Chapter Two
Sarah was talking quietly to Kenzie, her body twisted away from him. But the angle gave him a full view of all the curves she hadn’t had the last time he’d seen her.
Sure she’d been pretty, but her looks had only been part of the reason he’d fallen for her. Her unwavering faith in him, and her ability to see beneath the surface of the image he projected, had struck him core deep.
Shoving all that bullshit aside—because it seemed it had been nothing more than illusion—she was a knockout now. Not overweight by any means, but she had more meat on her than before. Hips and an arse that definitely curved beneath dark jeans.
Mentally, he peeled off the clothes, imagining the body he’d once known with the new curves. What would it be like to explore them? To hold those sweet hips while driving into her—
Dammit, what the hell was he doing? He was not fantasizing about Sarah. That was a part of his life best buried and forgotten. They weren’t two reckless teenagers anymore who acted on hormones and had silly visions of love. He’d moved on to other women, and Sarah…she had a kid. The last damn thing he wanted was to get involved with a single mom.
Children tended to fear him, and he returned the emotion somewhat. They were emotional, asked too many questions, and could be entirely too prone to leaky diapers and projectile vomit.
Scowling now, Ian turned away from the two and got started on changing Kenzie’s tire.
By the time he’d finished, he was ready to get the hell out of Dodge.
Kenzie still glared at him—which was a bit ridiculous since he’d taken time out of his day off to help her—but Sarah still avoided looking at him completely.
Grabbing the flat tire, he placed it back in the trunk along with the jack and then turned to the women.
“That should do you, li’l sis.”
She flashed him a hard, sarcastic smile. “Thanks. I appreciate your help. Best be on your way now, I’m sure—”
“So how long are you staying on the island?” He wiped the dirt and oil from his hands onto his jeans and glanced at Sarah.
She didn’t answer right away, and he saw her chest slowly rise and fall and she seemed to take a deliberate breath in. Then she finally looked at him.
“Not too long. I’m only here to clean up Gran’s house and put it on the market.”
Sarah had always been close to her grandma, and it must’ve been painful for her to deal with the loss. Had she ever visited? As far as he knew, Sarah hadn’t returned to the island in the past eleven years. Word would’ve gotten out if she had.
“I was sorry to hear about Libby. I always liked her.”
For a moment, tears brightened Sarah’s blue eyes. She gave a jerky nod and looked down.
“Thank you. She liked you too.” The words seemed almost reluctant. “Her death was a shock to everyone.”
“I imagine so. I’m sure you’re regretting not visiting her more often before she passed. Actually, now that I think about it, did you ever visit?”
There was such blatant pain and guilt in Sarah’s eyes, for a moment, he would’ve sworn she was going to burst into tears.
But then she straightened her spine and she muttered, “You haven’t changed a bit, have you, Ian? Still a complete jerk when you want to be.”
“When I need to be,” he agreed softly.
Kenzie stepped forward, placing herself between him and Sarah. “Okay, really? Stop this shit. What are you guys, fifteen?”
“Twenty-nine. Colin and I both are, actually. Twins if you recall.”
“You’re not even a little bit funny right now. In fact, you’re quickly making it on my shit list. So, yeah, we’re going to leave.” Kenzie’s tone was overly bright for the heavy tension. “Thanks again for the tire.”
Taking the not-so-subtle hint, Ian nodded and turned to walk back to his car.
“Good to see you again, Sarah.” But it hadn’t been. Not really. Seeing her had ripped open a wound he resented—one that shouldn’t have existed.
As far as he was concerned, Sarah’s presence on the island was completely unwelcome.
She didn’t reply to his farewell, but then, he hadn’t expected her to.
The sooner she left, the better.
*
Silence was golden. Or it was the breeding ground for a host of memories and thoughts that were pure toxic.
Sarah locked the front door of her grandma’s house and then pulled back the curtain on the window beside it.
She watched Kenzie’s car speed off down the dirt road and could only feel relief.
Her hands hadn’t stopped shaking since Ian had showed up in his Camaro, looking just as carefree, dangerous and sexy as he always had.
She’d wanted to feel nothing for him. Indifference would’ve been great. But, oh God, it hadn’t been that easy. It had never been that easy.
One thing Ian had always been so good at was getting her to feel. Whether it was anger, whether it was desire, whether it was love…
Despite the mental roadblocks she put up against the memory of their first meeting, it still came back to play in her head…
*
“Brady Vandercamp just asked me out for tacos.”
Sarah glanced up from fixing her ponytail and raised an eyebrow at her friend’s announcement.
Still in her cheerleading uniform, her friend was grinning from ear to ear.
“Tacos? Seriously? Is that what we’re calling it nowadays?”
“Oh stop. Yes, just Mexican food. It’s at that place downtown.” She twirled the end of a strand of red hair. “I think I’m going to go. He’s so totally hot.”
Brady might’ve been hot and the high school quarterback, but he was also a total manwhore.
“You want a condom to prevent that STD?” Sarah couldn’t help but quip.
Kenzie wrinkled her nose. “As if I’d sleep with him. Just hoping for some make-out time. I hear he can kiss like—”
“Eew, no details please. It’s cool, Kenzie. I’ll call my dad and have him pick me up.”
“Don’t do that. Come with us. He said he’d ask Pete to come if you wanted to go.”
Pete? Double yuck. Brady’s best friend was equally sleazy and couldn’t seem to tell his head from his ass.
“I’ve got homework. I really need to go. Like I said, I can call my dad for a ride, or even walk home.”
“But you don’t have to. My brother was going to pick us up. He just got a new car and Dad says it’s part of his responsibility.”
Sarah hesitated as she zipped up her bag. “Which brother?”
“Ian.”
“I’ll walk.”
“No, please don’t. Look, I know he’s got somewhat of a bad reputation—”
“Somewhat?”
“And I know he looks a little intimidating…”
“Hmmph.”
“But he’s nice. He’s a good guy, Sarah. I promise. I wouldn’t send you home with a psychopath.” Kenzie grinned. “Those are strictly outlawed in my family anyway. Please, Sarah. And, umm, I just need a tiny favor. If you could just tell Ian that I’m staying after to study.”
Sarah snorted. “Right. He’ll buy that.”
“He might.”
“Fine. I’ll catch a ride with your brother.”
“Awesome. He’ll be outside the front office at five, so you should head over. He’s driving a beat-up Camaro.”
“Sounds reassuring.”
Not even five minutes later Sarah stood on the sidewalk with her backpack on one shoulder and her duffel bag on the other.
When a red Camaro squealed into the parking lot and raced toward the curb, she took a quick step back.
Heavy alternative music poured from the open windows as the car jerked to a stop.
Swallowing against a lump of unease, Sarah cast a glance back at the school and wondered if she should just reconsider and give her dad a call.
Then it was too late, because the driver’s side door opened and Ian McLaughlin stepped out.
She knew very little about Kenzie’s brother Ian. Only that he was a year older than them and a senior. He was notorious for getting into trouble, tended to skip classes more often than attend, and yet the girls seemed to love him.
Maybe it boiled down to that theory that some girls just loved a bad boy. Especially one as cute as Ian. His hair was a light brown and held shades of red depending on the light. He must’ve used some kind of gel to get his hair into that messy, tousled—and yet somehow totally sexy—style.
Rounding the car, Ian slid his sunglasses over his eyes and onto his head. Her gaze immediately landed on the deep groove of a several-inch-long scar near his eye.
“One cheerleader, when I was promised two.”
Oh, he definitely had that faint lilt of a Scottish accent going on. Her heart whumped in her chest and Sarah shifted her weight, wishing she’d thought to change out of her uniform.
“Your sister had to stay late and study.” She cleared her throat. “I’m her friend, Sarah. I hope you don’t mind if I catch a ride home still?”
“Study, you say? Hmm.” He arched a brow and slowly approached. He was probably close to six feet and he towered over her barely five foot frame.
Flushed, and not even sure why, Sarah swallowed hard and simply nodded.
“Aye, I’ll drive you home.” He suddenly grinned, and it was so unexpected, so dazzling, her breath caught in her throat.
Was her heart pounding faster? Why? He couldn’t hear it, could he? Jeez, this had been a bad idea.
Still, when he opened the passenger door, she slid in as delicately as her uniform allowed, to avoid exposing too much skin.
It was one thing about cheerleading she hadn’t been thrilled about. The tacky, somewhat slutty uniforms. But Kenzie had talked her into trying out for the team—especially because she had so many strengths from being in gymnastics for years.
A moment later all time for second thoughts was gone as he slid behind the wheel and hit the gas.
Grabbing the oh shit handle, Sarah couldn’t stop a small gasp as her life flashed before her eyes.
“You really should slow down,” she squeaked out.
“Life is too short to take it slow.”
“Well, if you’re dead does it matter?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Relax.”
When he turned the car onto the highway, she frowned and shot him a quick glance.
“Hey, my parents’ house is up by the navy base—you’re heading south.”
“Taking a different route. Scenic view.”
Scenic view? Her dad had been stationed at NAS Whidbey for the past six years, and she wasn’t sure what Ian meant by scenic view, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Well, until he pulled up beneath a cluster of trees along a cliff that overlooked Puget Sound.
When he turned off the engine she cast him a furtive look. “What’s going on? Is your car okay?”
“Car is great.” He shifted in his seat and before she realized what he was doing, he reached out and cupped the side of her face. “Damn, you are a pretty thing.”
Flustered and more than a little confused, she shook her head.
“Ian—”
He leaned forward and kissed her. Shock made her mind go white. The pressure of his mouth increased and she gasped, which allowed his tongue to slide past her lips. There was outrage inside her, but it was bullied aside by the surprising liquid heat seeping through her blood.
When he lifted his head, she realized she was clutching his shirt.
“Mmm. Very nice.” His hand, which she didn’t see move, suddenly came to rest on her leg. “These uniforms are just so damn hot. But I don’t think you got enough thigh showing beneath that skirt.”
The light touch of his fingers tracing up her thigh beneath her skirt—even while making her tingle and burn—snapped her into reality.
She slapped his hand away and scooted as far to her side of the car as she could.
“What are you doing?”
His grin, lazy and almost patronizing, widened. “Whatever you want me to do, doll.”
“Doll? What, are you channeling Frank Sinatra? I want you to drive me home. I thought we had that covered.”
“Sure you do.” He inched forward, reaching for her again. “My sister doesn’t study. I get it. It was a way to be alone with me. Creative, I admit.”
Sarah sputtered, shaking her head. Dammit, she knew the studying line wouldn’t work, but she hadn’t seen this coming.
“I’m not trying to be alone with you. In fact I had every intention of walking my butt home until your sister insisted I should go with you.”
His smile twitched and he looked suitably skeptical. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. You’re not even my type.” Or she hadn’t thought he was, but something about that kiss…
His mouth tightened slightly now with derision. “Jocks are?”
“Not really, I like a guy who—wait, you know what? I don’t need to explain my type to you. Take me home, please. Or I’ll walk.”
“Relax. Whatever you want, doll. I’ll take you home.” He paused. “You wanna share a joint before we go?”
She wrinkled her nose and folded her arms across her chest. “Did you seriously just offer me weed?”
“Try it. It’ll relax you.”
“Oh this just gets better and better. Look, I don’t do marijuana and if ever did my dad would kill me.”
“Ah. Got it. You’re a daddy’s girl, huh?”
Her head was going to explode into a million little bits because she was resisting the urge to hit him.
“Hey, here’s an idea. You need to just stop talking.”
He laughed and started the car. After she told him where to go, they spent the rest of the ride in silence.
When they pulled up in front of her house she scrambled to get out.
“Hey,” he called out, before she could make her escape. “You’ve got a sweet, lush mouth, doll. I wouldn’t mind exploring a little more if you change your mind. Let me know.”
Not holding back in the least now, she gave him the finger and ran into her house, vowing to kill Kenzie the first chance she got.
*
If only she’d had the sense to stick to her initial impression of him and stayed away.
Sarah blinked the memory from her mind and turned from the window to glance around the house.
She closed her eyes and drew in a slow breath. The air still held the faint scent of cumin and other spices.
Leaving India in her twenties hadn’t diluted Gran’s love for cooking dishes from her country. Kaali Daal, a black lentil dish, had always been Sarah’s favorite.
She could almost taste the decadent food on her tongue. It was too easy to envision Gran chatting with her as she stood over the stove.
Tears pricked at her closed eyes and she opened them, drawing in an unsteady breath.
“I’m so sorry, Gran,” she whispered to an empty room. “I should have come back sooner.”
Of course there was no answer, but the air felt a little thicker and warmer, and she could almost feel her gran’s presence reassuring her.
Regret made the tears Sarah had been fighting spill free. This time she made no attempt to stop them.