Her Accidental Boyfriend: A Secret Wishes Novel (Entangled Bliss) (6 page)

She shrugged and looked adorable pretending to be indifferent.

“I’ve no plans with her or anybody else. I’m here to see you and help you clean up.” He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head.

Her shoulders relaxed and their gazes held for several seconds. “Okay. But there’s nothing to clean up. I sold every bracelet and got orders for more.” An amazing grin took hold of her naturally pink lips. “Can you believe it? I’m in shock. And everyone was so nice and friendly and asked me questions about how and why I made them the way I did. I had such a good time and seeing how happy my bracelets made people…” She let out a deep breath and collapsed into the folding chair behind the table. “It was the best feeling I’ve had in a long time.”

He reached out and took her wrist to admire the bracelet she wore. “You really are talented, Jelly Belly.” His thumb brushed the underside of her wrist with gentle strokes.

With a carefulness he wasn’t sure how to react to, she pulled her arm back. “Stop it,” she whispered.

“Stop what?” He bent down and put his elbows on the table so they were eye level.

“Calling me Jelly Belly.”

“Can’t help it.” He’d stopped by her place last night to bring her dinner, since he knew she’d been busting her ass making bracelets all day. He’d stayed, helped her out, and
Jelly Belly
had slipped out again. Once he’d said it, he couldn’t stop. Especially because she narrowed her eyes and fake-frowned at him every time he did it.

“Yes, but—”

“Don’t ruin a good thing here, Jelly Belly. You’ll break my heart.”

She laughed. “Yeah right. You’re so full of it.”

“Not around you.” He slipped his shades back on and looked around her small space. “So what needs to be done here before you can leave? We need to celebrate your success today.”

A warm breeze blew the strands of hair around her face and she brushed them away from her eyes. She stood. “Charlotte is going to be royally pissed when I tell her I have a new best friend.”

The cheerful smile she blessed him with did a crazy thing to his chest. He rubbed it as if that would make the sensation go away. Her gaze flicked there and she stared, like she wondered what he looked like underneath his plain blue T-shirt. He’d be more than happy to show her.

“Want to reexamine the benefits part of this friendship?” he teased.

Her attention flew back up to his eyes. “Yes. I mean no.” She shook her head. “No.” She lifted a box from beside her chair, filled it with her notepad, a small cashbox, a bottle of water, some other stuff, and said, “All set. Let’s go.”

He took the box from her. “You allergic to anything else besides oysters?”

“Uh, no,” she said, her voice curious. She came around the table.

“Good. I thought I’d take you to Neptune’s for a crab cake burger.”

“That sounds great. I haven’t eaten since this morning. But you’re not
taking
me. I can pay for myself.”

“Okay. Like I said, I’ll do the boyfriend thing however you want.” This kind of favor for a friend was uncharted territory for him, and he didn’t want to screw it up. When he set his mind to something, he did it 100 percent, whether it was a project at work, conquering the surf at Seascape Beach, or shooting hoops with the guys.

Kagan waved to several of the other craft sellers packing up as they walked to the parking lot. “Oh, wait a sec. I should find Sela and tell her thank you.” She brought her hand to her forehead to block the sun and search the area around them.

“Text her later.”

“Shane. That’s so impersonal.”

“Okay. Call her later.”

She pushed him in the shoulder. “She’s your sister. You should say something to her too. She did a great job organizing today and worked really hard.”

Damn. Why hadn’t he thought of that? “You’re right. Any sign of her?” He scanned the patio.

“No. She’s probably inside the hospital.”

“Come on, then.” He started walking. “I promise when you see her next and thank her, she’ll be just as happy then as now.”

“And how do you know that, oh wise one?” She fell in step beside him, her playful voice hitting the perfect pitch to make him grin.

“It’s something my mom taught me. She always says, ‘A thank you is never wasted, it’s always appreciated, and it’s never too late.’”

She turned her head ever so slightly in his direction, then dropped her gaze to the ground. “Your mom’s really great. She stopped by my booth earlier and bought two bracelets.”

“Anyone else stop by?” He squeezed the box in his hands. He’d been waiting for her to mention Brett. She’d told Brett last night on the phone that she’d be here today.

As if the guy could feel Shane’s animosity, he appeared out of nowhere. “Hey, I’m glad I caught you,” he said, speaking to Kagan. “Let’s grab some lunch.”

Shane shifted the box to one arm and dropped the other so he could lace his fingers with Kagan’s. “Sorry, dude, but we’ve got plans already.”

“Make a new one.”

“You bought something,” Kagan said, worry in her tone.

Brett lifted the white bag with Crem’s logo on the side. “Some pastries. Meredith Crem tells me your favorite is her chocolate banana muffin. I thought it was blueberry.”

Kagan’s hand tensed under his fingertips. “You kept your promise, right?”

“Telling everyone who you are isn’t going to help me at the moment. But pretending I’m just a friend of the family’s who doesn’t have feelings for you might prove difficult.”

She let out a breath. “Thank you.”

Shane’s jaw tightened. He’d suspected the guy still liked Kagan and wondered if maybe he was doing the wrong thing, lying to hurry Brett back to New York. Maybe the two of them needed to talk. Maybe the guy deserved a second chance.

“Can’t promise I won’t let something slip, though.”

“Don’t be a jerk,” Kagan said.

And just like that Shane hated him again. “We’ll catch you later.” He tugged Kagan away.

“Hold up.” Brett put a hand on Kagan’s arm and Shane had the urge to punch the guy. “You avoided me all day yesterday; we need to do lunch.”

“We don’t need to do anything,” Shane said. “I’m taking Kagan out to celebrate, and you’re not invited.”

“I’m working tonight,” Kagan offered. “Stop by for dinner.”

“At the Crown & Anchor,” Brett said.

The guy had obviously done some homework. Shane wondered if Brett had dug into his life, too, and his jaw clenched again. No doubt Fred Donaldson would find out everything he could now that he knew where his daughter was and whom she was supposedly dating.

Kagan nodded.

“Hey, you two,” Candace Brewer said, bouncing into their conversation. She eyed Brett. “Hi, I’m Candy.” And one of the town’s biggest gossips.

“Brett.”

“How’d sales go, Kagan?” She scrunched up her nose and took note of the box in Shane’s hand. “Not so good, huh?”

“Actually, I sold out.”

“Really?” she said in blatant disbelief. The woman had no filter. No good graces.

“And she got orders for more,” Shane piped in. “She’ll be running a jewelry empire in no time.”

Kagan gave him an appreciative look, darted a quick glance at Brett, and then leaned in to touch her nose to his. “Thank you, sweetie.” Then she kissed him. Right on the mouth. She touched her lips to his with soft, slow pressure and his heart rate kicked up a notch.

Too soon, she backed off.

Candy’s eyes bugged out of her head. Christ, now the entire town would know he and Kagan were together—probably in the next hour.

“That’s, uh, great,” Candace managed to choke out. “See you.” She spun around and practically ran off.

“Bye, Brett,” Shane said, pulling Kagan with him with no plans to stop again until they got to his convertible BMW. When the car came into view he said, “I’ll drive and bring you back.”

He put her box in his trunk, and they took off. The beaches were crowded and the coast highway busy. They moved at a snail’s pace, but Shane didn’t mind. With the warm sunshine, the calming sea air, and Kagan, he had it all at the moment.

She closed her eyes and relaxed against the seat, so Shane stayed quiet, figuring she needed to decompress. He kept one eye on the road and one eye on her. He knew the kiss was just to placate Brett and keep up with the charade, but had she realized the consequences of such a public display in front of Candace?

Given the late lunch hour, only a small crowd gathered at Neptune’s when they arrived. They hopped out of the car and got in line to order.

“Want to know a secret?” Shane said, bumping Kagan’s side as she studied the big chalkboard menu hanging above the register.

“Sure.”

“Order the Shluke Special.”

That got her to turn her head. “The what?”

“Shluke Special. It’s not on the menu.”

“Because you just made it up.”

“Not
just
,” he said good-naturedly. “Luke and I put it together a few months ago. And no one knows about it so keep it on the down low.”

She squinted. “No one?”

“Sela might know because she’s got Luke whipped, but I haven’t told anyone.”

“You just told me.”

“You’re not anyone.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “And you kicked some bracelet ass today.”

The smile she rewarded him with made him feel like the luckiest guy on the planet. “So what’s the Shluke Special?”

He dropped his arm. “It’s a crab cake topped with mozzarella cheese, sweet corn salsa, bacon, ranch dressing, and slapped between two slices of grilled sourdough bread.”

“Oh, wow. That sounds really good.”

“Two Shluke Specials it is, then.” The person in front of them moved aside and they stepped to the register.

“Hiya, Shane.” Rebel worked the counter today and flashed perfect white teeth while she twirled a piece of long hair around her finger.

“Hey, Rebel, you keeping out of trouble?”

“That depends. What are you doing later?”

Shane laughed. Rebel could flirt with the best of them. “Whatcha got in mind?”

Kagan cleared her throat.

“Uh, two specials, please,” Shane said, wiping out the tease in his voice. He took in Kagan’s stiff posture. Huh. Seemed she didn’t like his verbal banter, and he wanted to take it back. He reminded himself the only person he should flirt with now was Kagan. An unexpected rush of pleasure ran through him at the idea.

Rebel shot Kagan a surprised look. “You got it.”

They got their food and found an outside table underneath a red umbrella. Across the highway, the ocean sparkled under the sun’s rays. Beachgoers cluttered the white sand.

Kagan lifted her Shluke sandwich and eyed it as if she were trying to figure out the best way to take that first bite.

Shane picked up his. “Best way to attack this? Just go for it.” He took a giant bite of his favorite lunch.

Kagan took his advice. Then she gave a little moan as she chewed. Her eyes closed. Everyone should eat with the abandon she did. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. The salty and sweet flavors are a killer combination.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He kept eating, only now he concentrated on really enjoying the taste along with appeasing his hunger pains.

“So is Rebel like the princess of naughtiness or something?”

Her question surprised and amused him, and it hurt to keep his smile somewhat in check. The sexy, yet curious tone of her voice spurred plenty of naughty thoughts in his head. Each and every one of them included the blonde sitting across from him. “You interested in behaving badly? Because I could—”

“Is every conversation a flirtation with you?”

“Not every. I don’t flirt with men. Although Luke is pretty hot and I may have—”

“Shut up!” She tossed a bunched-up napkin at him.

“So tell me about New York.” She wanted serious, he’d get more serious.

She fiddled with the crust on her sandwich. “What about it?”

He knew she loved food. “Favorite restaurant?”

“La Montanara. Best pizza ever.”

“Cab it or walk?”

“Walk.” She rested against her wood-slatted chair and her gaze flitted to the beach. “I could walk for hours, actually. I never get tired of touring around the city. Right now I really miss the summer rains. The sultry feeling, ducking into someplace new to dry off before venturing outside again.”

“You going back soon?”

“Yes. As soon as my lease is up. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else long term.”

He looked around him. The surf, the laid-back atomosphere, the temperature that was never too hot or too cold. A guy carrying a surfboard smiled and nodded as he walked by.

Shane couldn’t imagine living anywhere else either.

Chapter Five

“You’re shitting me,” Luke said, sitting across the small, square table from Shane.

Shane darted a glance away from his best friend and watched Kagan instead of answering right away. He couldn’t for the life of him
stop
watching her. Sunday night at the Crown & Anchor held a bigger than usual crowd, but she kept eyeing him at the same time.

Sometime during lunch, things had shifted in their relationship and fake or not, Shane had started to look at Kagan differently.

“Nope.”

“You and Kagan?”

“Yep.”

“Damn it.” Luke picked up his beer. “You just cost me a foot massage, you bastard.”

Shane frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Sela and I made a bet. She knew something was going on with you two and I said it wouldn’t lead anywhere. We bet a foot message on whether or not you guys would be a couple by Labor Day.”

“Dude. You’ve seen my sister’s feet. What’s wrong with a back massage?” He gave Luke crap all the time about being whipped, but truth be told, Shane loved how the two of them completed each other. He’d been against their relationship at the start, afraid Luke might break his little sister’s heart, but his best friend loved his sister more than anything, and Shane couldn’t be happier for them.

Luke tipped his beer glass at him. “The better question is what’s wrong with you? I know you’ve been jonesing for Kagan all summer, and your ‘A’ game’s been off since you first laid eyes on her. But I figured you’d be over it by now.”

He shrugged and downed half his beer.

“You’re really serious about her?” Luke sat back, crossed his arms, and squinted like he was trying to read Shane’s mind. It wasn’t working.

No.
“For now.” Shane hadn’t been prepared for these questions. His nerves frayed at the edges. And Sela would probably chew his ear off for telling Luke before he’d told her about his new “status” with Kagan.

Shane let his eyes wander to the bar. Brett sat there, assessing everything around him. Talking to Milt, the other waitresses.

“What kind of answer is that? You know if you break her heart, Sela will let you have it. She likes Kagan.”

“No worries.”
We’re just in this temporarily. Just long enough to send Brett packing. Our hearts aren’t involved.

“Hey, guys. Sorry it’s taking so long for your order. The kitchen’s working a little slow tonight.” Kagan put a hand on Shane’s shoulder. His body immediately warmed. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

Shane wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Her tight little ass wiggled against him. Maybe she’d agree to have this fake boyfriend stint include his fantasies about her.

“Shane! I’m working.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. So has every other guy in the place.”

She looked at him funny. Brushed the hair off his forehead. “That bothers you?”

“Everything about you bothers me, sweetheart.”

“Could you two finish this conversation when I’m not sitting here?” Luke piped in. Shane had wondered if he’d struggle to say the right things to Kagan as her boyfriend. But nope. So far he’d had an easy time of it and meant everything he’d said.

Do not get in over your head, dude.

Kagan jumped up. “I’ll be back in a few with your food.”

Tonight her black skirt fell a little shorter. Her pink tee had a deep V in the back. He adjusted himself.

Luke laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day you were bowled over by a woman.”

“I’m not.” He wasn’t. Not even close. “I just appreciate a nice backside.”

“Yeah. Keep telling yourself that.”

He did. And for the next couple of hours he and Luke played some darts, said no to several dance requests from a group of sorority girls on vacation from California, and talked work. Luke and Sela were headed to Ireland at the end of September so Luke could photograph a professional mountain boarder.

“Sela’s off from her shift in ten, so I’m gonna head out,” Luke said, getting up from the table. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ve got to see your ugly mug again?”

“Better get used to it.”

No doubt. His sister and Luke were head over heels for each other and Shane guessed an engagement wasn’t too far off. He scratched under his shirt collar. A second later Erin Watters, Luke’s younger sister and one of Sela’s best friends, landed in the seat across from him.

“Kagan just told me,” she said, pulling her brown hair over one shoulder and twisting it.

Why did women think men could read their minds?

“Told you what?” He finished off the beer he’d been nursing for the last hour.

She rolled her eyes. “That you guys are now official.”

“Now?”
That implied they’d been unofficial and he hadn’t been anything with Kagan but friendly.

“Don’t you read Cascade’s blog?” She let go of her hair. “Anyway, I just met that Brett dude. What’s his deal? He was asking me all sorts of questions about the two of you.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Don’t worry. Only good things.” She smiled. “He rubs me the wrong way. He’s nice, but I could tell it was just to get me to talk. When I noticed him eyeing Kagan a little too closely, I might have gone a little overboard on your virtues. Which, let me tell you, wasn’t easy.” She winked. “You better watch your back. I think he wants to be more than Kagan’s friend.”

“Yeah,” was all Shane could say, since a weird emotion had clogged the back of his throat. When Kagan went back to New York, Brett would be waiting for her. The guy knew a good thing when he found it.

As if he’d heard Shane’s thoughts, Brett slid off his barstool and walked toward them with a confident stride. It was about damn time he got up and left.

“Thought I’d come over and say good night. It was nice meeting you, Erin.”

“You too,” she lied. Shane could always tell when she was full of it. It had driven her crazy when she was younger and he and Luke would call her on her B.S.

“Shane.”

“Brett.”

Brett strode away but grabbed Kagan on his way out. The hair on the back of Shane’s neck bristled when Brett left his hand on her arm, and her eyes appeared to soften at whatever he was saying.

It didn’t matter. What she might still feel for him shouldn’t matter. Shane had promised Kagan a little while. And after that it wouldn’t be long before she was on a plane back to New York.

But then Brett walked out of the bar and Shane met and held Kagan’s regard, her brilliant green eyes like beacons to something better. Something worth having and keeping.

He flashed her a friendly closed-mouth smile, retiring his drop-your-panties grin for the next week or two. He wouldn’t cross the line with her, because with the thought that just went through his head, he might not recover when she left.

“So I know you’re a workaholic, but Tuesday we’re taking a group kayaking out to Sandpiper for some hiking and snorkeling and stuff. You should come,” Erin said.

“Sounds fun. I’ll check with Kagan.”
I’ll check with Kagan?
Since when did he hesitate to jump on board with an outdoor excursion? Erin was the Assistant Director of Activities at Cascade Outback Adventure and he often joined in on their day trips. He hadn’t been to the small island off the coast off Cascade in too damn long. And after endless hours on the job these past few months, he craved being outside and using his muscles until they burned.

“You should surprise her. Girls love to be surprised.”

“Do they now?” He usually ran with spontaneous, but surprise could work too. He found Kagan again. She was clearing glasses off an empty table. She looked over her shoulder right at him.

“Yep.” Erin followed his gaze. “Okay, seriously? You guys need to get out of here before all your sexed up glances become contagious. Jesus.”

Shane checked the time on his watch. Eleven forty-five. Fifteen minutes till closing, but the pub still held a good amount of people.

“Where’d your date go?” he asked.

“I didn’t have a date. That was just some guy who wanted to buy me drinks and get in my pants.
So
not happening.” She sniffed the air. “Hey, do you smell that?”

Yeah, he did. It smelled like something was burning. He caught the back of Kagan as she disappeared into the kitchen. Was that smoke wafting into the bar? A second later the fire alarm sounded and he flew out of his chair.

“Get out of here,” he said to Erin.

“What?”

He pulled her up from her chair. “Go. I think there’s a fire.”

Everything after that happened in a whirlwind. Shane pulled Milt away from the entrance to the kitchen. “I’ve got this. You get your customers out of here safely.” Behind him, Shane could hear the panic of those left in the bar. The sound of chairs toppling, feet shuffling. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he pushed through the swinging door.

“Kagan!” Smoke choked him and burned his eyes. Heat blasted him like he’d walked into a furnace. Flames lit up the corner of the room.

“Over here!” She coughed and kept coughing, drawing him to her position.

He found her kneeling behind Barney. The large happy-go-lucky chef was lying on his back. Kagan had her arms under him, hands clasped at his chest.

“I think he hit his head and got knocked out,” she said.

“Let me.”

She moved out of the way and Shane got a good grip on him. He had to weigh near two-fifty. Blood stained the side of his temple, but he was still breathing.

Kagan held open the door and Shane dragged him out of the kitchen. The pub had emptied except for Milt, whose already creased face seemed to have aged a decade in the last ten minutes.

“Come on,” Kagan said, taking Milt’s arm and holding him close as she led him toward the front door.

Sirens sounded and a minute later, firemen ran in to relieve Shane of his rescue and put out the kitchen fire. He rushed out the door to find Kagan.

She was right there waiting for him, a fireman at her side, his yellow-coated arm held out to keep her in place. “They w-wouldn’t let me back in,” she stammered.

He wrapped her in his arms, lifted her off the ground and carried her away from the building to a more secluded spot beside a pickup truck in the parking lot. She slid down his body until her feet touched the ground.

His hands cupped her cheeks, and he took in every beautiful part of her face. A black smudge marred one cheek. Her eyes were red, glassy. Her lips trembled. He brought his forehead to hers and took a deep breath.

“I’m okay,” she whispered.

They stayed like that for seconds. Minutes. Hell, he didn’t know for how long. All he knew was relief coursed through him now that Kagan was okay. Flashes of Mia and her injuries skittered through his mind, and it wasn’t until the clenched nerves in his back muscles relaxed that he lifted his head. Sliding his hands slowly down her neck, she shivered.

“You cold?”

“No.” Her chest rose and fell. She concentrated on him like she needed to keep eye contact in order to stay steady.

He looked away. He wasn’t the reliable kind of guy.

“You two all right?”

Shane dropped his hands and turned. A paramedic holding a first aid kit scanned them top to bottom.

“Fine, thanks,” he said.

“Miss?”

Kagan coughed. Harsh. Rough. She covered her mouth with her hand. “I think so.” But one more bark and the paramedic asked her to follow him to one of the ambulances in order to give her a breathing treatment.

A breathing treatment?
Shane’s heart raced, a heart he swore he wouldn’t let get involved with a woman ever again. After Mia…after he’d let her down and she’d been injured, he’d been devastated. He still couldn’t forgive himself. He hadn’t seen her in almost two years, but they talked occasionally or emailed, usually when Mia had a business question as part of her work for a large advertising firm in Portland.

Glancing at Kagan now, he knew he’d been there to help her. He’d been the one responsible for getting her out of the kitchen. His first thought had been for her.

He laced their fingers and for the first time, took in the scene. He’d never seen anything like it. Cascade had escaped this sort of misfortune until now. Two fire trucks and several ambulances and police cars with lights flashing blocked the parking lot. People clung to one another. Moisture hung in the air with the scent of singed wood.

Brett wove through the crowd. “Thank God you’re okay.Your father would never forgive me if something happened to you while I was here.”

Kagan stopped walking. “Go away, Brett.”

“Hey,” Brett said, reaching a hand out to touch her.

Shane got between them and wrapped an arm around Kagan. “I’m taking care of her, Brett.” He brushed the hair off her face and cupped her cheek. He slid his thumb across trembling full lips that made him want to forget his past mistakes. “I’m hers for the rest of the night so go back to your hotel. You can call her tomorrow.” He knew he was taking this boyfriend thing too far, but he couldn’t help himself.