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Callan doesn’t even blink. “I think your town is stunning,” Callan says as he smiles at the man like he’d greeted him instead of insulted and assaulted him at the same time.
“You can take your sleek resort and shove it right up that puckered ass of yours,” Mr. Carter says, and I have to stifle a giggle at the words. I always find it highly amusing when little old men swear. The words seem so foreign coming from their sweet weathered faces.
Callan takes the abuse, his expression calm. “I’m sorry you feel this way, sir. I understand how you feel, and I’d love to hear all about your concerns,” Callan calmly tells him. This throws Mr. Carter off, who appears for once in his life to be speechless. He doesn’t seem to know what in the world to say. This might be a first for him.
“Well, you can be sure I’ll be voicing my concerns,” Mr. Carter finally says.
“I promise you my only intentions are to enhance the beauty of this town. Nothing’s set in stone yet,” Callan says.
Mr. Carter lets out a long suffering sigh, not at all impressed by the smooth words I’m sure Callan’s said a million times before. “I don’t trust city folks. They live in a fantasy world where life’s too easy for them.”
Callan reaches out a hand offering to shake. “I respect your love of this town, sir. Maybe over time I can earn your trust.”
Mr. Carter glares at Callan, ignores his hand, then turns and shuffles away without uttering another word. I look at Callan, wondering how he feels about this. He’s showing nothing on his face, simply looking around like we weren’t interrupted by a heckler. I realize if any city slicker is going to win the hearts and minds of our town, it will be Callan. I don’t think he’s one hundred percent genuine, but I think he has enough sincerity in him to make people trust him. This scares me.
We leave the library and walk around some more, chatting as I show him different streets and he meets more residents. Some of them are happy to talk, some happy to snap at him. Everyone seems interested in seeing the city boy wanting to make changes around here. If the rest of our week goes like today, I’m going to earn every single penny this man’s paying me. I’m exhausted.
The sun is long gone and he doesn’t seem like he’s ready to end our day. I’m hungry, and my feet hurt. I don’t know how this employment works. Do I just tell him I’m done and I’ll see him tomorrow, or does he expects me to be on call twenty-four/seven? If he wants me at night, he has another thing coming.
We find ourselves at the beach and I’m suddenly overheating. I might as well end the day like I began it... with a shock. I begin stripping my clothes away on the moonlit beach. I don’t look at him as my pants slide down around my ankles and I kick them off. I wouldn’t say I have the best body in the world, but I’m not ashamed of it. My underwear is less revealing than many swimsuits these days.
“Have you ever gone swimming in your undies?” I ask with a wicked smile. I finally give him a glance and his eyes are burning with a mixture of desire and horror. I seem to get this look from him quite often.
“Not since I was a kid,” he tells me. “You do realize anyone can see you.”
“What fun is it if there isn’t a chance of getting caught?” I cry out as I begin running from him. I leave him standing in the sand as I charge toward the ocean. The wind is calm, and the waves are almost nonexistent. It’s a perfect time for a swim. Just before I jump beneath the waves, I yell back at him one more time. “Live a little, Cal.”
I get only a slight shock when I dive under the cool water. But as I pop up, I’m refreshed. I needed this more than I realized. I did it to shock him, but I’m not hating that I did. It’s just what the doctor ordered after a very long day that hasn’t been nearly as unpleasant as I imagined it would be.
When I turn I see Callan on the shoreline, closer to the water. He’s smiling at me. “I’m very aware you’re trying to scare me away,” he says.
“Is it working?” He shakes his head. I dive back under the water and swim for a while before popping back up. Then I get another shock when I find Callan close to me, his chest gleaming in the moonlight. Is he wearing any clothes? I suddenly want to find out.
“You’re driving me crazy... but not in the way you think,” he says, his voice husky and dark. I realize immediately the trouble I’m in. I make an attempt to swim away from him, but he’s much faster than I am.
Callan closes the distance between us in a flash and wraps his arms around me. Before I can utter a word, he grips the back of my head and pulls me in close, our lips connecting in a maelstrom of fire and passion. The thought of fighting him goes up in smoke as yearning unlike anything I’ve ever felt before flows through me.
My hands wrap around him and I hold on for dear life as he deepens our kiss, his tongue slipping inside my mouth. I wrap my legs around him and feel how hard he is. Oh my, he’s got nothing to be ashamed of if what I’m feeling is any indication. I rub against him as he kisses me with so much hunger I’m sure there’s steam rising from the water.
I’m about to let go of every inhibition I’ve ever held when we both sink below the surface and water shoots up my nose. I gasp as I let go of him and thrust myself upward, coughing out salt water. Callan pops up a couple of feet from me.
Now that the moment’s broken I’m filled with horror at how quickly I fell apart in his arms. I see the predatory gleam in his eyes and know when it’s time to retreat. If he touches me again I’m going to have sex with him right here and now, where any of our neighbors could walk by and see us.
“I have to go,” I tell him. I dive below the surface again, knowing I’m a much faster swimmer beneath the water. I push with all I have until I feel the sand beneath my feet. Only then do I stand and rush from the water. I turn to see him looking around from the same place I left him. I can’t see his expression, but I see him begin to swim toward the shore.
I’m not going to let him catch me this time. I grab my clothes and rush forward, praying I don’t run into anyone as I struggle to get my shirt over my head while I speed-walk from the beach. It’s difficult, but I finally manage to get the shirt in place. I don’t bother with the pants or shoes. That will take too much time. I don’t live far enough away to matter. I pick up my pace and jog home. Thankfully, he doesn’t know where I live.
I don’t breathe normally again until I’m in my house with the door locked. What am I doing? I have no freaking idea. I fear I’m definitely going to do something utterly foolish before this week is over. I remember my first kiss I shared with Callan when I was thirteen. It was nothing like the kiss tonight. From what he did to me tonight, I’m well aware that I’m all woman, and I have needs... needs he’s more than capable of filling.
Chapter Seven
Callan
I’ve always moved through life with purpose. I’m not one to take a midnight stroll. I’m either running for exercise or quickly stepping forward, always with a destination in mind. That’s why it’s difficult to leave a destination in another’s hand. But that’s why I’m in Seaville right now. I have to allow Sasha to set the pace, which isn’t easy for me.
After our earth-shattering kiss the night before, I’m still aching. I seriously thought about chasing her down after she rushed from the ocean. But for once in my life I wasn’t fully in control. I don’t like feeling this way. So the wisest thing for me to do in that moment was to let her go. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I stripped down and joined her in the ocean. All I know is I had to be with her.
I’ve never believed in legends, but I might change my mind on one: she was like a mermaid calling me into the water. I should’ve looked around for rocks, because I sure felt the crash after our kiss.
