“You’re welcome. It was fun.”
They both yawned at the same time, then laughed.
A smile stretched across his face. “I gather you’re not a morning person?”
“No,” she admitted. “But I’m adjusting. I keep my windows open at night, and the smell of the salt water in the air helps me wake up better than any alarm clock.”
“As a physician, I’m pretty much on call 24/7, so I have no problem waking up at the crack of dawn, or anytime for that matter.”
Liza couldn’t help giggling a little bit. “I actually had to tip-toe out of the B and B. Otherwise Maisie would have stopped me to chat. I don’t think the woman ever sleeps.”
“Or ever stops talking,” he laughed. “Maisie Barnell, Bay Point’s town matriarch, and the woman who can carry on a conversation longer than—”
“A wave can stay upon the seashore,” she finished, with a fake swoon.
His smile deepened, rounding his cheeks. “Very poetic.”
Liza palmed her camera and grinned. “Maisie has tons of poetry books in her parlor, so I guess I picked up a few lines.”
“She’s a great lady, but she’s forever trying to hook me up with every single woman in town.”
He paused, crinkling his brow. “She means well, but I don’t have the heart to tell her that my taste in women is far more sophisticated than what’s currently available here.”
Liza wasn’t surprised Anthony was sought-after. He was rich and handsome, with the kind of boyish good looks that would appeal to most women. However, she disliked when men thought they were “all that,” even when they were. The only thing that saved him was the hint of playfulness in his tone.
“Oh, is that why you’re still single?” she asked.
“Up until recently, there hasn’t been anyone to consider.”
Her heart clenched at the thought of Anthony’s interest in someone else. She didn’t know his “type,” other than the fact that it definitely wasn’t a small-town girl, and she fought the urge to push him for further details. His personal life was none of her business.
“Don’t tell Maisie that she’s fired. If you do, she’ll redirect her matchmaking skills back to me instead of you,” Liza teased.
“Maisie is easy enough to avoid, if you move out of town that is,” Anthony said drily.
She laughed. “Not a chance. In fact, I’m staying with her while my house is being built.”
Anthony raised a brow, and his grin appeared sympathetic. “You must have the patience of an angel, though I’m glad to hear you’re not simply passing through town.”
“I’m here for the long haul. I found a great piece of land at a great price. I’m going to build one of my own residential designs. The timing is perfect and I can’t wait to break ground.”
The smile disappeared from his face. “If I select you for this project, are you sure you’re going to have enough time to devote to me?”
Liza widened her eyes. “Devote to you?”
He quickly cleared his throat, and looked uncomfortable. “Sorry. I meant to say my project.”
Liza hid a smile and nodded. “I can assure you that I will be completely devoted to the design of the clinic. As far as building my own home, I’m taking my time and Maisie said I’m welcome to stay at the B and B as long as I want.”
Anthony heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s really important that whomever I choose can be my complete partner.” He gestured back toward the soon-to-be-demolished motel. “In what I’m trying to do here, of course.”
He extended his hand again, and she wondered if he’d forgotten that they’d already said goodbye.
“I’m sorry that I got you out of bed so early once again but I appreciate you accommodating my schedule. The next step will be the actual presentation. I’ll call you soon with the date.”
She kept her eyes on his and boldly trailed her fingers lightly across his smooth palm, before letting go.
As he turned to walk back to his truck, Liza told herself quickly that what she was about to ask was all in the name of continuing to solidify their business relationship and nothing more.
But the truth was, she didn’t want to wait days to see him, or hours to feel her heart race again. Whenever she looked into his eyes and felt his skin brush against hers, he inspired long-dormant fantasies that she wanted to flame. If only in her own mind.
“Wait. I’d like to talk more. Can we have dinner sometime?”
She kept her voice soft, yet businesslike, holding back an edge of flirtation.
“My treat. You look like you might need a break.”
He turned around, and though he stayed where he was, she could feel the electric pull of his body.
“That bad, huh?”
Her face warmed at his lazy grin. “No, not bad at all. That’s not what I meant.”
He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “I know what you meant. I have been working like crazy lately, and I could use a night off. I do have some free time on Saturday night. Does that work for you?”
“Perfect,” she responded, hiding her excitement behind a professional tone. “We can sync up on the details later this week.”
If she didn’t care about looking like a fool, she would have thrown her keys up in the air with joy. Liza looked back at the aging motel. “There’s a lot of potential here. Once this place is torn down, the possibilities are endless.”
He dug his keys out of his pocket. “Agreed. The moment I saw the view in the back, I knew this was the perfect place for my clinic.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to come here in the early evening and take some more photos. It will help me as I create the design.”
She pointed at the NO TRESPASSING sign. “I don’t want to be thrown in jail.”
Liza was surprised when he suddenly put his keys on the hood of his truck and walked around to where she stood by hers.
“Sure. You’re welcome anytime. However, even though this is a safe area, I would never want you coming out here alone at night.”
“Why not?” she asked.
He took a few steps toward her, and his eyes shadowed as they roamed over her face. Then he stepped back and leaned a hip against the side of his truck.
“As I said earlier, there’s been some issues with vandals, and I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
Warmth filtered quickly through her body. Though his concern may have been warranted, she could take care of herself.
“I’ll be fine, I assure you.”
He nodded and waved goodbye, got into his truck and started it.
Liza got into her own vehicle and closed the door, a smile of satisfaction on her face. Their second meeting had gone considerably better than the first. By inviting him to dinner, she would further cement her chances at designing his clinic. In her heart, the job was already hers.
She was so excited she could barely put the key into the ignition. She heard the quick blast of a horn, glanced over and saw Anthony motioning to her.
Curiosity mixed with fear as she started the car and lowered the power windows.
“Is anything wrong?” she asked, hoping