The Tycoon's Seductive Revenge

by Kristi Avalon

  “Not really.”

  “Great. I’ll pull up a chair.”

  As he sat down Ellie rolled her eyes. She angled her seat to face the windows instead of him.

  “What brings you out of your comfort zone?” He took a sip of his scotch. The liquid slid down his throat, leaving a satisfying tingle in its wake.

  “I do have a life beyond the hotel.” She flipped a page in her magazine.

  He glanced around at the empty chairs. “I see.”

  “I came here to be alone.”

  “Me, too.” He swirled the ice in his glass and leaned closer, peering at the ads on the page. “Checking out career opportunities?”

  She slapped the magazine shut. “I have a job.”

  “For now.”

  Her eyes sparked. “What does that mean?”

  Shrugging, he pointed out, “It all depends on who buys the hotel.”

  Her cheeks turned as red as her sweater. She stared mutely at the napkin holder on the table.

  An unpleasant twinge of compassion afflicted him, like that afternoon when Russert had come down hard on her. “Look, you have a lot to offer the industry. No matter what happens you’ve got the experience to make a new start.”

  “That’s what my uncle keeps telling me.” She sipped her wine. “But I can’t leave the island.”

  “I may not agree with your uncle’s approach, but he’s right.” Carter gestured toward the view through the window. “There are bigger opportunities out there. You should be managing a hotel chain. Your talents are wasted on this place.”

  “I can’t leave the island,” she said more forcefully. “There’s a—” She cut herself off.

  He supplied, “A life beyond El Dorado Island?”

  Eyes narrowing to slits, she stated, “It may sound idiotic to you, but I believe there’s a curse. Any time someone I love tries to leave the island, there are deadly consequences.”

  Carter used to wonder himself if the island was cursed, but for different reasons. Ridiculous, he knew. “Sounds like a problem.”

  “Uncle Russert was never attached to the hotel, so he doesn’t understand. He thinks I can pick up and take off on a whim.”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s not that simple. My life has never been simple—despite what people assume. There are expectations my father had, and I have to live up to them. To honor him.”

  That hit a little too close to home. He shifted in his seat. “Honoring the dead is a complicated thing.”

  “I don’t know why Daddy thought Steven Jacquard would make all our problems disappear.”

  Carter folded his arms. Who the hell is Steve?

  “But that’s who Daddy wanted me to marry.”

  She got married? A surge of territorial instinct spiked his veins.

  “Steven owned an advertising agency. He was brilliant at sales, a failure at morals. I knew he was sketchy. He kept putting off our wedding, promising the world. Daddy poured all his money into Steven’s schemes. Four years ago the guy disappeared with my father’s last nickel, and I threw my engagement ring off the boat docks.” She sniffed. “Which was stupid. I could use the money from that diamond right about now.”

  So she wasn’t married . His shoulders relaxed.

  Morbidly curious what else she’d reveal, he sat back and let her vent.

  “We were never as rich as people thought, but that didn’t stop them from wanting money or favors. You never knew who to trust.” She gripped the stem of her glass. “Now my father is gone, I have no close friends, I can’t leave the island, my family heritage is up for auction, and a mountain of debt will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

  She polished off her wine.

  A tide of irritation rose up inside him.

  First, she never expressed her fears and loneliness to him when they were together. Second, he’d experienced a parallel reality growing up even though their lives had been totally different. Third, when she talked about Steven Jackass, Carter felt...something. Deep down. And he couldn’t identify it. Like an infected splinter lodged under a fingernail where he couldn’t reach.

  When it came to Ellie, he didn’t want to feel anything except the satisfaction of vengeance. Instead of investigating his frustration or giving into her sob story, he pretended to yawn. “I know. Life’s rough.”

  Her fury sizzled in the air between them. “Why are you here, Carter?”

  “Just enjoying happy hour.”

  She shook her head. “Why did you come back to the island?”

  He had to play this carefully. “Why do you think?”

  “To make my life hell.”

  “That’s right. It’s all about you, Ellie.”

  She stiffened. “Go back to your beachfront hotels, and leave us alone.”

  “What fun would that be?”

  “It figures. You’re not happy unless someone is ripping me apart. I’ve gone a whole three hours without criticism. Thanks for doing the honors.”

  Ellie scraped her chair back from the table and left the restaurant. Carter wasn’t far behind. He paid the tab, ignored the bartender’s advances, and headed back to his room alone.

  Distractions weren’t going to give him what he wanted. He needed to narrow his focus on luring Ellie to him, while maintaining the detachment he’d perfected.

  He noticed a blotch of red a few hundred yards away, the color of Ellie’s sweater. She moved quickly over the cobblestone path through a cluster of trees. Running away from the big bad wolf, are we?

  Wearing a smug grin, he slowed his pace. “You can run but you can’t hide.”

  You will be mine again .

  Chapter 3

  The following morning, Carter surfaced from forty-five minutes of laps in the Montgomery Hotel’s indoor pool. He shook his head to flick off the water. It might’ve been the chlorine messing with his eyes, but he swore he saw Ellie standing mostly naked on the other side of the pool room.

  He shook his head again. The vision was real.

  Ellie stood in a skimpy swimsuit, setting her robe and towel down on a plastic pool chair. The strapless bikini top cradled her breasts. Her sleek stomach curved like an hourglass to her hips. And those legs...

  He imagined tracing her legs with the tip of his tongue, up her thighs to her juncture. His hands clenched water. After he finished tasting her there, he’d wrap those legs around his waist and slide inside her, taking her hard and fast.

  His muscles contracted.

  Ellie looked just like she did the first time he saw her at the beach, lying in the sun—gorgeous long legs, smooth tanned skin, a mane of brown hair streaked with golden highlights. And those intoxicating light-brown eyes, the color of warm whisky.

  He’d seen a lot of beautiful women on El Dorado’s beaches, and had sampled his fair share by the age of nineteen. As a lifeguard, he had the best views on the island and sex appeal to spare. But nothing compared to the moment Ellie had looked at him—really saw him—over the sea of people. Their gazes had locked. She’d smiled softly. His insides had melted like the sun had cranked the heat up fifty degrees.

  Their interaction had gotten a lot more personal that day. If he hadn’t been obsessed with watching her, he might not have seen her disappear under the waves. Or notice that she hadn’t resurfaced. He’d blown his whistle, had leaped from the platform and dove into the surf. He retrieved her just as the tide was turning, right before she would’ve been swept out to sea. From there, they spent two years secretly exploring all the ways to perform mouth-to-mouth.

  The memory of the silken glide of her tongue, the sounds of pleasure she’d made and the sweet breath she’d exhaled, suddenly caused him to shiver as the pool water grew chill around him. His chest tightened and his desire magnified. There had always been something about her.

  “Carter!”

  His head snapped up. “Huh?”

  “What are you doing?” Ellie grabbed her towel and clutched it in front of her. As if that would shield her
from his intimate sexual knowledge of every inch of her body.

  “Swimming. That’s what you do in a pool.”

  “I didn’t even see you.”

  “I’ve seen a whole lot of you.” He grinned.

  “Stop it.”

  “What? I’m standing here minding my own business.”

  “Well, just...look somewhere else.”

  “Why?” He smiled indulgently. “It’s a great view. Always was.”

  She snorted. “I doubt that.”

  If you knew how much I want you naked and under me right now, you’d have no doubt whatsoever . He shrugged innocently. “I can erase those doubts for you.”

  She scoffed. But he saw a spark of pleasure in her eyes at his flirtatious comments. The expectation of being in the cool water with her warm body nearby sent his pulse soaring.

  He spread his arms. “There’s plenty of water here for the both of us.”

  “It’s a two-lap-lane pool.”

  “And?”

  She approached warily, as if nearing a wolf’s lair.

  “I don’t bite. Much,” he added softly.

  She stamped her foot on the concrete. “Can you leave me alone to swim a few laps in peace?”

  As if he owed her some huge favor. “I thought you hated water.”

  “Yes, if I can’t see the bottom of it. Pools are fine. It’s the ocean that terrifies me.” Her expression revealed shock that she’d admitted her fear to him.

  “So that’s why you refuse to leave the island?”

  To counter the connection he’d made, she dropped her towel and dove into the deep end.

  When she surfaced, Carter waded toward her and pressed her further. “Is it because of the day you almost drowned, when I rescued you?”

  She squared her shoulders. “I know how to swim,” she said, treading water. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “Ellie, the strength of the tide would’ve sucked you out to sea.”

  “You always had to be the hero. Do you believe you saved me?”

  Yes, damn it. Admit you needed me then—and you still need me now .

  The clarity of that desire startled him. “We can try it again just to see. I’ll hang out on the beach while the tide washes you away.”

  Terror blazed in her eyes. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

  Swimming toward the steel ladder in the shallow end, she lifted herself onto the first rung. He was there in seconds, catching her waist in his hands.

  “You can’t out-swim a lifeguard.” He turned her to face him as water sheeted off her body. Even on the first rung, she was still an inch shorter than him. “You never answered my question last night. What will you do when the hotel sells?”

  “I’m staying.”

  “What if the new owner doesn’t want you here?”

  Drops of water clung to her lashes. “I’ll convince him it’s better to keep me on.”

  Her plan was absurd. “How?”

  “I’m resourceful.” She went to climb the next rung.

  He pulled her back, held her in his arms while her feet dangled in the water. He stared at her lips. “How much do you want it?”

  “What?”

  “To stay here.”

  She pulled in a breath when his body went hard. He held her tighter until her breasts pressed against his chest. His arms wrapped around her waist. “How far are you willing to go?”

  He lowered his head, their mouths on a collision course.

  With shocking strength, Ellie shoved him away. “Not this far.”

  He blinked and released her.

  Ellie shot out of the pool. She raced to the chair, scooped up her things and exited the pool room. Carter stood in the water, tiny waves ricocheting against his hips and lower back.

  Layers of frustration mounted inside him. He’d pushed her too far, too fast.

  Angry with himself, he slapped the surface of the water, his gaze locked on her retreating form.

  He was tired of watching her run away.

  If he wanted her back in his bed, this wasn’t the way to go about it. He needed to find a way to contain his lust.

  Not easy , he admitted.

  He wanted her beneath him, beside him, on top of him. He wanted to wake up in the middle of the night, reach for her, and find her warm body curled against him. He wanted to roll over, kiss her awake and have sex until dawn.

  Carter got out of the pool, toweled off and made a few mental adjustments as he went to his room, showered and dressed.

  From now on he’d give her hints, engage her sharp mind, lure her trust, and spark her sensual nature he knew simmered inside her. Then he’d let her give the invitation to seduction.

  Until he had her right where he wanted her.

  *

  Back in her room Ellie changed out of her suit and threw on a robe. She brewed a cup of coffee, sipping it as she stared out the window at the gray November sky.

  Her attraction for Carter hadn’t lessened over the years. Still, she couldn’t convince herself to reignite the flame, no matter how brightly it still burned.

  Obviously, he was here to investigate the hotel, perhaps to buy it. He also seemed determined to dismantle her emotional shields, as if half a lifetime hadn’t gone by since they’d been lovers. If he bought the hotel, would he let her stay? If he didn’t want her to stay, could she convince him otherwise by giving into him sexually?

  Either way she felt trapped and miserable.

  Worse, the thought of sacrificing her body and her pride to Arnoff Applestone, to secure her place in his grand designs of a floating Sin City, made her sick to her stomach.

  Why did she have to give up pieces of herself in order to hold on to her dreams?

  Four days.

  So much could happen in four days.

  A hard knock rattled her door. Ellie jumped up, spilling coffee on her white robe.

  “Shoot.” Grabbing a wash cloth from the bathroom, she blotted the stains on the way to the door. She swung it open. “Yes?”

  Carter stood before her in jeans and a Dolce & Gabbana knit pullover, smelling of sexy cologne and guest shampoo. A vision of pure, uncomplicated confidence. How she envied him.

  She crossed her arms. “What?”

  “I need you,” he stated.

  She took a step back. “Um—”

  Animated, he went on. “Remember the original building plans we found? The night we snuck up to the attic to be together, during that bad storm?”

  He remembered that? “I guess.”

  “I want to see those plans.”

  “Right now?”

  His eyes lit up. “I think I found something, hidden inside this hotel. Meet me for breakfast in the dining room, and I’ll show you.”

  He left as abruptly as he’d arrived. She shut the door, determined not to let his “discovery” intrigue her.

  What could he possibly have learned about the hotel that she didn’t already know? Eventually, her coffee grew cold and curiosity won out over caution.

  Ellie showered, blow-dried her hair, dressed in hip-hugger jeans, kitten heels, a cropped beige jacket she’d ordered online from The Gap, and met Carter in the dining hall. At one of the café tables in the breakfast nook, he pored over The Wall Street Journal , shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth.

  He dropped his fork and the paper when he saw her. He wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin. “Ready?”

  She shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

  “Up for new adventures. I always adored that about you.” He winked, kissed her on the forehead as he passed, and headed for the central staircase.

  Adored? Ellie swallowed. The open enthusiasm he expressed put her on guard. Yet he seemed relaxed, genuinely interested in her company, instead of pawing at her or playing on her emotions. He probably didn’t mean he adored her . He was just excited about something, and the endearment slipped out accidentally.

  Intrigue compelled her to follow him. They took the central staircase up to th
e second floor.

  He stopped at the utility room near the elevator. “Keys?”

  “What for?”

  His lids lowered halfway. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “No.”

  “C’mon, work with me, baby. I won’t let you down.”

  She pulled out her master keys and unlocked the door. He swept his arm gallantly before him. “After you.”

  That’s what he said the night we were up here together . With the same indulgent grin, the same spark in his eyes, the same tone that said, I can’t wait to be alone with you.

  Old feelings overflowed the dam she’d built around her heart, washing through her, strengthening her emotional and sexual attraction to him.

  “I can’t wait to see if it’s true.” Carter took her elbow and led her inside.

  Together they approached the rungs of a rusty iron ladder. She paused, staring up at the panel that sealed off the attic. “You’re sure you want to go up there? No one has there since...well, since we—”

  “No time like the present.” His sly smile told her he knew exactly who’d been up there last. And exactly what they’d done, while the wind howled and rain pelted the roof, drowning out the erotic sounds of their lovemaking.

  Eager to get her mind off those inconvenient thoughts, Ellie forced herself to climb. When she reached the panel, she unlatched it and pushed. The thing didn’t budge.

  “Let me.” Carter stood on the rung below, his body surrounding her as he wedged the heels of his hands against the aged wood.

  She melted into him, just a little. When they were together before, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They would’ve made out twice on the ladder by now. Touching, feeling, exploring each other. Tearing off clothes. Never able to get close enough, feel deeply enough, until he slid inside her. She’d never wanted it to end. If only her father hadn’t asked the impossible. If only he hadn’t made her choose between Carter and inheriting the hotel.

  Carter popped all four corners of the panel and lifted it with ease. “Ready?”

  “Not exactly.”