Page 4 of 40 and (Tired of) Faking It
Startled, she glanced up. Instead of focusing on DeeDee, whose attention was raptly taking them both in from behind the register, the man was looking straight at her, laughter in his eyes. And that dimple…
“Me?” she squeaked. Damn! Was she forty or fourteen?
“You.” The dimple deepened as a chuckle escaped him. Fine lines fanned out from the corners of his startlingly gorgeous eyes, telling her he laughed often.
“Er…yes. Birthday,” she managed to say.
“Happy birthday.” A nod of his head indicated her enormous cupcake. “Bigger is better.”
Was he flirting? Her gaze darted to DeeDee, a little desperate, then back to the stranger, who was waiting patiently for her response. She gulped, then cleared her throat. “Bigger cupcakes?”
An inane question, but the man winked. “Cupcakes or…whatever.”
Lily felt her knees go weak, and she grabbed on to the edge of the counter.
Lord have mercy.
He was flirting. She was forty years old, officially, today, and a handsome stranger had walked in off the street and was flirting. With her.
Happy birthday to me?
“Um… who doesn’t?”
The urge to smack herself in the forehead was almost irresistible, but she managed somehow. No need to embarrass herself further. But the man proved he wasn’t put off when he laughed outright. Even more surprising, he stepped toward her, away from the register, and held out a hand. “John David Lane.”
Oh God.John David Lane.Every citizen of Black Wolf’s Bluff knew the name of the town’s founders, the Lanes, but she hadn’t heard the name John David attached to the family in a very long time. Decades. The Black Wolf’s Bluff bad boy himself. And he was flirting with her. Just the thought was unreal, but the firm feel of his hand as she slid hers against it was most definitely real. “Lily Easton.”
“Ah.” He didn’t let go of her hand, holding it casually in his, his thumb stroking the tender skin between her thumb and forefinger. “The lady mayor. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She glanced toward DeeDee again, noticing that Claire and Maria had both wandered up to the register and were doing nothing to hide their avid interest.Lady mayor,Claire mouthed in her direction, eyes wide, brows lifted.
Wow,Maria mouthed, eyes glued to John David.
Wow was right. If her knees had felt weak before, that was nothing compared to how they felt now, with John David’s fingers caressing hers.
She reluctantly pulled back, needing her head to clear if she wasn’t going to embarrass herself further. Not trusting her voice, she gave him what she hoped was a perfectly pleasant—and not at all lust-weak—smile.
“I was just on my way to your office to see if you had time for a meeting this morning.”
She felt her own brows rise at that. Needing something to do with her hands, she picked up her mocha. “Oh?” She hadn’t seen him around town or heard gossip about him being here, so he couldn’t have arrived more than a few days ago. And he wanted to meet with her? “What can I help you with?”
“I think I can help you, actually.”
She choked on the sip of coffee she’d taken as all the ways he couldhelpher filled her mind.I just bet you could.
Chapter Three
He was still picturing the blush that had lit up Lily Easton’s face at the mention of size preferences ten minutes later as they crossed the green surrounding the courthouse. The lady mayor’s arousal was certainly more interesting than the small stone building that occupied the center of the town square.
A building he remembered, of course.
Not well. He’d never been inside, had never done more than drive by as a child and teen, thirty years ago. As an adult he looked the place over with slightly jaded eyes, and though not as grand as many county courthouses throughout the South, he found the building did have a nostalgic charm he’d never noticed during the early years of his life, when he’d been preoccupied with far more important things than architecture.
Lily led the way inside. The wide halls had been painted recently in a fresh light gray, and occasional plants softened the more utilitarian aspects of the traditional-office-building interior. Lily headed toward a bank of steel elevators, pushed the Up button, then waited quietly for their ride to arrive. Her smile had been a bit shy at the coffee shop when he’d flirted with her, but an assurance had settled on her shoulders as they’d crossed the lawn surrounding the courthouse, a transition from friendly, attractive female to authority figure that he respected.
Of course now, trailing her down the hall, he couldn’t help admiring more than her authority. He’d expected the mayor to be far older, but if he had to judge, he’d say Lily was closer to her late thirties. And beautiful. Beautiful and interesting—a dangerous combination for him. He was here on business, not to get laid. No matter how much of a temptation Lily Easton presented.
Work. That was his focus. Period.
