His heartbeat quickened. “Yes?”
She licked her lips. “I would like your company for a few minutes.”
“What do you need?” he asked, very curious now.
She slid her hand along his arm in a soft caress before grasping his fingers in a loose hold. “I would like to talk for a few minutes. Is that all right?”
Talk? But in her mind, he was just a resort employee. Once again, he wondered why she treated him differently than the other guests had done.
“Sure.” He grinned. “I have a few minutes to talk to a pretty lady.”
Her smile stretched wider as she pulled him to the closest table, which incidentally, was the one she was assigned to, anyway.
“I’m curious,” she began. “Who owns this resort?”
He creased his forehead. “Why? Is there something you’re not happy with?”
“No, it’s just... well, I’d like to talk to the owner for a minute. I’m interested to know how he came up with the idea for this kind of resort and those incredibly-made bungalows.”
He scrambled to think if he’d introduced himself as Cole Hunt when they met. Then again, he usually didn’t. Just Cole. Besides, most people knew him as Mr. Jonathan Hunt. Only close friends knew him as Cole.
He let out a slow, relieved breath. “I’m sorry to tell you, but Mr. Hunt doesn’t come to the resort that often.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“He has other businesses to run besides this one.”
“Then who runs things for him here while he’s gone?”
Cole grinned. “I do.”
Erin’s eyes lit up once again. “How lucky is that?” She smiled. “Then is it all right if I ask you some questions, instead?”
“What for?”
She touched his arm again and leaned into him. His gaze wouldn’t leave her amazing eyes that were holding him prisoner.
“Because I’m curious,” she answered, “and... I like talking to you.”
This was not good at all. Her actions were beyond flirty, and he needed to rein in his desire to get to know her better. If they were anywhere but at this resort at this particular time, he’d love to see how far she’d take his charm. But they weren’t someplace else. They were here, and he was in disguise.
Don’t break rule number one!
THE PALM OF ERIN’S hand warmed from where it rested on his muscular arm. Her throat grew dry, which it had been doing a lot when he was near. She shouldn’t be acting so... so... forward. Especially, not with him since he was just an employee. But when she stared into his gorgeous green eyes, she literally felt her insides melting and she didn’t care what his income status was.
She slowly stroked his arm, wondering why she was doing this in the first place. It was as though she couldn’t pull away from him. And for some odd reason, part of her wanted to know if he liked the closeness between them. She wanted to know if she affected him as he had affected her.
Taking a deep breath, she leaned a little closer. “Will you?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Will I what?” His voice came out deep. Sedated.
“Will you answer some questions for me?”
A heavy sigh came from him before he nodded. “What would you like to know?”
“How many people come to this resort each month?”
“I probably won’t be very accurate, since I started working here not too long ago.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “But I’d probably say it averages around eighty people per week, so about three-hundred and twenty per month.”
“Interesting.” She dropped her gaze to his irresistible mouth, and then to the adorable dimple that creased his chin whenever he grinned really wide. Why did he have to be so heart-stoppingly good-looking? And his trimmed facial hair only made him that much more intriguing.
She met his gaze again. “Do you think it’s just the wealthy that come here?”
His gaze narrowed on her. “I know this is an expensive resort for those who come from America, but the people who live around here aren’t rich, and they enjoy coming from time to time.”
She nodded. “So why do you think they come?”
He chuckled and shrugged. “Probably the same reason you did. For a little R and R.”
She laughed before she had a chance to stop it. His eyes widened, as did his grin.
“You don’t believe me?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m sure you’re right.”
“Tell me, Erin, why did you really come here? You knew you’d be by yourself, and yet you knew what type of resort this was.”
She nodded. “It’s true, I heard about this resort. But as I’d told you before, I won this trip, so I couldn’t possibly turn it down. I knew this would probably be my only chance to come to a tropical island for some relaxation.”
He cocked his head. “Are you sure you didn’t come to find a husband?”
She gasped, hesitating before answering. What made him think she’d come to do that? “I promise you, finding a husband is the last thing on my mind.” She paused. “Why do you think that?”
He shrugged and turned more toward her. “I’ve been watching you interact with the other guests, and I notice that you talk to the men more than you do the women.”
Silently, she scolded herself. She’d not been cautious enough. Well, she’d have to fix that starting tonight.
“I... didn’t mean to do that,” she answered sheepishly. “I really hadn’t realized that I made friends with more men than women. I’ll rectify that situation tonight at dinner.”
“There is a program planned. By this evening, you should be friends with almost everyone.”
“That will be nice.” She smiled.
They had veered off the topic she’d wanted to discuss, but she didn’t know how to bring it back around. He was already curious enough about her purpose here and talking about Mr. Jonathan Hunt would only make things worse.
“Well,” he said, “I suppose I should check in the kitchen to make sure the dinner is coming together smoothly.”
Disappointment filled her. She didn’t want him to go, but she understood completely about doing your job to the best of your ability. But... she realized he was hesitating. His gaze moved over her face, and his eyes darkened. Her heartbeat quickened. Perhaps he was interested in her, after all.
She realized her hand continued to rest on his arm, and she still had no desire to move it. “Cole?”
“Yes.”
“Why were you watching me so closely this afternoon?”
His eyes widened. “I, um... Well, I watch all the guests I’m assigned to.”
Slowly, she nodded. “So, then do you remember what color my swimsuit was?”
He chuckled. “Purple and black.”
Heat rushed to her face. Maybe that wasn’t the best question to ask him. “Do you remember what color Lisa Kennedy’s swimming suit was?”
A hint of panic crossed his expression. “Which one is Lisa?”
Her grin widened slightly. “Okay, then what about Ted? What color was his swim trunks?”
Cole rolled his eyes. “I don’t care what color they were,” he snickered.
“Hmm...” She nodded. “And yet, you watch all of the guests you’re assigned to, but you can’t remember what color they wore... just what I wore?”
His fingers caressed her hand on her lap before he took it in a comforting hold. “Confession time.” He leaned closer. “It’s hard not to be attracted to you. But don’t worry because nothing will happen. The staff can’t carry on any kind of relationship with the guests.”
For the second time in less than ten minutes, disappointment washed over her, and she stopped smiling so wide. “I suppose that’s a good thing.”
“It is, mainly because Hideaway in Paradise has a reputation to protect.”
“Yes, I understand.” She pulled away from him, and regret filled her. She found it odd that she even had these emotions. After all, she wasn’t here for that.
“Erin,” he said, cupping the side of her face. “I can’t help notice how sad you look over that rule.”
She forced herself to laugh as she tried to push away the gooey sensations rushing through her from his tender touch on her cheek. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She shrugged. “It’s just that I enjoy talking to you, that’s all.”
“We can talk. There’s no rule against that.”
“Good.” She really needed to stop this foolishness. The tropical island heat was definitely doing something to her brain. She motioned with her head toward the kitchen. “You’d better get to work. I don’t want to get you in trouble with your boss.”
“Yes. That’s the last thing I want.” He stood and gave her a wink. “Enjoy yourself tonight. We’ll talk later.”
She nodded, and he walked away. Yes, she’d make it a point to talk to him later. After all, she needed to find out more information about Mr. Jonathan Hunt, and so far, Cole was the only one who seemed to know him. None of the other employees acted as if they’d ever seen him.
As she leaned back in her chair, her mind started working properly as she formulated a plan. Indeed, she would talk to Cole later... much later after everyone else was in bed for the night.
Finally, she grinned, feeling like she was going to accomplish something today besides making a fool out of herself.
FIVE
Throughout the rest of the evening, Cole kept watch on Erin, especially during the getting-to-know-you games. During the games, there was a lot of touching between guests, which was the intent. For some reason, Erin quickly pulled away when another man touched her.
She laughed quite a bit, but sometimes it sounded forced. But when he heard her talk, the musical tone of her voice made his heart flip. He’d enjoyed their little talk earlier, but mainly because now he knew that she was very interested in him. Her actions proved her thoughts even though she tried to tell him differently.
Several times during the evening, she glanced at him. When their gazes locked, her eyes turned a darker blue. If only he didn’t enjoy seeing her this way, maybe he’d be able to concentrate on his own issues with the resort, but for some reason, all he could think about was her.
As the evening progressed, he grew more suspicious of her. She seemed to mingle quite well with the other guests, and just as she’d promised, she talked with more women this time. When she talked with the men, she never batted her eyes or rubbed her hand along their arms – not like she’d done to him.
After the games were over and everyone started pairing off for the night, Erin left the dining room alone. He would have bet money she’d meet a guy tonight and leave with him. Maybe she was only here for rest and relaxation.
Nah...
His first instincts were correct. She was hiding something.
Cole leaned against the window frame and looked out into the night. The full moon’s glare reflected on the surface of the empty beach. If Erin wasn’t here to find a rich boyfriend or husband, then what was she here for? It couldn’t be to mess with the resort’s staff. Nobody went on vacation to have a fling with the staff. So, then why was she here?
He blew out a gush of air and scratched his head. It looked as if he needed to get closer to her in more ways than one. Her actions were too confusing to ignore. There had to be a reason she was here, and he was determined to find it.
Really, this issue with her shouldn’t bother him so much, but because he didn’t trust his own employees because of the missing money, he wanted to be certain that the very tempting and charming Erin DeWitt wasn’t here to pilfer money from the resort. Of course, that would be ridiculous... unless she was working with another accomplice.
The crashing of dishes in the back room jerked his attention away from the window. The new server wasn’t working out and did more damage than what he was worth. Cole turned and marched to the kitchen to see what the problem was now.
Almost two hours later after everyone had cleaned up, the resort’s staff all retired to their rooms for the night. Cole stayed behind to finish closing up the dining room. He turned off the lights, locked the doors, and stepped out into the moonlight. The evening was warm, as he figured it’d be, but thankfully nothing like it was earlier.
As he walked along the side of the building, crickets and owls made music for his leisurely stroll. Although the rest of the staff went to bed, he still had work to do, and trying to find information about Erin DeWitt was high on his to-do list. It was a good thing his best friend could help him there, since Joey was a private investigator. He’d have the pretty little lady’s history pulled up within twenty-four hours.
Cole hurried to his room and turned on the computer. While it booted up, he stripped down into his boxers and sat in front of the air conditioner. A dip in the hotel’s pool sounded good, too. He’d do that after sending an email to his friend.
After typing his friend the message and clicking send, he stepped into the bathroom to change into his green and black swim trunks. He couldn’t help but think about his conversation with Erin and when she asked him about the colors of the other guests’ swimming suits. Cole had really messed up that time, which was why he’d confessed to her. He’d debated on whether or not to lie, but the truth just came out. Of course, he wanted to see her reaction, and he was very happy with her response.
If only there wasn’t rule number one...
He grabbed a towel then left his room. The hotel wasn’t very far, and he entered through the back door before walking the small hallway to the indoor pool. As he stepped inside the room, he could see that someone else was taking a midnight swim. His hopes dropped to think he wouldn’t be alone. But when he noticed the long, wavy black hair, and the slender body wearing the purple and black one-piece swimsuit, excitement grew inside of him.
He grinned. Although he was very successful in his many resorts, he’d never considered himself an extremely lucky man until now. Maybe tonight was the night he’d get to know her better. As long as he remembered rule number one, anyway.
Erin did the backstroke in the deeper section of the pool. Her eyes were closed, and she wore a pleasant expression.
He dropped his towel by a chair and sat on the edge of the pool, dangling his feet in the cool water. She didn’t notice him, so he eased himself in and waited for her to come closer.
Slowly, she swam by him but didn’t open her eyes. He grinned. Teasing her could be fun.
She swam by him again, so he followed, but not too close. Still, she didn’t give any indication she knew he was there.
When she reached the edge, she stopped and stood by the wall, wiping the water from her eyes. He dove under and swam toward her legs. As soon as he reached her, he jumped up, bumping against her on the way.
Screaming, she stumbled, losing her hold on the edge, and going under the water. Worried that she might choke on water, he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back up.
Blinking, she clutched his shoulders and coughed a few times. “Cole?”
“In the flesh, my lovely.”
She took in a deep breath and shook her head. “When. Where...” She glanced around the pool, then back to him. “Where did you come from?”
“My room.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to know I want to play in the water with you.”
It took a couple of seconds until she smiled. “Were you spying on me?”
“No. I didn’t even know you were out here until I came to swim a few laps.”
She swiped the hair out of her eyes with one hand with the other still hooked around his neck.
“Why didn’t you go outside and swim in the ocean?”
He shrugged. “It’s easier to do laps in the pool.”
“Very true.” She nodded. “Do you come out here every night?”
“Usually.”
“Is it always this empty?”
He chuckled. “Yes. Everyone is usually in their cabins by no
w.”
She nodded. “I guess they would be, wouldn’t they? I thought about swimming in the ocean in the moonlight, but...”
“But?” he encouraged.
“I didn’t want anyone to see me all alone.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me.”
“Erin,” he stroked her cheek, removing excess water, “why aren’t you with someone tonight? I noticed that a few men hit on you, and you flirted back. So why—”
She placed her hand on his mouth, stopping him. “I thought we had this talk already.”
“We did,” he muttered against her palm, so she moved her hand.
“So, then you have your answer.”
“You’re not the type of girl who has a meaningless one night fling, right?”
“Exactly.”
He shook his head. “You know, if you don’t hook up with someone, the other guests will start to become suspicious. After all, this is paradise. One shouldn’t be alone while in a tropical paradise.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “But... I’m not alone. You’re here with me now.”
“I’m just your assigned staff. So why are you really here, Erin?”
“I’ve already told you.”
“Yes, you told me you’re here to relax, but that’s not believable enough.”
“And you,” she said running her fingers through his wet hair, pushing it off his forehead, “didn’t tell me why you are working here. Why would a man your age want to work at a tropical resort? It would be different if you lived around here, but you are from the United States, just as I am.” She arched an eyebrow. “So, what is your excuse? Or are you here to find a wealthy wife?”
He tightened his hold, bringing her closer. She was poking around and asking questions that were none of her business. And yet, all she had to do was sigh and gaze dreamily at him with those ocean-blue eyes and he’d become weak. And weak men talk. He couldn’t do that.
So maybe, he had to keep her from talking, which of course, only meant one thing...
The Billionaire's Hideaway Page 3