Cade didn’t know what the hell kept coming over him when he was alone with Abby. He’d traveled with her before on business and had never felt the urge to drag her back to his room for endless days and nights of love-making.
But his mind kept betraying him and taking him back a week to when she was jerking and gyrating against the back of that mechanical bull. Lucky bull.
But that was purely physical. On a more intimate level, he couldn’t get the image of the hurt in her eyes out of his head. Each time she’d mentioned her mother, a veil of remorse cast over her green eyes.
Maybe dinner was a bad idea. Maybe he shouldn’t be keeping his time all tied up in Abby.
There was just something about her that was niggling at him, though. The more he was around her, the further and further his upcoming wedding was from his mind.
But he had to forget the feeling of dread he got when images of him standing in his tux and Mona in a white gown came to mind. His thoughts had to fast-forward to the business aspect and how prosperous they would be after the nuptials.
Cade took his phone from his pocket and called Mona’s father.
“Tremane International,” the chipper receptionist answered.
“Cade Stone for Mr. Tremane.”
“Just one minute, Mr. Stone.”
Within ten seconds, Phillip answered. “Cade, good to hear from you.”
“I just wanted to inform you that I purchased a resort in Puerto Vallarta. It’s on the brink of closing, but I think with some major renovations and updating, we could make this resort into the best in town.”
Phillip’s robust laughter filtered through the phone. “Don’t waste any time, do you? I assume you’re there now?”
“I am,” Cade confirmed with a bit of pride.
“When you get a chance, send me the information on the new property. Pictures if you have any.”
As Cade got ready for his date—no, his business dinner—with Abby, he went over the specifics with Phillip. The price he’d paid, the number of rooms in the resort, his ideas for updating.
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything,” Phillip confirmed. “What’s your brother think?”
A bit of guilt crept up. “I haven’t talked to him yet.”
Cade knew Brady also wanted to go global, but he had no idea he was marrying Mona Tremane to do so. He wasn’t quite ready to break that little announcement just yet. Though Brady would have to be informed soon that Phillip Tremane was putting up the capital for them to go global. Amazingly he’d kept the engagement out of the press so far, in part to Abby’s discreet work ethic. He’d announce the plans when it was time—after he’d talked to Brady. Which he really needed to do soon, since the wedding was less than a month away.
“We’ll all meet when you get back from your honeymoon,” Phillip went on. “Keep me posted.”
Cade disconnected the call.
Why was his first call to his soon-to-be father-in-law instead of his brother?
Because after that encounter with Abby in the hallway, he’d needed to remind himself he was engaged and he needed to hear Phillip’s voice to affirm he was going in the right direction.
But how “right” was it when he excluded his best friend and business partner? Second-guessing his actions had never happened before, but Cade was having second and third thoughts on what he’d gotten into.
Taking a deep breath, Cade pocketed his cell and his room key and went across the hall to get Abby. He only prayed she didn’t have another of those sheer dresses on.
When he knocked, she was quick to answer.
Be careful what you wish for.
She stood there with her hair in some low bun, swept away from her face, a bit of pink gloss on her lips, a strapless pale yellow dress that hit her just at the knee and a pair of gold heeled sandals with straps all over the top of her dainty feet and going on up her ankle and calf.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, dropping her hand from the door.
He forced his eyes back up. “I reiterate my previous statement about your beauty. You’re stunning.”
And she’d been ready in the fifteen minutes as promised. Amazing.
She slipped her room key into her small, gold clutch, stepped out and shut the door. “I am going to start getting a big ego if you keep complimenting me.”
He hadn’t stepped back when she’d come out, so now they stood toe to toe and Cade couldn’t comprehend a single sane thought. How could he? Her glossy lips begged to be kissed; her eyes held so much passion he couldn’t believe they had ever gone unnoticed. And her signature floral scent surrounded him, drawing him deeper under her spell.
And the most amazing fact about Abby and her hypnotic ways was she had no clue the power she possessed. Hell, he’d had no clue until a week ago.
Had she always been so spellbinding?
“Are you ready?” she asked, looking up at him with those big, sparkling green eyes.
To slide that dress down her body? Yes. To take her back into his room—or hers, it didn’t matter—and lose himself in her sweetness? Yes.
To lose a multi-billion-dollar deal? A week ago he’d have said no. Now…well, he wasn’t sure anymore.
He held out a hand, gesturing her ahead of him to the steps. “Let’s go.”
Distance. He needed to maintain distance, at least on a personal level. Keeping the topics on business and how his wedding plans were going was the safest thing he could do.
Except, he didn’t want to discuss wedding plans. He wanted to learn more about Abby and what made her, well…Abby. How did this humble, yet dynamite woman land in his father’s office? What really made her seek a different career after her mother’s death? And why the hell hadn’t some man taken one look at her and gotten down on bended knee?
By the time he stepped outside, he was perspiring and the beads of sweat trickling down his neck had absolutely nothing to do with the ninety-degree heat and everything to do with the ray of sunshine smiling over her shoulder at him.
“Are we walking?” she asked.
“We’re not going far.”
Because she had on killer heels, he took hold of her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm to assist her. The gesture had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact he wanted to touch her smooth skin. Really, it didn’t.
He escorted her around the side of the house beneath a canopy of lattice work, vines and blooming flowers. And, just as he’d requested, there was a table for two set up in the corner, nestled against a backdrop of bright pink bougainvilleas and a trickling waterfall that spilled into a small pond, complete with lily pads.
“We’re eating here?”
Cade smiled at the surprise in her tone. “I know how you love simplicity and I wanted to do something you liked to show you just how grateful I am to you for discovering that resort at such a great price.”
She waved a hand. “Oh, Cade, I was just doing my job. I’ve told you that. But I do appreciate the gesture.”
He took her hand from his arm and guided her across the small, wooden bridge over the pond and led her to her seat.
“I have to admit,” she said with a wide grin as he sat down across from her, “This is probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
What? Cade couldn’t believe that. But all the more reason he was glad he had made these plans for her. She deserved the best of everything.
He smiled. “Had I known, I would’ve done more. This is just a simple dinner.”
She lifted one bare, sexy shoulder. “I’ve been on my own for so long, taking care of my mother and then working to pay off her bills. So, pretty much if I get pampered, it’s of my own doing.”
Cade sat back in his seat, watched as she took the cloth napkin from her plate and placed it in her lap. How on earth had he not seen how hard she was working herself? She didn’t even get out to meet people. Was it any wonder she was still single? The only males she’d been around were him and Brady.
“I’m sorry.” He watched her eyes dart up from her lap where she’d toyed with her napkin. “I’m sorry that we worked you too hard and you couldn’t enjoy life. I guess I just assumed when you left the office you would go out with friends or…I don’t know, do something.”
“Like ride a mechanical bull?” she asked with a smirk and lift of her brows.
Cade laughed, something he didn’t do often. “Not exactly what I’d pictured you doing.” God. Had he thought of her in the off hours before now? Obviously so, seeing as how he’d just admitted as much.
Damn. That’s how slick she was with her…wiles. She’d been in his head for quite a while now. And he wanted nothing more than to call off this wedding and see if he and Abby had anything in common other than real estate dealings and mergers.
But if he called off the wedding, he’d also diminish any hopes of teaming up with the world’s most renowned real estate mogul.
And what the hell would he call off the wedding for? Because he had developed a sudden case of hot pants for his assistant? How cliché and pathetic was that? But there was a niggling feeling deep down that told him this…whatever it was between him and Abby was more.
“What did you picture me doing, Cade?”
Her sweet, yet sultry voice hung in the air, as if mocking him.
Careful. You’re treading on shaky ground.
“Meeting friends for a drink or shopping or going on a date.”
“I can’t recall the last date I had.”
Cade swallowed. “You’re kidding? Do I work you that hard?”
“No, but I’ve always stayed after you and Brady left because I really had nothing to go home to.”
Before he could utter another word, two women wheeled out a cart with several dishes. Once the food was served and they were alone once again, Cade couldn’t get over the fact she’d been alone for so long.
“Surely you do something for fun?”
Abby shoved a fork in a mandarin orange in her salad. “I love to read. Poetry mostly. I also like to surf the web for various destinations. I…”
“What?” he asked when she trailed off.
She stabbed another orange. “It’s silly.”
“I still want to hear it.”
With her fork hovering over her plate, she grinned. “I look for destinations that I’d like to see one day. I love to travel, but the only way I can afford to do it—other than our business trips—is through the Internet.”
Guilt crept over him. Granted it wasn’t his fault he was born into money and could hop on his private plane any time of the day or night he wanted, but he still felt like Abby had been cheated of seeing the beauty of the world. And she’d cheated the world of seeing her beauty.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said in a rush, then popped the orange into her mouth. She chewed, swallowed and continued, “I love all the traveling I’ve gotten to do with you, but I’d like to go somewhere where I can leave my laptop behind and just pack a bikini and some sunscreen.”
The image of her in a bikini had him dropping his own fork. The metal clattered against his plate.
“Maybe when things calm down in a few weeks you can take that much-needed vacation to anywhere.” He hoped he masked his blunder well enough by moving the conversation forward. “In fact, I’ll pay for your trip. Think of it as your yearly bonus.”
Abby’s bright eyes dimmed a bit before darting down to her plate. “I don’t want to go alone. Besides, you’re paying me more than enough for planning the wedding. I can’t accept any more money.”
Yeah, the wedding. Funny how that word kept creeping into their private conversations.