“Damn. That’s impressive. I’ve never even owned a house before, let alone flipped one.”
Okay, she was slightly impressed now. Ninety-five percent of the time when she told people she flipped houses for a living, they made a comment about her being a woman or how small she was. So she gave him points for at least not mentioning that. “It’s definitely an interesting career.” She wanted to tell him to leave but couldn’t think of a good way to do it. So she went ahead and asked him the questions she truly had. “So are you here alone? Or did you come with friends?”
“Alone.”
She didn’t know whether she imagined it or not, but she could’ve sworn his eyes went up and down her body in a quick scan after he said alone. As though letting her know he was alone and interested. A blush crept up her cheeks at the thought. Her imagination really was on overdrive today. Before she could get too embarrassed by her reaction, he was going on.
“I had some business in the area and now I have about a week between that and my next trip. I figured I would take in the beach. I heard St. Pete is one of the best beaches in the country.”
“You’re here for a week?”
He nodded. “Is that so surprising?”
It wasn’t really that surprising, but she couldn’t imagine what would keep him busy for a whole week. St. Pete was for relaxation. It was for sitting back with a beer or cocktail and listening to the waves. She knew almost nothing about this man, but she could tell by the energy vibrating off him that he was an active one. He was going to get bored within twenty-four hours. As long as he didn’t bother me when he was bored....
“It is one of the best beaches,” she admitted. Her personal favorite, but for some reason she didn’t want to give him any personal information yet, no matter how unimportant. “What kind of work do you do?” Once again she’d asked a question instead of dismissing him. She really needed to get out more. It was all well and good that she could install vinyl flooring in a huge beach house, but unless she could actually hold a normal human conversation, she wouldn’t be good for much.
“I work in advertising. The spin business kind of thing. I can sell anyone anything, anytime.”
She scoffed at the audacity of that statement. “That’s big talk.”
“I can back it up. Want to test me?”
She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “No. I really do not want to test you.”
“Ah, I was really hoping for a yes. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
Okay, it was official. He was definitely flirting with her. She couldn’t deny that some part of her was flattered by it. Something about the stress and danger of the last few days had this pleasant conversation stroking just the right fire in her. Who didn’t enjoy a good flirtation with a super-hot guy? She once again remembered that this might not be innocent flirtation. He could very well be working with Damask. The smile on her face faltered and she could tell that he noticed because he also appeared a tad more serious and a concerned line furrowed his brow.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah... I just... I have to get to work. It was nice meeting you, Tristan.” She quickly hurried away. It was only when she reached the house that she realized he hadn’t moved. He was just watching her retreat. She turned her gaze away from him and went inside. She didn’t have time in her life right now for handsome strangers.
Tristan watched Shae leave. He didn’t think she knew who he was, but she was definitely on edge. He couldn’t blame her, considering he knew exactly what had put her on that edge. She hadn’t responded to him at first, but he could tell he’d been getting somewhere before he spooked her at the end. That was good. That meant he might be able to use charm to get the information he needed from her.
He looked back out at the beach and remembered that he was playing tourist. He had a feeling she’d be watching him from inside the house, so he played the part by walking toward the water and looking at the beach.
He been all over the world and seen pretty much every beach there was to see. He’d been to St. Pete a few times before. Where there were beaches, there were generally rich people, and where there were rich people, he’d normally be around somewhere. It was nice, even if a tad too crowded in some places. He enjoyed it here because the private residences gave the illusion of privacy. He stood beyond the reach of the water, not wanting to get his Italian leather shoes wet. He didn’t even have a swimsuit with him. He doubted he’d have time to actually go swimming during this job. Too many things to do.
As a matter of fact, he rarely ever went swimming. He seemed to always be working a job. Even when he tried to take vacations, he’d always stumble on to some mark or some game he could win. That’s why he didn’t want to be benched. The idea that he’d fucked up and Toni and Hart could kick him out so easily was terrifying. In fact, it made him rethink this entire arrangement. He liked them all enough, and the pay was good, but he didn’t need that kind of stress. He could get jobs on his own. He didn’t need a boss. He didn’t need to be taking orders. So what if Blackthorne was screwing over hundreds of people with their reckless developments and halfhearted buyouts of low-income communities? Hart would deal with it. Toni would deal with it. This didn’t have to be his problem.
Even so, after his screw-up last night, he felt double pressure to prove himself. Which meant gaining Shae’s trust. He knew that she had good reason to be reluctant, which didn’t bode well for him. If she’d been more na?ve, he could’ve probably already had her driving up for a date right now. But as it was, he’d have to find some other way to embed himself into her life for the moment. If he came over to ask her out later today, it would surely just get her more suspicious. He’d have to make her think it was her idea.
It was time to bring out the big guns. He smiled at the thought as he walked back to the house. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw a dart of movement in one of the windows of Shae’s house and he realized she’d been watching this whole time. This might be easier than he thought.