But though it felt as if they were on the same page, there was one thing they had both been very careful not to talk about. Neither had mentioned how long their affair would last. She wondered if he still thought they would part when the job was finished. Because the work they’d been doing the past couple of weeks had been excellent, and if solving the hotel’s problems was their romantic deadline, then it would be fast approaching.
Intellectually she could understand why Hayden would shy away from anything serious after Sophia. But couldn’t he see that connections like theirs didn’t come around every day? She’d thought loving Jon was as close as she could get to another person, but the night she’d spent with Hayden proved that theory wrong. It was possible to love more than one person in your life. And love them in different ways.
She froze, her hands stilling on the files she was flipping through.
“Avery?”
She didn’t acknowledge Karen, her mind racing too fast. She didn’t love Hayden. Did she? She’d felt close to him, it was true. She loved what they did together in bed. But real love was so much more than physical. It was about wanting to understand everything about a partner, wanting to support them through thick and thin, wanting to be their rock and spend a lifetime making each other smile.
The way Hayden made her smile.
Christ, she thought, stealing Hayden’s favorite curse. Loving him would be the height of idiocy. He’d been burned far worse than her. He wouldn’t allow himself to love so readily.
But there it was. The desire to be near him. The need to make sure he was okay.
The right to stand by his side for the rest of her life.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “I was just wool-gathering.”
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“That might have been better.” She waved a hand. “Never mind. What did you find?”
Karen shrugged, passing her some financial document. “There is definitely evidence of mismanagement. Look at these numbers year after year.”
Avery tried to focus, but for the first time in her life worked seemed so unimportant right now. Just what had she gotten herself into?
“Avery,” Karen sighed again.
“Sorry.” She studied the numbers Karen indicated. “Embezzlement or just poor leadership?” she asked.
“Hard to tell. We need to dig a little deeper.”
“Let’s do it.”
“I can’t wait to get to the bottom of this,” Karen said. “But I’ll be sad to leave paradise.”
Avery’s heart clenched. “Me, too.”
Especially if it marked the end of her ill-fated romance.
Would her heart survive breaking twice?
…
He managed to wait till evening before seeking her out, a feat in and of itself. Since coming back from the cabin, all he wanted to do was spend the day at her side.
She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.
And he wasn’t sure he minded. There was no hiding the smile that crossed his face just thinking of her. He’d thought sharing his past would push her away, but instead she’d stood by him, defended him the way no one else had ever cared to.
When he’d woken with her in his arms, it’d been like a weight had lifted off his chest. All because of Avery.
Walking down the hotel hall, he couldn’t help his mood. Anticipation built within him at the thought of seeing her again.
He stopped outside the meeting room she and Karen had taken over as their office. Pushing the door open he heard his lover say, “I think the picture is starting to make sense. Send me these notes to type up, and I’ll schedule another interview with the GM tomorrow.”
She turned from writing something on the whiteboard propped up beside their table and saw him.
A wide grin lit her face.
Pride swelled within him. He was responsible for her expression.
“I thought I’d take you to dinner,” he said.
“You have perfect timing.” Grabbing her purse, she rounded the table and moved to his side.
“Hi,” she said, pressing one hand to his chest for balance and rising to her tiptoes. Her light kiss made him want more, but conscious of their audience, he let her step away from him.
“Hello, Karen,” he said in greeting.
“Hey,” she replied, a knowing smirk on her face. “Have fun, you two. Don’t mind me.”
“Let’s go,” Avery said, taking his hand in hers. “I’m starving.”
He followed her from the room, heading for the elevators. “Long day?” he asked.
“Yes, but we’re having luck following the numbers. We should have a report for you soon. Off the record, I think you are looking at retraining, at the minimum.”
“That can be arranged,” he said. “Just say the word, and I’ll start coordinating the next steps.”
“Give us to the end of the week, and we’ll have a better picture of the extent that’s needed.” She reached out to push the call button.
“Wait,” he said, reaching out to tuck the tag sticking out of her shirt collar out of view. “That’s better.”
Wide eyes met his as she turned to stare at him.
“What?” he asked.
She shook herself. “Nothing. Just some silly thoughts. Are we going to the hotel restaurant?”
“Unless you’d like to drive into town.”
“No,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “The closer we dine, the easier it will be to go back to your suite.”
“Trying to seduce me, Ms. Clarke? How unprofessional.”
“Report me to HR,” she teased, lifting her lips for a real kiss.
He was more than willing to oblige, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. The ding of the elevator broke them apart only long enough to get in. Avery stepped back to him without any urging.
This is how it should always be.
When had he ever simply taken joy in being with another person outside of a bed?
Obviously, it had been too long.
When the elevator reached the ground floor they walked through the lobby hand in hand.
Over Avery’s head, he saw Lea frowning from the front desk and felt a twinge of conscience. He needed to speak with her. Make it clear he’d never cross that line with her and put a stop to the sidelong gazes.
But that was a problem for another night.
Today he had eyes only for Avery.
When they reached the restaurant, the maître d’ set them at a table overlooking the beach. It was a shame it was too late for an ocean dip, but perhaps he could coax her into going to the pool.
Or better yet, the Jacuzzi tub in his room.
“So,” Avery said, leaning her chin against her hand. “We didn’t talk much on our way back from the cabin. Or at least, about what happens now.”
“What do you want to happen next?” he asked.
“Sex,” she said promptly.
“I could be convinced to get on board with that idea,” he replied, closing his menu.
She flashed him a quick grin. “Didn’t think I’d have to twist your arm on that one.”
“Maybe we should do another trip next weekend,” he said. “We’ve seen one side of the island. Friday night we could drive the opposite direction. See where we end up.”
The smile she gave him was pure happiness. “Absolutely,” she agreed. “Plus we could…”
“Research opportunities for the hotel,” he finished for her. “I already printed off a few webpages I thought you’d like.”
She shook her head. “You think you know me so well, hmm?”
Yes, I do.
He knew her far better than he’d ever thought to. Each facet of her personality or her past that he uncovered only made him want to learn more. She was a woman it would take a lifetime to understand fully. In the past, that thought would have had him running for the hills.
Now it just filled him with anticipation.
The waiter arrived,
drawing Avery’s attention as she placed her order. Hayden did the same, holding out the menus without taking his gaze off of her. When they were alone once more, Avery traced her fingertip around the rim of her water glass. He watched the absentminded movement, unable to stop picturing that light touch dancing along his body.
“I’ve been thinking about something else, too,” she said.
“Oh?”
Dark eyes rose to his. “We need about a week to really flush out what is happening here.”
“Okay. You’re still way under your expected time limit. Do you want an early completion bonus?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking business.”
“Then what are we talking?”
She drew in a slow breath and said, “I don’t want this to end when I hand you my report.”
His smile froze. She watched him with uncertainty painted across her face as he tried to unravel how her request impacted him. The words should have terrified him. After all, he’d been the one insisting he only wanted temporary.
But looking across the table at her, the idea of walking away seemed laughable. He’d shared secrets with her he’d never told another living soul. Were they just supposed to shake hands and go back to their previous indifferent working relationship after the vacation ended?
What a ridiculous idea. He was obviously nowhere near as smart as he’d thought he was.
“What do you think?” she asked.
He cleared his throat. “I think I’m more willing to play this by ear than I was a week ago.”
She exhaled, a small smile trembling on her lips. “I better warn you now. I’m not going anywhere.”
How could I let you?
Already she held a key role when he thought of the future. There was a benefit ball next month he didn’t want to attend with anyone else. And one of their Asian locations was due for a tune up in six months. Maybe they could travel there together and see what sort of work needed to be done.
When he wasn’t limiting himself to thinking in terms of a week or two, the possibilities were endless.
He reached for his drink to keep his thoughts from spewing forth. “You so sure you want me around longer?” he said instead.
Something serious shifted in her eyes. “Oh, yes,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I do.”
Instead of panic, warmth seeped through his body. He never liked women trying to put their mark on him, but the idea of being Avery’s…
It wasn’t a horrible as it should have been.
He could picture walking into a boardroom with her report in his hands or attending a charity event with her on his arm. He’d be proud to have her there. Proud to show their audience how they belonged together.
For the first time in years, he wanted to be accountable to someone. And not just any someone.
Only Avery would do.
By the time the food arrived, he wondered what it would be like be part of a healthy, lasting relationship. By dessert, he couldn’t picture such an arrangement with anyone but Avery.
You don’t want to fall too far too fast.
But despite the warnings, he feared he might be doing just that.
Chapter Sixteen
“We have our recommendation?”
Karen stared down at the bound document she’d tossed on the main table. “I think so.”
Avery exhaled slowly. “All right. Let’s walk this through one more time. The main issue is leadership and poor management. The GM spends more time by the pool comping drinks for his female friends than he does controlling the daily running of the hotel.”
“That lack of work ethic is trickling down through the ranks. The senior management team requires immediate and intensive retraining. I’d also recommend introducing a new incentive program and day training for lower staff members.”
Avery paced around the table. “The budget hasn’t been adequately managed in years. Rising maintenance costs haven’t been matched to room pricing. The budget they do have for repairs has been squandered. The hotel appears old beyond its years and guest experience is suffering, which keeps booking rates low.”
Karen clapped her hands. “Case closed.”
“That wasn’t anywhere near the challenge I thought it would be.”
“Honestly, I’d fire the GM,” Karen said. “No amount of retraining will make him want to do his job.”
“Not our call to make,” Avery replied. “All we can do is hand in our findings and make our recommendations.”
“Please, you think I don’t know where you’ve been sleeping this past week? Hayden is putty in your hands. Whatever you tell him to do, he’ll do.”
“The report goes to Wyatt,” she said, scooping it off the table and flipping through their work. “I’d like to take another look at our projections section and rewrite some of the step three recommendations. This needs to be perfect.”
Karen stretched her hands over her head. “Sure. Today?”
She glanced at the clock to see it was mid-afternoon. “Tomorrow’s fine. We’ll go over everything with a fine-tooth comb and make sure it’s all up to standards and backed by data.”
“And once we fix the report, we’ll be done.”
“Yes,” she agreed, her heart clenching. “We’ll be ready to go home.”
“There’s another week on our contract. Do you think you can convince your boyfriend to just let us stay and relax? A sort of bonus for a job well and quickly done?”
Her throat tightened. “I’m sure that will be fine,” she said. Neither of them would want to face the decisions that needed to be made if they were really heading back to real life. Hayden would jump at the chance to spin this out, Scheherazade style.
Since the cabin, she hadn’t slept alone. After two years of hogging the bed all to herself, she’d thought the shift would take some adjustment. But closing her eyes at night with Hayden’s arms locked around her was quickly becoming something she looked forward to. She slept well and deep, safe beside him. He’d never tried to hint that she’d be better off going back to her own room once the sex was over and the sheets had cooled. In fact, the first time she’d tried to leave, he’d pulled her back, cocooning her in covers and teasing her till her laughter filled the room.
It was so easy here to pretend they were a couple.
A real, loving couple.
“I’m headed into town to do some souvenir shopping,” Karen said. “Want to join me?”
“I already got mine,” she said, thinking of the bead bracelet Hayden had bought for her when she’d been so determined not to fall for him.
Look how that had turned out.
“I think I’ll go for a walk on the beach,” she said. “Get in some ocean time while we have easy access to it.”
“Fair enough. I’ll see you tomorrow, and we’ll sort through finalizing the report.”
“Thanks for all the help, Karen. It’s solid work.”
Her friend smiled before gathering her belongings and slipping from the room.
Avery fished her phone out of her bag and shot off a quick text to Hayden, asking if he’d like to meet her at the beach.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Even after a week of cohabiting, she still felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush whenever she saw him.
You’ve got it bad.
Yes, she did.
And for the first time in a long while, things were finally starting to move in the right direction.
…
It took no time at all to change and hit the beach. Avery walked across the sand, the surf tickling her toes. She inhaled the salty air and tried to remember what life back home felt like. A month in paradise was enough to convince her she never wanted to be anywhere else.
But reality beckoned. There was work to be done at home. She’d have to drop in on her parents at least once before she took on a new contract. Maybe the next deal would have her flying somewhere equally as beautiful. Did she have any contacts in Fiji?
Her
bag buzzed, and she reached in to grab her phone. An unknown number flashed on the screen again. Annoyance rose within her. Clients knew to call her office line, and her friends and family were stored as contacts in her phone. Who’d be tracking her down in the middle of the ocean?
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, lifting her off the ground.
“Hayden,” she said, laughing as he spun her around before releasing her.
The buzzing phone stopped ringing, and she dumped it back into her bag, forgotten.
“How’s my girl?” he asked, leaning down for a kiss.
“Wonderful.” She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers. Yes, she could get used to the welcoming kisses and endless little touches he showered on her when he was close.
In fact, she could get used to having him around permanently. Not a sentiment she’d thought she’d ever feel again. But Hayden was quickly taking the sting out of her memories of Jon. Just because she and her ex hadn’t worked didn’t mean she was doomed to spend her days alone.
Assuming Hayden wanted to spend them with her.
“Did you have a good day?” he said, catching her hand and continuing down the beach.
“We’re almost done with our report.”
He glanced at her. “You have more time in the contract.”
“You know I give placeholder dates,” she said with a shrug. “Looks like we didn’t need the full amount of time. Most employers would be happy to knock a week or two off the bill.”
“I’m not most employers.”
She nodded. “Karen would love to stay out the week if you’re agreeable. I could work with you to start implementing our recommendations, assuming you agree with them.”
Some of the tension eased from his face. “Perfect. Let’s do that.”
“But eventually we need to return home. We can’t stay lost on this island forever.”
He turned back to the water, not replying.
The pit in her stomach twisted. Maybe he didn’t want to face reality.
Drawing in a breath, she tipped her face up to the sun. Men had left her before. If she couldn’t win Hayden, she’d find a way to move on.
Wouldn’t she?
The Billionaire's Paradise (Sexy Billionaires) Page 14
