Page 23

Her lips part. For a second, she looks completely thrown—like she doesn’t know how to respond. “I’ll—I’ll see you at home.”

Without thinking, I yank her into my chest and plant my lips on hers, the move so natural that it takes us both by surprise.

At first, it’s a show—a message to Nathan.

But when I hear a breathy little moan escape her throat, I tighten my hold on her hips and glide my tongue gently against hers, teasing, savoring—until I remember where the hell we are.

I pull back slowly, and when we part, she stares up at me, eyes wide.

“Actually, I’m coming back with lunch for you, remember?” I say, hoping she goes along with it. The last thing I want is for this asshole to think I’m leaving her alone.

“Oh yeah,” Hazel says, voice breathy as she still recovers from that kiss. She risks a quick glance down at my hard cock pressing against my jeans that I know she felt against her body.

“I’ll see you around, Hazel,” Nathan calls out to her as he heads for the door, giving me one last side glance before he leaves.

With my fists clenched at my sides, I watch him walk down the boardwalk and climb into a ridiculously expensive car before I get on my bike and gun it toward Catch & Release for the lunch I hadn’t planned on bringing Hazel—that now I want to more than anything.

***

“Shit,” I mutter as I pull on the door handle at Catch & Release, only to find it locked. Turning back toward the parking lot, I try to think of what else Hazel might want for lunch. Not that I’d know. Since I haven’t exactly been the husband of the year, we’ve only eaten together a few times…

“Hey, Gage!”

I turn back and see Dallas standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Dallas. Sorry, I thought you were open for lunch.”

“Only on the weekends. But on Thursdays, I have lunch with the boys.” He opens the door wider. “Come join us.”

I h esitate, wary of walking into another interrogation. But since I’m hungry and still vibrating with adrenaline, I take him up on his offer. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

Walking into this restaurant with no people in it is a stark difference to how it felt the other night, vibrating with energy from the throngs of people.

Penn and Parker are already seated at the counter, along with Grady Reynolds, a guy I know from his days on the pitching mound. They nod their heads in greeting.

“I found a plus one for our lunch date, boys,” Dallas announces as I take a seat on one of the empty stools at the counter.

“I thought we agreed no strays off the street,” Penn says. He tips his chin in my direction.

“I’m housebroken, I promise.”

Parker chuckles beside me, sliding a basket of french fries in my direction. “Didn’t expect to see you here today. How’s it going?”

I pop a fry into my mouth. “Fucking great.”

All four of them laugh.

“Uh oh, I know that tone,” Penn says. “Is our precious little sister driving you crazy?”

“Ha. Yeah, she’s definitely part of it. But it’s not her that’s got my mind spinning right now.”

Dallas hands me a glass of water. “What’s up?”

I peer up at him. “Do you know Nathan Smith?”

Penn, Parker, and Dallas all immediately go tense, their expressions darkening.

Grady, however, just blinks and asks, “Who’s that?”

Ignoring him, Dallas asks, “Why are you asking about him?”

“He showed up at Hazel’s studio today, and I instinctively got the urge to deck the asshole in the face.”

Pen n crumples his napkin and tosses it onto his plate. “All right boys, which power tool should I grab?”

Dallas turns to his brother and arches a brow. “Are you suggesting we deal with him using power tools?”

“Do you not remember what that dick did to her, Dallas?”

Dallas blows out a breath and pushes a hand through his hair. “I do.”

I sit up taller on my stool, noting the concerned looks on her brothers’ faces. “What the fuck did he do?”

Parker speaks first. “Hazel used to date that twat waffle. Why, I’ll never understand.”

“But when she called him out for cheating on her, he slapped her,” Penn adds, his fist clenching on the bar.

My grip tightens on my glass as something inside me snaps.

That son of a bitch.

Penn shakes his head as he continues, “Hazel insists it was an accident. Says it happened when he was flailing his hands around trying to defend himself, but he’s lucky he left town before I could get to him.”

Dallas clears his throat. “I was still in the service when this happened, but if I had been here, let’s just say the guy wouldn’t have been able to lay a hand on another woman ever again.”

I shake my head. “Motherfucker. Now I regret not going with the urge to deck him.”

“Did he say anything to her?” Penn asks.

“Nothing threatening, but he was a dick about her studio.”

Parker scoffs. “Yeah, sounds about right. He always thought her photography was a joke. Meanwhile, everything he has came from mommy and daddy.”

“ Why the fuck did she date this guy?” I ask, growing more furious by the second. The woman I’ve gotten to know doesn’t seem like someone that would put up with that type of shit.

Penn shrugs. “Who the hell knows? I mean, most people have exes they look back on and wonder what the hell they were thinking, but our sister has always been a hopeless romantic. She always tries to see the best in people.”

Guilt twists in my gut for robbing Hazel of a life with a man that she deserves because that man sure as hell can’t be me.

I force myself to meet Dallas’s eyes. “Do you mind starting two burgers for me to go?”

He nods, calling out to the cook. “Is one of these for Hazel?”

“Yeah. I was going to grab her lunch anyway, but I want to head back now to make sure that dickwad doesn’t show back up.”

Dallas glances at his brothers before turning back to me. “Good idea.”

“I honestly don’t think Nathan will return,” Parker says. “When he comes to town, it’s usually just to visit his folks and then he takes off.”

“I don’t care. I could tell he made her uncomfortable, and I don’t want to risk it.”

Dallas nods, pulling out his phone. “Let us know if you need backup.” He taps at the screen. “What’s your number?”

I didn’t really want to exchange numbers with Hazel’s family—another tie to Carrington Cove I don’t need—but with her safety in question, I won’t take any fucking chances.

I rattle off my number to Dallas, then glance up as Grady extends his hand toward me.

“I’m Grady, by the way.”

“I know who you are.” I shake his hand and reach for the basket of fries again. “I was a big fan growing up.”

“ Fuck, you’re making me feel old,” Grady says with a laugh.

“You were one of the best, man. A legend.” I cast a glance at Dallas before I say, “But apparently, you suck at cornhole.”

Penn, Parker, and Dallas lose their shit, tossing their heads back in laughter.

“Seriously?” Grady darts his eyes between his friends. “You guys have been talking shit?”

Dallas leans over the bar, staring at his friend. “All I know is that when Gage was my partner, I actually won a game for once in my life.”

Grady flips him off. “Fuck you. I’ll remember that when you want me to play on your team for the Carrington Cove Games this year.”

I nearly choke on my fry. “They still do that?” I remember watching a few games as a kid, and my aunt always looked forward to it each year.

“Hell yeah. It’s tradition,” Parker says. “And Dallas is the reigning champ. But not this year.”

“Keep dreaming, little brother.”

I turn to look at Parker. “Why not this year?”

“Because everyone is tired of him winning, especially our little sister.”

“Hazel thinks if she gets Penn, Parker, and Grady on her photography studio’s team, they can claim the title.” Dallas rolls his eyes. “But it’s fine. I’ll let them keep being delusional long enough for me to recruit the most tactical team and clench the title for the third year in a row.”

The shit-talking continues, and as I wait for my burgers, I have to admit that this is a good group of men—a group of men that Hazel is pretty fucking lucky to have in her life, even if she wants to beat them at some cheesy-ass small-town game.

***

“ I’ve got your lunch.”

Hazel holds open the front door she just unlocked, stepping aside as I walk in the studio.

“Thank you,” she says, locking the door behind me.

“Are your clients gone?”

“Yeah. They left about thirty minutes ago.”

I set the bags of food on the reception counter and study her for a beat. Her expression is unreadable but neutral, maybe a little guarded. “Are you okay?”

She nods, but it’s shaky. “Uh-huh.”

“You sure?”

This time her uneasiness sharpens into irritation. “I’m fine, Gage.” She grabs a Styrofoam container from the bag and takes it over to her desk. “Honestly, you didn’t need to do this. I thought you were just joking when you said you were bringing me lunch.”

“I didn’t want Nathan to think you would be alone after I left.”

She pops a fry into her mouth, not looking at me. “Why do you care?”

My stomach tightens. “Why would I not?” For a moment, I debate bringing up the fact that Nathan slapped her, but think twice when Hazel finally lifts her gaze, her blue eyes stormy.

“I’m a big girl, Gage. I can handle myself. I have been long before you came into the picture.”

“I know you can, but the way you reacted to that guy…”

She brushes her hair from her face. “I was just caught off guard.” She flashes me a fake smile. “Seriously, I’m good.”

I don’t believe her. Not for a fucking second.

But I also know Hazel could argue circles around me for days. And if she doesn’t want to talk, no amount of pushing will make her. So instead, I choose to let it go for now and head to work before I have to explai n to Axel why I’m late. “Fine. Call if you need me. I’m just up the street.”

She nods. “Okay.”

“See you at home,” I say, casting one more glance at her before I head for the door. “Make sure to lock up after I leave.”

She stands from her chair and follows me to the door. “I know, Gage.”

“Just looking out for you, Spitfire.” And then I leave, not enjoying the way my stomach is in knots knowing that this need to protect her is overwhelming me, and I don’t know what to fucking do about it.

***

“It’s all yours, man.” I hand the key for Aunt Diane’s house to Penn, feeling like a weight is being lifted as I do. Penn had cash to pay for the house, so we opted for a quicker than normal escrow.

“Thanks, Gage. I know this is hard, but I promise I’m going to fix this place up and make it somewhere people can make some amazing memories.”

Staring at the house, I think of all the memories I have inside those walls.

“I think my aunt would like that. She was always looking out for people. It’s why she wanted the money from the sale to go to the Veteran’s Center.

” I almost mention that it’s in honor of his and Hazel’s dad, but that’s something I want Hazel to hear from me first.

“Damn. Well, that was very generous of her.”

“She loved this town,” I say.

And I think I’m finally starting to get why.

There’s something about the slow pace of life in Carrington Cove that’s been surprisingly refreshing.

Back in Orlando it always felt like I was in a hurry to go places, work and go out with my buddies, or keep up with the next new thing.

Since I’ve been here, my life just feels simpler .

Except for my new wife and the fact that I’m insanely attracted to her but can’t touch her the way that I want, of course.

“This place is home,” Penn says, pulling me back to our conversation. “There’s a reason that a lot of people who grow up here never leave.”

“Yeah, Hazel mentioned never wanting to live anywhere else.”

Penn nods. “That’s part of the reason things didn’t work out with Nathan.”

Just the mention of that asshole’s name has my shoulders tensing.

“Speaking of which, any sign of him?” Penn asks.

I shake my head. “Nope. I followed Hazel to work and hung out around the studio when I could over the past week just to make sure he didn’t stop by again.

When I mentioned the name to Axel, he said the guy was a doofus and that I shouldn’t be concerned, but I know what I saw on Hazel’s face when he was there. ”

Penn clasps a hand on my shoulder. “Well, I’m glad she has you to look out for her, at least for the next few months, anyway.”

I clear my throat, trying not to show how the thought of our diminishing timeline affects me, especially after the incident with her ex. “As long as I’m here, she’s safe. But just to make sure, are there any other asshole exes I should know about?”

Penn scoffs. “Well, my sister was a bit of a serial dater, so there are plenty of men she’s given a chance, but not many she let in as much as Nathan.”

My stomach twists. “A serial dater, huh? ”

Is that…jealousy?

He laughs. “Hazel has what we like to refer to as hopeless romantic syndrome. She’s always dreamed of falling in love, chased the happily ever after and all that, only to be left disappointed.”

The guilt that’s been hovering like a shadow since the day we got married? It presses in tighter.

Penn pushes a hand through his hair. “Actually, that’s a big reason we were so shocked she agreed to this marriage.”

I force a casual shrug. “We’re adults. We knew what we were doing, and we’re keeping things platonic. The last thing I want to do is disappoint your sister.”

Penn eyes me curiously from the side. “Well, I know from experience that sometimes we make choices because we think it will keep us safe, when in reality, it just keeps us from getting what we really want.” Before I can reply, one of Penn’s employees pulls into the driveway.

Penn claps his hands together, calling to the man as he climbs out of his truck. “Come on, Vince! We’ve got a house to demo.” Then he turns back to me. “You wanna stay and see the mess I’m about to make in here?”

“Nah, I’ve got to get going.”

“Suit yourself. See you at dinner next weekend,” he says before walking up to the house with Vince trailing him.

Right. The Sheppard family dinner is next week, which means more time with the people closest to Hazel. People who are welcoming me into their family like I might actually be good for her.

I should be figuring out how to walk away. Instead, I just keep getting pulled in deeper.