Someone Like You (21 page)

“Ahhhh.” His grin widened into a sexy smile of anticipation. “Bonus.”

* * *

It was a perfect afternoon for the annual Edgewater Fall Festival, with sunny blue skies and temps in the high sixties. Main Street had been cordoned off for six blocks; instead of two-way traffic, there were food stands, craft stands, and game booths for charity. Crowded with people, the town's favorite event was a success once again. Abby felt good about her small part in it.

The Jaguars had lost the game, but Abby hadn't had time to dwell on it. As soon as they could, she and Pierce had hopped in his Range Rover and headed into town. She had to check in with the committee, then help set up the basketball hoop stand. With Pierce's help, they were done in a much shorter time than she'd figured it would take. He was beyond helpful, not only setting up their stand, but offering assistance to the women at the next stand as well. They'd gotten the table and chairs out just fine, but were having a problem setting up the tarp overhead the booth.

Abby went about her business, but stole glances at him as he worked. Sunglasses still on, he'd pulled off his blue hoodie, the tight gray T-shirt beneath revealing his lean torso and muscled, tattooed arms in mouth-watering fashion. And she loved how his ass looked in his jeans. But what she loved most of all was the snippet of conversation she overheard: his telling the two pretty twentysomethings that Abby was his girlfriend, and he knew this event was important to her, so of course he'd volunteered.

His. She was his. He was proud of that. It made her feel all glowy inside.

She and Ewan had gone to out-of-the-way places when in Jersey, and she'd thought it was because he didn't want to run into anyone he knew who might go back and tell his kids he was dating so soon after his divorce. The divorce that had never happened, of course, but she hadn't known that. Even when he'd come to Long Island, they'd spent most of their time in her apartment. She'd always had that nagging, icky feeling that he was . . . hiding her. Hiding
them.

Not Pierce. He was in a lively mood and happy to announce he was there because he was her boyfriend. Throughout the hours they spent in the booth together, they laughed and joked around and stole kisses and talked to the people who played. He got bottles of water and lunch from the booth that her favorite Greek restaurant had set up, and they ate out of Styrofoam containers on their laps while she told him stories about things she'd done at Fall Festivals in the past. Her mom and dad came by with Dylan to say hi, and so did a lot of her friends. Now she was the one who was proud, and got a kick out of surprising them at the same time by introducing her new guy. But the way some of them scoped Pierce, she had to wonder if they dropped by to say hello to her or to check him out. Pierce was not his quieter, guarded self. He was Mister Personality, charming and quick-witted and smiling at everyone who came by their booth. He was in Pro Football Star mode, and his starshine was almost blinding.

It was the nicest day Abby had enjoyed in a long time.

At one point, when there actually wasn't anyone lined up to play their game, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a long, rewarding kiss.

“Mmmm,” he said, smiling against her lips. His arms slid around her waist, holding her close. “What was that for?”

“I just . . .” She looked up into his face. “You're a great guy, Pierce. You really are.”

“Wow.” His mouth curved into a grin. “Thanks.”

“No, thank
you.
You've been wonderful today. With everything. And all with a smile on your face.”

“Easy to smile around you.” He winked. “This is fun! I'm glad Fiona had to bail.”

“It's very different from your life in London, huh?” she remarked.

He snorted, his hands playing along the small of her back as he held her. “That's true. And I'm glad.”

Something occurred to her. “You don't ever miss it? The fast pace, the competition of the game, the parties and the glamour that go along with it?”

He made a face and shook his head. “Not really. I mean, I miss the game. I miss playing. But I don't miss living out of a suitcase for months, or paparazzi following me, or the party lifestyle. Which means I was ready to slow down and do something else.” He smiled and added, “I think you forget I grew up on Long Island, Abby. It's not an alien experience to me, being here.”

“Well, half right. You grew up in Kingston Point, which is alien compared to Edgewater,” she pointed out.

“True,” he conceded. “But you know I hated it there. Actually, in my teens, I hung out in Edgewater, with Troy and some other guys. We used to go to the park to play soccer or shoot hoops, or drink at night down by the water.” A mixture of nostalgia, both good and bad, crossed his features. “I couldn't be myself in Kingston Point. Thank God my father sent me to that private school and I met Troy. I could be myself with him here. I like it here.”

“You liked London too, though,” she said. “You did, for a long time. And you told me you couldn't get out of Long Island fast enough when you turned eighteen.”

He nodded slowly, considering, before saying, “That's all true too. But . . . if I loved my life in London so much, wouldn't I miss it by now? I don't.” He shrugged, his hands running up and down her back. “I had fun, and I was very lucky to play how and for as long as I did, absolutely. But I'm looking ahead now, not back.”

She ran her fingers through his hair and said, “Good to know,” before kissing him again. His fingers clutched at her hips and pressed her tighter against him.

“Jeez, get a room, you two,” said a familiar voice.

They broke apart to see Tess standing there, grinning impishly. And three dark-haired kids, who were all holding pink puffs of cotton candy and staring at them.

“Hey, you guys!” Pierce released Abby to lean over the wall of the booth for hugs. “Auntie Tess brought you, good. I told her to, you know. I thought you guys would have fun here. Are you?”

“This place is awesome!” the smallest boy cried, then shoved a fistful of cotton candy into his mouth.

He proudly introduced Abby to his niece and nephews, then explained to them how to play their game and set them up with basketballs. Abby stood back to watch him interact with the kids. It made her smile, seeing him so enthusiastic and sweet.

“He's so great with them,” Tess said to Abby. She'd moved back to stand beside her. “Since he's been home again, he's been able to spend time with them, and they adore him now.”

“He's great with the boys on our soccer team, too,” Abby said. “He's a natural, really good with kids.”

“Yup,” Tess agreed. “That gold heart of his may have stone walls around it, but a very soft underbelly.”

Abby gazed at him, grinning at how he joked with the kids.

“So . . . he's been looking into the businesses that do soccer clinics for local teams,” Tess said. “All ages, from little kids through teens. Said he's thinking of running one, maybe even buying into one. I think it's a fantastic idea.”

“Me too,” Abby agreed. “I think he'd get a lot out of it.”

“He told me you were the one who suggested it. Thank you, Abby.”

Abby tore her eyes away from Pierce to look at his sister. Tess was watching her intently. She cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Oh. Well, um . . . we were talking a few weeks ago about possible careers for him in American soccer. And I've seen him with the kids, he's a natural coach, so I told him about the company the Edgewater Soccer Club hires to do clinics and things like that . . . it bloomed from there.”

“You gave him something to actually focus on and consider,” Tess said. “Something positive, something for his next step.” She glanced over at her brother, then back to Abby. Her voice lowered. “He took some really bad hits this year. He was so down when he first came back home. But now? He's happier than I've seen him in forever.” Her smile was gentle. “That's mostly because of you. My brother isn't only doing better, but he's also happy. So . . . thanks for that.”

Abby felt the color staining her cheeks. “I . . . wow. I'm flattered.”

Tess inclined her head, studying her. “You're as nuts about him as he is about you. It's obvious. So, I'm happy too.” She smiled more broadly and moved to once again stand beside the kids.

Abby watched them all with introspective fascination. The Harrisons were powerful billionaires, with a well-known family legacy four generations strong. These kids were the beginning of the fifth. Just the three kids, Tess, and Pierce put together were worth more money than most of the families in Edgewater all put together. And when people from Edgewater looked at them, that's likely all they saw: the Harrisons' wealth, their status, their prestige.

But she saw so much more. Charles's kids were all adorable. There was his sister, so tall and strikingly beautiful. To her, Tess always seemed as regal as royalty; she carried herself so gracefully, and had that air of subtle sophistication that only a lifetime of wealth and worldliness could provide. But she lived alone; according to Pierce, she intended to stay that way, and he worried for her. He didn't want her to grow old alone and lonely. And, of course, there was Pierce—stunningly hot, former pro athlete, and something of a celebrity. With a miserable childhood behind him, a career in tatters, and not much of an idea where he stood or where he was going.

Money wasn't everything. The Harrisons were proof of that.

Sure, it helped, a hell of a lot. She could think of a dozen ways it'd make her life, her sister's and nephew's lives, and her parents' lives easier. But Abby wouldn't trade her family for the Harrisons and their baggage, not for all the wealth in the world. For better and for worse, Pierce had been raised in an utterly different world from the one she knew.

Yet here he was, in jeans and a T-shirt, in her sleepy little town, fitting in seamlessly. He had asked his family to come by, and he'd helped others, and he truly wanted to be there. That realization overwhelmed her as it sank in.

And it meant a lot.

Pierce caught her staring and tossed her a sweet grin and a wink. Something in her heart zinged and liquid warmth flowed through her whole body. Something that felt like more than just affection, both heady and deep at the same time. Something very powerful, and very real.

* * *

Abby left Pierce to man the basketball booth on his own as she went to do her shift at the pumpkin painting table. A long, rectangular folding table was covered with plastic tablecloths and heaped with baby pumpkins that kids had painted on. A crate of paints was at either end, and the crate of pumpkins was behind the table, next to her chair. She loved this booth; it was the one she usually volunteered to run, but Fiona had wanted to do “something more fun” this year. So, Abby had compromised and signed on to work both booths. Now, at the much quieter booth, she relaxed a little. As much as she'd loved her time with Pierce, the basketball booth was loud and lively. Sitting behind the table in the quieter part of the festival, passing out paints and brushes and helping the kids create, was definitely more her style.

Maybe she wasn't fun. Maybe she was a little . . . high-strung. But she was fine with who she was, and apparently, Pierce was too.

She'd been there only fifteen minutes when Lori McCandless sauntered over. Abby groaned on the inside as she watched the slender brunette approach. She and Lori had been rivals in high school and never gotten along. Their last names assured the girls were always in the same homeroom, stuck next to each other. Abby hung out with the quiet, nerdy group, and Lori hung out with the cheerleaders, and she liked to put Abby down for sport. And worst of all, they always seemed to like the same boys. In ninth grade, Joey had chosen Lori, but he turned out to be a jerk so Abby got over the sting. In junior year, Lori liked Pete, one of the best-looking and nicest guys in the whole school . . . but Pete only had eyes for Abby, and they dated for two years.

Abby had gone away to college and come back to Long Island after graduating; Lori had gone to a local college and never left the island. But sometimes, this small town felt a drop too small. They didn't run into each other very often, and Abby was glad for it, but they'd never been able to shake off that lifelong animosity. Abby figured some people just weren't meant to ever get along.

Now, Lori peered down her nose at her as if she were carpet lint. Abby looked up at her, not bothering to even rise from her seat, and asked in a bored, dry tone, “You want something, Lori?”

“Yeah, actually. I want to know something.” Lori's nasal voice was as snotty as ever. “I've been hearing rumors, but I didn't believe them until I saw it today with my own eyes. Spill it. What did a boring church mouse like you do to hook a major league hottie like Pierce Harrison?”

Chapter Nineteen

Caught off guard, Abby blinked as she gaped, the words not making sense for a few seconds. “
What
did you say?”

With a flash of malicious triumph in her dark eyes, Lori continued. “I said, people around town have seen the two of you out together. When a very hot celebrity starts spending time around here, it gets noticed, honey. Especially when he starts sleeping with one of the locals.”

“People are talking about us?” Abby said, feeling the blood rising from her chest to her hairline.

“Well,
duh.
” Lori rolled her eyes. “How else would I have heard anything? I don't keep tabs on you.”

“Well, apparently you do, if you're bothering to spend your time poking around about this.” The shock had quickly morphed into indignant anger, and Abby rose to her feet so she could look Lori in the eye as she seethed, “Why do you, or anyone else, care what I do? Get a life, for Pete's sake.”

“I don't care what you do,” Lori snapped, “but it's pretty damn interesting to see
who
you do.”

Abby shook her head and said, “Stay classy, Lori. Good to know nothing's changed. You're as nasty as you ever were.”

“And you're as much of a nothing as you ever were,” Lori said. “So why would he pick
you?
I mean . . . living back at home with your parents at twenty-eight? Dumped by a married man last year?
I'm
not classy? I didn't date a married man for a year. I'd take a look in the mirror before you throw stones.”

The blood pulsing through her veins, Abby's fingers clenched into fists as she fought to keep calm. “You don't know anything about my life.”

“Sure I do. Thanks to gossip and Facebook.”

“We're not friends there.”

“No, but we have friends in common, and people say things . . .” Lori pursed her lips in mock regret. “Too bad Pierce isn't on Facebook. I would've friended him. He is hotter than hot. And loaded.”

At that moment, Abby was so glad he wasn't on Facebook. He'd told her on their second date that it wasn't his kind of thing. With a snort, she shot Lori a derisive look, but couldn't come up with a decent retort. Her head was spinning.

“So how long do you think you can keep him interested before someone else can take a turn?” Lori asked. Her sharp gaze and tone were filled with venom. “I mean, you're
you.
Vanilla Abby McCord. You got Pete away from me back in the day, but he cheated on you and dumped you in record time once you both left for college, didn't he?” She sneered. “You couldn't even keep a married man interested enough to keep you as a side fuck. You think a guy like Pierce Harrison is going to stick with you for long? How long before he's done with you?” She leaned in and whispered, “Not long, I bet. A lot of people don't think so.”

“You're disgusting,” Abby ground out from between her teeth. Her heart pounded against her ribs and her chest felt tight. “Do you even hear yourself? You're the nastiest person I've ever known. High school was ten years ago, and you're still taking shots at me? I'm not the one who needs to look in a mirror.”

“Touchy, aren't we?” Lori's eyes traveled over Abby. “Ooooh, you're all red,” she said with exaggerated fake sympathy. “Poor mouse. Did I strike a nerve?”

“No,” Abby lied, “I just can't believe the poison that still comes out of your mouth, after all this time. It's sad, really. You're pathetic.”

“Hmm. Okay. Right.” Lori took a step back, a look on her face like she'd won the lottery. “You stay here and paint, mouse. It was lovely seeing you. Very enlightening.”

“It certainly was that,” Abby said tightly. She sat back down as she and Lori glared at each other. “Oh, hey, before you go? One last thing.” Abby smiled sweetly. “I'll stay here and paint for now, but I'm the one who's going home with him later. Who will
you
be going home with?” She cocked her head and looked Lori over in her too-tight hot pink top, skinny jeans, and high platform heels. “Mulcahy's Bar is open. I know it's a little early, but I'm sure you could find someone who's drunk enough . . .”

Lori shot her a scathing look, then turned and walked away.

Abby watched her go, watched until her back retreated into the crowd, sitting very still. Her mind zipped at a million miles an hour:
We're town gossip? And Lori heard about Ewan? From who? Who else knew, besides her closest friends? Who else would have known about him, about any of it? How . . . why? God, I can't stand her. I am not going to let that piece of garbage ruin this wonderful day....

But Lori's taunting voice swirled around in her head.
How long before he's done with you?

She sat with her hands shaking in her lap, until a little girl came to the table and asked to buy a pumpkin.

* * *

Pierce took a deep, relaxing breath and exhaled it slowly as he curled Abby closer into his side. Her face rested on his shoulder, and he enjoyed the feel of her warm breath against his neck. His hand swept down her bare back to rest on her ass. “Now
that
was the best way to end this good day.”

He felt her smile against his skin. “I'm glad your sister's not home. That got . . . loud.” She giggled, self-conscious and sultry at the same time. It made him smile too.

“It did,” he admitted with a smirk. “But hey, the best sex usually does.” He tipped her chin up to plant a kiss on her mouth. She held his face to hers and kissed him back, long and sweet.

They lay together quietly, savoring the feel of holding each other, their limbs intertwined in tangled sheets. Her fingertips played along his chest, his hands swept in gentle strokes along her body. He still wasn't used to it being so quiet outside at night. In his flat in London, even in the middle of the night, there were always the faint sounds of traffic or people outside his window. Here, it was like the streets rolled up at dusk.

God, his life had changed so much in such a short time. His team . . . his football career . . . his location . . . and now, even his relationship status. The woman in his arms was his girlfriend, he'd committed to her. And this thing . . . this relationship . . . was moving along quickly. He was in deep.

“I'm still getting used to this.” Had he said that out loud?

Her head lifted so she could look at him. “To what?”

Yup, he'd said his thoughts out loud. He cleared his dry throat. “This. Us. I mean . . .” He searched for the right words. “It's really
nice.
I, uh . . . I don't usually do the ‘cuddling after' thing. I didn't even want to talk to them after, I just wanted to go. As shitty as that sounds, it's the truth. That's how I was. Not now, not with you.” He watched her as she listened to his ramblings. He could tell her anything. He really could.

“I
love
just lying here with you. I'm totally relaxed. I mean, yeah, part of it's because we just tore each other apart in bed, but it's not that. It's . . . I don't have to . . . I don't have to
be
anything,
do
anything. I know you don't want or expect anything that's not . . .” His brow furrowed as he gazed back at her. “Fuck, that sounded awful. But I'm not trying to offend you; just the opposite, actually. Am I making
any
sense?”

“Yes. Yes, I get it.” She brushed her lips against his lightly, a feather's touch, but warmth bloomed in his chest. “I don't want anything from you but you, Pierce.”

He released a sigh of relief, which made him realize he'd been holding his breath. “Yes. That. Thank you. You do understand.”

“I do,” she said. She nudged him to lie down again, and he did, bringing her with him. When she was fitted closely against his side once more, she dropped a kiss on his chest. “I like the cuddling, so I'm glad you changed your pattern. I'm glad to know you're not ‘itching to get away' from me so fast.”

“Hell no.” He brushed her hair back from her eyes. “Abby, I didn't just randomly ‘change my pattern'. It's you. You made me want . . . more.” His fingers trailed along her cheek, down her neck. “I've never wanted . . . I wasn't looking for . . . well, intimacy. I didn't let anyone get close. Had no interest. But you . . . like we've said, we're connected.”

She nodded, eyes intense. Silent, she kept caressing his chest, listening intently.

“I had fun today, Abby. The festival, the people, all of it . . . it was the kind of thing I longed for when I was a kid,” he said, only recognizing as he said it how true it was. “I would've given anything for someone to take me to a town festival like that when I was a kid. Just a normal thing, right? Never happened. It was
beneath
the Harrisons, you know?”

He felt her body tense slightly, then she snuggled in even closer and murmured, “That's really sad.”

“You're right. That's why I told Tess to bring the kids. Charles wouldn't have done it on his own. Tess jumped at it. We both want his kids to have a better childhood than we did . . .” His voice trailed off. He didn't want to get into that now. “So, maybe that's why I had such a good time today. Maybe it was because I got to spend a nice fall day outside, meeting new people. But I
know
it was because I got to spend time with you.” His hand slipped under her chin again so he could look into her eyes. “I had a great day with you. I love that you're staying over tonight. That you'll be here all night, warm and soft and sexy in my bed. And that you'll be here when I wake up, and I can make love to you all over again, and we can fall back to sleep and wake up whenever we want and have a meal together and just hang out.” His heart rate ratcheted up a bit, and his whole body felt wired. He'd never talked to anyone like this. It was almost like he was someone else. “I know it sounds so simple. Maybe even so simple it's stupid. But I've never wanted that before. It's all, uh . . .”

She smiled, her midnight eyes sparkling. “New experience for you, huh?”

“Yes, it is, and I guess I'm thinking out loud as it's hitting me.” Again he traced her cheekbone with a tender fingertip, then down along her sweet mouth. Before he knew it, his throat had gotten thick and he was confessing, “I'm new at this relationship thing. The boyfriend thing. The . . . caring thing. And I care about you, Abby. I really do. So I hope I'm doing okay so far. I don't want to let you down.”

Her eyes widened, filling with something he wasn't sure of. It looked like sweetness, or delight. She whispered in a thick voice, “You're doing just fine. More than fine.” She shifted to lean up on her elbow and look directly into his face. “I care about you too. I'm happy, Pierce. What you just said means a lot to me. And I . . . well, I'm head over heels for you. In case you hadn't noticed.”

The inner warmth from earlier intensified and spread through his chest, his limbs, and wrapped around his heart. A grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “I did notice, but it's always good to hear the words. And in case
you
hadn't noticed, the feeling is very mutual.”

She stared back into his eyes for a long beat. “I hoped so.”

“What? How could you not know?” he asked.

“I guess it's like you just said . . . it's always good to hear the words.”

He watched her face. Something else was lingering there in her eyes . . . doubt? Did she actually still doubt how he felt about her? Hadn't he shown her in a bunch of ways? Maybe not clearly enough. Maybe he should have said these things sooner? Or . . . maybe she just still had his past track record in her head. Wondering if she was a notch on the bedpost, so to speak. Wondering when he'd tire of the relationship thing. Was that it? Shit. Sometimes she was so hard to read. “Abby . . . I have real feelings for you. I haven't felt like this about a woman before. I love being with you.”

Christ, her eyes—everything showed in her eyes. He saw it now: not just pleasure at his words, but a flicker of relief. She
hadn't
been sure. Goddammit. But she smiled softly and said, “I love hearing that. Same here, on both counts.” She tried to joke by adding, “The hot sex helps too,” but her smile didn't reach her eyes. She felt as vulnerable as he did, it was all over her face.

He pulled her in and slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her over and over. He didn't want to talk anymore. He didn't want to see that lick of uncertainty in her eyes again. They were both struggling—with where they were in their lives, with gaining a foothold and finding their places in the world . . . and they'd found each other to hold on to while they navigated the course.

He didn't want to even
think
anymore. He just wanted to feel her body against his, show her with every touch what she meant to him, and shut the whole world out. With that in mind, he rolled to lie on top of her, settled himself between her legs and wrapped himself around her . . . kissed her, held her, and caressed her.

* * *

The next morning, as Pierce and Abby were finishing their breakfast at the table in the kitchen nook, the doorbell rang. “Who the hell could that be?”

“I have no idea,” Abby said with a shrug. “One way to find out, though.”

He snorted. “Thanks, Captain Obvious.” He rose from his chair and smacked a kiss on her smirking mouth. “Be right back.”

Pierce strode through the house. He was shirtless and barefoot, his damp hair still mussed, but at least he'd thought to pull on a pair of track pants. He opened the door to see his father standing there. His thick salt-and-pepper hair was perfectly combed, his oxford shirt and tan slacks perfectly pressed. For Charles Harrison II, this was his idea of casual dress.