Just A Kiss Read online

  Caitie had already bookmarked twelve venues to call in the morning. Her plan was to find at least three she could take Lucas and Ember to look at. They’d told her they wanted a luxury hotel, one big enough to hold all the guests. Somewhere they could decorate with the holiday theme Ember loved. Of course the decorating would be easy – it was Caitie’s niche – but unless she found somewhere to decorate, they’d be out of luck.

  The sharp shrill of the doorbell made her jump. Caitie moved her laptop to the bed, securing it among the folds of the duvet, and ran to the hallway, assuming her mom had forgotten her key.

  She pulled the door wide, her mouth open, ready to tease her mother. But standing there, beneath the glow of the lamp, was Brecken Miller, not her mom. He was leaning against the doorway, his golden hair ruffled by the breeze blowing in from the ocean.

  “Breck?”

  “Hey.” He was smiling at her, that familiar, Brecken smile. All warm and full of sun. “Am I disturbing you?”

  Hell yes he was disturbing her, but not in the way he’d meant. Her chest fluttered as he glanced down at her legs, taking in their bareness. “No,” she said, smiling at him. “You’re not disturbing me at all. Would you like to come in?”

  He hesitated for a moment, looking at her with those warm eyes.

  “You don’t have to,” she added quickly. “Mom and Dad are out if that’s who you’re looking for. They’ve gone for an evening walk. It’s only me here. Or are you looking for Lucas?” Why wouldn’t she shut up? Caitie tried to bite her tongue to make the agony stop.

  “I know Lucas isn’t here. I just left him at the beach.”

  “You were at the cottage?”

  “Yeah, at their party. I was surprised not to see you there.”

  “He asked me, but I’m too busy.” She gave him a tight smile. “I have a wedding to organize and an inbox three feet deep.”

  “I have something to tell you. I think I really messed up,” Breck told her with a quiet voice.

  “Messed up how?” Her brows knitted together.

  He cleared his throat. “I said something about you being afraid of the water.”

  “Afraid?” She wrapped her arms around her torso. “You said that?” Her breath caught in her throat.

  “Yeah. I know you used to be when we were kids. Do you remember the time Lucas and Griff tried to drag you down there? You ran away and I found you crying. It only occurred to me when you didn’t turn up tonight that you might still feel the same way. Somehow I started blabbering about it to your brother. I don’t think he heard me though.”

  A shiver wracked through her. “Oh.”

  “Are you cold?” he asked, noticing the way her body shook. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come.”

  “Of course you should’ve. Come in,” she said, stepping to the side to give him room to pass. “I’ll make us both some coffee.”

  A strange expression passed over his face. “Sure, okay. I’ll come in.” He took a deep breath. “Man, it’s been years since I walked through this door.”

  Caitie covered her mouth with her hand. He hadn’t been here since that Christmas? “Oh, God, I hadn’t thought. The last time you were here…”

  “Was the Christmas my mom died.” He blew out a mouthful of air. “I haven’t been in this house since my dad picked us up all those years ago.”

  “That was such a bad time.” Her eyes met his. “You don’t have to come in. We can talk on the porch. You can stay here, I’ll grab a sweater.”

  He shook his head. “No, I want to come in. It’s just bricks and mortar, right? Can’t hurt me anymore. Anyway, some of my happiest childhood memories were in this house. The good definitely outweighs the bad.”

  “Only if you’re comfortable.

  He gave the faintest of smiles. “It’ll be fine.” As he brushed past her to make his way inside she felt the whisper of his jeans against her thighs.

  Her bare thighs.

  “Why don’t you go to the kitchen?” she suggested, her face heating up at the thought of how exposed she was. “You remember the way, right? I’ll grab my sweater.”

  She ran down the hallway to her bedroom. Pulling the door shut behind her, she leaned her back against the wall. Taking her glasses off, she closed her eyes and pressed her palms to her face, feeling the heat from her flushed cheeks. Why did she have to be wearing so few clothes and these ugly glasses? He must think she was such a mess. Way to show she was all grown up, looking like a teenage girl, with a wet ponytail and all.

  Mortified, she grabbed a hoody from her closet. Once she pulled it over her head, she readjusted her hair. Refusing to glance in the mirror – she wasn’t that much of a masochist – she pulled her door open, and went to join him in the kitchen.

  “Regular coffee okay?” she asked him. He looked up and nodded with a half smile. “That’s good,” she said, desperate to cheer him up. “So many people prefer decaf in the evenings. I think they’re missing the whole point.”

  “Decaf’s for wimps,” he said gruffly.

  She grinned. “My sentiments exactly.”

  He was sitting at the breakfast bar, his elbows propped on the counter. As she filled the coffee filter with granules, she scrutinized him out of the corner of her eye. Though his jaw was still set tight, the color had returned to his face. She hoped the memories weren’t tearing him up.

  “So, how was the party?” she asked. “Apart from spilling all my secrets, of course.” She kept her tone light.

  “I’m so sorry. I think I managed to cover it up. I didn’t realize Lucas didn’t know. I thought after all these years you would have told him. Or maybe you’d gotten over it.”

  “I thought I’d be over it, too.” It was awkward as hell, discussing this with Breck.

  “But you’re not?”

  She wrinkled her nose and grabbed the milk from the refrigerator. “No, I’m not. But it doesn’t matter.”

  “Of course it matters. Why didn’t you tell him? Does your mom know?”

  She grabbed two mugs from the cupboard. It felt so much better to be doing something than looking at Breck. “No. I haven’t really told anybody, apart from you and Harper.”

  “Harper?”

  “My best friend. I live with her in New York. We went to college together.”

  “Why would you tell her and not your mom?” He sounded genuinely interested. “You’ve always gotten along with your folks, haven’t you?”

  “Yeah, of course. But the longer I didn’t tell them, the worse it got. Now I’m older, and it really doesn’t matter. I hardly spend any time here, so the beach isn’t an issue any more. And they don’t need to spend their time worrying about me.”

  “It’s an issue if you can’t go visit your brother at his cottage,” Breck pointed out. “If it stops you from doing what you want to, then it’s a problem, isn’t it?”

  She rubbed the back of her neck. “I didn’t go to the party because I have work to do.”

  “Seriously?” He cocked his head, squinting his eyes.

  “Yes,” Caitie lied. “There was nothing more sinister than that. I’ve spent most of the night trying to find a location for their wedding.” She shrugged and poured out their coffees. “How’d you take it?”

  “Milk, no sugar please. And I’m sorry if I upset you.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

  He smiled. “I shouldn’t have been so intrusive. What kind of friend turns up after being away for all these years and starts making you feel bad?”

  “The sort of friend sitting opposite me.” She grinned back at him. “And I know you’re trying to be nice. The water’s a stupid thing to be afraid of, even I know that.”

  “Phobia’s aren’t stupid. They’re reactions to traumatic events.” He swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving hers. “After what happened to you, it’s completely understandable you’d be afraid of the ocean. But there are people out there who can help.”

  “Like ther
apists?” she asked. “I tried a couple of them. One of them wanted me to jump in the ocean and get over it.” She frowned, looking down at her mug. “I figure it’s not worth dealing with. Not when it’s not a phobia that affects me everyday.”

  When she looked up from her coffee, Breck was still staring at her. She couldn’t read his expression at all. But whatever he was thinking, there was something so glorious about him that it made her feel like she was fifteen years old again, mooning after her brother’s best friend. Wishing he’d think of her as more than an annoying kid.

  Yeah, well he didn’t back then, and he clearly didn’t now. He’d come here to check on her and make sure she was okay, not because he was attracted to her. And though it was sweet of him, it made her heart hurt.

  Because there was a part of her that wished he felt the same way she did.

  6

  Breck never had any problem sleeping, or at least he hadn’t until tonight. When he was a kid, his mom used to say a bandit could sneak into his bedroom, carry him out and smuggle him across the border, and he’d just mumble and turn over.

  So why was he finding it impossible to sleep now?

  He turned in his bed, the sheets tangling over him as he reached for his phone and checked the time. One-forty. Only five hours before he had to get up and head over to the resort, and be in charge of fifty men and god knows how many pieces of expensive, heavy machinery.

  He needed to get back to sleep, dammit.

  Another fruitless minute of twisting and turning passed before he dragged his ass out of bed. He was wearing nothing more than a pair of sleep shorts, thanks to the California weather. Even in October, the night temperatures didn’t dip too low. As he walked into his kitchen, he circled his head, trying to loosen the knots of muscles in his neck and shoulders.

  He grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge and poured it into a glass, drinking the sweet liquid in one mouthful. His lips twitched as he remembered the way he used to drink from the carton to annoy his mom. She’d shake her head at him as he walked past, but there was always a twinkle in her eye.

  God, what wouldn’t he do to see her twinkle again? She’d have loved the fact he’d come back to Angel Sands. Even though she was constantly busy, working to keep a roof over their heads, she always had time for talking about school and his friends.

  He leaned on the counter, looking out of the big glass doors leading down to the beach. He’d chosen this cottage for the view. Within twenty minutes of seeing this place he’d signed a year long rental contract, determined to enjoy being within close proximity to the beach for the first time in almost fifteen years.

  Though it was too dark to make out the sea, he could hear it. The rhythmic lapping of the waves against the shore managed to sneak in through the gaps in the windows, syncing with his heartbeat as he softly breathed in.

  What would it be like to hate that sound so much it made you want to leave town? He thought of the way Caitie frowned when he’d mentioned her fear of the water. How she tried to change the subject. And those two little lines that appeared in between her brows, that he’d itched to smooth away.

  He swallowed hard, the taste of orange juice lingering on his tongue. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain. Somehow in the years since he left, she’d grown up to become a stunning woman. The type of woman that people stopped and stared at, just because she had a presence wherever she went. With her dark hair, pale face, and warm brown eyes that seemed to be as big as saucers, she was impossible to ignore.

  Yeah, she’s also your best friend’s sister, the little voice in his head reminded him. You didn’t go there. As a kid that kind of thing was verboten. Nowadays, it was asking for trouble. He’d only recently come back into town and reconnected with friends he hadn’t realized he’d missed. He wasn’t ready to mess that up because his skin tingled whenever a certain woman was around.

  She’d be leaving soon, and maybe that was a good thing. He didn’t like complications, and he definitely wasn’t looking for a relationship. He ran the pad of his thumb along his jaw, feeling the growth of hair that had happened since he last shaved, his eyes fixed on a faraway spot in the darkness of the outside.

  It was better to be single. Less messy and so much easier. Seeing his parents break up when he was a kid was bad enough. Losing his mom when he was a teenager made it worse. Love hurt like hell no matter which way you looked at it. He’d spent a lifetime watching people leave; he didn’t need to put himself through that again.

  He’d be okay. He was a grown man in charge of his feelings. Just because something was itching, didn’t mean he needed to scratch it. Best to push it deep down inside, where all his emotions were locked up, and carry on being laid back and carefree.

  Pulling the dishwasher open, he put his empty glass on the rack and headed back to his bedroom, determined this time he’d fall asleep. And tomorrow? Well, maybe then he could get the pretty brunette out of his mind.

  * * *

  Caitie paused outside the bridal store in the mall, looking at the dresses modeled on the mannequins; the display was stunning. There were dresses of every shade of white, some strapless, some with fur stoles wrapped around the cloth shoulders. Hanging from the ceiling were giant cut out snowflakes, and scattered across the floor were wrapped gifts in shades of gold.

  Everything You Need For Your Winter Wedding, the sign proclaimed. Caitie bit her lip as she wondered if they could provide a venue, too.

  She’d agreed to meet Ember here for a dress fitting right before four. All the bridal party was due to be here, apart from Ember’s sister, who was back in Sacramento where she was studying. Her fitting would be last minute, when she was back for winter break. Ember had been breathless when she’d told Caitie she’d seen the exact dresses she’d always dreamed of, and wanted her opinion. That’s how she found herself walking along the tiled floor of the mall that afternoon.

  “Caitie, over here.” Ember waved as she walked into the shop. She was surrounded by her friends, sitting on the luxurious leather sofas, frosted glasses of champagne in their hands. “Would you like a glass?”

  “No thank you. I’m driving.” Caitie smiled in greeting at Ember’s friends. She remembered Brooke and Ally from the engagement party. They’d made her feel so welcome, reminding her that they knew her from school, talking about mutual friends. And then there was Ember’s work friend, Rachel. She was quieter than the others, but seemed nice. Caitie said hello to her, and Rachel waved back.

  “Okay ladies,” the saleswoman said, coming over to top up their glasses. “Who wants to go first? Should we start with the bride?”

  “Do we have to?” Ember’s face was pink, as though she didn’t like the limelight.

  “Yes,” Ally said, grinning at her friend’s discomfort. “We definitely do.”

  As Ember was fitted for her dress, Caitie took her seat, and sipped a glass of cool spring water. Her muscles were aching from too little sleep and too much midnight thinking.

  “How’s the search for a venue going?” Brooke asked, her eyes full of sympathy. Caitie guessed Ember had shared their futile search with her friends already.

  “Not great,” Caitie admitted. “We tried twenty different places today. I can’t find anywhere available within driving distance of Angel Sands.”

  “It’s such a shame the Beach Club’s fully booked,” Ally said. “That would have been perfect.”

  “Or Delmonico’s on the pier,” Brooke added, referring to the town’s favorite restaurant. “That would have worked if it was a little bigger.”

  “I’m scared we’re going to have to change the date,” Caitie confessed. “And I know it’ll break Ember’s heart. She seems so set on a Christmas wedding.”

  “I think she just wants to be married to your brother as soon as possible,” Rachel said, shrugging. “And who can blame her. He’s hot as hell. He needs to be off the market right now.”

  “Yuck,” Caitie said, wrinkling her nose. “That’s my brothe
r you’re talking about.”

  “I thought you preferred Breck,” Ally said, grinning.

  For a moment, Caitie thought Ally was talking to her. But she realized her eyes were on Rachel, and Caitie’s stomach dropped.

  “I do,” Rachel said, her voice low. “He’s gorgeous. Have you seen him when he’s surfing? He has muscles in places they have no right to be.”

  Caitie took another sip, her pulse drumming against her ears. So what if there was something going on between Rachel and Breck? It had nothing to do with her; she didn’t even live here. They were grown ups, what they did with their private life was up to them.

  And yet she couldn’t ignore the way her heart ached a little. She was being stupid, she knew, and yet it hurt to think of Breck and Rachel together.

  “How are things going with you two, anyway?” Brooke asked Rachel.

  “I’d say they’re going well. I saw him at Ember’s place last night and we talked about going surfing together. He just seems really shy.”

  Breck shy? That’s not how she’d describe him. Caitie put her empty glass down on the table and picked up one of the magazines displayed there. She leafed through it, trying not to listen as Rachel, Brooke, and Ally talked about Breck. A glance at her watch told her it was only quarter past four. With four more of them to fit, it was going to be a long afternoon.

  “Oh!” Brooke gasped. Caitie looked up from the magazine she’d been staring at to see Ember slowly walking out of the dressing room. The sales assistant was behind her, holding the back of the ivory dress out. But it wasn’t the dress that drew Caitie’s eye, it was the way Ember was beaming at them all.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  It was made of warm ivory satin that contrasted with Ember’s dark hair. The bodice fit her tiny frame perfectly, the Bardot-style neckline revealing her tan shoulders and delicate arms. It was cinched in at the waist before flaring into a full skirt covered with a layer of lace. The way it cascaded down to the floor made it look like a frozen waterfall.