by Leigh Duncan
She leaned into the hand he slid along her jaw, and he cupped her face in his palm, drawing her closer until there was nothing between them except his earthy, woodsy scent. The salty taste of the peanuts they’d shared lingered on his lips. When he pressed them fully against hers, she opened to him. Gently, he ran his tongue over her bottom lip, his touch eliciting a soft moan. It was all the permission he needed to claim her fully.
Waves of exquisite pleasure rolled through her center while their tongues parried and danced. She sent her hands skimming up from his waist until they found the smooth planes of his back. She ran her fingers over soft fabric, kneading and clenching, wishing she dared slip them beneath his shirt. Trembling with the need to touch and be touched, she pressed against him.
She sucked in a sharp breath when he edged his hand from her waist to explore the curve of one breast. His touch drove her mad with longing, and her breasts grew tight at the low groan that rose from his chest. Knowing that soon only kissing wouldn’t be enough, she withdrew slightly. Trailing her fingertips over the rough sandpaper of his cheek, she traced the outline of his jaw. “Josh,” she whispered against his perfect lips. “I think—”
“Yeah.” He sighed hugely. His hand settled around her waist. She nestled against him, listening to the beat of their hearts while the last of the sun’s rays dipped below the hill.
Wishing she could hold on to the moment forever, she tipped her face to his. “Stay with me tonight?” she whispered.
Her heart sank when Josh winced. “You don’t know how much I want to do exactly that,” he murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head. “But I need to collect some soil samples before it gets too dark to see. And then I need to get back to the store. I’m on duty tonight.”
Squaring her shoulders, she brushed aside her disappointment. She wouldn’t be that woman—the clingy whiner, the demanding complainer. “Another time, then,” she said brightly.
“How ’bout tomorrow? I’m off all day.” He leaned down to nuzzle her neck. “All night, too,” he added. “We’ll hit the beach, catch some sun. And then…”
His breath against her sensitive skin sent chill bumps racing across her body. The finger he traced along her spine sent shivers of pleasure rippling through her.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “I’d like that.”
At the door to her villa, she settled for another of Josh’s amazing kisses—or three—before he turned and walked away, his hands in his pockets. Closing the door after his tuneless whistle faded into the distance, she leaned against it. She traced her lips where the touch and taste of Josh still lingered, and sighed.
She was a goner. The sooner she admitted it, the better off she’d be. She’d enjoyed spending the day with Josh far more than she had a right to do, and she wasn’t quite sure she understood why. It wasn’t like they’d done anything special. They hadn’t soaked up the rays at the beach or played in the gulf’s gentle surf. Hadn’t gone for a ride in an air balloon despite the two-for-one coupon she’d picked up in the lobby. As much as the idea of a couple’s massage turned her on, neither she nor Josh had expressed any interest in spending the day at the Casa Blanca Spa.
Still, she wouldn’t trade a moment of the time they’d spent together. Not for tickets to a Broadway play. Not for dinner and dancing in a swanky club. Not unless it was with the handsome, dark-haired man whose life was headed in a different direction from hers.
Yeah, about that…
Her cell phone chimed. Hoping against hope that Josh had changed his mind and was headed back to Casa Blanca, Charlie glanced at the screen. She straightened at David’s image. There was nothing quite like an unexpected call from the boss to put an end to romantic fantasies. She drew in a bracing breath and hit the accept button.
“Charlie, how’s it going in Mimosa Key? Have you gotten Charity Grambling’s signature yet?”
“No, but I’m having dinner with her Sunday evening. Her nephew, Josh, set it up.” Frowning, she pulled the band from her ponytail. She’d long admired David’s ability to remember every detail of a deal and didn’t believe for a second that he’d forgotten Charity wasn’t unavailable. So why had he called?
“I guess that’ll work, but I was expecting better from you.”
Sweat slicked her palm, making it difficult to hold on to the phone. How exactly was she to blame for a client who’d chosen family over business?
“I’m sorry about the delay,” she offered. “But it really is beyond my control. Charity’s on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean. She doesn’t exactly have cell phone service.”
Through the phone, she heard David tapping his pencil against a hard surface. The sound set her teeth on edge.
“Sunday, then,” he said at last. “In the meantime, a few new wrinkles have developed in the Favor Oil expansion. Are you alone so we can talk?”
She glanced around at the tastefully appointed villa that felt far too empty without Josh there to share it with her. “There’s no one here. We won’t be overheard.” Grabbing a pad and a pen, she put the phone on speaker and collapsed onto the couch, ready to take notes.
“First off, I wanted to warn you to expect a downsizing in Mergers and Acquisitions once the Favor deal wraps up. It looks like at least half the staff will be let go before the first of the year.”
Her stomach sank. In all likelihood, the company would wait until the week before Christmas to hand out the pink slips. W&B was all heart like that. She mustered up enough courage to ask, “And where, exactly, do I fall in that lineup?”
“First in, first out. That’s the usual rule. There are exceptions, and I want you to be one of them, but that hinges on your current assignment.”
“So, basically, complete the purchase of the Super Min or bring my resume up to date,” she said, jotting a note on her pad.
“I wouldn’t put it quite like that, but yes. I wish that were all, but Grant managed to land those six mom-and-pops I mentioned, plus one more.” Somberly, David doled out more bad news. “That gives him an edge over you since you both joined the firm about the same time. So you can see why I’m concerned, Charlie. You’re really going to need to step up if you have any hope of coming out on top.”
She tugged her lower lip between her teeth, stifling a protest. Yesterday, she’d been so far ahead of the rest of the pack that she’d agreed to take the weekend off. Now, she’d have to sign both the small stores she’d been negotiating with, plus the Super Min, just to stay in the game.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got this,” she said, although she felt a lot less certain than she had before. Not wanting to share her doubts with her boss, she prodded the conversation forward. “You said there were several things. What else is happening?”
“There is one more thing, but no one else in the office knows about it yet. I’m only telling you because I thought, if you ran into any problems down there, you’d need the added ammunition. You remember that survey Favor Oil had us run before they decided to acquire all the mom-and-pops?”
Annoyed by a strand that kept falling onto her forehead, she whipped her hair into a loose bun. “Yeah, I remember it. In all but one or two cases, the results supported renovations by a wide margin.”
“The Mimosa Key store was one of those exceptions. The age and general condition of the building make it expensive to bring old wiring and plumbing up to new codes. Favor Oil has taken another look at those figures and slated the Mimosa Key store for demo.”
“When?” The boiled peanuts she’d eaten earlier must have upset her stomach, because she suddenly felt nauseated. She swallowed dryly. “And how long will it take to rebuild?”
“Once construction actually starts, maybe twelve to fifteen months. The biggest problem will be getting the local government on board. I’ve heard people in Mimosa Key can be pretty resistant to change.”
You think?
Based on her experience with Josh, she’d say that was a definite. She collapsed against the sofa cushions.
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“Not a word of this can leak, Charlie. I’m only telling you because Favor wants to turn the Mimosa Key store into a flagship, of sorts. An example, if you will, of how to do things right. So a lot of eyes are focused on you right now. If you pull this off, it’ll be a definite feather in your cap at W&B.”
And if she didn’t?
With her eyes closed, she mouthed the words David expected to hear—that she was excited about this new opportunity, that she wouldn’t let him down. Blah. Blah. Blah. But as they said their good-byes, her thoughts raced.
Possibly more than a year without the Super Min? The ripple effect would spread throughout the community.
She felt a little more sick to her stomach when she considered the changes Favor would make to the store. The new owners would never agree to sell the boiled peanuts that had become her new favorite treat. The oil company would certainly put an end to free delivery service. While she couldn’t fathom the island’s white-haired senior citizens hobbling along sidewalks beneath a sweltering sun, as long as the Super Min existed, they’d still be able to get milk for their morning coffee. Destroying the store, though, would rip a huge hole in the very fabric of life on Mimosa Key.
Her head swam. This new plan was all well and good for Favor Oil, but what would happen to the people who depended on the Super Min? The tourists who crossed the bridge from Naples, intending to stock up at their favorite mom-and-pop would have to circle back and buy their snacks from a store on the other side of the bay. Josh, and others like him, would lose their jobs. Without the income he earned from the Super Min, his dream of starting his own vineyard would die on the vine before the first grape leaves unfurled.
How could she let that happen, much less be a part of it?
She squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn’t her problem. She didn’t live on Mimosa Key. She’d barely met any of its residents. She didn’t have to care. It wasn’t too late. She could still do her job and walk away.
Yeah, right.
If it was really nothing to her, why were her hands shaking? Why did her heart hurt for all the people whose lives would be affected by the store’s closure? Worse, why did her heart hurt so much she could barely breathe when she thought of Josh giving up his dream, losing his life savings, when she could prevent it?
Not if she loved him, she couldn’t.
She stopped, her heart hammering.
Did she love Josh? Had she, despite all her warnings to the contrary, despite her firm insistence that she wouldn’t, fallen head over heels in love with a man whose goals and dreams were at the opposite end of the spectrum from her own?
Twin rivers of tears ran down her cheeks. Heaven help her, she had.
She drew in a thready breath. Putting her new resolve into motion was the hardest thing she’d ever done, but she retrieved the phone from the coffee table where she’d abandoned it. After hitting the speed dial, she counted the rings until someone picked up. By the time she’d disconnected a few minutes later, she’d scheduled an appointment with David for Monday morning.
Which gave her roughly forty-eight hours to come up with a plan to save the Super Min. She pulled her laptop out of its case. Her fingers flew over the keys in search of ownership and sales records for mom-and-pop stores, facts and figures to back up her ideas. She kept at it for hours until, as the first rays of a new day struck the wide deck outside her villa, she shut down her computer and collapsed into bed.
In a few hours, Josh would arrive, expecting them to spend the day relaxing on the beach and making love. As much as she wanted to do exactly that, as much as she hated to disappoint him, their plans would have to wait. Because, right now, the only things that mattered were saving the Super Min and protecting Josh’s dreams of the future.
Chapter Four
Whistling, Josh made his way down Casa Blanca’s flower-lined path to the Rockrose. Whistling because he couldn’t believe how lucky he’d been to be standing behind the counter when Charlie walked into the Super Min. He’d never clicked with someone like he had with her. Had it really been only two days ago? It felt like he’d known her forever. Like a part of his soul had been searching for hers his entire life. Now that he had her, he didn’t want to ever let her go.
His footsteps slowed. The tuneless whistle died on his lips. Did he really want to spend the rest of his life with Charlie?
A shaft of sunlight arrowed down through a gap in the canopy of plants and bathed him in warmth. He nodded. He couldn’t imagine living without her. At some point, he’d fallen hook, line, sinker, rod and reel for the willowy blonde. No doubt about it, he was in love. Yet, the change had snuck up on him. He rubbed his forehead, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when he’d gone from being deeply in lust with a girl he liked to falling undeniably in love with the green-eyed beauty.
He was pretty sure it hadn’t been while she shared stories from her childhood over lunch yesterday. When she recalled how excited she’d gotten about the hand-me-down outfit she’d worn on her first day of school, his gut had actually twisted. But that had been sympathy, not love. Later, when she admitted she’d been in college before she realized that not everyone shopped at Goodwill, he’d nearly given in to an urge to buy out an entire shopping mall for her. As powerful as that urge had been, however, it hadn’t been love.
Nor had he fallen for her when they visited the property near the harbor. He’d wanted that piece of land in the worst way. Wedged between the highway and the water, the busy site made an ideal spot for The Grape, but not for a vineyard. Still, he’d considered purchasing the site until he noticed the frown that bunched Charlie’s eyebrows and pursed her delicious lips. It had been refreshing to hear someone disagree with him, refuse to back down until she’d voiced her concerns. Salt blowing off the water would stunt the vines, she’d insisted. And wouldn’t diesel fumes from the boats taint the grapes? She was right, of course, and, from that moment on, he’d looked at her with a new respect for her intelligence and knowledge. But that alone hadn’t been enough to make him fall in love with her.
Maybe he’d lost heart and soul to her when they kissed.
He shook his head. As amazing as that experience had been, as responsive as Charlie was to his touch, as much as he ached for her, this wasn’t his first dance. He knew it took more than lust to form the basis for a lifelong commitment.
So, no. He couldn’t say when he’d fallen for Charlie. But he had. Completely. His heart in his hand, he rapped on the door, eager to get the day started. He wanted to fill the next twenty-four hours with sun and sand. With long talks and room service. With promises that led to a night of passion. He couldn’t wait to confess his love and hear her whisper the same words in return.
But what if she didn’t?
He stilled. Silently, he let his hand fall to his side as doubt shook him to his very core. He was so used to having women throw themselves at his feet that he guessed he’d never stopped to consider the alternative. That maybe, just maybe, Charlie didn’t feel the same way about him. And why would she? She was a rising star at W&B, one of the most prestigious finance offices in the state. She was going places. Women like her didn’t fall for the plain ol’ Joshes of the world. They didn’t give their hearts to clerks at the local convenience store. And that’s all he was to her, wasn’t it?
But if he told her the truth…
Groaning, he stumbled back a step. While it was true that the moment he crossed the bridge from Mimosa Key to Naples, he’d resume his position as one of the wealthiest men in America, he couldn’t risk getting involved with another woman who loved him only for his money. He’d made that mistake—with Bessie and with others before her—often enough that he’d earned the proverbial T-shirt. He couldn’t use his wealth, his prestige to win Charlie’s heart. She had to love him for who he was, not what he owned, or they’d never have a future together.
“Well, this is a fine kettle of boiled peanuts,” he muttered.
Realizing he’d created the situation himself,
he reached down deep, summoning more courage than he’d needed when he applied for his first expansion loan, and knocked on Charlie’s door. His excitement for the day ahead of them took another hit when she answered wearing a wrinkled T-shirt and capris. Barefoot, she’d shoved her hair into a messy twist he was more than halfway certain she hadn’t combed since rolling out of bed that morning. If, that was, she’d spent any time in bed at all. Which was doubtful, considering the dark shadows under her eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked. Concern swept through him. He felt for his cell phone, determined to overrule her objections and send for his private physician if she had even the slightest fever.
“I’m fine, but I must look a sight.” She ran a hand through the bird’s nest of hair. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop. There’s just so much to do.”
“You need a rain check?” he asked, aware their time on Mimosa Key grew shorter with every minute. By midweek, he’d be back in Atlanta, his brief respite from the responsibilities of running a multinational company at an end.
“Um, no. Well, yes.” She tugged on his hand. “Come in, please? We need to talk.”
“Talk?” Unease sank its icy claws into his stomach. Was this it? Had she decided a poor boy from Mimosa Key had no place in her life? He gulped, certain she was about to give him the brush-off. Refusing to cross her threshold, his stubborn feet sank their roots into the wooden deck outside her door. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it here and now.” He squared his shoulders, determined to take the news like a man and hide his heartbreak until he was alone. Bracing himself, he stared at the confusion that swam lazy laps in Charlie’s green eyes.
“You’re not going to break up with me?” he whispered.
“Why would I do that?” The saucy grin he’d grown so fond of played around her lips. “It’s not like that at all, Josh. I’ve been up all night trying to find a way to save the Super Min. I think I’ve found an answer, but it’s going to take both of us to get the job done.”