Kelsey was pleased to know she was actually contributing as well. She’d even suffered through a dance with Wyatt’s rival, Tony Merrill, in order to give Wyatt a chance to chat with someone Tony had been monopolizing. She’d been skeptical that she could offer any value for Wyatt, but she should’ve never doubted herself. Wyatt wouldn’t have taken her along if he didn’t think she could help. He was nothing if not intensely practical. And it wasn’t like he needed to come up with some tropical vacation scheme to get her into his bed. When it came to him, she was an easy sale.

After another chat with one of the people on Wyatt’s list, Wyatt grabbed Kelsey’s free hand and brought it to his chest, dragging her against him. “Getting tired, love?”

“Maybe a little.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Go sit and relax. I’ll grab us something to eat.”

“Yes, sir,” she said low enough that no one else would hear.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Keep saying that, and I’ll make sure we retire to our room early.”

She returned his saucy smile and, after a quick kiss, he sauntered off toward the buffet table. She made her way to the edge of the crowd and sat on one of the deck chairs that had been spread around the perimeter of the party. She buried her toes in the sand and took a deep pull of the sea air. Ahh. It had definitely been a long day, but this sure beat hanging out in her little apartment with only the Food Network to keep her company. She drew patterns in the sand with her feet as she watched Wyatt stroll her way with a fresh drink and a plate of the biggest shrimp she’d ever seen. The flames of the tiki torches flickered over his dark features and smiling eyes, which were half-hidden by hair mussed from the steady ocean breeze. The sight of him stole her breath. She’d thought him beautiful in his buttoned-up suit and that always serious gaze he wore behind his glasses, but seeing him like this—relaxed and open—churned up something warm and achy inside her chest.

In that moment, she wished this were all real. That she was his. And he, hers.

She shoved the thought away and the twist of pain it caused. Rein it in, girl. There was old Kelsey latching onto impossible hopes again. You’d think she would’ve learned by now and trained that instinct out of herself.

Another man put his hand on Wyatt’s arm before he reached Kelsey, halting him and pulling him into conversation. Wyatt glanced over with an apologetic shrug, but she waved him off. She didn’t need him to babysit her. In fact, a little quiet people watching sounded like a nice break. Plus, she needed to get her game face back on so Wyatt didn’t catch her looking at him with hearts in her eyes.

But before she could even lean back in her chair to relax and take it all in, an unwelcome visitor settled herself in the chair next to her. “Is this seat taken?”

Kelsey’s teeth pressed against one another, and she didn’t even bother to look Gwen’s way. “It will be when Wyatt makes his way back over.”

Gwen sniffed. “I’ll be sure to hand over the seat if he needs it. But if Piedmont got a hold of him, he’ll probably be there for a while. That man likes the sound of his own voice.”

Seemed like Gwen had something in common with Piedmont. Kelsey downed the last sip of her juice and nestled the glass in the sand. Maybe if she didn’t respond to Gwen, she’d get bored and go the fuck away.

“Juice. Nice,” Gwen said, eyeing Kelsey’s empty glass. “Have a reason not to drink? Or just not old enough yet?”

Do not get in a fistfight at the fancy party. Do not get in a fistfight at the fancy party. “Baptist.”

“Sure you are.”

Kelsey looked at her finally, hoping her expression revealed how close she was to a throw down if Gwen didn’t shut the hell up. “You have a point to being here?”

“So you’re the Saturday night special now, huh?” she asked, primly sipping her own champagne. “I only thought I’d be friendly—you know, woman to woman—and warn you not to hang your hopes on him. I see how you look at him.”

Kelsey opened her mouth to deny it, but who was she kidding? “It’s not like that.”

“Right.” Gwen shook her head almost imperceptibly, a flash of pain tightening her features when she glanced in Wyatt’s direction. For the first time, Kelsey felt a dash of sympathy for the woman. “All I’m saying is Wyatt will only ever love one thing—his job. Nothing will take over that space. Not a woman. Not a family.” She pinned Kelsey with a cold look. “And certainly not a stripper with a record who’s lying bald-faced to him.”

Kelsey sucked in a breath.

Gwen’s features dripped with smug satisfaction. “Next time you try to sneak into some wealthy guy’s bed, do a better job of hiding your tracks and don’t leave incriminating evidence in a bag that you don’t keep with you.”

She tossed Kelsey’s passport onto her lap, and everything inside Kelsey went cold. This bitch had gone through her luggage?

“I can’t believe he didn’t run a background check on you and took you at your word. Apparently, blonde hair and big tits make him stupid.”

Kelsey almost punched her then. Her fingernails bit into her palm.

“What the fuck did you just say to her?” Wyatt growled.

Kelsey’s head jerked to the right, finding Wyatt standing a few feet away, his eyes on fire.

Gwen smiled, so pleased with herself. “Your little girlfriend is scamming you, Wyatt. You might want to check your credit card accounts to make sure she hasn’t already stolen your numbers. She’s no chef, she’s just a garden variety whore.”

Whore.

The word had been used so often around Kelsey. First directed at her mother, then at her. The single word could twist a blade right through her insides. Tears burned her throat, but hell if she was going to cry in front of this woman. No fucking way.

Wyatt charged forward, absently handing the drink and plate he’d been holding over to Kelsey. Gwen stood, leaving she and Wyatt toe to toe. His expression was a roar of rage, but his tone was pure ice water. “You know, the fact that you would stoop to digging through my girlfriend’s things and using your contacts to pull information about her is fucking pathetic, Gwen. And calling her a whore? That’s ripe considering you’re here with your married boss.”

“We’re not—” But her protest sounded weak even to Kelsey.

Wyatt smirked, his eyes cold behind his glasses. “Sure you’re not.”

“I’m trying to help you!” she said, her voice a whisper version of a shout. “She’s lying to you.”

“No, she’s not. I know exactly who she is. She’s the most beautiful and honest woman I’ve ever met.” He put out his hand to Kelsey. She set down the drink and food and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. “And if you dare say a word to her again or to anyone else here about her, I’ll be sure your boss’s wife gets an email from a concerned friend.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t have any proof of anything.”

Wyatt smiled and wrapped an arm around Kelsey’s waist. If someone else looked their way, it could be mistaken for a pleasant conversation. “Gwen, you’re a smart woman. So don’t push me because you won’t win.”

She pressed her lips together until they disappeared into a thin white line.

“Come on, love. I have some other people I’d like you to meet,” Wyatt said through clenched teeth.

Kelsey had the urge to say something sharp, to defend herself against the earlier comments. But despite the woman’s hateful words and motives, Kelsey couldn’t help but hear the truth in her warning: I fell in love with him, and he walked away without a scratch.

He will never be yours.

This will never be real.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Wyatt guided Kelsey away from Gwen before he could let his ire get the best of him and make a scene. But his jaw hurt from locking his teeth together and not saying what he really wanted. Before all this, he’d had nothing but respect for Gwen, but obviously she’d never shown him what a hateful bitch she could be. The horrid things she’d said to Kelsey . . . Anger pulsed through him with a raucous beat, making his head pound. How Kelsey had kept her class about it all and not stooped to Gwen’s level was a wonder. The girl must be made of iron.

Kelsey glanced up at him. “I’m so sorry I screwed up, Wyatt. I never thought to worry about the passport. When they took our bags to the main boat, I should’ve—”

“You should’ve done exactly what you did,” he said firmly. “You couldn’t have anticipated someone acting like a goddamned lunatic.”

“You think she’s going to say something to the others?”

“No, Gwen’s not stupid. She knows I wasn’t making an idle threat about exposing her relationship with her boss.” He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “But I’m sorry you had to hear those hateful things she said. It’s my fault. I never should have left you alone, knowing she was around.”

Kelsey squeezed his hand as they began to walk again, though she looked much more somber than she had a few minutes ago, the mirth in her eyes gone. “I’m fine. Really. I’ve heard worse, and honestly, the whole thing just makes me feel sorry for her.”

That pulled him up short. He turned toward her, leaving them at the perimeter of the party. “Sorry for her? She attacked you.”

Kelsey shrugged. “She’s got a broken heart and a bruised ego. That can turn even a decent woman into a piranha. She’s gorgeous, smart, has a good job. For all intents and purposes, she’s way more suited for you than I could ever be, and she thinks she’s lost you to an air-headed floozy with a nice rack.”

“She and I aren’t suited at all,” he bit out, then smirked. “And you’re far from an airhead or a floozy.”

She put a hand to her hip and quirked an eyebrow.

“What? I can’t deny the nice rack thing. That’s simply a verifiable fact.”

She sniffed, but there was laughter in her eyes.

“And I don’t know where she gets this big broken heart sob story. I was very clear from the beginning what our relationship could and couldn’t be.”

Kelsey’s gaze drifted toward the water line and the crashing waves. “Sounds familiar.”

He frowned at the implication. “Hey, that’s not why I was saying that. This is a very different situation.”

She turned back to him, a small smile in place, but cynicism in the lines around her mouth. “No, it’s not. It’s the same exact thing. Only you offered me money for it. And it’s a shorter term of service.”

“That’s not what the mo—”

“It’s okay, Wyatt,” she said softly. “It’s what I signed up for, too.”

Before he could respond, a hand clapped him on the back. “There you are.”

Wyatt swallowed the rest of his words and turned to the newcomer, Kade Vandergriff. Wyatt had run into him a few minutes ago and had wanted to introduce Kelsey to him. But that’d been before he’d seen Gwen perch next to Kelsey with that predatory look.

Wyatt exchanged a quick handshake with Kade and nodded at Kelsey. “Kade, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Kelsey. She’s looking to start her own bakery. Kelsey, this is Kade Vandergriff. He owns—”

“A crap-ton of restaurants,” Kelsey said, grinning.

A wide smile broke over Kade’s face, and he swept Kelsey into an enthusiastic hug, taking Wyatt by surprise. “Hey, dollface, how the hell are you?”

“I’m good, I’m good,” Kelsey said, embracing him back and laughing with the tight squeeze he gave her.