Island Heat by E. Davies Read Free Book Online

those parties and look great doing it,” Dean told him firmly.
    “Ugh,” Eli answered, putting his dishes in the dishwasher before washing his hands in the kitchen sink.
    “I know you don't want to.” Dean added his dishes to the machine before closing it up and offering Eli a hand towel. He leaned on the counter, looking serious now. “But Tom's rep hasn't announced anything yet.”
    “Fuckin' Tom,” Eli muttered. “I don't care.”
    “You do when it comes to the legal side of things. Keep it 'amicable',” Dean air-quoted, “even if you want to punch him. It'll make everything easier in the long run.”
    “I hate it when you have moments of clarity,” Eli told him. “But, you know, that means I can't hit on anyone else. And my ring – people will notice...”
    “You'd be surprised how few people will notice.” Dean hung up the hand towel again and clapped Eli on the shoulder. “The only people looking will be the ones who don't already know it's there. Our buddies won't even think twice about it. Besides, nothing will get out from here. What happens on Ember Isle...”
    “Yeah, I know.”
    “Come on, you're making excuses. Go on, get something hot on and let's go,” Dean told Eli.
    The two headed out to the downtown mixer held at one of the Main Street bars for early arrivals. It was good to see and be seen there anyway, and since Dean and Eli knew most of the other wealthy men who would be there, it was more like catching up with friends.
    Eli spent the first half hour dodging questions from guys he knew about Tom and Tom's latest projects that kept him off the island that summer, redirecting everyone to talk about themselves. Luckily, everyone there loved to do that.
    When he saw Rube, whom he'd worked with two years ago on an investment that had paid off, Eli smiled. Rube was easygoing and he wouldn't pry. “Hey, I didn't know you were coming here.”
    Rube smiled and leaned in to hug Eli quickly, then reached out to shake hands. “Great to see you again, sweetie.” The way he was talking to him was gentle, but not too over-the-top, almost like...
    He knew.
    Eli swallowed hard and glanced around, then slipped his left hand into his pocket. “What are you doing here, anyway? Relaxing?”
    “All work and no play, I'm afraid. Well... more like fifty-fifty,” Rube grinned, leaning on the bar and flagging down a bartender. “Get this gentleman whatever he wants on me.”
    “Rube, man, no. After New York, I owe you drinks!” Eli insisted, but Rube wouldn't let him have a word of protest. When Eli gave in and ordered a cocktail, Rube gestured for him to sit next to him at the bar.
    “I'm mentoring the owners of the bars, pubs, and clubs here. All the nightlife.”
    “All of it? Jesus, you're going to have your hands full.”
    “I know. It's rewarding, though. There's a bunch of young guys – young and naïve, they don't yet know what they don't know,” Rube laughed. “Some of them will make it, some won't. We've screened them pretty carefully to make sure they should all make it, but...”
    “Yeah,” Eli agreed. “You never know.”
    “Exactly. Bill gave me a little leeway this time in who I picked, so I took a few chances.”
    Eli tried not to be too obvious as he accepted his cocktail with a nod and a smile, then leaned on the counter and questioned, “The dessert bar? Sweet Nothings?”
    “Yeah, that was one of those chances. Great couple of young guys who run it, I had a good long meeting with them today. One of them's a bartender and one of them's a baker, and they're collaborating...”
    “Ooh, that could be risky, though,” Eli raised his eyebrows. “Not enough cross-skills there.”
    “I think they'll make it. They're a tough pair. No staff yet, though. They didn't have much saved so they're running it all themselves for now.”
    “Are they together?” That was a little too quick, Eli realized as Rube gave him a perceptive look for a moment. Thankfully, Rube didn't follow