Rivals in Paradise by Gwyneth Bolton

you want to spend your time in Dahinda.”
    Yes, it’s best to leave that alone. Good move, dude, good move!
    â€œI just want to have fun. I want to do some touristy things, but I also want to see as much of the island as possible. And I’d love to see the places where thepeople of Dahinda actually hang out, places off the beaten path.”
    â€œI think I can handle that.” That sexy glint came back into his eyes, and his smile took on that predator’s gleam.
    Uh-oh. Back away from The Wolf, for your own safety. Back away from The Wolf.
    â€œHonestly, Chase, you don’t have to. I know you’re here visiting family. So I would totally understand if you couldn’t follow through—”
    â€œOh, make no mistake, I always follow through, and there isn’t anything that could keep me away from my promise to show you around. I want to do this very much.”
    The steaming sincerity in his eyes accelerated her heartbeat until it sounded like a wild herd stampeding in her eardrums. She couldn’t think of a response even if her mouth had been working well enough to form words.
    She cleared her throat, needing to somehow shift the mood from this glowing nice-vibe that was starting to develop between them. “So, I’ve been hearing lots of buzz about you through the years, lots of corporate takeovers, forced mergers, raiding and moneymaking. Very impressive, Yearwood.”
    There, she’d said it!
    The last thing she wanted to do was give Mr. Very Big Ego another reason to have a swelled head. Buthis career was impressive, and she envied it like nobody’s business. That’s why losing the promotion stung so much. She wanted to play with the big boys like Chase, and had essentially been told, no, stay in your lane, little girl.
    Chase squinted and eyed her for a moment before responding. “Thanks. I had no idea that you’d kept up with my career.”
    Big. Ego. Indeed. “I wasn’t keeping up with your career or anything like that. I just noticed a couple of articles every now and then and thought I’d make small talk since we’re on the plane for three hours. No need to go getting the big head, Chase.”
    He gave her one of his trademark sexy grins then, and she felt her insides quiver.
    â€œOh, in that case, thanks. What about you? You’re in finance, right? What do you do? Are you moving and shaking like you did in undergrad?”
    She swallowed. It was like every school reunion nightmare she’d ever had rolled into one. She was the loser who had peaked in college, forced to face Mr. Most Successful.
    No. Way.
    â€œYes, I work in finance, but I’m on vacation now. The last thing I want to talk about is work. So, if you’re going to hang with me at all this week, that’s the first rule. No talking about work while we’re on vacation.”
    â€œSounds fine with me. No talking about work.” He held out his hand and she shook it.
    An oh-so-pleasing electric charge coursed from her hand through her body again, and she felt her eyes flutter.
    She looked him in the eye and she could tell that he felt the electric charge, too. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw was tight, as if he was trying to fight the feeling. She sighed in relief. As long as they both decided to resist whatever the attraction was between them, then things should be okay.
    God forbid either one of them would decide to let go and give in to the heat.

Chapter 4
    Okay, now how exactly did I wind up letting Chase talk me into taking a ride to my hotel in his rental instead of taking a cab?
    The convertible sports car let the island breeze in to tousle her hair. On a regular day, a sister would have been a tad bit upset about messing up the do . But there was something about the company and general feel of the moment that made Cicely think it was okay to sacrifice the roller set she’d gotten a couple of days ago.
    Glancing around, she noted