Her Billionaire Lifeguard Read online

  Trey shook his shoulders as if to shake her off, but he liked her being under his skin. “You’re right. She’s still in there, not looking at me.” He watched her until she walked through the gate and off the beach. “We can’t have that.”

  “Oh, boy. Come on, Cason. Trey’s no use for this next set.”

  When it was time to go in, Trey pulled Miguel aside. “Do you think I could borrow one of your tank tops? Your uniform?”

  “The red ones?”

  “Yes.”

  Miguel raised his eyebrows.

  “I’ll give you a hundred dollars.”

  “Sold.”

  Trey smiled. “Thanks, amigo.”

  “But don’t be wearing it where management can see you unless you look responsible.” He stopped and rested a hand on his arm. “And you did not get it from me.”

  “Agreed.”

  Jake groaned. “Do I want to know your plan?”

  “I did take a life-saving course.”

  “There’s some serious stuff wrong with what I think you might be trying to do.”

  “I won’t actually save anyone.”

  Jake ran a hand along his forehead. “This has disaster written all over it.”

  Trey waved his worries away. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t do anything stupid. It’s just in case I need a quick cover.”

  They left the boards with Miguel thanking him and then invited him to join them for dinner. “Oh, and Miguel, what’s a local dinner hangout for hotel staff?”

  “Let’s go to Tio’s.”

  “That’s it, Tio’s?”

  “Well, it’s like Tio Juan’s. But we just call it Tios.”

  “Tio’s it is.” He wondered just how local this place was, but he figured if he could get to know the intriguing Scottie a little bit better, any place was golden.

  He spent the rest of the day working, talking to clients and sealing a few deals that put his energy on an all-time high and his mood to the roof. When it was time to meet in the lobby for dinner, he knocked on Jake’s door.

  He answered and stepped back. “Whoa, you put on the lavender.”

  He winked. “Well, yeah.”

  Jake shook his head. “This is more serious than I realized.”

  “I just want to see what she’s about. And she’s stunning, dude. You didn’t see her eyes.”

  “You don’t need to convince me. Let’s go hang out with the woman on a bro date.” He shook his head.

  ‘What?”

  “Well, I just don’t know how hanging with all the guys at a local dive as if we are hotel staff is going to win any woman’s heart.”

  He frowned. “You make a valid point. We’ll be at a disadvantage. But isn’t it refreshing? What if we were dirt poor? Would women still dig us?”

  Jake shrugged. “Do I need to know the answer to that question?”

  “Come on, let’s find out.”

  “I’m right behind you.” He shut his door and they made their way down to the lobby. “I hope we don’t get sick, food poisoning…”

  “Oh, stop worrying. These dives have the best food. Don’t you know that?”

  They made their way to the lobby. He wondered what she’d clean-up to look like. Was she the business type? The flirty type? He hoped she was—

  A woman entered the lobby, but not just any woman, her. “Let’s just stop for a moment of appreciation.”

  Jake followed his gaze and then chuckled. “She’s totally your type.”

  He nodded then turned to his best friend. “Wait a minute. How do you know my type?”

  He shrugged then gave him the look, the look he’d known since college.

  “I never date women like her.”

  “And you’re still single.”

  He had a point.

  Scottie approached. Her hair was long, sleek, straight. She wore bright purple, psychedelic colored pants in bright swirls. Her shirt hugged her. She had one braid across the crown of her head. Artistic. Mmm. His favorite. “You’re right.” He winked at Jake. “Hey there, Scottie.”

  “Lavender. I like your shirt.”

  He grinned. Yeah, she was his type.

  “Thank you.” He nodded to Jake. “Some people don’t appreciate it as much as others, but since you and I match beautifully, I’m going to trust you are a woman of impeccable taste.”

  “I like to think so.”

  “Then there we have it.” He searched the lobby. “The others are coming. Miguel gave us a tip, a place called Tio’s.”

  “I’d have thought you’d have been to all the places by now.”

  “Oh, nah. Most of us are new.” He cleared his throat. “And some of the guys aren’t staying.” He thought he’d give Cason an out if the man needed to quit his lifeguard job suddenly.

  Her face fell in disappointment. “Oh, sad. I’d hoped you guys would all be here for the summer at least.”

  “Hey, who knows? Right?”

  Cason and Miguel finally showed, and they all piled into her Four Runner. Cason took the front, smiling his ‘babe’ grin, and suddenly Trey wanted to take back the raise he’d given him this year.

  Jake snorted. Trey ignored him while he crammed his tall body and broad shoulders into the back with two other similarly built men.

  “It’s not far,” Miguel called from the back, giving Scottie instructions.

  “Thanks for coming, guys. I needed a group of friends for the summer. No complications, no entanglements, you know, no one-night-stand stuff either.” She lifted her eyes in the rearview mirror to the back seat and looked right at Trey. Why him? He wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of guy. Did he give off one-night-stand vibes?

  Friends. She wanted to be friends. Particularly with him? He’d been friend-zoned before he even started.

  Chapter 4

  They got out of the car at the divey-est looking dive she’d ever seen. For some reason, her eyes found Trey, who caught her dubious expression.

  He laughed and shrugged. “They’re the best kind.”

  “So they say…” She mumbled, not wanting to offend anyone, so happy to have potentially found the beginnings of a group of friends.

  Everyone crowded into the small restaurant, which boasted ten tables, eight of which were filled. Miguel waved to the room at large and then pushed together the two remaining tables. Scottie squeezed around the opposite side and made herself cozy in between Cason and Miguel.

  Her eyes found Trey more often than she would have liked. He sat across from her. And honestly, dressed up for the night, with a light scruff on his tan skin and bright eyes staring at her every time she looked his way, he made the platonic part of her efforts more difficult than she thought it would be.

  The chips and salsa were the best she’d ever had and when they added the guacamole, she was in heaven. “This right here is worth coming to dinner once a week.”

  “Mmm.” Cason nodded. “I agree. Unending guacamole coming our way.”

  “So, where are you guys from?” Scottie suspected everyone had a story, else why were they working as lifeguards in Mexico? She herself was no exception. But she didn’t want to think about her story.

  Jake clinked cups with Trey. “Chicago boys right here.”

  Cason looked hesitant to answer. But when everyone at the table looked in their direction, waiting, Cason stared at Trey for a minute before shrugging. “We are recent transplants to Chicago as well.”

  “What?” Everyone at the table looked at someone else and a strange silence settled over them.

  Someone kicked Trey. What on earth was going on with these guys?

  “We all know each other in Chicago and came here, together.”

  “And some of us are going home next week even.” Cason looked pointedly at Trey.

  Scottie couldn’t figure out what was really going on with them. “So, you’ll leave? Oh, I’m so disappointed. I was looking forward to a nice, fun group of friends at least for the summer.” She watched them hopefully. Perhaps som
e of them were staying.

  The waitress came and seemed to know Miguel really well but no one else.

  “So who’s catching more waves tomorrow morning?” Trey’s gaze rested on her, but she looked away.

  She played with her napkin. “Are you all going?”

  Cason snorted then straightened his smile. “I’m in. I finally figured it out, thanks to Miguel here.”

  “I’ll be starting yoga classes on the beach. I expect you all, as my newest friends, to be there.”

  “I like yoga.” Cason bumped her shoulder with his own.

  “You do?” Trey looked skeptical.

  “Sure. I used to do it with the team in high school.”

  “I have a mindfulness and meditation workout first thing in the morning on the beach. I think as hotel employees, you can come free. And besides, I think I can invite whoever I want to join us.”

  “I’ll come.” Trey smiled. “And then surf.”

  “We’re going to Isla Mujeres.”

  Trey smacked his forehead. “Right. Snorkeling.”

  “Your day off. Of course.” She paused. “I should actually spend some time in my shop, getting the next show pieces out and ready.”

  “What do you sell?”

  “Oh, so many things.” Scottie never knew how to answer that question. She’d have to work on her sales pitch. “Come by and see.” She handed out her business card with the shop address and some images.

  “Is this, like, blown glass?” Cason studied the pieces. “It’s incredible.”

  “Thank you. Yes. I use glass as a medium quite a lot.”

  Trey had been silent for too long, staring at her business card. She watched him, her breath hitching, waiting to learn if he had a reaction.

  He stretched his foot forward and placed it beside hers. The pressure there felt purposeful, supportive, almost like an embrace, so she left her foot in place. Then his eyes lifted, and in them, she found a different intensity. “I’m impressed.”

  That’s all he said. He stared at her until she looked away, but the feeling that had filled her stayed and warmed her toes. He was impressed. She wanted to giggle. What had come over her?

  Jake pocketed her card. “Trey has an interest in art.”

  She nodded. “Mmm. Do you?” She wondered in what way.

  “Well, sure. It’s not what I do. I mean, obviously. But I have always been interested; I study artists and their work.”

  “Come stop by the store sometime. I mean, if you can.” She cleared her throat, suddenly remembering she wasn’t sitting at a table alone with Trey. “All of you. I’ll do your very own blown glass demonstration.”

  Their meals arrived and after one bite, she was convinced. “This is the best food I’ve ever eaten.” She waived down their waitress. “Please tell the cook this is delicious.”

  The girl’s face beamed. “Gracias.”

  Miguel leaned over to them all. “Her father is the chef.”

  “This is way better than the pretend Mexican food we eat back home.” She almost listed her favorites in Chicago, but she didn’t want to reveal her many trips there in meetings with other cosmetic companies. These chile rellenos even had her favorite place in Chicago beat.

  Trey’s foot slid alongside hers, lingering a moment longer, then departed. She avoided his eyes, though she knew he was watching her. Intense. That was the best way to describe his interest.

  Some local girls showed up to talk to Miguel, and Scottie told herself she was happy they joined their group and began pairing off with the other guys.

  Cason stuck to her side, talking in her ear about everything he could think of, so the girls avoided him, and of course, some latched onto Trey. Two. One on each side.

  In between responses to Cason, she entertained herself by watching him try to fend them off. He spoke Spanish.

  “What? Trey, you speak Spanish?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Totally. I spent some time in Spain as a missionary.”

  “He lisps.” Cason exaggerated the th pronunciation of the C sound.

  “I think it’s beautiful.”

  Trey winked at her and responded to a question from one of the ladies at his left.

  They lingered while most everyone in the place left except for their group. Trey somehow convinced the ladies to leave him alone, and they stood to go. Every one of the guys had paired off except for Cason and Trey, and so the three of them made their way back to her car. “Thanks for inviting me to join you.”

  Cason reached for her hand, but she avoided his fingers and walked around to the other side of the car. Trey joined her in the front.

  “I’m happy we went. Fun group.” Trey buckled his seatbelt.

  “And I love that the girls joined us. I was going to offer to set you guys up.” She started the car. “That’s what friends do.”

  Cason snorted. And Trey was silent. She would have laughed, but she really wanted to keep up the friend vibe as long as she could.

  They pulled into the hotel and Trey turned to Cason but didn’t speak. She glanced over and their expressions went blank, but Cason got out of the car. And Trey turned to her.

  Charged emotion filled the space between them. Alone with Trey. This wouldn’t do.

  She reached for her door handle. “Well, good night!”

  He lifted an eyebrow and his eyes sparkled. “Want to go walk the beach?”

  Oh, she wanted to. He was easily the best-looking guy she’d ever met. She searched his face but then shook her head. “Not tonight.”

  He nodded. “Another night.”

  She closed her door and walked in with him.

  “Wait, do you live here at the hotel?”

  She shook her head. “No, just for a couple days. I am doing some renovations on the store and my apartment is above, so I needed to get out of the dust and noise.”

  His huge grin made her laugh. “This is excellent news.”

  But she wasn’t so sure. Not if she wanted to avoid another relationship.

  They walked to the elevator. She knew he wasn’t giving up, and she didn’t know if that was good or bad.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning Trey woke early, the phone call from Damian on his mind. Did he want to collaborate with him? Something sketchy went down with the man’s business practices. Redding Cosmetics, now called Within Cosmetics. The company’s owner, his beloved friend and mentor, had passed away and from what Trey remembered, everyone expected the position of head of the board and CEO to pass to his daughter, but then she disappeared. There was some scandal. And he’d even been quoted as requesting she return. Trey had admired Mr. Redding and was disappointed in her daughter for abandoning that man’s legacy. Especially now that it was in the hands of Damian. Something didn’t sit well with the whole thing, and he wasn’t moving forward until he understood it.

  After sending an email to his research team and asking legal to run background checks, he put his phone away again and headed out to the beach. Early morning yoga with the beautiful Scottie. And then a snorkel trip to Isla Mujares. One of the best coral reefs in the world sat just off of Cancun, Mexico.

  Cason met him on his way. The frown on his friend’s face growing.

  “Dude, what is it with you?”

  “I just think you’re a little too obsessive about some things.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Trey’s irritation burned.

  “You don’t know anything about her. Ask yourself why you’re into her. Is it actually her you like, or just the distance she keeps from you?” He pushed past him. “And you gotta wonder why she’s resisting #hotTrey.” Cason jogged out across the sand and high-fived Scottie.

  He should fire that guy. That was a lot of daring lip from a friend and co-worker. But did Cason have a good point? He’d asked himself a million times what was so fascinating about Scottie. He watched her, slowing his approach. Her hair was pulled onto the top of her head, emphasizing her long slender neck, her beautiful delicate chin. Her skin
, clean, makeup-free, looked soft. She was a stunning woman. But what was it? Jake had said she was his type. Did he have a type? Was she it? He’d loved her outfit last night. She was an artist. He paused. And there was perhaps the crux of it. She was an artist. Creative. He was drawn to that like the undiscovered and precious diamond in a drawer at home. He wanted to take it out, admire it, hold it up to the light and then guard it carefully again. Was this a passing fancy or did he want to really explore something here?

  He approached and she high-fived him, the same she had Cason, and then continued her conversation with him. If she let him get close, he’d love to get to know her. But so far, he could detect only a tiny hidden interest and frequent obvious efforts to treat him in a purely platonic manner. Which drove him to distraction. So, there it was, Cason’s question—why was he so interested in the beguiling Scottie?

  She started their yoga session and a group of ladies joined from the hotel. He was soon surrounded. Did he imagine it or did Scottie find something about that amusing?

  At length Jake joined them, indicating it was time to hit the waves. He finished early, nodded to Scottie and then followed his friend out onto the water.

  “Dude. Yoga?” Jake shook his head.

  “I don’t know what else to do, man. She ignores me.”

  “I left your board over there.”

  They ran into the water. Trey looked over his shoulder and Scottie looked away. “Ha! She was checking us out.”

  “What if it was just me?”

  Trey frowned.

  “I’m kidding. Look, Trey, you’re starting to drive me crazy with this.”

  They paddled out past the breaking waves. “And how are you, how are we gonna keep up some lifeguard pretense while we’re here?”

  Trey had no idea. “Look, I didn’t mean for her to confuse us with Miguel and his co-workers. But she seemed to like that.”

  “At least we are offsite today.”

  “I’ll talk to her.” Maybe. If he ever got a chance. “If Cason ever leaves her alone.”

  “Yeah, he’s really not backing down, is he?”

  “He laid into me on the way out here, thinks I’m not being sincere in my interest.” Trey shrugged. “I don’t know how Cason could know her any better than I do. So, what’s the difference between his efforts and mine?”