Chapter 7

Lily's heartwas pounding as she walked into the inn. Had she really just said that? Implied that she'd be more than willing to date Braxton after he'd been running so hot and cold on her?

Guh. What was wrong with her?

She knew the answer. Ever since her grandmother had paired them up to work on the festival, she'd been thoroughly enjoying herself. The fact was that she and Braxton worked well together. And finding out that they both loved hiking… Well, that was just a bonus she hadn't been expecting.

If he'd been any other guy, she'd have just asked him out instead of playing a waiting game. But because he'd bolted after kissing her, not once, but twice, she was determined to wait for him to make the first move. She didn't know if her ego could handle a straight up rejection.

"Hello, welcome to the Waverly Mansion. How can I help you today?" a pleasant woman asked from behind the mahogany check-in counter. Her nametag read Rita Rosen.

"Hi, Rita," Lily said, placing her arm on the counter. "I need two rooms for the night."

Rita frowned as she chewed on her bottom lip. "Do you have a reservation, Ms.—"

"Easton. Lily Easton. And unfortunately, no. My friend and I were just over for the day and got caught on the island due to the storm closing down the ferry early. We're happy to take anything you have available."

"Oh, that's too bad. I can't believe how fast the weather rolled in. Last time I looked at the app, it just said possibility of rain. Nothing about high winds and surf advisories." Rita sounded sympathetic as her fingers flew across the keyboard in front of her. Her frown deepened as she looked up and said, "I'm sorry, but there's only one room available for tonight. Would you like to book it?"

The bell above the door chimed, and Lily glanced back to see Braxton entering the inn. He had the same troubled expression on his face that Rita did. "One room isn't going to do it. Are there any other places to stay here on the island?"

"No other inns or hotels, but you can probably find a short-term rental from one of those apps," Rita said. "It's last minute, but I'm sure there's something available."

Lily pulled out her phone, but the minute she tapped the screen, the power went out, plunging them all into darkness.

"Oh, dear," Rita said from behind the counter. The woman quickly lit a candle, giving them a tiny bit of light.

"She only has one room," Lily told Braxton. "I was going to look for a short-term rental here on the island and see if we have better luck that way."

Braxton nodded and pulled out his own phone.

After a few tries to search for one of the short-term rental apps, Lily let out a groan of frustration. "I'm not getting any service."

"Me neither," Braxton said.

"When the power goes out here, the cell towers almost always go down, too," Rita said helpfully. "We'll all likely be without service until the power is restored."

Lily sucked in a sharp breath and looked at Braxton. Their eyes met, and when he shrugged, she turned back around and said, "We'll take the room."

"Can't say I blame you." Rita tapped Lily's information into the laptop she'd produced from under the counter and then wrote down her credit card number. "I'll run this once the power comes back on."

"Sure." Lily glanced around, wondering what she was going to do for a toothbrush.

"Here's the key." Rita reached under the counter and produced two bags. "And here are some complimentary toiletries that should get you through the night."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Does this happen a lot?"

"More than you'd think. People come over and don't pay attention to the ferry schedule and then get stuck here. Though if you ask me," she said with a wink, "people should get stuck somewhere a little bit remote more often. Everyone is in such a rush these days."

"Can't argue with you there." Lily held up the toiletry bags. "Thanks for this."

"There's a list of nearby restaurants in your room and snacks and refreshments in the refrigerator."

Lily was certain those weren't complimentary, but she appreciated that they were available all the same. "Thank you."

"Let me know if you need anything," Rita called after her.

Braxton took the bags from Lily and said, "Let me know how much the room is, and I'll get you half."

"Not on your life. This one is going to be reimbursed by the event funds. In fact, we should have been keeping the receipts from everything all day. I just forgot about it until now."

"I thought the event was a fundraiser," Braxton said as he opened the door that led to the stairs. Emergency lights at various points on the stairs kept them from being plunged into darkness.

"It is, but Gran doesn't expect us to use our own money to plan the event."

Braxton waved a hand. "I don't mind. Just let me know how much it is, and I'll either reimburse you or stick it in the donation pot."

Lily smiled to herself. He was such a good man, even if he did drive her a little bit crazy. "Put it in the donation pot then. Grandmother would like that."

"Done."

They climbed two sets of stairs before they finally took a right and went to the end of the hall where they found room number 305. Lily used the skeleton key to unlock the door to the most gorgeous room she'd ever seen. A large picture window framed a clear view of the Puget Sound. A few rays of the dwindling late-afternoon sunlight streamed through the darkening clouds, illuminating the choppy water.

Drawn to the window, Lily passed by the queen-size bed that was adorned with a plush comforter and about a dozen pillows. She glanced back at Braxton, who was standing stock-still just inside the door, staring at the bed. Lily wanted to laugh, but instead she just said, "At least we'll have a front row seat to the storm."

"Right," he breathed. "I bet it's a hell of a show."

Lily glanced around at the matching mahogany furniture and then took a seat in an armchair at the desk. "It's pretty early still. If we hadn't eaten our way through the island all day, I'd suggest dinner. Maybe we could get a drink somewhere?"

"Do you think anyone is open?" Braxton asked, already moving toward the door.

"I guess we'll find out." Lily hurried to catch up, and together they went back down the stairs.

Rita appeared behind the desk the moment they stepped into the lobby. "Is everything all right in your room?"

"Yep. It's perfect." Lily said. "We're headed out to see if we can find some drinks. Is there anywhere that might be open?"

"Oh, sure. No doubt Crabby Craig has his doors open. He prides himself on being the one place people can go when the storms are brewing around here. It's right up the street, maybe two blocks."

"Thanks. I saw it earlier," Braxton said.

It didn't take long to find Crabby Craig's. The freestanding building looked like it hadn't seen any love in decades. White paint was peeling off the siding, leaving the wood exposed to the elements. The roofline sagged on the left side, and the far end of the porch was rotting away. But there were lights on, and the music streaming from the open windows barely drowned out the hum of the generator.

"Looks like an experience," Lily said, praying she wouldn't put her foot through the porch as she climbed the steps.

Braxton let out a huff she took as an agreement.

The outside hadn't been much to speak of, but the moment they stepped inside, Lily couldn't help but feel right at home. The interior of the building was anything but rundown. The old wood floors were solid and freshly stained to match the paneled ceiling. Stunning landscape and wildlife paintings took up most of the space on the walls. And the handsome older bartender was happily chatting away with a couple of locals. Clearly he was in his element, ready to ride out the storm.

"Welcome," the bartender called. "What can I get for you two?"

"What's on tap?" Lily asked.

"All local beers from Westerly Caverns Brewery." He rattled off the different kinds.

"Whichever is the lager," Lily said, taking a seat at the bar.

"Got it." He looked at Braxton, who sat next to Lily. "And for you?"

"The porter."

"Coming right up."

When their beers were ready, Lily held hers up. "To island life."

Braxton snorted, touched his glass to hers, and echoed the toast.

They spent the next hour getting the rundown of the history of the island from the bartender and the two locals until a group of musicians arrived and started setting up on stage. It wasn't long before a bunch more locals arrived, filling the bar.

By the time the guitar player started strumming the first tune, the dance floor was already filled. And when the band launched into "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, the crowd went crazy with their approval.

Lily, who was already three beers in, hopped off her chair and tugged Braxton with her. "Come on. We can't skip this."

Braxton reluctantly followed, and when Lily raised her arms in the air and started swaying to the beat, Braxton shook his head, clearly resigned to following her lead, and he swayed with her. They stayed on the dance floor for four more songs, and when the band slowed it down as they played "Silver Springs," Lily was surprised when Braxton immediately pulled her into his arms.

She stared up into his handsome face, lost in the music and his strong embrace. It was just like the night of the Witches Ball. They'd danced all night, the two of them lost in each other. Being in the arms of Braxton Kirkwood just felt right. She couldn't explain it. She'd never felt like that with any other man before. And she just knew that he felt the same. It was written all over his face as he gazed down at her, his eyes locked first on hers and then her mouth.

Lily poked her tongue out, dampening her lips, and noted the flash of desire in his eyes. Her breath caught, and every cell in her body begged to be kissed again. Just one taste.

Suddenly, Braxton pulled away, leaving her skin burning for his touch as he walked out of the bar without saying a word.

Lily fumed and strode after him without a thought, determined to give him a piece of her mind. Once on the street, she spotted him standing at the curb, his hands clasped behind his head as he stared down at his feet. "There's nowhere to run this time, Braxton."

"Nope," he agreed without turning to look at her. "There isn't."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "These mixed signals are getting really old. What is it? Do you have a wife somewhere? A long-distance girlfriend, maybe?"

He snorted and turned around to face her, his expression both frustrated and amused. "If only that was the issue."

"What does that mean? And stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're doing everything in your power not to carry me back to that hotel room and strip me naked," she said, hoping to get a rise out of him.

It worked, and he let out a small growl as he stepped closer and yanked her to him. "I'd love nothing better than to do just that, Lily Easton."

"Then what are you waiting for?" she challenged.

"Nothing." Braxton buried one hand in her hair as he tightened his other arm around her waist, pulling her even closer. "Absolutely nothing."

And then he kissed her so thoroughly that Lily's entire world was reduced to the man holding her against his hard frame. His evergreen scent filled her senses, and in that moment, she'd have done anything he asked. Lily clutched at his T-shirt with both hands, wishing the moment would never end.

But time didn't stop, and when Braxton finally pulled away, they were both breathing hard.

"At least you didn't bolt this time," Lily said without looking up at him.

He let out a humorless laugh. "I should. I probably would if there was anywhere to bolt to."

Lily jerked her head up, pure irritation making her skin prickle. "Just tell me why, Braxton. Why do you keep running from this? If you don't have someone waiting for you, I don't get it."

Braxton raised his hand and softly caressed her cheek, regret shining down from his darkened expression. "Because I have to."

"You don't have to do anything, Brax," she railed. "I'm a big girl. If you're trying to protect my virtue, let me assure you?—"

He chuckled, a smile breaking out over his serious features. "It's not that. I'm not quite that chivalrous. It's not you, Lily. It's me." He paused, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm cursed."