Finding Haven (14 page)

“It’s a long story, but you could say I had a falling out with my dad recently and
I’m ready to move on. First, I owe him for my tuition. It was part of the deal when
my parents sent me to school. I’m supposed to be grateful I got to go, but now it
feels like I’m an indentured servant. Half of my pay goes to my tuition bill, and
I get the other half.” The beer was empty, but she wasn’t sure if it was ok to ask
for another one so quickly. She liked talking with him, and if he brought her another
beer, she would stay and swap stories as long as the fire burned.

Jay stood from the chair. “Why don’t I grab us a few more beers and the plate for
the steaks? I’ll be right back.”

She watched as he walked back into the camper and decided a pair of khaki shorts had
never looked so good on a man before. Her cheeks flushed, wondering if his backside
looked as amazing as his chest and arms.

“Here you go.” He returned seconds later with a cold beer. Using a long set of tongs,
he reached into the fire and stabbed both of the steaks. “Cowboy steak is served.
You ready?”

Haven nodded her head.

He handed her silverware and bread. “I’m not much on cooking. It’s steak and bread
tonight.”

The hot plate in front of her looked and smelled wonderful. This was plenty. “I love
it. Let’s eat.”

Jay cut into the steak and took a bite. “Mmm…might be my best yet.” He grinned, his
mouth full.

“So, I’ve done all the talking. Tell me about where you went to school and your hometown.”

“There’s not much to tell.” He cut into the steak again. “I went to a small Texas
school and played some football.”

“Football?” She knew he was too naturally athletic not to have been involved in sports
of some kind. “What position did you play?”

“I was the quarterback, of course. But after the last concussion, I decided I needed
to do something a little safer. I’d like to keep my memories.” He winked.

“So is that how you got into writing? It’s the football safety net?”

He nodded while tipping a beer back.

“Tell me about your book. I want to know what you’re writing. I feel like I’ve been
cut off from writer minds since I moved back home.” She tasted the meat and enjoyed
the smoky flavor.

She watched him chew. Finally, he spoke. “I’m taking my time on this one. Just seeing
how it goes. I need to feel it.” He winked.

She knew he was trying to distract her and she hated to admit it worked.

“Does that mean you haven’t started yet?” Haven wondered why he was so reluctant to
share his work with her. She felt like she had just given him way too much personal
information. She needed him to balance the conversation.

“Something like that.”

“But—”

Jay cut her off. “Dammit, my neighbor does not understand volume control.” The music
from next door had increased several decibels, drowning out the sound of the waves.
“Thanks to you, I now know what she’s playing is beach music. Let’s go in. I’ve got
speakers inside. We can continue this conversation. I want to hear more about your
songs.”

Slightly flustered, Haven clutched her drink and followed him inside the camper. It
felt small and cool after sitting under the stars and in front of the fire. It also
smelled like Jay’s cologne, fresh and soapy-scented.

“Sorry about that.” He pulled the door tightly behind him. “Charlotte likes to play
her music loudly, and if I go over there now, I might not be back for a while.”

“Oh, ok.” Haven didn’t know if she should slide into the booth or sit on the couch.
She wanted to keep talking; she wanted to get him to open up.

Jay fiddled with one of the speakers before strolling to the couch and crossing his
ankle over his knee. He had selected a country song, but she hadn’t heard it before.

“What’s this?” She nodded toward the speaker.

“You don’t know this song?” Jay looked shocked.

Haven shook her head. The words were haunting and perfectly placed. It was an acoustic
number, and the man’s voice was smooth and raspy on all the right notes.

“How about Carly Stone? Do you know her?”

Haven laughed. “She’s only my favorite singer and songwriter. I love her.” Ever since
she had seen the indie artist’s first video on YouTube, she had been hooked. After
it went viral, Carly burst into country music like a firework.

He smiled. “Well, she wrote this.”

“What? But it’s a guy song.” Haven wondered if he was teasing her, but he looked too
serious.

Jay stretched on the couch. “Carly can write. I’d listen to just about anything of
hers.”

As if on cure, the next song was a Carly Stone hit.

Jay smiled. “Speak of the devil.”

Haven giggled. “Yep. I
do
know this is her song.”

Haven sat on the end of the couch, keeping a pillow’s distance between them. It was
hard to ignore how the closeness of the camper brought them into each other’s space.
It immediately felt more intimate.

In this case, intimate was welcome. All day she felt like they had been gradually
moving closer to this moment. She felt all the thrills of recklessness tingling under
her skin, but talking with Jay didn’t feel dangerous or rash. It felt right, as if
they already knew each other. Maybe that was the soothing feeling he cast over—a familiarity
with someone you don’t even know that comes from an unexplainable place.

Jay pointed over her head. “Hey, would you mind reaching behind you and cutting off
the light over the table? Not only is Charlotte loud, she’s nosey.”

“Sure.” Haven reached behind her. She meant to flip the light closest to the table,
but instead, she swiped all three to the off position, throwing the entire camper
into darkness. “Oh crap. Sorry. Sorry.” She fumbled with the wall, but couldn’t find
the switch to save her life.

“Hey.” The tone of his voice was soft and low. “Just leave it.” The way it sounded
in the dark made her shiver and smile at the same time. She knew he was moving closer
to her. The attempt to steady her pulse was useless as long as she knew he was about
to touch her.

Her heart started beating faster, waiting for him to close in on her. But he took
his time finding her in the dark, setting his own speed for the chase. Strong hands
slid around her waist and drew her in. He didn’t kiss her right away. His cheek brushed
against her face, and he nuzzled against her ear. It was as if he wanted to inhale
every part of her. The anticipation was dizzying. His body pressed close, the heat
from his mouth, and the familiar sensation of desire bubbling through her veins. He
moved from her ear, to her neck, and skimmed her throat with his lips, raking her
with his warm breath. It stirred all the feelings of want she hadn’t been able to
unleash all summer. She leaned back, taking in every touch as he ignited blazes along
her skin.

His hand clasped the back of her neck and wrapped his fingers through her hair before
bringing her mouth to his. He tasted like the last sips of beer, and she couldn’t
think of any better way to get drunk than on deep kisses like these. His tongue played
with hers as he cradled her on the couch under him. She wanted to think through what
she was doing—making out with a virtual stranger at the campground—but thoughts seemed
like a bad idea, an idea that wouldn’t do anything to ease the burning feeling taking
over her body.

His hands slid under the cotton of her shirt and worked their way up her back, pressing
into her skin. She arched slightly as his hands landed on her bra clasp.

“Wait,” she whispered.

She pushed against Jay and created enough space to pull the shirt over her head. She
tossed it on the floor. Gently, he led the straps over her arms and dropped the lacy
garment on the floor. Things were moving quickly, but in the dark, it felt like the
perfect pace. It was unrushed, yet breathless.

She could get lost in the kisses, the touches, the whispers in her ear. Being with
someone for the first time is like meeting a stranger on the dance floor—aligning
bodies and matching rhythms until you know exactly where to put your hands and what
moves will make him smile. Haven wanted to dance with him until she knew his breath
and what he felt like pressed against her.

She reclined on her arms and let out a deep moan as she felt the heat of Jay’s mouth
descend on her breast. He sucked hard, and she fisted her hands through his hair,
knowing the pressure between her legs was building with each flick of his tongue.
He moved to the other side, and her nipple throbbed from where his lips had been.
He took her between his teeth, and at the contact, she arched with such force it almost
threw them off the couch.

“Too much?” He released her and made a slow circle with his tongue. “Is that better?”
He blew across her wet skin, making her knees clench harder against his waist.

She wanted to tell him that it was better the other way, that she liked the roughness
of his teeth, the possessiveness she felt when he had her in his mouth, but she realized
that the sudden abandon she felt by being with a total stranger was evaporating. This
was all too intimate to experience with someone she didn’t know, and instantly, that
seemed kind of important. They would be stocking shelves together in the morning.
In their aprons, under her father’s watchful eye.

She bolted from the couch, knocking Jay back on his heels.

“Oh my God, where’s my shirt?” She covered her breasts with one hand and searched
the floor for her shirt with the other, her breath frantic. It had to be here somewhere.
The camper wasn’t that big.

“What’s wrong? Are you ok?” Jay sounded calm. Of course, he wasn’t the one with only
half his clothes on. “Hold on. I’ll help you.” He crawled to the floor next to her.
“Ah-ha. Here you go.”

She fumbled in the dark to find the articles of clothes she had. The handful included
her bra and shirt. She was glad they were in the dark so she wouldn’t have to see
the look on his face while she struggled to redress herself. He hadn’t pressured her
or convinced her to do anything she didn’t want to do. That was the problem; she wanted
it. She wanted to know more of him, beyond his favorite kind of lyrics.

Completely clothed, she stood in front of the couch. “I need to get home. Thanks for
dinner.”

“Haven, wait—”

But she didn’t give him a chance to explain or apologize; she bolted from Silver Belle
and ran to her car. Today was an all-time record day for embarrassments, and this
night really needed to end. It was going to start all over again tomorrow when she
got to the store and had to train the man who had just made her almost come from nothing
more than a hot kiss and some heavy petting.

E
VAN SLAMMED
his hand on the phone, making incessant chirping sounds. Damn, it was five in the
morning. He rolled under the checked comforter, not ready to leave the warm cocoon.
He liked to keep the camper icy cold at night, so when he got in bed he could wrap
up in the covers. It might not be energy-efficient, but he slept best that way.

The crickets started up again, and he groaned as he stumbled out of bed and into the
shower. He turned the nozzle to hot as the shower sputtered to life. The night hadn’t
gone exactly as he planned. The last thing he wanted to have happen was what did happen—Haven
ran out of Silver Belle as if he had scorched her with a hot iron. She wasn’t that
kind of girl. He should have known better. He cursed out loud, knowing he had taken
things too far too fast with her.

His hands pressed against the shower wall, and he hung his head, letting the water
wash over his shoulders. The heat between them took him by surprise. The lights went
down and so did his restraint. In the dark, he was surrounded by the scent of her
shampoo, and her lips were soft, drawing him in for more. Damn if the way she moaned
didn’t turn him on. He had fought those sounds when he tossed and turned in the camper’s
master suite last night.

He didn’t know if he could make it up to her, but he would try. He wasn’t here to
upset her. It got out of control before he knew what was happening. He pounded the
wall with his fist, not proud of what he had done on the couch. The water slowed to
a trickle. His seven minutes were up. Time to get dressed and get to work.