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Chapter Seven
The pounding woke her. Arabella lay still, trying to orient herself. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, a hard body against her back, and the bright light of midday over them both. So, this vacation fling thing wasn’t too bad. She felt limp and relaxed, except for irritation caused by the damn pounding. “Go away,” she called.
“Arabella! Let me in.”
“Ohh, no.” She turned over, still within Will’s embrace and hissed, “It’s Earl. What are we going to do?”
“I can kill him,” he offered. “What’s one less lawyer? Who’d care?”
She smacked his arm. “You really are a terrible friend.”
He yawned. “I know. But don’t you want me to kill him?”
“That’s not the point. What do we do? I can get rid of him while you hide. Maybe in the closet?”
He rolled away from her and stood, so magnificent in his nudity she almost leapt on him. But before they could get down to it again, they had to get rid of the man at the door. And even if they did feel as if he got in their way, he deserved an explanation. He was Will’s friend, even if Will didn’t seem to know how to treat one. Of course, she appreciated his knowledge of Earl’s past behavior with women, a way of acting the man himself had admitted to while under the influence of a lot of rum and tequila.
Will strode toward the bedroom door, but she flung herself out of bed after him. “Wait, you can’t go out there like that. You’re naked.” Arabella clung to his arm as he entered the living room. “Will! Put on your shorts at least.”
He looked down and grinned. “Well, it would save explanation.” But he still veered back into the bedroom and returned wearing his shorts and holding a robe. “This is for you.”
Dressed, they both headed for the door. Will opened it. “Good morning, Earl. I thought you’d still be sleeping after your busy night.”
Peeking over his shoulder, Arabella could see Earl holding her discarded clothing in his arms, and her heart sank. “It looks like you’ve been busy, too. After you left me for dead, you came back here and screwed my date.”
Will attempted to herd him outside, and Arabella was ready to be a coward and let him. But Earl was having none of that plan. He shoved his way in and held the shorts, tank, bra, and panties out. “Why did you lead me on if you were going to sleep with him? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
She gaped. “And why are you acting like an outraged husband? I’m not married to you. You’re mad because you wanted to get into my pants and instead Will did.”
God, what am I saying?
He paused, rubbing his hands on his shorts, leaving damp marks. “Arabella, no, I really liked you, I…”
The freaking liar! She could see it in his eyes. His bloodshot, shifting eyes, one of them blackened. And his body language. Licking his lips, grooming behavior characterized by repeatedly smoothing his hair. She’d learned to watch for one of several signs of lying. Earl might be exhibiting them all. If she’d ever had the slightest doubts about Will’s comments about Earl, she no longer did.
Suddenly she’d had enough. Of doing things the way other people wanted them done. Of giving up one part of her life for another. Sure, her job was important to her. She’d worked hard at it. Made the company and its stockholders stacks of money. Received a good salary and nice benefits. But how much actual satisfaction did she gain from the work? From working eighty or ninety hour weeks. “And what do you like about me, Earl? My tits? My ass? The fact I’m the only single woman on the island this week, and you want another notch on your bedpost? You make me sick!”
He stumbled back, lips moving but no sound coming out.
Arabella grabbed her clothes from him. “You got so drunk last night, your good friend had to help you home to make sure you didn’t pass out on the beach and wash out with the tide. I blamed him, but you’re not a child. And nobody made you order shots. Go get some breakfast, Earl, and next time you hit on a woman, consider she’s an entire person. Not a collection of body parts for you to hang on your wall. Get. Out!”
He turned and fled.
Arabella stood, breathing deeply, her heart pounding so hard, she wondered if Will could hear it.
Will caught her up in his arms and spun her around “You were magnificent.”
“I might have cost you a friend.” She searched his face. “Do you hate me?”
“Are you kidding? You saved him from my wrath.”
She slid down his body to stand on her feet again. “Did your wrath do that to his eye? Did you hit him?”
Will chuckled. “No. I’m more the stern words type. He did that to himself. Walked into a door. And I doubt you’re the first woman to tell him off. But it was the first time I got to watch, so thank you.”
“You’re welcome, I think.”
“If that is how you deal with problem employees, no wonder you’re an executive.”
