Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,50
said, pursing her lips in disapproval over his reaction. He was acting like a brat just because she wasn’t all sweet and chatty with him. “Just a miscommunication. We’ll address it later in private.”
“Good. I’ve been asking you to tell me all weekend.”
“We don’t need to have lengthy conversations every half hour like we’re dating,” she hissed, her temper fraying.
His laugh held no humor. “Dating, huh? How about you treat me like a human being first, and then we’ll move on to dating?”
“You’re being overdramatic.”
“And you’re being cold for no damn reason.”
“Oh, trust me, there’s plenty of reasons.”
“Which you won’t tell me. Talk about a miscommunication.”
“Hold up.” Avery threw out her hands. “I’m kind of freaking out right now. You two are my calm ones—no temper, no fighting, no egos, remember? You need to get on the same page, or we’ll never get through high season.”
“I don’t have an ego,” Taylor pointed out.
Avery snorted. “Sure, remember when you sulked because we didn’t use your idea to bring in a tattoo artist for the Lowry bachelorette party?”
“Oh yeah! Well, I just hate when brilliant ideas get wasted. They were all on board.”
“Right. Getting a group of drunk women to get permanent ink is a smart idea. Can you imagine the fallout?”
“Whatever,” Taylor muttered. “You never take risks.”
Suddenly, Bella couldn’t stand it. “Can we talk about this another time, please? I have a ton of appointments to get to and need to wrap up this meeting.”
A shocked silence settled around the room. She realized how rarely she not only spoke up but had an edge of temper to her words. She was falling apart over the silly realization that Gabe was exactly who she’d thought he was. But they couldn’t keep going on like this.
“Gabe, can I talk to you in private, please?”
“Sure.” He turned to Avery. “Can we adjourn the meeting?”
Avery stared at both of them, finally nodding her head. “Yep. Not much to go over today, anyway. I’m here if either of you need to talk.”
“I’m here if you just want to tell me what the hell is going on,” Taylor called out. “Call me!”
Gabe shook his head, and they left the room. “How about we go sit at Harry’s and get some pancakes?”
“Let’s go.”
They walked together without speaking. The wind was high on the boardwalk, whipping in late-February fury, but the air felt cold and clean on her face, giving her an energy boost. A few locals walked their dogs or hurried up and down the street on the way to work with their coffee, steam escaping from open lids. Soon, the crooked sidewalks would be clogged with tourists and the beach open, but in these quiet months of winter, the Cape belonged to them. The ones who made a daily life here, where ocean salt ran in their veins, and the view of an open skyline called to the soul.
Harry’s was quiet, so they grabbed a back booth for privacy. Their server introduced herself as Valerie and immediately lasered in on Gabe. She had curly black hair, almond-shaped dark eyes, and a smile that clearly revealed her interest. They ordered banana pancakes and more coffee, which Valerie raced to pour within seconds. At least they’d be guaranteed good service.
“I’m sorry I was sharp with you,” Bella began, cupping her cold fingers around the hot mug. “What you did for Zoe was special, and I hope I didn’t make you feel like it wasn’t.”
His shoulders relaxed, and some of the tension drained away from his frame. His dark hair was windblown and messy. He sported a bit of stubble that roughened his jaw and hugged those full, kissable lips. He wore jeans and a cable-knit sweater since he only had vendor appointments. He seemed more approachable without his custom suit, and even more devastatingly handsome. Now, it was easier to recognize the automatic melt of her body, the hum of her blood, and the tingle in her skin when she was near him. But it was time she separated attraction from what he was capable of giving.
“Bella, what happened at the dance? We were getting closer. I thought we were going to talk about us, but now you’re back to treating me like a distant stranger.”
The conversation between Amy and Lacey echoed in her mind. But how could she express her discomfort over all the women in town proclaiming him the local stud? She struggled to put her thoughts into words. “I began to get uncomfortable with what was