Socialite's Gamble

And she should be glad she’d found out how little he regarded her before anything more happened between them because, while it might be scorching hot, it would only be temporary and would no doubt end in heartache. Her heartache.

What she should have done was stick to her original plan to hide out at her agent’s house in L.A. Not that Aidan had given her much of a choice, but dammit, he was right; she had to stop letting him push her around. And she would this time.

Not that he would probably try and stop her from leaving. He’d probably be glad to see the back of her. That would explain his inconsistent behaviour towards her. He didn’t really want her around.

‘I was just giving her something to do to keep her out of the way.’

He and Christos both. He and her father. Not that her father had ever given her something to do. Rather he just sent her to boarding school and then left her at the Chatsfield House with the servants during holidays.

Oh, her siblings had been there over the years, but they had been a lot older and they’d had their own lives to lead and Cara hadn’t wanted to bother them with her concerns and feelings of inadequacy. That should have been her mother’s role.

She thought about Kate and her small daughter over lunch. The way Kate had scooped Emma up in her arms and smooched the little girl’s neck until she’d collapsed into peals of laughter.

Tears formed behind Cara’s eyes and she wondered where her mother was right now. What she was doing. She had been relatively young when she had walked out on Cara and her siblings. Did she have another family now? Another child she had adored more than her?

‘I asked you a question.’

Aidan’s gruff interruption thankfully wrecked her train of thought and she hardened her heart and kept packing. ‘Go away.’

She felt like she was made of wood. Aidan didn’t want her. He didn’t even like her. His lack of respect when he’d spoken to Ben had been palpable. ‘I’m going home.’

‘You said that was the worst place for you.’

‘Well, now I’ve decided that here is.’

‘I’m sorry I hurt you.’

She shrugged and sniffed. ‘I’m surprised you noticed.’

‘I noticed.’

Cara didn’t respond to that. It didn’t mean anything. Even a blind insect would have noticed her distress. ‘Congratulations.’

‘Cara, I’d like you to stay.’

Surprised by the sincerity in his voice, Cara turned towards him. He had his hands deep in his pockets and he looked … pensive.

‘Why?’

‘I promised you a couple of days respite and I feel like you haven’t really had that.’

‘And you always keep your promises.’

It wasn’t a question but he answered it anyway. ‘Yes.’

She shook her head. ‘You made me feel horrible. Even worse than Christos did. At least I expected it from him.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘That word is becoming overused between us.’

‘Yes.’ He shifted uncomfortably. ‘I hadn’t thought about how to deal with questions about you.’

‘You hadn’t! How do you think I felt?’ Cara cried. ‘I spent a good amount of time convincing Kate—who I really like, by the way—that this was real between us. She’s going to think I’m either a terrible liar or completely deluded.’

‘Why did you do that?’

‘Because earlier you told me to conduct myself as your partner and … It doesn’t matter.’

She felt stupid.

Confounded at having found her half packed, Aidan was at a loss. ‘I didn’t mean what I said to Ben.’ Cara wouldn’t look at him and Aidan took a deep breath. ‘What I said was inconsiderate.’

‘But true.’

Aidan closed his eyes. ‘If you must know I sent you to the school because I didn’t want you sitting around on the beach all day by yourself.’ Especially after he’d seen that sexy tattoo that should have been for his eyes only.

She looked over at him, her grey eyes shiny with unshed tears. ‘What could possibly go wrong with me sitting on a beach? You said yourself that there were no paparazzi and—’

‘It wasn’t that.’ He gritted his teeth. ‘I saw you in that bikini and I knew I’d never concentrate while I imagined every surfer on the island trying to come on to you.’

‘Why wouldn’t you concentrate?’

Aidan thought about answering that truthfully. Thought about admitting that she had somehow gotten under his skin and that every time he was in spitting distance of her it was all he could do not to touch her.

He thought about telling her that for about five seconds and then he went for the other answer. The safe one. Because why open a tin of worms when he wasn’t sure yet what he would find inside?