by Angelo, Judy
“Hey,” Dare objected with an exaggerated frown. “Are you saying all these years I thought I was in charge I really wasn’t?”
“That is so, Senor Dare. That is why you have me.”
There was a twinkle in Francine’s eyes that bore testament to the comfort she felt with her employer. Apparently Dare had a pleasant side, one that he reserved for a select few.
“Now come, let me take you upstairs to your suite. You must be tired after your journey." The housekeeper waved her hand and ushered her toward a wide, winding staircase.
Her suite? From the look of the house Erin could just imagine what that looked like. Could she survive more luxury in one day? But she had to admit, she’d loved the sound of the word, not because of the affluence it denoted but because it sounded like she’d be far removed from Dare DeSouza. Of course, he would have a suite of his own.
She glanced back at him and saw that he was still standing there, his gray eyes unreadable as he watched her climb the staircase. She hastened to turn her attention back to Francine and her friendly chatter.
She was now in the lion’s den. And she would best be prepared to face what was to come. She would seek refuge in this suite of hers and there she would rest up and then plot her next course of action. At the top of the list would be strategies to stay out of Dare’s way. Little did he know it but the man, dastardly though he was, still held a place in her heart. And that, more than anything, made him the most dangerous of foes.
***
Erin was grateful to find that the trials of her pregnancy seemed to be behind her. There were no more bouts of morning sickness, no dizzy spells, and her appetite had returned with a vengeance. She’d been on the island five days now and she and Francine had developed an automatic friendship that surprised her.
She learned that Francine Lopez was in her fifties, the mother of three grown sons who had all left the island for jobs in North America. One was an engineer working in Alaska for a major oil company, another was a professor at a community college in New Jersey, and the third had opened a business in Florida, a chain of dollar-concept stores. They all had families of their own and were doing well and Francine could not have been more proud.
Francine did admit, though, that at times she got lonely and wished that even one of them had remained on the island so that she could have her grandchildren around her. Visits to the United States a few times per year were just not enough. She was glad to have gotten this job with Senor DeSouza because she now came to see him almost as her own son. But she had been hinting - subtly, of course, because he was still her employer and it was not her place - that he might want to consider settling down and starting a family. Secretly she'd harbored the dream of seeing the house full of little ones. What a joy that would be. And now, as she’d told Erin, he had finally made the big step and brought home a wife. Now the house would be filled with the laughter of children.
Erin only smiled at Francine words. If only she knew how close she was to her dream. Well, she would know soon enough. A pregnancy was not something you could hide for long.
Today again, Erin was enjoying Francine’s company as she sat at the wrought iron table on the cobbled patio that looked out onto a kidney-shaped pool.
“You used sunscreen today, yes?” The older woman’s face showed a hint of concern. “The sun, it is very strong today and your skin looks delicate. You must protect yourself.”
Erin chuckled. “Si, mama,” she teased and rolled her eyes cheekily. She was having fun with Francine’s over protectiveness. The housekeeper was like a fussy mother hen, always making sure she was comfortable and always admonishing her to take care. Erin could only imagine how this mothering would escalate once she learned her condition.
Francine looked as pleased as a kitty with a saucer of milk when she heard Erin’s reply. Maybe it was some consolation to her that she now had someone to fuss over.
And Erin did not mind one bit. In fact, Francine was now like the mother she no longer had. She remembered when the older lady asked about her family back in Canada.
“I don’t have any,” she replied and her breath caught in her throat. It had been nine years but the memory of the tragedy was still raw and painful.
“No family?" Francine asked, her tone incredulous. “How is that?”
“I am…was an only child. My parents were both killed in a car accident when I was twelve.”
Francine gasped then her face softened in sympathy. “Oh, nina, how terrible.”
“Yes,” Erin said with a sigh. “It was hard. It still is. But you deal with what life gives you. What else can you do?”
“And how did you survive without your parents?”
“Foster care.” She kept her voice neutral, trying to keep the bitterness from her tone. For her, the experiences had not been pleasant.
“I ended up moving from family to family, each one worse than the one before.” She smiled at Francine through misty eyes. “I was relieved when I turned eighteen and could move out and live on my own terms.”
“Ah, nina,” Francine crooned, “life can be very cruel. Gracias a dios, you are here now and you are safe with Senor Dare.”
Erin almost laughed at that. Safe with Dare? She doubted it.
So far he had left her to her own devices which was exactly what she wanted. Apparently there’d been some developments with his business which were keeping him busy. Whatever it was, she hoped it would continue for a long time. She could do without his attention. She’d told him she’d wanted the marriage to be in name only and she meant it.
Her ringing cell phone broke into her thoughts. “Excuse me.” She hopped up and dashed into the sunroom where she’d left the phone. It was unusual for her cell phone to ring. Since leaving college she hadn’t maintained contact with any of her former college mates. She was wondering who it could be when she picked it up and peered at the screen. Robyn O’Riley. Erin’s heart sank. If Robyn was calling it could not be good.
She clicked on the answer button and put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”
“Erin, you naughty girl, how could you do this to me?” Robyn’s words were teasing but her tone gave her away. She was annoyed.
“Do what?” Erin rolled her eyes. Robyn was famous for putting on an act. She was always the wounded woman.
“Don’t play with me,” Robyn said, the pretense falling and her voice harsh. “You went and got married and didn’t even tell me.”
Erin stiffened. How in the world had Robyn found out? She had told absolutely no-one.
“You made me have to read about it in the tabloids. How could you?”
The tabloids? Erin’s heart sank. So much for keeping all of this a secret. And why hadn’t she thought about the possibility of something like that happening?
Dare was a rich man and an eligible bachelor. The paparazzi must have jumped at the chance to break the news of his change in status. Somehow, though, because his business was all the way in Santa Marta she hadn’t expected the publicity.
“I almost missed it,” Robyn was saying, her tone growing increasingly irritated. “It was a small feature tucked in the corner of the second page. If I hadn’t caught sight of it I would never have known. You weren’t going to tell me, were you?”
“I…” Erin bit her lip. She hated to lie. It was the truth. She’d had absolutely no intention of telling Robyn anything.
“Still keeping secrets, Erin?" Robyn’s voice was low and threatening. Her true nature was showing through. “You know I’m the last person you should keep a secret from.”
Erin remained silent. The last thing she wanted was get on Robyn’s wrong side. She knew too much and was more than ready to use her knowledge to her own advantage.
“Why didn’t you tell me the guy you’d been seeing over spring break was the owner of the resort?” she demanded.
“I had no idea-”
“Do you expect me to believe that? You knew who he was and that was why you spent the night.” Rob
yn’s voice was hard with accusation.
Erin knew exactly what her problem was. Robyn should have been the one to snap up the most eligible bachelor on the island, not some poor church mouse of a girl like her. Robyn’s parents had money. Not within Dare’s range by any means, but she was used to enjoying the trappings of wealth and would have loved the chance to secure an even more prosperous future through marriage with a man like Dare.
It was no use arguing with her, not when her mind was all made up. The best thing would be for this conversation to end without Robyn’s feathers being ruffled even more than they already were. Erin decided to change the subject. “How are your parents?”
“Dad's fine.” Robyn's response was curt. For some reason, Robyn didn't mention her mother. She was probably on one of her long trips to South America.
“I'm glad to hear your dad's well.” Erin didn’t have a whole lot more to say to Robyn after that. After all, what would she have to say to the girl who had tormented her for the five months she’d spent in her home under foster care? “I’m glad to hear it.”
Mr. and Mrs. O’Riley had been distant but kind, providing more than adequately for her needs while she was under their roof. The first time she met them, when she’d been the insecure age of seventeen, she’d immediately recognized them as people of high social standing. For the life of her she could not figure out why they’d chosen to get involved with foster care. It was not until she’d been there a month that Erin found out that the year before they’d done a tour with a missionary group and had felt obligated to do their part in the community. And so they’d taken her in.
Little did they know that they had a devil among them. Of their three children Robyn was the oldest and bossiest. What made it worse, she was deceitful. Things had started out manageable even though Robyn seemed to think that with the new arrival she’d suddenly acquired a personal servant. Not wanting to put her position in jeopardy, Erin acquiesced most of the time and with each ‘favor’ she did for Robyn the girl mellowed to her.
Then came the night when, overcome with loneliness and depression, Erin crept into the bathroom to weep in private. That was where Robyn found her, curled up on the bathroom floor, her face buried in a thick bathrobe in an attempt to stifle her sobs.
In that moment of weakness she had shared a secret with Robyn. That was a big mistake. Thereafter the girl used that knowledge to her advantage.
And now she was doing it again. Erin had no idea what Robyn was up to but it could not be good. It never was.
“I’m coming back to Santa Marta. To visit you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want to come for a visit,” Robyn said, even more emphatically this time. “We haven’t spoken in a while. We need to do some catching up.”
The only catching up Robyn wanted to do was to get to know the billionaire ex-bachelor Erin had ‘stolen’ from under her nose. That was exactly what she was thinking. Erin had no doubt about that.
But Robyn knew too much. And if she felt it would serve her purpose she’d be all too ready to spill those precious beans.
Erin had to think fast. How could she keep Robyn from coming to the island?
“I’m not sure this is a good time.”
“Baloney. Now is a great time. I’ve got to come see you before you get bogged down with marriage. Now let's see…” There was the sound of paper flipping and then Robyn spoke again. “I’m free all of next week. I’ll come in on Sunday. I’ll e-mail you my flight information so you can pick me up at the airport.”
“Robyn, I don’t think you should book any flights just yet.” Erin’s voice was firm. “I need to discuss this with Dare. What if he’s not ready for visitors?”
“Nonsense. A girl needs to have her friends around her especially at this sensitive time when she's adjusting to a new life. I have no doubt that you can convince him of that.” There was hardness in her tone and Erin knew immediately. Robyn was issuing a not-so-subtle threat.
So that was how it was. Either give in to Robyn’s ‘self-invitation’ or risk the negative repercussions.
She could not take that risk.
Erin sighed. “Okay, I’ll speak to him tonight but please don’t book any flights till I get back to you.”
After Erin hung up she sat for a moment deep in thought. This was not good. She did not like either one of her options. If she tried to keep Robyn away the girl would stir up trouble for sure. And if she came to the island and, even worse, came to stay at the house, Robyn would find some way to make her life miserable. That was Robyn.
Erin drew a deep breath then stood up. She would talk to Dare and then she would start planning. She would have to keep Robyn as busy as possible so she would have no opportunity to be alone with Dare. There was no telling what Robyn would let slip. Erin could see it already. The coming week was going to be a nightmare.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“I don’t like it, Dare.” Roger’s voice was grave. “I don’t like it one bit.”
At those words Dare’s sense of foreboding mushroomed into dread. Roger had been his accountant for over ten years and even when he’d undertaken the riskiest business deals not once had the man expressed such doubt.
But this time was different.
“How bad is it?” Dare almost didn’t want to ask but he had to know. He’d never been one to back away from his problems.
“This is your biggest investment so far.”
Dare nodded. “Over two hundred and fifty million.”
Roger pursed his lips. “I hate to say this, Dare, but it may also be your worst.”
The statement was almost a physical blow to Dare. He shoved his chair back and got up. He began to pace the room. Then he stopped and looked over at Roger who was still staring at him, his face morose.
“I don’t understand,” Dare said with a shake of his head. “Bart told me this was the best deal yet. He’s never been wrong before.”
“Even so, you should have sent in the experts to check out the property.”
“We did. Bart and I discussed it and he made all the arrangements.”
“Did he?” Roger’s voice was quiet but the look he gave Dare was pointed.
For a moment Dare stared back at him in silence then he raked his fingers through his hair. “I think he did,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I hope to God he did.”
Roger shook his head. “Couldn’t have. Any of the experts could have told you the structures are faulty and irreparable. Any of them could have prevented this. That’s what they're there for-”
“Alright, I get the point.” Dare shoved his hands into his pockets. “I screwed up.”
Roger said nothing. He dropped his eyes to peer at the figures on the paper in his hand. Then he looked up. “Did you even see the place?”
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t have bought it sight unseen."
“And you didn’t see anything to indicate the place was a wreck?”
Dare shrugged. “It looked fine to me. Nothing that some paint wouldn’t have put right. Of course, I was relying on professional feedback and that is what I thought I got with those reports.”
Roger sighed. “When were you planning on opening this resort?”
“Seeing that all the buildings were in place I was aiming for a Christmas launch. The agency has already started working on the advertising campaign.”
“Call it off,” Roger said bluntly. “Unless some kind of miracle happens there’s no way you’ll be ready for a Christmas launch. That’s just six months away and the way things look you’re going to have to knock down half of those villas and rebuild. A strong gust of wind would knock the damn things off their foundation.”
Dare nodded slowly but his mind was miles away. He was thinking about the one man he’d thought he could trust with his life. He’d known Bart Reynolds since college when they’d been roommates and they’d both pursued degrees in engineering. Even while still studying they’d dreamed big dreams and immediately upon graduation
they had executed all they’d discussed throughout their junior and senior years. Together they’d found phenomenal success and made a place for themselves among the wealthiest people in the world.
Bart had been there with him every step of the way. So what the hell happened?
Dare raised his head and looked Roger in the eyes. "I’m going to get to the bottom of this and when I do somebody is going to pay.”
***
Dare didn’t get home till about ten o’clock that night. Even though she was dying to slide into her bed Erin stayed up until she heard the low purr of his car coming up the driveway.
As she heard the front door open she got up from the sofa and pulled the robe tightly around her then tied the sash. She was not cold. She’d deliberately dressed in long pajamas so she was covered from neck to ankles. Feet, if you counted the fuzzy slippers she was wearing. She was making it absolutely clear that she was making no advances.
The door slammed and she heard Dare’s footsteps as he began to walk across the foyer and toward his suite. She hurried to catch him before he disappeared.
“Dare,” she said, her voice echoing in the dimly lit hallway. He froze then slowly turned to look at her. He’d slipped his jacket off his shoulders and was holding it loosely in one hand. He was in white shirt-sleeves rolled back from his wrists and his tie hung loose around his neck. His face was hidden in shadows so there was no way to determine his expression.
Still, she assumed he was tired so she spoke in a gentle, unassuming voice. “May I talk to you for a minute?”
She was totally unprepared for his response.
“What now?” He snarled then stepped into the light.
And that was when she saw his face - dark and frowning and strained. He’d obviously had a rough day.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “It looks like this is a bad time.”
He looked annoyed. “You already stopped me so go ahead.”
“No, it’s fine,” she insisted. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
“Spill it, Erin. I don’t have time for games. You wanted to talk, so talk.”