The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor, #2)(12)

Noah met her gaze and nodded, apparently believing that she was fine. ‘Great.’ His expression turned from worried to mischievous. ‘So, when do we start the clues?’

Heat crept up her cheeks at the memory of all the things she said last night, the things she asked for and confessed. That insane kiss. She hadn’t been that drunk, just loose enough to be honest. To do the things she’d really wanted to do.

‘You don’t have to do that. It was a crazy idea.’

His smile slipped. ‘Oh.’

I woulda kept kissing you.

What was she doing? This man, this very sexy man, was offering to spend the rest of the summer with her and she was just, what? Not going to do it? Wasn’t this exactly what she’d wanted? A chance to spend the last days of her twenties having reckless adventures?

And looking at Noah right now, sun-kissed and windswept, his brown eyes watching her, this idea felt very reckless. Spending time with Noah could backfire in any number of ways ranging from her going overboard off his boat to developing actual feelings for this man who had no real ties to this town and could up and leave at any time.

But Hazel was officially throwing caution, sense and practicality out the window. For the next two months. This morning, completely sober and in the bright light of day, Hazel was making a decision. She was going to do this for herself. She was going to take Noah up on his offer. And whatever else this summer handed to her.

‘However, there aren’t any new clues yet.’ She pointed to the neatly organized shelves behind him. His face lit up again. She was quickly learning that Noah’s emotions were never far from the surface of his handsome face and maybe all that staring at her and smiling that he did was ... him actually having the hots for her?

She was getting ahead of herself. Noah offered to help her have a fun summer not be her summer fling. Right? Right. That would be weird. You don’t just ask someone to have that kind of fun summer with you.

Damn it. She was probably blushing up to her ears right now.

‘But you’ll let me know when there is?’

‘Uh, yeah. I mean if there are any more. Who knows.’

‘Well, if there isn’t then we’ll just have to make our own fun.’ His smile grew and thankfully Hazel’s iced tea was in a metal travel mug or she would have crushed the cup by now. ‘I’ve got a tour this afternoon but text me if you find anything.’ He tossed the words over his shoulder like it was all very casual. Like Hazel didn’t feel as though she just made some kind of nefarious deal with a very handsome pirate.

She was being crazy.

Noah was a friend. They were just two friends who decided to follow the clues left in her bookstore. Nope that still sounded crazy.

‘Okay, sure.’ She raised a hand in goodbye as Noah left. She watched him walk past the front windows and then disappear down the street. He was far too good-looking for this to end well, but it was too late now. She’d recruited the sexy, town fisherman to help her have an adventurous end of summer/end of her twenties and she was suddenly feeling as though she was in way over her head.

Hazel sighed and went to hang her bag up in the back office before it was time to open. She didn’t really think of it as her office since it was where everyone kept their coats and bags and contained the sofa where staff usually ate their lunches. But the desk was hers.

And it was the perfect spot to rest her head and think about what she’d just agreed to.





Chapter Six





It was nearly a week before Hazel found the next clue. Enough time to almost forget about them, to realize the whole thing had been a silly misunderstanding. Enough time to decide spending the next few months with Noah was actually a terrible idea.

Even though she still kinda wanted to.

But the real reason she didn’t tell Noah about the clue was because it was actually pretty mundane. A clue she could follow completely on her own. One she was planning to do anyway, really. So she didn’t need a guide or an adventurous companion at all.

That was why she was at the grocery store buying ingredients for milkshakes by herself. And also why she was hiding in the frozen-food aisle because she’d just seen Noah walk in and now she was trying to calculate if she could check out before he spotted her. Which was crazy. He didn’t need to know she’d found another marked book today, this one with a line about drinking vanilla shakes like the person leaving the clues wanted to make sure she enjoyed all her favorite tastes of summer before it was over. He didn’t need to know she had broken her promise.

She could just be at the grocery store. Like a normal person. Which she just happened to be.

Right. No problem. She grabbed a carton of vanilla ice cream and put it in her basket next to the milk and the sprinkles she’d chosen to add to the top. And she was ready to confidently walk to the register when a voice behind her stopped her in her tracks.

‘Hazel Kelly.’ A low, deep rumble that did things to her that she’d rather not explore in the frozen food section. Or maybe ever.

She turned to find Noah leaning against the freezers with a mischievous grin on his face.

‘Fancy meeting you here,’ he said, prowling closer.

Hazel clutched her basket to her body. ‘Just getting some groceries.’

Noah peered into her basket. ‘Ice cream and sprinkles, yum.’