Gabrielle shook her head. “No.” She pulled out several comment cards. “In fact, we’ve had quite a few positive comment cards placed at the front desk lately when guests have departed saying how much they enjoyed The Pearl. I really have no idea where this stems from.”
“I see.” Kimberly rubbed her chin. “That’s unfortunate. That means that someone is out to sabotage the resort. We’re all going to have to be extra diligent in our services here at the resort. I’ll take the next steps to look into this matter. Any other new business?”
After the usual updates on reservations, food/beverage and special events, the meeting concluded. Gabrielle rose, but Kimberly beat her to door. “A word?” Kimberly asked.
“I really have to get back,” Gabrielle replied, glancing at her watch. “I’m baking fresh baguettes.”
“This won’t take long and I’m sure your staff can cover for you.”
Gabrielle rolled her eyes, but stayed rooted to the spot.
Once everyone had gone and it was just them and Robyn, Kimberly began, “Gabby, listen—”
“Don’t Gabby me, Kim.” She folded her arms across her chef’s coat. “You pulled rank on me yesterday. You don’t have to remind me, or Robyn,” she huffed and pointed to their friend, who was standing quietly behind her, “that your family owns this establishment. What you do need to do is respect the contribution that we both make.”
“You know I do, but—”
“I would never knowingly put your family’s business in danger or cover it up, for that matter,” Gabrielle responded. “It sickens me to think that my food could have harmed anyone. And I will do my best to ensure it doesn’t happen again. You can count on that.”
“I know that, Gabby,” Kimberly said quietly as she walked toward her. “And I’m truly sorry if I made you feel like I wasn’t in your corner. I am and I always will be. But these reviews are serious and could threaten the Belleza and all of our livelihoods. It may seem like I’m harsh at times, but I want—no, I need us to be a success.”
“Is this still about proving to your family that they made the right choice?” Robyn jumped into the conversation.
“Robyn...” Kimberly gave her a look. She didn’t want her private fears aired.
“What? You don’t want to go there?” Robyn asked, folding her arms across her bosom. “Why not? It’s what we’re all thinking. Heck, your parents think Sean is behind these reviews.”
“Sean?” Gabrielle looked confused and glanced back and forth between the two of them. “What does he have to do with any of this?”
Kimberly sighed. “My father accused him of being the culprit behind these bad reviews.”
“As much as Sean might be angry with Mr. Parker, he would never sabotage my reputation as executive chef at The Pearl,” Gabrielle defended her mentor. He’d taken her under his wing when she’d returned to the States, Kimberly knew. And she was a better chef because of him.
“I know that!” Kimberly snapped. “I don’t believe it any more than you do.”
“So why are we fighting?” Robyn asked. “Can’t we just put this behind us and move on? Kim, you say you’re sorry. And Gabby, you stop wearing your heart on your sleeve.”
“Well, all right!” Gabrielle sniffed at her reality check.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings,” Kimberly offered. She wanted to put this behind them and move on. She hated being at odds with her friends.
Gabrielle turned her head and was silent for several seconds before turning back around to face her. “And I’m sorry if I took it a little too personally, but it’s an affront when my food is criticized.”
“Understood.” Kimberly offered a half smile. “But I don’t think this is about your food. Someone has it out for the Belleza and we need to find out who.”
“But how?” Robyn asked.
“You’ll see.”
After Robyn left, Kimberly set about making some discreet inquiries for a private investigator. She needed to find out the source of these reviews and squelch them once and for all.
* * *
The afternoon dragged out for Jaxon. He couldn’t get his mind off Kimberly and the night they’d spent together. When he’d awoken later that morning in her bed and reached for her, she’d been gone and his erection had been less than pleased. The woman had woken up the sleeping tiger and he’d been hungry for her ever since. He’d hardly let Kimberly sleep before he’d felt himself getting hard and had to make love to her again earlier that morning. They’d used the entire two packs of condoms he’d brought.
He’d finally showered and dragged himself back to his room to check in at Dunham Investments. After dealing with a few emails and contacting several clients, he called his parents. He needed to keep them under the assumption that he was still out of the country without rousing their suspicions, but when he called the estate, his sister answered.
“Jaxon!” Hayley was nearly out of breath when she picked up the phone.
“Hey, Hales, how are you?”
“I’m fine. And you? Are you enjoying your time away?” she asked. “Abroad?”
“Yes, I am. Why?” She sounded suspicious of his whereabouts.
“I was just wondering when you planned on coming home. Without you here Mama has to have someone to fret over and I’m her new whipping boy, or girl.”
“Sorry, kid, but I’m not coming home just yet.”
“Having too much fun?”
Jaxon laughed and his mind went to that moment yesterday when he’d backed Kimberly up against the counter and had his way with her in the kitchen. It had been incredibly hot and sexy. Just thinking of it now caused his member to swell. “Uh, yeah, something like that.”
“I bet.” Hayley laughed.
“You sound like you know something.”
“Who, me?” Hayley asked. “I keep my head out of other’s people’s business.”
“Perhaps you can remind our parents to do the same.”
“You can tell them yourself.” A second of silence ensued, followed by her saying, “Mama, Jaxon’s on the phone.”
Jaxon took a deep breath and girded his loins for the Spanish Inquisition.
“Jaxon, is that you?” Claire Dunham asked on the other end of the line.
“Yes, Mother.”
“When are you coming home?”
“Soon?”
“That’s not an acceptable answer,” his father, Charles, said, joining the call. “Dunham Investments needs you here.”
“I would beg to disagree with you on that,” Jaxon replied. “I’ve spoken with my clients and they are very happy with my services even though I’m not local. I’m meeting my obligations.”
“What about your obligation to this family? Your obligation to providing a Dunham heir?”
Jaxon scoffed. It was funny that his father would bring up his obligation considering his parents were the ones who’d run him off in the first place. He ignored his father’s questions. “I’m calling to check in and let you know I’m fine so you don’t worry, but if that’s not good enough—”
His father interrupted, “Jaxon, this really has gotten out of hand. I know you were unhappy with how we handled your engagement to Stephanie, but don’t you think you’ve punished us enough? Punished your mother enough?”
Of course he would try to make Jaxon feel guilty, as if he’d done something wrong. “You mean my arranged engagement by Mom and Stephanie? Well, I’m not interested and if you persist down this road, I’ll make my stay indefinite.”
“Are you threatening me, young man?”
“Charles, please,” his mother jumped in. “We just want you back home, Jaxon, where you belong. I promise not to interfere in your life again.”
Jaxon wished he could believe that, but right now his mothe
r was just telling him what she thought he needed to hear until she got her way. Then she’d be right back to meddling in his affairs. “I’ll be home soon. You take care and I’ll be on the next Foundation call next week.” Seconds later, he ended the call. He refused to get into another debate with his parents on his obligations to the Dunham family.
What he wanted to do was focus on his dinner date with Kimberly and what was to come afterward when he would have his way with her.
Chapter 11
Kimberly debated what to wear for her dinner with Jaxon until it was nearly time for him to arrive. She finally settled on a bronze V-neck peplum top, skinny jeans, chandelier earrings, her favorite stilettos and a clutch. She wanted to wear something sexy rather than the stuffy suits and dresses that Jaxon saw her in most days. She wanted him to see that she was capable of letting her hair down and being carefree.
Though she supposed he may have caught that from the abandoned way she’d behaved in bed the day before. He probably thought her some sex-crazed nympho given that she’d been more than happy to stay in bed with him all day with a break only to eat room service.
She added a gold necklace, since the deep plunge of the top would show off her cleavage. She surveyed herself in her pedestal mirror. She sure hoped Jaxon liked what he saw when she opened the door. She had just sprayed perfume to her wrists, earlobes and cleavage when the bell rang. Her stomach vibrated as if a swarm of bees had gathered there. How could she still be nervous at seeing him considering how intimate they’d been? In actuality, this was their first real date. Most of their encounters centered around the Belleza, but now they were charting new territory.
She opened the door and Jaxon spun around to face her. His dark smoldering gaze sent a shiver up her spine as it surveyed every inch of her. In jeans that hugged his thighs and a purple button-down shirt open at the throat, he looked fine himself.
“You look good enough to eat,” Jaxon said as he brushed his soft lips across hers.
“Thank you.”
“You ready to go?”
She nodded and grabbed her clutch from the side table. “Yes, I can’t wait.” She closed the door behind her and locked it. “So where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He grasped her hand and together they walked down the stairs to the car he’d rented.
Jaxon had good taste. The silver Jaguar was sleek and sophisticated with a supple leather interior and all the latest technology. He helped her into the passenger seat before going around to the driver’s side. But before he turned over the engine, he leaned over to give her another kiss, except this one was longer, deeper and stirring. Kimberly could feel her toes curling in her stilettos. He eventually kicked the engine into gear and they set off. She didn’t know where they were going; she just knew she would enjoy whatever it was because she was with Jaxon.
“How was your day today? Any more bad reviews?” he inquired.
“No, thank God,” Kimberly replied, “but I still suspect someone is trying to sabotage the resort so I’m hiring a private investigator.”
“You think it’s that serious?” He hazarded a glance in her direction.
“Could be. I just can’t take any chances that this might spiral out of control. I’m trying to cover all my bases.”
“I think that’s wise, but what about your family?”
“Now that’s another story,” she responded. “I haven’t spoken with my parents since dinner the other night.” She turned to Jaxon. “I guess I’m kind of afraid to.”
“Are you hoping it’s all going to go away? If you’re not putting your head in the sand on the Belleza, why are you doing it in this situation?”
“It’s different,” Kimberly said. “It’s personal.”
Jaxon nodded. “I hear you.”
“I didn’t tell you the other reason I was upset yesterday. You see, I tried to reach out to my older brother, Sean.”
“And? What happened?”
“He wouldn’t even come to the phone. Can you believe that?”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Kim. I know this tension between you two has been weighing heavily on your heart.”
“Yeah, but what can I do if he won’t even meet me halfway?”
He put a comforting hand on her thigh. “I understand. A reconciliation takes two.”
“What about you and your family? Will you ever speak to them again?”
“That’s the difference, Kimberly. I have spoken with them. I called them just today, but my parents don’t want to take responsibility for their role in the rift that’s between us.”
Kimberly chuckled bitterly. “We’ve got problems, don’t we?”
Jaxon smiled in her direction. “Nothing that a bottle of good Merlot can’t solve, at least for tonight. Why don’t we agree to put our problems on the shelf tonight and just enjoy each other’s company?”
“Deal.”
Kimberly was impressed when Jaxon stopped the Jaguar in front of the valet stand at a Colombian restaurant she’d been hearing great things about for some time, but had never had the time to visit.
The hostess seated them almost immediately in the center of the tropically decorated restaurant with palm trees and Colombian decor lining the walls. A small wooden stage was in front of them.
“What’s the stage for?” Kimberly asked as Jaxon pulled out the chair for her to sit down.
“We have flamenco dancers,” the hostess answered instead. “The next show is in about thirty minutes.”
“Sounds great,” Kimberly replied. “Have you been here before?” she asked Jaxon when the hostess departed.
“No, but it was recommended by the Belleza concierge.”
Kimberly smiled; her staff was making her proud.
“Wine, sangria or a mojito?” Jaxon asked.
“Mmm...all of those sound wonderful. Since we’re in a Colombian restaurant, let’s get sangrias.”
They perused the menus, talking over options, and while doing, so Kimberly learned that Jaxon spent a summer abroad in Spain, where he gained a love of Spanish cuisine.
When the waiter came over to take their order, bringing with him a basket of Cuban bread, she wasn’t surprised when Jaxon spoke fluent Spanish when placing their sangria, tapas and entrée order.
“Were you there as a foreign exchange student or just bumming around Europe?”
Jaxon laughed heartily at her question. “My parents would never have allowed me to just bum around Europe. Wouldn’t have gone with the Dunham image. No, I was a student and stayed with this wonderful family who treated me like their own son. I helped teach their three young children English while exploring all that the country had to offer.”
“Sounds amazing. I wish I had traveled more when I was young.” She tore off a piece of the crusty bread before slathering it with a generous amount of the sweet cream butter.
“What were your summers like?”
“They were spent at the Belleza,” Kimberly said, munching the bread. “Learning the business from the ground up.”
“Do you regret it?” he asked just as the waiter returned with their sangria. He poured them each a glass of the rich-bodied red wine and citrus juice mixture.
“To us.” Jaxon lifted his glass.
“To us.” Kimberly clicked his glass with hers and took a sip. “This is delicious.”
“Good choice.”
“To answer to your earlier question,” Kimberly replied, “I don’t regret it. It was a great experience learning at my father’s feet. I think it’s why he chose me to run the resort when he retired. But at times, I do wish I’d been able to be more of a teenager.”
“So you’ve always been this focused, this determined?”
“Yes, and don’t get me wrong, it served me well, but while my brother
Ryan was able to screw up and make mistakes, my father expected more from me.”
She suspected Jaxon understood what it was like to live up to his family’s expectations. Wasn’t that why he’d left town? “So tell me. What was it like growing up as a Dunham?”
Jaxon joined her and ate some of the Cuban bread as he filled her in on happier moments from his childhood. Like when he and Hayley went skiing for the first time or when they attempted a family camping trip. He didn’t want to spend their evening talking about what they wished they had done or on regrets. He wanted it to be fun, so he told her about sneaking out of the house with some friends to go to a bar and getting caught drinking. “I was grounded for a month for underage drinking.”
“Sounds like you were quite a handful,” Kimberly replied.
“Yeah, I think I drove my mother crazy trying to buck family tradition.” Jaxon laughed. “But she couldn’t discipline me. She left that to my father.”
The waiter brought their entrées of seafood paella and chicken Manchego.
“Your chicken looks delicious,” Kimberly said, eyeing the breaded chicken cutlet with Manchego cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil with yellow rice.
Immediately he cut her a piece and then leaned to place it in her open mouth. Their eyes connected across the table and as Kimberly chewed she could feel the sexual tension stirring between them.
“You like?” Jaxon’s dark eyes never left hers.
She paused before eventually saying, “Yes, it’s delicious.”
Just then, the flamenco dancers took to the stage. One man, dressed in all black, danced with three women all wearing red dresses with flounced skirts and flaming-red flamenco shoes.
They began stomping and kicking their heels as the women used the castanets. It was all very charming and when they asked for volunteers, Jaxon stood up and began pointing to Kimberly.
The dancers came down the stage and headed straight for her. “No, no.” Kimberly shook her head, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They led her to the stage and one of the females began to show her the steps. Kimberly looked down at Jaxon and he was smiling up at her and giving her an encouraging thumbs-up.
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