Page 52 of Just a Little Tempted

“You two know just what to say, don’t you?”

Brenda placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Honey, I thinktheyunderstand your vision,” she said, and I couldn’t help wondering if she was making the comparison to Chuck who only saw dollar signs and little else. “They understand what you want from a partner.”

Alexander nodded slowly, something settling in his expression. Decision replacing uncertainty.

“You know what I see when I look at you, Simon?” he said. “I see someone who built something from nothing. I see someone who surrounds himself with good people—” his eyes flicked to me briefly, warm with approval, “—and who values relationships over transactions.”

He paused for a moment, then said, “Let’s meet next week and discuss contract terms and get the ball rolling.” The decision seemed spontaneous, but his tone carried the weight of certainty, of a man who’d finally found the clarity he’d been searching for. “I want Powers Investment Group as my partner.”

Oh, my God, we did it!Relief and satisfaction and pure, bright excitement rushed through me as Simon clasped Alexander’s hand. They shook firmly, both men smiling.

I knew Alexander made the right decision to go with Powers Investment Group and not because of my feelings for Simon, or the fact that I worked for him, but because I was confident that his legacy would be protected. He’d spent years pouring his soul into the resort, and now he had a partner who wouldn’t sacrifice its identity, or nickel and dime the consumers as Chuck had suggested, on the altar of quarterly earnings.

I was proud of Simon, but also myself and my small role in making this happen. Proud that Simon had trusted me enough to bring me into this with him, and my instincts about connecting with Alexander and his wife on a personal level had paid off. We’d done this together, a team in every sense of the word.

Brenda was beaming, her hand still resting on Alexander’s arm, and when she caught my eye, she gave me a small nod of approval that made my chest tighten with unexpected emotion.

This was the beginning of something good. I could feel it.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Raina

Iwas stillrelaxed from the massage I’d gotten at the resort’s spa yesterday when I arrived at the coffee shop Sunday afternoon to meet Eli as we’d planned.

The rest of the weekend at Neptune’s Kingdom had been everything Simon and I had hoped for and more. After Alexander’s spontaneous decision to pursue a partnership with Simon, the atmosphere had shifted entirely. The pressure was off, and we’d been able to simply enjoy the resort—the waterpark, the spa, the quiet moments stolen between activities.Yeah, especially that.

By the time we’d parted ways with Alexander and Brenda after dinner last night to go to our room, it was clear that Chuck had thoroughly talked himself out of contention. He’d spent the entire weekend pushing his profit-maximizing ideas—charging for inner tubes, eliminating free cubbies, adding fees to every possible touchpoint—completely oblivious to the way Alexander’s smile grew more strained with each suggestion.

Chuck didn’t understand that Neptune’s Kingdom wasn’t just a business to Alexander. It was a legacy. A love letter to families, built on the principle that every guest should feel welcomed, not nickel-and-dimed. Profit mattered, of course, but not at the expense of the experience that made the resort special.

Simon and I understood that. We’d seen it from the moment we arrived and recognized it in the way Alexander’s eyes lit up when his grandchildren ran into his arms, and in Brenda’s pride when she talked about the early days of building something fromnothing. And because we understood, Alexander felt confident that his vision would be protected.

The contract discussion and negotiation was scheduled for the upcoming week. Chuck didn’t know yet—Alexander wanted to handle that conversation privately—but it was done. Simon had won.

Wehad won.

The drive back to the city this morning had been quiet, though. Simon behind the wheel, his jaw set, his responses to my attempts at conversation clipped and monosyllabic. At first, I’d worried something was wrong, that maybe he was having second thoughts about the deal, or about us.

Then I’d remembered what day it was and what I was doing this afternoon. Meeting with Eli.

Simon wasn’t thrilled about this coffee date. He hadn’t said as much directly—that wasn’t his style—but when he’d parked the car and insisted on walking me up to my apartment, the tension radiating from him had been unmistakable. He carried my bag, his free hand pressed to the small of my back as we took the elevator to my floor. The touch felt possessive rather than protective, like he was reminding himself—or maybe me—that I was his.

At my door, I’d turned to face him, fishing my keys from my purse. “Thanks for carrying my stuff up.”

He set the bag down but didn’t step back. Instead, he crowded into my space, one hand braced against the doorframe beside my head, his body close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him.

“What time are you meeting him?” The question came out casual enough, but I caught the edge beneath it.

“Two o’clock.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “At that coffee shop? The one on Lexington?”

I nodded. “Beans and Brew. Yes.”

Silence stretched between us. Simon’s gaze searched my face, his expression unreadable except for the storm brewing in his eyes.

“It’s just coffee, Simon,” I said softly, reaching up to rest my palm against his chest. His heart thudded beneath my fingers, steady but hard. “Catching up with an old friend. That’s all.”