Season for Love (29 page)

“You don’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

Tiffany turned away from her sister.
 

Maddie poked her the way she used to when they were kids and she wanted to get a rise out of her younger sister. “Go. Talk. To. Him.”

“Shut. Up.”

“You shut up.”

“No, you.”

Maddie laughed at the familiar exchange, also a holdover from childhood. “What have you got to lose?”

“Only my dignity. When I think about what happened with him…”

“You want more of it?”

“That’s not what I was going to say!”

“So you don’t want more of it.”

“I didn’t say that either.”

“I hate that Jim did this to you,” Maddie said, shaking her head.

That got Tiffany’s full attention. “Did what?”

“The Tiffany I know and love wouldn’t think twice about going after something she wants. My Tiffany took notice of Jim Sturgil in high school and set out to make him hers. She started a dance studio when she was barely a kid and made a go of it. When she had a baby and needed a job while her husband was starting his practice, she started a day care business that was also a huge success. My Tiffany goes after what she wants. She doesn’t sit in the corner wishing things were different.”

“I know what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“You’re trying to piss me off so I’ll march over there and do something stupid that I’ll regret tomorrow.”

“You won’t regret it.”

Tiffany shook her head, and Maddie was astounded when Tiffany’s eyes filled. “I’m sorry.” She put her arm around her sister and pulled her close. “It’s none of my business.”

“You’re right. I’ve become a total wimp. I’m afraid of my own shadow.”

Maddie couldn’t stand to see Tiffany so defeated and hated her ex-brother-in-law for what he’d done to his wife’s self-esteem. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I really want to talk to him. I do. Not here, though. Not with an audience.”

“Why don’t you go out on the deck to ‘get some air’? I bet he’d follow you.”

Tiffany shook her head. “Too obvious.”

“I could go in there and tell him you’d like to talk to him.”

“And that’s not obvious?”

“I’m having flashbacks to high school here.”

“I know. It’s ridiculous. Don’t worry about it. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen on its own.”

“If you say so.”

Carolina should’ve brought her own car. She realized her strategic mistake the second she stepped into Luke and Sydney’s cozy home and came face-to-face with the one man she most wished to avoid at the moment, especially with Linda “Hawkeye” McCarthy at her side.

“Miz Cantrell,” he’d said in that annoyingly sexy brogue as he bowed gallantly over their joined hands. “How lovely to see you. I didn’t know you were on island.”

As a jolt of electricity traveled from his hand up her arm, she wanted to wipe that smug I’ve-seen-you-naked smile off his face.

“Nice to see you, too, Seamus.” She pulled her hand free. “How’s business?”

“Excellent. Even in the off-season, the people keep coming and coming and
coming
.”
 

The reminder of how many times he’d made her come the night before paralyzed her. “Th-that’s good to hear.”

His smile told her he knew his comment had struck a bull’s eye. “And how’s Joe?”

“As you well know, since you speak to him several times a week, he’s just fine.”

His amusement at her discomfort was apparent in the devilish glint in his eyes. Fortunately, Linda had been distracted as she greeted Evan, Grace, Grant and Stephanie and hadn’t noticed the tension between Carolina and Seamus.

“Knock it off,” Carolina hissed at Seamus.

“Knock what off? What’d I do?”

“You know exactly what you’re doing.”

“Let me drive you home.”

“Not happening.”

“You know you want to.”

Before she could think of a suitably dismissive comment, Linda had come back to claim her. Carolina managed to steer clear of him after that, but she was acutely aware of his every move—and the fact that he hardly took his eyes off her. Every time she glanced into the kitchen, her gaze met his. Each time, she immediately looked away, but her nipples tightened, her sex ached and her face burned with mortification.
 

She had to get herself under control before Linda tuned into what was going on. That was the last thing she needed. Linda was already curious enough about Carolina’s young lover. If it ever got back to Joe that she was sleeping with the man he’d hired to run the business in his absence… The thought of it made Carolina want to die on the spot.

Good lord, what had she been
thinking
? Letting her mind wander back twenty-four hours, it was clear with hindsight that she hadn’t been thinking at all. She’d been under the influence of Irish charm. That was the only possible explanation for her actions.
 

“Are you all right, honey?” Linda asked, squeezing Carolina’s arm.
 

“I’m fine but in need of the restroom.” She had to get out of there before she burst into tears or did something equally embarrassing, such as grab Seamus O’Grady by the arm and drag him out of there so she could have her wicked way with him. Again. “Be right back.”

She kept her head down as she wandered into the hallway to find the bathroom, which was occupied.

“Feel free to use the one in our room, Carolina,” Syd said, pointing to the last room on the left.
 

Desperate for a private moment to recover her composure, Carolina thanked Sydney. Her heart raced as she rushed through the dark bedroom to the adjoining bathroom and closed the door, leaning back against it to drag deep breaths into her straining lungs. This was utter madness! She couldn’t be in the same room with him without getting hot all over. She’d lived without sex for thirty years! How was it that one night with a randy Irishman had her panting like a bitch in heat?
 

Mortified by her thoughts, she splashed cold water on her face and studied her reflection in the mirror. Nothing on the outside had changed, but her insides resembled the aftermath of a tornado. The more agitated she became, the madder she was with Seamus for doing this to her. She’d said
one
night. One damned night. What about that didn’t he understand?

“You need to make him understand, before it’s all over the island that you’re sleeping with your son’s employee,” she whispered to her reflection. “Get it together!”

After a few more deep breaths, she felt ready to rejoin the party. Hopefully, Mac and Linda would be up for an early night. She opened the door and gasped with shock when Seamus pushed her backward into the small bathroom and closed the door. The sound of the door locking echoed like a gunshot.

“
What’re you doing?
”
 

He grabbed her hips and yanked her into him. “This.” His lips came down on hers, hard and determined.

Carolina intended to push him away, but her arms didn’t get the memo. They looped around him as she returned the kiss with a frantic urgency to match his.

Cupping her ass, he pushed his erection against her and had her on the verge of explosive release in a matter of seconds.
 

The fear of knowing they could be discovered at any second made the whole thing even hotter, if that was possible. If she’d been looking for proof that she’d taken leave of her senses, here it was, wrapped around her.

When he tugged on the button to her jeans, Carolina realized he intended to have sex right there in Luke and Sydney’s bathroom. Turning her head to break the kiss, she said, “Stop.” With a hand to his chest, she pushed him back. “Stop.”

“Let me take you home.” His voice was raspy as his lips burned a trail on her neck.

“No.”

“Please, Carolina. Tell them you don’t feel good, and I’ll offer to take you home.”

“I can’t. Everyone will know why we’re leaving.”

“No one will know anything other than your son’s employee is giving you a ride home.”

“I told you this isn’t going to happen.”

His fingers dug into her hips as he pushed his hard cock against her throbbing core.
 

Remembering how he’d stretched her almost to the point of pain made her whimper with the need for more.
 

“It’s already happening.”

“Seamus,
please
. I can’t do this.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

Her head dropped onto his chest as her fingers gripped his belt loops.

“If you mean it, love, you might want to let me go.”
 

He paused for a heartbeat, giving her a chance to release him.

Almost against her will, her fingers tightened their grip on his jeans.

He chuckled as his lips moved over her neck.
 

“Don’t get all full of yourself,” she snapped, annoyed by how easy she was with him. “This doesn’t change anything.”

“It makes me so hot when you’re bossy. Like last night when you told me to fuck you harder.
So hot
.”

Furious with herself as much as him, Carolina let him go, reached around him and opened the door to a rush of cooler air. “Leave me alone.”

With her hands trembling and her heart beating so hard it felt like it might burst, Carolina took a minute in the hallway to pull herself together before she rejoined the party.

Linda pounced immediately. “Are you all right? Your face is all red.”

“I feel like I’m coming down with something. Would you mind terribly if we left early?”

“I’ll give you a ride,” a voice behind them said in a lilting Irish brogue. “I was getting ready to leave myself. I’m on the eight o’clock boat in the morning.”

Carolina closed her eyes, seeking forbearance. She couldn’t whack him—or murder him, for that matter—in a room full of people.

“Are you sure you don’t mind, Seamus?” Linda asked. “I don’t mind taking her.”

“I’m going right by her place on the way to the Beachcomber,” Seamus said with a crafty grin.

Her place was in the complete opposite direction from the Beachcomber, and he knew it. Since Linda had been looking forward to the gathering, Carolina hated to drag her away early. “Thank you,” she said to Seamus through gritted teeth. He was so going to pay for this, except that was exactly what he wanted.

“If you’re sure,” Linda said, giving Carolina a speculative glance.

“No trouble a’tall,” Seamus said. “Shall we, Miz Cantrell?”

If looks could kill, he’d be so dead.

His decadent mouth curled into the charming smile that’d gotten her into this mess in the first place.

“I’ll call you tomorrow to check on you,” Linda said, giving Carolina a hug.

“I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s just a bug that’s going around.”

“Of course it is. What else would it be?”

Carolina left Linda’s question unanswered. As she and Seamus said good night and thank you to their hosts, Carolina plotted his imminent demise. She was going to slice him into tiny pieces and ship him back to his homeland in a shoebox. And then she was
really
going to hurt him.

Chapter 19

“Where the heck have you been all day?” Evan asked Owen.

“I was…busy. Why?”

“I’ve been trying to call you. I need to talk to you.”

Owen took a drink of his beer and fixed his gaze on Laura, who was huddled across the room with Grace and Stephanie. He wondered if she was spilling their secrets to her girlfriends. In the past, women who kissed and told bothered him. In this case, however, he wanted the whole world to know that she was his and he was hers and they were officially together. For keeps.

“Hello? Owen, are you listening to me?”

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“What the heck is
with
you, man?”

“Same thing that’s been with you since you got together with Grace.”

Following Owen’s gaze to Laura, Evan scratched at the stubble on his jaw. “Is that right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You and my cousin. Who’d a thunk it, huh?”

“Not me, that’s for sure. But now it’s all I can think about.”

“I know that feeling,” Evan said with a laugh. “I like you guys together.”

“I do, too. So what’d you want to talk to me about?”

“A business opportunity.” Evan outlined Ned’s plan for a recording studio on the island. “What do you think? Could we make a go of it?”

“You could. That’d be right up your alley.”

“But not yours?”

“Sounds like a lot of work.”

“It would be, but I really think we could do it.”

Owen was pleased to see Evan excited about something again. Watching him wait to hear what would become of his hard-won career in Nashville had been difficult on everyone who cared about him.