by P. J. Mellor
“Hey!” Reese turned and faced Ben. “If it’s safe for them to leave the island in that tiny boat, it must be okay for us too, right?”
“Wrong,” Ben said, his face hard. “They’re amateurs. They won’t make it beyond the tip of the island before the storm will force them to turn around.”
“I don’t understand. Then why did you let them go?”
He shrugged. “It’s a free country. Besides, they’ll figure it out on their own in a few minutes.”
“Do you think they’ll want to stay with us in the hotel?” She was just getting used to being around Ben. Did she really want to be around more men she didn’t know?
“Hell no. They’ll probably just hunker down in the old cave they’ve already been using until the storm dies down enough to head to the mainland.”
“Those must have been the men from the hotel. You remember Rita talking about them? The weird fishermen?” Memories of the logo on the backs of their slickers flashed through her mind. Where had she seen that logo before? “I remember seeing them at the hotel. Don’t you think they’re the same men?”
Ben glared down at her. “Don’t ask me,” he said in a hard voice. “I’m just an employee.“
28
Paige avoided Brett’s gaze as she entered the restaurant to meet Bailey for an early supper.
She’d known that he was there even if she hadn’t seen him brooding in the corner when she walked into the dining room. It was like she’d suddenly developed a weird sixth sense where Brett was concerned.
She chanced a quick glance.
He had no right to be sullen. Sure, they’d had phenomenal sex, mind-blowing sex. But he didn’t own her. And she wasn’t some sex-starved, pathetic woman who was so grateful the hot farmer had given her a tumble that she’d want to be with him 24/7.
So, why was she feeling guilty?
“Don’t look now,” Bailey said from behind her menu, “but the hunky guy is back, and he’s staring at you. Again.” She slowly lowered her menu to stare wide-eyed across the table. “Oh, Paige! You didn’t! Please tell me you didn’t.” Bailey’s whisper was urgent. “Can’t I leave you alone for a minute?”
Her shoulders slumped. “I knew I should have stuck with our original plan and shared a room with you.”
Paige grinned as she picked up her wineglass and winked over the rim at Brett before taking a sip. She regarded her friend and swallowed. “Why?” She set the glass next to her appetizer plate. “Are you disappointed you didn’t get to take part in a three-way?” She laughed at the look on Bailey’s face, coupled with the pink staining her cheeks.
Her laughter faded, though, when she glanced over at Brett.
The fire in his eyes caused an answering heat to fill her, to moisten her thong. She shifted on the suddenly uncomfortably hard dining chair.
Why couldn’t she have found someone like him closer to home? It would have been so much more convenient. She’d always preferred doing her sexual entertaining on her own timetable.
Brett made things … different. Complicated.
Exciting.
“If you are that interested,” Bailey’s frosty voice whispered, “why don’t you go have dinner with him?” She shrugged. “I’m fine. It’s not the first time you’ve done this to me, you know.” She sighed. “Lord knows, you aren’t paying any attention to our conversation.”
“Hmm?” Paige broke eye contact with Brett and looked at her friend.
“Exactly my point,” Bailey said with a prim nod. Her fingers were white where she gripped her water goblet.
“Bailey, don’t be like that,” Paige drawled. “You know if the situation was reversed, I’d wish you happy hunting.”
“That’s just it, Paige. The situation is never reversed! Whenever you’re in the room, I somehow become invisible to anyone with a Y chromosome.”
“I can see you,” a startlingly handsome twentysomething man said in a low voice. He dumped some steaming rolls into the partially empty basket. “You look good to me.” He flashed Bailey a smile filled with blazingly white straight teeth.
Paige couldn’t believe her friend was just sitting there, mouth slightly agape, while such a prime specimen was obviously flirting with her. Paige gave her a surreptitious kick.
“Ow!” Bailey glared at Paige and leaned to rub her shin.
“Thank the nice man for the compliment,” Paige said through her teeth. “And introduce yourself,” she added in a hiss.
In response, Bailey jumped up, extending her hand like a rabid conventioneer. “Hi! I’m Bailey—oh!”
They watched as the wineglasses toppled in slow motion, the deep red stain spreading across the white tablecloth.
A glance at Bailey’s face confirmed her complexion rivaled the Merlot in color.
Instead of running in the opposite direction, the man’s smile widened as he sopped at the escaping wine with a towel, while never breaking eye contact with Paige’s obviously demented and socially inept friend.
“Hi, Bailey-o,” he said with a grin. “I’m Travis.”
“Is everything okay?” Rita hustled over to their table. “Oh!” She made a hand gesture to someone on the other side of the dining room. “We’ll get that cleaned up for you. Meanwhile, Travis, would you show our guests to table twenty-three?”
Travis nodded and extended his elbow for Bailey. “No problem.” He flashed another dazzling smile at Bailey. “Right this way, pretty lady.”
With a sigh, Paige stood and began to follow. She was pleased to see someone flirting with her friend, she really was, it was just that it had been a long time since a male had ignored her.
Her progress was halted by the hard hand that grabbed hers as she followed Bailey.
Brett tugged until she leaned closer.
“Take a seat with me and let your friend have some privacy.” His slow grin was followed by a sexy wink. “I promise I won’t bite.”
She snickered and dropped into the chair opposite him at the small table. “Tell that to my right buttock. It bears a definite mark to prove otherwise.”
Not answering, he shrugged and poured a glass of wine from the bottle in the bucket next to the table. After he replaced the bottle, he met her gaze. Another slow grin emerged. “As I recall, you were eager and willing.”
“Yeah, well, I never said I wasn’t, I was merely stating a fact,” she muttered, taking a sip of wine.
“Maybe I was marking my territory.” When she stiffened, he reached across and held both her hands. “As were you. I have the marks on my back to prove it. And, for the record, I don’t mind.”
“What now?” She looked down at her hands, where his thumbs were stroking in maddening circles. She knew she should eat something, but suddenly her appetite took a hike.
The only thing she was interested in was devouring Brett.
“Are you hungry?” He threw some cash on the table.
She shook her head, but he was already out of his chair and reaching to help her up.
With flagrant disregard, he pulled her tightly against his excited body. Nose to nose, they stared at each other.
To her surprise, he nuzzled her nose with his.
“Let’s go back to your room for dessert.”
“Looks like your friend changed her mind about dinner,” Travis said, dropping into the seat across from Bailey. “No need for you to be lonely.”
“Travis!” Bailey leaned across and tried to look stern. “Aren’t you going to get fired? I don’t think you’re supposed to sit with the customers.”
He grinned and toyed with the silverware. “That would probably be true if I worked here.”
“What? You served the rolls. Of course, you work here. Don’t you?” Despite his angelic appearance, was he actually some kind of con artist who preyed on unsuspecting women?
“Relax,” he said, and reached across to pat her head.
Great. She should have known. No man in his right mind would look twice at her when Paige was in the room
. Bailey’s jaw clenched at the thought of being pitied. Poor Bailey. How could she possibly compare with the uberglamorous Paige, aka Doctor Darling? Men always fell all over themselves around Paige. Why should Travis be any different?
“I don’t know what I said to offend you, but by the look on your face, it must have been pretty bad. Let’s start over.” He extended his hand, careful to move the wineglasses out of harm’s way. “I’m Travis,” he said with a smile. “My sister owns the place. She’s short staffed tonight, so I offered to help.”
Relief washed through her. “You’re Rita’s brother?”
“Yes, he’s my brother,” Rita said, setting plates laden with food in front of them. “But I won’t say he’s being much of a help.” Grinning, she placed a smacking kiss on top of his head. “But that’s okay. I can handle it until Rick gets back from town.” She pointed a finger at her brother. “But this is it. If you want dessert, you know where the kitchen is, go get it.” With a wink, she turned and strode away.
“Eat. I want dessert. I highly recommend the banana pudding cake,” he said with a smile.
A sudden mental image of Travis slathering the confection all over her naked body just about choked Bailey as she took her first bite of prime rib.
Sure, it would be messy and sticky. But she wouldn’t mind it if he licked it all off….
Every attempt Reese made at conversing with Ben on the hike back to the hotel was met with stony silence.
It gave her a lot of time to think. Had the slicker-clad men been on the island to scope it out before the auction? It wasn’t totally out of the realm of possibility. Dang, she wished she could get a signal on her cell. The Dragon Lady needed to know she might not be the sole bidder.
Reese looked at the lush greenery and could easily imagine how attractive the island could be to visitors. Granted, the old hotel needed some updating and deferred maintenance, but it wouldn’t be cost prohibitive.
Her pace slowed as the hotel came into view. It didn’t seem nearly as creepy and foreboding as it did the day before.
Still, it was more than a stretch to imagine Dorinda as an innkeeper.
Something soft brushed across the top of her foot.
Make that slithered across the top of her foot.
The tail of the reptile had yet to disappear into the bushes when Reese’s scream pierced the air.
Ben turned and ran back, shoving at the overgrown vegetation.
When he was within a few feet of her, she made a giant leap into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist while her arms threatened to cut off his air supply.
“Snake!” she screamed again, numbing the hearing in his left ear.
She leaned back, gripping both his ears to force him to look at her. “Snake!”
He hefted her up a little in the hope she would relinquish her grip on his ears.
She didn’t.
If he set her back on her feet, she’d have to let go. But he wasn’t sure he was ready to put any space between their bodies, despite how angry he’d been with her just a few minutes ago.
Oh, no. Fear crept up his spine as her frantic words sank in. “Did it bite you?” He began running his hands up and down her legs, as far as he could reach, checking for fang marks.
She plastered herself to him again, practically choking him. A shudder ran through her.
“No,” she finally said in a tiny, pitiful voice. “I don’t think so. It just creeped me out.” She shuddered again and tightened her grip on his neck. “I have snake germs on my foot!”
She moved, hunching down in his arms until they were nose to nose. “And don’t you dare make fun of me.”
“Wouldn’t think of it,” he finally managed to say around the laughter threatening to escape. “Are you sure it was a snake?”
“Of course, I’m sure it was a snake! It was slithery and creepy and moved in a serpentine pattern along the ground until it disappeared into the bushes.” Her gaze darted around before returning to him. “Did you know there were snakes on this island when you brought me here?”
Heaving a sigh, he lowered her to the ground. “Of course. Snakes are all over Texas. Islands are not exempt. But I didn’t bring you here to scare you with them, if that’s what you mean.”
“I’m sorry.” She scampered along next to him in her effort to keep up with his fast pace.
Sure he could slow down, but he found he didn’t want to do anything to accommodate his current employer.
Just the thought of her calling him her employee set his temper to a slow burn. He wasn’t a fool. He knew they were practically strangers, despite the intimacy they’d shared. Ships passing in the night, as it were. But hearing her refer to him as just an employee was a bitter pill to swallow.
His steps slowed.
Regardless of their relationship or lack thereof, she deserved to know the truth about him. Besides being the right thing to do, if she found out later, all hell would break loose, and that was abso-damn-lutely something he’d rather avoid.
Besides, he was a lover, not a fighter. Well, okay, he kind of liked fighting with Reese, but it was all in fun. A fact Ms. Parker would likely not agree on. Which was all the more reason to just tell her and get it over with before she found out and used it as yet another reason to distrust or hate him.
Funny. He glanced back at her trudging up the little path behind him, the ridiculous quilt flapping in the wind. Until he’d met Reese, he hadn’t given a rat’s ass what anyone thought of him or his integrity. And, for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why he did now.
Must be getting old.
“What was your point in bringing the quilt?” He yelled to be heard above the renewed roar of the wind as she approached. “It’s soaked. Not likely to protect you from the rain.”
“Well, it’s better than nothing,” she said, brushing past him to start up the back steps.
“Like me,” he grumbled, turning to follow her.
At the top of the steps, she whirled on him. “Will you stop with the pity party? I know I hurt your feelings when I told that guy you were my employee, but he caught me off guard when he called you my husband.” Her eyes widened. “You didn’t tell him that, did you?”
“No! I may be dumb enough to let you talk me into going out in a tropical storm, but I’m not stupid.” He shook his head, opening the back door for her. “Get over yourself, Blondie.”
Sputtering, she wrapped the quilt tighter and stalked down the hall toward the lobby.
Actually, he hadn’t thought fast enough to tell the men she was his wife. At the time, he just wanted them gone. But he couldn’t deny he felt fiercely protective of the skinny blond pain in the ass. Telling a group of strange men, trespassers on his island, she was his wife wouldn’t have been a half-bad idea. Strictly as a means of protection, of course.
It wasn’t like he was … what? Attracted to her? Well, hell yes, he was attracted to her. He’d like to lie and say it was just because of the enforced togetherness, any port in a storm. But, deep down, he knew that wasn’t true.
But did it mean he felt something for her other than bone-deep lust and an affinity for her money? Maybe.
And that thought was enough to give him nightmares.
Reese was sitting by the fire when he walked into the lobby. She’d draped the quilt on the staircase rail.
“Look, princess, we need to talk.” He strode to the railing and jerked the wet quilt down. “First off, not only is this thing wet, it’s muddy, thanks to you playing Batgirl and running through the weeds, and Lord knows what else. Second”—he patted the handrail—”this is solid mahogany. It’s survived for at least one hundred years. It would be nice if it could survive another day or two with you around. We do not lay wet things on it. Got that?”
“Yes,” she grumbled. “I’m not a moron.”
“I never said you were. You’re just a spoiled rich girl who thinks everything is replaceable.”
“Rich? What makes you think I’m ric
h?”
He had to hand it to her, she managed to look genuinely confused. Now he wondered what else she’d been faking.
“Of course, you’re rich. Why else would you come way out here to bid on a whole goddamned island?” It was best to just lay everything on the table. Let the cards fall where they may, so to speak.
“You know”—hands on hips, she narrowed her eyes—”what I don’t get is why you care. Why are you so angry with me? Are you planning to bid on it and don’t want the competition?”
“First off,” he said, wadding the soggy quilt and clutching it tightly to prevent accidentally reaching for her. Or, worse, kissing her. Just to shut her up, of course. “I don’t care. Second, I’m not mad at you. Not for wanting to buy the island, anyway.” He shrugged and tossed the quilt onto the tile of the kitchen. “I just thought we should be honest about everything.”
“Honest? You want me to be honest? Okay. Yes, I’m going to bid on the island at the courthouse auction. You knew that. And I needed to scope out the island and the hotel. And,” she continued is a low, slow voice, “the reason for that is because I need to be able to report back to my boss—that would be the woman who pays me to do things like this—whether or not I felt it was a wise investment. It’s what I do for a living. So, that’s why I’m here, but it has nothing to do with me, and I’m certainly not rich.”
“Your boss, huh?” He moved a little closer. “So, is she rich?”
“Danged if I know.” Reese managed a wry grin. “I’m sure she’s got more money than me. Of course, it wouldn’t take much, with the pittance she pays me.” She touched Ben’s hand. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Pretty cool job, getting to travel around and buy stuff.”
“Believe it or not, this is only the second time she’s had me do something like this. Most of the time, my critical job skill is the ability to get her Starbucks order correct.”
They settled onto the cushions by the fire. Ben pulled her close, his arm holding her against his warmth.
