Liam stepped back, and she shot him a look that would haunt him for the rest of his life. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Ella.”
She grabbed the handle of her bag and started for the door. Drawing parallel to him, she stopped and leaned in. “You already did.”
And then she was gone.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ELLAREFUSEDTOCRY. That man didn’t deserve her tears any more than he deserved her forgiveness. He’d thrown her under the bus with so much force she’d nearly come out the other side. Had he apologized with an ounce of sincerity, she might have been able to forgive him. But hearing him admit that he’d seduced her not only for pleasure had wounded her pride. Not as much as it wounded her heart, though. Because as stupid as it was, she’d fallen for him.
She wandered the grounds for a while before collapsing onto an empty beach chaise. They were plentiful this late at night, but she craved one away from wandering beachgoers. Midnight strollers. Lovers. She’d lied to Liam when she told him she’d found a place to stay. There still wasn’t a room available, but she’d be damned if she’d be dependent on his good will. Never again.
When dawn finally came, she made her way to the concierge’s desk, asked them to stow her two bags and went to the dining room for breakfast. It was a quick trip through the buffet before Arvin called to inform her the first shuttle of guests had arrived and checked in to the block of rooms Liam had reserved under a fictitious party name. The whole thing had been set up under the guise of a family reunion. So far, it had worked.
Ella went to the event coordination desk and made sure the welcome bags for each guest were ready and labeled; she double-checked the contents and then went out to the docks to check on the boats reserved for parasailing.
At one o’clock, Ella confirmed all the guests had arrived and then had a member of Arvin’s staff call each room and ask guests who had signed up for the excursion to meet her on the lawn behind the main dining room.
The guests trickled into the tent in twos and threes. Liam came somewhere in the middle, trying to speak to Ella. She avoided any conversation by saying, “I believe the bride is in that corner, Mr. Baggett. You’ll want to see her, I’m sure.” Then she focused on the guests behind him. Ella greeted each one, provided them with the courtesy towel, bottled water and sunscreen, and she explained that, after their excursion, there would be a champagne bar set up and in-room spa treatments available before the rehearsal dinner. Despite the fact she’d done it before, it was a bit intimidating to be mixing with Hollywood’s elite. There was so much riding on this job. She had to get it right. From the positive responses coming from the group, it seemed she had. It was just too soon to cash that particular check, though.
They all went down to the docks, Mike and Jenna walking with her. When they reached the powerboats, Mike stopped short.
Jenna looked between the boat, her fiancé and Ella. “What are we doing?”
“Parasailing?” Ella’s response came out a timid question.
Mike shot her a sharp look. “I thought we’d agreed on diving.”
Ella took a deep breath. “It was suggested that more people would take part in parasailing, so the event was changed.”
Jenna stepped in close to Mike and took his free hand in hers. “It will be okay. You don’t have to do this.”
“Is there a problem?” Ella asked under her breath.
“Mike is, um...” Jenna glanced at her feet.
“I hate heights,” he said between gritted teeth.
Oh. Shit.
Ella wanted to curl in on herself as much as she wanted to explode with rage all over Liam.He’dpicked parasailing over horseback riding, and she’d agreed. He’d done it again—thrown her to the wolves and left her to be eaten alive.
She went into disaster intervention mode. Stepping back, she turned to the guests who were milling about, shooting curious glances their way. With a broad grin, she said, “Jenna was torn between going up with Mike on the first run, or going up with her brother. Mike, being his typical gracious self, offered to let brother and sister go up first. And since we’re an odd-numbered group, Mike has offered to man the ladder for everyone. After you land in the water at the end of your ride, an instructor will get you unhooked from the sail. You’ll swim to the side of the boat and Mike will help you up the ladder if you need assistance.” She beamed at Mike, maybe a little too overdone, but she beamed all the same. “Thank you, Mike, for being ever the gentleman.”
A smattering of applause sounded.
Mike took a small bow.
Jenna nudged him aside and reached for Liam. “We’re first!” She hauled her brother away as if the dock was on fire, shoving him into the first boat so hard he tripped and nearly fell in the water.
“Everyone else, pick your ride partner.” Numb with anxiety, Ella moved like an automaton, helping people pair up and sorting them onto boats. Then she followed Mike onboard, fully expecting to get reamed out.
“Thank you,” he said from the side of his mouth.
Ella shot him a speculative glance. “You’re...welcome?”
“For not making a big deal about itandgetting my ass out of that obligatory ride.” He wiped actual sweat from his forehead. “You have no idea what that would have cost me.”
“I didn’t know.”