“I’m sure it’s far from boring.”
Lex shrugs. “I find it interesting, but it’s my job, so that’s probably part of it. I’m here because we have four resorts and one of them isn’t performing as well as the others. The ratings are down over the past twelve months and it’s my job to find a way to bring them back up.”
“Is it this property?” I can’t see how. This is perfect vacation spot, nothing like real life.
Lex shakes his head. “It’s down the beach a ways, at a slightly more affordable location, well, more affordable for here. I’ll need to stay there for a while later in the month. This is our best performing resort on the island, and it’s my favorite, so I chose to stay here first.”
“What makes this one your favorite?”
“Well, other than the obvious.” His gaze roams over me. “It’s romantic without being overly honeymoon driven. The view is spectacular, the accommodations are grand, but comfortable. Plus the nightlife is accessible and exciting.”
I agree with everything he’s said. “So what’s the other resort missing?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. It’s almost an exact copy of this resort, only more budget friendly. I’m heading there tomorrow to review services and sit down with management so I have comparative data for analysis.”
“That makes sense.” I focus on my champagne flute. “So you’ll be gone all day?” I fight a cringe at how disappointed I sound.
“You could come with me. If you’d like.”
I lift my gaze, uncertain if this is him just being nice, or worse, feeling sorry for me. “I don’t want to interfere with your meetings.”
“It would actually be quite helpful to have a female perspective. I can book you in for a couple of spa treatments, since that seems to be an area that needs work, and you can compare them.”
“Um . . . okay, I could do that.”
“Great.”
God his smile is beautiful.
Halfway through dinner my phone starts buzzing. Anxiety makes my mouth dry. I don’t want it to be Armstrong, ruining a perfect evening, so I ignore it. When it starts again seconds after it stopped, I check to make sure it’s not an emergency.
“Everything okay?” Lex’s concern mirrors my own.
My anxiety dissipates when I see the name on the screen. “It’s Ruby.”
Lex taps on the edge of the table. “When was the last time you talked to her?”
I know what he’s asking without saying it aloud. “I messaged yesterday to tell her I’m fine and I’d switched hotels. I planned to call today, but then I had all these appointments, and this dinner, so . . .” My throat feels tight like the words want to stay inside. This is a necessary conversation. We’re living in this bubble together and this is how it must remain. I motion between us. “I won’t say anything to her about this.”
Lex nods and traces the edge of his cutlery. “Will that be hard for you? To keep this from her?”
Ruby and I tell each other almost everything, but this is different. “I don’t want to put her in a precarious position. Would you tell Bane?”
Lex barks out a laugh. “We don’t share that kind of information.” He reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I don’t want to make this situation more difficult for you. I’m happy to be a distraction for you while you’re here, if that’s what you want me to be.”
“Is that what this is all about?” I gesture to our surroundings.
His smile is warm. “You deserve all the best things, and I can give you a few of them, so that’s what I’m trying to do. If it’s too much just tell me, but I’m willing to give you whatever you want while you’re here with me.”
“What do you want?” I don’t know why I’m asking this. Clearly he wants to get laid, just like I do. This suaveness is innate. No wonder women fall all over themselves to go out with him.
Lifting my hand, he kisses my knuckles. “To enjoy this time I have with you.”
I should feel relief, not disappointment, especially considering I’m still technically married. “We’ll just keep it between us,” I whisper as he bites the tip of my pinkie.
“You’ll be my favorite secret.” His eyes burn, but sadness tints his words with the same shadows cast by the waning sun.
Fourteen: Complicated
Lexington
The morning following dinner on the beach Amie and I head to the sister resort via jeep. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, her face is makeup-free apart from some clear lip gloss that tastes like artificial grapes. I’ve kissed it off three times already.
It isn’t hard to convince myself that bringing her along is smart and will be beneficial for research purposes. She’s the perfect person to compare spa services between hotels. She’s also gorgeous, alluring, and charming. She’ll have the staff eating out of her hand.
While I meet with the hotel manager I send her off for a morning of pampering. We reconvene at lunch to discuss what she liked best between the two resorts with the spa and hotel managers. The ambiance is better at the other hotel, but the services are on par. She’s eloquent and intelligent as she reviews the spa menu and makes suggested tweaks.
If I weren’t sleeping with her I’d poach her for my team. She has an excellent mind for marketing and management. I doubt she’s being used to her full potential over at Moorehead. What makes her stand apart is that she not only sees the flaws in a plan, but she can then find a workable solution. And as predicted, every single person in the room, male and female, has fallen completely in love with her by the time we come up with what seems to be a viable strategy for minor renovations to the hotel spa and revamping the services offered, including makeup prep for evening events.
This gives me an idea for an entirely new spin on how the spa experiences are promoted. We have a significant market for on-site weddings, and we’ve been building on that for the past few years, but this could add another dimension, expanding the luxury beyond the spa and right into the comfort of guest suites.
After the meeting I show Amie around the grounds, and take her on a tour of the accommodations. We make good use of a honeymoon suite before having dinner with the managerial staff.
Being with her like this is dangerous, seeing her in her element, pulling her into my world, learning more about who she is beyond the kink in the bedroom and her smart mouth—but I don’t seem to be able to stop myself. And what’s more, I don’t want to. I get that she’s not in the right headspace for this to be more for the time being, but that doesn’t mean I can’t push for that later, once we’re back in the real world and things have settled down for her.
It’s late by the time we finish. I would suggest staying the night, but I have meetings in the morning and I’ll need a fresh suit, so we head back to the Mills Resort.