"Oh, darling, she's never been to Golden Bluff," the woman exclaimed. "Don't you remember our first time there? It was like driving into a fairy tale."
Her husband indulged his wife. "It was foggy our first gala, but the farther up the driveway we went, the clearer the air became."
"Then the castle —I mean, mansion —appeared all bathed in sunlight." The woman fluttered her hands. "I told Chaz I was too nervous to go inside. The palm trees, the gold-leafed motifs, the carved archway above the door. It truly is like a fairy tale."
Andrew poured them two glasses of wine. "So glad to see you again. Enjoy."
I gaped back and forth between the jubilant couple and the bartender. "There's really a fairytale castle, mansion, something up there?" I pointed past his head.
"Yes," Andrew said slowly as if I was having trouble understanding. "Maybe you've heard of it? Golden Bluff Estate?"
I put both hands to my mouth. "Oh, god. Is this the part where you think that all New Yorkers are such snobs they don't think there's a world outside Manhattan? That's not me, I promise. I just have no idea what you're talking about."
Andrew chuckled again. "I believe you. Just like I believe you about the rental car breaking down. Ruiz and I watched you coast in earlier."
Landon loped up behind me and brushed his hands together. "Well, now that's done, I can tell you about the solution to your travel problems." He paused as his phone rang then threw his head back and swore at the ceiling. "Damn. Sorry. I have to take this. It's Lyla."
Andrew backed away with his hands up and I returned to my whiskey. It was impossible not to hear Landon as he whispered loudly into his phone.
"I told you I would be back and I'll be back. I don't care what color the napkins are. No, I'm not even supposed to care. Lyla, that's ridiculous. Do you think my father ever answered questions about napkins clashing with tablecloths?" Landon ran a hand through his dark hair.
I watched with disgust as he mussed his hair and it ended up looking better than before. He was one of those people who got away with everything. It seemed obvious he was having an argument with his girlfriend or possibly wife. Instead, he was at The Sand Dollar having drinks with his buddy. My stomach turned as I realized he had been flirting with me and had someone else at home waiting on him.
So far I had seen Landon taking drinks and food from his friend with no attempts to pay him back. Now he was arguing with his girlfriend over something despite the fact that she clearly needed his help. I refused to look at him again and concentrated on my whiskey. There was no denying the current of attraction I felt around Landon, but he was just like Owen —avoiding any kind of work or responsibility. That made Landon exactly the type of man I had vowed to avoid.
The quiet bar filled up quickly as the sea breeze got the better of the clientele. Landon finished his phone conversation and slumped over the bar even as he smiled at me. He sat exactly the same way as I had when I had first come in and didn't want to be noticed.
Despite his posture, a steady stream of people smiled and nodded at Landon as they passed our bar stools. I made a game out of watching them in the mirror until I realized the whiskey made their faces blur. I was getting drunk, and it was getting harder to convince myself that Landon was to be avoided.
Andrew swung back when he could and held out a set of keys. "I'm sorry I can't take you up there myself."
"I will." Landon snatched the keys out his friend's hand and stood up. "I've got to get out of here. Come on, Riley."
I thanked Andrew and told myself I could handle going upstairs with Landon, despite who I believe he was. He was just going to show me the apartment and leave. Besides, I thought as we passed a reflective beer sign, I looked like hell, and there was no way that the tall, handsome man was attracted to me, nor going to get me if he was.
“Problems with the girlfriend?” I asked as we walked up the stair. I couldn’t help but try and call him out on his indiscretion.
“Hell no!” he snapped back quickly. “That would be easier to deal with. Lyla is my cousin and a real pain sometimes.”
Landon had to duck as he led me up a narrow staircase to the upper level. He unlocked the door, reached in for the light switch, and then held the door so I could go in first.
"Thanks," I said, skirting by as if he might bite me. The tension eased over my body when I realized that he could be telling the truth about the phone call. Not that it really mattered much to me. I stepped through the doorway and looked around the room.
The apartment had soft white walls, a thick rug in shades of blue, and large glass terrariums filled with seashells and driftwood. A white wicker settee with sinfully soft cushions stood at an angle looking out a bay window. The queen-sized bed had a four poster frame and gauzy netting strung between the posts.
"Here's the part most women love," Landon said. He flicked on the light in the bathroom.
The claw foot tub almost elicited a squeal of delight from me. "And what part do you love besides being able to hide when your cousin needs your help?"
"Man, you are hard on me. I kinda like it." Landon gave me a wicked smile. He pointed to a little balcony outside one of the windows. Curious, I followed him outside to stand on the balcony. He pointed at a ladder that led up to the roof. "My favorite part is up there."
I looked at the ladder and shook my head. "No thanks."
"You won't get hurt, I promise," he said.
I took his hand, not sure what had possessed me to trust him. He helped me up the ladder and chuckled when I gasped.
"It's a widow's walk," he explained, climbing onto the roof behind me. "This is where I hide out when I want to be alone."
Far below, the ocean hummed and sighed, while above us the stars were so bright I blinked in shock. As I craned my head back to take in the dazzling display, I stumbled back against Landon's chest.
He caught me with strong, sure hands. "Welcome to Michel's Beach."
Chapter Four
Landon
I stood still and counted my lucky stars when Riley regained her balance but didn’t step away. Her hair smelled like sunlight and fresh ocean air. Her scent was more intoxicating than the whiskey had been, and I swayed. She looked up, inches from me, and smiled at the stars.
"How did you know this was up here?" Riley asked.
I knew every rung of the ladder, every railing of the balcony, and every view from the widow's walk. When things felt like they might come crashing down at any minute, I imagined this very spot.
"Andrew and I came up here all the time when we were kids," I said.
Riley raised an eyebrow at me. "You seem more familiar with it than that."
She assumed I brought women here, that I’d tried this very same move, and I almost laughed out loud. Why had I never thought of it? I racked my memory but could not think of any women I had even brought to The Sand Dollar, much less upstairs.
My smile faded. "Remember how I told you my parents were really busy? Well, my house was, um, empty. And it was always busy here. The Wyatts looked after me and let me stay up here sometimes."
Now both of Riley's eyebrows were up in surprise. "You really have roots here."