by Leigh Duncan
“Somewhere below the Mason-Dixon Line,” he said without hesitation. “There’s the slightest trace of a drawl in your voice.”
“One bite of lemon mousse to you,” she said, faking a pout. She’d worked hard to train the South out of her mouth. Apparently, she hadn’t been entirely successful. “What else?”
“You’re cultured, polished,” he answered, while she tried not to squirm under his direct gaze. “I’d say you probably grew up in an average-sized town. Mama and Daddy doted on their little princess. You were the queen of your private high school and loved the Greek scene in college. Vassar or Bryn Mawr. A liberal arts degree.”
“Aha! That dessert is all mine. Your image of me as a spoiled little rich kid couldn’t be further off if you tried.” Her hair fell forward, and she brushed it behind her shoulder. “I was in college before I realized not everyone shopped at Goodwill.” She grimaced at the memory before flashing him a grin that said she’d moved beyond secondhand stores. “The first time I walked into a Neiman Marcus, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”
“Really?” Josh tilted his head in a doubtful pose.
“Honest.” She crossed her heart and kissed her fingers the way she’d done as a child. Sobering, she went on. “My dad inherited a hundred acres of the meanest, stingiest land in Georgia when Grampa keeled over from a heart attack halfway through the spring planting. That didn’t stop him and my mom from pouring life and soul into farming. They tried raising corn. Mostly what they grew was more dirt.” She flicked an imaginary piece of dust from the linen tablecloth. “I hate dirt.”
“Good to know.” Josh smiled over the rim of his wine glass. “Are they still around, your folks?”
“Oh, yeah. The bank foreclosed on the land a few years back, and they moved to a nice, little duplex in Moultrie. It’s south, near the Florida line. Daddy got a job at the shirt factory in town. Mom grows vegetables in a community garden plot and helps out at the church.” She stared at the setting sun beyond the plate glass windows. “It was the best move they could have ever made, but they’d never admit it.”
“And you? How’d you get where you are?”
She gave a rueful laugh. “When you come from nothing like I did, people tend to assume you’re never going to amount to anything. Everyone in town expected me to wind up married or pregnant—or both—before high school graduation. But I knew an education was my ticket to a better life, a better future. I studied hard. Aced my SATs. Went to Columbia on a full ride. Stayed for my master’s in accounting. And it paid off. I landed what was supposed to be my dream job at Waterson and Bash.”
A pensive mood struck, and she cupped her chin in her hand. The way Josh stared at her, it was almost as if he was devouring every word. There was no harm in telling him the rest of it, was there? She straightened the napkin in her lap and plunged on.
“I’m not sure how much longer I’ll stay with W&B. I earn a good living there, but sometimes I think there’s got to be something…more.”
“You could always take up farming.” He smiled to show he was only joking.
“Yeah, no,” she said firmly. “If I never have to hoe another row of beans, it’ll be too soon.”
A shadow crossed over Josh’s face. She waited while the efficient staff served the main course before she ventured, “Don’t tell me. You dream of owning your own farm.”
“Not exactly.” Josh’s fork hovered over his fish. “A vineyard, maybe.”
“You’re not serious,” she breathed. The first man she’d felt any kind of a spark with in ages and, not only had he spent his adult life behind the cash register at a convenience store, his life’s ambition was to farm? She really knew how to pick them.
“Oh, yeah. One of our neighbors grew scuppernong grapes on the fence behind our apartment. I loved those things. Couldn’t get enough of them.” He laughed, obviously remembering. “I learned how to make wine when I was in high school. It made me very popular. I got invited to all the best parties.”
“So, now what? You want to grow grapes? On Mimosa Key?” She hoped he’d done his homework. Farming, even raising hardy peanuts, was a tough gig.
“Maybe,” he mused. “If I can find the right piece of land. Good soil and good drainage are a must.”
Charlie breathed a relieved breath. It sounded like Josh had at least considered some of the pitfalls. But there were so many others. “I doubt many bankers are going to beat a path to your door. Can you afford it?”
“I have some money set aside. Enough to get started. In fact, I was planning to drive around the island tomorrow and look at a couple of pieces of property. Would you like to come with me?”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” Though the reason was more difficult to recall than it had been an hour ago, she had to stay as far away from Josh—and farming—as possible.
“I get it. That’s okay.”
The restaurant had filled and emptied while they lingered over dessert and coffee. She studied the few remaining crumbs of the best lemon mousse she’d ever tasted. This was it. The time had come to really and truly part company. She glanced at the man who sat, relaxed and totally at ease, in the opposite chair. To a casual observer, Josh looked as if he belonged and wasn’t simply enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play host in an expensive restaurant.
When she moved to excuse herself for a moment, he slid to his feet with the grace and speed of a deer. Returning a few minutes later, she arrived at the table in time to see him slip two crisp hundred-dollar bills under his dessert plate. Staggered by the amount, she shook her head. He was a strange man, Josh was. Whether he footed the entire bill or not, he’d pulled out all the stops.
Once again, she wondered if she’d underestimated him in some way. But no. The proof is in the pudding, her grandmother used to say, and there was no changing the facts. Josh loved his job at the Super Min and aspired to farm. Either was enough to get his name scratched off her Mr. Potentially Right list. Taken together, he shouldn’t even rate a second glance.
Still, she couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed his company. He’d been an attentive host, gracious beyond what she’d expected, far more sophisticated than she’d ever dreamed. When he offered to walk her to her villa, she readily accepted. The heady scents of mimosa and night-blooming jasmine followed them up the steps to her door, where she wavered, an invitation to come in for a nightcap on the tip of her tongue.
“You sure you won’t change your mind about tomorrow? We can see the sights, stop for lunch at a place only the locals know about. It won’t be anything like dinner tonight, but their margaritas are the best you’ve ever tasted.”
Reason dictated that she hunker down with her phone and her laptop. If she put her mind to it, she could finalize Favor’s purchase of at least two more mini-marts this weekend. Besides, she should stay as far away from Josh as possible. They wanted different things out of life, had different goals, different aspirations. The smartest thing she could do—for both their sakes—was to say good night and never see him again. But that meant never seeing the golden flecks dance in his dark eyes, never learning if his perfect lips were as kissable as they looked.
Smartness was overrated, she decided. She scuffed one sandal against the wooden deck that surrounded the villa.
“What time will you pick me up?” she whispered.
“You’ll come. I was hoping you’d say that.” Josh edged closer, ever closer, until all she could see was the creamy linen that hugged his wide shoulders and fell loosely over his narrow waist. The space between them filled with an earthy cedar scent she knew she’d always associate with him. A fine tremble passed through her. She licked her lips and tipped her head. His eyes pinned hers, and her breath caught.
Her focus shifted, sliding down to his mouth, his jaw. Slowly, he lowered his perfect lips to hers while she rose on tiptoe to meet him, unable to wait, eager to touch, to taste. The moment his lips brushed hers, she gasped as a burst of white-hot heat rushed through her. His tongu
e teased, but she didn’t need to reconsider. She pressed more deeply into the kiss, drinking in the lingering scent of wine on his breath, the faintest hint of vanilla left over from the crème brûlée he’d had for dessert. Gently at first, he explored her mouth. Their tongues touched and retreated, circled and swirled, their movement picking up speed as they found and adapted to each other’s rhythm in a dance as timeless as the earth.
The urge to have more of him grew until he slipped one arm around her waist and drew her ever closer. She snuggled into the embrace, one hand tracing the outline of Josh’s thick shoulder muscles, the fingers of the other threaded in his dark hair. Air hissed from her lips when he skimmed the outer edges of her breast with his fingers before ending the kiss as slowly as he’d begun.
“That was…” He paused as if words had failed him.
Scary as hell. A huge mistake. Never going to happen again.
“Amazing,” he finished.
She nodded blindly, wanting to do it again. Wanting, more than anything, to invite him inside for another one of those incredible kisses and to see where it led.
They sprang apart when footsteps sounded on the path coming from the beach. Josh moved closer as the burly figure of a man rounded the corner of the deck.
“Casa Blanca Security, ma’am, sir,” came a voice out of the dark. “Sorry for the interruption. I’ll be on my way.”
“Miles? Is that you?”
Josh’s voice focused her gaze on the uniformed man who’d stepped out of the shadows and into the spill of light around her doorway.
“Josh?” Surprise sent the guard’s voice higher. “Hey, man. Guess they’ll let just about anyone into Casa Blanca these days.” He double-timed it up the steps and onto the deck.
“Guess so if they have you guarding the joint.” Josh turned to her. “Charlie, this Miles. Miles, Charlie. Miles is an old friend and, all kidding aside, about as fine a security specialist as you’ll ever find.”
“Nice to meet you,” she managed, struggling to maintain her focus, which had strayed to the possessive hand Josh had slipped around her waist.
Backing away slowly, Miles tipped his cap. “Sorry for the interruption. I’ll let you two get back to…whatever.” He skirted past. “I’ll call you later in the week. We’ll knock back a couple of brews like old times. Give your aunt Charity my best.”
The hand around her waist stiffened. In the dark, Charlie felt her eyes widen as her stomach rode the express elevator to the basement while the guard’s footsteps faded into the distance. “Josh…” Her whisper barely rose above the sound of the distant surf. She wet her lips and tried again. “Josh, what did he mean by that? Is Charity Grambling your aunt?”
The hand at her waist slipped away. “Yes,” came the curt reply that threatened to nip their relationship off at the roots. “I didn’t tell you because—”
“You were using me to get information? A bargaining ploy?” Even as she said the words, she didn’t believe them. Josh wasn’t like the men she dealt with in the office day in and day out. He was different. Open and honest. He’d never deceive her, would he?
“Maybe at first. But that ended five minutes into our first conversation. To tell you the truth, I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d look down your nose at a thirty-two-year-old who still works for his aunt.”
“I’d never…” Her mind crashed into truth’s brick wall. The fact was, he was right. She’d already stretched her rule against dating co-workers to the breaking point just by meeting Josh for a drink. If she’d known he was Charity Grambling’s nephew, she’d never have agreed to see him. “I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t have gone out with you if I’d known.” She took a breath and rubbed her temples. “And that would have been a damn shame. ’Cause you’re one of the smartest, warmest, nicest guys I’ve ever met.”
“Plus, I’m a darned good kisser,” he said, his deep, rumbly voice sending a shiver straight down her spine.
“That, too,” she agreed. She laughed then, glad she’d taken a chance on him. “If you still want me to, I’d love to see the island with you tomorrow.”
In answer, Josh brushed a kiss over her forehead and stepped away. “I’ll pick you up at nine thirty?”
“Yeah, sure,” she answered, her thoughts drifting to the incredible kiss she wished had gone on all night. “That’ll be fine.”
Still rattled, she fumbled her key in the lock. At last, the door opened, and she all but stumbled into the villa. Closing the door behind her, she pressed her head against the cool, hard wood.
Josh had an amazing knack for making her forget her own rules. She had a strict policy against dating anyone associated with work. She’d crossed that line by accepting Josh’s invitation to have drinks at Junonia. That was bad enough, but she’d compounded the problem by agreeing to join him for dinner. Discovering that he was Charity Grambling’s nephew had given her the perfect opportunity to break things off with him. Yet, she hadn’t taken it. Instead, she’d agreed to see him again.
What am I thinking?
She’d promised to tour the island with Josh tomorrow, and she’d keep her word. Maybe she’d even enjoy another one of his amazing kisses. Two at the most. But that was it. No matter how hard she felt herself falling for him, no matter how much her heart fluttered whenever Josh was in the room, their relationship couldn’t go one step further. Because she absolutely, positively was not going to get involved with a man who was content to spend his life behind a cash register. Or one whose long-term goal was to dig in the dirt.
And with that, she headed toward the sumptuous bedroom at the end of the hall, barely aware that, as she walked, she traced her fingers across traitorous lips that still longed for Josh’s touch.
Chapter Three
In the Super Min’s cramped back office, Josh scrolled through the property descriptions his real estate agent had provided. Bringing up an app on his iPad, he immediately ruled out three parcels of vacant land that were either too large or two small. The directions for the rest, he sent to his cell phone. Rising, he grabbed several sheets from the printer, folded them and stuck them in his back pocket while he swept a glance over his aunt’s desk. Yesterday’s receipts had been tallied and filed, orders for new supplies placed, the payroll handled. He was good to go.
He stepped from the office, his nose wrinkling pleasurably at the odor of fresh-brewed coffee. Across the aisle, the beverage dispenser worked overtime, ice cubes thundering into cups, a rush of soda quickly following as men and women from a landscaping company grabbed drinks and snacks. The day manager stacked cases of beer around a new display. Cellophane and paper rattled at the cash register where Aunt Charity’s most recent social project was hard at work totaling up sales and bagging purchases. From the little Josh had heard about the clerk, the kid’s story was much like his own—the son of an over-burdened single mom who’d spent far too much time on his own until Charity got wind of the situation and brought him into the Super Min’s fold.
“I’m heading out, Toby.” Josh skirted the short line of customers at the checkout to reach the peanuts that simmered in an oversize Crock-Pot. He dipped a generous portion into a plastic container. “I’ll likely be gone for the rest of the day. You doing okay here?”
With a ready smile, the eighteen-year-old eyed the bustling lines at the gas station. Typical for a Friday, cars crowded the gas pumps. The bell over the door tinkled as a fresh onslaught of weekend visitors headed for the coolers in the back of the store. “We’ll be fine, Mr. Josh. If we have any problems, we have your phone number.”
“Good man, Toby.” Josh clamped a hand on the shoulder of the straight-A student who, with a little help from McLean Enterprises, would start working his way through college in the fall. He paused. “As far as you know, business is good?”
“Busier than ever.” The teen wrestled bags of chips and a loaf of bread into paper sacks. “Ms. Charity hired two more people to handle all the extra work. They start soon as she gets home from
her cruise.”
More confused than ever, Josh ran his fingers through his hair. It made no sense at all for his aunt to add people to the payroll if she was selling the company. Yet, Charlie had insisted she’d all but signed a contract. Tucking the container of peanuts under one arm, he headed for the door. His departure was delayed by several customers who stopped to say hello, but he still slowed to a stop in front of Casa Blanca’s main building just as Charlie emerged from the lobby doors. Throwing the car into park, he whistled, long, low and under his breath.
In response to the rising temperatures, Charlie had pulled her hair into a ponytail that showed off her elegant neck. His pulse leaped as he took in the loose coral top that ended above a pair of barely there shorts. Below them, long, lean legs stretched for miles to a pair of casual sandals.
He groaned. Keeping his hands to himself would be the challenge of the day and, suspecting he’d fail miserably, he swallowed. To distract himself, he forced his gaze upward until it snagged on the tiny studs that sparkled in Charlie’s ears. An image of her draped in diamonds and pearls—and little else—flashed through his mind. No wonder men all over the world spent their hard-earned money on trinkets in little blue boxes.
“Good morning.” He stepped eagerly from his aunt’s car and waved aside an equally enthusiastic valet. Hustling to open Charlie’s door, he tsked when the passenger door screeched like a hyena. He practically felt color rush into his face and stopped to rethink his strategy. What was he thinking, driving around in this old wreck when his date deserved the best money could buy? Unable to change the plan at this late date, he swallowed again and reached for the bulging bag that hung from Charlie’s shoulder.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked, choosing a safe topic.
“Like a baby.”
She tilted her head to his, her rosy lips curving into a smile that sent his thoughts straight into her bedroom. Before he knew what was happening, he’d zeroed in on the night he wanted to spend with her, a night where there’d be very little sleeping at all. His grip on the door handle tightened along with the rest of him. He searched her face, wondering if the same desire shimmered in the green eyes hidden behind dark glasses.
