Heat Wave of Desire

He would stay here at the Belleza until the dust settled. But something told him he wouldn’t be alone for long.

* * *

Kimberly tried focusing on the girls’ conversation, but her mind kept wandering back to Jack Scott. There was something about the mysterious stranger that was appealing.

She looked in his direction again and once more her gaze collided with his and she quickly looked away. She hadn’t expected to be caught checking him out again.

“Looks like someone’s got it bad,” Robyn teased.

“Who?” Her eyes grew large with wonder.

“You.” Robyn laughed. “I saw the way you were looking at Jack Scott like you wanted to sop him up with a biscuit.”

“Robyn!”

“You’re talking about the superhot guy who checked in a few weeks ago, but has been primarily keeping to himself?” Gabrielle asked.

“The very same,” Robyn said. “And Kim here has been unable to stop staring at him since we sat down.”

“That’s not true.” But her denial sounded weak.

“Is too,” Robyn countered.

“A girl can look, right? Given our no-dating-guests policy, there’s nothing to worry about.” Kimberly attempted to act as if she was unaffected by the handsome and mysterious guest. The truth was, he was by far the most attractive man she’d seen in ages. In her position as general manager, she rarely had time to date, if at all.

“Are you sure about that?” Robyn asked. “Because you’re not the only one doing the admiring.”

“What do you mean?” Kimberly was afraid to hazard another glance in Jack’s direction for fear he would find her out.

“He’s not looking at me or Gabby,” Robyn responded. “He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you.”

A flurry of butterflies swarmed in Kimberly’s belly. He had been looking at her. She hadn’t imagined it.

Kimberly cocked her head to one side. “Well, he can look all he wants, but you know I don’t fraternize with the clientele.”

“I agree. The rules are in place for a reason,” Gabrielle said. “They prevent us from being put in a bad spot.”

“I don’t know, Gabby,” Robyn replied. “If any rule was made to be broken, it would be for a date with that fine specimen of a man.”

“You needn’t worry,” Kimberly replied, “because I will not be breaking that rule. The policy is in place to preserve our reputation and I’m not just talking about the resort. People come on vacation looking for a fling and I won’t be another notch on the bedpost.”

“It’s too bad he’s a guest,” Gabrielle said, “because maybe it might loosen you up some.” She patted Kimberly’s arm. “When was the last time you got laid?”

“Gabby, you’re incorrigible!”

“But she also hit the nail on the head. When was the last time?” Robyn pressed.

Kimberly didn’t answer. Couldn’t. It had been a long time since she’d had a date, let alone got intimate with a man. She’d been so focused on reinventing the Belleza to the exclusion of all else that her love life had dwindled to next to nothing. Ben Lawson was the last man she’d dated and her friends knew that hadn’t ended well.

Ben had accused her of being a workaholic and too self-involved to put someone else, him in particular, first. His words had hurt, but his departure from her life hadn’t. Kimberly hadn’t been shattered by his disappearance. In fact, she’d just worked harder, striving for success to prove to her brothers and the Belleza staff that her parents had made the right decision in putting her at the helm of the resort. But in the back of her mind, Kimberly had always wondered. Could Ben be right? Was she too selfish to consider someone else’s needs above her own?

“You should go talk to him,” Robyn urged.

“I don’t know...” Gabrielle said.

Kimberly thought about sex as much as the next woman and she enjoyed male company. She refused to end up a spinster or alone like Jonah Grady. As much as she loved the elderly bartender who’d been at the Belleza since its early humble beginnings, she didn’t want to be alone as she went into maturity, so she made a split decision and rose.

“All right, all right,” Kimberly said once on her feet. “If it’ll get you two hens off my back, I’ll go talk to him.” She gave them both a wink and started toward Jack Scott.

Chapter 2 (#ulink_ffc41fa6-80ee-5a8b-a29e-ec1d04a5997a)

I can’t believe I’m doing this, Kimberly thought as she made her way across the to Jack’s table. Perhaps if she got the curiosity out of her system, she could go back to business as usual.

Jack Scott was sitting under an umbrella with a plate of fruit, toast and a cup of black coffee. He looked up as she approached and his brow quirked, but that didn’t stop his eyes from roaming over every inch of her.

She offered a smile. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

God, why does his voice sound like hot maple syrup over buttermilk pancakes?

Finding her voice, she said, “I haven’t had the opportunity to introduce myself. I’m Kimberly Parker, general manager of the Belleza. Please allow me to welcome you to the resort. I understand you’ve been staying with us for several weeks. Are you having a pleasant stay?”

Why did she have to sound so trite? Did he sense her uneasiness? It was out of character for her to make the first move, let alone talk to a male guest outside of business, but there was something about him that intrigued her.

He smiled back at her. “My stay has been very enjoyable. Your staff has a way of making the Belleza feel like my home away from home.”

“That’s the promise we deliver on,” Kimberly replied. “Can I offer you a complimentary mimosa or Bloody Mary?”

“Thank you, but I prefer to keep a clear head. Maybe another time?” His face split into a wide grin.

That was the opening and she’d hoped to smoothly transition into her manager routine.

“I—” All words escaped Kimberly at his disarming smile.

Jack motioned to the seat across from him. “Care to join me?”

“I, uh—” Her mind went blank and she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Instead, she merely nodded. Before she could make a move, Jack Scott jumped up and pulled a chair out for her. She walked over and took a seat. “Thank you.” She finally found her voice.

“The pleasure is mine,” he said.

Kim offered a genuine smile.

“I’ve seen you around the resort,” he replied. “But you’re always running around and appear quite busy.”

She shrugged. “It isn’t easy managing a resort of this size alone.”

He frowned. “I’d heard the Belleza was a family business. Am I mistaken?”