a shrug, she turned and headed back inside.
“Here.” Dane poured them each a demitasse cup of rich, dark coffee and passed one her way.
She leaned her nose into the fragrant beverage and noted the faintest scents of berry and cocoa. Blowing first on the liquid, she took a small sip and was rewarded with a satisfying explosion of tart fruitiness and mellow cocoa flavor along her tongue. She allowed the full body of the brew to linger in her mouth before it slid down her throat. Greedily, she took another steaming sip.
“It’s fantastic,” she admitted. “Easily the best cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted.”
He grinned proudly. “I knew you’d think so. It’s our own beans, roasted right here on the plantation.”
His pleased expression reminded her of a little boy who had been praised for a job well done. She took another sip. “Impressive.”
She reached for one of the chocolate macadamia nuts. The delicate milk chocolate against the nutty flavor of the treat only served to highlight the Kona roast’s cocoa notes even further.
“I assume this little exercise is meant to demonstrate for me the allure of island life?”
“The point of this little exercise was to demonstrate the quality of the product. Coffee is the second-most-traded commodity in the world, next to oil, and Kona is one of the most lucrative beans. Why should I give that up, along with paradise, to return to a city that never held much appeal for me and a career I left behind?”
As much as she hated to play the card Leilani had handed her the evening before, she knew she had to use it. “Because you’re drowning in debt, and the very best coffee beans in the world can’t save you if you don’t have the capital to properly distribute them.”
He sat in what she assumed was stunned silence. Ophelia placed her demitasse cup back on the tray.
“With all due respect, I think it takes more than a good cup of coffee to turn down an offer such as the one Bianca Towers has made you.”
She could tell by the hardening of his jaw that her words had only served to anger him.
“How do you know about the plantation’s financial situation?”
Ophelia held her breath for a second before releasing it. “Like you said, I’ve done my homework.”
He glared at her, and she felt every ounce of the pressure he must be under.
“Let me make you another offer,” she said. “My firm will pay you $10,000 in addition to my reservation at the inn if you’ll be my personal guide for this week. It will give you the opportunity to show off your paradise here, and it will allow me the chance to highlight all the benefits of Ms. Towers’s offer to you.”
The glare dissolved, replaced by wariness. She could tell he hadn’t expected this change in tactics.
“That seems somewhat...desperate.”
Ophelia attempted to keep her expression neutral. “Perhaps we’re both a little desperate, hmm? Why not see if it can work to our advantage?”
She had always known Dane Montgomery would be the toughest recruitment of her career. But she had the feeling that if she could just spend enough time with him, get to know him, find some sort of compromise to their situations...
“Fine.”
She knew that this time, her face revealed her surprise. “Fine? I mean...you’ll do it?”
“For $10,000, I’ll be your personal tour guide...for this week only.” He rose to his feet. “But let me warn you, Ms. Reid, that others with more experience than you have tried many times over the past three years to lure me back.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
He paused, seeming to consider her. “What makes you think you’ll have a better chance than they did?”
She met his gaze with determination. “I don’t know that I do,” she confessed, “but I have to try.”
He straightened at this, and did she imagine it, or was there just the slightest hint of respect in his gaze?
“Then let the games begin.”
* * *
FOLLOWING HER PRELIMINARY negotiations with Dane, Ophelia excused herself, heading to her room so she could check in back home. She stared at her cell phone for a long time before she finally decided to send her mother an email instead. It would be much less stressful than attempting to fill in the details by phone.
She opened up her laptop and typed a short missive.
To: Lillian Reid <[email protected]>
From: Ophelia Reid <[email protected]>
Subject: Dane Montgomery
Ms. Reid,
Things are progressing naturally concerning Dane Montgomery, with the expected resistance to our offer. As we discussed, I have offered him the additional monetary incentive in exchange for his time, and he has agreed to the terms. I will continue to outline the benefits regarding his acceptance of this contract and will keep you apprised of any developments.
Sincerely,
Ophelia
She considered adding something of a more personal nature, even going so far as to type PS The weather is lovely, followed by We should visit here together one day, and then she immediately deleted such trite words, knowing what her mother would think of them.
She sent off the email and closed her laptop, hesitating as she considered calling Cole to see how he was doing. A sense of obligation prompted her to reach for her phone. She took note of the time difference, opened her speed-dial list and tapped Cole’s name. She drew a breath and held it as the line rang once, twice, three and then four times before her ex-boyfriend finally answered.
“Hello, Fee.”
She cringed at Cole’s nickname for her.
“Ophelia,” she corrected.
“Right. Of course. Sorry.”
He sounded truly contrite, and guilt washed over her. She quickly brushed it aside.
“How’s paradise?” he asked.
“It’s lovely,” she said, and realized she was nervously tapping her index finger on her laptop. She cleared her throat and pushed the computer from her lap.
“Have you convinced Montgomery to accept the contract yet?”
She felt a twinge of irritation. “I’ve barely been here twenty-four hours. It’s not the easiest recruitment ever, you know.”
“So I take it that’s a no?”
His voice
