Page 86 of Here & Now

On the other hand, she would have enjoyed waking up to him this morning. She envisioned them having lazy morning sex, showering together, and then drinking coffee on the lanai.

The lanai was just one of the places they’d had sex last night. She closed her eyes and recalled his body covering hers on the lounge chair under the starry sky… When she popped her eyes open, her face was flushed.

Shaking her head, she turned away from the mirror and took off her pajamas. She wouldn’t let one night of passion distract her from accomplishing what she’d come here for.

She’d been going through the cottage room by room, sorting and boxing her grandmother’s things. Today she planned on tackling the kitchen, which would be no easy feat. Her grandma had loved cooking and amassed a vast collection of dishware, utensils, and cooking gadgets. Unfortunately, Bree hadn’t inherited her grandma’s expertise in the kitchen and didn’t know what half of the gadgets were used for. She had, however, gained a new appreciation for the kitchen that had nothing to do with cooking!

Determined to put all thoughts of Zane aside, she went through her usual morning routine. She showered, dressed, put her hair in a ponytail, and applied some makeup, using extra concealer to cover up the red spots on her face and neck.

Then she went into the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. While she stood at the counter, measuring out the coffee, she had another flashback from last night. Closing her eyes, she recalled him coming up behind her at the counter and nibbling on her neck. She shivered as she recalled how he’d slipped his hands underneath her robe and then…

Her phone rang, interrupting her sexy daydream. She saw Sanibel Realty Specialists on the screen and answered.

“Hello, Bree. This is Scott Duggan. Am I calling at an okay time?”

She couldn’t very well tell him no, that he’d interrupted her daydream about her sexy neighbor. “It’s a fine time.”

“I wanted to let you know that I finished my analysis of your property.”

“Great,” she said, though without the proper enthusiasm.

“I was wondering if we could meet for dinner tonight to go over it?”

“Dinner?” She and Zane were supposed to have dinner together.

“I like to take my clients to dinner since it’s more relaxing than meeting in the office. Have you ever eaten at The Mad Hatter?”

She hadn’t had her coffee yet, so it took her a moment to answer. “Um…no.”

“It’s right on the water, and they have excellent food. My treat, of course. Are you available to meet tonight?”

She and Zane hadn’t made specific plans, and if her goal was to sell the house, she needed to do this. She’d already been on the island for a few weeks, and the cottage wasn’t even listed yet.

“Yes, I can meet you. What time?”

“How about six o’clock? I’ll make a reservation.”

“Okay.”

“I look forward to seeing you later, then.”

“Thank you,” she said, still in a daze. After they hung up, she stood there and tried to get her bearings.

Was it usual for real estate agents to meet clients at a restaurant instead of their office? Scott had certainly made it sound that way, though, technically, she wasn’t his client yet. She was a prospective client, but maybe she was just being nit-picky.

If Zane hadn’t called him sleazy, she probably wouldn’t be questioning Scott’s invitation. He’d been polite and professional, and she hadn’t picked up on anything untoward. Still, something didn’t sit right.

By the time she finished her coffee and breakfast, she’d decided not to worry. After all, she was meeting him in a public place, and it was just business. Besides, she needed to get the house listed and sold so she could get back home to Michigan.

Later that afternoon, she was kneeling on the kitchen floor, her head and torso buried inside a cabinet full of pots and pans, when her phone rang again. As she backed out of the cupboard, she banged her head on the top and cursed a blue streak. She snatched the phone off the floor and answered without looking at the screen.

“Hello,” she huffed as she massaged the top of her head.

“Bree, are you alright?”

Zane. She plunked down on her butt amongst a sea of boxes. “Not really.”

“What’s wrong?”