by Nancy Loyan
She pulled at the hem of her skirt. The cream silk suit had seemed appropriate until she sat and realized the narrow skirt had hiked up her thighs. Not quite the business impression she had hoped to make. With the tablecloth she hoped he wouldn’t notice.
Part of her wondered why his impression counted. After all, she had business acumen to match his own. Mr. Wells may have owned worldwide resorts but she owned prime land and had enough personal income so as to not be intimidated by his. Yet, she found herself fidgeting. Somehow, his being Daemon’s father made her nervous, even though she was breaking off her relationship with his son.
“Miss Montcherry?” The voice startled her from her thoughts.
Victoria looked up to be met by a familiar gaze on an unfamiliar face. Alexander Wells had the same penetrating look as Daemon, though his face had sharper planes and angles and his hair was pure silver. He had that sophisticated refined look characterized by men of distinction. The devious twinkle in his eyes was like a caution signal. Victoria knew to tread carefully.
She stood, extending her hand. “Mr. Wells?”
He took her fingers in his firm grip and she held her hand firm as well. His face registered the surprise of her assertive stance.
“Please, sit.” He motioned her to a chair before taking a seat across the table.
“What a pleasure it is to finally meet you,” Wells said with forced sincerity. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I’m sure you have.”
“How good of you to agree to lunch.”
“Curiosity got the best of me,” she said with a light chuckle. She was telling the truth. She had wondered what Daemon’s father, the powerful hotel executive, was like.
He seemed like the typical well-conditioned middle-aged man, self-assured and confident of his good looks and polished manner. His white shirt was heavily starched, his necktie precisely tied and his gray pinstripe suit freshly pressed. Even his fingernails had the shimmer of a recent manicure and his wristwatch was a heavy Rolex.
The way he was perusing her, she guessed he was as curious about her.
“I must admit that you’re younger and more beautiful than I had expected,” he said.
“On the phone, you mentioned we had important matters to discuss. That’s why I agreed to this meeting,” Victoria said. “Perhaps we should cut the small talk and get down to business. I’m sure your time is as valuable as mine.”
To emphasize the point, she glanced at her own Rolex. As if time really mattered in the Seychelles. To match a man like Wells, she figured she’d have to play his game. Having been in the business world, she knew the game all too well. It was one she thought she left behind in the States.
He waved a waiter over. “Let’s have a drink first, shall we?”
She ordered a scotch and water, a drink she rarely had but was the typical male power drink that she was sure he’d order and he did. Leveling the playing field was always a good start, she had learned.
He arched his brows as he clasped his hands on the table. “I have to admit that I was surprised to hear of your recent land acquisitions on the Islands. No one has ever purchased so much land, especially in such a short time with personal funds.”
“I’m a native returned home and what I do is my concern.” She kept her tone steady to avoid appearing flippant.
“I’m afraid when one purchases prime plots of land, it’s everyone’s concern.”
She smiled. “Everyone? Or just a resort owner who has been eyeing land for development?”
“These islands are a precious resource not to be exploited,” he said.
“Not be exploited by a native? Has Daemon convinced you otherwise? I can’t see a resort owner as a conservationist. Unless, of course, he’s trying to conserve land for himself.”
His contrived smile turned into a scowl.
“Let’s face it, Mr. Wells, I purchased prime real estate right from under your nose and you don’t like it. As an outsider you’ve been unable to procure land for future investment. I beat you at your own game.”
The drinks arrived and Wells immediately took a long sip from his glass. Victoria could see the vein beginning to throb on his forehead. She was winning round one.
“What use do you have for the land anyway?” Wells set down his glass.
“The land is my future security.”
He scoffed. “What kind of security do such holdings have for you? A woman like you will tire of the Islands soon enough.”
“A woman like me? The Islands are my home. I’ve returned home to stay.” She lifted her glass as if in a toast and drank, watching his expression soften. She could almost hear the gears turning in his head. She sat back, waiting for his next move.
“So, what plans do you have for all that property?”
She set down her glass. “Perhaps, I’ll build a chain of resorts. That is, when the government becomes more friendly toward development.”
“What do you know about building and operating resorts?”
“You’d be surprised.”
He took another sip of his drink, his gaze glittering her way.
“You know, I get the feeling we have the same goals and can reach an understanding. With your land and business savvy and my expertise in the resort industry, we could form an amicable partnership.”
“I’m not into partnerships. I’m a sole proprietor.”
“I might convince you to change your mind.” He was leering. “I have a proposition for you.”
She gripped her glass tighter.
“With your education and business experience, the Islands will bore you soon enough. I can’t see you as the type of woman to sit on the beach sipping tea,” Wells continued, his expression serious. “How would you like to partner with Eden Resorts as Vice President of Development? It’s a duty I’ve wanted to relinquish … to the right person. You could remain in the Seychelles, continuing your efforts to develop new resorts here on the land you’ve secured. In addition, you would be working on broadening Eden’s interests worldwide. You would have Eden and its vast experience and resources at your disposal. The compensation and perks would make it worth your while.”
The way Wells smiled made Victoria hesitate. She hadn’t left the States with the intention of re-entering the corporate world. The offer, though, was tempting.
She had the land but had to admit that she hadn’t the expertise to do much with it. Working with Eden would make up for that deficiency. An alliance with them would give her the control and power necessary to make development happen.
“Think about it, Victoria,” Wells said.
“I’ll give it some consideration.” She stood, smoothing her skirt. “If you’ll excuse
me …”
“What about lunch?”
“I’ll have to decline. Thank you for the drink and the food for thought.”
Wells stood and stepped aside to face her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he leaned into her and whispered,
“Victoria, in business or in pleasure, I can make it worth your while.”
Chapter 13
Daemon Wells had just entered the restaurant when he spotted his father and Victoria Montcherry in a private corner.
What the hell is Victoria doing in Father’s arms?
Daemon saw Victoria step away from his father. He watched as she rushed across the restaurant, ignoring diners. At the exit, he met her gaze. For a moment they stood in stunned silence before she quickly brushed past him.
He watched her weave through the crowded lobby, fighting the urge to run to her. Instead, he stared at his father who stood grasping the edge of the table.
What the hell is Father doing in the Islands? What the hell is he doing with Victoria? Daemon’s pulse quickened. He had to get some answers.
He strode into the dining room toward his father. Alexander looked up, brows arched in surprise.
“Daemon. What brings you here?” Alexander asked.
“I was about to a
sk you the same thing.” Daemon shoved his hands in his pants’ pockets, avoiding the temptation to strike the bastard in the jaw.
“Conducting business.”
“With Victoria Moncherry?”
“Yes. She’s quite the businesswoman. Pretty, too.” Alexander winked as he lifted his glass and polished off its contents.
“What business would you have with Victoria?”
“She has the land. I have the resorts. Let’s just say that I made her an offer she couldn’t turn down.” Alexander sat and pointed to the chair across from him. “Care to join me for a drink?”
Daemon hesitated. The last thing he wanted was to sip scotch with his father. Yet, if he sought answers, he knew it was the only way.
After ordering drinks, Alexander crossed his arms on the table. “My boy, that Montcherry woman is a force to be reckoned with.”
“She’s not “that Montcherry woman.” She’s Victoria, the woman I happen to love,” Daemon said through gritted teeth.
Alexander laughed. “Love? That’s pure fantasy. The only thing Vicky loves is money and the power it brings.”
“You apparently don’t know her well. She’s not like you.” He was growing hot and flustered. And what the hell is with the “Vicky” nickname?
“She’s more like me than you think. So much so that we’re forming a partnership.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“You mean you won’t believe it.” Alexander met Daemon’s confused gaze. “I’ve researched her background thoroughly and made her an offer appropriate to her education and experience.”
“Victoria doesn’t need you or your offers.”
“Vicky will be working with me at Eden Resorts. Hell, at least she sees value in the company even though my own son refuses to be part of it.” Alexander sipped his drink, his gaze unwavering.
Could Father be telling the truth? Why would Victoria decide to work with Eden? I thought she’d reconsidered Island development.
“There’s a great deal about Vicky that you don’t know,” Alexander said. “She’s an opportunist. You were one opportunity, and Eden and me another.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s an Island woman. Island women are not loyal to one man.”
“Victoria left the Islands years ago,” Daemon said, trying to quell his temper and his nerves.
“You can take the girl from the Islands but you can’t take the Islands out of the girl. It’s in her blood, my boy.”
“How would you know?”
Alexander winked. “I know.”
Bile rose in Daemon’s throat. No, his father could not be carrying on an affair with Victoria as well. “You’re not sleeping with her?”
“No, but the idea has certainly crossed my mind.”
The way his father said it, so cool and nonchalant made it difficult for Daemon to control himself. “You bastard.”
“I’m an opportunist and so is Vicky. Come on, she may be brilliant but she’s still an island girl.”
The drinks arrived and Daemon gulped half his glass, the smoothness of the scotch doing nothing.
“Did she ever tell you that she loves you?” Alexander’s brows rose as he tilted his head.
“That’s none of your business,” Daemon answered. No, she hadn’t said she loved him. Did she love him?
Alexander sighed. “Daemon, get it straight. Island women are for fun, not love and marriage. Vicky is not an exception.”
Daemon rose so fast his chair wobbled. “I’ve had enough of this.”
“Some stones are better left unturned,” Bessye Montcherry said, shaking out a rag rug on the front porch of her home.
Victoria looked up from her seat to meet her mother’s gaze. The woman knew a little too much and was far too perceptive. The sooner Victoria moved out on her own, the better. She wouldn’t be accountable to anyone.
“Now what are you talking about? More island gossip?” Victoria arched her brows and scowled.
“I’m your mother and mothers have intuition.”
“Leave it alone.”
“Victoria, you cannot leave and expect to come back having everything your way. This is a small island. Things evolve slowly here. Some things should be left to fate.” She draped the rug over the wood banister.
“I believe in creating my own fate, thank you.” Victoria rose from her seat and looked over the rails into the palm forest and mangrove swamps beyond. “I’ve decided to build my home on the isolated beach on the other side of the island. I submitted my application to the Planning Authority. Contractors will be giving me proposals so work can begin when I get approval. The sooner the better.”
“So, you are staying in the Seychelles?”
“Yes.” Where else could she go? She’d tried living around the world and all paths led back to the Islands.
“I thought you would fly off once you found things hadn’t gone as planned.”
She turned to face her mother. “Apparently, you don’t know all of my plans.”
“Child, you came back thinking you could wheel and deal your way into land development, thought you could live without men and romance, thought you could rekindle a relationship with the son you threw away? Things just haven’t happened that way, have they? The Islands don’t need more development. A woman can’t live without love. A son doesn’t need a mother in blood only.”
Victoria’s eyes burned a hole through her mother. Though her mother’s words were painfully true, she didn’t want to hear them. “Stop! I’m dealing with things in my own way.”
Her mother grunted.
“I’m building my own home so I can have my own place. The Seychelles are my home. The land I’ve purchased is a wise investment and has opened the doors of opportunity. I don’t need a man in my life and I’m content knowing my son is healthy and loved. I don’t need to re-enter his life. There. Settled.”
When the yellow Jaguar convertible spun into the front dirt drive, Victoria had little time to react. Daemon leapt from the vehicle and was marching to the front steps of the porch. He stared at her, eyes aflame.
Chapter 14
“It was a pain in the ass to track you down, Miss Montcherry,” Daemon said with a bite in his voice. His hair was disheveled and his khaki slacks and shirt wrinkled.
“You needn’t have bothered,” she said, meeting his burning gaze.
“I don’t understand. We had plans for this weekend. What’s with the damn message on my answering machine?” He raked a hand through his hair.
Victoria drew a deep breath to steady her nerves. She knew that leaving the message stating that she couldn’t join him for the planned sail to Fregate Island would upset him. She knew it was the coward’s way out but she couldn’t face him. Facing him now took all her strength to remain outwardly calm while her heart was breaking within.
“You told me that you never wanted to see me again and to get out of your life completely, that we were bad for each other.”
“We are.”
“Why? Because my father offers you more opportunity?” His face was growing red with the heat of anger.
“Your father has nothing to do with us.” She tried to remain calm and unaffected though her stomach was tying in knots.
“The hell he doesn’t. You two certainly looked cozy at lunch!”
“Your father and I were discussing a business arrangement.”
Daemon scoffed. “Right, with his arms around you.”
“Appearances are deceiving.”
“When it comes to you, I’ll have to agree.” His face flushed. “And, what’s with this damn “Vicky” business?”
“Vicky business?” She shook her head.
“The pet name my father has for you.”
“Pet name?”
“Don’t look so startled. Another secret is out.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. No one has ever called me Vicky. I detest nicknames.” What was he driving at?
<
br /> He waved his hand.
“Daemon, you’re a special person but you have to understand that the time isn’t right for a relationship. With anyone.”
“If you had something to say, some problem, why didn’t you tell me in person?”
“I couldn’t bear to face you.” She stood hugging herself.
He sighed loudly. “I just don’t get it. I love you and know that you love me. We have a future together. You just want to throw it all away? Why?”
“I haven’t a choice.” She could see the pain in his eyes and in the stiffness of his stance as he confronted her. He was confessing and she had to be a bitch to save her soul, his soul.
Her mother, standing nearby, cleared her throat.
Daemon turned to her. “Ma’am, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to air dirty laundry in front of a guest.”
“She’s not a guest,” Victoria said. “She’s my mother, Bessye Montcherry.”
Daemon tilted his head as his gaze shifted from Victoria to Bessye and back again. Bessye was as dark as Victoria was light.
Not that it mattered. Living on the remote islands had taught him that such differences didn’t matter in the scheme of life. What mattered was that Victoria was giving him the brush-off.
“Though we may not resemble one another, we’re both Seychellois through and through,” Victoria said, hoping that her race would make it easier to drive him away.
“There’s nothing wrong with being Seychellois,” he said. “Something is wrong when a woman suddenly decides to break off a relationship.”
She couldn’t meet his gaze. Her eyes were growing damp with the sadness of goodbye. “I haven’t a choice.”
“Be honest with me, Victoria,” he demanded.
She swallowed hard. She wished she could just dig a hole and crawl into it, cover herself with dirt and be gone.
“My daughter apparently hasn’t been truthful about her past and other points,” Bessye said.
Victoria stepped back. If her mother mentioned Justin, she would bolt from the porch. She couldn’t tell Daemon about the boy being her illegitimate, throwaway son. What would he think of her?
“Ms. Montcherry, I would just like to know what’s going on.”