Feisty (8 page)

Guess you could say baby showers weren’t Sahara’s thing. They brought out the maternal instinct, a secret yearning she didn’t trust. Working with her mother’s charity for abusive children, she had seen too many kids raised by single parents. Then there were her friends and acquaintances, divorced or worse, who stayed together living in misery. If children were a product of these marriages, they were the ones who suffered. No. Sahara was fine with the direction her life was heading. Her thoughts were shattered when Carmen Smith released a squeal when her binky soared past the rest.

The redhead who worked as a cocktail waitress at Hauk’s pub did a little jig. Her long vintage skirt flowed around her ankles as she shamelessly teased her sister, Aimee. “I won. Ha. Ha. I won.” Aimee gave her a playful nudge.

Sibling rivalry. Guess no matter your age you’re never too old to spar with your sibling.

Sahara thought of Leo and scanned the room for Sky. Instead of locating her soon-to-be sister-in-law, her gaze landed on a woman sitting off by herself. She was usually good with names, but she couldn’t remember the brunette’s. What Sahara did remember was she had been introduced as the new owner of Ol’ Lady Landry’s house. Sahara gave the woman in a floral dress a once-over and wondered if Devon had been a good boy when he had met with her a week ago? Did he find her attractive or was Carmen more his taste? After all, he appeared to be interested in Sahara and although her own hair was strawberry blonde, Carmen’s was a beautiful auburn.

Sudden warmth spreading across Sahara’s cheeks made her pause. It wasn’t possible. She hadn’t felt a good case of jealousy since she was a teenager, but judging by the rapid beat of her heart and the heat burning her cheeks, it was undeniably resentment. She attempted to mentally brush it away, but it only grew uglier when Lauren walked past her. Or maybe Devon’s taste for women was blondes. From what Harold had told Sahara a couple of days ago, Devon had dated the shapely blonde on occasion. Of course, according to Vic, who had the pulse of this little coastal town beneath her thumb, he had sampled many of the women in Whispering Cove. Yet all that had changed over the past week.

Sahara smiled with self-satisfaction. Devon might have been Mr. Playboy before she got here, but she was the one waking up in his arms each morning. Since he’d returned from South Carolina she had spent each night at his place.

Thank goodness for Errol who had kept her nephew, Jake, busy. So far the teen hadn’t found ways to get into trouble. In fact, he’d been tagging along with Errol without any encouragement.

Harold, too, had also been a godsend. The man had the uncanny timing and pull to wiggle her out of some of the wedding activities. In fact, between dress fittings, flowers, the bakery and the caterer, she had spent every moment with Devon. But their time together was temporary. It was Sunday, only six days away from Leo and Sky’s wedding. Sahara would be leaving shortly after. She and Devon would return to their own lives.

A sense of melancholy swept over her. Again she attempted to rid herself of self-defeating thinking. She and Devon came from different lives—wanted different things. She was on the fast track. He was content to live in his childhood shadows.

Someone called her name and she raised her gaze to see Sky waving her over. It was time for Tabby to open her gifts. As Sahara took a seat by Sky, she couldn’t help wondering how long it would be until she had a little nephew or niece. When she thought of holding a baby in her arms, her stomach tightened. Would a child of Devon’s look like Tabby or maybe he would have a devilish boy who would be the spitting image of him. Sahara had no doubt the Taylors’ dark features would dominate over the Caans’ fairer ones. Good Lord. Where the wayward thought came from, she had no idea.

She released an anxious laugh. “And, that’s exactly why I don’t enjoy baby showers.”

“What?” Sky asked.

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

The ohhhs and ahhhs as one after another baby gift was opened set Sahara on edge. But even she had to sigh when a multi-colored glass mobile was unwrapped. It drove home how talented Sky was. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do with glass. Only when Tabby thanked
Lex
did Sahara put the name to the quiet woman who owned the large Victorian house on the beach, Alexis. Evidently Lex had commissioned Sky to create the beautiful motorized and musical carousel.

As Brahms’s “Lullaby” played softly, Sahara rose and walked to the window. Pulling back the heavy drapes, she gazed into the star-studded night. When her mind turned toward Devon once again she had to admit she had fallen for him. Leaving would suck.

“You okay, dear?”

Sahara released the drape and turned to come face to face with Devon’s mother. The five-foot-six woman in her early fifties smiled sweetly. She looked like her daughters and Devon. Their olive skin tone and dark features screamed of Italian descent.

“Yes. Of course.”

Mrs. Taylor shifted her feet. “I know this isn’t my place, but please don’t hurt him.”

Taken unaware, Sahara fought to find her voice. “I would never intentionally hurt your son.” She paused, searching for the right words. “Uh. This thing between us. Well. It’s temporary. I’ll be leaving in a week. It’s what he wants.”

“It might be temporary for you, but my son is different since he met you.” Concern burned in the woman’s blue eyes so much like Devon’s.

Sahara shook the thought from her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.” And it was true. She wasn’t quite sure where this woman was coming from. Her son was a diehard bachelor. The whole town knew this fact about him, so why didn’t his mother?

“It should be me who is apologizing. Devon would have my head if he realized I was chatting with you. But that damn cabin is a telltale sign. You see, dear, it’s his sanctuary. He’s pretty picky who visits or…uhm, stays the night.”

The moment got immediately awkward. His mother was beating around the bush, but she knew exactly what was going on. Hell. This was a small town. Everyone probably knew what Devon and she were up to. But somewhere along the way his mother had come to the wrong conclusion.

Until she added, “Besides, I see the way he looks at you. He cares for you.”

Sahara swallowed hard. This was ridiculous. His mother had to be wrong. It wasn’t Sahara’s intention to fall for Devon, but the truth was, she had. Her only saving grace had been that he didn’t want anything more than a summer fling. She knew nothing could come of the time they spent together. At the end of the following week they would part and only be a memory in each other’s minds.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but Devon has given so much of himself and has never asked for anything in return. I just want him to be happy.”

The screech of Sahara’s cell phone startled her. On autopilot, she pulled the telephone from her slacks and looked down to see her assistant’s name on the screen. “I’m sorry, but I need to take this.” She hated to cut Mrs. Taylor off, or maybe it was for the best. Pressing the call button, Sahara placed it to her ear. “Valerie?”
Sorry
, she mouthed to Mrs. Taylor as she walked out of the room to find a quiet spot in the hallway.

“Good news. I’ve located the owners. They’re willing to talk to us. A meeting is set for Friday with our attorneys and theirs. The surveyors should be there Wednesday or Thursday.”

“Wonderful job, Valerie. Remind me to give you a raise when I get back.”

“Funny. You’re coming back?”

Sahara scowled. “Of course, I’m coming back. Why would you think differently?”

“It sounded as if you and Devon were hitting it off.”

“You’re the second one tonight to assume there’s something more between us but—”

“Sex?” Valerie chuckled.

“
Arghhh
. Yes. Sex!” she said the last word a little too loud. Looking around, she hoped no one heard her.

“Sahara, why is it so hard for you to admit you have it bad for this man? Each time we talk you sound happy.”

“I don’t know what you mean. Besides, I’m happy. I’m always happy,” she insisted emphatically.

“Uh…
Not!
Says the woman who is a workaholic and almost never takes time out for herself.” Valerie sighed. “But I won’t belabor the point. All I’m saying is if you’ve found someone special, maybe you shouldn’t be so eager to walk away.”

Tension crawled across Sahara’s shoulders. She had heard enough. “Friday, you say?” She rested her finger on the disconnect button. “Let me know the outcome.” Clicking the button, she hung up, whispering, “And I’m not eager at all.” That was the problem. The fact Devon’s mother thought he was falling for Sahara only complicated the situation. She needed him to be strong, because God knows she was losing control.

Ever since Devon had picked up Sahara from Adam and Josie’s she had been quiet. He had a sneaky suspicion one of his family members had said something that hadn’t set well with her. Yet every time he asked what was wrong she had replied, “Nothing.”

“You want to pick something up to eat before we go home?” The minute the question slipped past his lips her backbone stiffened, but she continued to stare into the night. “Sahara?”

“Devon, I think it’s time for me to go back to the inn.”

Now he knew something was wrong. They had spent a wonderful week together. The thought of her leaving made every muscle in his body tighten. He jerked the truck over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. “What happened? Was it Kat? Tabby? What did they say to upset you?”

“They didn’t say anything.” When her eyes remained focused on him, he concluded she was telling the truth. Growing up with three sisters and trying to run roughshod over them had taught him to notice the little nuances of their movements and when they wanted to pull the wool over his or their mother’s eyes. Clearly it wasn’t Kat or Tabby, and Devon knew it hadn’t been Heidi. His youngest sister wasn’t the spitfire Tabby and Kat were.

“Was Mom the culprit?”

“Uhm.” Sahara’s eyes darted to the right and then upward. “No.” She licked her lips, before her voice grew shrill. “I told you no. Why are you interrogating me? Isn’t that my brother’s job?”

“Doll.” He reached for her, but she leaned away. “Dammit, Sahara. What did she say that has your panties in a twist?” Devon knew the second he’d spoken he’d said the wrong thing.

Sahara’s eyes widened, her brows shot upward and she reached for the door handle. As she let herself out, he did the same. Eyes directed to the ground, she started to pace back and forth. Instinctively, Devon knew now wasn’t the time for words or to interfere with whatever she was attempting to work through in her mind. She stopped, inhaled a deep breath. He could sense her fighting to relax and take control. When she succeeded, she raised her gaze and narrowed it on him.

“Your mom seems to think there’s more to us than a summer fling.” She paused, eyeing him like he was an insect beneath a microscope. “She said something about your cabin being your sanctuary. You’re acting differently since you met me. And, she asked me not to hurt you.”

Well fuck
.

Devon resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair. Instead, he tried to laugh away the tension crawling up his neck as he approached her. “Mom’s always hearing wedding bells.” Even though his mother did want to see him happy and settled down, his statement was absolutely untrue. One thing his mother had never done was interfere in his love life.

The girls—yes. His—no. She knew he had no plans of marriage.

Still, the truth remained. For his mother to pick up on the subtle differences Sahara had made in his life he had to be giving off some signals. Of course, his mother knew he wasn’t a stay-at-home kind of guy, but for some damn reason he didn’t want to share Sahara with anyone. This last week he’d done his best to keep her at the cabin and in his bed. Not only because making love to her was fucking hot, it felt natural to have her in his arms.

And his mother was right.

Devon’s house had been his decompression chamber, a place to unwind and get back in touch with himself. But things had changed. Sahara’s presence never made him feel crowded. She was amazing, always knowing when he needed quiet time, like when he would sit on the swing with a beer in hand and stare into the dark. Either she would leave him be or she would join him. Without speaking, they would swing and listen to the sounds of nature move around them. Last night she had been excited when a deer approached the porch.

And then there was his other pleasure—food.

Eating out was second nature to him, but recently he and Sahara had been cooking together. Afterward, cleaning the dishes had turned into playtime. What kitchen utensils could be used for sexual pleasure? A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he thought of how sexy she had looked spread out on the kitchen table. He froze.

Well. Son-of-a-bitch
. In a blink of an eye he had been domesticated.

A foolish grin crept across his face, but when he raised his gaze to meet hers, concern burned in her depths. He wanted to pull her to him, kiss the frown from her lips, and then take her home. The fact was he enjoyed having Sahara around. They were good together.

Again, her backbone grew rigid. “This is funny to you?” Her frown deepened.

Devon took a step forward and she countered it with one backward. “No. I don’t think it’s funny.” Another couple of steps and she did her best to keep him at arms-length, until her back struck the truck and she couldn’t go any further. “But I’m also not letting something my mom said get me riled up.” He placed a hand on each side of Sahara, trapping her. “Tell me something.” He eased his body against hers and she gasped. “Are you willing to give this up?” He placed his lips to hers, felt the moment she softened into his kiss. “Or this?” Trailing his mouth down her neck to the hollow of her shoulder blade, he glanced up at her. “Or this?” He dragged her scooped-necked shirt down, taking her skimpy bra with it until one breast was exposed. With his wet tongue, he circled her nipple before taking the taut bud into his mouth. He teased the sensitive skin before he scraped his teeth across it.