SHE'S NOT LYING

“Do you want me to tell Lucia?”

Dave frowned at his assistant, then let the expression fade away. Wasn’t her fault he felt like he was tied up in knots. “No, thanks. I’ll do it.”

“Okay.” His PA took a deep breath, held it, then blew it out. “Look, I know this is none of my business…”

“Never stopped you before,” he muttered with a smile.

“No, I guess not,” she admitted, swiping one hand through her wind-tousled hair. “So let me just say, I don’t think Lucia’s trying to play you.”

He went perfectly still. From the shore came the sounds of car horns honking and a swell of noise that only a crowd of tourists released for the day could make. Waves slapped halfheartedly at the hull of the ship, and the wind whipped his hair into his eyes.

He pushed it aside as he looked at his PA. “Is that right?”

She lifted her chin, squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. “That’s right. She’s just not the type to do something like this. She never did give a damn about your money or who you w