“Intelligent.”
Nonplussed, Blake stared at Connor for a moment. “Never took you for a brain man.”
Connor gave him a grin, the kind that made every available female in the room take notice. “I like other parts, too. But eventually, we’re going to have to talk. Prefer it’s with someone who can hold their own.”
“Cheers, mate.” Blake lifted his glass to Connor’s.
“You know, I just remembered the funniest thing,” Connor said in a low voice. “When you were hired, Ms. Simpson asked William about you, and she must have shown more interest than what my father liked, so he told her that you liked men.”
Blake nearly choked on his drink. “Pardon?”
Connor’s grin grew. “Then he said he was joking, but that you were involved with someone.”
“The hell he did.” Blake hadn’t been involved with anyone, not for years now. His last relationship had been six months before he started at Montgomery Industry. His former career hadn’t lent itself to permanent relationships.
“Thought you’d want to know she was interested in you first.”
“My thanks.”
Blake wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with that knowledge. Punching out the man who initially hired him seemed wrong, especially given that William was pushing seventy and had recently been hospitalized.
He ground his teeth together, something he hadn’t done since childhood when he was stressed.
When he risked another glance at Ella, she caught him staring at her. That familiar pull called to him. She was lovely in the extreme. Now that he knew every inch of her body, he wanted more. He wanted it all with her.
But fucking hell, she wanted another.
The room became stuffy, suffocating.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he murmured to Connor, needing to get away from the dinner.
As he left the room, he could feel Ella’s gaze on his back, but she didn’t come after him. However, at this moment, he wasn’t sure he wanted her to.
Chapter Eight
Ella didn’t see Blake again until the wedding the next morning. Since they weren’t walking together, she didn’t have the chance to ask him to have dinner with her that night.
They needed to talk. They needed to discuss everything. Every misunderstanding needed to be unraveled until the truth was all either of them could see or hear.
Ella craned her neck, looking for Blake, but he seemed to have disappeared.
“Dance with me,” Drew said, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. He and Hannah had already shared their first dance together, and there were numerous guests dancing.
With a beautiful smile, Hannah caught Ella’s gaze and waved. Ella smiled back, but she continued to look for Blake.
Where was he? She needed to talk to him.
Then she caught herself. Here she was, dancing with the man she’d written hundreds of emails to, with the man she’d spent countless hours daydreaming about, and yet, all she could think about was Blake.
“He left, Ella.”
She almost stumbled, but Drew spun her around. “What? When?”
“Ten minutes after the ceremony. He had to deal with some family stuff back home.”
“As in Ravenswoodshire?” she asked.
“Yes, and I’m afraid he won’t be coming back. You see, he turned in his resignation and...” Drew began, but Ella was already out of his arms.
“Thank you for the dance. Best wishes to you and,” she ran over to Hannah and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “you as well. I want nothing but happiness for y’all.” She meant every word. Finally, she was truly happy for them.
“Go get him, sweetie,” Hannah whispered, hugging her tightly.
Picking up her dress at the hem, Ella raced for the front of the hotel, hoping to catch Blake before one of the shuttles left with him on it. Several shuttles serviced the resort each day, taking guests to and from the dock where they would travel by boat to the larger island that held the international airport.
But just as she got there, the shuttle pulled away.
“Blake,” she screamed over and over, running after it as she waved her hands in the air like a wild woman, but the van didn’t stop. It kept going and going until it disappeared around a bend in the road.
She stopped running and bent over, resting her hands on her thighs as she caught her breath. It wasn’t easy running in heels.
“That’s okay. I’ll pack my things and take the next one. He’ll have to wait for a flight,” she mumbled to herself as she turned to go back inside.
“He won’t take a commercial flight,” Drew said, meeting her at the door. “You’re welcome to take my private jet instead. I can call ahead and have it ready for you.”