Kissing Bree

by JoMarie DeGioia

  Chapter 2

  Derek drove his rented Lexus back to the Sales Center, his mind on the gorgeous girl who’d clearly been pissed at him. She’d been professional, of course. He wouldn’t expect any less from one of Rick Chapman’s people. She had seemed less than patient with him though, which didn’t add up. He’d put on his usual professional persona, too.

  He remembered her from last year’s visit, though his mind had been cluttered then with way too much to think about flirting like Eli Graham had. He and Eli had scoped out the place and taken the required tours, but Eli was way more comfortable mixing in than Derek had ever been. The guy might have grown up in foster care, but at least he didn’t have anybody to impress before he’d hooked up with Bill Chapman. As for Derek? He’d had to be on his guard almost from before he’d started prep school.

  He parked his sleek sedan, the perfect car for his persona as a successful corporate lawyer and nearly identical to the lease he’d had back in Boston, in the crushed-shell lot adjacent to the Sales Center. The rain had let up but if the steel gray sky was any indication, more downpours would come over the course of the rest of the day.

  The town center of Cypress Corners was quaint and welcoming. Though built less than fifteen years earlier it resembled any small town from up north. He should have felt at home here, since there was a real New England feel in the red brick and crisp white trim of the shops and other buildings. It was only his first day, and he really felt out of his element.

  He’d foregone wearing a suit today, which was a first in his memory. Mr. Forbes had told him yesterday that they were a little more casual here in Cypress. Rick Chapman had been dressed much like Derek was, so that put him on a more even keel. The nautical terminology seemed to stick with him despite being out of that world for years.

  He’d sailed in his youth, as the son of a prominent attorney in Boston might be expected to. Rowing crew at Boston College had filled his days between high school graduation and entering law school, and he still missed being around the water. He’d clerked for a law firm decidedly not his father’s for a couple of years while studying for the bar, which hadn’t given him much time for water sports.

  Then he’d declined a partnership with the son-of-a-bitch to go and work for Bill Chapman in the heart of the city. Bill had worked him hard from the start, but since he worked just as hard as he’d expected Derek to, Derek had been only too glad to fall right into line.

  Now, at twenty-eight, Derek didn’t regret that decision in the least despite being all but banned from his family’s yacht club. He knew just what came along with kowtowing to Edward Stone, esquire: indentured servitude and wading through a never-ending stream of bullshit to make Eddie look good.

  Derek had read all of the stuff about the amenities in Cypress, and knew his love of the water could be easily indulged if he gave it a chance. There were even adventure courses, created and run by Jake Chapman, on the main lakeshore that might fill some of his time. Rick had told him this morning that Saturdays and Sundays the Sales Center and the model homes were closed. Mr. Forbes had said as much over the phone, but hearing it in person made it real.

  As strange as that custom was, it seemed that Cypress Corners’ bottom line was very healthy in spite of ignoring the lure of weekend home-shoppers. None of this should surprise him, though. Working with the tree-huggers, as Bill put it, was profitable as well as environmentally conscious. That shouldn’t be true either, but it was.

  The Cypress Institute, located across the street from the Sales Center, was tasked with keeping the development firmly on the green side. It kept a careful eye toward the conservation of native plants and animals. Rick’s wife Harmony was a plant conservationist and Ty Walsh, the guy married to his new boss’s sister, looked after the animals. It really seemed like a family business, since so many of the key positions were held by Chapmans or Chapmans-by-marriage. Bill Chapman was right on one very big point. All of his kids came to Cypress and never came back.

  Derek knew all of this, he was always one to do his due-diligence, but it would take some getting used to. That was for sure.

  “Hey, Derek Stone!” a thin blond guy named Oliver called with a wave of a hand. “So you’re back for your tour?”

  “Hello, Oliver.” Derek had met the guy before heading out to the green neighborhood that morning and joined him on the wide steps in front of the Sales Center. “I guess you’re taking me around?”

  Oliver gave a nod. “Sure am, Boston. I won the coin toss.”

  Derek couldn’t tell if the guy was serious or teasing, but he found himself smiling. It seemed you couldn’t help but smile when you were in this guy’s company. Oliver was bright and shiny and seemed like he was always happy to be wherever he was.

  “I thought Eli would be stuck with me,” Derek said.

  “Nope. Mr. Forbes and Eli have been in a meeting all morning.”

  Derek blinked. This had to be about the Active Adult community. He made a mental note to get with Eli later and pick his brain. Maybe he could talk him into having a beer at the Town Tavern after work.

  Derek didn’t just want to see his mother settled safely in Florida. No. He needed to see her out of Boston, out of Massachusetts, and far away from where his father could wield his usual brand of control over her. If she were in Florida with him, starting a new life and maybe making some new friends, he and Abby could breathe a little easier.

  He opened one of the glass doors and waved Oliver in ahead of him. The older woman at the reception desk waved with a smile and Derek nodded in her direction.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Walsh,” Derek said to her.

  “Did you enjoy your tour of the green neighborhood, dear?”

  Derek brushed his damp hair back from his forehead. “I did.”

  “Our Bree is a wonderful salesperson.”

  He stilled before slowly lowering his hand. “She is.”

  “And she’s very easy on the eyes.”

  Derek’s mouth dropped open. “She is,” he said again.

  “Mom, what are you doing?” Ty Walsh, Cassie Chapman’s husband, smiled as he came into the lobby from the back hallway.

  “Hello, son.” Mrs. Walsh turned pink. “I’m not doing anything.”

  Ty smirked at her and shook his head. “Sorry about that, Derek. Sometimes my mother borrows more than a few pages from Lettie Fairfax’s book.”

  Derek was at a loss now.

  Ty chuckled and clasped Derek on the shoulder. “From that expression I guess you haven’t met Lettie yet.”

  Derek thought for a second. “No, I don’t think I have.”

  Oliver laughed out loud. “She’s going to love you.”

  Derek looked over at Ty’s mother, who was obviously trying to keep from grinning. “All right, then. I’ll just go grab a bottle of water and Oliver and I can start the tour.”

  “And you’re coming with me tomorrow.” Ty ran an eye over Derek’s clothes, one brow arched. “And dress comfortably. We’re doing the full-on eco tour on the east side of the property.”

  “Ah, the real tour I’ll bet.”

  Ty blinked in an obvious show of innocence. “I took you on a real tour last year. You and Eli both.”

  “And Eli let me know that things are a little different once you’ve been shown the secret handshake.”

  That made Ty smile. Derek headed toward the breakroom to grab his water. He suspected they would talk about him once he left the reception area, but since they’d already talked about him to his face he wasn’t too put out by it. He’d bought into the whole thing once he’d spoken with Rick this morning. He was fully on-board, and he should try to fit in.

  The hard part would be joining the crowd without letting them get to know the real him. He knew from past experience that it would be a real disappointment.

  ***

  “So how did this morning go?”

  Bree looked up from her yogurt cup to nod to Jessie Brady. The breakroom in the Sales Center, a sp
ace with a couple of round tables and a kitchenette, was empty except for the two of them. Her friend wore her usual cardigan, but today’s was spring green to fit her sunny Pixie personality.

  “The usual Monday, Jessie. How about yours?”

  Jessie smirked and sat down across from her. “You were living with the house, Bree. Was it as stifling as I’m afraid it is?”

  Bree shrugged. “It’s weird, but it’s kind of comfortable. Part of the credit goes to your staging. The house really feels like a home.”

  Jessie waved away the compliment, much like she usually did. “You baked the cookies.”

  Now Bree laughed. “Okay, you’ve got me. Ate a couple of them, too.”

  “What about tall, dark and gloomy?”

  “Who?” Like she didn’t know.

  Jessie snorted. “Come on, Bree. Boston?”

  Bree blinked, but managed to keep her expression even. “He came for a quick tour.”

  “And now he’s out with Ollie.”

  “Oh?” She didn’t care about Derek Stone’s whereabouts. Nope.

  “Noah says he’ll be good for Cypress but I’m not so sure.”

  Jessie’s husband, Noah Brady, was the builder in the green neighborhood and the upcoming Active Adult village. He was a good guy, a great father and a wonderful husband. Bree figured he was a good judge of character, too.

  “What’s bothering you about him, Jessie?”

  “I don’t know exactly. It’s just that last year, when he came here with Eli? They were clearly on some sort of fishing expedition for Chapman Financial.”

  Bree had gotten the same vibe from the two of them but after getting to know Eli better since, and seeing how over-the-moon he was for his pregnant wife Caro, she was less inclined to accept the secret spy theory they’d all talked about a year ago. Derek Stone didn’t seem to be anything more than as he appeared. He looked every inch the privileged prep-school lawyer he was.

  “But now Derek is working for Rick and Mr. Forbes,” Bree pointed out. “Both of them have said again and again that having an in-house counsel would be beneficial to Cypress.”

  “But what if he’s still working for Bill Chapman?”

  “He is,” Rick Chapman said, coming into the breakroom.

  Bree looked at her boss. “He is?”

  “My father was clear on this, actually,” Rick said. “Except where there might be a conflict of interest, Derek remains on retainer with Chapman.”

  Jessie looked surprised but Bree wasn’t. If Mr. Forbes wanted the guy, he had to be a valuable asset. That value had to extend all the way back up to Chapman Financial.

  Bree had met Bill Chapman when Jake and Claire’s baby was born last fall. He was a big guy, tall and broad like his sons, and possessed a commanding personality. If anyone other than Arthur James had raised Bree, she might have been intimidated. As it was, she merely pitied all of the Chapman kids for having the blustering man as their father.

  They’d all seemed to have carved out lives of their own, and appeared very happy with their work, love and life choices. When looked at in that light, the Chapmans gave Bree the hope that she could find herself here in Cypress too.

  “…sitting down with Derek sometime this week, Bree,” Rick said.

  “Hmm?” Bree looked at her boss again. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  Rick gave her a small smile. “I would like everyone to sit down sometime this week with Derek and help bring him up to speed.”

  “What could we possibly tell him?” Jessie asked, stating the question Bree was about to ask.

  “He’ll be in just about everything that happens at the Sales Center, Jessie,” Rick said. “Reviewing contracts, lease agreements, residents’ disputes, among other things.” Rick smiled a little bit wider. “I’m sure Mr. Forbes will call a meeting about it tomorrow.”

  They all shared a knowing nod. Mr. Forbes did love his meetings. Rick left the breakroom and Jessie whistled.

  “So bringing Boston into the fold really was necessary,” Jessie said. “Or someone like him, anyway.”

  “Rick’s right. Having an in-house counsel is probably long overdue.”

  “He’s going to be handling a lot of crud, too. Things like paint colors and fences, and other resident complaints and applications.”

  “Ugh, what does Noah say about that?”

  Jessie grinned. “Noah really can’t stand the guy currently in charge of design reviews. Calls him a blowhard, among other things.”

  “Yikes,” Bree said. “I almost feel sorry for Derek.”

  “Why?” Derek asked.

  Bree jumped in her seat, sending her spoon clattering to the tabletop. He stood in the doorway, his brows drawn together over his eyes. He looked perplexed. It was the most emotion she’d ever glimpsed on his face, actually.

  “I just meant…” she began.

  Jessie rushed to her feet. “Well, I have a tour in ten minutes.”

  The Pixie flew out of the breakroom, leaving Bree alone with Derek. It was obviously raining again, because drops sparkled in his dark waves. His pressed shirt looked a little less starchy now, from flecks of water and the wild way she knew Ollie liked to drive the golf carts on his tours.

  He crossed the room to the coffee maker and proceeded to make himself a cup. He appeared very capable, and she had to admit that his tailored pants clung nicely to his firm butt. She shouldn’t be noticing things like that about this guy, but there it was. Hello!

  “Now why do you feel sorry for me?” he asked as he turned back to her.

  She blinked at the intensity in his gaze. “I just meant that you’re going to be dealing with a very different world than the one you left in Boston.”

  “How do you know what I left in Boston?”

  “I don’t, exactly. But Cypress is unique. And special.”

  He tilted his head to one side, his gaze sharpening. “You like it here.”

  “Of course I do,” she said. “I wouldn’t live here if I didn’t love it.”

  “But, you work here too.”

  “Yes. Is that so strange?”

  He seemed to want to ask her something but the hiss of the coffee maker drew his attention. As he turned away from her again, she wondered about their odd aborted conversation. He’d come to work here, of course. He might end up living here or he might not. It wasn’t a requirement of employment at Cypress Corners, though she’d yet to meet anyone who came here to work and didn’t buy into the whole package.

  Maybe he would commute from Orlando. That wasn’t unheard of, not that she would ever want to go back to that world. She hadn’t grown up in Orlando proper but in an elite area northeast of the city in Heathrow. No matter what he chose to do, it wasn’t her concern.

  Her attention strayed to him as he faced her again. Those capable-looking hands gripped that coffee mug. That long, lean body leaned easily against the counter at his back. She could smell him, too. Like crisp spring rain and something else a little spicy. She nodded at whatever he said, her eyes on his sculpted lips.

  “Great. Just let me know when,” he said.

  “When?”

  “When you’re free.” He shrugged one broad shoulder. “To show me some available properties?”

  She squared her shoulders and refocused. “Just text me what you’re looking for and I’ll get a list together.”

  He nodded and walked toward the doorway. “We’ll grab a bite to eat afterwards.”

  “Um, okay. Sure.”

  He looked as puzzled as she was by his invitation, but then he was gone. She sat back. She was spending more time with him. Great. They were going to eat dinner or something, too. She should push him off onto Jessie. That woman seemed immune to Derek’s charms. Bree? Not so much. Hadn’t she agreed to something while staring at him like some lovesick teenager?

  She was a professional. She knew Cypress inside and out. She would find him a place to live, hopefully in one of the more exclusive villages because why not go for
a larger commission?

  And then she would keep her distance. How hard could it be?

  Chapter 3

  Derek sat at in the courtyard of the coffee shop Wednesday afternoon, sipping his coffee as he thumbed through the listings Bree had sent him this morning. He was staying at the Cypress Inn and, although it was comfortable and surprisingly luxurious, he didn’t want to stay there indefinitely. It was fashioned like a grand Victorian manor, and that décor and theme carried through until you climbed up to the guest rooms. There you might be in any high-end hotel room, given the furnishings and ambiance. Still, it would never feel like home.

  He had to pick a place that didn’t only suit him. His mother would need somewhere to stay until her own home was ready. From what he’d learned from Eli and Noah, it could be months before the first residents could move into the new section. Abby was on Mom-watch for now, but she was busy trying to make a place for herself in the competitive veterinarian business. Damn, but he’d like to see her move down here too.

  Bree hadn’t seemed like she wanted to help him but she was the one Mr. Forbes had recommended. After their short conversation in the breakroom it was clear that he’d obviously surprised her when he’d asked her to grab dinner with him afterwards. He’d surprised himself too.

  She was easy on the eyes, of course. Even in those conservative clothes she wore, her curves rocked a look just this side of sexy. He hadn’t missed the number of buttons undone, letting the V of her soft-looking shirt give him just a peek at what he guessed were some stellar tits.

  She was taller than the Pixie girl, the one married to Noah Brady. Not quite as tall as Ben Chapman’s wife, though. He would bet that if he were to stand really close to Bree, toe to toe, she would fit nicely against him. Especially if he grabbed her beneath her round little ass and pulled her up onto her toes.

  He gave himself a mental shake. Clicking a few of the choices to select, he sent them back to Bree. He wasn’t in Cypress looking to hook up, especially with a woman like her. He knew the type. Hell, he’d gotten involved with the type while traveling in those country-club circles. They were usually pretty staid and cold until you took them to bed a couple of times. Then they started wrangling for a ring.