Their Festive Island Escape. Nina Singh

the tray aside. He suspected the latter. Not that he could really blame her if she had.

      “And hello to you too, Alex,” he answered his partner without looking away from the screen he hadn’t really been focusing on.

      “Did you hear what I said, man?”

      He nodded. “It appears I’m being summoned by one of the guests, is that it?”

      Alex smiled at him. “You wanted to be hands-on, did you not? She’s asking for you specifically.”

      Wasn’t it enough that he’d been commandeered into playing Santa this morning when the actor originally hired to play the part had called in sick? The entertainment manager had run to him in a panic. No one else was available to do it. And the resort had announced the event weeks in advance. In the end it was easier just to don the suit and get the whole fiasco over with.

      Only he’d come face-to-face with a woman he hadn’t ever expected to see again.

      Now he apparently had to go smooth the ruffles of a guest who no doubt felt slighted somehow or was trying to finagle a room upgrade.

      “I tried to take care of it myself. Explained to her that I was co-owner of the resort. But like I said, the guest insists on seeing you specifically.”

      Reid sighed and stood. The guest in question had to be one of those checking in this morning who he’d greeted. Apparently, they’d taken it to heart when he’d said that he’d personally see to any detail regarding their stay that they weren’t completely happy with. Though why Alex hadn’t just taken care of it by partially crediting the guest or explaining that they were at full capacity and had no upgrade to give out was lost on him.

      Again, it was probably best to simply go get it over with. It was just clearly going to be one of those days.

      Celeste shook her head and tried to blink away the image she was sure she had to be imagining. But when she opened her eyes again, the unwanted vision stood clear as day in front of her still.

      This couldn’t be happening. “You’re the nasty Santa?”

      Her words came out harsher and louder than she’d intended. Every eye currently in the concierge lounge turned to stare at her. She distinctly heard a giggle of feminine laughter from behind her somewhere.

      To his credit, Reid Evanson looked as shocked as she was at the unexpected turn. Suddenly, the events of the morning seemed to make much more sense. She definitely hadn’t been imagining the waves of dislike emanating from the man playing jolly ol’ St. Nick.

      Well, the feeling went both ways.

      “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

      He thrust his hands into his pockets before answering. “You’re the one who asked for me.”

      He was being deliberately obtuse. Celeste tried to summon some semblance of calm. It didn’t help that the gentleman she’d spoken to earlier was shifting his amused gaze from one of them to the other. None of this was the least bit amusing.

      “I mean, what are you doing here on this resort?”

      “You two know each other?” the other man wanted to know.

      “We were acquainted once,” Reid answered briefly.

      Despite herself, she found herself studying him. He’d aged well. Clean shaven before, he currently sported a close-cropped beard slightly darker than the sandy blond hair on his head. He wore said hair longer, nearly touching his shoulders. Instead of the Santa suit from earlier, he now wore a formfitting T-shirt tucked into pleated khaki pants. It all showed off the physique of a man who clearly took care of himself. Had he always been so muscular?

      “Why did you ask for me?” Reid wanted to know.

      “I didn’t. I asked to see Santa Claus.” This time, the person behind her didn’t even bother to try to hide her laughter. Heaven help her, she knew how ridiculous she sounded. She had half a mind to let out a giggle herself.

      Without another word, he stepped around the long, highly polished counter and gently took her by the elbow.

      “Let’s discuss all this in my office.”

      His office? The room he led her to, if it held human emotions, would have no doubt been insulted to be referred to as such. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooked a scenic beach with a majestic view of the crystal-blue ocean into the horizon. Plush carpeting had her feet sinking in her flip-flops. A grand desk with three large monitors sat in the center of it all.

      “You run the resort,” she commented as he shut the door behind him.

      “I own it. Along with my partner, Alex Wiliston. “He was the gentleman you were speaking with earlier.”

      The pieces started to fall into place. She remembered now that Reid came from a wealthy family of hoteliers. Though the family business had suffered some losses recently, Reid had taken the helm from his father and turned things around. Last she’d heard, Evanson Properties had not only returned to a profitable enterprise, the company had expanded, all thanks to the prodigal son.

      “You decided to expand into the resort business, I take it,” Celeste said.

      Something flickered behind his eyes. He gave a small nod before answering. “The Caribbean specifically.”

      “I see. But earlier this morning…when I saw you…” Now she was just rambling.

      “Just filling in for an employee who couldn’t make it at the last minute.”

      “I see,” she repeated uselessly.

      Suddenly, it was all too much. Far from fleeing her unpleasant associations with the holiday as it related to her failed relationship, she’d somehow ended up face-to-face with someone who’d played a major role in the whole fiasco.

      Reid had been her ex-fiancé’s best man. And she knew he’d never thought her good enough for his buddy.

      “Can I get you something to drink?” Reid asked, for lack of anything better to say. How exactly did one proceed with this conversation? The scenario was so completely unexpected in so many myriad ways.

      She shook her head. “No. Thank you. I just had some coffee and a mimosa to wash down several pastries.” She took in a shaky breath. “But I’m guessing you already know that. Seeing as you were probably behind the delivery to my room.”

      “I was. Did you enjoy them?”

      Her eyes grew wide. “Are we really doing this?”

      “Doing what?”

      “Pretending I’m just another one of your regular guests?”

      The feeling of guilt from earlier blossomed once again in Reid’s chest. Celeste was indeed his guest. A paying customer. He hadn’t meant to come off as boorish as he had out on the beach. But he’d just been so thoroughly disconcerted at seeing her again after all this time. If he was being honest with himself, he’d imagined encountering Celeste Frajedi more than a few times over the years. Not that he’d ever been able to explain to himself exactly why that was so. He had no reason to be thinking of her at all.

      “But that’s exactly what you are,” he answered. “An appreciated guest. Hence, my desire to apologize for my behavior earlier. I hope the gesture served as an adequate apology. I should never have let…our history, so to speak…affect in any way how I treat a guest at my establishment. There’s no excuse for my having done so,” he added with complete sincerity. He really didn’t have any kind of excuse. Not even considering the morning he’d had. On top of the missing Santa and the shock of seeing Celeste again, he’d started the day with another aggravating,