final morning. Esmé
waved her hand at the lush exotic gardens around them. “What better place could
you find for enjoying your new engagement?”
Cassie drew in a deep breath, enjoying
the salty air fragranced with the tropical flowers. It certainly was the
perfect place to enjoy a romantic vacation if she really were to take one.
“Thank you for your wonderful offer,” she
replied without glancing to her right at Evan, who’d been strangely quiet and
courteous to her all morning.
She was embarrassed about her knee-jerk
reaction, tossing Evan to the floor last night. She knew he wasn’t anything
like Trent. Evan may push and try to negotiate better terms, but he’d never
force himself on her or any woman. Not that Trent had had to use force to get
her into his bed, but he had manipulated her then discarded her after
he’d got his fill of what he’d wanted. She’d been so naïve to believe he would
want to keep her.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault we can’t stay,”
Evan added. “I have to get back to New York and get the details of our new
partnership in motion.” He nodded across the table at Xavier.
“I appreciate your personal attention,”
Xavier said. “Some young men new to business are too quick to delegate. They
haven’t learned the importance of minding their interests. Much like how a
husband must tend closely to his wife.”
The words didn’t sound too bad. They were
remarkably similar to how a good Dom would describe caring for his sub. But the
older man’s tone was full of his male chauvinism, and Cassie couldn’t wait to
get away from him. Her tongue was swollen from having bitten it so many times
this weekend, as she’d worked to keep her opinions to herself.
Moreover, Xavier wasn’t a Dom, even
though Cassie couldn’t quite figure out how she knew that, especially
considering she’d done a shitty job picking out a Dom last time. But, if a good
Dom had spoken those words to Cassie, she’d be on her knees at his feet in a
second. The problem was she couldn’t trust her ability to know a good one from
a bad one.
Esmé rested her hand over Xavier’s on the
table and leaned towards him. “Enough work talk. It’s the last few hours of
their engagement weekend.” She turned to Cassie. “Would you and Evan like to
take our boat out for a quick sail before you leave the island? You should
enjoy this beautiful day.”
Cassie cast a questioning look at Evan.
Maybe this was how she could apologize for overreacting last night. If Evan
enjoyed sailing, then she was willing to swallow her tendency to get seasick,
in order to have the last memory of their time together on the island be a
positive one. That would be better than this awkwardness between them.
“Would you like to go sailing?” he asked
her.
She tried to read his expression, but his
emotions seemed closed off. His dark eyes revealed nothing of what he was
thinking, and he continued with the polite smile that had been glued to his
face all morning. It was starting to creep her out.
Deciding to take the first step towards
making amends, she said, “That would be nice.” Then she thought of a
complication. “Do you know how to sail?”
Esmé’s laughter drew Cassie’s glance.
“Our captain will take care of you. You can sit back and relax.”
Cassie’s cheeks warmed at her blunder.
“That would be—” The ring of her phone in her sundress pocket interrupted
her. “I’m sorry. As a helicopter pilot used to being on call, it’s hard for me
to remember to leave this behind.” She fumbled to get the phone out to silence
the chiming.
“You’re a helicopter pilot?” Xavier
raised a brow, and Cassie worried she might have blown her cover as Evan’s
fiancée. She certainly didn’t have the typical occupation for a woman of Evan
and Xavier’s social circle.
Evan smiled easily. “Yes, the best I’ve
ever flown with.”
As Cassie turned off the sound on her
phone, she glanced at the caller ID. Her heartbeat
waved her hand at the lush exotic gardens around them. “What better place could
you find for enjoying your new engagement?”
Cassie drew in a deep breath, enjoying
the salty air fragranced with the tropical flowers. It certainly was the
perfect place to enjoy a romantic vacation if she really were to take one.
“Thank you for your wonderful offer,” she
replied without glancing to her right at Evan, who’d been strangely quiet and
courteous to her all morning.
She was embarrassed about her knee-jerk
reaction, tossing Evan to the floor last night. She knew he wasn’t anything
like Trent. Evan may push and try to negotiate better terms, but he’d never
force himself on her or any woman. Not that Trent had had to use force to get
her into his bed, but he had manipulated her then discarded her after
he’d got his fill of what he’d wanted. She’d been so naïve to believe he would
want to keep her.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault we can’t stay,”
Evan added. “I have to get back to New York and get the details of our new
partnership in motion.” He nodded across the table at Xavier.
“I appreciate your personal attention,”
Xavier said. “Some young men new to business are too quick to delegate. They
haven’t learned the importance of minding their interests. Much like how a
husband must tend closely to his wife.”
The words didn’t sound too bad. They were
remarkably similar to how a good Dom would describe caring for his sub. But the
older man’s tone was full of his male chauvinism, and Cassie couldn’t wait to
get away from him. Her tongue was swollen from having bitten it so many times
this weekend, as she’d worked to keep her opinions to herself.
Moreover, Xavier wasn’t a Dom, even
though Cassie couldn’t quite figure out how she knew that, especially
considering she’d done a shitty job picking out a Dom last time. But, if a good
Dom had spoken those words to Cassie, she’d be on her knees at his feet in a
second. The problem was she couldn’t trust her ability to know a good one from
a bad one.
Esmé rested her hand over Xavier’s on the
table and leaned towards him. “Enough work talk. It’s the last few hours of
their engagement weekend.” She turned to Cassie. “Would you and Evan like to
take our boat out for a quick sail before you leave the island? You should
enjoy this beautiful day.”
Cassie cast a questioning look at Evan.
Maybe this was how she could apologize for overreacting last night. If Evan
enjoyed sailing, then she was willing to swallow her tendency to get seasick,
in order to have the last memory of their time together on the island be a
positive one. That would be better than this awkwardness between them.
“Would you like to go sailing?” he asked
her.
She tried to read his expression, but his
emotions seemed closed off. His dark eyes revealed nothing of what he was
thinking, and he continued with the polite smile that had been glued to his
face all morning. It was starting to creep her out.
Deciding to take the first step towards
making amends, she said, “That would be nice.” Then she thought of a
complication. “Do you know how to sail?”
Esmé’s laughter drew Cassie’s glance.
“Our captain will take care of you. You can sit back and relax.”
Cassie’s cheeks warmed at her blunder.
“That would be—” The ring of her phone in her sundress pocket interrupted
her. “I’m sorry. As a helicopter pilot used to being on call, it’s hard for me
to remember to leave this behind.” She fumbled to get the phone out to silence
the chiming.
“You’re a helicopter pilot?” Xavier
raised a brow, and Cassie worried she might have blown her cover as Evan’s
fiancée. She certainly didn’t have the typical occupation for a woman of Evan
and Xavier’s social circle.
Evan smiled easily. “Yes, the best I’ve
ever flown with.”
As Cassie turned off the sound on her
phone, she glanced at the caller ID. Her heartbeat
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