Read Online The Bouquet List by Barbara Deleo - Free Book Online

definitely not a go-get-’em businessman like Lane; more hardworking tradesman with an air of his own sexiness.
    “Hey, Yasmin.” Paulo took her hand and held it a second or two longer than was natural. He pushed the glasses onto his forehead and looked her directly in the eyes. “I bet this place has seen its fair share of romance, and with someone as beautiful as you in charge, how could it not?”
    That was a line. Yes, that was definitely a pickup line. Yasmin’s gaze skidded to Lane as she felt the heat crawling up her neck.
    “Well, it would see romance, wouldn’t it, being a wedding venue?” Lane said with a snort. He pulled out a chair for Yasmin, then sat next to her and indicated one on the other side of him for Paulo.
    “This is a great old building,” Paulo said when they were all seated. “I performed here once at a wedding.” He had the tiniest hint of an accent.
    “You’re a singer?” she asked. He was almost too beautiful, and although he kept eye contact with her the whole time, she found her gaze shifting back to Lane.
    “No, a dancer. I teach salsa in my spare time, and the bride and groom had come for lessons.” He winked. “The bridesmaids were all keen on a demonstration after the first dance.”
    Lane cleared his throat and was laying papers on the table in front of them.
    “Oh, I love salsa! Do you teach in town? I’ve been thinking about dance lessons.” Three birds with one stone? Her list raced through her head: learn a new language; tall, dark, and handsome; learn to dance.
    Paulo reached into his pocket and took out a card. “Please give me a call and we can arrange something.”
    She took the card and put it in her pocket.
    “We’re going to be far too busy in the next few weeks for there to be any dancing…or any sort of fooling around.” Lane didn’t look at either of them, just pulled his chair in and spread the papers wider, a small frown on his forehead. “I’d appreciate it if I could have your attention. I’ve been thinking that one of the first things we should do is change the floor covering. I’ve used good marble…”
    That comment about not fooling around was a direct result of her father asking Lane to look out for her, she was sure of it.
    “Marble sounds good,” she said, leaning a little closer to the papers on the table trying to hide her irritation. “But wouldn’t that be really expensive?”
    “I have some left over from one of my jobs, and because Paulo owes me labor, we could do it reasonably cheaply.”
    “It sounds great. Very Mediterranean and a little opulent as well.” At least he wasn’t marching Paulo out of the place. “It would certainly step up the feel of the Palace, look a little more like some of the wedding venues in those brochures.”
    “It would be great for dancing,” Paulo said and when she looked up he gave her a secret wink. He really was flirting with her, and part of her hoped that Lane had seen it.
    “I was more concerned about it being easy to clean and functional than its suitability as a dance floor.” Lane pulled out a brochure full of wall coverings. “We may change the acoustic tiles, as it’ll be noisier with chairs being pushed in and out. These tiles would work.”
    “I was thinking about that.” Yasmin leaned closer to the brochure and smelled freshly laundered shirt and male body beneath. Remembering his date tonight caused a sudden pang in her chest. He’d rejected her outright last night, there was no getting away from that, and she was going to have to imagine him with another woman, even if he did make it seem like they’d just be talking business.
    “Or,” Paulo chipped in, “we could find artworks to hang, something with a modern Greek theme.”
    “I have a few ideas,” she said.
    “Go ahead,” Lane said.
    “What if we changed the current tables and chairs to long tables and bench seats? It would make it more communal, more fun and funky, and could work equally as well on