The Borrowed Ring

He chuckled, the sound so fake it grated on her nerves. “We'll just consider it my gift to you. You can think of me when you admire it.”

She was in no mood to banter with him. “I take it your meetings with my husband are over for today. He'll be looking for me. I should get back to the suite.”

Drake didn't move out of her way. “I'm sure he knows you're safe at my resort.”

“Funny, I wasn't feeling so safe at one o'clock this morning.” The cool remark was a lie, of course. She had felt perfectly safe with Daniel. But she had a role to play-and maybe if she annoyed Drake enough, he'd get out of her way.

“Ah.” Drake wasn't notably affected. “You're still annoyed with me about being left on the island. I can't say I blame you for that. It must have been distressing for you to realize that no one was coming for you.”

“Yes, it was.”

“You must have been terrified.”

She lifted her eyebrows. “Inconvenienced, perhaps. A bit nervous. But hardly terrified. After all, I had my husband with me.”

“Ah, yes. The overprotective Daniel.”

She nodded.

“Your husband is an interesting man. A bit of a hothead.”

“He takes good care of me.” It was the reply Drake would have expected of her.

“Mmm.” He reached out to run a fingertip down her arm. “You're a woman a man would be proud to take care of.”

Oh, gag. She managed not to flinch away from his touch, but she could only hope he didn't see the revulsion in her eyes.

Because she knew for a fact that Drake's tastes ran to busty blondes, she didn't take him seriously. Either he was simply in the habit of hitting on every woman who crossed his path or there was something specific he wanted to find out from her. Something about Daniel, maybe.

“I'm about to make your husband a very wealthy man, you know.”

Perhaps he wanted to impress her. Make her feel indebted to him. Instead she merely looked bored. “I leave business matters up to Daniel.”

“Not impressed, hmm? Wouldn't you like to be dripping with diamonds, B.J.?”

“I have all the diamonds I want. And money to buy more if I choose,” she added, keeping her so-called fortune in mind. “If Daniel wants the satisfaction of making more money on his own, then I fully support him in his efforts.”

“You aren't into flash, are you? Simple clothes, tasteful jewelry, a plain gold wedding ring. I'd have bought you something much more spectacular if I'd married you. Just to show everyone how proud I was to have you for my bride.”

B.J. instinctively rubbed her thumb over the wedding band on her ring finger. “This ring has deep sentimental value for my husband and for me. It's all I want. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd better—”

Drake stroked her arm again. “You're very loyal to your husband. Perhaps rather foolishly so.”

She bit her lip and remained silent.

He took a step closer to her, making her balance her weight on both feet in preparation, should he make it necessary for her to strike out or run. “I don't suppose there would be any point in asking if you'd like to have dinner with me sometime. In Paris, perhaps.”

“My wife and I would be delighted to join you in Paris for dinner sometime.” Daniel's voice was as smooth as glass as he stepped from behind Drake to slide an arm around B.J.'s shoulders and draw her away from the other man. “Wouldn't we, darling?”

She looked up at him in relief. “I'd have to check my calendar, of course.”

Daniel smiled and pressed a light kiss on her nose. “My wife and her social calendar,” he said indulgently. “That's only one of the little things I love about her.”

Drake's smile was decidedly forced now. “Daniel. Nice to see you. Will you be joining me for dinner this evening?”

B.J. held her breath until Daniel shook his head. His arm tightened around her, and his voice had dropped half an octave when he replied, “Thank you, but B.J. and I have plans for this evening. It's an anniversary for us, and we'd like to commemorate it privately.”

“This is your wedding anniversary?” Drake asked somewhat skeptically.