really had to like and date a woman to make love with her. And when he looked back at his continual party days, he was proud to admit he hadn’t used women.
He swiped the key card, and the door opened. The lingering distinctive smell of lemon wafted to his nostrils. Noah discovered the structure contained two bedrooms, and there was a loft with a king-size bed overlooking the living/dining area. The kitchen and bath were updated, and the furniture contemporary and functional. A desk, worktable and chair were set up in a corner under a window which was the perfect spot for him to conduct business.
Noah picked up a brochure on the desk advertising the amenities the bed-and-breakfast offered. There was a buffet breakfast for guests from seven to ten. Check out was at 11:00 a.m., and early check-in was at 2:00 p.m. Cordials and sweet breads were served in the parlor at 8:00 p.m., and all rooms were wired with free cable and Wi-Fi.
He decided to unpack, shower and change his clothes, then drive over to see his cousin. Perhaps Giles could give him a better read on the enigmatic, beautiful woman with whom he had found himself enthralled.
Noah stood in the middle of the kitchen, smiling when he saw Giles kiss his wife’s forehead. His cousin had changed since becoming a husband and father. And now that Mya had recently announced she was pregnant with their second child, Giles had begun complaining about traveling and leaving her and Lily behind.
“Noah and I are going to sit out on the porch for a while. I promise not to take too long.”
Mya smiled at her husband, her hazel eyes softening. “Take your time. I know you and Noah have a lot to talk about. I’ll probably be asleep when you come up.”
Noah wanted to tell Mya it wasn’t business he wanted to discuss with her husband, but Viviana. “I promise not to keep him too long.”
He sat on a rocker facing Giles and stared out at the darkening sky. The air in the mountains was cool and crisp. “I can see why you live here. Everything is so quiet and peaceful.”
Giles’s teeth shone brightly in his face, darkened by the hot Bahamian sun. “Am I hearing you right, little coz? The last time you were here, you complained that it was too quiet, that you could hear crickets in the daytime.”
“You’re right about that,” Noah agreed. “There’s something about living in the mountains that makes you think and feel differently. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to move here.”
“Does that difference have anything to do with a beautiful young woman with long black hair?”
Noah looked directly at his cousin. “What are you talking about?”
“Not what but who, Noah. You think everyone didn’t notice you gawking at Viviana Remington like a lovesick puppy the first time you met her?”
“That’s because she is beautiful.”
“I’m not saying she isn’t, Noah. I try not to listen to gossip, but I overheard Mya talking about Viviana breaking up with her boyfriend. I don’t know and don’t want to know what happened between them, but right about now she wants nothing to do with men.”
Noah shifted on the cushioned rocker. “He stole her identity.”
Giles sat straight. “Damn! No wonder she doesn’t trust men.” He paused. “But she wouldn’t have to worry about that with you because you don’t need her money. By the way, did you know that you offered to pay her and her brother a lot more than that land is worth?”
He knew Giles was privy to the payout because every Wainwright was given a monthly report of every purchase and sale. “You noticed that?”
“Yeah, I did, but I decided to defend the expenditure because otherwise your daddy would’ve raised holy hell. The older Uncle Teddy gets the more he tries to pinch pennies.”
Noah smiled. “Thanks for covering my ass.” He’d driven up to New York for the monthly board meeting, and when the subject of the purchase of land in West Virginia had been brought up, it was Giles and not Noah who had defended the decision to buy the parcels.
“I did it in the name of love. Now, what are you going to do with Viviana? Should I assume she’s not falling for your so-called million-dollar charm?”
“I’m not trying to charm her, Giles. I know when a woman doesn’t want anything to do with me. But on the other hand, I’ve spent the past three months thinking about her. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t get her out of my head.”
“Have you been seeing someone else in the meantime?”
“No. And I don’t want to.”
“The only thing I’m going to say is not to put any pressure on her. It’s best that you become friends before you think about sleeping with the woman.”
“That’s not even a thought at this time.”
“Good. Then take it slow, coz. How long do you plan to hang out here?”
Noah lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. Tomorrow I’m going to the town hall to register my name for the zoning-board meeting to submit my proposal. Then I have to wait for a hearing.”
“What else do you have on your calendar?”
Noah shook his head. “Nothing but time. After the DC project I decided to take a break. I’ve been going nonstop for more than a year, and it’s time I get off the real-estate roller coaster.”
Giles exhaled an audible breath. “I hear you. I’m definitely going to slow down once Mya has this baby. It’s time your brother Rhett dips his toe in this crazy business.”
“Rhett is too much like Jordan. They love the law.”
“If not Rhett, then Chanel. She’s graduated college with a degree in business and finance. It’s time we have a woman sitting at the table.”
“She would be the first one,” Noah confirmed.
“If you agree with me, then when we have the next board meeting I’m going to bring it up,” Giles said.
“It will probably bring holy hell down on you from some of the other family members, but don’t worry because I’ll have your back.”
Giles smiled. “That’s all I need because you’re the only one who has been able to go a couple of rounds with your father and our grandfather and come out winning most of the time.”
“That’s only because I refuse to be intimidated. My father just got hard once he took over the company, but it’s Grandpa who is the pit bull. That old gangster still has a gun in his desk drawer.”
“That’s because he is a gangster down to the marrow in his bones,” Giles joked.
Noah laughed. He’d heard rumors that his grandfather had been a teenage bagman for criminals who controlled the illegal numbers on the Lower East Side. He sobered. “I’m going to take your advice about taking it slow with Viviana. I’ll give
