His Southern Sweetheart

“Whatever you say,” Amelia sneered.

“What I say,” Brittany gritted, “is you ought to be careful who you’re messing with. Karma is a bitch when you mess with God’s children.”

After Brittany walked through the VIP section, Amelia and Chantal broke out in a fit of laughter. One thing Amelia didn’t miss about being back home was the hypocrites. She shook her head to push Brittany and her attempt at preaching out of her mind, and then realized what she’d said. A warm feeling of relaxation washed over her. She was back home.

Amelia couldn’t wait to get home and call Nate. When Chantal received a text from a potential client, Amelia didn’t hesitate to say yes and hop in the car. Instead of making her drive up the gravel way and risk waking Grandmamma, Amelia stepped out of the car, kicked out of her heels and hightailed it through the green grass, up the ramp and ran inside. The screams she made should have woken the closest neighbors down the road. The last thing she expected to see in her grandmother’s living room was her grandmamma sprawled out on the living room floor, with Pastor Rivers scrambling to cover his naked body.

Chapter 12

Nate cared less about what had made Amelia change her mind so quickly and more about the reality of her being in his hometown with him. Their five-hour drive was filled with nonstop chatter from both equally excited girls. Not even a chauffeured ride from Stephen’s driver, Keenan, diverted the girls’ desire to hang out with Amelia. Nate liked the idea of the girls liking Amelia. If they didn’t get along, a relationship between him and Amelia might have to be readjusted. But considering the way Amelia offered advice and listened to the girls, she cared as well about them. Nate wasn’t particularly happy about Kimber’s eagerness to bend Amelia’s ear about getting into the reality TV world, but he was sure he’d nipped the idea in the bud during the barbecue. According to the feedback he’d received from Chantal last night, Amelia seemed more and more driven to want to stay in Southwood—just as he planned.

Why would she need the flashy lights from all the cameras or all the action and drama from her previous life? When they stopped off at his mother’s house, Nate quickly regretted his decision to bring her because his mother’s infatuation with Amelia only excited Amelia, as well. She beamed from ear to ear, telling his mother about the trips she’d taken with the Ruiz clan back to Puerto Rico. Amelia’s oval fac

e lit up with animated excitement when his mother mentioned restaurants and places she’d visited. He’d worked so hard these past few weeks getting Amelia to start her new life over in Southwood instead of trying to get her old job back or even continue in the television industry. What she needed to see was that settling down back home was the right choice for her. And him.

Now, finally alone with no responsibility other than to attend to her every wish and command, Nate breathed a sigh of relief after he stepped out of the shower and spotted Amelia. She stood against the balcony of their Torres Towers Hotel suite with the sun settling down into the Gulf as a backdrop behind her. The white sequined dress sparkled under the pink sky. Her long, shapely legs beckoned to be wrapped around his waist. A sea breeze filtered through the air, lifting Amelia’s shoulder-length hair off her neck, exposing a ripe place to plant a kiss right along her collarbone. Having kept her body at bay, he felt the sexual desire in him grow stronger knowing they had the whole weekend together. The breeze made its way into the living room of the suite and offered a teasing hint of Amelia’s sweet, peachy scent. Mouth watering, Nate licked his lips and cleared his throat. At the sound, their eyes locked. A familiar beat thumped against Nate’s rib cage. He pressed his hand against the pocket of his white Oxford shirt to make sure his heart did not beat out his chest. The last time this happened was the night he’d first made eye contact with Amelia. At the time, he’d thought he would only buy her a drink to keep her occupied. but now he wanted so much more. He needed her, now.

Tonight he’d made a reservation at Ignacio’s, the salsa dinner club off the boardwalk. He’d missed the spiciness of the food and the action on the dance floor. But given that his uncle Ignacio owned the place, he trusted his table would still be held for them.

“Did you say something?” Amelia asked.

“I may have, but whatever words I had got stuck in my throat when I saw you.” At this point Nate found no reason to hold his feelings back. She’d infiltrated his life and his heart. “I love you, Amelia.”

Whether or not it was the pink sky or her feelings, a blush crept across her high cheekbones. Given what he’d learned of her job, he wished he’d had a camera to capture this tender moment. Amelia needed a close-up shot of her face. Never one for a loss of words, she stood there, dumbfounded.

“Too soon?” he asked. For a moment he wondered if he’d scared her off. Hell, the words scared him. Nate had never been in this position before. But all he could think about was her. The only person he wanted to be with was Amelia.

A single tear glistened in the corner of her left eye. “You love me?”

“I do.”

“Nate, I—”

Nate closed the distance between them, gently wrapping his fingers around her slender neck to bring her face closer to his. They both paused for a quick breath before desire consumed him. Every inch of his body hardened. Afraid he’d burst if he didn’t hold her, Nate swept her into his arms and carried her through the living room area, kitchen, down the hall and to their bedroom. The backs of her soft thighs pressed against his forearms. Her heartbeat raced through her clothing against his chest. He’d won her over, he felt it, but knew she didn’t know how to express it. In a moment, she could show him. Nate kicked the bedroom door open.

“Hey now,” Amelia gasped. “I thought we had reservations.”

“They can wait,” he replied, trailing a set of kisses along her neck. She tasted as sweet as she smelled. “I can’t.”

Nate set Amelia down on the bed facing him. Leaning forward, he kissed her and coaxed her to stretch out on the bed. Nate extended his body over hers, balancing himself on his knees at the edge of the king-size mattress. With one hand holding his upper body above her head, he used the other to span across her body, aiming toward the hem of her dress. To his surprise, she wore only that tonight.

“Naughty, naughty,” he whispered in her ear.

“I already knew you wouldn’t be able to resist me.” Amelia’s lips spread into a grin against his earlobe.

“You set me up?” Nate’s blood pulsed when her teeth nibbled his ear.

“More like, I came prepared.” With her challenging tone, Amelia wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him close against the nectar between her legs.

The heat sizzled against his growing erection. Damn his pants. Caught up in sensation, Nate lost focus and Amelia took over. Her legs squeezed and maneuvered so he was somehow lying flat on the mattress. As he did with her, Amelia assumed his previous position, one hand by his head supporting her weight and the other slowly traveling down toward the waistband of his black slacks.

* * *

“Nathaniel.” Infamous chef Ignacio Torres made his way toward the white-clothed, two-top intimate table overlooking the jam-packed dance floor. He’d just finished doing a number with a few pretty customers before he spied his nephew. Prior to being seated, Nate explained that his uncle enjoyed pulling ladies out of their seats and dancing with them. He said people lined up praying to get chosen by the dancing chef.

Celebrities were a part of Amelia’s career. She filmed them, followed them and recruited them for guest appearances. Being starstruck was not something she usually went through, but when charismatic Ignacio danced his way up the winding glass stairway toward them she beamed from ear to ear. For a moment she debated whether or not to reach for a napkin and ask for an autograph. Instead, she accepted the hug Nate’s uncle gave her, feeling it to be more valuable than a signature. He accepted her immediately.

“It is an honor to have you at my establishment, Miss Marlow.” Ignacio spoke in a thick Puerto Rican accent.