A Sweet Mess - Jayci Lee Page 0,60

while he brooded.

The minute he stepped into his room, Landon filled his wineglass to the rim and chugged it dry like some post-workout Gatorade. Lucien would be horrified at his mistreatment of the fine wine. Landon didn’t give a damn. He had no intention of spending another night wide awake and aching.

Having rationalized his decision to rekindle their relationship, he faced the next obstacle preventing him from ravishing the woman. Aubrey herself. She was ensnared by the same manic attraction that consumed him. He could see it in her fleeting glances and her soft gasps to his touch, but she held him at arm’s length. His gut told him it wasn’t only about her reputation. He sloshed more wine into the glass and gulped half of it down. She was afraid. Of what, he hadn’t the slightest clue. All he knew was he couldn’t bulldoze through her defenses. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted.

Landon had to make the first move. Show her his hand, laying everything out in the open. He would tell her everything. Then she would have full control to decide as she wished.

With anticipation lifting his spirits, Landon resolved to spend the entire next day charming Aubrey. The choice was hers, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to stack the odds in his favor.

13

“Moonstone Beach?” Aubrey squinted. “Today? I thought you’re up to your neck with work.”

“The construction isn’t finished, and our production manager is gone for the time being. I don’t need to roam around the set like a pest when there’s nothing I could do about the delay.” Landon scratched the back of his neck. “I think you and I could both use a breather.”

“Moonstone Beach. It does sound beautiful.” Aubrey hesitated even though the idea of a fun day with Landon was eroding away her caution. “Where’s this place again?”

“In Cambria, a small town about an hour from here. I think you’ll like it there. It reminds me of Weldon but it’s set along the coast rather than a river.” With amusement twinkling in his eyes, Landon laid down what obviously was his trump card. “And I don’t think you’d want to miss their olallieberry pie.”

“Olallie-what?” Aubrey burst out laughing.

“Oh, it’s just about one of the best pies in the state.”

“I’m intrigued.” Resisting Landon was hard enough, but when pie was added to the equation, she didn’t stand a chance. “Okay, I’m in.”

“Good choice. I’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes. And don’t forget to grab a jacket. It’s about thirty degrees cooler over there.”

As they neared Cambria, Landon switched off the AC and opened the windows to let in the salty air. He wasn’t kidding about the thirty-degree difference. The brisk wind spread goose bumps on Aubrey’s arms. She tugged on her cardigan without taking her eyes off the panorama. Gray clouds hung above Moonstone Beach as if signaling an impending storm, and the bleak beauty of the coastline squeezed at her heart.

“Do you think it’ll rain?” Aubrey leaned forward in her seat to peer out the window.

“Nope. Those clouds are permanent fixtures in these skies.”

The conversation in the car dwindled as a pensive mood overtook them. The waves were breaking mercilessly against the jagged cliffs surrounding the beach, and the morning fog layered a poignant sadness to the scene. Even after parking the car, they sat ensconced in the warm silence for a few extra minutes.

“Ready to find out why they call this Moonstone Beach?” Landon asked.

Aubrey shook herself out of her reverie and beamed at him. She was suddenly giddy with excitement. A whole day with Landon. And what an amazing start to their day.

Moonstone Beach was covered with colorful coin-size stones that glistened and beckoned to them as the waves washed over them. The spell of the poignant beauty refused to release her, and Aubrey stood staring out at the ocean, watching the soft break of the waves on the beach. Despite her light jacket, she couldn’t stop shivering against the chill of the breeze.

When Landon put his arm around her and pulled her close, Aubrey nestled against him, unwilling to fight the wonder of the moment. They stood still with the gusty breeze tousling their hair, and she felt at one with him—as though their connection was as ancient as the ocean and the stony cliffs carved by the waves.

A force greater than her insecurity was at work between them, and she couldn’t fight against it anymore. At the very least, she had to face