“Oh?” She turned to Luke.
“Only good things, I swear.” He put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. He buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath. “There,” he sighed, “now I feel better.”
When she pulled back, she thought she saw a flash of something in his eyes. Was it sadness? It was gone just as quickly as it had crossed his face.
“I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.” She smiled and enjoyed the feeling of being close to him.
“I finished with my meetings earlier than expected and wanted to be here, instead.” He smiled. “Have you had lunch?” She shook her head. “Great.” He smiled and nodded to an empty table. “Why don’t we eat someplace close?”
She smiled. “I hear they have the best calamari and coconut shrimp.”
“Count me in.” He took her hand and then noticed the bag she’d set down. “Shopping?”
She smiled as she nodded. “I’ll just drop this off upstairs and be right back.” She rushed up the stairs to her office. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to calm her nerves as she reapplied some makeup and lip gloss. When she walked down the stairs, she felt more in control.
He was sitting in one of the larger booths along the back wall. The window overlooked the boardwalk and beach. It was one of her favorite spots. He had ordered her a frozen Pineapple Sunset, one of their signature specialty drinks, and he sipped a tall beer.
“I ordered us some calamari and shrimp for starters. I’m thinking of having some fish tacos. What about you?”
“You can’t go wrong with Sam’s tacos. I absolutely love the Mahi Mahi po’ boy. We boast having the best along the Gulf.” She sat next to him in the booth and took a sip of her drink. She realized how good it felt to sit in her own place and enjoy the atmosphere.
Luke put his arm around her and pulled her closer. “There…” He smiled at her. “Now I can relax.”
She smiled and looked around. “You know, I’ve never been on a date in here before,” she said absentmindedly.
“Really?” He looked around with her. “It’s a great place. Comfortable.” He tilted his head, like he was thinking about something. “If the food is as good as you say, I see no reason for you to be struggling.”
She sighed and rested her chin on her hands. Bella, one of her waitstaff, delivered their appetizers.
“I’m struggling, we all are, because the shuttles stopped,” she said as she scooped up some sauce with her calamari. The rich flavors hit her tongue, causing her a moment of pure pleasure.
“Shuttles?” He looked at her, a frown on his lips. “No, they didn’t.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Of course they did. About two months ago, just after the busy season.” She watched as he took some calamari and sampled.
“I’m pretty sure they didn’t. At least not from Crystal Shores.” He frowned as he sampled the shrimp next. “This is wonderful.” He took another bite.
“I was lucky to get Sam.” She nodded and grabbed one of the larger shrimp and allowed the bite to melt on her tongue. The juices, the spices—everything about it was perfection. Closing her eyes for a split second, she sighed and enjoyed the tastes. When she opened her eyes, Luke was looking at her funny. His eyes heated, watching her mouth as her tongue darted out to lick some of the tangy sauce from her lips. She knew that look but wasn’t prepared for the heat that spread throughout her body by just seeing his reaction to her.
The spell was broken when the waitress walked up and interrupted. After they had placed their lunch orders, Luke looked over at her and frowned a little.
“You said something about the shuttles stopping?”
She sighed. She really didn’t want to talk business, not when the looks he was giving her were causing her insides to boil. But she could tell the mood had passed and he was all business now.
She nodded and took another sip of her drink.
“That just doesn’t make sense. It’s not the hotels that run the service, but the counties.” He frowned a little more and took a drink of his beer. “After all, it benefits everyone.” She could tell he was deep in thought, so instead of commenting, she watched as his mind whirled, working it out. She knew the conclusion he’d come to; she’d come to the same conclusion a few weeks back. It took him almost five minutes to work it all out in his head before he said anything more to her.
“You know, there are several hotel owners that sit on high places on the county board. Some are appointed, others voted in.” He frowned a little more and she smiled. “My father is one of those.” He stopped talking when the waitress dropped off their lunch.