fat check which she’d summarily place in front of the building’s landlord. Better yet, maybe it would be enough to start investigating a bigger space, in her favorite neighborhood of Red Hook.
When she reached the office building, Kenzie took the elevator to the third floor and found the suite for the law offices of Melinda James, whom she had been emailing. Kenzie was buzzed in through a set of double doors and stepping inside a large open space filled with cubicles, she looked around for someone to guide her to the correct office. Just then, Melinda, a tall woman in a floral top and skirt, rushed over to her and shook her hand.
“Thanks for coming,” she said, leading Kenzie into a conference room decorated with a potted palm that seemed to be an attempt at Floridian décor. “Mr. Navedo and his associate have just arrived as well.”
Navedo? That name seemed to ring a bell, but why? Kenzie got her answer as soon as she set foot in Melinda’s office. There, seated at the conference table, was Antonio and Elena, the young woman she had seen him with at the bar yesterday.
“Antonio?” Kenzie blurted, unable to hide her surprise.
“You two know each other?” asked Melinda, a bemused smile playing on her lips.
“We’ve met before,” Antonio calmly explained.
Antonio may have been calm but Kenzie’s blood was boiling over. What was going on? Who was this man?
“Who doesn’t know the most successful distiller in all of South Florida and the Caribbean?” Antonio’s associate chimed in.
“Very true,” Melinda conceded.
“Antonio, may I have a word with you—in private?” Kenzie asked, her voice shaking.
“We’ll give you two a moment,” Melinda said, gesturing for Antonio’s lawyer to follow her out of the room. Once the door was closed, Kenzie practically pounced over the conference table.
“What’s going on here?” she demanded.
“What’s going on,” Antonio said calmly, “is that I’m interested in a property that you’ve recently acquired.”
“Did you know who I was...last night?” Kenzie’s eyes were ablaze as she waited for an answer.
“I may have gone there to scope you out,” Antonio admitted, “but it was you who seduced me.”
Kenzie was speechless. Okay, so maybe it was her that did most of the seducing, but Antonio had been a willing participant. More than willing! And the fact that he hadn’t revealed that he knew who she was seemed unnecessarily deceptive.
“Were you afraid that if I knew who you were I wouldn’t sleep with you?” Kenzie asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“No,” Antonio answered emphatically. “I was afraid that maybe you wouldn’t want to do business with me. But I couldn’t stop myself.” His last sentence was whispered, and the two of them both instinctively looked toward the door, where the other women were waiting.
“I’m sure we can work out a good business deal,” Antonio said with a smile. “One we can both benefit from. My family has a long history of rum production. And I’m sure you have no interest in a little, run-down distillery.”
“Why are you so sure about what I’m interested in?” Kenzie asked, her tone simultaneously flirtatious and challenging.
Antonio looked up and chuckled. “I just figured...”
“That because I’m a woman I don’t know anything about how to run a business?”
Antonio reached out and touched Kenzie’s hand. “No. Not at all.”
The door handle clicked, which caused Kenzie to jump, pulling her hand out of Antonio’s grasp.
“Everything okay?” Melinda asked, peeking her head back into the office.
“Everything is fine,” Kenzie said, looking directly at Antonio. The practical side of her said to put her pride aside, take the check and catch the next plane back home. But something else in her was beckoning her to take a risk. So maybe she didn’t know anything about the rum business, but she also hadn’t known anything about opening a yoga studio when she’d started one. When was the last time she’d taken on a real challenge? Looking at Antonio, she could feel that there was unfinished business between them.
Kenzie turned to Melinda. “We were just discussing the terms of Antonio’s proposal,” she said, almost sweetly. “And I think we both agree that I have a lot to offer.” Kenzie locked eyes with Antonio who raised an eyebrow with what looked like a combination of genuine surprise and unmitigated lust.
“Well, this is a surprise,” Melinda said matter-of-factly. “Any thoughts on next steps?” she asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. Kenzie wondered if she suspected that there was something more between them than an unsigned contract. At least for Kenzie, the electricity she felt ricocheting off the walls was undeniable.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to go see my distillery now,” Kenzie said, unable to prevent a small smile from forming on her lips.
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