Jack
I stood there, chuckling and shaking my head as Adele ran off. So what if she was cute – she also happened to be the worst kind of social justice warrior, and I hoped she’d realize exactly how stupid she was being.
When she was gone, I felt a twinge of regret. Maybe I shouldn’t have lashed out like that – maybe I should’ve been kinder. But I was so fucking sick of people trying to act like I was some arch-villain just because I own a luxury property development company. It’s not my fault that wealthy people like to travel in style – so why the fuck should I hold back?
Still, I couldn’t deny that Adele had been incredible in bed. And she was more than cute, too, if I had to be honest. She had tanned skin and freckles sprinkled all over her nose, with long brown hair that I could tell had never been dyed or lightened. She looked like the kind of girl who doesn’t really care about her appearance but still manages to be hot…which, to me, is hotter than a glamazon in heels and bright lipstick.
But I couldn’t believe her attitude. As I left the lobby and walked up the stairs to my room, I rolled my eyes. She’s just scared because of the storm, I thought as I let myself into my room and shut the door. As much as I wanted to knock her for staying, I knew I couldn’t do that. She was brave – even if I completely disagreed with why she’d decided to stay – and she obviously had bigger balls than most of the men I’d met. Besides, I loved the way she’d just jumped into bed with me. It showed that she had a sense of spunk and adventure.
Too bad she was such a brat.
I pulled out my laptop and groaned – I’d forgotten to charge it the night before, and the battery was almost dead. Still, I was able to use my phone as a wi-fi hub and connect to the internet. I emailed Barnes, as well as a few other people in my arsenal, and asked for private transportation out of Nassau as soon as possible.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. Barnes emailed me back an hour later, with details about a helicopter that would be arriving later that day. With a grin, I closed my laptop and threw my clothes into a bag. Even if this visit had been a wash, I wasn’t going to give up. There was no way Louis Franchot would win this fight…and there was no way that Adele Parker would be able to stop me, either.
I frowned. As much as I disagreed with what she was doing, I didn’t think Adele deserved to be left behind in Nassau. I went downstairs and took a peek into the guest book to find her room number. As soon as I knew, I jogged back up the stairs and knocked on her door.
Adele answered at once. She didn’t look angry anymore – she was white in the face with fear, and by the way, her curtains were pulled tight, I knew she had to be terrified.
“I’m surprised you answered the door,” I joked.
Adele didn’t say anything. She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. “What do you want,” she asked after a long pause.
“There’s a helicopter coming today,” I said. “And I thought you might want off the island. You know, the hurricane is supposed to get worse. It’s a category four now.”
Adele’s eyes went wide with fear. “I didn’t know that,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” I said casually, leaning against the door frame and smirking. “Besides, I thought…”
“What?” Adele asked sharply. She’d gone back to looking angry and disapproving. “You thought you could fuck me again because we might die? Because that is not going to happen,” she added in the same harsh tone. “In fact, I can’t believe I slept with you in the first place.”
“Well, yeah,” I said, grinning. “But don’t hate yourself, honey. It was good, wasn’t it?”
Adele rolled her eyes. “I should slam this door in your face,” she grumbled. “But…are you sure about the helicopter?”
“Yep,” I smirked. “Be in the lobby in two hours with your things, and we’ll get you back to Boston.”
Adele blinked. “I…I don’t understand why you’re helping me,” she said softly. I sensed all of the anger had deflated away.
I shrugged. “I’m a nice guy,” I said. “And besides – I couldn’t leave you here.”
Adele closed her eyes and sighed with relief. “Thank you,” she said. “
I grinned. “Don’t worry,” I said. “It’s not entirely from the bottom of my heart – if you stay here through the hurricane and you make it out alive, you’d get so much publicity about ruining my hotel.”
Adele glared. “I can’t believe you,” she said angrily. “You’re such a pig!”
“Whoa, I’m kidding,” I said, holding up my hands and winking. “It was a joke,” I added. “Come on, Adele – lighten up. It’s just a hurricane!”
Adele looked grim. She pressed her lips together until all the color went out of them. “Yeah,” she said softly. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
I shrugged. “Well, either way, I need to pack.” I raised an eyebrow at Adele and smirked. “See you downstairs?”
“Where else would I be?” Adele asked sarcastically. As she spoke, I could hear the wind whipping around outside, and I looked at her face to see if she was scared. She was obviously frightened, but I could also tell that she had a backbone of steel.
Adele shut the door, and I reluctantly walked back to my room and packed my few items into my briefcase. Then I went downstairs to the lobby and sat in one of the oversized, squashy chairs by the empty fireplace. The Hotel St. Charles had a cozy yet outdated look about it – if anything, it just made me more determined to build my property. No one’s going to come to my villas and say they’re old and stuffy, I thought as I glanced around the room. If anything, I’m going to put this hotel out of business!