“Delicious.” Ben pushed his empty plate further onto the bar.
“Glad you liked it.” Liv refilled his water glass.
“How’s the boat? Like living on the water?”
“So far, so good. The swaying is oddly soothing.”
Adam rounded the corner into the bar and Liv felt her breath catch. He was in his cargo shorts and a burnt orange T-shirt and still as irritating as the day they’d met. They’d both agreed on a clean slate last night, but Adam had yet to talk to her. Put those big girl panties on, Adam, and act like an adult, for cripe’s sake. She turned her attention back to Ben.
“Poker is this Thursday. Wanna join us?” Ben asked.
“We’ll see. I’m still figuring this place out.”
Adam rustled, serving a drink to a guy whose best look wasn’t the tank top he wore, and she decided to break the ice.
“Adam, this is Ben Goodvaughan. He helped me fix up the houseboat and was a good friend of Vam’s.”
Adam glanced at Ben with a smile plastered on his face, like usual. Liv knew it wasn’t real, but she appreciated the effort. At least he wasn’t a d-bag to the customers. Adam stuck out his hand for Ben, but then his eyes turned cloudy and hardened. Neither man spoke, but both seemed to be communicating with each other. About what, Liv wasn’t sure. Their odd handshake ended and Ben spoke first.
“Nice to meet you … formally. Vam spoke well of you. A group of us have poker games on Thursday nights. You’re welcome to join us, too. But be careful. Vam said Liv’s one hell of a player.”
Adam nodded. “I bet she is.” He glanced toward her and she microscopically smirked. His meaning had not been kind. He thought she was a world-class swindler. He could have his opinion. Someday he’d realize he’d gotten her all wrong—if he stayed around long enough to know her better. She recognized the fleeing spirit his eyes—a never-stay-put look she’d seen a lot growing up. Maybe that’s what bugged her so much when it came to Adam.
“I should get back to it.” Ben stood.
“Right. Thanks for stopping by.” Liv grinned the best she could.
Adam remained near her and his scent drifted into her bubble.
“If you get change for the register, I’ll help these customers.” The harsh glare he had for Ben vanished and softer eyes found hers.
“Okay,” she answered and headed toward the front door.
The marina office took up a small nook to the left of the front lobby. The plain wood door had a simple square window and a plaque underneath that read manager.
One stout wooden desk sat in the middle of the office surrounded by filing cabinets of all shapes and sizes, and three old office chairs scattered about. The paper mound on the desk would’ve been impressive if she wasn’t the one who would end up sorting it, again. She wasn’t the most organized person in the world, but next to Adam she looked like freakin’ Jane from Happy Endings –OCD to the max. Can’t he stack paper? All I ask is that he respect the piles. Liv sat down and started to organize the mess. She hadn’t had much time to spend in the office, but the need was evident.
A small thumb drive buried under papers caught her eye and Liv deposited it in her pocket, making a mental note to give it back to Adam. But she needed to stop tackling this project and move on. She’d carve out time tomorrow when they were slower and she had steady help. Maybe she could even enlist Eddie to help her figure out the marina bookkeeping.
Her staff wasn’t large in numbers, but they were effective. Since Adam was already familiar with the business, that really left only Liv to learn the systems. Her confidence was growing and Paradise Point felt like home. The connection here was what had been missing from her life.
Liv grabbed the change she needed, locked the office door, and nearly bumped into Ken when she turned.
“Whoa. Geez.” She backed up a step. Where in the hell had he come from? “You scared the crap outta me. You can’t be in here.”
Ken stood about eye to eye with her so it was easy to observe him. His clean-shaven face held tight lines and no amusement in his eyes.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked, praying her sinking feeling had to do with being startled and not intuition.
“Where have you been?” he asked.
“I’ve been working here.”
“You haven’t come into the office in quite some time. I call and you don’t answer. So I’ll ask again. Where have you been?” Ken spoke low and deliberately.
“Oh, right.” She let her nerves out in a brief chuckle. “I need to call Neil and officially quit. Totally slipped my mind.”
The non-glimmer in his glare shouted at her brain to proceed with caution, to pick her words wisely. She regulated her breathing as an influx of adrenaline swooshed. We’re in a crowded place. Surely this won’t get too out of hand. She really had nothing to fear. Ken knew where she lived though, dammit.
“Why on earth would you quit?” His snide voice exemplified his disgust. “For this place?”
“Yeah, for this place. I like it here.” Ugh, she really needed to work on her brain-to-mouth filter. First with Adam, and now Ken.
“What about the sorry excuse for a boat? You like that, too?”
“I do.” She didn’t bother adding adjectives like magical, peaceful, and glorious to describe her newfound abode. He wouldn’t understand.
Ken took a step closer, but she had no room to move as the knob to the door was already pushing on her back. She tried to squeeze past him, but he quickly stepped in front of her.
Fear over took her body. She’d never seen that particular dark shadow in Ken’s eyes before, and her arms and legs started to numb. Should I scream for help?
“Ken, I need to get back to the bar. They’re expecting me.” She glanced toward the bar and saw no one around—no one with whom to make eye contact to silently plead for help.
“Who? These lowlifes can wait for their beer.” Ken’s jaw tightened with his terse words. “You haven’t answered my calls.”
Her eyebrows hunkered in so hard they might have touched. “Excuse me?”
“I will not stand for this. Actions have consequences, Liv.”
She inhaled sharply. Consequences? The power in the conversation had shifted and she didn’t hold any of it. She was being threatened by mild-mannered, perfect Ken, of all people. His stance relayed his seriousness and she talked her body out of hyperventilation. Don’t show fear. She set her face back to neutral in an attempt to regain control over the growing dread filling her body. Wait. Why am I scared? I should be pissed. How dare he?
• • •
What on God’s green earth is taking her so long? Adam grinned tightly at his customer, whipped the white bar towel over his shoulder, and set off to wrangle the blonde.
He rounded the corner and stopped short. A man was boxing Liv in by their office. Something was wrong. He stood about her height, neatly pressed, and his body language told Adam he was pissed—no, aggressive. Adam moved an inch to the left to see Liv’s face. She stared wide-eyed, face frozen, and breathing so slowly he squinted to make sure. She’s scared.
It was bad enough he’d had to meet her boyfriend earlier, and Ben, of all people? He’d seen the way Ben had looked at Liv, they weren’t just friends. Adam scoffed, then realized he’d actually done so out loud. Why did knowing Liv dated good men like Ben annoy Adam so much? She didn’t go for idiots. She went for the men like—Adam. What was it about that woman that brought trouble? Adam set his jaw.
He rapidly walked over and slapped his hand on the man’s shoulder with force, pulling him back. “Is there something I can help you with?” Adam spun the man to face him, giving Liv the breathing room she hadn’t previously been afforded.
The man’s angry stare turned to Adam. “Don’t touch me,” he spat.
Adam glanced at Liv to make sure she was okay. Her eyes held a darkness he hadn’t seen from far away and she didn’t move a muscle. Am I saving Liv or this guy?
Adam squeezed his hand on the bony shoulder, then let go. “Sorry, just giving you the respect you were showing my friend. Since you’re done here, I need Liv. We have customers waiting.” Adam signaled with his chin for Liv to move toward the bar. He slowly shifted between the guy and Liv, forcing the man to step back.
The man winked at Liv and headed toward the front door.
Adam kept his eyes firmly on the smug idiot as he said to Liv, “Hawaiian shirt and Corona shirt guys need change.” He swiveled his head to the side. Her lips were pursed. What. The hell. Is going on? “What’s his name?”
“Ken Novak.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Liv nodded in silence and disappeared toward the bar. He grabbed his cell phone and typed while he moved to the sunlight.
“My man, you dropped something.” Adam did a quick jog, catching up to Ken as he opened his BMW door.
“What?” Ken felt his pockets for his wallet and phone.
“I lied. You didn’t forget anything.”
Ken let out a disapproving scoff and sat in his driver’s side leather seat and reached for the door. Adam caught it with his hand and leaned down.
“Yeah. Hi. Me again. I’m about to do the whole threatening thing so hold on to your loafers.” Adam’s smile turned grave. “This is the only chance you will ever have to be the bigger man. You don’t know me, but if I ever see you around this bay, the houseboats, marina, or Liv again, we’re going to get up close and personal. I don’t mean violence, although, let’s face it, I’d kill you in about three seconds.” Adam paused, watching Ken’s jaw jump. “Yeah, I said kill. Anyway, I mean I’ll trash your credit, your job, your reputation, and your life. I won’t stop until all you have is a dumpster behind McDonald’s. Even then, I’ll make sure the rats eat better.”
Ken snapped his mouth shut, his face skeptical of Adam’s ability to follow through. If only he knew—the grown man would wet himself.
Adam held up his phone and, showing the man the snazzy program Willamina had created for fast intel gathering, read, “‘Ken Novak. Born October eighteenth, nineteen seventy-eight, to a Mr. and Mrs. Paul Novak. Lives at five sixty-two Chester Lane.’ Not impressed?” Adam scrolled down. “Oh, here’s the good stuff.” He turned the smartphone screen toward Ken and watched as the color drained from his face.
Turned out Ken had dealings the IRS would like to know about.
“How’d you get—that’s private. I’ll report you to the…” Ken’s voice trailed off.
Adam pocketed his phone. “Remember my directions of what you’re never supposed to do again?” Adam brought his head in to whisper in Ken’s ear. “I will fuck your shit up faster than you can say Patriot Act. Don’t ever speak to, touch, look at, or threaten Liv again. I’m everywhere. I’ll know. Now, do you remember all of the promises I just made to you?” Ken nodded. Obviously, judging by his slack jaw, this time he believed.
“And do you remember how you’ll incur them?”
Ken nodded again.
“Then we have no more business.” Adam waggled his eyebrows. “I’m pretty good at this, huh?” He chuckled and stepped back, allowing Ken to close the car door. The asshole didn’t take his eyes off of Adam until he had to focus on the road.
Adam saluted him with two fingers and inspected the marina grounds. I miss that. I need an assignment.
• • •
“That should do it.” Willamina pushed a couple of keys on his laptop. “All I need now is her body heat signature and we’re good to go. Let me see your phone.”
Adam handed over his encrypted smartphone. “Good.”
Willamina shot him a look of speculation. He knew that look. “Don’t start with me,” he said.
“This is mighty stalkerish of you.”
“You didn’t see that guy. He’s got creep written all over him, and I don’t know if he’ll try something again. I’d rather not wonder.” Adam hated taking chances. He liked to control the situation, just like he did on a mission. Besides, it was in his best interest to keep his business partner alive. This wasn’t personal.
“Even so. The cameras, the heat signature, and sensors…” Her voice trailed off.
Admittedly, he lived in a paranoid world. But he’d seen its evils. He had reason to be cautious.
“The cameras are on my boat,” he rationalized.
“But you have them monitoring Liv’s,” she countered.
“For safety. We share a dock.”
“Uh-huh. And I suppose the cameras at the marina are for business? You never put them up when Vam ran the place. This gal must’ve really gotten under your skin,” she said.
“How long do you need her to stand still?” Adam knew he’d never win with Willamina.
“About thirty seconds should do it.” She handed him back his phone and he perused the program, which mirrored the one on his laptop. He could scroll through all of the real-time footage and find Liv with a press of a button if he was within a mile.
“The footage will record?” he asked as he played around with the cameras positioning from the controls on his phone.
“On your laptop’s hard drive. Do you want all of it stored or erased every week?”
“Keep it all for now.”
He had the tools to protect his business partner so he was damn sure going to use them. If something happened to her and he knew he could’ve prevented it, he’d never forgive himself.
He glanced at his watch. Liv should be getting home soon. As he peered out the windows that lined the wall between his main patio and cabin, it occurred to him he’d been paying close attention to Liv’s schedule. Only because she’s my business partner and I need to know if she scammed Vam. It had nothing to do with her green eyes, or the smile that quickened his pulse, or her wit that kept him on his toes. It had to do with his training he couldn’t shut off and the marina.
“Here she comes.” Adam glanced back at Willamina, who got to work on his laptop.
“All righty, Romeo. Thirty seconds.”
He should’ve thought of a plan. Liv didn’t stand still very much. She always fidgeted with her hair or clothes or whatever was in her hands.
He walked out onto the dock into Liv’s path.
“Hi.” He gave her his best smile.
“Hey. Don’t tell me—more errands?”
“I wanted to check on you.”
She rubbed her lips together; her gloss shimmered in the sun. Adam watched her lips come back to their full plumpness before he remembered he had a task to complete. He planted his feet in front of her and resisted the urge to cross his arms.
Liv’s squinted her pretty eyes and he bit back a laugh. There was just about nothing this woman could do that wouldn’t be sexy. How annoying.
“I thought you had green and blue eyes.” His statement came out of nowhere, even to him.
She shuffled her feet. “They change.”
“Change?”
“Yeah, green to green and half blue.”
“Ever full blue?”
“Nope.” She tucked a stray piece of blond hair behind her ear. Adam studied her face down to her bare, kissable neck. What is my problem? He didn’t like her and now all of a sudden his head was full of thoughts about her hotness. Helping her this afternoon had really gone to his head. He felt responsible for her and therefore—attracted? That was some fucked-up psychology right there. He placed his hands on her shoulders in order to keep her still. He started the countdown. “Are you okay?” he asked slowly and seriously.
Her muscles tensed under his grip and he squeezed lightly to comfort her—and to keep her from moving.
She raised her eyes to the sky before answering. “Yes. I’m fine.”
“Really?” Adam searched her eyes, looking for distress, angst, or trauma. By all appearances she seemed intact. Intuition told him otherwise; she was shaken, but she hid it well. “He won’t be bothering you again.”
“How do you know?” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do when you went after him?”
“I took care of it.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Liv laid the sarcasm on thick.
He gently glided his hands over her smooth shoulders, up her soft neck to her plump cheeks. “You’re safe.”
Adam needed to reassure her. He wanted Liv to know she was safe as long as he was around. She’d probably call him crazy and a whole slew of other names if she found out what he’d spent his afternoon doing, but she’d be protected. And he’d sleep at night not worrying.
She searched his eyes, not moving a muscle. He softened his eyes and jaw, nodding slowly. His world wouldn’t crash down if he let her see he cared—even if it was only a little.
She blinked and the moment ended. He brought his hands down by his sides.
She glanced at his boat and furrowed her brows. “I’ll let you get back to your guest.”
He turned and saw Willamina standing at the window, watching. She just couldn’t resist, could she? The good news was if Willamina had time to spy, then she’d gotten what they needed. He blew out a long sigh and rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to start explaining to Liv. But she had already escaped to her cabin, closing the door behind her. Well … ain’t this some shit?
He walked back into his living room and Willamina’s scrutinizing sight.
“She means nothing to me.”
“Nothing, huh?” Willamina shook her head. “As a bonus, you can find her in a crowd.” She reached over and hit the blue button. “This will recognize her wherever. You don’t have to use the cameras.”
“Now that seems like a stalkerish function you installed all on your own.”
“If you’re going to do it, do it right.” She shrugged and he reminded himself he was glad things ended amicably between them. This little vixen could do some damage if she really wanted.
• • •
Liv woke with the sun. She dropped in a pod of hazelnut coffee and pressed the button on her one-cup machine for instant brew. She walked in her pajamas and robe to the end of her patio, sat in her lone deck chair, and propped her feet up on the railing. After taking a deliciously hot sip she closed her eyes into the morning light. It was already warm with no breeze—a perfect morning. Birds chirped and she set her sights on the horizon. Splashes from the distance caught her attention. Sunlight glistened on the skin of a dark-haired man with touchable shoulders. Mmm. Good morning to me. She snuggled into her chair and decided to try being a morning person more often. The man dove back down into the water and Liv tried to hold her breath. Time lapsed and she gave up. Swimming wasn’t so much her thing as the sand and the sun were. A dark head of hair popped above the water near the back of her houseboat and nearly startled her. She focused on the man, trying to think of a witty remark when his face came into full view. Hot damn. Adam Lark is a swimmer. And a sexy one to boot. All of her fun one-liners vanished and she was left staring into bright, brown eyes surrounded by water and attached to very well-defined muscles. Her lips parted but words didn’t leave them.
“Good morning.” Adam brushed water from his face and ran his hand through his thick hair.
“Morning.” She moved her coffee cup to her lips, paused, and sipped. I wish I had my sunglasses on. She balanced her cup back on her legs and licked her lips. Her body warmed and she knew it wasn’t from the morning sun. “Nice time for a swim.”
“The best.” He climbed the ladder on their shared dock and she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder.
“Don’t tell me that’s all you’re having for breakfast.”
She happily swiveled her body to face Adam as he toweled off. Her smile froze on her face as she tried to remember what he’d asked. “People usually appreciate that I have my coffee first thing. I’m not pleasant before.”
“Only before?” He ran the towel over his smooth, defined chest as he chuckled. “The bay is nice for a swim.”
“I’ll think about it.” The thought of him seeing her in a bikini sent shivers down her spine. Another time, another place, Lark. For now she’d stick to her morning coffee.