“You owe it to us to listen to what I have to say,” he said.
“I owe it to myself to do what makes me happy.”
“Fine,” he replied, that easy smile back.
Her suspicions rose as she looked at him. He still hadn’t removed his hand. With a bow, he stepped away and as she opened her door, thinking she’d actually gotten off quite easily, he spoke again.
“I’ll be back on Wednesday — and Monday — and Wednesday — and when are your office hours again?”
“Fine!” she interrupted. “What will it take to make you go away?”
“Dinner and a conversation.”
Simple and to the point. Now that was the Rafe she remembered well.
“I guess you’ll be enjoying history, then. Have a nice night, Rafe.” As she slid swiftly into her car, she couldn’t help but glance back. Instead of seeing anger or frustration on his face, she saw a huge grin.
That couldn’t be a good sign.
Chapter Two
Lia
“Are you kidding me?!” Lia slapped her arm as another bug landed on her, hell-bent on doing horrendous things to her tender flesh. What in the world was she doing in this tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere?
Once the resort was finished, this area would be breathtaking, with carefully designed spa retreats, luxury cabins, and private getaways for couples wanting exclusivity, romance, and the ultimate in indulgence.
Right now, it was hard to picture what the resort would become, because the area was untouched. Some found this beautiful just as it was, and many thought it a shame Rafe’s company was building the Gli Amanti Cove, but she was a firm believer in the project.
She’d witnessed first hand what Shane and Rafe could do. There was a reason the two of them were so successful. They didn’t just throw buildings together. They made dreams come to reality, and they had a line of customers anxious to enter their next paradise.
Never before had she really thought of herself as spoiled, but as she swatted another bug trying to land on her, she admitted that she was used to nice things. That didn’t make her shallow or unfeeling; it made her sensible. Had she been born in a different time, then she’d expect…less. She’d heard of people who shunned air conditioning, but she had no interest in meeting crazy people.
“Troubles, Lia?”
Speaking of crazy people… Her entire body tensed as she heard the laughter of his rich voice. She turned slowly, and there was Shane, only ten feet away, leaning casually on the rickety railing of her steps.
Even knowing she’d be seeing quite a bit of him didn’t lessen the reaction her body was having at the sight of the man. Though she wanted this project to succeed, since it was her first one with the company owned by her brother, Rafe, she’d been relieved by the delays, needing that time to build up her armor against Shane.
She’d wanted him for so long that she couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t. Then he’d had to go and ruin it all. Now, she couldn’t even remember why she was so angry with him, but she felt justified in accepting that he was the enemy. It was a girl’s prerogative to be irrational, wasn’t it?
But of course that wasn’t true. She remembered quite well, and she’d ended her incredibly brief affair with him for a good reason. She’d made a simple request — that he not tell her brother about their new relationship. True, it hadn’t been simple to Shane. He always told Rafe everything, and he felt he had to tell him about the two of them.
In short, Rafe meant more to Shane than she did. And Shane’s own feelings mattered more to him than hers did. No, they hadn’t discussed marriage — hell, they’d just been to bed once. But what Shane had done didn’t follow her rule book. It didn’t count as forsaking all others. It counted as thinking that men in general mattered more than women, and in particular that everyone he knew with testicles mattered more than she did.
Here’s what really pissed her off — Shane hadn’t had enough respect for her and her brain to wait and consider carefully what she’d asked. No, he’d run off and squealed to her brother while the sheets were still warm.
She didn’t need another man like that, another man who dismissed her, thought of her only as a nice, warm body, useful at night, but not a friend and a confidante. Maybe she couldn’t do better; maybe all guys were insensitive louts. Just look at Rafe. But she could try, and she could hope to find a man who really knew how to treat a woman, really knew how to love her.
She didn’t think it was too much to ask to be put first.
“No troubles at all, Shane. Why are you here so early?”
“I couldn’t let you have all the fun on your own, could I?” As he spoke, he took a step toward her, and it took all her willpower not to retreat. She couldn’t back down even an inch, or he’d pounce. That was who Shane was.
“The first two weeks here is a lot of surveying, and you could have been relaxing on the beach while we do this part. Don’t worry, though. It’s not too late. Why don’t you hop into your boat and go flirt with the locals across the channel?”
The thought of him doing just that had her stomach turning, but there was no possible way she’d admit it. Eventually she would will herself to get over her extreme lust and infatuation with her brother’s best friend.
Shane wasn’t fazed. “I would rather stay right where I am and flirt with you.”
Why had he decided too late to say everything she’d always wanted him to say? Men! They never did what they were supposed to.
“You’re wasting your time, Grayson. Go find something to do. I’m going for a walk.” Lia brushed past him and bounded down the steps. There was little hope that he would listen to her and disappear, but she had to give it a try.
“Good. I was in the mood for an evening stroll. Where are we off to?”
Lia sighed and made her way in a leisurely manner along the trails she knew so well. She’d been across the entire island and back again so many times, she could probably map it out. That’s what it had taken to place the resort in just the right location. There was so much more involved, too, such as not disturbing the natural appeal of the island while still making the resort a place that big spenders would be willing to come to.
“I don’t recall inviting you, Shane.” Though she knew he wouldn’t listen to her protests, she had to give it a valiant effort. If she didn’t, she would soon be falling into his arms, and that would only lead to disaster, as she’d so quickly discovered while in Las Vegas. Falling into his bed had obviously been a mistake.