They strolled to the Lahaina Pizza Company. Alyssa watched Beck as he asked for a table for two. Polite, friendly, but never leering or smutty. They climbed the stairs to the upper dining area. Her right foot landed halfway onto a step and she flung out her hands to catch herself. Beck steadied her with his firm hands and his warmth lingered even after he pulled her chair out and was no longer touching her. Why couldn’t she have some faith that the good Lord hadn’t created an entire gender of monsters? She knew that most men were good guys and didn’t have hidden agendas, but it was kind of like convincing a two-year old that the dark wasn’t scary. She had just been exposed to an excessive amount of greed and lust.
The waitress arrived and Beck looked to Alyssa. “You’re the expert here. What should we order?”
“Shrimp thermadour,” Alyssa responded without hesitation. Man, he just did everything right, but the words “business proposition” kept repeating in her head.
“Shrimp thermadour,” Beck repeated to the waitress, “And two salads?” He smiled at Alyssa.
“Yes, please. Ranch with mine.”
“I’ll have the house. Thank you.” Beck handed the waitress the menus and then fully focused on Alyssa.
She smiled shyly and ducked her head. A few seconds ticked by as Alyssa played with the straw in her water, tucked some hair behind her ear, and finally got brave enough to ask, “Business proposition?”
“You seem… nervous,” Beck said.
Alyssa inhaled and then released it. “Sorry. I’ve had my share of… propositions over the years.”
“I bet.” His understanding gaze met hers. “So have I.”
Something passed between them that was so real she felt she could reach out and hold it. Why couldn’t she let go of the distrust and give Beck a chance? A chance at a business proposition or something else? She wasn’t sure she was ready to know.
The waitress brought their salads and garlic bread. Alyssa drizzled her greens with ranch and took a bite of the fresh lettuce, mozzarella, and tomatoes. Her stomach tumbled a little bit with the anxiety over what Beck was going to say. She set her fork down and faced him.
“Let’s use a different word. Partnership?” Beck leaned forward, his face lit with excitement. “I love your work. I’ve been following your photography for the past couple years and have bought several pieces for my home and office.”
“Thank you.” She blushed with the compliment.
“My business takes me all over the world, mostly developing nations who have a lot of need. We do everything from securing clean drinking water to building schools and teaching people how to plant gardens. I’d love for you to come with me. To take pictures of the children—their beauty and their suffering. You have power in your photography that no one else has. I need you, Alyssa.”
Beck focused on her and for a moment she forgot her fears and the crowded restaurant around them. She was amazed at how long she could hold his gaze and instead of feeling awkward, wanted to just keep staring into his eyes and communicating without words.
“You need me?” her voice cracked and she took a drink of her water to break the intensity of the moment.
“Yes.” He placed his hand over hers. Alyssa liked the feel of his large palm on her fingers. “And the children need you. The attention you’ll bring to Jordan’s Buds could finance clothing, food, water, and so much more. I wish I could self-fund the entire program, but unfortunately a lot of my resources are tied up in real estate, the stock market, and other investments. I only have so much liquid cash to give to the children and the operating costs of Jordan’s Buds each month.” He glanced down at the table as if embarrassed to be sharing too much.
Alyssa could tell he wasn’t bragging about all the money he had, but he really was putting as much as possible into helping others. Driving a cheap rental car and staying in an affordable bed and breakfast proved his point without him having to say anything.
“So you flew to Hawaii, hoping to get A.A. to come with you on trips around the world. What if I was ugly?” Her hands trembled and she had to clench them in her lap.
He barked a short laugh then pressed his lips together and took a drink of his water. “Do you want to know the truth?”
Alyssa braced her hands on the table. Here it was. The truth. She’d been waiting for it to come out, but now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear it. “Yes,” she whispered.
“I thought you were a man.”
“What?” Alyssa didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended. She looked down at her body. She’d never been mistaken for a man before.
“No!” Beck shook his head, hiding a smile. “Not when I met you. Before I came.”
“Why?”
“I’d convinced myself A.A. was a man because a woman would maybe do a first name or not be such an impressive business person.” He held up his hands in defense, his face red. “Sorry.”
“Chauvinist,” she muttered, but she found herself smiling at his honesty and embarrassment.
He chuckled. “I didn’t really think too much about what A.A. would be like. I always meant it to be a business deal. I wasn’t concerned with anything but A.A.’s photography talent so I didn’t concentrate on who he or she was. I have to admit though, knowing you, the idea of traveling together has a lot more appeal.”
Alyssa’s lips twitched with a smile. She picked up her fork and stabbed some more lettuce before asking, “So you want to hire me, join forces…what?” Was she really considering this? Granny and Maryn would scream to go for it, but something held her back. She could barely handle going to dinner alone with a man, how in the world was she going to travel with Beck? Would he expect more? Would he pressure her into sharing a room? She shuddered, remembering her college boyfriend, Tyler, and the trip he took her on to Mazatlan. She’d barely noticed the adjoining doors, until he was pawing her in the middle of the night and she had to fight him off.
“Hire you. I wouldn’t expect you to donate your time without compensation.” He tore off a hunk of garlic bread and slowly chewed. “This is really good.”
Alyssa tried a bite, loving the warmth and freshness of the crusty bread. Her stomach was finally settling. “It is. You said you’ve been following my career…” Alyssa trailed off as an awful thought entered her mind. If he followed her career, did he already know about the pictures she’d taken of him and his sister? She swallowed and continued. “You probably noticed I donate a lot of money to children’s charities. Admit it, part of you was hoping I would offer to come for free.”
Beck pushed his hand against the lacquered wood table. “With the impact you can make, I’m not worried about the expense of hiring you. Is twenty-thousand a month reasonable? You could have rights to at least half of the pictures you take, and I’ll cover all traveling expenses.”
Alyssa placed her hand over his. This discussion needed to slow down. She wasn’t ready to talk numbers when she still couldn’t commit to what he was asking. “Can I have some time to think about it?”
“I’ll give you a week, but on one condition. Let me spend the week with you and convince you I’ll be the best work buddy you’ll ever have.” He held her gaze, not winking or pumping eyebrows or anything that would push that statement into too much for her.
Alyssa was the one blushing now. The idea of spending the next week and maybe even more time with him sounded fabulous, but sadly it scared her too. She’d loved spending time with Tyler until he pushed himself on her and she had to find a way home in a foreign country. She focused on Beck and some of her reservations melted away. “I think I could spare some time for you, but maybe you want to find A. A. and try to convince him.”
“A.A. was just some initials. You’re Alyssa. Beautiful, talented, and fun, and hopefully if I play my cards right, the woman who’ll be traveling the world with me and rescuing children along the way.”
He grinned and Alyssa almost told him right then she’d pack her bags, but her usual caution with men held her back.
What did she really know about Beckham Taylor? It was time for some Maryn type research and in the meantime, she’d get to know him and make an informed decision. Unfortunately, her eyes strayed to his lips and she found herself hoping he’d convince her in ways that had nothing to do with trusting a man’s character or furthering children’s charities.
The pizza arrived and Alyssa didn’t have to give him a response. She wondered if this was a dream opportunity or just another business proposition from a wealthy man who thought he could buy anything he wanted, including her. A shiver of terror went down her spine as she couldn’t quite forget the men her father used to push on her. Men like Joel, Tyler, Hugh and others who she’d successfully removed from her memory. Men who assumed she would want them because they were wealthy or because her father tried to sell her to the highest bidder. She was a free woman now and definitely not for sale, but maybe Beckham could convince her to be his photographer. With that smile, he just might.
Alyssa escaped to the pool area. She couldn’t handle one more leering look from her father’s “friends.” Especially Hugh. He made her skin crawl with his shirt unbuttoned to his belly button, exposing nasty dark hair and more gold chains than any self-respecting man should ever wear. She giggled at herself. No man should wear gold chains.
She sobered quickly and shook her head. Teach her to ever believe her dad’s stories. He’d begged her to come to dinner tonight, claiming her mom missed her so much she was making herself ill. What a crock. She’d barely seen her mother before this group of disgusting men had descended on the house. What was her dad promising them? He was such a slime ball.
Arms snaked around her stomach. Alyssa squeaked and dropped her drink. The glass shattered, spraying her legs with shards of crystal, ice, and water.
“I knew you’d find a way to get me alone,” a voice said in her ear as too-soft lips nuzzled her neck. “I’ve seen you eyeing me all night.”
“Let me go,” Alyssa demanded, straining against his grip.
He whirled her to face him, but didn’t loosen his hold. It was Hugh. Oh, no. He was grinning at her like she was the prime rib. Gross.
“Don’t worry, love, I won’t hurt you. Just want a little taste of this… beauty.” He leaned closer. His breath reeked. Alcohol and fish. He must love oysters. She was going to be sick.
Alyssa was able to free her hand and smack him hard across the face. “Get away from me!”
Hugh grabbed both of her arms and squeezed. “That’s no way to treat a prospective buyer.”
“What?” she managed, gasping from the fear of what he would do and the pain in her biceps.
“Don’t play stupid. It doesn’t fit you.” His hot, foul breath brushed her cheek as he leaned in.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about, but my father is going to be livid if you don’t release me.” She strained against his grip but it was like iron. Sadly, she knew her threat was empty. Her father had made it clear years ago how she was supposed to behave around his friends.
“Your father. Ha!” Hugh chuckled heartily. “Your beloved father is the one who put you up for sale. My buddies and I came here tonight to preview our beautiful piece of livestock. I think it’s worth a lot.” He tried to pull her close.
Alyssa spit in his face. His eyes hardened and he released one of her arms and grabbed the collar of her blouse. One rip and it shredded in his hands. “Now that’s more like it.” He grunted and grabbed her breast.
Raising her right knee, she felt her bones impact his disgusting softness and almost recoiled but instead used every ounce of leg strength to make him hurt.
Hugh gasped and his grip weakened.
Alyssa tore herself away.
“I will buy you,” Hugh groaned out.
Alyssa sprang awake in her bed.
She looked around, trying to get her bearings. She was in Hawaii. Hugh and her dad were nowhere around. She fell against the pillows, her tears hot against her cheeks, hoping she’d never have to face the nightmare or her father again.
Alyssa’s phone rang as she was re-packing her camera. Beck had asked if he could take them to lunch and Granny was still sleeping even though it was late morning. Alyssa had been relieved to have time to shake off the recurring dream in the bright sunshine. The nightmare didn’t come as often anymore, but it always played almost verbatim. The attempted rape was horrid, but the worst part was knowing how twisted her father’s mind was. He’d always told her he would “take care of her” she just hadn’t fully comprehended he meant to do it by selling her to one of his friends and thinking that they’d all be one happy family. No, thank you.
She’d enjoyed her walk around the neighborhood with her camera this morning, searching for new shots. Luckily, the boys were up to their Ripstiking antics and she’d gotten some fabulous shots of them teaching the younger children in the neighborhood.
“Hello,” she said when the phone trumpeted again, she really needed to change that.
“How’s the reclusive Richie?” Maryn smacked her lips like she was kissing the phone.
“He’s a good guy,” Alyssa admitted. She walked onto her balcony and looked at the lush trees in the bed and breakfast’s yard. It would be hard to leave a place where papaya grew on the trees. It seemed absurd to not be thrilled with the opportunity to take a world-wide trip with a man as kind, wealthy, and good-looking as Beck, but because of past trauma with men she had a lot of reservations about committing, especially after a repeat of Hugh’s attack in her sleep. Added to that was the worry of how to tell Beck about the pictures she’d taken of him and his sister.
“Is that all?” Maryn prodded.
“So far he’s been nothing but the perfect gentleman,” Alyssa admitted. Beck seemed like everything her teenage self used to fantasize about, but she was all grown up now and reality was often very different than pipe dreams.
“Any lip action or proposals?”
“No lip action.” Alyssa paused. What did Maryn know? Had she been privy to what Beck was planning and not clued her in? “Did you know he was going to ask me to be his photographer?”
“His photographer? Heck, no. I meant proposals of marriage, you dork.”
“Oh.” Alyssa was relieved that her friend hadn’t been hiding anything.
“He asked you to photograph, what? His hotness? That wouldn’t be a bad job. You promised me pics two days ago and I’m still waiting. The photos I have in his file look like he’s pretty well-built.”
“He’s definitely well-built.” Alyssa smiled, remembering his reluctance to take his shirt off and loving that they shared insecurities about their imperfections. But unlike her foot, his chest was beautiful, even with the scars. “He wants me to travel with him and photograph children in underdeveloped countries to help raise awareness for their needs.”
“You’re going on a world-wide trip with Beckham Taylor?” Maryn squealed in delight. “Oh, yeah, I hooked my girl up. Oh, yeah, she’s going to marry a stinking billionaire.”
“Maryn,” Alyssa interrupted, trying hard not to laugh. “I didn’t agree to go. I’m the dark side of the billionaire bride pact, remember? All the other girls admitted I was least likely to ever fulfill the stupid pact.” Curse Erin for instigating the pact and Alyssa for ever agreeing. Well, she couldn’t quite curse Erin, her friend was amazing and too genuine to be cursed.
“What? I didn’t raise you to be a fool.”
“Now you sound like Granny.”
“Good. She’d agree with me.”
Alyssa hadn’t said anything to Granny yet. She would definitely agree with Maryn.
“Come on, sis. When an opportunity like this comes up, you jump on it, or him, as the case may be.”
Alyssa blushed at the image of her jumping into Beck’s arms. Oh, my. She fanned herself with her hand. The outside breeze wasn’t enough. “I’m just giving myself some time to think it all through. I told him I’d get back to him at the end of the week.”
“So you didn�
�t say no?”
“Not yet.”
“And he’s spending quality time with you all week to convince you to go?”
“Oh, I hope so.”
Maryn laughed. “That’s more like it.”
“Hey,” Alyssa interrupted Maryn’s chortling laughter. “Can you do some research for me?”
“On what?”
“Him.”
“Come on. At some point you have to learn to trust a man without delving into every speck of dirt he’s ever rolled in.”
“Please.” Alyssa picked at a hangnail and lowered her voice, “You know how it is for me.”
Maryn sighed. “Sorry, sis. I keep praying you’ll get past it all.”
“I had the nightmare again last night.”
“Oh. Sorry I wasn’t there.”
“Me too.” Maryn used to wake her from the nightmare when Alyssa cried out in her sleep. It was always a relief to not have to play the entire episode out and have somebody to talk to about it. “Maybe someday it’ll stop.” She thought of Beck and wondered if spending more time with him might stop the terrifying dream.
“I know you’ll do a great job of researching,” she said to Maryn, “and I really need to know what I’m getting into here. I want to be able to trust him.”
“Trust isn’t earned by a squeaky clean background.”
“It isn’t going to hurt though.”
Maryn sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it. Your main concern?”
“You know me. How has he treated the women in his life? Does he think being wealthy gives him the right to take anything he wants?”
“I’ll see what I can find but honestly, Alyssa, you need to do your own research. How does he make you feel? How does he treat Granny? The waitress? The little girl on the street? Trust yourself and maybe you can learn to trust a man.”
Alyssa soaked the words in. Maryn had been her best friend for long enough she only had her best interests at heart. “But-but… what if he finds out I took those pictures of him after his parents’ funeral?”
The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Page 6