Boss With Benefits (A Lantana Island Romance Book 1)

by Talia Hunter

  Fitting her leg behind his, she threw all her weight backwards. Dalton staggered and went down onto his butt, dragging her down with him. She landed on his hip and they both grunted with pain.

  “Ow.” She slid off onto the sand, letting herself flop back so she was lying flat, staring up at the blue sky. Her butt throbbed. Sitting beside her, his hand rubbing his hip, he laughed. “What kind of move was that?”

  “I call it the Kamikaze.” She’d probably have a bruise where she’d landed on his hard muscle. “It’s a move designed to disable both you and your opponent.”

  He grimaced. “I’m just glad you didn’t land two inches to the left.”

  She was silent for a moment, looking up at the sky. Then she said, “I have to tell Tiny about what… what didn’t happen between us. I don’t want it to be a secret.”

  He nodded, looking down at her. “Okay.”

  “You think she’ll mind?”

  “Will it matter if she does?”

  She frowned. “How can you ask that? She’s your sister. Maybe she should get a say in what you do. I mean, you’re making her do what you want, aren’t you?”

  “It’s not even close to being the same.” He got to his feet and extended one hand. “Come on, lazy bones. If you want to lie down this morning, we should go to my place.”

  “Why would I repeat a mistake… ah, that I didn’t make?” She was too tired for word games. Brushing his hand aside, she scrambled to her feet. And instead of waiting, she launched an attack that took him by surprise. She got a couple of hits in before he turned the tide and overpowered her, grabbing both arms and throwing her onto the sand.

  She lay panting, looking up at him, while he crouched beside her.

  “I need to be back in Sydney in two weeks,” he said softly. “I’m fast-tracking the sale of this place to make that happen.”

  Rosa swallowed. Her stomach felt tight. “Only two weeks? Does Tiny know?”

  “She knows she needs to get more intensive therapy as soon as possible. I have to get back for a business deal, but even if I didn’t, I would have been pushing for the fastest sale possible.”

  Rosa sat up. Dalton didn’t move, so the action brought her close to him. “What about us?” she asked, dropping all pretense.

  “I told you I’d make it a condition of the sale that the new owner keeps you on.”

  That wasn’t an answer to her question. Or maybe it was. She’d be working at Lantana and he’d be in Sydney. Whatever was between them had no future.

  She sighed. “I haven’t been here long, but I’m good at this job. I like it, and I want to stay. But I don’t want any favors. Either I get the job on my own merits, or not at all.”

  “I can’t force the new owner to keep you on. All I can do is make sure he gives you a chance.”

  “Even that much seems wrong.” She pulled herself up to her feet. “I’ve never asked for anyone’s help. I can do it on my own.”

  He stayed where he was, sitting on the sand, looking up at her with an inscrutable expression.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Has nobody ever helped you with anything?”

  “I don’t need it.”

  “Your parents obviously didn’t do anything for you.”

  She blinked at him. Where had that come from? “What makes you think—?”

  “Because we went through the same thing. It was up to you to look after your younger sister, right? Just like it was up to me to look after Tiny when my mother died. Nobody else was going to do it, or to help when we needed it.”

  “My parents fed and clothed us,” she said, although she had no idea why she was suddenly sticking up for them. “Carin and I didn’t go hungry, or anything.”

  He pushed himself up to his feet, brushing sand off his clothes. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  Rosa blew out her breath. She’d never much liked talking about her childhood. “My parents wanted us to succeed. To be good at sports and get high marks at school, and be perfect at everything.”

  “So you tried your hardest to please them?”

  “Of course I did.” She raised her fists. “Okay, enough psychoanalysis. Can we go back to punching each other now?”

  “Sure. Let me show you a new move.”

  He demonstrated it, and they sparred until they were both breathless. Then he glanced toward the water, to where the yacht was moored. “I’d better go and get the yacht started.”

  “Suzie’s leaving today,” she said, a little wistfully. “I hope she and Nate don’t live thousands of miles apart, so they can still see each other.”

  Once Dalton left, the only way she’d be able to see him would be by giving up Lantana and moving back to Sydney. She’d have to let go of her new home and the job she was starting to love. And the thought of going back to Sydney — back to Otto — made her stomach hurt.

  “I think you’re wrong about those two,” he said.

  “I hope not.” She wasn’t entirely sure why she wanted Nate and Suzie to find love. Maybe because they’d looked so fiery and passionate when they were arguing last night. If they could work things out, maybe she and Dalton could too.

  “Did you ask Celina to pack a lunch for him?” Dalton asked, bending to pick up his shoes.

  She nodded, an idea forming in her mind. Would it be so bad to give Nate and Suzie a little more time together? “I’ll take it down to the wharf before he leaves.”

  “Thanks.”

  He stepped forward, and before she could protest, his arms were around her. His lips found hers.

  His kiss ignited her. When he drew back, her skin was hot, tingling all over. If sparks had jumped between them like an arching power cable, she wouldn’t have been surprised.

  “See you later,” he whispered. When he let her go, it was a miracle what was left of her didn’t blow away like ashes on the breeze.

  She stared after him, trying to pull herself together. Still, it took her a while to convince her legs they still worked.

  Staggering back to kitchen, she downed an ice-cold drink, wondering if she should be pouring it over her head instead. Then she went to get Nate’s lunch and put her plan into action. A little white lie about today’s ferry sailing having been cancelled should do the trick. Suzie had a plane to catch in Port Denarau, and if the only way to get there was on the yacht, then Nate would just have to take her.

  Later, when it was done, she went to see Tiny and found her still lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.

  “Hey. Can I talk to you a minute?” she asked, sitting on the bed beside her. “It’s about Dalton.”

  Tiny gave her a lop-sided smile. “I saw you talking at the wedding.” Her voice wasn’t too slurred, which was a good sign. “You make a cute couple.”

  Rosa felt her face go hot. “When I met him he was kind of cranky, so I never thought I’d…” She shook her head. “Then there’s this whole thing about him making you leave. The fact that he won’t let you make your own decision about that makes me so mad. I don’t like to badmouth your brother, but he can be an arrogant ass.”

  Tiny raised her eyebrows. “But you like him?”

  “So much, it scares me. And I feel bad, because he’s your brother, and also technically my boss. It’s not exactly professional for me to act on it.”

  “It’s okay.” With only one side of her face working properly, it was more difficult to read Tiny’s expressions. Even so, she didn’t look upset or angry.

  “I don’t want to fall for Dalton. Not if he’s leaving.” Rosa shifted on the bed, lifting one knee so she could face Tiny a little straighter.

  “Use this to make him want to stay.” Tiny’s voice was the firmest she’d ever heard it.

  Rosa blinked. “What?”

  “You know what I’m saying.”

  She gaped at her friend. “You want me to try to manipulate him?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can’t do that.” Was Tiny for real? She didn’t even look g
uilty about asking. “Listen, he told me why he wants you to leave. All the statistics. He’s very convincing.”

  “I’m staying,” said Tiny. Her lips were pursed in the stubborn expression Rosa remembered from their school days. Seemed she could still do that look just fine.

  “I know you don’t want to leave Lantana, but he makes some good points. It sounds like these doctors he can line up will make a big difference.”

  Tiny didn’t answer, but her lips pressed together harder and her eyes had a glint to them that Rosa knew all too well.

  “Why do you want to stay so badly?” she asked.

  “When I was young, we had to leave. This time I have a choice.”

  “I remember how much you missed it,” said Rosa softly. “You made the island sound so beautiful, I always wanted to come here. And you didn’t exaggerate. It’s every bit as amazing as you described.”

  Tiny nodded. “I’m not losing it again.”

  Rosa dragged in her breath. “You’re making this so difficult, but I still think you need to go. Lantana’s special, and I get that it’s your home. But your health is more important.”

  Tiny shook her head. She lifted her little finger to her mouth and kissed it, then held it out to Rosa.

  All of a sudden, Rosa was fifteen years old again, sitting in class with her school friend. Though Tiny’s hand now trembled, the gesture was clear and very familiar.

  She couldn’t say no, not to Tiny.

  Reluctantly, Rosa kissed her own little finger, then hooked it in Tiny’s.

  “Promise,” said Tiny solemnly.

  “Promise,” repeated Rosa. Then she sighed. “Listen, I’ll do whatever I can to help you, but I still think you should reconsider. I’m going to keep trying to talk you into going.”

  Tiny didn’t need to reply. Their fingers were linked, which meant Rosa had officially chosen a side.

  16

  Dalton would have liked to spend the night with Rosa, but that evening Tiny was weak and shaky. Somehow she managed to knock her dinner plate off the table and spill her food all over the floor, and no matter what he said to try to soothe her, she wouldn’t stop crying. When he tried to get her to eat from a fresh plate, she’d raged at him, the words slurred but still sharp enough to cut him. She wasn’t hungry, and what was the point of eating when she was never going to get better?

  He didn’t argue, just kept promising her that things would get easier. That her balance would return, she’d get more movement in her arm and leg, and she’d be able to do more.

  Eventually he managed to calm her enough that he could help her into bed. By the time Tiny finally feel asleep, he was wondering if he should have put her straight into the speedboat and taken her to the mainland. Probably more disruptive than helpful, but what if her shakiness had been a symptom of a larger problem? Dammit, more than anything, he hated feeling so helpless.

  Frustrated, he picked up the phone and called Doctor Cooper. Because it was after working hours, he got a recorded message. “I won’t take no for an answer,” said Dalton on the man’s voicemail. “There’s a way to convince you to treat my sister. I know there is. Call me back, and we can work out how to make it happen.”

  He dozed uneasily and checked on Tiny several times during the night. She slept soundly, and probably wouldn’t wake until the therapist arrived. He, on the other hand, needed to burn off some of the restless worry that felt like ants under his skin.

  He got dressed before dawn, and his first stop was at his office to check his email while he inhaled a cup of coffee. Then he went to the beach to meet Rosa for their fight training session. When Rosa asked how Tiny was, his automatic response would have been to say she was fine. If anyone else had asked him, he wouldn’t have thought twice in brushing away the question. But he found himself telling Rosa the truth.

  Rosa was clearly shocked. “Every time I’ve visited her, she’s seemed cheerful enough,” she said.

  “It goes this way. She’ll get better for a while, then for no clear reason, she’ll take a step backward. But at least anger is better than depression. Some mornings she…” He shook his head, his throat closing on the words. When Tiny withdrew from him, sullen and tearful, and only able to answer his questions with grunts, he wanted to yell and shake her. It reminded Dalton too much of what their father had been like before he’d sent them away.

  “Training can wait. I want to see her.” Rosa started toward Tiny’s house, but Dalton stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  “Let her sleep for now. The physical therapist will be here soon. They’ll work together all morning, then Tiny will most likely sleep again until I wake her for dinner.” And when Rosa still hesitated, he added, “When she’s like this, it’s like walking a knife’s edge. If you say the wrong thing, it’ll derail her whole day. Let the therapist do her job and you can visit her tonight.”

  Rosa let out her breath, then nodded. “Okay. Then let’s fight.”

  It wasn’t until after their workout, when they were walking toward the resort’s restaurant, that Dalton remembered about the radio call he’d received from Nate, shortly before Tiny had her bad turn.

  “The Lady of Lantana didn’t make it back to the resort last night,” he told Rosa. “I was going to take you sailing this morning, remember? But it looks like we won’t be going.”

  She stopped dead, her eyes wide. “The yacht didn’t come back? What happened?”

  “The engine cut out. When I spoke to Nate last night, he’d been working on the problem. He was confident he’d be able to get it repaired this morning.”

  “What about Suzie’s flight?”

  Dalton frowned. “What’s Suzie got to do with it?”

  Rosa flushed, looking guilty. “She was on board. I asked Nate to take her to Port Denarau.” She had her hands clasped in front of her like she was praying, and her voice was rising. “I lied and told them the ferry was cancelled so he needed to take her on the yacht.”

  “Why on earth would you do that?”

  “So they’d get to spend more time together.” Her cheeks were getting pinker. “Well, you saw that crazy chemistry they had.”

  “Rosa…” He sighed, swallowing his frustration, and the rebuke he’d been about to dish out. Rosa already looked upset enough. “Nate didn’t mention she was on board, so maybe he managed to drop her off before the engine cut out.”

  “Is there any way to find out? He’s not in danger, is he?”

  “Nate sounded fine last night.” Dalton hadn’t been concerned about him, until now. “Perhaps I should take the speedboat out to check on him. I can take Suzie to Denarau if Nate hasn’t got the engine going yet.”

  “I’ll come,” she said at once.

  “There’s no need—”

  “Please, let me come. If she’s missed her flight, it’s my fault.” Rosa shook her head, looking mad with herself. “It was stupid. I just thought they should get a chance to make it work, even if we can’t.”

  He stared at her, a mixture of emotions warring inside him. He wanted to tell her how crazy that was, yet it was also a little sweet. And he wanted to put his arms around Rosa and tell her things could work out between them, when he knew damn well they wouldn’t. At least not long term. It was like Tiny wishing she could stay at Lantana. As much as he might like to, he couldn’t just snap his fingers and change the facts of the situation.

  “Can you be ready to go in an hour?” he said instead.

  She nodded. “I’ll get changed and call my sister, then meet you on the wharf.”

  Dalton showered and changed, then had some breakfast and went to get the speedboat ready. By the time Rosa appeared on the wharf, he was ready to cast them off.

  In the front of the boat were the driver’s and passenger’s seats, with a bench seat across the back. She took the passenger’s seat, and it wasn’t until she sat down that he saw how pale she was. Sunglasses hid her eyes, but her mouth was drawn down and her lips looked bloodless.

  Sh
e hadn’t been this upset when she’d found out about Nate and Suzie. Something had to have happened since then.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice coming out sharp.

  “Nothing. I’m okay.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can talk about it. Can we just go?” Her voice quivered as though she might cry if he pressed her.

  All he wanted was to put his arms around her and demand to know what was troubling her so he could make it go away. It took an effort of will to just give her a nod and cast them off, then steer the boat away from the wharf.

  He kept stealing sideways looks at her as they sped up. She stared straight ahead, deep in thought. Her eyes were partly hidden by her sunglasses, but her face didn’t lose its troubled expression, even when he opened the throttle right up until they were flying over the calm sea. At least the wind whipping at Rosa’s face put a little color into her cheeks.

  What could have upset her? She’d mentioned calling her sister. Could something bad have happened to Carin?

  The roar of the engine made conversation impossible, so they couldn’t talk about it even if Rosa had wanted to. He concentrated on driving, and slowly Rosa seemed to relax, her expression getting less grim. It was a beautiful day. The sky was endlessly blue, and the sunshine sparkled off the water. Small islands were scattered along the horizon. The sun sparkled off the rippling waves, and the occasional fish jumped right out of the water. In the distance, a flock of seabirds were circling and diving for their lunch. If Rosa wasn’t so upset, they’d probably both be enjoying their morning on the water.

  Then the motor coughed and the speedboat jerked. It coughed again, then made a horrible grinding sound. Dalton shut it off and they bobbed in the backwash of water made by their sudden stop.

  “What happened?” she asked. Without the motor running, the day was very quiet.

  Dalton peered over the back of the boat. “My guess is there’s something caught around our propeller. Could be seaweed, or maybe an old fishing line. I’ll need to dive under the boat to find out.”