this. If they are doing the work, you don’t have to, that means you and I can spend a bit more time together. You know… getting to know each other… working out an evil plan against the Waylands.”
I laughed. “Ethan, okay, you’ve kind of put me in a position. If I allow you to do the work, I feel obligated to you. If I don’t I look ungrateful. Either way I don’t win.”
“I didn’t know this was a competition?”
“You know what I mean. We barely know each other.”
“And?”
“You were in love with my sister. OK, I look like her. Nothing I can do there. But you don’t know me.”
“I know. That’s why I said I would take you out. If you’d let me.”
I rubbed my face hard with my hands. How was I meant to get through to him? Urgh.
“Listen. Spend the week hanging out with me. Just one week. Let these guys do the work. If you are really, really, adamant that you want to pay for it, I will give you the best discount. You owe, a few bucks.”
I chuckled. “A few bucks?”
“Two. That way you have paid me. I don’t need the money but at least you feel you have given something.”
I paced back and forward feeling the weight of the position I was in. It wasn’t that he was gross. I mean, god, he was without a doubt, easy on the eyes. There were very few men that could make me feel that weird feeling you get in your gut when you see a guy that is drop-dead gorgeous but he was one of them. But he was a Wayland. Okay, I didn’t have any issue with him being one, but still, his family was under the microscope. There was very little that got by the media. How he and his brother had managed to stay out of the spotlight was beyond me.
“Look, if you want I’ll draw up some papers. You know so it’s all legit. You only pay me a hundred dollars, let’s say, for the work to be done. I get your place up to scratch. Within a week you can start advertising and getting people in here. Believe me, you won’t have issues finding people who want to vacation here. All of our cottages are full all through the year. Within a matter of a few months you will be pleased you came here. I promise you. Of course not just because you’ll have a thriving business but because you will have fallen in love with me.”
I laughed. I really didn’t have the funds in my bank account to pay for any extensive repairs. I guess he wasn’t giving it to me for free. I would be paying him, just a lot less. And I would get the chance to know more about the island and him.
“You really are that confident.”
“I like to think so. Confidence isn’t a bad thing, is it?”
“There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance.”
“You think I’m arrogant?”
“No, I’m just saying… you know.”
“Actually in fact, let’s do this. Spend a week with me and you pay nothing, plus I will give you the two cottages. Then even if you do sell off the properties at the end of the year, you will have more than enough to retire.”
My eyes widened.
“Mrs. Arnet’s?”
“Yep.”
“You must be out of your mind.”
“Maybe. So?”
I shifted from one foot to the next. But the whole deal with getting the two cottages? Now that was an enticing deal. My brain started spinning. He was right. I could ride out a year in paradise, then if it really wasn’t for me, I could sell all the cottages and retire. That was a deal I couldn’t pass up.
“Sure. We have a deal but I want to see it in writing.”
“You got it. I think you’re going to like this.”
He extended his hand and I shook it, feeling a twinge of excitement inside.
“Well, you ready to go for breakfast?”
My eyebrows rose. “Oh, you want to go now?”
“We only have a week, Ms. Fields. And I’m determined to wow you. But I have to tell you. There are a few things about me that might throw you off.”
“Like?”
“We’ll get to that. I don’t want to freak you out too soon.”
I chuckled, and frowned.
“Give me a second and I’ll meet
I laughed. “Ethan, okay, you’ve kind of put me in a position. If I allow you to do the work, I feel obligated to you. If I don’t I look ungrateful. Either way I don’t win.”
“I didn’t know this was a competition?”
“You know what I mean. We barely know each other.”
“And?”
“You were in love with my sister. OK, I look like her. Nothing I can do there. But you don’t know me.”
“I know. That’s why I said I would take you out. If you’d let me.”
I rubbed my face hard with my hands. How was I meant to get through to him? Urgh.
“Listen. Spend the week hanging out with me. Just one week. Let these guys do the work. If you are really, really, adamant that you want to pay for it, I will give you the best discount. You owe, a few bucks.”
I chuckled. “A few bucks?”
“Two. That way you have paid me. I don’t need the money but at least you feel you have given something.”
I paced back and forward feeling the weight of the position I was in. It wasn’t that he was gross. I mean, god, he was without a doubt, easy on the eyes. There were very few men that could make me feel that weird feeling you get in your gut when you see a guy that is drop-dead gorgeous but he was one of them. But he was a Wayland. Okay, I didn’t have any issue with him being one, but still, his family was under the microscope. There was very little that got by the media. How he and his brother had managed to stay out of the spotlight was beyond me.
“Look, if you want I’ll draw up some papers. You know so it’s all legit. You only pay me a hundred dollars, let’s say, for the work to be done. I get your place up to scratch. Within a week you can start advertising and getting people in here. Believe me, you won’t have issues finding people who want to vacation here. All of our cottages are full all through the year. Within a matter of a few months you will be pleased you came here. I promise you. Of course not just because you’ll have a thriving business but because you will have fallen in love with me.”
I laughed. I really didn’t have the funds in my bank account to pay for any extensive repairs. I guess he wasn’t giving it to me for free. I would be paying him, just a lot less. And I would get the chance to know more about the island and him.
“You really are that confident.”
“I like to think so. Confidence isn’t a bad thing, is it?”
“There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance.”
“You think I’m arrogant?”
“No, I’m just saying… you know.”
“Actually in fact, let’s do this. Spend a week with me and you pay nothing, plus I will give you the two cottages. Then even if you do sell off the properties at the end of the year, you will have more than enough to retire.”
My eyes widened.
“Mrs. Arnet’s?”
“Yep.”
“You must be out of your mind.”
“Maybe. So?”
I shifted from one foot to the next. But the whole deal with getting the two cottages? Now that was an enticing deal. My brain started spinning. He was right. I could ride out a year in paradise, then if it really wasn’t for me, I could sell all the cottages and retire. That was a deal I couldn’t pass up.
“Sure. We have a deal but I want to see it in writing.”
“You got it. I think you’re going to like this.”
He extended his hand and I shook it, feeling a twinge of excitement inside.
“Well, you ready to go for breakfast?”
My eyebrows rose. “Oh, you want to go now?”
“We only have a week, Ms. Fields. And I’m determined to wow you. But I have to tell you. There are a few things about me that might throw you off.”
“Like?”
“We’ll get to that. I don’t want to freak you out too soon.”
I chuckled, and frowned.
“Give me a second and I’ll meet
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