Kiss of a Stranger (Lost Coast Harbor #1) (6 page)

If he did that, maybe he could seduce Maddie for the fun of it.

For the first time since he woke up, he felt his mind begin to clear.

Maddie was great at her job. Nothing was misfiled, no order was unrecorded, and no invoice went unpaid.

But that day, she couldn’t seem to do anything right. Twice, she forgot to put water in the coffee maker before turning it on, and she hung up on three suppliers when she pushed the wrong button. Even Oliver noticed something was wrong, and Oliver wasn’t known for his keen eye for detail, at least where people were concerned.

“You’ve been looking out the window a lot today,” he said. “Expecting someone?”

“No, nothing like that.” It wasn’t a lie. She wasn’t expecting anyone, because the person was already on the docks. All day, she’d tried not to watch him lift one piece of cargo after another. Despite the chill of the day, the exertion had warmed him until he stood in only his Henley, his biceps bulging with every movement. More than once, he lifted his arms high enough that his shirt rode up, revealing his perfectly flat stomach and the thin line of hair that disappeared into the waistband of his jeans.

She’d tried not to watch him. She hadn’t been very successful.

“I’m nervous after yesterday.” Maddie indicated the cargo stacked high and the men milling about it. The crane was out of commission until the mechanic checked it out.

Oliver considered the crates. “It looks stable. Someone got sloppy yesterday, but everyone’s on high alert now. It won’t happen again.”

“We should still know who was responsible. I keep telling you to get those security cameras working.”

“Uh-huh,” he said absently. Oliver tended to hear what he wanted to hear and little else. “I’ve got something to cheer you up.”

Maddie stilled. This was it. He’d decided to let her work on the real estate acquisition.

“My father’s having his annual Winter Blues Ball this weekend, and for the first time he’s inviting all of his employees. Last minute decision, I guess.”

Maddie’s stomach dropped, but she managed to paste on a smile. It wasn’t what she wanted, but it was still a big deal. Peter Hastings’ Winter Blues party was famous in town. Held every January, it was a way to extend the festive holiday season into the dreariest month of the year. He hired all the best caterers and florists and lit the mansion from top to bottom until it looked like a fairyland. She’d only gone once before, the year before she’d married Charlie and was still being asked out by respectable boys. She didn’t remember what her date looked like, but she still remembered the mushroom tarts served that night.

“Really? Your dad’s willing to have Harold and Vince at his fancy party?”

The two men stood on the dock, smoking cigarettes that had turned their white beards yellow years before. Their bloodshot eyes suggested they drank a few too many beers at Vista del Mar the night before.

Oliver chuckled. “Who are we to understand the mind of my father?” He held out a folded piece of paper. “The party will be fun, but I’m hoping this is what cheers you up.”

She reached for the paper greedily. Maddie read it twice, then stared at Oliver, unsure. “What is this?”

“I know it’s not what you asked for, but I can’t get you on the Stanwick job. My father is firing trained paralegals because they don’t have the experience to manage the documents involved. There’s no way he’ll consider you. But my assistant’s leaving and you’re the only one I trust to take over. Did I mention it comes with a hiring bonus that’ll let you buy a very nice party dress? Keep in mind that I’ll cry if you turn me down. Do you really want to make a grown man cry?”

Maddie read the job offer again, biting her lip. “It’s a nice offer, but…”

Oliver waited for her to finish the sentence.

“But I want more.” The words burst out. “Why do you think I’ve been going to night school? I want a job that doesn’t have ‘assistant’ in the title.”

Her boss blinked at her. “I thought you wanted to open your own business. You’d be great at that.”

Considering how much she adored her boss, it was amazing how often she wanted to throttle him. “Half of all new businesses fail! Why would I ever want that? I’m looking for a career.”

“Oh. Okay. I can do that.” He nodded a few times, thinking. “I’ll start giving you more projects, then, to expand your skill set. In a few years, we’ll see what other jobs are available. You’re sure you don’t want your own business?”

Maddie huffed out air and decided it was time for lunch. Usually, she ate at her desk, but today she took her sandwich to the far end of the dock, away from both her boss and Gabe.

A few more years? An assistant’s wages were enough to get by, but she was trying to get ahead. She didn’t expect a six-figure income in her mid-twenties, but she at least wanted to be heading in that direction, not languishing in another desk job.

Oliver had saved her when she was drowning, but she wanted to do so much more than swim. She wanted to fly. To be so far above all her fears about money that they could never touch her again.

She had to find a way to get on that deal. If Oliver wouldn’t fight for her, then she’d talk to the other man on the deal.

Good thing he’d just invited her to his party.

Chapter Six

T
he day ended at five o’clock. Gabe had been thinking up excuses to linger on the docks while Maddie worked late, but at four-thirty she locked the office door behind her and hurried north, following the coastal road toward her house.

Twenty-five minutes later, Gabe ran after her.

He should be meeting with Adam, finding out what the man’s investigation had uncovered. If not that, he should be trailing Hastings to learn the man’s schedule and habits. Instead he chased a woman just because he wanted to know what she was doing.

No one answered when he knocked on the door, and they didn’t answer when he pounded. The front door was locked, and he didn’t have keys.

His bag was still in there. It was plain rude to keep him away from his stuff. That was the only reason he was annoyed.

“Down boy.”

Gabe spun toward the unfamiliar voice. A woman stood at the bottom of the steps, looking like she owned them. No, she looked like she owned the whole world. She was pretty as hell, with big brown eyes and a nice set of curves, but her softness was undercut by a wild mane of bleached blonde hair. It was the perfect mix of sweet and hard, and his dick barely noticed.

Celibate for more than half a decade. He ought to be feeling
something
. Wasn’t that why he was so attracted to Maddie? Because she was there, and she looked good, and it had been a damn long time?

This woman was those things, too, and he didn’t care.

Fuck. He was in trouble.

“Is she here?” he asked.

“Did she answer the door? Then no.” The woman scanned him up and down. “Where the hell did you come from, and can I order more?”

“Sure thing. Just ring up the fine folk at San Quentin and ask them to send their best men your way.” He watched her, waiting for a sign of revulsion.

Her eyes widened. “And you’re here for Maddie? Wait, is that your bag in there?” He was pretty sure he heard her add, just under her breath, “About damn time.”

“You her friend?”

“Best friend, almost ex-roommate, constant pain in her ass.” Her eyes narrowed. “Protector against no-good ass clowns. You’re not one of those, are you?”

“Depends who you ask. Gabriel Reyes. Gabe.” He stuck out his hand. Something about this woman made him want to get on her good side—and stay there.

Underneath her smile, he didn’t doubt she meant every word. Fortunately, the more he thought about the limited information Maddie could access in the shipping office, the more he believed he might be able to leave her out of his plans.

Though he should still keep an eye on her. Just in case.

“Bree Rogers.”

“Like Adam?” In small towns, having a common last name often meant some relation.

“You know him? That’s my brother. He’s a neanderthal, but usually I like him. He also likes to protect women from no-good ass clowns, and he thinks of Maddie as a sister. In case you were wondering. How do you know Maddie?”

“I work with her. You know where she is?”

“Yep. On a date.” The words were breezy, but her eyes were sharp, watching for his reaction.

“A date?” Gabe repeated stupidly.

“Uh-huh. It was supposed to be coffee, but she said something about celebrating the promotion she got at work today. Guess it got upgraded to dinner.”

“Promotion?” He couldn’t seem to string a complete sentence together.

“Didn’t you hear? She’s leaving the docks. She’s now Oliver’s executive assistant.” There was pride in her words, for her friend’s success, but something else. Frustration? “She’ll be working on all the Hastings stuff, not just the shipping side.”

Gabe kept his features still. “How about that,” he managed. “Guess I’ll come back later.” Gabe brushed past her, heading for town.

“You can come inside,” Bree called. “Your stuff’s already here.”

Gabe barely heard her. He was already pulling up his mental map of the town and identifying the most likely restaurant for date night.

Declan Donnelly was nice. He was handsome, too, with his dark blond hair and blue eyes. Though he worked at a bookstore all day, it looked like he took decent care of his body. His broad shoulders filled out the Oxford shirt quite well.

The problem was he was wearing an Oxford shirt instead of a Henley, his cheeks were clean-shaven, and there wasn’t a tattoo in sight.

Declan was one of six Donnelly children, and he was the only one the town didn’t refer to as a Donnelly Devil. While the other five had a talent for reinterpreting the law to suit their needs, the man before her was a respectable business owner. He attended city council meetings and was involved in town events. He was well-read and confident, and he kept the conversation going with ease. Declan was as far from her ex as it was possible to be, which was exactly why she’d agreed to go out with him.

The man’s smiles were warm—but never hot—and his eyes were attentive and kind. He was so wonderfully, perfectly safe. They’d never crossed paths much, despite both living in Lost Coast Harbor for most of their lives. Declan was several years older than she was, enough that he was in college when she started high school, and by the time he returned from grad school, she was already married to Charlie.

Book clubs had sprung up all over town when Declan Donnelly opened his bookstore, and many women had developed a newfound passion for reading. He didn’t lack for female attention, and Maddie was lucky as hell to have attracted his attention after all this time.

So why did she spend the entire night wishing he was someone else?

He was charming and funny, and he seemed kind, but her thoughts kept returning to memories of Gabe. The way he looked in a towel, and those tattoos she wanted to trace with her finger—or maybe her tongue. She wanted to discover every black line and learn what each one meant. When Declan brushed her arm while holding her chair for her, she flashed to Gabe drawing small circles on her wrist, a tiny touch she felt through her entire body.

It was ridiculous. After everything she’d been through, Gabe should repulse her. She should be bolting the door against him, not wondering what he looked like without the towel.

The date lasted for hours, or at least it felt like it did. Declan walked her home, of course. He was a gentleman through and through.

When they reached her steps, she fidgeted. It had been so long since she’d ended a date, Maddie couldn’t remember the protocol. There was no sign Declan felt as awkward as she did, but she was still caught by surprise when he leaned down and brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth. Not quite a proper kiss, but it wasn’t a platonic peck on the cheek, either.

“I had a good time.” He smiled. His teeth were even, his mouth full. His eyes held a hint of disappointment, but she was probably imagining that.

Why the hell couldn’t she muster the tiniest bit of interest?

Because his face had no scars. His body didn’t tell stories of risks taken and battles faced. He was just a normal guy, and try as she might, that wasn’t what she wanted.

“Maybe we can do this again?” He still smiled, but for the first time his voice was a little strained.

“Maybe.” It took all her restraint not to bolt for the front door.

Declan gave her a single nod, then turned and walked back to town.

As soon as he was out of earshot, she released the breath she’d been holding.

“That doesn’t sound like the blissful sigh of a night well spent.”

Maddie’s heart leapt, and she turned to face the man on her front porch. The voice had come from the bench on the far left side. Gabe leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his face came into the glow cast by the porch light.

“I had a lovely night, not that it’s any of your business.” The lie rolled off her tongue.

Gabe didn’t move. “I’m sure he was everything a date could be. Polite. Clever. Though it’s hard to take a man seriously when he orders the butternut squash ravioli at a restaurant that serves steak.”

“He’s a vegetarian,” she said absently, before the full meaning of his words settled on her. “Wait a second. You
watched
me? You spied on my date?” Her voice rose with every word, and only her desire not to wake the neighbors kept her from shouting.

Gabe shook his head. It was a rueful motion, directed more at himself than her. “I started to. Then I remembered that was creepy as hell and went to the diner. Where I ordered steak and eggs, by the way.”

“Still, the fact that you thought that was okay, even for a second…”

He stood, the movement fluid and hypnotic, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him as he prowled toward her. “Don’t fool yourself, Maddie. I’m not okay. I forgot how to be okay long ago. That’s what you’ll get with me, but I’ll do my best to make it worth your time, if you feel like taking a risk.” His voice was raw, the darkness pulling something from him she hadn’t heard before.