Redeeming Her SEAL (ASSIGNMENT Caribbean Nights #9) - Kat Cantrell Page 0,6

wildlife sanctuary. He’s frothing at the mouth to keep my company’s snorkeling excursions away from the coral reef off the coast. What I don’t understand is why you did the exact opposite of what he wanted.”

“Because it’s my job,” she replied, serenely smoothing back a lock of her flame-red hair. “Jared hired me in my capacity as a dolphin expert, and as such, I did a careful study of the area. It qualifies as a wildlife sanctuary, and that’s what my report said. His bid to buy the island and develop it into a resort is over. You’re welcome.”

Her chilly tone lit a match to the powder keg of his temper. Was she really going to stand there like they had no history and it wasn’t tearing her apart to be in the same room with him?

Because it was killing him.

They hadn’t picked up where they’d left off when he came back to the Bahamas, the chaos under his skin shouldn’t even exist—and wouldn’t if he hadn’t screwed up—and worst of all, she was sleeping with a guy Charlie had known for twenty years. How dare she be so calm?

“I didn’t ask you to do that,” he bit out. “Nor would I have. If you really want to do something for me, Dr. Reed, I’ll take an explanation for why Anderson suddenly has it out for me. Did you poison him against me or something?”

Retribution for ending things. He’d had a lot of time to turn over this whole vendetta in his mind, and that was the only explanation. She was pissed that he’d dumped her without explanation, and instead of asking him why, she’d sicced her billionaire boyfriend on him.

“Is that what you think is going on?” She laughed, and it grated at the fresh wounds being formed as they spoke. “For your information, my interest is dolphins. Not you or Jared and this pissing contest the two of you have thrown me into the middle of.”

Her eyes widened as he waltzed closer. “Oh, come on, sweetheart. You threw yourself in the middle when you climbed into Jared’s bed. Tell me. Was it his money that turned you on the most or simply the thought of bagging both of us?”

Her blue eyes snapped as red stained her cheeks. Finally. A response from the ice princess.

The parallels between Audra and Naomi, the first woman he’d ever trusted, were pretty obvious. Charlie had a thing for women who were ultimately attracted to someone with a better bank account. In Naomi’s case, it had been his father. Audra was just following the same game plan. Money always trumped everything in the end.

He’d thought she was different, or he wouldn’t have cared enough to let her go in a completely unselfish act that she clearly didn’t appreciate.

“Get out,” she said with every ounce of the passion he remembered.

Oh, God, did he remember it. Especially as he became painfully aware of the rise and fall of her breasts and how close they were to his chest. How hellaciously difficult it was to stop himself from taking one small step and wedging her body between his and the door.

Audra was the most vivacious, adventurous woman he’d ever met, and her thirst for thrill seeking eclipsed his own. Together, they’d burned like gasoline on a fire. He doubted that part had changed.

“Sure that’s what you want?” he murmured and was gratified to see a glimmer of something other than ire surface in her gaze. If he hadn’t been watching her so closely, he’d have missed it. She wasn’t as unaffected as she’d have him believe.

And that made all the difference.

His own temper settled. Finally. Good. He had things to say to Dr. Audra Reed.

“I’m sorry. Let’s start over,” he suggested, hating the catch in his voice. “My business is suffering, and I… Can we just talk? For old time’s sake? Then I’ll leave if you want me to.”

She smacked him in the chest, flat palmed. “I will if you back off.”

Her voice trembled with something he had no idea how to interpret, which was so shocking he complied. Once, he’d been able to read Audra like a blind man read braille. But that had been two years ago. Their intermittent Skype conversations since then had been too brief to build on what they’d started.

Her hand dropped away the moment he stepped back, his flesh cooling instantly where her heat had been an instant ago.

She stared at him, arms crossed. Probably as a warning in case he