Free Starfish Island by Deborah Brown Page A

for a date. Don’t worry, I can be a perfect gentleman. What woman can resist my boyish charm?”
    “Jake—” Cecilia’s eyes flitted over to Michael. “—you don’t even know her. And what happened to Maybelline?”
    Jake threw his head back and laughed as if he knew something she didn’t. “Sadly, we parted ways,” he said. “Why is it so hard to believe that I’m not that little boy you used to boss around?”
    “You might think about giving Nicole a chance to settle in. It would be awkward if she turned out to be one of your two-date women,” Cecilia said before she turned to Michael, knowing he’d have something to add. “What do you think?”
    “I think if you touch her, I’ll break your arm,” he said, and smiled.
    “I may just give you a bit of competition, brother. Makes life more interesting,” Jake challenged.
    Cecilia smiled, thrilled that she hadn’t guessed wrong about Michael’s intentions toward Nicole. Him throwing that comment out to Jake certainly made his interest in Nicole clear to the family.
    “I was beginning to wonder if you’d noticed her at all,” Jake said, eyeing him. “You were frigid to her even after she apologized for almost sending you to an early grave.” Cecilia picked up on the challenging note in Jake’s voice and knew Michael wouldn’t miss it.      
    “The woman herself told me she’d be going to the club tonight with Ellis Sadler. Are you sure he won’t flip when you cut in on his date? I’m sure you will when I do it to you,” Michael said, the laughter in his eyes challenging Jake.
    “Ellis is a pain in the ass. It would be my pleasure to ruin his evening,” Jake replied. “You know he’s not good enough for Nicole.”
    “That’s enough of this conversation,” Michael said flatly.
    “I recognize your I’ve-heard-enough voice. You and I both know from firsthand experience that Ellis is trouble, especially when he dislikes you—which means our family. I’ll warn anyone who’ll listen to watch their back,” Jake said.
    “There’s no shame in being bested in a court case when you acted honorably. You did the best you could for your client. Proud of you. Who knew Ellis had an inside edge: a friend-of-a-friend judge. Too bad you only had hearsay and couldn’t connect the dots. Did Cecilia tell you she invited another guest to sit at our table?”
    “Michael, really,” Cecilia protested. “She invited herself.”
    Michael picked up a pile of paperwork from the table and slid out one of the pocket doors onto the terrace.  Cecilia couldn’t even make herself wait for him to close the doors all the way to whisper to Jake, “So, our big brother is interested in Nicole. I sure hope she feels the same.”
 

  
    Chapter Seven
     
    MICHAEL SETTLED IN an overstuffed chaise overlooking the bay. He had insisted Cecilia move back home after the death of her husband, and he was happy he had. She’d taken on the remodel of the backyard, starting with the terrace, with only the help of a local contractor. In his opinion, it was a tremendous success. The work had taken almost six months to complete, but the finished product was worth the wait. Cecilia had created an outdoor living space with a Mexican terra cotta tiled floor, a tiki bar, an impressive kitchen, a fireplace, and comfortable seating that overlooked the pool.
    He took a minute to watch the waves come onshore. Did Nicole appreciate her intoxicating view or did it bore her? He suspected she’d enjoy it. She was, after all, originally from California; sun and water were a way of life.
    He grabbed pillows off the chair, pushing them behind his head, and opened his laptop. He’d had a long conference call with Sebastian Brant earlier, and now there was an email from the man. He’d brought Sebastian into the company a few years ago, and it had turned out to be good for both him and the company. He admired and liked the man and respected his judgment, and he liked having a partner