Their Festive Island Escape

But none of that had anything to do with his invite asking her to join him for breakfast. That was strictly professional.

The door suddenly flung open and Reid didn’t need to look up to know it was Alex. He was the only one who never knocked. “Morning, partner.”

Reid merely nodded.

“Your father keeps calling the main office,” Alex informed him. “Says you’re not returning his calls when he phones you directly.”

Reid tried to bridle the surge of irritation that shot through his core. His father. The man was determined to ruin himself at this golden stage of his life. And he’d nearly driven Evanson Properties to the brink of ruin as well until Reid had stepped in and taken over as CEO. All because of a woman. A much younger woman.

Reid rubbed his forehead. “I missed one call from him last night. Not that there’s a real need to call him back, in any case. I have no interest in what he has to say.”

“Maybe he just wants to talk about his upcoming nuptials.”

Reid threw his pen onto his desk. “Ha. If anything, I should be calling my mother about that wedding. Make sure she’s all right.” His mother had not deserved the way she’d been treated after three decades of marriage to the same man.

“I’ll be sure to call him,” Reid assured his partner. “Tell him to stop bothering the staff.” He made a mental note to reach out to his mother first, however.

Alex gave him a mini salute and turned to leave.

Reid knew exactly why his father was trying to contact him. Now that the company was finally out of the red, Dale Reid was trying desperately to regain the power he’d initially handed over to his only son once the trouble had started.

Which was why he could use Celeste’s help. He needed his latest acquisition to be a resounding success. There could be no questioning of his competence or abilities from the board, or anyone else, for that matter. Her marketing expertise could go a long way to establishing this place as a prime vacation spot.

Nope, nothing to do with wanting to see her again. His slight reflection in the glass mocked him even as his brain formed the denial. The truth was, the lines were becoming a bit blurred. Yes, he really was interested in her professional feedback, had no qualms about asking her for it and trying to make some sort of business deal to benefit both of them.

But he couldn’t deny he’d been sorely tempted to seek her out this morning even without the business incentive. Something about her called to him, intrigued him like no other woman he’d ever met. The brief time they’d spent together had familiarized him with a woman far different from the one Jack had so often described. “Complained about” would be a more accurate description, though.

He wanted to learn more.

Half an hour after Alex left, a sharp knock on the door had him turning around so swiftly that he sloshed some of the now lukewarm coffee he held onto his desk behind him.

“Come in.”

Biting out a curse, he wiped away the spill with the palm of his hand, leaving an unseemly streak of liquid across his highly polished desk. But it was just his office assistant with the latest island tax and duty figures.

He repeated the curse after she’d walked out again. Maybe his invitation had been a mistake. After all, almost an hour had passed.

Looked like Celeste was going to ignore him.

* * *

Celeste didn’t get a chance to knock on Reid’s door before it flung open. In the next moment, she found herself face-to-face with the man himself.

Oomph!

Reid had clearly been in the process of rushing out of the room. He couldn’t stop his momentum in time. The crash was unavoidable. She wasn’t sure which one of them appeared more taken aback by the collision. A set of strong arms suddenly gripped her around the middle and steadied her back onto her feet before she could topple backward.

“Are you all right?” he asked above her head.

She wasn’t sure. Physically she was fine. But a curl of heat seemed to be simmering in the pit of her stomach. The scent of his skin surrounded her, a heady mix of mint, spicy aftershave and pure male. “I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting you.”

She blinked up at him in confusion. He was the one who had asked her to come see him. But it was hard to think. Her hands itched to reach up and run her fingers through his wavy hair, then move lower and feel the silkiness of his beard. His nearness coupled with her confusion at his words made speaking difficult. “I...uh...got your card.”