Barefoot Bay: The Billionaire's Convenient Secret (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free
Author: Leigh Duncan
stirring below his belt, he let her go. Theirs was not a case of love at first sight, but he could still make a move.
“Unusual name for a woman. Charlie,” he said, liking the sound.
“It’s short for Charlotte.” The tiniest of creases crossed her forehead.
“Also a nice name.” He nodded.
“What can I say.” She shrugged. “My folks called me Charlie. It stuck.”
The crease deepened slightly while the shadow of a frown flickered across her lips. There was a story there, and one day, after they got to know each other better—if they got to know each other better—he’d ask her about it. For now, though, they’d continue the introductory dance. “Are you going to be around for a while, Charlotte Oak?” he asked. “’Cause I was thinkin’ maybe we could meet for a drink later.”
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before her green eyes sparkled. “I’m only in town for the night, but why not? Where’d you have in mind?”
He ran through a somewhat limited list. South of the Border had the best margaritas in the state, but it wasn’t a first-date kind of place. That left either the Toasted Pelican or the restaurant at the Casa Blanca Resort & Spa that had opened since his last visit to the island. He shrugged. He’d been meaning to check out the wine list at the new place anyway. “How ’bout Junonia at, say, eight?”
“Eight it is,” Charlie said, her smile widening.
He eyed the parking lot. The three cars at the pumps had left. New arrivals had taken their places. A mom and two kids emerged from a van and headed across the parking lot. He and Charlie were about to get interrupted. “Now that we’ve got that settled, is there something I can help you with?”
“Sure.” Charlie hefted her briefcase. “I have a three o’clock appointment with Charity Grambling. Could you tell her I’m here?”
He let his gaze drop to the satchel that dangled from Charlie’s fingertips. Quickly, he flipped through a couple of options before pegging the woman as a real estate agent. If so, she was working the wrong area. She’d do better to concentrate on the north end of the island, where his aunt planned to open the Super Min Two later this year. He’d heard there were still a few parcels available out that way. He glanced down to give Charlie’s kick-ass heels another look. No way was she showing property in those shoes. Not that it mattered. Whatever her business with Aunt Charity, Charlotte Oak was about to be disappointed.
“I’m sorry. My—Ms. Grambling isn’t in at the moment. Can I help you?”
* * *
“I have no doubt you could.” Charlie added a saucy smile while she let the comment hang as the bell over the door tinkled, admitting a harried mother and two toddlers. The trio made a mad dash for the restrooms at the back of the store. “But she’s expecting me. Do you think she’ll be long?”
She supposed she should take it as a compliment that disappointment flickered in Josh’s dark eyes when she asked to see his boss. With his looks, he probably had his pick among the women on Mimosa Key. From shoulders wide enough for a girl to lean on to the sculpted legs of a long-distance runner, it had taken precisely one glance at his body to make her mouth go dry. It’d be easy, she decided, to trail her fingers along the scruff of a beard that hugged his chiseled jaw and find out if those lips were as kissable as they looked.
But drinks with a thirtysomething hottie who had no ambition beyond ringing up the price of sodas and a loaf of bread was definitely as far as she’d take it. Not that a guy had to be loaded to make a blip on her radar. No. She didn’t care about money so much as she wanted someone who refused to settle. Someone who’d never accept that scraping for a living was all there was until the effort wore you down to a mere nub, susceptible to the next big wind that came along. She gave herself a tiny shake.
What am I doing?
One of the best-looking
“Unusual name for a woman. Charlie,” he said, liking the sound.
“It’s short for Charlotte.” The tiniest of creases crossed her forehead.
“Also a nice name.” He nodded.
“What can I say.” She shrugged. “My folks called me Charlie. It stuck.”
The crease deepened slightly while the shadow of a frown flickered across her lips. There was a story there, and one day, after they got to know each other better—if they got to know each other better—he’d ask her about it. For now, though, they’d continue the introductory dance. “Are you going to be around for a while, Charlotte Oak?” he asked. “’Cause I was thinkin’ maybe we could meet for a drink later.”
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before her green eyes sparkled. “I’m only in town for the night, but why not? Where’d you have in mind?”
He ran through a somewhat limited list. South of the Border had the best margaritas in the state, but it wasn’t a first-date kind of place. That left either the Toasted Pelican or the restaurant at the Casa Blanca Resort & Spa that had opened since his last visit to the island. He shrugged. He’d been meaning to check out the wine list at the new place anyway. “How ’bout Junonia at, say, eight?”
“Eight it is,” Charlie said, her smile widening.
He eyed the parking lot. The three cars at the pumps had left. New arrivals had taken their places. A mom and two kids emerged from a van and headed across the parking lot. He and Charlie were about to get interrupted. “Now that we’ve got that settled, is there something I can help you with?”
“Sure.” Charlie hefted her briefcase. “I have a three o’clock appointment with Charity Grambling. Could you tell her I’m here?”
He let his gaze drop to the satchel that dangled from Charlie’s fingertips. Quickly, he flipped through a couple of options before pegging the woman as a real estate agent. If so, she was working the wrong area. She’d do better to concentrate on the north end of the island, where his aunt planned to open the Super Min Two later this year. He’d heard there were still a few parcels available out that way. He glanced down to give Charlie’s kick-ass heels another look. No way was she showing property in those shoes. Not that it mattered. Whatever her business with Aunt Charity, Charlotte Oak was about to be disappointed.
“I’m sorry. My—Ms. Grambling isn’t in at the moment. Can I help you?”
* * *
“I have no doubt you could.” Charlie added a saucy smile while she let the comment hang as the bell over the door tinkled, admitting a harried mother and two toddlers. The trio made a mad dash for the restrooms at the back of the store. “But she’s expecting me. Do you think she’ll be long?”
She supposed she should take it as a compliment that disappointment flickered in Josh’s dark eyes when she asked to see his boss. With his looks, he probably had his pick among the women on Mimosa Key. From shoulders wide enough for a girl to lean on to the sculpted legs of a long-distance runner, it had taken precisely one glance at his body to make her mouth go dry. It’d be easy, she decided, to trail her fingers along the scruff of a beard that hugged his chiseled jaw and find out if those lips were as kissable as they looked.
But drinks with a thirtysomething hottie who had no ambition beyond ringing up the price of sodas and a loaf of bread was definitely as far as she’d take it. Not that a guy had to be loaded to make a blip on her radar. No. She didn’t care about money so much as she wanted someone who refused to settle. Someone who’d never accept that scraping for a living was all there was until the effort wore you down to a mere nub, susceptible to the next big wind that came along. She gave herself a tiny shake.
What am I doing?
One of the best-looking
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