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He had a maddening way of issuing commands, but Darcy didn’t mind obeying this one. She rested her hands on his shoulders and slanted her mouth over his to begin a kiss that grew increasingly bold. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on while he kissed her as passionately as he had last night. When he drew away, she was too dazed to focus clearly.
Griffin took hold of Darcy’s waist and carefully set her down on the floor. “I never take it any further on a first date and, while I could stay and kiss you until dawn, I know you have to be up early. Good-night. I’ll let myself out.”
Darcy watched the door close behind him, then bent to grab a shoe and hurled it against the varnished wood. She was positive he’d tasted how eager she was for more and had deliberately left with her wanting it. She reached for her other shoe and threw it as well.
“Manipulative bastard!” she fumed. She was used to dating fertilizer salesmen who, while charming, always wanted more than she was ready to give. To find herself on the other side of that dilemma with Griffin annoyed her no end.
“That man will be the death of me yet,” she swore, but when she turned on his CD, it was again pure magic.
Chapter Five
Christy Joy took Twink to church on Sundays and then out to brunch, so on those mornings, Darcy opened Defy the World Tomatoes. That Sunday she came in at eight a.m., shut herself in her office and completed the watercolor sketches she hadn’t been able to even begin on Saturday.
When George arrived at ten, she’d already opened the shop, bid the clerks good morning and was out watering. “Beautiful day, isn’t it, George?”
George bent to angle a potted geranium toward the sun. “Yes, it sure is, and it sounds as though your date went well.”
Darcy swallowed a harsh laugh. “The film at the Monarch is hilarious. You ought to take Marge.”
“That all you care to say?” George straightened slowly and rubbed the small of his back.
“Pretty much, but thanks for the wardrobe tip. I like the new clothes.”
“Good, and I’ve got another tip for you. Saw this one on TV. Scientists did a study of what scents men respond to best, and they found pumpkin pie spice beats out the most expensive perfumes. You ought to get yourself a little canister in the baking aisle at the market and use it just like dusting powder.”
Darcy was tempted to turn the hose on him. “Are you just making up this stuff, George?”
“Absolutely not. Give it a try and see if Griffin doesn’t stick to you like glue.”
“I’m not sure I even want him stuck on me,” Darcy argued.
“Well, then, just do it as an experiment, and you’ll know if it works when Mr. Right comes along.”
“If he’s Mr. Right, won’t he notice me without my smelling like a Thanksgiving pie?”
George shook his head. “Sadly, a lot of men need a swift kick in the seat before they realize what a treasure they’ve found, so it’s better to be on the safe side and douse yourself with the spice.”
“I’d rather you just kick Griffin around the block a time or two.”
“If I were ten years younger, I’d give it a try, but now, darlin’, yo
u’ll have to rely on your own devices.”
“Thanks anyway, George.” Darcy seriously doubted Griffin could be enticed with pumpkin pie spice, but the mere possibility of getting the better of him lifted her spirits enormously.
The lovely day brought out tourists as well as residents of Monarch Bay, and Defy the World Tomatoes had their most profitable Sunday ever. As Mary Beth ran the final total, Christy Joy squealed with glee.
“We didn’t expect to do this well until summer. What do you think, Darcy? Should we rethink our objectives?”
“No, let’s not get too excited just yet. This might be a mere blip rather than a trend.”
Mary Beth was quick to agree. “It’s always best to err on the conservative side. Besides, just think how excited you’ll be to keep exceeding your target.”
Darcy waited until Mary Beth had gone home to confide her real worry. “If our sales remain this high, we’ll have to reorder stock, but that’ll mean using most of the money we should be putting aside to move.”
Christy Joy briefly considered their alternatives and suggested a plan. “Let’s reorder only what’s selling really well. We’ll sell that merchandise through the summer, then unload everything else at a gigantic moving sale. That way we’ll be able to reopen in our new location with brand new stock.”
After all the hard work they’d put in last fall, Darcy didn’t understand how Christy Joy could sound so enthusiastic about repeating that ordeal. “We’ve learned a lot about running a business, but the thought of moving simply exhausts me.”
