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Their Festive Island Escape
Nina Singh


Can Christmas in the Caribbean… …bring her comfort and joy this year? Jilted bride Celeste wants a Christmas of sun, sea and cocktails. But when the hot Santa from the beach turns out to be Reid Evanson – the luxury resort’s CEO, and best man at her non-wedding, their unexpected chemistry changes everything…







Can Christmas in the Caribbean…

…bring her comfort and joy this year?

Jilted at the altar exactly three years ago, Celeste wants sun, sea and exotic cocktails, so escaping to Jamaica is perfect. But her peace is disturbed when the hot Santa from the beach turns out to be Reid Evanson—the luxury resort’s CEO and best man at her nonwedding! Could their unexpected chemistry mean he’s the one to restore her love of the festive season?


NINA SINGH lives just outside Boston, USA, with her husband, children and a very rambunctious Yorkie. After several years in the corporate world she finally followed the advice of family and friends to ‘give the writing a go, already’. She’s oh-so-happy she did. When not at her keyboard she likes to spend time on the tennis court or golf course. Or immersed in a good read.


Also by Nina Singh (#u53400e69-8644-5e46-b1a5-243b71b5ee49)

Miss Prim and the Maverick Millionaire

The Marriage of Inconvenience

Snowed in with Her Reluctant Tycoon

Reunited with Her Italian Billionaire

Tempted by Her Island Millionaire

Christmas with Her Secret Prince

Captivated by the Millionaire

Swept Away by the Venetian Millionaire

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).


Their Festive Island Escape

Nina Singh






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


ISBN: 978-1-474-09179-4

THEIR FESTIVE ISLAND ESCAPE

© 2019 Nilay Nina Singh

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




Note to Readers (#u53400e69-8644-5e46-b1a5-243b71b5ee49)


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To my children,

you make every vacation and holiday

nothing less than a gift.


Contents

Cover (#u7c9dc069-ce32-5910-9753-376ac41ab71a)

Back Cover Text (#u390b5d36-a13f-53a0-b3d4-b22bcd385e07)

About the Author (#u4aef1ebe-6d93-5acf-84d9-db564c91c0fa)

Booklist (#u07085d52-64f3-5bde-a6b8-af02f458be69)

Title Page (#u98b15ab7-b8a9-5e04-851c-2ce0b8bafc72)

Copyright (#u97ac5a4f-38ad-5bad-8a12-4176b90da852)

Note to Readers

Dedication (#u4134b07e-68b2-5194-8b97-81d78601a815)

CHAPTER ONE (#ud19221ee-016b-50a7-bb5a-16f8e816323b)

CHAPTER TWO (#u94e1aa5c-f45d-5d83-8c05-b04dcc0d26c1)

CHAPTER THREE (#ufa2129ac-92a0-5966-ab2d-4ecd113e87bf)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u7eb13052-553e-5256-a9c9-3bb0387068df)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)




CHAPTER ONE (#u53400e69-8644-5e46-b1a5-243b71b5ee49)


HER SISTER JUST didn’t get it. But then again, Celeste had never really been able to get through to her when it came to the holidays. Or through to her mother, for that matter. Her family would never understand. Not that she really understood them in return.

“I can’t believe you haven’t moved on yet,” Tara declared, throwing her hands up in the air. “Your wedding was three years ago. Get over it already.”

Tara wasn’t often accused of being overly sensitive. For the wedding her sister had so callously just referred to had never actually happened. Celeste bit down on a frustrated groan. She really was in no mood to talk about this. She didn’t even want to think about the day she’d been so humiliatingly left at the altar, waiting for a groom who had never bothered to show up.

The humiliation still haunted her nightmares—dozens of pitying eyes staring at her as the minutes ticked by.

She was supposed to have been a Christmas bride. Instead she’d been a jilted one.

How did Tara not understand that she wanted nothing to do with the holiday now? How did she not see that the best thing to do for her mental health was just to get away from the city until the whole season was over?

Her sister’s next question only proved that she didn’t understand Celeste at all.

“How can you leave your family and just take off to the islands every year? Christmas just isn’t the same without you here.”

Celeste couldn’t help the pang of guilt that landed in her gut. Perhaps one day she’d be able to put all of it behind her. Maybe she’d even enjoy the holidays again at some future point in time. She just wasn’t there yet. Nowhere near, in fact. Every street decoration, every holiday jingle, every sidewalk corner Santa only reminded her of Jack and the days leading up to her abject humiliation.

Not to mention, her sister’s seeming disappointment held a secondary layer. On the surface, Tara sounded like a caring, loving sibling who just wanted to spend the holidays with her older sister. But there was more to it than that. At the age of twenty-six, Tara was much too dependent on her older sister financially. And so was their mother, for that matter.

Celeste knew she should have curbed that dependence long before. Especially given all that it had cost her three years ago. But her sense of duty and responsibility as the only financially stable member of her family often overrode her good sense. Something had broken in her mother when their father had abandoned them over a decade ago, leaving nothing behind but his debts. Wendy had never fully recovered. And Tara had taken it just as hard. It had been left to Celeste as the older sibling to try to pick up the pieces.

She was still doing so. By now it was second nature. Which wasn’t exactly a sound reason to keep doing it, but she couldn’t exactly turn her back on either of them. Especially considering Tara was a mother herself now. Besides, wasn’t one of the reasons Celeste had worked so hard to be able to help out her always cash-strapped family members?

“I thought for sure you’d stay around this year, sis.” Tara’s voice was petulant and whiny.

“Why would you think that?”

“Because your usual resort is nothing but a pile of damaged debris.”

She spoke the truth. The last hurricane season had nearly destroyed the island that housed Celeste’s yearly destination spot. After her devastating non-wedding, Celeste had chosen to continue on and attend her already-paid-for Caribbean honeymoon on a luxe tropical resort. She’d been going back to the same location every December since. This year, that island was sadly not an option.

Celeste had been heartbroken thinking of the usual staff and how they’d lost their livelihoods. She’d been regularly donating to various charities in charge of rebuilding, wished she could do more. In the meantime, she’d had to choose an unfamiliar resort on a different island. Apparently, her family had been counting on her canceling the trip altogether.

Never mind that she’d called weeks ago to tell both her sister and her mother of her exact plans.

Honestly, it was as if they didn’t know her at all.

It would take more than a natural disaster to keep her in Manhattan over the holidays. She wanted nothing to do with Christmas, would skip the entire month of December if she possibly could. The non-stop carols, the sparkling decorations all over the city, the hustling and bustling crowds within a mile of any shopping center. It all overwhelmed and irritated her to no end. Even the usually quiet and cozy café they sat in was now a crowded mess of harried shoppers carrying all manner of bags and parcels.

And none of that even had anything to do with the bad memories of her broken engagement. That only added a whole other layer of distaste.

Bah humbug and all that.

Across the square wooden table, Tara’s lower lip actually did a little quiver. For the briefest moment, Celeste couldn’t help but feel touched. Tara had her faults, but Celeste knew deep down that her little sister really did miss her over the holidays. Tara just wasn’t one to show much emotion. No wonder, given the way they’d had to grow up. Though that quality had seemed to be slowly softening since she’d become a mother.

“I was hoping we could go in on Mom’s gift together,” Tara continued. “You know, split the cost.” She glanced downward toward the floor. “Money’s a little tight for me right now, and you just got that promotion…”

The usual hint of guilt tugged within her chest.

Celeste wasn’t going to bother to point out that “going in together” most often meant she would be footing the whole cost of their mother’s gift and the holiday dinner. But what was there to do? The truth was, Celeste really was much better off than her sister. As was usually the case. Still, it was a fact that couldn’t exactly be ignored.

Besides, Celeste didn’t have it in her to discuss it much further. She had to get home and start packing. She reached for her purse and pulled out her checkbook, started scribbling after deciding on an amount, then handed it to her only sibling.

“Here, this should cover the cost of Mom’s gift and a nice dinner out for the two of you. As well as a little extra so that you can pick up something for yourself,” she added, despite the fact that she’d already handed Tara the holiday gift she’d purchased for her as soon as they’d sat down—a pair of fourteen-karat gold teardrop earrings she’d meticulously wrapped herself in bright, colorful paper and ribbons. Looked like Tara’s guilt trip about her leaving to go on holiday was indeed working.

Tara’s lips quivered ever so slightly and her eyes grew shiny as she reached for the check. “Thanks, sis. I’m going to find a way to pay you back one of these days. Once I figure out how to get on my own two feet.”

Celeste gave her hand a squeeze. “I know you will,” she reassured, despite her own doubt.

Tara smiled. “Hope you have a good trip. See you when you get back.”






Even under the bulky, stuffed red flannel suit, it was clear the man who wore it was no regular Santa. No, this man was definitely not old, rotund or particularly jolly. Though Celeste could tell he was trying hard to fit the part. Couldn’t the resort have found a better-fitting actor to play the role? Even from this distance where she sat on her lounge chair, she could tell Santa was tall and fit. His piercing dark eyes held no jolly old twinkle, though they did seem to catch the sunlight as he shifted his gaze from one child to the next as he handed out presents from his burly, oversize sack. An odd sensation of déjà vu nagged at her. Something about the pretend Santa seemed oddly familiar. Probably just her imagination.

The kids didn’t seem to notice how ill-suited he was for the role, they were all laughing loudly and scurrying to open the gifts they’d just been handed.

Celeste flipped the page of the paperback she’d picked up at the airport and returned her attention to the story. Or she tried to, anyway. The kids were pretty noisy. The scene before her was charming and sweet—Santa sent to the beach to entertain and bestow gifts upon the youngest guests. It reminded her of everything she’d once so foolishly longed for. Exactly the kind of scene she was trying to get away from when she jetted out to the Caribbean every December. She was here for warm and tropical. Not stark reminders of all she’d lost three years ago when the man she’d loved, the man she’d dreamed of having children with like the ones currently in front of her, had so callously deserted her at the worst possible moment.

This resort was definitely geared more toward families than the one she was used to. She might have to find a more remote section of beach in order to avoid such scenes for the rest of her stay. Her heart couldn’t take it.

A shadow suddenly fell over the pages of her book.

“Ho-ho-ho.”

Santa appeared to be strolling the beach closer and closer to where she sat, the children following close behind him. Now they all stood just a couple of feet from her chair. She watched as St. Nicholas leaned down to tousle the hair of one particularly excited young boy who’d clearly just received some type of toy car based on the wrapped shape.

It was futile. There was no way to even try to concentrate on her romantic suspense novel now. As charming as the children were, and they really were adorable, she couldn’t take much more Christmas cheer. Glancing down the expanse of sand, she searched in vain for another empty beach chair farther away from this main part of the resort. They all appeared taken. With a resigned sigh, Celeste dropped the book and stood, wrapping her silky sarong around her midsection. Might as well get another cup of coffee or perhaps a latte until all the commotion quieted.

A squealing toddler darted past her to get to the faux Santa and she nearly toppled over in her effort to avoid the collision. This was so far from the relaxing morning she’d envisioned. Not that the kids weren’t cute. They really were, with all their excitement and near tangible anticipation to receive a present. They were just so…loud. Loud, boisterous reminders of all she’d be missing out on in life. Look at how her one attempt to start a family had turned out; nothing more than an abject lesson in humiliation and hurt.

No, she wouldn’t be having children. Or her own family. The one she’d been born into took up more than enough of her time and emotional energy.

She leaned down to retrieve her flip-flops from beneath the lounge chair and stopped short when she straightened. A wall of bright red topped by a cotton white beard suddenly filled her view.

“Ho-ho-ho. Well, hello there, young lady.” Santa smiled at her.

“Um…hi.”

“We appear to have disturbed your morning, miss. A big jolly apology for the nuisance.”

His words were cordial enough. But Celeste had the clear impression that he was somehow mocking her.

“No apology necessary, St. Nick,” she said with a slight salute, then tried to step around him, only to have him block her path. Of all the nerve.

The smile grew wider under the thick fake beard. “Really? I mean, you practically have a circular thought bubble above your head that screams ‘bah humbug.’”

The same strange sensation of familiarity nagged at her yet again. He was clearly deepening his voice for the role but something about the tone and inflection rang a bell. And the eyes. As she studied their golden depths she couldn’t help but sense that she’d somehow gazed upon those eyes before.

Had she met him before in a professional capacity? Her position as VP of marketing for a luxury goods firm had her regularly working on advertising campaigns with various agencies. Maybe Santa had done work previously as a character actor for a project she’d worked on in the past.

What were the chances?

Not that it mattered. Right now all that mattered was that she find some peace and quiet.

But St. Nick seemed to have other plans.






“Excuse me.”

Reid knew he should have stepped away the first time she’d said it. But he couldn’t seem to help himself. He’d recognized her immediately. She clearly didn’t remember Reid in return. He wondered if her cutting look of utter disdain would change at all if she did recall who he was. No doubt it would intensify. They hadn’t exactly been on the best of terms the last time they’d seen each other.

Well, the feeling was mutual.

The children scattered all at once, clearly bored with the conversation the adults were having above their heads.

“I didn’t realize they’d hired someone to play the part of Scrooge this morning,” he goaded her, not even sure why he was doing so. There really was no reason to try to get a rise out of her. Other than for his pure entertainment.

She sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry. I somehow missed the part where my holiday spirit was any of your business.”

He shrugged. “We just aim to please every guest, is all.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “And this is how you go about doing so? Aren’t you overstepping your responsibility just a bit? You’re here simply to hand out some presents to the children.” She pointed to the empty fleece sack he held. “Clearly your task is over.”

Wow, she really was something else. She may as well have flicked him away like a royal princess dismissing a lowly jester. Not that he didn’t look the part in this ridiculous suit.

“Furthermore, I fail to see how my satisfaction is the responsibility of the resort Santa.” She studied him up and down. Clearly, he came up lacking in her summation. He should have walked away long before. Or never approached her in the first place. Life was too short to deal with the likes of Miss Frajedi. He had too much on his plate trying to get this place in order.

Still, Reid found himself studying her closely. The past three years had been extremely kind to her, she was still strikingly attractive. Dark, wavy hair framed a strong face with high cheekbones and hazel eyes the color of a Caribbean sunset. No wonder Jack had fallen for her so hard, the poor man. Luckily, he’d come to his senses in time. Though Reid had never approved of the way his friend had ultimately ended things. So last-minute. So hurtful. It was never right to leave a lady at the altar. Not even one like Celeste Frajedi. He’d made sure to share that sentiment with his friend, resulting in a now strained relationship between the men.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed on his face. “Do I know you?” she demanded.

Reid hesitated. For the briefest moment, he debated telling her exactly who he was. The look on her face when she found out would be a sight to see.

Ultimately, he decided against it. What would be the point? She was a paying guest after all. She was entitled to the tropical vacation she had paid for. The resort was large and expansive. The beach alone covered over a mile. If he played his cards right, they would never have to run into each other again for the duration of her stay. In fact, he vowed to make sure of it.

He shrugged. “Everyone knows me. I’m Santa Claus.”

She studied him some more. Part of him wanted her to figure it out. Finally, she blew out a deep breath. “Right. Well, Santa. I’d like to go get a cup of coffee.” With that, she brushed against his arm in her haste to get past him. An enticing scent of coconut and sun-kissed skin tickled his nose. Some kind of static electricity shot through his elbow and clear down his side.

“Merry Christmas, princess.”

He spoke to her back as she stormed off. Her gait hastened as she walked past the breakfast cabana and instead veered toward the residential suite area. Apparently, she’d lost her appetite for the cup of coffee. That thought sent a tingle of guilt through his center.

Reid rubbed a hand down his face as he watched her walk away. Damn it. What had he just done? He thought about going after her to apologize. Now that he thought about it, he had to admit he’d been less than professional just now. As the newly minted co-owner of the Baja Majestic Resort on the beautiful island of Jamaica, he owed it to all of his guests to treat them well, regardless of any past history. He had no excuse. He’d just been so surprised to see her lying there, the recognition had thrown him off.

But he had to make sure not to slip up like that again. He couldn’t forget how important his role was here. No one else was going to get this place up to the standards that the Evanson clientele expected. His father certainly wasn’t up to the task. In fact, his father seemed to be doing everything possible to run the family hospitality business into the ground. A gambler through and through, his fraternal parent took way too many chances, risked too many valuables. The cleanup always fell to Reid. This current project being no exception.

He couldn’t allow himself to forget how much responsibility he bore. An entire conglomerate of employees, contract workers, and their dependents relied on Evanson Hotels and Resorts for their livelihoods and their future. Not to mention his own parents.

And he’d just gone and insulted a valuable, paying guest.

As much as he hated to admit it, he would have to make up for his behavior. He had to somehow atone for the way he’d just treated Celeste Frajedi.






Merry Christmas, princess.

The derisive words repeatedly echoed through her head as Celeste fled to her deluxe suite and slammed the door behind her. Walking over to the glass screen door leading to the third-floor balcony, she pulled aside the curtains to let the bright sunshine in. He hands were shaking, she realized with no small amount of dismay. He’d rattled her. When was the last time she’d actually felt thrown by a man? Or anyone else, for that matter? Her mother notwithstanding.

Perhaps a better question was why had she let the likes of a pretend Santa Claus in an ill-fitting suit and a side-skewed beard get to her so badly?

There was something about the way he’d looked at her. He clearly hadn’t liked what he’d seen. Had her feelings regarding the noisy children been so obvious? She hadn’t realized she’d shown any outward signs that she’d been bothered by them but clearly the man had picked up something. He’d called her a scrooge!

Never mind that his labeling of her as such was perilously close to the truth. Still, her attitude to Christmas was none of his business. How dare he treat her the way he had? Her ire and irritation shot up even further as she thought of the derision in his eyes as he’d studied her.

His negative view of her seemed way out of proportion to whatever imagined slight he’d witnessed. It was as if he’d disliked her on sight. Which brought back the question: Why had he seemed so familiar to her?

Celeste shook off the query. The answer hardly mattered. She had no doubt the upper-level management in charge of the resort would be appalled if they knew of the actions of their character actor employee. She was in the very business of appealing to consumers as a professional marketer. The faux Santa’s behavior would be considered a nightmare to any business leader. That was no way to treat any customer.

Still, the encounter shouldn’t have shaken her up as much as it had. She was a professional, after all. And she’d certainly suffered through worse humiliation. The best thing to do would be to try to just forget about the whole incident and put it completely behind her. She would chalk it up to yet one more instance of a negative holiday memory. As if she needed any more of those.

With a calming inhalation of breath, she sank to the carpeted floor. She would meditate until the whole interaction with the wayward St. Nick was nothing more than a mere ghost of a thought in her head. Relaxing all her muscles, she began to count down from ten. Then she did nothing but clear her mind.

It wasn’t easy.






Knock. Knock. Knock.

Celeste had no idea how much time had passed before the annoying knocking roused her out of her deep state of meditative trance. Was it too much to ask for just some calming time after the morning she’d had? Apparently, this day was just going to be one irritation after another.

“Room service,” came a soft, feminine voice from the other side of her door.

It took a moment to reorient as Celeste forced herself to stand from her cross-legged sitting position on the floor. Her leg muscles screamed in protest at the abrupt movement as she walked to the door.

“There’s been some kind of mistake,” she said to the petite uniformed woman standing outside with a cart. “I haven’t ordered any room service.”

The woman smiled as she shook her head. “This is on the house, madam.” Without waiting for acknowledgment, she wheeled the cart toward the center of the room.

“I don’t understand?”

The woman’s smile didn’t falter as she answered. “No charge, madam. Compliments of the resort.” She handed her an envelope that had sat in the middle of the tray. With that, she pivoted on her heel and left the room.

Celeste blinked in confusion at the shut door before understanding dawned. Sure enough, when she read the note, her suspicion was confirmed.

Please accept this complimentary gesture as a token of appreciation and regret that you may have been inconvenienced in any way this morning.

Sincerely, The Baja Majestic Resort.

Someone in upper management must have witnessed the unpleasantness between her and Santa earlier this morning. She studied the goodies before her on the food service cart. They’d certainly made an effort to appease her. A silver carafe of steaming hot coffee sat in the center of the tray. A chilled bottle of champagne sent a curl of frost into the air. Orange juice and a variety of pastries rounded out the offerings. Not bad at all as a conciliatory gesture. Someone was trying hard to make things up to her. A foolish part of her felt guilty that perhaps bad Santa might have been chastised harshly by his superiors. Or even worse, that he’d been fired.

He may have been an overbearing clod, but he didn’t deserve to have his livelihood jeopardized. She would have to look into that. The desk attendant in the concierge lounge would surely know exactly what had transpired and the ultimate outcome that had led to the enticing cart she’d just had delivered. A visit later this afternoon wouldn’t hurt. If he had been let go, it was probably not too late for her to intervene. Not that he deserved her good will. Still, she would be the bigger person if needed.

It was a role she’d been well groomed for her whole life, after all.




CHAPTER TWO (#u53400e69-8644-5e46-b1a5-243b71b5ee49)


“ONE OF THE guests would like to see you, mi paadie.”

Reid looked up from the spreadsheet he’d been studying to the man who had just entered his office without knocking. Alex was co-owner of the property and Reid felt grateful every day for that fact. He wasn’t sure what he would have done without the other man’s intimate knowledge of the island and its customs. Not to mention his sharp head for business.

Though Alex definitely had one flaw: a clear aversion to knocking before entering a closed door. Not that Reid had been doing much in the way of concentrating just now. A set of light hazel eyes and tumbling dark hair had interrupted his thoughts unwanted and unbidden throughout the morning. He wondered if she’d liked the tray of goodies he’d had sent to her room. Would she find it all an adequate apology? Or had she huffed in disgust and pushed the tray aside. He suspected the latter. Not that he could really blame her if she had.

“And hello to you too, Alex,” he answered his partner without looking away from the screen he hadn’t really been focusing on.

“Did you hear what I said, man?”

He nodded. “It appears I’m being summoned by one of the guests, is that it?”

Alex smiled at him. “You wanted to be hands-on, did you not? She’s asking for you specifically.”

Wasn’t it enough that he’d been commandeered into playing Santa this morning when the actor originally hired to play the part had called in sick? The entertainment manager had run to him in a panic. No one else was available to do it. And the resort had announced the event weeks in advance. In the end it was easier just to don the suit and get the whole fiasco over with.

Only he’d come face-to-face with a woman he hadn’t ever expected to see again.

Now he apparently had to go smooth the ruffles of a guest who no doubt felt slighted somehow or was trying to finagle a room upgrade.

“I tried to take care of it myself. Explained to her that I was co-owner of the resort. But like I said, the guest insists on seeing you specifically.”

Reid sighed and stood. The guest in question had to be one of those checking in this morning who he’d greeted. Apparently, they’d taken it to heart when he’d said that he’d personally see to any detail regarding their stay that they weren’t completely happy with. Though why Alex hadn’t just taken care of it by partially crediting the guest or explaining that they were at full capacity and had no upgrade to give out was lost on him.

Again, it was probably best to simply go get it over with. It was just clearly going to be one of those days.






Celeste shook her head and tried to blink away the image she was sure she had to be imagining. But when she opened her eyes again, the unwanted vision stood clear as day in front of her still.

This couldn’t be happening. “You’re the nasty Santa?”

Her words came out harsher and louder than she’d intended. Every eye currently in the concierge lounge turned to stare at her. She distinctly heard a giggle of feminine laughter from behind her somewhere.

To his credit, Reid Evanson looked as shocked as she was at the unexpected turn. Suddenly, the events of the morning seemed to make much more sense. She definitely hadn’t been imagining the waves of dislike emanating from the man playing jolly ol’ St. Nick.

Well, the feeling went both ways.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

He thrust his hands into his pockets before answering. “You’re the one who asked for me.”

He was being deliberately obtuse. Celeste tried to summon some semblance of calm. It didn’t help that the gentleman she’d spoken to earlier was shifting his amused gaze from one of them to the other. None of this was the least bit amusing.

“I mean, what are you doing here on this resort?”

“You two know each other?” the other man wanted to know.

“We were acquainted once,” Reid answered briefly.

Despite herself, she found herself studying him. He’d aged well. Clean shaven before, he currently sported a close-cropped beard slightly darker than the sandy blond hair on his head. He wore said hair longer, nearly touching his shoulders. Instead of the Santa suit from earlier, he now wore a formfitting T-shirt tucked into pleated khaki pants. It all showed off the physique of a man who clearly took care of himself. Had he always been so muscular?

“Why did you ask for me?” Reid wanted to know.

“I didn’t. I asked to see Santa Claus.” This time, the person behind her didn’t even bother to try to hide her laughter. Heaven help her, she knew how ridiculous she sounded. She had half a mind to let out a giggle herself.

Without another word, he stepped around the long, highly polished counter and gently took her by the elbow.

“Let’s discuss all this in my office.”

His office? The room he led her to, if it held human emotions, would have no doubt been insulted to be referred to as such. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooked a scenic beach with a majestic view of the crystal-blue ocean into the horizon. Plush carpeting had her feet sinking in her flip-flops. A grand desk with three large monitors sat in the center of it all.

“You run the resort,” she commented as he shut the door behind him.

“I own it. Along with my partner, Alex Wiliston. “He was the gentleman you were speaking with earlier.”

The pieces started to fall into place. She remembered now that Reid came from a wealthy family of hoteliers. Though the family business had suffered some losses recently, Reid had taken the helm from his father and turned things around. Last she’d heard, Evanson Properties had not only returned to a profitable enterprise, the company had expanded, all thanks to the prodigal son.

“You decided to expand into the resort business, I take it,” Celeste said.

Something flickered behind his eyes. He gave a small nod before answering. “The Caribbean specifically.”

“I see. But earlier this morning…when I saw you…” Now she was just rambling.

“Just filling in for an employee who couldn’t make it at the last minute.”

“I see,” she repeated uselessly.

Suddenly, it was all too much. Far from fleeing her unpleasant associations with the holiday as it related to her failed relationship, she’d somehow ended up face-to-face with someone who’d played a major role in the whole fiasco.

Reid had been her ex-fiancé’s best man. And she knew he’d never thought her good enough for his buddy.






“Can I get you something to drink?” Reid asked, for lack of anything better to say. How exactly did one proceed with this conversation? The scenario was so completely unexpected in so many myriad ways.

She shook her head. “No. Thank you. I just had some coffee and a mimosa to wash down several pastries.” She took in a shaky breath. “But I’m guessing you already know that. Seeing as you were probably behind the delivery to my room.”

“I was. Did you enjoy them?”

Her eyes grew wide. “Are we really doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Pretending I’m just another one of your regular guests?”

The feeling of guilt from earlier blossomed once again in Reid’s chest. Celeste was indeed his guest. A paying customer. He hadn’t meant to come off as boorish as he had out on the beach. But he’d just been so thoroughly disconcerted at seeing her again after all this time. If he was being honest with himself, he’d imagined encountering Celeste Frajedi more than a few times over the years. Not that he’d ever been able to explain to himself exactly why that was so. He had no reason to be thinking of her at all.

“But that’s exactly what you are,” he answered. “An appreciated guest. Hence, my desire to apologize for my behavior earlier. I hope the gesture served as an adequate apology. I should never have let…our history, so to speak…affect in any way how I treat a guest at my establishment. There’s no excuse for my having done so,” he added with complete sincerity. He really didn’t have any kind of excuse. Not even considering the morning he’d had. On top of the missing Santa and the shock of seeing Celeste again, he’d started the day with another aggravating, infuriating phone call with his father, who was once again trying to take over the company he’d almost single-handedly destroyed.

Celeste looked far from convinced by his words.

“I can assure you such behavior on my part won’t happen again,” he told her. “In fact, you can forget I’m even here.”

The skeptical look she speared him with clearly said he hadn’t done much to convince her any further.






You can forget I’m even here.

Hah! As if she could forget his presence for even a moment. What a mistake it had been to come here. Of all the resorts she could have chosen as a substitute for her regular vacation spot, how in the world had she landed on this one? The cruel fates were clearly laughing at her.

Celeste flopped herself down on the wide king bed back in her suite and draped an arm across her face. No, she couldn’t so easily forget that Reid Evanson was right here on this very island. Nor could she forget the way he’d made her feel three years ago. As if she could never be enough for the likes of his best friend. Never mind that Jack had turned out to be a reckless, disloyal excuse for a fiancé who had eventually left her stranded at the very altar where they were to have made their vows. Sure, now she realized just how much of a favor he’d done her. Aside from saving her from what could have been years of betrayal and heartbreak, he’d helped her come to a conclusion about herself. She clearly wasn’t the type of woman who was meant for a family or a steady relationship. He’d enabled her to avoid the mistake of a lifetime.

A mistake that could have led her straight down the same path her mother had traveled.

But that knowledge hadn’t stopped the sting of rejection, nor the burn of embarrassment as she’d faced down a whole church full of wedding guests to tell them that the ceremony had been suddenly called off.

Reid had been there every step of the way. He’d witnessed her humiliation in its entirety. And she’d received the distinct impression that he felt she’d only gotten what she’d deserved.

An incoming message on her phone pulled her out of her thoughts. The screen lit up with the profile picture of her sister smiling as she held her toddler niece. Celeste groaned and debated whether to answer. On the one hand, she felt drained and conversations with her sister could often be one-sided; Tara’s side. On the other hand, Celeste could really use someone to talk to right about now.

With no small amount of doubt, she pressed her thumb on the icon to answer.

“Hey, Tara.”

“Hey, sis.” The sound of a musical children’s show could be heard playing loudly in the background.

“What’s up?”

“Just calling to see how things are in paradise. Still can’t believe you’re there and not here.” Ah, so this was the routine guilt-trip call. Cynical as it sounded, Celeste couldn’t help the thought given past experience.

Celeste sighed deeply as she shifted to a seated position on the edge of the bed. “Well, it just so happens, I’m beginning to doubt my decision to come.”

Tara’s sudden exhalation came through loud and clear across the tiny speaker. “What’s happened? Spill!”

“Let’s just say there’s someone here I didn’t expect to see. Ever.”

“Details, please. Is it a man?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. But that’s not the import—”

But Tara cut her off. “Ooh, this is getting interesting. Is it someone you had a previous fling with? Can you have another one? Hot and heavy with no strings attached! You could so use that, you know.”

Celeste rubbed a hand across her tense forehead. Honestly, Tara didn’t know her in the least. “I don’t do flings.”

“Well, maybe you should start. Heaven knows your serious relationships don’t turn out so great.” She grunted a laugh. “They don’t turn out at all.”

Ouch. So much for a sisterly conversation to make her feel better. Foolish of her to even entertain the notion. Celeste found herself wondering if she should have answered the phone after all.

“So, who is it?” her sister asked after a heavy pause.

“Never mind. It’s not important. Forget I brought it up. How’s Mom? And little Nat?”

It wasn’t often any of them referred to her niece by her full given name, Natalie.

“They’re all fine,” Tara answered. But she wasn’t having it with the attempted change in topic. “And no way you’re going to try to drop the matter of this mystery man. Tell me who you ran into. And tell me what he means to you.”

Celeste opened her mouth to respond with a resounding and emphatic denial that Reid Evanson meant absolutely anything to her whatsoever. That she’d hardly thought about him over the past three years.

But the lie wouldn’t form on her tongue.




CHAPTER THREE (#u53400e69-8644-5e46-b1a5-243b71b5ee49)


ALEX STILL STOOD in the middle of Reid’s office studying him like a lab specimen. “Is there something I can do for you?” Reid finally asked, ultimately losing the game of visual chicken.

“Yeah. Neither you nor the young lady really answered me earlier when I asked if you two knew each other. It appears you do.”

Reid pretended to type on his keyboard. “Then you seem to have answered your own question.”

“I have more.”

Reid gave up all pretense of trying to get any work done. Leaning back in his leather desk chair, he tried to stretch out some of the tension that seemed to have tied a knot in the back of his neck right at the base of his skull. “Somehow, I knew you would.”

“I do. One of them being, exactly how do you know our esteemed guest? I couldn’t help but notice she’s traveling alone.”

“So?”

Alex grinned. “So does that fact have anything to do with you?”

“What? No! Of course not.” Not directly, anyway.

He hadn’t realized he’d mumbled the last part under his breath until Alex questioned him.

“What does that mean, Reid? Not directly?”

Alex sighed, the tension in his neck traveling farther down his spine. He might have to hit the spa later for some kind of back treatment massage. Though he’d been meaning to do that for weeks, ever since he’d arrived at the start of the season.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, partner.”

“Then what is it? You two obviously have some kind of history and not all of it is positive.

Reid almost laughed at that. Less than positive would be an understatement.

“Celeste was almost the wife of a friend of mine. Let’s just say he hasn’t been the same ever since their relationship ended.”

Alex nodded slowly. “Oh. So she dumped him.”

Reid rubbed his jaw. “Not exactly.”

“Then I don’t understand.”

Reid ran a hand down his face. He hadn’t been sleeping well. There was always something that needed to be done, some detail to attend to. He also had his father’s ill-formed takeover attempt to contend with. Now he’d been thrown another curveball in the form of Celeste Frajedi and he wasn’t sure how to explain to his partner exactly what had gone down three years ago. It hadn’t really had anything to do with him. So it was hard to explain why he’d taken it all so personally back then. Even when it came to explaining it to himself.

“Well, on the surface, Jack was the one who actually did the dumping.”

His friend gave him a blank look. “On the surface?”

“She wasn’t in the relationship for the right reasons. He told me all about it.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

Reid felt a sensation of discomfort meander down his spine. As if he was betraying a confidence somehow. Though he’d be hard-pressed to identify whose privacy he was uneasy about. Celeste’s or Jack’s?

“Celeste is a shrewd businesswoman. She’s very well known in the industry as one of the most successful marketing executives in New York. The business sites have regular profiles on her. She can be ruthless when she doesn’t get what she wants.”

“You said your friend hasn’t been the same ever since the disastrous wedding that didn’t happen.”

Reid nodded. “That’s right. He’s still traipsing all over Europe, partying in different cities. Living with various women.” Some of those women being wealthy, married socialites looking for a good time on the side.

“Huh. And he didn’t behave like that before he met Celeste?” Alex wanted to know.

The uneasy feeling grew from tingling sensation to an all-out burning down his back as Reid sought for a truthful way to answer. If he was being completely honest, Jack had always had a propensity to be a bit of a partier, something of a Lothario. If anything, his relationship with Celeste had seemed to temper that side of him.

“It’s just different. Trust me. I heard all about it before he called off the wedding. Celeste worked long hours, was never around for him. He said he felt single most of the time.”

“Sounds like she’s just ambitious.”

“I agree that’s a commendable trait. But for people like her, it’s never enough,” Reid answered quickly, though the uneasiness was now sitting like a boulder at the base of his spine. Damn it, why hadn’t he scheduled that massage? Maybe they could fit him in between clients.

Alex went on, “She also happens to have booked our most exclusive and pricey deluxe suite for an extended stay. So clearly her ambitions have served her well.”

Reid shrugged. “I guess. Again, some people can’t seem to have enough.” He couldn’t even tell anymore if he was talking from personal experience about his father or if he was still referring wholly to Celeste.

“You sound like a man who’s only considered one side of a story.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You sure you’re not confusing cause and effect, partner?”

But his friend didn’t give him a chance to answer, just turned and left the office. Apparently, the question was a rhetorical one. Good thing, too. Reid would be hard-pressed to come up with an answer.

Had he been completely unfair in his assessment of Celeste three years ago? Of course, it had occurred to him more than once over the years that he’d only heard one side of the story. But Jack had been his friend since they’d been roommates at university. He was a loyal friend and he’d come through for Reid more than a few times over the years. Reid’s father’s recklessness and wandering eye had started right around that time, too.

Jack had genuinely seemed shaken when he’d confided in Reid as his nuptials had fast approached. He’d talked about how cold and critical Celeste had suddenly gotten when a couple of Jack’s business ventures hadn’t panned out. How demanding she’d been that he get back on his feet in all haste.

Reid slammed his laptop shut in frustration.

What did any of it matter now anyhow? It was all past history. Jack had moved on, even if some of his current behavior bordered on self-destructive. He was a grown-up who could make his own choices. Even if everything Jack had told him about her was the absolute truth, Celeste couldn’t be faulted for her ex-groom’s behavior three years after the fact.

That thought had him feeling like a heel again for the way he’d behaved earlier when he’d first seen her. And also for the assumptions he’d made about her judging him.

In all fairness, Reid had been nothing less than judgmental himself.






Bouncy reggae music greeted her as Celeste made her way down the beach to the seaside cabana she planned to visit for her first dinner here. Her paperback tucked under her arm, she was looking forward to a relaxing evening with a nice glass of wine and a tasty meal of local seafood. Her morning plans had gone woefully astray. The least she deserved right now was a satisfying meal followed by a peaceful stroll on the beach. Then she’d spend the rest of the evening tucked in under her bedcovers, enjoying some further reading. To most women her age, such plans might sound boring and flat. To her, it all sounded like heaven. Exactly what she was looking for during her evening hours on this vacation.

Her step faltered as she approached the cabana. It was already packed and hopping. Every table appeared full. She approached the hostess manning the front entrance.

“Hi, it’s just me. Table for one please.”

The young lady gave her a sympathetic look before motioning toward the bar area where couples sat sharing various appetizers. Several bartenders stepped around each other mixing drinks and taking orders.

“I’m afraid all we have available right now is bar seating, miss. And those spots are going fast.”

Celeste released a sigh of disappointment and made her way to one of the few open bar stools. Squeezing herself in between a burly older man in a Hawaiian shirt and a bikinied brunette, she reached for the drinks menu.

One of the bartenders appeared in front of her within moments. His gold name tag said Phillipe in black lettering. “What can I get for the lovely lady?” He asked her with a wide grin. “And I do mean lovely.”

Celeste tried to smile back. He wasn’t doing any harm but she really wasn’t in any kind of mood for a flirtation. And she had no doubt the young man was flirting. The way he was looking at her left no question about it.

She almost wanted to tell him his efforts were hardly necessary. She always tipped well and if this was sympathy flirting simply because she was sitting at a bar alone in a popular resort, she had no need for it. She placed her order for a glass of sparkling wine and a plate of fish tacos without acknowledging the compliment.

She’d gotten through several pages of her book before her meal arrived.

Phillipe winked at her as he placed the plate in front of her on the bar.

Maybe she should have ordered room service. Now she would have to spend the entire time eating trying to avoid his gaze. And a quick cursory glance in his direction confirmed he was indeed staring at her. Oh, yeah, she couldn’t wait to submit an online review about this place after her stay. She’d normally go straight to the owner with her complaints, but he’d been a part of the problem.

Phillipe appeared as soon as she’d taken her last bite. “So, I have a break coming up in a couple of hours. Can I treat you to another drink then?”

She didn’t get a chance to answer as a thick baritone voice suddenly sounded from behind her. “Miss Frajedi, I hope you enjoyed your meal.”

She didn’t need to turn around, recognized the voice immediately as belonging to Reid. Unlike earlier, he wasn’t speaking in the low husky voice of a makeshift Santa.

Phillipe immediately took a step back. “Oh. Hey, boss.”

Celeste darted a glance over her shoulder. Reid stood only an inch behind her. Arms crossed in front of his chest, his chin tight. He didn’t look happy. He merely nodded in a curt acknowledgment of Phillipe’s greeting.

Then, to her surprise, he held her hand out to help her up off her stool.

“I haven’t settled my bill,” she protested.

Reid didn’t take his eyes off Phillipe when he answered. “It’s on the house.”

“Yes, boss,” Phillipe immediately responded. She could have sworn he clicked his heels behind the bar.

For lack of anything else to do, Celeste wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin and took Reid’s hand before standing. He gently led her away from the crowded bar toward the sand.

“I take it there’s a rule about the workers fraternizing with the guests,” she ventured after they’d made their way to the beach. The sun was slowly setting across the horizon, throwing brilliant shades of red and orange across the evening sky.

“Not yet, there isn’t. Though I’ve made a mental note to get one drafted ASAP.”

His voice sounded strained and tight. If there wasn’t any such policy, why did he seem so bothered by Phillipe’s behavior? Could it possibly have anything to do with her?

And how many times in one day could she wonder about whether her behavior was going to affect someone else’s livelihood, for heaven’s sake?

“I’m sorry if you were made to feel uncomfortable during your dinner. We strive to make everyone feel completely at ease at all times. I’ll have a word with the staffing manager to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

So that was it. She’d been foolish to even feel tempted to look further into it than what lay on the surface.

“Another apology from the top man,” she commented, kicking off her sandals to feel the silky soft sand underneath her feet. Reid paused while she nudged them off to the side.

He exhaled. “It appears we are off to a bad start.”

She knew he meant the resort, but she took the opportunity to address the proverbial elephant in the room. “Or we’re simply continuing along the same path as we were three years ago.”

His step didn’t falter but she could have sworn she felt him stiffening ever so slightly beside her. “I thought your intention on this trip was to forget all about it.”

“Believe me, I see the irony in all of this.” An exotic-looking bird flew past them at eye level, a myriad of colors along its wing.

“Tell me something,” Celeste began. “You never did appear to be on board with my and Jack’s wedding.” Or with her, for that matter.

“You didn’t seem right for each other,” he answered simply.

She couldn’t be offended. For he was completely right. Still, his words held enough of a sting that she wondered if she should have even started this conversation.

She could guess what he meant. She and her ex-fiancé were from two different worlds. Celeste had grown up struggling to merely survive while Jack was a trust fund baby who’d always known wealth and privilege.

Much like the man beside her now. Though she’d have to admit, if one were to look closely, the two men didn’t really have all that much in common besides factors visible on the surface.

While Reid had worked incredibly hard to make a name for himself in the hospitality business, Jack was a mere figurehead for the yachting company his family owned and operated. Reid had taken all that had been handed to him and then grown and expanded it, becoming an industry titan in the process.

Celeste gave a shake of her head. What good did it do to compare the two men? There was no reason for it. In fact, there was no reason to give Jack another thought. Why had she even brought up his name?

Still, something tugged at her to get to the bottom of Reid’s statement, she couldn’t seem to help herself. “What do you mean? That we didn’t seem right for each other?”

He gave a small shrug. “You’re very different personalities. He’s not as…ambitious, I guess. You’re much more driven. Yet, there’s a side of you—” He stopped abruptly. “You know what? Never mind. None of this is my place.”

Celeste halted in her tracks and gently nudged him to stop walking. His gaze dropped to where she’d touched him on the elbow. She ignored the way his eyes darkened and quickly dropped her hand. “Please finish what you were going to say. There’s a side of me that’s what?”

Reid released a deep sigh and looked off into the distance at the horizon. “Just that there’s a side of you which must have overwhelmed a man like him. An untamed, stormy quality just underneath your surface. A side a man like Jack wouldn’t be able to handle.” His eyes seemed to add the words unlike me.

Celeste’s gasp was audible over the crashing waves behind them. She wouldn’t challenge his words, couldn’t. For he spoke the very truth. Celeste did everything she could to hide the wild inner-city kid she’d grown up as behind a highly polished professional veneer. She’d made certain to bury the hardscrabble teen who’d bartered, begged and stole simply to survive when the three of them had found themselves homeless on the streets for close to a year.

Then there was her ancestry. She’d fully studied her absent father’s Persian roots, intrigued by all she’d learned about the culture. But she’d never explored that part of herself, hadn’t so much as looked into visiting that area of the world. Though she’d had plenty of opportunity.

Somehow Reid had seen through all those layers three years ago when they were barely more than strangers.

“I’m not sure how to take what you’ve just said, Reid,” she said once she found her voice again. “That I was somehow too much for Jack to handle.”

He turned to fully face her then. “You should take it as a compliment.”






Reid had no intention of stopping by the bar when he left his office behind the concierge lounge. He wanted nothing more after a long frustrating day than to head to his suite in the main quarters and pop open a bottle of cabernet and order a thick juicy burger.

But then he’d seen Celeste sitting at the bar by herself. He didn’t even want to examine what had made him stop and just watch her for a while. She was alone, but she’d made it clear solitude was what she was after. She’d seemed perfectly content with her book and seafood plate. He’d been ready to move on, get going with the rest of his evening, but then he’d seen the way the bartender had been watching her. He’d found himself moving toward her then. So much for having her forget he was here.

Some strange emotion lodged in his chest when he heard the other man ask to buy her a drink. He didn’t even know his intention until he reached her side. And what had possessed him to ask her to walk with him? He probably should have bidden her good-night right after intervening then went about his business. For now, they seemed to be awkwardly strolling along the beach, neither one managing to say anything much by way of conversation after the awkward words about their past.

He shouldn’t have told her all the things he’d just shared, didn’t even realize he was going to until the words were leaving his mouth.

Celeste cleared her throat. “So, you mentioned you’d recently acquired this place?” She was clearly looking to change the subject.

“Yeah. Last summer. I’d been looking to expand into the Caribbean resort business for a while. Luckily, it was one of the few islands that came through the hurricane season unscathed.”

She humphed out a small laugh.

“What?”

“That happens to be the only reason I’m here. My usual spot is in shambles.” The faraway look in her eyes told him she missed it. “This was one of the few places left to book.”

Reid clapped his hand to his chest in mock offense. “You wound me. You mean to tell me the only reason you chose my resort was for lack of other options?”

She smiled just as a slight breeze blew a dark tendril of hair along her cheek. How silly that his fingers itched to gently tuck it back behind her ear for her.

“I’m afraid so. I rather miss the other place. No offense.”

“I’m not so much offended as I am concerned as a business owner. What does it say about this place that you only booked it as a backup?” How many other potential clients were doing the same? The resort could face losing all sorts of business further down the line once the other resorts were back up and running.

“Would you like my professional opinion?”

“Can I afford it?” he teased. “You do have a reputation for being the best.”

“Consider this a freebie.”

He tilted his head for her to continue. “Well, to put it plainly, your marketing and advertising is somewhat subpar. Frankly, it’s garbage. Rubbish.”

Double ouch. “Hey, don’t get technical now.”

She laughed out loud. “Seriously. There’s nothing on the website to compel me to click Book Now. Aside from a few pretty pictures of the beach, you don’t really say anything very enticing about attractions, nearby landmarks, activities for the guests…”

“Yet you booked it anyway.”

“Like I said, I was running out of options and grew concerned everything would sell out. It’s competitive enough around Christmas under the best of circumstances. And it’s really important to me to get away from the city around the holidays.”

He could guess why. It was hard to forget that she and Jack had planned their nuptials around the holiday season. A wedding during Christmas in Manhattan. It was supposed to have been so romantic. Until it had all come crumbling down.

He’d been so quick to take Jack’s word for everything and toss the full brunt of responsibility for the mess on her shoulders. Alex’s words echoed through his mind. Are you sure you’re not confusing cause and effect, partner?

Perhaps he had been. All this time.

She continued, bringing his focus back to the matter at hand—his resort’s lack of a real media presence that would draw more potential guests. “And I have to be honest, now that I’m here, nothing really compels me to consider returning. Our mutual history aside.”

Sighing, he answered her. “You’re actually not telling me anything I don’t already know. But you have awakened me to the urgency of it all. It’s just one more thing on the list. We’ve been interviewing various marketing firms. None seem to fit the bill.”

“If I were you, I would make a decision fairly quick.”

She wasn’t wrong. The implications of the failure to do so weren’t lost on him. This was all so new. Not for the first time, Reid wondered if he’d bitten off more than he could chew. The differences between running a high-rise hotel in a metropolitan city and running a tropical resort were surprisingly vast.

He’d be even more lost if he didn’t have Alex by his side. But clearly it wasn’t enough.

“Any suggestions?”

“Are you asking for me to work on my vacation?” she asked, a teasing whimsical tone in her voice.

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m shameless.”

They’d reached the pier that moored the excursion boats. A couple of them were still out, it seemed. He was due to participate in a few of the outings himself, to get a feel for the experiences as the owner. He rested his arms over the steel railing and let his hands dangle over the side. Several blue-gold fish could be seen swimming right under the surface of the water.

“You’re absolutely right,” he told her. “About communicating better regarding all that we have to offer.” The excursions were a prime example. Sure, there were chalkboards and newsletters written up daily detailing the outings available to their guests. But they were only that, mere announcements. Nothing describing the thrilling adventures waiting for those looking for extra experiences, more than just beach volleyball or swim aerobics.

A glimmer of an idea began to form in his head. Reid knew he was too tired and too distracted—a fact that had everything to do with the woman standing next to him—to voice the notion aloud just yet.

But he certainly had some thinking to do. And when he did think it all through, he could only hope Celeste would be on board with his suggestion.




CHAPTER FOUR (#u53400e69-8644-5e46-b1a5-243b71b5ee49)


CELESTE AWOKE TO the sound of a piece of paper being shuffled under her door.

What the…?

It couldn’t be the bill. She wasn’t due to check out for several days still. Honestly, if they had confused her with another guest, Reid was going to get an earful about the way his resort was run. A glance at the clock told her it was past nine thirty. That was surprising. She never usually slept this late. But she’d had a restless night. Every time she’d closed her eyes, she’d been met with a set of bright golden ones. Visions of Reid’s smile as they walked along the beach. The way he’d glowered at the flirty bartender when he’d approached her after her dinner.

When was the last time she’d taken a walk with a man? She couldn’t recall. Had she and Jack visited any beaches? She didn’t think so. Probably the reason she preferred to be on a tropical island this time of year.

For that matter, when was the last time she’d simply been with a man? Out on a date? Or in a capacity that wasn’t strictly professional? Too long. With groggily heavy limbs, she climbed out of bed, suppressing a groan of frustration. Such thoughts were only going to make her miserable, thinking about all she didn’t have in her life.

There’s a side of you a man like Jack can’t handle.

Celeste shook her head to push thoughts of yesterday’s conversation aside.

The item slid under her door turned out to be an envelope with a card inside. Curiouser and curiouser. Her heart thumped in her chest as she removed the card and read its contents.

Please join me for breakfast if you haven’t eaten already. I have a few matters I’d like to discuss. It will be worth your time. I’ll be in my office until you’re ready.

Reid

What in the world could he have in mind? A cry of warning screamed in her head. His cell number was printed on the top half of the card. She should just call him and tell him she had indeed eaten already. Or that she wasn’t available. Or just outright tell him she wasn’t interested in seeing him or in anything he may have to say. Though that would be a lie. She was more than intrigued. And more than a little excited at the prospect of seeing him again today. She could hardly get him out of her mind last night. And all the things he’d told her.

As if that wasn’t reason enough right there to turn him down.

The man was her ex-fiancé’s good friend for heaven’s sake. Two short days ago, he practically cornered her on the beach and accused her of being a scrooge. No doubt he still harbored suspicions that she’d ruined her ex’s life. After all, what else could he have meant when he’d said she was too much for someone like Jack to handle? Most likely that he thought her too uncultured, too unpolished to sully someone like Jack. Or Reid Evanson, for that matter. Somehow, Reid must have seen straight through her three years ago.

No. There was no reason to go see him.

So why had she walked over to the closet and taken out her prettiest sundress? The red one she knew brought out the hue of her olive skin. With thread-thin straps and a flowy skirt that accented her curves.

The warning cry sounded again, telling her to put the dress back and crawl back into bed if she knew what was good for her.

She lay the dress out on the bureau instead and walked to the shower stall.






It wouldn’t hurt to just ask her, Reid thought as he waited impatiently in his office for Celeste’s response to his written invite. He’d long ago given up any pretense of trying to get work done and now just stood staring at the tropical scene before him. A line had formed at the main dining hut for breakfast. He made a mental note to address the wait time in the mornings for food. But his thoughts immediately returned to the woman he’d spent the evening with. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d simply walked with a lady along a sandy beach, just talking and enjoying the sunset. He had to admit he’d enjoyed it.

Celeste was already sporting the beginnings of a golden tan, her hair had lightened since the first day she’d arrived. She’d looked like a tempting goddess standing next to him as they stood on the marina pier.

He’d been thinking about her all night.

But none of that had anything to do with his invite asking her to join him for breakfast. That was strictly professional.

The door suddenly flung open and Reid didn’t need to look up to know it was Alex. He was the only one who never knocked. “Morning, partner.”

Reid merely nodded.

“Your father keeps calling the main office,” Alex informed him. “Says you’re not returning his calls when he phones you directly.”

Reid tried to bridle the surge of irritation that shot through his core. His father. The man was determined to ruin himself at this golden stage of his life. And he’d nearly driven Evanson Properties to the brink of ruin as well until Reid had stepped in and taken over as CEO. All because of a woman. A much younger woman.




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