hotel is fed up with you. So pull yourself together. Either take a damn vacation, or get a hobby, or go get laid, but do something. Work it out, for God’s sake.”
“I can’t get laid,” Aidan muttered.
Logan stopped in his tracks. “Excuse me?”
“I said, get out of my office.”
“No,” Logan said slowly. “I think you said you can’t get laid.”
“Never mind what I said. I’m busy. Get out.”
Logan grinned. “Is there a medical issue I should be concerned about?”
Aidan stood and pointed to the door. “Get. Out.”
But Logan wasn’t going anywhere and he had the nerve to laugh. “Oh, wait a minute. I know what this is about.”
“You don’t know jack, man.”
“Yeah, this is about Ellie.”
“It has nothing to do with Ellie.”
“Really?” Logan thought for a second. “But when Grace talked to her, she said… Well, you probably don’t care. Okay, I’ll be going.”
“Wait. What did Grace say? What did Ellie tell her?”
“Sorry. Gotta go.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Logan snorted with laughter. “Oh, this is rich. You’re in love with her.”
“Get out.”
“Okay, I’m going.” He snickered and headed for the door. When he got there, he stopped and turned. “But do us all a favor and just admit it to yourself.”
“There’s not a damn thing I need to admit to anyone.”
Logan held up his hands in surrender. “Fine, be miserable. Just stop taking it out on the staff.”
Logan closed the door. Aidan sagged back in his chair and wondered what horrible sin he’d committed in a previous lifetime that had cursed him to be born a twin.
*
The following night, Aidan prepared to work later than usual on the contracts for another new restaurant in Tierra del Alleria, the island’s only town. Tierra, as the locals called it, was a Victorian-era port town that overlooked a picturesque harbor that had grown in the last five years from a lazy fishing village to a hub for wealthy yacht owners, sports fishermen and the occasional small cruise ship. People came to experience the stunning views, laid-back charm, fabulous weather and world-class restaurants that lined the beach and pier.
The new restaurant owners planned to take advantage of the growing trend in gourmet artisanal vegetarian fare. Aidan figured the menu items would appeal especially to visiting celebrities and the wealthy wives of all those cigar-smoking yacht owners.
Thinking about the town reminded him of the dinner he’d shared there a few weeks ago with Ellie. They had snuck away from the hotel for the evening to wander and shop along the quaint waterfront. It was the most normal evening he’d spent in years, he thought. They had stopped for dinner at one of Aidan’s favorite restaurants, a French bistro with phenomenal food and an excellent wine list. They were seated at the most prized table with a stunning view overlooking the scenic harbor and the sea of blue water that stretched on forever.
Ellie had ordered a rich cassoulet and Aidan the steak frites. The meat was tender and rare, the French fries deep fried to perfection. There was béarnaise sauce that Ellie had practically swooned over and each time she dipped a fry in the sauce and bit into it, Aidan felt himself grow more taut. They had rushed back home and made love for hours.
Damn it, where had that thought come from?
Aidan dragged himself back to the work before him, forcing himself to read through the various contracts for the new restaurant until he realized that one of the subcontractors’ agreements was missing. He flipped through the file, but it wasn’t there. Without much thought he buzzed Ellie, knowing she would be able to track it down for him.
A few minutes later, she walked into his office and his eyes drank in the sight of her. She wore a fire-engine-red dress with a short matching jacket and he wondered what the hell she was doing getting all dressed up like that.
As she approached the desk, he caught the scent of something irresistible. Was she wearing a new perfume? For some reason, that thought irritated him almost as much as the alluring blend of vanilla and citrus blossoms did.
He meant to thank her for bringing the contract by, but somehow the words came out differently. “What the hell did you say to Grace?”
She stopped and stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me,” he said as he stood up and rounded the desk. “I don’t want you talking to Grace without clearing it with me first.”
“Really?” she said, tilting her head at him. “Is that some