“Maybe a little, but like I’ve told you before, I have outstanding people working for me. I couldn’t have gotten this far without them.”

  “Then you are one of the lucky ones.”

  “Don’t I know it.”

  Their server brought drink refills, and Hazel stared out at the gorgeous sunset.

  “I could definitely live here.”

  “In the city?”

  “Yes. It’s teeming with life and excitement. I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow and check it all out.”

  He laid his glass down. “Yeah, you should definitely do that. San Francisco is an amazing city.”

  “I like what I’ve seen so far.”

  “What are some of your favorite places you’ve been?”

  “Oh . . . uh . . .” She swept her hair behind her ear. “I haven’t exactly traveled all that much.”

  “That’s okay. Where have you been?”

  “My ex and I went to Miami for our honeymoon, and then one year in college I went to the Bahamas over spring break.”

  He didn’t say anything right away until he realized she had finished talking.

  “You know it’s okay that you haven’t been to a lot of places. Many people never leave their hometown.”

  “Well, I’ve definitely done that. I’ve driven all over Florida. I’m pretty sure I’ve been to damned near every beach in that state.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “You like the beach, huh?”

  “I do love the beach. How are the beaches here?”

  “The water on this side of the country is cold. Not like the Atlantic. But the beaches can be really nice.”

  “I just like being at the beach, not necessarily in the water.”

  “Same. Though there’s good surfing here if you decide you want to take that up on your touring tomorrow.”

  She laughed. “I think I’ll leave the surfing to the experts. Not that I wouldn’t want to try it someday.”

  “Next trip we’ll hit up Hawaii. Surfing is amazing there.”

  “Don’t tease me.”

  “With what?”

  “A next trip that we’ll never take.”

  He frowned. “Why would you think we’d never take it?”

  She opened her mouth to say that they were temporary and the likelihood of the two of them ever going to Hawaii was slim, but that was the negative side of her. “I don’t know. It’s so far from Florida. And you have business to take care of.”

  He shrugged. “It never hurts to think about an awesome vacation, now does it?”

  “I guess it doesn’t.”

  The one thing that scared her about Linc was that he kept giving her hope for a future that didn’t exist.

  Even worse, she was starting to want that kind of future. The kind that included an extremely good-looking, incredibly kind man who also loved her dogs. The problem was, Linc didn’t exist in her future, because as soon as he was finished with the house, he’d be off on his next renovation adventure, and she’d be . . .

  Well, she’d be out of that house and going somewhere. Where that was, she didn’t know just yet. But it wouldn’t be with Linc. Time was running out on this fantasy between the two of them, and she needed to get in the right headspace to make her next move. She was already searching for rentals, and had found a couple that were within her price range. If she saved all her money, she could do this. And that was all she needed to be thinking about. Real, tangible things, not fantasies about jetting off to Hawaii with Linc.

  Their food had started to arrive, giving her respite from her tortured thoughts. She first had the lobster bisque, followed by the clam linguine. Linc also had the bisque, but for his main course he’d opted for lobster. She was happy when he offered her a taste. The food was incredible, the sauces were perfection, and she made mental notes about dishes she wanted to try making at home.

  By the time their server cleared their plates and asked about their interest in dessert, Hazel was utterly full and ready to walk off dinner. Fortunately, it was a nice night with no breeze, so they took a walk around the wharf to digest a bit.

  “Dinner was amazing,” she said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He grasped her hand and they walked.

  “Do you hear the seals?” he asked.

  She paused, then smiled up at him. “Yes. They’re very adorable, aren’t they?”

  “I guess if you like loud, smelly things, they are.”

  She laughed. “Hey, they’re sea creatures. And they can’t help how they smell.” She gave a gentle shove of her shoulder against his arm.

  “You’re right, of course, and I won’t disparage their incredibly bulky beauty.”

  “Now you’re just making fun of me. Or them.”

  “Neither.” He paused and peered into one of the shops. “Come with me.”

  She wasn’t much of a souvenir person, but she was interested in what Linc could possibly want in this quirky little shop of wharf gifts. She followed him down the center row.

  “Pick one,” he said.

  “Pick . . . oh.” Her emotions were about to have a meltdown as she looked over all the stuffed seals on the shelf. “That is not necessary.”

  “Oh, but it is. A memory from your visit. Plus, you love them.”

  She chose the fattest, ugliest brown one and cuddled it against her chest. “This one.”

  “Okay, then.” He took it from her and went to the register, paid for it, and told the person they wouldn’t need a bag.

  After they walked out, he handed it to her. She took his hand and held tightly to the seal.

  They finally decided to call for a ride back to the condo, which suited Hazel just fine since the heels she wore were so very pretty but not necessarily awesome for walking in for any length of time. When the car arrived, she was ever so grateful to slide into the back seat. If it had been her own car, the heels would have been off and she’d have been done with them, but she’d just have to wait. Instead, she cuddled her seal and laid her head on Linc’s shoulder, looking out the window to take in the bright lights of the city as they made their way back to the condo.

  Between the wine and the full dinner and all the fresh air from the walk, Hazel was decidedly . . . relaxed. Maybe a little too relaxed, because her eyes drifted closed on the ride, and Linc had to lightly jostle her when their car pulled in front of the condo.

  “Taking a short nap?” he asked as they made their way across the lobby toward the elevators.

  “Mmm, just very content right now.” She lifted her gaze to his while they rode up in the elevator alone. “I had a very good night.”

  His lips lifted. “Night’s not over yet.”

  She leaned into him, pushing him against the wall of the elevator, then lifted up to press her lips to his. He wound his arms around her and kissed her, taking her breath away with the passion in that kiss. The way he kissed her, taking possession, squeezing her hips, holding her as if he never intended to let her go—all those things made her toes curl in her very awesome shoes.

  The elevator doors opened onto their floor, so she broke the kiss and Linc took her hand again, leading her down the hall toward his condo. Her heart was still pumping maniacally from that hot kiss when he used his key and opened the door.

  She kicked off her heels as soon as she walked into the room, then turned to face Linc. He removed his jacket and tossed it. His mouth was on hers in an instant, all hot and desperate and exactly what she needed. She lifted up and dragged her fingers through his hair, moaning against his lips as he reached down to palm her breast, sending sparks of utter deliciousness even through her dress and bra. But she wanted so much more, so she cupped his erection through his pants, torturing him in the same way, making him groan.

  He grasped her butt and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him, the hard ridge of his erection hitting her at a perfect spot to make her wish they were both naked right now.

  This was not happening fast enough.

  He walked over to the nightstand and grabbed a condom, then pressed her against the wall, undid his pants and dropped his boxer briefs, then pulled her underwear to the side, teasing her into a frenzy with his stroking fingers.

  “Now,” she said through panting breaths. “Inside me now.”

  “Condom,” he groaned.

  “Shit. Right. Let me have it.” She took it from him and tore it open, removing the condom. They managed circus-level balancing moves while he got the condom on, both of them laughing at how awkward it was.

  Awkward, and yet oh so hot. Then he repositioned her, slid his cock inside of her, and began to drive into her.

  “Yes,” she managed as he slammed into her with forceful strokes. “More. Harder.”

  It was intense, and as she went from one deep climax to another, she thought she might be having an out-of-body experience. Except she kept banging her head against the wall and that hurt, so there was that aspect of reality, and Linc’s fingers dug into the flesh of her butt cheeks, which made her all too aware that this was not some dream. Just awesome, hard-driving sex.

  And when he shuddered, she quaked, going over with him while he held her tightly and kissed her so deeply she thought she might die from breathing so hard.

  He finally turned and dropped her onto the bed, falling onto it next to her.

  Linc stared up at the ceiling. “My fingers are cramping, my arms are shaking, and I think I might die.”

  She rolled over and propped her arm up, resting her head on her hand. “So what you’re saying is that the sex was good.”

  He laughed, then rolled over to give her a quick kiss. “Uh, a lot more than good.” He disappeared into the bathroom while she got up and changed out of her dress and into pajama shorts and a loose tank top. She grabbed a bottled water and took several long swallows.

  When Linc came out of the bathroom, he gave her a critical look.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You changed clothes. Or put different clothes on.”

  “Yes. I wanted out of that dress. Mostly the bra.”

  “And I wanted you naked. That before was just a warm-up.”

  She curled up against the pillows on the bed. “Well, I’m plenty warm now.”

  He undressed until he was gloriously naked, then came over and took the bottle of water from her hands. After gulping down a few swallows, he laid it on the nightstand and climbed onto the bed next to her, pulling her on top of him.

  “I might need a minute to gain my strength back.”

  He was already hard underneath her. She laughed. “Liar.”

  “Okay, fine.” He started to flip her over, but she pushed on his chest.

  “Oh no. I like this position. To start, anyway.”

  He leaned against the pillows and grasped her hips. “You’re in charge, ma’am.”

  She liked where this was going. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Linc’s meetings, both with clients and with his staff—had all gone exceptionally well. And the team had managed to pick up a new client today, which had made the trip totally worthwhile. After client meetings he and his staff discussed managing the new client’s accounts, then he was done for the day.

  What he hadn’t expected was a message from his mom on his phone.

  He’d planned to take some time to meet up with her while he was in town, so maybe she wanted to make arrangements. He punched in her number.

  “You must be done working,” she said.

  He smiled. “Yeah, all wrapped up. How are you, Mom?”

  “I’m fine. Come to dinner tonight.”

  He grimaced. He hadn’t told his mom about Hazel, and he didn’t want to leave Hazel in the city by herself tonight. “Yeah, I don’t think I can do that.”

  “Do you have dinner with a client?”

  He rubbed his temple. He’d never lied to his mother, not once in his entire life. He wasn’t about to start now. “Not exactly. I brought a guest with me on this trip.”

  “Oh. A girlfriend?”

  “No. Sort of. I don’t know. It’s undefined at the moment.”

  “Great. Bring her with you. Dinner’s at seven. Love you.”

  She clicked off, leaving him staring at the phone.

  He wasn’t sure Hazel would be up to meeting his mother—and, knowing his family, also his two brothers. She might be intimidated or upset about it. As he headed back to the condo, he thought about how he was going to handle this if she said no.

  By the time he walked into the lobby, he still hadn’t formulated a plan. But he saw Hazel standing to the side of the lobby, typing something on her phone, so said plan had better come together, like, now.

  “Hi, beautiful.”

  She startled, then smiled. “I was just about to text you. For a second I thought you were some weirdo hitting on me.”

  “I am some weirdo hitting on you.”

  She laughed, then tucked her phone into her bag and looped her arm with his as they made their way to the elevators. “How was your day?”

  “It was good. Got everything done I wanted to. How about yours?”

  “Amazing. I feel like I went everywhere, though I know I didn’t because there’s just so much to see. But I went to Chinatown, Coit Tower, the Exploratorium, Golden Gate Park. This is such an amazing city.”

  “I’m glad you had fun.” They got out on their floor, and he slipped his key into the door and held it open for her.

  “I had so much fun. I wish we had a week to spend here. There’s just so much to do and see.”

  “There’s tomorrow, so we’ll do a few more things.”

  “Awesome.” She flopped down on the bed. “I’m exhausted.”

  He winced, knowing she’d rather have a quiet evening, just the two of them. He sat on the bed next to her. “So, my mom called.”

  She rolled over to face him. “Yeah? Are you going to take some time to go see her while you’re here?”

  “I had planned to. The thing is, she invited me to dinner at the house tonight.”

  “Oh, that’s fine. I can order delivery and stay in.”

  “Yeah, about that. I also told her you were with me, so now you’re invited to dinner tonight.”

  “Really.” She tilted her head. “How do you feel about me meeting your mother?”

  “I feel fine about it. How do you feel about it?”

  “I’d love to. What should I wear?”

  She was currently wearing dark capri pants and a T-shirt along with tennis shoes. “What you’re wearing right now is just fine.”

  She sat up and patted his arm. “No, it’s not. Give me a few minutes to freshen up and change clothes, and I’ll be ready to go.”

  She disappeared into the bathroom.

  Okay, that went better than expected. Hazel hadn’t freaked out, and now he was going to introduce the woman he was currently sort of living with to his mother.

  Should make for an interesting evening.

  * * *

  • • •

  Hazel was so excited to meet Linc’s mother. He was such an awesome human, she couldn’t wait to see how he’d grown up and who was responsible for helping to make him the incredible man he was today.

  Plus she had to admit she was extremely curious about where he’d grown up, and he’d told her his mom still lived in his childhood home.

  “Is it just your mom we’ll be having dinner with?” she asked on the drive across the Bay Bridge over to the East Bay toward Pleasanton.

  “I have no idea. Mom probably told my brothers I was bringing you. They’re nosy bastards, so knowing them, they’ll probably show up.”

  She laughed. “Awesome.” You could tell a lot about a person when you met their family. Then again, he’d met her sister and likely thought she was a flipping fruitcake.

  At least he hadn’t had the joy of meeting her mother, and hopefully it would stay that way.

  They pulled into a one-story ranch style with a wide driveway. It was painted white with dark green trim and expansive front windows. The yard was beautifully landscaped with colorful flowers and incredibly tall trees. She could imagine Linc and his brothers climbing those trees when they were kids.

  “It’s a beautiful house, Linc.”

  “Thanks. It’s pretty much like it’s always been. My dad and my brothers and I did some renovations a few years before Dad passed away.”

  “Which is why it looks so amazing on the outside.”

  He smiled. “Mom had been after Dad to paint for several years, and it did make a difference. And once we were done with that, we realized it needed a new roof, and after that, guttering.”

  “Like dominoes.”

  He laughed. “Pretty much. And Mom decided it looked so good we needed to freshen up the landscape, so that was next.”

  “Now it’s perfect.”

  “Yeah, it is. It’s home. Always has been, always will be.”

  Her heart did a tumble at the warmth in his voice.

  They got out and went to the front door. Before he had a chance to ring the bell or turn the knob, the door opened and there stood a tall, stunning woman with whiskey brown eyes and the brightest smile directed at Linc.

  They stepped inside and the woman hugged him.

  “You stay away too long,” she said, giving him a squeeze before letting him go.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve been busy.”

  “Too busy,” she said.

  “Mom, this is Hazel Bristow. Hazel, my mother, Lisa Kennedy.”

  Lisa shook Hazel’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You as well, Mrs. Kennedy.”

  “None of that. Call me Lisa. Welcome to our home. I have coffee, iced tea, and all kinds of booze. Let’s go get acquainted.”