Gentle Persuasion (13 page)

He could only look at her, without words after her speech.

“And don’t sell yourself short—or me, either, for that matter. I liked that you kissed me. I liked kissing you back.”

And before he could react to those words, Ophelia moved forward, placed both her palms against his neck and drew his face to hers, kissing him firmly but thoroughly before pulling away.

Then she turned and walked back the way she had come while he stood, staring slack-jawed and silent after her.

CHAPTER NINE

F
OLLOWING
HER
CONFRONTATION
with Dane, Ophelia returned to the inn, her lips still tingling, and found Leilani at the reception desk assembling welcome packets. She approached her young friend warily, uncertain how Leilani would react after the morning’s events. It humbled her when Leilani looked up from her tasks, the younger woman’s face blooming into a grin at the sight of Ophelia.

“I was afraid you were going to keep to your room for the rest of your stay,” Leilani confessed.

Ophelia sighed apologetically. “I’m really sorry about...” She trailed off, uncertain how to finish that statement. There were many things she felt sorry for—Cole’s intrusion, her own agenda, the inn’s financial troubles.

But Leilani nodded with simple understanding. “It’s not your fault.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But I never meant for things to become so complicated.”

Leilani moved out from behind the desk and laid a hand on Ophelia’s arm. “They were complicated before you came, Ophelia. If anything, I think you’ve woken Dane up a little bit. He seemed stuck in a daze before this, and I was afraid he would never see that he needs to do something. The loan from Masters was a bad idea, but he wouldn’t listen to Keahi. If you hadn’t come...” She drew a breath. “You’ve awakened him. In more ways than one. Don’t apologize for that.”

Ophelia longed to know in what other ways she had
awakened
Dane, but after boldly kissing him in the orchard, she was feeling a bit too shy to ask. So she cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“Can you tell me where my colleague Cole is? I should probably see how he’s settling in.”

Leilani hesitated, and Ophelia felt a moment’s panic. What had Cole gotten up to now?

“He’s in the kitchen. With
Tutu.
”

“Pele?”

Leilani nodded, and Ophelia knew she must have paled because Leilani rushed to reassure her. “She’s feeding him the leftovers from breakfast. I’m afraid he charmed her with compliments.”

Ophelia stared in disbelief. “He was able to charm your grandmother?”

It shouldn’t surprise her. Cole could be quite charming when he wanted something. She was more irritated that he had ingratiated himself where Ophelia had failed. She didn’t feel as though Pele had warmed to her much during her stay. Though she had attributed it to her position as a recruiter, clearly Pele did not hold that role against Cole.

Leilani shrugged. “Grandmother can be a bit fickle in her affections.”

“I see. Well, if you don’t mind, I’m just going to check on them.”

Leilani looked as though she were about to caution against such an intrusion but then she simply nodded. Before Ophelia could depart, however, she called her name.

“You’re still going to the luau tonight, aren’t you?”

In all the excitement, Ophelia had forgotten about the festivities at Masters’s that evening. She paused, considering, and then could see no reason not to attend. She nodded, and Leilani grinned.

“Good. I can’t wait for you to try the
poi.
”

Ophelia didn’t ask Leilani to elaborate on this cryptic comment. Instead, she headed toward the inn’s kitchen.

When Ophelia entered the room, she found Cole seated at the kitchen’s island, his long legs spread before him as he leaned in toward whatever dish Pele was preparing at the stove. Ophelia observed Pele bestowing a benevolent expression on Cole as her ex-boyfriend beamed with deceptively boyish charm. Her skin prickled in irritation at the sight, annoyed once more at the idea of Cole stealing in on her assignment.

“I see Pele is introducing you to her exceptional cooking.”

Pele looked up at Ophelia’s entrance, and the happy face she’d been wearing faded. She gave Ophelia a nod of acknowledgment and then turned back to stirring the pot on the stovetop. Ophelia suppressed a sigh and wondered how she and Pele could have gotten off on the wrong foot so completely.

“The woman is a wonder,” Cole raved and popped a bite of breakfast ham into his mouth.

Ophelia stared, but Cole’s grin was positively devilish as he chewed the meat with seeming glee. She decided not to point out that Cole was a vegetarian.

And to make matters worse, her own stomach growled in jealousy at the sight of Cole’s carnivorous enjoyment, reminding her that she’d barely had any breakfast before her morning had been interrupted.

Cole’s grin grew wider at the sound, but Pele took some mercy on her and moved from the stove to slide a small plate with leftover ham and croissants across the island toward her.

She took the offering with a glare at her colleague and settled herself at the table a few feet away. Pele returned to her task.

“Pele here was just inviting me to the luau at the neighbor’s this evening.”

Ophelia suppressed a groan and forced it down her throat by swallowing a mouthful of flaky croissant. She stood to get herself a glass of water.

When she didn’t comment on his remark, Cole elaborated. “She’s making a...what did you call it, Pele?”

“Haupia.”

“How-pee-ah,” Cole imitated. Pele beamed.

Ophelia nearly gagged.

“It’s a coconut custard dessert, which is sliced into squares and often served at luaus,” Cole informed her.

“It sounds delicious.” Ophelia tried to sound upbeat, but it made little difference. Pele didn’t so much as glance in her direction as she opened several cupboards until she found one containing mugs and glasses.

A silence descended over the kitchen at this point and without any more witty banter to goad her, she noted that Cole kept his gaze on Pele, as if he couldn’t bear to look Ophelia’s way. She softened slightly. But only slightly.

“Cole, I wondered if I could speak to you...in private.”

She glanced in Pele’s direction to see how she would react to this, but it was as if the housekeeper never even heard her speak. She continued to stir the custard on the stovetop, her back to Ophelia.

Cole sighed. “If you must drag me from the company of this Polynesian goddess, then you must.”

This ridiculous sentiment drew Pele’s gaze up once more, and she smiled warmly in Cole’s direction.

Any softening Ophelia had felt toward her ex-boyfriend was immediately displaced by annoyance.

“Fine. Follow me.”

She led the way from the kitchen and back toward the reception area, not bothering to stop or glance behind her until she reached the lanai off the main entryway. As soon as Cole entered behind her, she moved around him to slide the door closed. She noted that he didn’t move so she was obliged to brush against him. It felt awkward, being so close to him after their breakup. She moved away as quickly as possible and gestured for him to sit.

He shrugged and sank into one of the lanai chairs. She forced herself to take the chair beside him.

“Cole, I need you to do something for me.”

“Oh,
now
you need my help?”

She didn’t allow herself to become irritated by his tone. “Not exactly. I need you...to stay out of this.”

He scoffed.

“I’m serious, Cole. You and I both know how delicate this situation is, and I’ve made real inroads with Montgomery.” She tried to make herself sound as detached from Dane as possible. “He trusts me.” She wasn’t sure that statement was entirely true, but she had to appear confident. “I want you to leave this alone. Let me handle it. My way.”

Cole stared at her, his face an inscrutable mask. She felt a wave of uncertainty. Cole could do a lot of damage to her situation here, jeopardize her position and keep Dane from returning. The idea upset her, not just because it would mean the loss of Paris but because she wasn’t quite ready to part with Dane’s company. Not yet. At least if he came back to New York, it would buy her a couple more weeks. But Cole couldn’t know that, or things would unravel quickly.

“Tell me there’s nothing going on between you and him.”

Ophelia blinked, wishing she were a better liar. Her lips tingled with the memory of kissing Dane less than an hour before. “I... Why would you even think that?”

His gaze was far too direct for her liking. “Because there’s been talk back at the office. That you and Montgomery...”

Ophelia’s eyes slid closed. Of course, her coworkers would be gossiping about her week-long stay at Dane’s plantation. It may have been an assignment, but that wouldn’t prevent rumors from circulating.

“Does my mother know what’s being said?”

When Cole didn’t answer, she opened her eyes and found him staring at her with a wounded expression.

“Fee. How could you?”

She bristled. “How could I what? Cole, he kissed me. It wasn’t as if I seduced him.”

“No?” Cole stood. “Then how come you’re closer to securing a contract on Dane Montgomery than anyone else in the last three years?”

She made a face. “I hardly think I’m a temptress. And I’m not even sure how close I am to getting him to return. I just know that I can’t have you jeopardizing the possibility.”

“Do you really think Lillian would have sent me here if she thought I’d jeopardize things? Give your mother a little credit.”

That was Cole. Ever Lillian’s champion. But no one played the game better than Lillian Reid herself. If she had sent Cole, she had a good reason. And what about their chat on the phone earlier? Had she meant it, about them taking a trip together? Or was it simply her way of keeping Ophelia compliant? Ophelia thought how difficult it was to doubt your own mother in such a way.

She released a sigh and sat patiently until Cole finally seated himself beside her once more.

“Cole, I appreciate your coming. I do. It must have been difficult, given our recent breakup.”

He winced at the word.

“I think you being here speaks of your dedication to my mother as well as to the company—”

“But not to you.”

She paused. “I’m sorry?”

He turned his eyes her way. A sweep of dark blond hair fell across his forehead, and she resisted the urge to brush it away.

“I’m here for you, too, you know.”

She drew back a bit. Cole had never been one to sacrifice his own wishes for her needs. Perhaps their breakup had opened his eyes to his own selfishness.

“I appreciate that. But it doesn’t change anything...does it?”

She held his gaze, willing him to be honest with her.

“If I go to Paris...” He trailed off, and she knew she must have jerked in surprise. Cole was reconsidering Paris? For her? She couldn’t think about that. She couldn’t deal with anything else right now.

“I just need you to help me out here by leaving Dane alone. Let me handle it. It’s my assignment—give me the chance to see it through.”

“But Lillian—” He stopped abruptly, but Ophelia’s suspicions immediately flared.

“What about Lillian? Did she give you specific instructions? About me? About Dane?”

He hesitated and then shook his head. He was loyal to her mother, to his very core. It was probably why Lillian doted on him so much.

“Right.” She decided to let it go. “Then you’ll stay away from Dane?”

He looked away quickly and then nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. She knew it was the most she would get from him.

“I’d still like to attend the luau this evening,” he said.

“All right.” She couldn’t see the harm in it. In fact, maybe it would fortify her to have him nearby. He was a colleague, if nothing else. And despite everything, Cole could be a pretty good coworker when it came down to it.

She stood, intending to leave, but as she walked by him, he reached out and his fingers encircled her wrist.

“Fee...”

She waited.

“When he kissed you...” There was a long pause during which Ophelia fought the blush she felt rising to her cheeks. “Did you kiss him back?”

She slowly pulled her wrist from his grasp, and then touched him lightly on the shoulder, as if in apology, before leaving the lanai.

* * *

D
ANE
HAD
TO
grudgingly concede—Kenneth Masters threw a good party. From the succulent pork lifted out of the luau pit to the variety of dishes prepared by the locals, the food was mouthwatering, and the atmosphere, with its torches and island pop music, was festive and relaxed.

Dane took a sip of his punch and shared a glance with Keahi. “Masters is good at it, huh?”

Keahi made a face. “Easing his conscience over his shady business practices by hosting a luau like this twice a year?” He took a long swig of punch and then scratched at the bandage on his arm. “Oh, yeah, brah. He’s a
master.
”

Despite the bitterness in Keahi’s words, Dane couldn’t help chuckling. “Masters will get his... One day. Sooner or later, he’ll slip up, and someone will finally have the evidence to shut him down.”

Keahi shrugged. “I just wish it had happened months ago, long before you took that loan from him.”

Dane frowned at the reminder. “Don’t worry yourself with that tonight, Keahi. Just enjoy the party.” His gaze scanned the crowd, sweeping over women in vibrant tropical prints and men in floral island shirts. Keahi’s yellow-and-red Hawaiian shirt draping his large frame stood out in sharp contrast next to Dane’s own simple outfit of teal-green shirt and khaki cargo pants.

“You searchin’ for Ophelia, brah?” Keahi asked him with a sideways glance.

Dane looked his friend’s way with what he hoped was an appropriate scowl. “Miss Reid isn’t my concern.”

But he still hoped she would show up tonight. Keahi said he’d given her and Cole instructions on how to find the entrance to Masters’s property. After she had kissed him that morning, Dane had been able to think of little else.

“C’mon. It’s me you’re talking to. You don’t need to pretend. She’s a pretty lady. Smart, too.”

“Are you that eager to get rid of me, ship me back to New York?” Dane attempted to infuse a degree of light teasing into his tone.

He felt Keahi’s eyes on him until he turned and met his friend’s gaze. “Nah. I’m just tired of all the attention you get from the ladies. I figure if I get you out of the picture, I can get a little more action.”