If he found her request strange he didn’t let on. “Then I’ll see you back here in an hour, Cassie Sinclair- Garrison,” he said, smiling again.
Her heart missed a beat with his smile and, holding his gaze a bit longer than she should have, she said goodbye and then turned and quickly began walking back across the sand to her suite.
As Brandon headed back toward his room, he felt more than the October breeze off the ocean. A rush of adrenaline was pumping fast and furious through his veins. What were the chances of the one woman he had been attracted to since his breakup with Jamie Frigate a year ago to be the woman he had purposely come here to get to know?
Jamie.
Even now he had to steel himself against the rising anger he always felt when he thought about his fiancee’s betrayal. How any woman could have been so shallow and full of herself he would never know. But more than that, she had been greedy as hell. She hadn’t been satisfied with just having the things he could give her. While engaged to him she’d had an affair with a California businessman. He had found out about her duplicity when he had returned to Miami unexpectedly from a work-related trip to find her in bed with the man.
He entered his suite, not wanting to think about Jamie any longer, and instead his thoughts shifted back to Cassie. Any information he shared about himself to her would basically be false. But under the circumstances, that couldn’t be helped. Tonight things had fallen into place too nicely for him and for some reason he was bothered by it. The woman he had seen playing a game of hopscotch had had an innocent air about her, definitely not what he had expected. And he had detected some sort of vulnerability, as well.
And he couldn’t dismiss just how incredibly beautiful she was. With her striking good looks he would think she would have a date every night of the week. So the question that was presently popping in his mind was why didn’t she?
In just the brief time he had spent with Cassie he had a feeling she was extremely bright. Maybe it had been the way she had studied him before making the decision to join him for dinner tonight that had given him that perspective.
A chuckle welled up inside of Brandon. He would find out just how bright she was at dinner when he really got into the game of wining and dining her. Whatever it took, he needed her to feel comfortable enough with him to share things about herself; things that could possibly damage her reputation if they became public knowledge.
He was suddenly unnerved by what he had to do and if he dwelled on it too long he would probably find the entire thing disgusting. But he could not let personal feelings or emotions intervene. He had a job to do and he intended to do it well.
Cassie glanced at herself in the mirror once more. She had taken another shower and changed outfits. This one was a dress her mother had bought her earlier in the year that she had never worn until tonight.
It was a slinky thin-strapped mini-dress, fuchsia in color, and what made it elegant was the silver-clasp tie neck. She nervously smoothed the dress down her body, wondering if perhaps in trying to make a good impression she was making some sort of a statement, as well.
She ran her fingers though the long, dark brown curls on her head, fluffing them around her face. A face she thought had a remarkable resemblance to both of her parents, but mainly her father. She had her mother’s eyes but her father’s mouth, nose and cheekbones. And then there was that cleft in her chin that definitely came from him.
Her skin coloring was a mixture of the both of them, but her smile was that of John Garrison. She chewed her bottom lip nervously, thinking her smile was something she hadn’t shown much of lately. But tonight she had smiled more than once already, although she had lowered her head so Brandon wouldn’t see it the first time she’d done so.
She inhaled deeply, thinking for the umpteenth time that Brandon Jarrett was so drop-dead gorgeous it was a shame. No man should be walking around looking like he did and with a well-toned muscled body in whatever clothes he wore, made him downright lethal. He had to be the most beautiful man she’d ever met. On the beach he had been wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt. And like her, he had removed his shoes. The outfit would have been casual on any other man but not on him.
Evidently he was single. At least he hadn’t had a ring on his finger, but that meant nothing since her father had rarely worn his wedding ring, either. She wondered if Brandon had someone special living in the States. A businessman traveling alone often forgot certain details like that. As owner of the hotel she was observant and perceptive and knew such affairs were going on under her roof, but as long as they were of mutual consent it was no business of hers.
Cassie reached for the matching shawl to her dress and placed it around her shoulders. The air tonight was rather breezy. Forecasters had reported a tropical storm was stirring up in the Atlantic. Hopefully, it wouldn’t become a hurricane, and if it did she hoped that it would not set its course toward the islands.
She glanced at her watch. It was time to meet the very handsome Brandon Jarrett.
Brandon stood near the flower garden, his body shadowed by numerous plants and an abundance of palm trees. He watched Cassie as she left her suite and strolled along the private brick walkway. Like earlier, she hadn’t detected his presence and this gave him a chance to study her once again.
The dress she was wearing seemed to have been designed just for her body and was definitely working for her, and for him as well. Just watching her made his pulse rate increase. The lantern lights reflecting off the building highlighted her features. Her hair flowed around her shoulders, tossing around her face with every step she took.
Sensations he hadn’t felt in a long time gripped him and they were of a degree he’d never experienced before. John Garrison’s youngest daughter was definitely a looker and was having an impact on his senses as well as his body. He inhaled deeply. He had to regain control. He had to remember his plan.
Deciding it wouldn’t be in his best interest to catch her off guard for a second time, he deliberately cleared his throat. When she glanced his way their gazes met. He almost forgot everything, except the way she was looking at him. He had never been swept away by a woman, but he felt that he was now standing in sinking sand and quickly decided, just for that moment, he would forget the real reason he was on the island. The woman was too stunningly beautiful for him to do anything else.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” she said, coming to stand directly in front of him, giving him a close view of her outfit.
“Not at all, but any time I’ve spent waiting has been worth it,” he said, taking her hand in his and feeling the way her hand trembled beneath his fingers. In response, he felt his insides quiver and primitive emotions began stirring in his gut. He was discovering just how strong his sexual attraction to her was.
“Have you decided where we’re going?”
Her question invaded his thoughts and he wished he could respond by telling her they were going to find the nearest bed. “Yes, the Viscaya Restaurant. Have you ever heard of it?”
“Yes, I’ve heard of it,” Cassie answered, drawing in a deep breath. “It has an astounding reputation.”
“I heard that, as well,” he said, holding firm to her hand as he led her through the gardens and toward the parking lot where his rental car was parked. It was a beautiful October night and the breeze off the ocean made it somewhat cool.
“You look nice,” Brandon said, opening the door to the Lexus.
She glanced up at him and smiled as she slid onto the car seat. “Thanks. You look nice yourself.”
He smiled back at her. “Now it’s my time to thank you.”
“And you are welcome.”
Cassie watched as Brandon crossed in front of the car to get into the driver’s side. He did look nice in his dark trousers and crisp white shirt and looked the epitome of sexy. Everything about him appealed to her female senses. His walk was smooth and self-assured.
Before starting the engine he glanced over at her. “The lady at the front desk said the restaurant is only a five-minute drive from here.”
Cassie nodded. “All right.”
He pulled out of the parking lot and she leaned back into her seat, her body relaxed. She was looking forward to this evening; especially his company. There was a lot she wanted to know about him and decided that now was the time to ask. “So where are you from?”
“I’m from Orlando, Florida,” he answered.
