Page 11

S he couldn’t do this. That was the first thing Dani thought the following morning as she caught sight of Zack working conscientiously, while she waited on the remaining staff to arrive for the meeting she’d insisted on.

Why in the name of all things holy, did Zack still have such an effect on her? Four years and a boatload of betrayal surely should have crushed those first delicate sprouts of love she’d felt for him back then.

They hadn’t been nurtured or enriched. In fact, they’d been brutally beaten down with the back of the spade of deceit and trampled under the boots of disillusionment before being left to rot from neglect.

So how the hell could there still be even the remotest kernel of attraction waiting to germinate into something more?

She didn’t want this. Maybe she should just cancel the meeting and take some time off.

Yeah. She was due a shitload of vacation time. She should just leave Natalie in charge and go… do… something.

But if she really felt that way, then why the hell was there a part of her that wanted to completely immerse herself in Zack for as long as she possibly could?

Sex, she reminded herself. “And you’ve obviously got a humiliation kink you never knew about,” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” her cousin asked, sauntering into her office.

Dani started. “Nothing,” she mumbled, giving herself a mental shake and turning the conversation around. “So, what exactly is this upgrade for?” she asked Luca instead. “Because I certainly haven’t noticed any issues with our current system. Certainly not anything requiring this level of overhaul.”

Was it her imagination, or was there a flash of guilt in his eyes before his normal suave veneer settled into place? “We have a unique opportunity,” he told her vaguely. “But let’s discuss it in the meeting. After all, that’s why you called it, I assume?”

Luca didn’t wait for a reply, just moved past her into the boardroom with a grace a man his size shouldn’t possess, where several other employees were now assembled, Zack included.

“Good morning.” Following him in, she addressed the assembled staff members.

Greg Taylor, the manager of Iniquity. Jonah Harris, the manager of the Tartarean Hotel, where all their lifestyle guests stayed.

Her assistant, Natalie, who had their general IT consultant, Kris Warwick, on video call, and Colt James, their head of security.

Dani took a deep breath, steeling herself.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice.

As you're aware, we have a major system upgrade happening, courtesy of.

.." She paused, gesturing toward Zack without meeting his eyes.

"Mr. Kincaid here. I'd like to discuss how this will impact our various departments and ensure we have contingency plans in place. "

She turned to Luca, arching an eyebrow. "Perhaps you'd like to start by explaining exactly what we can expect?"

Luca cleared his throat, his usual confidence seeming slightly strained. "Of course. We're implementing state-of-the- art security protocols and enhancing our guest management systems. This will allow for more seamless experiences across all our facilities."

As Luca continued outlining the supposed benefits, Dani couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She glanced at Zack, who was studiously avoiding her gaze, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm on the table.

"And how long do you anticipate this process taking?" Greg asked, frowning. "We can't afford significant downtime at Iniquity."

"I assure you, the impact on day-to-day operations will be unnoticeable since Dani has the luxury of a full back-up system.

" Zack interjected, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down Dani's spine.

"Plus, we'll be working in phases, focusing on one area at a time to minimize disruptions when the new systems come online, so it should be quite seamless. "

Dani forced herself to meet his gaze, struggling to maintain a professional demeanor. "And what about data security during the transition? We deal with extremely sensitive information here."

A flicker of something - pride? challenge? - flashed in Zack's eyes. "One of the companies I support has developed a proprietary encryption method specifically for projects like this. Guest privacy is absolutely our top priority."

"As it should be," Colt chimed in, his burly arms crossed over his chest. "I'd like a full briefing on these new security measures before we implement anything."

Zack nodded. Was it her imagination or did he seem a little stiff and unsettled? "Of course. We can set up a separate meeting to go over the details."

Kris chimed in over the video link. “While I understand the natural apprehension surrounding new software, I just want to reassure everyone that although it’s not available on the open market, and might never be, it’s been causing a big stir in the tech sector.

This system is absolutely amazing. It’s revolutionary and we’re lucky to have it. ”

“Then how exactly do we have it?” Dani demanded, feeling unaccountably stubborn.

Zack pinned her with a gaze so intense she had to drop her eyes. “Because I bankrolled this program, and since I’m an investor in this island, I wanted it to be safe.”

Dani frowned. “But if it’s so new, and not readily available, how do we even know it’ll be effective? It’s not like it comes with any google reviews.”

Luca’s eyebrows raised and Zack’s lips thinned, while the rest of the participants looked from her to Zack like they were watching a game of ping-pong.

“This is government and secret service level security,” Zack replied, his tone cool. “I can assure you it’s been very thoroughly tested.”

And now didn’t she feel petty. Why was she being so difficult? Even Luca, who had supported her so completely, was looking at her with dismay.

As the discussion continued, Dani found her attention split between the logistics being discussed and the man she'd once imagined, despite the odds, she might be capable of spending her life with.

Every gesture, every word from Zack seemed calculated to remind her of their shared past - and the chemistry that still simmered between them.

Dani forced herself to focus on the task at hand. "Alright, let's talk about the timeline for implementation. Jonah, how will this affect bookings and check-ins at the hotel?"

As Jonah began outlining potential concerns, Dani couldn't help but steal more glances at Zack. His jaw was set in that determined way she remembered so well, a telltale sign he was holding something back. What wasn't he telling them?

The meeting dragged on, each department head voicing their questions and concerns.

Throughout it all, Dani found herself hyper-aware of Zack's presence.

The way he leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table.

The slight furrow in his brow as he considered each point raised.

It was infuriating how easily he slipped back into her world, as if the past had never happened.

"I think that covers the major points," Luca finally announced, glancing at his watch. "Unless anyone has any other pressing concerns?"

A chorus of head shakes and murmured negatives followed.

As the room began to clear, Dani felt a surge of panic.

She didn’t want to be left alone with Zack again.

Her senses were betraying her, and her body - the brazen hussy - was completely on board.

It was only her mind holding back from throwing caution to the wind and launching herself at him.

Begging him to show her the paradise she’d always felt in his arms and in his ropes.

It’s just sex! She reminded her subconscious urges. And would it really be so bad to revisit the physical side of their relationship? It had been a long, dry few years, after all.

"Zack, a word?" Luca called, saving Dani from her internal struggle. She couldn’t decide if she was disappointed or relieved to be saved from her own poor judgement.

Zack nodded, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before he followed Luca out. Dani let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"You okay, boss?" Natalie asked, concern evident in her voice.

Dani plastered on a smile. "Fine. Just... processing all this new information. Could you ask Kris to stay on the line, please? I want to run some other stuff past him while he’s available. Patch him through to my office.”

“Of course,” Natalie replied, while Dani gathered her things, and slipped into the welcome quiet of her private space. Well, private until Zack got back, so she needed to be quick.

“Kris,” she addressed their IT consultant as soon as the link was available. “I need a favor please.”

“Of course,” the blonde, bespectacled guy said with a disarming grin. “What can I help you with?

“Ah… it’s kind of personal, so I need discretion,” she told him, suddenly second guessing herself. Did she really need to dig into this? What good could come of it?

It’ll steel your heart against the panty-melting charmer talking to Luca, she reminded herself.

“I need you to run a check on Zack Kincaid,” she finally revealed, trying not to wince at the shocked look he gave her.

“Umm… I’m not sure that’s altogether justified,” he hedged.

“It has nothing to do with this project, Kris,” she reassured him. “It’s… he’s asked me out, but I was told he’s married, and I don’t want to be the other woman.”

“From a reliable source?”

The horse’s mouth. Not that she could say that.

“Someone who knows him very well,” Dani said instead. “I’ve never seen any evidence of it myself, and I don’t want anything in depth. Just to find out if it’s true or not. Can you do that?”

“Absolutely,” Kris agreed. “Shouldn’t be too difficult. Just a records check. I’ll have it in your inbox by the end of the day.”