The Chocolate Garden (Dare River Book 2) by Ava Miles Page A

lobby, and Amelia Ann caught the appraising glances from the women in the lobby.
    He held the door open for her. When they reached the front of the building, he stopped her with a hand to her back. It was a brief touch, but it shot desire down her legs.
    “I have to leave you now,” he said. “What did you want to ask me?”
    She boldly raised her eyes to his. “You dancing away?”
    “If you must know, I need to follow up on the tabloid leak.”
    “You what?” she gasped, stumbling backward until she bumped into someone on the street.
    His hand shot out to steady her. “We have a promising lead on finding out who it is, so don’t you worry. We’re going to nail whoever spilled your family’s business to Gunner Nolan.”
    They hadn’t stopped looking? “But—”
    “What did you want to know, Amelia?”
    The shocking news had wiped her mind clean, and she had to shake herself to regain composure. “Did you arrange for Jared to hire me?”
    Something flashed in his eyes. “Why would you ask that?”
    “That’s not an answer. I thought it was J.P., but now I’m not so sure.”
    He drew out his phone, breaking eye contact. “No need to overthink it, darlin’. You’re here, and you’re enjoying yourself. That’s all that counts. Now, I need to run.”
    “Running seems to be something you’ve mastered.”
    “Picking at me isn’t going to make me ‘dance’ with you, Amelia, so you might want to stop.”
    The sun was bright, and they were standing a stone’s throw from the street with people passing them in a steady hum.
    “Afraid I’m not woman enough for you?” she threw out.
    For one instant, his gaze burned her, and then she knew… She could feel the control he was exerting over himself. Could see it in the tenseness of his muscles. God, he wanted to pounce. But he didn’t say a word.
    With great deliberation, he tucked his phone inside his pocket and drew out his sunglasses, hiding those shuttered gray eyes from her.
    “Miz Hollins, I know you’re not woman enough. You’ve just put aside your pigtails and Mama’s dictates, and even if you weren’t my best friend’s sister, I wouldn’t ‘dance’ with you if the world was coming to an end. Don’t make me tell you again.”
    He walked off then, leaving her standing on the street.
    Her gut, which she’d come to trust, told her he was lying. He was attracted to her. She might be inexperienced, but she’d had men look at her with desire before. Desire was a tame word for what he’d shown her in that unguarded moment, but she’d seen it. Was encouraged by it.
    The traffic continued to rush by, and she forced his comment about the leak to the back of her mind. No good could come of it, but she couldn’t waste time worrying about that. She turned and looked at the building where she now worked. Ran her hands down her navy blue linen suit. Smoothed her long blond hair.
    All her life she’d been told what she could and couldn’t have.
    Until last summer when she’d broken out of her shell and said she wanted to be a lawyer and not the simpering, Southern debutant her mama wanted.
    Clayton couldn’t tell her what she couldn’t have—even if it was him.
     

Chapter 9
     

    As Tammy pulled through John Parker McGuiness’ unobtrusive wooden gates, the memories of their lovely meal together played in her mind. There was so much she liked and admired about him. For one thing, few adults seemed to know how to talk to kids, least of all listen, but he always listened to her kids. Heck, he listened to everyone, she’d noticed. Including her. And he was a good and loyal friend to her brother.
    She wanted him, plain and simple.
    What in the world was she supposed to do about that? She knew she wasn’t ready for a relationship yet, and she didn’t know when she would be.
    While landscaping John Parker’s grounds, she’d be working in close proximity to him for weeks, which would only make things worse, but Tammy couldn’t pass up this