CHAPTER 21

The fifth of October dawned crisp, clear, and bright. It seemed as though all of Star Harbor had come out for the Harvest Festival, hosted on the first Sunday of October every year since the town’s founding in 1639. Local growers, craftsmen, and artists all displayed their wares on the large town green. In recent years, as the town had grown, merchants were also invited to set up booths or displays.

Lexie had set up her booth—really, just a small table laden with samples and print material—between the booths for Star Harbor Mutual Life Insurance and Martins’ Market. She didn’t know how much traffic Star Harbor Mutual would drive toward her booth, but she suspected that many townspeople would stop by to give their regards to Joanne and William Martins.

Lexie had left Buster in charge of the LMK that morning and she’d commandeered two of her friendliest servers to hand out samples. By ten in the morning, Rachel and Kiki were parading up and down the outdoor aisle where their booth was located, asking passersby if they’d like to sample some coconut cake or chicken skewers. Then they’d steer them to the LMK’s booth, where Lexie would then tell them about her catering business.

She’d chosen the right women to help her. In just one hour they’d handed out thirty small packets containing her menu and sample pricing lists, and there had been a lot of interest in her dessert catering.

Was it her own reputation that was driving the traffic to her booth? Or maybe it was a certain celebrity chef? He stood beside her, looking incredibly sexy in a black turtleneck, black leather jacket, and low-slung black jeans. Did the man own anything but black clothes? Everyone who stopped by her booth gave Sebastian a long, lingering look. And it wasn’t because they all recognized him, either. He simply exuded magnetism, his large stature underscoring his physical power, his movie-star looks so seemingly out of place in their sleepy little town.

Even Lexie was having a hard time keeping her mind on her work, and she was around him all the time. He never ceased to have a physical effect on her. One look—like the one he was giving her right now—and she grew warm from her head to her toes.

She shot him an answering smile and resumed her conversation with Mrs. Phillips, the rector’s wife, who was asking her about potentially catering for the Episcopal Church’s coffee klatch.

* * *

Sebastian watched Lexie with no small amount of pride. Her warm chestnut hair curled around her head, bouncing as she moved. In the light, her curls looked golden, like the glow emanating from her skin. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed with pleasure and excitement.

The woman was simply a dynamo. It was brisk outside, yet she flitted around as if heated by a tiny, hot spark from within. She never stopped moving, stopped talking, stopped living. He’d recognized that about her the very first time he saw her in her restaurant. He’d been such a cad, then. Now he was as protective of her as he was hot for her.

It was reasonable to say that Sebastian had never met anyone like Lexie.

He was going to hate to leave her.

As he was ruminating about the circumstances that were forcing him back to New York before he was ready to go, a willowy, stunning blonde approached the booth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lexie stiffen. He stiffened too, expecting that he would need to come to her defense, but she got to the woman first.

“Some nerve you have, showing up here after the stunts you’ve been pulling,” Lexie said.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the woman said icily, not even bothering to look at her, turning instead to him. “Sebastian Grayson, I presume,” she said, holding out her hand.

“Yes,” he said. “And you are?”

“Paige Sinclair,” she said in a purr. “I own The Vanilla Bean in Falmouth. I’ve been to Helena. Your food is unbelievable. I especially loved your take on bouef en croûte with foie gras. It was outrageously decadent,” she said, coming around the table to stand right in front of him. “It inspired me to serve my own form of the dish. In fact, if you have a few minutes, I’d love to take you out for a cup of coffee.”

Paige looked up at him coquettishly with cornflower-blue eyes fringed with dark blond lashes. She was exactly the type of woman he’d have gone for, say, a month ago. She was gorgeous, she was seriously into him, and she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. But now, there was just one small problem.

She wasn’t Lexie.

He tried to look sorry, even though he wasn’t at all. “As you can see, I’m presently occupied.”

“Perhaps another time, then?” she said, holding out a card.

“Perhaps,” Sebastian said vaguely, pocketing the card and holding out his hand to shake hers. “Goodbye.”

It was a dismissal and she knew it. To her credit, she didn’t even blink. “A pleasure.”

She walked back around the table and said something to Lexie, who made a sharp retort. Paige frowned, shook her head, then sauntered away.

“What did she say to you?” Seb questioned.

“She said, ‘I’m close.’ ”

“Close to what?”

“Close to figuring out the cake recipe, I guess. Anyway, I told her I was on to her, but she said she didn’t know what I was talking about.”

“Do you really still think she’s the one behind the notes?” Seb questioned.

Lexie sighed. “At first I was convinced it was her. But now it seems less and less likely. She’d have to be a total sociopath to leave the notes and then taunt me to my face.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed, kissing the top of her head when she was close enough. “We’ll catch the person who’s doing it. And don’t worry about Paige, Spice. She’ll never make a cake as good as yours.”

“You don’t want to go get coffee with her?” Lexie asked cheekily, some of her tension dissipating.

“No. I want to stay with you.”

And he did. Especially since this would be their last night together before he left. The abrupt ending to his visit in Star Harbor had cast a pall over what should have been a lovely day. He found himself brooding about how enjoyable the past few weeks had been. Although he was very much looking forward to returning to his restaurant and getting things in motion for his upcoming show, he didn’t want to go back.

And he knew why. She wouldn’t be there with him.

Pushing aside that melancholy thought, he tried to focus on the woman in his arms. “Lexie,” he said, “let’s have a quiet night tonight. Just us. No restaurant, no cooking, and no thinking about rivals or work or recipes.”

“Or tomorrow,” Lexie whispered, looking up at him with a tremulous gaze.

“Or tomorrow,” he agreed, bending down to kiss her soft berry lips. As always, when his lips touched hers, he tasted sweetness, strength, and the promise of things to come. He couldn’t help pulling her close to feel the warmth emanating from her.

She pressed against him and desire hit him hot and hard. Her curvy body was so ready for his taste, for his touch, that he almost lost control right then and there on the Star Harbor Green. He wanted to devour her, to bring her to the heights of ecstasy, to revel as her control slipped until she was naked with desire for him. He wanted to watch as she climaxed in his arms, lost in the throes of passion, before he took his own release inside her tight body.

But they were outside in public, and Sebastian could feel many curious eyes on them. Reluctantly, he ended the kiss and pulled back from her. She smiled at him and extricated herself from his arms before turning to talk to her employees.

Sebastian sighed loudly. He couldn’t wait to get her alone.

* * *

Lexie finished sealing a box filled with the remaining menus and price lists and straightened up from her bent position. With one hand rubbing the small of her back, she scanned the Green where other vendors and merchants were packing up their gear and disassembling their tables and booths. She’d already sent Rachel and Kiki back to the LMK with the extra food, courtesy of Buster’s truck, and was waiting for Buster to return so she could hand him the heavy box of materials, along with the rest of her LMK paraphernalia.

It had been a successful day, and Lexie was pleased with how people had responded to the new business. She knew she could count on at least a dozen jobs from today alone, and once word got out that she was open for business, she’d likely get a dozen more. By rights, she should be more than pleased. She should be ecstatic. But the thought of Sebastian leaving the next day dampened her happiness.

Speaking of Sebastian, where was he? He’d disappeared ten minutes ago when his cell had started ringing. Lexie glanced around the Green again, hoping to spot his tall figure. If he was nearby, he’d be easy to pick out of the crowd. But she didn’t see him. Frowning slightly, she turned back to finalize her cleanup.

Just then, she felt the familiar weight of his big hand on her shoulder. She turned, and was immediately enveloped in his embrace. Something didn’t feel right, though. She pulled back to look at him, noting his grim expression.

“What?” she asked.

“Bad news,” he said. “I just got off the phone with Ivana. I have to leave tonight.”

“Tonight?” she exclaimed. “But I thought you were going to leave tomorrow morning.”

“I thought so, too, but apparently there’s a dinner in the city I have to attend. Some damn executive at the television channel has demanded my presence.”

“What time?”

“Eight.”

Lexie mentally calculated the time. “It’s four now. And it takes at least four hours to get from here to New York. So, you have to leave—”

“Now. I’m not even going to bother with my bag. I’m just gonna hop on the bike and go.”

“So this is it, then?”

“For now.”

Forever. She buried her face in his chest, trying not to cry. He’d be gone just like he’d arrived—suddenly, unexpectedly—leaving her reeling. She breathed in deeply, trying to imprint his scent on her brain.

“Lexie,” he said, his chest rumbling with the vibration of his voice. “Lexie, remember when I asked if you would come to visit me in New York?”

Lexie nodded, her face still in his chest.

“I want you to come,” he said.

“When?” she asked, her voice muffled.

“As soon as possible.”

Reluctantly, she dragged her face away from his chest, inhaling one last time to cement his masculine smell in her mind. “I already told you, it’ll be hard for me to get away.”

“Try.” His voice sounded tight.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Damn it, Lexie,” he swore. Then he bent his head and crushed her lips to his own, pulling her body even more tightly against him. He was angry—she could feel it—but there was a patent desire behind his anger that overrode any negative feelings.

Lexie felt the kiss all the way to her toes—it was so powerful, so passionate, so utterly primal. Dizziness overcame her, and it was only his strong arms that kept her from falling.

Her surroundings faded away as her focus narrowed to him. Only him. His lips demanded her surrender and as always, when it came to Sebastian, she willingly gave it. Heat suffused her and blood rushed through her veins, warming her, cocooning her. Then Sebastian tore his mouth and his body from hers, taking with him that wonderful feeling of completeness. Lexie gasped at the shock of his sudden departure and opened her eyes, only to find herself standing alone and staring at Seb’s rapidly receding back.

And just like that, he was gone. To Lexie’s surprise and mortification, hot tears squeezed from her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. Within moments, they’d cooled to the temperature of the air. She quickly dropped her head and wiped them away with the back of her hand.

He hadn’t even said goodbye.