Erin knitted her brows in confusion. “I…do want the job.” She gave him a bright smile. “I can start right away, Mr. Mason.”
“Good. We have a party of twenty-two coming in this afternoon and that’s in addition to our regular customers so it’s going to be busy. Sally will get you a uniform and you’ll be good to go.” He pulled out a sheet of paper from a folder and slid it across the desk toward her. “Now let’s talk money.”
Erin didn’t bother to hide her smile. She liked the sound of that. A lot.
Her luck had finally turned and now she could breathe again. She’d work hard and tuck away as much money as she could. She guessed she could hide her pregnancy for another three months, tops, and then, God help her, she’d be on her own. Mr. Mason seemed like a nice man but how would he react when he learned of her condition? She could only pray he’d be sympathetic.
But she had to prepare for the worst. As she signed the papers she thought of the tiny life growing inside her. ‘Don’t you worry, little one,” she whispered silently. ‘You and me, we’ll make it together.”
***
“Dare. Are you with me, man?”
Dare dragged his eyes back into focus and stared across his desk at the grinning man.
“You’ve been out of it lately,” his long-time friend and business associate said with a laugh. “If I didn’t know you I’d say you were in love.”
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.
“Alright, 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.