The Sweetest Kiss: A Billionaire Love Story (5 page)

W
hat was his deal
? Did I do something wrong? That was all I could think about when I closed the door behind me. Maybe he was ill? I tossed my keys on the counter. Hanna had the same thing one time back in New York. I had taken her out for sushi, within a matter of fifteen minutes she was throwing up. But that was sushi, raw fish. He had steak.

I tried to not dwell on it. It wasn’t like we were a couple, or anything. He wasn’t seeing anyone. Oh Hayley, get a grip on yourself. You really are desperate. Truth was, it had been a long while since a man had treated me well. Markus rarely took me out to lunch, let alone dinner. What was it about going out with a guy that immediately made you think they were interested in you? I made my way into the kitchen and hung up a new calendar that I had brought me with. I wanted to keep track of the months. See how I felt a few months in. I was sure that I would know what…

There was a knock at the door. I frowned and went back. The moment I swung it open my heart skipped a beat.

“Ethan?”

“Look, I’m sorry about this evening.”

“That’s okay. You’re not feeling well, I—”

“It’s not that. It’s you.”

Oh god, I make him feel sick. Could this get any worse? Maybe that’s why Markus started having sex with my co-worker. Was I that much of a hag? I made a mental note to bring vomit bags with me on my next date.

“Sorry if I—”

He frowned and then smirked. “No, I mean, you look so much like Emily. I mean, it’s like looking at her. All the feelings I have,” he paused. “Had, for her. They just all came to the surface tonight.”

I shifted from one foot to the next.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked.

He cast a glance over his shoulder as if someone was watching him.

“Yeah, sure.”

He closed the door behind him and walked on in.

“I’m intrigued. I mean, my sister used to tell me everything. You, she never once mentioned.”

He paced back and forth as if he was about to give a great speech. I raised an eyebrow, finding it all a little amusing.

“It’s just that. Well.” He closed his eyes and breathed a long sigh. “I didn’t tell you but um, my last name is Wayland.”

I let out a laugh. “Right. Like the owners of the island. Good one.”

He didn’t smile.

“Look I understand if you don’t want to…”

“You are a Wayland? As in, Max Wayland’s son?”

His eyes dropped. “Yeah. One of them.”

I let out a chuckle, kicked off my flip-flops, and went out into the kitchen. He followed me out. I pulled open the fridge and then realized I still hadn’t gone grocery shopping.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Um. Aren’t you going to throw something, maybe toss me out? Chew me out?”

I placed a hand on my hip. “Why would I do that?”

“Because that’s what your sister did.”

I leaned my head back. “Oh, now I know why you were acting all weird.” I burst out laughing again.

“Ok, Hayley, all this laughter is throwing me for a loop.”

“You know I never saw your face in the magazines. I saw Connor, Darla, and Max but that was it.”

“Yeah, there is Jace as well, and me. We kind of avoided the whole party scene.”

“This is just beautiful. What a crazy life.” I looked around waiting to see if Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out and tell me I had just been punk’d.

Ethan leaned against the wall. “I don’t get it. I would have thought more than anyone you would have had some problem with me. I mean your sister.”

I stifled a chuckle. “Ethan, my sister would have a problem over two flies crawling up a wall. It was just who she was. Listen, I couldn’t give two hoots if that’s who you are. Though I do find it a little odd that you are in Mrs. Arnet’s place.”

“I bought it.”

“Right, along with the rest of the island.”

“No, that belongs to my father. I bought the two cottages.”

I shook my head. “Because?”

“Well, that depends who you ask. My father would say, to piss him off. Though, that’s not exactly true. I just wanted to do something that I knew he couldn’t do.” Ethan took a seat on one of the three bar stools that were positioned around a granite counter.

“Here’s the thing, Hayley. My father has always got what he wanted.”

“Money can do that for you.”

“Yeah, but in this case, no. I was intrigued by these two feisty women who wouldn’t give up their places to my father, no matter how much money they tossed at them.” He paused. “Do you know he offered them two million dollars apiece for the cottages? Emily would have received six million for her three cottages and another two for her home. And she snubbed him.”

“I never knew that. I was aware that she was at odds with your family but I didn’t know she turned that down, but then again she was dying of cancer. Money matters very little when you are nearing death’s door.”

“Anyway, it’s not that I need Mrs. Arnet’s place. I made my fortune flipping islands for my father. I earned more than enough, I guess I just admired what your sister stood for. Her tenacity. I wanted to know her. I managed to convince Mrs. Arnet to sell under the guise that she wasn’t selling to a Wayland. I mean, I didn’t lie to her. I just think she was ready to move on. Too old to argue with people. So I purchased them.”

“But not Emily’s place?”

“I had no intention of buying hers. I wanted to know her. I was attracted to her.”

His honesty was refreshing. My eyes met his and I could feel the desire between us.

“Listen, I just didn’t want to lie to you. I made that mistake with Emily and it took me months to get back into her good books, and by that time I learned she had cancer. I stayed with her through it. Paid for the best treatment, sat by her side.”

“You were with her when she died?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

I swallowed. “I would have been here had I known. She wouldn’t tell me. I knew something wasn’t right. I hadn’t seen her in two years. She would tell me her Facetime wasn’t working, and then it was computer issues. I would get a text message or a telephone call and that was about it.”

“She spoke of you. Said that she didn’t want you to see her like this. To remember her the way she was in the end. She spoke fondly of your time together in New York.”

“I just wish I had known.”

“For what it’s worth I told her that she should have called you but you know her.”

I nodded.

“So it doesn’t bother you?”

“About you being a Wayland? No, we all have baggage,” I said before breaking into a smile. “So what’s your plan then? You just going to do up her place and sell it?”

“Probably, I don’t foresee it as a long-term thing.”

“So you’re not going to stick around?”

“That depends.”

We locked eyes. I felt my chest rise and fall faster. I thought he was referring to me, I don’t know why. Maybe I was entertaining a stupid fantasy, but that was quickly nipped in the bud.

“It depends on what my father wants to do next. I might just sell it to him, or hold on and find someone who can run both of the cottages. Anyway, I’ve taken up a lot of your time. I just wanted to let you know. I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine.”

“What about you?” he asked.

“Emily wanted me to run this place for a year. If I don’t want to do it after that I can sell it.”

“Will you?”

“Depends,” I smiled.

“On what?”

“Whether I can get this place up to scratch in time. I didn’t realize it was going to need so much work. I’m not even sure I can pay to keep it running.”

His eyes flicked up to me. For a second I started to feel awkward. I knew now that he had more money than I could ever imagine. I didn’t want to sound as though I was asking for help in any way.

“If you don’t mind, I’m a little tired.”

“Yeah, no worries.”

He got up and began to head for the door. “See you tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Sure.”

T
he next morning
, I awoke to the sound of machinery. It took me a second to gather my thoughts. The previous night came back to me and I groaned. I had been enjoying the evening until he dropped that bombshell on me. Honestly, I didn’t care that he was a Wayland. Sure, some of his family acted like spoiled brats but I didn’t pick up that vibe from him. He seemed different. At least that’s the side he was trying to show me.

I hopped out of the comfort of my covers and padded over to the window. I peered out and my eyes widened. There was Ethan with a crew of ten guys. There was some small yellow machinery running and he appeared to be giving them instructions.

I slipped on a pair of shorts, threw on a white V-neck, and ventured outside.

“Oh hey, Hayley. Good morning.”

“What is going on here?”

“Well, you said you needed some work done on your cottages, so I took it upon myself to get a hold of a few guys to get started.”

“But,” I cleared out sleepy dust from the corner of my eye. “How much is this going to cost?”

“Don’t worry about that, I have it covered.”

The noise of the machinery was loud. I could have used some earmuffs. One guy was mixing up cement, others looked as if they were painters. There was already a guy on top of one of the cottages tossing down pieces of the roof.

“A word with you inside, please.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Be right back, guys, just keep on going. Great job.”

As soon as he came in I spun around. “Um…” I looked up, down, and then bit the side of my lip trying to find the words without sounding ungrateful. “Here’s the thing. I know you mean well. And I know I resemble my sister, and you had a thing for her. But… I was kinda hoping to do this myself. I don’t want to owe anybody anything, especially a Wayland.”

“Oh, you won’t owe me anything. It’s a gift. Like a housewarming gift.”

“Housewarming gifts, Ethan, are usually a plant, an apple pie, a card. Not ten men working on cottages.”

He smirked. “Listen, the way I saw it was like this. If they are doing the work, you don’t have to, that means you and I can spend a bit more time together. You know… getting to know each other… working out an evil plan against the Waylands.”

I laughed. “Ethan, okay, you’ve kind of put me in a position. If I allow you to do the work, I feel obligated to you. If I don’t I look ungrateful. Either way I don’t win.”

“I didn’t know this was a competition?”

“You know what I mean. We barely know each other.”

“And?”

“You were in love with my sister. OK, I look like her. Nothing I can do there. But you don’t know me.”

“I know. That’s why I said I would take you out. If you’d let me.”

I rubbed my face hard with my hands. How was I meant to get through to him? Urgh.

“Listen. Spend the week hanging out with me. Just one week. Let these guys do the work. If you are really, really, adamant that you want to pay for it, I will give you the best discount. You owe, a few bucks.”

I chuckled. “A few bucks?”

“Two. That way you have paid me. I don’t need the money but at least you feel you have given something.”

I paced back and forward feeling the weight of the position I was in. It wasn’t that he was gross. I mean, god, he was without a doubt, easy on the eyes. There were very few men that could make me feel that weird feeling you get in your gut when you see a guy that is drop-dead gorgeous but he was one of them. But he was a Wayland. Okay, I didn’t have any issue with him being one, but still, his family was under the microscope. There was very little that got by the media. How he and his brother had managed to stay out of the spotlight was beyond me.

“Look, if you want I’ll draw up some papers. You know so it’s all legit. You only pay me a hundred dollars, let’s say, for the work to be done. I get your place up to scratch. Within a week you can start advertising and getting people in here. Believe me, you won’t have issues finding people who want to vacation here. All of our cottages are full all through the year. Within a matter of a few months you will be pleased you came here. I promise you. Of course not just because you’ll have a thriving business but because you will have fallen in love with me.”

I laughed. I really didn’t have the funds in my bank account to pay for any extensive repairs. I guess he wasn’t giving it to me for free. I would be paying him, just a lot less. And I would get the chance to know more about the island and him.

“You really are that confident.”

“I like to think so. Confidence isn’t a bad thing, is it?”

“There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance.”

“You think I’m arrogant?”

“No, I’m just saying… you know.”

“Actually in fact, let’s do this. Spend a week with me and you pay nothing, plus I will give you the two cottages. Then even if you do sell off the properties at the end of the year, you will have more than enough to retire.”

My eyes widened.

“Mrs. Arnet’s?”

“Yep.”

“You must be out of your mind.”

“Maybe. So?”

I shifted from one foot to the next. But the whole deal with getting the two cottages? Now that was an enticing deal. My brain started spinning. He was right. I could ride out a year in paradise, then if it really wasn’t for me, I could sell all the cottages and retire. That was a deal I couldn’t pass up.

“Sure. We have a deal but I want to see it in writing.”

“You got it. I think you’re going to like this.”

He extended his hand and I shook it, feeling a twinge of excitement inside.

“Well, you ready to go for breakfast?”

My eyebrows rose. “Oh, you want to go now?”

“We only have a week, Ms. Fields. And I’m determined to wow you. But I have to tell you. There are a few things about me that might throw you off.”

“Like?”

“We’ll get to that. I don’t want to freak you out too soon.”

I chuckled, and frowned.

“Give me a second and I’ll meet you outside.”

“Alright.”

After he went out I went to the washroom and cleaned up myself. I still had my rolled out of bed look. As I was taking a shower the phone rang. I let it ring. It stopped. Then it started again. God, what now?