“You’re my boss,” she pointed out.
A slow smile curved his lips. “Wyatt hired you. I’m just an innocent tourist hoping to enjoy some surf and sand.” His gaze shifted to Karen. “Karen, nice to see you again.”
“Likewise,” her friend said, her gaze darting back and forth between them.
“What brings you to the island?” Avery asked.
He waved his arm at the lobby around them. “It’s my hotel.”
“And your visit just happened to coincide with my contract? What a shocking coincidence.”
“Must be fate.”
“Or your VP told you I’d accepted this job.”
Hayden grinned unrepentantly. “That, too.”
Be strong. Don’t fall for his charm. Or at least, not again.
“Just to be clear,” she said, taking a step back, “I’m here for work.”
“Excellent. This hotel was one of our best earners, but the last few quarters have seen it take quite the beating. We’re relying on you to get to the bottom of it.”
She arched a brow. “Are you here to look over our shoulders?”
“Maybe I just needed a vacation.”
“Your whole life is a vacation.”
He pressed a hand to his heart in fake pain. “You are so cruel to me.”
She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Please. Five bucks says you were eating caviar in bed with some actress last week. Am I wrong?”
Something flashed through his eyes before his easy smile slid back into place. “Hate to break it to you, but my social calendar has been rather lean these past few weeks. Must have been something else on my mind.”
“Okay,” Karen said, drawing out the word. “I’m going to go check on some super real and suddenly pressing details and let you guys catch up. Avery, remember we’ve got that meeting coming up.”
“I will,” she said, not looking away from Hayden as Karen disappeared as fast as she could. Some chaperone she was.
Hayden watched her go, amusement in his gaze, before turning his attention back to Avery.
“I meant it, you know. You left an impression.”
Danger, Will Robinson. Don’t get sucked in.
In the years she’d known him, he’d never gone very long between his cookie-cutter girlfriends. The idea that he hadn’t tried to replace her with someone new was laughable.
But then again, for all his faults, he’d never lied to her.
“Why are you really here, Hayden?” she asked, her voice low.
His eyes darkened, dipping to her lips before returning to meet her gaze. “You know the answer to that.”
“I’m not interested in being another notch in your bedpost.” She winced and added, “Again.”
He took a step closer, invading her space as she breathed in his cologne. “Why?”
She looked up. Even in her heels, she had to tip back her head to accommodate his height. “I don’t make mistakes twice.”
He leaned closer, his breath tickling the shell of her ear. “Really? Because if that night was a mistake, it’s one I’d love to repeat over and over.”
Just admit it. I would, too.
But Avery had been down this road before. Different man, same heartache. As much as she’d love to let Hayden quiet her mind with undeniable pleasure, she knew her own limits. And casual sex wasn’t something she’d ever really gotten a knack for.
Putting a hand on his chest, she pushed him away, trying to ignore the feel of his rock-hard muscles beneath the soft Armani shirt.
“If I’m here for any other reason than to fix your hotel, then tell me now and I’ll be on the next plane home.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You signed a contract.”
“And I’m happy to fulfill it, provided you’re clear about where we stand on personal matters.”
“Crystal. I’m your dirty little secret,” he replied with a nod.
Dealing with the man was going to give her a migraine. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she said, “It was just one night in an otherwise long and profitable working relationship for us both. Can’t we focus on that?”
“We could,” he replied, his gaze sliding down her body. “But it’s not nearly as much fun to think about in the shower.”
“Hayden,” she hissed.
He just grinned.
“You’re making me late for a meeting with your managers,” she said.
“What a shame.”
“A meeting that will help me start to see where the hotel is going wrong.”
He sighed dramatically. “It’s always work with you.”
For some reason, the light words made her flinch. Yes, it was. But that was by design. Not everyone had the luxury of treating life as one unending play date.