Socialite's Gamble

Hell.

He swiped a hand through his hair and acknowledged that his current edginess was as much from sexual frustration as anything else.

Watching her dancing wasn’t doing anything to improve things, either, and he turned his back on her and stuck his hand in his pocket.

His hand came into contact with the carefully handwritten notes she’d made about the school building and he pulled them out. He’d pocketed them with just a cursory glance before and he felt a little guilty now. Sending her on a fool’s mission hadn’t been his finest moment and he hadn’t expected her to put any real effort into the task.

As if reading his mind Ben interrupted his thoughts. ‘Kate said that you sent Cara to check out the school earlier, but you do know we have a surveyor coming next week, right?’

‘Yeah, I know,’ Aidan replied. ‘I was just giving her something to do to keep her out of the way.’

Unfortunately the guitarists chose that moment to end their set and Aidan heard a small gasp behind him and knew instantly who it was and that she had heard him.

He turned slowly and felt like the lowest life form on earth as Cara quickly tried to mask her hurt expression.

‘Excuse me, I have to …’ Her voice trailed off and she spun around and walked quickly across the terrace.

Ben pulled a sympathetic face. ‘You’re in the doghouse tonight, my friend.’

Which would probably be the best place for him, Aidan acknowledged silently, that way he wouldn’t be tempted to do something his instinct warned him away from every time he saw her.

Hell.

As she disappeared around a clump of dark green rubber plants that separated the beach from the resort path he heaved a massive sigh that spoke volumes of his inner turmoil.

Part of him wanted to rush after her while another, more saner part warned him to back off. Warned him that he wasn’t himself right now and that it would be better to put some distance between them. That running after her now would send her entirely the wrong message. That it might make her feel more important than she was.

Even so, he’d already taken a step in her direction; the urge to follow her was that strong. The realisation stopped him and his vacillation was testament to the battle raging inside of him.

He didn’t want to want to go after her. He didn’t want to want her this much at all. He wanted order back in his life.

Neatness.

Purpose.

And the girl with the pink hair and long legs would not bring that. She’d bring passion, disorder, emotion—all things that were a sign of weakness. And try as he might he couldn’t find a logical reason for the all-consuming lust he felt for her.

That’s because there isn’t one.

Or was there?

He’d made her forbidden fruit, hadn’t he? Off-limits. He’d always been a person who thrived on challenges and he’d damned well challenged himself when he’d decided to ignore what lay between them as thick and annoying as mosquitos at a lake on a summer’s day.

Tell a person not to think of a pink elephant and what did they do? Think of a pink elephant. Tell a man he couldn’t sleep with a desirable woman with pink hair and a face like a goddess and what did he want …?

Aidan grinned. Relief flooded him and he blew out a long breath. He felt settled again. Lighter. He eased his shoulders away from his ears. No crick. His grin widened. Finally, he felt like himself again. Back in control.

One more day and then vamoose; she’d return to her world and he’d return to his. For Aidan, restoring balance back into his life couldn’t come quickly enough.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘WHY ARE YOU PACKING?’

Cara threw her nightie into her case and sniffed back the angry tears that threatened to spill over. She hadn’t heard Aidan come in and she’d like to pretend that he still hadn’t. But she was done with crying in front of him. Done with crying because yet another man found her lacking.

Of all the times she’d been rejected in her life it shocked her to realise that this one somehow hurt the most. Probably because she’d been having such a nice time at lunch and Aidan had once again lulled her with his kind gestures towards her.

Acting, she thought flatly, for his friends.

Stupid. She’d let her guard down with him. Again! For a moment she had even liked him. Well, she corrected herself, she had liked his body. Because how could it be anything else when he was still the arrogant man who had tried to give her fifty dollars for her broken shoe at the airport? The same man who had demanded she strip for him in his hotel room and then who had held her so tenderly. Had kissed her so—

Enough.

No more thinking about kissing Aidan Kelly. It had left her looking like a fool more than once.