“I suppose I could have chosen something quieter than running a resort if I really wanted that kind of life, though,” she admitted.
“I can imagine things get stressful, running things all the way out here on your own.” I was going to tease her out just a little further and see how far I could coax her from that shell she always hid behind. “There can be some advantages to having people just come and go from your world so quickly, though. A woman like you could see a lot of action on that front.”
Her eyes widened when she realized what I was implying, and she turned her head with an embarrassed smile. “No. I mean, no, not really.”
“That’s surprising,” I mused, narrowing my eyes. “I’d think a woman like you would be in an ideal place for a little distraction.”
“Well, work eats up a lot of time, and besides that, there’s nobody around besides college kids coming in and out, and-” She stopped herself, giving a laugh and shaking her head. “Wait, why are we talking about this?”
“I wasn’t talking about anything that serious, but now, I think the fact that you were willing to go on about it so quickly tells me work has been getting to you.”
She opened and closed her mouth, failing to find words. I grinned.
“How about that drink?”
“I really shouldn’t,” she tried to insist, but the reluctant smile on her face and the way she was running her fingers through her hair told me she desperately wanted it.
“Won’t the resort survive for a few minutes while you catch up with a paying customer who happens to be an old friend?”
“An old ex,” she corrected me. There was the faintest hint of a challenge in her voice, and it sent a shiver of delight up my back. There was a side to Haley under all that energized, high-strung businesswoman that I loved teasing to the surface.
“An old ex, then,” I conceded, not moving a muscle as I watched her.
She chewed on her lip a moment. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“Only one way to find out,” I challenged her. She watched me with an even gaze for a few moments, and I kept eye contact with her the whole time.
I even held it while I waved a hand to the waiter passing nearby.
“Double gin and elderflower tonic, top shelf. A Plymouth gin, if you have it.”
“You know I do,” Haley said, her eyes going lidded.
I was going to enjoy this.
6
Haley
The hours passed so quickly they might as well have been minutes. After all this time, it still blew my mind how easy and natural it felt to talk to Chase. Occasionally, when he flashed those green eyes and that devilish smile my way, it almost felt like no time had ever passed, like we had never left college. Like we were still two dumb college kids fumbling our way through a semi-serious relationship. Only now, we weren’t stupid kids anymore. We were adults, with adult lives and adult problems. At least, I had grown-up problems. I had a feeling that Chase’s life was going a lot smoothly than mine was. Not that that was a difficult standard to reach, since my life was currently spiraling out of control.
Suddenly, I remembered that I was supposed to be hunting down the man who was sent by the bank to inspect my resort and possibly buy it from right underneath me. But sitting here with Chase was much more enjoyable. I didn’t think I could tear myself away from him even if I tried. He was gazing at me sidelong, a playful smirk on his impossibly handsome face. Cracking some joke about how things used to be, how some things never change.
“Do you remember that horrible roommate you had in the dorms?” he asked, jolting me back to the present moment. “She was so rude and messy.”
“Oh my God. Remember her? Chase, no amount of time could pass to let me forget about Kaitlin. She was the worst,” I laughed, shaking my head.
“What was it she used to eat all the time? Remember, she left crumbs all over the place constantly? Oh, what was it?” he mused, chuckling to himself.
“Granola bars,” I answered. I rolled my eyes even as I giggled. “God, she was constantly crunching on those things when I was trying to study. You wouldn’t think a noise like that would bother me so much, but when I was trying so hard to focus on homework, there was nothing in the universe more annoying. To this day, I avoid granola like the plague, you know.”
“Just because of her?” he laughed.
“Yep. She really ruined it for me completely,” I replied. I shuddered. “Crumbs all over the floor and her stupid boy band posters up on the walls.”
“Oh, I remember that. Wasn’t that partly why we stopped hanging out in your dorm room as much?” he chimed in. I nodded.
“Yes, it was. If I can recall correctly, we were… making out on my tiny little twin bed when we both looked up to make eye contact with one of those dumb teenybopper boy band guys on the poster and that was the end of that,” I remembered, my stomach aching from laughing so much. “I think after that we just started hanging out at your apartment instead. You know, I’m not sure why we didn’t just do that in the first place. Your apartment was much, much nicer than my ugly, tiny dorm room.”
“Oh, I know why,” he said cryptically. He lowered his voice. “It’s because I was afraid my apartment would make you… uncomfortable.”
I frowned and tilted my head to one side. “Why? Your apartment was great.”
“Well, exactly. I was already notorious as a wealthy guy. A playboy on campus. All I wanted to do was lie low back then. You know, blend in. Most of my friends lived in those dorms, and there I was with my fancy apartment. Not even with a roommate,” he explained.
“Wait, so you were ashamed of being well-off?” I inquired, leaning in.
He smiled. “Not ashamed. I’ve never been ashamed of anything in my life.”
“Then what?” I pressed him, genuinely curious. Of course, we were very, very close in college, but our relationship was built less on communication and more on, well, being intimate. I couldn’t even count the number of times I cut out of class early to hop in his car and drive somewhere to kiss and hold each other. We took it slow regarding other forms of intimacy, but I spent pretty much every waking moment back then anticipating the next chance I would have to get close to Chase. He was my reward for getting my homework done quickly. My motivation for blowing through my chores at the dorm. Because as soon as my responsibilities were fulfilled, I could run off to Chase and forget all my worries.
“I never wanted you or anyone else to think I was a snob. My family has always had money, but I did not want that to be the crowning achievement people assigned to me. I did not want to be known as the guy who skated by in life on his father’s coattails. I needed everyone to see me for who I was, not the digits in my bank account,” he disclosed in a softer voice. Gone was the joking tone. He was being serious now. Deadly serious.
“You know,” I began slowly, “I never thought of you that way. Not for one second. You weren’t ‘the rich guy on campus’ to me. You were just Chase. The stupidly hot guy who, for some reason I could never quite comprehend, was into me. Your family’s money never even crossed my mind. I just couldn’t believe you were interested in me. And not because you were wealthy, but because you were amazing.”
A slow, brilliant grin appeared on his face. I could feel my cheeks going pink and warm and I had to look away before I melted under his stare. “Anyway, that was a long time ago, wasn’t it?” I murmured. I stared down into my nearly-empty glass, swirling the watered-down liquid and ice.
“Years and years,” he agreed, his voice a low growl. “Many things have changed since then. The kind of changes I never would have seen coming when I was with you, when I was still so young and reckless. When you’re that age, people tell you all the time that your life will change in unexpected ways, but it’s impossible to really believe it until those changes come to pass. I never could have predicted how different things would be for me.”
“I feel the same way,” I admitted. “My life now is a pretty
far cry from how it was back when you and I were together. I’d like to think those changes have made me a better person. More responsible. But I’m not sure.”
“Well, look at you now. You’re working hard, keeping this place running. That’s something to be proud of, isn’t it?” he pointed out kindly. I could only muster up a half-hearted attempt at a smile. He was trying to be compassionate and helpful, but he had no idea how wrong he was. How much of a failure I was. The Peppertree was collapsing all around me, and somewhere in this building there was a guy preparing to snatch it all out from under me.
But I didn’t want to talk about that right now. Hell, I didn’t even want to think about it. So I decided to change the subject by whatever means necessary. “So, what about you? What are you doing nowadays for work?” I piped up.
“Well, at the moment I am head of operations for my father’s company,” he answered.
“Wow. That’s impressive,” I commented.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding, carrying on my father’s legacy,” he added. Then he paused. That moment of hesitation hinted as to why he was reticent at first. My heart sank.
“His legacy?” I repeated softly. Chase nodded gravely.
“Yes. Unfortunately, he passed away three years ago. Heart attack, out of nowhere. He was as strong and healthy as he’d always been. It was just some bizarre, freak occurrence. The doctors said that happens sometimes, especially to men in high-stress occupations,” he described, sipping his Scotch.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I told him earnestly. I reached across the table to pat his hand, and although I was only doing it to be sympathetic, even that simple, tiny touch was enough to send a tingly shiver down my spine. There was still that inexplicable heat between us. I didn’t know if he felt it, too, but for me it was almost like a blazing fire.
“Thank you. But it’s been years. I have had plenty of time to cope with losing him. My mother and siblings had a more difficult time grieving. My little sister, especially, was badly affected. But these days she’s doing much better. In fact, she helps run the company alongside me. Dad left the business to all of us, but my brother isn’t interested. That’s fine, it’s his prerogative to decide what to do with his life. But it is nice having my sister to work with. I think that’s the way my father would want it,” he explained.
“That’s wonderful, that you get to work with family. I’m glad to hear things are going better for you,” I said. I smiled warmly at him and he nodded.
“Yes. Me, too. Of course, I’m very busy. This line of work does not allow for a lot of free time, but in a way, that’s been helpful. I like to stay busy. I get bored easily if I don’t have enough challenges to conquer,” Chase professed. “In that way, this is the perfect job for me.”
“To be honest, I have a feeling you would succeed at whatever you did,” I confessed.
He chuckled. “You have more faith in me than even I do.”
“I always have,” I said softly. There it was again. That heat. That warmth radiating between us like an electric shock. Suddenly, it dawned on me how long it had been since I felt anything like this. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I had even been out on a date, good or bad. My job was everything to me. It took up every moment of my day and every thought in my head. I never really talked at length like this with anyone, not even my friends. How could Chase just show up out of nowhere and make me feel things I hadn’t felt in years?
I forced a smile as I sipped at my watery drink awkwardly. I badly needed a refill, but I wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea.
However, Chase seemed to disagree.
“Just a moment,” he interjected, taking the glass from me. “It’s causing me physical pain to watch you try and drink that watered-down mess. You need a new drink.”
“Oh, you don’t have to--” I started, but he shook his head.
“Yes, you need this. I can tell. You work your ass off, Haley, and you deserve a damn break,” he told me firmly. I couldn’t exactly argue with that reasoning. He looked for a second like he might walk over to the bar, then he laughed and set the drink back down on the table with a clink. He looked at me hard, as though he was sizing me up.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“It’s after midnight,” he pointed out. “The bar is closed.”
“Oh my God,” I mumbled, genuinely shocked at how late it was. It felt like we had only been sitting there for a few minutes, and so much time had passed.
“But I was serious about you needing another drink,” he told me. “I have a fantastic bottle of red in my room. Would you like to come up with me?”
He held out his hand. My heart began to thump wildly. Somewhere in the back of my mind, an alarm bell was ringing, warning me that this might not be a great move on my part. But I quickly silenced it as I remembered the fact that my life was crumbling all around me. I had given everything for this resort, for my father’s dream, and it was still slipping away from me. I was stressed-out and overwhelmed beyond reason, and damn it, I needed this.
So I stood up and took his hand. I followed Chase to the elevator and up to his room, wondering how the hell I got here and what exactly I was hurtling toward.
7
Chase
A new door handle turned in my hand when I reached my room door and pushed it open. I led Haley inside.
“I’d show you around, but that would just be kind of like showing you a room in your own house, wouldn’t it?”
“You know, I actually think about that all the time. When it gets warmer and we don’t have as many guests, I can just waltz into any of the suites I want and pretend I’m living like a princess.” She gave a fanciful wave of her hand as she spoke, smiling playfully.
“And hey, if they’re occupied, just kick them out, right?” I teased back. “It’s not their resort now, is it? Bunch of freeloaders.”
She giggled at my joke, and I smiled back at her as I made my way to the bottle of wine and got a corkscrew to pop it open.
“That might be taking it a little too far, I want to be a benevolent Resort Princess.” She accepted the glass of wine I handed her and blushed a little as I winked. I noticed her hastily take the first sip, and it was a little bigger than I’d expect.
She was nervous, but eager. Same old Haley.
“Oh, so you wouldn’t even kick me out of bed?” I asked, raising my eyebrow. She opened her mouth to fire back at me, but closed it, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Almost got me.”
“I’m not hearing a ‘yes’. Now’s your chance, anyway. I’ve hardly unpacked. It could be a nice ego boost to kick your ex out on the curb in the middle of winter.”
“Careful, you’re starting to sound convincing,” she replied in a low tone, and her eyes were lidded. I shot her a smirk before turning around and striding to the fireplace at the far end of the room. I slipped my jacket off and tossed it aside before rolling my sleeves up and kneeling down to get the fire started.
“If you kick me out, though, you’ll have to step away from this nice, warm fireplace for a few minutes,” I played along, “and that doesn’t sound very relaxing at all.”
She peered at me suspiciously for a moment as I picked up my wine glass again and took a seat on the couch by the fire, leaving room for her to come over.
“What’s that look for? Afraid I’m going to steal the towels or something?”
“No, but you’re not exactly innocent, either,” she pointed out.
Our gazes were locked on each other for a few long moments, sizing each other up, a smug smile on my face and a challenging one on hers. Now I was really remembering why Haley drove me wild. There was something about her spirit in any circumstances that could bring out a certain fire in her that I adored.
“It’s been a while, Haley,” I rumbled in a low tone. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to know what I’m like after all these years.” I arched an eyebrow. “I’m dying to see how you have.”
A blush came across her face, and I watched her take another deep drink of her wine before she finally slipped out of her shoes and made her way across the room to the couch and sat down next to me.
I watched her every movement as she did, from the way her eyes moved over my figure as she approached to the way she folded her legs up under her when she sat down, leaning her elbow on the back of the couch while swirling the wine glass around thoughtfully, peering at me.
“Just what are you doing, Chase?” she asked, her low enough that it almost melded with the sound of the crackling fire.
“I was going to ask you the same thing, but I think the answer for both of us is ‘just catching up.’”
That made her smile.
“Is that what we’re calling it? Catching up?” There was a challenge in her voice. She always did love stoking the fire ever so subtly.
“Unless you make a habit of joining every suite guest in his room for wine by the fireplace,” I retorted, finishing my wine and setting the glass down. “And if that’s the case, I might have to visit here a lot more often.”
There was some mirth behind her embarrassed smile, and she turned her head to hide the color I knew she felt in her cheeks.
I didn’t hesitate. I reached over and touched her chin with my thumb and forefinger, gently turning her face back toward me. She looked at me with knowing eyes, and for just a few moments, I could see the battle raging in her mind over whether to pull away from me. I could practically feel her heart pounding.
“I missed this,” I admitted.
“What, touching my face, or getting me to make bad decisions?” she whispered.
I paused. “A little of both,” I decided.
It would have been the easiest thing in the world for her to just spit back in my face that I shouldn’t have left her. She wouldn’t be wrong. I was even surprised by how brazen I was being, considering our history.
My Playboy Fiance: A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance Page 4