Chapter Six

“Devon? You okay?”

She shook her head hard and re-focused on the woman across from her. Avery Sunshine, part owner of Sunshine Bridal, stared at her with a concerned look. This was the third time she’d drifted off, distracted by some odd thought of him .

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep last night and feel a bit foggy. We decided on the red calla lilies, white roses, and lavender pine cones?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. I need a coordinating flower girl bouquet, and can we bring in some mistletoe with fairy lights? I’m balancing whimsical with holiday.”

“Hmm, I think mistletoe can be overdone. How about we do holly bushes and I can string the lights around like mini Christmas trees?”

“Done.” Avery sat back with a sigh and smoothed back her honey-colored curls. She was a business dynamo and Devon had always admired her, along with her two sisters, Bella and Taylor, who’d created a wedding empire in the beach town. “Why does everything have to happen around the holidays? Last year, Bella got married, and now Taylor announced her and Pierce are tying the knot.”

“Oh, how exciting! Are Taylor and Pierce back from Paris?”

“Yep. Her last art show exploded so she’s taking a long break and came back home for a while. We’re so excited.”

“You’ll be at the Fur Gala, right? I’d love to see everyone.”

“Definitely.” Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. “I heard about Mac’s cousin. He’s causing quite a ruckus at Vintage.”

Surprise cut through her. “How do you know?”

Avery laughed. “Are you kidding? You’ve lived here for years—you should know gossip runs rampant! I heard he’s changing everything over there: uniforms, menu, even décor. I heard the chef’s going to quit. Plus, Judith said if it weren’t for you, the charity event would’ve been moved to the fire hall. No one seems to like him. Thank God I don’t have any weddings scheduled there.”

Devon shifted in her seat. “Well, it does take some time for him to warm up.” The words tangled on her tongue as she stumbled to explain. “He comes from this fancy place in Manhattan and thinks he can help Mac make it better. I’m sure his intentions are good.”

Avery snorted. “He stripped down all the holiday stuff. Can you believe it? I heard from Layla that all the fun Christmas décor was replaced with fancy table linens, and glass bowls with rocks. No white lights. No poinsettias or mistletoe. He even cancelled Santa Claus.”

Devon blinked. “Carl didn’t come in for the kids on the weekend?”

Avery shook her head. “Nope. Gabe and Zoe went to breakfast yesterday morning. She was devastated over the pancakes, and then found out there’s no more Santa. Poor Zoe was upset and offered to break open her piggybank and buy gifts for the kids herself. Do you believe it?”

Zoe was Bella’s seven-year-old daughter. Ever since Bella married Gabe, Zoe had flourished and Devon loved seeing them become a close-knit family. Which was weird, because she’d dated Gabe seriously for a while, and had even tried to get back with him after their break-up. But she was quick to realize his heart had already been taken by Bella so Devon had helped get them together. She did enjoy a good love story, even if it wasn’t hers. Everyone deserved to be happy, and Gabe was special. And Zoe was one of the best humans Devon ever met. “Actually, I do. What did Jameson say to that?”

Avery gave a humph. “Said he’d take care of it, but was probably just lying to save face in front of Gabe. Carl said he almost didn’t reimburse him for the Santa suit.”

“Carl owns that suit, and it’s pretty old,” Devon reminded.

But Avery was on a tear and kept going on. “Per the grapevine, it was too expensive to give out gifts kids may not even use. In two weeks, he’s turned Vintage into some French boring bistro. And you know I love a good bistro, but this seems like he’s forcing a new identity on a restaurant that just isn’t supposed to be highbrow. If he wants to run a fancy eating place, he should create his own. The old Merion Inn is up for sale. Or that new vacant shop next to the arcade would make a great restaurant.”

“I wonder how he got all new stuff to renovate at this time of year,” she murmured. It took eons for suppliers to ship out supplies.

“I’m sure he has a bunch of connections. Too bad he’s ruining a good thing. After the Fur Gala I bet people will stop going to Vintage. Poor Mac.”

“Maybe he thinks he’s doing all this to help Mac and it’s backfiring?” she offered weakly.

Avery gave a snort. “He’s doing it for himself and he’s the grinch of Cape May.”

Devon tried not to groan. Seemed like Jameson was going through an identity crisis, and refused to listen to the town. The idea that Avery had taken a strong dislike to him made her tummy clench. Frustration flickered. She’d hoped he’d taken the poll to heart and stopped this silly makeover, but it seemed to only propel his determination.

Why was he being so stubborn?

Avery stood up. “I better go. See you on Saturday and—” she broke off as the door opened with a clatter, and turned to see who it was.

Devon stared in shock as the topic of their conversation suddenly appeared with Bear by his side. His usual impeccable appearance was a bit marred. That slicked back hair was mussed and disheveled. His jaw held a bit of stubble. His perfectly pressed suit showed a few creases.

But it was his face that made her jaw drop. This was no longer the cool, reserved man who traded barbs like professional swordplay. No, this man’s nostrils flared and his eyes smoked with frustration and testosterone temper. His fists clenched and unclenched around the leash, where Bear panted, drooling on the floor, looking at them with unrivaled joy to see new people.

“This dog is a menace and I’m giving him back,” Jameson snarled.

Avery made a noise deep in her throat and stared in shock.

Devon sighed. “You lost the bet. You can’t give him back until we find a home. Hi, Bear. Is he being grumpy to you?” She closed the distance between them and scratched behind Bear’s ears. The canine responded by promptly falling onto his back and kicking his giant leg in ecstasy.

“That’s the biggest dog I’ve ever seen,” Avery whispered.

“Yes, we’re desperate to find him a permanent home. Jameson is being kind enough to foster him until then.” Devon addressed Jameson. “This is Avery Sunshine. She runs Sunshine Bridal.”

He inclined his head. “A pleasure to meet you. I think I met your family member at Vintage. He was with Zoe?”

“That’s my brother-in-law.” Avery tilted her head and studied him with a frankly assessing gaze. “You’ve been making a lot of changes at Vintage.”

Devon waited for his answer, patiently petting Bear.

“Yes, I am.”

Silence.

Avery waited him out. He cleared his throat and finally spoke. “I’m beginning to see this town is stubborn regarding change.”

Avery gave a half laugh. “Fair assessment. We also love Christmas around here, so anyone who wants to take that away, we get suspicious of.”

Jameson seemed to consider her words rather than wave them off. “Understood. May I point out, that there is an underserved population of people who don’t find the holiday as satisfying. I thought by giving them a place that’s more neutral, they won’t be drowning in sentiments of how they should feel. They can just be who they want and eat really good food.”

Devon stared at him in surprise. It was the first real statement that gave her a hint of the man he was beneath the surface polish. Her insides warmed when she realized maybe there was a very good reason Jameson didn’t like Christmas. One he wasn’t about to share with a stranger.

Avery must’ve reached the same conclusion. “Good point.” An understanding passed between them and the air dissolved of tension. Avery gave Bear a few loving pats and moved toward the door. “Thanks for helping with Bear. I’ll make sure everyone knows about it. Nice to meet you.”

With those cryptic words, she left.

Jameson arched a brow. “Was that code for something I missed?”

“Yep. She’s going to let the town know you’re not the bad guy. You were getting a terrible reputation, but Bear will give you a second chance.”

His jaw firmed. “Hell, no. You need to take him back, Devon. I have too much going on to babysit an overgrown baby. He ruined Mac’s house.”

She winced. “What did he do?”

“What didn’t he do? Chewed up the furniture, the curtains, overturned the garbage. He did everything.”

“Wait—how long did you leave him alone?”

“About six hours. I came back before dinner shift to check on him. It was a nightmare.”

She blew out a breath. “He can’t handle being by himself for so long. Why didn’t you bring him to Vintage?”

He made a low growl in his throat that was way too sexy. She wondered what type of sounds he made when he was turned on, then felt her face turn red at the thought. “I did,” he grit out. “But one of the customers brought in her dog and Bear made a scene. A big scene. It was humiliating.”

Devon stood up from the floor and brushed off her pants. “What happened?”

“It was a damn Chihuahua. A tiny little thing in a pink collar who was well behaved. The owner had her in a purse, and when she took her out, Bear spotted her. He went apeshit. Started howling and barking, rolling around in the grass as if he was being tortured. And the dog wasn’t even near him! The entire restaurant came out to look and stare, and tried to offer help. I told them to ignore him and suddenly I was the bad guy being mean to my overgrown baby dog. I had to move the Chihuahua to the other room and gave them dessert on the house.”

She tried hard, she really did, but a giggle escaped her lips. “A Chihuahua?”

He glowered. “Yes. I cannot deal with this anymore. You need to take him, at least during the day.”

“You want to share custody?”

“No, I want you to have full custody of the beast, but I lost the bet. So, yeah, I’ll take him after the dinner shift. Is that acceptable?”

She grinned, tipping her head back. “Well, the shop is small but I can put a bed by the storage so he can still see me. I guess I can live with that.”

“Thank God.” His muscles relaxed and he glanced around. “This is a great space. It’s very…happy.”

Her grin widened. “I know that’s a compliment but you sound unsure.”

He smiled back. “Sorry, there’s nothing wrong with happy.” Jameson moved around the counter to investigate the tables and shelves displaying various bouquets. The refrigerated section held double doors of clear glass where customers could gaze at individual blooms along with curated arrangements of different sizes. Multiple ones were tagged for delivery or pick up. Foiled balloons clustered in a giant bubble in the corner streaming with gaily colored ribbons. She’d set up some small Christmas trees decorated with ornaments and shimmering with tinsel. Holiday music streamed from the speakers, and filled the space with warm cheer. She enjoyed the way he poked and prodded through her displays, and made low murmurs of approval under his breath.

Devon studied him amidst the cheerful flowers. Why did he attract her so much? Was it the mystery of him, the longing to uncover secrets females couldn’t resist? His male scent rose and mingled with balsam and roses. She sniffed a bit deeper, liking the mix. “What do you think?”

“I think I was wrong about you, flower girl. There’s an organization beneath the happy surface. I didn’t realize you managed multiple weddings here and that in the summer you do two or three per weekend.”

She cocked her head. “How’d you find that out?”

“Your website. Also, the Yelp reviews are insane. You average five stars at a high rate of customers. I saw some of the pics at that Dr. Seuss type wedding—those flowers looked like they came right from the books with those puffy type heads.”

She tried not to flush with pride. One of Sunshine Bridal’s clients demanded a wedding based on Dr. Seuss and she’d wrangled specific rare flowers that looked like they came from The Lorax . “Yeah, that was one of my finer moments.”

“I’m impressed.” He turned to face her. Hands on hips, feet a few inches apart, his jacket stretched across his broad shoulders, cutting an intimidating figure. The black glasses perched on his nose only emphasized his sexiness. “Making good money in a small beach town isn’t easy to do.”

She shrugged. “Neither is running a successful restaurant in New York City. Your place averages 4.9 stars, too. The oysters and duck seem to be the most raved about.”

His dark brow arched. “I see you Googled me.”

“As you did to me.”

The silence simmered. She felt the tension and shifted her weight. Why was she suddenly nervous? “Did Bear really have a breakdown over a ten-pound dog?”

Jameson snorted. “More like six pounds. And yes, he wailed in a very unmasculine way. Which made the Chihuahua puff out like she was hot shit, and that just pissed me off. Bear could’ve taken her easy.”

And then she was laughing, and so was he, and suddenly he was inches away. Their gazes met and locked. The humor faded, and she found she was gripping his arm, and his palm touched her cheek, and within seconds, electricity crackled between them.

Devon was good with men. She was rarely awkward. She was confident in her body and her mind, and had no issues making the first move, or carrying through with his. But right now, a flicker of vulnerability made her pause. She stared at him, wanting something she couldn’t put a name to, wondering about this complicated man before her.

“You’re really pretty,” he said huskily. His finger caressed her cheek, then tipped up her chin. He pressed in, slow and steady, giving her plenty of time to move away. “I’ve been thinking about how you drive me crazy.”

“You drive me just as crazy,” she retorted a bit too breathily. Her heart pounded as his mouth lowered. His breath whispered over her lips.

“I didn’t expect this. I don’t do messy.”

A flash of temper overtook her, and then she was leaning in, grasping his jacket with her fist, challenging him with her body and words. “Then maybe you should walk away.”

His hot stare was all lust and sexy demand. “Maybe I should. But I’m thinking how damn good messy can feel.”

Then he kissed her.

His lips were firm and warm against hers. His movements were slow and seductive as he explored her mouth, refusing to rush. His teeth nibbled, asking for full entry, and she arched into him, wanting more. With a sigh of surrender, she let him in, and his tongue surged forward, taking the kiss to a whole other level.

He swallowed her gasp, his delicious taste of mint and coffee swamping her senses. She hung on, digging her nails into his shoulders, meeting him halfway as their tongues tangled together in a sensual battle that left her knees shaky and her body weeping with need. It was a kiss that blistered her alive, full of demand and promises, and she hung on the precipice, shocked at the depth of passion burning from within, released with every delicious thrust of his tongue. His hands burrowed in her hair, holding her head still for his ravishment. Devon hung on and gave him what he wanted, toes curling in her boots, foggy with need for more.

Oh, how she needed more.

Slowly, he retreated, still pressing tiny kisses to her swollen lips as he pulled away. Breath uneven, his eyes were like charcoal, banked fire burning into hers.

“Will you go on a date with me?”

Devon tried to find her words since she’d gone mute. She blinked and pressed her trembling fingers against her lips, still reeling from the kiss. “Huh?”

His smile was gentle. “I’m asking you out.”

“Aren’t we both going to the Fur Gala this weekend?”

“Technically, yes. But we’re both working and I’d like to spend some one-on-one time with you.”

“Okay.”

“Good. How about Thursday night? I can make us a late-night supper at Vintage if you don’t mind the hour.”

It was an easy answer, because Devon wanted to kiss him again. “I won’t mind. That works.”

“Excellent.”

He looked ready to leave, but her brain cells had returned and she had an important question. “What about not wanting to get messy?”

He surprised her by pressing a hard kiss to her mouth. “You convinced me it’s more fun in the playground than on the sidelines watching.”

Devon had no time to come up with a snappy retort.

He winked—actually winked—and was gone, the bell over the door tinkling merrily.

Dear Lord, the man had game.

She stared at Bear, sprawled out on the floor, taking up most of the precious space in the store. Then sighed. “Why do I think this whole thing could be headed toward disaster? And even more important, why am I going to do it anyway?”

Bear barked.

“Yeah, that’s what I say. I guess I’ll just find a cute outfit to wear and see how it goes.”