CHAPTER 17

Avery lay in the bed, stunned. For the second time, her body had betrayed her, overriding her mind. Pathetic. That’s what she was. Pathetic and weak. She couldn’t stay strong, could she? Not with a man like Theodore Grayson making bedroom eyes at her. It was small comfort that any woman in her position would likely have done the same.

She glanced over. Theo was sprawled out next to her on the bed, lying on his stomach with one arm tucked underneath a pillow. His black hair was tousled and his eyes were closed. He appeared to be sleeping, but she was starting to realize that with him, appearances could be deceiving. It seemed as though he’d gone into their every interaction together with the sole intention of getting her to let her guard down. And then he’d pounced. She shook her head. Why did she keep lying to herself? She’d wanted this, too, even though it was hard to admit it. His breathing deepened, a sign that he really was asleep.

Quietly, she slipped out of the bed and, careful not to wake him, scrambled to find her clothes. When she had everything on except her bra and shirts, she crept out of the room, making sure that the door to Smuggler’s Cove clicked closed as softly as possible when she left. Avoiding all the creaking spots in the wood floor, she tiptoed downstairs. Knowing Theo, his hearing was probably as sharp as a cat’s, and she didn’t want him to wake up before she made her way out of the Inn. It was easy to find her other clothes. Her bra, tank, shirt, sweater, and coat lay in a heap on the floor, right next to Theo’s jacket. As she picked them up, she felt a little cheap. Thank God there were no other guests here, though some were due to arrive in a few days. There could be no more incidents like last night. She was done with Theo Grayson.

Doubt gnawed at her but she tamped it down. She had to be done with him, or else she’d drive herself insane second-guessing every move from now until he left. Briskly, Avery snapped on her bra. Of course, he’d be going back to San Francisco. Likely as soon as he’d finished plotting out his book. Maybe sooner. Star Harbor was just a vacation for him, a temporary respite from his real life in California.

Forgoing the tank, she pulled on her shirt. Of course he would want to leave. Who’d want to stay in a nothing little town like this, anyway? Pulling her sweater over her head, she shook out her hair, trying to untangle it. Knowing she must look a fright, she had one goal in mind: to get back to Kate’s house as quickly as she could, so that she could shower and change before her aunt figured out what had happened. But as she moved to leave the parlor, she heard a creaking sound coming from the kitchen.

Kate.

Resignedly, she walked down the corridor to the back of the house. Sure enough, her aunt was in the kitchen, preparing a pot of coffee. She was wearing a brightly colored head scarf, a vibrant violet sweater, and some light-pink corduroy pants. When Kate saw her, she smiled.

“Good morning, Avery. Sleep well?” she asked sweetly. Avery listened for a hint of sarcasm in her aunt’s voice, but found none.

“Um, yes,” she said, a bit uncomfortably, pushing her hair behind her ears. “How about you?”

Kate coughed. “Not great. I think you’re right, and I might be coming down with something. It’s probably nothing, but—”

Avery was immediately on the alert. “Let’s get you an appointment with Dr. Kensington for tomorrow, okay?”

“Fine, dear,” Kate said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’ll call her office later to leave a message.”

“Are you going to be well enough to go to the tree-lighting tonight? I don’t want you exacerbating any illness you might already have.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. In the meantime, maybe you’d like to take this up to our guest.” She held out a silver tray with the coffeepot, two cups and saucers, a small creamer, and some packets of sweetener on it.

“Since when did we start doing room service?”

“Since we started spending the night with our guests, dear.”

“Aunt Kate!” Avery said, shocked at both the embarrassment of being found out and her aunt’s cavalier attitude.

“Darling, when you get to be my age, you’ve seen it all. Just take him the tray.”

Avery took it and turned to leave, not sure whether she was more surprised by her aunt’s reaction or her own. “Aunt Kate?” she asked. “When did you know?”

“Oh,” her aunt said, “as soon as you agreed to join the group for skating. I told Emma to be sure to tell you that Theo would be there. You’re smart enough not to walk into a situation you don’t want to see through to the end. If you weren’t interested, you wouldn’t have come.”

Avery didn’t know what to say to that, so she turned away again and slowly walked back up the stairs to Smuggler’s Cove. It amazed her that her aunt could see through her when she couldn’t even figure herself out. And that Kate—and even Emma—seemed to think they knew what was best for her. She glanced down at the two cups on the tray. Why, they were practically throwing her at Theo. Was this a ploy to get her to stay in Star Harbor? If so, it was misguided. Theo would be out of here the first chance he got and so would she. In fact, she’d spend the rest of the day mapping out a game plan. It would be the perfect way to get Theo Grayson off her mind.

But first, she had to deliver his coffee.

A gentle knock at the door woke Theo from a delicious slumber. He’d been in the throes of an Avery-induced dream, her glorious hair shimmering between his fingers, her body splayed open for his perusal. He wanted to remember how good it had made him feel for the rest of his life. Or at least until the next time he and Avery made love.

“Mmm,” he groaned, opening his eyes as he propped himself up. Sheepishly, he realized that he’d done exactly what he’d teased Avery about earlier—he’d fallen asleep right after sex. “Come in.” The door pushed open and Avery walked in holding a tray. “Coffee,” he sighed as the aroma hit him. “Wonderful.”

Wordlessly, she placed the tray on the dresser and turned to leave. “Avery, where are you going?” he asked.

“Downstairs. I have work to do.”

“Please stay with me. Or better yet, come back to bed.” He smiled temptingly.

She shook her head, edging away. “I can’t,” she said, opening the door. And then, just like that, she was gone.

Theo frowned, confused. Had that just happened? He was tempted to leap out of bed and chase after her, but then realized he was stark naked. Not that he necessarily cared, but he wouldn’t want to shock Kate if she happened to be around.

Maybe Avery really did have something she needed to do, or maybe she was still feeling a bit raw from last night. One thing was evident—she didn’t seem to realize that he was seriously considering this as a long-term prospect.

The women he’d dated in the past had been more interested in themselves than they were in him, and vice versa. And then he’d returned to Star Harbor, and Avery had come along. She was something special, and he’d be a fool not to see it. He sighed. Avery.

What was he going to do with her?

Of course he had to fall for the one woman who didn’t recognize her own passion, her own needs and desires. The irony was delicious. Here he was, a man who had just decided to opt out of the game, paired with a woman who was obviously playing one herself.