Sparks Fly

don’t want too rough a ride back.”
    Angelina looked at the sailboats on either side of them. The sails were barely fluttering and the water looked remarkably like glass. He must really want to get this consultation over and done with, she thought to herself. But, she decided, she wasn’t going to let her feelings be hurt.
    Instead, she was going to milk every last ounce of enjoyment out of floating across the water and sitting under blue skies. She was completely fine maintaining a purely professional relationship with Will.
    No matter what her heart said to the contrary.

    * * *
    Angelina attempted to get involved in a conversation with someone else on board, but between the five of them, they were a mess. Krista was alternately pouting and then trying to get Derek’s attention. Derek was working so hard at ignoring Krista’s advances that he wasn’t much of a conversationalist. And James’s phone kept ringing with hot stock tips.
    By the time Will maneuvered his yacht back into the marina, Angelina was hugely relieved the outing was over. She was going to do a quick Feng Shui consultation and then she and Krista would get the heck out of there.
    But Will seemed to have other plans. “Derek, would you mind taking Krista home?”
    Panic crept up Angelina’s spine at the thought of being alone on the boat with Will. “Krista doesn’t mind waiting for me to finish the consultation, do you, Krista?”
    Krista looked thrilled by the turn of events. “I’d love to go home with you, Derek,” she said, her invitation clear to everyone on the boat.
    Angelina tried to catch Krista’s eye to let her know she was needed as backup, but Krista had already kissed Will on the cheek and said, “Thank you for a great day and for introducing me to Derek.”
    Derek and Krista left with James not far behind them, shaking hands with Will before walking down the dock, cell phone pressed to his ear.
    “I’m really glad you came today.” All of the earlier awkwardness disappeared as he closed the distance between them and every cell in her body went on high alert.
    He was going to kiss her.
    And she was going to let him.
    In the end, she wasn’t sure who made the first move. All she knew was that his mouth was on hers and hers was on his.
    And it was the best kiss of her life.
    She didn’t know how long they stood on his boat kissing, was barely aware of anything other than how good he was making her feel, until suddenly, she felt him pulling back.
    Finally, she realized his cell phone was ringing. It was a strange ring tone.
    Muttering a soft curse, he said, “I need to take this.”
    “Sure. Of course. Go ahead.”
    “Angelina, please, just wait a second. I’ll hang up as soon as I can.”
    But she could see that his focus was already on his important phone call.
    She waited for a few minutes for him, but then she finally realized he’d forgotten all about her.
    Oh God, she was such an idiot. She was the hired help, conveniently there for whatever he wanted. Just like she’d been with Bryce when she was twenty-one.
    She grabbed her bag, already calling a cab as she jumped off his boat and hurried up the dock.

    ** *
    Will cut his call short with his corporate lawyer and walked out to the stern to find Angelina ...
    and pick up where they’d left off.
    But she was gone.
    He’d blown it again.
    Susan had always been on him about his knee-jerk tendency to put business first, but he’d ignored her because business always had come first.
    His ex-wife’s words were coming back to haunt him.

CHAPTER SIX
    “So you were kissing and then when his phone rang, he forgot all about you?”
    Angelina squeezed her eyes shut and considered hanging up on Krista. She had spent the entire night trying to forget the kiss.
    Trying to forget about being forgotten.
    “Don’t make such a big deal out of it. I’m already over it,” she lied.
    “Good riddance. He probably wasn’t any good. Rich guys never are.”
    Irrationally, Angelina felt compelled to jump to Will’s defense. “His kisses were amazing.”
    “Look,” Krista said stubbornly, “all I’m saying is, once I saw that boat I knew something was up.”
    “You did?”
    “Oh yeah,” replied Krista. “I’d definitely be suspicious of someone as rich as he is. Besides, it doesn’t matter who he is ’cause he has lousy taste in friends. The good-looking one never turned off his phone, and the other one,” Krista said as though referring to a rotted piece