“Seriously?”
She glanced up to find him frowning at the tablet. “What’s wrong now?”
“It wants to know my favorite color.”
“And?”
“Well, that doesn’t seem like a very definitive question. How is it going to decide if we’re compatible by the color I choose?”
“That’s the mystery of the survey. Don’t think you’re the first to try to figure out the inner workings of the system.”
“Really? Others have tried to copy you?”
She nodded. “And not just since I took over the business but when my aunt was running it. I even found correspondence of people and companies trying to buy the information from my grandparents.”
“And they always turned them down?”
She nodded. “Some things are worth more than money. And it’s not just the survey. There’s something special about Infinity Island. A number of the couples married here come back year after year for their anniversary.”
“I must admit that I just don’t get it, but I can’t argue with the results you’ve been getting year after year, decade after decade.”
“So what is it?” He looked confused, so she clarified. “What is your favorite color?”
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“No. I don’t have that question.”
He shook his head as though he were utterly flummoxed. “It’s red.”
“Sounds about right.” Red was a color of power—something Xander exuded.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Do your survey. Remember this is your idea.”
And so for the next half hour, they sat there in silence answering question after question about their likes, dislikes, personality and general topics. Lea had to admit that this was rather fun—even though she knew their results would turn out as incompatible.
“Finished,” Xander said as though this had been a race.
Lea had one more question to answer. And boy, was it a tough one.
What do you like most about your partner?
Since all of the answers were multiple choice, she started going down through the answers. Eyes? Smile? Sense of humor? Voice? Kindness? Thoughtfulness? And the list went on.
Well, she did like his eyes. In fact, she could stare into them all night long.
And as she recalled, he did have a good sense of humor. He could even laugh at himself.
And there was his voice—his voice was so rich, like a fine dark chocolate.
How in the world was she supposed to settle on just one thing?
“Is there a problem?” Xander’s voice cut through the debate in her head.
She clicked on the first option. His eyes. After all, weren’t they the mirrors to one’s soul? If so, there was a lot more to this man than she knew so far. And maybe it wasn’t the wisest thing, but she was curious to know more about him. She tried to tell herself it was for the baby. When their child grew up, if Xander backed out of their lives, she’d be able to tell their son or daughter about their father. But she had a hard time swallowing that excuse. Her need to know came from a much deeper place.
“Finished.” She looked up and found herself gazing into those eyes—the eyes that felt as though he could see through her thinly veiled excuses and the wall around her heart.
She glanced away. He couldn’t see that much. She wouldn’t let him.
* * *
Something was up.
Xander had noticed a difference in Lea since they started the survey. The questions of which he found unusual and sometimes quite probative. Like the one about what he liked best about Lea. That had been one of the easiest questions. He was drawn to her kindness.
Sure, she gave him a hard time, but that was because she perceived him as a threat—to her home, her independence and her ancestry. But he remembered the weekend they’d spent together. Once the business portion had concluded, she’d been sweet, kind and totally irresistible.
And he’d seen her with her employees. She was compassionate. She never asked them to do anything that she wasn’t willing to do. He recalled her sopping up water in the honeymoon bungalow. She hadn’t hesitated, not for a moment. She’d dived right in and gotten the messy job done.