Chapter 15

When Cameron woke up the next morning, she was refreshed, but disoriented. What time was it? There was no window, no clock—nothing she could use to get her bearings. Just a lighted strip around the floorboard emitting a yellow-green glow. Val was gone, the only indication he’d been there last night the rumpled sheet next to her. She bent her head to his pillow. And his scent—man and sea. She breathed in deeply. If only she could bottle it.

Pushing her hair back from her face, she sat up and looked around. The cabin was sparse and masculine. The walls were lined with wood, and a few nautical images—some seafaring etchings and an old framed map—were the only decorations. In one corner of the room, a hammock swung from the ceiling. She bit back a smile, wondering if Val actually slept in the thing. In another corner, there was a low bench on which her clothes had been neatly folded.

Being here felt right. She was happy. And Val had made her feel this way.

Remembering where the commode was from last night, she rose and took a quick shower. When she was scrubbed and fresh, she put back on the same clothes she was wearing yesterday—a definite first for her—and went to find Val. She didn’t have to search long. He was up on deck, drinking coffee from a stainless-steel mug.

As she approached, his gaze slid over her and his eyes warmed. She liked the way he looked at her—with a mixture of awe and desire. She’d never felt more wanted. Then he covered the distance between them and bent his head, kissing her deeply.

“Morning,” he said.

“Morning,” she responded.

He held up his mug. “Want some?” he asked.

“Please,” she said, still half-drugged from the taste of his lips on hers. He nodded and went below deck. In a minute he was back with another mug and his coat. He handed her the mug and draped the coat over her shoulders.

“I just guessed. Cream, no sweetener?”

She nodded. “Yes, thanks. For the coat, too.”

“It’s always chilly by the water in the morning. Even during summer. Here,” he said, gesturing to two beach chairs that had been arranged on the deck. They sat for a while and sipped their coffee. Fog blanketed the harbor, spilled over the boardwalk, and laced the cobblestoned streets of the town with clammy wisps. By nine, it would all be burned off.

“Sleep well?” he asked, staring out at the water.

“Yes, thank you. And you?”

“There you go, being polite again.” He turned to her, his gaze hot. “How do you think I slept, Cam? I slept great. Got you in my bed, tiring me out, keeping me warm. You keep moaning like that for me, and I’m going to be useless for anything else.” He put his coffee cup down and reached out his hand.

Cheeks burning, she took it. She still wasn’t used to hearing anyone speak like that, like she was something to be coveted, but she was starting to like it. They sat in silence for a few moments before Cameron spoke again. “So what are you up to today?”

“Do you have to work?”

“No, but I’m supposed to go back to Boston this morning.” Her brows creased. “In fact, I’m meeting Junior for—”

“Whatever it is, cancel it,” he said curtly.

“We were going to meet for coffee,” she explained. “I was going to tell him we were through.” She’d been fighting the truth for some time now, but Junior simply wasn’t the right guy for her. Despite Clarissa’s insistence, he never would be.

“You can’t do that by telephone?”

“I thought it would be more respectful in person.”

A little muscle ticked in his jaw. “If you need to head out, fine. But I think we both know that after the events of the past week, you going out on what Junior thinks is a date would be a bad idea.”

“I—all right,” she said, searching his face. “I’ll cancel our meeting. And I’ll tell Junior another time that I don’t want to see him anymore.”

Val nodded, and she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Junior sure wasn’t happy about her cancellation—she could hear it in his tone—but as always, he was the perfect gentleman. Crisply, he told her they’d have to reschedule some other time, then bid her a good day. She clicked off her phone. “It’s done,” she said.

“Good,” Val said with satisfaction, regarding her with those blue eyes that seemed to see right through her. “Now, are you heading back to Boston or not?”

In response, she put down her coffee cup and turned to him. “Not.”

Val was about to kiss her, but she put a hand on his arm, stilling him. “Wait. You’re not seeing anyone else, are you? I mean, not that I was really seeing Junior—more like going out with him once in a while—but I’ve just turned down the only other guy that I was …” When he raised his gaze and gave her a hard stare, she trailed off.

“Do I seem like a man who screws around?”

“No,” she said. “But I have to protect myself. You understand.”

“I’ll say this all once, for the record. I’m not seeing anyone else, and I won’t be while you and I are together. Period. If you’re with me, I’ll expect the same commitment.”

Commitment. Not expecting that one so early in the morning. “Yes.”

He sat there casually, as if he said that kind of stuff every day. But she knew he didn’t. Yes, he had a reputation for being a taciturn man. But he had other reputations, too. Once she’d started paying attention, she’d heard them: Straight-shooter. Uncrackable moral code. She could add another—good in bed. All of a sudden, the heat was back, insistent, seductive. She licked her lips. “So what should we do?”

Finally, the hint of a smile was back on his lips. “I have an idea. Want to come fishing with me?”

She laughed. “Do I—what?”

He repeated the question in the same, calm tone.

“That really wasn’t what I was expecting you to say.”

His lips quirked up at the edges. “And what was?”

“I don’t know. Just … not that.”

“It’s a great day for it. If my brothers are around, we usually all go together, but I happen to know that each of them has plans for today.”

“So I’m your backup plan?” she teased.

“You’re nobody’s backup plan, Cam, and you never will be. But you already knew that.” He kissed her again, leaving her breathless. “So what do you say? In or out?”

“In.” She wasn’t going back to Boston this morning. Strangely, the thought of going back later wasn’t too appealing, either. “So what do we do?”

“First, we head over to your place to pick up some fresh clothes for you.”

“Or we could stay here,” she said, slightly shocked as the words came out of her mouth.

He smiled, but it wasn’t patronizing. “As much as I’d like to spend the day in bed with you, we both need some down time. Besides, if we don’t get to Mutterman’s Pier in the next hour, we can kiss any of the prime spots goodbye.”

“Well, all right then.”

Within half an hour, they’d gone to her cottage, grabbed her some fresh clothes, and headed back to Val’s boat. When Val stepped into the bathroom to take his shower, she caught a tantalizing glimpse of his taut, muscular ass. Oh, my, the man was built! Before a moment had passed, he was inside, out of view. Darn.

After they’d both gotten cleaned up, they headed to Mutterman’s Pier, where they were just in time to snare what was, according to Val, the last good fishing spot. Val showed her how to bait her hook and cast her line. There was something soothing about sitting at the end of the pier, pole in hand, simply waiting. This early in the morning, the only folks out and about were elderly fishermen and a few joggers on the boardwalk. Although the sound of water hitting the wood and the creaks and groans of the pier were loud, it was more like white noise. Surrounding them was a quiet stillness, a reverence that reverberated. By rights, she should feel alone here, with no one speaking—with people barely moving. But she didn’t. She was part of something bigger, and she liked it.

Somehow, the waiting was the most soothing thing of all … just waiting, with no expectation of anything happening. And so she relaxed. She barely noticed Val’s voice at the edge of her consciousness.

“Cam?” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Cam?”

“Sorry,” she said, blinking. “I must have zoned out there for a minute.”

He nodded sagely. “It happens.” Then he looked up at the sky. “It’s nearly ten. Do you have to work today?”

The sun was high in the sky, and it was now warm and pleasant on the dock. She’d shucked off her jacket an hour ago, and the thought of moving, let alone working, wasn’t something she was keen on. She sighed. “As long as I’m still here, I should make an appearance at the store today.”

“I figured you’d want to head in. I’ll walk you back to your store.” When she tried—and failed—to properly pull up her line, he put his hand on her arm. “Here, let me.” Expertly, he reeled in the line, broke down the poles, and put everything back in its place. He tucked all the gear under one arm, and then took her hand. “Come on.”

It took way too short a time for them to walk to the store, and once there, he kissed her sweetly on the lips. “See you later, Cam.”

Reluctantly, she watched him go. She could hardly wait for later.