Free Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo Page B

employees?”  Then, like a light bulb that had just been
switched on something in her mind clicked.  “You weren’t a guest at the resort,
were you?  You actually work there.”
    How could she have
been so stupid?  The man was probably one of the managers at the resort.  Now
she understood why his villa had looked so grand in comparison to all the
others.  The man was a big shot at his workplace. 
    The realization
made her all the more angry.  “Do you realize I could have you fired?”  Her
voice was strong now as she realized the power she had over this man.  He was
an employee of the resort and yet he’d gotten involved with her, a guest, and
then he’d had the audacity to show up at her workplace.  And now he was in her
home.
    Now it was her
turn to fold her arms across her chest.  “You’d better have a darn good reason
for being here or else you’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”  Feeling smug
at having the upper hand she gave him a smile but it was not a pleasant one. 
“What would your boss say if I told him that you’d slept with one of the
guests?  If I complain to your superiors you won’t be in your cushy job for
long.”
    Dare’s eyes
narrowed.  Slowly, deliberately, he got up and then he was towering over her. 
“Are you threatening me?”  His voice was hard as the granite of the countertop.
    Erin took an
involuntary step back.  Had she gone too far?  She was alone in the apartment
with a man who looked just about ready to wring her neck.  Goodness, she’d been
so stupid.  Why hadn’t she kept her mouth shut?
    “N…no,” she
managed to whisper.  “It wasn’t a threat.”
    A strange look
passed over Dare’s face and then the anger was gone.  His look was almost one
of regret.  “Look, I’m sorry,” he said and expelled his breath.  “I didn’t mean
to scare you.  You just annoyed the hell out of me with your pretense."
    What pretense, she
wanted to ask.  Instead, she bit her lip and waited.  There was no way she was
going to incite his wrath again, not while she was still alone with him.  She’d
just let him have his say.
    “You know I own Sunsational
Resort so all this talk about my boss and getting me fired is a waste of my
time and yours.  Let's just be adults here and-”
    “What did you
say?”  Erin’s heart jerked in shock.  “You own Sunsational Resort?  Are you
serious?”
    Dare gave her an
irritated look then he shook his head.  “Here we go again.  Will you stop
pretending?”
    “I’m not pretending,”
she retorted.  “I had no idea you were…are… the owner of the resort.”
    His eyes
narrowed.  “You had no idea?  So you’re telling me that when you spent the
night with me you didn’t know who I was?”
    Eyes wide, Erin
shook her head.  Now that he’d said it out loud it didn’t sound good at all. 
Sleeping with a total stranger?  She cringed inside just thinking about it. 
How could she blame him for having a low opinion of her?
    She could feel the
heat of shame rush to her face.  He would never respect a woman like her.  How
could he?  She had absolutely no excuse except for the fact that the night he’d
taken her to his villa Dare had so captivated her that she hadn't found the
power to resist him.
    Mortified, Erin
could only stare up at Dare and what she saw in his eyes made her wince.  Was
it scorn or disgust that registered there?  Either way Erin knew she was lower
than dirt in his eyes.
    “Why should I
believe you," he grated, “when you all but threw yourself into my arms? 
Twice.  Why would you have done that if you didn’t know who I was?”
    “I don’t need to
explain myself,” she said with far more bravado than she felt.  “You wouldn’t
believe me, anyway.”
    “Try me.”
    She opened her
mouth to object but then she breathed a sigh.  What was the use?  She might as
well lay all her cards on the table and then he could do what he wished.  “The
first time I was just going