She had been such an important part of his life and, in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Her final request, left in her will, was why he’d uprooted his entire life from New York to Key West, something he never would have considered a year ago.
His parents had married in Key West and returned to the Keys often before his father passed away unexpectedly at the age of thirty-eight. So it wasn’t surprising his mother wrote of her lifelong dream to open a luxury resort in Key West. But she'd never acted on it nor shared it with anyone.
James learned of it at the reading of her will and was stunned to hear her request for him to fulfill it in her stead. Now here he was on this island paradise, honoring his mother's greatest wish while losing sleep over a seductress who haunted him every night.
He huffed out a sigh and drummed his fingers on the sink. It was time to get his life back in order and somehow figure out how to get that intoxicating figment of a woman out of his head.
If that was even possible.
Chapter 2
Key West
"Good lord." Annette eyed James, frowning as he slumped into the chair across from her. "You look like shit."
"Thanks," he grumbled, running a hand self-consciously through his damp, short hair, and flinging sweat droplets around him. "I haven't slept much lately."
"Yeah, well it shows," Annette snarked, her lips curling on one side. "Ugh… Gross!" She grimaced as she swiped at the drops on the table with a napkin. "Why are you so sweaty? Did you run here?"
"Of course." His eyes scanned the cafe, his hackles rising when he found other patrons openly staring. "Doesn't anyone around here run?" he added, raising his voice. He felt a twinge of satisfaction as several pairs of eyes skittered away.
"No." Annette shook her head. "Not really." One eyebrow arched elegantly. "Alright. Tell me what's going on with you."
James huffed a rough breath, still winded from his flat-out sprint across town. It hadn't made the slightest dent in his restlessness. "I don't know."
"Good morning, Annette!" An energetic young woman popped up next to them, her long dark hair in a high ponytail bouncing as she rocked on the balls of her feet. She was completely unperturbed that she'd interrupted their conversation, which irritated James even further. "Rico has your coffee order ready."
"Hi, Maria! I love your hair like that," Annette answered. "I should try it."
"Thanks!" Maria grinned, fingering a few black locks. "I found one of those instructional videos online about high ponytails. I'll send it to you." Her eyes swiveled between Annette and James. "Can I get something started for you?"
"Large black coffee," he snapped. She gave him an efficient nod and turned to Annette expectantly.
"Large coffee with almond milk and two Cuban croissant sandwiches." Annette flashed a smile. "Thanks, Maria. And would you let Rico know I'm ready whenever he is?"
"Of course!" Maria turned and practically skipped away, her hair bobbing with each step.
Annette snorted. "Way to win over the wait staff, asshat. Keep that up and you'll be banned at every café across the island. And good luck finding staff for the hotel. The locals talk around this island and if word gets out that you treat people like that, you can kiss hiring anyone decent goodbye."
"What?" James scoffed as he leaned back in his chair. "I wasn't rude."
"You were completely rudeandyou didn't say thank you. She didn't have to take your order." Annette pointed toward the long line at the counter. "She could have made you wait like everyone else."
James grunted. "I'll leave her a good tip."
"Make sure you do." Annette’s head tilted to the side as she eyed him. "Now, what is going on with you? You should beexcited right now. The Majestic is nearly completed. Gus told me it's ahead of schedule and looking amazing. Pretty soon you'll be up to your elbows with difficult guests." Her laughter trilled in the air.
"No, my managers will be dealing with difficult guests," he corrected, holding up a finger. "I'll be tracking all the money coming through the door."
"Well, there you go, something to look forward to. So why are your panties in a wad?"
"My panties are not in a wad," James groused. "I just haven't been sleeping well." He sighed and fought his instinct to keep the information to himself. "I keep having weird dreams."
Annette's spine snapped into a straight line, her gaze bright and alert. "Weird dreams? About what?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." He grimaced. "Let's just say I'd feel a lot better if I could clear my damn head."
"Huh…" Annette eyed him shrewdly. "Maybe you should try some yoga or meditation. That usually helps when people are stressed out."
