Wanton Heat (A Feel the Heat Novel) (Entangled Brazen) (14 page)

“I couldn’t,” Zoe said, but the lie sounded hollow even to her ears. “But splitting your time between LA and Australia seems to be working for you.”

Allegra glanced away guiltily. “But that’s partially for work—”

“Bullshit. Even if Jett wasn’t working on the Whitsunday Kaluna campaign, you’d be spending every spare minute you had in Oz.”

Allegra hesitated, before continuing. “Has he said anything? I mean, are you two seriously considering trying a relationship?” She pressed her hands to her cheeks and didn’t wait for an answer. “A prince, Zo-Zo? Oh my God. This is so surreal.”

“I know,” Zoe said, knowing she couldn’t have kept something like this from her BFF but wishing Allegra didn’t sound so incredulous.

Mismatched couples made it all the time. Beauty and the Beast. Cinderella and her prince. Pretty crappy that the only successful relationships she could come up with were fictional fairy tales. “But we haven’t discussed anything, and if all goes well, I’ll get the go-ahead for our ad campaign soon, and I’ll be on the ferry back to the mainland this afternoon.”

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not going to try and make a go of it?”

Zoe was many things, a realist being top of the list. “You said it yourself. I’ve got too much happening back in LA. And ultimately, our differences would drive us apart.”

Allegra pouted. “I wish things could work out for you.”

“Me too, babe, me too.” Zoe made a grand show of glancing at her watch. “Anyway, I gotta go. I’m meeting Dom shortly.”

“Okay.” Allegra kissed her fingertips and pressed them to the screen. “Take care, hon. And I’m here if you need me for anything, day or night.”

“Thanks.” Zoe blew a kiss at the screen. “Talk soon.”

She ended the call before the emotion welling in her chest spilled forth. While she’d Skyped Allegra to keep her abreast of business developments, having her friend learn the truth about her relationship with Dom had made it more real somehow.

As long as they were the only two people involved, it had been okay to dismiss it as a romantic fantasy. But first Catarina gave her blessing, and now Allegra.

Zoe didn’t believe in false hope, but for one wistful second, she wished she did.

Chapter Seven

Dominic surveyed his desk, a scotch in one hand, Zoe’s ad campaign in the other.

He knew coming back to Osturo would ground him. Would get him back on track. Focused.

Three things he hadn’t been on Ancora with Zoe.

Zoe.
She waited for him downstairs. Waited for his answer to her proposal.

And for the first time since he’d envisaged preserving these islands to honor his father’s memory, he wavered.

Her kick-ass presentation and her vision for the region had gotten to him. She was as passionate about her business as she was in the bedroom. That kind of passion captivated him. She captivated him.

But was it all a ruse?

He sank into his leather executive chair and downed the scotch. It burned his gullet, but not half as much as the same old doubts plaguing him.

He’d been a fool once before, being blinded to reality by lust for a woman. Lilia had playacted the role of devoted fiancée while brokering a deal with his biggest rival.

Was Zoe doing the same? Pretending to have feelings for him to get what she wanted?

He’d like to think he’d wised up since his engagement debacle, but his feelings for Zoe had addled his brain. Was her part in their mutual seduction merely an act?

Having his agreement for the Kaluna worldwide ad campaign meant everything to her. How far would she go to get it?

Yet her tears last night belied any deception. The depth of emotion she’d shown had shocked him, especially from one who was so bold usually. He could’ve pushed her for answers, but he’d been afraid. What if she’d given the answer he feared the most? That she felt more for him than was good for either of them.

Because if Zoe reciprocated his feelings…what did that mean? That they actually had a chance at making a relationship work or had he been too closed off emotionally for too many years to assess the situation objectively: that Zoe was just like the rest, doing whatever it took to get what she wanted from him?

“Fuck,” he muttered, slamming the empty scotch glass onto the desk and firing up his PC.

He’d been offline for four days, and while he wasn’t expecting anything requiring his urgent attention, he was hopeful the PI had come through with some information that may make his decision easier.

Besides, he needed to buy more time before his confrontation with Zoe.

He wanted to say no to her proposal. He wanted her to say yes to his.

He was so screwed.

Scrolling through his in-box, he mentally recited what he could possibly say to convince her to stay. Other than the startling truth.

I think I’m in love with you.

An e-mail with the subject header “KALUNA RESORT EXPANSION” caught his eye. At last. Information from the PI.

Dominic clicked it open and read, every word driving a dagger into his heart.

Kaluna had found a loophole in the contract and had already obtained the necessary permits to move forward with expanding his resort. A larger, shinier, newer resort that would bring in more tourists regardless if Dominic signed off on an ad campaign or not.

Which meant Zoe had been playing him for a fool.

She’d been softening him up for a fait accompli.

Dominic reread the e-mail, twice, just to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood. Only then did he allow his slow-burning anger to spread, filling him with a rage that made him shake.

He wanted to smash his fist through the PC screen. He wanted to pick up his scotch glass and fling it against the wall.

Instead, he stalked around the desk and headed for the door, intent on confronting the woman he’d let into his bruised heart, the woman who’d shattered it once and for all.

…

Zoe’s heart gave a betraying leap as Dom strode into the ground-floor library.

He’d changed into a black suit, pale-blue shirt, and amethyst tie. A stylish combination that transformed him from gorgeous to knockout. Though it wasn’t the suit that impressed her as much as the guy in it. If her memory served correct, he’d looked pretty damned incredible naked, too.

She couldn’t suppress a coy smile, wondering if he could read her mind. However, when her gaze met his, her smile faltered.

Something was wrong. Drastically wrong, if the fury radiating off him like a nuclear cloud was any indication.

“What’s up?” She stood and moved toward him.

He paused in the doorway as if ready for flight. When she got close enough, she saw she’d underestimated
the extent of his anger. He wasn’t furious. He was rigid with rage.

“Don’t.” He held up his hands and she stopped a few feet away. “I’ve had enough.”

Foreboding made her wrap her arms around her middle. “I don’t understand—”

“Like hell you don’t.”

She flinched as he spat the icy words.

“You
knew
what honesty meant to me.” He jabbed a finger at her. “You knew what I’d been through with Lilia’s betrayal.”

He lowered his hand, his fingers curling into his palm to form a fist. “
Dio
, you must’ve thought I was a gullible idiot, falling for your act.”

Zoe started to shake. She had no idea what Dom was talking about, but he obviously blamed her for something. Something big. And she didn’t know what pissed her off more: the fact that he hadn’t had the decency to ask her about it first or the fact that the guy she loved thought so little of her.

“What is it I’m supposed to have done?”

“You’re still acting? Even now?” he roared, slamming the door shut with his fist. “You know the worst part? I was actually considering that we could work together in some capacity. That you would understand if I told you the truth. Instead, you deceived me.”

As Zoe’s confusion receded, indignation took its place. “Stop right there and tell me what exactly I’m supposed to have done.”

His laser-like glare sliced her in two. “Permits have been granted. The Kaluna expansion is going ahead.”

“But that’s not possible…” She’d just spoken to Allegra, and they would’ve known about it considering it impacted the ad campaign.

“So what were you? A diversion to keep me occupied while the deal went through behind my back?” His gaze deliberately perused her body in a pure insult. “There’s a name for women who use their bodies for—”

“Shut the fuck up.” She was in his face in two seconds flat, palms against his chest, shoving him, hard. “Don’t you dare make vile insinuations when I had nothing to do with this.” She pushed him again. “And what you’re implying? It’s insulting and sickening.”

She whirled away, annoyed by the angry sting of tears. “But it’s nice to know what you really think of me, you bastard.”

“You’re calling me names after what you’ve done?”

She would’ve laughed at the outraged incredulity in his voice if it weren’t for the fact that he’d just called her a lying whore.

Dragging in deep, calming breaths, she turned to face him. “I haven’t
done
anything. I didn’t know the permits had been granted; otherwise, I wouldn’t have wasted my time devising a few plans of my own when we got back this morning. Plans that involved Kaluna leaving the expansion alone and you developing Osturo instead. And a kick-ass ad campaign to make both islands prosper.” God, she’d been such a fool, trying to work on a compromise that would ensure a win-win for them both. “As for what happened between you and me?”

She sneered, mustering every ounce of antagonism she could to eradicate the pain making her chest ache courtesy of his accusations. “I’m not some cheap hooker who sells her body for anything. But thanks for saying I am.”

He stared at her, stony-faced, but she scored a direct hit with the hooker comment as regret clouded his eyes.

“And for the record? I don’t give a flying fuck what you do with your hick islands anymore.” She pointed out the window at the incredible view. “I’m going to hand over the resort campaign to some other sucker who’ll waste their time trying to convince a stubborn dickhead like you what’s good business sense.”

Dom gaped as she strode past him and opened the door, desperate to escape before she went too far.

She paused on the threshold. “And just so you know? The sex wasn’t all that great.”

She slammed the door and let the tears fall.

So much for not going too far.

…

Thirty minutes later, Dominic still couldn’t comprehend how his life could’ve imploded so badly.

After Zoe had stormed out, he’d sat by the window and stared at the view without seeing it, going over the entire episode in his head.

If he’d been furious at the thought of being duped by her, she’d been livid following his accusations. He’d gone too far, implying she’d used her body to distract him. But he’d been so bloody angry, and her innocent act had pushed his buttons even more, that he’d wanted to hurt her as much as she’d hurt him.

He never should’ve gone that far though. She was right. He was a bastard. A dumb, stubborn bastard who had no idea what to do to make this right.

As for her admission that she wanted to leave Ancora alone and encourage development on Osturo? Proved that he’d made a huge mistake.

Zoe got it. She understood what preserving Ancora meant to him. And she’d tried to come up with a solution, despite her ad campaign’s hinging on the expansion.

She’d never sacrifice her goal unless she cared. A hell of a lot.

Fuck.

“Everything okay in here?” Catarina entered the library. “I heard raised voices half an hour ago, and now Zoe has taken her bags and headed into town to wait for the ferry.”

“What?” He leaped to his feet, stung into action by the news Zoe had left. “When did she leave?”

“About ten minutes ago.” Catarina glanced at her watch and nodded. “Which means you don’t have long if you want to go after her and grovel.”

“How do you know any of this is my fault?”

“Because I know you, Nicci Ricci,” she said. “You’re scared. Terrified, in fact, by your feelings for Zoe. So you’ve used whatever means possible to push her away.”

She patted his cheek. “But you’ve pushed too hard this time, because Zoe is a headstrong woman who won’t stand for any nonsense, least of all from the man she loves.”

It took a moment for him to absorb Nonna’s words, another to make sense of them.

“Zoe doesn’t love me. She despises me.”

The sex wasn’t all that great
still rung in his ears. Had he gotten it so wrong with Zoe, or had she being trying to wound him by aiming for his precious ego?

It hadn’t mattered at the time, he’d been so angry. At her, for having the power to hurt him so badly. At himself, for opening himself up to a world of pain.

“You’re smarter than that, Nicci.” She pointed to his heart. “You know what’s right, deep down in there. Trust your heart.”

He had once before, and look where that had gotten him. Screwed over in the worst possible way. But he’d said it himself: Zoe was nothing like Lilia. And he wasn’t some raw-boned youngster who resented a woman because he’d been burned in the past.

He’d been willing to give a relationship a chance before he’d seen that incriminating e-mail. Yet if he’d jumped to the wrong conclusions and falsely accused Zoe…

Nonna was right. He had to chase after her and start groveling.

“Did Zoe say something to you?”

Catarina smiled, wisdom lines fanning from the corners of her eyes. “She didn’t need to. Her feelings for you were written all over her face.” She waggled her finger at him. “I’m old, but I’m not senile. I saw the way you two sparked when she first arrived.”

“That’s why you coerced her into kidnapping me before the big storm, because you knew we’d be stranded on Ancora for days?”

She tapped her temple. “Like I said, not senile yet.”

Dominic slipped his arm around her bony waist and hugged. “So I take it you approve of Zoe?”

“She’s the one for you.” Considering Nonna’s track record with long-term relationship matches on the island, guess it was time he started believing her.

Catarina leaned into him, her slight frame reminding Dom of her physical fragility and advancing years despite her razor-sharp mind. “So what are you waiting for?”

“Thanks, Nonna.” He kissed her cheek. “For everything.”

She shooed him away. “You can thank me after you’ve convinced that poor girl you’re not some moody lunatic.”

He laughed. “I’ll try.”

But Dominic knew he’d have to do more than try. A hell of a lot more.