CHAPTER SIX
Daniel sat on the other side of the pool with his laptop open on the table. His dark sunglasses meant he couldn’t see shit on the screen, but that wasn’t what he was looking at.
He’d been watching Harper Kane flirt with the bartender. Or rather, the bartender flirt with her.
And it had irked him.
She’d blushed and smiled at the young guy, then sashayed away. He hadn’t detected any of the hostility she’d shown him.
Why the fuck not?
Daniel lifted his Mai Tai to his lips and finished his drink. As if by magic—and also because he owned the place—a server appeared asking if he wanted another one.
“Yes, thank you,” he said, his eyes barely leaving Harper. As the server wandered off, Daniel called out, “Please send Ms. Kane another drink. Anonymously.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, appearing to have no point of view on his request, but he knew it would be kitchen gossip in ten minutes.
He didn’t care.
It wasn’t the first time he’d been in one of his hotels and fucked a guest. From actors to musicians to politicians, he usually met one woman, or another and ended up enjoying their...body.
Daniel was discrete but didn’t hide who he was.
He wasn’t married and enjoyed sex.
He didn’t screw the crew. None of them did. It was company policy.
Harper wasn’t the type of woman to usually grab his interest. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and not terribly successful, despite the book deal with the network. As a businessman he knew the opportunity, while probably exciting for Ms. Kane, wasn’t going to make her a rich woman.
Not that he chose woman based on their bank balance—that was irrelevant to him —he was simply surrounded by wealthy people because of the places he went and was invited to.
In some ways, it was easier. They understood the rules; If a man of his means was interested in a woman seriously, he would date her. He’d wine and dine her. Ask about what she wanted in life. Where she wanted to live. What kind of house she wanted. Did she want children? A holiday home in the Hamptons? He’d meet her parents, she’d meet his—well, maybe not his mother—and plans would be made.
Daniel never did any of those things.
So when he took them home, they knew the deal. It was pure sex. When he arranged a car before morning, they knew the deal. It was a one-time deal.
Would Harper?
Because he was going to fuck her.
And soon.
Daniel reclined in his seat and waited. He’d thought about her a lot during the day and his cock was eager to know her more. But he couldn’t shake the way she’d looked at him with complete disinterest.
He, perhaps arrogantly, didn’t buy it. Not that all women desired him—that simply wasn’t true—but the fire in their touch had burned, telling a completely different story than the dismissive look in her eyes.
She’d tried to ignore it, but Daniel wasn’t going to let that fly.
She was about to learn Daniel Dufort took what he wanted. And the more he watched her across from him, the more he wanted her.
Hell, he’d spent the day outside working, enjoying the tropical heat while he tried to distract himself from the blackmail and the sexy Kiwi woman who had turned and walked away from him.
He was failing at both.
Black Josh still hadn’t responded, and the clock was ticking.
Daniel shivered.