“That’s kind of what I’m hoping for,” he said.
Lacy groaned. “Not happening. You can’t buy your way into someone’s heart.”
“A heart that can be bought is not a heart worth pursuing. Lace, I’ve experienced your heart, and I’ve never seen anything so pure.”
“Stop it,” she said.
“What?”
“Being so damn nice to me.”
Dane smiled again. “We should really talk about the details of the assignment, don’t you think?” Dane parked the car and opened the door.
As soon as his foot hit the pavement, her heart skipped a beat. She dragged her eyes down his body, remembering the feel of him on top of her. Inside of her. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. Lacy took a step backward.
Dane reached into his pocket and handed her an envelope. “This has the address of the cottage I rented for you. It’s right in Chatham, so you won’t have to travel far each day. It’s nice—right on Cockel Cove. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
She took the envelope. You rented me a cottage? On a cove?
“Directions to the marina are in there, as is a list of local restaurants, stores I thought you might enjoy, and the address of where I’m staying in case you need anything. You have my cell number, so…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight?”
Lacy stared at the envelope. This was all happening too fast. I’m going to Chatham with him. He rented me a cottage.
“Eight,” she said. Maybe she should be alarmed at his assumptions and his planning, but she had just the opposite reaction. Dane was right there. He’d not only come for her, but he’d made all of the necessary arrangements to ensure they’d spend time together. After fifteen months of hoping he’d do just that, now that he finally was, it was hard for her to turn away from it. She felt her eyebrows return to their rightful places. The tension in her jaw released.
“There’s an itinerary in there. I’m not going to pressure you, Lacy.”
“Like this isn’t pressure?” Lacy rolled her eyes.
“This is a nudge in what I hope is the right direction. But don’t worry. While I might nudge you to spend time in my presence, I’ll never pressure you with regard to anything physical. In fact, let’s make a pact, Lace.” He smiled, his eyes dancing over hers.
Oh God, I love when you say my name like that.
“Let’s agree not to fall madly in love with each other. Okay? Because that would just be too much pressure,” Dane said.
“Not too…” No pressure. No falling in love. God, I already love him.
“Yes, I think it’s best. Let’s just see if we can be friends. I felt something up on that dune that I still don’t understand, and last night? Last night was hell. I’m so used to hearing your voice at night, even if by phone, that it was awful. I kept hearing the elevator doors shut and picturing your face, so upset, so angry.” He reached out and ran his finger along her cheek. “I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
“Friendship.” Jesus, get a grip. Say something intelligent. Do you really just want to be friends? She was too confused to decipher if he was doing this as a safety net so she wouldn’t feel pressured, or if he truly wanted to hang on to their friendship above all else. Either way, she was going to agree to whatever he asked because being near him only made her want to see him more. “Okay.” Ugh.
“Okay?” His eyes lit up. “Okay, you agree not to fall in love with me?”
Lacy felt a smile push its way across her face. “I agree not to fall in love with you, but it’s a two-way street. No falling in love with me, either.” What am I doing?
“Deal,” he said.
She watched him pull away and dialed Danica’s number again, leaving another message. “You’d better call me. I think I’m in trouble.”
Chapter Thirteen
“SO LET ME get this straight. You’re in a cottage that he rented for you, in Chatham, and you’re going to do what? Follow his itinerary for the next few days? And your boss let you go?” Danica asked.
It was nine o’clock in the evening, and Lacy was sitting out on the deck of the cottage that Dane had rented for her, the sound of waves breaking and the cool air coming off the water, sending memories flittering through her mind.
She pressed her cell phone to her ear. “Yup,” she said. “He’s got really good taste, too. This place is amazing. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and—”
“Lacy,” Danica interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“You left me a message like you were in real trouble. What am I missing?” Danica asked.
Lacy sighed. “I can’t decide if this is all crazy. I mean, am I ignoring all sorts of red flags? Who does this type of thing? Rents a house, arranges for a week or two away from the office—and pays for it—for someone they like?” She walked down the steps to the beach and ran her toes through the sand. “I can’t decide if this is incredibly romantic or insanely postal.”
Danica laughed. “If it were a guy from any other family, I might agree with you, but the Bradens tend to do things all the way. Remember my wedding? The spa morning? The island, for God’s sake?” Treat had arranged for Danica and Kaylie to have exclusive use of an island for their wedding.
“I guess. Yeah, you’re right.”
“Lacy, tell me what you’re thinking. This morning you wanted nothing to do with him, and now you’re down in Chatham. I know you had to go in order to save your promotion, but what does your heart tell you? What about the other women you were worried about?” Danica asked.
Lacy sat on the bottom step and buried her feet in the sand. She’d been thinking about that very same question all afternoon, and no matter how many times she put Dane’s face with another woman, it never stuck. It didn’t feel real. Sure, she felt a tiny pang of jealousy, and she’d love to know if he was with other women up until the day of the wedding, but in her heart she knew that even if he were, he’d made it clear that she was all he wanted now. She’d used the other women as an excuse, an easy way to end their relationship.
“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about what you said. Everyone has a past,” Lacy said. “Am I being stupid? You can tell me if I am. I can take it. And I’m not saying that I want to jump into bed with him, either. I just feel like maybe…” Lacy didn’t know what followed maybe, but she felt something there, and it felt a lot like hope.
“What about your fear of sharks?” Danica asked.
Shitshitshit. “Ugh. You’re right. There are too many obstacles. Signs. Whatever.” Lacy climbed the stairs back up to the deck and watched a man walking toward the water. She settled into a chair and kicked her feet up on the railing.
“That’s not what I’m saying. The therapist in me thinks you need to keep all of your worries in the forefront of your mind so you aren’t driven by your emotions and you can make a rational decision. The sister in me wants to jump up and down, hug you, and celebrate the intense romantic nature of the whole thing. I’m riding a fine line here, Lacy,” Danica said.
Her admission made Lacy smile. “That’s exactly what I’m feeling.”
“Listen. One thing you should think about is that phobias are usually irrational fears,” Danica said. “Your case is different, of course, after what happened when you were little, but you can still manage that fear. When you feel that prickling of anxiety, you can remind yourself that you’re fine and that you’re in control, assuming you’re in a safe place, of course, like on a boat. You have the power to control that anxiety. It might not feel like it right now, but you really do.”
“The thing is, I know all of that. I get it. But when that panic attack hit, there was no talking myself out of it,” Lacy said.
“I know, but you can still try. I also think you should take stock of your emotions. If you think about it, fifteen months of buildup leveled itself last weekend, and that, too, probably heightened your anxiety. Even if you don’t think it did, I’d put my money on it. And to some extent, the only way to overcome your fears is to face them.”
“Face my fears. Do you mean with sharks or with Dane?” Lacy asked.
“That’s for you to decide. My gut says both,” Danica answered.
“Maybe you’re right. I don’t know,” Lacy said.
The man who had been walking sat in the sand, looking out at the water. She went to the edge of the railing and looked more closely. Her pulse sped up. She sat back in the chair and whispered into the phone. “He’s here.”
“Who?” Danica whispered back.
“Dane. He’s here, on the beach. He’s sitting in front of the house.” Lacy peeked at him through the slats in the railing.
“Are you sure?” Danica asked.
“Damn sure. Creepy or romantic?” Lacy asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe he saw you on the phone and decided to wait until you were off. Where’d he come from?”
“I don’t know.” Lacy put her hand around her mouth to keep the sound from carrying. “Is he a stalker?” Yeah right. It’s my heart that I don’t trust.