Courting Justice. Brenda Jackson
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his lead.
And that was what she was afraid of, if the kiss last night was anything to go by. She had followed his lead and experienced something she’d never felt before. Evidently he’d forgotten their kiss since he hadn’t brought it up. But then she really hadn’t thought it meant anything to him anyway. Why would it have?
“I need to think about it, Angelo. Although I didn’t come here looking for a man, I want to have fun. Besides, I met a couple of nice guys last night.”
“They were jerks trying to get you drunk.”
She’d figured as much, but still. Okay, what happened wasn’t very smart on her part. She should have known better and acted responsibly. That dress had been asking for trouble. Instead of drawing the attention of nice guys, she’d caught the interest of a few less-than-desirables.
“I guess I’m going to have to deal with Lela Stillwell on my own.”
Peyton’s attention was captured. “Lela Stillwell? Isn’t that the woman who Sam doesn’t get along with—the woman who falsely accused that NFL player of forcing himself on her when it was actually the other way around?”
“Yes, she’s the one.”
“And she’s here?” she asked.
“Yes, she’s here.”
Peyton had never met Lela Stillwell, but Sam had mentioned her often enough and none of it had been positive. According to Sam, Lela Stillwell had been after Angelo for years and had blamed Sam for Angelo not reciprocating Lela’s interest. Peyton also remembered Sam saying that Lela had added salt to the wound on what was to have been Sam’s wedding day to a guy named Guy Carrington. Lela had spread rumors about how things had gone down that were as far from the truth as they could get.
“Will you at least think about it?”
His question interrupted Peyton’s thoughts, and she glanced over at him. “Okay, I’ll do that, but I’m not making any promises.”
He smiled. “Thanks, and I appreciate it.”
Peyton felt a surge of warmth settle in the pit of her stomach. She tilted her head back to glance up at him. “Now I need you to leave so I can get up and get dressed.”
“Are you coming down to participate in the activities lined up for today?” he asked.
“Not sure how many activities I’ll get to. But then I don’t plan on hanging around in this room for the rest of the day either. Sam and Mac paid too much money for me to not have fun. Besides, I’m hungry and want to grab something at that restaurant downstairs.”
“Well, if you need anything, let me know. I’m on this floor.”
She arched her brows. “You are?”
“Yes.”
He smiled again before turning to leave. Her cheeks burned when she realized just how long she’d stared at his backside before hearing the door close behind him. It was only then that she thought about his proposition to avoid Lela Stillwell.
Truth be told, she couldn’t imagine pretending to be his lover, although it was a tempting idea. But then, she thought as she eased out of bed, how much pretending would she have to do to be enamored with Angelo? She didn’t have a thing for him now, but she could easily see herself getting into character and that was one of the things that bothered her. She had felt something for him at one time. And although it had quickly passed once reality had set in, the feelings were still there. Was it possible that her feelings for Angelo could be rekindled?
She pushed such thoughts from her mind. That had been years ago. A lot had happened in her life since then. Although she no longer resented those who were wealthy, she still couldn’t get past the fact that sometimes Sam reminded Peyton that she still walked around with a chip on her shoulder, as if she was holding a grudge against anyone lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Her thoughts shifted to the likes of the man-hungry, snooty-as-hell Lela Stillwell. At least the Di Meglios with all their money never came across as a family who thought they were better than anyone else. Whenever she spent time with them they had always made her feel welcome, like part of the family. And no one had looked down their ultra-rich nose at her. She had appreciated it, because heaven knows the situation was different than that first time she’d felt like a fish out of water.
Her thoughts returned to Angelo and his ridiculous proposal as she walked toward the bathroom, pulling down her top to hide the missing bottom. She was hungry, and she couldn’t think on an empty stomach. Peyton wasn’t sure why the thought of what he’d asked her to do intrigued her, but it did. Maybe it was the possibility that going along with his plan meant she might get another kiss out of it, or maybe it was something else.
Chapter 4
The corners of Angelo’s lips were still smiling when he entered his own room moments later. As he closed the door behind him, his mind was already contemplating his next move.
If anyone would have told him a few years ago that he, DeAngelo Antonio Di Meglio, would be in hot pursuit of any woman he would have thought they were crazy. But here he was, at a singles resort filled with women, and he was chomping at the bit for just one. But she wasn’t just any woman. He decided two years ago that she was the woman he wanted. Peyton was the one he intended to spend the rest of his life with. Now if he could only get her to thinking along those same lines.
Now, for his plan.
He didn’t consider himself manipulative—far from it. But at this stage of his life he was calculating and determined, and he planned to use every opportunity he could to sway Peyton. Convincing her to go along with his romantic ruse was the first move. If that didn’t work, it was on to Plan B.
He exhaled and couldn’t help the sly grin that touched his lips. Lela’s presence was a godsend. He of all people knew how close Mac, Sam and Peyton were. So it was obvious that if Sam didn’t care for the woman, Peyton wouldn’t either. Peyton and Sam might disagree on a lot of things, but their friendship and loyalty to one another was rock solid.
He glanced around his suite thinking that being one of the partners in the resort had its perks. The humongous room was divided into a small kitchen with a bar, a living room and a huge bedroom with a balcony that overlooked the beautiful blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. He was a Di Meglio so he was used to the finer things in life. Still, it was nice to just take time to appreciate all the things he’d been blessed to have come his way.
A few years before, an escaped convict—hell-bent on getting even with Angelo’s father—decided to turn his attention to Angelo. He’d never forget the night the man had finally made good on his threats and had forced Angelo off the road.
Luckily, he had survived. But it had taken coming that close to death to open his eyes and make him realize that tomorrow wasn’t promised, and that there was more to life than partying and women. His cousins couldn’t understand how he could walk away from both. After all, he was only in his mid-thirties and what his cousins called the prime of his bachelorhood. Now his focus had changed. Recently, he along with several businessmen—including his brother-in-law’s cousin, Lee Madaris—had invested in several resorts around the world. In addition to Dunwoody Cove, they also had resorts in London and Paris.
Being an attorney was his career, but he didn’t intend on making it his life. He hoped his investments would make it possible for him to retire by his fortieth birthday. The last thing he wanted to do was follow in his parents’ footsteps and still be practicing law until his retirement. Although his parents still enjoyed practicing law and were still sharp as tacks, he believed there was a life outside of the Di Meglio law firm. He was content with how things were now, but was already planning his future, and heading the list was Peyton Mahoney.
Angelo kicked off his shoes and was about to stroll into his kitchen to grab a bottle of water out of the refrigerator when his cell phone rang. He rolled