Page 7 of Paradise West
Jack chuckled, his dreamy eyes sparkling. “Yeah. But he’ll expect you to call him Art. He asked me to pick you up and get you settled before the meeting later this afternoon,” he explained. “Theresa printed off your picture from your firm’s website so I’d know who to look for.” He gave her a cute side grin and a lazy dimple popped out on his left cheek.
Holy lord...chocolate brown eyes, golden tan, AND dimples? This guy must be a real lady killer.
Charli grit her teeth, trying to get her mind off that particular train of thought. She pulled out her phone, cancelling the ride she had scheduled. She pasted a polite smile on her face, meeting his eyes. “Well, that was thoughtful of both of you. Do you live on the island?”
Jack nodded. “Born and raised.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Wow! You’re a real Conch. I’ve read that it’s rare.”
His lips twitched with mirth and a gleam twinkled in his eyes. “You make it sound like a disease,” he teased. “But seriously, it’s the best place in the world to live. Don’t know why anyone would want to leave.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, studying his tall, muscular frame. His outfit was a complete contrast to hers—brown carpenter pants, a blue t-shirt that stretched beautifully over strong broad shoulders and muscledarms, and a pair of worn work boots. “Did I take you away from something?”
He ran a hand through his thick, brown hair as he held her gaze. “Nah. I completed a big project an hour ago, so I’m off duty for the day.”
“What do you do?” she asked, her interest in this guy growing by the second.
“I work on restoration projects. Demand on the island itself usually keeps me busy, but every now and then, I’ll take a project up the keys.”
“Restoration? On historic buildings?”
“Yeah, mostly. Sometimes I’ll take a standard job if I have the time. But lately, I’ve been booked solid in Old Town.” He glanced over his shoulder as the baggage carousel behind him began to move. “Here come the bags,” he said, meeting her eyes again. “What does yours look like?”
Charli cleared her throat and pointed as her large suitcase came up over the rise. “There, the large purple one.”
“Ah!” he replied. “Hold this, would you?” He handed her the cardboard sign, then walked over to pull her bag off the belt.
As he set the suitcase upright and yanked up the telescoping handle, Charli couldn’t help but admire his ripped arms and strong hands. Hands said so much about a man in her opinion, and Jack’s told her a lot.
Charli squeezed her eyes shut. Drooling over the man sent to pick her up just a few minutes after meeting him was not a positive way to start on the island.
What the hell is wrong with you? Pull it together and focus, woman!
“Are you okay?” Jack asked. Charli’s eyes popped open to find his gaze on her face again, his brows drawn together.
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” She waved a hand in the air. “The weather is just so different. It was snowing in Boston when I left, so it’s taking me a minute to acclimate.”
He gave her another brilliant grin that left her tingling. “That’s understandable. But I’ll warn you—once you do acclimate, you’ll never want to leave.” He looked around the terminal. “Is there anything else, or are you ready?”
Charli gave him a polite smile. “I’m ready.”
* * * *
Jack led the way to the parking garage, glancing over his shoulder several times to make sure Charli was following him. She was quiet and somber for the most part, but he wouldn’t expect anything else from someone who had just lost a family member.
What he hadn’t expected was how beautiful she was in person. The print out Theresa had given himdidn’t do her justice, but it was good enough to easily spot her through the crowd. Her custom tailored woolen business suit hugged her body and flattered every curve. Her honey blonde hair had been in a tidy bun that just made him want to unravel it and run his hands through. And once he had gotten close enough, he was nearly struck dumb by her eyes—deep purple with a fringe of dark lashes highlighted by the mascara and light shade of eyeshadow that she wore.
Dressed in a wool pant suit, she definitely looked like the uptight lawyer Dottie had described. Strangely, that wasn’t a turn off at all and he suspected that there was a lot more to Charli than met the eyes. It made him curious to get to know her better and uncover what was underneath all those layers.
He led her to the tiny convertible Art had asked him to drive, popped the trunk, and dropped in her suitcase. He turned to her and found her staring at the car with a puzzled expression on her face.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Is this your work car?” she asked, her voice thick with sarcasm.
Jack chuckled and walked over to open the passenger side door. He motioned her to sit and closed the door once she was settled. He circled the car and got in, turning the ignition. “No, this was youraunt’s car. Art wanted to make sure you had it while you’re on the island,” he replied lightly. “And I’m assuming you don’t want to navigate the island at this moment, so I’ll drive.”
“Oh,” Charli’s face fell, as if it had been an unwelcome reminder of why she was here. “That’s really thoughtful of you.”
