“What happens if you make fun of him?”
Kane took a long, luxurious sip of his drink and then smacked his lips. “I think the last guy who made a joke ended up leaving the club in a stretcher.”
“How lovely. What a nice employee to have working for you.”
Kane shrugged, clearly not interested in what she thought about his associate. “So,” he said, tilting his glass toward her, “have you heard from Red lately?”
“Why don’t you just tell me what you want?” she said, growing impatient. She crossed her legs and set her jaw, tilting her head slightly the way she did when she was angry or felt threatened.
Kane took note of her posture. “Don’t be so hostile, Nicole. I haven’t been rude to you, now, have I?”
“You threatened someone I care a great deal about.”
“It’s interesting that you’re so protective of a man who continually embarrasses you, Nicole.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Perhaps not,” Kane sighed. “But for some reason I feel like I want to help you.”
“That’s strange. You don’t even know me.”
“It is strange. I’ve been puzzled by it myself. But I think if we can come to terms tonight, I’ll be able to find out just what I’m so taken with you.”
“Maybe you’re just lonely.”
“Perhaps. But there are plenty of women willing to keep me company, Nicole. That’s not really an issue. What’s more difficult is finding someone who I deem to be worth of my time.”
“Maybe you should try being a little less stuck up,” she said.
Kane smiled at her as if she’d just given him a huge compliment. “See? That’s part of it. I like your spunk. I like that you’re not going to back down. Sure, at first you might come off like a little mouse of a girl. But peel a few layers back and there’s Lara Croft waiting to riddle you with bullets.”
“I’m don’t raid tombs anymore. I’m officially retired, Mr. Wright.”
“Please. Call me Kane.”
“I’m not very interested in playing games, Kane.”
He nodded slightly. “Understood. But I’m not trying to play a game with you. I’m trying to get to know you better.”
“You sure have a strange way of going about it.”
“Maybe you could give me a chance to start fresh. I’d like you to come with me to The Cayman Islands next week.”
Nicole actually laughed. She couldn’t help it—she thought it was one of the craziest things anyone had ever said to her. “Do women you’ve just met often agree to accompany you overseas?”
“Sure they do,” he said. “And I think you’ve got better reason than most to give me a chance.”
“What reason is that?”
He sat back and folded his hands over his stomach. “I’ve recently found out some disturbing information about Red Jameson. Information that could be very problematic for him if it was to be made public.”
“What kind of information?”
He sighed. “Information about his illegal activities. He could go to jail for it, possibly, and certainly public opinion would be very harsh if any of it were to come to light.”
“I don’t believe you. I don’t think Red did anything illegal.”
“Spouses rarely think the worst of their loved ones.”
“You’re going to threaten to release this information about Red if I don’t agree to go to the Caymans with you?” She shook her head in disbelief. “You’re even worse than I thought.”
Kane just looked at her. “I know you’ll be angry with me for awhile, but I feel confident we’ll get past it. And if you still hate me at the end of the trip, then…” he shrugged.
Nicole stood up. “I’m not going to even dignify this proposition with a response.”
“Nicole, don’t go,” he said.
She stopped and turned to look at him. “If you want to hurt Red, I can’t stop you by having sex with you. I’m sorry but I refuse to do that.”
Kane started to laugh. “Whoever said anything about sex?”
“I think inviting me on a trip to the Caymans is pretty much telling me you expect me to sleep with you.”
“You don’t know me, Nicole,” he said, still laughing. “Red must have truly traumatized you with his behavior if that’s what you think I’m indicating.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“I’m simply asking you to spend some time with me—a few days. Let’s get to know one another.”
“I’m still in love with Red.”
Kane’s smile died on his lips. Clearly, he was a man not accustomed to being told no. “He’s weak, Nicole. When things got difficult between the two of you, he ran away. What sort of man is that?”
“I can’t change how I feel,” she said.
“I don’t expect you to.”