Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (12 page)

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.” 

She took a small
step back, shocked at his vehemence.  What had she done to deserve his anger? 
And what right did he have to speak to her like that?

“No,” she said,
her tone firm.  “I will not have any discussion with you if that’s the attitude
you’re going to take.  We will have this talk tomorrow.”  Did he feel he was
the only one who could have an attitude?  He would learn soon enough that she
could be just as stubborn as he.

Dare sucked in his
breath then let it out in a sigh that told of a world of troubles.  “Listen,
I’m sorry I barked at you.  It’s been a long day.”  He threw his jacket onto a
nearby table.  “Let’s go to the kitchen.  I need a drink.”

He led the way,
his long strides eating up the yards to the kitchen.  She padded along behind,
discreetly admiring the curve of his muscled shoulders, his narrow waist and a
butt that looked delicious in his tailored trousers.

The look of him
brought back memories of that night so many months ago, that precious night
when she had felt like liquid velvet in his arms.  She’d had no power to resist
him.  And - most horrifying of all - she’d fancied herself to be falling in
love with him.  She shook her head, clearing that idea fast.  If she knew what
was good for her she’d get her mind back to earth.  The man did not want her. 
That was clear.

In the kitchen
Dare poured himself a drink while Erin pulled out a chair and sat down.  He put
the glass to his lips and drained it in one gulp then he took a deep breath and
walked over to drop his long frame in the chair across from Erin.  He cocked an
eyebrow.  “So what’s the problem?”

“I didn’t say
there was a problem,” Erin said and gave him a smile to soften her words.  She
could see the exhaustion on his face and despite her resolve to feel nothing
her heart went out to him.  Billionaires could have problems, too.  She didn’t
want to add to those worries so she decided to just state her situation in a
matter-of-fact way and let Dare know he would not need to be involved in any way.

“My friend, Robyn,
called today and she’d love to come to visit me.  We haven’t seen each other in
a while.  We’ll be busy catching up on old times so we won’t get in your way.” 
Erin threw it all out there, watching him intently the whole time, trying to gauge
his reaction. 

Dare shrugged then
stifled a yawn.  “It doesn’t matter to me just as long as you don’t expect me
to be here to do entertaining.  Now isn’t the time.”

“Not at all,” Erin
said, relieved he had no objections.  One less thing to worry about.  “You
won’t even know we’re here.”

“I doubt that,” he
said with a crooked smile.  Then his eyes settled on her and for the first time
that night she felt that he was really seeing her.  All week he’d been distant,
almost like a visitor in his own home, leaving early and coming in hours after
the sun had set.  Now, though, he was here in the flesh and all of his
attention was on her.

“How are you
feeling, Erin?”

“I’m fine,” she
said, feeling her face redden.  It was a reasonable question so why did it make
her nervous?

He was silent for
a moment, his eyes never leaving hers.  Then he reached across the table and
took her hand in his.

She jumped.  His
touch was so unexpected.  Surreptitiously, she sucked in some air in an effort
to slow her racing pulse.  She was dying to pull her hands back but she didn’t.

“Are you?” he
asked, and the words were more seduction than question.  Even as his fingers
formed a band of steel around her wrist his thumb was doing a slow, sensual
caress in the middle of her palm.

Erin dropped her
gaze, trying to hide the effect he was having on her.  She struggled to breathe
normally but when his thumb left her palm to stroke the throbbing pulse point
at her wrist her breath caught in her throat.  And she grew moist.  Her body
was ready and willing even if she wasn’t.

“I haven’t been
treating you very well, have I?”  His voice soft and low, he was watching her
with hooded eyes.   “My brand new wife, home and all alone.”

“I wasn’t alone. 
I had Francine,” she said, her voice strained, and she tried to pull her hand
away.  He did not let go.

“Francine,” he
said with a low chuckle.  “Can Francine make your pulse race like it’s doing
now?  Can she steal your breath away like this?”

Before Erin could
decipher his cryptic message, Dare was on his feet pulling her into his arms. 
He dipped his head and captured her mouth with his and kissed her until she
swayed and leaned into him.  She had no choice.  The man had caught her off
guard, infiltrated her ranks before she’d had a chance to shore up her
defenses.  All her well-made plans, all her schemes to resist him were dashed
with one fell kiss.

Dare lifted his
head and stared into her eyes, his fingers moving quickly.  He was untying her sash
and loosening the buttons of her top.

Erin gripped his
wrist, trying to still his hands.  She had to regain her sanity.  “Dare, no. 
We can’t-”  She gasped, unable to say more. 

Dare had sat back
down on the chair, leaving her standing, and now he had her nipple between his
teeth.

Oh, Lord, how was
she going to resist?  He was sucking on her nipple now, and her hands that had
tried to restrain him fell away, leaving him to do as he pleased.  When his
heated palms slid up her back, her body shuddered with the feel of his caress
and she moaned.  Of their own volition her hands went up to cup Dare’s head and
pull him into her, the better to savor his sweet seduction.