An Honourable Seduction

“Wonderful. I think your mother will like it.”

“I’m sure she will. What about earrings?”

She lifted a brow. “Earrings?”

“Yes. Do earrings come with the necklace?”

“No, but I can make you some.”

He’d been hoping she’d say that. “When?”

“It will take me a couple of days. The cruise ship docks tomorrow, so the shop will be busy. Two days from now will work for me, unless you need them sooner.”

“No, I can wait. My mother’s birthday is next month.”

He would have an excuse to return to her shop.

Flipper watched her open the case and pull out the necklace. He knew his mother was going to love it.

“If you don’t mind, please complete this ticket,” she said. “And I will need full payment for the earrings before I make them.”

“That’s no problem,” he said, taking the document from her.

After he completed the form, he handed it back to her. She glanced at it. “So you’re from Texas?”

“Yes. Dallas. Ever been there?”

“Yes, once. I thought it was a nice city.”

“It is. I was born and raised there.”

“And what brought you to Key West?” she asked him.

“Work, at least for the next thirty days.” That wasn’t a total lie.

“Hurricane relief?”

“Something like that.”

“You’re military?”

“At one point but not now.” He would let her think he was no longer military.

“I knew immediately.”

He lifted a brow. “How?”

She shrugged. “Military men are easily recognized, at least by me.”

“Because your dad is military?”

“He was military. Dad died years ago in the line of duty.”

“I’m sorry.” Flipper was always sorry whenever a fellow soldier lost their life.

“Thank you. Your package will be ready in two days, David. Your mobile number is on the form you completed. If I get to it sooner, I will call you.”

“Two days is fine. I’ll be back.”

“’Bye, David.”

“’Bye, Swan.” He then turned and walked out of the shop.

As much as he wanted to invite her out to lunch today, he knew he couldn’t rush things. He needed to earn her trust, even though he had less than thirty days to prove her innocence and determine who had no qualms about making her look guilty.

* * *

Swan was cheerful that night as she let herself into her home. Sales today had been better than normal. A tour group from New York had converged on the island and they’d come to spend money. She’d been happy to oblige.

Opening a jewelry shop had been a risky business move, but one that had paid off. She’d earned a degree in business management from the University of Miami and returned to the island after college to work as a manager at one of the elite hotels on the island. She’d enjoyed her job but had felt something was missing in her life. She hadn’t been using her jewelry-making talent.

She’d promised her mother on her deathbed that she would find a way to use that talent.

Even after taking care of all her mother’s funeral expenses, there had been more than enough money left to buy a little storefront. It had been a good investment because of its location. Some days were busier than others. This had been one of those busy days.

Now she was ready to wind down for the evening. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and eased her feet into her favorite flats before heading to the kitchen for a glass of wine. As she did so, she couldn’t help but think about her first customer of the day.

David Holloway.

He was a cutie, she had to give him that. And the memory of those eyes had stayed with her most of the day.

David Holloway had come into her shop to buy a birthday gift for his mother. How sweet. His mother was lucky. A lot of men didn’t even remember their mothers’ birthdays. She’d dated quite a few of those men and never developed lasting relationships with any of them. She figured if a man didn’t treat his mother right, then there was no hope for a girlfriend.

As she opened the French doors to step out on the patio, she again remembered those blue eyes and how she’d felt whenever she’d looked into them. No man’s eyes had ever made her feel that way before.

The effect was unsettling.

Okay, so what was wrong with her? Cutie or no cutie, she normally didn’t get caught up over a man. She dated when it suited her, but she would admit that no one had suited her lately. At least not since her best friend, Candy, had left Key West to go live in Boston. Candy had refused to live on the island with her ex and his new wife—the one he’d married before the ink had even dried on the divorce papers.

Refusing to dwell on how shabbily Donald Knoll had treated Candy, Swan looked out at the water. It was calm tonight. When she had evacuated due to the hurricane, she hadn’t known what to expect when she returned. Between her home and her shop, there had been some damage, but not as much as she’d feared.

The thought of losing her home had been devastating. This was where her father had brought her mom after they’d married. This home held so many childhood memories—of her father leaving on his missions as a Navy SEAL, of how happy she and her mother would be whenever he returned.

But then he hadn’t returned.

Swan felt a knot in her throat as she recalled that day. She’d never seen that sparkle in her mother’s eyes again. Swan recalled her mother telling her once that when you met a man who could put that sparkle in your eyes, then you knew he was a keeper.

Swan often wondered if she would ever find her keeper.

She had plenty of time. Besides, she needed to rethink her opinion about men first. If what Don had done to Candy wasn’t enough to keep her single, all Swan had to do was remember William Connors, the businessman she had met while working at the hotel.

At the time, he had convinced her he was a bachelor without a care in the world but claimed that he wanted to make her Mrs. William Connors one day.

For some reason, Candy hadn’t trusted him. She had a friend who worked for a private investigator check him out. Swan had been devastated when the investigation revealed there was already a Mrs. William Connors, along with three Connors children.

William had been playing her. He had been a lesson well learned. Her only regret was that she’d shared her body with him. She’d been young, naive and impressionable. He had been her first and he should not have been.

She was not naive now and she went into relationships with caution and even a little mistrust. Her mother once told her that being mistrustful wasn’t a good thing. Swan knew she would have to learn how to trust again.

She took another sip of wine. Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten there yet.

* * *

“So how did things go, Flipper?”

“Have you met her yet?”

“Does she have a traitorous face or just a pretty one?”

“Do you think you’ll be able to prove she’s innocent?”

Flipper heard the questions coming at him nearly all at once. While unpacking, he had placed his mobile call on speaker to engage in a five-way conversation with his SEAL teammates.

“I think things went rather well, Mac. And yes, I met Swan Jamison today, Viper. I went into her jewelry store to purchase Mom a birthday gift.”

Flipper eased open the dresser drawers to place his T-shirts inside. “She doesn’t have a traitorous face or just a pretty one, Coop. The woman is simply gorgeous. Beautiful beyond belief. And yes, I hope to prove she’s innocent, Bane, because Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin truly believe she is.”

“What do you believe?” Viper asked.

Flipper leaned against the dresser for a minute and thought about Viper’s question. “Too early to tell.”

“Did you ask her out on a date?” Coop wanted to know. They could hear Coop’s two-year-old son, Laramie, chattering in the background.

“No, not yet.” Flipper’s attraction to her had been instant. He’d felt it the moment he looked into her face. Discussing her now wasn’t helping matters. All it did was force him to recall what a beautiful woman she was—a woman he would have to spend time with in order to discover the truth.

“Then how do you plan to see her again if you don’t ask her out?” Mac wanted to know, interrupting Flipper’s thoughts.

“I ordered a pair of earrings to go with the necklace I bought for Mom. She has to make the earrings and I’ll make my move when I pick up my purchases in two days.”

“And if she turns you down?” Viper asked.

“Not an option. I now have less than thirty days to get this all straightened out.”

“We should be there with you, watching your back,” Bane said.

“No, you guys are just where you need to be, which is home with your families. I’ve got this.”

“Well, some of our families don’t appreciate us being home,” Mac grumbled.

Flipper rolled his eyes. They’d all heard the complaints from Mac before. After every extended mission, their teammate went home to an adjustment period, where he would have to get to know his wife all over again and reclaim his position as head of the house. Sometimes the adjustment didn’t go over well. Mac had a strong personality and so did Mac’s wife, Teri. “Do we have to send both you and Teri into the time-out corners?”

“Hell, I didn’t do anything,” Mac exclaimed.

Flipper chuckled. “Yeah, right. You better get your act together, Mac. No other woman is going to put up with your BS.”

“Whatever. So what did you notice about the place today?”

Mac was changing the subject and Flipper decided to let him. “Everything matched the architectural report I was given. Even with the repairs due to the hurricane, there were no major changes. Front door. Back door. High windows. Glass storefront. No video cameras outside. There are several rooms in back. One is being used as a tattoo parlor. I didn’t see the person who runs it. I think I’ll go out tonight and do a little more investigating,” he said, sliding into a black T-shirt.

“Be careful, Flipper,” Viper said. “Although you might not have seen any video cameras, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.”

“I know. That’s why I’m wearing my Pilf gear.”

Everybody knew how much Flipper liked digital technology. In addition to all the futuristic developments the military used, Flipper had created a few of his own high-tech gadgets behind the scenes. Some had been so impressive the federal government had patented them as Pilf gear to be used by the military. Pilf was the name Flip spelled backward. On more than one occasion, Flipper had been offered a position with the Department of Defense’s Research and Development Department and had turned down each offer, saying he loved being a Navy SEAL more.

“We don’t give a damn if you plan to parade around naked tonight, Flipper. Be careful.”

He knew Mac was in his big-brother mode. “Okay, Mac. I hear you and I will be careful.”

“Call to check in when you get back to the hotel tonight,” Bane said.

“It will be late and I wouldn’t want to wake up any babies, kids or a pregnant woman. I’ll text everyone.”

A short while later, wearing undetectable military gear under his clothing, Flipper left his hotel using the stairs.

Two

Two days later, Swan didn’t leave the shop for lunch. Instead she accepted Jamila’s offer to bring her something back from the sandwich shop on the corner. Although she’d tried convincing herself her decision to hang around had nothing to do with the fact that David Holloway would be returning today to pick up his items, she knew it did.

And her anticipation was so bad that every time the door chimed, her heartbeat would kick up a notch, only to slow back down when someone other than him walked in. She checked her watch. The shop would be closing in an hour. What if he didn’t make it before closing time? What if...?

The door chimed, and her heart nearly stopped when David Holloway walked in.

She’d told herself the man hadn’t really looked as good as she remembered from that first day, but now she saw that he did. In fact, today he looked even better than she remembered. Maybe it had something to do with the unshaven look. Men with a day-old beard had sex appeal. But it could also be his tan, which indicated he’d probably spent the last couple of days lying in the sun.

If he’d been at the beach, there was a good chance he hadn’t been there alone. But didn’t he say he was in the Keys working?

Why did she care?

She quickly dismissed all those questions from her mind as she continued to watch him walk toward her in a strut that had blood rushing through her veins. His blond hair and blue eyes seemed brighter against his tanned skin. He was deliciousness with a capital D.

But then that capital D could also stand for dangerous if she wasn’t careful. Or it could stand for delusional if she didn’t get control of her senses. Right now, she would play it safe and claim the capital D stood for David. She couldn’t allow herself to think any other way for now, no matter how tempting.

She smiled. “Hello, David.”

“Hi, Swan.”

“Your tan looks nice.”

He chuckled. “So does yours.”

She grinned. “Yes, but mine’s permanent.”

“I know and I like it.”

She didn’t say anything to that because she understood what he was implying. He was letting her know he had no problem with interracial dating. She didn’t have a problem with it either. Neither had her father, although his family had had conniptions about his marriage to Swan’s mother. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, refusing to dwell on an extended family that had never accepted her or her mother.

She reached behind the counter and retrieved a box. “I hope you like the way the earrings came out.” She opened it to show him the final earrings.

“Wow!” He ran his finger over the stone that came closest to matching the color of his eyes. “You’re very gifted.”

“Thank you, and I believe your mother will love them.”

“I’m sure she will. I think I’ve outdone my brothers this time.”

She closed the box and placed it, along with the one containing the necklace, into a shopping bag. “You have brothers?”

“Yes, four of them. I’m the youngest.”

“My goodness. Any sisters?”

“Not a one. Three of my four brothers are married, so I have sisters-in-law. They are the best.”

“And the fourth brother is still single?”

“He’s divorced but has a beautiful little girl. And she’s my parents’ only granddaughter. They have six grandsons.”

“Sounds like a nice family. Is your father still alive?”

“Yes, Dad is still alive. He and Mom own a medical supply store.”

She nodded as she offered him the bag. “Here you are, David. Thanks again for your business.”

He accepted the bag. “Thanks. Now that this is taken care of, there’s something I want to ask you, Swan.”

She lifted a brow. “What?”

“Would you go out to dinner with me tonight?”

* * *

Normally Flipper was good at reading people, but he was having a hard time reading Swan. He definitely needed to remedy that. Although both Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin were convinced of her innocence, the jury was still out for him. He had to remain impartial and deal with the facts, not speculations.

For two nights, he’d searched the area around her shop. Getting inside without triggering her alarm hadn’t been easy, but he’d done it. Once he’d picked up the location of the interior security cameras, it was a small matter to make sure he stayed out of their range and within a certain perimeter until he could deactivate them and do what he needed to.

“Go to dinner with you?”

“Yes.”

She was apparently mulling over his invitation in her mind and he would give her time to do that. He had no problems studying her while he waited for her answer. Today she looked even prettier than the other day. He figured it had to be the lighting in this place.

“Yes, David. I’ll go to dinner with you. You name the restaurant and I’ll meet you there.”

She wasn’t going to give him her address and he had no problem with her being cautious. Little did she know he already knew where she lived and had visited yesterday while she’d been here at her shop. She had a beautiful home on the ocean. Inside it was as neat as a pin with no clutter. She’d even made up her bed before leaving.

“I noticed a restaurant off the pier. Summer Moon. I’ve heard only good things about it since I’ve been here.” And he knew the place was within walking distance from her home.

“Everything you’ve heard is true. Summer Moon is fabulous and one of my favorite eating places. I’d love to join you there. What time?”

“What about seven? Will that be a good time for you?” He figured since it didn’t get dark until close to nine, he wouldn’t have to worry about her walking to the restaurant in the dark. After dinner, he would walk her home or put her in a cab regardless of the fact that she lived only a few blocks away.

“Seven is perfect.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.”

* * *

Swan watched him walk out of the shop.

David had the kind of tush that made a woman want to squeeze it...after doing all kinds of other things with it.

She jumped when fingers snapped in her face. Frowning, she looked at Jamila. “What did you do that for?”

“To keep you from having an orgasm in the middle of your shop.”

Swan rolled her eyes. Jamila, the attractive twenty-two-year-old green-eyed blonde, evidently thought reaching a climactic state was that easy. “It would take more than ogling a man for that to happen, Jamila.”

“I don’t know. Your eyes were about to pop out of their sockets and your breathing sounded funny.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“Denial can be good for the soul, I guess. So who is he?”

Swan and Jamila had more than an employer-and-employee relationship. Their friendship had started when Jamila first moved to the island a couple of years ago and patronized Swan’s. It didn’t take long to discover that Jamila liked nice things and decided Swan’s was one of her favorite places to shop. Last year, Jamila had been looking for work after she lost her job as a day cruise ship captain.

As far as Swan was concerned, it hadn’t been Jamila’s fault when an intoxicated customer had tried coming on to her and she’d kicked him in the balls. Surgery had to be performed and the man had sued the ship company. They’d settled out of court but not before firing Jamila for all the trouble she’d caused.

Jamila had gotten an attorney herself so she could not only sue her former employer for an unfair firing but also sue the intoxicated customer. To avoid negative publicity, her former employer wanted to settle out of court with her as well. The intoxicated customer was also trying to settle since the woman he’d been with on the ship hadn’t been his wife. If things worked out in Jamila’s favor, she wouldn’t need a job at Swan’s much longer.

“He is a customer who came into the shop a couple of days ago to buy a gift for his mother.”

“His mother and not his wife?”

“He says his mother.”

Jamila snorted. “Men lie all the time.”

How well she knew, Swan thought. Then she wondered why Jamila was men-bashing today. This wasn’t the first comment of that type she’d made since arriving to work. Her boyfriend had come to town a couple of days ago with the cruise ship, right? So what was going on?

Swan decided not to ask. She didn’t want to hear another sad story about a man that would ruin her date tonight with David. It was a date she was definitely looking forward to. She figured going out to dinner with him wouldn’t be risky as long as she kept things in perspective.

She knew what could happen if she let her guard down when it came to a man.

* * *

Flipper deliberately arrived at Summer Moon early so he could see when Swan arrived. His stomach felt floaty the moment she turned the corner from the street where she lived.

Be still, my...everything.

She was wearing a printed sundress and a pair of high-heeled sandals, but what caught his attention—and was still holding it tight—were her long shapely legs that seemed to go on forever. He would love to see where they stopped under that dress. He forced that thought to the back of his mind.

But the closer she got, the more that thought wiggled back to the forefront. He shouldn’t let it. He was on assignment and she was the subject of an investigation. He shouldn’t see her as temptation. Letting his guard down around her could be a dangerous and costly mistake. He had to keep his head screwed on straight, no matter how innocent she seemed and how beautiful she was, and she was definitely one gorgeous woman.

Men, even some with female companions, were giving Swan second looks, and Flipper tried to downplay his anger. He had no right to be upset about other men checking her out when he was checking her out himself. The best thing to do to control his crazy reaction was to stop looking at her, so he glanced down at his bottle of beer and thought about the reports he’d finished reading a short while ago on her employee and her tenant.

Jamila Fairchild had worked for Swan for a year. He knew all about her former job as a captain of a day cruise ship, why she’d gotten fired and her litigation against not only her former employer but also the man who’d caused the ruckus in the first place. Naval intelligence hadn’t left any stone unturned in Ms. Fairchild’s report and she’d come up clean. Flipper would verify that she was.

Then there was Rafe Duggers, the tattoo artist. Although his parlor was located inside Swan’s shop, there was a back door for his customers to use without entering through the jewelry shop. Flipper hadn’t gotten a chance to look around the tattoo parlor and he intended to do another visit in a few days. Rafe was too squeaky-clean to be true.

No wonder naval intelligence was trying to point the finger at Swan. After all, it was her shop and they had somehow traced activity as originating there. But how? When? He hadn’t found anything.

He had searched Swan’s office, the small kitchen in the back, the bathrooms and another room that she used as a workshop where she made her jewelry. He’d come up with nothing, even after checking out her computer. So what were the grounds for accusing her?

Flipper’s mind flicked back to Swan and he stood when the waiter escorted her to his table. “Hello, Swan. You look nice.”

“Thanks and so do you. I was trying to be early and you still beat me here,” she said, sitting down across from him.

“I was thirsty,” he said, sitting back down and indicating the beer. Now that she was here and sitting directly across from him, he was more than thirsty. If he wasn’t careful, he could have a full-fledged attack of desire. She had a pair of beautiful shoulders and her skin appeared soft and smooth to the touch.

Then his mind drifted to wanting her and he quickly snatched it back. “You walked here. Does that mean you live close by?” he asked, deciding it was best to keep the conversation moving.

“Yes, not too far,” she said. He knew she was deliberately being evasive.

The waiter handed him another beer and gave them both menus. “What would like to drink, miss?” the waiter asked her.

“A glass of Moscato please.”

When the waiter left, she glanced over at Flipper before picking up her menu. “You’re not working so hard that you’re not enjoying the Keys, are you?”

“I’m doing a bit of both. I admit the ocean is beautiful tonight.”

She smiled. “I think it’s beautiful every night.”

He nodded as he took another sip of his beer, straight from the bottle. “So are you a native or a transplant?”

“A native. I was born and raised right here on the island in the same house I live in now. My mother never made it to the hospital before I was born.”