Gentle Persuasion Read online

  Dane stopped digging but gripped the shovel handle tightly. “What was that?” He turned slowly, every line of his body tense at Masters’s suggestion. “We could do what?”

  Masters didn’t even have the grace to look abashed. If anything, his smirk seemed even more pronounced than when he had first arrived and sought Dane out, forcing him to forego his afternoon tour with Ophelia and leaving his guest in Leilani’s hands. He was sure Ms. Reid had been anything but happy about the handoff. But now, his pesky recruiter lingered in the corner of his mind. The $10,000 incentive would go a long way in repaying his loan to Masters, even if the other debts still piled up in the interim.

  “Come now, Dane. We both know this is a tremendous undertaking for you, especially given your background.”

  “I was raised on a farm,” Dane pointed out. “In the Midwest. I’m not a stranger to the manual labor or the long hours.”

  “Perhaps during your boyhood...” Masters trailed off. “But now? So many years later?” He clicked his tongue. “You’re in over your head, man. If you’re half the genius they claim, surely you can already see that.”

  Dane only knew one thing—success was a lot of hard work and a healthy helping of luck. The hard work wasn’t the problem—he just hadn’t stumbled into the luck bit yet.

  “Why not let me help you out? By merging your name with mine, we could go far, Montgomery. Especially given your reputation in the corporate world—why not use that to our advantage?”

  In that moment, Dane wanted very much to command Masters to leave his property, but he knew that such a reaction would gain him nothing but the satisfaction of Masters’s indignation. It seemed everyone wanted a piece of his past and reputation, wishing to use his previous successes to their own benefit. He kept silent following Masters’s suggestion, considering the best response to buy him more time without surrendering to the other man’s demands. He was just thinking how desperately he needed some sort of miracle when he raised his head and saw Ophelia Reid striding toward them.

  * * *

  THOUGH OPHELIA HAD found Leilani to be an excellent guide, Dane’s absence had chafed more and more as they’d continued her tour of the plantation. Granted, the rows of coffee trees laden with green orbs waiting to ripen into red coffee cherries had proved an impressive sight, but Ophelia had continued to calculate the minutes as lost opportunities to speak with Dane personally. Still, she’d occasionally found herself absorbed by Leilani’s descriptions of wet processing, which resulted in a Kona coffee’s clean, bright acidity, and the technique of sun drying the beans on decks called hoshidanas. She’d found herself asking questions and then clarifying each step of coffee cultivation, harvesting, processing, roasting, packaging and finally, distribution.

  And despite her irritation over Dane’s disappearing act, she had to admit his small operation was pretty impressive. She and Leilani had emerged from the plantation’s roasting room and begun walking back through the orchards as Leilani summarized the seasons on the plantation and the cycle of life on a coffee farm. But Ophelia had begun tuning out the words as she’d once more wondered exactly where Dane had hidden himself away.

  Had that been his intention, to simply hide from her throughout the remainder of her stay? Clearly, his word meant nothing if he planned to avoid her, hoping she would go away. What about the $10,000 incentive? And if he thought, for even one second, that she would lack determination then he had certainly underestimated her!

  The longer she’d thought about it, the higher her anger had risen so that by the time she and Leilani had rounded the corner of a row of coffee tree saplings, she had worked herself into an internal lather of righteous indignation.

  And when she’d seen Dane Montgomery, standing at ease with a shovel in his hand, she’d muttered a triumphant, “Aha!” under her breath and barreled toward him.

  She sensed Leilani’s gasp and the girl’s struggle to keep up with her, but she kept up a clipped pace down the row of trees until she came abreast of her quarry.

  “We had a deal.”

  “Ms. Reid—”

  “Ophelia,” she snapped. “And you broke our bargain.”

  Dane cleared his throat. “I apologize if you misunderstood—”

  “Misunderstood?” She placed one hand on her hip. “Misunderstood? I hardly think I’m the one in need of clarification here.”

  She noticed Dane’s jaw tighten. He seemed to have something to say, but she sensed he was desperately trying to hold his tongue. Then she became aware of the man beside Dane—a deeply tanned, silver-bearded gentleman who put Ophelia in mind of Long John Silver from the book Treasure Island.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” the would-be pirate announced. “Kenneth Masters.” He extended a hand. “Dane’s neighbor.”

  Ophelia stuck her hand into his automatically. “Ophelia Reid, executive recruiter. From New York.”

  “Ahhhh.” Masters’s face lit up with what seemed to be approval. “So you’ve come to make an attempt at whisking Mr. Montgomery back to the mainland.”

  “No one is whisking me anywhere,” Dane remarked.

  Leilani came into Ophelia’s line of vision, but she didn’t look at her. She hoped she hadn’t gotten the younger woman in trouble, but she wasn’t about to let Dane off the hook.

  “Mr. Montgomery and I had an appointment. He agreed to give me a tour this afternoon.” She decided not to mention the particulars of their arrangement. “But he apparently has a different agenda.”

  “I’m afraid that’s my fault,” Masters apologized. “Dane was not expecting my visit today, but it could not be put off. We had an important matter to discuss.”

  Ophelia hesitated at this, her gaze shifting to Dane. She had never seen such tension in a man, tightly clenching his fist around the shovel’s handle, the veins in his arm standing in sharp relief along the lines of muscle. She wondered what it would be like to be cradled in the safety of that strong embrace. Blinking, she looked back at Masters and shoved the thought aside.

  “I—” She stopped. “Is that true?” she asked.

  Masters nodded. “Perhaps you could help us come to some sort of agreement on the subject.”

  “Masters.” Dane’s tone was filled with warning, but Ophelia found herself curious. She suddenly realized the strain within the immediate atmosphere was not the direct result of her outburst against Dane. He had already been tense when she’d come upon this scene.

  “Oh, Montgomery, why not get her input? After all, if she’s offering you some sort of contract, that could be a benefit to us all.”

  Ophelia had been manipulated enough by her mother to see Masters’s tactics for what they were. Still, she waited. Dane made a noise of disgust, but he didn’t stop Masters from elaborating.

  “I’m afraid Dane owes me a tidy sum of money—a loan I issued to him recently. Certain circumstances have forced me to call in the debt earlier than anticipated, but of course, Dane is not yet prepared to pay it. I’m suggesting a partnership, which would pair his name with my own resources. Of course, his contacts and reputation in the corporate world would help elevate our joint venture. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Ophelia stared at Masters. He stood, smiling amicably, and beneath the thin veneer of his pleasantness, she noted a flicker of smug conquest. He had Dane right where he wanted him, and the man was hard-pressed to keep from gloating. Ophelia felt a shudder of disgust run through her.

  Shifting her gaze, she saw Leilani eyeing her with sympathy while Dane looked off into the distance, as if he couldn’t bear to witness this conversation.

  She turned back to Masters, who continued to wait patiently, his grin growing more cocky and self-satisfied by the second.

  “You’re suggesting you take over his operation and gain the benefit of his name and reputation?”

  “That’s
correct—a solution to satisfy everyone involved. Even you might benefit, should Dane decide to return to New York—he could promote our business there at the same time he accepts your client’s offer.”

  Ophelia shook he head. “I’m afraid I have to disagree with you.”

  Masters’s cheery smugness dissolved, his sneer faltering. “Excuse me?”

  “It seems this scheme benefits you more than anyone else. Hardly a fair trade for a small loan of such short terms. And on the contrary, the proposal I’m offering would allow Dane the benefit of a substantial bonus, meaning he could easily clear any debt to you. No point in giving up his farm before harvesting his crops.” She waited a beat before speaking again. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

  She found the sour twist to Masters’s mouth strangely gratifying. Risking a quick glance at Dane, she noted him watching her intently, his expression unreadable.

  “Well.” This single word from Masters’s lips drew her attention back to him. “You’ll hardly convince Montgomery to return to the mainland with such faulty logic.”

  The man suddenly seemed eager to leave.

  “Dane, I’ll stop by again in a few days’ time. Unless, of course, you prefer to phone me with your decision sooner.” He cleared his throat and bowed to Ophelia. “Best of luck to you, then, Miss Reid.”

  “Nice meeting you,” she answered, but the compliment was not returned as the man strode away.

  The atmosphere felt slightly lighter after Masters’s departure, but Ophelia still recognized tension in the air as she faced Dane. She knew her outburst had done little to endear him to the object of her mission.

  “I apologize for speaking so hastily concerning our agreement. I didn’t realize you were dealing with important plantation matters.”

  Dane continued to eye her carefully, as if he couldn’t quite make up his mind about what had just happened.

  “The problem with you and your kind, Ms. Reid, is that you never stop to consider the world is not revolving around you and what you want.”

  Ophelia stiffened but bit her tongue to keep from offering a sharp reply. As she paused to rein in her temper, Leilani spoke up.

  “I’m sure Dane still wants to honor your agreement. Right, boss?” Leilani nudged Dane’s arm, seeming to remind him of his position in this situation.

  In spite of her frustration with the man, she felt a sort of pity as his shoulders sagged. He sighed, his voice simply weary. “Right. Fine.”

  “How about if you and Ophelia join us for the bonfire tonight? Sam and some of our friends are having one on the beach. It’ll be fun, and maybe it’ll make up for this afternoon.”

  Ophelia hesitated. The entire day had already been a mess of conflict and misunderstandings. She couldn’t imagine spending an entire evening in Dane Montgomery’s presence, given his current mood. And although she knew it was part of her assignment, she felt disinclined to continue pursuing negotiations with him just now.

  But to her surprise, Dane agreed to Leilani’s suggestion.

  “All right. If it will make up for my absence this afternoon.” He turned to Ophelia, and she couldn’t be sure if he was resigned or merely reserved on the matter. “Miss Reid...Ophelia. Would you like to join us this evening for a bonfire?”

  And despite her own reservations, she answered with a polite nod.

  “I would love to.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  OPHELIA COULDN’T KEEP from smiling as Leilani’s boyfriend, Sam, continued to demonstrate the steps of the hula to her. Their friends gathered around the golden circle cast by the bonfire’s light, alternating between shouts of encouragement for Ophelia and playful teasing toward Sam.

  “You have no rhythm, brah! You’ve got to move your hips more!” one of Sam’s friends called out.

  “That’s it, Ophelia! You were born to hula, girl!”

  Despite the compliments, Ophelia knew the group was being kind. Her awkward movements couldn’t compare to the elegant demonstrations Leilani and her friends had offered earlier. In fact, she suspected Sam’s goofy flailing beside her was merely to draw attention away from her own lack of grace. It didn’t bother her, though. Sam and Leilani, along with their friends, had been so warm and welcoming that she felt completely at ease among them. She had sustained mild teasing about her attire—after all, practicing the hula in business-casual pants and blouse hardly embraced the laid-back spirit of the islands. But she had endured the ribbing good-naturedly and wondered whether her professional dress had any sort of influence on Dane’s decision, anyway.

  As Sam segued into the next part of the hula, she held up her hands. “I think Sam and I have embarrassed ourselves enough for one night.”

  There were several calls of disappointment, but Ophelia shook her head. “You’ve all been a terrific audience.” She bent at the waist and then straightened, flashing them a grin. Sam grabbed her hand and tugged her down into another brief bow.

  “Ophelia and I are available for private parties, if any of you are interested. Our rates are negotiable.”

  This elicited another round of banter as Ophelia laughed and stole away from the center of the circle to settle herself on a blanket near Dane. She sensed him watching her for several seconds before he finally moved from his own blanket and onto hers. He passed her a bowl of pineapple and papaya chunks, and she fished a cube of ripe, golden fruit from the dish.

  “Thanks,” she said before popping it into her mouth. She enjoyed the juicy explosion of sweet and tart on her tongue. She was beginning to realize that tropical fruits tasted even more delicious when eaten on the same island where they were grown.

  “You’re a fast learner,” Dane finally remarked, after she had chewed and swallowed her bite of pineapple.

  She couldn’t help laughing softly. “I don’t think I’ll be entering any hula competitions anytime soon.”

  “You weren’t bad,” he replied.

  She made a face. “But not that good. You can say it.”

  He didn’t. In fact, he didn’t say anything at all. She slid a glance toward him out of the corner of her eye and saw that his gaze stretched out over the ocean. Another set of guys had taken Sam and Ophelia’s place in the circle, and they took turns mimicking Sam’s antics of a few minutes before.

  “Do you hang out with these guys much? They seem like a lot of fun.”

  Dane’s attention pulled from the water and back toward the others, fondness touching his features. “Sometimes. They’re more Leilani and Sam’s friends than mine, but they’re a good crowd. They’ve been kind to Leilani, taking her under their wing.”

  “Leilani mentioned she was in some trouble last year. Nothing too serious, I hope? She seems like too sweet of a girl to be into anything very bad.”

  “Bad crowd, poor decisions.” He gave a little shrug. “I don’t think it’s what she wanted—she was just trying to find a place for herself.”

  Ophelia hesitated. “I guess she’s not the only one. Hawaii seems like a good choice to find a place for yourself.” She looked at him pointedly after this observation, but he didn’t rise to the bait.

  She finally released a small sigh and followed his line of sight out over the ocean, observing the lip of foam-tipped waves as they ran up the shoreline and then receded with precise regularity. Moonlight silvered the water’s surface, creating beautiful shades of metallic-blue, which complemented the dusky cobalt of the twilight sky. Ophelia tried to memorize the sight, knowing she would never witness anything like it back in New York.

  “Why did you do that today? With Masters?”

  The soft question startled Ophelia as she turned her attention back to the man beside her.

  “Do what?”

  He didn’t immediately reply as he kept his stare fastened on her face. She forced herself to keep meeting his eyes,
despite the uncomfortable directness of his gaze. The bonfire’s light illuminated his features in a soft bronze glow, and she was able to truly appreciate the strong length of his stubble-dusted jaw, the chiseled lines and planes of his face and the piercing awareness of his deep, blue eyes. No wonder he had captivated the corporate world so completely. In addition to his immense intelligence and skill, he was handsome enough to compete with the very best Hollywood itself had to offer.

  She felt a rapidly growing consciousness of his proximity and the heat that radiated as much from him as from the fire several feet away.

  “I confess that I can’t quite figure you out, Ophelia Reid.”

  She blinked. “Oh? Well, perhaps recruiters are more complex than you give us credit for.”

  A corner of his lip twitched, but he shook his head in denial at this statement. “No, I don’t think so. It’s just that you’re...more subtle than the rest of them.”

  This caused her to laugh. “I never thought of subtle as one of my strong suits.” She shrugged. “I’m not as aggressive as some, but I try not to be manipulative, either.” Looking away, she tried to explain herself without putting him off. “I like what I do because I believe I’m helping people in some way. I enjoy placing others in their dream roles and careers so that they can achieve some sort of fulfillment in their everyday lives.”

  “And that, in turn, fulfills you. Is that what you’re saying?”

  She watched as the others in the group pulled out a ball and began tossing it around. “Sure. Of course. It’s a noble endeavor, wouldn’t you agree?”

  He scoffed lightly, and her eyes snapped back to him. He, too, had turned his attention to the game the others were playing so that his eyes mercifully rested elsewhere. “Helping others fulfill their dreams seems like an easy way to keep from living your own.”

  She felt a flare of indignation at this remark but bit her cheek to prevent herself from responding in kind. His words were an attempt to goad her into an outburst, she was sure of it. She would not let him have the satisfaction. After all, a lifetime spent beneath Lillian Reid’s caustic remarks had taught her the value of silence in the face of criticism.