Trying to keep his thoughts firmly away from Hannah, he thought about business matters—how many more condos he had to sell. How many of those units he’d reserved as hotel rentals were booked for opening week. Profit projections looked good, but not where he had wanted them to be. Looking to his left, he could just make out the porch light of his beach house nemesis.
Thinking about his conversation with Hannah, he wondered if he should approach this in a more personal way… go over and introduce himself to the owner. If he could find out what made Leah Parker tick, maybe he could find the leverage he needed to convince her to sell.
A knock on the door behind him broke his concentration. Turning, he could dimly make out Nate in the doorway. Stepping quickly over to his desk, he turned on the lamp. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“I’m good, but thanks.” Nate sat down in the chair in front of Carter’s desk. “But how are you doing? Besides going crazy I mean.”
“Fine. Just dealing with the stress of opening this place next week.”
Nate nodded and put his hands behind his head as he leaned back. “Now cut the crap and tell me why you’re avoiding going home.”
Carter tried to think of a good, plausible excuse, but couldn’t. “If I go home early, Hannah will still have time to go out with her boyfriend.” That last word left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Nate sat forward. “Are you saying you orchestrated this whole evening because of that? I wondered why you didn’t bring Addi.”
“Yeah. I let Hannah think I had a date. It was a brilliant move, really, until she showed up dressed for a night on the town.” But then a sick, nauseated sensation clenched his stomach. “Not that it matters anyway.” Carter stood abruptly, sending his wheeled chair sliding behind him. “She’s just going to go home to him.”
“They live together?”
“He moved in with her today. At least, that’s what I understand from something Addi said.”
“That’s tough, man. I’m sorry.”
Carter shrugged, not wanting to completely reveal himself to Nate. “That’s life, right?”
“No, it’s bad timing. Who knows what will happen down the road.”
“Yeah. I guess not.”
“I hope it works out for you.”
“I appreciate that,” Carter said, “But I admit, I don’t see how.”
“Well, there’s one thing I can help you with. Let’s talk about this resort of yours before I go since we’re leaving in the morning.”
Carter nodded, and they spent the next hour talking earning projections, budgets, and advertising. When Nate had gone, Carter checked his watch and saw that it was almost ten o’clock. He couldn’t stall any longer. He turned off his lamp and locked his office behind him.
When he walked into his condo a few minutes later, it was dark and quiet except for the faint sound of a movie playing on the television. In his room, he found Hannah and Addi curled up in his bed, their heads close together on a pillow with Hannah holding Addi close. They were both asleep, their lashes casting shadows on their cheeks as the light from the television flickered over their skin in the dark room.
Moving closer, as quietly as he could, he sat on the edge of the wide king-sized bed and gazed down at them. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful sight. The last bit of resistance he had left escaped him. He didn’t know how or when, or if it would ever be possible, but he wanted this woman.
Reaching out, he gently shook Hannah’s shoulder. Her eyes opened at once, and she looked at him, clearly startled. But then she looked over at Addi and relaxed. “Let me get up,” she whispered.
Hannah carefully moved Addi’s arm from its resting place at Hannah’s waist then slowly pulled her arm from beneath Addi’s sleepy head, shifting as she moved away. Carter offered her a hand to help her up and looked away while Hannah adjusted the skirt of her dress that had risen up her legs as she slept. Quietly, they slipped out of the room.
Carter wanted to ask her to stay, wanted to keep her close for a minute so the intimacy hovering in the atmosphere didn’t break. But he couldn’t.
Hannah picked up her bag. “Do you need me as usual tomorrow?”
Yes, and every day after that. “If you don’t mind. But you had to stay late today, so let me know if you’d rather sleep in.”
Hannah smiled. “I’ll be fine. I think I’ve been asleep awhile. Your bed is way more comfortable than mine. Good night, dream boat.”
As she left, Carter turned back to his room. Her bed. Did she share it with him?
No, he wouldn’t think about that. He changed for bed then picked Addi up and carried her to her room. Tucking her in, he smoothed back the curls from her face and kissed her cheek. He might have relaxed then except that when he got into his own bed to go to sleep, it smelled like roses and coconut.
Chapter Fourteen
Hannah zinged with cheerfulness as she went to work. She’d been Addi’s nanny for three weeks now, and she loved it more with every passing day. She tried not to think about how much her feelings were tied in with the time she got to spend with Carter—before he left for work, the time he found to eat lunch or join them for a swim, and in the evenings when he got home. Somehow, she tended to linger over saying goodbye, often ending up on the balcony with Carter talking over the day. There was always a hint of tension about him, however, that never quite eased. It both intrigued and worried her.
Last night had been a late night for her again since Carter had gone to a late dinner meeting with investors. After the first time when she and Addi had hung out on Carter’s bed, it had seemed natural to do it again last night. But this time, she’d been ultra-aware the whole time that it was his bed. It had felt so much more intimate this time. And when she’d seen Carter before work this morning, with his hair damp from his shower and his jaw tight, as if he was stressed, she’d barely been able to breathe for the way her heart had hammered. It hadn’t helped that he’d smelled like a million bucks.
She laughed as she thought about that one while she set out ingredients to make pancakes with Addi. It made sense that someone as rich as he was would have lethal cologne. She’d longed to lean against him and fill her senses with it. Maybe run her fingers through the silky strands of his hair that were darker than when they were dry and smooth the tension from jaw. She smiled at how ridiculous she was being and tried to focus on her task.
“Are you thinking about something funny?” Addi asked, coming into the kitchen in her pajamas.
“Yes, sweetie, I was, but the joke is all mine. Do you want to help me make pancakes?”
That brought Addi’s smile out. “Yay. I love pancakes.” She ran to the little apron they’d bought for her, put it over her head, and pulled over a chair from the dining room. “What do I do first?”
It turned out that Addi loved learning to cook, loved washing dishes afterwards, and would actually eat anything she’d had a hand in creating. The result was that she’d filled out nicely. Her face and joints had lost their sharpness. Addi wasn’t a picky eater, just a bored little girl.
As they worked on the pancakes, the cleaning ladies came in and began their routine of vacuuming rugs, taking out trash, and sweeping the sand that inevitably dusted the tile floors. Today however, as one of the maids came in carrying new sheets for Carters bed, the other maid came out of his room with a note in her hands. “Never mind those. He doesn’t want his sheets changed this morning.”
Hannah looked up in surprise. That had never happened before. Curiosity tugged at her, refusing to let her attention wander away from the question of why Carter didn’t want his sheets changed.
A thought flashed through her mind. No, that couldn’t be it. But even as she refused to believe it was possible, her heart hammered like a hummingbird’s wings in her chest.
“Do I flip it now?” Addi asked.
Hannah turned, completely distracted, and looked at the pancake Addi was cooking on the griddle. Little bubbles were bursting
all over the top of the batter. “Yes, that looks good. Easy now.”
The whole time she helped Addi make pancakes, she wondered if she was right—strained with impatience for the cleaning ladies to leave. When at last they did, she jumped up from her chair, leaving Addi to enjoy her breakfast, and crept into Carter’s room, feeling like an intruder. The cleaning ladies had made his bed, so maybe there was no way for her to even know, but still she picked up one of the pillows and held it to her face. Sure enough, it was faint, but there—the scent of her perfume. It was distinctive because she’d had it specially mixed for her at a local boutique.
She put the pillow down. No way. Nope, she was making things up just because she wanted them to be true. There was absolutely no way Carter had told them not to change his sheets because he liked that they smelled like her. The thought of it was too dangerous, too loaded with meaning.
“Hannah, where’d you go?”
Walking back quickly, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong, Hannah answered, “I’m right here. What did you need?”
“What are we going to do after breakfast?”
Forcing her thoughts into appropriate channels, Hannah walked over to her bag and pulled out a roll of hemp twine and several plastic tubes of beads. “We are going to make wish bracelets.”
Addi dropped her fork. It clattered against her plate. “Wow. What are those?”
Hannah laughed at how big and excited Addi’s eyes looked. Walking around the table, she held out her wrists and pointed to one of the bracelets on her wrist. “This is a wish bracelet. When you tie it on your wrist, you make a wish. Eventually the twine will wear down and break.”
Addi’s scrunched her eyebrows together. “I don’t want mine to break.”
“Yes, you do,” Hannah said. “Because when it breaks, your wish comes true.”
“Wow. Really?”
“I don’t know for sure. Maybe it’s just for fun. But I’ve had some of my wishes come true, so why not?”
“Can I wish for anything I want?”
“Anything,” Hannah said, quite sure that Carter would make good on her wishes. “So, lets finish breakfast and clean up so we can make some before we go down to the beach. It’s our last day before tourists arrive and take over this place.”
A little while later, they sat at the table, making bracelets. Hannah helped Addi get started but got bored once the little girl learned the process and no longer needed help. She decided to make one for Carter, even though it was a dumb idea and there was probably no way he’d want one. Still, it gave her something to do. She braided and wove hemp strands into a narrow cuff with sliding knots so it could be taken on and off. By the time she finished it, Addi had made three beaded bracelets, all a little uneven, but she was very proud of them.
“Can you tie them on me?”
Hannah leaned forward and picked up the first one. “Sure. What is your wish for this one?”
Addi giggled. “To see a mermaid.”
“Oh yeah.” Hannah laughed with her. “That’s an ambitious wish. What about this one with the blue beads?”
“To make a friend.”
The somber wistfulness in her voice twisted Hannah’s heart. “Well, that one is sure to come true, because who wouldn’t want to be friends with you, moonbeam?”
“Are you my friend, Hannah?”
Hannah’s eyes watered, so she gathered the little girl into her arms and hugged her tight. “Of course I am. Can’t you tell?”
“Even though I’m kind of weird?”
“I don’t think you’re weird at all. You just needed to learn how to have fun. And you’re really good at that now, huh?”
Addi nodded and played with the bracelets on Hannah’s wrists. “You must make a lot of wishes.”
“Well, they aren’t all wish bracelets, but yeah, I guess I do.”
“What for?”
Thoughts of Carter flashed through Hannah’s brain, refusing to be dismissed. Was she wishing for him? Maybe. Okay, yes…in a hopeless sort of way. But she could hardly tell Addi that. She plucked at one of her bracelets. “This one is a wish that I can someday stop teaching and just be an artist. This one is a wish to sell some of my art. It’s hanging all over my walls at home, and I’m running out of places to hang new stuff. Now, tell me about your last wish.”
Addi smiled, and even looked mischievous. “That one is my secret wish.”
“Oh, then you’d better not tell me. What do you say we clean up our mess and head down to the beach? These bracelets wear out faster if they’re exposed to lots and lots of salt water.”
Working together, they cleaned up their mess. Just as they were finishing, the front door opened. With her heart beating quickly and expectantly, she felt a rush of pleasure when Carter came in. But it was so incredibly stupid that she bent to finish her task of picking up loose beads on the table while silently berating herself.
“I had a few spare moments and thought I’d come up and see how you two were doing since I had to rush out of here so early this morning.”
“We’ve been making bracelets,” Addi said, holding her arm up proudly.
Carter squatted down and examined her work. “Wow. You made those?”
“Yeah, they’re wish bracelets. You get to make a wish and when they break, it comes true.”
“Interesting. I’ve never heard of that before. Hannah must have a lot of wishes then.”
Addi giggled. “That’s what I said.”
Hannah shrugged, hating that her cheeks were feeling flushed. Hopefully her tan was dark enough now to hide her blushes. “Everybody has wishes,” she said. “I made one for you too.”
He stood up. “You did?” His lips twisted into a half-smile.
She walked over with the bracelet she’d made him, holding it out for his inspection. “See? Yours is adjustable so you can take it off when you want.” She demonstrated how it worked, then reached down for his left wrist. As she grasped it, a current of heady awareness swept through her. The sensation of touching his skin, even just his hand as she put the bracelet on him, made her feel greedy for more. She let her fingers linger as she adjusted the wish bracelet so that the band was on top and the knot was at the inside of his wrist. As her fingers brushed the softer skin there, she felt his pulse, strong and quick, hammering in his veins. She looked up then and their eyes met like a collision of stars.
She struggled to breathe, but managed to say, “Now you have to think of something to wish for.”
“That won’t be hard,” he said.
They stood staring at each other, as if he was caught in the same vortex of emotion she was. It took Addi’s excited voice to break through it.
“Want to go swimming with us, Daddy?”
“Are you going now?”
“Yep!”
Carter looked down at his daughter, deep in concentration. “You know what? I think I can. I might have to work later tonight though.”
“Yay!”
“That would mean overtime for you,” Carter said, looking back at Hannah.
She shrugged and smiled. “I won’t complain.”
He grinned. “Okay then. It will be nice enjoying the beach one more time before guests start arriving tomorrow. Let’s go change.”
“I’ll help Addi and get her sunscreen on.”
Addi was super motivated to get ready, so Hannah had no trouble getting her to change and sit still for the ritual of applying sunscreen. Hannah did have a hard time getting her hair pulled back in a ponytail because by that point, Addi was twitching all over because she was so excited to go. “Hold still, wiggle worm. I don’t want to spend the whole evening untangling your curls because we didn’t pull it back.”
That convinced her. “Okay, Hannah.”
When she was ready at last, Addi ran into the living room. “I’m ready, Daddy. Can we go?”
Hannah followed and came out in time to see Carter emerge from his room. He was in the process of pulling his shirt on so s
he got a glance at his perfect abs. “Hallelujah.” Holy cow. Had she said that out loud?
“What was that?” Carter asked, tugging his shirt down.
“Oh, I’m just glad you’re ready to go. Addi is getting hard to contain.”
“Well, let’s get going then before Brenda calls to remind me about something important I have to do.”
Hannah laughed as she grabbed her beach bag and a few waters. “If she gets mad at you, just tell her you were doing something important.” She stepped closer to him and smiled up at him. “Because you are. You just made that little girl very happy.”
“You look pretty happy yourself.”
Hannah looked down, afraid she was giving herself away. “I am.”
Chapter Fifteen
Carter couldn’t actually afford to take this time off, not really. But what was the point of owning a resort and having an enormous fortune if he couldn’t do what he wanted every now and then? And right now, there was nowhere he’d rather be.
Gentle waves rolled in today and the water was clear and free of any seaweed. He and Hannah had walked out through chest deep water to the first sand bar while Addi swam between them. He was impressed with how much stronger her swimming was already. With her goggles on, she dove down to look for sand dollars, popping up to the surface when she found one to examine it, then swimming back down to return it to its home under the white sand.
While she played, he and Hannah relaxed. For the most part, he tried to look out to sea, or back at his resort…anything to keep from feasting his eyes on Hannah. With her hair pulled up on top of her head, exposing her long, smooth neck, and her lightly tanned skin gleaming in the sunlight, she was breathtaking. No matter what he did though, his eyes still wandered over to her too often. He should not be checking out another man’s girlfriend. Except that she didn’t feel like someone else’s. She felt like his.
The Trust of a Billionaire Page 8