Tenley was accustomed to a solitary existence, just her, the dogs, the cats, the horses and those occasional demons that haunted her dreams. Having a stranger in the house upset the delicate balanceespecially a stranger she found so disturbingly attractive.
In truth, she wasnt sure how to handle company. Since the accident almost ten years before, shed made a habit of isolating herself, always maintaining a safe distance from anything that resembled a relationship. It was just easier. Losing her brother had sapped every last bit of emotion out of her soul that she didnt have the energy or the willpower to engage in polite conversation. And that was what people expected in social situations.
Stop staring at me. Tenley carefully chopped the carrot, focusing on the task and trying to ignore Alexs intent gaze. She felt her face grow warm and she fought the urge to run outside into the storm to cool off.
There was work to do in the barn; the horses had to be fed. She didnt have to stay. But for the first time in a very long time, Tenley found herselfinterested. She wasnt sure what it was, but his curious stare had her heart beating a bit quicker and her nerves on edge. From the moment hed offered his hand in introduction, shed felt it.
Maybe it was just an overreaction to simple loneliness. She had been particularly moody this winter, almost restless. In years past, shed been happy to hide out, to take long walks in the woods, to spend time with her animals, indulging in an occasional short-lived affair. But this winter had been different. There had been no men and the solitude had begun to wear on her.
She handed him a carrot to munch on, using the opportunity to study him more closely. Alex Stamos. For some reason, the name sounded familiar to her, but she couldnt put her finger on why. He was here on business. Maybe he was one of those real estate developers from Illinois, interested in building yet another resort on the peninsula. Shed probably seen his name in the local paper.
And she didnt understand this sudden attraction. Tenley was usually drawn to men who were a little rougher around the edges, a bit more dangerous. She usually chose tourists who were certain to leave at some point, but she had indulged with a number of willing single men from some of the nearby towns. Her grandfather called them discardable, and Tenley had to agree with his assessment.
Tenley looked down at her vegetables. There werent many women whod kick Alex Stamos out of their bed.
Tenley glanced up again, to find him still staring. She drew a deep breath and met his gaze, refusing to flinch. For a long time, neither one of them blinked.
I like this game, he said. My sister and I used to play it when we were kids. I always won.
It makes me uncomfortable, Tenley said. Didnt anyone ever tell you it wasnt polite to stare?
He shrugged and looked away. Yeah, but I didnt think that applied in this case. I mean, its not like you have a big wart on the end of your nose or youve got two heads. Im staring because I think youre pretty. Whats wrong with that?
Im not pretty, she muttered. She grabbed an onion and tossed it at him, then shoved the cutting board and knife across the counter. Here, cut that up.
She didnt invite this attraction. In fact, over the past year, shed done her level best to avoid men. The last man shed invited into her bed hadnt been just a one-night stand. Shed actually found herself wanting more, searching for something that she couldnt put a name to.
She knew the risks. Physical attraction led to sex which led to more sex which led to affection which ultimately led to love. Only love didnt last. It was there one day and gone the next. Shed loved her brother, more than anyone else in the world. And when hed been taken from her, she wasnt sure shed ever recover. She wasnt about to go through that again.
Im wondering why you wear all that makeup. I mean, you dont need it. I think youd look prettier without it.
Maybe I dont want to look pretty, Tenley murmured.
Alex chuckled at her reply. Why wouldnt you want to look pretty? Especially if you are?
The question made Tenley uneasy. She didnt tolerate curious men, men who wanted to get inside her head before they got into her bed. What business was it of his why she did what she did? He was a complete stranger and didnt know anything about her life. Why bother to act as if he cared?
She turned and tossed the chopped carrots into the cast-iron pot on the stove. Maybe the towns speculation about her would come true. Shed slowly devolve into an eccentric old spinster, living alone in the woods with only her animals to talk to.
Do you like peppers? she asked, turning to open the refrigerator.
Do you ever answer a direct question?
Red or green? I prefer red.
You dont answer questions, Alex said. Red.
Tenley gave him a smile. Me, too. Theyre sweeter. She handed him the pepper, then grabbed a towel from the ring beneath the sink. Bending over the basin, she quickly washed the makeup off her face, wiping away the dark liner and lipstick with dish soap.
When she opened her eyes again, she found an odd expression on his face. Better?
Yeah, he said softly, his gaze slowly taking in her features. You just look. different. He paused. Beautiful.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself from smiling. Thank you, she murmured. Youre beautiful, too.
The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. This was what came from spending so much time alone, talking to herself. She expressed her thoughts out loud without even realizing it.
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. Thanks.
Im not just saying that. You are. Objectively, youre very attractive. Oh, God, now she was just digging a deeper hole. I just noticed, thats all. Im not trying to. you know.
I dont know, he said. He picked up the pepper and walked around the island to the sink, then rinsed it off. But you could try to explain it to me.
There was no going back now. The way youre looking at me. I just get the feeling that youreflirting.
He turned and leaned back against the edge of the counter. I am. Is there something wrong with that?
Its not going to work. IIm not interested inthat.
What?
Sex, she said.
He frowned, then shook his head. Is that what you think Im doing? I was just having some fun. Talking. I didnt mean to
I didnt want you to think that I was
Oh, I didnt. I guess, Im just used to
I understand and I dont mean to
I do understand, he said softly. He took a step toward her and she held her breath.
This was crazy. She wanted him to kiss her. With any other man, she would have already been halfway to the bedroom. But Alex was different. All these strange feelings stirred inside of her. She longed for his touch, yet she knew how dangerous it would be. Need mixed with fear and she wasnt sure what to do.
But then Alex took the decision out of her hands. He smoothed his hand over her cheek and bent closer. An instant later, his lips met hers and Tenley felt a tremor race through her body. He lingered over her mouth, taking his time, waiting for her to surrender.
With a soft sigh, Tenley opened beneath the gentle assault. A delicious rush of warmth washed through her body. Lately, she hadnt felt much like a woman. It was amazing what one kiss could do to change all that.
She pushed up on her toes, eager to lose herself in the taste of him. It didnt matter that theyd just met. It didnt matter that she knew nothing about him. He made her feel all warm and tingly inside. That was all she cared about.
He drew back slightly, his breath warm against her mouth. Maybe we should get back to dinner, he suggested.
With a satisfied smile, Tenley stepped out of his embrace. They did have the entire night. With the blizzard raging outside, there was no way hed be able to get into town. Theres white wine and beer in the fridge and red wine in the cabinet above. Pick what you want.
What are you making? He stood over her shoulder and peered into the cast-iron pot steaming on the stove. It smells good.
Camp supper, she said. Its just whatevers at hand, tossed into a pot. Theres hamburger, potatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. I think Ill add some corn.
It wasnt gourmet. Cooking had never been one of her talents. In truth, Tenley wasnt really sure what she was good at. Right about the time she was ready to find out, her life had been turned upside down. Her grandfather was an artist and so was her father. And her mother was a poet, so creativity did run in her veins.
But like everything else in her world, shed been too afraid to invest any passion in her future for fear that it might slip through her fingers. So she chose to help her grandfather further his career by running his art gallery. At least she knew she was good at that, even though it was more of a job than a passion.
Alex retrieved a bottle of red wine from the cabinet and set it on the counter. She handed him a corkscrew and he deftly dispatched the cork and poured two glasses of Merlot. This is a nice place, he said.
It belonged to my grandparents. My great-grandfather built it for them as a wedding gift. After my grandmother died, my grandfather moved into town, and I moved here.
What do you do?
I was just going to ask you the same thing, Tenley said, deflecting his question. What brings you to Door County in the middle of a blizzard? It must be something very important.
Business, he replied. Im here to see an artist. T. J. Marshall. Do you know him?
Tenleys breath caught in her throat and for a moment she couldnt breathe. This man had come to see her grandfather? How was that possible? She was in charge of her grandfathers appointments and she didnt remember making one forOh, God. That was where she knew his name. Hed left a string of messages on her grandfathers voice mail. Something about publishing a novel. Her grandfather already worked with a publisher and he didnt write novels, so shed ignored the messages. I do. Everyone knows him. What do you want with him?
He sent us a graphic novel. I want to publish it.
Tenley frowned. Her grandfather painted landscapes. He didnt even know what a graphic novel was. She, however, did know. In fact, shed made one for Josh Barton, the neighbor boy, as a Christmas gift, a thankyou for caring for her animals. Do you have it with you? she asked, trying to keep her voice indifferent.
I do.
Could I see it?
Sure. Do you like graphic novels?
Ive read a few, she replied.
This one is incredible. Very dark. The guy who wrote this has got some real demons haunting him. Or hes got a great imagination. Its about a girl named Cyd who can bring people back from the dead.
Alex walked across the room to fetch his briefcase. Tenley grabbed her glass of wine and took three quick gulps. If this was her work, how had it possibly gotten into Alexs hands? Perhaps Josh had decided to start a career as an artists agent at age fourteen?
Alex returned with a file folder, holding it out to her. The story is loaded with conflict and its really edgy. Its hard to find graphic novels that combine great art with a solid story. And this has both.
Tenley opened the folder and immediately recognized the cover of Joshs Christmas gift. She sighed softly as she flipped through the photocopy. What had he done? Hed raved about the story, but shed never expected him to send a copy to a publisher. It had been a private little gift between the two of them, that was all. Josh had shared his love of the genre with her and shed made him a story of his very own. Shed never intended it for public consumption.
Tenley had always had a love-hate affair with her artistic abilities. Though establishing her own career in art might make sense to the casual observer, Tenley fought against it. She and her brother had always talked about striking out on their own, leaving Door County and finding work in a big city. Shed wanted to be an actress and Tommy had been interested in architecture.
But after the boating accident, Tenley had given up on dreams. Her parents had been devastated and their grief led to a divorce. There was a fight over where Tenley would live and in the end, they let her stay in Door County with her grandparents while they escaped to opposite coasts.
They still encouraged her to paint or sculpt or do anything worthy with her art. But putting herself out there, for everyone to see, made her feel more vulnerable than she already did. There were too many ways to get hurt, and so many expectations that could never be met. And now, the one time in years that shed put pen to paper had brought this man to her door. What were the odds?
This is interesting, she murmured. But I think someone is messing with you. T. J. Marshall paints landscapes. This isnt his work.
You know his work?
Yes. Everyone does. He has a gallery in town. You must be looking for another T. J. Marshall.
How many are there in Sawyer Bay? he asked.
Two, Tenley thought to herself. Thomas James and Tenley Jacinda. Only one, she lied.
And you know him. So you can introduce me. Tell me about him. How old is he? Whats his background? Has he done commercial illustration in the past?
What was she supposed to say? That Tenley Jacinda Marshall was the T. J. Marshall he was looking for? That she was twenty-six years old, had never formally studied art or design, and had spent her entire life in Door County? And that shed never intended anyone, outside of Josh Barton, to see her story?
I know this will sell. Its exactly what the market is looking for, Alex continued. A female protagonist, a story filled with moral dilemmas and great pictures.
Was he really interested in paying her for the story? It would be nice to have some extra cash. Horse feed and vet care didnt come cheap. And though her grandfather paid her well, she never felt as if she did enough to earn her salary. Still, with money came responsibility. She liked her life exactly the way it wasuncomplicated.
I think Ill make a salad, she said.
He reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her escape. Promise youll introduce me, Alex pleaded, catching her chin with his finger and turning her gaze to his. This is important.
All right, Tenley said. I will. But not tonight.
He laughed. No, not tonight. He bent close and dropped a quick kiss on her lips, then frowned. Are you ever going to tell me anything about yourself?