Page 21 of Wild Promise

“Sure.” She laughed. “I’ve contacted every catering company in a fifty-kilometer radius and come up short, but you’re going to secure me the extra staff to serve two hundred people, and you’re going to do it in less than a day?”

“Yeah, no problem. I’ve got connections.”

“Do I even want to know how you made these connections?”

“Probably not.” I smirked.

“Zane, this is serious.” She sighed again. “My career is riding on this event. I can’t just take your word for it.”

After everything—or maybe because of everything—she still didn’t trust me. And even though it made perfect sense, it still fucking gutted me.

“Look, I know you don’t think much of me, and I’m not sure your opinion is too far off base, but I wouldn’t screw you over. Believe it or not, I care about this resort and the people who work here. More than you probably know. I’d never put any of it at risk.”

My words hung heavy, but the honesty didn’t make me want to crawl out of my skin this time. Fun-time guy might not do emotional grand gestures, but a little bit of truth from time to time didn’t seem to hurt.

Not yet anyway.

Melina studied me for a long moment, her brow pinching as she bit at the inside of her lower lip while I slowly lost my mind waiting for an answer.

“Okay.” She pushed away from the desk—chin up, shoulders straight, and Lord fucking help me, her perfect tits right there, daring me not to look.

“Okay?” I croaked, hoping like hell she’d say let’s get naked.

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you.”

Somehow, those words were even better. “Really?”

“Yes, but only one. And only if you can help me fix this catering mess and promise to keep this whole thing discreet. The show we just gave Becky was bad enough, but at least I can deny it. Or claim temporary insanity.”

“Temporary insanity, huh?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost my damn mind.”

I laughed, high on a rush of endorphins. “I think that might make two of us.”

Chapter Seven

Melina

“Oh my God, he asked you on a date? That’s amazing!” Avery’s enthusiasm was one part alcohol, two parts swoon, and one hundred percent unhelpful.

I couldn’t hold it against her, though. My best friend was a die-hard romantic who’d not only hopped aboard the Melina plus Zane train ages ago but had decorated it with wedding bells. The only way to derail her would be to prove her wrong.

“Yes, a date.” I kept my expression neutral. No point in giving her any extra encouragement.

“Well? Did you say yes?” She clasped her hands under her chin and shimmied in her seat, the pitcher of beer in front of her at risk of being toppled. “Please tell me you said yes.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I said yes.”

Her high-pitched squeal cut through the noise of the bar. The people around us turned to stare, including a table of burly guys in work boots who looked like they’d been there since noon. But they’d been eying Avery most of the night anyway, so their attention didn’t faze her.

Still, it made me wish we had a better place to hang out.

Rusty’s was exactly what it sounded like—a dimly lit dive with sticky floors, cheap beer, and a sports playing on every screen. It attracted a rough mix of locals and weekend tourists and was better known for its fights than its drink menu.

But it was also the only bar I could go on Saturday night without running into Zane. And considering the day I’d had…I definitely needed to be here.

“I knew he was into you!” Avery shouted. “I frickin’ told you so!”