how recent it is, he added silently.
Frances nodded. “I understand, sir.”
“And just so you know, there’s nothing I’d do at this resort to cause a scandal. We have too much money to make.”
“All right, Mr. Crawford.”
Solomon pulled out his wallet, withdrew five crisp one hundred dollar bills, and handed them to Frances. “This is for your trouble.”
She accepted the money and smiled. “Thank you,” she said. Solomon looked down at his watch as he headed out the door. It was a little after ten. He had plenty of time to go to the spa and prepare his special surprise for Kandace.
Kandace woke up from her impromptu nap just as the flames in the fireplace flickered out. The book she’d been reading had long fallen to the floor and she was sure that she’d lost her place in the Phillip Margolin novel. Kandace loved reading suspense novels and would’ve kept reading had she not become transfixed by the snowfall outside and the warmth from the fire. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so relaxed—not with all the drama that had surrounded getting the restaurant off the ground and Jade going into labor at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Kandace knew she needed the rest and relaxation, but she was never one to sit still for long. Looking at the clock on the television, she saw she had time to take a walk in the snow before her spa treatment. She hoped that she would not run into Solomon because she just didn’t know how to take him.
CHAPTER 7
Kandace pulled her coat tighter as she walked near the beginner’s ski hill. The snow was beautiful, but it was freezing cold outside, despite the fact that she was dressed in three layers of clothes. She dashed into the resort café to warm herself with a latte before her spa treatment. After placing her order and receiving her cup of gourmet coffee, Kandace searched for a table. When she found one, she was thankful to rest her feet. That is until she saw who was seated at the table next to hers.
“Kandace,” Solomon said. “Did you like the flowers?”
“Actually, I did,” she said as she took her seat. Solomon moved over to her table as if he’d been invited. She shook her head and sucked her teeth.
“Did I invite you to sit with me?” she asked.
“Not verbally, but I could see it in your eyes,” he said.
Kandace took a sip of her latte, then looked at him. He was dressed in a pair of chocolate brown corduroy pants and a cream turtleneck that hugged his chest like a second skin. The heat she was feeling between her thighs had nothing to do with the beverage she was sipping as her gaze fell to his big hands. Flashes of her erotic dream jumped to the forefront of her mind. “You need to get your eyes checked,” Kandace said as she took another sip of her latte.
“I have perfect twenty-twenty vision. What are you sipping on?”
“You own the place. Shouldn’t you know the menu?”
Solomon smiled, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. She turned her head away and drained the rest of her drink. “I have to go,” she said.
“You don’t have to,” he said. “You never gave me an answer either.”
“An answer to what?” Kandace asked as she glanced at her watch.
“Can I have you for dinner?”
Kandace rolled her eyes and walked out of the café. She was tempted to answer his question with a yes, thinking about the arrogance of that man and the sheer sexiness of him. The angel on her right shoulder was whispering say no and walk away, but the voice coming from her left shoulder was much louder. “Let him have you for dinner. You only live once,” Kandace heard the little devil on her shoulder cry out. Sighing, she wasn’t sure how to answer Solomon’s intriguing question.
Solomon kicked back at the table and watched Kandace sashay out the door. Her hips moved like palm trees swaying in a tropical breeze and he got hard just watching her walk. Since he knew she was going to the spa, he didn’t make a sudden move to follow her. He was going to wait until she had no choice but to acknowledge the fire between them. When she was naked on the massage table, he’d make his move. Just as he was about to leave the café, his cell phone rang. He glanced down at the caller ID and saw that it was Carmen.
“What’s going on, Carmen?” he asked.
“Guess who was singing your praises this morning?” she said happily.
“I’m kind of in a rush right now. I don’t have time for guessing games,” he replied as he walked out the door.
“Richmond came in my office this morning saying that Carolina Serenity is doing great,” she said. “And that he was wrong to think opening our resort was a mistake.”
“That’s Captain Obvious for you. Look, I have to go.” Solomon hung up the phone and headed for the spa. When he walked into the waiting area, the receptionist recognized him from his earlier visit.
“Mr. Crawford, hello,” she said with a flirtatious lilt to her voice.
“Hi. Show me to the massage rooms again,” he said, then offered her a wink.
“Down the hall and to the left. Only one is occupied right now,” she said.
He nodded and headed to the room where he knew Kandace was. He slowly opened the door and signaled to the masseuse to stay silent. Solomon stepped in and closed the door. On the table, he saw Kandace lying on her stomach with a towel covering her lower back. While some of her more interesting parts were hidden, what he saw lit a fire in his loins. Her legs were strong, thighs thick like a real woman and not someone who spent her life dieting for a movie role or a cover shot. Her skin looked like the finest milk chocolate and had him nearly drooling. Solomon handed the masseuse a hundred dollar bill and pointed to the door. The man took the money, nodded, and headed out the door. Solomon quickly took his place, massaging Kandace’s shoulders and back with long deep strokes.
Kandace moaned in delight as his hands moved down her back. “That feels so good,” she said.
Solomon leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I can make you feel even better.”
Kandace opened her eyes and held her head up. “What in the hell are you doing here?” she demanded. Though she wanted to move, she wasn’t dressed for running in her bandeau bra and barely there panties. Solomon looked down at her, seeing her bra with its clasp at her lower back for the first time, and shook his head.
“And here I thought you were naked,” he said with a grin.
Kandace grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her waist as she slid off the table. “You’re a stalker and this has to stop,” she said. Solomon watched her lips move, but he couldn’t process what she was saying. He’d known she was beautiful, but seeing her nearly naked, he couldn’t hear past the crackling of desire in his heart and body.
“I’m not a stalker, but you’re making a brother have to come on strong. You could end all of this if you’d simply cooperate,” Solomon said.
“That’s not what this is. You’re just not used to someone refusing
