From This Moment On: Heartwarming Contemporary Romance (Windswept Bay Book 1) (13 page)

“So true,” she said. His hand was callused, probably from working on his ranch when he was there. She liked the way her hand felt in his. Though rough, his hands were not hands that would hurt a woman…

He tugged her close; her knees melted and suddenly she felt tingly all over as he held her. A fierce longing drove through her as she looked up into his solemn eyes. Her breath hitched as his lips covered hers.

And Cali was lost to everything but that moment.

Or found.

Melting against him, she was stunned by the feel of his tender lips and the passion that washed through her as he deepened the kiss. Her heart thundered and crashed harder than the waves off the coast of the island. He dug his fingers into her hair, drew the kiss out until she was breathless against him. And she knew she had never, ever experienced anything like Grant’s kiss.

She couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t catch her breath as he finally drew back, his own breath rasping, “Cali,” before he placed a kiss against her temple. And then her cheek. “You are so wonderful.” He placed another kiss against her other temple and then her other cheek. And then brushed her lips with his again.

She was breathing hard when he pulled away, and she had to make herself not tug him back for more. Her knees were weak and her heart felt as if it would burst.

“You are so beautiful,” he said. “And in the moonlight you are breathtaking.”

It had been a very long time since she’d heard words like his…if she’d ever been so lucky to hear them at all. She didn’t want this to end. Didn’t want to think about when he would be gone. And he would be gone. He’d said so at her parents’ house. She’d heard him talking to her brothers. But for now, she had this moment with him.

When he began trailing heated kisses down her jaw and to the base of her neck, Cali’s stomach clenched tightly. She felt as if she were floating on air as those gifted lips blew every hesitancy, every fear out of the water.

All evening she’d watched him patiently answer every question fired his way by her family. He’d seemed to genuinely enjoy every moment of their nosiness and a couple of times, when no one was looking, he winked at her. His antics had played havoc with her, driving her crazy with attraction.

“We better walk,” he said after a moment. Taking her hand in his, he led her across the thick, shifting sand to the damp, firmer sand were the tide lapped. And they walked hand in hand with the ocean breeze billowing about them and the waves cresting in the silvery light of the night. It was a magical night. And, just for this moment, she didn’t want to think about why she couldn’t give her heart away again.

Didn’t want to think about why she’d come running back to Windswept Bay, feeling lost and lacking. She didn’t want any of her ugly past intruding on the night, though she could feel it crouching at the edges, waiting to pounce. Tonight, she ignored it and held tightly to Grant’s hand.

For tonight, she’d let her heart fully feel the emotions being with Grant filled her with. And if she were lucky, she hoped to steal a few more kisses before the clock struck midnight and she pulled herself back behind the walls that she’d constructed around her heart.

Chapter Fourteen

He hadn’t been able to help himself. He’d wanted to hold her all night. Wanted to walk along the shore in the silvery light of the moon. To taste her lips like he’d been longing to do since the first time they’d run into each other beside the elevators.

“I’ve been wanting this all week.” He stopped walking and turned to look at her. “Ever since you barreled into my life at the elevator.” He chuckled and she did, too, just before her expression tensed.

“I wasn’t expecting this. I think you should know I’m not ready for a relationship. I know that’s not important since by the end of next week you’ll be gone. But, I need to tell you that.”

“I don’t have to leave. I’ve got two murals to finish and then— Cali, that wasn’t just a casual kiss.” He knew it was true. When he’d arrived at Windswept Bay he’d been lost, floundering, and bleak. Though he was searching for a way to find his footing after the crash, he had only begun and wasn’t too hopeful. And then he’d run into Cali and everything had a new outlook. “I know you’ve been through a lot. And I have a feeling it goes much deeper than you’ve told anyone. I’m a good listener and I want to help.”

She pulled her hand free and moved away from him several steps. The breeze played with the strands of her hair.

Sensing that she needed to talk to someone and wanting that person to be him, he opened his palms. “Talk to me, Cali. I feel like something isn’t right. At dinner, it was evident that everyone obviously wants what’s best for you. It showed in how they looked at you and in so many other ways, including accepting me, but what stood out to me was your reluctance to let them in.”

He was an artist of landscapes and seascapes but he was an artist, and he saw past the exterior and into the interior. Cali was hiding something. Something she needed to release.

“Talk to me. Did your ex hurt you? Physically hurt you?” He hated the words and the thought but his gut told him he was right. Or close.

And he’d never wanted as much in his life to be wrong about something.

But he wasn’t. The look on her face told him so.

Grant’s questions shot at her tender heart, like darts hitting the bull’s-eye.

She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly about her. His kiss had awakened memories that she’d tried to banish. The longing for love. Memories of what she’d hoped for and what she’d had and lost.

Irrational anger shot through her.
Why had he gone and messed up a perfect moment? So be it.
“My family just thinks I went through a divorce. A normal, painful divorce from a man who I once loved…or thought I loved. And trusted.” She couldn’t say this and be still, so she started to walk. Grant moved beside her in quick strides and stopped her with his gentle hand on her arm.

“It was more than that, wasn’t it?”

Her chest heaved as she sucked in a hard breath and then nodded. “No one knows.”

She’d worked so hard to hide the facts. Just like for the four years of her marriage she’d worked to hide her bruises. A lump formed in her throat.

“How bad did he hurt you?” he asked gruffly.

She felt a tremble start deep inside her body and radiate through her. She clenched her hands, hoping to stop the shaking from taking over. She hated this. Hated it.

She despised being a victim. Never imagined that she would become one. Her throat tightened and she ran the tip of her tongue over dry lips as she measured her words. “I hate this. It started slowly, as the stress of his job increased. Verbally at first and then escalated to the first blow, that was immediately followed by pleas of sorrow and declarations of love.” She closed her eyes as memories exploded from their cage in the darkness.
I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to do it. It was just such a stressful day.
Words she’d had compassion for.

Words and lies she’d fallen for.

“He hit you?”

“Yes. And I let him. He begged for forgiveness. Swore it wouldn’t happen again…”

“But it did,” he growled.

“It did. Over and over again. And I hid the bruises. Like a fool,” she muttered. The disgust washed over her. Wished now that she’d kept her mouth shut. Heat rushed her and she spun away from Grant, this beautiful, talented amazing man—who now knew her dirty little secret.
What had she been thinking? What?

Tears of humiliation stung her eyes and all she wanted was to run and hide. She’d felt like that for so long. And couldn’t bear knowing that he knew the truth about her now. She’d failed in so many ways.

“Cali, honey, I’m so sorry.” He came up behind her and gently took her in his arms. “Why haven’t you told anyone?”

“Because I’m embarrassed, for one. How could I have let that happen?” She spun and hurried down the beach. Grant was in front of her, barring her way. Through the haze of tears, she could see he was backlit with the romantic moonlight.

“You didn’t mess anything up. He did.” He tugged her into his arms and held her.

“I stayed. I let him tear me down, tear me apart and I stayed. How could I have done that?”

Like he would know? She
didn’t even know.

“It’s okay,” he murmured into her hair, with a tenderness that only made her want to weep.

And she hated crying. “Let me go. I need to go.”

“Stay. I’m sorry this happened to you.” His hand rubbed her back, kneaded her shoulders.

“I let it happen.” The words tore from her even as she fought to hold them back. She’d already said too much.

“It wasn’t your fault,” he growled, shocking her with the fierce rawness of his words. “Get that out of your mind. He was the one who harmed you. You didn’t do that.”

“I let it happen.” Her throat burned; her head throbbed.

“No. It just happened.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Let it go.”

It felt good to have someone to lean on just for a moment, even if she was mortified that he knew. Now she lifted her head. “I need to go. I can’t do this.”

She stepped away, hating the pity she saw in his eyes.

“Let me walk you back.”

“No. I’m fine. I’d like it if you’d forget I told you this.” She swiped at her eyes, those maddening tears.

“I want to help.”

“No,” she said again. The word came out harsh, so she forced her nerves down and said more calmly, “There isn’t anything you can do. I just want to forget it. To move on. Rehashing it doesn’t change it. I shouldn’t have said anything. Good-night.” She left him and trudged across the sand as fast as she could go.

“Ignoring it doesn’t mean it’s gone away,” he called after her.

Her head was reeling and her heart hurting as she let the wind carry his words away. She wasn’t ready for this. She’d known it.

Right now, she just needed to get away from him. Needed to think. And she couldn’t do it with him looking at her with pity in his eyes.

Chapter Fifteen

“That’s looking mighty fine,” Horace observed as he leaned on his ladder and studied the mural that Grant had been working on. “My grandkids will love those turtles. The way you have them looking straight at me, like I’m in the water with them and we’re studying each other, is amazing. And your seal is looking good too, Jax.”

“Thanks,” Jax called from where he was painting a playful, yet realistic seal playing underwater.

He’d shown up with enthusiasm about working with Grant, though he’d been uncertain how he could be of help. He’d been surprised when Grant showed him his plans and even more startled when he’d learned they were starting the mural today.

Grant had been pleased to see Jax.

It was going to be a good partnership. One that would boost Jax and let Grant give back and pay it forward.

But Grant had forced every smile he’d smiled today. And every laugh. His mind had been on last night. On Cali and the humiliation she’d felt. It had taken him long into the night before he’d finally grasped what he believed Cali felt.

He’d wanted to break her ex in half. Throw a rope around him, tie that rope to his saddle horn and pay justice the old-fashioned way, dragging him across a rock-strewn pasture full of cactus and briars.

He’d wanted to beat the man to a pulp and if he could find him, there were no guarantees that he wouldn’t get the job done sometime in the near future. He knew Cam and probably her other brothers would fight him for the chance.

He should have known Cam didn’t know.

Why was she protecting her ex? To keep her brothers from getting in trouble?

The very thought of her suffering at the hands of the man she’d trusted turned his stomach. And he hadn’t decided the best way to handle the situation.

He was giving her space and he was doing the only thing he knew to do for her at this moment: paint her murals.

“You look like you’re a thousand miles away,” Horace said. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think it’s time to call it a day, though. Thanks for helping set up, Horace.”

“No problem at all. You boys keep up the good work. My wife’s probably got supper ready so I’m heading home. Might bring her by tomorrow to see the progress.” He studied Grant with perceptive eyes. Shooting a glance Jax’s way and seeing him moving away to clean his brush, he looked at Grant. “I didn’t see Cali come by all day. You two have a spat?”

“Didn’t you say your wife was waiting?”

Horace’s expression said he’d gotten his answer. “She’s a good little gal, our Cali. Hurts when she thinks no one is watching. You go easy on her heart. It’s a tender, precious thing.”

“I know. I’m not planning on hurting her.”

“But someone has. So go careful.”

Floored, Grant watched the little man in his tan uniform walk away. He saw what no one else had figured out and Grant wondered how.

“Jax, I’m calling it a day.”