The Tycoon and the Wedding Planner

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She’d lost sight of him—difficult in the space of the boathouse, which was basically just one large room converted into luxury living. He must have escaped outside to the barbecue. She’d go find him.

Before she could make the move, the bride-to-be, Sandy, sidled up beside her. ‘Sooo,’ she said in a teasing tone. ‘You and that gorgeous hunk, Sam Lancaster...’

Kate couldn’t help it; she flushed again and Sandy noticed. That was the problem with being a fair-skinned redhead: even the slightest blush flamed. ‘What about me and Sam?’ she said, knowing she sounded unnecessarily defensive.

‘You’ve hardly kept your eyes off him all evening. And he you. I reckon he’s smitten. And maybe you are too.’

‘Of course he’s not. Of course I’m not.’

‘Oh, really?’ said Sandy in an overly knowing tone.

Kate narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you by any chance paying me back for the way I poked my nose in with you and Ben when you first came back to Dolphin Bay?’

Kate had been overprotective of her friend Ben when Sandy had showed up out of the blue after twelve years of no contact. But she’d very soon warmed to Sandy and they’d become good friends.

‘Don’t be silly,’ said Sandy. ‘I’m so deliriously happy with Ben, I want you to be happy too. Sam is really nice, as well as being a hunk. I got the lowdown on him.’

‘I only met him today. Nothing is happening there, I can assure you.’

Nothing except her heart starting to race every time she caught a glimpse of him towering over the other guests.

‘But it might. You know what they say about what happens at weddings.’ Sandy smiled. ‘The bridesmaid and the groomsman...’

Kate frowned. ‘I don’t know what you mean. I’m your bridesmaid. But Sam isn’t Ben’s groomsman. I should know, as your wedding planner.’

‘Uh, think again. Right now, Ben’s asking Sam to be just that.’

‘What? I thought he only wanted a best man?’

‘He’s changed his mind. My sister Lizzie, as chief bridesmaid, will be partnered by the best man, Jesse. That means you’d be coming up that beach aisle by yourself. We thought why not even things up by partnering you with Sam? You’ll easily be able to readjust your ceremony schedules. That is, if Sam agrees to it.’

Kate tried to tell herself she was being oversensitive but she could sense that echo again: poor Kate.

‘Sandy, it’s so sweet of you, but is this about what happened with Jesse and me three days ago? If so, I—’

Sandy’s hazel eyes were kind. ‘Kate, I’m so sorry it didn’t work out with Jesse. I know how much you’ve always wanted him.’

Kate swallowed hard. It was so difficult to talk about it. ‘Did I really, though, Sandy? I think maybe I dreamed of a kind, handsome man—so different from the men I’d dated—and Jesse was there. I...I fixated on him. It wasn’t real.’

‘You could be right. To tell you the truth, I didn’t ever see any chemistry between you.’

Kate giggled. ‘There was no chemistry whatsoever. I can’t tell you how much I regretted it. I couldn’t run away fast enough.’

‘I bet you wouldn’t run too far if you were alone with Sam Lancaster. Doesn’t he fit the bill? He’s handsome, all right—and he must be kind, or he wouldn’t have been off volunteering in India, would he?’

Kate sobered. ‘All that. But, Sandy, don’t try to matchmake, will you? I don’t want a pity party. I’m not desperate for a man.’

Sandy put her hand reassuringly on Kate’s arm. ‘Of course you’re not. But is it a bad thing for your friends to look out for you? And for you to let them? You’ve got to admit, it’s more fun being a bridesmaid if you have a handsome groomsman in tow.’

‘Of course it is. And you’re right; you don’t get more handsome than Sam Lancaster. And he’s interesting, too.’ She found herself looking over her shoulder to watch out for him, only to see him coming back into the room with Ben. ‘Here he is. I hope he didn’t hear me twittering on about how handsome he is,’ she whispered to Sandy.

She watched as Sam and Ben approached. Funny; she’d always found Ben so imposing, Jesse so good-looking. But Sam outshone any man she’d ever met in terms of pure, masculine appeal.

‘So did Sam say yes to being groomsman, Ben?’ asked Sandy.

‘Of course he did,’ said tall, blond Ben.

Sam stood shoulder-nudging distance from Kate. She could feel his warmth, smell the hint of bourbon on his breath. ‘As if I had a choice, when I heard who would be the bridesmaid I was escorting,’ he said with a smile that was just for her. She smiled back, glad beyond reason to have him by her side.

She would ask him on a date. ASAP.

Now the planning part of the evening was over and her duties done, she could get the heck out of there and take Sam with her, so they could talk in private away from too-interested eyes.

But Ben had other ideas. He turned to Kate. ‘I was going to introduce you to Sam tonight, but as you’ve already met I’ll cut straight to the chase.’

Kate sighed inwardly. All she could think of was being alone with Sam. But she was aware that, while Ben was a long-time friend, he was also her boss. He had his boss voice on now; she almost felt she should be taking notes.

‘Yes, sir,’ she said flippantly, at the same time wondering how a work thing could possibly involve Sam.

‘We’ve finally got planning approval for the new resort,’ said Ben with a whoop of triumph.

‘Really?’ she said, scarcely able to let herself believe the news. ‘Really and truly?’

‘Really,’ said Ben with a huge grin.

‘Congratulations, Kate,’ said Sandy, hugging her. ‘I know how hard you worked with Ben on the submission.’

Momentarily lost for words, Kate hugged Sandy back. Then she looked from Sam to Ben to Sam again. ‘That’s amazing. After all the hours we put in, I can hardly believe it’s actually happening,’ she said.

She grabbed hold of Sam’s arms and did a little jig of excitement—then realised what she’d done and dropped her hands. She pulled a face. ‘Sorry. I got carried away.’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ he said. ‘I can see this means a lot to you.’

Ben put up his hand. ‘Wait. There’s more. Sam’s company is going to build the resort. Lancaster & Son Construction is one of the biggest and the best in the country. We’re fortunate to have him on board.’

Kate stared, too astounded to say anything. Why hadn’t she known this?

When she finally got her breath back, Kate turned to Sam. ‘So that was the hush-hush business.’

And she’d thought he was a carpenter.

‘Not so hush-hush now,’ he said.

‘I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about this project,’ she said. ‘A luxury, boutique spa resort nestled in the bush on that beautiful spot. It’s on land overlooking Big Ray Beach—that’s our surf beach—with incredible views. The resort’s a big deal for Dolphin Bay.’

‘And a triumph for Kate. It was initially her idea,’ Ben explained to Sam. ‘As her reward for kick-starting it, she has equity.’

Her ownership was only measured in the tiniest of percentages—a token, really—but Kate intended to be a hands-on manager once the resort was up and running. It would be her dream job, something she wanted so much it hurt.

‘Congratulations,’ said Sam. ‘It’s great to hear you’re such an entrepreneur.’

Kate basked in the admiration she saw in his eyes. At age twenty-eight, she’d had a few false starts to her career; now she was exactly where she wanted to be. ‘I’m still a bit dazed that it’s actually going to happen,’ she said.

Ben turned to Kate. ‘I want you to be our liaison person with Sam—starting from now. I’ll be away on my honeymoon after next week and this week too caught up with work at the hotel.’

She blinked at Ben. ‘Th..that’s a surprise.’

‘But it makes sense,’ said Ben. ‘You know more about the project than anyone else but me. You can start by taking Sam to the site for him to take a look at it. That okay with you, Sam?’

‘Of course,’ said Sam, though Kate thought he looked perturbed.

‘I’ll leave you to two to discuss the details,’ said Ben, ushering Sandy away.

Finally Kate was left alone with Sam, exactly what she’d longed for all evening. She’d never been more aware of his big, broad-shouldered body, his unconventionally handsome face.

Only now she would value a few minutes on her own to think over what had just happened.

Ten minutes ago she’d been ready to drag him outside and arrange a date. Or two. Except now things were very different. She would have to put all such thoughts on hold. Sam was no longer a stranger blown into town for a week, never to be seen again. He was someone with ongoing links to Dolphin Bay. She’d be working with him as a professional in a business capacity.

How could she possibly think she could have any kind of personal relationship with him?

CHAPTER FOUR (#ulink_904e6e0c-9950-55b7-9b19-07af46428dcb)

SAM HAD BEEN knocked sideways by the news that he’d be working with Kate on Ben’s new resort development. He’d always enforced a strict rule in the company—no dating clients. Without exception. Not for his employees, not for him. He’d amended a number of his father’s long-standing edicts when he’d taken over but not that one. It made good business sense.

How ironic that it now applied to Kate—and company protocol was too important to him to have one rule for the boss and another for the rest of the team.

He felt like thumping the wall with his clenched fist, right through the tastefully restored wooden boards. He clenched his jaw and uttered a string of curse words under his breath.

He had to get out of this room. On top of his frustration, he felt stifled by all the wedding talk buzzing around him. When it came to his turn to get hitched—his own derailed wedding hadn’t turned him off the idea of getting married one day—he thought elopement would be a great idea.

Then there were the overheard murmurs that had him gritting his teeth. They had all been along the lines of what a shame it was about Kate and Jesse—immediately hushed when he’d come near. Whether that was because they saw him as an interloper, or they could tell he was interested in Kate, he didn’t know. But he didn’t like it.

Everything he’d heard about the oppressive nature of small-town life was true.

He hated everyone knowing his business. How Kate could bear it was beyond his comprehension. Anything smaller than Sydney, with its population of more than four-and-a-half million, would never be for him.

A middle-aged woman was bearing down on them. No doubt she wanted Kate’s opinion on the colour of ribbons on a flower arrangement or some such waste-of-space frivolity.

‘I’m going outside for some air,’ he muttered to Kate and strode away before the woman reached them.

He realised his departure was being watched with interest by everyone else in the room. Tough. There’d be nothing for them to gossip about now. Kate was strictly out of bounds.

It was dark outside now but the moon was full, reflecting on the quietly rippling waters of the bay. He gulped in the cool evening air, then let out those curse words at full volume as he kicked at the solid base of a palm tree as hard as he could.

His first thought was that after the site inspection tomorrow he would get the hell out of Dolphin Bay. But he’d promised to be Ben’s groomsman. He cursed again. He was trapped here—with a woman he wanted but suddenly couldn’t have.

The door opened behind him, a shaft of light falling on the deck. He moved away. He was in no mood to talk. To Ben. To Jesse. To anyone.

‘Sam?’ Her voice was tentative but even without turning around he knew it was Kate.

He turned. There was enough moonlight so he could see the anxiety on her face. She was wringing her hands together. He ached to reach out to her but he kept his hands fisted by his sides.

‘Let’s walk out to the end of the dock,’ she said. ‘You feel like you’re on a boat out there. And no one can overhear us.’

He fell into step beside her. A row of low-voltage sensor lights switched on to light them to the dock. The builder in him admired the electrics. His male soul could only think of the beautiful woman beside him and regret about what might have been.

They reached the end of the dock without speaking. A light breeze coming off the water brought with it the tang of the sea and lifted and played with the soft curls around Kate’s face. She seemed subdued, as if the moonlight had sucked all that wonderful vivacity from her.

She turned to him. ‘I had no idea you were building the resort.’

‘I had to keep it confidential. I didn’t know you were involved in any way.’

‘It was the first time I heard I was to liaise with you. I hadn’t seen that coming.’ She looked up at him. Her face was pale in the weak, shimmering light, her eyes shadowed. ‘This...this changes things, doesn’t it?’

‘I’m afraid it does,’ he said, knowing from the regret in her eyes that she was closing the door on him before it got any more than halfway open.

‘It...it means I have to say no to that date,’ she said.

One part of him was plunged into dismay at the tolling finality of her words, the other was relieved that he hadn’t had to say them first.

‘It means I have to rescind the offer,’ he said gruffly. ‘I have an iron-clad no-dating-the-clients rule.’

Her short, mirthless laugh was totally unlike her usual throaty chime. ‘Me too. I’ve never thought it was a good idea. There can be too many consequences if the dating doesn’t work out but you still have to work together.’

‘Agreed,’ he said. ‘There are millions of dollars at stake here.’ And his company’s reputation—especially at the time of a publicly scrutinised buy-out bid. The company had to come first again—as it always did. This time, it came ahead of him dating the only woman who had seriously interested him since his broken engagement. Again he had that sense of the business as a millstone, weighing him down with protocol and obligation—as it had since he’d been fourteen years old.

Kate laughed that mirthless laugh again. ‘Funny thing is, I suspect it’s Ben’s clumsy attempt at matchmaking and it’s totally backfired.’

He gave a snort of disbelief. ‘You think so?’

‘The groomsman thing? The cooked-up excuse to get me to show you the land when there’s no real need for me to?’

‘My take on it is that Ben thought you knew more than anyone else about the plans for the new resort. You were the best person for the job. Why would you believe any differently?’

‘I guess so,’ she said with a self-deprecating quirk of her pretty mouth. ‘But the out-of-the blue request to be a groomsman?’

Sam snapped his fingers. ‘I get it—you were concerned an extra member of the wedding party would put your schedules out?’

Her smile was forced as she raised her hand. ‘Guilty! I guess I was a little disconcerted about that. But I mainly felt bad for you being coerced into being a groomsman on such a trumped-up excuse. You don’t seem to be comfortable with all the wedding stuff—I saw you yawning during the meeting. Then you get thrown in at the deep end.’

‘Ben didn’t have to coerce me to be his groomsman. I liked the idea of being your escort at the wedding.’

Wouldn’t any red-blooded male jump at the chance to be with such a gorgeous girl? Or had Jesse done such a number on her she didn’t realise how desirable she was?

Truth be told, if it hadn’t been for the prospect of more time with Kate, he’d rather have stayed a guest and stood apart from the wedding tomfoolery. Now he would have to spend the entire time with Kate, knowing she was off-limits. It would be a kind of torture.