[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

 I ve got a sister too, he continued.
 You don t say.
Beau unlocked the door and stood aside so that Betty could pass.  Grace. She s a junior in
college.
The lake house featured a huge open concept room, with an entire bank of windows that looked
out over the lake. Open floor to ceiling, it was vast, airy and a little bit rugged, with exposed beams
and a massive reclaimed brick fireplace in the dining area. Stairs on either side of the main room led
to loft bedrooms along each side of the house.
Cassidy, the maid, had left the lights on low, fresh flowers on the table, and a bottle of red wine
had been left to breathe on the counter in the kitchen.
Nice.
 Would you like a glass of wine?
She shook her head.  No.
Shit. He forgot. She didn t drink anymore.
 Anything else I can get you?
Again, she shook her head and wandered over to the large windows that overlooked the lake.
 It s beautiful up here.
He moved until he was just behind her and for a second, closed his eyes as that subtle, fresh
scent that was all hers drifted over him. God, she smelled so damn good. She wasn t covered in those
heavy perfumes or expensive soaps that some women he knew wore.
Did they honestly think guys dug that shit?
 What are you doing?
His eyes flew open and she was staring at him as if he d just lost his mind which, considering
he d just been caught sniffing her up like a goddamn dog, maybe he had.
 You know what? Never mind, she said.
 You smell real good.
Her eyes widened a little and then she licked that damn mouth that had been driving him crazy
for weeks. She exhaled slowly and when she spoke, her voice was husky.
 Are you ready to get specific now?
Shit. This was it. Crunch time.
He glanced over at the bottle of wine and wished he had time for a drink, but it wasn t nearly
strong enough. He had goddamn butterflies in his stomach.
Him. Beau Simon. Butterflies.
Jesus Christ, if Tucker were here, he d be all over this shit.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and squared his shoulders, meeting her gaze as he considered
how to start.
 Your agent says you haven t accepted the role yet.
Her eyes slipped away, but only for a moment, and then she sighed.  I m still thinking about it.
 That s the part I need to understand. The role is perfect for you. This movie will make you a
star, Betty. That s not conjecture, that s not me blowing smoke up your ass. That is a bona fide
prediction.
 I know, and I appreciate your enthusiasm, she said softly.  It s been a long time since anyone
believed in me. But it s a big step. There s a lot to think about. Billie just had a new baby and things
are chaotic at home. Bobbi s crazy busy, running Billie s hockey school and then there s Dad.
Gramps can t be the only one responsible for Dad. It s not fair, he s old and, well, he s got his bees
to look after.
 Don t you have anyone else that can help out?
 We have respite care, but it s not the same. He s not the same when a stranger comes into the
house. It s like he knows there s something wrong, but he can t quite figure it out.
Betty parked her butt on the edge of the sofa and folded her hands in her lap. She surprised him,
this woman. He thought she would have been all over the movie offer anything to get out of New
Waterford. But it hadn t happened, at least not yet and he was thrown when he d been told that she
hadn t officially accepted it.
Was there more? Another reason she didn t want to leave New Waterford?
Something dug into him then. A worm that threaded its way through his chest until heat flushed
his cheeks. Matt.
The worm twisted hard.
He was jealous as fuck.
 What about Hawkins? he forced himself to ask the question.
Her head snapped up.  What about him?
 Do you love him?
She looked surprised, blinking wide as her gaze slipped away.  What is this? Truth or dare
without the dare?
 I just want some answers. Do you love, Matt Hawkins?
 Yes, she said. No hesitation. That was the truth right there staring him in the face.
The worm twisted until it was painful.
 I love him like a brother. A brother I never had.
Christ, he wanted to believe her but something was off. Like there was more to the story.
 You guys have a relationship that seems to go beyond a brotherly kind of thing. I should know,
Bets. I ve got three of  em but I don t stick my tongue down their throats and spend the night them.
 Good, Betty inched a bit closer on the sofa.  I hope not because that would paint you in an
entirely different light. She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something else and then
closed it.
What was it that she needed to say? What piece of the puzzle was still locked away inside her?
 I ve loved Matt Hawkins since I was twelve. Since he trusted me enough to share something
personal and painful. Something that still haunts him. He s the only person I know more broken than I
am, and I don t know what to do other than to be there for him. No one understands Matt the way I do
and I know everyone in town thinks he s this badass loser who drinks too much and does a healthy
dose of drugs on the side. Even my sisters don t know him or understand him. They think he d bad
news, a bad influence for the bad Barker.
She twirled a long piece of hair through her fingers.  They don t know what he did for me. What
he does for me. Matt calms this wild place inside of me. He s my family. My best friend.
How the hell could he be jealous of someone like that? The guy sounded like a truckload of
trouble and heartache. But he was. He was jealous as fuck because the tortured Matt Hawkins knew
those pieces inside her intimately the pieces that Beau wanted to touch so badly.
 What are we doing, Beau? She got to her feet, her fingers rubbing against her thighs,
nervously.
 I m not doing the movie, he said slowly, so that there was no way she could misunderstand.
Christ, he was really putting it out there now. He took a step closer to her, but paused, unsure how he
should proceed.
 Are you kidding me? There s no movie? You re not going to film it?
His hands were balled fists inside his pockets. Every muscle he owned was tight and the tension
across his shoulders, heavy.
 Do you want the role? he asked.
 Well, yes, but& 
 But you haven t accepted yet. Why?
She exhaled and tucked the piece of hair she d been twirling behind her ear.  Honestly?
 That would be good.
 I m not sure if I can work with you.
 Why?
 Because, things are complicated between us.
 Why? he said again. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]