Riptide (Limitless Book 1)
Page 8
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me.”
***
Phoenix stood up on the rocks, watching as Hunter maneuvered into the lineup. She held her breath as he took to his first wave. When he dropped into the face of the wave, her pulse raced. He looked good out there. At peace. Then something went wrong and he wiped out. Panic seized her heart and she lost her footing on the rocks where she stood. And hand reached out and steadied her.
“Sweetheart, breathe.” Her dad didn’t release his grip on her arm. “He’s fine. Look.”
She glanced out over the water and saw him paddling back out into the lineup. “I don’t think I can watch this.”
A reporter approached. “Mr. Nash, Hunter Sullivan hasn’t competed in three months and that first ride didn’t look good, how do you think he will fare today?”
Her father looked at her apologetically, then turned to the reporter with a smile on his face. “I think he will surprise us all.”
“Rumor had it that he’d broken his contract with Limitless. What is your stand?”
Phoenix felt her irritation begin to spike. “Hunter Sullivan is not in breach. Perhaps you should stop listening to rumor and speculation. All athletes have down times. Limitless stands behind their clients and supports them on their journey. It is a partnership. A symbiotic relationship. Not a one-night stand.”
Pride filled her father as he smiled down at her. “And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The new C.E.O. of Limitless has stated her position.”
Phoenix looked at him, waiting for an explanation. Her father pulled her close as a photographer snapped photos, and when she was close enough, he whispered in her ear, “It’s what is right for the company now.”
When he released her from his embrace, a young female reporter jumped. “A source confirms that you are involved with Mr. Sullivan on a personal level. Doesn’t that present a conflict of interest? Or do you plan on sleeping with all of the clients?”
A sense of shock and betrayal wound its way into her chest and she struggled to focus. Her father gave her hand a squeeze, then took over.
“I can only guess who your source is, considering you’ve been sleeping with my now former personal assistant for some time now. Let me give you a piece of advice. There are better ways to get ahead in this business. Play your cards right, and you can learn how to get information without selling your soul.” He turned toward his daughter. “Come down to the booth with me. Watch the competition from there.”
The breeze blew across her face and she focused on the man in the water. “I’ll be okay, Dad. Go do your thing.”
“Are you sure?” He studied her with concern.
She nodded. “I’m perfect.”
Chapter Eleven
She was gone. Hunter searched for her after the competition, swearing he’d seen her standing watch over on the rocks. But when he’d managed to break away from the crowds, the small cliff overlooking the surf was empty. Her father was still there and he told Hunter not to worry. He knew where she was.
Hunter needed a plan and he worked hard to get it put together. Her father helped him get back to California before Phoenix’s arrival, affording him the time to put his plan into action. Hopefully, by the end of this night, Phoenix Nash would realize that he wasn’t going anywhere and he had every intention of sticking around for her and for their child.
***
Phoenix was tired. The last few weeks wore on her. Her father’s cancer scare, her relationship with Hunter coming out the way it had, all the fighting, wrestling with the coral, and then finding out she was pregnant, was just too much. She knew she wanted Hunter to be in her life but wasn’t sure he wanted the same things. Talk was cheap and she knew if she got on the phone with him, then she would let him sweet-talk her into submission. But what if she was wrong? Even in Hawaii, she couldn’t seem to get her head on straight. Her whole life was in turmoil.
She put the key into the lock and pushed the door open. Rose petals were strewn across the floor and candles flickered on the entry table. She heard the sounds of reggae music drifting from the direction of the kitchen. Something smelled wonderful and her mouth watered. “Hello?”
No answer. She dropped her backpack on the floor and headed into the kitchen. There were pots on the stove and she walked over to look inside of them.
“Don’t touch those.”
She turned around, and Hunter stood, wearing a dress shirt and jeans, barefoot, with a pair of tongs in his hands. God he looked good. “Hi.”
“Hi to you, too.” He set the tongs on the counter and walked slowly toward her. “You wouldn’t take my calls.”
“I had to do some serious thinking. Couldn’t do that with you or my dad interfering.”
“Get it sorted out?”
“I think so.” She felt awkward in her own house. Unsure of what to do or where to place her hands. She leaned back against the counter and put her hands behind her back. “I saw you surf the Classic.”
“I know. You were up on the cliff. I went looking for you, but you were gone.”
“You had business to attend to.” She let out a deep breath. “You didn’t need me.”
“You don’t honestly believe that, do you?” He placed his fingers under her chin and raised her face, forcing her to look into his eyes.
“I don’t know. My head is all a mess and I’m not sure what the right thing to do is.”
“About what?”
“You.” She sighed. “I don’t want you to resent me, or look back on your life and think that without me or a baby, all your dreams could’ve come true.”
“Angel, you got this all wrong. Without you and the baby, there is no dream. Without you, I’m just caught in another riptide, struggling to reach safety.”
The End