“What about the deck at cottage twelve?” Travis suggested, tapping it on the map. “It’s got enough rotten decking to be a hazard as it is now, and we’ve got a bunch of treated lumber leftover from our last deck job. It should be enough to redo it.”
Scarlet nodded. “That’s an excellent plan.”
“There’s enough spare tile left to retile the bathroom in cottage five, even if we don’t put in new fixtures,” Travis suggested, knowing that the deck would only be a morning’s worth of work.
“Let’s do that, too,” Scarlet agreed. “Be aware that there is a storm due to hit the island tomorrow evening. We almost never get hurricanes this far south, but it’s still a category three and doesn’t appear to be slowing down like usual. We should shutter up the cottages that aren’t in use, and we should be prepared to stage repairs afterwards.”
Travis nodded. “Already done. Bastian told me about the storm this morning, so I made sure all the cottages not occupied got shuttered and we’ve got some spare roof tile if we need it afterwards.”
Scarlet looked pleased, with a slight, approving smile and a nod. “Excellent. We won’t have many guests to worry about--”
She continued to say something else, but Travis could make no sense out of her words, because Lynx clenched claws into his chest just then, and he looked up to find Jenny watching them.
She was standing in the back of the bar, arms folded across her bountiful breasts. The royal blue sundress swished around her knees and left her perfect shoulders bare. She was still tucked into herself, like she was trying to hold herself in, but Travis thought her gaze was steadier, more sure. The sun was beginning its evening plunge into the sea, and the color of the light made her glow
He was warring with himself, trying to decide if it was better to give her space or give in to Lynx’s desire to pounce now, while she was within reach.
Scarlet’s sigh of disgust as she rose made Travis look around at her in embarrassment.
“There’s no rush on any of those improvements,” she told him with a single raised eyebrow, and then she clicked away in her short heels towards the back entrance, giving Jenny a brief nod of greeting as they passed.
Then his mate was strolling towards him, and Travis felt his breath stop at the beauty of her grace.
Chapter 12
Jenny told herself she wasn’t going to the bar to find Travis, she was going to find Laura, but she somehow wasn’t surprised or disappointed to find him instead of her.
He was sitting with Scarlet in the setting sun, looking at a brochure spread out between them. The sunset colors made the owner’s hair look like it was aflame, but Jenny was captured by Travis, looking seriously over the map. His face was drawn into concentration, and while she watched, he dragged a hand through his short, tousled hair. The play of golden light over his muscles made Jenny draw in a breath and fold her arms tighter across her chest.
Then he looked up, and the way his face lit up hit Jenny in the gut.
Whether she was ready or not, whether she deserved him or not, they were destined for each other. This was the man she was perfectly made for.
And it terrified her.
She made herself unclench her fists, glad at least that she and Gizelle had practiced shifting until she could be human without webbed fingers. The claws were still there, and the pointed teeth, and one of the practice shifts she’d had stiff whiskers protruding from her cheeks. But she knew that Travis wouldn’t care about that, and it was oddly comforting to know.
Scarlet rose then, and passed Jenny with a cool nod of greeting, leaving them alone on the deck above the pool.
Jenny made her feet move, and her otter was wriggling in delight as they closed the distance to their mate.
He stood as she approached, and Jenny had to tip her head back to look up into his face.
“I wondered if you’d like to… take a walk.”
It wasn’t what her otter wanted to suggest, but it was a step Jenny was willing to make.
Travis gazed down at her with adoration that made Jenny squirm uncomfortably, then he cleared his throat and said politely, “That would be lovely.”
He pivoted and offered Jenny his arm, which she took, shivering at the touch of his flesh under her fingers.
“Have you seen the gardens?” He asked with a gruff tone that made Jenny suspect that he was as affected by the touch of her skin as she was.
Jenny shook her head, not trusting her own voice.
Travis swallowed. “Would you like to?”
Jenny nodded wordlessly, and he led her out the back entrance of the bar to a gravel path that she had never taken.