Sweet Surrender Page 7

  “I think she thought…” Stacey started as she touched his arm. “That we…”

  He shook his head not understanding. When Stacey raised her eyebrows and motioned between them, he groaned. “Shit.”

  Stacey laughed. “I’m flattered, really, but you should go… explain things.” She nudged him to where Bella had disappeared around the building.

  “Yeah,” he said and handed Stacey his umbrella.

  He found Bella on the back porch and could tell she was debating rushing through the rain to make her way through the garden towards the gazebo for some privacy.

  “There you are,” he said, stopping beside her.

  “Go away,” she said, crossing her arms and turning away from the rain.

  “Hey.” He touched her shoulder. “What’s eating you?” He knew what it was but wasn’t going to try to justify his private life. After all, he’d convinced himself that whatever was between them wasn’t a good idea.

  He watched Bella’s eyes move back to where they’d come from. “I… didn’t know you were involved.”

  He held in his chuckle. “I’m not.” His smile dropped away. He had to nip this in the bud. He couldn’t keep leading her on. Bella was his best friends’ little sister. At that thought, he swayed slightly away from her.

  “You aren’t?” she asked, her eyes going to his.

  The look in her eyes caused his heart to jump in his chest. She was wearing a large gray sweater over a white tank top with gray leggings that hugged her every curve. Her long hair was flowing around her face and shoulders. He wanted to reach up and bury his fingers in the dark tresses as he pulled those plump lips to his.

  He shook the thoughts of kissing her from his mind.

  “No,” he answered and forced his eyes from her. “Have you had breakfast yet?” he asked, realizing suddenly that they were standing within view of the large windows in the dining room. He could see guests enjoying their breakfast inside already.

  Her gaze followed his. “No, I was hoping we could talk.”

  He glanced at his watch. “I have a staff meeting first, but I can meet you inside after.”

  She nodded slightly as she glanced down at her hands. “I… I’m not the jealous type.”

  He sighed. “Bella, we…” Just then his cell phone chimed with his reminder about the staff meeting. “Later.” He touched her shoulder.

  When she nodded, he followed her inside and, as she was seated, he disappeared down the stairs towards his meeting.

  Chapter Nine

  God how stupid could she be? When she’d watched Calvin and the pretty brunette that worked the front desk making their way slowly through the rain, huddled together under the umbrella, she’d been instantly hurt.

  She’d been cheated on before and didn’t like the feeling. Not that she and Calvin were officially… what? Seeing each other? Dating?

  She rolled her eyes and lifted the menu slightly to hide the motion from everyone else in the room.

  “Ready?” A pretty blonde waitress stopped by her table.

  “Yes, I’ll have the French Toast Fosters.” She set the menu down. She’d been dreaming of the sweet breakfast and figured she might as well enjoy herself since she didn’t know how much longer she would be at the resort.

  “Great choice,” the woman said, taking up her menu. But then she leaned closer. “I just wanted to say that I’m such a huge fan of yours.” Her smile widened. “‘Running Home’ is one of my favorite songs.” She sighed. “It’s the reason I came back to Silver Cove.” She shook her head. “Anyway, if you need anything else… just let me know. I’m Chrissy.”

  “Thank you, Chrissy.” Bella smiled and watched the woman disappear.

  Those were the kind of fan interactions Bella enjoyed the most. She didn’t mind the occasional fan rushing to her for an autograph or a selfie. After all, she loved her fan base. They were the reason she was where she was today. She owed them everything.

  It was the paparazzi she could do without. The tabloid articles filled with conspiracies about her that had zero truth to them drove her crazy.

  She ate her breakfast, pouring over the news and her social media feeds as she enjoyed the food. Rumors were running wild as fans scrambled to ask her who her mysterious hunk was.

  Some even wished her well on her vacation. There were hundreds of well-wishers. Then there were the others. Fans outraged that she would break things off with Michael. Some even telling her that they were meant to be and that she shouldn’t have cheated on Michael.

  A handful called her names. She blocked them or reported them when they crossed the line. It was strange, she’d always been for the freedom of expressing yourself. But when it came to her private life and her feelings, when someone called her a slut or a bitch because she wouldn’t date the man they wanted, she wished everyone could understand how much it hurt.

  After blocking about half a dozen of them, she gave up and set her phone down to look around the dining room.

  The large party from the other day had left, leaving the place feeling almost empty. She wondered when the next big party would be arriving and glanced out the windows just as a bolt of lightning brightened the sky.

  She’d missed the weather around here. The snow in the winters, the rain and cooler weather in the spring and summers. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed the warmth of California, but every now and then she wanted a rainy day to keep her indoors.

  “It’s supposed to get worse later today,” Calvin said, breaking into her thoughts.

  She glanced over and smiled. “It’s a good thing yesterday was sunny. I’d hate to be out on the water in this.”

  He motioned, asking if he could sit. She nodded and moved her empty plates towards the edge of the table. Chrissy rushed over and removed them.

  “More coffee?” she asked.

  “Sure,” Bella answered.

  “Boss man?” Chrissy asked with a smile and a sparkle in her eyes.

  “Thanks.” He nodded.

  “She has a crush on you,” Bella said, leaning forward.

  “She does?” Calvin frowned and watched the pretty blonde disappear to get their drinks. “How can you tell?”

  She chuckled. “A woman knows.” She sighed and leaned back.

  “She’s just a kid.” He was still frowning.

  “Oh yeah, sure, what is she? Twenty? Twenty-one?” Bella laughed.

  “I mean…” Calvin sighed and then shook his head. “Never mind. How are you holding up?” he asked her.

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Holding up?”

  “With all the…” He waved his hands towards her phone, as if the motion would explain everything.

  “It’s not the first time I’ve had the paparazzi snap pictures and make assumptions about my love life,” she said easily. “The real question is”—she leaned forward again— “how are you holding up?”

  Just then, Chrissy came back and set their coffee down. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She disappeared again.

  “Has fame gone to your head already?” she joked. “I mean, being labeled—what was it? Oh, yes—a mysterious hunk, has its perks.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’ve never really thought of myself as the hunk type.”

  She smiled. “No?” She ran her eyes over him slowly, immediately disagreeing with his assessment of himself. He was very much a hunk. She remembered how his arms and chest had felt against her own. Seeing all those tan muscles that he hid under the dress clothes he wore now. “As a member of the opposite sex, I can officially say that you fit the hunk bill.”

  He chuckled slightly. “Okay, so I’m assuming the news of our little outing yesterday will pass over quickly?”

  Her smile slipped a little. “Until there’s new gossip to go around, I’m afraid everyone will be trying to figure out who you are. My agent thinks it might be best to come right out and give the press your information and make a statement.” It was why she’d been waiting for him on the front porch earlie
r. Maggie was putting together a statement right now for him to approve. Just in case.

  When Calvin remained silent, she bit her bottom lip and waited as he thought it through.

  “What do you think?” he asked, his eyes running over her face.

  She shrugged and finished her coffee. “It does stand to reason that if you give them something, they wouldn’t dig as deeply.” She watched his eyes darken as he tensed.

  “Then go ahead.” He moved to stand up. “Either way, at least it will clear things up that we’re nothing but friends.” He took his mug and she surprised him by standing up with him.

  “Are we?” she asked, their bodies brushing.

  His eyes darkened slightly just before he stepped away. “That’s all we can be.” He nodded to her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have work.”

  She watched him disappear through a doorway and mentally kicked herself. Well, that could have gone better, she thought to herself as she looked around the room.

  She didn’t want to head back up to her room to be alone anymore. Yesterday evening she’d spent enough time alone after she’d returned to the resort after the sailboat incident. Deciding she could use a walk, she headed upstairs to grab a jacket and change into her rain boots.

  Even though the rain hadn’t let up when she stepped out onto the porch, she tucked her hair under her hood and made her way across the yard. Since she was the only one crazy enough to venture out into the storm, she had the gardens all to herself. She didn’t mind the rain. You just had to have the mindset that, no matter what you did, you were going to get wet and that you were one hot shower away from recovering from the droplets.

  Actually, the foul weather gave her plenty of time to think as she strolled through the gardens. The fog had yet to lift from the grounds, leaving her shadowed in mist.

  Hugging her jacket closer to her, she found the bench along the rocky shoreline empty and sat to enjoy the stormy view of the water crashing below her.

  She sat out there until she felt a shiver race up her spine, then she slowly started making her way back inside. She had just stepped into the garden when another shiver raced through her, one that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. She’d felt this one so many times before that she knew instantly that she was being watched. Thinking it was another guest out for a walk, she glanced around.

  Since spring had filled all the bushes with flowers and thick branches covered in green leaves, it was almost impossible to see through them to notice if someone was around. The pathways were the only clear way to see around her.

  “Hello?” she called out. Instantly, she heard a low chuckle and tensed. “Who’s there?” she demanded, taking a step back. Another low chuckle sounded from somewhere in the fog. This one sounded a little closer than the last and was coming from another direction. It was as if she was surrounded.

  “You thought you could hide from me, bitch?” The voice was so low, she had to strain to hear the words.

  Before the last of the sentence was out, she was racing down the slick pathway. She skidded once on the wet pavement and landed on her hands and knees but didn’t stop to register the pain of her torn skin before she jumped up and rushed towards the back patio.

  Taking the back stairs two at a time, she yanked open the door only to bump into a solid chest. She cried out and started fighting the arms that wrapped around her until she heard Calvin’s voice.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked her, holding her still.

  “Someone…” She looked up at him and he must have seen the fear in her eyes, because his arms tightened around her. “Someone was in the garden.”

  Calvin’s eyebrows shot up. “Did they hurt you?”

  “No, they… someone was there,” she repeated.

  He frowned and looked at her face. “It is a public garden.” He shook his head.

  “They…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “They said… things. And laughed at me and hid in the mist.”

  Calvin glanced towards the doors and then around the lobby. “Gavin.” He motioned towards a man that Bella had seen behind the front desk a few times. “Take a stroll around the garden. Let me know who is out there.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” Gavin grabbed a large umbrella and walked by them. “You might want to clean those cuts,” Gavin pointed out as he passed them.

  Calvin’s eyes moved over her, and he gasped when he noticed her torn leggings and bleeding hands.

  “You’re hurt.” His fingers tightened on her arms. Then he was lifting her in his arms and carrying her down the hallway.

  At some point during her race out of the garden, her hood must have fallen, leaving her soaking-wet hair clinging to her face. She must look a mess.

  The stinging in her knees and hands finally registered through the chill of her skin the moment he set her down on the edge of a large desk. She hadn’t even had time to enjoy the feeling of being in his arms since he’d rushed her up the stairs and down the hallway so quickly.

  She’d been in this office plenty of times before. It was a larger office shared by her brother and Sarah.

  After depositing her on the desktop, Calvin rushed around and opened the closet and came back with a white box and set it beside her.

  “Here, let me take a look at these.” He pulled her hands gently into his own. He helped her remove her wet jacket and tossed it over the back of the chair. His dark head bent over her hands as he cleaned the grit from her skin.

  She winced a few times and hissed at the pain, but each time he would still and gently blow on her skin, soothing the pain away.

  “How did this happen?” he asked once the worst of the dirt was cleared away.

  “I slipped on the wet pathway,” she admitted, feeling stupid. She was even questioning if she’d just imagined the voice or if someone had really been there. After all, it had been so light, she’d had to strain to hear the words on the breeze.

  “Did you see who it was?” he asked her, his eyes on the cuts on her palms.

  “No.” She closed her eyes and held in a groan.

  “Hey.” He gently touched her thigh just above the tears in the light material. Her eyes opened and met his. She could see worry and fear behind them and relaxed slightly. “We’ll figure this out.” He gave her a slight smile.

  “I’m not crazy.” She didn’t know why she said it, but just hearing her shaky voice say those words had her rolling her eyes. “Okay, that totally sounded nuts, but I didn’t imagine it. Someone laughed at me and said—”

  Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

  “Come in,” Calvin called out.

  Gavin opened the door and stepped in. “The garden’s all clear. I couldn’t find anyone.” He held out a phone. “I found this on the path though.” He handed the phone to Calvin.

  “My phone.” She reached for it. “I must have dropped it when I fell.”

  Calvin handed it to her. “Thanks,” he said to Gavin, dismissing the man. Once they were alone in the office again, Calvin turned back towards her. “Let me take a look at your knees.”

  He gently touched the ruined gray leggings and tried to peek through the slits to her marred skin. When it was apparent he wouldn’t be able to clean through the material, she nudged him aside and stood quickly, pulling off her boots and removing the leggings. She hissed when the material stuck to the blood dripping from the cuts. Sitting back down on the desk, she motioned to her knees.

  “There, now you can work unhindered.” She was wearing a pair of pink-and-black striped boy short underwear underneath the thick gray leggings. Calvin had seen her in a skimpier outfit yesterday. Besides, she was squeamish when it came to cleaning up her wounds. There was no way she would be able to get all the dirt and pebbles out herself.

  His eyes moved over her slowly, but when she held still, he started working on the cuts on her knees.

  “Are you doing okay?” he asked when she winced for the tenth time.

  “Yes, jus
t don’t stop.” She closed her eyes and gripped the edge of the desk. Here, the pain was twice what it had been on her hands. Obviously, her knees had taken most of her weight when she’d fallen.

  As he worked this time, she leaned back and tried to think of anything except the pain.

  “Why would you think I wouldn’t believe you?” he asked as his hands worked. Her eyes opened and she looked down at him. He was watching her, his hands hovering over her skin, holding a bandage.

  “No reason,” she started to say, but his eyebrows shot up, and she could tell he knew she was about to lie. Instead, she shrugged. “When I thought someone had followed me home one night, everyone thought I had just imagined it.” She sighed.

  “No one believed you?” he asked, gently putting the bandage over the cuts on her right knee.

  “No.” She shook her head. “They all said that I had just spooked myself.” She relaxed as he opened another bandage for her other knee. “I convinced myself that I had imagined it all.”

  “Did you?”

  She thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.

  “No, I don’t think I did.” She shrugged.

  “There,” he said, finishing putting the bandage on her knee. “It’s stopped bleeding.” He stood up and helped her down from the desk.

  Just then, the office door flew open, and Bella winced when her brother stepped inside. The look on Ben’s face told her everything. Her brother was pissed. And when his eyes moved towards Calvin, she knew why Calvin was having such a tough time being with her.

  “What’s this all about…” Ben’s words dropped away when he noticed her holding Calvin’s hand in just her underwear. “What the what?” Her brother’s eyes heated and before she could stop him, he punched Calvin right in the jaw.

  Chapter Ten

  Shit. He supposed he deserved the blow. He braced for another punch, willing to take it, since his mind hadn’t been all too pure moments before Ben had interrupted them.