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She chuckles. “Look at that. The one guy who likes me the way I am is an anti-marriage recluse.”
“Khloe—”
She holds her hand up to stop me. “It’s fine, Will. I’m not asking you for anything.”
And now why does it feel like she kicked me again, except this time lower?
“Anyway, I’m far from perfect, but thank you for the compliment.” She gives a humorless laugh and glances at our enclosed hands. “Steph is in my corner, but...” Her head lifts. “But we could always visit each other, I guess.” She looks at the ocean. “The people here are much nicer, more accepting.” She shrugs. “I said there was no right man for me in Manhattan, but here in Saint Thomas you never know, right?”
An ugly burst of jealousy tightens my throat. The thought of another man’s hands on her curvaceous body...hell no.
I swallow. Hard. And I try to sound normal when I say, “You’re a beautiful woman, Khloe. The right guy for you is still out there. You just haven’t found him yet.”
“What about you, Will? You’ve locked yourself away in this villa. Do you really believe the cheating gene runs in your family?”
“I did a bad thing, Khloe. Now I’m paying for it. I deserve to pay for it.”
“You made a mistake. People make mistakes, and most times they get to deal with them in private. What happened to you, Starlight broadcasting your mistake all over the newsstands, it wasn’t fair. You deserve happiness. You’re a good guy, whether you think so or not.”
“Do you know something I don’t?”
Her entire body stiffens. “What do you mean?”
Jesus, what is going on with her? Her body language is a clear giveaway that she does know something I don’t. But what? “You said I’m a good guy. Many think differently.”
“Ah...” She takes a sip of wine and meets my eyes. “Amelia told me everything.”
Unease worms its way through my veins. “What are you talking about?”
“She told me you personally funded the new school. And the lunches that are delivered to the kids every day come from your granddad’s resort.”
I frown and go back to the barbecue. With my back to her I ask, “Why would she tell you that? That’s not information I want out there.”
“At first I thought you wanted to get the repairs done on James’s resort fast because it affected your bottom line, but you care about these people, don’t you? You wanted them back to work for their sake, not yours.”
“I don’t like people knowing my business,” I grumble.
She stands up, and when I turn to her, she walks over to me. Her palms lie against the sides of my cheeks. “Why don’t you want people knowing about all the good you do?”
“I just don’t like it. My business is my business.”
“After the spread in Starlight it might—”
“I don’t need adoration, Khloe. I just need privacy.”
“You have so many secrets, Will.”
“Don’t we all,” I say, and her lashes fall quickly, hiding her expressive eyes.
“I suppose,” she says, then goes quiet for a few seconds. “Wait, we’re breaking rule number seven here, and I know how important rules are to you,” she says. She sniffs the air. “How are those steaks coming?” she asks, changing the subject.
“Medium-well, right?”
“You got it.”
“Then we’re good to go.” I take the steaks from the barbecue and set one on each plate as she disappears into the house and comes back with a salad. But when she sets it down, I see that look on her face again, and I’m convinced she wants to tell me something but isn’t exactly sure how. And I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
