Charli smiled. She couldn’t remember a man ever making her feel so special, like she was the most important person in their lives. It seemed like he had everything organized down to the last detail, and it warmed her to the core. The stresses of the past month—an upset former client and her visit with Amelia included—just seemed to melt away. “That sounds perfect.”
They reached the bricked path that wound throughout the island, lit with tiki torches along the way. Jack threaded his fingers through hers, sending a torrent of butterflies through her stomach and up to her heart. They reached a round-a-bout and as they took a right, Jack pointed over his left shoulder. “That’s the pool. If you’re feeling up to it, maybe we can take a swim after dinner.”
Charli grimaced and looked away, too embarrassed to say anything, but Jack—observant as ever—caught it. She could get nothing past this man.
“What is it?” he asked, leaning toward her.
She wrinkled her nose and pressed her lips together, then sighed. “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
He stopped abruptly. “You didn’t?”
She raised her hands in the air. “I have several in Boston, but I didn’t bring any down with me because I honestly didn’t think I’d be down here for more than a few days.”
His face fell and Charli wasn’t sure if it was from the reminder of her life in Boston or the fact that she really didn’t have a bathing suit right at this moment. Then he shook his head. “It’s okay. They’ll have plenty of bathing suits to choose from in the gift shop.”
Her brows rose and her heart melted just a little bit more. This man literally thought of everything—he was doing all he could to make this weekend special. Any normal woman would be swooning at this level of attention...and while Charli’s jaded heart was nothing close to normal, the affect he had on her was staggering.
She smiled. “Okay. I’m sure the shop is closed for the evening. But I’ll see if I can find something appropriate in the morning.”
He beamed and began walking faster and tugged on her hand. “Come on. We’re almost there.” He gestured with his full hand. “It’s just up here on the right in the private residences.”
Her head tilted as she glanced at him. “Private residences? I thought this was an exclusive island.”
“Well, it is,” he assured her. “But a section of the island has privately-owned cottages that can also be rented out. If you can believe it, they actually receive better concierge service than the resort guests.”
The small white shotgun-style cottage was adorable and situated on the western cove of the island complete with a small, white-sand beach. The front porch faced west and Charli could already envision herself in one of the rockers watching the sunset. Two nearby palm trees held a large hammock that looked completely enticing.
“Oh Jack, this place is amazing,” Charli breathed as she glanced around.
“Just wait until you see the inside,” Jack assured her. He grabbed her hand and led her to the front door. “Come on, let me show you.”
Charli gasped when she saw the interior. It was gorgeously tropical, with a wide open space for the living room, kitchen, and dining room, all trimmed in white and blue décor with lazy palm leaf fansoverhead. A side patio held an additional dining table that faced the west—most likely to enjoy the sunsets.
“We’ll be back here,” Jack announced as he led her to the master bedroom. “This room has a king-size bed and the best bathroom.”
Charli sighed when she saw the floor-to-ceiling glass doorways on the south and western wall, providing an incredible view of the Gulf of Mexico. The large four-poster bed dominated the room and the white and blue tiled bathroom included a massive porcelain tub and a walk-in shower.
“How do you know so much about this place?” she asked.
He smiled as he dropped the bags on the bed. “I renovated the bathrooms for the owner. He had a specific design in mind for the shower and knew I was one of the few contractors in the keys who could get it done on time and on budget.”
He pointed toward the walk-in closet. “You can put your things in there, if you’d like.” He gestured over his shoulder. “There’s something I want to check in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”
Charli smiled as she watched him leave. She hung up her dresses and laid out the rest of her clothes on the racks. Glancing around, she noticed that the closet was completely empty, leading her to believe that the owners were rarely in residence. She grimaced at thethought...if she owned a place like this, she’d never leave.
When she stepped out, she found Jack standing in the middle of the bedroom, holding two wine glasses and a bottle. He grinned at her and held up his hands. “I thought we’d have a little toast before we go to dinner.”
Charli sighed and felt her heart melt completely. It was obvious Jack was going all out this weekend.
I can’t wait to see what he has planned...
* * * *
Jack watched Charli closely throughout dinner, wondering if his plan was working. For the most part, she had been quiet...a little too quiet for his peace of mind. Even now as she stared off into the horizon twirling her wine glass, she didn’t have much to say.
“What are you thinking about?” he murmured as he reached for her hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers and stroked his thumb across her palm.
She glanced at him with a smile and his breath froze in his chest. Her features had softened in the soft light of the tiki torches that lined the beachside tables. Happiness beamed from her in that moment and her purple, expressive eyes were so beautiful that it nearly hurt.
