Sunset Flare Read online

  “Oh my gosh, Gunner!” Izzy cried. “Let him go.” He felt her hands grip his biceps. The heat went directly south. He shook it off and glanced up to find her pleading eyes. “Please?”

  He let go and the man scrambled backwards to the doorway. “Are you okay, Isabelle?”

  Izzy moved around Gunner and kneeled beside the man. She helped him to his feet while tightly grasping the blanket wrapped around her. “I’m fine. Are you okay?”

  He gave a shaky nod. “I saw your dad’s car.”

  “It was an accident. Are you hurt?”

  The man eyed Gunner, clearly coming to his own conclusions about the situation. “Are you hurt?”

  Oh lord. The gossip around the resort would be rich today.

  Izzy stepped away and laced her fingers in Gunner’s. “I’m fine.” She glanced at Gunner with a beautiful, sleepy morning glow. Drowsy eyes, a natural pallet of cream and rose on her face and a sincere smile she’d yet masked. “Better than fine.”

  That misguided statement wouldn’t help with the gossip. As long as it didn’t get back to Anton...or Marc.

  Izzy looked back at the confused man. “Can you give us a few minutes to get dressed? We need a ride back to the resort.”

  He reluctantly nodded and left.

  Izzy stared at the empty doorway until the sound of the front door slamming shut made its way to them. She glanced down at their hands and then slowly unlaced her fingers.

  Smiling up at him, she said, “No man’s ever slept with me without sleeping with me. I don’t know if this counts because we already had sex, but thank you for making me feel safe enough to close my eyes and for listening to me without judgement.”

  “There was a little judgement.”

  “It can’t be more judgement than what they’re thinking out there.”

  He chuckled.

  “Where are my clothes?” Her shyness was cute.

  “On the kitchen table.”

  Her eyes didn’t move from his. He felt rushed, wished they’d had a morning alone, but knew going their separate ways with no more said would be better for both of them.

  She stood on her tip-toes and lightly brushed a light kiss across his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, before leaving the room, the blanket trailing a path behind her like a goddess.

  Gunner rubbed his hands over his face, but nothing took away the tingling her lips left. He paced the room while giving her enough time to dress. When she hollered, “It’s all you,” he quickly dressed.

  What a way to spend a night.

  Outside, the sun blasted his eyes, and sent him wildly blinking and wishing for a pair of sunglasses. The sun rose quickly, or they’d stared at each other longer than he’d assumed.

  Scanning the area, he found it more run down in the daylight. Overgrown weeds and grass, and wood split the house worse than he could tell in the dark. However, Izzy’s beauty made any area dazzle. Standing by the ditch where Carl’s car dipped beyond his vision, her hands visibly demonstrated what had occurred last night to the man who had woke them. Another woman stood at his side. Of course, Izzy would be leaving out details.

  Stains highlighted the wrinkles across her blouse, her hair crinkled to match, but damned if she didn’t look sexy as hell.

  Izzy smiled as he approached. The couple eyed him up with suspicion and distaste.

  “Ready?” Izzy asked.

  He nodded, again wishing for a pair of shades to hide his face from these onlookers. He liked to hide the emotion in his eyes as much as be able to evaluate situations and people.

  Izzy rode in the back seat, leaving a space between them, and turned away from him, solemnly watching the passing trees. The couple dropped them off at the front entrance to the resort.

  Inside, the foyer’s elegance splashed with a summer touch. Who would have thought palm trees and crystal chandeliers would accent each other? But the resort pulled it off with class.

  No words were exchanged as they walked through the halls. He held back a smile when Izzy tried to tame her hair as guests passed or ducked her face altogether in the other direction. He pretended not to notice her relieved sigh when they started down the Caliendo’s private corridor.

  When she stopped at her suite door, he should have continued walking, but something stopped him. A nagging inside over her unresolved hallucinations surged through his chest. Hallucinations she still reacted to.

  With her back against the door, facing him, more than likely about to give him another thank you, he invaded her space. Stepping closer, he trapped her between him and the door, then lifted his arm to rest on the door frame above them. He could kiss her. Her eyes darted to his mouth, letting him know the idea wasn’t lost on her, either.

  Her eyes lingered there, filled with desire, before looking up at him again, confusion dancing in the intensity of her stare and reluctance. She’d already made her move by the pool, and he’d rejected her, tossed her in. As funny as it was, it left him in charge of the next move. A non-existent move. He hadn’t stopped here to kiss her or give her the wrong idea, so he pulled his thoughts away from the undeniable attraction between them and focused on what she needed, not what she wanted. He couldn’t fix her the way his suggestion would.

  “The files in the library don’t belong to me or Anton. They’re yours and your family’s. What’s in between the manila folders might be some of the answers you seek. Why accept only the bits and pieces your family has chosen to offer you when you could read them yourself? First hand. You have a choice. Take your future into your own hands instead of relying on the people around you for answers.”

  Her warm smile fell and it was replaced with a cold stare. “We aren’t in the woods anymore. I don’t need your protection, physically or emotionally.”

  “Emotionally, you don’t need anyone’s protection. You’re a strong woman.”

  He saw her resolve slip. “I thought so too...until last night...”

  She continued to be too hard on herself. “Even the strongest person has fears.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Fears of a childhood hallucination.”

  “Your time missing caused a dramatic experience. You were little. Of course it’s going to live with you, haunt you. You believe something happened when everyone else tells you it didn’t.”

  “Because it didn’t.”

  “Maybe when you stop lying to yourself, you’ll be able to move on.”

  Izzy’s lips tightened and her gratitude slipped away.

  He tucked a piece of her wayward hair behind her ear, only his finger lingered against the side of her face. “I’m not trying to hurt you.”

  “What are you trying to do?”

  Help you.

  But he couldn’t find the words. Who was he to help her? He couldn’t even help himself.

  “I’m just saying there’s always room for you in the library, an empty chair, and you can pick my brain as much as you need to.”

  Her lips pursed, drawing her eyes together. “Are there handcuffs waiting for me, too?”

  Gunner laughed.

  Izzy cracked a smile and reached out to lightly hit his chest. “That’s not an answer. If anything, it makes me think that’s your plan.”

  He caught her hand. “Sweetheart, the next time I use handcuffs, you’ll be begging me to cuff you.”

  She gasped and he felt the wind swoosh out of him.

  What the hell was that?

  “Okay,” she said, a slow smile creeping up her lips. “I’ll remember that.”

  He let her hand slide away from him and pushed off the doorframe. “Physically, you’re the weakest woman I’ve ever met and in desperate need of a lesson or two on how to defend yourself.”

  She smiled. The only woman to take an insult with a smile. “I’ll see you around, Gunner.”

  He hoped so, but, at the same time, prayed not at all. It was an internal mixture he didn’t dare debate.

  Chapter Nineteen

  IZZY HAD THE strangest next coup
le of days. A revelation almost. She couldn’t decide if it was because spending the night in the woods had dragged up her past or because Gunner’s words rang truth in her ears.

  Why did she believe what others told her about the days she’d been missing? Why had she accepted their truth and ignored her own? The feelings deep inside her screamed something had happened, but she had shut them out, ignored them, all because of fear.

  The answer boiled anger in the pit of her stomach. At the same time, knowing how terrified she’d be to discover whether the memories were true or figments of her imagination.

  Izzy never stepped away from a challenge or fear, and today, she’d face her past. With her parents and sisters gone, and Marc supervising in the library, Izzy had remained undisturbed in her suite all day and had read her file from beginning to end. For the first time. Ever.

  Her mother had given Izzy her file when her sister, Anya had returned home a couple months ago after re-thinking her decision to keep the files from each child. Izzy had tossed the folder in a box at the time, telling herself she didn’t care about her past. Last night, she realized it was because her past terrified her. Not only could the answers to the time she’d been missing be in there, but, she discovered, her whole life, her conduct, behaviour...everything was detailed in her file.

  Terrifying.

  Facing the file might have been brave, but truly, the long, punishing hours of actually reading them were true bravery. Her head hurt, her eyes watered and stung, and her level of energy had dropped by lunchtime. By supper hour, she’d had to hold her eyelids open with her fingers to keep from falling asleep. Reading was not her strong suit, and no amount of protein shakes, or energy-filled bananas had assisted in maintaining her attention. She’d spent half the day re-reading and the other half cursing when she’d read ten pages but she couldn’t remember a single word. Piecing the puzzles of her life together would be impossible. She’d have to make notes, or a wall of some sort, to organize it all...or else....

  Gunner.

  Her file would be a cinch for him to read and comprehend compared to the lies and deceit bogging him down in the library. But did she want him to know her entire life? Did she want him to know she’d been arrested a few times on the beach for skinning dipping? Of course the charges had been dropped. Even so, it still hadn’t kept Robert from filing it. Did she want Gunner to know she’d spent one of her teenage summers traveling with a boy’s band as a groupie?

  The answer? Yes!

  If he could sort this crap out then she would willingly let him know every last detail of her life. Gladly. Besides, he lived hidden in the woods alone. Who would he tell?

  Izzy didn’t bother him the first night of her revelation, mostly because sleep beckoned her. But, the next night, she climbed on her kitchen counter, the one facing the pool, and sat cross-legged with a bowl of blueberries and waited in the dark.

  Supper passed with no sign of either Italian man. Ten o’clock ticked by and the pool room sat motionless. When midnight chimed, she wondered how long they would stay in the library.

  Shortly after one in the morning, she debated hitting up the local bar, when, finally, Marc and Anton made an appearance. They shook hands before retiring to their suites for the night.

  No sign of Gunner.

  Anywhere.

  Mulling over where he could be, she remembered their first encounter. She grabbed a sweater and slipped on sandals, then darted outside.

  The summer’s cool evening wind gusted a crisp breeze from the lake. Waiting on her stoop, she pulled her sweater tightly around her as her eyes swept over the edge of the trees looking for signs of him. Signs of him and signs of anything—or any one—else. Would there ever be a day when the sight of woods wouldn’t commence anxiety within her?

  No sign of anything stirred outside the suite.

  It had been presumptuous to think he’d be stalking the property. She almost laughed at how silly the idea sounded now.

  “Looking for me?”

  Izzy screamed as Gunner’s voice made her jump.

  “Whoa, what, whoa.” He stepped up on the stoop with her, covering her mouth with his hand. His other arm wrapped around her waist to steady her. “If you alert Anton, he’ll drag me into the suite like a pissed off father.”

  A laugh started to roll up into her chest until her body alerted her of his firm hold. His body heat burned through the layers of their clothes, his fingers stamping their seal on her lips and his breath stroking her face. She suddenly forgot about the files and re-played the feel of his lips on hers instead.

  Slowly, she pulled his hand from her lips just as the door rattled from the suite beside them.

  Her eyes flew open and Gunner gave her a shove in the direction of her door. She gave a little squeal, pushing the door open, and grabbing a fistful of his shirt to pull him inside behind her.

  Standing in the dark, they pressed their backs against the door, holding their breath, bodies tense. The only thing she could think about was him pinning her against the door and having his way with her.

  Files? What files?

  Chapter Twenty

  GUNNER WOULD PAY for this decision later. When he returned to the suite, Anton would give a condemning stare followed by another lecture full of warnings. Gunner understood his concern, knew he shouldn’t be here, but when he’d spotted Izzy scanning the property line looking for him, and he couldn’t stay away.

  He glanced down now at the pretty blonde panting up a storm beside him.

  It was worth it.

  She tilted her head to find him. “Are you scared of him?”

  He would have laughed if she hadn’t looked so serious. “No, I’m not scared of him. But, he’s overly protective, like a father. He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to family.”

  “He scares me.”

  Gunner cracked a smile. How he’d missed this quirky, big mouthed woman in the past day. “He scares everyone. Was there a reason you were lurking out there for me?”

  She pushed off the door, and swayed her curvy hips through the darkened room. “What makes you think I was waiting for you?” She sat down on the couch and a dim light from a lamp on the coffee table gave a nice glow to the room. A romantic glow.

  Gunner straightened. “Weren’t you?”

  Her gaze drifted down to the glass coffee table in front of her and the papers strewn across the surface. He spotted the folder with her name written across it.

  “Oh.” He stopped across from her, standing on the opposite side of the table.

  She waved her hands over the paperwork and said, “Welcome to my life, all wrapped up in the words of my once father in a colorful description of exactly who he thought I was including side notes of how he’d planned on changing aspects of me...a lot of side notes.”

  “I see that.” He shifted the papers around, not reading anything specific, but noticing the massive number of pages. This amount would equal five to ten of the files he’d been digging through.

  “I know, it’s a lot.” She sounded a tad bit embarrassed.

  “It is a lot.”

  “Don’t sugar coat it.”

  He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck before looking at her. “Do you want me to?”

  She fidgeted. “No. I prefer your honesty. I don’t want you to get all snarky with me and shove me in the pool...but your honesty, yes.”

  He nodded.

  “But if you’re being honest, I’m going to be honest.” A serious look settled on her face, looking ever so much like Marc.

  “Has there been a time when you haven’t?”

  “I want you to kiss me, again.”

  His hand stilled. This woman was full of surprises.

  “Actually, I want to have sex with you, again, which, clearly, you are aware of after I tried to pick you up by the pool and you threw me in.”

  He grinned.

  She shook her head. “Not funny.”

  “It was hilarious.”

  �
��It wasn’t hilarious.” The control of her grin contradicted her words. “I had given up on you until last night. I thought you’d had enough the first time, but then I realized you’re as hot for me as I am for you.”

  She was killing him.

  Her hand flew in the air as if stopping him from talking when he hadn’t planned on doing so. “Don’t even try to deny it. I don’t want to hear your excuses, but I’ve already invited you into my suite, so, now, it’s your move. Your turn. I’m letting you know I’m open to a fling while you’re here. You stay up late and work and I stay up late. So the next time you’re looking for some fun, knock on my door.”

  Bloody hell. How would he be able to walk passed her suite now with an offer like that on the table?

  “But not tonight. I need your help with my file. Understanding it, reading it.” She dramatically sighed, throwing her hands in the air. “I’ve read the whole thing and it was hard.” Even with her less than attractive whining, her generous offer wouldn’t leave his head.

  “It’s so hard and sooo boring. I’m so bored. It’s almost worse than listening to one of Marc’s lectures and, trust me, he has his fair share of ‘Izzy lectures.’” She used her fingers to quote the end. “I never want to read another word. I never even want to look at anything else in that file again. I wish he’d audio recorded these because at least maybe then I’d have a bit of interest.”

  “I think you’re being dramatic.”

  “About which part?”

  “Every word since we’ve walked in the door.”

  She sat up straighter. “Which brings us back to my offer.”

  “Does it?”

  “Kiss me.”

  Talk about mixed signals. He straightened, tucking his hands in his pockets to keep from doing exactly what she’d asked. “What about only working on the files?”

  She shook her head. “Yes, I need your help with the files, but first I need you to kiss me and make it good. Like sweep me off my feet and kiss me breathless.”

  “That’s a lot of pressure.” But her demands wouldn’t be a problem. Standing here he’d already chosen the quickest path to sweep her up and the closest wall to pin her against.