Need You for Mine (Heroes of St. Helena) by Marina Adair Read Free Book Online Page B

taste of judgment and smiled. “We get a lot of tourists, bridal parties, bachelorette parties, and groups of girlfriends up for a weekend of wine tasting. Our focus is to become the number one destination for bridal parties and girls’ days out in wine country, and cash in on the twenty- to thirty-something weekend wine tasters.” Harper stood and draped one of Lulu Allure’s biggest sellers over herself, as if she were one of those sexy and sophisticated twenty- to thirty-something weekend wine tasters. “Our new look and the Tempting Tastings parties are going to get us there.”
    “I love what you’ve done with the shop, this room here, and the front window. And I absolutely adore the Tempting Tastings concept.” It was said as if she also absolutely adored Harper. As if Harper was reason enough for Chantel to say yes, and that she wanted to move forward with their relationship.
    And that felt good.
    So good, Harper actually blushed a little. “Thank you.”
    “I have to be honest, though.” Chantel set the wine down without even tasting it, and Harper felt her blush instantly blanch. She clutched the bra and panty to her as tremors of a big but that would no doubt rock the Boulder Holder loose shook the room—and her misplaced confidence. “I’m only here in person because we’ve had such a long-standing relationship with this shop. The team back home has strong concerns with having the Boulder Holder as our exclusive dealer in this territory—”
    “Clovis was the first store in the state to carry Lulu Allure. She has always been a loyal client,” Harper quickly pointed out, trying her best to remain calm, but she felt the garments in her hands droop. “In fact, between online and in-store sales, more than a third of the product we sell is Lulu Allure.”
    “A third of sales in a small-town shop is quite different from a third of sales in our boutique on Wilshire Boulevard.”
    “The Boulder Holder recently moved to the other end of Main Street, which caused some issues with foot traffic.” She tried to keep the desperate edge out of her voice. “But the storefronts in this area have filled up, foot traffic has increased as you can see, and come August, when the harvest is in full swing and wedding parties flood to the valley, the tourists will outnumber the residents ten to one.”
    “I’m sure they will, but it’s not the foot traffic I’m the most concerned about. It’s brand protection. There’s a reason Louis Vuitton can’t be purchased at Walmart.” Chantel softened her voice in that apologetic way that gave Harper heartburn. “Look, Lulu Allure is grateful for everything Clovis has done for us over the years, but we are expanding, taking our brand in a new direction with our fall line, and your clientele is not our target.”
    Harper felt her stomach tighten. “But our online customers are your exact target. Young, edgy movers and shakers of wine country and the greater Bay Area. During the tourist season we are flooded with dot-commers, Hollywood expats, and of course the Silicon Valley elite.”
    Chantel took in a deep breath and met Harper’s gaze. Harper wasn’t sure what the woman was looking for, but she gave her best smile, and then, remembering that sexy is a state of mind, pictured herself how she’d felt the other night—her hair down, her lips swollen, and Adam whispering her name—and lifted that lingerie set back up.
    “Another show and I didn’t get a call? I gotta say, sunshine, I’m hurt.”
    Harper spun around and found Adam standing in the doorway to the room, dressed in his fitted SHFD blues, displaying his tanned skin and lethal dimples, looking like the cover of a sexy fireman calendar.
    Which he actually was.
    He was also sipping on a to-go coffee cup while watching Harper model the bra-and-panty set. The spark in his baby blues said he liked what he saw—and suddenly Harper saw the power of sexy is a state of mind in action.
    One grin from him and