One Hot Summer Anthology

by Morris , Stephanie

  One Hot Summer Anthology

  Stephanie Morris

  One Hot Summer Anthology

  Copyright © 2013 by Stephanie Morris

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  ISBN-13: 978-1484950302

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  Slow Burn

  Stephanie Morris

  Dedication

  To my friend Katrena. I had you in mind when I wrote this one. Here’s to a little summer fun.

  Chapter One

  Imani Westbrook did her best not to squirm as she felt the heat from the intense stare zoom in on her. She knew who it belonged to and berated herself for stepping foot back inside of Baxter’s, but damn it, the lobster roll was so good.

  She took another bite of the creamy lobster sandwich and tried to contain her moan of pleasure. Food this good should be a crime. The man responsible for creating it was.

  Imani closed her eyes and enjoyed the taste while she did her best to ignore all of the outside distractions. She should be back at the beach house painting, but she couldn’t focus. Her life was in shambles. It was the reason why she’d come to Myrtle Beach to begin with.

  Several weeks ago she’d lost her job when the company she’d worked at for the last ten years downsized and relocated halfway across the country. On one hand, losing her job had been heartbreaking. On the other it’d been a wakeup call. She’d never been truly happy with her job, but it paid well so she’d stuck with it until the decision had been made for her.

  Instead she’d decided to take some time off to figure things out. For the last two years a sense of restlessness began to spread through her. She struggled to find a reason for it. Unfortunately, one hadn’t come yet. After losing her job, the edginess increased. Until she realized she needed to do something before she completely lost her mind.

  Thankfully, her pesky younger sister, Naja, gave her the swift kick she needed to pull her head out of the sand. It was part of the reason why she now took up residence in the family’s beach home.

  She was only thirty-four years of age. There was a lot left in life for her to accomplish. Starting with going back to a passion she’d given up years ago. She picked up painting in college when a free class on campus had been offered. It hadn’t taken her long to fall in love with creating artwork.

  Painting had always brought her comfort. She bounced back and forth between landscape and still life. Fortunately, she was good at both. Decent enough to where she’d sold a few paintings over the years, but painting had never been about money for her. It was something she loved.

  What she couldn’t figure out now was why her mind went blank every time she picked up her paintbrush. She’d been in Myrtle Beach for over a week and hadn’t painted anything.

  So much for therapy.

  The only thing she’d paid attention to was the breathtakingly gorgeous man standing across the restaurant staring a hole into her back. She’d had the pleasure of making Carson Baxter’s acquaintance four days ago and her mind had been shot to hell since.

  Taking another bite of her lobster roll, she held back a moan while cursing herself for being so weak. She shouldn’t even be sitting here. Instead, she should be parked at the beach with her paint and easel, reflecting and getting herself together.

  Not having a plan for what she wanted to do next in life really ate at her. She was usually well put together and level-headed; the rational person everyone depended on and asked for advice when at a crossroads in life. Now everyone called her to make sure she hadn’t gone off the deep end. She hadn’t, but she was close.

  Just not for the reason people suspected.

  Imani took another bite of her sandwich and tried to block out all thoughts of Carson. It was difficult. The man was too freaking handsome for his own good. Tall and ruggedly built with thick wavy dark brown hair a little longer than she was used to seeing on a man, wide shoulders and a massive chest, and a butt that almost took her breath away when he leaned over to clean a table.

  She didn’t need to turn around to see what his features looked like. They were ingrained deep in her brain. He had an angular face with gunmetal gray eyes, high cheekbones, medium-brown skin that almost appeared golden, a straight nose, stubborn jaw and full lips.

  The fact he was white didn’t bother her. She’d dated outside of her race a handful of times. In her opinion, a man was a man, no matter his race.

  Yep, Carson Baxter had proved himself to be a distraction she didn’t need. She hadn’t been able to relax because of him. The fact that she even sat at a table eating lunch in the bar and grill he ran was a miracle. After her last run in with him, she’d sworn she wouldn’t come back to his establishment, but a short time ago, her stomach began to grumble. Her plan had been to walk to the nearest restaurant to grab a bite to eat and somehow she’d ended up at Baxter’s.

  When she stepped through the front door she thought she’d been in the clear because he hadn’t been behind the bar like he had the last time. She should’ve known it was too good to be true with her latest run of luck.

  The skin on the back of her neck tingled the instant he stepped into the room. How could she be so aware of a man she barely knew? Especially when that man had a devil-may-care attitude and enough cockiness to fill the room. He was the last thing she needed in her life right now.

  Nope, she didn’t have time for a wild man who just wanted to put another notch on his belt. While she hadn’t been in a serious relationship with a man in the past five years, she’d ended an on again off again casual relationship about six months ago. But it’d been mutually beneficial. The last thing she needed to do was get caught up in the web of a man who could confuse her state of mind any more than it already was.

  No, she just needed to stay focused, relaxed and come up with a damn good plan. While she had a substantial amount of money stored away and came from a pretty well off family, she didn’t want to be idle too long. That would drive her crazy quicker than anything else.

  Besides, her sister would probably call for a report later and she had nothing right now. She smiled when she thought of her younger sister, Naja. A situation like this wouldn’t even bother her. Naja lived for the moment, even had the right job that allowed her to do it. Her sister was an event planner, the perfect job for Naja, a fireball of efficient energy. When she was on a roll it was best to stay out of her way. Yet, if things went too far, she never hesitated to assume the role of big sister and reel Imani ba
ck in.

  Now if she could just pull herself together so she could come up with a decent plan of action.

  “Can I get you anything else, ma’am?”

  Imani smiled at the waitress. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  “Okay. Just wave your hand if you do.”

  Imani nodded and looked down at her half eaten plate. “I will.”

  She took another bite as the waitress walked off, chewing slowly. Why was it so hard for her to figure out what she wanted to do next? She had a degree in Psychology for goodness sake. Coming up with a viable plan should be something she could accomplish in her sleep. Maybe it was because she’d never really used her degree.

  Like a lot of college students, she’d graduated with her bachelors only to realize she couldn’t get a job with her current education level and no experience in her field. Instead, she’d found a job in mortgage and lending firm. When she discovered how good she was at the job going into the field of Psychology never crossed her mind. She didn’t plan to now either.

  Maybe it was time to pull out the old pros versus cons list idea. The cons side would definitely win out right now. It was much easier for her to state what she didn’t want to do as opposed to what she did. That dilemma should make it easy for her. Instead, it was about to drive her insane.

  Imani stifled a sigh. Things had to get better, and fast. She’d given herself a deadline of the end of June. It was only the first week of June, but she had a feeling that time would fly by and she’d still be at square one if she wasn’t careful. As much as she’d like to stay the entire summer, she had to get back to Charleston and get serious about her job search. That was why coming up with a plan was so important.

  She needed to finish her lunch then head back to the beach house to paint. Or rather attempt to. Take advantage of the natural daylight. There was a field of wildflowers behind the house that’d caught her eye on the way to Baxter’s. If she could capture their essence the right way, she’d be off to a good start.

  Maybe a dip in the ocean would help clear her mind as well. It was warm out and a swim might do her some good. Other than a late night stroll down the beach she hadn’t been in the water. Perhaps that was the issue. She was so busy trying to relax it was impossible for her to do so. Unfortunately, she was a natural worrier. It was the reason why she kept her life as orderly as possible. If she knew the plan, there wasn’t any cause for anxiety.

  She rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tension. It didn’t help. Just last night Naja had been happy to lay out in very specific details of the things that could be done to relieve tension, all of them X-rated.

  Imani shook her head. She wished her sister could come join her, but she was busy planning a few celebratory dinners and lunches for a few of the dignitaries in Raleigh. Having her younger sister near would be comforting.

  She and Naja had a great relationship. Growing up over the years they’d rarely fought and when they did, the battle never lasted long. They’d gone everywhere together, even to the University of South Carolina. She missed having her sister near, especially during times like these. Their parents had always referred to her and Naja as ying and yang. They complimented each other, balancing each other out in ways beneficial to both of them over the years.

  Deep down Imani knew she needed to handle this on her own, but if it came down to it her baby sister was only a phone call away. Besides, Naja already promised to come join her at the beach house as soon as the events were over. So if everything went according to plan she and her sister might have a few days together to hang out. With Naja living in Raleigh and her home in Charleston, it’d been a few months since they’d gotten together.

  “Come on, Imani, get yourself together,” she muttered.

  Picking up the last bite of her sandwich, she finished it off. A moan of pleasure slipped from between her lips. Yep, she definitely had to stay away from Baxter’s. The food was dangerous. She had a refrigerator full of things to eat, yet she sat at a restaurant stuffing her face with a meal that ensured she’d have to get in an extra run the next few mornings.

  From what she’d gathered, Carson had opened for business five years ago. It’d been six since she’d been to Myrtle Beach. Usually the family rented the home out to vacationers or someone from the family was staying in it, but she hadn’t had much reason to go to the beach until now.

  When Naja suggested it, Imani jumped at the chance. She recalled all of the fond memories she and her sister had during their summer vacations there as kids, teenagers and even college students. The moment her younger sister stated the idea a slight weight lifted off her shoulders at the thought of getting away.

  Too bad it wasn’t going the way she’d expected.

  Imani reached for her tea and took a sip. The cool drink with just the right amount of sweetness from the sugar and tartness from the raspberries refreshed her. She’d only been to Baxter’s twice, but she’d enjoyed herself immensely each time. It was easy to see why the place had a steady crowd. If she could avoid the owner, she’d be happy to dine in at least once a week. Even as the thought crossed her mind, she could feel Carson’s heated gaze on her.

  She wondered what her chances were of leaving without him coming over to assert himself again. Something told her slim to none. She signaled the waitress, who nodded in acknowledgement before turning her attention to the customers at the table she stood next to.

  Imani reached for her tote bag to get her wallet. All she had to do now was pay for her meal and then she could make a clean getaway.

  Chapter Two

  “It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Westbrook. Did you enjoy your meal?”

  Carson bit back a chuckle of amusement as Imani’s spine stiffened. His sister, Kallie, had informed him the instant Imani stepped into his restaurant. After their first encounter he wasn’t certain he’d ever see her again. Within moments of seeing her, his attraction to her went through the roof.

  Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her lovely milk-chocolate face had high cheekbones, a pert nose, full lips that caught his gaze in a mesmerizing hold. He studied her, taking in the outfit she wore. He wondered if the shorts she wore clung to her curvy waist and hips like the pair she’d worn yesterday. There was a mature lushness about her body that made him hard.

  While he wanted to eventually hit the sheets with her, he needed to get to know her as well. There seemed to be a permanent frown of concentration on her face and he ached to know why. If there was a chance she did smile, he yearned to be the one to make her do it.

  For some reason she was also extremely skittish. Something definitely troubled her deeply and he wanted to distract her from it. She appeared to be too lovely of a person to be so sad.

  But the bottom line was he knew she was attracted to him as well. She wouldn’t have come back to the restaurant otherwise. While the food he served tasted great, it wasn’t that good.

  Imani glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. “It was good. Thank you for asking. I’m just waiting on my check so I can pay.”

  “It’s on the house.”

  Her mouth fell open briefly before she collected herself. “Oh no, that’s not necessary.”

  “It’s no trouble at all. It’s not often I have the opportunity to buy a beautiful lady lunch.”

  Her eyebrows bunched together. “Do you really expect me to fall for that line?”

  One corner of his mouth curved upward. “If it were a line, no I wouldn’t. Do you mind if I join you?”

  She opened her mouth, but he sat down across from her before she could say anything. Her mouth snapped shut.

  “I guess it didn’t matter I was going to say no since I’m leaving.”

  “Do you have pressing plans?”

  She put her tote bag aside. “Actually, I do.”

  “Then I won’t keep you long. I just saw you come in for lunch today and wanted to say hello.”

  “Well, I appreciate your desire to acknowledge my presence. I
s that all?” she asked, gathering up her bag.

  He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of the one she still had on the table. She quivered and he celebrated silently. Imani wasn’t as immune to him as she would have him believe.

  The thought thrilled him. In the five years since he’d moved to Myrtle Beach and opened Baxter’s, he’d casually dated his fair share of women, but none excited him the way Imani did. Something told him she had a lot of passion simmering underneath the surface. She just needed someone to help her tap into it.

  He’d moved to Myrtle Beach to start over. After divorcing the woman who’d put him through the ringer, he’d needed to get away. Life had been serene ever since. Peaceful was okay, but it could also be boring. The woman he sat across the table from could definitely spice things up.

  “No, that’s not all. Do you have plans for dinner tonight?”

  She gaped at him. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m asking you if you would like to go to dinner.”

  “Why?”

  He chuckled. “Because that’s usually what two people who are attracted to each other do.”

  “Who says I’m attracted to you?”

  He inclined his head toward their hands on the table. She gasped then snatched her hand from underneath his.

  “Look, Carson, I know life is all fun and games for you, but I’m actually here in Myrtle for a reason. A very important reason, so I don’t have time to waste. I have a lot to figure out in a short amount of time.”

  He leaned back in his chair. “If I insinuated your time is not valuable that definitely wasn’t my intention. I assure you, my schedule is pretty tight as well so I’d never show a lack of appreciation for another person’s.”

  She sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I know this may sound cliché, but this just isn’t a good time for me. I’m going through a lot right now. I would love to say more, but it’s personal and I don’t feel comfortable sharing it.”