Dreams That Bind Us (Romancing The Keys #3)

Chapter 3

K ey West

"We'll easily finish ahead of schedule," Jack remarked as the guys made their way to the lobby, winding around teams of painters and carpenters. He was Key West's top historical renovation specialist and James was lucky enough to book him for the restoration work on The Majestic.

Of course, it helped that Jack was married to Charli, who at one time had been James's top attorney for his Boston businesses. Annette had been her paralegal, and now they had both relocated to Key West, each woman falling for the two locals.

"In fact, we have the furniture delivery set for next week," Jack continued. "I think you'll be pleased with the designs we've selected. It'll really give this place a unique island vibe."

"Uh huh," James mumbled, his mind focused on a pair of liquid teal eyes and a riot of white blonde hair, rather than the construction timeline of his hotel. He could still smell Anna's sweet honeysuckle fragrance and the drive to track her down rode him hard.

Annette knew her and how to find her. There had to be a way to crack that nut.

Jack continued to discuss various structural details, but James couldn’t focus. The words went in one ear and out the other. Concentration was impossible after the revelation that morning.

James blinked as fingers snapped in front of his face.

"Hey, man." Gus grinned. "You still with us? We're giving you the best possible news any historic rehabilitation team can and you're zoning out on us."

James stared at Gus, an idea forming. The man had been born and raised in Key West. He'd know how to find Anna.

James chuckled. "Sorry about that. I have a lot on my plate right now and my mind wandered a bit."

"Yeah, that’s understandable. I heard about your little incident this morning. I'd guess that's why you haven't listened to a damn thing we've said in the last thirty minutes."

"My incident?" James asked, his gaze ping-ponging between Jack and Gus, who wore matching smirks.

The corner of Gus's lip curled. "What else would you call it? Practically running over a very pretty young lady, who I've been given very strict orders not to discuss with you, by the way, and completely dousing her in coffee."

"Annette told you?" James choked out, his blood pressure shooting to the moon.

"Of course she told me. We don't hide anything from each other, man." Gus chuckled. "She also told me that you'd probably try to pry information from us about this mystery woman. But I've been ordered not to say a word." He twisted his lips with his fingers and tossed them to the side, as if throwing away a key. "I'm like Fort Knox."

Jack patted James on the back. "Same goes for me. But don't worry, buddy. There is a way for you to see her again very soon."

"What the hell does that mean?" James snarled. He’d had enough of these cryptic messages he kept receiving.

Jack shrugged, unperturbed by his tone. "It means you'll want to be here next week. Monday, in particular."

James narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that when the custom furniture you've ordered is to be delivered?"

"Oh ho! Give the man a cigar. He was listening," Gus crowed, humor lacing his words. "It's a miracle. And yes, to answer your question."

"Okay, back to the hotel's timeline," Jack redirected. "I'd recommend that you get a manager hired soon. There will be a lot to coordinate with this place. Hiring the staff, permits, vendors, that kind of thing. Annette is willing to help out to a degree, but you'll still need boots on the ground here fast."

James nodded. "Already on it. I'm down to two local candidates now."

"Who?" Gus asked, his eyes lighting with interest.

James rattled off the names and relaxed when Gus and Jack nodded in unison. At least that part of his life was going right.

"They're both good and have been on the island for as long as I can remember. You won't have any problem hiring hotel staff with either one. It's too bad you can't hire both of them," Jack replied.

"Actually, I've been thinking about doing just that." James paused for a moment, his gaze shooting back and forth. "I trust that you'll keep this to yourselves, but my sources tell me the property on Sunset Key will be available soon. If that's the case, I could hire one as the general manager and the other as assistant manager, with the expectation that he'd switch to Sunset Key once that acquisition is complete."

"Sounds like a solid plan," Jack commented. His forehead puckered. "I'm surprised I haven't heard anything about a sale on Sunset Key. The grapevine here is strong."

"It started with a random conversation in a bar and steamrolled quickly when the seller learned how profitable it could be for them." James lifted a shoulder. "I got lucky. That's all."

"Dude, I'd guess you get lucky a lot," Jack snarked.

James grunted. "Alright, back to Monday. What time should I be around?"

"Hey now!" Gus elbowed Jack. "The dude is digging. I say we don't tell him and make him stick around all day. Maybe put him to work. The manual labor will do him some good."

"The idea's tempting. We could always use an extra pair of hands." The amusement twinkling in Gus and Jack's eyes made James want to punch them. "Just be here by ten and you'll be good," Jack offered.

James ran a hand over his face and huffed out a breath, then nodded reluctantly. He guessed from their answers that Anna had something to do with the furniture delivery, but he knew digging any further would be useless.

He wasn’t used to people withholding information. However, most people weren’t married to Charli and Annette. Those two had never had a problem telling him to take a flying leap, and it’s one of the reasons he respected them so much.

"Okay. Fine. I'll be here."

"Great!" Jack slapped him on the shoulder again. "Now onto more important things. I'm hungry. Who's ready for lunch?"

Gus's brows shot up, his eyes twinkling at the mention of food. "The Spent Pickle?"

"That's what I'm thinking." Jack's gaze moved to James. "Are you in?"

James was sorely tempted to say yes. It wasn't every day he was invited to join them at their favorite bar. But he had too much on his plate.

"I'll have to take a raincheck. I have a few meetings on my calendar," James answered, lifting his chin. "The place looks great. So if you don't need anything else, I'll head out."

"Man, you'll have to join us for lunch someday. You don't know what you're missing." Gus shook his head. "The Spent Pickle is an icon for locals."

"I'll catch you next time and lunch will be on me," James promised, his mind already on his meetings.

"You're on!"

The rest of the day passed in a blur of phone calls, meetings, and legal reviews. Mid-afternoon, he made a visit to a local art gallery to buy a collection of paintings and furniture he’d spied on a previous visit, and then it was back to work. His eyes were crossing by the time he ended his day with a call to his assistant, Gwen.

"That Uptown developer is asking for a meeting to discuss a new proposal," Gwen announced.

"Okay. What day was he thinking?" His eyes scanned his calendar, noting the hellish schedule of meetings and tasks. "Next week might be better."

"It is for him, too. He wants to meet on Monday."

"No!" James barked. The idea of missing out on his chance to meet Anna made his chest tighten. "No meetings on Monday. In fact, would you block it for me? The furniture and art are being delivered for The Majestic, and I want to be there."

It was a lame excuse, but how could he explain that he was clearing the day to meet a woman he’d been dreaming about for months?

"Okaaaaaay," Gwen drawled. James could almost hear her eye roll. "Any other days I need to block?"

He was quiet for a moment. If Monday went well, he'd probably spend the majority of his time with Anna…hopefully. The corner of his lip curled at the thought. "Possibly. I'll let you know. But only Monday for now."

"Interesting," Gwen crooned as she typed away on the other end. "Well, I think that's it on my end, boss. Was there anything else you needed tonight?"

Some peace? Some sleep?

"No, I'm good. Thanks for everything, Gwen." As he ended the call, he made a mental note to send her a generous gift card to her favorite shoe store. The woman lived for buying new shoes and she'd certainly made his life and this transition to Key West very easy.

Feeling excited and unexpectedly lighter at his upcoming run-in with Anna, James changed his clothes and headed down to his gym. He found that buying a house with fourteen bedrooms came in handy. Converting a large, first floor bedroom into an exercise space had been a brilliant move, and he'd filled it with state-of-the-art equipment that would have made any fitness facility green with envy.

He regularly put his body through grueling workouts, enjoying the burn in his muscles and the endorphin boost to balance his moods. So he preferred to have a gym that was easily accessible, and what could be better than one in his own home?

Tonight his intention was to work himself into utter exhaustion. Maybe if he was tired enough, he’d finally get some sleep. And now that he knew his dream woman was real , he hopefully wouldn't be haunted by luminous teal eyes or feel the frustration of unappeased hunger.

Two hours later, fresh from a hard workout followed by a bracingly cold shower, he climbed between the sheets. His eyelids were heavy as he began to drift off. Just as he'd hoped, sleep came swiftly. But so did those mesmerizing eyes and the sweet scent of honeysuckle.

Anna…

Anna chewed on her bottom lip as she smoothed a final layer of stain across the headboard, careful to catch all the nooks and crannies of the intricate design she'd carved into the walnut. This was the final bed in The Majestic's order and frankly, she was tired of making them.

She had nearly choked when that contract had come through—over 300 pieces were needed before the refurbished hotel opened. It was the biggest order she had ever received in the ten years she'd been making furniture.

She'd had to blink a few times when she read the contract language, wondering if she was hallucinating. The payment amount, if the project was completed on time, was incredible. It was more than generous and covered over five years of operational expenses with plenty of cushion, so there was no way she would turn it down. Whoever was backing this hotel had very deep pockets.

Fortunately, she'd had several months to complete it, and today she was finally done with three days left to spare before the delivery date. Still, it was a huge stressor when all she was accustomed to creating were her own original pieces for the local galleries or for smaller commissioned orders of one or two items.

With the Majestic order behind her, she'd have time to relax and focus on the creativity that fed her soul and made a mint in the high-end Key West galleries. This is what she truly loved and where she could lose herself in her work by taking chunks of wood and transforming them into functional art.

She could forget about her past and responsibilities through the powerful texture of the wood grain beneath her hands and focus on the pleasure she felt as her creations came to life. Those were the moments she enjoyed the most.

Her phone rang from across the room, and Anna let out a small sigh of irritation at the interruption. She was tempted to not answer but was expecting a call from Becky at the gallery. Wiping her hands, she picked up the phone and cringed at the name on the screen.

AUNT LOUISE

This couldn't be good. Her finger hovered over the screen, tempted to decline the call. Instead, taking a deep breath, she answered. "Hi, Aunt Louise."

"You met him today," her aunt started without any preamble. "I told you it would be soon."

Anna's spine straightened. "How do you know that?"

"Really, girl?" Her aunt tsked. "I don't know why you even bother to ask those questions. The cards told me this morning. Was he as handsome as I think he is?"

Anna nearly croaked. Of course he'd been handsome, brutally so. His brown hair damp and curled at the ends, his eyes a brilliant blue green, the carved planes of his face emphasized by a heavy five o'clock shadow. Tall, broad, and powerful, too. Everything about him had exuded strength, confidence, and sexuality.

"From your silence, I'd guess that he is." Her aunt chuckled. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Yes, he was quite attractive. But it doesn't matter. I left before he could get my name." She didn't mention that he'd accidentally dumped his coffee on her and she'd run away like a psychotic banshee after kicking him in the shin. "I'll hopefully never see him again and you'll never have a chance to meet him."

"Anna, you know better than that," Aunt Louise chided. "You will see him very soon and this time you will not get away. This one is determined and won’t be dissuaded. You two are meant to be together."

A lump of ice formed in the pit of Anna’s stomach, and her heart plummeted to somewhere below her left big toe. While her aunt's talents at reading tarot cards were unparalleled, that scenario could not happen. Anna could never allow anyone to get close to her.

"You're quiet again." Aunt Louise exhaled dramatically. "I don't understand why you're fighting this. This time it isn't a bad thing. It's fate. He's your soulmate."

"You know why, Aunt Louise," Anna choked on the words. "I can't let it happen again."

"Honey,” her aunt crooned. “I know you're scared. But you're not a young, naive girl anymore. You're much stronger now. Those other men weren't your match. Yes, they ran when you revealed your true self and your powers. But that's because they were weak little boys, insecure in themselves and frightened by anything they couldn’t understand or control." Her aunt paused for a moment. "But this one is very different—a real man who won't be intimidated. He'll encourage and support you like a true partner." She released another heavy sigh. "This man was made for you, Anna."

Anna didn't respond. The idea her aunt detailed was too preposterous to wrap her mind around. She'd given up the possibility of having a healthy romantic relationship years ago, much less finding a soulmate.

"You're wasting your gifts, Anna," her aunt added, exasperation in her tone.

"I'm not. I helped the girl at Paradise West," Anna argued. The weakness in her own voice was irritating.

"The ghost of Paradise West?” Aunt Louise scoffed. “That was months ago. You should be doing more. I can't believe you've been able to hold your block this long anyway. You must be exhausted all the time."

Anna stared off at the far wall, unable to defend herself. She had been blocking herself from her talents for many years, and it was incredibly exhausting. But her aunt also understood why she was driven to do it.

"I don't want to make another mistake again."

"Anna, please listen to me." Her aunt's tone softened. "You didn't make a mistake. What happened to your parents was meant to be. You weren’t ready to receive a message like that or to know what would happen. If anyone should have received a warning, it should have been me. Not you. And I didn't. As tough as it seems, your mom and dad were meant to take that trip to Italy and to be on that plane. It was their path. There was nothing you or I could have said that would have changed their minds or destiny."

"They thought they were safe." Silence stretched between them, filled with a weight and grief all too familiar.

"It's been too long since you've visited," her aunt said, finally breaking the awkward quiet with a change of subject. "Maybe it's time for you to come visit for a day or two, get grounded and centered."

Anna chewed a nail, considering the proposal. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Aunt Louise in well over a year, and she could use her soothing presence right now. Logistically, the time was right to take a couple of days off after finishing The Majestic’s order before she started on her pieces for the gallery.

It would be good to get away from the island for a bit. She'd deliver the furniture Monday morning and then drive to Delray Beach from there, and maybe stay a few days.

Her phone buzzed with another call. "I need to go, Aunt Louise. The art gallery is calling me. But I'll drive up Monday afternoon. I promise."

"Hmmm…good. I'll see you then, girl. And remember, you can't avoid this man, so stop running. I can't wait to meet him. Love you." With those cryptic words, her aunt ended the call.

Pressing a finger for the other line, Anna answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Anna. It's Becky. Sorry this is so late. It’s the first chance I’ve had to make calls. But I have great news." The gallery manager's voice was rushed and held a tinge of excitement. "The gentleman did show up today and bought your entire collection. When I mentioned that you planned to restock the gallery, he asked if he could tour your warehouse in person and pick out anything you'd be willing to sell or that wasn't already spoken for."

Anna groaned and rubbed her forehead. She hated having people in her workshop. This was her place, her oasis where she could close off the world and just focus on her art. It was why she sold her furniture through the gallery and a few select stores: it gave her privacy and a level of anonymity. The gallery was never permitted to give out her name or the location of her warehouse. Only a handful of locals knew how to find her, and that was exactly how she liked it.

"Who is this guy?" she asked, trying to bite back the irritation in her voice.

"He's a real estate guy from New York who just relocated here. He bought a large house in Old Town and is furnishing it with local artwork. He’s already made my business for the next six months and I really don’t want him going elsewhere to find anything."

The temptation to say no was immense, but Anna understood the importance of a small business’s need to get in the black. Plus, the gallery had been too good to her to outright reject the request, even if it did annoy the hell out of her.

"Okay, fine, but only if you come with him and promise that you'll get him out of here within thirty minutes. I'll be working on your back orders which are stacked nearly to the ceiling because all my time was focused on The Majestic job."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable," Becky assured her. "When can we come out?"

"It'll have to be late next week." Anna glanced around at the jumble of furniture stored in her warehouse. This was only a quarter of the completed order. The rest was in storage waiting for delivery.

"It's a complete mess here right now. I deliver the furniture order to The Majestic on Monday, and then I'll be out of town for a couple of days. Maybe Thursday or Friday? And no more than thirty minutes. I mean that," she reiterated.

Becky‘s triumphant laugh rang through the speaker. "I'll make sure the visit is quick. He also asked if you could hold off on moving any of your pieces here until he has a chance to look over them."

"Well, that's bold of him," Anna scoffed. She was tempted to cancel the guy's field trip, but a sale was a sale. "I also want him to sign a non-disclosure agreement that he won't give out my name or location to anyone, and that he won’t stop by my warehouse anytime he feels like shopping for furniture. I value my privacy."

"I'm sure he'd be willing to do that. I'll give him a call tomorrow and see if either of those days work for him."

"Okay. You can just email me back." Anna yawned. She ended the call and slowly climbed the stairs to her apartment, conveniently located in the top section of the warehouse with windows that overlooked the commercial docks and the Florida Strait beyond. The open loft was one of the reasons she chose this place. She could breathe here.

She climbed into the shower and stood under the hot water for fifteen minutes, letting it relax her completely, soothing her aching muscles. A long soak in a hot bath would have been better, and standing there, she wished she had one of those gorgeous white porcelain bathtubs that could fit three people. She'd never been able to justify the expense of a real clawfoot bathtub to herself before. But maybe with a small portion of the profits off this order, she could consider it.

She was barely awake as she climbed into bed and settled on her pillow with a contented sigh. Maybe tonight she'd finally sleep in peace, she thought as she drifted off.

Broad shoulders and a wide chest filled her vision as strong hands threaded through her hair, lifting her face for a soul-searing kiss. But this time, she didn't fight it. She leaned into it, yearning for what only he could give her.

James…