Miss Prim and the Maverick Millionaire

by Nina Singh

  “Fishing for compliments, are you?”

  “My ego is a fragile thing.” He held his hand to his chest with mock melodrama.

  That laugh again—he could easily get used to it. “Something tells me you come by compliments quite often,” she said.

  He took a moment to respond, deciding to throw caution to the wind. “Some compliments mean more than others, given the source.”

  She sucked in a breath. He wanted to suck the words back as soon as they’d left his lips. Jenna wasn’t some new acquaintance; he knew better than to sound even remotely flirtatious. Where had that statement even come from?

  They stood side by side now, the party growing ever larger around them, the crowd gradually becoming louder. Cabe waited apprehensively for her response. When she finally did, it wasn’t at all what he was expecting.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Whatever for?”

  “My comment was a bit personal. Inappropriately so, I’m afraid.”

  A jarring sense of disappointment settled in his gut. Jenna was pulling the curtain of propriety between them. She was right to do so, of course. He was the one being foolish enough to let it bother him.

  He turned to face her, though she remained in place and continued to look straight ahead. Definitely uncomfortable. “No need to apologize, Jenna. We’ll be working very closely for quite a while. You can ask me anything. Personal or not. What would you like to know?” Now he’d definitely thrown down the gauntlet. He’d never said those words to anyone else before. What was it about this woman? She was like the smoothest Caribbean rum. Or truth serum.

  “What makes you think I have questions about you?”

  “There’s nothing you’d like to know?”

  Why was he doing this? Why did he want so badly to get her to probe? But he knew the answer. For some bothersome reason he couldn’t explain, he wanted Jenna Townsend to see through his outer demeanor. He wanted her to see the real man beneath the business titles and web articles. For the first time in his life, he wanted a woman to look inside the shell that was Cabe Jordan.

  He wanted her to know the truth: that he was nothing more than a fraud.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  HOW IN THE world had she gotten here?

  Never mind the trip itself. What was she doing here at this boisterous beach party? While Cabe hand-fed her drinks, no less. Of course, she was having fun. But that was hardly the problem.

  No, the problem was her reaction to the man here with her. How aware of him she was. They way her heart had pounded in her chest when he’d taken a sip off the same straw she’d used just an instant before.

  Now he stood inches from her side, goading her to ask him the questions that had been tumbling around in her head. Right. Like she could ever come out and admit just how curious she was about him. Had he sensed her curiosity? Or was he just used to people being inquisitive about him?

  She could swear she felt electricity crackle between them as he waited for her response. Did he feel something also?

  She was a fool. Of course he didn’t. He was a worldly businessman; conversations like this one certainly amounted to nothing more than small talk for someone like him. And here she was with her heart hammering, falling for his charm.

  She shook her head. “I can’t think of anything I’d like to ask,” she lied.

  He looked away but not before she caught the clear flash of disappointment in his eyes. Her heart plunged at his expression and she sucked in a deep breath. She’d clearly let him down with her response.

  That was it. She couldn’t stay. A few more minutes and she was out of here. She turned to tell him so just as a tall man in a silk maroon shirt and well-fitting white pants smacked a hand on Cabe’s shoulder.

  “So I see you’re back, my friend.”

  Cabe turned to greet him and the two men shook hands. Cabe’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Animosity etched his features. She had to wonder if the use of the word “friend” was a bit of a stretch, at least as far as Cabe was concerned.

  The man turned to flash her a megawatt smile. “I see you have the most beautiful woman on the island at your side.”

  Jenna resisted the urge to mock-fan herself. Wow. What a charmer. Cabe’s fake smile turned into an all-out frown.

  He introduced her while the man lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

  “Jenna, this is Maxim Rolff. He’s in charge of the on-site casino.”

  “A true delight to meet you,” Maxim said.

  Maxim was elegant—tall with dark chestnut hair and a thin mustache that would look silly on most men. On him it looked regal and distinguished. She could easily see him charming vacationers to bet significant amounts of their hard-earned money, particularly the women.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said with a polite smile.

  “Jenna is working on the store opening with me,” Cabe told him.

  Maxim winked. “Works with you, does she? Glad to hear it.”

  What was that supposed to mean?

  “I hope I can assume that you’ll be spending a lot of time on our little island,” Maxim said.

  “It looks that way.”

  “Superb. I’d love to show you around the gaming tables while you’re here.”

  Cabe jammed his hands in his pockets. “She’ll be pretty busy, Maxim. We have a lot to do.”

  “Pity. Still, she does need to get to know the resort. And the casino is no small part of it.”

  “I’d love to check it out sometime,” she said and stole a glance at Cabe. His frown had definitely grown. She didn’t think he was even trying to hide it. “If timing allows,” she added.

  Maxim took her hand once more, held it. “We’ll make sure of it. Won’t we, Cabe?”

  “Like I said, we both have a lot to do.”

  Maxim hadn’t torn his gaze off her. “Don’t let him work you too hard, my dear. It would be a shame to waste such beauty without fully appreciating it.”

  Cabe actually snorted. “Are we still talking about the island?” His question had Jenna gasping with surprise.

  Maxim laughed. “Maybe. Maybe not. So what is it exactly that you do for Cabe?”

  “I’m just assisting him with the opening of the new store.”

  Cabe stepped closer to her side, their shoulders almost touching. If Jenna didn’t know better, she’d think he was trying to slightly push her farther away from Maxim. “Modest to a fault. She’s going to be my right hand on this project. By title, she’s my regional manager for the New England area.”

  Maxim lifted an eyebrow in appraisal. “Impressive.”

  She could feel the heat of Cabe’s skin brushing against her shoulder. “Yes, she is.”

  “You’re lucky to have found her,” Maxim added.

  Jenna stiffened in shock as Cabe threw an arm around her shoulder. “Jenna and I have known each other since we were kids. We grew up in the same town.”

  Maxim’s brows lifted. “Ah, so friends as well as colleagues.”

  She couldn’t come up with anything to say. Cabe’s stance was definitely a possessive one. All she could summon was a tight smile.

  “I look forward to seeing more of you, Jenna,” Maxim said. “And please, if you can steal away from your overdemanding boss, stop by my office. I’ll give you the grand tour of all the gaming attractions.” He lifted her hand for another kiss before turning to leave.

  “Well, that was interesting,” she commented as they watched Maxim walk away. Cabe kept his arm on her shoulder for another beat, then dropped it to his side.

  “Interesting is one word for him.”

  She had to laugh. “Do I dare ask what other ones you have for him?”

  “Sure. Cunning. Sly. He’s one to keep
an eye on.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  Cabe accepted a bubbling glass of some kind of fizzy punch from a passing waiter. He offered it to her but she shook her head to decline. Taking a swig, he threw another stare at the retreating man’s back.

  “He’s a notorious flirt. As you just witnessed.”

  “Some people might call that friendly,” Jenna countered. “After all, the Caribbean is known for its hospitality. You said so yourself.”

  “That wasn’t friendly. That was shameless. The way he was flirting with you so blatantly. He would have tried to sweep you off your feet if I wasn’t here with you.”

  A silly jolt of pleasure shot through her core. If she didn’t know better, she might say Cabe was acting protective. Maybe even jealous.

  But that was a ridiculous notion. He clearly simply disliked the man. And he probably didn’t want her distracted when she had so much to do.

  That was all.

  “Come on. Let’s go,” Cabe said, setting down his drink on a nearby table.

  Finally. She was oh, so ready to retire. Her head was spinning. Between jet lag, exhaustion and Cabe’s mere proximity, her senses revved on overdrive. Plus, the party had suddenly crowded with dozens of revelers who had somehow shown up all at once when she wasn’t paying attention.

  But instead of leading her toward their building, Cabe took her by the arm and led her to the middle of the beach. Right toward the dance floor.

  “What are you—?”

  Her words were cut off when he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into the crowd. Right into the middle of a conga line. Her knees grew wobbly. She’d never been much of a dancer.

  This was a new experience, Jenna thought as she fought to get her bearings. She might have fallen forward on her face if Cabe wasn’t holding her. Without any choice, she reached out and held on to the waist of the woman in front of her and tried not to grip too tight. Then she just made her feet move.

  “You’re not kicking,” Cabe said loudly into her ear from behind.

  Was he serious? It was all she could do not to stumble into the conga dancer in front of her. With Cabe’s fingers splayed across her midsection, holding her. She felt the strength in his hands, his touch warming her flesh through her dress where he held her above her hips. Even in the middle of this large and noisy crowd, his touch felt intimate, private.

  Oh, Lord. She had enough trouble keeping her wits around him under the best of circumstances. Now she had to ignore his touch and try to dance at the same time.

  “It’s one-two-three kick and kick,” he told her, shouting above the noise.

  This was so not the time for a dance lesson. “I’ve never done this before,” she yelled back over her shoulder.

  “It’s easy,” he said, then laughed when she stumbled yet again. “You can do better than that. You’re just not letting yourself.”

  “I’m trying not to let myself be trampled.”

  He laughed and she felt his warm breath against the back of her neck. “Don’t think too hard. Just relax and let go.”

  Hysterical laughter bubbled up inside her. Relax, he said. Right.

  “I won’t let you fall, Jenna.”

  She believed him. And surprisingly, as soon as he said the words, some of the tension left her body. Her legs started moving easier, more fluidly. She moved much smoother in the line, not disrupting it nearly as often.

  Now that she was no longer horrified, she had to concede that she was actually having fun.

  Her respite was short-lived. Just as she was finally synchronized with the other dancers, the music changed. The beat slowed drastically to a smooth, rhythmic reggae tune. Definitely not a conga. Almost everyone around them stopped to find a partner and began to slow-dance.

  Jenna’s pulse hammered. Sure enough, she turned to find Cabe watching her expectantly. She wanted to turn away, to run from him. But when he lifted his arms and beckoned, she found herself stepping into his embrace instead. He gently wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands against her lower back.

  Then Jenna promptly stepped on his foot. To his credit, Cabe didn’t so much as wince. At her mortified gasp, he dipped his head toward hers. “Don’t worry. You’ll quickly get the hang of this, too. You’re a natural.”

  Jenna’s mind barely registered his words. He was so close, she could smell the now familiar sent of sandalwood combined with the sea salt air. The heat from his hands warmed the skin at the small of her back as he swayed with her to the music.

  She should pull away, Jenna thought. Thank him politely and then just make her way off the dance floor. She really wasn’t being terribly professional at the moment.

  As if reading her thoughts, Cabe’s hold on her tightened ever so slightly.

  “Just relax. You can’t dance to a slow song when you’re tense,” he coaxed.

  She wanted to say something, anything. But her mouth had gone dry.

  Surprisingly, once again her body reacted to Cabe’s words. She felt some of the tension leave her muscles, and the tightness in her shoulders lessened. She leaned into him, let her head rest on his hard chest. She heard his heart beating against her ear, the steady rhythm soothing her down to her soul. She was beyond comfortable in Cabe Jordan’s arms. It wasn’t that preposterous. She knew Cabe. She’d known him most of her life. They’d grown up within a few short miles of each other, had roamed the same school hallways. And right now, she felt completely safe and secure in his arms.

  What was happening to her? Who was this girl, dancing on a silky beach with a wildly handsome, enigmatic man she had no business being attracted to? She’d never behave in such a manner if they were back in Boston.

  Or anywhere else on the planet, for that matter.

  This wasn’t her. Some type of island magic had turned her into someone else. The song ended and Jenna awkwardly stepped out of Cabe’s embrace. A foreboding expression shuttered his face, a tic working along his jaw. Her pulse was hammering as well. Before she could think of anything appropriate to say, a beaming Seema ran up to them, holding something out to her.

  “Congratulations, Jenna. You won!” Jenna looked down at the object the other woman handed her, three small gold statuettes mounted on a marble base—dancers in a conga line.

  A trophy. Jenna had never been rewarded a trophy before.

  “You were selected as the best conga dancer at the party,” Seema exclaimed, her smile beaming.

  Clearly, a sympathy win. Still, Jenna found herself inexplicably pleased.

  “Wow. Thanks.” She couldn’t help the wayward smile that sneaked to her lips. “I’ve never won anything like this before. And especially not for dancing.”

  Seema gave her a hug before walking away.

  “Nice job,” Cabe told her. “Your first time and you get a trophy.”

  “No doubt it’s for most improved. Still, this will look great in my office.”

  He studied her. “You’re really excited about it, aren’t you?”

  She felt the flush creep into her cheeks. “You wouldn’t understand. You most certainly have cases and cases full of all the trophies you’ve won over the years. All the athletic competitions you won.”

  “There were a few first-place math-club ribbons as well.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes with amusement. “None for modesty, I’m guessing.” She rubbed her finger over one of the small statues. How silly of her to feel so touched—it was just a cheap trophy. One she didn’t even really do anything to win. But she was proud of it just the same. “Like I said, you wouldn’t understand.”

  “I’m glad it means something to you, Jenna.”

  “You’re laughing at me. You must be, given all the real awards you’ve won over the years.”

  He shook his head. “No, I promise I’
m not laughing at you. Trust me, my trophies never meant much. Not to anyone.”

  Something in the tone of his voice gave Jenna pause.

  Cabe took a swig of his drink. “No one ever really saw me win them, after all.”

  “What are you talking about? The whole school witnessed you win or place most every contest.” But as she said the words, an odd thought struck her—Cabe’s parents had been noticeably absent at all those events. In fact, now that she really thought about it, she’d be hard-pressed to recall ever seeing James or Tricia at a single school game or play.

  Despite the fact that their son had been the star at most of them.

  * * *

  The cursed insomnia plagued him again. Cabe tossed with annoyance onto his side in the king-size bed and noted the time on the bright digital clock. Twelve-thirty. He hadn’t slept at all. Nothing unusual about that. But this was the first time it had happened in the Caribbean. Usually the combination of the heat, the long travel time and a packed agenda had him falling asleep before his head hit the pillow.

  Not so this time.

  Cabe knew the reason. He couldn’t help but replay the events of earlier this evening repeatedly in his head: Jenna by his side as he led her through the beach party. The way she swayed to the music. Her delight at the colorful night sky as it burst in fireworks. The way she’d felt in his arms.

  He’d behaved utterly unprofessionally.

  Especially once Maxim had shown up and expressed a clear interest in her. He’d never been a fan of the overbearing man. But this was the first time he’d actually felt a desire to do him physical harm. And it showed.

  Cabe hadn’t tried hard enough to hide his animosity.

  Then he’d really lost his mind. He’d taken her to the dance floor. And he hadn’t let her go when the music slowed.

  It was unacceptable and he couldn’t let it happen again. He was treading on thin ice as it was when it came to Jenna Townsend. He couldn’t seem to stop acting erratically where she was concerned. He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.

  Outside, the party was still going strong. The band, contracted for up until an hour ago, continued to play. Island time was fluid. They would quit when they felt like it. And people would dance up until they did. The night was muggy and the air conditioner wasn’t quite keeping up, none of which helped his insomnia. Shirtless, with just his pajama bottoms on, he reluctantly got out of bed.