Cape Cod Kisses Page 23

  “Now that you’ve mentioned it,” she said in a husky voice as she turned in his arms, wonderfully aware of his hard wall of muscle beneath her hands and against her curves, “unpacking can definitely wait.”

  His kiss was demanding and loving at once, sending a quiver through her. His hands explored her back, her hips, then moved back up to tangle in her hair. With a gentle tug, Shelley’s head tipped back as his lips traveled over her jaw, down her neck, and settled on her bare shoulder.

  “Bedroom,” she whispered.

  In one forward motion she was in his arms again as he took them up the stairs. They were nearly at her bedroom, and she was already reeling with need from the kisses he’d given her as he mounted each step, when his phone rang.

  Quinn’s body immediately went rigid and Shelley held her breath. He’d spent a long time already on business calls that morning, and even though he’d tried to act like everything was okay, she’d seen restrained frustration written in every tight muscle for about an hour after the calls.

  But he didn’t reach for the phone, clearly trying to ignore it as he laid her on the bed and came down over her. But when the phone sounded off again in his pocket, he cursed, two hundred plus pounds of tension levered above her on his forearms.

  “Answer it,” she said softly.

  “It can wait,” he nearly barked. His eyes were dark with the private war going off in his mind.

  She caressed his cheek. “Quinn, we can wait.”

  He looked down at the phone still ringing in his pocket and scowled as he moved to the side of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. A moment later, the ringing stopped.

  Shelley came up on her knees behind him and rubbed the knots from his shoulders. “You have to take care of your work, just like I’ll have to take care of mine, but I have faith we’ll figure out how to strike a balance that works for both of us.”

  But instead of agreeing with her, he simply brushed his hand lovingly once over her hair, then pushed to his feet and paced. Every step carried the weight of the storm brewing inside him. A storm that she could now see was even bigger than she’d thought.

  His phone rang again, and they both froze. After a long minute of staring at each other with the phone ringing insistently between them, she stepped from the bed and put her arms around him.

  “Take your call. And whatever it is you’re afraid to tell me, I can take it. It won’t change my moving to the island or my feelings for you.”

  QUINN DIDN’T WANT to answer the phone. He knew what was coming, and he wanted to buy more time with Shelley, but when the ringing began for a third time, he had no choice. He’d learned earlier that morning that the merger was on the line because of potential fair trade issues—and they needed him in Maryland to negotiate.

  “Yeah.” He couldn’t even muster a cordial greeting for Rich.

  “It’s on, Quinn. You’ve got to get on the next flight out if you want this merger to happen.”

  He’d worked his ass off to bring the merger to this point. He’d thought the legal teams had handled any issues revolving around the Sherman Antitrust Act, but now that monster was rearing its ugly head again. If he wanted the merger to take place, he had to be on-site, elbow deep in the legal issues. It would take weeks to work through the legal channels.

  He peered into the empty hall. Shelley must have gone downstairs. So then why did it feel like she’d gone a million miles away?

  They’d agreed to the long-distance relationship. They knew it wasn’t going to be easy—he just never imagined it would be this hard. And he hadn’t even left yet.

  But, damn it, he’d built this business from the ground up. He couldn’t just let it falter, could he?

  “I’ll be there. I’ve just got to wrap up a few things first.”

  Wrap up a few things. His gut twisted as the words echoed in his head. Because how was he supposed to tell the woman he loved that he needed to leave for what was, at the very least, a few weeks? But probably even longer.

  “Hey, look at the bright side,” Rich said. “Now you have a legitimate excuse to get off the island.”

  Rich was right that if Quinn could have turned around and walked back onto the plane last Friday, he would have done it without as much as a look back.

  But that was before Shelley. Before he’d fallen so deeply in love with her that nothing else seemed to matter anymore.

  He ended the call and pressed his fist against his breastbone, but it did nothing for the tightening in his chest. He wished he could grab Shelley, head back to the big stable tree and see the gorgeous afterglow of their lovemaking in the pink of her cheeks and the sweet, sultry gaze of her green eyes one more time before he left.

  But there wasn’t time for that right now. Wasn’t time for anything but saying goodbye.

  He found her out on the deck, standing at the railing. Her thick dark hair tumbled down her back in carefree waves. She turned as he approached, her eyes full of love as she reached for him and pressed her cheek to his chest.

  He gathered her in his arms, opened his mouth to speak, and hesitated, riding the wave of conflicting emotions that surged through him. He’d worried that he’d dim her light if he got involved with her, and here he was, about to throw sand on her flame.

  Shelley took a deep breath, then hooked her fingers in the waist of his pants and smiled up at him. Someone else might not notice the sadness hovering in her eyes, but he’d always noticed—and loved—every single thing about her.

  “Okay, I’m ready for you to tell me you need to go back to Annapolis.”

  She might have been ready for it, but he wasn’t.

  He’d faced down fierce competitors, gone head-to-head with the savviest of businessmen in boardrooms across the country. He’d crushed his classmates on the curve at college and graduated top of the class. And yet now that he’d found the one person on earth he never wanted to hurt, he was powerless to keep from hurting her.

  He’d never felt powerless before, and it sucked.

  “I need to leave right away,” he confirmed in a raw voice as he held her gaze.

  “Don’t worry about me, Quinn. Take care of what you need to take care of.”

  She was the person he most wanted to take care of. He wanted to stay here longer, so that he could laugh with her and love her while holding her in his arms, instead of doing all of that from a distance.

  But since he couldn’t stay, he knew he needed to explain the whole situation. “I’m afraid this isn’t going to be a quick trip. We’ve got legal issues to deal with pertaining to the merger, and I’ve also got to deal with an employee who’s threatening to leave. I’ve been putting it off, but...it will be weeks. Probably several.”

  She swallowed hard. “Several weeks.” She paused and dropped her eyes to his chest. “Well, that’ll give me time to get things ironed out with my business.” She shifted her feet a little wider, as if she were trying to ground herself again. “We’ll both be busy.”

  “Shell.” He lifted her chin and nearly broke at the depth of sadness in her eyes. “We’ll Skype, and text…” But they were all poor substitutes for holding her in his arms.

  “Of course.” She pulled her shoulders back as he’d seen her do so many times before, and he watched as she forced herself to smile up at him. “So...can I help you pack?”

  How many times in her life had she been forced to do that? Pick herself up from heartache and carry on? How many times had her parents berated her or made her feel unloved?

  The reality of why she was able to morph so quickly from heartbroken to strong sliced through him.

  Quinn wasn’t used to this, having never allowed his emotions to rule his life, but Shelley was guided by passion like others were guided by their GPS systems.

  “I’d love your help packing, but I have to say goodbye to my family, too.”

  “I can wait here if you’d rather do that alone.”

  He drew her in close, memorizing the feel of her against hi
m. These memories of holding her in his arms were all that would keep him going for quite some time.

  “No way, sweetheart. I want you with me until the second I have to board the plane.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “ARE YOU SURE you’re okay with me leaving my bags at your cottage?” Quinn asked as Shelley helped him pack the last of his clothes in his suite.

  God, she’d miss him while he was gone. Every time he left the island, she’d miss his passion, and the way he looked at her with pure, unconditional love.

  “I’m way more than okay with it,” she said in a deliberately light voice. “I’m thrilled that you’ve just given me permission to rifle through your clothes and find the comfiest shirt that smells like you to sleep in.”

  He lifted her by the waist and set her on the dresser, parting her knees with his, and then slid her close. Shelley closed her eyes and breathed him in, borrowing his strength to call her own.

  “I like thinking about you sleeping in my shirt.”

  “I’d rather sleep in your arms”—she smiled up at him—“but this’ll have to do for a little while.”

  Their lips brushed as a knock sounded at the door. Quinn touched his forehead to hers.

  “The universe really doesn’t want us to get naked today, does it?”

  “It’s probably better that way,” she said with another smile she could barely force. “It would be even harder to let you go if you’d just loved me silly.”

  “Quinn?” Trent called through the door.

  Quinn gave Shelley another deeply passionate and emotional kiss before she hopped off the dresser. He pulled open the door, and Trent barreled in.

  “I got your text. You’re taking off?” Trent didn’t look surprised to see her. “Hi, Shelley. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Hi.” She wanted to tell him it was nice to see him again, too, but her throat was too tight right now to say more than hello.

  “I’ll cover you here while you’re gone,” Trent said to Quinn, his expression understanding. “But when you come back, you should probably set up meetings with your staff at the resort to establish your authority and to figure out what Grandfather didn’t get done.”

  “I already planned on having my secretary set up a virtual conference early next week so I can establish my position while I’m in Annapolis.”

  “Good to know you’re always one step ahead of me.” Trent glanced at Shelley and then stepped closer to Quinn and lowered his voice.

  Shelley tried not to eavesdrop, but it was such a small room that even if she hadn’t been tempted she would have overheard.

  “I was young and stupid,” Trent said to Quinn. “What’s your excuse?”

  What is that supposed to mean? Shelley wondered as Quinn made a strangled noise in his throat.

  Shelley’s phone vibrated with a text. She moved to the side, allowing the men to say their goodbyes while she read the message from Sierra.

  Quinn said he’s leaving. Want to have lunch tomorrow? I have some ideas for your café, and I’d love to spend more time with you.

  She looked at the text for a long moment, feeling that it underscored just how caring the Rockwell family was to innately understand just how much she’d miss Quinn after he left.

  After his brother left, Quinn picked up his bag, looking grim. “We’ve got to get going or I’ll miss my flight. Especially since I need to have a word with Chandler before I go.”

  He shouldered his bags and they headed for the elevators.

  “I’m proud of you, Quinn,” Shelley said as they stepped inside.

  “Proud?”

  “I know it isn’t easy to leave your family, or us. But even if I’m sad to be apart, it’s an impressive quality that you don’t shirk your responsibilities.”

  The elevator doors opened on his grandfather’s floor, and they stepped into the hall as the doors to the second elevator, beside them, opened and Didi pushed Chandler’s wheelchair into the hallway.

  Quinn and Shelley both pulled their shoulders back and stood up straighter. He wasn’t even Shelley’s grandfather and she felt the need to straighten up in Chandler’s presence.

  Didi smiled and placed a hand on Chandler’s shoulder. Shelley liked the way she did that. It made her believe the softening she’d seen in Chandler’s face must have been real for Didi to act so protective of him.

  Or...perhaps that touch was a warning, a reminder to Chandler to behave?

  The thought gave her pause as Quinn and his grandfather had a brief stare down. She imagined years of tension filling the space between them, much like the air shift that occurred when she visited her parents.

  Chandler raised an imperious eyebrow in his grandson’s direction. “Quinn.”

  “I have an emergency with my company and have to leave the island for a few weeks.” Quinn spoke with certitude and without a hint of defiance, something Shelley had rarely been able to pull off with her parents.

  “We’ll soon know where your priorities lie.” Chandler’s eyes skittered over Shelley. “Didi.” He motioned for her to wheel him to his office.

  Didi flashed an apologetic smile, then turned Chandler’s wheelchair around and began to push him away.

  Quinn’s hands fisted at his sides. “Grandfather.”

  Chandler said something to Didi, and she turned the wheelchair around but didn’t advance toward them.

  Shelley stiffened at Chandler’s challenging stare, but Quinn reached for Shelley’s hand with cool confidence. “I can only assume that you failed to notice Shelley was here with me. Otherwise I’m sure you would have acknowledged her with a greeting.”

  Chandler’s eyes shifted to her, and she was beyond shocked when his lips suddenly curved up in a half smile, softening many of his sharp edges. He nodded slowly, never breaking their connection.

  “I do apologize, Ms. Walters. I’m afraid I’m not having one of my better days. But it is a pleasure to see you again.” With a final nod, he said, “Good day,” then gestured for Didi to wheel him away.

  Once his door closed, Shelley let out the breath she’d been holding and wrapped her arms around the amazing man beside her. “I love you, Quinn Rockwell.”

  She could read the love in his eyes as he gazed down at her even before he said, “I love you, too, Shell. More than you can even imagine.”

  But she didn’t need to imagine anything at all, because he’d just proved it to her yet again.

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER they were standing inside the small island airport. It was the size of a fast-food restaurant, with one long counter off to the left and a glass-walled room to the right, where passengers waited to board the plane after going through a brief security check.

  Standing within the confines of Quinn’s embrace for what would be the last time until he returned in a few long weeks, Shelley was determined not to make their parting any more difficult than it already was. He had been nearly silent since they’d arrived at the airport, and every time he looked at her his eyes became hooded and he rubbed the back of his neck as if a winter chill had settled into his bones.

  She had to be strong. She refused to be one of those clingy, weak women who made her man feel guilty for doing what he had to do.

  Quinn touched her shoulders, keeping her at arm’s length, his handsome features downturned as if he were readying them both for his departure. Shelley nuzzled against his chest again. She didn’t want space between them. Not yet. Not until they were about to close the airplane doors and she had no other choice. They stood off to the side as passengers filed through the security gate, and somehow it still felt like they were the only two people in the room.

  “Shell, before we saw my grandfather you said you were proud of me for not shirking my responsibilities and that it must not be easy to leave the island. The truth is, before meeting you, it was easy to leave the island. You’ve changed everything, and…”

  He paused, and she took in the pained look in his beautiful blue eyes. Knowing tha
t he was fighting the same devastation she was tugged even harder at her heart.

  “I just want you to know I meant everything I’ve said to you.” His hoarse whisper nearly broke the dam and set her emotions free. “I love you. I’m not leaving you. I’m just fulfilling my obligations and then I’m coming back.” Determination radiated from him as he repeated, “I’m coming back.”

  As the last call for passengers on his flight came through, Quinn pulled her in close again, and with one last tender kiss turned to walk through security. He glanced over his shoulder and blew her a kiss as he passed into the room where others were already lining up to board the plane.

  Shelley pressed her palm against the glass wall. In three determined steps, his palms met hers through the glass. Quinn mouthed, I love you, then disappeared into the small plane.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  THE FLIGHT FROM the island to Boston was less than thirty minutes. Quinn had thought that by the time they touched down, the longing that clutched his chest would have eased and the guilt that lay buried deep inside his heart would have subsided. After all, he’d left his family dozens of times without feeling as though he’d left a piece of himself behind, hadn’t he?

  He followed the other passengers off the plane and rushed to the standby desk to check in for his connecting flight. Maybe he just needed to get back to work to get his mind back on track.

  “Sir?”

  The woman behind the counter held his driver’s license out toward him a handful of minutes later. He had forgotten he’d given it to her. He felt as though he was moving on autopilot.

  “You’re all set. Your flight is boarding now.” She pointed to a line of people standing off to the side.

  He put his license away and walked mindlessly into line, still thinking of Shelley. He glanced out at the setting sun and wondered if she was watching the sunset from the deck of the cottage.