Paige could feel Sammy watching her. He was supposed to be preparing the contracts for a deal she’d just closed with a large estate-sale company, but she could feel his eyes on her like a laser beam. That’s what she got for leaving the door to her office open.
“Might as well come in,” she said without looking up from her laptop.
There was a rustle in the reception area, followed by the pitter-patter of Gucci sneakers. Paige had first thought the shoes were a little casual for the office, but Sammy argued that the gold bumblebees embossed on the fabric definitely gave them an elegant vibe. When she hadn’t been entirely convinced, he pointed out that they cost six times what she’d paid for her stilettos. Fair point. Besides, when he paired them with his favorite slim-cut Tom Ford suit, he looked more like he worked for a company that designed cutting-edge fashion, not one that got rid of outdated clothing.
“Thought you’d never ask,” he said as he plopped into the chair across from her.
“Technically, I didn’t.” She looked up from her laptop and smirked.
“But you were thinking it.”
She laughed. “Now you read minds?”
“When it comes to you, Boss Lady? Most definitely.”
“Then you should have known that I was thinking you should be working on the paperwork for Home Liquidators.”
“Done.”
“What about the designs for the Fahey addition? The master closet needs—”
“Done.”
“And the—”
“Done, done, and done.” He crossed his legs. “It’s all done.”
Paige opened her mouth, then closed it without saying a word. She joked that she had to limit her compliments lest he get an even bigger head, but the fact was, her assistant was far too talented to simply be her assistant. Not anymore at least. Paige had hired him right out of college. At the time, the job had suited him, but now he was more than ready to spread his wings. If she was honest, he’d been more than ready for a while. And if she was really honest, she’d admit that she was too selfish, or maybe too scared, to lose him. Paige was a one-woman company. She didn’t have any way to promote him to a better job. Moving up meant moving on. Unless…
An idea flickered to life in Paige’s mind, but Sammy interrupted her train of thought before the spark could catch.
“Want me to tell you what you’re thinking right now?” he asked. “Aside from how devastatingly handsome I look.”
Paige leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. This ought to be good. “Do tell.”
Sammy narrowed his eyes as though decoding a puzzle. “You’re thinking that you’d like an Asian sesame salad for lunch.”
“That’s not mind reading. It’s a lucky guess. I order that salad at least twice a week.”
He held up one finger. “I wasn’t finished. You’ll want the dressing on the side—even though we both know you’ll end up dumping the whole thing in the bowl—and have them leave off the wonton strips, but then you’ll bitch about not having them the entire time you’re eating.”
He was right, of course, but she didn’t have to admit it. “What else?”
“That you need to remember to pick up cat food on the way home.”
“Oh, please.” She snorted. “You read that reminder on my phone.”
“And that you need to call your mother.”
“It’s her birthday tomorrow,” she countered. It was looking like Sammy’s special skill wasn’t quite so special after all. But he wasn’t deterred.
“And that despite the fact that you have thrown yourself into your work, there’s nothing you’d rather do than fly back to Love Island and into the arms of the sexy innkeeper.”
Game over. “Now that you mention it, that salad sounds pretty good. Would you mind placing the order for delivery? I’m going to work from my desk.”
“It’s only 9:45.” He didn’t even bother looking at his watch. Smug bastard.
“I skipped breakfast.” She opened her email, staring blindly at the list of unread messages.
“Fine,” he said.
That was easy, Paige thought. Too easy.
“I think I’m going to order a salad today too. But which one?” He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. Sammy never needed time deciding what to order. He had his standing favorites for every restaurant in the Loop. “Maybe the warm quinoa salad?” he asked of no one in particular. “Oh, I know! I’ll get the Southwest. Hold the tortilla strips but extra…” He paused, then lowered his voice for dramatic effect. “…avocado.”
Paige knew what he was up to, but she fell for it anyway. As if on instinct, her gaze shifted to the stuffed avocado that now graced the corner of her Norwegian sofa. Of course Sammy had noticed the unusual addition the moment it appeared. Hard to miss really. When he’d walked into the room that first morning back, he’d immediately started singing a song she recognized from a childhood spent watching Sesame Street. “One of these things is not like the others.”
Part of her still couldn’t believe Maddie had insisted she take one of her favorite toys. Paige had held it on her lap during the flight back to Chicago—a fact that drew some interesting expressions from the other passengers seated in the first-class cabin—and Stanley had been her daily companion ever since. It had been a month, and yet the sight of the little green blob never failed to make her smile. Of course, with that came the sense of loss that always crept in once she opened that door. Which was why, after spilling her guts the first day she was back, Paige told Sammy that the subject of Lucas was officially off-limits. That went for the avocado as well.
“Don’t,” she warned.
“Don’t get the salad?”
“Don’t bring up Stanley,” she said, referring to the toy by the name Maddie had given him. “And don’t play dumb. It’s beneath you.” Samuel Lee was far too clever to play such an obvious game. She knew it, and so did he.
Sammy’s shoulders sagged on an exaggerated exhale. “Fine. But I’m still getting the salad.” He picked a piece of lint off his sleeve, then circled back for one more try. This time he pulled out the big gun: total sincerity. The mischievous twinkle was gone from his eyes, and the sarcasm that normally laced his voice was nowhere to be found. “I’ve known you what, three years?”
It was a rhetorical question. If pressed, he could probably pinpoint when they first met down to the hour.
“And in that time, I’ve seen you go from a brokenhearted, insecure woman who had to pull herself up by the bra straps”—he waved his hand toward her—“to this confident, take-no-prisoners badass.”
It was obvious he was on a roll.
“But through all the highs and lows, I have never seen you smile the way you do when you look at that silly vegetable. Not even when we closed the Sullivan deal. And since I have never in my life seen you eat an avocado, I can only assume that the look on your face has nothing to do with Stanley and everything to do with Lucas and Maddie.”
No nicknames. No smirks. Not even a Ryan Reynolds reference. This version of Sammy was disarming and genuine and, much to her dismay, far more effective.
“Sammy, I—”
He held up his hand. “You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to think about this: being in love isn’t a weakness.”
The words hit her like a physical blow. Not only because of their truth, but because they echoed the words Lucas had spoken to her that night at the inn. Maybe what you need is to let your guard down.
Paige swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “Thank you, Sammy,” she said. Her sincerity matched his, but they both knew that this momentary departure from their norm had to end. A beat of unspoken affection passed between them before Paige set them back on course. “Now get out of my office so I can get some work done.”
He feigned offense and was no doubt about to hit her with some pithy reply when his phone vibrated in his hand. He glanced at the screen, frowning momentarily before breaking into a smile Paige would have thought reserved only for Johnny Weir or Elton John.
“What is it?”
As he looked up from the screen, his expression returned to the Sammy scowl. “Nothing. Just the lobby.” He was already in motion. “There’s a package downstairs they need me to sign for.” And with that he was gone, leaving Paige alone in her office with nothing but Stanley and her thoughts, which often proved to be a dangerous combination.
Paige turned her attention to her laptop. She needed to get back to work. Diving into projects was the only thing that kept her from indulging in fantasies that had no chance of coming true. Of course that didn’t stop her from wanting to see Lucas again. In the first few days after she was back, it was all she could do to keep from calling him. But to what end? Sure, she wanted to know how things had gone with his in-laws, but if they’d gone poorly, there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. Not knowing was better than feeling completely helpless. And aside from that, what would they even talk about? The weather? If he’d kept the inn’s listing online?
Right, like she hadn’t checked.
Paige knew damn well the listing was still online because in one of her weaker moments she’d looked it up, which resulted in a ridiculous amount of time spent scrolling through the pictures on the inn’s website. There weren’t any of Lucas—and the weirdo wasn’t on any social media platforms, which would have really allowed her inner stalker to have a field day—but it didn’t matter because every photo from the inn brought her memories to life. Walking the beach with Maddie, talking in front of the fire, saying goodbye on the stone porch. Eventually she’d stopped looking because it was just too painful. Even the photo of the kitchen got to her, conjuring an image of Lucas on the first day they met, bare-chested and crabby, that would start her on a roller-coaster journey down memory lane that ultimately resulted in a date with both Ben and Jerry.
The phone on her desk buzzed, startling her. “Your new client is here for your ten o’clock,” Sammy said over the intercom.
Paige drew a blank. Her ten o’clock? And what new client? She didn’t remember Sammy saying anything about a new client, much less an appointment. She clicked the calendar app on her computer. No new client meeting. Nothing until the conference call at three.
Her pulse raced. She had no idea what the meeting was about, and she certainly hadn’t prepared a presentation. What was wrong with her? She’d been this way all month, focused one minute, distracted the next. It had been that way ever since she came back from vacation.
Paige took a deep breath. She could do this. She’d probably met with over a thousand clients since opening her business. What was one more?
One more with no notes, no PowerPoint, no clue.
Her stomach rolled.
Sometimes you just have to eat cake out of the box.
She stood, looked out the window at the Chicago skyline, and took another deep breath. Then she turned, ready to greet her new client with a warm smile and a steady hand—and came to an abrupt halt. Her smile slipped and her hand fell.
Lucas.
He stood in the doorway, more like filled it, watching her with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher. His hair was as unruly as ever, enticing her to run her fingers through it, and the stubble on his jaw was just the right amount to burn so good against her skin. He was wearing jeans, as always, and her favorite hunter-green sweater, the one that turned his hazel eyes the same color. The one he’d worn the first night he’d kissed her.
“What are you doing here?” The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. What are you doing here? No hello, what a surprise, or nice to see you? But when she left the island, Paige had resigned herself to the fact that she’d never see him again. Now he was there. In Chicago. In her office.
“He has an appointment,” Sammy said. He peeked around Lucas like some sort of cuckoo clock. “Perhaps you should say hello and invite him in?”
It took a moment for his words to register. “Of course.” She moved toward Lucas, trying to wipe her palm discreetly on her skirt, and held out her hand. They were at the point in a meeting where she would normally introduce herself, but she and Lucas were already well acquainted. Intimately, as a matter of fact. So why the hell was she using a handshake to greet the man who mere weeks ago had turned her inside out?
Lucas looked down at her hand, then smiled as he met her gaze. It was an expression she’d come to know well during her time at the inn, half shy and unassuming and half panty-melting smolder. He stepped forward and took her hand in his, sending a familiar yet forgotten jolt of electricity through her. It was the spark that woke not only her desire, but her heart.
Paige blinked, then pulled her hand away more abruptly than she’d intended.
“I’ll just leave you two to…” Sammy pulled the door shut. She had forgotten he was still in the room. Hell, she barely knew her own name at that point. Being this close to Lucas again—his touch on her skin, the familiar scent of his soap, the knowing look in his eyes—was overwhelming to more than just her senses. Every fiber in her being was aching to go to him, to press her body against his and kiss him until they were both breathless.
Over the past few weeks, she’d started to wonder if maybe he hadn’t actually been as gorgeous as she remembered. If perhaps her emotions had helped her memory paint a picture of Lucas Croft that was more fantasy than reality. And if she were ever to see him again, if she’d realize that what she’d felt for him couldn’t exist outside the vacuum of the storm-engulfed inn. But that wasn’t the case, at least not for her. Every image came flooding back in vivid color, from the moment she stood in his kitchen, a sopping-wet mess who wanted nothing more than to wring his neck, to the moment she’d said goodbye on his front porch, an emotional mess who wanted nothing more than to stay.
But she hadn’t stayed. And he hadn’t asked her to. They hadn’t even shared a last kiss goodbye. So why was he in her office?
“What are you doing here?” she asked again. Her tone was softer, but the confusion remained the same.
Lucas looked at the floor, her desk, the view, as though he was searching for the answer. Surely he knew it was the first question she’d ask? If he hadn’t known the answer when he left the island, seemed like the trip from North Carolina would have afforded him enough time to come up with one. And yet there he stood, searching for the words.
His gaze finally landed on her couch. Something flickered in his eyes the moment he spotted Stanley. Then his body relaxed, and the smile she’d come to crave spread across his face.
“I realized I never thanked you for whipping my place into shape,” he said. His eyes were focused on her, and only her. “Maddie’s grandparents were impressed.” He raised his brows. “And that’s a tall order.”
“So they dropped the whole custody thing?”
As he nodded, Paige exhaled a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “That’s fantastic news.” She knew she had to be grinning like a fool, but she couldn’t help it. “I’m so pleased for you both.” A charged beat passed between them. “How is Maddie?”
“She’s great. Still a chatterbox and still pushing the limits at bedtime.” He chuckled. “Oh, and Sophie got her a pair of hot-pink Converse for her birthday which are now the only shoes she’ll wear.”
“I missed her birthday?” It was a ridiculous question. Of course Paige had missed Maddie’s birthday. She’d left the island knowing she was going to miss everything. Sort of par for the course with their whole “so long, see you never” goodbye. “Did she have a party?” she asked in an effort to steer away from her previous question.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “Five little girls and enough candy to warrant an emergency trip to the dentist.”
“Sounds perfect.” She assumed Sammy was eavesdropping and was more than a bit surprised he didn’t blow his cover with a laugh over that one. A party with five kids hyped up on sugar was not something Paige would have ever considered “perfect,” and yet that’s the first word that had come to mind. “And the puppies?”
“We found homes for all of them, except Leo. He’s staying with us.”
“You kept him?” Leo had been the pup that took to Paige the fastest. Whenever she was nearby, he’d wriggle over until she picked him up and cuddled him. He’d been Maddie’s favorite too.
“Maddie wanted to keep all of them, but we compromised by keeping one and promising to visit the others.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
“And Sophie adopted their mother,” he added.
“That’s great, really great.” Two greats and a good. Some conversationalist she was turning out to be.
An awkward silence fell over the room. “Why are you really here, Lucas?” Paige finally asked. “Surely you didn’t come all this way just to thank me.”
Lucas shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Actually, I’m here looking at schools.”
“Schools?” Of all the answers he could have given her, that was one she never saw coming.
He nodded. “One of the Randolphs’ main concerns has always been that the island was too small an environment for raising a child, much less a teenager. And they have a point. It seemed like a good idea when we first moved there, but the schools only go to sixth grade so…”
“So you’d be moving eventually.”
“Exactly. I figure it would be better to make the change now, with her starting kindergarten in the fall, instead of switching schools later.”
“Makes sense.” Actually, none of this made sense. Leaving the island was one thing, but moving over eight hundred miles was another. Surely there were plenty of good schools a hell of a lot closer than Chicago. Unless…
No, she wouldn’t even let herself go there. Not until he came right out and said it. “Why Chicago?” she asked.
“I hear there’s a lot of construction work, especially out in the suburbs. And the schools are rated some of the best in the country.” His gaze softened. “Plus, there’s this woman who lives in Chicago.”
Paige’s pulse hammered in her ears.
“I haven’t known her for very long, so I thought I would be okay just going our separate ways. But the thing is, I realized that I’ve fallen in love with her. And even though on paper we don’t make any sense—and believe me, I’d bet my life she’s made a pro/con list—there’s just something about her, and I can’t live the rest of my life wondering what if.”
Paige blinked, partly to convince herself he was really standing in her office and that she hadn’t cracked her head on the desk and was imagining the whole thing, and partly to hold back the tears that pricked her eyes. What was it about this guy? Twenty years without shedding a single tear and now she was a flipping faucet.
“I love you, Paige,” Lucas said, repeating the words he’d casually slipped into his explanation. “I love that you show up with designer luggage but will ruin a cashmere sweater because a dog that most people would be afraid of has somehow told you that she needs help. I love that you think everything needs not only to be in a box, but with a label, but will hurl yourself into sewage to save a litter of puppies. I love that you are this tough businesswoman but are so warm and caring with my daughter. And I love that you think it’s normal to spend an entire night analyzing the personalities of four puppies so you can match each with the proper Ninja Turtle name. Hell, I love that you even know who the Ninja Turtles are.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek. “I love you too, Lucas.”
They moved at the same time, coming together in a blur of hands and lips and pent-up lust. She didn’t think it was possible to miss something so much when she’d barely had it at all, but in that moment, Paige felt as though she’d been denied not just his touch, but the very air she needed to breathe.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and raked her fingers through his hair, holding him close as they lost themselves in a searing kiss.
“I’ve missed you,” he rasped. His lips moved ever so softly across her cheek, kissing away her tears.
Her knees buckled as his mouth found the sensitive spot just below her ear. Lucas’s arm tightened around her waist, holding her close.
“I thought I was a pain in the ass,” she somehow managed to say.
“You are.” She nearly gave him a shove for that one, but then she felt him smile against her skin. “But you’re also one of the kindest, most amazing people I’ve ever met.” He reared back and smiled. “And I don’t care where I live, as long as it’s close to you.”
“You would really move to Chicago?”
“Of course.” He smiled. “Where is it written that the woman has to be the one to change her life?”
Of all the things he’d blurted out since he’d walked into her office, that one might have meant the most. She didn’t think it was possible to love him more, but she did. “What about the inn?”
“I was thinking about letting Sophie take over. She’s much better at that sort of thing anyway.”
She studied his face, and while what she saw was sincere resolve, she still had to ask. “Wouldn’t you miss it?”
“Owning an inn was a dream Jenny and I had.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I think we should have our own dreams, plan our own future.”
“Well, it just so happens I do have my own dream.”
His muscles tensed beneath her hands. “Oh?”
She nodded. “I’m thinking of expanding my business.”
Lucas cleared his throat. “That’s great.”
“Sammy proved he is more than capable of running the office on his own. I was thinking of promoting him to partner so I can focus on the expansion.”
A loud thud came from behind the door. Hopefully Sammy hadn’t passed out, but it would serve him right for listening.
“Have any place in mind?” His eyes were lit with a nervous anticipation.
“I’m thinking of starting a location down south on this charming little island off the coast of the Carolinas.”
The wide grin that spread across his face was rivaled only by her own. “Think the folks down there could use your services, huh?”
“Absolutely. People have a hard enough time keeping their main home organized. A vacation home can be even worse. They turn it into a catch-all storage unit of sorts. Plus, there is a ferry—granted it’s somewhat unreliable—that will allow me to service clients on the mainland as well.”
Lucas grew serious again. “But your life is here.”
“True. Which is why I was thinking about only going down in the summer.”
“So you’d spend, say, the school year in Chicago, then head to the beach?”
She nodded. “For the busy season.”
“Sounds like you’ve figured it all out.” He glanced over her shoulder at her desk. “And without a notepad.”
“Not quite everything,” she said. “Going down for peak season might make it difficult to find a place to stay. Busy three months, from what I hear.”
“Well, it just so happens I know this great little bed-and-breakfast. They’re pretty booked up, but I know the owner, so I might be able to get you a room.”
Paige raised a brow. “For double?” she asked. “Or would I qualify for a friends-with-benefits discount?”
Lucas grinned. “I was thinking something more along the lines of a family rate.”
He kissed her again, then stepped back and extended his hand. “So do we have a deal?”
She wasn’t sure if he was being playful or just teasing her, but either way, the expression on his face was a look that was totally working for him. “Deal.”
A loud clap came from the reception area. Looked like Sammy had gotten his way after all. Paige had come back to Chicago with one hell of a vacation story. Except this wasn’t an island fantasy. It was real.
Paige gave Lucas her hand, but rather than shaking, he brought it to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles, then with a sharp tug pulled her flush against the hard planes of his body.
He cupped her chin, tilting her face to his. But instead of kissing her, he hovered just out of reach, studying her as though he were committing every detail to memory. When he finally pressed his lips against hers, he did it slowly, deliberately, taking just a taste before coming back for more. Paige’s skin tightened and her body swayed as though he were kissing her for the very first time. And then his hand came to rest on the small of her back, and she melted against him on a stuttering sigh.
“What do we do now?” she whispered against his lips.
“Everything.”
They may have only gotten started, but something told her it was going to be a long and wonderful ride.