then hung up.
Fucking hell. How was he going to bring that up in conversation without her jumping on a plane and flying away as fast as possible?
Chapter Eleven
As she roamed the trails close to her bungalow, Valentina couldn’t get the stories about Bonnie and Read out of her mind. It was the only thing that kept her mind off dating two gorgeous guys at the same time. Her date with Smoke would be here soon. The thought alone made her stomach roll. Why was she so nervous? Was it because she had such a great evening with Ash? She felt safe with him. Every time that she thought of him, she got butterflies in her belly.
Her fingers went to her lips. She traced them , thinking of how wonderful his mouth felt on hers. Remembering how he’d held her, she shivered. He made her feel safe but also desirable. How could she want him naked so fast? She’d only met him yesterday. Maybe she had a hidden kink she didn’t know about until now.
She actually felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush. Then there was Smoke. He made her feel the same way, and hadn’t even kissed her, just touched. Oh, that touch, though. The memory of it caused her body to heat. These men would drive her crazy with need.
A cool breeze made her shiver, and the sunlight dimmed. She glanced up and noticed she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. The trail she was on took her into the woods behind her section of the resort.
Picturing the property map in her head, she tried to recall where this trail came out. The offices and bungalows were in this general direction from the café.
Something about this place didn’t feel right. The first thing she noticed was the dying trees. The ground was covered with brown shriveled leaves, which looked dried up and crunchy. Was there a parasite or something killing them?
Chills raced down her back. The sensation that she had eyes watching her made her glance around. A voice whispered on the wind. Was that her name she heard? Goosebumps rose on her arms. Her pulse thumped.
The one thing to pop into her mind was the ghost mentioned in the play. Anne Bonnie’s soul supposedly roamed the woods looking for others who would steal her treasure. Of course, Valentina didn’t believe in ghosts. They were like vampires and shifters—urban myths that couldn’t possibly be real. Or, then again, maybe they could be.
There it was again. Her name. The trees had blocked almost all the sun where she stood. A twig snapped, and she spun around, seeing nothing. A nervous laugh came from her. Maybe she should turn around and go back since she wasn’t sure where this led.
“I’m making myself crazy,” she said out loud, taking a step back and touching something.
“Yes, you are.”
With a scream a banshee would be proud of, she sprang away from what she’d bumped into and grabbed onto a tree. Where she had stood was a big man, a foot taller than she was with a scowl on his face. He took a deep breath.
“Are you lost?” he asked. “This is mostly used by employees. The resort is that way.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction she’d come. “You should stay where you’re supposed to.”
After staring at him for a moment, she realized she recognized him. “You’re the pirate in the play who got cut last night.” Her eyes went to his bare arm, where she saw a red outline at the exact place the sliced flesh was. No stitches or bandages that would have been there if it was real.
He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “That was part of the show.”
If that was the case, then why was there a scar on his skin. No, that wasn’t right. If it was real, he’d have it wrapped up. Why was this not making sense?
She held her hand out. “I’m Valentina Lombardi, the new VP of PR.”
His eyes narrowed on her. What? Did he think she was lying? The nerve.
He finally shook her hand. “Tom Harlan.”
Oh! That Tom. Kristin’s cold husband. She’d heard so much about him. Yes, she now understood what Kristin was talking about when she said he could be mean.
She thought of Kristin and decided she’d be nice for her new friend’s sake. Though Valentina didn’t have it in her to be anything but professional to a co-worker, she didn’t have to accept rudeness