“You’re really considering moving your coffee shop here? After only a day or two?”
“Why not? I love it here. And if it ends up feeling like it makes sense after I do some more research into it, I figure it will be worth the risk.”
“You’re not afraid to pick up and leave everything you’ve built? Everything you know?”
“There’s so much in this world to be afraid of. Hackers, contaminated foods, bad drivers. Why would I be afraid to go on an adventure? What’s the worst that might happen if I move my business? That it might fail?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
“I guess I’ve never been afraid of failure. I don’t entertain the idea of failure, either. I’d much rather focus on being hopeful and having fun making sure things work out the way I want them to.”
“I have no doubt that if anyone can pull off starting a new business in a new place, it will be you.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence.” She loved the warmth in his voice. It was as mesmerizing to her as his kisses. “How about you? How long are you going to be here?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but probably just a few more days. I’m in the midst of a huge merger with my own business. Critical meetings are taking place this week and next, so the sooner I get back to Maryland, the better.” He paused for a moment and studied her face as if he was trying to decide if he should say more. Finally, he said, “I’m only here because my grandfather wants my brothers and me to take over the resort and move back to the island. But that’s never been in the cards for us, so we all have plenty of things to work out. The timing happens to be terrible, since we all have our own ventures to tend to and being away long-term is not an option.”
She tried to reconcile his incredibly stressful response to her question with the carefree guy she’d just spent the afternoon with, and it made her wonder about how much of a workaholic he really was.
Thinking of workaholics brought a sudden picture of the old man in the wheelchair to mind. “I met your grandfather on the beach, with his nurse, Didi. She seemed really nice.” Shelley held her tongue about his grandfather. Chandler Rockwell had been downright intimidating and unwelcoming. Except with Chugger.
“I just met her today, too,” Quinn said. “We’ll see how long she lasts.”
“Because of your grandfather, you mean? Didi seemed really capable and professional.” Shelley hadn’t wanted to say anything negative about his grandfather, but the words, “I guess he did seem a little gruff,” came out despite herself.
Quinn laughed softly and when he pulled her in closer, every inch of him was so deliciously hard against her that she lost her breath. “Gruff? That’s a really nice way of putting it.”
“Well,” she said, trying to simultaneously get her synapses to start firing normally again while also finding something that was actually nice to say about his grandfather, “he was very loving with his dog, Chugger.”
“You saw Chandler with Chugger?” Quinn looked really surprised to hear it. “That’s Ethan’s dog.”
Just then his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he pulled it out and looked at the screen, his brows drew down to a serious slash.
“I’m sorry, Shelley. I really need to take this call from my business partner. I have a feeling it’s about that merger I was telling you about.”
“Sure,” she said with a small smile, a cool breeze rushing over her the moment he stepped away. “Go ahead.”
He walked a few feet away and Shelley turned, giving him privacy to take his call. In any case, she was glad for a few moments to think about what he’d said and what he hadn’t.
When they were talking about how long each of them would be staying on the island, he hadn’t made mention of seeing her back in Maryland, which meant he was probably thinking of her as nothing more than a short-term fling—just the way she should be thinking about him.
A fling. She did her very best to try the idea on for size again. Maybe I can deal with that.
After all, like Taryn had said, since no one here on the island knew Shelley or her family, this week should be the perfect time and place to cut loose and live a little.
Yes, she wanted him in her bed with a desperation that stunned her. But even as she tried to psyche herself up for her very first fling, she had to work really hard to try to ignore the queasiness in her stomach…and the way the thought of having nothing more than a sexy fling with Quinn stung, smack-dab in the middle of her chest.