Love by Design

Following him into the open-air room, she sat down.

“Wow, the table settings look very expensive and formal.”

“Mom wanted guests to feel pampered when they dined.”

Next, uniformed staff came in to set covered dishes down in front of them. She watched them complete their task and disappear into the back of the resort. Only one remained, hovering behind their table.

“Is it always this formal?”

“It has been for as long as I can remember.”

“Hmm.”

Logan regarded her. “Is that a good hmm, or a bad one?”

“It’s just that…people are on vacation. They want to relax and be pampered, true, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want uniformed staff hovering over their table and enough china to warrant a photo shoot in House and Garden magazine.”

“So you’re saying that the waiter is making you uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s not that. I think if you’re dining with someone, you probably want to be focused on them, and not the person behind you.”

“I guess it depends on the person, and the circumstances. Right now all I can focus on is you.”

Chapter 6

A rush of heat suffused Dakota’s face. Why was she blushing like a schoolgirl? It is obvious that was his guilty conscience talking. Her heart had something else to say on the subject. The compliment felt good, and she allowed herself to enjoy it for a few moments.

“I’m curious, Logan. How many times have you thought about me since you’ve been gone?”

“Every single day.”

Well, that backfired. Dakota sipped the fruity concoction in front of her. It did a lot to dampen the sour taste in her mouth at his confession. Her heart was beating a conga line in her chest at his declaration, but she refused to make it that easy for him.

“You’d never have known that from where I was standing.”

He went to open his mouth, but Dakota held up her hand.

“Logan, we should focus on work. I have a lot to do this weekend, and I don’t need to be distracted by the past.”

He nodded. “Fair enough.” He held up his glass. “To the new and improved Belle Cove. By the time it’s all said and done, I know you’ll have exceeded my expectations.”

Dakota held up her glass. “I’m up for the challenge.”

They clinked their glasses.

She glanced past him and saw a small cat perched on one of the wood beams of the cabana.

“Look at you. You’re so adorable.”

Logan smiled at the compliment as Dakota got up and walked over to the railing. He turned and watched her talking softly to the feline.

He shook his head and got up. “That’s Vagabond. He was a stray kitten when Tandie found him roaming around half-starved and in need of some nurturing. We took him in, got him food, made sure he was disease-free and vaccinated, and now he’s the resort cat, though he still tends to roam around at night.”

“Hi, Vagabond,” she said before picking him up. “You’re such a pretty girl.”

“Guy,” Logan corrected.

“A handsome man, huh?” she soothed, stroking his fur.

Logan walked over to the rail and scooped the cat up in his arms. “You get all the ladies, don’t you fur ball?

“That’s because he knows how to treat a lady.”

He held his hand up to his chest, with a wounded expression on his face. “Ouch. What happened to just focusing on work?”

“Touché,” she said, capitulating, “but you had that one coming.”

They sat down and resumed eating.

“So,” he said, changing the subject. “What do you think about dinner?”

“It’s fantastic. I love the coco bread, and the jerk pork tenderloins are out of this world.”

He held out his fork. “If you think that’s great, try the red snapper.”

Before she thought better of it, Dakota leaned in and took the bite of food. She smiled appreciatively. “That’s delicious.”

Logan watched her intently. He was mesmerized by the way her eyes closed, and a blissful sigh escaped her lips. He set the fork back down on his plate and ran his thumb over the knuckles of her hand.

Dakota stopped eating. Her gaze flew to his face.

“I want you to have a good time while you’re here, Koty. I don’t want everything to be about work. We have so much to offer.”

Her eyebrows rose. “We?”

He didn’t want to back down, but he promised he wouldn’t push. “Belle Cove,” he said slowly. “There’s a great deal to see—and do.”

The fact that she visibly relaxed wasn’t lost on him. Logan would have to take things slower than he’d thought. Whatever it took to make her comfortable.