Legitimate point, but another, more cautious part of her wondered if she was enjoying the whole package a little too much. Maybe they both were?
Into the phone, he said, “I leave the exact phrasing to you. Any other messages?” He paused to listen to his assistant, and his attention shifted to the floor, then the ceiling. “Would you contact her and tell her I appreciate the offer, but I’m not in a position to take her up on it?” His eyes slid to Chelsea, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I don’t anticipate that changing in the foreseeable future.”
Another pause, during which she told herself neither the offer nor the person making the offer were any of her business, and the fact Rafe had obviously just refused an invitation from another woman shouldn’t relieve her…or worry her.
“Thank you,” he finally said. “Anything else?” As he listened, his smile returned, genuine enough to make the corners of his eyes crinkle. “Arden’s in New York? She has the nerve to say I get around. She gets around. Say hi for me. Tell her I’ll call her this weekend.”
They exchanged a few final comments, but she didn’t track them, because all of a sudden the relief evaporated, leaving just the worry. The mysterious Arden again.
Stop worrying. Her inner voice spoke firmly this time. You knew the score from the start. This thing stays casual, and that’s the whole point. Don’t let multiple orgasms mess with your head or your heart.
The thoughts helped. She controlled her own destiny, and right now that destiny involved exploring her wants and desires without the constraints of someone else’s expectations. She’d enjoyed herself so far, and she’d keep right on enjoying until their time together ran its natural course. All good…even if the natural course ended in two more days.
“I sent the reservation reports and your analysis to our marketing team,” Rafe said as he took the chair he’d pulled around to her side of the desk so they could share the computer screen. “It matches our expectations, but now they’ve got data around which to build their marketing schedule. I… Do you need a break? You look a little”—he fiddled with her heart-drop earring and considered her with uncomfortably perceptive eyes—“somber.”
“I’m fine.” She dredged up a smile to prove it. “Registration system overview is next on your list, right?”
“I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”
And now she wasn’t forcing the smile anymore. “Just the highlights?”
“Just enough for me to confirm to my IT team they’re integrating Capterra data into our proprietary information management system.”
“Okay. That’s easy enough.” She turned to her computer and called up the application. “This is the main screen—”
“Fuck me.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “We have to spice this up or I’m going to die. Role play. Take my reservation.”
“Role play?”
“I’m after the complete guest experience, remember?”
Oh, priceless. He was giving her his version of puppy dog eyes, and it flat-out sucked. He couldn’t pull off innocent and needy to save his life. Tamping down on a grin, she gave him her version of exasperated. “I’ll do your stupid role play on the condition you stop looking at me like that.”
His expression immediately shifted into the familiar, satisfied smirk. The bastard. She lost her battle to hold back her grin. “You think you’re smart, don’t you?”
He tapped her screen, and prompted her with, “Ring. Ring.”
She rolled her eyes. “Good afternoon. Thank you for calling Tradewinds Resort, Maui. How may I assist you today?”
“I’d like to reserve your best villa.”
“Of course, sir. What are your dates of travel?” She clicked on the calendar and prepared to input dates.
“I’m flexible. What’s the optimal time to visit?”
She nudged him for being difficult. “That’s not common. Most people have their dates pinned down by the time they call or go online to reserve.”
“I’m uncommon.” He nudged her back. “As I think you know by now. And you didn’t answer my question.”
“Maui is beautiful year round. Temperatures don’t vary much with the seasons, so optimal time depends on your vacation goals. If you want to escape cold weather at home, come anytime from November through May, which also happen to be prime whale watching months. If you prefer fewer crowds at the beach and other attractions, visit us in the spring or fall.”
“My goal doesn’t involve much sightseeing or whale watching. I have different entertainment in mind. But fewer crowds sound good. How about February fourteenth?”
“Very romantic. And your departure date?”
“Hard to predict. I’m not sure when I’ll be…done.”
Palm to forehead, she practiced patience. “You know, for a man who runs a hotel conglomerate, you act as if you’ve never reserved a room before.”
“You don’t know who I am,” he pointed out, arching a brow and shooting her a half smile. “I’m a faceless caller trying to plan a romantic getaway.”
“Well, sir, we need to input a departure date to check availability.” She brought her hand back to the keyboard. “I suggest booking for five days. If you wish to extend your reservation at any point during your visit, simply check with the reception desk and they can advise you of your options.”
“If that’s the best you can do.” His sigh had her lips quirking.
“I’m glad someone’s having fun with this overview.” But she was, too. He played with her, and she appreciated it, possibly more at this moment because he’d sensed her mopey mood and cared enough to charm her out of it. In her experience, she catered to the mood of the man in her life, not vice versa. She’d gravitated to serious guys, because she’d mistaken serious for sincere. Lesson learned. Tight-assed didn’t mean trustworthy. Next time, she’d pay more attention to those dynamics.
Whoa. Kinda soon to be thinking about next time.
Hell, yes. And she had plenty to concentrate on in the here and now. She added the reservation end date to the calendar and hit enter. The range of available rooms appeared on screen. She clicked on the villa and prepared to fill in the additional fields. “How many guests?”
“Just two. Adults,” he volunteered. “Go ahead and use my name.”
She typed his name into the primary guest field, and clicked on the name match found in the system. His credit card information auto-populated the appropriate fields. “Would you like to use the credit card already on file to secure the reservation?”
“Hmm. What if I prefer not to put this stay on a charge card?”
She dropped her customer service voice, and explained, “We require a credit card for every reservation, so we’re protected against no-shows and last minute cancelations.”
“St. Sebastian has the same policy, but, you know, not everyone who books a vacation at a singles resort is single. What happens when the guest doesn’t want to leave a paper trail?”
“That issue isn’t limited to singles resorts. We ran into the situation plenty at Las Ventanas.” She wrinkled her nose, but slipped back into customer-service mode. “Your card incurs no charges until your stay is complete. We can accept cash or an alternate credit card at our reception desk.”
“Perfect. I knew I could rely on your discretion.”
“I’m not here to judge,” she said under her breath, and tapped the additional keys to complete the reservation. Once complete, she turned to him. “Your confirmation code is C-H-E-A-T-I-N-G-B-A-S-T-A-R-D. I hope you enjoy your stay at Tradewinds, Maui.”
His low laugh drew a smile from her, and the earlier warning replayed in her mind—the one about them enjoying this more than they should.
“No judgments, huh?”
“Obviously I would never say such a thing to an actual guest, but, no, helping someone plan an illicit affair never sits well with me.” She shrugged and turned back to the screen. “I think if you make a promise to someone, you ought to honor that promise, or at least be up-front and tell them you can’t. Don’t go behind the person’s back.”