“Is that the beach?” Cash asked, straining to see my secret spot.
“Yup, it's the best part of this house. You can't even tell from the front.”
“No kidding, this is an amazing spot,” he said, settling into the chair and crossing his foot over his knee. He turned to look at me and I felt that low tug of lust again. I sighed, shaking my head a bit.
“What?”
“You're just too ridiculously good-looking,” I laughed, surprised at myself.
“Thanks, I think?” he said, cracking a smile that I'm sure would have thousands of women falling at his feet.
“That smile must help you in negotiations,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him, and he laughed.
“It doesn't hurt. You're not so bad yourself, Ms. Althea. I saw you enter the tiki bar the other night and couldn't take my eyes off of you.”
I blushed but couldn't help smiling. Damn, if this man had this much game, I was toast.
“Thanks, everyone says that,” I said cheekily, tossing my hair over my shoulder but giving him a smile to let him know I was joking. He laughed at me and raised his glass to clink against mine.
“I look forward to getting to know you better. Maybe you can fill me in on the town a bit,” Cash said, leaning over to pop a cube of cheese into his mouth. I had to draw my eyes away from his lips.
“Well, it's a small town in its own right…are you really moving down here?” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“I am.”
“From where?”
“Boston.”
“Boston? Won't you find this to be a bit of a slower pace?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes, but the cold gets annoying after a while. There's so much beauty here. And…there's money to be made,” Cash said.
“I suppose. I'd love to learn more about what you are working on here, aside from Beau's new restaurant – which I am over the moon about, by the way.”
“He's great,” Cash said, further working his way into my heart by complimenting my best friend.
“I know. There's so much good in him…ugh, I just love him,” I gushed.
“I suspect the restaurant's going to be a huge hit.”
“We certainly could use some more upscale dining,” I agreed. “Speaking of…where are we going to dinner?”
“The next Key over. A nice little restaurant on the water,” Cash said easily. For some reason, the thought of leaving town made me flash back to Janelle's angry face earlier today. Did he want to take me to dinner out of town so people wouldn't know that we had gone on a date? Wondering if he was lining up dates with women all over the place, I nibbled at my lip.
“Something wrong with that? I figured you'd like a change of pace,” Cash said, raising an eyebrow at me.
“No, that's fine. Probably for the best, you know, small towns love to gossip. Pretty much everyone knows everyone else's business here,” I said lightly, hoping he could read the underlying warning in my voice.
“Yes, that will take some getting used to,” Cash agreed and finished his beer.
“Would you like another?”
“We should get going, our reservations are in a half hour. Do you want help cleaning up?” Cash asked, the consummate gentleman.
“Please, I need to get Hank in and feed him,” I said, turning to call for Hank. “Hank, you hungry?”
Hank raced up the yard and barreled past us to dance in front of his dish.
We both laughed and I shook my earlier concerns off of my shoulders. I was a psychic, wasn't I? It would be hard to pull something over on me. There was no reason for me to be worried. Determined to let myself enjoy a nice dinner with a handsome man without looking for ulterior motives, I shrugged off my concerns and moved to Cash, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.
“What was that for?” he asked, a look of pleasant surprise crossing his face. His hands automatically came to rest at my waist and a shiver raced through me at his touch.
“Thanks for the flowers,” I said sweetly and moved from his grasp, hearing a muffled groan behind me. I bit down on a laugh and turned to him.
“Alright, cutie, show me your fancy dinner place.”
“My pleasure,” Cash said, excitement lighting up his face.
Well, if this was going to end badly, my spidey senses weren't tingling.
And so help me, even if it was – I was all in.
Chapter Nine
“A crab shack?” I said, laughing as we pulled up to a quaint-looking shack tucked just off the highway on a long stretch of rocky beach.
“You haven't been here? I'm surprised,” Cash said, coming around to open my door. He drove a new four-door Jeep Wrangler in white, and seeing him at the wheel had prompted a vivid fantasy of us camping together.
Without our clothes.
“I…I haven't,” I said, smiling up at him as he took my hand to pull me from the car. Our bodies brushed and I just wanted to lean in and take a little nip at his throat, but instead I moved past him, pretending to be unaffected.
“It's great. This is my second time here. Though it looks fairly casual from the outside, the interior is really nice,” Cash said, taking my hand and helping me down a flagstone path.
“Good, I was about to say…I'm probably overdressed,” I said lightly, concentrating on not catching my wedge heels on the stones and trying not to get overly excited about holding Cash's hand.
“Nah, you'll be fine,” Cash said and stopped to hold the door open for me, letting out the scent of butter and garlic.
“Mmm, smells amazing,” I said as I stepped into a surprisingly charming dining room. Tables with gray linen cloths were clustered together and fat candles sputtered in the middle of each. Black-and-white photos of the ocean were printed and framed with driftwood on the walls.
“This is great,” I said, turning to smile at Cash.
“Isn't it?” He nodded to the hostess. “Table for Williams.”
“Yes, sir, just this way,” the young blonde said, flipping her hair back and motioning for us to squeeze through the tables until we reached a spot right by the window.
“This is great,” I repeated as I sat, pulling a napkin onto my plate and turning to look out to where the sun was beginning to dip into the horizon. A breeze tickled my nose and the lilting sound of steel drums could be heard over the patrons' chatter.
“They don't just have crab…I may get the lobster too,” Cash said, smiling at me, and my heart skipped a beat just looking at his face. He seemed so happy, so at ease with who he was, it was like a low hum of power and sexuality vibrated from him.
“I'm down for crab,” I said easily, flipping my menu closed.
“Do you drink?”
“I do, yes, but rarely heavily,” I said, smiling at him.
“Ah, I wasn't sure if it, uh, affected things,” he said, pointing to my head.
I tilted my head at him, confused, before realizing he was referencing my psychic gift.
“Oh! Yes, if I have more than two or three drinks, I won't see clients in the morning because a hangover could cloud any visions I might get,” I said, stopping as our waitress approached and rattled off the dinner specials.
“We'll have a bottle of the Chablis,” Cash said to her, turning to raise an eyebrow in question at me. I nodded my acceptance and I was secretly thrilled at having a man order for me. I wouldn't like it all the time, but I liked knowing he was willing to take control and make decisions too.
Perhaps I'd dated too many wimpy men in my life, I mused.
“So, before we were interrupted, you were saying that you won't drink much if you have clients,” Cash said, smiling as the waitress came back with a bottle in an ice bucket and two glasses. I was pleased to see a steaming basket of cornbread accompanied the wine.
“I don't. I try to be the best at what I do and I don't think it's fair to give a reading if I'm not clear-headed. That goes for if I'm sick too,” I said, nodding when Cash held up the breadbasket. Reaching in, I sn
agged a chunk of bread and broke it into two pieces on my plate.
“That's ethical,” Cash agreed.
“Yeah, you wouldn't think it, but psychics have a code of ethics just like every other business,” I said as I spread butter on my bread. Taking a bite, I groaned as the bread all but melted in my mouth.
“Good?” Cash laughed.
“So good. I can tell this place is going to be great already,” I said.
“What other rules do you abide by in your business?”
“Well, for one, you don't mess with someone's fate,” I said, reaching for my glass of wine.
“How so?”
I shrugged, allowing the sweet liquid to cool my throat before continuing.
“You can't sugar coat stuff for people or tell them what they want to hear. For one, it's not good business. Even if in the moment it would make the client happy, down the road they'll realize that you were lying when things don't go the way they wanted and they'll never come back to you.”
“So you base your business on being honest, which in turn gives you good word-of-mouth,” Cash said.
“I do,” I said and felt guilt creeping up my throat as I flashed back to Renaldo's reading earlier that day. “Hey, um, how do you know Renaldo?”
“Renaldo? He's working with a group of investors we are courting to finish funding in a few properties. There are some potential condo developments out past Port Atticus.”
“Hmm,” I said.
“Why?”
“Cash, great to see you again,” a voice boomed out, interrupting our conversation and causing me to jump in my seat. I groaned as I saw Theodore Whittier pushing his way through the tables, his ruddy face glowing with a thin sheen of sweat.
“Theodore,” Cash said and then when Theodore didn't look at me, he put his hand out towards me. “And I'm sure you know my date, Althea Rose.”
Theodore bristled and turned, giving me a curt nod.
“Althea.”
“Theodore, just a real pleasure to see you again,” I said, allowing sarcasm to slip into my voice.
Theodore sniffed.
“So this is who you cancelled our evening plans for?” he asked Cash, barely containing his annoyance.
“Yes,” Cash said simply, offering no explanation. I really needed to take lessons from this man on being the powerful one in a conversation, I thought.
“You know she's a…psychic, right? A kook? I would be careful with her,” Theodore said and my mouth dropped open.
“Careful there, Theodore, or I'll tell the whole room what color your underwear is,” I said, smiling sweetly at Theodore.
His face turned an even darker shade of red and he began to puff, looking like a fish out of water.
“I'll have to ask you to go now, Theodore, as I'm on a date with this beautiful psychic, and insulting her is not part of my plan tonight,” Cash said, holding Theodore's eyes before turning to reach for my hand and bringing it to his lips.
A snort of laughter escaped me and I waited to see how Theodore would respond.
“Yes, so sorry to disturb you. I hope we can have that meeting this week,” Theodore said weakly and turned, not bothering to acknowledge me as he bumped through the tables, barreling his way to the door.
Cash raised an eyebrow at me.
“What color underwear am I wearing?” he asked, and all the embarrassment that Theodore had caused slipped from me and was replaced with a very healthy zing of lust.
“I guess I'll have to find out,” I said, looking up at him in what I hoped was a very sexy manner.
“I look forward to it,” Cash said, with a husky timbre in his voice that made me shiver.
“Excuse me,” the waitress said and I jumped back, pulling my hand from his as bowls of crabs were dropped in front of us.
“So, are you an only child?” Cash asked and I breathed out a little, glad the tension had passed, grateful that Cash hadn't made a big deal of Theodore being a jerk.
“Yes, I am. Okay, question…you were supposed to have dinner with Theodore tonight?” I asked, wanting clarification on Janelle's little rant earlier in the day.
“With him and his wife and another couple,” Cash said, spearing a piece of crab with his fork. “They are interested in maybe buying into the condo development.”
Huh. Looked like Janelle hadn't actually had a real date with Cash. Which made me wonder why she wanted to make it seem like she had…
“So an only child…” Cash prompted.
“Oh, yes, an only child to a professor of music and a world-renowned psychic. My childhood was colorful, eclectic, and exactly what I needed.”
“Wait…Rose. Is your mom the Abigail Rose?” Cash said, his mouth dropping open.
“The one and only,” I said, breaking off another piece of cornbread, watching Cash absorb the news.
“Wow, she's famous. So that would mean…your gift is just as strong as hers?”
“She's better in some respects. She's been doing it longer too,” I said.
“I'm so fascinated by all of this. Kudos to you for continuing the family tradition and making money from it,” Cash said, raising his glass to me in a toast.
“Well, thank you. Not everyone is always that excited about my gift,” I admitted.
“Sure, I suspect it can be off-putting for some people,” Cash said. “Either people who have something to hide or aren't comfortable with themselves.”
“That's an excellent assessment, sir,” I said, tilting my head at him and appraising him more deeply. It wasn't often that someone could size up the nuances that came with being a psychic.
“You'll have to give me a reading sometime,” Cash said.
“I'd love to. So, gay brother? Tell me about your family,” I said, wanting to learn more about him.
“Three brothers and one younger sister who constantly defies our wishes,” Cash said, his eyes lighting up as he talked about his family. “My dad runs a construction company and I've worked with him off and on through the years. Mom's an attorney and as sharp as a tack. There is no crossing that woman.”
“Sounds like you all love each other a lot,” I said.
“We do. You'll meet them soon enough as I'm sure they'll follow me down here to check out what I'm getting into,” Cash said and signaled to the waitress.
My mouth went dry at his casual assumption that I would meet his family. Was he already talking about a future together? Clamping down on the giddiness I felt rising up, I tried to get out of my head and live in the moment. One date did not equal a future together. I barely knew this man.
“Do you like horror movies?” I asked, interrupting him.
“Horror movies? God no,” Cash said.
“Me either,” I said, feeling a little sense of relief.
“How do you feel about Mad Men?” he asked, figuring out what I was doing.
“Ugh, so dry. Hate it,” I admitted.
“Me too!”
We both laughed and clinked our glasses again. The sun had set and a rosy glow from the candles made our table seem more intimate. Cash leaned over the table until his face was closer to mine.
“I'd like to have another drink,” he said.
“Okay,” I said, staring into his light eyes.
“At your house,” he said, his look full of meaning.
“Oh, um, yes, sure, I'd like that,” I said, mentally kicking myself for stumbling over my words.
“I'll get the check.”
A million thoughts battered my nervous brain on the car ride home. I kept thinking about if I had made my bed or if I had my cute bra on. Nerves skittered through my stomach and I did my best to keep up the conversation until Cash pulled his Jeep up in front of my house. Sitting in the front seat, waiting for Cash to open the door, I blew out a breath.
“Shall we?” Cash said, holding my door open for me.
“We shall,” I said, smiling up at him and allowing him to pull me from the car. I brushed past him, not meeting his eyes, k
nowing he wanted to kiss me but not being willing to give our neighbors a show. Looking up, I saw a blind twitch and groaned to myself. The gossip mills would be churning.
Mental note – Cash's car couldn't be out front all night, I thought as I unlocked the door and immediately bent to pet Hank who was doing his crazy welcome home barks.
“He's a feisty guy, huh?”
“Yes and no. He's either all on or totally off,” I said as I moved to the kitchen, turning on lights along the way. I gestured towards a couch.
“Have a seat, I'll bring you a beer?”
“Perfect,” Cash said, easing onto a red couch and bending over to pet Hank. Hank immediately jumped up next to him and circled three times before curling into a ball next to Cash.
I sighed as I walked over and watched Cash stroke Hank's back. I knew that I should make Cash go, but he was just making it so hard not to want a taste of him.
“Here you go,” I said, handing him a beer and setting my glass on the table in front of him as I eased onto the couch next to Cash, turning a bit and pulling one knee up beside me.
Cash leaned over and put his drink on the table before turning to me.
I swear the temperature went up by ten degrees as he moved closer to me, placing one hand beside my arm and the other on my waist.
“I don't like small talk,” Cash said, moving until his lips hovered inches from mine.
“Me either,” I whispered and then in a flash, he slid his lips over mine, pulling me into his heat.
Raw power and edgy lust shot over me and I lowered my mental shields, allowing myself to revel in the essence of Cash, getting more turned on by being able to read just how much he wanted me. His seduction was level expert, and I was going down for the count.
Ffffppppt!
Oh shit.
Cash pulled away from me, both eyebrows raised as I bit my bottom lip and tried desperately not to laugh.
“Was that Hank?” Cash asked incredulously. His nose crinkled as Hank's gift wafted over him.
“We'd better move,” I suggested, my shoulders shaking with laughter, as Cash and I made a beeline for the kitchen.
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