Seducing Avery (12 page)

His posture tensed ever so slightly, but Avery was the only one who knew him well enough to recognize it. Not only were they
not
standing up for her, they tossed their hair and shifted their weight as they spoke to him, which meant they were flirting.

Avery couldn’t face them or Ryker or anyone else for that matter. In fact, she felt sick.

A walk and some fresh air was all she needed to feel better. She had a busy day ahead, and the last thing she needed would be to start the day off by vomiting or fainting.

Avery strolled along the beach and couldn’t help herself but to think about how much she’d miss the place. Strangely, this felt like home to her now, only some kind of home she’d never known before. Or maybe it was the knowledge everything she saw belonged to Ryker.

None of it mattered now. Looking out onto gorgeous surf like this would have anyone going weak-kneed.

When she’d taken enough air into her lungs, basked in the warmth of the sunshine, and breathed in enough of the scent of salty cinnamon into her soul, she slowly turned and made her way back to the villa. It would be teeming with people by now, and she still had a hell of a lot of work to do. The time had come to roll up her sleeves and dig in, which was normally the fun part. Where she got to see all her hard work and planning pay off.

So why did she feel so empty?

This day would be over soon. She would happily collect her check and leave. Okay, not happily. More like miserably.

Money spent the same whether it came through smiles or tears.

She managed to avoid seeing anyone on her way back to the villa. A tiny piece of her heart wondered if Ryker was avoiding her. Maybe he was on the beach with some random blonde already.
Don’t go there.

Besides, that wasn’t exactly fair. She was the one who’d pushed him away.
Push or be pushed
.

She asked around and found out that Mother and Bits were staying in the last room on the South wing. They’d disappeared from the party, so Avery could only assume they were freshening up. She moved down the hall, careful not to run into anyone, and especially not Ryker. Even if her heart betrayed from the inside out and her chest ached from his absence.

Alexandria opened the door. She frowned when she saw Avery. “What has he done to you?”

“Me? I’m fine.”

“You’re not, and I can see it.” Alexandria pulled Avery inside the room and into an uncomfortable hug. Bits sat like a fixture in front of a mirror. She barely glanced up when she smiled that infuriating smile, the one that said
poor Avery
, and got right back to work on her own face.

“Oh, but I am. This party will be over in a few hours, a job well done, and I’ll happily be on a plane home by morning,” she lied. Avery had some satisfaction in Ryker’s pinched expression when he’d been speaking to her family earlier.

“Shame on him for—”

“What?” Avery fired back. But then suddenly realized they thought he got what he wanted, and then dumped her right before the party.

Had he?

Impossible. Avery had been the one to walk away.
Hadn’t she?
Her emotions were so out of control it was harder and harder to remember correctly. Maybe he had given her that awful look just to push her away. Maybe he’d invited someone more
appropriate
. Maybe he’d regretted inviting her.

“He asked me to be his date, but I refused.” Why did she feel the need to clarify this point with Alexandria and Bits?

An exchanged look between them followed by a smirk said all Avery needed to know about what they thought. She didn’t need to stick around and be subject to this anymore.

Hell, no.
She had work to do.

“I wanted to check in with you two. No behaving badly. This is work for me. My professional reputation is on the line, and I will not forgive you if you screw that up. Now, that being said, enjoy yourselves.”
Although that last part didn’t really need saying, now did it?

“You’re always putting up a brave front, but I know you’re hurting. I can see it,” Alexandria said.

The genuineness in her mother’s tone caught Avery off guard. “Fine. Really. I’d better get back to work, though.” She was a little more than unsettled about the prospect of leaving the island. Having two familiar faces there wasn’t the worst thing to happen.

The melancholy mood carried her toward the kitchen. She needed to check a few things there before making her way back to the room to dress for the party. She had no idea what to wear now that she’d ripped her only glittery cocktail dress.

Maybe a dark suit?

Didn’t matter. As long as she looked professional and pulled off a fabulous party, she could leave things neat and clean. Her heart might disagree with the leaving clean part, but it would heal eventually.

Wouldn’t it?

Chapter Eleven

Avery hid in the kitchen as long as she could before Kyle threatened to kick her out himself if he had to. “Go to the party,” he insisted.

What she wanted was a hot bath, a glass of wine, and a good night of sleep, if that were even possible. Probably not. At least about the sleeping part. She was sure she’d dream about Ryker if she closed her eyes for more than a minute.

The preliminary cocktails had been downed in the receiving room, and it was time to move the party outside. The few times she’d poked her head out of the kitchen she’d seen elated party guests flirting and laughing. So far, so good.

Her heart—that was another story altogether. But she didn’t want to focus on that right now. Better to look toward her accomplishments rather than wallow in her losses. She checked outside one more time just to make sure everything was perfect. Oh, God. The place dazzled.
A thousand bright lights under the stars
. What a theme. And the cocktail dresses would give precisely the affect she’d hoped for. They would glitter as brilliantly as a sea of diamonds. Perfect.

Avery had managed to avoid bumping into Ryker so far, and she told herself she didn’t care that he didn’t seem to be looking for her either. That it was somehow better this way. She had to prepare herself for seeing him with another woman out on the dance floor or at the bar anyway. Ryker Li wouldn’t stand alone in a crowd for long. She checked for him in the receiving room one last time before heading up.

There he stood, near the bar.

Flanked by men in suits, Ryker’s presence practically dwarfed them. His posture was tense, his eyes focused forward. Whatever the conversation was, he didn’t look happy about it. At least Avery knew where he was.

She slipped up the stairs and into his bedroom, where he’d had her clothes moved days ago. There on the bed sat an opened and rather large white box with a note on top that read, “I’m sorry.”

Inside the box was something beautiful. A dress. She couldn’t help herself but to put it on.

It was long and flowing in a peachy-chiffon texture. Spaghetti straps on top with an open back that dropped into a perfect V down her back. There were no sparkly gems or fancy beading. But a braid of fabric ran vertically just below the breast line. Little actual skin could be seen, and yet it was a sensuous gown.

The dress wasn’t like any of the glittery cocktail dresses on the gorgeous women downstairs, but Avery felt beautiful in it. And more importantly, she felt like herself. She slipped on the jeweled sandals at the bottom of the box and gave herself a moment in front of the mirror. It was perfect. She was stunning.

After running a brush through her wavy locks, she strolled into the kitchen, looking for Kyle, needing to steel her nerves before she led the guests outside.

As soon as Kyle looked up, she spun herself around. “What do you think?”

“Oh, Bejesus. Careful. You’ll give an old man a heart attack in that dress,” he said clutching at his chest and grinning his devilish outback best.

“You’re not old. And you’re being kind.”

He stared at her for a long thoughtful moment. Then he shook his head. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“Nothing, then. Never mind. You’re beautiful, by the way. Really beautiful. Not like those others out there.”

“You’re biased now that we’re friends.”

“True. Doesn’t make what I said any less true, though. Go and have a good time, then. Off with you.”

Avery turned but lingered at the door. “He hasn’t been back here looking for me, has he?”

“Haven’t seen him.”

Avery took a deep breath and steadied her nerves before facing the crowd on the other side of the door. Shoulders straight, she walked into the reception area smiling as heads turned in her direction. And many heads turned. Looked like a few jaws dropped, too. Avery preened. She felt like the most beautiful woman in the room. From out of the corner of her eye, she also caught Ryker watching her. His expression tense, he didn’t seem to be enjoying the other eyes on her.

When she made it to the terrace doors, she turned and said, “If I may have everyone’s attention, we will continue the party under the light of a thousand stars.”

She opened the doors and ushered guests outside, smiling at each one as they passed. More than one man stumbled through the door while looking back at her.

Avery smiled graciously. She felt every bit as beautiful and unique as the dress she wore. The attention she received had surprisingly little to do with the confidence she felt. Because at the end of the day, she found she cared a hell of a lot more about how
she
felt about herself than what others thought. And she felt beautiful.

As the guests spread out and made their way downstairs to other alcoves, Avery moved to the bar and ordered a drink. A short thin man with spiky hair and impeccable clothes came up beside her. He was attractive in a very different sense that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Very fashionable. He eyed her in a way that made her feel a little self-conscious. It wasn’t like he sized her up for a date, but more like appreciated her as though she were a fine painting.

He handed her a slip of paper and gracefully strolled away. It was a business card. She suddenly realized where she’d seen him before. She’d read about the newest up-and-coming fashion designer in Milan, and he was it. He’d scribbled a note on the card that read,
call me—I have something almost as beautiful as you.

The fashion designer was the first stranger Avery spoke to that evening, but certainly not the last. A string of men followed. She met an American athlete next, who enjoyed speaking at length about being MVP in last year’s Pro Bowl. Then she met an investor from India who wore a turban with his expensive Italian suit and had a slight lisp.

As Avery found herself enjoying making small talk with complete strangers, she was ever aware of Ryker standing on the opposite side of the terrace, downing drinks and glowering at her.

Even Bits paused at the bar next to Avery.

“You did good,” Bits said quietly. And then she strolled away.

After a brief and boring discussion about futures and pork bellies, the athlete interrupted. “I circled back to ask for a dance.”

Avery agreed, mostly to get away from the pork bellies.

As soon as Pro Bowl took her hand, she instantly regretted her decision. Charging like an angry pit bull from the other side of the terrace was Ryker. His expression tense, his eyes brooding, he tapped Pro Bowl on the shoulder. “May I cut in?” he ground out.

Avery was certain all three of them knew it wasn’t a question.

Pro Bowl nodded. “I’ll catch up with you later,” he said to Avery.

“She’ll be busy,” Ryker growled as he took one of her hands and wrapped his free arm around her waist. He pulled her tight against his warm hard body.

“You didn’t have to come charging over, you know. I would’ve danced with you earlier if you’d asked,” Avery said still a little taken back by his actions.

“When? Men haven’t left your side all evening,” Ryker said tersely.

“It’s my job to make sure people are having a good time,” Avery felt the need to point out. God, how her skin trembled when it came into contact with any part of him.

His body shook too, but Avery was pretty certain it was from anger, which didn’t exactly make sense to her, given the circumstances. Hadn’t he said his apologies and his goodbyes already?

“All in the course of your work?” he asked, eyeing her for a reaction the entire time.

“I hope you think I’m worth it when you’re sent the bill,” she said, not allowing him to goad her into an argument right there on the dance floor.

She forced herself to smile at him, and she could swear she almost saw steam rise out of his ears.
Get through this dance, Avery. Then politely excuse yourself and go for a walk on the beach
.

Thankfully, the song ended a few uncomfortable moments later. “If you’ll excuse me, I have duties in the kitchen.”

He stood there fuming as she walked away. She wound down the stairs and ran past the kitchen door as soon as she was out of Ryker’s view. Her gaze trained to the sand, she refused to look up as she kicked off her sandals and ran along the shore. The lullaby of rolling waves didn’t break through her frustration and tears.

This beautiful island.

Avery would miss this place from deep in her soul.

And she would never be quite the same again.

Chapter Twelve

Ryker was angry, frustrated, and treading new ground. He’d spent most of his evening alone, brooding, watching the woman he loved. Avery. Her golden hair. Her beautiful face. He found himself wishing she wasn’t so intent on leaving. Didn’t they have something between them worth fighting for?

Weren’t they
different
together?

Yes.

On one hand, they were from different worlds but had everything in common. They both knew what it was like to walk away from rich parents. They both knew what it was like to have mothers they were ashamed of. Ryker’s had arrived hours ago, and he had yet to greet her. They both knew what it was like to grow up too early.

Avery was about to leave his life forever. And he should be damn glad about it.