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“Invite me to your place to eat and we can talk all night.”
“Sorry, dude. I don’t cook.”
Rowan groaned loudly, his massive shoulders rising and falling. “Figures I’d pick a woman who can’t cook and who gets a kick out of playing with me. Okay, pick the restaurant and I’ll take you there.” He reached for her glass and gulped down most of her tea.
“Might as well finish it,” Emilie said, inspecting the almost-empty glass and shoving it back at him.
“I just might.” Rowan’s tongue rimmed his lips. She tore her eyes away. Rowan James was much too sexy for his own good. “Thirst quenching.”
Before Emilie could come up with an appropriate retort, Joya came back to the table with Derek in tow.
“Looking good as usual. Are you taking care of my wife?” he asked, kissing her cheek.
“Always.”
His partner glanced at his BlackBerry and shot up. “Keith Lightfoot is on his way over to our offices. We need to go.”
“Why do I keep hearing Keith Lightfoot’s name mentioned?” Emilie called after both men.
Rowan’s index finger jabbed the air. “We’ll talk tomorrow night at dinner.”
“What’s the deal with this Lightfoot guy?” Emilie asked Joya after the men had left. “He seems to command a lot of respect around here.”
“Keith does. As I mentioned he’s a black Native American businessman with deep pockets. He’s on the tribal council. He moved away, made some money in real estate and now he’s back.”
Emilie raised a finger and placed her phone to her ear. “Hold on for a minute. I have an incoming call.”
“Yes, Zoe. Shoot! I totally forgot about that meeting. Make Mr. Pendergrass comfortable, get him water, coffee, anything he wants.” She disconnected. “Listen, I really have to run. Let’s talk about this Lightfoot guy later.”
Grabbing her purse, she took off.
This was not good. She was late for her meeting with Ian Pendergrass, the publisher of the Flamingo Beach Chronicle. Ian was not one to be kept waiting, and she was the person who had called the meeting.
Emilie made it back to the hotel in record time. She entered her office to find Ian lounged on her couch. One tasseled loafer tapped impatiently as he waited.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I had a meeting that ran overtime,” Emilie lied.
“Not to worry. Your assistant kept me wonderful company.” Ian rose and took both of Emilie’s hands, pressing them to his lips. “You are one gorgeous woman.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as she could gracefully extricate herself she stepped away, finding safety behind her circular glass desk. She’d heard the stories about Ian. The old man had an eye for the ladies. But he was wealthy and influential, and she could use the Chronicle’s business.
“Can I top that off for you?” Emilie asked, noting Ian’s coffee cup that was no longer steaming.
“No, no, I’m fine.” He looked at his watch pointedly.
Emily went for the direct approach. “I wanted to speak with you because I heard the Chronicle has a major recruitment effort going on.”
“That’s true. We’re expanding. I’m hiring staff to fill several key positions. Are you thinking of applying?”
Emilie shook her head. “Me? I’m hardly reporter or editor material.”
“You could be. I’d groom you.”
“I don’t think so.” Emilie softened her words with a smile. She steepled her fingers. “I also heard you’re offering assistance with relocation. The candidates you fly in are going to need a place to stay. The Flamingo Beach Resort is a logical option. I would, of course, adjust the room prices.”
Ian ran a hand across iron-gray hair. “I’m not sure what Human Resources is doing about accommodations. We could talk in more detail over, uh, dinner. Are you available?”
“I’m afraid not. I have a dinner engagement.”
Somewhat of a stretch, but he didn’t need to know that. She planned on getting takeout and parking herself in front of the television set.
“Tomorrow then?”
“Sorry, but I have a previous commitment.”
Ian handed her his business card. “Why don’t you call me when you’re free and we’ll take it from there?”
She thanked him and handed him her own business card.
He stood towering above her, holding on to her hands.
“Because I like you I’m going to tell you this. Keith Lightfoot’s bringing in men from out of state to get his casino built. Those men are going to need accommodations for an extended period of time. I’ve heard they’ll be around for a good six months to a year. I could put in a good word for you,” he said.
Keith Lightfoot again.
“Why would Mr. Lightfoot consider having his men stay with the competition?”
Ian winked at her. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I can make it happen. What better way for the Seminoles to see what they’re up against than to experience life at the resort?”
Emilie was now seriously beginning to worry. If the Lightfoot man had grown up in Flamingo Beach and Mayor Rabinowitz was really in his pocket, it spelled trouble. The Flamingo Beach Spa and Resort didn’t stand a chance.
No, she refused to have negative thoughts. She should view it as a challenge. She had a huge bonus at stake here and one she needed to buy a place she could call home.
No way was she going down without a fight.
Chapter 2
“Tell me more about this Lightfoot guy,” Emilie said to Rowan the next evening as they were having dinner at Mario’s.
Rowan reached across the table, capturing her fingers in his. “What would you like to know?”
He’d cleaned up for the occasion and instead of his usual jeans, he was wearing khaki slacks and a formfitting polo shirt that hugged his chest in all the right places.
“Everything. I’m especially interested in hearing about this casino he’s looking to build.”
“So much for having a nice relaxing evening without work creeping in. The project is actually a partnership between the Seminole Indian tribe and Landsdale International. Keith engineered the deal.”
Emilie almost choked on her Long Island iced tea. She set down the drink and reached for her water. There was more here to worry about than she’d initially thought.
“Landsdale International, owners of the luxury resorts?”
“Right on the money. Partnering with the Seminoles to pull this off is going to put Landsdale in a whole other league. They’re looking at a one-thousand-room resort on at least a hundred acres. We’re talking a huge casino, lagoon-style pool and there’s even talk of a theme park. The idea is to have investors buy the suites and villas, which can then be rented out on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.
Emilie was starting to feel sticky. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to sit outdoors after all. She picked up her menu and began to fan.
One of Mario’s waiters came hurrying over.
“I can reseat you, madam. You might be more comfortable inside.”
“No, no, I’ll be fine.”
It was difficult not to burst out laughing. Not so long ago the help at Mario’s diner consisted of Mario and his extended family. Service was friendly but incidental. If you were looking for fine dining then you went elsewhere. What Mario was known for was good food and huge portions. But now Mario, like everyone else, had jumped on the expansion band-wagon, adding upstairs seating and a pretty little garden out back. He’d also hired trained waitstaff.
Sitting outdoors had been Emilie’s idea. She’d convinced Rowan it would be far less crowded than the air-conditioned interior. Now she was beginning to regret it.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go in where it’s cooler?” Rowan repeated, looking like he was ready to jump up and fan her if necessary.
“No, just give me a moment and I’ll be fine.” Emilie took another sip of ice-cold water and stuck her head in the menu. When the waiter came to their table she gave him her order.
“So what role do you and Derek play in this deal?” she asked after the waiter left.
“Keith wants us to develop the land and make it happen. The PR alone should put James Morse Incorporated on the map.”
“That’s cool.” Emilie touched Rowan’s bare arm with the tip of her fingers. He used that as an excuse to capture her hand. “I’d imagine the project should take at least two years to get up and running.”
“Keith is aiming for six months. He wants the casino and accommodations constructed in that time and he’s given us carte blanche to bring workmen in from all over the country. There’s a huge bonus if the project’s brought in on time.”
Emilie sipped on her water again and reflected. There was an unsettling flutter in her stomach and her forehead felt clammy.
“Six months! You can’t be serious. It’s going to take about that long just to get permits.”
“Not if you’re the mayor’s friend. Keith’s a very powerful man and he has connections.”
Emilie remembered her earlier conversation with Joya. She’d said something about the mayor being in Keith Lightfoot’s pocket. She wondered if Rowan might be getting a kickback, too, but she couldn’t imagine Joya’s husband, Derek Morse, involved in anything shady. Rowan, on the other hand, had a reputation for being an aggressive, hard-nosed negotiator, but she’d always thought he was honest.
“Lightfoot really believes that he’s going to have enough business to keep a thousand rooms filled?” Emilie asked. She had to wonder where the traffic was coming from. She was at her wit’s end trying to come up with ideas to keep her hotel at even fifty percent capacity, and her hotel had half as many rooms.
Rowan gulped his beer and set down the bottle. “Gambling’s an addiction, babe. When you’re hooked you’ll follow that roulette wheel to the end of the earth.”
“Gotcha. But why would high rollers come to Flamingo Beach when they can go to Las Vegas? What makes us so special?”
“New turf. Gamblers flock to wherever opportunity lies. Must we talk about gambling and casinos? I would much rather talk about us.”
“I didn’t know there was an us,” Emily said, hiking an eyebrow.
Rowan’s hand covered his heart. “You’re killing me. Here I am crazy about you, and you keep pushing me away. Is it the race thing that makes us a problem?”
Emilie bit into a breadstick and debated how to answer. “You want me to be brutally honest?”
“I’d be disappointed if you were anything but,” Rowan said.
This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
“I like you a lot,” Emilie said, choosing her words carefully. “I think you’re smart and sexy. However I’m pushing thirty-five and I have to start looking at long-term possibilities.”
“And I don’t fit the bill?”
“I’m not saying that. I just think you and I are from different walks of life and that could create problems.”
“How so?”
He was asking her to spell it out.
“My family is African-American and very proud of their heritage. I’d be disappointing them if I got involved with you.”
“What you’re saying is that I’d not be their choice because I’m white. Babe, I’m not looking to get married. Race aside, would I be your choice?”
Emilie had to think about that.
“You’re hot,” she eventually said, “But what my family thinks counts a lot to me. It would be easier all around if my man came from a similar ethnic background. And frankly, I’d be more comfortable. Shared experiences make for better long-term partners,” she said.
Rowan’s easy laughter rang out. “You’re blowing me off, treating me like some stodgy white guy born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Babe, I grew up in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood, the only white kid for miles around. I had to fight for respect at an early age. I bet you anything I know more about your culture than you do.”
Emilie was completely taken aback. She hadn’t known that about Rowan. She’d thought of him as solidly upper middle-class, and looking to experiment with someone who was different. A name like Rowan James was as Waspy as they came. Now she’d just discovered there was a lot more to the man than the sexy exterior package.
When their meal arrived the conversation veered off in an entirely different direction. Rowan told her how he’d first gotten into land developing and she shared with him her struggle to fit in with corporate America.
“Do you think some of your issues might have to do with people not being sure who you are?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re so light skinned. I’m sure you are frequently mistaken for white,” he said.
“I’m used to that, but I’ve made no secret of being African-American. I’ve never tried to pass.”
Rowan cleared his throat, his glance now off in another direction. “Look who just walked in.”
Emilie spotted the man in the entranceway waiting for a table. He had a commanding presence. He was olive skinned with high cheekbones, silver-tipped hair and a regal bearing. The man accompanying him she recognized as a reporter from the Southern Tribune.
“Who is the darker man?” Emilie asked.
“That’s Keith Lightfoot. I’ll introduce you.”
He was already up and heading over to where Keith and the reporter had just been seated. Curiosity prompted Emilie to follow. She might as well see what she was up against.
The men were shaking hands by the time she got to their table.
