Chapter Six

Kelly

She took extra care with her appearance that evening. No point in denying it. If she usually spent 30 to 45 minutes glamming up for her clients, holed up in one of the bathrooms at the hotel, this time she went straight home from her shift and spent an hour shaving, curling her hair into loose, gleaming dark waves that she knew nicely framed her face, and doing her makeup over and over obsessively until she was happy with the contouring.

She spent just as much time obsessing about her heels and dress, finally picking out a black lacy number that went nicely with three-inch heels. It highlighted her best assets, but left plenty to the imagination.

But in spite of all that work, Kelly’s giddiness died away as Blake approached her in front of the hotel at the agreed time, looking like someone had killed a family member, his expression was so grim.

“Uh … hi …” she said uncertainly, shocked by the change in his appearance from that morning. Then he’d been friendly, open, confident, exuding masculinity that made her knees weak. Now his jaw was set in a tight, hard line—admittedly sexy—his full lips were thinned till they were almost white, and his green eyes were shuttered, without a hint of warmth. Even his incredible body was held rigidly, as if he might shatter if he took a deep breath.

“I take it business didn’t go well today?” Kelly said quietly, when he stopped in front of her, fists clenched.

“You could say that.” His voice was blank, devoid of any kind of inflection, and Kelly made a spur of the moment decision.

“Don’t cancel this date.” She met his gaze squarely, in spite of how empty the hollowness in her eyes made him feel. “I know you probably want to just get completely wasted, but I can make your day at least marginally better. I promise.”

He laughed coldly, sending shivers down her spine. “Doubtful. No offense, but what I found out today isn’t going to be dispelled with some cute local wildlife or tropical drink.”

“It also isn’t going to be dispelled by moping in your room, getting angrier by the minute.” She’d never been one to pull her punches, and was gratified when it seemed to shock him. “Come on. You don’t look like a guy who backs down from a challenge. I dare you to give me a chance.”

His hard gaze held hers for a long moment, before slowly, he nodded. “Fine. I honestly have nothing left to lose.”

“That’s the attitude,” Kelly said wryly, kicking off her heels and picking them up by the straps. “But what I’m wearing won’t work at all for what I have in mind. Follow me.”

He walked beside her as they started down the footpath, in the direction of her home. “I’m sorry to make you change,” he said after they’d walked in silence for a quarter of a mile. “You look beautiful.”

“Did you really notice?” Kelly teased. “Or are you just being polite.”

To her relief, he chuckled slightly. “Oh, I noticed. As screwed up as my life currently is, there would be no way not to notice.”

“I’m sorry things are rough for you right now.” She touched his shoulder lightly and dodged one of the island’s massive wolf spiders as it attempted to climb her bare foot.

“Shit!” Blake exclaimed as the three-inch insect scurried off the boardwalk and back to wherever it had come from. “That’s enough to trigger nightmares, and I’m not even afraid of spiders. But you didn’t even blink.”

Kelly laughed. “You get used to them around here. They’re not poisonous. We have some rattlers. But the snails are more dangerous than the wolf spiders, if you can believe it.” She stopped to lift a letter olive snail from a nearby flower, holding it up for Blake to inspect. “They’re carnivorous. They live on local clams.”

“Well, shit,” he muttered, taking the critter from her and examining it curiously before putting it back on its plumeria blossom. “What are these flowers, by the way?”

“They’re Hawaiian,” she replied, stroking a silky peach petal. “The island’s a little confused about what image it wants to portray. Caribbean, Hawaiian, or South Carolinian.”

Blake smiled faintly. “I get that. I’m in so many states lately that I’m a little confused about what image I want to portray, frankly.”

They resumed their walk toward her small one-bedroom home.

“Why so many states? The image you portray is just fine, by the way,” Kelly commented. “That suit is amazing.”

He glanced down at himself. “Enjoy it. It’s the last one I have, and it’s far from my best.”

If this wasn’t his best look, she’d melt on the spot at whatever was, Kelly mused, enjoying the slightly disheveled look to his hair that made him look less buttoned-up billionaire and more boyish.

She grimaced. “Airport theft?”

He nodded.

“Sorry. I know a good dry cleaner’s,” she offered, stopping at the door to her place. “Come on in. I’ll only be a sec.”