If you were prepared for every eventuality, nothing came as a surprise.
It was the way she’d run her life for the past two years, and so far, it’d been working. With the exception of one slip, she was no longer the woman who leaped without thinking.
Or the one who fell for the wrong man.
“No,” Hayden said, his eyes dark. “I never wanted more. Never will.” He turned and walked out into the tiled courtyard.
She watched him go, wondering why his resolute tone caused something deep inside her to clench. It wasn’t a shock Hayden didn’t want a relationship. Why would he? He could have anything he needed with a snap of his fingers. A relationship would simply require effort he had no reason to expend.
Which only strengthened her resolve. They were very different people, and she didn’t just mean because of their bank accounts. Hayden wanted a life of pleasure and revelry.
She wanted…something real. Whether that was with another person or with her company, she needed to have the stability her life had lacked before. There was a reason she spent her days building up her reputation and her business. It was something she’d created all on her own. Something she could be proud of.
Unlike the failure of her marriage.
If she let something as mundane as sex steer her away from her goals, she’d never be able to look herself in the mirror again. She’d learned the hard way that sometimes valuing yourself could cost you everything. It was a price she’d paid once before, and she wouldn’t let anyone, not even Hayden, pull her down again.
Even if he could set her pulse racing with the slightest touch.
He glanced back and stretched out a hand to her. Despite her better judgment, she pushed off the doorjamb and crossed to his side.
And tried not to think of how perfectly his hand fit into hers.
…
He shouldn’t have been so blunt.
Avery wandered the back gardens of the gallery, seeming engrossed in the tropical blooms she discovered. He followed more slowly, berating himself as he went. He never had this problem. It was little effort to turn on the charm with women, telling them whatever they wanted to hear.
But when Avery had looked up at him with those wide dark eyes, he hadn’t been able to offer her a cleverly turned phrase or side-step her question. No, instead, he’d told her there was zero chance of anything real developing between them.
He ran a hand across his jaw. Smooth.
Though it was always best to be honest in situations like this, he could have been more careful with his words. What was it about Avery that stripped away his practiced tactics and left him the bumbling idiot he hadn’t been since his teen years?
Either way, it’s best there are no misunderstandings. He never wanted to do anything that would cause her pain.
But still, he hadn’t missed the way her eyes had shuttered at his pronouncement.
For the first time, he debated the wisdom of his pursuit. Perhaps he really was the uncaring hedonist she’d painted him. He’d wanted her, so he’d done whatever was needed to put himself in her path.
Now he wondered if succeeding at his seduction would have unconsidered ramifications.
Dammit. His conscience might be rusty, but it wasn’t dead.
Avery glanced back in his direction.
“What?” she said.
He schooled his expression into a politely blank mask. “Pardon?”
“Why are you watching me like that?”
“It’s impossible not to watch you when you’re near.”
She rolled her eyes at the easy words but let them go. “Do you ever need to hold functions on the island? Because I think I’m in love with this property.”
“I’m more in the business of providing the venues than booking them.”
She sighed. “Of course.” Taking a last look around, she said, “We should probably get back on the road. As pretty as this place is, it won’t help us expand your customer experience.”
“After you,” he said, gesturing in the direction of the car.
It only took a few minutes before they were zooming down the long driveway to reach the road. Avery turned in her seat to get a last glimpse of the gallery, a smile on her lips.
The sight twisted something inside him. He liked seeing her like this, relaxed and cheerful. Thinking back to their brief encounters over the years, he’d always had the impression she was stern, professional in all ways, but severe.
Now there were dreams in her eyes as she soaked in a last look of the converted island mansion.
“That was wonderful,” she sighed as they hit the road. “Thank you for suggesting this outing. I want to see more of the island while I’m here.”
“Good thing you’ve got a lenient boss,” he replied.