"Okaaaaaay," Gwen drawled. James could almost hear her eye roll. "Any other days I need to block?"
He was quiet for a moment. If Monday went well, he'd probably spend the majority of his time with Anna…hopefully. The corner of his lip curled at the thought. "Possibly. I'll let you know. But only Monday for now."
"Interesting," Gwen crooned as she typed away on the other end. "Well, I think that's it on my end, boss. Was there anything else you needed tonight?"
Some peace? Some sleep?
"No, I'm good. Thanks for everything, Gwen." As he ended the call, he made a mental note to send her a generous gift card to her favorite shoe store. The woman lived for buying new shoes and she'd certainly made his life and this transition to Key West very easy.
Feeling excited and unexpectedly lighter at his upcoming run-in with Anna, James changed his clothes and headed down to his gym. He found that buying a house with fourteen bedrooms came in handy. Converting a large, first floor bedroom into an exercise space had been a brilliant move, and he'd filled it with state-of-the-art equipment that would have made any fitness facility green with envy.
He regularly put his body through grueling workouts, enjoying the burn in his muscles and the endorphin boost to balance his moods. So he preferred to have a gym that was easily accessible, and what could be better than one in his own home?
Tonight his intention was to work himself into utter exhaustion. Maybe if he was tired enough, he’d finally get some sleep. And now that he knew his dream woman wasreal, he hopefully wouldn't be haunted by luminous teal eyes or feel the frustration of unappeased hunger.
Two hours later, fresh from a hard workout followed by a bracingly cold shower, he climbed between the sheets. His eyelids were heavy as he began to drift off. Just as he'd hoped, sleep came swiftly. But so did those mesmerizing eyes and the sweet scent of honeysuckle.
Anna…
Anna chewed on her bottom lip as she smoothed a final layer of stain across the headboard, careful to catch all the nooks and crannies of the intricate design she'd carved into the walnut. This was the final bed in The Majestic's order and frankly, she was tired of making them.
She had nearly choked when that contract had come through—over 300 pieces were needed before the refurbished hotel opened. It was the biggest order she had ever received in the ten years she'd been making furniture.
She'd had to blink a few times when she read the contract language, wondering if she was hallucinating. The payment amount, if the project was completed on time, was incredible. It was more than generous and covered over five years of operational expenses with plenty of cushion, so there was no way she would turn it down. Whoever was backing this hotel had very deep pockets.
Fortunately, she'd had several months to complete it, and today she was finally done with three days left to spare before the delivery date. Still, it was a huge stressor when all she was accustomed to creating were her own original pieces for the local galleries or for smaller commissioned orders of one or two items.
With the Majestic order behind her, she'd have time to relax and focus on the creativity that fed her soul and made a mint in the high-end Key West galleries. This is what she truly loved and where she could lose herself in her work by taking chunks of wood and transforming them into functional art.
She could forget about her past and responsibilities through the powerful texture of the wood grain beneath her hands andfocus on the pleasure she felt as her creations came to life. Those were the moments she enjoyed the most.
Her phone rang from across the room, and Anna let out a small sigh of irritation at the interruption. She was tempted to not answer but was expecting a call from Becky at the gallery. Wiping her hands, she picked up the phone and cringed at the name on the screen.
AUNT LOUISE
This couldn't be good. Her finger hovered over the screen, tempted to decline the call. Instead, taking a deep breath, she answered. "Hi, Aunt Louise."
"You met him today," her aunt started without any preamble. "I told you it would be soon."
Anna's spine straightened. "How do you know that?"
"Really, girl?" Her aunt tsked. "I don't know why you even bother to ask those questions. The cards told me this morning. Was he as handsome as I think he is?"
Anna nearly croaked. Of course he'd been handsome, brutally so. His brown hair damp and curled at the ends, his eyes a brilliant blue green, the carved planes of his face emphasized by a heavy five o'clock shadow. Tall, broad, and powerful, too. Everything about him had exuded strength, confidence, and sexuality.
"From your silence, I'd guess that he is." Her aunt chuckled. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Yes, he was quite attractive. But it doesn't matter. I left before he could get my name." She didn't mention that he'd accidentally dumped his coffee on her and she'd run away like a psychotic banshee after kicking him in the shin. "I'll hopefully never see him again and you'll never have a chance to meet him."
"Anna, you know better than that," Aunt Louise chided. "You will see him very soon and this time you will not get away. Thisone is determined and won’t be dissuaded. You two are meant to be together."
A lump of ice formed in the pit of Anna’s stomach, and her heart plummeted to somewhere below her left big toe. While her aunt's talents at reading tarot cards were unparalleled, that scenario could not happen. Anna could never allow anyone to get close to her.
"You're quiet again." Aunt Louise exhaled dramatically. "I don't understand why you're fighting this. This time it isn't a bad thing. It's fate. He's your soulmate."
"You know why, Aunt Louise," Anna choked on the words. "I can't let it happen again."
"Honey,” her aunt crooned. “I know you're scared. But you're not a young, naive girl anymore. You're much stronger now. Those other men weren't your match. Yes, they ran when you revealed your true self and your powers. But that's because they were weak little boys, insecure in themselves and frightened by anything they couldn’t understand or control." Her aunt paused for a moment. "But this one is very different—arealman who won't be intimidated. He'll encourage and support you like a true partner." She released another heavy sigh. "This man was made for you, Anna."
