"Miss Paige, third time today?"
Grey took a step back, shoving his hands in his pocket. "I was explaining to your friend here that I'm not a part of your business or company."
"Thanks. I can handle this. I'll be back out there in a minute."
Grey took the hint and rejoined Eden at the table.
I faced the reporter who had been hounding me all day. "I think this may qualify as grounds for a restraining order."
Her face turned a shade of white. "I'm not stalking you. I'm trying to do my job."
I chuckled. "Are you sure about that?"
"I did some more research and found an article from the spring about your condo conversion at the Palm Palace and thought I'd talk to Grey Lachlan, who I discovered is also your nephew? That is crazy confusing."
"My family is off limits. Stories about my family are off limits. Grey doesn't work for Lachlan Corporation."
"But he's one of your business partners, right?" she asked. "I have the right to ask him questions about your business relationship."
I grabbed her upper arm and moved her closer to the door. Mac was watching us.
"Ouch. What are you doing?" she squeaked.
I lowered my voice. "For the last time. I do not grant interviews. My family life is not your concern."
I expected her to turn for the door, but instead she rose on her toes, her nose almost tapping mine. "I have a right to be here. And I have a right to ask questions. Have you ever heard of the first amendment?"
I could feel the heat of her breath rush over my cheek.
"I don't give a shit about the first amendment, Miss Paige." My pulse quickened. She wasn't backing down. Her lips, the full ones I had been studying all day, were within inches of mine. Her eyes fired with hints of amber.
"Then you have no comment on Commissioner Rodriguez's press release?"
"What press release?"
This close to her I could study her eyes. Her lashes were long and silky. Her eyes were almost green, but they looked dark under the bar lights. The hazel colors blended together. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to touch her.
She settled back on her heels. "Commissioner Rodriguez released a statement at five o'clock announcing she is going to block any new development on the island. Would you like to respond?"
"I don't comment on political stories."
"Good God. Don't you comment on anything? You must have an opinion on something. She's trying to kill the land deal you made today. You have to care about that."
"I've never lost a deal." I smiled.
"What if this is your first?" she prodded.
"Excuse me?"
"Your first deal that goes under. Have you thought about the possibility that you may have spent millions that you'll never be able to recoup?"
God, she was annoying. Sort of like a bee buzzing around my head, needling me for answers; only she diverted my answers with those legs and lips, and the breasts that kept playing peek-a-boo behind the open collar of her shirt.
"Miss Paige, I don't make bad deals. I do my research. And if you had done yours you would know that I don't grant interviews. I'm going to return to my table now, drink a beer, and try to forget this unpleasant exchange. Have a good night."
"Wait." I didn't expect her to tug on my arm. "One quote. Please. I can't go back to my editor with nothing. She's going to fire me."
I turned to face her. The determined look was gone and had been replaced with utter hopelessness.
"Fired?" I questioned.
She nodded. "I've already missed my deadline. This story is going to cost me my job." She sat in an empty chair. "I know you don't care with your millions of dollars." She threw her hands in the air. "But this is my first job. I can't get fired. I hate it here, but this is home until I move. I mean until I get promoted or picked up for something better. If anyone can understand moving up, it should be you." She looked at me.
I sat next to her, fighting the urge to run my fingers through her hair. This girl was a total mess, but right now she was the most beautiful mess I had ever seen.
"I never had anything given to me." The words sounded bitter on my tongue. "I worked hard. I still work hard every day."
"Maybe the people on the island should know that. That you're like them-you've struggled for what you have. They could relate to someone like you." She blinked back tears. "Please let me help you tell some of this story."
Mac was no longer watching us. I felt the muscles in my shoulders relax.
What were the chances I would run into her three times today? And each time I reacted the same way. Thrown off by her body, but even more interested in how she didn't back down. She challenged me without even thinking about it.
"Tell me something."
"What do you want to know?" There was a fire behind her eyes. Her words always quick as if she was able to guess my next move.
"How did you find Grey at the bar?"
Her lashes were damp from light tears. Her skin glistened and I felt myself leaning closer, anxious to feel her breath dance against my cheek again. Her voice in my ear.
"I stopped by the Palm Palace office. When he wasn't there I asked a couple at the pool. They said he always walked over to Pete's Bar after work."
I rubbed my jawline. My rule was getting crushed under her pouty stare. She didn't know what she was doing, but I did.
"All right."
"All right, what?" She chewed on her bottom lip, and I knew exactly how I wanted the rest of the night to play out.
"Come have a beer with us."
"You want me to drink with you? But I thought you said it was family time."
"It will be fun. You've already met Grey. You can meet my future niece-in-law. We can have a few drinks, then you can ask your questions. But no business-talk at the table. Agreed?"
"Why are you doing this? You feel sorry for me?"
I shrugged. "Maybe, but you have a point. I need this land acquisition today to be a success, and I need the people of South Padre to be on board with it. So, I'll grant you one interview tonight. Only one, though."
"Why don't we go ahead now with the interview?" She reached into her bag and withdrew a pad of paper. "I can file my story and then we can have a drink."
I took the pad from her. Her eyes turned frantic. "These are the conditions. One interview after we have some drinks with my family. Take it or leave it."
I knew she wouldn't walk away from this. I had never granted an exclusive interview. She knew she was sitting on the kind of scoop that could launch her career.
She paused. "I just need to make a phone call."
"I'll see you at the table."
I walked toward the patio, knowing I had broken my number one rule.
6
Sydney
It was manipulative and conniving, but I was out of options. I didn't expect him to actually fall for it. I pushed down the guilt growing in my stomach. This wasn't the kind of reporter I wanted to be, but I couldn't afford to be an out of work journalist either. I was surprised when the tears surfaced. I blamed the heat and the fear of losing my job.
I dialed the after-hours number at the office. Alice was still there. She answered after a few rings.
"Alice Compton speaking."
"Hey, it's Sydney."
"You're late. Over an hour past deadline. I'm afraid you didn't take our earlier conversation very seriously."
"Wait, Alice I have an exclusive." I smiled at the bartender. He was busy polishing pilsners, but I thought he had an ear extended my direction.
"What kind of exclusive? You already missed the scoop on the land sale. Two other sites beat us to it."
"Mason Lachlan has agreed to an interview." I held my breath. This was the only card I had to play to keep my job.
"He's going to let you interview him?" She laughed. "I don't know if I can believe that. He never does interviews. Believe me. We've tried."
"It's true. I'm with him right now and we're getting ready to start the interview." She didn't need the exact timeline. She also didn't need to know he had invited me for drinks. I had entered a murky gray area where my journalistic ethics were concerned.
"Holy shit. This is big, Sydney. How did you manage that?"
I breathed for the first time realizing she wasn't going to fire me tonight. "I've been working on it all day. That's why I missed the first deadline."
"I'm impressed you could gain access to him."
"Thanks. I'm going to work on the story tonight, and I'll have it submitted in the morning. First thing. I promise."
"I expect to see it in my inbox before I have my first cup of coffee," she warned.
"Not a problem. I won't sleep tonight until I have the full story."
"That's what I need to hear. Good luck."
I turned my ringer to vibrate and shoved my phone into my bag. I didn't want any distractions. I couldn't let anything ruin this chance.