Harmony Evans - Winning Her Heart

“Tell me something. Why go through the trouble of getting to know me when you’re only just visiting for a few days?” she posed.

“That doesn’t mean we have to be strangers, does it?”

“I suppose we can start out as casual acquaintances,” Jasmine replied, giving in a little because she wanted to continue to see him.

“I don’t have a problem with that, if you promise to have dinner with me before I go.”

She pursed her lips. “I’m not sure I can spare the time. I work at the restaurant pretty much from sunup to sundown.”

“Doesn’t Lucy ever give you a break?”

“She’s the one who works too hard,” Jasmine said in her grandmother’s defense.

“Then I’ll just have to charm her into giving you a night off.”

“Ha! Give it a try, but she’s no fool, Micah. She told me all the Langston men were flirts.”

“And do you believe her?”

Jasmine folded her arms. “I’m still waiting for you to prove her right.”

Micah grinned. “Are you challenging me?”

“What do you think?”

He gave her a wide grin. “I think I like you. You’re beautiful, funny and—”

“Leaving,” she interrupted and stood, heart hammering in her chest.

Micah frowned. “Why so soon?”

“I’ve been away too long. I better go see if Lucy is okay.”

Living with her grandmother was a little like living with her parents, no privacy until after they were asleep. She couldn’t wait until she could get her own place.

“I’ll go with you.”

“No, I’d rather be alone right now. See you later.”

Jasmine walked away, feeling his eyes on her back. It took everything in her power to keep on going. When she got to the restaurant, she turned around and the park bench was empty.

* * *

Micah circled around City Hall, before heading back to the alley. Back in his car, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was too close,” he muttered and realized that keeping his restaurant a secret was going to be very stressful.

After he’d emerged from the alley next to Vanessa’s flower shop, which was seven stores down from his space, and saw Jasmine trying to peek into the windows, he’d hesitated even approaching her. But he had to find out what she’d seen, or even better, what she’d been doing.

She’d taken him totally by surprise.

Although she’d claimed she was only taking a walk, Micah was afraid that she’d already caught the “snooping bug,” which many residents seemed to have in spades. They were intelligent, inquisitive and never could seem to find the time to mind their own business.

Maisie Barnell, owner of the only bed-and-breakfast establishment in town, was known as the eyes and ears of Bay Point, but she did it because she cared about its people.

Micah twisted his lips, realizing that tonight at least, he was being somewhat of a snoop himself. At first, his whole point of inviting her to the carousel park was to distract her. He wanted to talk to her enough to make her forget whatever she saw even if it was only the light from his phone.

Later, as they began to talk, he wanted to learn more about her. When she talked about New Orleans, her tone sounded nostalgic, but he also caught a hint of fear when he asked if something bad had happened to her.

When she denied it, he sensed she was lying. Out of respect, he didn’t question her further, but he’d felt a surge of tenderness for her, wanting her to feel safe, no matter where she happened to be. Hoping that she felt at ease with him.

He felt confident she didn’t suspect him as the “intruder” or that she even saw anything at all. Still, he decided that he would call the contractor and have him triple the paper on the windows. He wasn’t going to take any chances of anyone in Bay Point finding out that he was part owner of the space.

He wanted to see Jasmine again. Not to cover his tracks, but to really get to know her this time. She’d been glib about his dinner invite, even though he was serious.

He knew firsthand that working in the restaurant business left very little time for a real relationship. Closing his eyes, he recalled hot and heavy trysts in supply closets, vacant hotel rooms in-between guest check-ins, even alleys like the ones behind his restaurant.

That’s not what he wanted with Jasmine.

He was eager to get back to his parents’ house and be alone in his room. He wanted to think about Jasmine, the glow of her skin under the streetlamps, and how the light cast shadows in the swell of her cleavage.

There was something about Jasmine that made him think she could be the woman who could finally make him set down roots, though not necessarily in Bay Point. He wanted her badly, but he had to move slowly. With so much at stake for both of them, he wasn’t sure it would be fair to take the chance, no matter where it would lead.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.