The Palisade (Lavender Shores)

by Rosalind Abel

  Very good thing Andrew Kelly hadn’t stayed the night. The man was dangerous.

  Even as I nearly jogged the rest of the way down the stairs and onto the street, I wondered if I’d see him again. It was a small town. I’d already decided I was going to stay the extra night, needed or not, on the off-chance Andrew came back to the bar later. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d wanted the same man two nights in a row.

  In fact, I could extend my stay even longer. Maybe five nights through the weekend.

  Holy shit, Joel, shut the fuck up.

  I didn’t bother taking in the stores or architecture as I sped along the sidewalk, glancing at the business names and looking for the right one. Half of them had Lavender on their sign. Lavender Shores might be known for its beauty and high quality of life, but it seemed the people didn’t have too much originality.

  Then I was there, Lavender Realty. I actually passed it before the name sunk in. After slowing, I went back to the front door, took a deep breath to calm my breathing, and walked in to the ring of a little chime overhead.

  “One second,” someone said from somewhere down a hall. From those two words, I identified the voice as belonging to the woman I had spoken to the other day. Her accent was even more pronounced in person. Shit. I started to dig into my satchel, though I doubted I had time. Name, name, name. Crap. What had Andrew done to me?

  When she rounded the corner, I quit worrying about her name and focused all my attention on keeping my expression neutral. I’d slipped back in time into an episode of Dynasty—my mother had watched that show religiously. Although this live version had been blended with Dallas.

  Her name came to me when she was a few feet away, preparing to offer her hand. Mrs. Bryant was probably in her fifties or sixties and all of five foot nothing, but wearing drag queen heels, with a mound of Texas-sized blonde hair to match. Between the two, a powder-blue power suit, with pads wide enough to nearly match my own shoulders. “Why, you must be Mr. Rhodes. So nice to meet you, dear. Goodness, you’re pretty.”

  She took my words away. She couldn’t be for real, could she?

  I took her ring-encrusted hand and gave a light squeeze. “Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Bryant.”

  She waved her hand through the air as soon as I released it. “Oh, call me Regina. The last thing I want is a handsome man calling me Mrs. anything. Unless it’s Mrs. Robinson, in your case.” She winked a fluttering false-eyelashed eye. “Just don’t tell my husband.” She giggled.

  Again, there were no words. Not a one.

  I was fairly certain she wasn’t actually flirting, not really. At least, I thought so. Either way, I’d made the right call choosing grooming over town knowledge. This was going to be a piece of cake. Thank God. Despite my father’s refusal to put me in a higher role in the company, we both knew he chose me for this because I could close nearly impossible deals even better than he could. Lavender Shores was supposed to be the crown jewel of impossible deals, at least within a hundred-mile radius from San Francisco. Apparently, those rumors hadn’t been well-founded. I was going to have Mrs. Regina Robinson Bryant wrapped around my finger in a matter of minutes. I’d put money on the contract being signed by five o’clock, with her having no idea who I really was. Signed, sealed, and delivered. My father wouldn’t be able to make an excuse this time. Not unless he wanted to admit he feared I’d outshine him.

  Still, it wouldn’t hurt to stay in town the extra nights, even if the deal was done. I could postpone gloating to my father for a couple of days for the chance of round two with Andrew.

  Regina motioned back down the hallway. “Follow me, sweetie.”

  Despite her appearance, neither the essence of Texas nor the eighties were present in her office. It was modern and sleek, with windows looking out on a small portion of woods just outside.

  She took a seat behind her glass-topped desk, making a show of crossing her legs and smoothing her skirt. With a long mauve-tipped fingernail, she brought her computer to life. “All right, my dear, let’s find your dream home. I have five different properties to show you today. I’m certain one of them will suit.” As she took a business approach, her twang lessened a bit. “If not, I promise I’ll find the right one for you. I’m sure you know there’s a limited supply of options in Lavender Shores, but if we can’t find something at the moment, you never know when one might open up.”

  Maybe I’d heard wrong. “My dream home?”

  Regina smiled, nodded, and then angled the large monitor toward me, tapping it with her nail. “Now, this first one is the rarest. It dates back to the town’s founding in 1943. Well, I guess a couple of years after the founding, but close enough. It’s in gorgeous condition and has been updated.”

  “I think there’s been—”

  She didn’t let me finish. “Unfortunately that update was in the seventies, so there will need to be more renovations, doubtlessly. You seem like a very modern young man. And while we have strict guidelines on what can be done to the exteriors, you have free rein on the inside.” She waved a hand in the air again, interrupting herself. “Well, no, not on this property, actually. With homes built before 1960, you can’t tear down walls as such, unless you’re going to rebuild the original layout, but you can update finishes and everything.” She finally looked away from the computer, offering me a smile. “Will that be a problem for you? If you’re intent on newer construction, we can skip this one, though I can’t imagine turning down such a historical landmark of the town. Those don’t come around very often and typically have quite a waiting list.”

  Now that she’d taken time for a breath, I gave an apologetic wince. “I’m so sorry, Mrs., er, Regina; there’s been a mix-up somewhere. I’m not here for a home. I’m looking to open a business.”

  Her drawn-on brows knitted; she looked down at her file and then back up. “Really?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” I had no idea how I’d given her the impression I was looking for a house. Hopefully this was just a glitch, and there were options for commercial property available at the moment. Otherwise, it would be my father gloating instead of me.

  She clucked her tongue. “Well, if this isn’t a yellow jacket in the outhouse.”

  I flinched. “Pardon me?”

  Regina sucked in a breath, and her eyes widened. “Oh, of course. Of course.” She gave a long slow nod in my direction. “Did you call me on a Tuesday?”

  “On a…?” I thought back. “I’m not sure which evening it was. Sorry.”

  Another nod. “Evening. Yes. I’m sure it was a Tuesday, then.” She leaned forward, her ample cleavage pushing at the pale pink silk under the blue blazer. “I have a slight drinking problem, but just on Tuesdays. The girls and I have book club and wine coolers on Tuesday afternoons. I’m so sorry.”

  I waited for a punch line, but after a moment, I gave up. “No problem.” Except for it being the biggest problem possible. “Do you happen to have any properties zoned commercial that are available?”

  She shook her head. “You know, I’m sure we do, but I haven’t the foggiest. I hate worrying over commercial. Such a pain. However, I can turn you over to the young man who handles that for me. I hate to do it when you and I have already started a working relationship, but I’m certain he’d be able to help you with this.” She sat up a little straighter at her next thought. “If you do find a commercial property to meet your needs, you’ll obviously be moving here, so then you can come back to me.” She gestured toward the computer. “Would you like me to keep this property in your file for consideration?”

  Why would I move here? “Uhm, sure. That’s fine. Is there a chance I can talk to the man you mentioned? Today, hopefully. I do need to get a move on.” Although, that would be a great reason to stay in town longer. Maybe a week filled with Andrew. Discover just how many ways I could make his body tremble.

  “Oh, absolutely! He’s got some showings this afternoon, but let me call him and see if he doesn’t mind coming in early.�
��

  Thankfully, she got hold of him, and he was scheduled to arrive in half an hour, which gave me some time to peruse the file on Lavender Shores. Not as much as I needed, but at least it was something. Enough to make sense of Regina’s comment about moving to town.

  Not only did Lavender Shores not allow chain businesses of any sort—which I knew, and why my father had sent me—but there was also a requirement that all businesses be owned by residents of the town. Well, that I hadn’t planned on. Nor had Dad specified that minor detail, though I was certain he’d been aware. God, he drove me crazy. The tests never stopped. Ever. Three-and-a-half decades of task after task to determine if I was worthy of the Rhodes and Harvest Coffee legacy. The fucker.

  Whatever, there’d be a way around this. Just like the loophole with the no chain businesses. I’d find it. Then shove it in his face.

  Five

  Andrew

  Folding my arms, I leaned against the brick wall as I stared down the alley. It seemed penises were going to be the theme of the day, which was fitting. I’d barely slept due to thinking about Joel’s. Well, not just that part of him. Joel’s everything. When the sun came up, the thoughts hadn’t vacated. I’d even considered going back to the Blue Blossom, sneaking up to the top floor, and seeing if he wanted to have me for breakfast.

  Then I remembered I wasn’t pathetic or a stalker. Well, at least I wasn’t a stalker; the amount of time that morning spent replaying being in Joel’s bed indicated fairly high marks on the pathetic scale. My mother’s text sending me on an errand for my role as a lesser member of the city council had been almost a relief, even if such tasks were little more than grunt work. So there I was, alone in an alley, surrounded by spray-painted renditions of every size, shape, and color of penis imaginable.

  I take it back. I didn’t get fairly high marks on the pathetic scale. There was a penis, a pink one, painted right at the corner of the alley that opened up to Bluff’s Boulevard that curved up at the right angle to bring to mind Joel’s dick. The way it was shaped just the right way to hit my prostate with nearly every thrust. Yeah. Getting an erection while staring at graffiti pretty much meant my pathetic scale rating was off the charts.

  My phone vibrated, and I felt my cheeks heat. I wasn’t going to answer my mother’s call in the midst of an erection issue. I checked the screen. Nope. My boss and my best friend’s mother. Weird enough, but at least it wasn’t my actual mom. I hit Accept and listened to her fluttered dilemma. Sure enough, problem solved. For the first time all morning, all thoughts of cock were erased. Which was a relief, actually.

  After ending the call with her, I texted my mother, letting her know the graffiti was as bad as had been reported and it would probably cost a small fortune to get it fixed, especially on such last-minute’s notice. She’d be able to handle that, as well as the witch hunt for the tourist or Lavender Shores teenager who fancied themselves an erotic artist.

  I cast a longing glance at the perfectly curved pink penis, rising another rung up the pathetic scale, and walked the block to work.

  Both my blush and my erection surged back to life as I stepped through the door of Lavender Realty and saw Joel Rhodes sitting in one of the lobby chairs. I must have gasped, because he looked up at me and flinched, his eyes going wide.

  I looked over at Regina, who hadn’t missed a beat.

  “Oh…” She glanced at Joel and then back at me. Then back at Joel, her smiled growing. “Oh.” She chuckled softly. “Well, it looks like introductions aren’t needed. Please remember that we’re in the business of selling properties and not your personal assets as you take Mr. Rhodes on some showings.” She continued chuckling as she went back to her office.

  Dear God, was I that obvious? Yes, of course I was. Though I prayed she hadn’t noticed what was happening in my pants.

  I waited to see if she’d shut her office door. There was a click, thankfully, and I turned my attention to Joel. “Hey. You’re here.”

  The corner of his lips curved into the beginning of that smile from the night before but didn’t quite make it all the way, causing him to look completely confused. “Yeah. As are you.”

  I thought he looked happy to see me, but I wasn’t sure. From the way my heart was thudding, I wasn’t certain if I was happy to see him or simply terrified. “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking at property.” Joel’s gaze darted toward the hallway, then back. “You’re not the other agent, the one who deals with commercial real estate are you?”

  I nodded. “Yep. That’s me.”

  The expression that crossed his face took away the notion he was glad to see me. I could quite literally see Oh Shit! run through his mind.

  “Is that okay?”

  For the first time since I’d met him—granted, that had only been a few hours before—Joel Rhodes wasn’t graceful. “Uhm, I…” He licked his bottom lip. “I… Yeah. Of course.” He smiled. This was one I hadn’t seen before. Not sweet. Not promising to devour my body. But one I imagined he gave to clients, or business people, or his tax guy.

  Fuck. This was going to suck. “If you’re uncomfortable, I can get the list of properties together and give them to Regina. She can show them to you.”

  He shot out of the chair. “No.” He cleared his throat, and then his voice was normal. “No. Not at all. I just wasn’t expecting to see you until toni—I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

  Not graceful and then flustered. Maybe he was happy to see me. Maybe too much? Good God, I hoped so.

  Why hope that? So what if he was glad to see me? He was here on business. He wasn’t staying. But he was looking at property, so maybe…

  Pathetic scale. Pathetic scale. Oh my God, pathetic scale. Take it down a notch, Kelly. Or a thousand.

  “Okay, if you’re sure then follow me to my office, and I’ll pull up some listings. I don’t have another client until noon, so I could show you a couple, if you have time.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I actually have all day. That’s what I scheduled with Regina. I figured I’d pick a place today and then use tomorrow to finalize plans.”

  The thought of him planning to make such a huge decision and purchase within a matter of hours fit the mental picture I’d formed of him easily. Take charge; get what he wants. Never stutter or stumble. Yet… “Great, well, let’s get going. I’m sorry I don’t have all day like Regina, but I should be done with my other clients by five or so. If you… uhm… need more time.”

  There was that grin. Wicked and full of promises. Thank God. It wasn’t all in my mind. “Oh, I’ll definitely need more time. No doubt.”

  My brain fried, along with my power of speech.

  I was going to end up in his bed again. Holy shit.

  I motioned at the hallway with my chin and headed toward my office, deciding it was safer to avoid attempting intelligible speech. My office was directly across from Regina’s, which normally was great. She was a hoot, but I’d give anything to be as far away from her as possible at the moment.

  Joel followed me in and stepped aside to allow me to shut the door, his gaze following my every move.

  As soon as the door clicked, his hands were on me. Rough and strong. He pulled me around, and his right hand found its spot at the back of my head again as he covered my lips with his.

  His kiss was a bit desperate, his mouth enveloping mine, his tongue exploring my depths. He smelled of soap, obviously from the hotel as it left him slightly lavender scented.

  He pushed his weight into me, and we fell against the door with a bang, his body pressed against mine, his hardness erasing any doubt of his desire for me, if his kiss had left any at all.

  Everything disappeared. The office, the lights, the sound of the nearby river, Lavender Shores. Hell, California might have crumbled into the ocean, and all I’d know was the feel of his heat, the pressure of his hands capturing me, the ache of my body, and the stirrings of a new kind of longing deep in my chest.

  I lifted my hands to
either side of his face, his short beard wonderfully scratchy against my palms. At my touch, he grunted and thrust against me. Once, twice, then again. Each time banging against the door. The fourth time—or maybe the tenth, who the fuck knew—the sound broke the magic, and the world came back. I managed to pull away slightly. “Wait.”

  “What?” He was panting.

  So was I. “Wait.” I sucked in my breath. “My boss. Across the hall.”

  “So?”

  He had a point. I started to kiss him again and then stopped, picturing her face. “No, I can’t, sorry. She’s my boss but also my best friend’s mom. She’s practically my second mom. I can’t do this with her in the next room.”

  “Oh.” He heaved a heavy sigh then stepped back, giving me a little room but not much. “Okay. We can just go to my place and—” Whatever he thought poured over him like cold water. He took a step back, breaking contact. He nodded, ran his hand over his beard a couple of times, breathed deeply, and then nodded again with finality. “Right, okay.” He looked at me again, gave a partial Joel smile which transformed it to the one I’d seen in the lobby. “Okay. Business. That’s why I am here. That’s the point.” Another sigh and he motioned to the desk. “Let’s look at properties.”

  The sting of rejection bit at me, which was ridiculous. He obviously wanted me, and I’d been the one who’d halted things. But the walls went up behind his green eyes so quickly it was chilling. I tried to shake it off. He was only respecting my wishes. I needed to get a grip. “Sure. Let’s do that.” I crossed the room, careful not to accidentally touch him in the small space, took my seat behind the desk, and powered up my computer. “While that’s loading, why don’t you tell me about your business?”

  “Of course, you don’t know that yet.” A sad expression crossed his face, but then it was gone. “I’m looking at opening a coffee shop. Coffee shop and pastry bar type of thing.”