Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“So, about this elephant in the room,” I said, brushing my fingers across her soft thigh.
Ruby scanned the beach. “I don’t believe elephants are native to Flamingo Key.”
“No. The elephant is the rest of Florida.”
“Ah, I see.” She smirked. “And what exactly about Florida is elephantine?”
I laughed, loving her sense of humor. “This. Us. The fact you and I just fit.”
A smile spread across her face as she shifted closer to me. “How do we fit?”
I pulled her snug against my side. “I like to think we fit in Florida.”
The look in her eyes said, Go on.
I counted off on my fingers. “One, we live close to each other. Two, it would be a damn shame if this,” I said, gesturing from her to me, “had to end with this trip. Three, what would you think about seeing each other when we’re back home?”
She roped her arms around my neck with a big, best idea ever grin. “I only have one reply: yes.”
I sealed our promise with a kiss under the rising morning sun as gentle waves lapped the shore. This brief affair had started in a tropical paradise, but it wouldn’t end there. No matter what happened next with the diamonds, I had already won.
I had the girl. She was the real prize.
51
SAND AND STONES
Ruby
All good things came to an end, like our beach escape. But sand? That clung.
When we climbed into the Audi, the floor mats were covered in sand after our morning beach excursion. “I can’t return the car to Eli looking like this,” I said.
“There’s a car wash down the road. Looked it up. Opened recently,” Jake said as he buckled the seat belt. I started the ignition and followed his directions, turning right as we pulled away from the beach. At the light, I glanced in the rearview mirror. It had become a habit, checking to see if we were being followed.
“Tell me more about your tour tomorrow,” Jake said as I drove. “How many people?”
“I’m fully booked,” I said with a grin as the light turned and I stepped on the gas. “Sapphire’s assistant manager, Clarissa, joined the tour. She seems nice, and she adores Eli.”
“He seems to inspire that in women,” Jake said in the kind of neutral tone that wasn’t neutral at all.
“As his many affairs would attest,” I said. I glanced at Jake then back at the road. “I’m not blind to his faults, Jake. I questioned whether he was a thief. I didn’t say he was a trustworthy guy.”
He sighed hard enough to ruffle his hair. “That’s fair enough.”
Fortunately, we arrived at the car wash before awkwardness had a chance to settle in.
We went inside and I handed over the keys and ordered the full deluxe, and the attendant gave us a twenty-minute ETA. Chairs were arranged outside under an awning, and inside, a gift shop offered a long window for customers to watch their car’s progress.
Jake gestured gallantly in that direction. “Shall we avail ourselves of the gift shop opportunity?”
“Yes, let’s,” I said in the same Downton Abbey tone.
He held open the glass door, ushering me through with a hand gently on my back. “This is our first official date, so you just better get used to this kind of fancy treatment.”
I arched an eyebrow. “First date? What about the panini shop?”
He leaned in to whisper, “First date now that you’ve finally come to terms with your elephantine desire to have more of me.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are such a cocky bastard.”
He answered by pinching my butt as we walked to the display of car air fresheners. Choose from 170 different and delicious scents! the sign boasted.
“How could anyone choose just one?” I asked dramatically, picking up one of the cardboard shapes.
“I think it’s a party game where you have to guess the scent based on the card.” He reached for an air freshener shaped like a coconut. “Three guesses and the first two don’t count.”
“You would go for that one,” I teased. At his confused frown, I laughed, then explained. “You have a thing for coconut.”
“How did you know that?” He seemed genuinely impressed, so I gave a smug shimmy of my shoulders. “Because of the noise you make when you smell my hair.”
“I don’t do that.” He paused as if reconsidering, quirking a brow. “Do I?”
“Yep,” I said, my skin warming as I imagined that sound. “It’s kinda hot.”
“Only kinda?” Jake grabbed me by my waist and sniffed behind my ear until I giggle-snorted and pulled away, rubbing where my skin still tingled. Our gazes connected and I felt fizzy and flushed as if it really was our first date. He smiled like he was reading my mind.
We wandered around till we found ourselves in the final aisle, with candy on one side, cold treats on the other. “Ghirardelli or Godiva?” Jake asked as we strolled to the end.