Shelter Harbor: Sinner Part 8

I'm opening my mouth indignantly to say something in retort when he holds up a finger. "Hold whatever vitriolic thought that is. I'll be right back."

He leaves me in the hallway by the back door and disappears around the corner.

I take the moment to breath and get control of myself.

He's wicked is what he is. And practiced at this. He's too good at getting under my skin - too good at knowing what I'm going to say or think.

And I hate that it's making me smile like this.

A minute later, he comes back around the corner.

"Here."

Before I even know what it is, he's pa.s.sing the freezing cold bottle of beer into my hand.

"I- I didn't want one."

"No, you said you didn't want one, but you do."

I stare at him. "You're very presumptuous."

"I've been told. Did you hang onto whatever biting retort you had for me from a minute ago?"

I scrunch up my face at him. "I was just going to say that you don't even know me, you know, even though you think you do."

"Oh do I?"

"I know exactly what you think you see, by the way."

Rowan grins as he sips his beer and leans against the hallway wall. "Enlighten me. We can compare notes."

I purse my lips.

"Or don't?"

I roll my eyes. "Fine. You think I'm this sheltered little church girl who doesn't know how to have fun and hasn't once done anything crazy. And you think being extra crude and dirty around me is going to get me all ruffled and scandalized."

"c.o.c.k."

I can feel my cheeks go bright red, my eyes going wide as he leans right into my face and lets the word slice through the air between us.

He grins as I stand there fl.u.s.tered and scandalized.

You know, exactly like I just said I wouldn't be.

"You mean like that?"

I glare at him. "Is this you hitting on me or something?"

He laughs. "Should I be?"

"Absolutely not."

"Angel, if I were hitting on you," he winks, "believe me, you'd know."

"Yeah, well, don't."

"I'll try and contain myself."

He chuckles as he turns and opens the door next to us, swinging it open to a room of shelves full of cases of beer and soda. I follow him in, still just holding my beer as he makes his way towards one of the shelves. He puts his drink down and effortlessly hefts two big cases of soda, his arms rippling as he lifts them and turns to head out the door. I set my untouched beer next to his and follow him back to the truck.

"So tell me about this time you went crazy."

"Pardon?"

"You just said I was wrong in thinking you're this little b.u.t.toned up church girl who doesn't know how to have fun or go crazy. So, let's hear it."

"I've done plenty of crazy things."

He grins. "Oh? Got a tattoo somewhere I'm not seeing?"

I blush. "No."

"You sure? Should we check?" He winks at me as he drops the cases on the truck tailgate and turns to head back to the bar.

"Quite. And no."

"No wild mornings where you woke up next to a stranger?"

My face wrinkles. "Ew, no, of course not."

"Shocker. Grab that box."

I frown as I grab a case of plastic cups and follow him back out to the truck. "And I supposed that makes me open for ridicule? Because I've never... you know."

"Banged a stranger?"

My face goes hot. "Yes, that."

He drops the second load of soda into the truck bed and turns, shrugging. "No, it doesn't. It's just shocking."

"Why?"

"Because you're a knockout."

I freeze, eyeing him, but he just keeps walking back to storeroom.

"I was-"

Why are you telling him this? There's no need to tell him about- "I was engaged."

He turns, a brow sharply raised. "Seriously?"

I nod. "It's over now though."

"What happened?"

"I was in Korea, doing ministries outreach."

He nods. "Ahh, you met someone else, huh? Some handsome young minister swept you off your-"

"He did."

Rowan's face sours. "d.i.c.k move. Sorry."

I shrug. "No, I mean, I should have been there."

"What?"

"I shouldn't have gone on the trip. I should have stayed behind and been with him. It was mostly my fault."

He's silent, but when I look up, he's staring right at me.

"What?"

"That's just...wow."

"What?"

"That's f.u.c.king depressing, that's what."

"What, the engagement breaking off?"

"No, you somehow believing that a.s.shole leaving you for some other girl is your fault."

"No, you don't get it."

"I do, believe me. Here." He pa.s.ses me the untouched beer I left behind on the shelf.

"Oh, I don't-"

"You do, trust me."

I eye him, my mouth going small before I finally take the beer.

"s.h.i.+t after that story, I need a drink."

I grin.

"So I guess this means you're single, huh?"

I blush, my eyes snapping to his.

"Well, my father's been telling me that he has a new suitable match picked out for me."

Rowan chokes on his beer. "What?"

There's a coughing sound behind us, and we both whirl towards the doorway.

I gasp and take a step back at the sight of the huge man in the black leather jacket glowering at us.

"Jesus, Gus," Rowan swears. "There's a front f.u.c.king door, you know."

The man smiles thinly. "You want me doing this out front in your packed bar?"

Rowan's face goes dark. He doesn't say anything.

"That's what I thought. So you want to go get it? I'm on the clock, Row."

"What are you, hourly?"

The man grins a crooked, somewhat scary smile.

Rowan mutters under his breath. "Hang on, I'll grab it." He grabs my wrist and starts to haul me after him. "Let's go."

"Where-"

"You want to wait with him?"

I shake my head, letting him pull me past the big man, into the hallway, and into his office. Rowan shuts the door and drops to his knees by the safe. He cranks it open, and my brows go up as he pulls out a large stack of cash.

"What are you doing?"

"Paying the man."

"Who is he?"

"Beer delivery guy."

I frown at the wad of cash in his hands. "That seems like a lot of beer."

"You're an expert?"

"No."

"Trust me," he mutters as he closes the safe and stands. "You don't want to know."

We head back out to the large man, who's outside now leaning against the front of Rowan's father's truck.