by Noelle Adams
Dare frowned at him but said nothing. The statement did not warrant an answer. Bart knew him. He had no time for women, least of all the money-hungry kind. There were always plenty of those around. He had his pick. The problem was, he wanted none of them. But there was one woman he could not get off his mind. A slender woman with chestnut hair that curled around her heart-shaped face, a woman with hazel eyes that flashed with the fire of her passion. Bart was right. There was something wrong with him. He was not in love but damn it, he was obsessed. He could not get Erin out of his mind. “Sorry about that,” Dare growled then pulled his chair close to the desk. “Let’s get back to the business at hand.”
“Cool.” Bart ran his fingers through his spiky blonde hair then tilted the chair back until it looked dangerously close to tipping over. “It’s a sweet deal. You can’t pass up on this one. I got a tip on it. Going real cheap, considering.”
“You’re sure?” Dare admired his friend’s ability to find great real estate deals. Bart found the deals and he financed them. That was how he’d acquired resorts on four other islands.
“Trust me, man. You can’t lose out on this one.” Bart leaned forward, his face earnest. “I can sniff out a deal a hundred miles away. You know I’m good at that.”
He was. Dare could not deny it. Working together they’d become billionaires in the real estate business, buying up resorts in the Caribbean and condos in the United States and Canada then renovating and selling them for far more than they’d invested.
“This one’s big though, Bart.” Dare watched the other man intently. “My biggest investment yet.”
“The one you’re going to make the most money on,” Bart responded.
“But I’m paying almost full price for this one.”
“You can buy this resort ‘as is’. You’ll be filling it with guests in no time. Guaranteed.”
“We’ll see,” Dare said. Then, against his will, his mind drifted to other things like the heat that coursed through him every time he thought of curly-haired Erin. It was no use. He couldn’t concentrate. “Let’s call it a day,” he said and got up. “I’ve got some other business to take care of.”
“Why is my mind telling me it’s got something to do with a woman?” Bart was giving him that Cheshire Cat grin again.
“Go home, Bart.” Dare walked over to the door and held it open. “This one’s got nothing to do with you.” He softened his statement with a brief smile.
“All right, my boy. But if you need any advice you know who to call.”
It would be a dark day before Dare turned to Bart for advice on women. The man had married and divorced three times already. Still, he chuckled. “I’ll bear that in mind.”
After Bart left Dare walked over to the large bay window that looked out onto the ocean breaking against the shore. He crossed his arms and as he stared out onto the blue water his mind, as it had done so many times over the past few months, went back to Erin Samuels.
He’d pulled the hotel records and checked her out. Erin Samuels, student at Canucka College in Vancouver, Canada. Her home address was recorded as well as her cell phone number and e-mail address. For emergency contact she’d conspicuously left it blank. She probably didn’t want her family being informed of her antics while on spring break. She could have any number of reasons. He’d seen guests leave out that portion before.
So he’d had all her information for the past three and a half months and he’d done absolutely nothing with it. Wimp. He grimaced as he berated himself inwardly. He wanted to see Erin Samuels again.
Dare gave a bitter laugh. He knew what she was but he’d held out long enough. He had to see her again, if even for the sole purpose of getting her out of his system. First order of business, he’d get his P.I. to check everything out, make sure she was still at the location in the file. Then he’d go there himself.
His mind made up, he went over to the desk and pressed the intercom.
“Yes, Mr. DeSouza.” Cool and efficient, the voice of his personal assistant crackled through the speakers.
“Book me on a flight to Vancouver, please. I want to fly in day after tomorrow.”
“Very well, Mr. DeSouza. Consider it done.” Always discreet, Claudia didn’t ask for any further details. She knew he would tell her all she needed to know.
Satisfied, Dare grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Erin Samuels was in for quite a surprise.
Five
Erin’s first day on the job was a whirlwind of activity. The party of twenty-two showed up at one o’clock and after that there was a steady stream customers so that by the time the restaurant closed at ten o’clock that night she was worn to a near frazzle. How was she going to keep up with this pace, pregnant as she was?
She’d rejoiced at the job offer and she’d appreciated it. Really, she had. But what she hadn’t anticipated was to be on her feet for twelve hours at a stretch with only two fifteen minute breaks and a half an hour for lunch.
That night when she got home, despite her best intentions, she was too tired to tackle step two in her plan - look for a cheaper apartment. She needed to move as soon as possible but her search would have to wait one more day.
Day two was almost as busy as the first. Benny’s Restaurant was clearly a popular destination for all three meals of the day. From the moment Erin got to the restaurant she was kept running back and forth between the kitchen and the tables. Now she realized why ‘Yogi Bear’ as she’d come to think of him had hired her on the spot. She’d learned he’d lost a server the day before and clearly he had too much business to be short-staffed.
The work was tiring but her greatest consolation was the tips. She was almost collecting enough in tips as she would from her salary. Yet another perk of working at a restaurant and one she was so grateful for. She was saving every cent of it for the time when she’d need it most.
By nine o’clock that night the ache in Erin’s feet turned to numbness and she kept glancing at the clock, willing it to speed up toward closing time. The crowd in the restaurant had thinned out with just a few diners lingering for dessert and coffee. Those, she could handle. With a sigh she was turning toward a high stool by the counter, intending to rest her feet for a minute, when a man, tall and dark-haired in a dark, immaculately tailored suit, walked in.
Erin frowned, feeling a twinge of recognition, and then her heart lurched as she recognized the man who filled the doorway. She could never forget those steel-gray eyes, eyes that now held her transfixed. It was Dare.
Suddenly feeling faint, Erin grabbed for the counter and held on. What was he doing here? He was from another time, another life. How in the world had he ended up at the very restaurant where she was working, thousands of miles from Santa Marta? He hadn’t come looking for her, had he? He was walking toward her now, his eyes never leaving hers, and she stumbled back against the counter then froze. There was nowhere to run.
Why had he come? To insult her again? To throw her wantonness in her face? Her breath caught in her throat, her anxiety rising, knowing that his appearance could only mean trouble.
Dare was right in front of her now, looking down at her as if the two of them were the only people in the place.
“Erin Samuels. We meet again.” His lips curled in a sardonic smile as he rested a hand on the counter beside her, trapping her into a corner.
“Dare, what are you doing here?” Her voice was little more than a strained whisper. She was fighting to regain her composure but his nearness, the earthy fragrance of his cologne, were overwhelming her senses. At that moment all she wanted to do was lean into him, feel his hard body against hers, have his arms wrapped around her. But it would not happen, it could not. Not when he despised her so much.
That thought ripped her out of her trance. Dare hated her. He’d used her then thrown her out of his bed. Now he’d strolled back into her life thinking she would do what? Swoon and throw herself at him again? He must be out of his mind. She glared up at him as he towered
over her. “Excuse me but I have to get back to work.” Her voice was as cool as the steel of his eyes. “I’m sure there is someone else who can assist you.” If he thought she was going to serve him he’d better think again.
She stepped around him, intent on putting as much distance as possible between them.
His hand shot out, halting her flight. “Not so fast, honey. We need to talk. When you finish working I’ll be waiting. Over there.” He jerked his chin toward an empty booth by the window. Without another word he released her and walked away.
For a second Erin could only stare. The nerve of him. We need to talk? About what? Apart from one night of mind-blowing sex there was nothing that existed between them. Absolutely nothing for them to talk about. And then she remembered. The baby. How in the name of heaven had he found out about the baby? That had to be the reason why he’d suddenly stomped back into her life. And what was he planning to do about it?
She gasped as a thought flashed into her mind. Had he come to demand that she terminate her pregnancy?
Blindly, she stumbled into the kitchen and leaned against the counter to catch her breath.
“Hey, are you all right?” Mildred, the sous chef, approached her, a look of concern on her face. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“N…no. I’m fine,” she whispered then sucked in a deep breath. Come on, Erin. You’re stronger than this. She lifted her head and gave Mildred a smile. “It just got a bit too hot out there. I’m okay now. Are any trays ready?”
Mildred pointed to a tray laden with cups and a pot of coffee. “Table sixteen.” She shook her head. “Thank God the day is almost over.”
Those last thirty minutes of her workday were the hardest of her life. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dare sitting in the far booth, a glass and a bottle of wine in front of him. She’d moved with feigned ease, serving the customers, chatting with them and laughing where appropriate. But she could feel Dare’s eyes burning into her. As discreetly as she could she slipped a paper napkin into her hand and turned away to dab at the perspiration beading her brow. She would never let him see her sweat.
As it neared ten o’clock Erin sidled into the kitchen then headed for the changing room. Moving swiftly, she shed her uniform and donned her street clothes then grabbed her purse. Tonight she would not leave through the front door as she normally did. She almost giggled as she thought of Dare waiting patiently for her return. He’d have a long wait.
She bid her farewell and slipped out the back door that led into a dingy alleyway then she hurried up the path and out to the main road where she took off, walking at a brisk pace.
She heard the purr of an engine and looked up just in time to see an ink-black Mercedes Benz convertible pull up beside her.
“Get in.” Dare was scowling at her and his tone brooked no argument.
“I…don’t need a ride,” she said, clutching her purse tightly to her chest. “I’m fine.”
She was backing away when his voice, clipped and cold, stopped her. “Don’t make me come get you. I’ll lift you up and throw you in here if I have to.”
Erin froze. Then she slowly approached the car. He would do it. She could see it in his eyes. This time, she knew, it was best to give in. With a sigh she pulled the door open and slipped into the passenger seat.
She hadn’t even settled in before he took off down the road, making her whip around to stare at him. “Where are you taking me?” she demanded.
“Home.”
“But…you don’t even know where I live.”
He didn’t even bother to respond. That was all the answer she needed. He did know. Was he having her watched? Had he been spying on her ever since she’d returned to Canada? Erin’s heart pounded at the thought. He knew she was pregnant. He knew where she lived. What else did he know about her? Did he know about her past, too?
That thought was sobering, so much so that it left her at a loss for words. She’d meant to blast him with her rage, demand an explanation, but she could not. She was too worried about how much he knew.
Within minutes Dare was pulling into the visitors’ parking area in front of Erin’s apartment building. He switched off the engine and turned toward her. “Let’s go,” he said. “We need to talk.”
Erin did not even bother to object. Before he could move to get the door she climbed out of the car and marched toward the entrance. If he had to run to catch up with her then it would serve him right.
Unfortunately for her, he didn’t need to. Within seconds his long strides had him by her side so that by the time she got to the entrance it was he who held the door open for her. They crossed the lobby then rode the elevator in silence. Deliberately, she kept her eyes averted, breathing slowly, trying her best to calm her nerves. It was not an easy task, not when she was so close she could breathe in the masculine fragrance of his cologne. There was no way on earth she could ignore the fact that he was there, mere inches away from her. The shallowness of her breathing, the tautness of her nipples in her bra, were evidence of the effect he was having on her.
As soon as the elevator door opened Erin was out and away, eager to put distance between them. Her physical attraction was too strong, too disturbing. She had to regain control.
When he strode up behind her she was still at the door fiddling with her keys, her palms slippery with perspiration.
Calmly he reached out and plucked them from her hand, selected the correct one and opened the door. Then with a mocking smile he dropped the keys back into her hand. When they stepped inside the apartment a wave of embarrassment swept over her. Dare was obviously a man of wealth. He’d said something about being a billionaire. She seriously doubted that but she was sure he had some money. He carried himself like a man of means. What would he think of her home, so sparsely furnished that the living room didn’t even have a sofa? She’d been meaning to get one since moving in but that had been almost two years ago. Now, under the present circumstances, the chances of acquiring that piece of furniture were slim to nil.
At least she had the essentials - a bed to sleep on and a chest of drawers for her few pieces of clothing. And at least she could offer him a seat. In the living room cum dining room were a small table and two chairs. It wouldn’t make for comfortable sitting but maybe that was a good thing. Making him comfortable was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted him to state his business then get the heck out of her apartment and her life.
Erin could feel her anger return. After Dare had used her and discarded her in the most horrible way, what could he possible want with her now?
Except for the baby, her heart whispered. Apart from the baby there was absolutely no reason why this man would have the slightest interest in her. This was all about the baby.
Erin waved a hand toward the table. “Have a seat. Please.”
She could see that he was scrutinizing her home, his eyes roaming the apartment. She could just imagine what was going through his mind. All she needed to see was the expression on his face to know what he was thinking. She wasn’t important enough for him. Now he was getting confirmation that he’d made the right decision in throwing her out.
Dare walked over, his height making her apartment seem too small and the ceiling too low. She was glad when he dropped his tall frame onto the chair. Seated, he was a little less intimidating. Just a little.
“Aren’t you going to sit?” Dare was looking at her as she stood several feet away, watching him. On his face was an amused smile.
What was there to smile about? “No, I’m fine,” she said and released the hand she’d just realized she’d been wringing in agitation. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her skirt. “Dare, what are you doing here? And how did you find me?”
He crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair, somehow managing to look comfortable. “Finding you was easy, honey. We’ve got all your details at the hotel.”
“At the hotel?” Erin’s eyes widened in shock. “They let you se
e my personal information? Who did you bribe?” She couldn’t believe the breach to her personal privacy. Sunsational Resort would be getting a letter from her and it would not be pretty.
“Come off it, Erin. Stop playing dumb. It’s not becoming.” He gave a snort and crossed his arms over his chest. Gone was the look of relaxation. Now he looked exasperated. “Why would I need to bribe my own employees?”
“Your…employees?” What the heck was he talking about? Erin shook her head. The man was making no sense at all. “What employees?” Then, like a light bulb that had just been switched on something in her mind clicked. “You weren’t a guest at the resort, were you? You actually work there.”
How could she have been so stupid? The man was probably one of the managers at the resort. Now she understood why his villa had looked so grand in comparison to all the others. The man was a big shot at his workplace.
The realization made her all the more angry. “Do you realize I could have you fired?” Her voice was strong now as she realized the power she had over this man. He was an employee of the resort and yet he’d gotten involved with her, a guest, and then he’d had the audacity to show up at her workplace. And now he was in her home.
Now it was her turn to fold her arms across her chest. “You’d better have a darn good reason for being here or else you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.” Feeling smug at having the upper hand she gave him a smile but it was not a pleasant one. “What would your boss say if I told him that you’d slept with one of the guests? If I complain to your superiors you won’t be in your cushy job for long.”
Dare’s eyes narrowed. Slowly, deliberately, he got up and then he was towering over her. “Are you threatening me?” His voice was hard as the granite of the countertop.
Erin took an involuntary step back. Had she gone too far? She was alone in the apartment with a man who looked just about ready to wring her neck. Goodness, she’d been so stupid. Why hadn’t she kept her mouth shut?