The Tycoon's Seductive Revenge Page 14

  The mayor and councilman huddled at the far end of the table watching the argument go back and forth like a tennis match. Uncle Russert looked beside himself, red in the face, trying to play mediator and failing.

  Carter stood with his back to her. His muscles were strained, bulging under his white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his stance wide and intimidating. In front of him, Bill Marquell stood like a human barrier, his cowboy hat drawn low, arms crossed over his protruding stomach. She glanced past Marquell’s shoulder and met the beady black eyes of Arnoff Applestone.

  Ellie froze. Horror crawled over her scalp and down her spine. As she stood there in shock, she assessed him. His body looked cockeyed, shoulders slumped over, face bruised and battered. He hugged his ribs with his arm in a cast.

  Gradually her terror faded. He was no more than a pathetic broken mess. He couldn’t hurt her now. Or ever again.

  From this point forward no man would tell her what to do. She was in control of her life, the hotel and her future.

  Carter threatened, “That man better get off this property, or I’ll throw him out again, and have him arrested for battery.”

  Marquell replied in his deep surly tone, “Wouldn’t do that, if I were you. Mr. Applestone, here, told me his side of the story. It’s his word against yours. Considering his physical condition I think he should file charges against you, boy.”

  Ellie cleared her throat. “Is there a problem?”

  The verbal lashing paused. Carter whipped around to face her. “I won’t let Arnoff near you,” he vowed, chest heaving.

  “It doesn’t matter now.” Calmly Ellie turned to Russert. “Has the auction started yet?”

  Releasing a woeful sigh, he said, “I tried, my dear, but these folks aren’t exactly cooperating.”

  “Good. Everyone can leave now—because there won’t be an auction.”

  Marquell glared at her. “It’s a sheriff’s auction, and being that I’m the sheriff, I say it’s on.”

  “Not if I rescind the offer. As of right now, the hotel is no longer up for sale.”

  “What?” Arnoff wheezed. “I’m here to buy this hotel and nothing’s gonna stop me.”

  “There’s nothing to buy,” she shot back. “It’s off the market.” She narrowed her eyes at him, tone dripping with sarcasm. “Sorry for your trouble.”

  Uncle Russert came to her side, adjusting his glasses. “Eleanor, you can’t afford to do this—”

  “I can now.” She whipped the faxed copy of the signed, dated agreement and proof of funds transferred. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming to the auction, but at this time the deal is closed.”

  Uncle Russert breathed a tremendous sigh of relief.

  Ellie slid her glance to Carter. He’d reined in his aggression. A ghost of a smile played on his lips, and his gray eyes sparkled.

  Then the shouting ensued again, this time the mayor and councilman adding their grievances. This time Carter remained surprisingly silent.

  Despite the wrath spewing, Ellie turned around and walked out. There was nothing more to say. A huge grin spread across her face. For the first time she felt powerful, confident, and totally in control of her own life.

  “Ellie.”

  She turned to find Carter strolling down the hall toward her. She tilted her head, gazing at him, trying not to let the love she felt rise to the surface. “Hey.”

  He jogged the remaining distance that separated them. When he reached her side, he shoved his hands in his pockets and they walked together to the common area. “Congratulations,” he said, sounding genuinely pleased for her.

  “Thanks. The timing working out perfectly. Neville sold my entire liquor collection to a single bidder. Now the hotel can stay in the Montgomery family legacy.”

  “That’s great.” No trace of resentment or wounded pride lingered in his tone.

  She was surprised by his relaxed attitude. “I think so.”

  “Feeling better after last night?”

  “Much.”

  Their stilted conversation bothered her. This wasn’t the reaction she’d expected from Carter. Actually, she didn’t know what she’d expected but she wanted to know why he was acting like a guy walking down the school hallway with his crush.

  “I’m glad,” he replied. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something further. “Look, Ellie—”

  “Carter, I—”

  They stopped in the archway where the hall opened up into the front desk and reception area. They exchanged awkward grins in silence, like they had back when they were teenagers and madly in love. It seemed the difficulties and distance separating them since his return had lessened. Emotion sizzled around them like an electric fence blocking out all distractions from the present and the past.

  Carter ran a hand through his hair. “The hotel is yours now. I think we should celebrate.”

  “Good idea, because I was about to ask you if you wanted to join me at the bar.”

  “Invitation accepted.”

  Neither of them moved. Ellie sensed something had changed within Carter. She read the difference in his posture, the way he leaned toward her, how he gazed at her. He hung on her every word as if everything she said was intensely fascinating. The signs were there.

  Had Carter fallen for her again, too?

  Unsure what to think, she told him, “Thank you for recommending I sell the crates from the cellar. I guess, in a way, you made all this possible.”

  He lifted his hand to stroke his index finger down her cheek. “Being here with you again made me realize how much I want you to be happy, regardless of my personal interests.”

  “Then, you’re not upset about the hotel?”

  Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged. “Hey, fate has its own idea of how things should be. Who am I to interfere?”

  “That’s...noble.”

  “It’s the right thing to do.”

  A nagging thought hovered in her mind. “If neither of us owes the other anything, then where do we stand?”

  “Good question.” His eyes darkened with emotion. “I guess I should start by asking you what you want.”

  “You’re actually brave enough to ask a woman that? I’m impressed,” she teased.

  Reaching out he set his hands on her waist and pulled her to him. Their noses touched before he lifted his head. “Are you going to leave me hanging?”

  Feelings welled up inside her. She was torn between caution and surrender. “I want to be with you, Carter. I want to give this another try. What we had...I’m starting to believe it only comes around once in a lifetime. Here we are again.” She sighed, wary as she asked, “Do you think we can make it work?”

  “I’ve been thinking about nothing else for the past twelve hours.”

  Her eyebrows drew together. “What changed in twelve hours?”

  Burying his fingers in her hair, he cupped her jaw and lifted her mouth to his. “This.”

  The kiss he delivered made fireworks go off inside her. Sparks, color, excitement, wonder. He parted her lips and dipped inside her mouth, feeding her his taste. He smelled like the beach and the sea breeze, sunlight and eternity.

  He dug his hands deeper into her hair as their affection intensified. Her twist came undone, the clip clattering to the floor, and her hair flowed down her back like a curtain over his fingers. He moaned, angling his mouth steeply over hers.

  Their moment together seemed to transcend space and time, even when distracting noise tried to pierce their bond. The people talking and shuffling around them sounded as if they were at the other end of a tunnel.

  Ellie vaguely heard Arnoff gasp and whine, “That should be my kiss. I saw her first!”

  Russert replied sternly, “Leave my niece alone. She deserves happiness wherever she finds it.”

  “Move it, Applebaum,” Bill Marquell said, followed by what sounded like a shove.

  “It’s Applestone.” Arnoff sulked as Bill escorted him away from Ellie and out
the hotel’s front door. The mayor and councilman mumbled low conversations to each other. Ellie couldn’t hear and didn’t care what they were saying.

  Carter wrapped his forearm around her waist, leaning deeper into the kiss. She rose up on tiptoe, circling her arms around his neck. Nothing could break their connection. Even when she heard footsteps approach and her uncle coughed. “Ah-hrm, could you take this somewhere more private?”

  Neither she nor Carter budged. They’d waited too long for this moment, for this chance to reclaim what they’d lost and found again. Footsteps faded away, until all fell silent around them except for the wind and rain pounding against the roof, rivaling the sound of her heart hammering in her chest.

  The emotion Carter poured into the kiss made her tingle from head to toe. Her heart ached with joy. She felt his devotion surrounding her, swirling inside her, filling her soul. She met his intensity, kissing him back with everything she had in her heart to give.

  But despite the depth of intimacy, Ellie sensed a shadow of hesitation from Carter. The same doubt lurked in the back of her mind, too.

  Eventually, he broke the kiss. He grinned, grabbed her hand and pulled her into the dining hall. “I bought something to celebrate your success.”

  When they reached the bar he pulled out a stool for her. Taking a seat she wondered why the tribute was singular. She gazed at him curiously. “My success?”

  “Sure, isn’t that worth celebrating?” He reached over the bar, pulled out a bottle of champagne that had been sitting over ice, and grabbed the two long-stemmed glasses beside it. As though he’d already prepared for this outcome.

  “What about our success? We’ve been through hell and back to get to a good place with each other.”

  “I think that’ll work itself out.” The hint of a frown settled between his eyebrows, but the crease smoothed away when he smiled. “This is a huge moment for you, Ellie.” He popped the cork. White foam frothed down the neck of the bottle. He filled their glasses half-way. “You have your dreams, everything you wanted. Cheers to you, baby.”

  She sent him a meaningful smile. “Well, not quite everything…but cheers.”

  At her response he looked away and took a sip of champagne. A shadow of disappointment passed over his features. She peered at him above the rim of her glass as she drank to their toast.

  No, it wasn’t disappointment, she thought. It was hesitation. Was there something he wasn’t telling her? Whatever it was, something didn’t feel right. She couldn’t pinpoint the source of her wariness, but her instincts triggered warning bells in her mind.

  Champagne bubbles tickled her nose and the carbonation made her eyes water as the liquid slid down her throat. She set her glass down. “Carter—”

  His cell phone buzzed. “Hang on a sec.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up. “My broker. Probably telling me the funds transferred.”

  As he thumb-typed a text in reply, her shoulders sank with the recognition that Carter had gone to so much trouble to pull his bid together at the last minute. All for nothing.

  True, he was toasting to her win, but if she knew anything about Carter, he was not the type to accept second place. When he pressed send, his phone went back to its home display. The screen had a blue background, and written across the center in bright yellow letters read, Beachfront Properties, Inc.

  Ellie sat up straight. Where had she seen that name before?

  Carter hit the lock button. The screen went black. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and reached for his champagne.

  Suddenly, the truth smacked her upside the head. Oh, my God. The fax from Neville, her broker—the funds had transferred from an account belonging to Beachfront Properties, Inc.

  Reeling, she set her glass down in disbelief. “Carter, that’s your company. Beachfront Properties.”

  He nodded. “For the past ten years.”

  As the connections started falling into place she experienced a whirlwind of emotional fallout that left her disoriented, baffled. “That’s where my funds transferred from. Neville faxed me the confirmation this morning, and your company’s name was at the bottom.”

  Carter froze with the glass halfway to his mouth. His pupils dilated a fraction. “Must be a mistake.”

  Ellie scooted her stool back and stood. “A mistake? That’s a load of crap, Carter, and you know it. You were behind this,” she hissed, emotions writhing inside her.

  “Honey, take a step back for a minute—”

  “You manipulated everything from the start.”

  Gripping the edge of the bar he pivoted to face her. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t plan for things to go down like this.”

  “I’m right.” Disgust built at the back of her throat. “You had an agenda the second you set foot on the island. You still do, despite everything we’ve been through this week.”

  A muscle rippled in his jaw. “And you didn’t have an agenda when we were screwing each other’s brains out in the lighthouse? You went from frigid to on-fire in less than a day. You’re saying you were innocent that whole time?”

  “I was acting out of self-preservation. You were motivated by...what, Carter?” She ticked off his sins on her fingers. “Lust? Revenge? Getting me back for how I shut you out years ago?”

  “Something like that,” he retorted. Then, rubbing his forehead, he lightened his tone. “Look, maybe I didn’t have the best of intentions at first. I admit that. I’m sorry, Ellie. Okay? I realized my mistake and I tried to make it right.”

  “By treating me like a possession you wanted to own? And then handing me money secretly like some pathetic charity case?”

  He reached for her arm. “Ellie, calm down.”

  “I have every right to be furious!” She knocked his hand from her shoulder. “I’m sick of you—and every other man I’ve known—thinking you can bulldoze through my life. You tear down whatever stands in your way and then leave me to deal with the wreckage.”

  He vowed, “I want to make it right.”

  “How?” Her cheeks burned with rage. “How did you think you could make all your manipulations disappear? I would’ve found out, Carter. Sooner or later.”

  Anger glittered in his gaze. “At least I came back. That’s more than you ever did for me.”

  “Now we’re stuck in the past again.” Her hands flew to her hips. “What you didn’t know, back then, was that my father threatened to revoke my inheritance if I went with you.”

  “Would that have been the worst thing in the world? Obviously, I succeeded. Here I am, handing you millionaires. But you didn’t trust me to take care of you.”

  “That’s not true.” Her voice trembled with sincerity. “I wanted to be with you, I trusted you. But Daddy threatened to ruin you, swearing he’d destroy any career you pursued if I left with you that night. I told you what you needed to hear to protect you, Carter.”

  His cheeks hollowed against his tight jaw. “So you’re the hero in all this. Is that what you’re trying to sell me?” He crossed his arms. “Not buying it, sweetheart. You’ve stayed on your small island, in your small life, devoted to small dreams because you’ve never taken a chance on anything bigger.”

  Her eyes flashed. “How dare you judge the worth of my dreams?”

  He spread his arms to encompass the room. “Is this really your dream? To own this crumbling heap that’s become your obsession? Can you separate yourself from it, Ellie? Do you even recognize that this hotel is not you ?”

  “It’s a part of me,” she defended.

  “Sorry, but I can’t love a hotel. I can’t build a relationship or create a future with a building as haunted as this one.” He stood looking ready to bolt.

  “Leaving so soon?” she huffed. “I’m not surprised. When the going gets tough, you take off.”

  “Then come with me, Ellie. This is my final invitation.”

  “You’re so damn good at ultimatums, aren’t you? No compromise. No discussion. You call the
shots and expect me to follow.” She shook her head, hurt and frustrated. “It seems some things never change.”

  “And once again, you reject my offer.” He turned his back, shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away. “You’re right, Ellie. Some things never change.”

  Body humming with adrenaline from their fight, and with plenty more to say, she demanded, “Where are you going?”

  “To finish packing,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Before your hotel and your curse drag me down with you.”

  The double-doors slammed behind him. Ellie winced, feeling the impact in her bones. That only made her more determined to shut him out of her life, her memories, and her soul.

  “I hope I never see you again!” Her voice bounced off the exposed beams high above.

  Then the reality of that statement set in. I’ll never see Carter again .

  Every second they’d shared swamped her mind like a muddy deluge sucking her in and holding her captive. Moments of time trickled through the hourglass of her mind. The day he rescued her from the ocean, their first kiss, the night they weathered the storm in the attic and made love until dawn. The day her father warned her about Carter, Daddy’s vicious threats, and how he cruelly used her mother’s memory to bring her to her knees. Then later that night on the dock, the boat ready in the water, Carter on the weathered planks waiting for her. The way the rain soaked them through. The way her heart broke as she strung together fabrications, convincing Carter that he meant nothing to her, while she died a little more inside with each lie. Watching the love of her life jet away in the speedboat, while she shook and sobbed alone, believing she’d never see him again.

  Then, suddenly, the unexpected. Carter had returned—was it only six days ago?—revenge blazing in his eyes. That fire had turned to passion with her in the lighthouse, and Carter had followed her into a burning building to save her life. He’d stood up to Marquell to ensure her freedom. He’d made an anonymous bid to save her dream. And he’d admitted to the trail of manipulation that had guided his actions at the beginning.