Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“In that case, why don’t we walk over together?”
“Thank you for offering, but you don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can find my way. I know you’re busy.”
“No, it’s fine. I’d like to stretch my legs a bit more before I get back in the car and fight traffic in the city. And on our way, if you’re hungry, we could pick up a snack at the Elderflower Café. If one of the owners is in, I’ll introduce you. There’s a nice little community here on Elderflower Island.”
“That would be great.” She paused for a moment. “The thing is, I’d love to change out of my traveling clothes and maybe even hop in the shower to refresh myself after the flight. I don’t want to hold you up, but I’d love the company.”
“No problem,” he said. “I’ll wait on the roof deck for you. Take your time.” He held up his phone. “We both know this will keep me busy until you’re ready.”
She grimaced. “Okay, but I’ll still try to make it quick.”
As soon as she disappeared from the roof and he looked at his phone, he saw that in the last thirty minutes, a dozen emails and voicemails had come in. He had two personal assistants, but everybody always tried to reach him directly. His PAs dealt with the bulk of the email and voice messages, but he did like to scan through the messages every now and then, just to make sure nothing was being missed. Sure enough, New Zealand was calling. He had a good feeling that the deal was back on. He returned Kieran’s call.
And yet, for all the work that he had to do, he couldn’t stop thinking about Josie on the deck below, stripping off her clothes and getting into the shower. Seriously, he was like a randy seventeen-year-old all over again today. Except this time he didn’t have the excuse of wanting to kiss her because he was drunk. Nope, this time he simply wanted her.
Malcolm shook his head. He had no business wanting Josie, for so many reasons. First off, he hadn’t yet broken it off with Katrina. But even more important, he was exactly the wrong match for a woman like Josie. A woman who was sweet and nice and lived her life in the world of books.
With great effort, he forced his brain away from the thought of Josie in the shower with warm water and bubbles rippling over her smooth skin. Instead, he got down to business assuring Kieran Taylor that everything was going to work out and tried to ignore the fact that even as he did, there was a part of his brain—and his body—that was still hyperfocused on Josie.
CHAPTER THREE
Elderflower Island was absolutely beautiful. Malcolm pointed out the tearoom, several of the boutiques, the old concert hall where so many massive rock ‘n’ roll careers had begun, the manor house and grounds where locals walked their dogs and laid out blankets on sunny days to sun themselves or savor a picnic. He showed her where the stand-up paddleboarding group met at least once a week to take their boards out on the river. He took her into the Elderflower Café, where she met the owner, Jacob, a large and cheerful man with a bushy beard and a big personality.
“It’s good to see you back on the island,” Jacob said to Malcolm after they shook hands. “We miss you.”
“Good to be back,” Malcolm admitted. “Are your sausage rolls still the best in London?”
“Naturally,” Jacob said. “But don’t even think about franchising my baked goods all over the world. I prefer to keep my business local.”
Malcolm grinned. “Then I can simply enjoy your food and not worry about how it would sell in San Francisco.”
“Obviously, my sausage rolls would sell brilliantly in San Francisco,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. He passed one to Josie on a square of parchment paper. “Don’t you agree?”
She bit into the flaky pastry and then the fragrant, spicy meat filling, and as the flavors hit her tongue, she nodded enthusiastically.
Malcolm bought them both sausage rolls and two teas to go. Then they sat in the manor house grounds and enjoyed the people-watching. It was so good to sit in the warm sun and breathe fresh air after being cooped up in a plane for so long. Josie felt almost as though she were in a dream, which she attributed to jet lag. Though, when she glanced at the gorgeous guy beside her, munching on a sausage roll and drinking tea from a paper cup while wearing a designer suit—more gorgeous now than he’d been fifteen years ago—it was no wonder she felt like she was in a dream.
After a friendly dog had happily taken the last bite of her sausage roll and licked her hand clean into the bargain, she felt ready to face anything.