Page 37 of Dreams That Bind Us
In fact, he’d make sure everyone knew whose furniture was featured in his hotel. She’d be turning down work orders left and right.
He squeezed her hand lightly and gave her a playful wink. "Are you ready for this tour? I've been promised that it's top notch."
Carl barked out a hearty laugh. "Only the best for you, James, and of course, for you too, Miss Kingsley. May I call you Anna?"
The old man grinned when she gave him a nod. "Well, let's get started, shall we?" He turned to his team, who’d watched silently from the side. At his signal, the leader of the group, the tall businessman stepped forward giving them a formal bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Armstrong. Ms. Kingsley. Please follow me." He pivoted on the ball of his foot and marched down the dock toward the gravel path that led toward the heart of the island, the rest of the group following his lead.
As they strolled behind the group, James listened halfheartedly while Carl entertained Anna with one of his many "war stories" as the old man fondly called them. They had nothing to do with war but were really the tales of his many business conquests.
She responded politely and even laughed softly at the appropriate times. But James couldn't focus on much more than the feel of her hand in his, their fingers laced tightly together. And what really made him smile was the clasp of her hand. It was as fierce as his.
It was all overwhelming, just too much for Anna to process. One man owned Sunset Key and nearly everything on it. How was that even possible?
Anna knew it happened on occasion, but she'd never met anyone who owned an entire island before. And here she was hand in hand with James as they strolled along the path, listening to the two men banter about the island's layout, features, and overall worth.
They spent the last couple of hours exploring various buildings: the resort's individual cabins, the restaurant, and lobby, where she'd also noticed one of her Bombay chests. Carl hadn't been teasing her.
She had to admit, she was flattered that her work had caught the eye of someone who most likely saw priceless art on a daily basis and could easily afford the cost.
Anna heard the chime of a bike bell and turned to see an inverted tricycle with what looked like a small freezer box in the front. The man pedaling it wore a huge smile and a white uniform as he rode toward them, ringing the bell again.
"Ah, here comes Mike." Carl turned to Anna. "He runs our ice cream shop and bikes around the resort several times a day to hand out gelato to our guests. The man is a marketing genius and came up with the concept himself. Would you like some?"
James gave her hand a light squeeze. "Anna's been known to go nuts for chocolate," he teased. "Does he have that flavor?"
Carl nodded. "Chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, I believe, caramel sea salt, vanilla, and… There's one more I'm forgetting."
"You had me at chocolate peanut butter," Anna piped up.
James chuckled, then leaned toward her. She shivered as his lips brushed her ear. "You wouldn't mind sharing with me, would you? It's my favorite flavor, too."
Anna grinned, intrigued by the playful side of him. "Not at all, so long as I get all the peanut butter."
"Deal. I'll just have to get my peanut butter fix from your tongue."
Anna gaped at him. He'd been such a gentleman all afternoon. It was shocking to hear him say something so sexy, much less in front of other people.
"Okay, you two. Here." Carl handed them each a pint of ice cream and spoons. "No need to make it awkward for the rest of us, thank you."
He pointed toward a lovely white, two-story Victorian style home that sat on the furthest point west on the trail. "We have your house ready if you'd like to see what we've done."
James followed the direction and smiled. "Ah! I'm glad to see it's even more beautiful in person than in the online pictures."
"As is everything on this island," Carl quipped. "With what you offered, the previous owners were more than happy to leave most of the furniture. We left the majority of it the same. But we did take the liberty of swapping out mattresses and the other items you requested. The bathrooms and refrigerator are all fully stocked, per your request."
James bobbed his head as they walked toward the house. "And the setup on the beach. Did you have any problems with that?"
"Of course not," Carl scoffed. "Our business is hospitality, James. It was child’s play." He glanced at Anna. "This guy! He calls me a few days ago, buys the house, sight unseen, and then calls back yesterday wondering if we can arrange a romantic dinner on the beach for you two." Carl sniffed. "Ridiculous."
"Dammit, Carl. You just ruined the surprise," James barked, just as Anna came to a halt mid stride, Carl's words registering.
"Wait." She peered up at James. "You just bought this house? Without even walking through it in person?"
James stepped in front of her, lifting her hand to his mouth. "That's all you heard?" The soft kiss he brushed over her skin sent pleasurable shivers down her spine.
"It's what I do, Anna," he replied softly. "I buy property all over the world without seeing them. My team is incredibly thorough and would let me know if there was a problem."
