And because he’d not only bled all over her but lied to her about who he was and why he was on Fantasy Island, he’d be lucky if she shared any more of those desires with him. Although he wanted her to. Badly. Because Laney Parker was fast becoming his very own fantasy.
“I thought we were getting to know each other,” she said in a hurt tone, then stood up, heading for the door. She didn’t wait for his answer before stepping outside and closing the door behind her. But then it hadn’t really been a question, had it? He wasn’t the man she’d thought he was.
10
WHEN LANEY SLIPPED out of the room, blinking back angry tears, she found Ashley waiting in the hall. There was no visible sign of Mason, although she suspected he hadn’t gone far. His absence was too bad—part of her still wanted to kick the man—hard—for letting her walk into Gray’s room blind. Her back hurt from Levi’s up-against-the-wall routine.
Ashley fell into step beside her. “I’ll walk you back to your bungalow.”
“Afraid I’ll get lost?” She’d thought she and Ashley were on their way to becoming friends, but apparently, she’d misread the situation. Whoever this woman was, Laney was willing to bet she hadn’t won her tickets to Fantasy Island in a radio contest.
The bigger question was, who was Gray to her? He’d said he was a lieutenant commander and a US Navy SEAL. He’d been injured—in the line of duty—and the other people in the room had to be his team members or people in the know.
“Are you a SEAL, too?”
Ashley made a face. “No girls allowed on the boys’ team.”
“Then I’m guessing you’re some other branch of the military.”
“Close.” Ashley followed her when she started up the path. “I’m DEA.”
Wow. Not what she was thinking. It was really none of her business who Ashley worked for, except that she had led her to believe that Ashley was just another resort guest. Or maybe she was being oversensitive.
“Does Madeline know?”
Ashley shook her head. “And I’d appreciate it if you kept it that way. The fewer people who know, the better.”
Honestly, she didn’t know anyone who would believe her. Even Madeline was going to demand proof.
“You set me up with Gray. Was that part of the cover story?”
She didn’t enjoy feeling stupid. Or gullible. In fact, both of those unpleasant emotions ranked at the top of her feelings-to-avoid-at-all-costs list. Gray had been her rebound man, a fun treat for herself. Sure, she hadn’t been looking for something permanent, but somehow she’d expected honesty. Maybe Gray was just really, really good at covert ops, because she’d believed him when he’d said he wanted her.
So, okay, she’d fallen just a little bit for him.
Ashley jammed her hands into her pockets. It was hard to imagine her as some kind of cutthroat DEA agent when Laney looked at the Daisy Dukes and pink flip-flops, but her fierce intelligence and ability to think on her feet? She had to respect that. She would have made a fantastic trauma surgeon.
“I’m going to be blunt, okay?”
Right. As if Ashley had ever been anything but. “You’ve been holding back on me?”
“Only about my job description.” Ashley strode up the path, flip-flops snapping against her heels. “Here’s the thing. I like you. I like Gray. He’s uptight and closed off and his idea of a fun time seems to involve motorcycles, biker bars and any fight that ends with broken beer bottles, but he’s a great guy. You were looking for a rebound guy for some no-holds-barred sex, and I thought the two of you would be good for each other.”
Did hot sex really count as good for each other?
“Fantasy Island also has a reputation for vacation hookups. He didn’t know about the drinks menu until I told him.” Ashley held up a finger when Laney opened her mouth. “And I told him only when he asked me, because apparently you had brought it up.”
She had. “I wouldn’t have—”
Come on to him. Told him my secret fantasies.
“Had sex with him if you’d known he was a SEAL and not a resort employee? Are you sure?” Ashley patted her on the back.
No. She wasn’t. “Are all of the resort employees military?”
“No.” Ashley grinned at her. “And that’s where you come in.”
“I don’t think it’s recruiting day.”
“Think of it as an opportunity,” Ashley coaxed. “Or an invitation to indulge in your very own SEAL fantasy.”
Laney shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“If Gray keeps on seeing you, it would help with his cover story. Just in case our target already has eyes on the ground here.”