Page 49 of Embraced at Seaside
Leanna’s colorful van was parked out front when Jana arrived for the class. Amy, Bella, Leanna, Jessica, Jenna, and Sky came around the side of the building as she stepped from the car. She wished Harper could have come, but she had a conference call with the production staff for her sitcom.
“This place is incredible,” Jenna said.
“I had forgotten how perfect the location was.” Sky hugged Jana. “My brother pulled out all the stops to help you.”
“Yeah, it was really nice of him,” Jana said as she fished out the key Hunter had given her, palming theTAKENcharm. She opened the door, and her jaw fell open as the girls pushed past her and went inside. The place was spotless. She had no idea how he could have gotten it cleaned so quickly.
“Look!” Jenna picked up the card from a vase of a dozen red roses on the far end of the counter. “Can I open it?”
Jana could hardly believe her eyes. Roses? How could she ever have doubted his ability to be romantic? She was so nervous about what Hunter might have written that she snagged the card from Jenna’s hands. “I’ll read it.”
“Lizzie told me Hunter had ordered you flowers, but I had no idea that they wereroses.” Sky’s voice reeked of curiosity.
Jana opened the card and noticed that it was Hunter’s slanted handwriting, not Lizzie’s curly script. Her heart beat a little faster as she read the note.
I hope your class is everything you dreamed it would be. H.
The simplicity of the note took her by surprise, and she wondered if that was difficult for him, or if he knew she’d have several sets of eyes peering over her shoulders, as she did now.
“That’s so sweet,” Amy said. “He’s such a nice guy.”
“Yeah.” The confirmation came out as dreamily as she felt, and when she lifted her eyes, she met Sky’s assessing gaze and tried to cover it up. She waved the card, as if it didn’t mean anything special. “Okay, who’s ready to become a foxy mama?”
“Hunter sent roses…” Jessica smiled.
“What do you think this means?” Leanna flashed a mischievous grin at Bella and the others.
Bella jumped right in. “Flowers usually mean sex.”
“Oh my gosh, you guys.” Jana laughed, even though she thought they might see right through her ruse. “It means he must be really eager to rent the place. Let’s get started.”
An hour later, they were sweaty, laughing, and leaning on one another as they drank from their water bottles.
“I feel sexier already,” Jenna said as she ran her hands through her shiny dark hair. “Watch out, Petey, ’cause here I come.”
“I definitely feel something.” Leanna tugged her sweaty tank top off of her skin. “But I’m not sure it’s sexy.”
“Oh, please. Our men love to see us hot and sweaty.” Bella hugged Jana. “This was so fun. And this space? With a few homey touches, it’ll be perfect.”
“Want to know what I think?” Jessica asked.
“Sure.” Jana couldn’t stop admiring the flowers, and the cleanliness of the room.
“I think you’ve got a sweet deal here that you shouldn’t pass up.” Jessica pointed to the flowers. “And how many landlords leave roses as incentive?”
Jana’s mind reeled back to the other sexy things Hunter had used as incentive when he’d shown her the kitchen. She couldn’t stop a dreamy sigh from escaping her lips.
Sweet deal doesn’t even scratch the surface.
IT WAS BILLY’S bedtime when Jana arrived at Clark and Nina’s, but the moment Billy saw her, he wanted nothing to do with bed—or Hunter, which was surprising, since Billy hadn’t met Jana before. But as Hunter watched Jana sitting on the floor in Billy’s playroom playing with wooden blocks with the cute little guy, Hunter had only two thoughts. Billy was a smart kid, and Jana had never looked more beautiful than she did right then. She picked up a square block and pretended to try to shove it into a round hole, earning the cutest belly laugh from Billy.
Jana swooped him into her lap and gave him Eskimo kisses. She hugged Billy cheek to cheek, and a look of peacefulness washed over her, drawing Hunter in even deeper.
Billy yawned, and Jana’s lower lip plumped out in a cute pout.
“Aw, the little guy is tired.” She rose with Billy in her arms, looking natural and happy and more at ease than he’d ever seen her. “We should put him to bed.”
It took Hunter a moment to get his brain to work. “Uh, yeah. Okay.”
