Winning Her Heart. Harmony Evans

out the words as if she didn’t understand.

      “Care.” He pointed at her with the pen. “Your T-shirt says Ask Me if I Care. So, I’m asking. Do you care?”

      She stared into his eyes, challenging him. “That’s an odd question to ask someone you just met.”

      “Let’s just say, I care about the answer.”

      Smiling, she lifted her chin. “Rub the crystal ball and see.”

      “That old thing is still here?”

      He glanced toward the door surprised that he hadn’t noticed the large glass orb nestled on a gold-columned pedestal near the front of the restaurant when he’d first walked in.

      Locals touched it on their way in or out, hoping it would bring them good luck. He remembered giving the thing a good rub on the night of his senior prom, hoping he’d get lucky with his date. But she’d slapped him in the face when he made his move. He didn’t even make it through the first kiss.

      Over the years, his luck had changed. He had no trouble seducing any woman that he wanted, and Jasmine Kennedy would be no exception.

      He gave her a large tip, and added his phone number before handing the receipt and the pen back to her.

      “What’s that sly grin for?” she asked.

      “Call me and find out.”

      Micah winked and felt her eyes linger on his back as he headed toward the front of the restaurant. He knew she was waiting to see if he would touch the crystal ball.

      But he refused, and sailed right past it. He wasn’t a superstitious man, just a cautious one, and he didn’t believe in magic. Just hard work.

      The sun nearly blinded him when he emerged from the poorly lit restaurant. He’d forgotten his sunglasses in the car, so he shaded his eyes with his right hand and looked across the street at his building.

      There was brown paper on the windows and the scaffolding was up, but no construction workers in sight. Checking his watch, he saw that it was nearly three o’clock. Were they already done for the day?

      He stuck his hands in his pockets and jingled his keys, debating whether to check on the renovation, as he’d originally intended. He was expected for dinner at his family’s beach estate at five o’clock, but wanted to get there early for a relaxing shower and shave.

      Temporary lodging in his boyhood bedroom, he told himself.

      At this point in his life, he just wasn’t sure if his hometown was even worthy of his time, talent and money.

      He traveled regularly, living out of one suitcase, trying new cuisines and meeting new people around the world. He loved his lifestyle too much to be snagged down in one place, with one woman.

      Micah looked back over his shoulder at Lucy’s, and decided to visit his building later that evening, and check out the interior instead. There was a back entrance he could use to avoid attracting attention.

      He got into his convertible and, after verifying that the road was clear, backed out.

      All the way to his parents’ house, he denied that it was because of Jasmine that he had changed his plans.

      * * *

      “My, my, Micah. Talk about afternoon delight!”

      The man had left her a twenty-dollar tip on a ten-dollar meal. She couldn’t decide whether he was a big spender or just trying to leave a big impression. He didn’t need to wave around his money. All he needed to make heads turn was to walk into a room.

      Jasmine hurried to the front of the restaurant. She bumped one of the empty rattan dining chairs to the side with her hip and positioned herself at the window. The gold curtain rings that held red-checkered café curtains pressed against her cleavage as she peeked outside.

      A local construction worker sitting the next table over cackled at her. She ignored him, though she could feel his eyes ogling her miniskirted behind. He’d finished two orders of buffalo chicken wings and a pitcher of beer, and she knew from experience that she’d get nothing from him but trouble.

      “Just one last look. That’s all I need.”

      She clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth.

      Micah Langston was just the break she needed in the middle of a busy day.

      Handsome, sexy and not planning to stick around.

      His clean-shaven, medium brown tone skin was unlined and appeared as smooth as a baby. His nose was a little smaller than she liked, but still fit with his oval-shaped face that angled at his jaws.

      He appeared to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. She didn’t see him pull out any reading glasses, and the piercing way he was looking at her made her think he could see just fine.

      She wondered if the flecks of gray in his close-cut black hair were due to heredity, stress or age. She was twenty-three, so if they hooked up, they would be pretty close in age.

      Those hazel eyes with specks of deep blue had sunk into hers, and she felt a little like when she slipped on her favorite fuzzy socks at night after a long day on her feet—warm, safe and a little thankful.

      Micah had full lips that he knew to close when he munched on his food, unlike some of the customers that ate at Lucy’s. Some of the things she’d seen since arriving at her grandmother’s restaurant made her cringe even now. Just because it was cheap didn’t mean it was okay to leave one’s manners outside.

      The black Audi proved he had terrific taste in cars, and the rental plates screamed just passing through.

      Fine man, he was. Very fine.

      She watched Micah slide his sunglasses over his nose, and check his rearview mirror, but not for his reflection.

      A man that looked like him did not need to check his appearance, Jasmine thought. He was perfect.

      She pressed the palm of her hand to the back of her neck. Her skin was hot, her secret gauge that indicated she was equally hot for a man, double verifying the exquisite pull in her loins that she felt when she first laid eyes on Micah.

      He watched for cars, of which there were some crisscrossing the road, before pulling out onto Magnolia Avenue, heading west toward the beach.

      She sighed and put one hand on her hip, watching until he disappeared.

      “Get away from that window,” her grandmother said, picking up a set of rooster-shaped salt and pepper shakers from an empty booth. “Never let a man know you’re interested.”

      Jasmine turned and plastered an innocent smile on her face. “I’m not interested and besides, he’s gone.”

      “Excuse me, ma’am.”

      She moved out of the way so Donnie, one of the busboys, could clear a table that was recently vacated. His arms stretched here and there removing every dish and piece of silverware into a square plastic tub.

      As soon as he was done, Lucy slapped a wet rag down on the table and started to scrub.

      “Great. A man like Micah Langston is no good for you.”

      Jasmine spotted another patron in the corner gesturing for a check, and hurried over. After she’d run their credit card and provided the receipt, she joined Lucy back behind the bar.

      “What do you mean that Micah is no good for me? I thought the Langstons were a little like royalty in this town.”

      Lucy cocked a brow. “Just because Gregory is the mayor?”

      Jasmine shrugged, placing a used beer glass on a tray under the bar.

      Two years ago, Jasmine had graduated with honors from Tulane University with a degree in business administration, and a minor in accounting. Because of her strong internship history, she was lucky enough to land a job with