Teacher's Pet

Xavier blocked her way. "I hope not. Alice has invited us to her place for dinner. No, that's putting it mildly. She's invited us for the big summer solstice celebration, and I promise you, it is not something you are going to want to miss."

"And I'm not missing a chance to show-off my fiancée." I dropped my voice for her ears only, "And we still have an agreement, right?"

She scowled at me and then took a deep breath and addressed my father. "Luckily, I'm in the mood to celebrate. I got a singing gig today."

They went together to break the news to Joshua, and I took my time. I knew I had won the evening by default, and it wasn't enough. I was starting to wonder how much of Corsica would ever be enough. I had never wanted a woman so entirely, and it was starting to worry me.

Chapter Thirteen

Corsica

"I'm sorry, Joshua, really I am, but I have a previous engagement tonight." I watched Joshua transform as he noticed Xavier Templeton.

His smile was wider, the dimple giving a practiced wink. "Mr. Templeton, I'm sorry if I'm trespassing. I'll get out of your hair."

Xavier waved an absent hand at Joshua and waited for Penn to walk up the front steps. "We'll give you two a moment."

"And nice to see you again, Mr. Penn," Joshua called.

I worried that Penn was going to turn around and throttle him right there in the driveway. The sparks of jealousy I had seen in his eyes had turned into a four-alarm fire when we kissed. Now that his father had interrupted us again, Penn looked ready to explode.

Joshua waited until they had gone inside the mansion, and then he turned to me with a frown. "You're making good contacts here, I'll give you that, but I really wish you would let me help you. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about cultivating relationships like that."

I licked my lips where they still tingled and wondered how Joshua would feel if I told him about the confusing relationship tangle I was getting into with Penn. I didn't even understand it myself. One moment, he was kissing me blissful, and the next, he was answering a business call. One moment, we were flirting and touching like a real couple, and the next, he'd turned it all into a lie we had to perform for his parents.

Why wasn't I packing up and going back to Santa Cruz with Joshua? I wondered.

He was still outlining the correct way to befriend someone as rich as Xavier Templeton, and I had my answer. Joshua was only interested in furthering his own career, and I was to be a useful tool. Maybe Penn was right, because I could easily imagine the tight squeeze I would feel after Joshua pushed me into the role he'd envisioned.

Penn, on the other hand, let me dangle.

"Corsica? Are you listening?"

I brushed back my hair with an impatient swipe. "I have to go inside and g

et ready. I'm sorry, Joshua."

"Wait, wait, wait," he gave an incredulous laugh. "You can't seriously be telling me you plan on staying here. Is it the singing? You can find a place in Santa Cruz; there's that karaoke place all the tourists like. I just can't stand here and let you make the wrong decision."

"It's my decision," I ground out. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, and I'm saying goodnight. Goodnight, Joshua."

His expression was a mix of shock and pity. It was still irritating me as we drove towards Alice's encampment outside Pinnacles. Joshua honestly believed that I wasn't able to choose what was best for me.

Xavier pulled me out of my furious thoughts. "Have you ever heard the term 'glamping?'"

I blinked. "I think so. It's a mix of glamour and camping, right?"

He signaled the driver to slow down so he could roll down the window. "I thought you might like the look of it more than sleeping in a bag in the dirt. Each tent is equipped with a full-size bed, a solar-powered ceiling fan, and butler service. Who needs coolers and dirty campfire food when you have a man with a silver tray?"

Penn snorted. "It's ridiculous. Even Corsica can see that it's a total waste. If that's what you want, then you should be in a fancy hotel."

"Like the Ritz-Carlton?" I snapped.

His eyes narrowed. "Exactly."

I looked back out the window at the tents and spotted a chandelier illuminating one. "I think I would like glamping. All the comforts along with the peace and quiet of nature."

"Where's the peace and quiet when a butler keeps checking in on you?" Penn asked.