by Angelo, Judy
He took her by the elbow and turned her toward the pathway. “Come. Let me walk you back to your villa.”
“N…no,” she said quickly. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I can get back on my own.”
He shrugged. “Until tomorrow then. Seven o’clock.” He watched her hurry away, heels clicking on the cobbled stones along the lighted path. He had no concern for her safety. He’d made sure security was at its highest level at his resort, with plain clothes security guards patrolling the grounds twenty four hours a day. In his five years operating the resort he’d never had a visitor fall victim to a crime on his grounds. He was determined to keep that record spotless.
Dare DeSouza was an entrepreneur and had been since as long as he could remember. He’d grown up in Michigan and while in elementary school he’d run a candy business, buying bags of candy for a dollar and selling the sweets to his classmates for a quarter a piece. When his home room teacher found out about it he’d had to abandon his enterprise but by high school he’d graduated to selling soda pop and comic books and was raking in a few hundred dollars a week. By the time he started his engineering degree at MIT he was running an online trading company specializing in collectable items, a business which he sold in his senior year for over a million dollars. With this seed money he started yet another business, another trading company that far surpassed the success of the first, and was soon the head of a multi-million dollar operation.
Then he attended a wedding on the island of Santa Marta and was hooked for life. He loved the richness of the island, the verdant pastures and the vibrant green of the tropical foliage. The brilliant blue of the sea and the sky, the cotton white of the clouds, the rich reds of the flora - everything seemed to practically glow with life. He spent a week there and vowed that he would be back.
Next time he visited the island it was for a site visit and on his third trip he signed the documents for the purchase of Sunsational Resort on the northern coast where the best beaches lay. It was family owned but had been neglected due to lack of funds. The couple’s children were less than enthusiastic about the hotel business so they were all too happy when Dare offered them over one hundred million for the place.
And then the rebuilding began - renovating, refurbishing and advertising to let the public know the resort was under new management. Sunsational Resort burst back onto the scene and outshone its rivals, soon placing among the top ten resorts in the Caribbean. He expanded to other islands until he had resorts in four additional Caribbean locations. He’d found a winning enterprise and he was loving it.
But that brought with it a host of challenges, fighting off gold-diggers being one of the annoying things he had to deal with. Just a year ago he’d almost been fooled by an expert who tried to convince him to invest millions in a venture that turned out to be phony. Good thing his accountants and attorneys had done their job and reviewed the proposal before letting him sign on the dotted line. If he’d signed he’d have had to hand over millions to a woman whose greatest asset had been her prowess in bed.
And now soon after he’d gotten rid of that one, here was another. A more innocent-looking package, to be sure, but a deceiver just the same. That was the worst part about being a billionaire. Would he ever be able to find a woman who loved him and not his money? The likelihood of that seemed very slim.
He shoved his fists into his pockets, brows furrowed in thought, and headed back toward his own villa. That other gold-digger, Chantalle Marsden, had escaped his wrath but he had absolutely no qualms about taking out his revenge on this one.
***
By the time Erin pushed open the door and entered the villa she was shaking and it was not from the light breeze that cooled her shoulders. She was shocked and she was scared. Had she just promised to go out on a date with a man she hardly knew? No, correct that. Didn’t know at all. She’d met him all of two times, once in a pool, and the other time by a bar. And he’d ended up kissing her! Her heart flipped in her chest at the horror of it all. She, staid and boring Erin Samuels, had been kissed by a total stranger.
What was worse, she had kissed him back. And she had loved every second of it.
Goodness, what had she become? Was it the romantic atmosphere? Was it the fact that she was miles and miles away from Vancouver, ensconced on an island? She’d heard about girls who’d gone wild on spring break but she wasn’t like that. She was Erin Samuels, bookworm, student librarian, Miss Boring. How had she gone from that to this?
Still deep in thought she walked into the bathroom, unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. Her underwear followed. She stepped into the shower and turned the spray on her body, letting the water wash over her. She grimaced as the realization came to her. As much as this was against her norm, she knew there was no way she would miss her date with Dare.
It wasn’t until late the next day that Erin mentioned her date to the other girls.
“You, Erin?” Tisha squealed. “I can’t believe it. Where’d you find a guy to invite you on a date?”
“Tisha.” Maria frowned at the laughing girl. “What? Don’t you think men notice Erin? She’s a pretty girl.”
“Yeah, but she’s boring. She never wants to do anything fun.” Tisha shrieked and jumped out of reach as Maria tried to pinch her.
Robyn was the only one who wasn’t smiling. She seemed deep in thought. Finally she spoke. “What did you say his name was?”
“Dare.”
“Check out the name,” Tisha said. “Dare. If that’s anything to go by, he’s my kind of guy.”
“But not Erin’s,” Robyn said with a frown. “So you met him at the bar? And you’re going out with him just like that?”
“No…I mean, yes.” Erin took a deep breath and began again. “He wasn’t the one who came on to me. I bumped into him and anyway I’d met him before. At the pool. Remember the guy I almost drowned?”
The three girls gasped as one. “That’s the guy you’re going out with?” Tisha’s voice was high with excitement.
Erin nodded.
“Wow, that’s quite a catch,” Maria said, her voice low with obvious respect. “You can see that guy’s loaded.”
Robyn frowned. “How do you know? All he was wearing were swim trunks and a gold chain. I didn’t see anything that spelled money.”
“No, but it was the way he carried himself.” Maria raised her eyebrows. “Even half-naked the man exuded power. Didn’t you notice how the men sitting around him practically bowed in respect? The man’s big. I just know it.”
“And he asked you out…” Robyn’s voice trailed off as she stared at Erin. Her face had that distant look again as if there was something on her mind.
Erin frowned, almost sorry she’d brought up the subject. Her suite-mates were acting like it was impossible for a man to want to go out with her. Well, not so much Maria, but the others. Tisha had practically laughed at the idea and Robyn looked none too pleased. Was she jealous? Erin sighed. Anything was possible where Robyn was concerned. If she wasn’t the center of attention she was not happy.
“Well, I just wanted you guys to know where I am tonight,” she said with false cheerfulness. “Michelangelo’s, seven o’clock. If I’m not home by eleven send in the marines.”
Tisha chuckled. “Just keep your cell phone on. We’re not going to spoil your fun. Just check in with us if you’re running…late.” She lifted her eyebrows and gave Erin a naughty grin. “You only live once, right?”
Erin felt the heat rise to her face. Abruptly she got up and walked toward the French doors that opened onto the back patio and the pathway to the beach. “I…need some fresh air. I’m going for a walk.”
She could hear the chuckles as she slipped outside. They must think her so pathetic. The ugly duckling, finally asked out on a date when they’d been out every night since they got to the island. While the girls made friends she would return to her room each night and curl up in the sofa with a good book. Not that she’d minded. Now, though, she had h
er chance to prove to them that she was just as desirable as they were.
The day flew by and before Erin knew it the sun had begun to slide down toward the horizon. Her heart did a bunny hop in her chest. This was it. Her first date while on spring break.
She dressed carefully, picking out a simple yet elegant black dress. She accessorized with a pearl necklace and matching earrings then slipped her feet into high heeled sandals. Now it was time for her hair and face. As she usually did when trying to look sophisticated she took a firm brush to her curls then pinned her hair up into a neat bun. The face was more challenging. She wanted to look good but doing makeup had never been her strong point. She tried some eye shadow and hated it. She had no clue what she was doing and didn’t want to ask any of the girls. She’d been humiliated enough for one day. In the end she gave up and settled for foundation, lip gloss and eyeliner. If her date didn’t like her that way then that was his problem.
Then it was time to go. She’d been finding all sorts of excuses to dawdle - she couldn’t find her purse, she needed another glass of water, she had to redo her lip gloss - until it was ten minutes before the hour. Now she’d have to hurry to make it to Michelangelo’s on time. She could see that Dare was not the sort of man who’d take kindly to being kept waiting.
When Erin stepped into the lobby of Michelangelo’s she took a deep breath and clutched her purse tightly in her hands. She peered down the dimly lit hallway toward the salon then breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t here yet. Her racing pulse began to decelerate toward normal.
“Good evening, Erin.”
She jumped then whipped round to peer into the darkness of the hallway. And there he stood, tall and imposing in an elegant dinner jacket of dark gray. Those piercing gray eyes glittered in the dim light and she felt as if his gaze stripped her bare.
“Dare,” she said, her voice breathless, “I didn’t see you over there.”
“I know you didn’t. Come.” He gave her his arm. “A table is reserved for us.”
She rested her hand on his arm and as she did so a shiver ran through her. Furtively, she glanced up at him through her lashes. Had he felt it, her body’s reaction to his? She hoped he hadn’t. That was just what she would need - her body making its response to him unmistakably clear. She breathed a soft sigh of relief when he gave no indication that he’d felt it. He simply kept on walking, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm.
The maitre d’ bowed low, showing extreme deference to Dare, then directed them to a private room adjoining the restaurant, an elegantly decorated room aglow with the soft light of a dozen candles shining through stained glass shades that lined the walls. In the middle of the table was what looked like a bouquet of flowers but turned out to be flower shaped candles from which an almost heavenly fragrance wafted.
Dare released her arm and pulled out her chair then he went to sit across from her, his eyes never once leaving her face. It was if he was seeing her for the first time, so intense was his stare. Or was there something more? There was a gleam in his eyes, one that she could not decipher. The only word that came to mind was ‘wicked’. She could feel her breathing grow shallow. Goodness, had she made a mistake in coming?
But then inexplicably his demeanor changed. Gone were the frown that had darkened his face, gone was the intense stare that was almost a glare, and in their place was a half-smile that, while not totally reassuring, made her breathing just a little bit easier.
Dare took charge, placing the order for both of them. He seemed familiar with everything on the menu so there was no need to question his recommendation.
In fact, just then Erin was feeling so out of her depth she doubted she would have been able to order anyway. She wasn’t even sure she’d be able to eat when the meal arrived. Dropping her hands to her lap she twisted her napkin with shaking fingers and pasted a bright smile on her face.
“Are you alright?” Dare’s frown was back. He was watching her intently, his gray eyes glittering like shards of glass in the candlelight.
“I’m…fine, thank you.” The words came out stilted and strained. She swallowed and tried again, hiding desperately behind her fake smile. “This is a really nice place. It seems to be the nicest restaurant at the resort.”
“I like it.” His voice was brusque and cool. It was almost as if he had no interest in conversation.
Confused, Erin bit her lip. Why had he asked her to dinner? He was acting like she was an annoyance.
She dropped the napkin onto her lap, lifted her head and looked him squarely in the eyes. Enough was enough. “You didn’t really want to invite me out, did you?”
“Excuse me?” He straightened, obviously caught off guard by her direct question.
“This…date, if you can call it that. Clearly, you don’t want to be here so why did you invite me out?” Erin gave him her coldest stare.
“I’m…sorry,” he said, his voice low. He had the decency to look contrite. “I’ve had a rough day and was a bit…distracted.” He leaned forward and for the first time that evening he gave her a smile that could be described as warm. “That’s no excuse for my behavior and I’m sorry. Forgive me?” He gave her a puppy dog look that melted her heart.
How could she say no? She smiled back at him. “Of course,” she said with a slight nod of her head and when he reached out and took her hand she did not pull it away.
After that the rest of the date went smoothly and soon Erin began to relax in Dare’s company. He was charming and witty, and she found herself laughing at his insightful and satirical observations on life. She was seeing another side to this man she’d branded as too domineering and too bold. He actually had a sense of humor.
She’d just finished her second glass of wine when the server approached the table, bottle at ready. This time she quickly covered her glass with her hand.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she told him with a smile.
“Are you sure?” Dare asked and a mischievous smile played on his lips. “You’re on vacation, remember? No time like the present to let your hair down.”
She thought about it. He was right. It was not like she had to drive a car afterwards so no fear of DUI. And she didn’t have to get up next day to head out to work or classes. What harm could one more glass of wine do? Besides, she liked wine.
She began to slide her fingers away, her lips slightly pursed in anticipation of the tangy liquid, but then her better self, good old cautious Erin, came to the rescue. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I rarely drink so two glasses of wine is enough, I think. I’ll have to walk back to the villa, remember?” She was looking at Dare and gave a little laugh as he gave her an exaggerated look of disappointment. Then when he gave her a pout and wiped away a fake tear she laughed out loud. Dare DeSouza was actually a funny guy.
Seeming satisfied that he’d made her laugh, Dare turned to the server. “Just one glass, please. We’ll share it.”
At his words Erin’s eyes widened and she felt the warmth of a blush rise to her face. We’ll share it? Whoa, hold on. Wasn’t that much too intimate for two people who hardly knew each other? She continued to stare at Dare, trying to look composed, but she could feel her smile faltering.
Within an instant a fresh glass of white wine was placed on the table between them and the server slipped discreetly away. Erin tore her eyes from Dare’s face and looked instead at the sparkling liquid.
He chuckled and reached out a hand to slide the glass closer to her. “You first,” he said and the way he said it was both commanding and seductive at the same time.
For a moment Erin hesitated. Then the tension in her dissipated. She relaxed and reached for the glass. She wasn’t going to have all of it, after all. She picked it up by its delicate stem and lifted it to her mouth, her eyes never leaving Dare’s sharp gray ones. She took a small sip then another and another until Dare stopped her with a laugh.
“Hey, leave some for me. We’re supposed to be sharing, remember?”
&n
bsp; She laughed too, and lowered the glass to the table then slid it across to him. She was staring at him, she knew, but she couldn’t help it. His smile so transformed his face that she could hardly believe he was the same man, the cold, hard brute she’d met the day before. He now looked something very close to a naughty boy planning some devious trick.
This time it was Dare’s turn to put the glass to his lips. He gave it a slight turn with his fingers, seeming to deliberately position it so that his mouth would fall precisely where hers had been just moments before. Then, before Erin could guess what he was about to do, his tongue darted out to taste the memory of her lips.
Erin’s breath caught in her throat. A simple gesture was all it had been but never had she seen anything more erotic. He’d sent her a clear and unmistakable message without saying a single word. Dare DeSouza wanted her in no uncertain terms.
Her pulse racing Erin watched, mesmerized, as Dare took a sip and another, then his tongue slipped out again this time to catch a stray drop of wine from his lips. But he did it so slowly, so sensually, she knew it was all for her.
He was obviously intent on seducing her and it was working. She drew in a deep breath, trying her best to calm her racing heart, but it was difficult to stay serene when the sexiest man on the island was coming on to her. Goodness, nothing she’d experienced in the past had prepared her for this.
Another sip and Dare had finished the glass of wine. Now he turned all his attention on her. He leaned forward and took her hands in his big strong ones.
When he looked down at them she closed her eyes, willing her hands not to tremble. Come on, Erin, you’re a big girl. You can handle this. The best way to handle it was to distract him in some way.
“Umm, why don’t we go for a walk? It’s a nice balmy night.” She glanced at him, hopeful that he would take the bait. She needed to get away, out of this intimate space where they were all alone and he could seduce her wickedly without prying eyes. Out in the open he would have to behave. She hoped.