Follow Your Heart (Catalina Cove #4) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,14

show.

Seeing her on the show sparked a fire within him. Not everybody looked good on camera, but she did. He thought the other two ladies looked good, as well, but his focus was on Victoria. She had a way of relaxing her guest and not making them feel intimidated, even when he figured she didn’t agree with what the person was saying.

At the end of his second full day in Catalina Cove, Roman was sitting on the upper deck of the boat, drinking a beer and looking out across the water after watching a spectacular sunset. Moments later, his attention was drawn away when he saw a woman strolling on the boardwalk beneath a cloudless evening sky.

Victoria Madaris.

Dressed comfortably for the weather in a pair of blue shorts and white tank top, it appeared she was headed to one of the restaurants lining the pier. The moment he caught sight of her, he felt his blood surge. He thought the same thing now that he’d thought when he’d watched her earlier—she was an absolutely beautiful woman. He’d been in the company of beautiful women before, but there was something about her that kept him spellbound.

He had hoped to see her that day after his interview, but hadn’t. When he’d asked the production assistant about Victoria, he’d been told she was preparing for her noonday show. He had regretted leaving without seeing that smile and dimples.

As he continued to watch her stroll along the pier, he wondered if she was involved with anyone, and figured she probably was. She was so beautiful that she had to be involved with someone, seriously or otherwise. He saw her stop to chat with several people and concluded that she was definitely the friendly type.

When she began walking again, he felt what seemed to be an awakening in the lower part of his stomach with every step she took. The very sensation unnerved him because lusting after a woman was definitely not something he had time for. He needed to rest and relax, because when he returned to the nation’s capital, he would be busier than ever.

But still...

Roman watched her walk into Lafitte Seafood House and slowly returned his gaze back to the water. Moments later, he glanced at his watch. He hadn’t eaten dinner yet and figured now was just as good a time as any to do so. And a seafood dinner sounded pretty darn good about now.

He knew the only reason he suddenly had a taste for seafood was because of that restaurant Victoria Madaris had walked into. That was fine, he thought as he stood. He would call himself all kinds of fool later. Right now, he didn’t want to be alone in his element. He wanted to share it. And with her.

It then occurred to him that she might be meeting someone for dinner. If that was the case, then he would not intrude. If it wasn’t, then today would definitely be his lucky day.

* * *

“I ENJOYED TODAY’S SHOW, Victoria.”

“Thanks,” Victoria responded to Neil Surrey, the owner of Lafitte Seafood House, as she looked around for a vacant spot. “You’re busy today.”

“Yes, we are. A lot of people are in town for the wedding of Nina Murray and Arnett Staples. They both grew up in the cove and moved away after college,” Neil explained. “Last Christmas they came back to their high school reunion and have been a couple ever since.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” When she saw a couple leaving their table, she said, “I think I’ll grab that table in the back, Neil.”

“Go ahead and get seated. I’ll send a busboy over to clear off the table.”

A short while later one of the busboys had cleaned off the table and a waitress handed her a menu. She liked coming here and was glad Bryce had recommended it to her when she’d first moved to town. This was one of her weekly drop-ins, and she’d gotten to know a few of the regulars.

Instead of studying the menu to see what she would eat today, her thoughts shifted to Senator Malone. Had he gotten settled in? She wondered if he was staying at Shelby by the Sea, the beautiful inn that sat on the Gulf. That would make perfect sense if he was, since he’d indicated he liked to fish.

She couldn’t help but recall how good he’d looked that day at the television station. Several of the women were still talking about his visit. She wasn’t talking about it, but she