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  As Gabe continued to look at Parnell, he thought it wasn’t every day that the man who headed his forty-man work team traded in his jeans and work shirt for a suit and tie. “Just relax, you’re doing fine. All we need is to put in an appearance for Mr. Landmark’s benefit, and then we can split. I don’t know about you, but I’m still feeling the effects of jet lag.”

  Parnell’s grin widened. “Same here, and besides that, I’d like to get back to the hotel to call and check on the girls.”

  Gabe nodded in understanding. Parnell’s wife had been killed in a car accident three years ago, and he was raising their four-year-old twin daughters alone. As far as Gabe was concerned, he was doing a fantastic job of it, and Gabe couldn’t help but admire and respect the man. He was a dedicated father as well as a hardworking foreman who was well thought of by the men who worked for him. He was an easy-going sort of guy, stern when he had to be but always fair.

  At thirty-eight Parnell had been working for the company at least ten years, first starting out when Gabe’s father was running things. He’d been promoted to head foreman two years ago, a position he had definitely earned. Because of his expertise, work ethics and attention to detail, there was no doubt that every building the Regency Corporation constructed was sturdy, safe and sound.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do with the girls while you’re working out here?” Gabe asked.

  Parnell smiled and replied, “Yes. I’m moving them out here with me. There’s no way I can be separated from them for that long period of time. Although I know my parents wouldn’t have a problem keeping them while I’m here, they’re my responsibility. They are my life.”

  Gabe knew the girls being Parnell’s life was the truth. Other than work, everything else he did was centered on his daughters. And although he’d never mentioned it, Gabe had a strong feeling Parnell hadn’t dated since his wife’s death.

  “Before I leave to return to Detroit, I plan to interview this older woman who is interested in a position as a live-in baby-sitter and housekeeper,” Parnell said a few minutes later. “The manager at the hotel gave me her name, and she comes highly recommended. I also need to find us a place to stay.”

  Gabe nodded. He, too, had to check into temporary housing for his men as well as a place for himself. For lunch tomorrow, he and Parnell were scheduled to meet with John Landmark. Christopher would be flying in for that meeting but would immediately fly out afterward. He was heavily involved with working on a bid to present to the Marriott Corporation for another hotel they planned to build in West Palm Beach.

  Gabe checked his watch. “Let’s mingle for a few minutes longer; then we can leave.”

  “That sounds good to me.”

  A man who came up and introduced himself as a local Realtor who’d heard he was interested in leasing a home snagged Parnell’s attention.

  Suddenly finding himself alone, Gabe glanced around at the collection of people in attendance. He’d been introduced to several of them, all important people in the Anchorage community. Deciding to step out on the patio for a bit of fresh air, he moved toward the French doors. As he passed a hall, he couldn’t help but notice a woman whose reflection was picked up on the wall mirror in front of him. He stopped, totally captured by what he saw.

  He turned his head to see the actual woman, and the first word that came to his mind was magnificent. There was something about her, the way she was standing or perhaps the smile she had on her face—or perhaps the sparkle in her eyes while conversing with the man and woman beside her—that radiated confidence and self-assurance. A confident, self-assured woman outside of the bedroom meant a confident, self-assured woman inside the bedroom. He liked that. What man wouldn’t? Confident women knew what they wanted, what they liked and what they needed. They weren’t into playing games. They meant what they said and said what they meant. And they didn’t do anything half-stepping, including blowing a man’s mind while making love.

  And more importantly, a confident, self-assured woman didn’t carry around excess emotional baggage. She knew how to let go. She was secure enough in herself not to worry about things she would consider as trivial. She knew not to sweat the small stuff.

  Gabe felt a tightness coil deep within his stomach as he continued to watch her. Something about her set her apart from the woman standing next to her who was also attractive. It could have been the striking combination of her dark almond skin, the medium brown coloring of her hair and the whiskey coloring of her eyes. Or it could just as well have been the outfit she had on, a stunning silk pantsuit whose teal color seemed to capture the essence of the light in the room and enhance everything about her. Whatever the reason, she looked absolutely sensuous, sexy and breathtaking.

  As all those thoughts raced through his mind, he suddenly felt something that didn’t make sense. He felt some sort of a connection to her, a link, which in itself was crazy since he didn’t know the woman. And surprisingly, the connection wasn’t sexual. If anything, it was protective, which really gave him pause. Why would he feel a protective instinct for a woman he had never seen before?

  His heart stuttered slightly, and he shook his head, thinking for a quick, unexplainable moment that he’d lost it, and he could only assume the reason was that he’d been working a lot lately. But still he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

  He inhaled deeply, disappointedly so, when his gaze captured her hand as she lifted a stemmed wine goblet to her lips. Not only was she confident and self-assured, but she was also taken. He knew an engagement ring when he saw one. He was not surprised and considered whoever had placed that ring on her finger a very lucky man as well as a very smart one. You didn’t let a woman of this caliber stay single for long. Yet even realizing that she was spoken for couldn’t stop the heat from shimmering in his gaze as he looked at her, glad she was unaware of him staring, and grateful for his unobstructed view.

  “Have we mingled enough yet, Gabe?”

  Gabe turned when Parnell walked up with an anxious look on his face. Giving the woman one final look, Gabe turned and smiled at Parnell and said, “Yes, we can leave now.”

  *  *  *

  At sixty-two, John Landmark looked every bit the wealthy real estate tycoon that he was. An imposing figure with a larger-than-life height of six-five, he stood at the podium demanding attention as he spoke. And he was getting it from the group he had assembled, all key players in his next huge financial venture.

  His dark black hair was thick and sprinkled with silver. The touch of gray added dimension to the man who had spent years increasing his vast holdings with the chain of department stores, hotels and shopping malls he owned around the country. The ski lodge outside Anchorage would be the first of its kind for his company. Anyone who’d ever spent any time with him knew he never did anything half measure. He always chose the best, and he felt the people sitting at the luncheon tables were that and more. Especially since their companies had been handpicked by him.

  Any further words John Landmark was saying took a backseat in Gabe’s mind as his gaze lit on the woman sitting a few tables over. She was the same woman from the party last night, and she looked just as good today as she had then. And for whatever it meant, that protective instinct he’d felt was still there, and he tried to immediately dismiss it.

  She suddenly glanced his way and smiled briefly, a friendly gesture—not intended to be anything more—since her gaze and attention automatically returned to Mr. Landmark.

  “Take your damn eyes off that woman and pay attention, Blackwell.”

  Christopher had leaned close to him and whispered the direct order for his ears only. Having been caught, he could only smile and nod.

  At the end of the luncheon, Gabe felt compelled to walk over and hold a conversation with the woman who had stood and introduced herself to everyone as Sage Dunbar, promotional manager at the Denmark Groups’ North Carolina office in Charlotte. Engaged or not, she had stirred his interest from the moment he had
seen her last night. He’d been surprised as hell when she had walked into the room today. And he’d been given the chance to witness something he hadn’t seen last night—her walk.

  It had been sensuality in motion, a real sight to behold, as she’d made a graceful yet confident stride across the room to the table where other members of her company were sitting. That subtle movement of her body had revealed curves even the conservative navy blue business suit that she wore couldn’t hide.

  Her short laugh reeled his thoughts back in as it captured his attention, floating like whipped cream across the room, seemingly deliberately right to him. He saw the perfect opportunity to approach her when the same man and woman who’d been with her last night walked away, leaving her alone to gather her things off the table. After placing items in her briefcase, it was at that moment that she looked up and glanced his way and saw him staring at her.

  Again her smile was one of friendliness, nothing more, nothing less. There was definitely nothing flirty about it. And then to his surprise, after closing her briefcase, she began walking toward him.

  Just as earlier, her walk literally turned him on. Maybe it had to do with the confidence her walk alluded to. Or it might have been the air about her, one that indicated she didn’t have a worry in the world, and that she liked who she was, what she was, and that whatever was going on in her life—her man, her family, her career—couldn’t be better.

  He remembered feeling that same way last year when everything in his life seemed to be going right for a change. The Regency Corporation had been awarded the Landmark deal, Christopher had fallen in love and gotten married, and it was last year that he’d met Debbie and their sex-only relationship had begun.

  All thoughts of Debbie fled from his mind when Sage Dunbar came to a stop in front of him. Her name was as uncommon as the woman herself, and he was looking forward to hearing the history behind it.

  “Mr. Blackwell,” she said, holding her hand out to him. “It is indeed an honor to meet you, and I look forward to working with you and Mr. Chandler on the Landmark Project, even on a temporary basis.” Her smile widened. “For which I have the big job of finding a suitable name to market.”

  The first thought that came to Gabe’s mind was that her voice was just as sexy as her walk. He took the hand she offered, liking the feel of it in his, soft and tender. All too soon he had to release it. “And which I’m sure that you’ll be able to do, Ms. Dunbar,” he said, feeling completely comfortable in returning her smile.

  She gestured in agreement as though it would be a sure thing. Again, he liked her confidence. After glancing around the room, she said, “I had wanted to meet Mr. Chandler before he left.”

  Gabe nodded. “Yes, well, unfortunately he had to leave immediately. There are business matters needing his attention back in Detroit.”

  Now it was Sage’s turn to nod. “I wanted to take the opportunity to congratulate the both of you on your accomplishments and successes. I’ve read about them in Black Enterprise, Essence and a few other magazines and newspapers. I think it was special for Mr. Chandler to return to his hometown of Savannah and turn the low-income housing project where he once lived as a child into a brand-new affordable housing project. And for you to donate so much of what you made off the Landmark Project to the Tom Joyner Foundation to provide scholarships for the historically black colleges. As you can see I am definitely an admirer of you both.”

  Gabe chuckled. “And such a beautiful admirer.”

  “Thank you.”

  She had accepted his compliment easily, and he could tell it hadn’t gone to her head. But then, he was certain that she probably received numerous such compliments.

  “Since you work in Charlotte, can I assume you live there as well?”

  “Yes, I’ve lived there all my life, at least since the age of two. I was born in Chantilly, Virginia. My parents moved to Charlotte when my father’s company relocated.”

  “And what type of business is he in?”

  “Banking. He worked his way up from a bank teller to his present position of bank executive. It took him almost twenty years to get to the top, but he did it.”

  Gabe nodded, hearing admiration in her voice for her father’s accomplishment. Deciding to get to the meat of the meal, the one thing holding him back from pursuing her, he asked, “And your fiancé? What does he do?”

  If she was surprised by his question, she didn’t show it. “He’s a landscape architect and owns a company. Right now he’s operating on a regional level; but it’s his dream to one day go national, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll succeed. He’s good at what he does.”

  Gabe could hear total admiration in her voice for her fiancé as well. “You sound like a woman who loves her man and believes in his abilities.”

  She met his gaze and without blinking an eye grinned and said, “I am and I do.”

  Gabe smiled. That one statement said it all. He had watched her facial features while she’d said it. She was a woman in love and didn’t mind making it obvious. In his lifetime he’d met a number of women who, at certain times and in certain places, forgot they had a fiancé or even a husband. Sage Dunbar was not one of those women, and that thought gave him pause. He would love to meet the man that elicited such loyalty from her. His respect for her went up another notch, as well as his envy of the man who had undoubtedly stolen her heart.

  “How long do you plan to be in Anchorage?” he asked. Although the thought of pursuing a relationship with her was out of the question, there was no reason why he couldn’t enjoy her company since he knew where he stood.

  “If everything goes as planned, I’ll be able to leave tomorrow, which is earlier than I had expected. I had hoped my fiancé would be able to join me here and we could extend my time to take in some of the sights, but after talking with him last night, it seems that won’t be the case. He’s tied up with business negotiations on a particular deal he’s trying to work.”

  A part of Gabe wondered if the man was smart after all. He doubted he would let anything, including business, keep him from spending time with this woman. “Then, how about joining me and my foreman, Parnell Cabot, for dinner. And if Rose Woods is free, I’d also like to invite her to join us as well.”

  Sage’s smile widened. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwell, for the invitation. I’ll check with Rose Woods to see if she’s free tonight. As for myself, I’d love to join you and Mr. Cabot.”

  “Thank you, and please call me Gabe.”

  “All right, Gabe, and I’m Sage.”

  “Sage,” he repeated, liking the way it sounded off his lips. “I’m sure there’s a story behind your name.”

  She chuckled. “Yes, a rather short and simple one. My grandmother had three sons who each gave her a granddaughter in the same year. She was bestowed with the task of naming the three of us and decided to do so after her favorite spices. She claimed we would be the spice of her life. Ginger lives in Florida, and Cinnamon resides out west in California.”

  Gabe couldn’t help but chuckle. “And of the three who’s the oldest?” he asked, intrigued with the story.

  Her eyes sparkled. “We’re all twenty-six. Cinnamon’s birthday is in March, mine is in August and Ginger’s in October.”

  Gabe nodded as he continued smiling. “There’s a story behind my name as well,” he said as his smile widened into a grin. “My mother named me Gabriel thinking that if she did so, I would most certainly grow up to be an angel. Needless to say, by my first birthday she discovered just how wrong she was.”

  *  *  *

  Later that evening, after coming out of one of the stalls in the women’s bathroom, Rose glanced around, then stooped down to check to make sure she and Sage were alone before joining her at the sink to wash her hands. “Gabe Blackwell likes you, Sage.”

  Sage glanced over at Rose as she dried her hands. “And I like him.”

  Rose raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I don’t think you fully understand what
I mean, Sage. I mean he really likes you. He hasn’t taken his eyes off you practically all evening.”

  Sage decided not to let Rose know that on several occasions she’d noticed him looking at her as well. “He knows I’m engaged to be married.”

  “That means nothing to some men.”

  Sage smiled. “I believe it means something to him. He doesn’t appear to be the type of man who’d waste his time on a lost cause.”

  Rose wondered if it was truly a lost cause. For someone getting married, Sage wasn’t showing the enthusiasm she would expect of a bride-to-be. “All I’m saying, my spice of a friend, is that I notice some interest on his part, although I agree, chances are since you’re engaged he won’t make a move to hit on you.”

  Sage adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “Well, my flower of a friend, you aren’t the only one noticing things tonight. I happen to notice your gaze kept straying to Parnell Cabot more than once.”

  Rose snorted as she dried her hands. “Yeah, but that was before I found out it would be a waste of my time to get interested.”

  “Why? I think he’s an extremely nice person and is pretty good-looking.”

  Rose stated, “Yes, being nice and good-looking has nothing to do with it.”

  “Is there a reason you feel that way?”

  “Didn’t you hear what he said? The man is a widower with children, four-year-old twin girls to be exact. And I make it a point not to become involved with men with small children.”

  Now it was Sage’s time to raise a brow. “Why?”

  Rose leaned against the Formica counter. “Because they’re usually looking for a baby-sitter as well as a bed partner. And usually you find yourself being more of the first than the second.”

  “I can’t see all men being that way.”

  “Yeah, but enough of them are. I can handle being a bed partner, but I prefer just not doing men with small kids.”

  Sage nodded and deep down felt there was more to it than that, something Rose wasn’t telling her, but decided to leave it alone by changing the subject. “As much as I think Anchorage is a real pretty area, I’m looking forward to going home tomorrow, aren’t you?”