The Dare Collection: July 2018. Nicola Marsh

social life had suffered a bit. He hadn’t cared—it was a nice change of pace—but he hoped it wouldn’t work against him now that he needed a favor. “I was hoping you could do a bit of a background check on a company I’m considering investing in. I’ve done the run-of-the-mill one, but the owner is being difficult and I need to know why.”

      “You mean they weren’t down on their knees in awe at your greatness?” Aaron’s amusement filtered through the line. “Color me shocked.”

      “You don’t have to rub it in. I missed a step, and I need to figure out where.”

      Aaron laughed. “You’ll have to give me a few minutes to get over my surprise that the vaunted Roman Bassani isn’t perfect.”

      “Asshole.”

      “Without a doubt.” Another laugh. “Give me the business name and I’ll see what I can do. It might take me a few days, but I’ll find the information you need.”

      “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

      “Yeah, well, I am charging you.”

      He grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything different.” He hung up after Aaron told him to expect the information via email. It wasn’t ideal, but he could wait through the long dial-up time to get it if that meant he had a leg to stand on with Allie.

      Allie.

      Roman sat back and scrubbed his hands over his face. It was time to deal with the fact that he’d fucked up. He might have fucked up badly enough that this account was lost...

      No.

      Damn it, no.

      She was doing good work, but that good work could be increased exponentially if she allowed his client to invest and do the equivalent of franchising Transcend. It was a brilliant business model—or it would be if she moved a few things around.

      Except she hadn’t taken his meetings or returned his calls, and now she was doubly determined to stay the hell away from him. Fuck me. He had to fix this, to do something to get her to stop long enough to listen to what he had to say.

      She was stubborn. She’d more than proved that. Well, it was too damn bad, because he could be a stubborn bastard, too.

      Roman checked his email, verified that the sky wasn’t falling back in New York and logged off. It was time to figure out a game plan to get moving again. They were trapped on this damn island together for the next six days, and he’d be damned before he let this opportunity pass because of one mistake.

      Though he’d be lying if he considered last night a mistake. He should have gotten her name immediately, but if he had, the night wouldn’t have happened. Having Allie in his bed... He stomped down on his body’s reaction to the memories that rolled through him, one after another. Her taste on his tongue. The feel of her generous hips in his hands. Her pussy clenching around his cock. The little smirk she gave him when she knew her saucy attitude was flat-out doing it for Roman.

      He’d give his left hand for a repeat. Get your priorities in order, asshole. She might be hotter than sin and amazing in bed and funny as fuck, but she’s still business.

      Roman couldn’t afford to forget that—or let the lines blur.

      * * *

      “Roman Bassani followed you here?”

      Allie adjusted her balance on the paddleboard and dipped her paddle into the water. “I already said that.” She glared at the gorgeous water. Stupid paradise, making her stupid. She knew better than to go home with a man whose name she didn’t even know. You didn’t go home with him, because neither of you are home right now.

       Not helping.

      “I just... That’s ballsy. Even for Roman.”

      She twisted so fast, she almost fell off the damn board. “You say his name like you know him.” Something resembling jealousy curled thorny vines through her stomach. She had no right to the feeling, and it made no rational sense, so she ignored it.

      “Well...I kind of do.” Becka shrugged. She wore a bikini so tiny, it must have taken an act of God to keep it in place. It was a bright neon green that managed to complement her equally bright blue hair. “Or we have one degree of separation, but I’ve met him once, I think. He was a friend of my sister—is a friend of my sister.” She shook her head. “You know the story, but yeah, he’s really good friends with her boyfriend and so they all hang out sometimes now. But I know him by reputation, at least, and he’s the best at what he does.”

      That was part of the problem—Allie wasn’t one hundred percent sure what he did do. He’d contacted her about investing in Transcend, but it quickly became clear he was a middleman for someone else and... She didn’t know. Trusting an investor was difficult enough without them hiding behind a third party. That extra distance didn’t bode well for her being able to maintain control of the gym and shelter if she signed on the dotted line. She’d come to West Island to escape real life for a little bit, and it’d followed her here despite her best efforts.

      And then she’d slept with it.

      She frowned. Way to make the metaphor weird, Allie. “It doesn’t matter. It was a mistake and I’m going to enjoy the rest of my damn vacation without worrying about him.” She was lying through her teeth, but she sent a look at her best friend, daring Becka to call her on it.

      Becka dipped her paddle into the water, moving farther away from the beach. “I don’t know, Allie. He’s one sexy golden god of a man. What would it hurt to bang him like a conga drum while you’re down here and go back to hating him when you get home?”

      “He’s Roman Bassani. He’s the enemy. I can’t just separate things like he apparently can.” Though he’d been just as shocked at her identity as she was at his. Allie knew that for a fact. The man might be a good actor, but no one was that good. She didn’t believe for a second that he’d tried to manipulate her through sex, but that didn’t mean she was about to roll over and offer herself and everything she’d worked so hard for to him just because he was beautiful and had an amazing cock and—

       Not helping.

      “What would a little hot and smoking sex hurt?”

      She splashed water at Becka. “It wouldn’t hurt, but the man already doesn’t take me seriously. If he thinks he can seduce me into seeing things his way, who’s to say he won’t do exactly that?”

      Becka sighed. “You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just so... This place. It makes everything sexier and less complicated, and even though vodka and I broke up, vodka would most definitely agree that it’s a good idea.”

      “Then it’s a good thing you and vodka broke up.” They reached the mouth of their little bay and paused, letting the paddleboards shift with the water. She lay back on the board and closed her eyes, willing the sun to soak in and chase away her tension. “It’s not fair. I am so damn furious that he pulled this shit, but my body hasn’t got the memo. He’s just so hot. It makes me crazy.” She was pretty sure she had the self-control to keep her hands off him going forward, but Allie wasn’t all that eager to put it to the test.

      “Yes...yes, he is.”

      There was something in her friend’s tone that made her open her eyes. Allie shot up to a sitting position. “Tell me that the sun has gone to my head and I’m hallucinating.”

      “If you are, we’re sharing the view.” Becka adjusted her kneeling position like she was going to war. “I can distract him if you want to make a break for it.”

      That ugly jealousy rose again, even though there’d been nothing resembling insinuation in her friend’s tone. Anyway, Allie had just said that she wanted nothing to do with him. She couldn’t have it both ways. And Becka was... Becka was a force of nature. Stop that right this second.