Chapter One
Reece turned the Embraer Phenom 300E in the direction of JAXEX, otherwise known as Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport. The fact that he’d stayed out longer than he intended would come as no surprise to his personal assistant Sylvie. After working together for five years, she could predict his actions with near-perfect accuracy.
For as long as he could remember, he’d wanted to be a pilot. Flying was in his blood. Like his father before him, he’d graduated from the Naval Academy and gone on to have a distinguished military career before joining the family business. Last year he took over the top spot at Diamond Jet Service when his father decided he’d rather spend his days on the golf course than run a billion-dollar charter company. Reece suspected his father’s second marriage to a woman he’d met on a singles’ cruise might also have played a role in his decision to retire early.
Neither Reece nor his sister Addison had a problem with their father marrying again. He’d been a widower for a long time. That wasn’t the case for other members of the Diamond clan. Among the more vocal was Aunt Leigh. In her opinion (completely unbiased, of course), her younger brother had been taken in by a gold digger. Reece didn’t share this opinion. He’d spent enough time with Maxine to know money hadn’t been her motivation, and what was more important, she made his father happy.
After getting clearance from the tower, Reece touched down on runway 5/23 and taxied to the Diamond Jet hangar. It was quiet now, as opposed to the hive of activity it had been earlier in the day. Only two planes were still out. They wouldn’t be returning until later tonight.
Sylvie was waiting for him in his office, the usual pencil stuck behind her left ear. She was efficient, cool under pressure, and could do everything at Diamond Jet except actually fly the aircraft.
“I thought you’d decided not to come back,” was her greeting.
He laughed as he sat down at his desk and quickly flipped through the phone messages she’d left for him. “It was tempting.”
His answer brought a dimpled smile to her face. “How’s the newest addition to our fleet?”
“She handles like a dream. Our pilots are going to love the updated avionics suite, and our passengers are going to enjoy the taller, wider cabin.”
“Sounds like a win-win for everyone. I spoke with our liaison in Orlando about your medical flight tomorrow. Ground transportation for the patient has been arranged. I also took care of the maintenance report for the FAA.”
“Is there anything left for me to do?”
“Nope. You can leave with a clear conscience. Contrary to what you seem to think, the owner of the company doesn’t have to work seven days a week.”
“Neither does his assistant, but that hasn’t stopped her yet.”
She started toward the door, and then turned around. The look on her face immediately raised his suspicions. “I almost forgot. A reporter called from Jacksonville Today. She’s doing an article about the growth of charter services. I told her to come by Tuesday afternoon at one.”
“That’s fine as long as you don’t expect me to talk to her. She can get all the information she needs from you.”
Sylvie’s smile widened. “Be reasonable, Reece. We can’t deprive the poor thing of the chance to meet Jacksonville’s most eligible billionaire.”
“I thought that honor belonged to your personal heartthrob: Hollis Davies.”
A dreamy expression settled on her pretty face. “Hollis is like no one else on earth.”
Reece rolled his eyes. “Speaking of someone who is of this world, when are you going to put my head mechanic out of his misery and marry him? It’s not nice to play around with a man’s emotions.”
She laughed. “This coming from the guy who has a three-date rule.”
He tilted back in his chair. “What’s wrong with that? Three dates is long enough to know if you want to take it further and short enough to part ways with no hard feelings.”
“It’s also the perfect length to get you the ‘player’ label.”
The ringing of her phone was a welcome interruption. Reece wasn’t in the mood to shine a spotlight on the one area in his life where he lagged so far behind the curve. By this point in time, he should have been married with kids. Instead he was thirty-five and still single. Why did his stubborn heart refuse to be touched? Addison teased him about being good at everything except love. He was starting to wonder if she was right.
* * * * *
Robin placed the hammered gold cake server set next to the wedding cake she’d spent the last hour setting up. Then she reached for her phone to record the result. This job had been her most ambitious yet: six hexagon-shaped layers (each one a different flavor and filling), intricate scrollwork and piping, gold-foil accents, and two dozen cascading sugar orchids.
Behind her, she heard the door of the banquet room open and close. She hoped it was the person who’d be cutting the cake at the reception. When she looked over her shoulder, she sighed inwardly. The person walking in her direction didn’t fit that definition. Sunglasses rested in the man’s spiked hair. A dark suit hugged his broad shoulders and called attention to his muscular physique. His bold stare appraised her with the air of a connoisseur. A Hollywood-worthy smile sat on his lips.
His sex appeal wasn’t in doubt to himself or anyone else. Robin was less than impressed.
Mr. Wonderful came to a stop in front of her. “My cousin is taking care of a problem with my sister’s dress. She sent me in her place. If I’d known cake decorators looked like you, I wouldn’t have taken my time getting over here.”
His last remark only confirmed her initial impression. Guys like this were all glitter with no substance underneath. She removed the folded piece of paper from the pocket of her blue monogrammed smock. “I just need someone to sign the release form.”
He made no move to take it from her. “You need a release form for a wedding cake? I didn’t realize cakes were so dangerous.”
Cakes weren’t, but he thought he was. “The release form protects me in the event something happens to the cake after I leave.”
“I’m not sure I can handle so much responsibility.”
She held on to her fast-evaporating patience. “This isn’t a stack of gold bars we’re talking about.”
Mr. Wonderful flicked a nonexistent piece of lint from his coat sleeve. “What happens if I don’t sign the form?”
“Then I’ll have to wait for your cousin.”
His practiced smile widened. “I’ve got no problem with that. It’ll give us more time to get acquainted.”
She already knew more about him than she wanted. “Are you always this uncooperative?”
He stepped closer, invading her personal space as if by right. “Yes, but there’s more incentive today. I get to talk to a beautiful girl while I’m doing it.”
He wasn’t the first guy to flirt with her, but it had never happened on a job before. That meant she had to be diplomatic. She couldn’t afford to offend the relative of a client no matter how badly she was tempted to take him down a few notches. Word of mouth went a long way in the wedding industry. She was preparing a polite, but damping reply when someone beat her to it.