Barefoot by the Sea

over to her face, he pushed back the lock of hair she’d wound over her neck. His fingers tickled her skin, the move pure possession and sex.

“Whoops.” He sounded more proud than apologetic. “Did I do that?”

She slid him a sideways look. “I owe you one.”

“More than one, I hope.”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “What am I going to do with you?”

“I can’t believe you have to ask that question.” He pressed his thigh against hers under the table. “But since you won’t leave this meeting, how about a late dinner tonight? Walk on the beach in the moonlight? We could find your junonia.”

“We’ll see.”

“I want to ask you something.”

“What do you want to ask me?”

“Not here. Somewhere romantic.”

Her pulse skyrocketed, along with her curiosity. “Ask me now.”

He settled his large hand on her thigh and gave a squeeze. “Patience.”

“Like you had in the pantry?”

He gave a sly smile, but Jocelyn called for everyone’s attention with a clap.

“Lacey wants me to get things started, team.” Jocelyn stood with the windows behind her, the cobalt water and baby-blue sky as her backdrop, her dark hair pulled into its usual ponytail of perfection, not a stray hair out of place. Still, Jocelyn wasn’t the uptight life coach she used to be, thanks to Will and a nice life running the spa at Casa Blanca.

“So since Lacey’s not here, let me take a minute to tell you all how amazing this opportunity is. We have a chance to really kick this resort to the next level and it’s going to take some work. I’ll start with…”

Ian leaned closer and stroked the inside of Tessa’s thigh. “So, tonight?” Goose bumps rose on her bare arms and he nodded to them. “Is that a yes?”

“Depends on what you want to ask me, but we better pay attention. This is an important meeting.”

“So is the one I’m proposing…” He drew out the last word, the emphasis so obvious and powerful enough to fire one seriously unholy heat through her.

Why did he say things like that? He didn’t want what she wanted. He wanted sex in the kitchen; she wanted a baby in the belly. Or did he? Sometimes she’d swear he wanted more. Was that possible?

She didn’t take her eyes off Jocelyn to look at him. She was almost scared she’d find out that thought was wrong. Or maybe she was scared it was right.

Either way, she was scared.

Jocelyn walked across the front section of the restaurant, handing out some papers to be passed around. “In case you haven’t had a chance to do your homework on the American Association of Bridal Consultants, this will tell you what we’re dealing with and how important this weekend will be for our budding destination-wedding business. If we are selected as one of their AABC-approved resorts, that means many of the country’s wedding planners will be bringing brides for site visits and, of course, we can plan on a steady stream of destination weddings.”

A buzz of response hummed through the room as she continued. “Those weddings will fill our rooms and villas, keep our kitchen running full speed, pack the spa to capacity, lift the hot-air-balloon business to an all-time high, and kick up our entire event and catering business.” She paused to take a breath and let it all sink in. “In other words, this is the most important weekend we’ve ever had that could make or break this resort.”

The staff reacted with the appropriate cheers and claps and a barrage of questions, all so fast and furious that Jocelyn held up her hands “Hang on, troops. Lacey will answer everything when she’s off the phone.”

John leaned closer, his face so, so close to hers. “You thinking about it?”

She was certainly thinking about something. “The weekend with the wedding consultants?” she asked, trying—and failing—to keep the smile off her face. “I am, and so should you, since it’s the only reason we hired you.”

“The only reason?” He feigned a hurt look. “I thought it was my boyish charm and irresistible kisses.”

“And because we need you to cook when they’re here. Shh.” She jutted her chin toward Jocelyn. “She’s going to talk about the menu any minute.”

He moved closer, kicking up the assault of a soapy scent and a warm, comfortable hand, reminding her of how it felt on her breast, on her backside.

“Now you’re thinking about sex.”

She straightened guiltily. “Speak for yourself.”

“I am.” He drummed his fingers on her thigh, way too high, way too close to a spot that grew warmer and damper by the moment.

“Is that what you want to ask me tonight? To have sex with you?”

“Not exactly.”

Not exactly? “What does that mean?”

“It means come out with me tonight and I’ll tell you.” He slid his hand one more inch up her thigh, heat pressing through her jeans. “Please?”

“Maybe.” Who was she kidding—maybe? She was already thinking about what she’d wear: black or red undies?

As if he’d read her mind, he flicked his thumb right between her legs, making her gasp the very second things quieted down. At the next table, a nail tech in the spa shot them a curious look. Tessa tried to smile and cross her legs. Impossible.

“Of course, we were thrown a huge monkey wrench,” Jocelyn continued. “When we found out they wanted to move up their visit from next summer to later this month.”

“That’s not the only monkey wrench that hit us.” Lacey bounded into the restaurant, her eyes bright, the cell phone still clutched in her hand. “I just got walloped with one more.”

Tessa sat up, and the chatter in the room quieted down.

Lacey took a moment to cross the room, set the phone dramatically on one of the tables, and put both hands on her hips to make her announcement. “It seems that the whole site visit is now contingent on one thing.”

The entire room hushed to silence.

“We need to have a wedding that weekend.”

Instantly, John pulled his hand away and sat forward. “What?” he asked.

“I know,” Lacey replied, nodding his way. “It’ll be a challenge for the kitchen, but I promise you we’ll bring in help, Chef Brown. We’ll get a pastry professional and more hands for you in the kitchen.”

“Just what you need,” Tessa mumbled under her breath. “More hands.”

But he didn’t laugh, his attention still on Lacey. “Do we have a wedding scheduled that weekend?”

Lacey threw her hands up. “That’s the problem. We do not, nor do I have any couples that could possibly be coerced into changing their date. Unfortunately, our competition in Naples does have a wedding scheduled and the planners are considering moving their weekend visit there.”

Jocelyn stepped forward, frowning. “Why didn’t they mention this to us when they were here?”

“It came up when they met with the regional directors,” Lacey replied. “Because we are so new and untested, the directors feel that the only way they can make a real recommendation is if they witness a ceremony, sample a wedding dinner, and assess how we handle logistics, decor, staffing, everything.”

“That’s crazy,” Tessa said. “We can’t pull off a wedding in two weeks.”

A few disappointed moans of agreement traveled through the room, then the nail tech at the next table called out, “Zoe! It’s your time.”

“Yeah, Zoe!” A few others agreed. “You’re engaged.”

“Move your date up with Oliver!”

“Can it,” Zoe said, standing up from her seat in the front to turn and face her colleagues. Rubbing her small but distinctive baby bump, she shook her head. “I’m not walking down the aisle until my baby of honor can be there.” When Jocelyn and Lacey gave her pleading looks, Zoe shook her head. “Oliver and I agreed, and there’s no way I’m throwing my one and only wedding together in two weeks, sorry.”