No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,31
safe in the water tonight.”
“I will.”
As Robin swung around to greet her customer, she wondered what Wade had been referring to when he said, ‘That’s why’. Was it Owen? Or was she reading too much into his words?
Chapter Ten
Reece spotted Robin within seconds of entering the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency. Under the crystal chandeliers, her brown eyes sparkled and her blonde hair shimmered. Her shoulders and bare arms appeared creamy white against the inky-black of her cocktail dress. The lyrics to ‘Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric Clapton ran through his mind.
At the moment, she was alone. That wouldn’t be the case for long. Drawn by a force he didn’t try to resist, he weaved his way through the throng of guests. Just before he reached her, she turned her head and saw him. Her mouth curved into a smile that deprived his lungs of oxygen and rebooted the already-excited butterflies in his stomach. For the first time in their acquaintance, she looked pleased to see him. The effect on his pulse rate was alarming.
“It’s nice to see a familiar face in the crowd,” she said. “I feel like a fish out of water.”
“You’re far from that. I don’t think Wade will mind if I tell you how lovely you look tonight.”
The pretty pink blush in her cheeks matched the gloss on her lips.
“Thank you. It’s the dress. Kait let me borrow it.”
“You’re mistaken. The woman makes the dress; not the other way around.”
This comment brought more color into her face. She waved a hand at their surroundings. “No expense was spared on the decorations. The floral arrangements alone must have cost a fortune. I count no less than five ice sculptures. The one of the dolphin appears to be life size.”
“Ice carving is hard work. I took lessons when I was in high school.”
Robin grinned. “Is there anything you haven’t done?”
“Lots of things. I’ve never ridden an elephant or gone skydiving.”
“Do you want to do those things?”
“Not anymore, but they sounded exciting when I was ten. How’s Owen doing?”
A look of tenderness entered her face. “He’s doing well. Thank you for asking.”
“Has Wade had a chance to meet him?”
“Not yet. He didn’t get back from Key West until late yesterday. When he came to pick me up tonight, Owen wasn’t home. Kait had taken him to meet her niece and nephew. They’re about his age.”
“How are you and Kait doing? This has been a big change for you two as well.”
“Nothing much fazes Kait. She credits that to growing up in a large family. I’m learning why parents are so tired at night. Owen goes from daylight ‘til dark.”
“My sister and brother-in-law will be finding out all about that in November. That’s when their first child is due. Addison says she needs an extra room just to hold all the stuff the baby will need.”
“I can relate. Now that Owen’s living with us, our apartment feels crowded. We’re looking into getting a bigger place.”
“By bigger, do you mean a house?”
“That would be preferable. There’s more flexibility with a house, plus we’d have a yard for Owen. I’d like to get him a dog. I think it would help take his mind off what’s happened.”
“I’m sure it would. Are you looking to make a move soon?”
“Yes. Our lease renews in June.”
“I know someone who might be able to help. Did Kait tell you that your number one customer Sylvie works for me?”
Robin nodded. “I must say, you’ve got her well trained. She never breathed a word about Diamond Jet or you.”
“Sylvie finds it easier if people don’t know where she works.”
A teasing light entered Robin’s lovely eyes. “I hope you pay her well. It’s gotta be rough working for a playboy billionaire. Just dealing with the women in your life must be a full-time job. What with ordering flowers, making dinner reservations, sending parting gifts to the has-beens, and so on. She probably doesn’t have a moment’s peace.”
He held up his hand. “Hold on there. I can’t deny my financial status. It’s public record. But I demand to see evidence of me being a playboy. I’m not talking about hearsay or information taken from someone’s Twitter feed. I’m talking cold, hard facts.”
She tilted her head to the side, a wry smile on her lips. “I did hear something about you, almost straight from the horse’s mouth. Since I’ve known the source of the information for years, I believed her. Until a few weeks ago, I had no reason to doubt her