Barefoot Bay: Silhouettes on the Sand (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read Online Free PDF

Veronica's direction, Marguerite had made her decision. Veronica slipped quietly from the room. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Ivory," the manager continued. "If you'll have a seat, I'm sure we can arrange for Melissa to assist Miss …"
    "Lawson," C.J. supplied.
    "May I offer you some refreshment while you wait? A cup of tea perhaps? Or something cold?"
    Rigidly standing in place, C.J.'s nearly white-knuckled hold on her bag was his only clue that she wasn't as calm as she might appear to a casual stranger.
    "Nothing for me, thank you," she said.
    He didn't know much about C.J., not even her full name he realized, but he recognized she was uncomfortable as hell, and yet she'd calmly responded and even managed a smile. Pretty, smart, and tough.
    "And you, Mr. Ivory?" Marguerite asked.
    "No, thank you." He forced his focus from C.J. "Nothing for me either."
    "Very well."
    Once the woman was out of sight, Chase turned to C.J. "We might as well sit down."
    The way she looked down at the chairs, he'd have thought snakes lay curled there, waiting to strike.
    "I'm sure we could have found something at the mall."
    "This will be faster." He gestured for her to take a seat.
    Relinquishing the death grip on her bag, C.J. eased into the chair.
    “What’s your full name?"
    Her shoulders relaxed. "Cassandra Jane."
    "Cassandra. That's a lovely name. Why do you hide behind your initials?"
    On a heavy sigh, she answered, "Most of my adult life I've lived in a man's world. Cassandra or even Cassie brought more femininity to the table than I wanted to deal with. C.J. was simply easier."
    That could explain the tough shell C.J. wore like a shield. He realized now exactly how little he really knew about her. "What sort of work is it you do?"
    "I'm a nurse. I've recently—"
    "So sorry to keep you waiting." A young woman with an infectious smile came calmly rushing into the lounge and extended a hand to C.J. first, then Chase. "I'm Missy. I can't tell you how pleased I am to meet one of Miss Ivory's brothers and Miss Lawson." Without waiting for Chase to respond, she spun around to face C.J., then slapped her hands together and rubbed enthusiastically. "So, are we ready to have some fun?"
     

Chapter Six
     
    Fun would be the last word C.J. would have chosen to describe the torture of shopping, especially today, but at least she already liked Missy much better than Veronica. For one thing Missy didn't look at C.J. as though she were a piece of chewing gum stuck to the sole of her Ferragamos.
    "What are we wanting today?" Missy asked.
    Resigned to whatever was coming next, C.J. rose from her chair. "I need two formal dresses."
    "Shoes and purses to match also,” Chase added. “As well as a couple of outfits suitable for sailing—"
    "Sailing?" C.J. interrupted.
    "I think that's Thursday afternoon. You don't get seasick, do you?"
    She shook her head. It was easier than reminding him that he'd already asked that question last night.
    "Good. Miss Lawson will also be attending a barbecue."
    "Barbecue?"
    Chase nodded and continued, "The bachelorette party." He paused a split second, as though expecting her to interrupt, but C.J. must have already figured out there was no point in doing so. He apparently hadn't exaggerated at all when he said she had a busy week ahead of her. "A rehearsal dinner and …" He paused to glance at her, his gaze soft, appreciative. "And a dinner date at Casa Bodega this evening."
    * * *
    Already anxious just anticipating the plethora of engagements to play her part as Chase Ivory's date, her heart stuttered at the way his gaze locked with hers when he announced dinner tonight. Nothing about his words sounded very businesslike or wedding related. To her rusty instincts, the statement almost sounded like he'd invited her on a real date.
    "We'd better get started then." Missy took a step back. "If you'll come with me a moment, I'll show you a few things to get a feel for your taste, and then I can take over from