Liam rolled his eyes. “Please.”
“You’ve heard ofTwo Turtle Doves?”
He shook his head.
“It’s a prime-time TV show. I was supposed to be half of it. My business partner sold me out, took our idea to the network and they bought it...without me as a cohost.”
Liam set his foot on the deck and stopped the hammock’s rocking. “Threw you under the bus, did she?”
“He, and yes. Clients followed the fame, and that left me coordinating children’s birthday parties and bar mitzvahs to make ends meet. No one wanted the event planner who hadn’t been good enough for the network to pick up.”
“But you were excluded. It wasn’t a matter of being good enough,” he countered.
“That part didn’t make the network news. All people knew was that I was cut out of the deal. They assumed.”
“So your partner lied...”
“And everyone believed him. He ruined my life with a single lie.” She shrugged. “That pretty much made me a stickler for the truth. And now your sister’s wedding is going to put me back on the map and reestablish my reputation as the premier event coordinator for the upper echelon of Los Angeles.”
The truth pricked the little guilt he allowed himself, but he couldn’t let that sway him from his course of action, no matter how deliciously tempting he found Ella, nor how heartbreaking her story was. Jenna’s happiness and well-beinghadto come before all else, including Ella’s business. After all, she would have a multitude of opportunities to reclaim her place in the who’s who of society planners. But Jenna? She had one real shot at a happily-ever-after, and it wasnotgoing to happen with some semiprofessional baseball player from Wisconsin.
Settling deeper into the hammock, Liam set the swing into motion once more. He closed his eyes and forced his breathing into a rhythmic pattern—in, two, three, four, five...hold...out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. His heart rate slowed. The churning in his stomach eased. And he was able to address Ella, who’d moved to stand at the foot of the hammock.
“I can’t speak to the reputation you once had, but I’ve no doubt you’re perfectly capable. My sister wouldn’t have hired you if you weren’t.” He opened his eyes. “Seeing as we’re going to be spending the next seven days together, how do you propose we best handle our close proximity?”
She tilted her head toward the bedroom before flicking open the top button of her blouse. She grinned, backing away from him. “I can handle the...proximity issue...if you can. First thing I’m going to do is put my dive suit on and check out the resort’s dive excursion. Your sister and her fiancé wanted some fun prewedding activities for their guests, so I’m planning a group dive. But I want to check out the instructors myself and make sure the experience not only meets but exceeds the hype. Sunken ship, hammerhead sharks, colorful reefs with abundant life—all that jazz.”
Liam stood and moved toward her, closing the distance with measured steps until he stood mere inches from her. He looked down and stared into light green eyes rimmed with ebony lashes. Reaching out, he tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
“I, uh...”
He leaned toward her, quietly amused at the way she responded, instinctively moving closer to him before she caught herself. Undoubtedly, it was her need for control that forced her to pause midmotion. But she didn’t retreat, didn’t recover the steps she’d taken toward him.
Good to know.
“I thought we’d cleared this up,” she said. “Business before pleasure.”
“Oh, we did.” He deftly removed the earring that had been about to fall free of her ear, handing it over. “I didn’t want you to lose this. It looks like the real deal.”
She took it from him, closing her fingers around the earring and stepping back. “Thank you.”
He began to unbutton his shirt, thrilling as her eyes followed each button until he hit his waist and pulled his shirttails free. Then she looked up, eyes wide.
Someone knocked at the door.
His mouth kicked up in a small smile, though his eyes never left hers. “I’ll get that, as it’s likely our luggage.”
“Sure.”
He started for the door. Several steps away, he glanced back and found her rooted in the same spot, her eyes locked on his backside.
“I’ll have our bags put in here. If you’ll give me five minutes, I’ve a mind to grab my suit and head out with you.”
“You dive?” she blurted out.
“I do.”
“Is your future brother-in-law certified, do you know?”