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Calmly he reached out and plucked them from her hand, selected the correct one and opened the door. Then with a mocking smile he dropped the keys back into her hand. When they stepped inside the apartment a wave of embarrassment swept over her. Dare was obviously a man of wealth. He’d said something about being a billionaire. She seriously doubted that but she was sure he had some money. He carried himself like a man of means. What would he think of her home, so sparsely furnished that the living room didn’t even have a sofa? She’d been meaning to get one since moving in but that had been almost two years ago. Now, under the present circumstances, the chances of acquiring that piece of furniture were slim to nil.
At least she had the essentials - a bed to sleep on and a chest of drawers for her few pieces of clothing. And at least she could offer him a seat. In the living room cum dining room were a small table and two chairs. It wouldn’t make for comfortable sitting but maybe that was a good thing. Making him comfortable was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted him to state his business then get the heck out of her apartment and her life.
Erin could feel her anger return. After Dare had used her and discarded her in the most horrible way, what could he possible want with her now?
Except for the baby, her heart whispered. Apart from the baby there was absolutely no reason why this man would have the slightest interest in her. This was all about the baby.
Erin waved a hand toward the table. “Have a seat. Please.”
She could see that he was scrutinizing her home, his eyes roaming the apartment. She could just imagine what was going through his mind. All she needed to see was the expression on his face to know what he was thinking. She wasn’t important enough for him. Now he was getting confirmation that he’d made the right decision in throwing her out.
Dare walked over, his height making her apartment seem too small and the ceiling too low. She was glad when he dropped his tall frame onto the chair. Seated, he was a little less intimidating. Just a little.
“Aren’t you going to sit?” Dare was looking at her as she stood several feet away, watching him. On his face was an amused smile.
What was there to smile about? “No, I’m fine,” she said and released the hand she’d just realized she’d been wringing in agitation. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her skirt. “Dare, what are you doing here? And how did you find me?”
He crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair, somehow managing to look comfortable. “Finding you was easy, honey. We’ve got all your details at the hotel.”
“At the hotel?” Erin’s eyes widened in shock. “They let you see my personal information? Who did you bribe?” She couldn’t believe the breach to her personal privacy. Sunsational Resort would be getting a letter from her and it would not be pretty.
“Come off it, Erin. Stop playing dumb. It’s not becoming.” He gave a snort and crossed his arms over his chest. Gone was the look of relaxation. Now he looked exasperated. “Why would I need to bribe my own employees?”
“Your…employees?” What the heck was he talking about? Erin shook her head. The man was making no sense at all. “What employees?” Then, like a light bulb that had just been switched on something in her mind clicked. “You weren’t a guest at the resort, were you? You actually work there.”
How could she have been so stupid? The man was probably one of the managers at the resort. Now she understood why his villa had looked so grand in comparison to all the others. The man was a big shot at his workplace.
The realization made her all the more angry. “Do you realize I could have you fired?” Her voice was strong now as she realized the power she had over this man. He was an employee of the resort and yet he’d gotten involved with her, a guest, and then he’d had the audacity to show up at her workplace. And now he was in her home.
Now it was her turn to fold her arms across her chest. “You’d better have a darn good reason for being here or else you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.” Feeling smug at having the upper hand she gave him a smile but it was not a pleasant one. “What would your boss say if I told him that you’d slept with one of the guests? If I complain to your superiors you won’t be in your cushy job for long.”
Dare’s eyes narrowed. Slowly, deliberately, he got up and then he was towering over her. “Are you threatening me?” His voice was hard as the granite of the countertop.
Erin took an involuntary step back. Had she gone too far? She was alone in the apartment with a man who looked just about ready to wring her neck. Goodness, she’d been so stupid. Why hadn’t she kept her mouth shut?
“N…no,” she managed to whisper. “It wasn’t a threat.”
A strange look passed over Dare’s face and then the anger was gone. His look was almost one of regret. “Look, I’m sorry,” he said and expelled his breath. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You just annoyed the hell out of me with your pretense.”
What pretense, she wanted to ask. Instead, she bit her lip and waited. There was no way she was going to incite his wrath again, not while she was still alone with him. She’d just let him have his say.
“You know I own Sunsational Resort so all this talk about my boss and getting me fired is a waste of my time and yours. Let’s just be adults here and-”
“What did you say?” Erin’s heart jerked in shock. “You own Sunsational Resort? Are you serious?”
Dare gave her an irritated look then he shook his head. “Here we go again. Will you stop pretending?”
“I’m not pretending,” she retorted. “I had no idea you were…are… the owner of the resort.”
His eyes narrowed. “You had no idea? So you’re telling me that when you spent the night with me you didn’t know who I was?”
Eyes wide, Erin shook her head. Now that he’d said it out loud it didn’t sound good at all. Sleeping with a total stranger? She cringed inside just thinking about it. How could she blame him for having a low opinion of her?
She could feel the heat of shame rush to her face. He would never respect a woman like her. How could he? She had absolutely no excuse except for the fact that the night he’d taken her to his villa Dare had so captivated her that she hadn’t found the power to resist him.
Mortified, Erin could only stare up at Dare and what she saw in his eyes made her wince. Was it scorn or disgust that registered there? Either way Erin knew she was lower than dirt in his eyes.
“Why should I believe you,” he grated, “when you all but threw yourself into my arms? Twice. Why would you have done that if you didn’t know who I was?”
“I don’t need to explain myself,” she said with far more bravado than she felt. “You wouldn’t believe me, anyway.”
“Try me.”
She opened her mouth to object but then she breathed a sigh. What was the use? She might as well lay all her cards on the table and then he could do what he wished. “The first time I was just going to ask you out…as a dare, to satisfy my friends. I slipped and that was when I grabbed on to you.”
“You weren’t trying to kiss me?’
“Absolutely not.”
“It sure looked like it.”
“Well, I wasn’t,” she said, glaring at him. He didn’t have to look so pleased with the idea. “And the second time, in the bar, it was pure coincidence that I bumped into you. I was trying to get away from a most annoying man and saw you as my means of escape.”
“Oh, so that’s all I was to you.”
“That’s all.”
“And the third time?”
“What third time?”
“Your going out on the date with me, then to the villa. What’s your excuse for that one?”
“I…” She swallowed. She had no idea how to explain that one away. Finally, she said, “You were the one who invited me.”
For a long time he stared at her then he spoke, his look enigmatic. “So it was.” He nodded slowly. “So it was.”
Now what did that mean? Did he believe her or was she still nothing more than a groupie in his eyes?
Well, groupie or not, Dare was here in her apartment, thousands of miles from his resort and his island, and she needed to know why. He’d certainly not come all this way out of love for her.
She was loath to broach the subject but since he seemed intent on skirting around the real reason for his visit Erin decided to take the plunge. She’d always faced her problems head on and she wasn’t going to stop now, even if it meant facing off with the lion in her apartment.
“Dare, I’ve asked you twice and you’ve not given me an answer. Why are you here?” She lifted her chin and looked him squarely in the eyes. “Is it because of the baby? You want to state your claim?”
Erin never saw someone’s expression change so fast. His frown disappeared. In his eyes was a look of shock that was like a slap to her face. He hadn’t known. Dare had not had any inkling that she was expecting his child.
