“Cool. How much longer do you have to go?”
“I actually only have a few projects left, then I’m finished in two weeks. In October I have a job lined up with Presence Publicity, on the other side of town. I’ve been freelancing for them already, writing copy for websites, other little stuff like that.”
Vaughan reached his hand out to squeeze mine. “That’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.”
I could tell that he really meant it, which was surprisingly touching. “It’s nothing compared to running a construction empire,” I laughed.
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I didn’t build the empire. I simply took it over and now I’m doing my best to grow it even more than my dad did. I’m fully aware of how privileged I am to have a great business just handed to me.”
“But do you really enjoy it?” I asked. “If you were to start all over again from scratch, would this be your dream?”
“Absolutely.” He held my gaze as he fed me a braised raspberry, and my stomach fluttered. “I’ve been building things since I was able to hold blocks. Creating and constructing is in my blood.”
“I like that it’s your choice.”
“Well, it was that or do crochet like my mom,” he chuckled. Holding up his hand, we surveyed his thick fingers. “Do I look suited to yarn and those little hook thingies?”
I laughed with him, but realized I was getting more and more overheated. All I could think of was how much I wanted his hands on me. He was so confident, so huge, that I couldn’t help wondering what things would be like if we were somewhere private, and he was using those thick fingers...
Oh my.
I finished the last melted bits of my sugary drink while Vaughan paid the bill. He took my arm as we walked toward the beach.
“Even though you only have a few weeks left, I want to make sure you get a summer,” he said.
“Hey, I have plenty of summer. It’s when Scotty begs me to bring him ice water, and my hair falls flat every time I step into the kitchen.”
Vaughan attempted to scowl, but it morphed into a grin. “Oh, come on. You need some sand in your shoes and some sunshine on your skin.”
He pulled me over to a notice board. “Let’s see if they have any summer concerts coming up on the beach.”
My eyes skimmed over the ads for guitar lessons, a notice for a Thursday night beach drum circle, and a few lost and found posters.
We circled to the other side, which held larger posters. “Here we are,” Vaughan said, pointing to a large green sheet. “Do you like jazz? That would be a fun night out.”
“Sure,” I muttered, trying to smile.
My eyes had locked onto a bright poster reminding people of the upcoming election for Mayor. Pierce Lorimer was running again, even though he had lost last time.
That drunk, conniving bastard kept trying to dig his hooks into this area so that he could do favors for his friends. He’d been working towards getting elected as Mayor for years. By some accounts, he had a good shot of winning this year, which made my blood run cold.
“Hey, isn’t that your last name?” Vaughan said, pointing to where I was staring uncomfortably at the poster. “Any relation?”
“Jazz would be great,” I cut him off with a grin, pointing just under it and changing the subject. “And there’s also an old time dance band next week.”
Vaughan wrapped his arm around my waist, dancing me around in a circle. “I’m not a very good dancer, but it’s easy enough to shuffle around on sand, right?”
The way he held me filled me with longing. He was so sweet. I knew that I shouldn’t get my hopes up, for fear that my heart might get broken, yet it was already out of my hands. That ship had definitely sailed.
My head fell to rest on Vaughan’s shoulder as we slowly circled again, ignoring the people all around us. Snuggling against him felt perfect.
I wanted him. I needed him to want me as more than a temporary convenient relationship. Just once, I would love to feel like I truly belonged with someone, somewhere. To feel that I was good enough for a good person.
Chapter 4
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Vaughan