de

ow, staring down at the bustling str

ollow me all

but I had rejected it anyway - partly because of her little outburst this

k sounded o

me

black trousers from earlier. Even without a trace of heavy makeup, she was s

eat, Miss

ly while I remained s

I left your office," I said, a

st let it go." Her voice

accept my decision ea

met my gaze head-on. "I came here becaus

ing something I didn't like, what m

you're a fair per

. "Fair? You reall

a good judge

ng closer. "I'm not fair, Miss Wilburn. When

illegal?" she

but I stay clean.

eal smile I'd seen from he

t that second chance

as no idea how dangerous that ques

added quickly, as if reading my though

ared to admit. Women usually threw them

when my secretary bar

line. She said if you don't take her call,

never bluffed, I p

lo,

ary had to threaten m

portant meeti

ant too," she cut in. "You need to come

not r

ring on her finger! You barely visit the island,

d, forgetting Emily was still sittin

for your education. He made you the man you are today. And you can'

. I respect him like

to the island and do y

h someone else. I found her... and she changed me. I'm going to marr

ou'd never fall in love. I won't allow this, Cade. I will

ou want. I don

phone onto the desk. Only then

tching me wi

ay?" she as

ng to my conversa

e, so I stayed. But I can pretend I h

I was still replaying what

... I'm going to marry her...

h

the island in a few days. If I showed up without a fiancée, my mother a

at Emil

not

d currently desperate for som

my voice calmer now. "You an

ly

nease crawlin

arry her. That surprised me. Everything I'd heard painted him as a ruthless womanizer.

nt to talk abou

that second chan

re really willing to g

es

er me - until hi

ething... Ar

ha

he repeated, wat

es that

us smile spread

ith something. In exchange, I'll

y knowing I wasn't going

xactly woul