Page 54 of The Cottage on Pelican Bay

As she went to sit out on the screened-in patio to eat her lunch, she saw it was another hot day. Yesterday had also been hot...in more ways than one. She had done something that definitely hadn’t been planned. At least not by her. She’d known they would eventually make love in Saint’s bed, but she certainly hadn’t planned on spending the night.

After dinner they had walked around his property, and when they returned to the house, she was hesitant about making love, although that was what she’d wanted them to do. The last thing she wanted was for his parents to visit him unexpectedly. He assured her that wouldn’t be happening because his parents had left for Memphis to visit friends for ten days. They would return in time to attend the Blueberry Festival. He had taken them to the New Orleans train station that morning for the eight-hour ride. They’d already texted him that they were safe and sound in Memphis.

Knowing there wouldn’t be any interruptions, she was all in. By midnight, she’d been too exhausted to dress and leave, and he’d been too drained to get dressed and drive her home. So she’d spent the night. He’d been glad about it and even admitted that not only had he wanted to make love to her in his bed, he also wanted the experience of waking up and making love to her in his bed the next morning. Well, he’d certainly gotten both things.

They had awakened at daybreak and after making love, he took her home so he could go to work. She hadn’t expected him to make love to her again when they’d reached the cottage on Pelican Bay, but he had. After spending the night in his bed, he still managed to leave her this morning in hers with a satisfied smile on her face. Evans “Saint” Toussaint was definitely something else. What a man.

She had settled into the chair on the patio when a boat carrying the Ellorans went by Zara’s Haven. Donna, Isaac and their two-year-old son, Ike, were taking advantage of the coolness on the ocean to escape the summer heat. They seemed so happy together. One day over doughnuts and coffee Donna had shared their story of how they’d gotten a divorce only to remarry years later. It seemed second chances worked for some but not for others.

Her cell phone rang, and her body recognized the ringtone. It was Saint. She felt him in every pore, nerve and pulse, and nearly closed her eyes on a moan. “Hello.”

“How is your day going, sweetheart?”

She’d gotten used to that term of endearment from him, but still smiled every time he said it. “It got off to a wonderful start, thanks to you this morning.”

“Glad to hear it. You’re the reason my day is going great as well. However, I just realized that we didn’t plan out the week.”

“No, we didn’t, did we? What do you have in mind?” she asked.

A part of Saint wished she hadn’t asked him that. What was always on his mind was making love to her. The memories of yesterday and this morning had him fighting back a groan of heated lust. “I’ll let you plan things for this week, Zara.”

“You might not want to do that,” she warned.

“Why not?”

“With me leaving in three weeks, I might be tempted to cram a lot onto the agenda,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have a problem with that.” The last thing he wanted was to be reminded of when she would be leaving. He would see her again at Jaye and Velvet’s wedding in August, but that meant he would go about a month without being in her bed and her being in his. But then who was to say when he saw her at the wedding that she would want to resume their hookups? What if during that month apart she met someone? Why did that thought bother him when it shouldn’t? They were not in a committed relationship and never would be.

“I have an idea,” Zara said, breaking into his thoughts.

“And what’s your idea?”

“I suggest we not do a schedule. Like before, you’re welcome to the cottage anytime. I had planned to do breakfast at the Witherspoon Café tomorrow morning. Do you want to join me?”

“I would love to. What about tonight?”

“What about tonight?” she asked.

“May I see you tonight?”

“Like I said, Saint. You’re welcome to the cottage anytime.”

After he ended the call, Saint stood up from his desk and walked to the window to look out. Shoving his hands into his pockets he thought about the time he’d spent with Zara since she’d returned to the cove. Had it been three weeks already? He appreciated all his time spent with her, especially when she’d come to his home. It felt good having her there. He liked their talks about various topics and their walk around his property. However, more than anything, he had appreciated her interest in the culture in which he’d been born. That was the one thing Mia hadn’t wanted to hear about. Anything about his bayou ancestry. To her, it didn’t matter where you came from, it was where you were going in life that was important.

Saint didn’t believe that. His ancestors were Bayou Creoles. He had been born and raised in the bayou. He embraced his French, African and Spanish heritage. He was the man that he was today because of it. He would admit while living in Seattle it hadn’t mattered. However, here in Catalina Cove it mattered because that was what made the cove so special. The richness of the various cultures.

Saint returned to his desk when his buzzer went off. “Yes, Mrs. Dorsett?”

“Jade Grisham and Kia Harris have arrived for their meeting with you.”

He checked his watch. They were early. “Please send them in.”

When the door opened, Mrs. Dorsett escorted in the identical twins who were all smiles. He’d heard they sometimes liked dressing alike to make up for the years they hadn’t been together. Reid and Vaughn could tell them apart. Saint couldn’t and wouldn’t even try.

They would be entering their last year of college in the fall and had been hired as summer interns. That wasn’t a bad deal when your grandfather owned the company. This week they would be shadowing each member of the Lacroix Industries executive team. Beginning next week, they would cross-train on every job in the building. Reid wanted them to know every single detail about the multimillion-dollar company that one day would become theirs.

Saint moved around the desk to welcome the two young women who would one day be his bosses.

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