Page 58 of Scandalous Lover

I droop slightly, my last remaining defense shot down. “Sam and I fooled around in August when he was in Austin.”

Fran’s smile turns to a grin. “I knew it. He came back from that trip all smiles and avoidance. He wouldn’t tell me a thing about his time there and why he was so late coming back. I know for damn sure it’s the first time that man has ever misseda flight.”

My mouth drops open, but I snap it closed, tucking that little tidbit of info away for later.

I need to focus here.

I know Sam’s going to freak when he finds out about this conversation, so I need to minimize the damage as much as possible. I’ll tell her the basics but leave out the incriminating details.

“We didn’t talk at all after he left. He was pretty freaked out about Dom finding out and swore me to secrecy.”

Fran mimes zipping her lips closed.

“When I got to the island, I could tell it made him nervous. He’s a freaking catch, and I wouldn't mind seeing how things went between us, but I’m not sure he’s going to go for it.”

“So, no secret island hook-ups yet?” she asks, on the edge of her seat.

I roll my eyes. “The guy avoids me like the plague.”

“But you’ve been talking.”

I toss her a sly smile. “We’ve been texting.”

Fran’s mouth drops open. “Hot texting?”

She’s loving this so much, and I wish I could feel the same.

I just feel like a traitor.

“Yeah.”

Fran sits back in her seat and crosses her arms. “We’ve all been trying to get Sam hooked up with someone, but it’s not an easy task. He’s a particular guy, and he seems to have an idea of exactly who and what he wants. Finding that person on this island has proven impossible.”

“All the other guys imported their ladies, right?”

She tosses me another smile. “That's right. And you’re an import. You could be just who he’s been waiting for.”

I shake my head. “I imported too much baggage.”

Fran’s face twists as she considers. “Yeah, Dom’s going to be a mountain to move. But every relationship has challenges.”

“It’s not just Dom. It’s Sam and Dom. I’m not sure about the specifics of their relationship, but it’s almost like Sam’s afraid of the guy. Not that I don’t understand that. I spent my whole life terrified to be alone with Dom. But that’s little sister stuff. Sam shouldn’t be afraid of him, right? Aren’t they all partners in this business? Dom can’t fire him.”

Fran looks pensive. “I’m not a hundred percent sure of the setup with all that, but I’ll do some digging. Avery will spill just about anything if I have my top off.”

Panic floods back in.

“You’re going to tell Avery.” It's not even a question. I know how this goes.

“Nah,” Fran responds.

I narrow my gaze, pinning her with a questioning stare. “What do you mean, nah? Don’t partners tell each other everything?”

I cringe as I let out a secret of my own. I don’t know how these things work because I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve had plenty of flings and dates and whatnot, but no one’s ever stuck around.

Fran’s either oblivious to my slip up or deciding to let it pass. “I tell him most things, but for something like this, I know for damn sure he wouldn't want to know. If presented with the info and the option to know or not know, he would choose to not know. Just to keep life at the resort less complicated. So, no. I’m not going to tell him.”

I feel relieved, which turns out to be short lived.

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