Her sister Catherine had used her share of their inheritance to attend culinary school and Kayla was thrilled she now had the money to follow her dream. Kayla had put off her own future in favor of running her aunt’s business and bringing in income. And she intended to keep the business in the black.
Men today didn’t need dating lessons, but many executives required instruction on how to conduct themselves in social settings and needed to learn foreign customs when entertaining international guests. With her language skills, she would add a modern dimension to an old-fashioned business. Ordering off foreign menus would no longer be a challenge for the American executive or traveler. And thanks to her well-targeted on-line advertising, she’d just begun getting calls from the larger downtown corporations with offices overseas.
Instead of giving class to the heathens, as her aunt had been fond of saying, Charmed! would offer a broader, more modern range of services. When Kayla had inherited the school, the irony wasn’t lost on her. The class whore with the classless mother, giving charm lessons. The memories of being bullied still hurt and gave her an even stronger incentive to upgrade and modernize Charmed! until it no longer resembled its roots.
Much as Kayla had done for herself.
She’d grown up on the poor side of an otherwise well-to-do area outside of Boston. While the other kids always seemed to sport designer labels and the latest fashions, she and her sister had worn their clothes until they were threadbare. Problem was, Kayla’s figure had developed early, and her clothes never fit properly. The girls treated her like an outsider, and the boys figured if she dressed in tight clothes, she’d wanted to be noticed. By the time she hit high school, there wasn’t a guy who hadn’t claimed he’d gotten lucky. She’d buried herself in her books and told no one except her sister the truth. No one else would have believed her if she had.
Despite the heat, she shivered at the painful memories, then forced them aside. Those days were behind her, and Charmed! wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t a dating school for the awkward man. Not anymore. It was a business meeting legitimate needs. She wasn’t thrilled with delaying her life, or putting off going back to school to obtain her language degrees. She’d even toyed with the idea of becoming an interpreter, but not at the expense of family. Charmed! was a family business, and something Kayla and Catherine held sacred. Antiquated or not, neither she nor her sister had been ready to part with the school. Her aunt’s sudden death two months earlier was too fresh and raw.
She grabbed for her pad and pen. The repairman still hadn’t returned her call, and she made a note to nudge him every half hour. She had a head for numbers and the ability to memorize whole passages of books at a glance, but if she didn’t record the little details, nothing got done.
Her projections indicated Charmed! would see a large profit next year, and she’d be able to stop renting the mirrored dance room out to exercise classes. She walked back to the storage room. With classes canceled, she could use the free time to begin going through her late aunt and uncle’s books.
But first she needed fresh air. She walked into the outer room, intending to open the doors and windows when the chimes signaled an unexpected visitor had entered.
She glanced up and nearly tripped midstride. She’d heard the expression sucker punched before, but Kayla thought she and her wary heart were immune. Her visitor made her rethink that notion.
From his designer dress shoes to his dark and immaculately groomed hair, the man emanated strength and power cloaked in a double-breasted suit. Her breath caught in her chest. She was grateful she had been too hot and uncomfortable to eat because her stomach churned in an unfamiliar combination of excitement, trepidation, and awe. A wave of heat settled low in her belly that had nothing to do with the broken unit in the back.
She’d wanted to cool off? Not even the spring breeze blowing in behind him would cause her blood to chill now. At a professional glance, he looked every inch the executive she wanted to target with her new business angle. From a personal standpoint, he set her body tingling with one long glance.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
He nodded and offered an awkward smile. “Charmed?” He held out his hand, then seemed to reconsider, then changed his mind again and shoved his hand forward, nearly hitting her in the chest.
She tipped her head to the side, stunned by his awkward manner. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
He laughed aloud, a sexy, rumbling sound that vibrated inside her. A confident sound at odds with the inept handshake he’d offered. “No, I meant the sign outside said Charmed! so I assume I have the right place.” The voice was every bit as sexy as the man.
A renewed surge of warmth trickled through her veins, slow and easy, like warm molasses. She liked the feeling. “That you do. I’m Kayla Luck, the owner.”
She shook his outstretched hand.
His touch was strong and self-assured, so unlike the weak handshake of the men she’d met at the accounting firm where she used to work.
“Glad to meet you, Ms. Luck.” And he began pumping her hand too eagerly. “Or is it Mrs.?” He paused a beat. “I really should have asked; I mean, I have no right to jump to conclusions and insult a lady…”
Unable to comprehend his sudden rambling, she interrupted him. “It’s Ms. or Miss. Your choice.” She eased her hand out of his grip before he yanked her arm out of its socket.
The rough edges of his skin brushed against hers. Despite all logic, she enjoyed the lingering caress.
“No Mrs.,” he mused. “Must be my lucky day.” He shook his head and laughed. “That
