Page 39 of A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity

He stared down at the table and slowly nodded. “I see.”

And this is why she should never lie. She almost couldn’t breathe from the horrible feeling that choked her. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t think I can start anything right now. I guess saying that was just my stupid way of—”

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Danica.” His gaze was back on her. She wanted to melt under the heat of it.

“I…uh…”

The server stepped up to their table with their drinks. He set them down and handed Austin back his card with the slip to sign. Dani was grateful for the distraction. She grabbed her pina colada and took a large drink through the straw. It was cold on her throat and gave her a bit of a brain freeze, but she didn’t care. Feeling anything was better than the awful feeling of being caught in a lie to Austin. A lie that basically told him she wasn’t interested.

She crossed her legs and stared out at the ocean water. If she were being totally honest, she couldn’t say she wasn’t interested in Austin. She just couldn’t get past the fact that he was being too nice to her. It was too suspicious. And she’d caught him lying already. What else was he lying about? She couldn’t trust him.

Her foot began bouncing to some unheard music. She needed to change the subject. Austin scribbled his signature on the slip and handed it back to the server. Then he turned his attention back to her. “Are you cold?”

Relief that he wasn’t going to continue to talk about Rafael or her lie flooded over her and she shook her head. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Your foot.”

“Oh.” She forced herself to stop moving.

Austin gazed out across the deck. Several people walked by their table. Austin squinted, a weird look on his face. “Is that Claire?”

Dani turned in time to see Claire turn a corner and disappear. Great. They chose the same day cruise? What were the odds of that? Not that she cared if Austin got back together with Claire. She had no right to say anything about that. But still, it was annoying, for some reason.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Dani said.

“What’s she doing on here?”

Dani gave him a flat look. “Taking a day cruise?”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay. You got me there. It’s just…never mind.”

He was right. It was weird, but not impossible. She was on Grand Cayman vacationing. It wasn’t a huge island, but it did seem a bit odd. At least she wasn’t insisting on joining them at their table. Maybe she hadn’t seen them. Dani pulled out her sunglasses from her purse and put them on in the hopes that would further hide them. “I take it you don’t want to see her again?”

He frowned. “Not really.”

Dani studied him. “Why not? Was it a bad breakup?”

“No, it was more like a painful relationship from the start. I didn’t even really like her. But she’s the kind of person who doesn’t take no for an answer.”

Ah, yes. She knew that kind of person well. “I get it.”

They sat for a while in a strained silence before Dani decided she needed to say something else to keep the conversation going. Anything. “So, I guess you don’t live at the Billionaire Club, since you’re not the maintenance man.”

He shook his head. “No.”

“How long will you be here?”

“Another week.”

“Oh.” She took another sip of her drink. One week. And then what? She’d be on her own. Her father didn’t look like he was going to give in anytime soon. Where was she going to stay? How would she save enough money to get home?

Austin must have read her mind, because his expression softened. “Why don’t you fly back to LA with me? I’ll pay for your ticket.”

She stared at him, her emotions rising in her. Of course he would offer that. Because he’s a nice guy. Or, at least, pretending to be a nice guy. But what would happen if she took him up on it? She’d have to quit her job. Her father wouldn’t like that. Would he kick her out of his house? Would it be better or worse to get stranded in LA, rather than stranded in the Cayman Islands? At least here she had a job. And maybe just a tiny bit of dignity.

She shook her head. “I couldn’t let you do that.”

“Why not? You know I can afford it. And you don’t want to stay here, right?” He picked up his soda and stirred the ice around.

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