Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,1
five long years since he passed away, and she’d learned to do things on her own. God knew she’d made plenty of mistakes, but with the help of Bella’s sisters, Zoe was a happy, stable child. Bella had learned after losing Matt to be grateful for all the good, and her daughter was a gift that allowed her to love a piece of Matt for the rest of her life.
Shaking off her somber thoughts, she headed toward Sunshine Bridal to meet with her coworker Gabe. Her two sisters were away for a few days, so she and Gabe were in charge of the Royal wedding, and she needed to be sharp, not mooning for a life with her late husband she’d never have. Eloise Royal demanded a postholiday celebration to rival the gaudiest Christmas imaginable, and Bella needed to impress. Her oldest sister, Avery, had been the driving force behind their family’s successful wedding-planning business, but now that she was getting married and taking some well-deserved vacation time, Bella intended to step up and take over more of that role.
If only she didn’t need to work with Gabe.
Why was she the only one suspicious of his intentions? He’d been a full-time assistant for years, mostly working with Avery, but lately, he’d been pushing for a bigger stake in the company. Just last month, everyone had agreed to give him a promotion so he could take on his own clients. Bella knew he deserved it—he was well respected by vendors and clients, and he worked hard—but part of her was a bit resentful because he wasn’t family. Bottom line: she didn’t trust him not to bail one day. Maybe try and open up his own business elsewhere and become their competition—which would break her sisters’ hearts and Zoe’s. Her daughter was crazy about him. Hell, there wasn’t a woman on the planet who wasn’t crazy about the man, which made Bella even more leery.
She made her way through the streets of Cape May, the usually vibrant New Jersey beach town mostly shut down for the winter. Holiday lights were still strung happily around trees and lampposts, illuminating the colorful bed-and-breakfast cottages throughout town. The water was a simmering gray monster, moody under the low-slung clouds, but a few residents still braved the boardwalk for their regular breakfast and morning run.
She pulled up to the familiar yellow-and-pink scrolled sign announcing SUNSHINE BRIDAL and gathered her stuff. Of course Gabe was already there. The man was as much a workaholic as Avery. She hurried up the stairs and headed straight to the conference room, following the scent of strong coffee.
“Morning.” The deep, velvety voice drifted in the air like smoke, caressing her ears. “I picked you up coffee and a yogurt parfait.”
She studiously ignored the sexy pitch of his tone and wondered why some men got all the sex appeal. Was it a gift from God at birth? Did he zap his fingers at certain males and bestow all the traits to make women drop to their knees? Even worse? Gabe was nice. He was always thoughtful and willing to do what was necessary to make everyone happy. At first, she’d believed it was part of him being a good assistant, but over the years she’d learned it was just his personality. He was a bit of a caretaker.
Bella tucked away the thought and deliberately chose the seat across the table so there was plenty of distance. “Thanks. I was running a bit behind today.” She focused on getting her laptop out and set up, giving her a few moments to put up the usual barriers before risking a full stare.
“I hope you didn’t rush,” he said, sounding concerned. She imagined a frown between those strong brows, his carved, defined lips pursed a bit in thought. “No reason we couldn’t have started a half hour later. How’s Miss Zoe?”
She shook her head with a sigh. “Insistent on wearing a sleeveless pink dress to school today.”
His laugh was rich and filled the air with life. “Ah, was it show-and-tell?”
She jerked her head up too soon. Her gaze crashed into his, and those dark eyes pulled her in tight, the sooty depths flaring with a focused intent that threw her off. “How’d you know?”
“She’s got a thing about dressing up for big occasions. How’d you win the argument?”
“The art of compromise—the foundation of my existence. I let her wear her brand-new pink boots, and she allowed me to winterize her dress. I can’t believe I