Three
“You own the hotel?” Brandon asked, seemingly surprised by what she’d said and trying not to place much emphasis on what she’d just revealed and raise her suspicions about his motives for being there.
“Yes, my father left it to me when he died.”
Brandon brought the car to a stop at a traffic light and used that opportunity to look directly at her. “Then you must feel proud that he had such faith and confidence in your abilities to do such a thing.”
The smile she gave him extended straight from her eyes and he suddenly felt his gut clench from the effect those dark eyes had on him. “Thanks. And he did know of my capabilities because I’d managed the hotel for the past five years.”
He nodded when the car began moving again. “That might be true but I’m sure managing a hotel is a lot different than owning it. It’s a big responsibility to place on anyone’s shoulders and evidently he felt, and I’m sure justly so, that you could handle the job.”
“Thank you for saying that,” she said softly. “That was very kind of you.”
“I’m just telling you the way I see it,” he said, bringing the car to a stop in the parking lot of the hotel. “Now getting back to the subject of seeing you again tomorrow…” he said smoothly.
She shook her head, grinning. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not without a fight,” he said sincerely. “And if you don’t feel like having me try out your cooking skills, I’d love to take you to another restaurant tomorrow evening. I understand several in this area come highly recommended.”
Trying to ignore the urge to laugh from the intensity of his plea, she smiled. Since she’d taken ownership of her mother’s home a few months ago, no man had crossed its threshold and she hadn’t planned for one to cross over it anytime soon. But for some reason the thought of Brandon visiting her home didn’t bother her, which could only mean one thing. She really liked him.
Pushing her hair away from her face she said, “I would love having dinner again with you tomorrow and I insist it be my treat. At my home. And I will proudly show you just what a good cook I am.”
Brandon grinned. “I’ll look forward to it.”
He got out of the car and walked around it to open the door for her. What he’d said was true. He was looking forward to it but not for the reason that he should be. A part of him wished like hell that her last name wasn’t Garrison.
“Thank you, Brandon,” she said when he offered her his hand. “I’ll leave a sealed envelope with directions to my home for you at the front desk tomorrow,” she added when they stood at her door. “It’s in Lyford Cay.”
“And is there a particular time you prefer that I show up?”
She tilted her head back to look up at him. “Anytime after four will be fine. I won’t be serving dinner until around six but I think you might enjoy taking a walk through the aquarium.”
He lifted a brow. “The aquarium?”
She smiled. “Yes, my mother loved sea life and ten years ago for her fortieth birthday my father had a beautiful indoor aquarium built for her.”
“You live in your mother’s home?” he asked when she had lowered her head to get the door key out of her purse.
She glanced back up at him. “It used to be Mom’s, but Dad signed it over to me when she died. I really had thought he was going to sell it, but I think the thought of parting with it bothered him since the place held so many special memories.”
Brandon didn’t know what to say to that. He did know there was no mention of John Garrison owning a home in the Bahamas in any of the legal papers he had. It was a moot point now since, according to Cassie, John had signed it over to her.
“I enjoyed your company tonight,” she said, unlocking her door.
Cassie’s words drew back his attention. “And I, yours. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“So am I. Good night, Brandon.”
Although they had just met tonight, he had no intentions of letting her escape inside her suite without them sharing a kiss. All night he had focused on her lips, wondering how they would taste and how they would feel beneath his. He could feel the sizzling tension between them and took a step closer to her, deciding to draw it out and pull it in. He was powerless to do anything less.
He reached out, cupped her chin gently in his hand and studied the dimple she had there. “Nice place for a dimple,” he said in a husky voice.
She smiled up at him. “My dad said it’s a cleft. He had one, too.”
So do his other five children, Brandon thought. “I’m going to have to disagree with your father on that. I have it on good authority that on a man it’s a cleft but on a woman it’s a dimple.”
“Nothing wrong with disagreeing,” Cassie said.
His hand felt warm and when he moved it from her chin and took the backside of his hand and caressed the side of her face, she felt her entire body tingle from sensations that not only flooded her mind but also her senses. Without any self-control she released a deep sigh and closed her eyes, thinking his touch felt so soothing. And before she could reopen her eyes she detected the warmth of his lips close to hers, and then she felt it when he placed them softly against her own.
She released another sigh and her lips parted, giving his tongue the opportunity to slip inside and capture hers. She had thought of tasting him all night and she was getting more than she had bargained for. His taste was manly, sexy, delicious-everything she had imagined it would be and more. She couldn’t stop the quiver that passed through her body or the moan she heard from low in her throat. He was a master at his game, definitely an expert at what he was doing and how he was making her feel.
Her fingers gripped the sleeve of his shirt when she felt weak in the knees, and in response his arms wrapped themselves around her waist, pulling her closer to him. And she could actually feel his heat, his strength, everything about him that was masculine. Moments later when he broke off the kiss, she opened her eyes.
“Thank you for that,” he whispered hoarsely, just inches from her lips. And before she could draw her next breath, he was kissing her again and the pleasure of it was seeping deep into her bones. Instinctively she responded, feeling slightly dizzy while doing so, and she could hear the purr that came from deep within her throat.
Moments later he ended the kiss and she regretted the loss, the feel of his mouth on hers. Her gaze latched onto his lips and she felt a warm sensation flow between her legs. Without much effort, he had aroused impulses within her that she had never encountered before. It was like her feminine liberation was threatening to erupt.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Cassie,” he said, taking a step even closer.
The light that shone in her doorway cast the solid planes of his face into sharp focus. She watched as his gaze moved slowly over her features before returning to her eyes. And while his eyes held hers, she studied the deep look of desire in them. For some reason the look didn’t startle her, nor did it bother her. What it did do was fill her with anticipation of seeing him again.
“And I’m looking forward to seeing you, as well.” When she realized she was still clutching his sleeve she quickly released it, turned and, without wasting time, opened the door and went inside.
A few moments later Brandon entered his own suite as he took a mental note of what had transpired that night. Frankly, he wasn’t sure what to make of it. Cassie Garrison was definitely not what he had anticipated. He had expected a woman who was selfish, spoiled, inconsiderate and self-centered. Definitely temperamental at best. However, the woman he had spent time with tonight, in addition to her physical perfection, had possessed charm, style and grace, warmth and sensuality, even while not knowing she was eluding the latter. Then there was her keen sense of intelligence, which was definitely obvious. She was not a woman who acted irrational or who didn’t think through any decision she made. Even when she had ordered dinner she had expounded on the advantages of eating healthy. And when she had spoken of her parents he could feel the pain that she’d endured in losing them, pain she was still mending from.
He shook his head, remembering how comfortable she had gotten with him. Surprisingly, they had discovered
