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“I’m sorry,” I said, softer.
“Me too. My family ruins every good opportunity in my life. Stacy’s like King Midas, everything she touches turns to gold—even the stuff you don’t want to be about money.”
“Look, I really should get back. We have some…stuff going down that I need to help with.”
He looked up, eyes sharp. “What kind of stuff?”
“You’d have to asked the Queen B. I haven’t been cleared to divulge restricted information.”
“If it’s dangerous, you shouldn’t do it, Sam. She doesn’t need you down there anymore if we aren’t going to be together. She doesn’t need to control you.”
My temper flared again, and my hand balled into a fist. “I do not need protecting. I thought I was clear on that. And this job isn’t all about you. Not everything is.” Before he could say anything more, I stormed off toward the spa.
It wasn’t my first choice, but I needed a building with an elevator so I could get to the Engineering deck that ran below and throughout the resort.
Two feet from the door to the spa, someone grabbed my wrist. I spun around, afraid I was about to give in if Mason tried to kiss me again. Only it wasn’t him, it was Travis. What was it with hot men grabbing me today? And why was I complaining about it?
“I can’t believe you’re still seeing him.”
Oh, yes. That was why. “Why is it your business?” I said, yanking my hand away.
His mouth opened and then closed again as his dark eyes flashed. His earthy scent filled me with longing, but I didn’t know if it was him or the surface that I missed.
“You’re right,” he said. Twice in one day a guy said that, and last time it wasn’t good. “It isn’t my business. I don’t know you. I just thought maybe you—but it’s no big deal. If you want to set yourself up for misery you have a right to do it. Whatever.” He started to walk away.
“Wait a second,” I said, mentally berating myself for it. “What was it you thought?”
He turned, hands tucked in his leather jacket, eyeing me like he was trying to decide how to proceed. “I thought you were like me. That you saw through this place and these people. But obviously I was wrong. It’s just that I’m usually—”
“A good judge of character,” I finished. “Not that you need to know, but I broke it off with him.”
He snorted, the side of his mouth quirking into a lopsided grin that sent heat surging through my body. “We’ve been here all of three days and you dumped the bosses’ son? What are you going to do for entertainment for the rest of the month?”
A laugh bubbled up and betrayed me by bursting through. In another minute, we were both doubled over in hysterics. I guessed with all the stress we both needed that kind of release.
“Want to take a walk?” he asked, stepping into my personal space.
“I can’t,” I said, stopping him in his tracks. “I have to work.”
“Work? That has to be the lamest excuse ever. No one’s working on this trip.”
“No, really,” I said, silently daring him to challenge my decision like Mason did. “I accepted an internship with Engineering.”
He crossed his arms, and the glare he gave sent tremors to all the wrong places.
“But I could meet you for an early dinner,” I offered. All I’d eaten were two pieces of sushi, and I was already a bit light-headed.
“I don’t do champagne and sushi,” he said, and heat filled my cheeks. How much had he seen? “But I’ll be happy to introduce you to my friend red meat. Five o’clock sharp, my room.”
I watched, open-mouthed, as he took off toward the hotel, and only after that did I wonder what he was doing creeping so closely around the off-limits spa.
