Desperately.
It was insane how he was suddenly so drawn to her and completely unlike him to be so…bold and utterly clumsy about it. He was normally suave and sophisticated; his usual MO was to take a woman out for a romantic dinner–somewhere she’d be noticeably impressed–and at the end of the night, he’d offer a chaste kiss. Thinking back, Ryder was pretty sure the last time he’d been so consumed with lust was when he was seventeen and about to get laid for the first time.
Why did he have to feel this way now? And why did it have to be with Austin’s cousin? His younger cousin at that!
So he put on a tie and jacket–he’d already been in dress trousers and a button-down shirt–and walked out to the living room to pace and try to figure out what he needed to do to not look at Peyton Bishop as a desirable woman.
Unfortunately, when he opened the door to her ten minutes later, he had his answer.
Nothing. There was nothing he could do because he’d seen her dressed in business casual at the café, and he’d seen her in yoga pants with her hair up in a ponytail. Today she was wearing a black pencil skirt, a coral sleeveless blouse, and stilettos with her hair down; he was fairly certain he was staring at her in an inappropriate way.
Practically drooling.
I’m so screwed…
Taking a step back, he forced himself to smile. “It’s good to see you, Peyton,” he said and groaned at how lame that sounded.
“Hey, Ryder,” she said with a smile as she stepped into the house. Then she paused in the entryway and looked around in mild confusion. “Oh, this is one of those reversed floor plans, isn’t it? The living area is upstairs, right?”
Nodding, he motioned for her to head up the stairs ahead of him.
And then immediately realized his mistake again.
Walking behind Peyton while she wore a figure-hugging skirt was a new form of torture.
So screwed…
They stepped out onto the third floor–houses on the beach were notoriously tall–and she walked right over to the dining room table to put her satchel down before walking over to the sliding glass doors. “Wow! This is quite the view!”
A small chuckle was out before he could stop it. Stepping up beside her, he asked, “Don’t you have the same view? You’re right on the beach too.”
“My little bungalow is ground level. But up like this you really have a much better view. And at this end of the town there are fewer houses so it’s just more breathtaking, don’t you think?” She smiled up at him, and he felt his heart kick hard in his chest.
“Yes,” he murmured. “Breathtaking.”
He couldn’t care less about the view outside. The woman standing beside him truly took his breath away and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
For a moment, he thought he saw something there–a hint of heat and need–but it was gone before he could be sure and figured it was just wishful thinking. Her smile faltered and she quickly moved away and sat down at the table. “It looks like you’ve got everything ready to go here. I’m sure you’re very busy, so why don’t we get started?”
With a curt nod, he joined her and started up the official presentation.
For the next fifteen minutes, Ryder went through everything he had planned for The Ashford and read through and explained all the bullet points, and was pleased that Peyton was taking notes. The final slide was a rough property map that he left up on the screen to show her where he planned to place all the buildings.
Leaning back in his seat, he smiled at her. “And there you have it. The Ashford.” As soon as he said it, he wondered if she was going to comment on it again.
But she didn’t.
“So, what did you think? Do you have any questions?”
She started scanning her notes and didn’t respond right away. Placing the pad down on the table, she straightened and folded her hands on top of it before clearing her throat. “Okay, I think your design for the buildings and the grounds are very appealing,” she began. “The property is closer to the sound side of the island so I would suggest possibly maximizing on that view rather than trying to capture both the sound and the ocean.”
Nodding, he noted it on his pad. “May I ask why?”
“It’s just…it feels like by trying to do too much, you’re pulling guests in opposite directions. The sound side offers a more tranquil experience whereas the ocean side tends to be a little more crowded and busier. So if your goal is to be offering this peaceful resort stay, then focus on one side and merely mention the other as a secondary offering.”
“Noted. What else?” he asked, genuinely interested.
“I know I was a bit snarky about it last night, but you really should reach out to the businesses that are closer to the property. We’ve made great strides in cleaning up and revitalizing that part of town, but it’s nowhere near as eye-catching as one would expect–especially near the entrance to the resort.”
“Okay. But reach out…how?”
“Well…I’m no marketing expert, but maybe by throwing some business their way as an incentive to…polish their property a bit?” With a nervous laugh, she shook her head. “I’m not saying that properly, but I’m thinking start the incentive before you even break ground. Ask the Mystic Magnolia to cater lunch to the construction crew or talk to Jones Automotive about servicing the resort vehicles you purchase.” Pausing, she seemed to be collecting her thoughts. “Talk to my cousin Sam about what else can be done on the properties nearby. He owns a landscaping company and did a lot of the work there during the initial revitalization. He might be able to work with you on the transition property leading up to where the entrance to the resort will be. Do you know who owns it?”
“Um…” Leaning over, he reached for his laptop and began searching through his research on the town.
“We don’t need to know that right now,” Peyton interrupted. “It was just a thought. If the property isn’t being used or built on, maybe the owner will work with you on beautifying it. Maybe lease it from them or something.” She shrugged. “Like I said, that’s not really my area of expertise so…”
“No, no…it’s a good point for sure,” he murmured and made a note to look into it further. Then he looked up at her. “Okay, let’s talk about the restaurant. What kind of equipment should I be looking into ordering?”
A slow smile played at her lips. “Well…there’s a big restaurant trade show in Denver at the end of the month. I had bought a ticket and planned on going when I thought I was getting the property.”
“Peyton…”
Holding up a hand to stop him, she went on. “I wasn’t going there, so please don’t either.” With a small huff, she continued. “There are still tickets available and as much as I can point you to websites and offer suggestions, you seem the type who might enjoy going and seeing everything in person and being able to ask questions of the suppliers.”
She was right, he realized. “How long is the show?”
“Five days. There are around fifteen hundred exhibitors and tons of workshops. I’ve gone to events like these before and they’re a little overwhelming but very informative. So if you’re interested…”