I held her close—her back against my chest and the curve of her ass nestled against my groin—and pulled the blankets all the way up to my chin, tucking them in around us.
“What happened?” she asked softly.
“When I went out this afternoon, it was clear. I knew about the storm, but I never expected it to get so bad so fast.”
She nodded. “Jason went by the marina looking for you.”
“I’m here now.”
I tightened my hold around her and she let out a soft sigh. I let her warmth surround me, heating me slowly from head to toe. My own personal sunshine.
“That storm was a wake-up call. I had a lot of time to think,” I said.
“About what?” she whispered.
“When I watched you on that date, you looked so happy. If he’s what you want, I’ll back away right now. I’ll step back and I’ll be your friend. No hard feelings.”
I swallowed a hard lump that had formed in my throat. Why were those words so hard to say?
She shifted, turning around to face me. “Why does it sound like you’re saying good-bye?”
“Because. I know you’re dating now, exploring your options, which is well within your rights.”
She made a noncommittal noise in her throat. “I’m not sure what I want. Besides, Bryan’s only in town on business.”
“What’s going to happen when he leaves? You get left behind with a broken heart?”
“What’s it matter to you? I didn’t think you cared anymore. You’re dating what’s-her-tits, anyway.”
Both my eyebrows shot up. “What’s-her-tits?”
“My point is, you were dating too.”
“No,” I said, correcting her. “Jason dragged me out. The first time I didn’t know it was a setup, and the second time, I went because your brother had started to get suspicious and was questioning my motivations with you.”
“So, what are you saying? You want me to date?”
I shook my head. “I want to keep you all to myself, but I don’t know if I can do that.”
She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. “I don’t know if I can go on living in Samantha’s shadow.”
I nodded, quiet for a moment.
“There are a lot of things I never told you,” I said.
She waited, listening quietly to the storm and looking deep into my eyes.
“Not right now. Let’s talk tomorrow. I’ll explain everything to you.”
She gave me a look like she was wondering what I could possibly explain. But I was exhausted and just needed to hold her—especially if tonight was the last time I’d get the privilege of having her in my arms.
• • •
In the morning, I kissed Chloe good-bye and told her we’d talk later. I needed to drive to the marina and see what kind of damage had been caused by the storm, but I also needed to get my head together for what I would say to her later.
After checking on everything at work and home, which amounted to minimal wind damage and nothing else, I headed into town. I hadn’t been taking care of myself, and I got a long-overdue haircut and shave. Then I wandered into a men’s clothing store, where a perky young sales associate helped me pick out a couple of pairs of jeans—apparently, my waist had gone down a size—and a polo shirt that she said brought out the green in my eyes. I knew she was flirting and ignored her, as all my energy was focused on Chloe.
I went home, made reservations at a local restaurant, and then took a shower. I’d texted Chloe earlier, letting her know I’d pick her up at five.
Once I was ready—complete with styling gel in my hair, aftershave on my jaw, and wearing the new clothes I’d bought earlier—I looked in the mirror. I felt like a new man.
God, why had I waited so long to do this? Chloe was the most important person in my life. She was who I leaned on after Samantha’s death, literally and figuratively. Just knowing that she was there, that I could drive over to her place and be there in three minutes if shit really got hard, was enough to get me through most days.
And she’d done so much for me—packed up all of Samantha’s stuff, and dealt with getting it over to her parents. That was something I couldn’t have done alone. Or maybe I could have, but it would have taken a couple of bottles of whiskey, and it wouldn’t have been pretty.
I grabbed my wallet and phone and then headed over to pick up Chloe.
Jason answered the door and gave me a once-over, looking up and down my body. On the ride over, I wanted to go to the main house first, my way of acknowledging that I wanted to stop sneaking around behind her brother’s back.
“You cleaned up,” he said.
I nodded. It was certainly different from the board shorts and surf T-shirts I usually wore. “Is Chloe here?”
“Yeah, she just went upstairs to get ready. Said you two were going out?”
“To dinner. She and I need to have a long-overdue talk.”
He nodded. “Anything you need to share with me?”
“Not yet. Let me talk to Chloe first.”
“Okay, good luck.” And then he closed the door.
Before I could get up to her apartment, Chloe was already starting down the stairs. She was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a red halter top. She looked fucking hot.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
She nodded as her gaze skated over my appearance, just like Jason’s had, but she didn’t mention it. “Yeah. Am I dressed okay? I wasn’t sure what you had planned.”