9. Perfect Hero Move
PERFECT HERO MOVE
“ I need to absorb this,” he said, putting his phone down. “You’re really a Bond?”
“Nope,” she said, sitting back on the couch. He sat next to her. “I’m a French. But my mother was a Bond. She is Charlie Bond’s sister, who is Hunter’s father. I’m assuming you’re smart and your mind processed Hunter and I are first cousins.”
He nodded. “Which explains why he thought the whole thing was funny. You too. I couldn’t pinpoint any of this, but I knew something was off. Shit, Eli is your cousin too, and Griffin obviously knows who you are.”
Emma smiled and patted his leg. “Everyone knows the Bonds on the island. But in this case, Griffin is Eli’s best friend. Griffin is also married to another cousin of mine on a different branch of the family tree. I won’t bore you with a history lesson just yet. Maybe another day.”
“Thanks,” he said. “So, the night at the casino, was that research too?”
“It was,” she said. “I was in the surveillance room checking things out and taking notes. I can’t tell you any of that, but man, it was fun. Then the next thing I know, there is an Adonis on a screen.”
“Adonis?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“That would be you,” she said, her finger popping his thigh. It was like a brick! “I had to come down and check things out on the floor and we ran into each other.”
He nodded. “I’m catching up,” he said. “Why don’t we order dinner? You’ve got to be hungry. Then I’d like to know more about you.”
“Really?” she asked. “Truly? Like about my family or me?”
“You,” he said. “I don’t care so much about your family other than it’s a little intimidating, but I came back for you, not them.”
She wanted to sigh and fan herself over that perfect hero move and words but held it back.
Emma already knew her expectations when it came to men were high. Her fingers were a blank canvas and she painted the characteristics she wanted in her worlds.
Sometimes she thought they could be her molded perfect boyfriend for real life but knew it was silly.
Yet here one was, at first glance and from their few interactions, making her want to use him as a model in her book.
It was almost too good to be true and she’d be nuts to not give him a chance.
“I’m glad you did,” she said. “We might need a few ground rules here if you want to see more of me.”
He frowned. “Why is that?”
“Well, I’m a recluse and you’re far from it.”
“I like being a recluse,” he said. “I like to keep to myself but don’t always get to do that. I know that and understand it, but when I don’t have obligations to fill, I stay home.”
“But you’ve been to this island three times now, and in a short period, so that means you aren’t nearly the same definition of a recluse as me.”
Good lord, she was lucky if she left her house once a month. This month was almost stressing her out by how much she’d been moving around and interacting with people.
“We’ll get to that,” he said. “Let’s feed you. I don’t want you to waste away on me.”
Emma laughed and patted his leg a few times and then stood up to go over to the table where she knew the menus were kept. She’d been in rooms before as a cleaner to see how it was all set up. She needed that for a murder scene, but it was a few years ago.
“Are you going to pick on me if I get something with a lot of calories?” she asked, her eyes going over the dinner options.
“No,” he said. “But I will say again you have horrible eating habits. I guess I understand why when you eat it’s a lot of calories though.”
“I thought I told you that when I was eating my nachos. I know what I’m having.”
She handed him the menu and he looked it over. “I’ll take the grilled salmon with steamed vegetables and a Caesar salad.”
She wrinkled her nose and picked up the phone on the desk and hit the button for room service.
“Hey, this is Emma French, is Grace Stone available?” She looked at the frown on Warren’s face and just winked while she waited for them to get Grace.
“Hey there, lady. I’m in room 403. Don’t suppose I can put my order in with you. ”
“Doing more research as a guest and how quickly I can get food to you?” her cousin Grace asked.
“Nope. Long story. I’ll have to fill you in another time. Can I get a grilled salmon, steamed vegetables, and a Caesar salad?”
“No way that is for you,” Grace said.
“Nope,” she said, laughing. “I’ll take the petite surf and turf, lobster and filet, medium rare. A side of spaghetti with butter and Parmesan cheese with that. And anything chocolate on the menu that you know I’ll love.”
“You got it,” Grace said. “Give me about twenty minutes.”
“You’re the best,” she said.
“Are you going to explain that?” Warren asked.
“Grace Stone is the executive chef here. I don’t suppose you follow reality cooking shows, but she was a finalist in a show last year.” She waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. She’s my first cousin, just like Hunter is. We all have the same grandparents.”
He nodded again. “Must be Hunter’s father’s sister?” he asked.
She moved over and plastered a fast kiss on his lips that shocked him. “You are smart.”
He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her close, his mouth slanting against hers.
Oh boy, she hadn’t planned on this, but her body was thrilled it was happening.
Her arms went around his neck, his tongue slid between her lips, her tongue started swirling around with his and all thoughts flew out of her mind.
Not even enough to take notes.
She didn’t know how much time went by before Warren leaned back and she was blinking her eyes.
His laughter pulled her out of the trance.
“That shut you up fast,” he said. “Good to know something works.”
She shook her head like a cartoon character that had just gotten brained by a pan.
“Shut me up and knocked me dumb for a minute. Why did you do that?”
“Because you started it and maybe it’s all I’ve been thinking about for weeks.”
She took a deep breath in and let it out, then another, shook her arms, and sat back on the couch.
Warren sat next to her again.
“I might have had some of those same thoughts. I tend to be impulsive,” she said.
“Some of those rules you needed to talk to me about?” he asked.
“We can get to them when the food comes,” she said. “You said you wanted to get to know me. Ask some questions. I’ll let you do it and just answer. I know I can overwhelm people and I’ll sit here and just think about that kiss for now.”
A slow charming sexy smile came across his face.
He had a nice trim beard, but she’d seen him clean-shaven. She was guessing he kept that now to not be noticed while he was here.
“Did you always want to be a writer?” he asked.
She got asked that a lot and was a little disappointed that he asked that right away.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure it will not surprise you that I could have done anything I wanted to in life and had a lot of opportunities for careers and where I could land.”
“No,” he said. “You could work here, the family resort. Does your family own part of this?”
“No,” she said. “Guess you need a tiny history lesson. My Great-great-great-grandfather James built this resort. His grandfather, Malcolm, and his grandmother Elizabeth built this island. Or started to. More like their five kids really got things going. This piece of land was used to taunt Malcolm—who was a captain of a ship—to see if he was a good enough captain to find the land in three days. If he did, he got to marry Elizabeth to help secure the shipping empire on her side of the family.”
“Sounds old-fashioned and drastic.”
“Arranged marriages weren’t unheard of back then. Anyway, it turned out being a love union for them in the end. Malcolm only had three days to find the island and got lost at sea in a storm. On the third day, he found land but did not know his future wife was waiting for him.”
“Talk about luck,” he said.
“Or fate,” she said. “That is part of the lore and legend of the island. Might as well let you know now if you don’t.”
Because hot damn, some might think what she had going on with Warren could fall under that category.
She’d store that away for another day.
“I’ve heard about that,” he said. “It’s hard not to when I live close enough by.”
“Then we won’t go down that path. The condensed version is, Malcolm and Elizabeth had five children.
Edward, James, twins Catherine and Patrice, and then William.
I’m from Edward’s side, but he confused everyone about having a son and naming him James too.
That James loved many women and built this resort, which was a hotel back then, as a way to hide all his affairs while making money at the same time. Guess he had two loves.”
“Sneaky and smart,” he said.
She poked him in the side. “We’ll let that one go.
Moving on, it took decades to restore the good name to our side of the family tree, but it’s there.
At that time though, there was a longstanding will that said The Bond Resort could only be left to a male Bond member with the last name of Bond.
And it couldn’t be a bastard, as we know there are several that came from James’s indiscretions. ”
“Got it,” he said. “Even in this day and age, that still holds true?”
“I guess,” she said. “No one has disputed it. My mother and aunt wanted no part of the resort and since my grandfather has so many other businesses, it’s not a big deal.
They were each given a buyout for it going to my Uncle Charlie.
It worked for them. But they’ve got interests in all the other holdings and businesses on this side of the family. ”
“Which means you do too,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “Not that I have any interest in them. I’ve got the career I wanted, but I also know there could come a day when I have to step up and do my part. Thankfully there are a lot of cousins willing to do it.”
“Like Hunter?” he asked.
“Yes. Hunter is the only male Bond, so he gets The Retreat, but has the same interests as his father, my mother, and aunt, and how it gets filtered down. Hunter’s sister, Hailey, owns Bond Law.”
“I know the firm,” he said, smirking. “My baby sister, Stacy, is graduating from Law School in a few weeks.”
“That’s awesome,” she said. And based on everything she’d read about him, she’d bet anything he footed that bill. “Because Hailey would not get part of The Retreat, I’m sure my Uncle Charlie did the same thing and bought her out, but it’s not for me to know or care.”
She wasn’t sharing any inside family information there.
“Do you have siblings?” he asked. “Or I can research more while we wait for dinner.”
“Crash course. I have a brother, Roark. He’s a defense attorney and Hailey’s right-hand person in her firm. Not a partner, as Hailey will never take on partners, but close enough. Roark is married to Chelsea, who works for Hailey. They’ve got a daughter, Taryn.”
“What do your parents do if you don’t mind me asking?”
This was where things got tricky, but she had a good enough answer for many.
“My father is a federal judge and my mother dabbles in other Bond businesses. She does a lot for charity.”
Which was the truth.
“And you talked about Hunter and Hailey.”
“Hunter is married with two boys. Hailey is married to Rex Knight. They’ve got a boy and a girl.
The last is my Aunt Melanie and her husband, Robert Stone.
Those are Grace’s parents. You know she’s cooking our dinner now.
She’s engaged to Lincoln Harrington, who is a helicopter pilot for Bond Charter. ”
“I know Lincoln,” he said. “Small world. He flew me over last weekend.”
“Grace has an older brother, Skyler, he’s single. And there you go. Quick family history. I know I said I wouldn’t ask questions, but can you share about your family? I admit I researched you and know you have two sisters and were raised by a single mother. I saw little on your father.”
“Not much to say about that asshole,” he said.
The knock at the door saved him from answering anymore.