by Tia Wylder
But I knew I couldn’t. It would ruin everything.
I was going to have to play a different kind of game if I wanted to win against evil Jack Nathan.
Chapter Four
Jack
I stood there, chuckling and shaking my head as Adele ran off. So what if she was cute – she also happened to be the worst kind of social justice warrior, and I hoped she’d realize exactly how stupid she was being.
When she was gone, I felt a twinge of regret. Maybe I shouldn’t have lashed out like that – maybe I should’ve been kinder. But I was so fucking sick of people trying to act like I was some arch-villain just because I own a luxury property development company. It’s not my fault that wealthy people like to travel in style – so why the fuck should I hold back?
Still, I couldn’t deny that Adele had been incredible in bed. And she was more than cute, too, if I had to be honest. She had tanned skin and freckles sprinkled all over her nose, with long brown hair that I could tell had never been dyed or lightened. She looked like the kind of girl who doesn’t really care about her appearance but still manages to be hot…which, to me, is hotter than a glamazon in heels and bright lipstick.
But I couldn’t believe her attitude. As I left the lobby and walked up the stairs to my room, I rolled my eyes. She’s just scared because of the storm, I thought as I let myself into my room and shut the door. As much as I wanted to knock her for staying, I knew I couldn’t do that. She was brave – even if I completely disagreed with why she’d decided to stay – and she obviously had bigger balls than most of the men I’d met. Besides, I loved the way she’d just jumped into bed with me. It showed that she had a sense of spunk and adventure.
Too bad she was such a brat.
I pulled out my laptop and groaned – I’d forgotten to charge it the night before, and the battery was almost dead. Still, I was able to use my phone as a wi-fi hub and connect to the internet. I emailed Barnes, as well as a few other people in my arsenal, and asked for private transportation out of Nassau as soon as possible.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. Barnes emailed me back an hour later, with details about a helicopter that would be arriving later that day. With a grin, I closed my laptop and threw my clothes into a bag. Even if this visit had been a wash, I wasn’t going to give up. There was no way Louis Franchot would win this fight…and there was no way that Adele Parker would be able to stop me, either.
I frowned. As much as I disagreed with what she was doing, I didn’t think Adele deserved to be left behind in Nassau. I went downstairs and took a peek into the guest book to find her room number. As soon as I knew, I jogged back up the stairs and knocked on her door.
Adele answered at once. She didn’t look angry anymore – she was white in the face with fear, and by the way, her curtains were pulled tight, I knew she had to be terrified.
“I’m surprised you answered the door,” I joked.
Adele didn’t say anything. She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “What do you want,” she asked after a long pause.
“There’s a helicopter coming today,” I said. “And I thought you might want off the island. You know, the hurricane is supposed to get worse. It’s a category four now.”
Adele’s eyes went wide with fear. “I didn’t know that,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” I said casually, leaning against the door frame and smirking. “Besides, I thought…”
“What?” Adele asked sharply. She’d gone back to looking angry and disapproving. “You thought you could fuck me again because we might die? Because that is not going to happen,” she added in the same harsh tone. “In fact, I can’t believe I slept with you in the first place.”
“Well, yeah,” I said, grinning. “But don’t hate yourself, honey. It was good, wasn’t it?”
Adele rolled her eyes. “I should slam this door in your face,” she grumbled. “But…are you sure about the helicopter?”
“Yep,” I smirked. “Be in the lobby in two hours with your things, and we’ll get you back to Boston.”
Adele blinked. “I…I don’t understand why you’re helping me,” she said softly. I sensed all of the anger had deflated away.
I shrugged. “I’m a nice guy,” I said. “And besides – I couldn’t leave you here.”
Adele closed her eyes and sighed with relief. “Thank you,” she said. “
I grinned. “Don’t worry,” I said. “It’s not entirely from the bottom of my heart – if you stay here through the hurricane and you make it out alive, you’d get so much publicity about ruining my hotel.”
Adele glared. “I can’t believe you,” she said angrily. “You’re such a pig!”
“Whoa, I’m kidding,” I said, holding up my hands and winking. “It was a joke,” I added. “Come on, Adele – lighten up. It’s just a hurricane!”
Adele looked grim. She pressed her lips together until all the color went out of them. “Yeah,” she said softly. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
I shrugged. “Well, either way, I need to pack.” I raised an eyebrow at Adele and smirked. “See you downstairs?”
“Where else would I be?” Adele asked sarcastically. As she spoke, I could hear the wind whipping around outside, and I looked at her face to see if she was scared. She was obviously frightened, but I could also tell that she had a backbone of steel.
Adele shut the door, and I reluctantly walked back to my room and packed my few items into my briefcase. Then I went downstairs to the lobby and sat in one of the oversized, squashy chairs by the empty fireplace. The Hotel St. Charles had a cozy yet outdated look about it – if anything, it just made me more determined to build my property. No one’s going to come to my villas and say they’re old and stuffy, I thought as I glanced around the room. If anything, I’m going to put this hotel out of business!
Chapter Five
Adele
After barely surviving a terrifying helicopter ride from Nassau to Miami, Jack arranged for a charter plane to take us directly to Boston.
“Where do you want me to drop you off?”
I blinked. “What?”
Jack laughed. “You heard me,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t very well take you to my condo, can I?” He smirked. “Because somehow I have a feeling you wouldn’t like that very much…or would you?”
I flushed hotly. “No,” I snapped. “You can drop me off at the airport. I can get a shuttle home.”
Jack sighed. “I’ll drop you off directly,” he said. “We can fly into the airport, and I’ll have my driver take you home.”
I bit my lip. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
Jack shrugged. “I’m not being nice,” he replied. “We survived a hurricane together,” he added, raising an eyebrow and grinning. “I thought that meant we were friends.”
An image of Jack and I, tangled up on the carpet of the Hotel St. Charles, flashed into my mind and I could feel my cheeks growing even hotter.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Definitely not friends.”
I thought Jack would try to keep talking to me after that, but he pulled out his laptop and headphones and started typing away. I stared for a few seconds before pulling out my own research. It killed me that I was going back to university with absolutely nothing – it was like the trip had been a waste! But as much as I wanted to believe that, a little voice in the back of my head kept reminding me about Jack. It wasn’t a waste, you got to sleep with that gorgeous man, I thought, sneaking a glance at Jack. He was still thoroughly absorbed in his work.
When we landed in Boston, true to his word, Jack had a black car waiting at the airport. He greeted the driver, then turned to me.
“Have Nick drop you off wherever,” Jack said. “I have to go into the office.”
I blinked and looked down at my watch. “It’s ten-thirty at night!”
Jack winked at me and gave me a roguish grin. “Yeah, well, I have a feeling you know all about working late nights
,” he replied.
It was hard not to smile. “Fine,” I said. “And, um, thank you.”
Jack winked again. “No problem,” he said. “Call me if you need anything.”
I rolled my eyes as Nick opened the backseat door for me. I gave him the address of the apartment I shared with Lisa, and soon we were gliding through the dark city. I couldn’t believe that I’d accepted such hospitality from Jack Nathan…but what else was I supposed to do, stay in Nassau and die in the midst of category four winds?
Not a chance. Not when I had something so important to do, first.
When I got home, Lisa was sitting in the kitchen with a pint of ice cream and a bunch of textbooks. When she saw me, her jaw dropped.
“Adele! I was so worried!” Lisa leaped from her chair and threw her arms around me, pulling me close. “How did you get off the island?”
“Um,” I said, not wanting to reveal my new connection with Jack. “There was an emergency helicopter, and then I took a flight from Miami.”
“Geez,” Lisa said, shaking her head. “You must be exhausted!”
“I’m tired,” I admitted, yawning until my jaw cracked. “And I wasn’t able to get nearly enough work done when I was there.”
“Well, you’re back alive, and that’s what counts,” Lisa said. She offered me a spoon, and I dug into the ice cream. It was the only thing I’d eaten in twelve hours, and I grabbed the pint and started digging in.
Lisa laughed. “Want me to order a pizza or something?”
I moaned. “Oh, god, yes,” I said. “And wings, and fries, and—“
“Whoa, there,” Lisa said, laughing. “You forget I’m a poor grad student!”
“We should send the bill to Jack Nathan,” I said, raising an eyebrow.
Lisa frowned. “What?”
I flushed. “Nevermind,” I said quickly. “Just a pizza is good. I’m going to take a shower – I’ll be out in a little while.”
I stayed under the spray of water until the water turned from a blissful scorching to an upsetting lukewarm. Toweling myself off, I changed into a pair of yoga pants and my favorite comfy t-shirt. When I got back to the living room, Lisa was sitting next to an open pizza box, reading a scientific journal and chewing thoughtfully.
I grabbed a slice of pizza and crashed down on the couch next to her. Lisa barely looked up. Her brows were knitted together in frustration.
“What is it?” I took a big bite and chewed, closing my eyes in ecstasy as hot cheese and pepperoni melted in my mouth.
“It’s Franchot,” Lisa said shortly. She tossed the journal at me and narrowed her eyes. “He’s such a bastard!”
“Well, yeah,” I said, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. “That’s kind of the point, right? That’s why we need to stop him.”
Lisa frowned. “No, this is something else,” she said, pointing down at the article in my lap. “Look.”
I glanced down and skimmed a few lines. “Damn,” I said, shaking my head. “This is crazy!”
“I know!” Lisa said in exasperation. “I can’t believe it – he’s awful!”
The article – a recent study on the environmental effects of resorts – talked about two of Franchot’s properties, one in the Cayman Islands, the other in Bermuda. From what I could read, it looked like he had not only displaced a huge amount of the local wildlife but had also contributed to massive deforestation.
“And, oh my god, Lisa, look,” I said impatiently, grabbing the article and shoving it under her nose. “It says that he signed a pledge promising to restore all of the trees he cut down…and he hasn’t planted a single replacement! He only did it as a tax break!”
Just thinking about it was enough to make my blood boil. I couldn’t believe that Franchot was so evil – it was like he wasn’t even human!”
“I know,” Lisa said mournfully. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top, sighing. “It makes Jack Nathan look like a saint.”
My jaw dropped, and I almost gasped. There was no way that Jack was any better than Louis – if anything, from what I had heard (not to mention his cocksure attitude,) he was worse!
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said primly. Again, an image of Jack and I tanged up together floated to the front of my mind, but I pushed it aside. “Jack Nathan is a criminal, just like Franchot. They both deserve to be behind bars.”
Lisa narrowed her eyes. “Flip a few pages,” she said, chewing her pizza noisily. “There’s a piece about him, too.”
I frowned, but Lisa wouldn’t stop staring. “What is it,” she said, cocking her head to the side. “It’s like every time I mention Jack Nathan, you totally spaz out.”
“It’s nothing,” I lied. Obediently, I flipped through the journal a few pages ahead. Sure enough, there was another feature – and this one was about Jack. But the title, “Ethical Building in the Time of Climate Change” was much more flattering than I would have expected.
“He’s not ethical,” I muttered under my breath. “He’s like, the furthest thing from being ethical!”
“Just read it,” Lisa said, rolling her eyes. “I swear, are you PMSing or something?”
I ignored her. Looking down at the page – which, of course, was accompanied by a dreamy-looking photo of Jack himself – I began to read.
At a mere 35 years of age, Jack Nathan has been in charge of Trident Gold ever since his father retired. Despite a bullheaded board of shareholders, Mr. Nathan has been in charge of several projects, all working to restore the natural environment of several areas damaged by climate change and man-made disasters. Mr. Nathan, quoted as saying he believes in “building for a cause,” has donated over three million dollars to international charities.
“This reads like a puff piece!” I complained loudly. “What, did he pay for his own exposure?!”
Lisa frowned. “I don’t know, Adele, you know this journal is accredited!”
I rolled my eyes. “Still,” I said. “It seems too good to be true.”
“Maybe just because he’s a developer doesn’t mean he’s an awful guy,” Lisa said with a shrug. “I mean, I know you don’t want to believe it, but…” She trailed off and began gnawing at a piece of pizza crust.
Suddenly, something occurred to me. What if Lisa, and the journal, were completely right? What if Jack Nathan had somehow begun to change his ways? It would make sense – even though he catered to a luxury market, rich people had begun noticing climate change by now. Maybe this was Jack’s way of trying to put himself above the competition!
“Wait for a second,” I said. I closed my eyes and concentrated with all of my strength. “What if Jack and I…work together? What if the two of us can bring down Franchot? He has so much money, I wouldn’t even need sponsorship!” Now that the gears in my mind were churning, I couldn’t tear myself away from the idea. Sure, Jack was a pig…a very rich pig. But if he was going to go where the most money and publicity was, I had a feeling that I’d be helping him just as much as he’d be helping me.
Lisa blinked. “Are you serious?” She furrowed her brow and reached for another piece of pizza. “Adele, I love you and everything, but doesn’t that sound kind of…well, crazy to you?”
“Of course it does,” I said. “I mean, that’s why it’s so brilliant. If I work with Jack, he’ll get more publicity for being an ethical builder. And I’ll get tons of recognition for working with someone like him.” I could see it now – my name splashed across the biggest science journals in the world. I grinned. With something like this on my side, there was no way I could lose.
“Well, you have a point,” Lisa said. “But are you sure you can work with him? Just five minutes ago you were talking about what a massive jerk he is.”
“Yes!” I said, suddenly feeling more inspired than I had since before the ill-fated trip to Nassau. And although I wouldn’t have admitted it to Lisa for all the scientific gain in the world, I couldn’t deny that I wouldn’t mind working alongside the sexy
Jack.
“Well, it’s not the worst idea in the world,” Lisa said slowly. “Do you have any way to get in touch with him?”
I grinned, thinking of Jack’s business card that I’d tucked in the pocket of my jeans before leaving the airport.
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
Chapter Six
Jack
I’d barely gotten back to my condo and showered before my cell phone buzzed. I glanced down at the screen and frowned when I saw that it was an unfamiliar number.
“Jack Nathan,” I said into the phone after swiping the call open. “What can I do for you?”
