Page 7 of The Reluctant Flirt (Outer Banks #2)

Kane heard the bell and walked from the back room to greet the customer.

“Hey, welcome to Ziggy’s Tours…”

His voice trailed off when he spotted Sierra. She shifted from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable at the surprise meeting. Since their confrontation a week ago, he’d tried to shut off any type of thought or emotion regarding the woman who’d crushed his heart.

Ridiculous, since she owed him shit. But her scathing words had cut, distorting that night into something else. It was as if a treasured memory was a gift, once perfectly wrapped, now torn to pieces and impossible to put back together. How asinine to think she’d been haunted by him all these years. He’d romanticized the whole damn thing.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

She cleared her throat.

“I’m supposed to meet Aspen here. Her car is at the shop and she needed a ride to the bookstore.”

“She went out with Brick to see the horses. I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

“Okay. I’ll wait outside.”

“No need. It’s hot as hell, take a seat.”

He almost winced at the obvious discomfort on her face. They’d already agreed to put the past behind them. Was it that damn painful to be in the same room? Annoyed, he pushed.

“Want some coffee or tea?”

“No, thank you.”

She sat in one of the cushioned chairs and whipped out her phone,

dismissing him.

Irritation hit. He took his own coffee over and deliberately sat across from her.

“How’ve you been?”

She looked up, a tiny crease between her brow. He was already questioning the move to be near her. The scent of wildflowers drifted around him. Her outfit consisted of tiny white shorts that showed off endless expanse of bare leg, a red blouse that tied in the front, and red sandals with polka dot stacked heels. She’d pinned her hair up but some caramel strands loosened, framing her heart-shaped face. Tortoise shell sunglasses were perched on top of her head. Gold hoops hung from her lobes. Her lips were painted a deep blush pink, currently matching her cheeks.

“Good.”

“You own a store, right?”

Her entire body stilled. Kane watched her with interest as she seemed to sense danger.

“Yep. When are you heading back to New York?”

He stretched out his legs.

“Don’t know.”

Those hazel eyes glinted with a touch of worry.

“I’m sure you’re bored to tears here.”

“Not really. I like working for Brick.”

The snort escaped her plump lips.

“Doubt it’s half the thrill as Global Enterprises and million-dollar deals.”

Kane tilted his head, surprised. She’d done a search on him. Enough to know where he previously worked. Was she simply curious or was there something he kept missing? He didn’t question her in case she closed up.

“True. But maybe I’ve been missing out on other things.”

The flare of panic threw him off, but then Brick and Aspen walked in.

Sierra flew out of her chair.

“Hey, I’ve been waiting for you.”

Her sister sighed.

“I’m so sorry—I forgot to text you that Brick said he’d give me a ride. I suck.”

Sierra shook her head but was smiling.

“That writer’s brain of yours is a killer.”

Brick laughed.

“I’m starting to understand now I need to fight for her attention with imaginary people.”

“Stop! Listen, I just have to sign some stock and then we’re grabbing lunch. Come with us.”

“Okay, sounds like fun.”

Brick moved to the counter.

“We have no tours till three so let’s just close, Kane. You both can hop in our car.”

The reaction was instantaneous.

Kane watched as Sierra bit her lip, color flooding her cheeks.

“Oh, I forgot! I need to get back to work for a meeting. Sorry—I’ll take a raincheck on lunch.”

Aspen frowned.

“But you were going to drive me anyway?”

“Yeah, but now I can take the meeting and it’s really important.”

She flashed a fake smile, refusing to meet Kane’s gaze.

“I’ll see you tonight. Bye!”

She disappeared quicker than a flash of smoke.

“What’s up with her?”

Aspen murmured.

“Probably just busy, baby.”

“I guess. She works too much.”

“Says the writing workaholic,”

Brick teased.

Kane cut in.

“She owns a clothes store in Duck, right? How long has she had it?”

Aspen wrinkled her nose.

“About three years now. After her divorce, she worked in retail, then realized it was a perfect niche for her. She took some classes, opened Flirt, and is killing it. She’s always been a badass.”

The obvious pride in Aspen’s voice showed another piece of the woman he’d thought he’d known. Until the word uttered made him still and spin around.

“Flirt?”

“Yeah, the name of her shop is called Flirt. Thought you knew.”

A roaring filled his ears. He stared at Aspen as his thoughts began to whirl.

“No, I didn’t. That’s an interesting name.”

Aspen laughed.

“I know! Cute, right? I asked her where she came up with the idea and she said it was from a conversation she always remembered. We better get going, I’m starving.”

Kane tuned out their casual chatter as he got in the car, going over and over this new information.

She’d named her store Flirt.

Coincidence?

Odd that a thought kept circling his mind like a vulture, pointing to the weak spot. If their night together was all about sex and she didn’t care, why was she so frantic to avoid him? He’d already agreed not to say a word. Why look panicked at the idea of sharing a simple car ride or exchanging pleasantries in the waiting room?

At first, he figured it was the awkwardness. Nothing like being stuck with an ex who you’d rather not see. But her reaction didn’t add up.

He brought up the memory of their unexpected meeting at Sunfish and raked through for clues. She’d dropped a glass and hadn’t even jumped when it shattered at her feet. Stared at him with not just shock, but an unusual mix of emotion he still couldn’t figure out. There was more lurking beneath the surface. He’d been so caught up in her blatant rejection, Kane never stopped to think if there was another reason for her reaction. Was it possible Sierra pushed him away for a completely different purpose?

Out of all the names in all the world, she picked that one. Flirt. From a conversation she always remembered.

Their private joke.

Yes, maybe the answers were simple. Maybe it was his ego hoping to ease the sting of rejection.

Or maybe Sierra Lourde was hiding something she didn’t want him to figure out.

Kane considered his options. Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to dive deeper. If he stayed, they needed to be comfortable, and not consistently trying to avoid the other. And if there were other reasons Sierra was desperate to keep her distance?

He intended to find out.

Sierra stared in rising horror at the man rapidly closing the distance between them.

Was this a nightmare? A punishment? Or just Fate laughing her ass off at the unfortunate destinies of single women?

Her fingers clutched her wine glass in a death grip as Kane reached the table. “Sierra,”

he said, his voice a combination of velvet and gravel.

“How are you?”

Not well. In fact, I’m about to lose my shit if I have to spend more than a few minutes with you. Wanna know why, Kane? Because when you’re around all I think about is sex. Glorious, orgasmic, wild sex with you in my bed. Again. For more than one night.

Sierra forced a brilliant smile that stunk of desperation.

“Great. Umm, sorry, why are you here?”

He sat down across from her.

“Aspen mentioned she was meeting you for a drink but got delayed. Since I was passing by, I told her I’d let you know and keep you company until she arrived.”

His look was pure innocence.

“You don’t care, right?”

Sierra wanted to scream with frustration. Instead, she waved her hand in the air with dismissal.

“That’s nice but no need. My phone is my office so I can easily work till she gets here.”

“A fellow workaholic, huh? I know how that goes.”

He peeled off his jacket and her mouth went dry. He reached down, freed each button on his cuffs and slowly rolled up each shirt sleeve. The expanse of corded muscles and tanned skin made her want to whimper.

“Still, we both deserve a short break.”

He lifted a finger. A waitress came running.

“Cabernet?”

Sierra tried to speak past the lump in her throat. “Yes.”

If she was going to survive, she needed a bottle.

“Whiskey. Neat.”

The exact cocktails they’d drunk all those years ago.

He leaned back in the chair with a casual confidence and gave a rueful smile.

“I wanted to apologize for our last conversation. I came across much too strong, and understand your position.”

She blinked. “You do?”

“Of course. Again, I have no intention of saying a word—we’ll forget the whole past thing. But with Brick and Aspen together, I thought we’d at least try to be cordial.”

He seemed to be over his frustration and hurt. Which was a very good thing. The pang of hurt was simply her ego. Sierra nodded.

“Yes, I agree.”

Their drinks arrived. She swallowed the last of the liquid from her first glass and gratefully grabbed the second. He lifted his whiskey and held it up.

“Great. Then let’s toast to new beginnings.”

Sierra grit her teeth and clinked glasses. She’d give her soul to the devil right now to be released from this cocktail hour. She was going to kill Aspen.

“So, you like retail?”

“Uh, huh.”

“I should come by sometime. See your place.”

She choked on her wine and slammed the glass back on the table.

“No need. As I said, probably best to keep our distance. Don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression.”

“Oh, sorry, I forgot. Are you seeing anyone special?”

“Not right now.”

His brow lifted.

“Looking for anything serious?”

“No,”

she said forcefully.

“I’m very happy the way things are.”

Kane drummed his fingers on the table.

“Hmm, that’s good. Relationships are hard. Work is so much easier, right?”

Even though his questions were casually framed, Sierra felt like something was off. Best to keep up her defenses until Aspen got here.

“Probably.”

“Funny how you can see things more clearly in a different environment. New York had me on the hamster wheel, which I loved, but I didn’t realize there were other ways to live.”

Her nerves screamed danger.

“You’d get bored without the chase,”

she said, trying to look unconcerned.

“No million dollar deals or fancy boardrooms. Just horses and beach and local gossip.”

“There’s Duck Donuts.”

“You’ll have to give up bagels.”

A slight wince.

“Point taken. Still, Brick seems happy. So does Aspen. It may be time for a change.”

“Maybe you can move to Brooklyn.”

His lip quirked.

“Let’s not get hasty.”

She refused to smile.

“I’m sure there’s a ton of skyscrapers that need overtaking.”

Curiosity urged her to prod.

“Unless there’s another reason keeping you away?”

She kept an impassive fa?ade, not ready to challenge him on his brief jail stint. Better for him not to know she was poking around in his past. It would blow her ruse of not giving him a second thought.

His gaze sharpened, but after a moment, those broad shoulders lifted in a shrug.

“My chosen profession is full of pressure. Sometimes, it pushes people to do things. Another good reason to step away from the game.”

She’d sift through the mysterious words later. Right now, Sierra got ready to double down on all the reasons he shouldn’t consider staying longer, when a female voice interrupted them.

“Kane—your ears must’ve been ringing. I was just saying how I keep playing phone tag with you!”

Sierra took in the woman standing next to Kane, her hand laid on his shoulder as if staking claim. Callie worked in the local bank and had been quite vocal about her interest in dating Kane, though Inez confirmed date was a pretty loose word for what she wanted. The woman was known to like to break in the hottest tourists or locals before anyone else could sample the goods. Usually, Sierra wouldn’t care—hell, she hadn’t before she’d known who Kane really was—but the way Callie licked her lips like he was a buffet in Vegas was pissing her off.

Kane tilted his head up with a warm smile.

“I’m honored you’d want to even play tag with me, Callie,”

he said, earning a ridiculous giggle. Sierra almost rolled her eyes at the awful line.

“You know Sierra, right? I’m just keeping her company until her sister arrives.”

“Of course! Good to see you.”

Callie gave her a polite nod, then refocused on the prize. Sierra wondered why he’d been so specific about why they were together. Was he simply honoring her request not to start any gossip? Or was he trying to tell Callie not to worry?

She stayed quiet as they chatted, obviously flirting. Callie’s hand squeezed his shoulder. Kane chuckled at something she said and touched her hip.

Sierra tried not to fume.

Finally, they broke apart with a promise to see each other. Kane resettled and gave her a satisfied grin.

“Well, that was fortunate. Any idea where to take her this weekend? Someplace she’d really like?”

Sierra drank more wine.

“Callie and I aren’t close friends so I’m not sure what she’d like,”

she muttered.

“Hmm, then I’ll go classic. Dinner and drinks at home afterward.”

“You’re living with Brick,”

she said, molars grinding painfully.

“Her place, then. You were right when you said there were plenty of women to enjoy around here. They’re all so welcoming.”

Temper flooded her bloodstream. The image of him kissing Callie, those overblown Botox lips opening under his, made Sierra cranky and a tiny bit reckless.

“Be careful. She likes to gossip, plus you don’t want to begin leading women on around here.”

He cocked his head. Those bright green eyes delved deep, stirring up all the emotions she’d been fighting since he sat down.

“Thanks for the warning. But as you mentioned before, sometimes sex is just sex.”

The softly spoken words punched her in the gut. Her vision blurred with white-hot jealousy at the thought of him taking Callie to bed, giving her endless pleasure as she screamed his name.

Sierra struggled for calm. A glint of satisfaction flashed in his gaze, but it took all her concentration to stay in control and a stupid, fake, half-smile on her face.

“Right. Doesn’t matter to me what you do.”

She finished her wine, realizing at this pace she’d need Aspen to drive her drunk ass home. If she survived.

“So you’ve said. At least me being with Callie will take any heat off you.”

His tone dripped with concern.

“It’s funny how things change, right? Think about it. Four years ago, I only cared about work, and you were getting out of a marriage. Now? You’re a proud workaholic with no intention to settle down, and I’m starting to think that’s exactly what I need.”

His finger traced the rim of his glass.

“Get a nice place, a job that’s more flexible, and a steady relationship. Chill out. Smell the flowers and walk on the beach. I think I’d like a serious girlfriend.”

Her eyes felt as if they were about to bulge from the sockets. Was he serious? She leaned over.

“I doubt you’re ready to compromise for love,”

she practically hissed.

“Especially with Callie! Corolla is not a place for you to settle in and get comfortable.”

He propped his elbows on the table and moved his body forward, so their faces were inches away.

“Is it wrong to realize you suddenly want…more?”

Kane paused, dropping his voice to a sexy growl.

“What about you, Sierra? You’ve rebuilt yourself, launched a successful business, and have a great home. Is that all there is? Or sometimes, do you also crave—more?”

Everything fell away except the scorching memory.

“What do you want, beautiful?”

he asked, tightly gripping her hips, poised at her entrance. She gripped his hair and twisted wildly, the ache between her thighs driving everything from her mind except how bad she wanted him inside her.

The demand ripped from her trembling, damp lips. “More.”

He thrust inside and she cried out. Slammed her head against the wall as she arched.

“Like this?”

She was out of control, squeezing her thighs around his hips, desperate to be torn to pieces with this agonizing pleasure. “Yes.”

His mouth ravaged, tongue thrusting like his cock, and still he paused to ask her again.

“What do you really want?”

She met his gaze head-on and surrendered.

“More. Fuck me so I never forget.”

Sierra jerked as the raw images slammed through her vision.

The wine glass toppled and spilled.

God, her wine was never safe around him. She jumped up.

“I—need to go to the restroom.”

Barely able to breathe, she rushed down the hallway and locked herself in the stall. Her hands were clammy and a terrible heat burned between her thighs.

The hell with this. She refused to spend one more moment being slowly tortured. She should be thrilled he was no longer in pursuit, but her heart and soul still screamed in protest. She’d make some excuse, leave, and text Aspen they’d grab drinks at home.

Washing her hands, she composed herself and rejoined the table.

Aspen was in her seat, laughing at something Kane said. The waitress finished mopping up the spilled wine and eased past. Relief flooded her.

“Hey, you made it.”

“Yes—sorry I’m late. As usual. Did you guys have a good chat?”

Sierra tried to ignore Aspen’s hopeful gaze.

“Yes. I mentioned how nice it was for him to help Brick out. But with summer almost over, it’s probably a good time to get back to New York. Crowds slow way down during off-season and things get boring.”

“So, I’ve heard,”

Kane said. Amusement flickered over his face.

“But chatting with Sierra was exactly what I needed. I’ve finally realized what’s best for me.”

Thank God. Sierra only hoped he’d be gone by the end of the week.

“What is it?”

Aspen asked.

“OBX. Corolla.”

A satisfied grin curved his lips.

“I’ve decided to stay.”

Her sister clapped.

“That’s awesome! Brick will be so happy!”

A frown snapped her brow. No. She must’ve heard wrong.

“Wait—you aren’t going back to New York?”

His gaze swiveled to her and locked in.

Resolve glittered within those emerald depths along with another emotion she was too unsteady to analyze.

Her entire body froze; a predator to his prey; helpless under the sudden jolt of arrogant masculinity that promised the rules had changed, and she was way out of her depth.

But of course, that had to be her imagination.

“That’s right,”

he drawled, not breaking his probing stare.

“I’m staying, Sierra. Thanks for the pep talk. It really helped.”

Her jaw unhinged but he’d already won.

She watched him talk with her sister, both excited about the future, while one thought spun over and over in her head.

She was so fucked.