Page 69 of Seduced By You

an unwelcome one.

I spentmost of the following week chatting with the staff and guests at the beach club and lounging around by the pool while Kadon took care of things in Julian’s absence. The funeral was happening in a few days’ time, and Julian had asked Kadon to attend, after which, he planned to return to work. While I’d expected us to return to Saint Tropez, Kadon had proposed that I travel with him on his annual tour of the other Kingcaid Beach Club resorts, most of which were in America and the Caribbean.

Sounded idyllic to me, although I’d persuaded him to stop off at home for a couple of days so I could make sure Dash hadn’t forgotten me. Not that Dash was the least bit concerned by my unplanned extended vacation. I’d called Audrey every couple of days since we’d arrived, and each time, she’d assured me he was fine and ruling the house.

Color me surprised.

“Where are we going?” I asked Kadon as we sat in the back of the limo belonging to the beach club. Well, it belonged to Kadon and his family, really. Everything did. He made my bank balance look like small change, yet he was one of the most grounded men I’d ever met. He never flaunted his wealth or treated his employees with anything other than the greatest respect.

“Maekawa.”

I wrinkled my nose. I’d heard of most of the restaurants in Dubai, and been to many of them, butMaekawawas a new one for me.

“Japanese?”

He nodded. “It opened a couple of months ago. A guy at the club recommended it. It’s underwater. Gives a superb view of the marine life, apparently.”

“Sounds gorgeous. I love underwater restaurants.”

The maître d’ seated us at a table beside the glass wall. Fish of all colors and types swam by, oblivious to the humans gawking at them. It struck me as a great place to come if you worried you might not have much to say to your companion. Not that Kadon and I had that issue. Our banter had remained relentless, despite having intimate knowledge of each other’s body parts. I’d feared that the change in circumstances would alter the friendship side of our relationship in some way, but I needn’t have been concerned. We remained best friends, with a heck of a lot of added benefits on the side.

I masked a tiny shiver of pleasure. Every so often, I woke up thinking I’d had a dirty dream, only to find myself embroiled in an even dirtier reality. In a lot of ways, I could kick myself for taking so long to realize what had been staring me in the face.

The man of my dreams.

When I thought back to my relationship with Benedict, there was no comparison to what Kadon and I shared. It wasn’t only the amazing sex, but we had intimacy, friendship, and a genuine respect for one another. We’d always had the latter two, but I wasn’t complaining about the recent additions.

“What are you thinking about?”

I blinked. “Sorry. I was miles away.”

“Clearly, I’m failing at keeping your attention.” His lips quirked up. Mine did, too.

“You’re holding your own.”

“That’s it? Holding my own? One thing’s certain with you, Lee. I’m never going to end up with a big head.”

“If you must know, I was thinking about how lucky I am that you didn’t give up on me when I showed no romantic interest in you.”

“It was touch and go for a while. That’s why I suggested the fake relationship. I hoped it might change things, and it did.” His eyes widened. “Oh, shit. I meant to keep that to myself.”

I laughed. “I knew you weren’t to be trusted.”

“It’s true. I’m a terrible person, a rogue. You’d do well to stay far away from me.”

“Wish you’d warned me about that before I fell in love with you.”

His eyes softened. He half reached across the table for my hand, then withdrew. Dubai wasn’t big on PDA, especially in unmarried couples, and while rare, the authorities had arrested tourists for simply holding hands or kissing in public. Better not to risk it.

“I should have ordered room service.”

“It was your idea to come here. You—”

“Annaleesa? Oh my God. What are you doing here?”

I looked up, barely swallowing a groan.Great. Just what I didn’t need.“Ayesha. Goodness, how nice to see you.”

Lies. All lies. Ayesha Davenport, a fellow model, had made my life hell. She’d hated my guts, always craving the gigs I’d gotten, then bitching about me to anyone who’d stopped long enough to listen when I was hired instead of her. I’d tried, God how I’d tried, to be the bigger person, to be nice to her. On each occasion, she’d thrown my kindness back in my face. In the end, I’d stopped trying.

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