Misconduct (Hot Ice series Book 6) (5 page)

“It’ll be fine,” he said. “The landing.”

I took a deep breath and was relieved to feel the plane
leveling out.

“And planes fly in light winds all the time,” he said, “so
don’t get your lacy panties in a twist.”

“I am not getting my panties in a twist.” I turned back to
him. “And kindly refrain from bringing my panties into conversation ever
again.”

He held up his hands as if in surrender. “Whatever you say,
boss.”

The way he said boss was full of mocking, almost with a
laugh tagged onto it. The guy really didn’t take me seriously. Well, he’d have
to when my father was sitting next to me, on my side, agreeing with my plans to
save the team he’d worked so many years to put at the top of the NHL.

Then we’d see who was laughing and who was boss. Dustin
“Speed” Reed would have that stupid smirk wiped right off his face when he
found out he was just too damn expensive for the Vipers.

“What do you mean you’re going to Orlando now?” I stared in
disbelief at my father, who stood on the runway at the base of the airplane
steps I’d just descended. He had his usual battered suitcase in his hand, one
I’d bought him many years ago and he claimed to still love.

“Buttercup, I’m so sorry. But my cardiologist called this
morning, he wants me back for a few more tests. Seems my blood work last week
wasn’t quite right.”

I propped my suitcase up, stepped past Giselle and gripped
his free hand. My head spun. I thought he was getting better. On the mend. He
certainly looked well. “What do you mean not quite right? What’s wrong? Oh God,
can they fix it?”

He smiled and leaned down, kissed me on the cheek. “You
worry too much, Gina. I’m sure it’s nothing. They just want to do another heart
tracing and switch some of my meds. I could see one of the local doctors, but
I’d rather see Dr. Hamilton, he’s been with me from day one of all this heart
trouble.” He dropped his bag and took both of my hands in his. “Everything will
be fine.”

“Are you sure?” My own heart was racing.

“Yes, of course.”

“But when are you coming back?” I glanced at Giselle, who
was twirling one of her long auburn curls around her finger and eyeing up
Dustin. “I think I should come with you. To Orlando. That would be for the
best. Yes, I’ll come back now. Come to the appointment with you.”

Dad laughed. “Giselle will come with me, and besides you’ve
only just got here. And, my dearest, you look exhausted. You’ve been working
too hard.”

“Only the way you used to.” I couldn’t help a pout. Why
couldn’t I go with him if I wanted to?

“Yes, probably, in which case we need to make sure you don’t
head down the same route as me. You need proper downtime. Vacations, time out.
Give your body a chance to recharge. And since you’re here…” He raised his
eyebrows, crinkling his brow. “You should stay and enjoy some rest and
relaxation. The villa is fully stocked. The cleaner was just finishing off when
we left, so it’s all ready. It will do you good.”

I sighed and thought about all of the things I needed to
discuss with him—things that would wait only a week at the most. Decisions had
to be made and although he’d given me the power to run the Vipers as I saw fit,
I wasn’t naïve enough to think I was an expert. I wasn’t, I was a novice. I
needed his input, even if just in the form of conversations.

“And when are you coming back?” I asked. “To continue your
recovery.”

“In a few days.” He released my hand and reached for his
wife’s.

She smiled and stepped up close to his side. She was wearing
a short, fitted dress that was splattered with bright-pink flowers. Her shoes
and purse matched, as did her lipstick.

“Hello, Giselle,” I said, with a curt nod.

“Gina, good to see you.” Her smile broadened. “And I really
am sorry that we have to go. But Fergal’s health has to be the top priority.”

“Yes, I agree. Absolutely.” Why did she manage to make it
sound as though I
didn’t
think it was top priority? Of course it was.

“But the weather has been gorgeous here,” she went on, “and
it’s set to stay like that, despite this breeze coming in. So you really could
have a nice break away from your new venture.” She glanced at Dustin again, who
had crossed his arms over his chest and was chewing on a piece of gum. “It must
be exhausting being in charge of all of these big, burly men. Really, very
tiring, I don’t know how you’re managing it. One is enough for me.” She
giggled.

Dad dropped a kiss onto her head. “Well, I don’t know about
burly.” He laughed. “Come on, we should go. The captain is waiting. But, Gina,
stay, and I’ll see you in a few days. I’ll give you a call.” He turned to
Dustin. “Feel free to use the villa too, for a bit of downtime. It’s plenty big
enough, and we’ll have that talk your agent mentioned when I get back.”

“Well, if you don’t mind, sir, I’ll just return with you
now. We could talk on the plane.”

“Oh, I don’t think my husband should be worrying about Viper
business until he’s seen the specialist,” Giselle said with a worried shake of
her head. “I mean really, once he starts down that train of thought his blood
pressure will be up and he’ll be getting those silly palpitations again.” She
rested her hand over his chest. “So I really don’t think that would be wise,
Mr. Reed.”

“Palpitations?” I asked. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Only a few, at er, crucial moments…” Dad glanced at
Giselle, who nibbled the corner of one of her long bright-pink fingernails and
stared up at the plane. “And I told you,” he went on, “it’s probably nothing.
However, there is no point messing about with these things.”

Giselle began to climb onboard. “Come on, darling. Let’s go
and get you all sorted and then you’ll be good as new and ready for action.”

“Mr. Gunner,” Dustin said, stepping past me. “It really
won’t take long.”

“I’m sorry, son,” Dad said. “Just how it goes when you get
old. Plans have to be undone. But this one is just delayed, not canceled. If
there’s still an issue with your contract when I return from Orlando, and if
you’re still here soaking up the ambience of Honeysuckle Key, then we’ll sit
and have a discussion over a beer.”

Dustin let his arm fall to his side. His mouth opened and
closed.

I couldn’t help the pleasure it gave me to see him at a loss
for words for once. Now what could he say? He wasn’t getting his own way,
despite his sneaky plan to get to my father’s ear. I bet that didn’t happen too
often. Not in his me-me-me world.

A smirk spread on my face.

He glanced at me. Frowned.

I didn’t care that he knew what I was thinking.

“Bye, Dad,” I said, my voice a little too light. “See you in
a few days and good luck, let me know how you get on.”

“I will, buttercup. Now you have fun. And don’t worry, I’m
fit as a fiddle.”

The copilot, Edmond, appeared and made a fuss over his
passengers. He tipped his hat to me just before the door was shut.

The engines were running a little faster now, beginning to
rev. My hair licked over my cheeks.

“We should get off the runway,” Dustin said with a scowl,
then turned and marched toward the small wooden hut that functioned as an
airport arrival lounge.

Nothing on the island was overly fussy. The people had a
make-do attitude and it seemed to work for them. It was rare to see locals
without smiles on their faces.

“There’s a hotel in the town,” I said, catching up to him,
my suitcase rattling behind me. “I have the telephone number at the villa. You
can come back with me then call and book a room, stay there.”

“What?” He stopped and turned to face me.

“The hotel. In the town. You can stay there until my father
returns and you have your little chat.”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

I huffed. “Why the hell do you think?” I put my hand on my
hip.

“I can’t think of any damn reason to book a hotel when I’ve
just been invited to stay at a fancy villa for the next few days.”

“I’ll tell you why, because
I’ll
be there.” I flicked
my hand between us. “And it’s
my
villa, not yours.”

He slipped his shades to the top of his head. Part of me
wanted to stare into his angry eyes, show him that I wouldn’t back down, but
the sound of my father’s plane shooting down the runway caught my attention and
I watched it zip along and take to the air. The wheels quickly disappeared into
the undercarriage as it tipped to the right and headed for the mainland.

“You really want me to go and stay in some damn hotel?” he
repeated slowly. “Until your father comes back?”

“Yes.”

I turned, flashed my ID at the usual guy who sat in arrivals
and headed toward the Jeep Dad had left in the lot. The keys would be in the
ignition, waiting for me.

I’d annoyed Dustin that was for sure. He wasn’t used to
being told what to do. He wasn’t used to not being wanted. Well, I didn’t want
him. I wanted peace and quiet without a big hunk of a guy looming over me,
distracting me, blowing hot and cold and calling me stupid names.

That was what I wanted.

* * * * *

The villa was the same as it always was. It never changed
and I liked that. It was as familiar as home and a place that housed many happy
memories. From the long gravel driveway with the bright-orange flowers dotted
on lush bushes, the naked cherub in the central fountain outside the front door
that used to make me giggle as a small girl, to the soft furniture and sea
breeze, it was definitely a place designed for privacy and rest and relaxation.

Well, the relaxation part would happen real soon hopefully.

I wandered in. Dustin followed, still in silence, the way
he’d been the entire journey as I’d navigated the dusty tracks. Not bothering
to take my suitcase in my bedroom or freshen up, I went straight to the small
book we kept in the hallway that had the local contact numbers.

“Here,” I said, handing him the book after he’d dropped his
soft leather bag on the floor. “The Hotel Grand. You should really have booked
before you left if you were planning on a few days visit.”

He kind of grunted and took the book from me, tugged his
iPhone from his back pocket and keyed in the numbers.

I folded my arms, watched as he dialed and then listened as
he was quickly told the hotel was full.

“It seems they have a rush on,” he said after ending the
call. “No room at the inn.”

He didn’t seem in the slightest bit put out, instead
wandering past me into the large open-plan living area.

“But hey,” he said with a smile. “This place sure is big
enough for two. You’ll hardly know I’m here.” He placed his hands on his hips
and looked around, nodding approvingly. “I don’t know why you were concerned.”

Damn, he’d got his own way. I couldn’t exactly kick him out
onto the street. There was only one hotel on the island, and if it was full, it
was full.

Perhaps a lounger on the private beach out back? Mmm? I’d
loan him a pillow. I could stretch to that.

But as for hardly knowing he was there? The guy filled up
much more space than just his physical presence. It was his scent, his rough
voice, how he seemed to change the electricity in the atmosphere in a way that
spiked the hairs on the back of my neck and made my body so damn aware that he
was breathing the same air as me.

And what about the one thing we hadn’t mentioned. The
elephant in the room.

That kiss in New York.

Well, I wasn’t going to bring it up. He was the one who’d
kissed me, after all. He’d backed me up against the wall, loomed over me and
taken possession of my mouth without even asking. Taken advantage, if I was
honest, since I was a little tipsy at the time.

I nibbled my bottom lip, remembering how his mouth had felt
on mine. It was urgent and desperate, hungry, angry and passion-infused. I
hadn’t imagined all of that. No way.

I turned, irritated that I’d been thinking about him in a
nonprofessional manner, and stalked into my bedroom, dragging my suitcase
behind me. I’d put on my vacation gear, get out of these hot jeans and go and
dip my toes in the sea. I didn’t like to swim. I had a blown-out-of-proportion
fear of shark attacks that stopped me from enjoying even a splash in the waves.
But I liked to cool my feet in the water, sink my toes into the sand and watch
the waves rolling toward me.

Perhaps I’d go for a nice long walk too. Visit the market
and get some of the coconut-spiced candy that reminded me of my childhood
vacations here. That way I could avoid Dustin and the roller coaster of
emotions his mood swings subjected me to. Why couldn’t it have been Phoenix or
Ramrod who’d wanted to come and chat with my father? One of the players who was
polite and respectful and wouldn’t have made me want both to slap him and kiss
him.

Kiss him? I didn’t. God, what was wrong with me? It must be
the stress and the heat.

Ten minutes and a quick shower later, I flung open the
French doors of my bedroom and stepped onto the decking area wearing a vivid
purple bikini and a black sarong. I held a soft cotton purse that was a lurid
citrus-orange color, not my favorite, and black thongs.

A hummingbird was giving attention to a tub of pink lilies
and I paused to watch as I piled my hair on top of my head. I recalled a time
when Dad had helped me set up syrup feeders for them, and I’d spent a whole
holiday recording their movements and markings, giving them all names. I loved
the hummingbirds.

A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my interest.
It was Dustin down on the beach at the shoreline, about fifty meters away. I
stilled, stepped behind the fronds of a palm into the shade and watched him.

He had his back to me and was undressing. His shoes already
discarded, he tugged down his soft jeans, dropped them to one side and then
peeled off his t-shirt.

I swallowed. Damn, the guy was thickly muscled. I knew he
was big, but the round balls of his shoulders, the roped tendons down his
spine, the bulge of his biceps told me that he was huge. I’d presumed some of
his size was hockey padding or clothes or something, but no, what I’d felt when
I’d clung to him in that hallway, why he’d made me feel so small—it was because
he was enormous. I
was
small next to him.

Suddenly he slipped off his boxer briefs exposing tight,
round buttocks, the skin a fraction paler than the rest of him.

I gasped, put my hand over my mouth and, although the beach
was privately owned, couldn’t help a quick glance left and right to make sure
it was empty.

It was.

I returned my attention to the taut butt before me. Dustin
was running now, into the surf, galloping through the waves stark naked, his
skin glistening as the water splashed over him.