James…
Chapter 4
Key West
James whistled as he guided the large broom through the piles of sawdust and other construction debris, enjoying the sense of completion and instant gratification. He had arrived at The Majestic at eight o'clock sharp, full of energy and very eager to see Anna. Jack and Gus were true to their word, putting him to work sweeping out the fourth, and final, floor.
The manual labor was exactly what he needed—he was energized and didn't complain a bit. It was amazing what a full night's sleep did for a person. He still had the same erotic dreams, but now they weren't torturous. He didn't wake up aching and frustrated. Now that he knew his mystery woman was real and nearby, he embraced the scenes playing out in his subconscious and fell into a deep sleep. He was anxious to formally meet the woman he'd been fantasizing about for months.
He glanced out the window for seemingly the thousandth time, looking for a petite frame and light blonde curls, but all he saw was swaying palm trees, large swaths of white beach, deep blue ocean, and the occasional mast of a sailboat. After theirdisastrous first run-in, he was determined to make this meeting a positive one. If the day went as planned, he'd not only have her phone number, but a dinner date set as well. He wasn't opposed to groveling, if necessary. The need to see her, be near her, was strong.
Like a movie playing out in his head, he could see his hands wandering down the soft skin of her back as he leaned in for a kiss.
He jumped at the light slap on his shoulder.
"Holy shit!" Gus surveyed the room. "I think I need to add you to my crew. You nearly have this floor cleared out. Impressive."
"I don't think you can afford me." James grinned. "But I gotta say, it feels good to see The Majestic this far along. The place looks great."
"Yeah, this hotel had great bones. But of course it had to be strong, sitting right on the coastline. This is the last floor to paint, carpet, and furnish, then we'll be done." Hands on his hips, Gus let out a contented sigh. "Damn, I love being ahead of schedule."
"Doesn't happen often, I take it," James commented as he collected the last bin of dust and set aside the broom.
"We probably hit it about seventy percent of the time. You'd be surprised how often supply issues or bureaucratic delays pop up."
James snorted. "I'm not surprised at all. It happens to me quite a bit."
"Oh, yeah." Gus scratched his nose. "Your business up north."
"So uhhhh…." James jerked his chin toward the windows. "Any sign of a furniture delivery yet?"
"Yeah, that's why I came up here." Gus glanced at the floor, his face tight. "Sorry to tell you, but they cancelled the delivery for today."
"What?!" The disappointment hit James like a tidal wave. His stomach plummeted as if the floor dropped out from under him.
"Ha! Man, you should see your face." Gus chuckled and smacked him on the shoulder again. "I'm just messing with you. They'll be pulling up any minute now and we need every available guy to unload. Wanna come down and help?" he added facetiously. The asshole. He knew full well that James would be down there if Anna was anywhere in proximity.
James clenched his fists, tempted to knock the teasing smirk off Gus's face, but he fought the urge. It wouldn't get him anywhere and Annette would shoot him—the latter, of course, being his bigger concern.
"Nice one, dick," he muttered, but that only made Gus laugh harder.
"Come on, man," Gus called out, already skipping down the grand staircase. "I don't wanna miss this."
"Miss what?" James called out as he followed, the thrill of finally seeing Anna pumping through his veins like a drug. Gus's laughter drifting up from a floor below was his only answer.
When he made it to the empty lobby, he spotted a large, white delivery truck through the propped-open front doors as several voices shouted directions. Stepping outside, he paused for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the brilliant sunlight. His hungry gaze landed on a petite figure standing next to Jack, a coffee cup in one hand and a clipboard in the other as she watched the moving crew wrangle out the first few pieces of furniture.
His pulse skyrocketed at the sight of her standing there, so close. James forced himself to breathe, trying to stay calm. Fornow, he was willing to just watch her, let his eyes roam while he had the chance. He edged to the side where he could view her without notice.
Anna looked relaxed as she chatted with Jack, her thick, luscious hair tied up in a ponytail that trailed down to her mid-back. He couldn't wait to sink his face into those curls and breathe in her sweet, intoxicating scent.
His chest tightened when she tipped her head, laughing at a comment from Jack as he pointed to something on the clipboard. An uncomfortable stab of jealousy soured his stomach. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh, put her at ease, not watch from the sidelines.
Maneuvering around guys waiting to unload furniture, he quietly moved behind Anna, his eyes devouring her small frame. His hands could probably span her waist, he noted. His fingers flexed, wanting to test that theory.
Jack glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Ah, there you are," he said to James. Anna turned her head and stiffened, her eyes rounding with alarm. It wasn’t exactly the response he was hoping for.
"Anna, I don't think you've been formally introduced," Jack continued lightly as if there wasn't a metric ton of tension in the air. "This is James Armstrong, the new owner of The Majestic. James, this is Anna Kingsley. She's the owner of Mystic Island Furniture." He gestured toward the truck. "She made all this by hand."
