SEAL the Deal(48)
She fought disappointment when he pressed a button on the dashboard and she felt hot air blowing through the vents. “Thanks,” she said half-heartedly.
When they arrived at the end of a winding road lined with fiery maples, the sight of Eagle’s Point was nothing short of spectacular. The building was a stately historic mansion converted into a restaurant on the bottom floor with hotel suites above it, each with views of the Bay. Lacey silently fantasized about detouring past dinner and right up to one of the lavish suites with Mick.
As the maître d’ seated them beside a floor-to-ceiling window, the beaming chef practically floated in from the kitchen to greet them, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“What a delight to have you here!” the chef said in an airy tone, enthusiastic hands fluttering in front of him as he spoke. “Edith told me that you have the final say on the selections, so I am preparing my personal favorites.” He talked alternating English and French as appropriate, rattling off dishes that sounded delectable, if unrecognizable, to Lacey.
Within moments, the celebratory pop of a champagne cork summoned a parade of tantalizing appetizers.
Lacey cracked a smile at the sight of Mick’s awkward grip on the champagne flute. He was much more comfortable drinking a beer, she mused, sinking her fork into a lightly encrusted crab cake drizzled with caper sauce. His strong hands looked as though they might crush the delicate crystal without even intending to. She couldn’t help noticing their size and strength. As she licked the remains of the sauce from her fork, her mind wandered to the idea of those hands gently stroking her cheeks, her neck, her breasts, her stomach, her…
“Lacey?”
She blinked several times. “What?”
“Were you thinking about something?”
“No. I mean, my mind was just wandering. It’s the champagne, probably.”
“You looked like you were in the middle of a pretty interesting thought. I’ll have to bring champagne to the next Scrabble night,” he concluded with a meaningful grin.
His smile took her breath away. The way his perfectly white teeth were framed in such tempting lips, so soft and gentle. Such a contrast to his hard body, she thought dreamily, taking another sip.
“Any plans for Thanksgiving?” Mick’s controlled tone snapped her back to reality.
“Going to Chicago to my parents, like always. I wish I could stay here.”
“Why don’t you want to go to Chicago?”
A wry smile crossed Lacey’s face. “It’s stupid. Remember my fantasy about announcing the sale of my first waterfront home at Thanksgiving dinner? Right now, all I have to announce is that I still have fewer sales than anyone else in the office.”
“But you’re the newest,” Mick pointed out.
“I know. But still.” Lacey shrugged, her thoughts drifting to Vi and whatever grand announcement her sister was plotting to unveil this holiday. Lacey knew something was up, and there were probably plenty of dollar signs attached to it. “How about you? Are you going away?”
“I thought I’d make Thanksgiving dinner for Edith. You know, turkey, stuffing, the standard fare. It’s her first holiday without Doc, you know. And I’ll be inviting any of the mids who aren’t going home for the holiday. There are always a few who don’t have plans. No family. Or one not worth going home to.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Mick laughed. “Why do you always sound surprised anytime I do something nice?”
Because I’m thinking of all the naughty things I’d like you to do to me, Lacey thought, shrugging innocently in response.
“I had a CO do that for some of us when I was stationed in Hawaii. It meant a lot. This is the first time I’ll actually have the space to be able to have some people over.” He reached for his champagne again, but then quickly set it down, opting to chug a half-glass of water. “Got a friend and his wife coming up from Norfolk, too. We were stationed together in Tampa for a while. So tell Bess and Maeve they’re welcome to join us if they want. It should be a good crowd.”
Lacey burst out laughing. “I’m sorry. I’m just picturing Maeve in a room with a bunch of young, vulnerable mids.”
Mick winced. “Oh. Yeah. Maybe that wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“You think?” She eased back in her chair, feeling the effects of the champagne tap dancing through her veins, and imagined for a moment that they were here together. Really together. To be able to reach out and take his hand, knowing that the warmth he offered through his touch would also be hers when they were alone later. To be able to look out at the lovely moon picturing their future together, filled with a perfect mix of comfortable companionship and sizzling passion.