Chapter Eight

 

 

 

By the time the helicopter dipped to land on a tiny patch of land, the fatigue of the twelve-hour flight had started to get to her. But the sight of the four villas situated on opposite ends of the little island perked her up considerably. It was a brilliant idea. Small. Quiet. Intimate. Perfect.

“Like what you see?”

Maia grinned, unable to hide her enthusiasm. “It’s gorgeous.”

His smile matched hers. “Wait until you get down there.”

A small retinue of porters greeted them at the helipad and escorted them to a villa that perched on the water at the end of a long jetty.

The villa was opened with a smile and a bow.

What she saw inside took her breath away.

It was luxurious and tastefully decorated with local flair. Wood was the hero of the décor. It was everywhere. From the woven ceiling to the walls and floors. The natural grain gave the illusion of being inside a little indigenous hut while the furniture and amenities remained the height of luxury. The result was fantastic. Like being in a decadent dream world.

Maia rounded the room, taking everything in. The living area was sumptuously decorated with a couch that beckoned them to lounge on it. There was a dining area but, curiously, nothing resembling a kitchen or sleeping area.

When she turned to Alex, she could tell from the smile on his face that he knew what she was thinking. “Follow me.”

Behind the couch was a staircase that led to an area that was situated under the patio out back.

Maia’s eyes widened with every step.

The bedroom was dominated by a huge, lux bed, but the thing that made her jaw drop was the entire room, save for the wall the bed rested against, which was encircled by glass. Maia marveled at the ocean life around them. The dimming sunlight from above turned the water a dark sapphire, but she could still see the colorful coral reaching into the water. Schools of rainbow-hued fish darted about seemingly as curious about Maia and Alex as they were about them. It was magnificent. She could only imagine what it would look like out there in the light of day.

“So what do you think?”

As if he couldn’t tell from the way her jaw was hanging that she loved everything about this place. “I still don’t see a kitchen,” she teased with a smile.

“That’s because we have a world-renowned chef on the island who will prepare you what you like according to a questionnaire I took the liberty of filling out for the both of us. He will judge our tastes and create meals specifically for us.”

That was amazing. “And he’s been sitting around waiting for us? I thought this place wasn’t open yet.”

“I wanted you to have the full experience, so while this is the only villa running right now, we will have every luxury that will be at our guests’ disposal.” He chuckled. “If you’re worried about putting them out, don’t be. They are getting fully compensated for their time and effort.”

That wasn’t exactly what she was thinking. As much as she didn’t like the idea of people just sitting around waiting to do stuff for her, Maia was more worried about what it was going to be like to have to leave this place when it was all over.

“Wait a second. This is the only villa running?” Her heart started to flutter.

“Yes, I thought that having two running just for us would be a waste.” Alex stepped closer but stopped just a hair’s breadth from her. “Don’t worry. I’ll take the couch.”

It made her feel a little better, but she was afraid that the longer she spent here, the less time he’d be spending on that couch. And that he’d engineered it that way.

His phone buzzed and, with a quick glance, he smiled. “The chef has prepared a light meal to welcome us.” Alex let his eyes wander over her fatigued form. “Unless you’d rather skip it and go straight to bed.”

She knew what he meant and that it wasn’t supposed to be as suggestive as it sounded, but her stomach flipped just the same. “It would be a shame to let good food go to waste.”

His smile tilted in amusement. “Indeed.”

Alex let her go up the stairs first but once she got to the top, there was nothing around that indicated there was food about.

“Head outside. Back to the beach. To your right.”

She didn’t have to see him to know that he was smiling.

Maia did as she was told and was grinning with delight even before she reached the beach.

A decadent picnic was set up that looked like something out of the Arabian Nights. Candles flickered in colored glasses spread out over the sand. They converged on a simple gazebo with a palm roof sparkling with white lights and gossamer curtains that billowed in the sweetly fragrant breeze. On the sand within there was a triangular blanket that was held in place with more candles, the largest of which was in the middle at the center of a spread of finger food all carefully covered with little nets. An ice bucket and two champagne flutes glittered in the flickering light. Brightly colored pillows marked their seats, which Maia took without a second thought.

She curled her legs under her and inhaled deeply. The air there was fresh, salted with the sea, perfumed with exotic flowers and spiced with the food laid out before them. The ambience was different from the sultry, hectic city vibe of Nice. As far as she was concerned, it was perfect.

Alex sat next to her, leaning on one elbow, a knee angled toward the star-sprinkled sky. He lifted the nets one by one revealing plates that looked more like art than something to be eaten. Everything she could see was mouth-watering. How did he know what to pick? They hadn’t eaten together often enough for him to know what she preferred…

He picked up a skewer laden with plump grilled prawns. “Enjoy. You must be hungry.”

She was. Maia copied him because the prawns looked amazing and quickly followed up with a glistening chicken wing that was coated in something both sweet and fiery.

Not much was said during their meal. She got the impression that he was as starving as she was. It didn’t take them long to decimate the food and empty half the bottle of champagne.

“Feeling better?” Alex sipped the last of his drink and put the glittering glass down.

“Much.” All she needed now was a good night’s sleep, but how could she when her mind was buzzing about the possibilities that the following day brought? “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?”

“I thought I would give you a glimpse of what lovers would have to expect when coming to visit the island.”

Her pulse flared. “Really? So what would that entail?”

“A slice of island life. More good food. Exploring ruins in Belize. Massages. Diving. Lounging.” He caught her eye. “Anything you want to do.”

Being so close to him made Maia want to do a lot of things. None of which she was going to allow herself.

“Right now I just want to try out that bed.” Maia realized just how suggestive it sounded the moment the words left her lips. She clamped her mouth shut in an attempt not to further embarrass herself.

He said nothing as he stood up. Alex reached out a hand and helped her to her feet. He refused to let go. Instead, he linked their fingers together as they quietly made their way back to the villa.

It would have been so easy for her to fall under the spell of the island and truly believe that they were a pair of vacationing lovers looking for time away together.

Maia snapped herself out of it. She was there to do a job. For her career. Her long-ignored libido could just stay out of it. Only, with Alex holding her hand and the magic of the island, it was giving her a serious punch to the gut, reminding her just how long it had been since she’d been with a man. With Alex.

The moment they reached the door, she pulled her hand out of his grasp. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She gave him what felt even to her like a weak smile and darted down to the bedroom.

It didn’t take her long to find the controls to the windows. The smart glass instantly fogged ensuring her privacy, not that she had anything to worry about besides the fish.

Too tired to go looking through her suitcase for her clothes, Maia stripped down to her underwear and fell into the heavenly softness of the bed.

 

Alex flipped onto his side, cursing the length of the couch. There was no way he would be able to fit himself comfortably on it. He envisioned Maia in the luxurious bed just a few steps below and groaned. He couldn’t imagine what she would do if he tried to get in it with her. Persuading her wouldn’t be a hardship, if she didn’t try to kill him in the attempt. In fact, he rather liked the idea of kissing her into submission. Caressing that smooth, pale skin and watching it turn rosy with passion…

But he refused to give in to the temptation. Alex knew that she was attracted to him. He could feel the frisson of awareness that hummed between them. He saw it in her eyes. He would simply take his time and when she came to him, it would be that much better.

When he rolled again, the rigid state of his body reminded him that patience wasn’t a virtue at the moment.

Giving up on the couch, he got up, took the pillow and sheet with him and went to the back patio. The huge net suspended like a hammock over the water was his only other bet to getting any sleep unless he wanted to stretch out on the deck. He rolled onto it and made himself comfortable. As far as beds went, it was great. Fresh air, the soothing sound of the waves, it was perfect.

So why couldn’t he stop thinking about Maia and get to sleep? Because he had made the mistake of imagining her naked and spread beneath him, that’s why. He tried to distract himself by shifting his train of thought elsewhere to something, anything, other than Maia. Unfortunately for him, his thoughts always circled back.

What had she been like nearly a decade ago? She would have been, what? In her late teens? Imagining Maia as a bright-eyed youth, unjaded and looking forward to the future made him flinch. Had he truly been the one to turn her into who she was now? Not that she wasn’t still stunning and smart. But Maia was guarded, closed off by walls of ice. He wanted to be the one to break down those barriers.

But if he was the one who had hurt her, as he was beginning to believe, did he have a chance?