A Proposal Worth Millions. Sophie Pembroke

in projects less plagued by tragedy and uncertainty.

      ‘Yes. So we opened anyway, to try and get enough funds to keep going. But at least one of the floors is uninhabitable as it stands, so occupancy is never very high.’

      ‘What about the outside space?’ That had to be a selling point in a climate like this.

      ‘The outside pool needs retiling and the path down to the beach needs some work. Fortunately the inside pool is attached to the spa, so got done in the first wave, before...’ She trailed off, and he knew exactly what she wasn’t saying. Some days, he thought that if he didn’t say it, it might not be true, too.

      ‘There’s a lot left to do,’ he finished for her, cutting short the moment.

      ‘That’s why we need your money.’

      His fork hit china and he looked down to see he’d eaten the whole bowl without tasting anything beyond that first delicious mouthful. What a waste. He put his cutlery down. ‘Dinner would be worth investing in alone. That was truly delicious.’

      She blushed, just a little. ‘I’m glad you enjoyed it. Somehow I suspect one meal isn’t quite enough to win over your shareholders, though.’

      ‘Maybe not. Okay, listen. I’m going to tell you a bit about my company, and you can decide if you want us involved. If you do...then we can discuss what else I need to see and do, what questions I need answered, before I can take a proposal to the board.’ She’d been straight with him, as far as he could tell. Time for him to do the same.

      ‘Okay.’ Eyes wide, her nerves were back, he realised, pleased to still be able to read her so well.

      ‘My company isn’t generally interested in long-term investment. Mostly what we do is take on a failing business, tear it down or build it up until it’s successful, then sell it on.’

      ‘In that case, I’d think the Azure would be perfect. We have “failing business” written all over us.’ She reached for her wine—a local red, he assumed—and took a gulp.

      ‘The key is, the business has to have the potential to be a huge success,’ he clarified. ‘In the right hands.’

      ‘Yours, you mean.’ She sounded more sceptical than Dylan felt was truly necessary.

      ‘Or whoever we put in charge. In this case...we’d need to be sure that you could turn this place around on your own, with just money and guidance from us.’ Make it clear upfront that he wouldn’t be staying around—not that he imagined she wanted him to.

      ‘I see.’ This time her tone gave nothing away at all, and he found himself talking just to fill the silence that followed.

      ‘Unless, of course, you’re in favour of taking a bulldozer to the place, putting someone else in charge of the rebuild and taking a back seat until the money starts rolling in?’ He knew she wouldn’t say yes, but part of him couldn’t help but hope she would. It would be the easy way out—but since when had Sadie ever taken that?

      She shook her head. ‘Sorry. This is personal for me. I made a commitment to make this hotel a success. For Adem.’

      ‘I guessed you’d say that. Don’t suppose you’d consider changing the name either?’

      ‘No,’ she said, giving him a curious look. ‘Why? What’s wrong with the name it has?’

      ‘No reason.’ She stared and waited. He sighed. He should have known that wasn’t a good enough answer for her. ‘I had a bad experience at an Azure Hotel once.’

      Her wide grin made the admission worthwhile. ‘Let me guess. Some woman’s poor husband showed up at the wrong moment?’

      Of course that’s what she would think. And, really, who could blame her? ‘You know me.’ But not all his secrets—which was probably for the best. For both of them.

      ‘Okay, so if we’re not going to knock this place down, what do I need to show you to convince you we’re worth your time, money and effort?’

      Honestly, he could probably make the decision based purely on the numbers. But that would have him flying back to Sydney tomorrow, instead of spending time with Sadie. He had to give her a real chance to convince him.

      ‘Here’s my proposal. I want a proper tour of the hotel. Then I need to see the local area—get a feel for the economy and tourist potential. Numbers are all well and good, but you need to visit a place to get a real feeling for it.’ All true, up to a point. ‘Then we’ll sit down together and see if I can help you save this place.’

      She nodded. ‘Okay. Do you want me to set you up with the local tour company we use?’

      Where would be the fun in that? ‘No. I think this will work much better if you show me yourself.’ Not to mention give him a clearer idea of how Sadie was really coping after her husband’s death. Multitasking was the key to any successful business, after all.

      Sadie nodded her agreement, and Dylan sat back to anticipate dessert, hoping his smile wasn’t too smug. Everything was going to plan.

      * * *

      After a restless night, full of dreams that were half memory, half fantasy, Sadie met Dylan in the lobby the next morning, dressed in her best black suit and determined to impress with her business skills. His proposal had been more than fair. Neal must have told him what dire straits they were in at the Azure, but still Dylan had agreed to spend time on the ground, studying and evaluating everything himself, before he made his decision.

      Sadie suspected that had more to do with friendship than good business sense. Still, he’d made it very clear over dinner what he needed from her—professionalism—and she intended to give it to him in spades.

      Except Dylan, when he arrived, was dressed in light trousers and a pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, sunglasses tucked in his pocket, making her feel instantly overdressed—even though she was the one who was appropriately attired. How does he always manage that?

      ‘Right, let’s get going,’ he said, as he approached. ‘Lots to see today!’

      ‘Before we start our tour,’ she said, stalling him, ‘I realised there was something I forgot to show you yesterday, and I’d hate you to miss it.’

      Striding across the lobby, she led him to the windows at the far side of the elevators. Dylan wasn’t the sort to stop and sniff the roses, unless someone reminded him to, and she couldn’t have him missing the most magnificent thing about the Azure, just because he forgot to look.

      ‘Oh, really? What’s that?’ Dylan asked, following, his eyes on the screen of his smartphone.

      ‘Our view.’ Sadie stared out across the bright blue waters, the sea almost the same colour as the sky, white foam echoing the wispy clouds overhead. They were high enough to see for miles, out along the coast and out to sea. Her heart tightened the way it always did when she looked out over the water and coast beyond the Azure. Whatever had happened here, she was lucky to have had the chance to live in such a beautiful country. She had to remember that.

      ‘There’s a path from the back door that leads straight down to the beach,’ she murmured, but Dylan’s eyes remained fixed on the view, just as she’d known they would.

      It was this view that Adem had used to convince her, back when buying a crumbling hotel had just been a pipe dream.

      Look at it, he’d said. Who wouldn’t want to be here?

      And in that moment she hadn’t been able to imagine anywhere she’d rather be than in the Azure Hotel, making Adem’s dreams a reality.

      Dylan looked similarly entranced, his phone forgotten in his hand. Sadie allowed herself a small smile. Perhaps this would be easier than she’d thought.

      ‘Of course, the view would still be there, even if you knocked this old place down and rebuilt it,’ he said,