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“Ms. Slater.”
She slowly turned around. “Mr. Drake,” she pleasantly replied. “We meet again.”
“I have a feeling we’ll be meeting quite often between now and November.”
Was it her imagination or did the gleam in his eye signify that he was talking about more than the election? And was it just a notion or did she sorely wish that this was true? She turned to the men standing beside him, immediately recognizing Ike Jr., the brother she’d met on the neighborhood trail. The familial connection of the others was apparent at once, as was the fact that they were all as commanding as they were good-looking and used to being the center of attention in any crowd.
Deciding to draw first blood, she said, “Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Mo Slater, and I’d like to be your mayor.”
Their reaction was priceless. The older man chuckled. One of the younger ones, a brother, Monique assumed, jabbed Niko in the ribs. The other man smiled at Monique before saying, “As sharp and feisty as she is fine. Niko, looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
Chapter 10
The older man stepped up first. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Slater. I’m Ike Drake Sr., chief operating officer of Drake Realty Plus.”
They shook hands. “Please, call me Mo or Monique.”
“Good to see you again, Monique,” Ike Jr. said, shaking her hand.
“You too, Ike. Especially in this safe, well-lit environment.”
She saw the look that passed between the others but chose not to elaborate.
Niko chose differently. “Ike and I were jogging the trail out back and looked to have scared her to death.”
“Oh,” the older man responded, eyeing Monique with a look that was pleasant yet unreadable.
“Do all of you work in the family business?”
Ike Jr. was the first to respond. “In one way or another, except our mom, who rules the roost at home. I’m the president of Drake Realty Plus.”
“Hello, Monique. I’m Warren. In addition to being a director at the realty company, I own and operate Drake Ranch and Vineyards.”
Monique’s eyes shone. “Ah, so yours is the vineyard for whom my dear friend Margo Gentry sang praises. I had the good fortune of trying some of your wine this past weekend. It’s wonderful to have such a quality drink that is locally produced.”
“Honestly, we can’t take all the credit. The grapes are grown locally but then they are trucked to and bottled at Drake Wines and Resort in Temecula, California, owned by our cousins. However, I agree with you. The wine is first-rate.”
“I understand you’re a powerful L.A. attorney,” Ike Sr. said as he eyed her keenly. “What made you leave the bright lights of the big city and come to our small town?”
“What’s not to love about Paradise Cove? The name is fitting and the people are lovely. My skill set uniquely qualifies me to help grow what we now have into a vibrant, self-sustaining yet productive component to Northern California’s economy. I’m committed to making our business community one that regularly attracts outside visitors. Lastly, I want to make our educational system one of the best in the state, if not the nation.”
Niko barely waited for her to finish. “Nice answer, Counselor, but you avoided the question. Why did you leave L.A.?”
She turned to his father. “My job as a defense attorney is satisfying yet stressful. A hard-fought case that took three years to win took its toll. So while I will continue to practice law in some fashion, this was the perfect time for me to take a breath and a break and recharge my batteries by helping others in a different way.” She then turned to Niko and cordially asked, “There. How’d I do?”
The look he gave her was unreadable, but it made her quiver inside. Something told her that this man’s passion knew no bounds and that whether making love or making war he went all out. She’d stared down shark-finned and bear-clawed prosecutors in the courtroom and never broke a sweat. But under the intense scrutiny of these deep brown eyes she felt vulnerable, almost naked, as though he could peer into her soul. As if the fact that she found him incredibly sexy and superattractive was written on her face. It was mere seconds that he looked at her, but it seemed as though time stood still and the room faded away, save for the man in front of her. Her reaction to him was continually unnerving. Monique wasn’t easily fazed and had never been the type of woman to swoon over a man. So why did she feel as if she was about to pass out now?
