Chapter 5

Dallas

Several hours later, I stood in the grocery store in Haven’s Bay, listening to Audrey as she chatted with Sherry Levesque. Sherry and her husband Emile had owned Haven’s Bay Grocery, along with a few other businesses in Haven’s Bay for as long as I could recall. Come winter, the population in Haven’s Bay thinned considerably. Those who stayed year-round were always happy to see other locals make an appearance in town. Though Audrey, like myself, didn't live here anymore, she'd been born and raised here so she would forever be considered a local. Sherry was peppering her with questions about her job, New York City, and how her fiancé was.

Audrey somehow managed to keep the conversation going without directly lying about the fact she’d just broken off her engagement. I felt for her. I knew she didn't want to get into that with Sherry. If anyone in Haven’s Bay found out she’d called off her wedding, her parents would be getting a phone call before sunset.

Sherry belatedly looked over at me where I stood with the grocery cart. The cart was filled to the brim. While Audrey and I hadn’t discussed it, I’d shopped for what I needed for the month. I’d yet to come to a decision about how to handle her presence here, but I wasn’t backing out on my commitment to her father to stay here for the month and keep an eye on things. As we’d shopped, she’d tossed a few items in the cart.

Being with her like this was harder than I'd imagined. Hard could apply to more than one thing at this moment—difficulty, or the state of my cock anytime she was too close to me.

“Well Dallas Tate, it's so good to see you,” Sherry said warmly. “How are Noah, Ian and Thea?” she asked, referring to my two brothers and my sister.

“Good to see you too, Sherry,” I said, resting my elbows on the cart. “Noah’s busy in DC, Ian’s working so hard I barely talk to him, and Thea’s still busy in New York City doing the legal thing.”

Sherry nodded along as Audrey and I started unloading the groceries for her to ring us up. As we chatted with Sherry, one question that never came up was how my father was doing. Everyone in Haven’s Bay knew he was in jail. He’d fleeced many of them in his financial scheming, so the betrayal ran deep. The only reason old family friends didn't hate me too was because I’d sold off many of our family’s assets to repay people.

It didn't slip my notice that Sherry’s gaze bounced between Audrey and me a few times. She was clearly curious. It certainly wasn't unusual for Audrey to be in town. It wouldn’t be suspicious that we would still be friendly. Yet, the last time we’d both been in Haven’s Bay at the same time had been over four years ago. We'd certainly never spent much time together outside of the circle of our families. Once she’d grown up and become so damn tempting I could hardly stand it, I’d done my best to only encounter her when other people were around.

As I drove back toward her family’s home, the snow was picking up its pace. It felt as if a nor'easter was on the way, which meant the wind and snow would pick up significantly in the next few hours. Despite my apprehension at having Audrey here, I was relieved she hadn't chosen to leave yet. If she were to return to New York, she had quite a drive. From the forecast we heard on the radio, all of New England would be hit with the storm tonight.

The Christmas lights stayed on during the day in Haven’s Bay, glittering through the gray snowy afternoon as we drove through downtown and headed out onto the coastal road. I kept my eyes on the road, only occasionally glancing sideways at the ocean view. There wasn't much to see today with the snow falling and waves rolling into the shore. The horizon was nothing but shades of foreboding gray.

Once we’d put away the groceries, I was at loose ends and uncertain what to do. I needed to keep myself busy with Audrey around, so I settled down at the dining room table to work. She went into the kitchen, reporting that she planned to cook something.

The wind picked up its pace, along with the snow. By early evening, it was a white-out storm. I stood up to stretch and walked to the windows to look outside. Nothing but swirling snow could be seen.

I heard Audrey answer her phone. As soon as she said hello, her tone ratcheted up. Concerned it was Matthew even though she’d blocked his number, I went to stand in the archway leading into the kitchen.

“Alyssa, I can't believe you're calling me. What the hell do you want?”

Audrey's hair was tied up in a messy bun, loose tendrils falling down around the nape of her neck and her face. She wore a long sleeved, fitted cotton shirt that buttoned in a V over her swingy cotton pants. She was clearly dressed for comfort, yet every curve was easily visible. At least to my eyes. What I couldn't see, my imagination filled out because I knew how she felt against me. Her cheeks were flushed as she gestured while she talked.

“There's no explanation that makes any sense. Alyssa, you were fucking my fiancé!”

She hadn’t seen me yet and rolled her eyes in response to whatever Alyssa said.

“No! I don't want to talk about it. He's all yours as far as I'm concerned. That's what you want, right?”

I held back the urge to grab the phone from her and tell off the faceless Alyssa. I didn't even know her. I figured she was a friend of Audrey’s from law school or college. I was painfully familiar with her social orbit here in Haven’s Bay. For one, she was close friends with my younger sister. Once she’d become so alluring I could hardly take it, I hadn't been able to help myself from noticing every detail about her. All the way down to the crowd she ran with in the summer, the guys whose eyes followed her when she walked down the beach, tanned and way too curvy for her own good.

“Alyssa, forget it. You made your choice when you did what you did. Why would I want to work something out with the guy that fucked one of my friends who was going to be in our wedding?”

Every word Audrey said came out sharp. She huffed, muttered something and then tossed the phone. It slid across the end of the counter and fell to the floor with a thump. I stepped into the kitchen and picked it up.

“I suppose we should've blocked Alyssa’s number too.”

Audrey’s eyes whipped up to mine, anger and pain flashing in their depths. I hated the pain. She spun away, wrapping her arms around her waist.

“I suppose so,” she muttered. “I'll do it now.”

She spun back around and strode quickly to me, snatching the phone from my hands, her movements jerky. When she got close enough, I saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes, and my heart clenched. I held myself back from tugging her into my arms.

She quickly opened her phone. There was a fine tremor in her fingers, and it made me angry all over again. Damn Matthew and Alyssa straight to hell. I watched as she tapped her screen and quickly blocked Alyssa’s number.

“Was she a good friend?” I asked, my tone husky.

Fuck. It killed me to see her like this. Audrey took a shaky breath, carefully setting her phone back on the kitchen counter before looking up at me.

“Well, she was supposed to be one of my bridesmaids. She’s not my best friend if that’s what you mean. Thea was going to be my maid of honor,” she explained, referring to my little sister.

“Does Thea know what happened?” I asked.

Audrey shook her head sharply. “No. I didn't call anybody yesterday.”

As I stared down into her eyes, seeing the pain flashing in the depths and the fine tremor running through her, the tight grip I had on my control slipped for a beat. I pulled her into my arms. All I meant to do was comfort her. I swear. She stiffened for a moment and then relaxed against me. She didn't sob because that wasn't her way. I heard her taking shaky breaths against my chest, all the while my heart thundered with a visceral ache. I didn't know how much Matthew meant to her, but he hurt her and I hated him for it.

Sadly, the effect she had on my body was too powerful even for this moment. Feeling the lush curves of her breasts pressing against my chest and the warmth of her, my cock throbbed. I knew she could feel it, and I couldn't bring myself to step back just yet. I focused on holding her and hoping somehow she would absorb what I was trying to convey. It didn't matter what had happened. It wasn't about her, it was about a man who didn't know an amazing woman when he had one.

Somewhere along the way, Audrey’s arms slipped around my waist. She lifted her head, her eyes locked into mine, darkening as she looked at me. What I'd meant to be a comforting hug was turning into something else entirely. The space around us felt electrified, fairly vibrating under the force of desire between us. Fuck me. I wanted her so damn much. She took a shaky breath, her eyes locked into mine.

“Just so you understand, it's not like I was in love with him. I think I talked myself into it. I also tried to break things off, but he persuaded me to hold off,” she said softly.

I arched a brow. “Well, then why were you going to marry him?”

“He was really nice at first. I figured he was the best I would get.”

“What the hell do you mean, Audrey? The best you could get?”

She never looked away. “I'm not the kind of woman most men go for. I don't back down in a fight, I don't spend time stroking anyone’s ego, making them feel smart and strong. That's not my personality and you know it. Plus, like I told you once before, there was always somebody else that I wanted more,” she said, that bitter look entering her eyes.

It was the same look I’d seen last night when she demanded I tell her why I didn't want her. I was normally a rational, calm man. I thought everything through. I considered contingencies and looked ahead to the potential consequences of certain actions. I didn't get to where I’d gotten as an FBI agent by being impulsive and acting on emotion. Rather, it was the opposite. I was never impulsive, and I never let emotions drive my actions.

Right here, right now with Audrey held against me, I suddenly made an impulsive, probably stupid decision. No matter what happened, she would know that I wanted her. She'd never forget it. I stared at her, the air around us becoming so heavy my cock hardened to the point of pain.

“Don't ever compromise. Not for a man,” I said flatly, my voice coming out almost in a growl.

I lifted a hand and brushed a loose lock of hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. Her breath hitched, and I could feel her nipples, tight little points, pressed against my chest. My body answered, and I pulled her even closer, sliding my palm down her spine to cup her bottom and bring her against me. My cock was buried at the apex of her thighs. I could feel the heat of her there. Her lips parted, and her eyes widened slightly, darkening as she stared at me. The raw desire in her gaze answered mine with such force, I couldn't deny it. I dipped my head, again damning myself straight to hell. I might not be able to have her as completely as I wanted, but I would have this. If only so she would know for once and for all…she was completely wrong about me not wanting her.