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Daniel Caruana leaned smugly back in his chair like he thought he had the whole world and not just his sister’s wedding stitched up.
Sophie was more and more fearful that he did—at least, when it came to the wedding. After all, this was a man used to fighting and winning corporate battles every day, used to manoeuvring against major players in the boardroom and beating them at their own game. How was she supposed to hold her own against the likes of him?
‘I guess we should be heading to the helicopter soon,’ she suggested, ‘if I’m going to make my flight.’
‘I guess we should,’ he said, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head as if he had no intention of going anywhere. ‘Except…’ He smiled. ‘You haven’t told me what you think of my infrastructure yet.’
She sipped her drink, gazing as inconspicuously as possible over the rim of her glass at the broad expanse of chest under the snug-fitting shirt. There was nothing at all wrong with his infrastructure from where she was sitting; the man was a perfect specimen, fit, strong and sexy as sin, and that was putting it mildly. Not that she was about to admit it. ‘I didn’t expect to find the island so developed. I was under the impression there was just the one dwelling.’
He dropped his hands to his front, lacing his fingers over an impossibly flat stomach. Did the man not have an ounce of fat anywhere? ‘It seemed selfish to keep all this to myself.’
‘But there’s nobody here but us and a handful of staff, and you don’t operate as a resort. What’s it all for?’
He shrugged. ‘Caruana Corporation has many employees who require the usual training and professional development. Sometimes they come for team-building exercises, sometimes as incentives. One group of managers has just left this morning. Another team will arrive next week. A skeleton staff keeps the place ticking over in between.’
‘But it looks like a five-star complex. You must have spent a fortune on this place.’
He leaned forwards, his elbow on the table, his fingers out wide to support his point. ‘And why pay a fortune for them to go somewhere else when I have my own island just off the coast? But what I have spent is not your concern. What I am more interested in is whether you now agree that this is the perfect place to host Monica’s wedding.’ It was a perfect venue. There was enough accommodation for plenty of the nearest and dearest with the best accommodation that Far North Queensland had to offer just a short helicopter flight or launch ride away. Absolutely perfect, except for one not quite so small fly in the ointment.
Daniel Caruana.
‘Mr Caruana?’ she began.
‘Why do you have so much trouble calling me Daniel?’
She sucked in air. Did he mean apart from the fact it seemed so informal? Too personal? ‘Okay—Daniel. You’re right, it is a fabulous venue. And I’m sure it would be perfect in the right circumstances. But maybe not this time. I’ve already told you, we have a venue, and one which Monica and Jake have both agreed on.’
‘So cancel it.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Cancel the venue and save the money. You said Monica and Fletcher were working to a budget—this venue won’t cost them a cent.’
She breathed deep. She had to in order to give herself time to think. Everything he said made perfect sense. The venue was divine, the accommodation superb and she had no doubt the food would be exquisite. All that, and Jake and Monica could save themselves a bundle into the deal. She must be mad to be so desperate to find a reason to say no. But Daniel was so adamant—disturbingly so—and there was no way she was being railroaded into saying yes, certainly not before she’d had a chance to speak to her clients.
Monica might well be in love with the idea of getting married on the island, but Sophie only had Daniel’s word for that. Meanwhile her own brother, she knew, had other ideas about what constituted a perfect venue. Daniel Caruana’s private island was hardly likely to fit the bill on that score.
‘Look,’ she ventured, glad she’d never shared the fact that the deposit on the Tropical Palms hadn’t yet been paid. ‘It’s very short notice and there may be penalties for cancellation that reduce any potential savings. But I’ll certainly speak to both Monica and Jake regarding your generous offer.’ She glanced at her watch, shocked to see how time had slipped away, and stood, collecting up her things. ‘I have to go. I have an early morning meeting tomorrow and I’m not prepared to miss that flight.’ And then, because she knew she had to offer him something, ‘How about I call you tomorrow? Let you know what Monica and Jake are thinking?’
