Shelter Harbor: Sinner Part 12

"Sleeping?"

He grins. "Doesn't look like it."

"You woke me," I lie.

He raises a brow, crossing his arms over his chest and making a tsking sound.

I frown. "What?"

"I thought lying was a sin. A good Christian girl like yourself should know-"

"Oh my G.o.d," I groan.

"My Lord indeed," he shakes his head dramatically.

"Seriously, what are you doing here?"

"What were you reading?" He nods up at the book still clutched in one hand.

"Nothing."

"Let me guess, Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul?"

"My father's a preacher, not me."

"My second guess was The Bible."

"Wrong. Way off."

"Now that sounds scandalous."

I blush.

"A dirty romance book?"

My face wrinkles. "Eww, no."

"Nothing with Lord Greyson of the throbbing member tearing Abigail's bodice off?"

My face goes red. "No, it's a cla.s.sic."

"Moby d.i.c.k?"

He smirks as he stresses the second word.

"Are you always so gross?"

"It's a constant struggle. Look, could we continue this conversation without a fifteen foot vertical divide between us?"

"So I should leave my bed at twelve o'clock in the morning to go out with a strange man?"

"You make me sound like serial killer."

I roll my eyes.

"C'mon."

"No. It's late and I have to sleep."

"I thought you were reading."

I purse my lips and he grins.

And all I can think about is the other night...the thoughts he brings up in me. I don't need him here, not at night, not with that wicked look in his eyes.

There's a sharp snore from my parents' room, and I stiffen. "Hang on."

What am I doing.

What the heck am I doing?

I pull on a sweatshirt and shorts, skipping down the stairs and out the back door.

Rowan immediately hands me a beer; I shake my head.

"I thought you were h.e.l.l-bent on showing me you weren't the girl I thought you were."

I am h.e.l.l bent, if I keep letting the sorts of thoughts I've been having about him take hold in my mind.

"Fine."

He cracks the beer and hands it to me. "What were you reading?"

"Abelard and Heloise, if you must know."

He makes a face.

"It's a story about-"

"No, I know what it is, I just think of the poor guy getting his d.i.c.k cut off and cringe."

I sigh. "Well thanks for ruining the ending."

"Oh, s.h.i.t. Sorry."

I look up and grin at him. "Just kidding. I've read it a bunch."

He grins back.

"And I think it was just his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es that get cut off."

Rowan makes a face. "Yeah, not helping."

"It's a sweet story. Romantic."

"Oh, yeah, castration is the hot thing this year for Valentine's Day. I saw it in Cosmo."

I laugh. "So, you came over here to talk about books?"

"I actually just wanted to make sure we're good about the other night."

My face burns. "The other night?"

"The, uh, transaction you saw."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah."

I shrug. "Yeah I won't say a word."

"Thanks."

We stand there in silence another second, slowly sipping the beers.

"So when does this new husband of yours come into the picture?"

I roll my eyes. "I don't know. He lives back in Georgia, but my father said he might come and visit in a few weeks so that we can get to know each other."

"Sounds like a halfway decent idea before you commit to being with someone for the rest of your life."

I nod, frowning at the ground.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just," I shrug.

"What."

"Nothing."

"If you say so."

"He's a little older, and he's actually been married before."

Rowan's brow shoots up. "How much older?"

"Thirty-seven?"

"d.a.m.n."

"Hey, you're like thirty."

He grins. "Thanks for the reminder. Thirty-one, actually, but I act like I'm twelve so it's fine."

I grin.

"Plus, I'm not marrying you."

I blush. "No, you're not."

"I thought you said this Milton character was a good upstanding guy."

"He is, I just- I don't know. I'm bad with this sort of thing."

"What, marriage?"

I smile. "No, I mean relationships in general I guess."

"You were engaged."

"Yeah but, I don't know."

I can't tell him this. No way. I can't tell him what I'm really worried about. Telling a man like Rowan Hammond that would be like throwing lambs to the wolves.

And I'm the lamb.

"That was different, I guess."

"How so?"

"It's just that Milton has been married before, you know? He's...been with another woman."

"Can I let you in on a little secret?"

I nod. "Sure?"

"You're hot."

I blush bright red and quickly look at the ground.

"You're hot, you're young, and trust me, you're going to blow his f.u.c.king mind. Don't let the idea of Jebediah, or whatever his name was, leaving you throw you off."

"Joseph."

"Whatever. Look, whatever worked with him is going to knock old Milton on his a.s.s, I promise."

"Whatever worked?"