Page 81 of Banter & Blushes #1

“Don’t get used to it.” Caroline put her cup down on the desk with a soft thud and flopped back into her chair, her expression a mix of mock sternness and amusement.

Beck’s grin widened, and she felt a flutter in her chest, a sensation both thrilling and unsettling. “Little late for that.”

She savored this back-and-forth banter, probably more than she should. He had a remarkable way of making everything seem a little less daunting, a little more manageable.

“You’re becoming a permanent fixture in my life,” she said, her voice tinged with a hint of mock exasperation. “Pretty soon you’ll think you’re indispensable.”

“Pretty sure I already do,” he teased back, leaning slightly forward. “Too soon for you?”

“Too late, more like it,” she confessed, the words slipping out before she could stop them, surprising both herself and him.

“Good to know I’m not the only one.” His voice softened slightly as he gazed at her.

“Not by a long shot.”

“Care to tell me what the call was about?”

Caroline took a deep breath. “I was talking to my college roommate. She works on a national morning show, and they might send a team out here for the gala.”

“That’s great.”

“Don’t get too excited yet. It’s not definite.” She didn’t tell him what it took to get a tentative yes from Faye. If they came through, Beck would see her grovel, anyway.

“What do you have there?” Caroline nodded toward the folder tucked under his arm. “It looks official.”

“Oh, this?” Beck leaned back in the chair and dropped the folder on the desk. “I reorganized the itinerary tab and filled in the missing blanks. Also, your color selections were horrible, so I reworked your color codes.”

Caroline stared at him. “You touched the binder?”

“I wore gloves.”

She reached for it and opened it carefully. Her notes. Her missing itineraries, too. Caroline’s shoulders stiffened. “You didn’t say you were taking this.”

“It was a mess,” he said, feigning innocence. “Thought I’d save you some time.”

“Save me time? Or give me a heart attack?” She closed the folder and slid it back over to him, irritation lacing her voice. “I was about to tear the office apart looking for it.”

Beck leaned back; his hands raised in a playful surrender. “Guess I’m not as indispensable as you said I was.”

Caroline fixed him with a steady gaze, trying to gauge his sincerity. “You could’ve let me know.”

“And miss the look on your face right now?”

“What look?”

“The one saying you’re ready to kill me.”

She let out an exasperated breath, her annoyance giving way to reluctant amusement. “Can’t believe I let you work on this without supervision.”

“Trust issues, Hollis,” he said with a mock sigh. “It’s a problem.”

Leaning forward, she fished through her tote, coming up with a chewed highlighter and a pack of sticky notes. “Let me guess. You have solutions, too?”

“Delegation, Caroline. Look it up. I heard brilliant marketing specialists know a bit about it.”

Grinning despite herself, she scribbled something and stuck it on the folder. “Find me a sea creature, and everything will be just fine.”

“A sea creature?”

“Long story,” she said, challenged by his curiosity.

“I’ve got time.”

“I don’t, so I better get back to work.” She flipped through the pages as she inserted them into the binder. “What’s this?” she asked, pointing to an elaborately color-coded timeline with his unmistakable scrawl.

“Your binder was missing the most critical part. Free time.”

Caroline laughed, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.

He leaned closer, his voice like a promise. “Am I forgiven, Mayor?”

Caroline searched his eyes, feeling her pulse quicken.

“Not yet,” she said, the catch in her voice giving her away.

His teasing was more dangerous than she thought.

It was like everything he said made her feel he was on the verge of more than a joke.

It was addicting and unsettling. “I’m glad you stuck around.

” It was the closest she’d come to admitting how much she liked him.

“Something on your mind?” Beck asked, catching the shift in her expression, the doubt creeping in.

She shook her head. “Nope. You?”

“Nothing but you, Mayor Hollis.” The casual flirtation in his voice was impossible to read.

“You don’t say.” An edge of tension tugged at the edges of their light banter.

“Just for the summer.”

“Good save, Beck.” Caroline tapped her pen restlessly, unsure if his cool exterior was an act, or who he really was.

He stood from his chair, the sudden movement breaking the charged atmosphere. “So, back to work? ”

“Back to work.” She set her lips in a determined line, fighting the way their chemistry kept derailing her meticulous plans.

“Let me know when you find a sea creature,” Beck called as he headed towards the door. “I know you’ll put it on your schedule somewhere.”

As she watched him leave, her father’s voice echoed in her head: Caroline, you need more than a cat and a house. Get out. Find romance.

Is this really what it was?

It had been ages since she had felt an attraction to anyone, and now she was unsure if she could even recognize it anymore.

The ambiguity gnawed at her, leaving her on edge.

It felt like she had left the door ajar, inviting the unpredictable chaos of the world to flood in without warning, yet part of her longed for it.

“Beck?” Caroline called softly as he paused at the door, turning on his heel to face her. “Yeah?” he responded, curiosity clear in his voice.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asked, her tone casual but with a hint of anticipation.

“Why?” He raised an eyebrow, teasing slightly. “Are you interested in going over the latest iteration of the Bluebell Bay visitor’s website?”

“No,” she replied, a smile playing on her lips. “You did a great job.”

“We’re lucky my niece loves computer stuff,” he chuckled. “So, what did you want to do?”

“I thought since we’ve done a lot of work …” She glanced at the scattered papers on her desk. “We are ahead of our project plan.”

“Uh-huh,” he nodded, intrigued.

“It might be a good chance to take advantage of some of the free time you mentioned.”

“Free time?”

“I thought since Gigi didn’t drop a casserole off to you today, maybe I could make you dinner,” she suggested.

“Are you inviting me to your house, Hollis?” Beck asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“That’s where my stove is,” she admitted with a playful shrug. “I have a cat, but you can bring Quint.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he replied, his smile spreading into a reckless grin which sent a flutter through her stomach, and she realized just how easy it would be to fall for him.