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.
Directing the conversation his way,
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.
Directing the conversation his way,
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