Kiss of a Stranger (Lost Coast Harbor #1) (18 page)

“That was before. You know things were different. You said I should
use
you. What part of that sounds like gentle lovemaking?”

He pulled on his shirt, then sat on the far end of the couch and began putting on his boots. Maddie curled up in a ball on the other side.

Gabe glanced pointedly at the additional space she’d created between them. “So you don’t even want to touch me now?”

“You’re acting like an ass,” she informed him.

If he stopped to think about it, he’d probably agree with her, but he was in no mood for quiet reflection. The woman who just turned his world inside out, who made him believe, for a single moment, that there was a bit more to life, had just admitted she didn’t like him…and fucked him anyway.

Sure, she tried taking it back, but the words were out there.

“How should I act?” He bit off each word.

“Like someone with ears and a functioning brain! How long have we known each other? Two weeks? And before this afternoon, you never told me anything real about you. But now…I believe you’re a good man.”

He wanted to believe those words, but they rang hollow. “How’s that working out for you?”

Maddie sat up straighter, pulling the afghan to cover her shoulders. “Are you even trying to hear what I’m saying to you? You’re everything I thought I didn’t want, but I’m still here with you. Because even though I tried not to, I like you.”

With a loud curse, Gabe stood and began pacing the room, his muscles so tense he was practically vibrating.

It felt like her words hit a brick wall, then crumbled into nothing. Because, really, it didn’t matter what she said. Look at him. He might not be her asshole of an ex, but he was no hero. He was an ex-con with no money and no prospects. His future was uncertain and his past was best forgotten. If she believed he was a good man, she might start thinking he could offer more than he could.

Gabe wasn’t going to stick around once Hastings was exposed. There were other places he needed to be. Maddie deserved someone better.

“That’s great, until you remember all the reasons you didn’t want me in the first place. Cause they’re all true, Maddie. That hasn’t changed.”

“You’re innocent, you asshole!” She glared at him. “I know you’re not Charlie.”

“But I’m not Declan, either.”

She threw her hands up, somewhere between despair and disgust. The afghan slipped. “Declan and I aren’t dating. You know that.”

Gabe didn’t want to be distracted with facts. “That’s okay. I’m sure he’ll take you back. Guys like him don’t come around that often. Handsome, stable, smart. Cons like me…well, we’re a dime a dozen, aren’t we? I have nothing to offer you.” The truth of the words twisted in his gut. He could barely meet her gaze. “Someone knows you’re helping me. It’s become too dangerous,” he said. “You should stay away from me.”

He left, and with each step toward town, each moment in the brisk air, and every drop of rain that fell on him, his head cleared. His coat was still at Maddie’s, and before long he was running to stay warm.

What the hell had he just done?

What the hell had happened?

Maddie shuffled papers from one folder to another, barely seeing the documents. It had been like that all morning. She’d been at work for hours and hadn’t completed a single task.

Except she knew what happened. She’d known at the time. It felt like she was watching Gabe implode in slow motion and was powerless to stop it.

One stupid line about hate sex. That was all it took. It was almost like he’d been looking for an excuse to bolt.

Maddie glared at her cell phone, daring it to ring. It was lunchtime at Hastings Shipping. He had a full hour to call her to apologize. At least he could text.

God, he was an asshole. A complete mess. It didn’t matter if he was innocent if this was how he acted.

Why couldn’t he just listen to her the night before?

She dropped her head on her desk with an audible thunk. She knew why. He’d been telling her since they met.

He wasn’t okay. Prison hadn’t made him a better man. He was full of regrets from the years he avoided his family. Gabe couldn’t believe she liked him because he didn’t like himself.

She banged her head again. What the hell was she thinking? She’d never expected a relationship with him, and last night’s conversation should have reminded her of that fact. People looking for healthy relationships didn’t have barbed wire hearts on their biceps. Maddie had wanted sex, and that’s what she got.

Then why was she so angry?

The door opened. Maddie’s head shot up, but it was only Jared Hastings. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

“Napping on the job?” He winked at her, a movement that felt too studied to be appealing. He strolled past her, heading for Oliver’s office, then came back out when he found it empty.

Jared always strolled, except when he ambled or sauntered. This wasn’t a man who’d needed to hurry in his entire life. Spared the pressure to take over the family business that had fallen on Oliver’s shoulders, and not coddled like his baby sister Clare, Jared got to do pretty much whatever he wanted—and what he wanted was to do as little as possible. In theory, he ran the Hastings property rentals, but now that she had access to all the records, she’d discovered he was even worse at the job than she’d suspected. Mainly, he sat in the office for an hour or two every week, usually in the afternoon when he wasn’t so hungover. He forwarded all the rent checks to Maddie for processing, and there were a lot of people who regularly skipped paying because Jared was too lazy to bother collecting.

“Maddie!” He perched on her desk. His smile suggested he was certain Maddie had a secret crush on him.

Maddie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “How can I help you, Jared?”

“Just looking for my big brother. He around?”

“He’s still at the shipping office. There have been a lot of mix-ups lately, so he’s running a little late. You can wait for him if you want.”

“I might do that.” He went into the office and shut the door. Two minutes later, he walked back out. “I forgot that waiting is boring.”

“You can always catch him on the docks.”

Jared actually pouted. He would have been a handsome man—all the Hastings were good-looking people—if he hadn’t resembled a toddler at that moment. “My car’s in the shop. That’s a long walk.”

One freaking mile. The man was so lazy he thought a mile was a long walk. “It’s not so bad. I do it twice a day.”

Jared wasn’t convinced. “Really?”

The man went to the gym every day to keep his stomach flat and make sure he had the kind of biceps girls drooled over, but he couldn’t be bothered to walk for fifteen minutes.

He leaned in with a conspiratorial smile. “How about you come with me? A bit of company will make the walk go a lot faster.”

Her heart jumped. Fifteen minutes in Jared’s company was a small price to pay for the chance to see Gabe. And then yell at him for being an idiot.

Except she had no valid reason to leave the office. “I have to work, Jared.”

He scanned her empty desk. “Looks like you’re all caught up to me. I’ll clear it with the boss.” He pulled out his cell phone and swiped the screen. “Oliver, it is okay if I bring Maddie to the docks? Awesome. Thanks, bro.” He hung up. “Grab your coat, sweetie. The boss says he’d like to see you.”

Maddie was ready to go in seconds.

Normally, she enjoyed walking through town, even on rainy days like this. This walk, however, felt interminable. Fifteen minutes never passed so slowly. Jared didn’t have an umbrella, so he insisted on crouching under hers. He didn’t offer to take it, so she was forced to hold it high enough for his six-foot plus frame to fit underneath. If that wasn’t annoying enough, Jared talked the entire time. He talked about his accomplishments, his plans, and his recent purchases. He was telling her all about the hundred-thousand-dollar car he planned to order when the harbor came into sight. Maddie practically sprinted down the slippery steps. Falling to her death might be preferable to hearing Jared explain the car’s wi-fi functionality.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason she sprinted.

Her eyes found Gabe instantly. He was the only person working on one of the smaller ships. It looked like he was stacking the cargo according to its final destination. His muscles bulged as he moved the crates. He must have bought those damn Henleys in bulk, because he wore a dark green one today, the front tucked loosely into his waistband.

She picked up speed, walking as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself.

Gabe’s head snapped up, and he found her as easily as she had him. He took a step toward her before catching himself.

There was too much distance between them. She couldn’t make out his expression. Was he glad she was there? Relieved? Angry? She was a little bit of all those things.

Jared jostled her from behind. “Come on,” he said, and practically pushed her into the office.

Oliver met them by her old desk. It already felt unfamiliar. Even Oliver looked different than he usually did. She’d never seen him loosen his tie before five, and there were dark circles under his eyes. If Jared wasn’t there, she’d yell at him about taking better care of himself.

“Are you here of your own free will, or do I need to apologize for my brother?” Always the gentleman, he offered to take her coat and purse. Once he hung them up, he returned with a smile. “Regardless of the reason, I’m glad you’re here. Both of you.” Oliver unrolled a stack of papers and held them in place with paperweights. “Behold the next Hastings land acquisition.”

Maddie gave him a baleful look. It wasn’t like Oliver to remind people of what they couldn’t have.

Jared’s sneer looked practiced. “So you got the Stanwick Ranch?”

Oliver attempted to look cautious, but his excitement was transparent. “Not yet, but the other bidder dropped out. Dad said he had to call in a few favors. We still need to work out the details and the funds transfer, so it’ll be another week or two till it’s official, but yeah. You’re looking at the future Lost Coast Harbor Adventure Center.”

“And Hastings Commercial Center,” added Jared.

This was the first time she heard about any commercial area. “Wait, there will be businesses on the development? Then why do you need to knock down the Farrows’ nursery?”

Oliver was taken aback by her question. “How do you…”

“Why are you showing me this?” Jared interrupted.

“Because dad wanted you to take over the management on the new hotel.”

Jared looked horrified at the prospect of more work.

“And Maddie, I convinced him to let you work on it after all. Document management only, but it’s still a huge responsibility.”

She stared at him with wide eyes. Two weeks ago, she begged him for this opportunity. It had been the answer to all her prayers. So why did it feel like rocks had settled in her stomach? “But then I wouldn’t be working for you.”

Oliver shook his head. At least he looked sad about it. “You won’t be working in Lost Coast at all. The lawyers for this project are all in Palo Alto. They’ve agreed to hire you as support staff. You’ll be right in the thick of it, Maddie. In six months, you’ll have learned more about large real estate transactions and land development than you ever wanted to know. Bigger salary, better benefits. I wouldn’t let you go if I didn’t know it was the best opportunity for you.” His earnest eyes locked on her, waiting to see her delight.

Maddie forced a smile for his benefit, but she felt like her world was slipping away. Lost Coast Harbor was a tiny town full of nosy people. It rained too much. There were only a handful of restaurants, and none of them were in danger of receiving a Michelin star. Palo Alto would be everything Lost Coast wasn’t.

And it would never be home. Everything she loved was here. She’d fought so hard to keep it, and now she was being asked to walk away from it all.

She opened her mouth with no idea what might come out.

Before she could speak, the office shook. Maddie stumbled forward, grabbing the desk for support. A deafening roar filled the room, followed by a silence that was even more terrifying.

Ears ringing, Maddie spun around, dreading what she would see.

One of the boats had been ripped into pieces. The parts that remained were sinking fast.

The boat Gabe had been working on.

Maddie didn’t remember moving. She knew Oliver shouted at her, even grabbed her arm, but she ripped free and flew toward the boat.

The other workers were already rushing to help. It looked like they were screaming, trying to make their voices heard, but her ears were still ringing from the explosion. Their voices sounded tinny and distant.

She couldn’t see Gabe anywhere.

Maddie fought to breathe, panic welling in her chest. He was okay. He had to be okay. She’d just seen him, so strong and healthy. So present. He couldn’t vanish like that.

But all she saw were pieces of the boat floating in the water. Gabe was nowhere in sight.

“Maddie, no.” Strong arms wrapped around her waist. It was Oliver, pulling her back from the edge of the dock.

She fought him. Gabe was down there. She had to get to him.

“They’re taking care of it. Look.” Oliver pointed at the men jumping into the freezing water with ropes tied around their waists. They disappeared below the surface for long seconds, and when they popped up, they shook their heads at the others. Again and again they dove under, and each time they came back up, she felt the tiny flame of hope flicker and wane.

It lasted forever, but it also seemed like only minutes passed before they were too cold and tired to search again, and their co-workers hauled them in.

“No.” She repeated the word, no longer certain she spoke aloud. Her own voice felt foreign and strange in her mouth. “He’s alive.”

Dimly, she heard sirens approach. They would call dive crews, she knew. The search wasn’t over.

The cops came, and they brought a fire truck and an ambulance that had nothing to do. The ocean put out any fires, and there was no one in need of medical treatment.

The Coast Guard was summoned. No one found a thing.