mug and offered a gracious smile. “This was a pleasant surprise. I smelled the freshly brewed coffee as soon as I came downstairs.”
She swept her gaze across the ocean scene in front of her, and a slight furrow creased her brow exhibiting a hint of anxiety he didn’t understand.
****
Following breakfast, Vicki walked into the village. Somehow her conversation with Blake had never gotten around to the night before. She hadn’t brought it up, and neither had he. Had their lovemaking been only business as usual for him? Granted, she had to accept as much responsibility for their ending up in his bed as he did. The night had started with nothing more than her having the hots for a very sexy man. Would he expect her to continue spending her nights in his bed as long as she lived in his house? Was that his expectation of payment for giving her a temporary place to stay?
The morning after hadn’t turned out to be what she expected. Neither of them could leave to go home, because they were both already there…at least for the time being. She had never been in this position before, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She certainly didn’t have any right to make assumptions, nor did she want to do so. She had her life planned out and it didn’t have room for a beach bum with no ambition, no matter how sexy or how terrific in bed.
Or, for that matter, how terrific he would be in any other room in the house where they might end up fucking each other senseless.
A quick flash of resignation confirmed for Vicki that last night wouldn’t be a one-time thing as far as she was concerned. All he had to do was look at her, and her pussy throbbed with need for his marvelous cock. She was his—body and soul. Well, at least as far as her body was concerned. Her clit still tingled from the expert attention he had lavished on her last night.
But this was a new day, and she had business to conduct. She made the bank her first stop. She walked up to the window where she had purchased the cashier’s check, took her copy from her purse, and handed it to the clerk. “I want to know if this has been cashed yet and, if not, what I need to do to cancel it.”
She knew it was a futile inquiry, but she needed to try. Her last vestige of hope disappeared when the teller informed her the check had been cashed the previous afternoon, as it turned out within an hour of the time she had given it to Mr. Edwards.
Her next task consisted of checking in with each of her summer clients and giving them Blake’s phone number as a temporary contact.
Vicki entered the gift shop and immediately spotted Sally Gaynor stocking shelves in preparation of the opening for the summer season.
“Vicki!” Sally climbed down from the small step ladder. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
She withdrew a large envelope from beneath the counter and handed it over. “I have the receipts and records you wanted. The only thing missing is my opening inventory list, but I should have that for you by Monday, along with the employee payroll forms, if that’s okay.”
“That’ll be fine.” Vicki surveyed the store. “How are you coming with the grand opening preparations?”
Sally and her husband, Jack, were both school teachers in their late thirties. She taught middle school English, and he taught high school chemistry. They operated the gift shop as a summer business during the school vacation months.
“We’re actually ahead of schedule.” Sally surveyed the surrounding disarray and laughed. “At least, I think so. Take a good look at this mess.”
Vicki and Sally talked for a while longer, and then Vicki continued down the boardwalk until she arrived at a small café. She tried the door but found it locked. Peering through the window, she saw Art Kincaid busy at work. She knocked on the glass to get his attention.
Art unlocked the door and let her in. “Mornin’, Vicki.”
A retired railroad conductor in his mid-sixties, Art and his
She swept her gaze across the ocean scene in front of her, and a slight furrow creased her brow exhibiting a hint of anxiety he didn’t understand.
****
Following breakfast, Vicki walked into the village. Somehow her conversation with Blake had never gotten around to the night before. She hadn’t brought it up, and neither had he. Had their lovemaking been only business as usual for him? Granted, she had to accept as much responsibility for their ending up in his bed as he did. The night had started with nothing more than her having the hots for a very sexy man. Would he expect her to continue spending her nights in his bed as long as she lived in his house? Was that his expectation of payment for giving her a temporary place to stay?
The morning after hadn’t turned out to be what she expected. Neither of them could leave to go home, because they were both already there…at least for the time being. She had never been in this position before, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She certainly didn’t have any right to make assumptions, nor did she want to do so. She had her life planned out and it didn’t have room for a beach bum with no ambition, no matter how sexy or how terrific in bed.
Or, for that matter, how terrific he would be in any other room in the house where they might end up fucking each other senseless.
A quick flash of resignation confirmed for Vicki that last night wouldn’t be a one-time thing as far as she was concerned. All he had to do was look at her, and her pussy throbbed with need for his marvelous cock. She was his—body and soul. Well, at least as far as her body was concerned. Her clit still tingled from the expert attention he had lavished on her last night.
But this was a new day, and she had business to conduct. She made the bank her first stop. She walked up to the window where she had purchased the cashier’s check, took her copy from her purse, and handed it to the clerk. “I want to know if this has been cashed yet and, if not, what I need to do to cancel it.”
She knew it was a futile inquiry, but she needed to try. Her last vestige of hope disappeared when the teller informed her the check had been cashed the previous afternoon, as it turned out within an hour of the time she had given it to Mr. Edwards.
Her next task consisted of checking in with each of her summer clients and giving them Blake’s phone number as a temporary contact.
Vicki entered the gift shop and immediately spotted Sally Gaynor stocking shelves in preparation of the opening for the summer season.
“Vicki!” Sally climbed down from the small step ladder. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
She withdrew a large envelope from beneath the counter and handed it over. “I have the receipts and records you wanted. The only thing missing is my opening inventory list, but I should have that for you by Monday, along with the employee payroll forms, if that’s okay.”
“That’ll be fine.” Vicki surveyed the store. “How are you coming with the grand opening preparations?”
Sally and her husband, Jack, were both school teachers in their late thirties. She taught middle school English, and he taught high school chemistry. They operated the gift shop as a summer business during the school vacation months.
“We’re actually ahead of schedule.” Sally surveyed the surrounding disarray and laughed. “At least, I think so. Take a good look at this mess.”
Vicki and Sally talked for a while longer, and then Vicki continued down the boardwalk until she arrived at a small café. She tried the door but found it locked. Peering through the window, she saw Art Kincaid busy at work. She knocked on the glass to get his attention.
Art unlocked the door and let her in. “Mornin’, Vicki.”
A retired railroad conductor in his mid-sixties, Art and his
Similar Books
