His lips turned up at the corners with a smirk as he took in my expression. “You’re staring, Aria. Do you like what you see?”
Heat washed over my neck and face at the realization that he’d caught me examining him, and I tried desperately to think of a quick-witted response. Unfortunately, the kind of answers I wanted never came to me that fast. I usually thought of something good to say hours later when it was too late. “Uh . . . That’s a loaded question.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “How so?”
“If I say yes, you’ll think I’m flirting. If I say no, you’ll feel like I’ve just insulted you.”
He glanced up at the ceiling and laughed, licking his lips. “I suppose I can see your point when you put it like that.”
“Good. Glad that’s settled.”
His gaze lingered on my face longer than necessary. “But I’d still like to have an honest answer.”
I hesitated, unsure how to respond. There was no way I was telling him he was drop-dead-gorgeous. He had a lot of confidence, but now that I knew him better, I didn’t think he had a huge ego. But I was sure he’d been told how good-looking he was by multiple people—especially women. Lots and lots of them.
He didn’t need one more person saying it.
“There are a lot of things we’d like to have in this world,” I said. “But we don’t always get what we want.”
His eyes flickered with humor, but when he turned away, he looked almost sad. “You’re right about that. In more ways than one.”
I thought that would be the end of it, but seconds later he faced me again, and he ran a thumb lightly across my cheek. “You’re still blushing.”
My face warmed even more as if the act of pointing it out brought on a whole new wave of awkwardness. “Maybe your question embarrassed me.”
He turned a little more towards me, seeming extra interested now. “And why is that?”
“Because . . . You’re my boss.” Our eyes locked and my pulse jumped and then took off running. I swallowed. “I’m sure you can understand that.”
He broke out into a huge grin, and I almost stopped breathing. I’d never seen him smile like that before, and I was afraid that if I moved, it might go away. It was the most brilliant thing I’d ever seen, and that was saying a lot considering the paradise we were currently witnessing.
“You’re really not going to tell me if you like what you see?” he asked. “I promise I won’t hold it against you.”
I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, but that’s just going to have to remain a question in your mind.”
“Because you don’t want to come across as flirting?”
“Right.”
He laughed. “Kudos to you for holding back a little. Most women can’t wait for an opportunity to flirt.”
“I guess I’m not most women.”
“No, you certainly are not.” He ran his thumb over my cheek once more. “But this right here tells me all I need to know.” He turned away, looking smug all of a sudden.
“I wouldn’t make assumptions if I were you,” I said, pulling my hand away.
He winked. “Too late. Assumptions have already been made.”
Great. What was I supposed to say to that?
“And by the way,” he said, growing more serious. “I’m not embarrassed to tell you that when I look at you, I like what I see. In fact, I think you’re like no one I’ve ever encountered.”
I was speechless. Butterflies danced inside my stomach, and to my mortification, my face heated even more.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to reply because our pilot, Rick, jumped in. “On your left is the beautiful Na Pali Coast, running six thousand, one hundred and seventy-five acres. The cliffs along the shoreline rise as far as four thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean.”
I turned towards the window and gasped. Words couldn’t describe the scene before me, but if I had to try, I would have said that God had a special place in his heart for Kauai because He’d taken care to form every ridge and valley and crevice. If Kauai was a crown, the Na Pali Coast was one of its most prominent jewels.
The deep blue of the ocean water was almost unreal, contrasted next to the jagged-edged cliffs, covered in bright green vegetation. Tears sprung to my eyes, and in that moment, my torn heart healed a little from the pain and the loss I’d experienced from my past. It wasn’t that it went away entirely, but the loveliness of this view lessened the hurt just a little. If God could create a work of art like this, surely, He’d do something amazing with my life if I trusted Him with my future.
We hovered along the coast, taking in its spectacular beauty, and then Rick brought us right up to a huge waterfall. We were so close, a shot of fear charged through me, but it didn’t detract from the awe I felt.
When we finally touched down to the ground, I let out a sigh. “Thank you, for that, Lucas. That was beyond my expectations. I’ll never forget it.”
“I knew you’d like it.” He winked at me, and my heart fluttered in return.
I had to learn how to control my reactions to him. This was getting out of hand. Suddenly, the space was much too small for the two of us, and I needed to get out of the helicopter before I hugged him or something.
“There’s Hillary,” Lucas said, sounding surprised as he pointed to a tall blonde. “We were supposed to meet at the restaurant.”
Her arms were crossed at her chest and one of her feet tapped impatiently as she glared in our direction. She wore a poofy pink miniskirt and a flimsy white tank top that left little to the imagination. I’d been right about her being gorgeous. She was more than gorgeous, and the sinking sensation in my stomach alerted me to how difficult this was going to be for me.
The classic book, Jane Eyre, came to mind: Mr. Rochester forcing Jane to sit with him while he entertained Blanche Ingram. This wasn’t the same thing, of course. While Mr. Rochester did it to see how Jane felt about him, Lucas wanted me there to ground him. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was poor Jane right now.
Glancing again at Hillary, I winced. “She doesn’t look very happy.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Lucas said. “She doesn’t look happy at all.”
Chapter 17
Lucas
Whatever high I’d felt from the helicopter ride began to slip the closer we got to Hillary. She crossed her arms and tapped her bright gold stiletto on the ground as if she’d been waiting hours for me to arrive. Her lips were pressed together in a pout, and she flipped her blonde hair and eyed me suspiciously.
“There you are,” she said, obviously put out. “If I had known you were still going on the helicopter tour, I would have pushed myself to come.”
She never pushed herself to do anything, but, okay, I’d take her at face value. “We can reschedule another tour if you’d like.”
She flipped her hair again. “No thanks. That tour is old news.”
“Oh. I thought you just said—”
“Who is this?” She glanced at Aria and then looked back at me.
“Aria is my assistant. She’ll be joining us today.”
“Do you have work you have to do in the city later?”
“No, nothing like that.”
She stared at me like she wanted more of an explanation, but I’d learned a long time ago that no explanation was necessary. I didn’t have to enlighten anyone about my plans. They either rolled with it or we parted ways. It was as easy as that. People usually rolled with it because they figured I had a good reason.
And in this case, I had a very good reason though I wouldn’t tell Hillary that.
I led both women to the parking lot where Sam was still waiting for us. Aria hurried to the front before I could stop her, so I was stuck in the back with Hillary.
Glancing at her, I forced myself to smile. “I was surprised to see you here. Thought we were meeting at the restaurant. How did you know we’d be here?”
“You didn’t answer your phone, so I contacted Sam.” She flashed an alluring sm
ile. “When you broke up with me the last time, I never deleted all Lucas-related contacts. I kept them just in case.”
That was a good sign. It meant she wasn’t entirely opposed to furthering our relationship, but for some reason, it made me uneasy. “Well, I’m glad the number came in handy.”
She snuggled up against me, and I stiffened involuntarily. I relaxed my shoulders and put my arm around her, still feeling stiff. It just didn’t feel right, so I lifted my arm and scooted away an inch to give both of us some breathing room. Hillary glanced at me in surprise and then shrugged like she didn’t really care, anyway.
“I spoke with your sister today,” she said, batting her eyelids in that overly flirtatious manner she used when she was with me. Sometimes I wished she’d just be herself instead of putting on an act. It never felt like she wanted me to like her because she liked me back. Quite the opposite, in fact. I’d always gotten the impression it was more about having power over me in some way.
She wanted to draw me in like a lasso was tied around my neck . . . er . . . waist. It never worked. In fact, it made me push her even further away, and that was a shame since I needed to close the distance between us if I was going to make this work.
“So, you spoke to Calista?” I asked. “What did she have to say?”
Hillary giggled. “Your charming sister gave me the rundown on everything that happened with Alexa.”
I winced. “Do you have to bring her up?”
She blinked a few times. “Why? Do you still have feelings for her?”
“No. I just don’t feel like talking about her.” I felt bad about how I’d handled things with Alexa. Maybe one day I’d be able to make it right, but at this moment, I didn’t want to think about it.
Hillary linked her arm through mine. “Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
She chatted about her nail appointment earlier and showed me the jeweled decals she’d chosen this time around. “Aren’t these the most adorable things you’ve ever seen?”
“Yeah, they’re nice,” I said distantly, glancing out the window.
“I almost chipped this one on my way to meet you,” she said, tapping a long fingernail on my leg. “That would have been a complete disaster.”
“I’m sure it would have been.” I restrained myself from rolling my eyes and ran a hand through my hair. Tilting my head back against the seat, I closed my eyes and counted to ten.
“This lady did just an okay job,” she prattled on, holding her hands out in front of her. “It’s so hard to find good help these days.”
“They look fine to me.”
She made a display of laughing, but it sounded fake. “That’s because you’re a man. Men have no experience with these things.”
“You’re right there,” I said, blank-faced. I didn’t mind her talking about her nails and hair and all that stuff. I just wished she wouldn’t focus on it so much. Even Alexa had other interests.
“I was also supposed to get a pedicure today,” she said. “But I was afraid I’d miss lunch.”
“So that’s why you were running late and had to cancel the helicopter tour.”
“Yeah, had to make sure I was all put together.” She wiggled her fingers in my face. “My mama always told me that if you put yourself first, your man will be happy as well. Because when you’re happy, he’s happy.” She smiled and scooted closer.
“Does it ever work the other way around?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If I put myself first, will it make you happy?”
Her forehead wrinkled. “That’s not how it works. The woman is supposed to put herself first.”
“All the time?”
“Yes, all the time.”
I turned towards her and gave her my full attention for the first time since we’d been in the car. “There’s never a give and take?”
“Well, you’re missing the point. If Mama’s not happy, no one’s happy.”
“But you’re not Mama.”
She tapped a long nail on her collarbone. “I’m the woman in this scenario.”
“So that means you should always get your way? Is that what you’re saying?”
She ran a fingernail down my arm. “Don’t I always get what I want?”
I shrugged, already bored with this line of conversation.
She chatted on about meaningless details, and my attention veered towards the front of the vehicle. Sam and Aria seemed like they were having a better time than us. They conversed in low voices, but I caught glimpses of their smiles. I strained to hear what they were saying, but they spoke too quietly. Sam made a crack about something and Aria threw her head back and laughed, placing one hand over her mouth as if to mute the sound. I wished it was me up there with Aria, making her laugh right now.
I leaned forward in my seat. “What’s going on up there?”
Sam cleared his throat. “Nothing Mr. Armstrong. Sorry to bother you.”
“Aria? Care to share?”
She glanced back with a mischievous grin. “Sam suggested taking me to the beach after we drop you two off. Said I deserved a day off. What do you think?”
Sam’s eyes were full of humor as he looked at me through the rearview mirror. I gave him a hard look. “No one’s taking a day off today.”
Hillary crossed her legs and put a hand on my shoulder. “Good for you.” She spoke in a low voice that only I could hear. “Put your employees in their place.”
I shrugged her hand off my shoulder and stared out the window. This was going to be a long day.
Aria
Sam pulled up in front of the Crystal Cove Eatery, and Lucas, Hillary, and I got out of the car and headed towards the entrance. It appeared to be an upscale restaurant close to the beach with gorgeous ocean views no doubt.
Lucas held the door for us, and once inside, Hillary glanced at me and Lucas with a startled expression. “Why is she coming with us?” She looked at me as if she saw right through me. Like I wasn’t a person worth her effort.
“I told you,” Lucas said. “She’s my assistant. She’ll be joining us today.”
Her eyes flashed. “You’re really going to bring your assistant with us on our date? I thought she was just coming along for the ride. Why can’t she go with Sam?”
“Because I asked her to join us,” Lucas said, lips tight. “I take my assistant with me wherever I go. Do you have a problem with that?” He gave her a look that dared her to object.
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh . . . well . . . You are a busy man. I suppose it’s not a big deal.”
But the expression on her face said it was a big deal. I didn’t blame her, this was an odd situation with a capital O.
Lucas hesitated, looking conflicted. “We’ll find time, just you and I . . . Sometime in the future. But since we’re just getting reacquainted, I thought we’d take it slower this time.”
“Oh,” she said, appearing satisfied with that answer. “You want to make sure this time sticks.” She smiled and linked her arm through his. “I guess I can put up with a third wheel . . . this time.”
I didn’t appreciate being called a “third wheel,” or being talked about like I wasn’t standing right next to them. This was exactly why I didn’t want to do this in the first place.
“She has a name,” Lucas said. “It’s Aria.”
Hillary begrudgingly looked at me. Her eyes caught on my sneakers and her gaze traveled all the way up to my face, settling there for a few seconds. She had a smug grin as she turned away, appearing satisfied I wasn’t a threat.
The two of them walked ahead, following the hostess, and Hillary sashayed her slender figure from side-to-side, balancing perfectly in her mile-high stiletto heels. She had to have other clothes to change into if we were going on that hike afterward, but I didn’t remember seeing her with a bag.
We stopped at a booth in the corner of the restaurant where the views of the ocean were perfect. Hillary sat on one side and Lucas motioned for m
e to slide in on the other. Once I did, he sat next to me.
“Maybe I should sit in the next booth over,” I whispered, hoping he’d go along with that idea.
He shook his head slightly. “You’re sitting with us.” His expression was determined, and I had a feeling I shouldn’t press the issue.
The hostess handed us menus, and for the next few minutes, we were all silent as we explored our options. Everything was expensive, including simple items like a sandwich and fries. I settled on the least expensive item and set my menu down on the table.
Something sharp hit my leg, and I jumped a little. What was that? Lucas and Hillary didn’t seem to notice because they were both buried in their menus. I tried to glance under the table discretely, but it was impossible to do without completely leaning over.
Lucas sighed and closed his menu. “I know what I want. How about you, Hillary? What will you be getting today? I hope it’s more than water and lemon.”
“Water and lemon would do a lot of people good. Most of us could stand to lose a few pounds.” Her eyes wandered to me and she smirked.
Did she think I was fat? I was hardly fat. Maybe I wasn’t as skinny as she was but come on now . . .
“By the way,” Hillary said, smiling demurely. “I happened to visit Island Jewelers the other day, and I came upon a pair of diamond earrings I just adored. They’re oval with tiny diamonds circling a much larger diamond in the center.”
“They sound nice,” Lucas said.
“Just thought you’d like to know in case you want to get them for me.” She glanced shyly at him from underneath her eyelashes. “Speak to Thomas. He knows the exact pair I want.”
Lucas nodded. “Done.”
“Oh, and here’s a list of other things I’d like.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to Lucas.
He didn’t even blink. He folded it in half and shoved it in his pocket. “Got it.”
My jaw almost dropped to the ground, and I had to smother a laugh. Was that how they normally operated? She told him what she wanted, and he bought it for her? How unromantic was that?
The Ruthless Billionaire: A Clean Billionaire Romance (California Elite) Page 13