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CHAPTER SEVEN
REBECCA
This wasnotgoing my way.
Why did Landon Sparks have to be this handsome? This disarming? This...sexy? Sure, I’d known he was good-looking. That was a given, well-documented, and part of the intrigue that surrounded him—of a handsome genius with a fortune to boot who didn’t give interviews and liked to bait people on his social media accounts. Butknowingthis about him andseeingit were two completely different things.
And in person, he was so much—more.
I’d been marveling about that for the last half hour. Spending less than twenty minutes with Landon had almost been enough to knock me off track. My cheeks were flushed, my heartbeat racing, and my breath faster than I liked. It was a visceral combination, almost animalistic in its appearance. Under no circumstances could I allow it to happen again.
None. Never.
Without bothering to unpack, I wandered into the pool house bedroom and lay down on the enormous California king-sized bed. It had been a long day already, and I was tired. Besides, if I was going to be ready for whatever came that night, I needed to be refreshed. A quick nap would do the trick. I pulled the sky-blue chenille blanket at the foot of the bed over my body and closed my eyes, planning to sleep for a few moments.
I woke up nearly two and a half hours later.
Disoriented and groggy, I stumbled into the living room and located my phone on the side table next to the striped cream sofa. Two messages waited from Olivia asking if I’d arrived at the hotel and if I was excited to start my interview. I sent a quick but vague reply and decided to unpack, dragging my luggage back into the bedroom and emptying the contents into the walk-in closet adjacent to the bathroom. Less than twenty minutes to go before I needed to meet Landon for dinner.
A half dozen questions danced in my head as I considered my outfit. What was this dinner—all business or casual? Should I change? Fix my hair? Put on makeup? Bring my tape recorder and notebook?Maybe, yes, yes, yes, and 100 percent yes.
Most of all, I needed to calm my nerves and tamp down the tug of attraction pooling in my stomach whenever I considered Landon’s handsome features. I had work to do, and that needed to come first.
When I arrived at the veranda, I was relieved to see he still wore the same outfit from earlier. At least I hadn’t gotten the casual part wrong, though I couldn’t help making note once more of how gorgeous he was in person.That’s enough, Rebecca. Move on.
“Thank you for joining me,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” I took my phone from my purse and inhaled a steadying breath as I forced myself to remain all business. “And before we begin, I want to say upfront this is all on the record.”
“Expected nothing less.”
“Good.” I switched on the app, relieved for this transition into work mode. “So, let’s get started.”
“We can begin by eating.” He motioned to the nearby table, which had been laid out with what looked like a dinner spread for two with abundant salads, an Instagram-worthy charcuterie tray featuring every color of the rainbow, and a bottle of white wine. “Right this way.”
“That looks beautiful. And delicious.”
“Thank you.” Landon guided me to the table and helped me into my seat before going to his.
“You don’t have to do this,” I insisted, taking in the spread before me. I placed my phone in the middle of the table, but in an open spot near the edge. The recording app was ticking away, taking in every second of our conversation. “This isn’t a date...it’s an interview.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t be a gentleman.”
“Sure, but...you don’t need to act like this.”
Landon placed his cloth napkin in his lap. “Act like what? A man who has manners?”
“Yes, like a nice guy.” I laughed, hoping he’d get the joke. “And if you’re trying to disarm me.” I paused. “It’s not going to work.”
“I’m not trying to disarm anyone.”
