Page 28 of Booked for Summer

Why did his stomach feel like it was weighed down with a week’s worth of undigested, congealed take-out? ‘There’ll be no bookselling. You have three months on the resort with nothing to do but enjoy yourself.’

‘Enjoymyself?’ Her skin paled, her hands twisting as she stared back at him. ‘Do you remember me telling you that running the bookstore for the next three months was the most exciting adventure of my life?’

That weight in his stomach doubled. ‘Yes.’

Her face hardened, blue eyes spitting fire at him. ‘So you didn’t just have sex with me while being fully aware I had no clue you were my boss. You also had sex with me knowing you were going to stomp on my adventure before it had begun?’

Now it felt like acid was burning through the lining of his stomach. ‘Yes.’

She let out a choked laugh. ‘And I thought I’d reached rock bottom with the last two guys I slept with.’ Her eyes glistened. ‘Way to go, Jade. You really know how to pick them.’

A band tightened round Liam’s chest and he didn’t know how to deal with the sensation. He knew all about being hurt, being betrayed, but somehow he’d managed to be the one doing the hurting. ‘I’m paying you, you won’t lose out.’ He tried to smile. ‘And you can have whatever books you want, for free,’

She snorted dismissively. ‘It’s not about money.’

‘It’s always about money.’

‘Maybe in your world.’

He wasn’t a stranger to being looked at with disdain, yet it had never felt this uncomfortable. ‘What is it about, then?’

‘For starters, it’s about you treating me with the respect I deserve.’

It was his turn to be angry. ‘I have. Iam.’

‘Are you?’

A tear began to creep down her cheek and that feeling that his skin was too tight? It was magnified, leaving him feeling itchy all over, unable to breathe properly.

‘If you respected me,’ she continued, her voice lacking the warmth, the vitality he was used to. ‘You would have been upfront with me as soon as you knew I was working in the bookstore. You wouldn’t have gone on to sleep with me again.’ She laughed humourlessly. ‘I think we can both agree you well and truly fucked me over in more ways than one.’

With a final, searing glance at him, she swivelled round and marched out of the room.

Rooted to the spot, Liam stared back at the open door. The scent of coconut lingered in the air, yet all he could taste was the acid that inched up his throat.

It felt like he’d ruined something special, trampled on something important.

ChapterEleven

Tears blurred her vision as Jade dashed past the reception, avoiding the gaze of the receptionist. She’d come out here to prove she was better than everyone thought, yet she’d ended up sleeping with her boss, losing her job and shredding any lingering self-respect she may have arrived with.

Sod staying here for another three months, she wanted to go homenow.

She swerved around a couple who were clearly so besotted they couldn’t walk to the restaurant without stopping to kiss, and a pang of acute longing arrowed through her. What it must feel like to be that in love you couldn’t go a minute without needing to touch, to kiss.

‘Jade, wait.’

At the sound of Liam’s voice, her heart lurched. No she couldn’t face him again. Not until she’d calmed, found her balance.

Head down, she kept half walking, half running. He owned the resort, for God’s sake. He wasn’t going to be caught chasing some stupid blonde who’d been dumb enough to have sex with him.

‘Please.’

That was harder to ignore. Her pace slowed and a few seconds later he appeared beside her.

‘I’m sorry.’

He sounded genuine, but she was too hurt to accept it and too angry. And not just with him. She was livid with herself for being weak enough to sleep with him. ‘Which part are you sorry for? Sleeping with me? Sleeping with me knowing you were my boss, or sleeping with me knowing the next day you were going to crush me?’

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