“Mr. Montgomery and I had an appointment. He agreed to give me a tour this afternoon.” She decided not to mention the particulars of their arrangement. “But he apparently has a different agenda.”
“I’m afraid that’s my fault,” Masters apologized. “Dane was not expecting my visit today, but it could not be put off. We had an important matter to discuss.”
Ophelia hesitated at this, her gaze shifting to Dane. She had never seen such tension in a man, tightly clenching his fist around the shovel’s handle, the veins in his arm standing in sharp relief along the lines of muscle. She wondered what it would be like to be cradled in the safety of that strong embrace. Blinking, she looked back at Masters and shoved the thought aside.
“I—” She stopped. “Is that true?” she asked.
Masters nodded. “Perhaps you could help us come to some sort of agreement on the subject.”
“Masters.” Dane’s tone was filled with warning, but Ophelia found herself curious. She suddenly realized the strain within the immediate atmosphere was not the direct result of her outburst against Dane. He had already been tense when she’d come upon this scene.
“Oh, Montgomery, why not get her input? After all, if she’s offering you some sort of contract, that could be a benefit to us all.”
Ophelia had been manipulated enough by her mother to see Masters’s tactics for what they were. Still, she waited. Dane made a noise of disgust, but he didn’t stop Masters from elaborating.
“I’m afraid Dane owes me a tidy sum of money—a loan I issued to him recently. Certain circumstances have forced me to call in the debt earlier than anticipated, but of course, Dane is not yet prepared to pay it. I’m suggesting a partnership, which would pair his name with my own resources. Of course, his contacts and reputation in the corporate world would help elevate our joint venture. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Ophelia stared at Masters. He stood, smiling amicably, and beneath the thin veneer of his pleasantness, she noted a flicker of smug conquest. He had Dane right where he wanted him, and the man was hard-pressed to keep from gloating. Ophelia felt a shudder of disgust run through her.
Shifting her gaze, she saw Leilani eyeing her with sympathy while Dane looked off into the distance, as if he couldn’t bear to witness this conversation.
She turned back to Masters, who continued to wait patiently, his grin growing more cocky and self-satisfied by the second.
“You’re suggesting you take over his operation and gain the benefit of his name and reputation?”
“That’s correct—a solution to satisfy everyone involved. Even you might benefit, should Dane decide to return to New York—he could promote our business there at the same time he accepts your client’s offer.”
Ophelia shook he head. “I’m afraid I have to disagree with you.”
Masters’s cheery smugness dissolved, his sneer faltering. “Excuse me?”
“It seems this scheme benefits you more than anyone else. Hardly a fair trade for a small loan of such short terms. And on the contrary, the proposal I’m offering would allow Dane the benefit of a substantial bonus, meaning he could easily clear any debt to you. No point in giving up his farm before harvesting his crops.” She waited a beat before speaking again. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
She found the sour twist to Masters’s mouth strangely gratifying. Risking a quick glance at Dane, she noted him watching her intently, his expression unreadable.
“Well.” This single word from Masters’s lips drew her attention back to him. “You’ll hardly convince Montgomery to return to the mainland with such faulty logic.”
The man suddenly seemed eager to leave.
“Dane, I’ll stop by again in a few days’ time. Unless, of course, you prefer to phone me with your decision sooner.” He cleared his throat and bowed to Ophelia. “Best of luck to you, then, Miss Reid.”
“Nice meeting you,” she answered, but the compliment was not returned as the man strode away.
The atmosphere felt slightly lighter after Masters’s departure, but Ophelia still recognized tension in the air as she faced Dane. She knew her outburst had done little to endear him to the object of her mission.
“I apologize for speaking so hastily concerning our agreement. I didn’t realize you were dealing with important plantation matters.”
Dane continued to eye her carefully, as if he couldn’t quite make up his mind about what had just happened.
“The problem with you and your kind, Ms. Reid, is that you never stop to consider the world is not revolving around you and what you want.”
Ophelia stiffened but bit her tongue to keep from offering a sharp reply. As she paused to rein in her temper, Leilani spoke up.
“I’m sure Dane still wants to honor your agreement. Right, boss?” Leilani nudged Dane’s arm, seeming to remind him of his position in this situation.
In spite of her frustration with the man, she felt a sort of pity as his shoulders sagged. He sighed, his voice simply weary. “Right. Fine.”
“How about if you and Ophelia join us for the bonfire tonight? Sam and some of our friends are having one on the beach. It’ll be fun, and maybe it’ll make up for this afternoon.”
Ophelia hesitated. The entire day had already been a mess of conflict and misunderstandings. She couldn’t imagine spending an entire evening in Dane Montgomery’s presence, given his current mood. And although she knew it was part of her assignment, she felt disinclined to continue pursuing negotiations with him just now.
But to her surprise, Dane agreed to Leilani’s suggestion.
“All right. If it will make up for my absence this afternoon.” He turned to Ophelia, and she couldn’t be sure if he was resigned or merely reserved on the matter. “Miss Reid...Ophelia. Would you like to join us this evening for a bonfire?”
And despite her own reservations, she answered with a polite nod.
“I would love to.”
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