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Three wide, arched doorways opened to the lobby. No doors were to be found. Fresh, breezy air flowed through the front of the lobby and out the back. The open layout feel had the same look as their Kauai resort. And Abby knew how much that resort meant to Cade and Brady.
There was no way Cade would let this property go.
When the driver opened the door, Cade exited and extended a hand to assist her.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered with her hand still in his.
“Don’t look so eager,” he whispered back.
How could Abby not glow right now? Between the precious stolen moment they’d had on his plane and the beauty of the city, Abby had to practically hold herself back from skipping.
Cade kept a hold on her hand as he led her across the terra-cotta tile. She wasn’t a bit surprised that even though he didn’t say a word, the staff working the desk magically knew who he was.
Within two minutes of their arrival, a tall, native-looking man in a well-tailored cream suit greeted them and led them into a long, narrow meeting room. Abby took a seat beside Cade, who sat adjacent to the owner of the property.
The meeting took less than an hour and by the time they walked out to their waiting car, Cade and his brother Brady were the proud owners of their first property outside the US. Abby tried her best to keep her comments to herself, but once they were secluded in the back of the Jaguar and heading toward their own accommodations, she turned to Cade.
“Are you sure Brady is going to be okay with this?” she asked.
“He’ll be fine.”
Cade had already shed his cobalt tie, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and was now rolling up his sleeves to reveal some nice, tan forearms.
“You’re sure?”
He shrugged. “I’ll call him tonight and tell him we need to talk. I’d rather discuss this in person, though. We also need to talk about changing the name of the resort.”
Drawing her knee up in the leather seat, Abby shifted even more to face him. “He didn’t know you were coming here?”
He threw her a glance, one that said it was none of her business, but she didn’t back down.
“Cade,” she began in a soft, understanding tone. “I know how important this is to you, this moving into other countries, but your father left this legacy to you and Brady. He has a right to know sooner rather than later.”
He wasn’t listening. Abby watched his eyes wander to her bent knee in the seat and she jerked it back down. Lord, she’d completely forgotten she was wearing a sundress. Granted, it wasn’t short, but the hemline did hit right at her knees, so he’d seen her bare thigh.
Had the driver forgotten to turn the air on?
“Where are we staying?” she asked, praying to God he took the hint and didn’t try to kiss her or anything else inappropriate while in public. Because, heaven help her, if he offered, she’d concede.
His dark gaze traveled back up her heated body. “I booked us at a little bed-and-breakfast down the way. They are few and far between anymore and I figured you’d like the change of scenery, so I cancelled the reservations you had previously made.”
Abby smiled at the idea he’d thought of her. “Thank you.”
“It’s the least I could do,” he smiled. “After all, you found this deal of a lifetime for me. I intend to take you to a nice dinner tonight to celebrate.”
Dinner? Alone with Cade? Oh, God. Who was doing the seducing here? And was he really just thanking her for stumbling across the diamond-in-the-rough piece of property or was he starting to have feelings for her?
Was it too much to hope that Cade might see just how well they blended together? How could he overlook the fact that they made a great team? What one didn’t think of, the other did.
“There’s no need to thank me,” she told him, righting her skirt over her knees. “I’m part of this company, too. I want to see it thrive just like your father intended.”
Cade smiled, reached for her hand and squeezed. “When he hired you, he kept telling Brady and me what an asset you’d be.”
Shocked that Mr. Stone had said that about her, Abby returned Cade’s smile. “That’s quite a compliment coming from such a prominent businessman. I’m just sorry I didn’t get to know him better before he passed.”
“Me, too. He was the greatest man I’ve ever known.”
Because she didn’t want him dwelling on hardship, she turned the topic back around. “So, where are we going for dinner?”
“I have a little something planned,” he assured her. “Trust me, though. You’ll like it.”
Trust him? A flutter of excitement and giddiness flooded through her. She trusted Cade with every fiber of her being. Even her heart. Especially her heart.
