Page 20 of Fighting Fate

Rosie’s jaw dropped. There were less than twenty of the private villas, all valued in the multi-million dollars. Jace Hunter, the island’s owner, lived in one of them, and the others were all owned by similarly high-profile and extremely wealthy individuals.

“What friend?” she asked, stunned.

“Tad O’Dell,” Adam said with a shrug, naming an Irish billionaire entrepreneur Rosie had certainly heard of. “He owns a share in the UFC. Really nice guy.”

“He… lent you his house?”

“One of them. I think he’s got a couple dozen.” Adam’s glance was quizzical. “Everything okay, Rosie?”

“Yes,” she said vaguely, still astounded by the revelation that he wasn’t a resort guest at all. That her little rebellion, her act of defiance in getting involved with him, was nothing of the sort. “I’m… fine.”

“So,” he said, still gazing at her with an eyebrow raised curiously, “dinner?”

“Why not.” Rosie smiled at him, and his expression cleared. “What time?”

“Seven? Would you like me to pick you up? I have a golf cart, though I’m sure you have access to one too…”

“Actually, I don’t.” Rosie blushed. “I’m banned from driving on the island.”

A grin broke slowly across Adam’s face. “That sounds like a ban with a story behind it. Possibly more than one. Maybe you’ll tell me tonight?”

“Maybe,” she said, blush deepening. “Pick me up at main reception at seven?”

“Will do.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly, just a soft brush of lips against hers, before smiling and moving back. “Looking forward to it.”

“Me too,” Rosie said quietly to his retreating back, as he slipped out of her room almost soundlessly, his grace astounding for such a big man. “Me, too.”

***

Spending the evening - and then the night - with Adam, had almost made Rosie forget her self-created scandal. Right up until she walked into the staff dining-room to get some breakfast and every eye turned to her.

“Oh, crap.” She froze mid-step.

“Keep on walking.” An arm linked through hers and she was almost dragged to a table.

Turning her head, she saw her friend Olivia, the resort’s marketing manager. “Hi,” Rosie said weakly, “could you just bury me right here? Might be easiest.”

“Don’t let them see you sweat.” Olivia’s pretty face was set in a smooth, expressionless mask, and suddenly Rosie remembered that Olivia had come to Sunfish Island after her New York career collapsed around her ears when her then-boyfriend was exposed as a major white-collar criminal.

“You ran away to the far side of the world after your scandal,” Rosie objected as she took a seat at Olivia’s urging.

“After I spent several months trying to brazen it out,” Olivia said with a wry smile. “I only left because I literally couldn’t get another job anywhere else after I got fired. But I assure you, nobody ever saw me crack publicly. The sharks would have eaten me alive.”

Rosie could almost feel the weight of the avid stares on her. Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile when Olivia’s boyfriend Cory put his tray down on the table and gave her a sympathetic nod.

“Want me to fix you a plate?” he asked.

“Oh God, yes please.” Standing up to walk to the buffet with everyone staring at her was beyond Rosie just now. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to manage to eat, even, but at least she could try. “Just some yogurt and granola would be great. And coffee. Lots of coffee.”

“Same for me too, if you’re playing waiter,” Olivia said, and Rosie felt hopelessly grateful that Olivia obviously didn’t plan to leave her alone.

“I suppose Jill filled you in?” Rosie asked dismally, trying to sink lower in her chair.

“She did.” Olivia’s expression was deeply sympathetic. “I wish you’d said something to one of us before you took the leap, Rosie.”

“I do too, because it’s obvious you’d all have correctly told me I was massively wasting my time.”

“I’m sorry,” Olivia said kindly. “Luke’s a great guy and I can completely see why anyone would have a crush on him, if that helps at all, but yeah… I’d have told you it was one-sided and not to set yourself up for failure. Especially not publicly.”

---