author: roni loren

wyatt cleared his throat, not exactly pleased that the big blond seemed so happy to see kelsey. "you two know each other?"

kade's grin remained in place, but a flicker of unease went through his eyes. "uh, yeah, we have mutual friends."

kelsey glanced at kade and nodded, but didn't offer any further clarification. wyatt's bullshit meter shot up like a thermometer in summer. how exactly would a waitress and a restaurant mogul have mutual friends? and that embrace hadn't been a hey, friend who i vaguely know through other friends. it'd been comfortable, warm. an ugly crackle of jealousy went through wyatt. was kade vandergriff one of kelsey's clients or maybe one of her customers from the strip club?

"well, i thought i'd introduce you two since you have an industry in common, but i guess introductions weren't necessary," wyatt said, feeling his stoic mask slip into place.

kade tucked his hands in his pockets, the picture of casual ease. "actually, i had no idea kelsey was wanting to open a bakery. that's fantastic to hear."

that niggling feeling in wyatt's gut grew even stronger at that statement. so he didn't know kelsey through their shared interest in food.

kelsey pushed her hair behind her ears, looking a little shy under kade's gaze. "i'm still a long ways off. i want to go to culinary school first, become a pastry chef."

"that's terrific, kels. really great," kade said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "you should've told me that's the direction you were wanting to go. we do apprenticeships in a lot of my locations. if you ever need a job, you let me know. i know how hard of a worker you are."

kelsey beamed. "really?"

it was the kind of business connection for kelsey that wyatt had been hoping for by making the introduction, but now he just wanted to step in front of her and stomp his foot like a petulant child. mine!

ridiculous. what the fuck right did he have to do anything of the sort? sure, she was his right now, on loan for a few days. but after their time was up, she could date any guy she wanted to. hell, he wasn't close with kade vandergriff, but he knew enough to know that he was probably a settle down and have a family kind of a guy. and he sure as shit had enough money to take care of a woman and make sure she never wanted for anything. kade could give kelsey everything she needed and what she deserved.

wyatt knew he was reading too much into it, fast-forwarding kade and kelsey's life like some epilogue in a romantic comedy, but he couldn't help it. oh, remember how me met, sweetie? we were at that island party and i was with . . . what was his name? that guy with the glasses who paid me to pose as his girlfriend? i wonder what ever happened to him.

wyatt moved closer to kelsey and grasped her hand, while she and kade talked about how impressive the appetizer spread was tonight. but he barely heard the conversation, his heart thumping loud enough to drown out the words and the steel drums in the background. wyatt had no idea what was going on with him. never before had he ever had an issue keeping things business-like and casual with a woman. jealousy wasn't an emotion he entertained. not since mia. and even with her, it'd been a fleeting state. he hadn't fought for her when she'd used those other men to get his attention. he'd simply cut her off, removed the unproductive emotion. she'd wanted him to fight and challenge, and instead, he'd walked away and left a vulnerable woman feeling worthless.

regardless, right now he had an overwhelming urge to stake his claim on kelsey, to be the kind of guy who was offering her so much that no other man could possibly compete. but he had no idea if he was even capable of being that guy. sure, in fantasyland he could picture coming home to find her humming to herself in his kitchen while she created some new dish for them to eat. he could imagine her curled up on the couch in the media room while he introduced her to movies she'd never seen. waking up next to her in the mornings. the images dug deep, cavernous holes in his chest.

but he hadn't been lying to her when he'd told her he didn't have room in his life for a relationship. the business took so many hours, so much energy. kelsey would wither from neglect. and that would kill him . . .

kelsey nudged him, cutting off her conversation with kade mid-sentence. "hey, is that the guy throwing this whole clambake?"

"huh?" wyatt asked, taking a second to shake off the morose reel of thoughts in his head, then looked in the direction kelsey was nodding toward. a man had entered the party and already had a cluster of people gathering around him. ah, fucking perfect. just what he needed right now. "yeah, that's carmichael."

"you know him?" kade asked.

"yeah, don't you?"

"nah, have never met him in person," kade said, sipping his champagne. "i only got an invite because he's interested in putting a few of my restaurant concepts in one of his hotel chains."

"nice," kelsey said.

kade shrugged. "we'll see. i've heard he can be a little difficult to work with."

"he's a prick," wyatt said in too foul of a mood to fake it.

kade laughed good-naturedly. "yeah, but when it comes to business, aren't we all?"

wyatt frowned, the statement hitting a little too close to the mark. "being hard-nosed and being a dick are two different things."

kade raised his glass. "true enough. but if you dislike the guy so much, why are you here?"

wyatt started to answer. the truth was as simple as could be. the company needed accounts like andrew carmichael. his dad wanted accounts like those. for the bottom line, for bragging rights, for a big fuck you to their competitors. but watching all the other partygoers fawn all over carmichael like he was the second coming made wyatt want to spit. it was all so fake, bullshit piled on top of bullshit wrapped up in sugary compliments and ass-kissing. and he knew, right then, that this was going to be the first time in his life he wasn't going to follow his father's directive.

"you know what, kade? that's a good fucking question."

kelsey's head snapped his way, her eyebrows scrunched. "wyatt."

"excuse us, kade," he said, tugging on kelsey's hand. "i think it's time for a dance with my girl while everybody else verbally jerks off carmichael."

kade grinned and gave a little head tip. "enjoy yourselves. i'm sure we'll see each other around this week."

kelsey sent wyatt a questioning look as they gave the knot of people around carmichael wide berth and headed toward the now abandoned dance floor. once they reached it, he pulled her against him, finding calm in the feel of her warmth and the sweet scent of her shampoo.

"what are you doing?" she asked as she easily fell into step with his lead. "isn't that guy the main reason we're here? ignoring him is going to look rude."

"change of plans." he spun her out from him, then guided her back. the steel drum band played an up-tempo beat.

she blew out a breath, clearly exasperated. "meaning?"

"i thought maybe i could get past my dislike for the guy to do what's best for the company, but i can't even look at him without wanting to punch that smarmy smile off his face. i don't want his money. he's a bad human being. i don't want to build more fortune for him."

"but your father-"

"is going to fucking deal with it," wyatt said, his words resolute. "and if he doesn't, let him fire me."

kelsey's eyes went wide. "shit. can he do that?"

"technically, yes. but he won't. he's smarter than that."

"wyatt, i don't know . . ."

there was a hard tap on his shoulder. "mind if i cut in?"

jet fuel went through wyatt at the mere sound of that voice. kelsey halted her dance step. wyatt looked over at andrew carmichael who, of course, was smiling broadly, way too pleased with himself. he narrowed his eyes and flicked his shoulder-length brown hair out of the way like he was some male runway model. "well, look who it fucking is-quiet wyatt."

wyatt's teeth gritted together at the old nickname, and carmichael slapped him on the back with pointed force. "carmichael," wyatt replied with lethal calmness.

"i saw your name on the guest list but i had to see for myself. didn't think you ever came out and mingled with the mortals. couldn't resist the lure of my beautiful island, huh?"

"i'm here because my father couldn't make it."

andrew's winning smile stayed in place, but there were daggers in his gaze. "well, i'm glad you could make it. i've been wanting to discuss some things with your father. now i can do it with you. i've talked to a few of his other clients, and i think a&a might be just the kind of firm i'm looking to work with."

wyatt opened his mouth to tell the guy to take his money and fuck off, but kelsey stepped forward, sticking out her hand and cutting him off. "hi, mr. carmichael, i'm kelsey. i wanted to thank you for inviting us. the resort and the island are breathtaking. really. prettiest place i've ever visited."

andrew turned the full power of his charm toward kelsey, taking her hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss the top of it. it took everything wyatt had not to yank the asshole backward by his fabio hair. how dare that fucker touch his woman. "i'm so glad you like it. and really, the pleasure is all mine."

kelsey smiled demurely at andrew's laying-it-on-thick tone and was that . . . eyelash fluttering? fuck. she was doing as she promised. working him. but wyatt didn't want that. hadn't she heard a word he said about the change of plans?

"would you care to dance, kelsey?" carmichael asked.

"we were just-" wyatt began.

but kelsey sent him a fierce look that said i got this before replacing it with her southern belle act. "that would be lovely, mr. carmichael."

"please. call me andrew."

andrew turned and winked at wyatt, then led kelsey away. fucker. the guy had simultaneously hijacked kelsey and put wyatt in a position where he couldn't do something without looking like a possessive asshole. the music switched to a slower beat, and andrew pulled kelsey way too close. that almost sent wyatt charging like a maniacal bull, but kelsey met his gaze over andrew's shoulder, warning him off.

wyatt forced himself to take a few steps back off the makeshift dance area, but kept his focus glued on andrew and kelsey. one errant hand going somewhere it shouldn't and wyatt was going to break off andrew's fingers and feed them to the sharks.

"she can take care of herself, you know," kade said, sidling up next to him again and offering him a glass of what looked to be scotch.

wyatt accepted the drink and downed it. fuck keeping his edge tonight. "the guy's a creep."

he nodded toward the couple on the dance floor. "and kelsey's tough and loyal. whatever she's doing out there is for your benefit."

wyatt released a weary breath, a deep tiredness settling over him. "how do you really know her, vandergriff?"

kade was quiet for a long moment, the ice cubes in his drink clinking against the glass as he rolled it in his hands. "i can't really-"

"are you one of her clients?"

kade snorted.

"well, are you?"

"uh, no. kelsey's a doll. but we play for the same team."

fuck. so kade was a dom. perfect. now that shitty romantic comedy wyatt had been weaving in his head about kelsey falling for kade had an nc-17 element added to it.

"don't we all." wyatt glanced over at him, his tone wry.

kade lifted his eyebrows as he sipped his drink. "so what are you doing with her then?"