about that?”

“I ran in to Errol at the Seafarer, and he said something about a ghost and that you were staying here to check it out. I thought I’d stop by to see if everything was okay.”

“Actually, Alexis had all her clothes go missing last night. Do you think you’d be able to help her out?”

Tabby laughed, and a strange knowing look came over her face, much like the one he’d spotted on Sheriff McGrath’s face last night. “I have a whole wardrobe that I can’t fit into anymore.” She turned toward the door. “Let me go grab some things and I’ll be right back.”

As Sam watched her go, he couldn’t help but think that not only were there strange things going on in the house, there were also strange things going on with the people he’d grown up with.

Chapter Four

Dressed in Sam’s T-shirt Lex paced the floor, waiting for Tabby to return with some clothes. She caught a whiff of Sam’s scent on the shirt as it brushed over her skin and drew his aroma into her lungs. As it overwhelmed her and once again stirred all her senses, she bit down on her bottom lip to stifle a groan.

It doesn’t have to be a one-time thing.

Good Lord, she could hardly believe what he’d suggested. Of course, it wasn’t like she hadn’t thought of it, but to hear him say it, to know he wanted to do this with her while he was home on vacation excited her beyond anything she’d ever known. The truth was most men paid little attention to her, not only because her brothers continually scared them off, but because she always dressed down and was easy to overlook. But Sam didn’t overlook anything. Nope. There wasn’t one inch of her body that he failed to touch.

A shiver moved through her as she reminisced about the way he used his tongue to pleasure her, and this time there was nothing she could do to smother the groan of desire rumbling up from her throat.

She took a moment to recall the distracted, almost nervous look on his face earlier, when she’d awoken and met his glance. She’d pegged him a playboy, one who did this kind of thing often, and because she didn’t want to hear him say that last night was simply casual sex to him, she jumped on it first. She wanted to let him know where she stood, and that she didn’t expect anything more. She was intelligent enough to understand that she could easily fall for him, but she was also wise enough to know she would never be enough to keep a guy like him around. All the more reason to keep her emotions out of this and enjoy the sex for what it was—sex.

“Everything okay?” Sam asked, coming back in her room. She looked at the T-shirt he was tugging on and read the print, YOLO.

It was true—you only live once—which was why she was going to keep her emotions out of it and make the best of her time in Whispering Cove.

Redirecting the conversation, she said, “Nice shirt.”

He smiled. “Did you want to borrow it?”

“I think I’ll wait to see what Tabby brings first.”

Sam scrubbed his hand over his chin, and looking thoughtful for a moment he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then shut it again. He walked to her window and ran his fingers over the wavy glass. She watched him, taking in the quiet side to the flirty guy with the smart-assed comebacks.

She was about to ask if he was okay, when Tabby called from the front entrance. “Is it okay if I come up?”

With his smile back in place, Sam turned. “Sure,” he called out, then grinned wickedly as he looked over Alexis. “Alexis is decent, but I’m not.”

“Sam…” Tabby warned. “You’d better be dressed.”

“Ignore him,” Lex called out, and rolled her eyes at Sam.

Tabby looked a bit breathless when she appeared at her door with a bag full of clothes. She frowned when she saw the way Lex was dressed. “These should get you started, and I’d be happy to take you shopping for more.”

Lex took the bag from her, and dumped the pile on the cot. She almost grimaced when she saw all the pretty floral girly clothes and dresses.

Tabby rubbed her huge belly. “Before this I was about the same size as you. Just a bit taller, but that shouldn’t matter too much with the shorts and dresses.”

“I appreciate this, Tabby. Thank you.”

Tabby crinkled her nose. “So you have no idea what happened to all your stuff?”

Lex shook her head. “No. They just disappeared.”

“That’s strange.”

“There are a lot of strange things going on,” Sam said. He looked at Lex. “Will you be okay here by yourself for a while? I want to go track down the sheriff.”

“I’ll stay with her,” Tabby said.

“You don’t have to do that,” Lex jumped in, her heart warming a little at how sweet Tabby was being to her. Even the townsfolk really seemed to care about her well-being, especially crazy old Errol. “Besides, I have a meeting with Devon today.”

Tabby’s eyes lit. “Since he is my brother, I can go with you, and afterward we could go shopping. Once you’re finished reviving this old place you’re going to want to stage it and I’ve been dying to take on a house like this. It will be great for my portfolio.”

“In case you didn’t know, Tabby’s an interior designer,” Sam piped in. “She works with her brother, Devon, and her husband, Reece.”

“Oh,” Lex said. “I didn’t realize that.”

Sam stepped up to Lex, his gait relaxed, his demeanor carefree as he leaned into her and dipped his head. “I’ll meet you back here later. Be sure to lock up, okay? Have fun and don’t worry, you’re in good hands with Tabby.” He dropped a tender kiss onto Lex’s mouth, and then pulled back abruptly, like it suddenly occurred to him what he’d done.

Their eyes met and locked. A strange moment of silence lingered as Lex considered the easy, comfortable kiss he’d given her—not at all unlike a warm, familiar kiss long-time lovers gave one other when they departed for the day.

As if oblivious to what had just transpired between the two, Tabby broke the quiet and said, “So let’s try on a few of these clothes to see how they fit.”

Lex turned her attention to Tabby and before Sam disappeared out the bedroom door, she said, “There’s an extra key on the kitchen counter.” Once he disappeared, she tried to focus on the clothes, she really did, but her thoughts were preoccupied with Sam.

God, she needed to stop thinking about last night and get her head on straight. Working to focus her thoughts, she chose a plain T-shirt and pair of mid-thigh shorts. She quickly dressed and made her way outdoors with Tabby. After a very disappointing meeting with Devon, and learning that the company was already overbooked, they spent the afternoon shopping. Lex bought some clothes and restocked her intimate apparel. Then they picked out pieces of furniture and accessories that Lex loved and Tabby thought she could use to stage the house when completed. Even though Lex couldn’t afford to stage a house after she paid her construction crew—if she ever found one—she still pointed out all the things she’d like and would buy for the house if she had the funds. Then they visited a shop on the waterfront and Tabby fawned over all the gorgeous glass pieces made by the talented Skylar Wellington.

After shopping, Tabby took her to the Seafarer for dinner, and when they were joined by Katy, Josie, Lila, Vic, Carmen and a few other women, along with all their kids, the conversation turned to Tabby’s upcoming baby shower that Josie was hosting, and how Lex most definitely needed to attend.

Throughout the day Lex had checked her phone repeatedly, hoping to hear from the restoration committee. When nighttime approached and she made her way back to the house after a wonderful day with her new friend, she knew it was after hours and she wasn’t going to hear from anyone today.

As she approached her front steps, her pulse kicked up and she suddenly found herself looking forward to seeing Sam. She felt a little thrill inside to know he’d be there waiting for her. She fished her key from her purse and opened the door. With night upon her, she flicked on the lights and called out to him. When her words were met with silence she made her way into the kitchen, and that’s when she realized he wasn’t there.

With the heat of the day getting to her, she tried to fight down the sense of longing that was enveloping her. She was missing Sam far more than she should. Not wanting to dwell on her feelings, she dropped her bags onto the counter and opened the door to her veranda to allow a breeze to rush in. Her heart did a little flip when she spotted Sam on the beach, waving his arms at her.

“Hey, Alexis,” he called out. “Come for a swim.”

“I don’t have a suit,” she called back.

She couldn’t see his expression, but she could just imagine the mischievous grin on his face when he said, “You don’t need one.”

Her glance went to her bags, and she thought about the sexy underwear she’d purchased earlier that day, knowing they could easily pass as a bikini. She considered it a moment longer, and then remembered the saying on Sam’s T-shirt. YOLO.

“I’ll be right there,” she called out, and hurried to the bathroom to change. A few minutes later she found herself walking the beach, squishing the warm sand between her toes as she walked by his towel and backpack. When she reached Sam, he scooped her up and carried her into the cold water.

She squealed, his skin wet and cold against her own. She protested, even though she loved being in his arms. “Put me down.”

“Okay,” he said, dipping her into the water before letting her go.

“You’re going to pay for that,” she said, the frigid water enveloping her.

“Can’t wait,” he responded, then disappeared under the water. He surfaced a few feet out. “Come on. Let’s swim.”

She dove under and met up with him in the surf and they spent the next half hour just swimming, and enjoying the star-filled night. The exercise relaxed her, helped her forget about her troubles for a while. But when Sam swam to the shore and she caught the way his swim trunks rode low on his hard body, her thoughts went off in another direction.

He dropped onto his towel and patted it. Lex followed his footsteps in the sand, and sank down next to him on the beach towel. He rolled to his side and pulled her in close. When she relaxed into him, soaking in his warmth, he propped himself up on his elbow and brushed her hair from her face.

Once again he went quiet, like he was deep in thought. After a long moment he said, “You mentioned you had brothers.”

“Four, to be exact.”

He ran his fingers along her neck, then down her arm, like he needed to be touching her at all times. “Four? That must have been fun.”

She frowned. “Not when you’re the youngest and the only girl.”

“Pretty protective?”

“Overbearing is the word I like to use.” When Sam laughed, she went on to explain, “They scared off every guy I ever liked, and they treat me like I’m breakable…or incapable.” She went quiet for a moment, then wasn’t sure what compelled her to say it. Maybe it was the closeness she felt with Sam, or the way the stars were shining just right, but she suddenly found herself confessing, “That’s why I’m here. That’s why I bought the house. I needed to do something drastic to prove to them, and to my father, that I have what it takes to work in their all-boy construction company.”

“Ah, I see.”

She shivered as Sam ran his fingers over the inside of her wrist. “They don’t know I’m here. I told them I was visiting with an old school friend in Rhode Island. I was hoping to restore it without them knowing, so I could show them I have what it takes.”

“Their approval is important to you?”

“I guess…I don’t know. It’s a family business and I just want to be a part of it.”
Part of something…

“Is that why you dress like a tomboy, to fit in with their all-boys club?”

“Yeah.”

“What about your mom, does she work in their business?”

“No. She’s not a part of our lives. She left when I was little.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

His glance moved over her face, like he could read her innermost thoughts. “But you think it’s yours somehow don’t you?”

She shrugged and mumbled under her breath, “I wish there was something I could have done to make her stay.”

He brushed her hair from her face, his eyes dark, solemn. “You were a child, Alexis. What could you have possibly done?” When she didn’t answer he said, “My guess is she wasn’t in her right mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is no one in their right mind would ever walk away from an amazing girl like you.”

“Sam…”

“I mean it. Look at you. Smart, confident, beautiful.” He smiled and added, “And I’ve never met a more determined woman.” He gestured toward the house. “You’re the kind of girl who goes after what she wants and lets nothing or no one stand in the way.”

Surprised at the way he saw her and wanting to talk about something else she said, “It’s just really important that I get the house flipped.” She caught conflicting emotions in Sam’s dark eyes before he rolled onto his back. “But between Errol’s ghost, the restoration committee, and the townsfolk’s resistance, I’ve been meeting with roadblocks at every turn.” She closed her mouth, deciding to stop talking before she blurted out her financial situation. This was her problem, not Sam’s, and he didn’t need to know how heavily she invested. Or that if she didn’t soon get the work done and turn a profit, she’d have to default on her loans and lose everything.