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“I’veneverhated you. That’s the problem.”
FOURTEEN
JAMESON
There were a million and one reasons I hadn’t wanted to go to sea growing up. But a woman had certainly never been one of them. My stomach was in knots, wound up like a noose promising a swift, brutal end. No fanfare. Just an efficient snap. It was disproportionate to the time Noel had been in our life, and my naivety chose now to vanish, making me painfully aware of the attachment I had no right to be feeling. She was right. A soon-to-be politician wouldn’t do something openly aggressive in a town with eyes everywhere and a propensity for nosy busybodies. We had no mafia thugs in tinted SUVs for him to hire on the island. The harbor was my territory, andTeam Rhodeshad fully rallied.
Everything logical told me it was fine. Thatshewould be fine. But my anxiety had become a feral bear in my chest. Rhyett, the jackass, still wasn’t answering his phone. And I was leaving a shit situation on my best friends’ plates when it was me who’d volunteered and coerced her into rolling with it. Her insipid negotiations would likely be forgotten when I returned, as I highly doubted that greasy fuck would stick around long enough to test my claim. He didn’t spell stupid despite a history showing an abysmal IQ. He’d been subtle when they were together, slowly sinking his claws in deeper and deeper until he crushed her. Which made me worry if he’d come clear up here, he wouldn’t be so easy to shake off, and like his original attempt to bring her under his control, his play would be subtle. The smart ones didn’t hit head-on—they slipped in from the side when you let your guard down.
Axel and Mav were hovering at the top of the emerald canopy-covered ramp down to the docks, trying to make their snooping slightly less obvious than setting up lawn chairs with binoculars. Noel, now equipped with bear spray and a direct number for Charlie, stood with her arms crossed in front of the Grizzly Grind.
Max and Elora cheerily hopped out of his slick Audi SUV, both of their computer bags hooked over their shoulders as they bypassed us and dipped inside the shop.
“Well,” Noel said on a breath. “You certainly went all out with the theatrics, didn’t you? I did always appreciate an award-winning performance.”
“This is nothing. You should have seen us the first time Elora tried to bring home a jock.”
She laughed. “God, I can’t fathom putting up with you and Rhyett as big brothers.”
“Max is, ironically, even more protective, if you’ll believe that.”
“He has that subtly-destroy-the-fabric-of-your-life vibe about him.”
She wasn’t wrong. Max could throw down as well as the rest of us, but he’d never been one for a physical confrontation. Preferring to outmaneuver opponents like a fox, he would make anyone wish they’d gone for the fistfight before he was done with them. Chuckling, I admitted, “You met the matured version.”
She giggled. “I’m sure Eric will fuck off in no time, though I appreciate the assist.” Something about Noel McShane swearing made me disproportionately happy, which she inevitably noticed, prompting her to demand, “What’s happening to your face?”
“What?Nothing.”
“I saw yourteeth.” When I just rolled my eyes, she laughed. “Careful, Jameson, keep grinning like that, you could get stuck that way.”
“I like when you swear.”
“What?!”
“It’s cute.”
“Cute?” she squeaked.
“You’re so tiny—all those colors—it just clashes.That’scute.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.” I tucked a dark red curl behind her ear, smiling down at her as her breath hitched. Fuck, I loved that sound. Loved knowing something so simple could steal her air. If nothing else positive developed out of this, at least the excuse to touch her when we were in public was a win. “Alright. You good here?” She nodded, the fair column of her neck working as she swallowed. That maroon jacket made her complexion look edible, like sweet cream and berries, just asking me to taste her. This was going to be impossible, and we hadn’t even started.
“So…” Noel hedged.
“So?”
“How do we uh—do this?”
I laughed, mumbling, “Pretend you like me?” Threading our fingers together between us, I ignored my idiot brothers as they both smirked in tandem. I brought her hand up and pressed my lips to her knuckles, ignoring the insufferable need to do more, taste something, anything. The ruse was only necessary if that ex of hers reared his ugly face, and the woman was way too smart to indulge for any other reason. She’d made that perfectly clear. Finally mastering my impulses, I instructed, “Take care of yourself, Noel. We’ll be back by Friday.”
A light smattering of rain misted through the gray right as she nodded, painted lips pursed. Today’s top was a fuchsia pink that matched her lipstick. I would have thought the color would clash with her hair, but to my dismay, it didn’t. It was cute as hell.Shewas cute as hell. As Noel looked up at me with her adorable little features, that fair, freckled skin and just-fucked hair, energy crackling between us, my entire being seemed to demand I kiss her goodbye. Not because it would look real in front of whatever snoops had their faces smashed against the window panes facing Main Street, not because there were a dozen boats prepping to launch and the men would see and validate our scheme. Itshouldhave been for those reasons. But it wasn’t. It was because I needed to know if she’d melt against me like I thought she would, because that subtle, sweet smell and hint of lemon had my mouth watering. And for that reason alone, I could never let myself indulge in that particular fantasy.
Gritting my teeth, I dropped her little hand and turned for my brothers without looking back.
The ramp to the docks was aluminum, our footsteps loud as they rumbled down the length of it. I could feel Mav and Axel staring into my back, and snarled, “Shut up, both of you.”
