His face clouded and froze over. “Not quite.” He released her hand and reached in his pocket for a cigarette, realized the plane was about to land and put it back again.
“Buckle up, honey. We’re going in for a landing,” he said curtly.
She did as he asked without another word. She’d offended him, without realizing it. His motivation was surely in some way linked to his dead wife and daughter, and she regretted deeply that unthinking question. Her eyes turned toward the window and she didn’t open her mouth again.
They went back to the hotel first, to give Nikki a chance to change into more comfortable clothes before they went out again. While they were there, Cal exchanged her room and his for a suite of rooms overlooking the bay.
“Don’t get any ideas about seducing me, either.” He chuckled as he carried her bags into her bedroom. “I’ve got protection. Genner!”
A tall, graying man with friendly eyes and a taciturn face came ambling out of the sitting room that connected her room with Cal’s. “Yes, sir?”
“Genner, this is Miss Blake. Nikki, Genner has been with me for over fifteen years. He smooths the bumps, makes me eat when I don’t want to and manages somehow to survive four female Siamese cats who hate him fiercely.”
She laughed. “How do you do, Mr. Genner?” she said politely, extending her hand and having it lightly shaken.
“Fine, thank you, miss,” he replied. “Would you like some coffee, sir?” he asked Cal.
“That might be a good idea.”
“None for me,” Nikki said quickly, feeling the heat more than ever, even in the air-conditioned sitting room, “I’d like to lie down for a minute or two, if you don’t mind.”
“Go ahead,” he said gently. “I’ve got a mountain of work to get through and a meeting on the agenda...”
Nikki thought guiltily of all the time he’d been spending with her instead of his business. “Cal, if you’d rather put the church off until tomorrow, it’s fine with me,” she lied.
He shifted restlessly, his big hands jammed in his pockets. “I could use a little extra time to study the proposals on that real estate I need for the new hotel,” he murmured.
She pasted a smile on her face. She’d had the morning with him, after all... Why should she expect any more?
“Then take it,” she said. “I’m really worn out, but I didn’t want to say anything and hurt your feelings. You’ve been so kind...about the room and all...”
He glared at her. “It wasn’t out of kindness and you know it,” he growled. “I please myself, no one else.”
“You know what I mean,” she said gently. “I don’t mind about this afternoon. Really, I don’t.”
He looked hunted for an instant, his eyes pained, his expression one of a man combating a host of conflicting emotions. “I’ll call you in the morning, then,” he said after a minute.
“That will be fine,” she assured him, forcing herself to be cheerful. She glanced around the room. “Why are you staying here in a regular suite?” she added, curious.
Both dark eyebrows went up. “Why not? I own it. I can find out more about its operation from one of the standard rooms than in the executive suite, can’t I?”
“Everybody knows who you are, anyway.” She laughed.
He shrugged. “It’s a well-run hotel,” he admitted. “I’ve known associates to send servants down here with bankrolls to see how efficient the service in their hotels was.”
“And...?” she asked. “Have you done that?”
“There’s never been a complaint,” Cal said with a ghost of a smile. “It isn’t the newest hotel on the island, but there’s been extensive renovation and remodeling, and the service is second to none.”
“I’ll agree with that wholeheartedly.” She nodded. “It’s well-run, all right. But why build another hotel...”
“Not here,” he said. “On one of the out islands,” he added. “But that’s privileged information right now, Georgia.”
She nodded. Her eyes flashed up to his and down again. “Well... I’ll see you in the morning. Or sometime,” she added with a smile and a careful carelessness. It wouldn’t do to have him think she was begging for his company. Especially now that they were in adjoining rooms. What more did she want?
He nodded, his eyes narrowed with an absentminded look in them. “Sure. Don’t go out at night by yourself,” he threw over his shoulder.