“Katy is inside to meet you. She has a few things to get you through the night, and I’ll bring your stuff tomorrow. You two try to get a good night’s sleep,” Corbin said, winking at me.
Those winks were pissing me off.
I didn’t like that Corbin had such a leg up on me and was goading me so well, just because I was a little off balance. It was my job to be the annoying brother with a good comeback. I couldn’t let my status get away, so I stared right back at him and winked as well. “Tell Hazel I’ll see her soon.”
She hadn’t said anything to me, but I got the distinct impression that Corbin’s new lady friend did not find me in the highest regard, which was absolutely crazy because I was a freaking delight. But no matter what I tried or any of the methods I used to win her over, she looked at me as if I was a bug she needed to flick off her shoulder. Right after I cemented my place in Imogen’s life, I’d get back to making her at least tolerate me.
You couldn’t marry my twin brother and want to stab me with a knife if we went to dinner.
I slipped out of the car and then held the door open and waited for Imogen to join me. We made it up the first two steps on our way to the porch when I stopped again for her to turn in my direction.
“You’re going to stay, right?” Having to ask for confirmation made me sound weak, but I couldn’t walk into that building unless she confirmed I wouldn’t wake up to an empty bed the next morning.
Imogen smiled and clasped my fingers with hers, which was quickly becoming a thing we did for one another when one of us needed the comfort. “Yes.”
Once her answer finished leaving her lips, I leaned over and kissed them. It was a quick peck of her lips against mine, but something in my soul rejoiced. We might not have said it yet, but Imogen was mine.
Other parts of my body were also excited at her answer. Which basically made me the highest asshole of assholes. I shouldn’t be thinking of sex at a time like this. I tried hard to be an upstanding gentleman, and I couldn’t blow it now.
Before we reached the top step to the porch, the front door to the bed-and-breakfast was thrown open, and the bright lights of the lobby cut into the darkness outside. Then a woman, at first only a silhouette where we couldn’t make out her facial features, came into view. But I didn’t need to see her face to know she was the scariest person to call Pelican Bay home.
If you were smart, you took one look at her and then ran in the other direction. We’d come this far, and I had nowhere else to go to be alone with Imogen, so rather than run away, we trudged on and I greeted Katy in the doorway.
“I’m so excited that you two have decided to stay with us,” Katy said. Her arms were loaded up with a set of folded pajamas and a few miscellaneous items on top. “I came all the way from home to be the one to check you in for the night.”
I took a deep breath and tried not to scream. So much was left unsaid in her remark. Of course she’d want first dibs on the gossip.
“Thank you,” I replied, even though it was difficult considering I was grinding my molars so deeply.
Katy trudged on ahead as if she didn’t recognize my distress. Or maybe she did, but that made it more fun. “Pierce and I tried to give you what we thought you’d need to get through the night. I told him you might not want the pajamas, but you would definitely need the do not disturb sign,” she said, holding up the small white door hanger and waving it gently in the air.
My Corbin look-alike scowl returned, and I grabbed the stack from Katy before snatching the key from her hand when she held that up next. “How has Pierce not fired you yet?”
Imogen let out a slight gasp next to me, but Katy only laughed. “Don’t you know my secret? I threaten to cut off his dick while he sleeps like my hero.”
We’d been around Katy the last few months, and I’d grown used to her antics, but Imogen’s eyes grew huge as saucers as she stared at the blonde woman like she was deranged. It wasn’t far from the truth. I yanked Imogen behind me, not caring if it was rude, and trudged toward the stairwell to get to our room listed on the card.
For safety, she put us on the second floor, and even though I didn’t plan to thank her for that, I appreciated the gesture.
“See you soon!” Katy yelled after us as we hit the middle of the stairwell.
Imogen turned around to wave goodbye, but I trudged forward. “No matter what happens, stay away from Katy,” I mumbled under my breath when we reached the top of the stairs. I waited until Imogen gave me a nod before I continued to our room.
Katy wasn’t getting her hands on this one.
CHAPTER 17
IMOGEN
The next morning, my eyes were heavy as I stared at them in the bathroom mirror, even though they looked normal. I’d lost the dark circles from the last two days. I thought for sure I wouldn’t be able to get to sleep after taking a nap on the plane, but once we were settled comfortably in bed, I passed out and slept the entire night.
In fact, considering what I’d lived through for the last three days, I’d never felt so rejuvenated. I survived a lot of crap this week, and I hadn’t even had any cookies or sugary sweets to get me through it. All in all, I was pretty damn proud of myself.
The hotel room door opened, and I peeked out from the bathroom to see who it was, my body ready to jump out the window if need be. I might have been proud of myself and my responses, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t worried. I’d always be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.
Thankfully, Cyrus returned holding mismatched coffee cups, one in each hand. One was a tall iced coffee and the other regular.
My heart sailed as I looked to what was in his hand. I raced to him when he barely had the door close and ripped the iced coffee from his hand. At the moment I didn’t have time to think about exactly what his deed meant. I’d mention how much I loved iced coffee during our time sitting together in the cell on the ship.
