Dylan clenched his teeth in frustration, because he had been planning to send just one more text in case she hadn’t gotten the first tone. “Whatever,” he grumbled, then ended the call. Before temptation got the best of him, he took the phone and set it on the kitchen counter. If there was any type of emergency with the resort, they had the number to his landline. Then he turned on his heel and practically ran for the bedroom. Damn, this was going to be one long night. Why hasn’t she contacted me?
Three
Zoe had just opened the coffee shop the next morning when Dylan came striding through the doors. His hair was standing on end as if he’d run his hand through it countless times already and it was barely six. “Hey, buddy,” she chirped as he took a seat at the bar. Unlike him, she’d always been a morning person. “You’re looking a little rough. Anything happen?”
“I’m glad to see you’re still alive,” he snapped, then quickly averted his gaze to the menu boards behind her.
What is going on with him? “Um . . . did you think I wouldn’t be?” she asked hesitantly as she tried to decipher his strange mood.
Still refusing to make eye contact, he tapped a finger against the granite surface. “Well, I wasn’t sure since you didn’t bother replying to my text last night.”
Ugh, this is bad. What do I say? Damn you, Dana! She attempted a casual laugh that came out more like nails on a chalkboard before saying, “I didn’t hear it come through and it was so late by the time I got home. I knew you were probably already asleep by then and I didn’t want to wake you.”
Finally, he stopped his perusal of the menu board and looked at her for the first time. She saw his eyes widen as he took in the off-the-shoulder peasant top and jean shorts she was wearing. She’d almost chickened out this morning when she’d put them on, but after checking every angle in the mirror, she had to admit her outfit was more than flattering. She’d put her hair back in the usual work ponytail, but had added some hoop earrings to soften the style. All in all, she looked Florida casual, which was perfect for a coffee shop on the beach—even in an upscale hotel. Is he . . . looking at my breasts? No sooner had that thought entered her mind than she noticed his cheeks coloring as if guilty of that very thing. He cleared his throat loudly before saying, “I’ll um . . . just have an espresso and a blueberry muffin.” Okay, so now we’re changing the subject—interesting.
“Sure,” she replied easily as she turned to make his coffee. When she reached up to get a lid for his cup, she heard a harsh indrawn breath and glanced back questioningly. “Everything all right?”
Waving a hand at her, he asked, “So what’s with the new clothes again? I know you said the dress last night was for a date, but you’re all . . . different today. I thought that was a one-time thing.”
Wow, someone is grumpy today. Zoe shrugged her shoulders as she put a cup in front of him. “Dana and I went shopping a few days ago. I guess I was in a bit of a wardrobe rut and she helped me pick out some new outfits.” Deciding to test the waters, she twirled around once, giving her hips an extra shake. “Don’t you like it? Apparently my usual work attire was a bit too boring. Dana said this was a fun look so I decided to give it a try.”
Dylan looked her up and down for what seemed like forever. Is he sweating again? Zoe could see a light sheen on his forehead and she moved forward, leaning across the bar and laying her hand against his skin to check for a fever. He jerked as if shocked. “Wh-what are you doing?” he asked hoarsely.
“You’re all flushed like you were last night. Maybe you’ve picked up a bug. Do you have a headache or does anything hurt? How about your stomach? Oh my God, even your eyes are glazed,” she said in concern. “Why don’t I call Dr. Fisher and see if he’s available to drop by this morning?” Dr. Fisher had a family practice a few miles away, but also made emergency trips to the hotel if they had a guest who became ill.
Dylan gently pushed the hand that was still hovering in front of his face away. “Zoe, I’m fine. I walked the hotel grounds to look at the new landscaping before I came in here. It’s already humid outside today and the suit I’m wearing isn’t exactly cool. I assure you that I’m just dandy.”
“But you were the same way at dinner last night,” she pointed out uncertainly. “You know you should always get anything new checked out.”
“It was hot last night as well, right? There’s nothing more to it than that.” He dropped his gaze and once again Zoe thought there was a strong possibility that he was looking at her boobs. Grabbing a towel from beside her, she decided to test her theory. Her breasts jiggled as she wiped at an imaginary smudge in front of him on the granite. She was elated to see his attention centered on her cleavage as it jiggled with her movements. Dana obviously knew what she was doing, because that was the only time other than last night in all the years of their friendship that Zoe had ever caught him checking her out. Wow, it was official: her old wardrobe was a man repellant. No wonder she’d easily been able to remain a virgin until the ripe old age of twenty-nine. She couldn’t help thinking that the new padded bra was a big help as well. Wait, was that false advertising? Some poor guy thought you had big boobs, then discovered that under that Miracle Bra, you were a tad on the small side?
Knowing by his stubborn expression that he wouldn’t change his mind, she said, “Well, if you’re sure.” She handed him his muffin and smiled as he took a big bite. The man had always been a slave to baked goods and that had never changed. If he wasn’t so active, he’d probably be sporting some love handles by now. But his regular runs on the beach along with time in the resort gym kept his body hard and ripped. Now it was her staring at his chest as she pictured it without all the clothes he was currently wearing. Covertly watching him in a pair of swim trunks was one of her favorite pastimes. Yes, folks, I’m nothing but an ogling pervert when he’s around. “So what’s got you out and about so early this morning?”
Dylan pulled a napkin from a nearby dispenser and wiped his mouth. “I have a meeting with Margot Holder from the Chamber of Commerce about some upcoming events and—”
“Handsy Holder?” Zoe started laughing, remembering the fifty-something-year-old cougar who never missed an opportunity to hit on Dylan. She had hair like Dolly Parton and a body that seemed at odds with her age. Zoe was certain there had been some surgical enhancements there. And those fingernails? They were so long that she had no idea how the woman was able to function with them from day to day.
“I’m glad you find it so amusing”—he smirked—“because she’s supposed to be here at seven.”
Making a walking motion with her hands, Zoe said, “Well, you better run along and get prepared. Don’t forget protection. Wait, she might be in menopause so that could be an added bonus, right?”
Shaking his head with a grin, Dylan asked, “Are you about done? Because if you are, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be meeting her here. I’m glad you opened this morning because I know how much you two admire each other. Maybe when one of the other girls comes in, you can sit and chat for a while.”
“What?” Zoe hissed. “No! You know she hates me. Why can’t you use your office?”
Dylan propped his forearms on the counter and clucked his tongue. “Now, now, I’m sure that’s not true. You’ve only met a handful of times. I seem to remember her complimenting your dress at the company Christmas party last year.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Zoe grumbled, “I don’t think ‘Kmart has so many interesting choices these days, Moe’ exactly counts as a compliment. Come on—how many women are named Moe? She does that on purpose.”
Dylan chuckled, shaking his head. “I’d forgotten about that. I do remember her asking you at the barbecue if you were drinking Diet Coke. I thought you’d beat her into the ground with your glass that night.”
“The woman’s pure evil,” Zoe huffed. “She has it in for me because she thinks I’m some sort of competition for you
.”
And just like that, things were weird again. Dylan shifted and avoided eye contact as he stared at the damn coffee board. Finally, he cleared his throat, seeming to realize that she was waiting for a response. “Um . . . yeah, she’s obviously delusional.” Getting abruptly to his feet, he pointed to a table near the wall. “I’m going to get settled over there. I need to return a few e-mails while I’m waiting. Go ahead and run a tab. I’m sure I’ll need more coffee and Margot will probably want something.”
“Sure, no problem,” Zoe replied, wondering what she’d said to get to him this time. They’d always joked around with each other, and everything had been fine until she’d mentioned the competition thing. Maybe he’s getting the male version of PMS in his old age.
Zoe pushed it out of her mind and busied herself filling the bakery cases. Her mother did most of the baking for the shop as a side job, and she’d used her key as she did every morning to drop some fresh items by on her way into work in the main dining room. A few minutes later, her morning baristas, Jill and Meg, walked in and Zoe spent a few moments with them going over the day before the first morning rush got under way. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Margot Holder walk in the door and make a beeline for Dylan. Her blond hair was expertly teased and sprayed into place. She was wearing a skintight dress that looked like something a teenager would wear and she was currently plastered all over Dylan in what Zoe could only think was her version of “good morning.”
When his eyes met hers over the other woman’s head, Zoe sighed in resignation. Dammit, she couldn’t resist an unspoken plea for help and he was clearly giving her one. Moving around the counter as if going to her own execution, Zoe made her way slowly to their table, putting on her best fake smile. “Good morning, Mrs. Holder. How nice to see you again.” Zoe could tell by the twitch of Dylan’s lips that he’d caught her emphasis on the “Mrs.” part.
At first, Margot gave her a blank look and Zoe figured the other woman was going to snub her and pretend not to recognize her. But then a smile curled those unnaturally plump lips and she purred, “Oh, hello there, Moe. I forgot that you worked here. Do you have any menus we can look at?”
“Zoe actually owns the place,” Dylan pointed out.
“How nice for you,” Margot said in a condescending voice. Turning back to Dylan, she added, “Wasn’t I telling you the last time we were together how easy it is to start your own business now? Why, look, Moe is a perfect example of that.”
Even Dylan was at a loss for words now. But Zoe was used to dealing with difficult customers, and right now, that’s what Margot was. So taking a deep breath, Zoe asked, “So what can I get you? Dylan, would you like another espresso?” He nodded his head gratefully.
Margot reached out and put one of her long fingernails on the bottom of Zoe’s shirt. “Do you not wear uniforms here? I think it’s so important to maintain a professional demeanor.” Wrinkling her nose, she added, “After all, if you give employees the leeway to dress as they’d like, then where does it end?” Margot turned her back, dismissing her without words and Zoe stood behind her clenching her hands. Normally, she could laugh off the veiled insults, but the other woman was being particularly nasty today and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. She put her hands near Margot’s neck as if she was going to strangle her and she saw Dylan’s eyes go wide. “I’ll have a nonfat latte,” Margot tossed over her shoulder, luckily without looking back.
“Sure,” Zoe murmured sweetly. Stalking away, she returned to the counter and waited while Meg fixed their drinks. She was tempted to stir Margot’s with her finger, but managed to refrain. Instead, she returned with the order. She handed Dylan his first, then put Margot’s in front of her.
“This is nonfat, isn’t it, Moe?” Margot asked in her faux friendly voice.
“It sure is,” Zoe chimed. “After all, us girls have to watch the carbs when we get some age on us, don’t we?” Dylan coughed, sounding as if he was strangling on his espresso, while Margot glared daggers at her. “If you need anything else, let me know.” Not waiting around for a counterattack, Zoe turned and almost ran back to the sanctuary of the bar. She couldn’t believe it was barely past seven in the morning and she’d already caught Dylan checking out her boobs and made a mortal enemy out of Handsy Holder. How could this day possibly get any better?
• • •
Dylan wanted to throttle Margot. What an absolute bitch. If he hadn’t been sitting at the table attempting to pretend he wasn’t staring at Zoe’s incredible body in another new outfit, he would have told the woman off. Margot was an important mover and shaker in their town, but she’d crossed the line today. She’d moved from her usual catty comments to being downright mean. He had no idea why men got a bad rap for being hotheads, because women were fucking brutal. Hell, he’d rather take a fist to the gut straight up than be on the receiving end of all that psychological bullshit that the opposite sex loved so well. Although he had to admit that Zoe had certainly fired the last shot with that comment about the carbs. He’d damn near spit his coffee all over the table.
He was pretty sure that Margot knew she’d gone too far as well, because he’d barely been civil to her for the rest of their meeting. When they’d left, he hadn’t seen Zoe behind the counter, and like the sap he was becoming, he missed her. He’d been in his office for a few hours now and had gotten absolutely nothing done. His feet were propped on his desk, for God’s sake. But those tits, where in the ever-loving hell had they come from? Was there ever a good time to notice that your best friend was hot as fuck? He’d been horrified to realize that he had gotten hard when she’d bent over the counter to feel his forehead. An innocent gesture that had him thinking of stripping those shorts off her and burying himself balls deep in an attempt to fuck this confusion out.
A brief knock at the door had him dropping his feet abruptly. He might be the boss, but he still hated to be caught goofing off. He certainly wasn’t setting much of an example today. His assistant, Lisa, stepped in and took in the situation with one glance. “I’m going to go ahead and admit that Zoe told me to let her know if you looked sick today. Apparently, you’ve been acting strange.” Walking closer, she took a look at his computer and grinned. “Now I can report back that you’re lazy and like to play Angry Birds when you’re supposed to be working.”
Dylan gave her a sheepish look. Lisa Merck had been with him for close to five years now, and they had a very informal relationship. She was spunky and irreverent, which meant they got along great. And unlike most of his other employees, she didn’t care that he was a Jackson. She was also loyal, dedicated, and worked any and all hours necessary to help him ensure that the Oceanix ran smoothly. Luckily for him, her husband was an airline pilot and worked a lot of long hours, so she was happy to fill the time while he was away. Dylan always made sure that, if at all possible, she had some time off when her husband was at home. And they were free to make use of anything at the resort for free whenever they liked. He believed in rewarding his people, and Lisa was invaluable to him. “I was just gathering my thoughts,” he said as he ended the game. It wasn’t as if he’d actually been focusing on it anyway.
Lisa began straightening papers on his desk, which was a bit strange since she rarely touched them unless he asked her to help him find something. She was fond of saying that she wasn’t his maid. “So . . . Zoe’s made some changes.”
He’d been so focused on her unusual behavior that he almost missed the words. “Um . . . what do you mean?” That’s it. When all else fails, act ignorant. It works every time.
She gave up all pretense of organizing. “Oh, come on, Dylan, there’s no way you missed that. She looks amazing. I mean, she’s always been pretty, but in a very understated way. Now it’s there for the whole world to see. And from the attention she was getting when I dropped by earlier, everyone is certainly noticing.”
“Who was looking at her?” he sna
pped, then winced when she gave him a triumphant look. Damn, I walked right into that one. Time for some damage control. “Meaning I hope no one was bothering her. Some of the guests can be overly friendly, but she can handle herself.”
Lisa crossed her arms and leaned a hip on the corner of his desk. “So, is that officially what you’re going with?” When he shrugged as if to say no big deal, she pursed her lips for a moment and he thought the subject was closed. “Well . . . I guess it won’t bother you then when I say that Dana told me Zoe has a big date tonight with someone she really likes. He’s picking her up at the shop around seven.” Dylan knew his mouth was hanging open, but he was helpless to control his reaction. Lisa made a big show of brushing her hands off and walking toward the door. “Oh, and it wasn’t only the guests who were taking stock of Zoe’s appearance. Mason was also down there drinking enough coffee to keep him awake for the next week.”
“My operations manager?” Dylan asked incredulously. “What was he doing there? Don’t I pay him to actually manage stuff around here?”
In a voice full of laughter, Lisa said, “Oh, I think he was doing his best to keep sight of your interests. You better make sure those Christmas bonuses are generous this year because most of your male employees are going to go broke drinking Zoe’s coffee.” With that parting shot, she was gone and he was left to fume in private.
Why was Zoe doing this to him? He’d left on a business trip and come home to find the world as he knew it all out of whack. Everyone at the hotel was on some kind of caffeine high, and he was just plain confused as to what he was feeling. And she had another date? She just went out last night, for God’s sake. Plus, this one was supposedly special? Well, he’d see about that. He planned to be sitting down there in the coffee shop when Mr. Wonderful showed up, and if he so much as looked at Zoe wrong, Dylan would be tossing him out the door. It was his job as her best friend to look after her. She was too innocent to spot a jerk, but he certainly had no trouble doing it. She might get mad at him, but he was just doing it for her own good, right?