“What about the lakes?” Tammy asked.
“Swimming in the lakes.” He flashed a smile. “We’ll regularly check for alligators. Add running and biking on the wilderness trails, and we’ll give clients the feel of participating in a triathlon.”
“My God, it’ll be fantastic,” Forbes said. “They’ll be pumped and want to spend their downtime, and their money, in the restaurants and clubs in the village.”
Jake nodded. “That’s what the investors are hoping for.”
“Has Rick seen these plans?” Forbes asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Jake grinned now. “Until he’s sick of them.”
“Excellent.” The developer nodded and stood, signaling the end of the demonstration.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Forbes,” Jake said.
“Any time, Jake. And keep in touch.”
Jake knew that the simple words meant Forbes wanted to be informed of all contractors under consideration. So much for a lack of interference. But if Bill had taught Jake anything, and there wasn’t much Bill had taught any of them, it was how to keep the money men happy.
“Certainly.” Jake grabbed up his materials and waved Tammy ahead of him out of the office. “I should know more about the contractors’ bids by next Friday.”
Jake followed Tammy out into the hall and turned toward the doorway he thought was Claire’s. He saw her name on a brass plate beside the door and smiled. The door was open and she was transfixed by the computer screen in front of her. She’d taken off her green jacket and it hung over the back of her chair. Her high-heeled shoes were set precisely on the floor to the side of her desk, and her legs looked silky-smooth in hose nearly the color of her skin. She had delicate feet tucked beneath her desk chair. With high arches and pink-painted toenails.
“Hey, Claire,” he said.
She started and turned. He caught her quick intake of breath, the way her beige shirt parted slightly, and he caught a glimpse of pink lace covering her breasts. Interesting.
“Hi, Jake.”
Her voice was all breathy. That did it.
“Come to dinner with me tonight?”
Claire stared at him for a beat, then swiveled in her chair to face him fully. “Dinner?”
“Yes, dinner.” He flashed a grin at her. “With me.”
Her eyes widened and he was secretly pleased he’d caught her off her guard. He guessed he’d startled her when he’d stopped at her door, too.
“Tonight?” she asked, her voice a squeak.
He stepped into the office, which suddenly seemed much too small. He could smell her scent in here. Something like vanilla but richer. Mmm.
“I thought we could hit the Clubhouse,” he said.
She worried the hem of her skirt, which made it ride up just a bit on her thighs. The silence continued for a bit too long. What was she thinking about?
“Claire?”
She caught Jake’s eye and his chest hitched.
“Take a chance for once, Claire,” she murmured. “Sure, Jake,” she said, her voice much clearer now. “I’ll have dinner with you.”
For the first time he was at a loss for words. Take a chance? What, she never dated? Or was it him, what he was, that put her on her guard? He pushed aside that thought.
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“I’ll meet you there,” she rushed out.
He started to object, then just nodded. “Okay. See you then.”
As he turned he watched her swivel quickly back around to face her computer.
Maybe tonight he’d get her to keep her focus on him for longer than two minutes. Although with those big blue eyes of hers, he was afraid of what she’d see if she looked too closely.
***
The Clubhouse was just as Claire remembered it. She’d eaten at the pricey restaurant at the golf course only once before, right after she was hired, and on the developers’ account. The place was way out of her budget but so elegantly comfortable. The candlelight, the clink of glasses, the fine linen tablecloths all spoke of easy luxury.
From the way the girl at the hostess station greeted Jake, he’d obviously been there before and more than once. Claire got a less enthusiastic greeting herself. She couldn’t really blame the hostess. Jake looked too good to ignore tonight, even for the few seconds it would take to acknowledge his dinner companion.
He wore a gray suit jacket over a blue knit shirt, both topping charcoal chinos that fit his butt quite nicely. Even his hair looked neater tonight. And that little gold hoop winked as it caught a bit of the ambient lighting.
He waved her ahead of him and Claire could feel his eyes on her as she passed him. For a moment she felt she looked as good as any other woman here. Her dress might be from last season but it was washed silk, with shades of blue and green brushed over the fabric. She’d found the strappy sandals she wore at the end of the summer, but the leather was fine and the height of the heels was comfortable yet a little bit sexy. She figured she looked as good as she possibly could on her budget.
She saw that there was hardly an empty table in the place. And on a Monday night. Even when Cally was flush the family had never gone out to eat on a weeknight.
The hostess escorted them to a table near the wide windows that framed the rolling hills of the golf course beyond. The course at Cypress was award-winning and busy throughout the year. And now that the heat of the summer was almost passed, it and the development would experience a surge of business. She couldn’t help but feel a touch of relief at the sense of job security the sight of the full restaurant gave her.
“Please tell the wine steward to bring us a bottle of Pinot Grigio?” Jake said to the girl. “Is that okay, Claire?” he asked her.
Claire simply nodded. Jake held her chair for her and as she sat the back of his knuckles brushed her shoulder blades. She stifled a shiver. Who could blame her? The silk dress was pretty thin. And his fingers were pretty warm.
“Thanks,” Jake said to the hostess. He removed his jacket and slung it over the back of his chair. He pushed up his sleeves as he sat across from Claire, she couldn’t help watching the play of muscles beneath his knit shirt. She lifted her gaze and found him watching her.
“I like that dress,” he said.
She fiddled with her napkin-wrapped silverware. “Thank you.”
As his eyes strayed down the front of her, she could feel her nipples tighten beneath her lacy bra. She stifled a shiver. Was the air conditioner blowing overhead?
His mouth tilted up at one side and she stiffened. He couldn’t see through her dress. And certainly not through the lacy bra she bought at the twice-yearly clearance sale at Victoria’s Secret!
“You look hot,” he said.
So much for the AC. With his eyes on her she felt like she was burning up. Darn her pale skin anyway. There was no hiding her blush from him.
Thankfully the steward arrived at their table right then, with an open bottle of wine and two glasses. The steward poured a splash into one glass and handed it to Jake. Jake took a sip, closing his eyes as he rolled it around in his mouth. A drop was on his full lower lip and Claire licked her own. He opened his eyes and nodded to the steward who poured out two glasses and left the bottle. Jake raised his glass to Claire and she felt compelled to do likewise.
“To a dinner without trucks and sticky fingers,” he said.
“Or cupcakes.”
Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. That frosting was pretty tasty.”
She smiled and took a cautious sip of the expensive wine. It was delicious, woody with a touch of fruit. He watched her as he drank, his eyes glittering over the rim of his glass. He lowered his glass to the table and picked up a menu. He handed it to her before taking his own. Wow. The chair, the wine, the menu. The guy was pretty gallant for someone who spent his time bungee-jumping off bridges. A gentleman and a daredevil. It was a startling combination.
“What do you feel like tonight, Claire?” he asked.
&nbs
p; She wouldn’t focus on those hands holding the menu, Those fingers when he lifted one hand to his ear and fiddled with his earring as he considered his own selections. That sculpted chest outlined beneath his finely-woven shirt. She forced her attention on the menu. The place was very pricey. She swallowed and forced herself to make a choice.
“I guess I’ll have the crab cake and a field green salad,” she said. Twenty-four dollars.
“That’s it?” His eyebrows arched. “Why don’t you try the—”
“I’m good, Jake.” Her smile felt forced this time. “Thank you.”
He shrugged and opened his mouth to say something but their server came to the table. He gave the guy Claire’s order. “I’ll have the rib eye,” Jake said. “Medium rare.”
Forty dollars.
“And a Caesar salad, I guess,” he added. “Oh, and bring some of your crawfish chowder.” He glanced at Claire with a small smile. “Two bowls.”
Ten dollars a bowl. “Jake, I don’t need soup.”
“It’s my favorite, Claire,” he said. “And I won’t be comfortable eating when you have nothing in front of you.”
She thanked him again. She’d have to return the favor somehow, but there was no way she could afford to take him to dinner here in repayment. Maybe she’d make him a batch of white chocolate macadamia cookies. Those were the most expensive treats she made per cookie.
“So you’ve been at Cypress for seven months.” Jake took another sip of his wine. “What did you do before?”
“Studied, mostly. Earned my CPA license,” she answered. “It was a long road.”
Jake raised his brows in surprise, then nodded. “I know. I still haven’t finished my graduate studies.”
He was a scholar, too? Did the man have any flaws?
“What are you studying?” she asked.
He laughed, but it wasn’t as easy a sound as he’d made earlier. “Everything and nothing.”
“But what is your discipline?”
He crossed his arms and leaned toward her. “I’m not a big one for discipline.”
His smile was a little crooked on one side. There was that charm again. Claire felt it straight down to her belly. She took another sip of wine.
Their chowder arrived and she savored every bite. She caught Jake’s eye and returned his smile. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”
The rest of the meal was as good as the beginning. With just the soup and the crab cake in her stomach, the wine had a heady effect on her. Candlelight, soft music and Jake Chapman. How could she feel sleepy and tingly at the same time?
He talked about everything and nothing, just as he’d described his graduate studies. Finances and obstacle courses, quarterly returns and rock-climbing. He spoke of traveling where the road took him and dropping in at Chapman Financial to make a few bucks before taking off again. He was completely rudderless.
Being a person as focused as Claire has had to be her whole life, she couldn’t imagine not having a course to steer by. Focusing on where she put each foot before taking a step was all that kept her going the past few years.
Jake settled the bill. Claire didn’t dare look at it but she had a pretty good idea he’d dropped close to two hundred dollars on their meal. Then they stepped out into the quiet gardens set to one side of the Clubhouse. The evening was a little cool but, although it was the beginning of October, true autumn was weeks away.
As they walked for a bit, Claire tried to put numbers out of her mind. What Jake was thinking of, she couldn’t guess. She thought once more about what he’d said about his graduate studies.
“But where do your interests truly lie?” she had to know.
Jake’s eyes rounded in surprise. “I’m interested in a lot of things, Claire.” He led her over to one of the sculpted benches that dotted the walk, this one looked like a butterfly, and they sat. “Why settle for one road when there are so many?”
“I couldn’t be that easy,” she said.
He leaned close, and the moonlight slashed across his face. Her heart began to pound. He was almost beautiful.
“Where do your interests lie, Claire?” he asked. “What is it you want?”
Claire swallowed and mirrored his pose, turning toward him on the bench. She was a breath away from him and stared into his eyes.
“I want a stable, simple life,” she admitted.
Jake suddenly pulled back and laughed. “Simple? Stable? Ah, Claire.” He winked at her and grabbed her hand. “You should try my course when it’s finished.”
Fear slammed through her in an instant. “Oh, I couldn’t.”
“The rush,” he said. “The thrill of the unknown. God, it’s incredible.”
The thrill of the unknown? She’d lived with that her whole life. She knew it then. They didn’t stand a chance at anything more than a fling. She just wasn’t a fling type of girl.
But for just a second, she wished she was.
Chapter 4
Jake closed his laptop and unplugged it.
“You know, you’re welcome to stay here while you work on the project,” Rick said.
Jake shook his head. “No way, bro. You and Harmony have enough on your plates without a permanent guest.”
“Ha!” Rick crossed his arms. “When have you ever been a permanent anything?”
Jake just shrugged off his brother’s question and slid his notes into their large folder. “Harmony’s tent-cabin is perfect for me. It’s wired and has a bathroom. A kitchenette.”
“You’re romanticizing it, Jake. It’s primitive.”
Jake zipped the folder shut and straightened. “I’ve slept under the stars on the side of a mountain, Rick. That tame campsite is perfect for me.”
Rick didn’t argue the point but Jake knew his brother just wanted him to stay close for longer than a few weeks.
“I can pretty much only make coffee out there. I’ll show up here to eat whenever you want me.”
Rick grinned. “Good.”
Jake’s eyes pricked and he turned back to his duffel bag. “Have you heard from Cassie?”
Their wild-child little sister was a subject they often danced around. Neither Jake nor Rick had steady contact with their father but they both knew Cassie used her connections to the Chapman money as often as she could.
“Last I heard she was in Monte Carlo.”
Jake groaned. “God. Expect a call for an extension of credit, Bill.”
“And he’s stupid enough to give her more money to play with.”
Jake nodded. He and Rick had their father’s number and had little to do with him. Cassie? She used him like her personal bank and, for some reason, Bill let her.
He zipped the duffle closed. “Tell Harmony I’ll see her at the Institute tomorrow afternoon.”
“Yeah, the tree-huggers have to sign off on your plans.”
Jake knew Rick didn’t mean anything negative about the Institute or their vision. True, it was Harmony’s vision but Rick was fully on board. Of course, he no longer had to butt heads with his pretty plant angel now that she was his wife. Jake, on the other hand, had to dance to their tune and prove that what he was proposing would have no negative impact on the environment.
Cypress Corners was very different where pricey developments were concerned. Championship golf course, boutiques and shops and custom homes were bracketed by conservation areas set aside for native plants and wildlife. Seventy percent was set aside, to be exact. It was different, but Jake loved the wild parts of Cypress much more than the civilized parts of the village. And moving out to Harmony’s tent-cabin was just what he needed.
“So will you have any company out at that tame campsite?”
Jake caught his brother’s eye. “Of the female variety, you mean? I don’t see how.”
Rick’s brows raised. “I thought you went out to dinner with Claire on Monday night.”
Jake nodded. “I did. I thought we hit it off, too. Then she got all distant and… I don’t know. Cold isn’t the r
ight word but something happened.”
Rick looked thoughtful for a minute. “I know she has trouble letting herself go. Harmony’s always trying to get her to loosen up but the girl is focused.”
“On her job. Yeah, I get it.” Jake zipped the duffel closed and shouldered it. “Oh, well. It is what it is.”
Rick snorted. “Whatever that means.”
It was Jake’s turn to grin. “Hey, I go with the flow. You know that.”
“Just don’t get lost out there. Our little man loves his uncle.”
Jake assured him he would keep in touch, then went outside and climbed into his Jeep.
The campsite was on the far lakeshore. The area was starting to be developed for recreation but it was far less utilized than the main lake area. That suited Jake just fine. It would afford him privacy and the quiet to fine-tune his proposal. As he bounced over the sandy terrain, he thought about that stilted conversation with Claire at the end of their date two days ago.
She’d been so sweet and open while they’d shared their meal, although it was clear she kept an eye on the prices of every single item on the menu. Then again, she was a bean counter. Numbers were her gig. That was for sure. But later, when he’d gone on about the thrill of the unknown she’d grown shuttered. Maybe he’d laid it on a little thick, but he’d been trying to impress her. Going on and on about the road less traveled or some load of crap.
“I’m an idiot,” he muttered.
He’d seen her at the Sales Center just yesterday but they hadn’t done more than nod a greeting at each other. It was just as well, since Tammy had him in a stranglehold and all but dragged him to see the latest model rendering of the development. He planned to add to it and soon, so he’d managed to put Claire and her quick-change act out of his mind. Today after lunch at the Clubhouse, he’d looked for her but the door of her office had been closed tight.
Whatever the reason she’d turned cold on him Monday night, he knew he and Claire just didn’t connect. That didn’t make any real sense, since he’d felt the sparks at Rick and Harmony’s and during dinner. Had he been wrong? No. He’d felt the heat between them. The fact that he still found her incredibly hot was apparently just beside the point.
Cypress Corners Boxed Set (Books 1-3) Page 19