Rough Harbor (9 page)

Caitlyn looked over and down. Adriana was staring at her, a shrewd and knowing look on her face. Caitlyn wasn’t certain how much of her and Noah’s history the old woman knew about. Certainly the fact they’d been a couple that summer hadn’t been a secret.

“You knew he’d be here,” Caitlyn said, her voice hoarse.

Adriana shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“What are you trying to do?” Caitlyn whispered, hearing the pain, the heartbreak in her voice. Because that’s what it was. Noah had broken her heart when he’d left, when they’d had their last fight, and she hadn’t forgotten that pain.

“Maybe I still believe in second chances,” Adriana said simply and let herself be helped into the car by Henry. Caitlyn waited a moment and then followed.

Caitlyn woke the next morning as dawn crested. She lay in her old bedroom, which faced north, and watched from an angle as the sun rose, pushing light up over the ridge of hills that ringed the harbor. The light appeared from behind the spindly branches of the bare trees, turning them into black lines etched against the very pale sky. Cold air seeped in from the window she left cracked open, and she took a deep breath, savoring the fragrance of sand and salt water, mixed in with mud, the smell weakened by the fall’s strong wind.

In the summer, the whole scent would be stronger, and there would be more to it, perhaps a whiff of gasoline, the smell of barbeque. Instead, this morning she could smell fire, someone burning leaves.

She’d been avoiding her runs along the beach, a normal, but silly reaction. But she shouldn’t keep putting it off any longer. She needed to reclaim her beach, from both the dead and the living. Caitlyn pulled on her warm running pants, a turtleneck and a fleece vest.

Setting off from the drive, she took her traditional path, finding her stride a little rough after her time off. She didn’t really like the exercise bit, but it was something you had to do, she reminded herself. It got a little better after the first mile, and she started to zone out, focusing only on her breathing and putting one foot in front of the other.

She had to pass Sailor’s Rock, but it wasn’t until she rounded the bend for the final stretch that she saw him standing there against the sky, hair blowing. She guessed he had made it home last night after all. She looked away quickly, eyes straight ahead of her as she ran towards home. She had as much right to be on the beach as anyone else.

“Caitlyn,” he called, the name stretching out with the wind. She debated whether or not to keep going, but she heard him jump to the ground, the rocks sliding underneath him as he came after her. She slowed her pace and then stopped, turning. He was jogging towards her, one hand raised in hello.

<<>>

Noah had a feeling she’d be here; in fact, he was waiting for her. He hadn’t been quick enough to see her leave, had wondered if she’d left with the guy in the suit, the banker who’d been all over her all night.

She was breathing heavily, beads of sweat across her forehead.

“So, you got home all right?” she asked casually.

“No thanks to you,” he smiled faintly. It had been hard to watch Caitlyn dancing with a parade of bankers, their grabbing hands on Caitlyn’s bare skin. He had watched one of them escort her off the dance floor with his hand on the small of her back, skin touching skin. But he couldn’t very well make a scene every time Caitlyn danced with someone, so he had paid attention to the blonde, whose name was Jennifer. She had given her number to him, but he threw it away as soon as he left. He drove home with the windows open to clear his head.

“You?” he asked equally as casually.

“Yes, the car took us home to Adriana’s, and then I drove back from her place.”

“Did you have a good time?” he asked.

“Relatively,” she said, though something flashed across her face. “Did you?”

“It was business. A little different than an all-night coding session with a bunch of college-aged kids, but not bad.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“About Horatio’s?

She nodded. “And everything. Everyone was all abuzz about you. Software entrepreneur, moving back to the East Coast, investing in restaurants. It sounds like you’ve been quite the busy boy.”

“I’ve been trying to keep busy,” he said. “It’s not really my thing, you know, but I thought since I was moving to New York, it would be nice to have a place to go, you know, where everyone knew my name.”

“So you decided to open a restaurant?”

“It’s really Tony’s. I’m just the silent partner. Plus I always get a table. And free appetizers.”

She looked at him. “What about a percentage of the profits?”

Noah laughed. “Tony said there wouldn’t be any. At least for a year. So I get free apps instead.”

“I hope you made a better deal when you sold your company,” Caitlyn said. Her eyes were worried.

Noah reached out and took her hand. He felt her wanting to take it back, felt the heat crawling up his skin, and not because she had been running.

“Don’t worry; I did. I can afford to work on my passion projects now.”

She laughed. “That sounds very Californian of you. Are you sure you want to move back East? I think we’re a little more serious-minded here.”

Noah took a step closer to her, so that they were almost touching, not just his hand and her arm, but just inches away, face-to-face. He felt his breath quicken as he looked into the deep blue of her eyes, wanting to brush back a curl of the black hair that escaped from her cap, twine it around his fingers, feel its softness.

Her back was against the solid bulk of the rock, and he had her caged by his arms. Her cheeks were flushed, and he could hear the heavy sounds of her breath. He took one hand and slowly undid the zipper of her fleece, exposing an ivory V of skin where her shirt dipped down.

Caitlyn watched him, eyes locked with his. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but she wasn’t making a move. Noah took that as an invitation and trailed his fingertip against her exposed skin. Just skimming it along, but he saw her eyes flash and she convulsed.

“You were saying something about being serious,” he whispered, leaning in over her. Even now she smelled clean, fresh, a hint of apple, maybe some wood smoke.

“I don’t remember…” Her hands went up, running up his arms, tracing the breadth of his shoulders, coming to rest around his neck. She looked at him a moment, invitation in her eyes. Noah went for it, bringing his lips down to meet hers. She rose up to meet him, their lips joining. At first, it was slow and hesitant, but all of a sudden he wanted more, all of her, the part of Caitlyn he’d never gotten. He pushed her up against the rock, raising her up so she was on his level, letting him kiss her, harder now. He could feel her fingers running through his hair and the soft murmur of his name that became a moan.

“Noah…”

And then it became “No, no.” He stopped, suddenly jumping away from her. His breath was coming hard and fast, and he could feel himself aroused.

“God, Caitlyn, what are you doing?” he said, running his fingers through his hair. It was chilly this morning, and he suddenly noticed the wind whipping in from the water, the sand dancing in the air.

“What am I doing?” Her eyes snapped, and she took a step forward and then back from him, so she was clear to run. “You’re the one who…”

“What?” he asked. He was calmer now, watching her. Surely he hadn’t been imagining the want in her face, the desire he’d felt.

“It can’t be this way.”

“What way?” He was puzzled.

“We’re not teenagers anymore, Noah. I’m not going to shag you on Sailor’s Rock for the whole world to see.”

“Oh, so you mean you were considering it?” Noah felt himself getting ready again, but Caitlyn held up her hand.

“We snuck around once. I won’t do it again. Noah, you’re my boss. Been there, done that.” Caitlyn started to walk away, her feet shaking loose the stones on the beach.

“No. Sam Harris is the boss. Think of me as an observer. A disinterested one,” he took a few steps to follow her, and she spun around.

“I’m not like that, Noah. I don’t just date any guy who dangles a fat wallet in front of me.”

“Wow.” Noah said, surprised. “I never thought you were.”

“Really, that’s not what you said to me ten years ago. I think you called me a ‘money crazy tease’. You thought we broke up because you weren’t going to college, following the path your father set out for you.”

“Well, didn’t you?” Noah didn’t know why he was shouting. Last night, when she’d been dancing, it had been all he could do not to step in and break the guy’s nose. His girl. He still thought of Caitlyn as his girl.

Her face went white, as if he had slapped her, and then it changed. All the anger drained out of it, and he saw only sadness.

“No, Noah. That wasn’t it at all. You just never understood. I wanted what was best for you. I just needed time after my grandfather died, and you were pushing too hard, too hard for a commitment I couldn’t make. You’re the one who thought it was because I didn’t love you enough. But you were wrong. It was because I loved you too much.”

Caitlyn turned and walked away, feet crunching on the beach. Noah felt like he’d been sucker punched, but he knew that he couldn’t go after her.

Caitlyn was late to work, but only by a few minutes. She kept a smile plastered on her face, but inside she was seething. How dare he accuse her of being a tease again? And the kiss. What had he been thinking? What had she been thinking? It had made her feel, like what? Like a teenager again, like when he used to kiss her in the boathouse, on the eighth green of the golf course, just about anywhere they could sneak away to.

She sunk into her chair and just sat there, not even turning on her computer. Was it possible she still had feelings for Noah Randall? Ten years later, other men, a whole career, even an engagement, and it was still Noah Randall who made her palms sweat, her heart pump and her breath catch. She could go out with anyone she wanted to, practically, like that nice banker from last night. Kevin, that was his name, and she had his number. She should go for it. A nice, normal guy, no complications.

She didn’t need Noah Randall, and their history, clouding her brain. Not to mention her present and future. No matter what he said, he was still technically her boss. And dating your boss was stupid – she had learned that lesson with Michael St. John.

Caitlyn shook her head to clear it and booted up her computer. She had work to do, real work. And that’s what mattered.

There were a list of messages, some from people she had met last night, one from the persistent Mrs. Smith-Sullivan and two from Michael. She thought she’d made it very clear she didn’t want to speak to him again.

Caitlyn called in Heather and handed her the stack of business cards from the previous night.

“I want you to go through these and send them all our marketing kit. Overnight them and make sure they go out by noon, if you can. I’m going to be making phone calls, so I don’t wish to be disturbed for a few hours.”

Heather gave her a look but nodded. Caitlyn hid her own irritation, trying to remember what it was like to have been at someone’s beck and call.

Caitlyn dialed Mrs. Biddle’s number first. Marion answered the phone and said Adriana had gone to visit Mr. Biddle. Caitlyn asked for her favorite champagne and wrote it down. She ordered a gift basket of fruit and champagne from the liquor store and arranged to have it delivered that day, along with a thank-you note.

Caitlyn looked at her watch. It was time to call Tony Biddle. He picked up on the first ring, sounding not the least bit tired, and they chatted, Caitlyn inquiring how the rest of the party had gone.

“Great. Have you seen the papers?” Caitlyn said she had not.

“I got a mention in the
Daily News
, and there were people from the
Times
and
Bon Ton
. Here’s hoping we’ll see some pictures next month. Addie was fabulous. She gave a little interview on all of her work over the years, connecting artists and their society patrons.”

Caitlyn made a mental note to mention that to Adriana when she spoke to her next, and then artfully, she steered the conversation around to her primary reason for calling.

“I would like to put together a presentation for you, something to show what we can do for you. Would next Tuesday be all right? I can meet you in the city or,” Caitlyn could hear him flipping through the pages of an appointment book, “you could come out here.”

“I am supposed to see my uncle and Addie.” She could hear him musing, thinking.

“How about lunch? Then you can visit them in the afternoon.”

“Perfect.”

They set the date, and Caitlyn wrote it down, trying to contain her excitement. She would have a lot of work to do between now and then if she wanted to land Tony Biddle as a client.

Caitlyn returned some other calls and made more appointments, answered questions and was generally well-pleased with herself by the time lunch rolled around. In the next two weeks, she had five meetings scheduled with potential clients. If she managed to get half of them – well, hell, if she managed to get Tony Biddle – then she would be well set for the future. Her strategy, developed and honed in London, was showing signs of traveling well.

The flowers came around one in the afternoon, a giant vase of lilies. Her favorite. Heather had delivered them to her breathlessly, eager to see who they were from, peering to see what the note said. Caitlyn took the flowers directly and closed her office door, setting them down on her desk.

They were beautiful, full and fresh, a burst of color. She opened the card, but she had a feeling she already knew who it was from.

“Sorry for how we left things. Let’s start over. Please join me for dinner tonight at eight. My place.”

The note certainly left no room for argument, which was how Noah had intended it, she was sure. Short of not showing up, there wasn’t much she could do. If he wanted to make her dinner, start over, well then, two could play that game. Her fingers brushed against her lips gently, as if she could remember, the burn of his lips against hers.