The Power Trip

by Jackie Collins

  Mercedes was not a girl to be dismissed. She persevered with the knocking until eventually he reluctantly opened the door.

  ‘What?’ he demanded, his Russian accent thick and heavy.

  ‘Food,’ Mercedes replied cheerfully. ‘A big fat steak cooked specially for you. You need to eat, and I noticed you never do.’

  ‘No steak,’ Kyril said grumpily. ‘I no eat meat.’

  ‘Oh!’ Mercedes exclaimed. ‘I didn’t know that. Can I get you something else?’

  Kyril stared at her, perhaps noticing her for the first time. She’d unbuttoned her uniform to give him a hint of cleavage. God, he was ugly – such a big stony face with gapped yellow teeth and empty eyes.

  ‘No,’ he said.

  ‘Yes,’ she argued, noting he had a supply of bottled water and a stack of chocolate bars sitting on a shelf.

  ‘No,’ he repeated. But she could see his empty eyes checking out her cleavage.

  Yes. He would soon come around. They always did.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  A tempting lunch was laid out on folding tables and served on the endless stretch of white sand. Giant shrimp and succulent lobster dripping in melted butter, sumptuous salads, an array of delicious cold cuts, and devilled eggs with a healthy dollop of caviar atop. All the while the champagne and sangria flowed as the sun blazed down. But not to worry, for canvas covers were erected to shield the privileged travellers from the burning sun.

  Renee and Den worked full out making sure everything ran smoothly, while Guy supervised.

  Bianca lolled at Aleksandr’s feet, running her hand casually up and down his leg, murmuring about how this trip couldn’t get any better.

  Xuan sat with Ashley, Taye and Luca. Their conversation was lightweight, mostly about music and movies. Earlier Xuan had moved away from Aleksandr as soon as Bianca laid claim. It surprised her that a man as intelligent as Aleksandr would be with such a woman. However, Xuan was wise enough to realize that every man had his weaknesses, even Flynn, usually so strong and dedicated. Yet on this trip he’d lost it over some married woman, and that wasn’t at all like the Flynn she knew. She’d noticed his absence, and assumed he’d returned to the yacht. Xuan had learned at an early age never to let your feelings rule your head. It was something she never did.

  Hammond suggested to Lori that since both their partners had elected not to come, they should stick together.

  Why not? Lori thought. What have I got to lose? He obviously has the hots for me, and Cliff knows it. Maybe I’ll get Cliff so jealous that he’ll change his mind about dumping me.

  The Senator’s conversation was full of double entendres.

  Lori smiled politely, nodded attentively, and wondered what Cliff was up to and whether he was missing her.

  Hammond informed her in a smarmy way that she was the sexiest woman on the trip and that the other women had better watch out because she was capable of stealing all their men.

  Lori kept smiling and nodding as she adjusted her bikini top in a vain attempt to achieve more coverage, because she could swear Hammond possessed X-ray vision. Flirting was one thing, but after a while the man was starting to creep her out with his sexist comments. Cliff was right, politicians were just as horny as the next man, probably even more so.

  After lunch, Manuel was summoned by Guy, who requested that everyone wore shoes and a cover-up to start the island tour. Renee and Den handed out T-shirts and baseball caps to each guest, with The Bianca emblazoned on them.

  ‘I feel like we’re taking off on a school trip,’ Ashley giggled, throwing a T-shirt over her bikini. ‘This is so much fun!’

  ‘I know,’ Bianca agreed, grabbing Aleksandr’s hand and squeezing it tight. ‘It’s an adventure. A big, beautiful adventure. And you, my darling,’ she added, gazing up at Aleksandr, ‘planned it all perfectly.’

  * * *

  And so they set off, the billionaire and his elite group of famous guests.

  They were not exactly roughing it as they began exploring the scenic beauty of the idyllic island.

  Manuel had conducted the tour before with groups of extremely rich tourists. He was very aware that the stark unblemished beauty of the uninhabited island was quite staggering. First they passed by white sand dunes that led on to groves of coconut and date palms. Beyond the trees they came upon a series of natural springs and glorious cascading waterfalls.

  Bianca immediately decided that she wanted to stop and swim under the most impressive waterfall.

  ‘We cannot hold our group up,’ Aleksandr chided. ‘There is more to see.’

  ‘Then get rid of everyone,’ Bianca whispered in his ear. ’Cause I want to swim naked with you. Tell them we’ll catch up. Go on,’ she urged when he hesitated. ‘Do it!’

  Aleksandr couldn’t say no. He snapped his fingers for Guy. ‘Have everyone move ahead,’ he instructed. ‘We will stay here.’

  Manuel did not like the idea of splitting the group, so Guy suggested to Aleksandr that perhaps they should all stay together.

  ‘Why?’ Aleksandr scoffed. ‘It’s perfectly safe. I hardly need my bodyguard on a deserted island.’

  Guy nodded, but Manuel still seemed uneasy. The island was supposedly uninhabited, but over the years there had been rumours – sightings of mountain lions which came wandering down from the surrounding jungle-like hills, foraging for any food the tourists might have left behind; a dead body that had mysteriously washed up on shore.

  Yes, the island had its own secrets.

  ‘Maybe I should stay with you?’ Guy suggested, anxious to please his temporary boss.

  ‘Go,’ Aleksandr replied impatiently. ‘Stop bothering me. We will catch up when we’re ready.’

  Guy jumped to it; he was hot and sweaty, and the last thing he wanted was to annoy the man responsible for the large tip he expected at the end of the trip.

  Lori and Luca had already taken off. To Manuel’s consternation, the rest of the group were beginning to scatter. Manuel hated it when that happened. Didn’t they realize that he was the tour guide? They should be following him, listening to his every word as he described the wonders of the island.

  But no, it was not to be. This group had their own ideas.

  * * *

  The lush waterfalls made the perfect backdrop for Bianca to do a slow sensuous strip for her Russian lover. Not that she had much to take off. Merely an over-size T-shirt and a tiny Brazilian string bikini.

  Bianca knew how to milk it, and Aleksandr appreciated every single minute of her seductive play as she stripped down for him.

  They were under the impression that everyone had gone off on the tour, only unbeknownst to them, Hammond had lingered behind, loitering under cover of several lush palm trees.

  Watching the enticing Bianca as she put on a show for her lover, Hammond was mesmerized. Long slinky legs. Small breasts with large dark nipples. A tiny waist. And glistening coffee-coloured skin.

  He felt himself harden as the super-model sauntered naked into the water.

  And when Aleksandr stripped off and followed her in, Hammond was mortified to discover that his host was hung like a horse.

  He immediately felt woefully inadequate. Wasn’t it enough that the man was a billionaire? Jesus Christ! Some men had it all.

  For a moment he forgot about jerking off and concentrated on the way Aleksandr seized Bianca from behind and began pounding into her, moving her towards the cascading waterfall, both of them oblivious to anything except making love. Or fucking. Because yes, that’s what they were doing, fucking like a couple of wild animals.

  Hammond couldn’t help himself, he came in his pants like a thirteen-year-old schoolboy.

  ‘Shit!’ he muttered under his breath, attempting to clean himself up.

  What if anyone had seen him? He was a United States Senator, for Christ’s sake, not some Peeping Tom getting his rocks off in the bushes.

  Humiliated and furious with himself, Hammond quickly set off to find the others.
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  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Sierra decided that she should call her sister. They’d always been close, only not close enough for Sierra to share what was actually going on in her marriage. She wasn’t about to do so now, but since Clare had been excited when she’d mentioned the trip, she knew that her sister would enjoy hearing all about the famous guests and the luxurious yacht.

  With a firm step she headed for the satellite communication centre, passing the security room where Kyril, Aleksandr’s fierce bodyguard sat, surrounded by security cameras. What a strange man, she thought. Quite frightening really.

  Captain Dickson greeted her with a jovial, ‘Good morning, Mrs Patterson. And how are we on this very fine day?’

  She gave the Captain a warm smile, it was such a relief not to be operating from a fog-filled daze. ‘I’d like to make a call,’ she said. ‘Is that okay?’

  ‘Certainly,’ Captain Dickson replied, thinking that the Senator’s wife appeared to be a lot more cheerful than when she’d first boarded. Sierra Patterson was a beauty, as were all the female passengers. It was nice to see her looking as if she might enjoy herself. ‘Allow me to escort you,’ he added, gallantly holding out his arm.

  ‘Thank you, Captain,’ she said, dazzling him with her smile.

  * * *

  After standing under the shower, still trying to get his thoughts together, Flynn set off to find Sierra. He was more determined than ever to clear things up. Maybe that way he could finally forget about her and move on. It was quite clear that she’d experienced no difficulty doing exactly that. She’d married Hammond Patterson, for crissakes. Surely that was enough to make him forget her?

  No way.

  Somewhat pissed off at himself, he took the circular staircase to the middle deck where he spotted Jeromy lounging on a chair. Immediately he did an about-turn, heading back downstairs. Not that he had anything against gays – Luca seemed like a great guy – but there was something about Jeromy he couldn’t stomach. You didn’t have to be a genius to notice that the man was a first-class ass-kisser – it was patently obvious, and if there was one type of person Flynn abhorred, it was ass kissers.

  Unfortunately, Jeromy saw him and called out, ‘Flynn, is that you? I thought you went on the jolly old island expedition.’

  Why was everyone bugging him about that? Who cared?

  He threw Jeromy a half-hearted wave as he hurriedly dodged out of sight. Finding Sierra, that’s all he was interested in.

  * * *

  While Sierra was speaking to her sister, the Captain informed her that Eddie March was on the line requesting to speak with the Senator.

  ‘I’ll take it,’ she said, saying a quick goodbye to Clare – who’d been thrilled to hear from her. ‘What’s going on?’ she asked Eddie, aware that Hammond had informed him that he was not to be bothered unless it was urgent.

  ‘Nothing for you to be concerned about,’ Eddie said, trying not to sound too agitated. ‘I should talk to Hammond.’

  ‘He’s off the yacht on a day trip. Won’t be back until later.’ She paused for a moment. ‘What is it? Perhaps I can relay a message.’

  Not this message, Eddie thought. Oh no, certainly not this message.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said quickly. ‘Have him call me as soon as he can.’

  ‘If it’s urgent . . .’

  ‘Not urgent,’ Eddie said, feeling mighty uncomfortable about having to lie to Sierra. ‘Just make sure he contacts me.’

  ‘I’ll do that, although it might not be today.’

  ‘Fine,’ Eddie said, although it wasn’t fine. How long could he stall the Byrnes before they took action? They were threatening all kind of moves, such as contacting a TV news station or the Washington Post. Eddie had somehow or other convinced them to do nothing until they heard the Senator’s side of the story.

  Right now, he also couldn’t wait to hear what Hammond would have to say about the situation. How out of control and stupid could one man be?

  Pretty damn stupid.

  * * *

  ‘Hey,’ Flynn said, finally coming face to face with Sierra as she emerged from the communications room.

  ‘Flynn,’ she murmured. Suddenly it all came flooding back and she couldn’t help remembering all the fantastic times they’d shared in the past, the amazing love they’d once had for each other, their incredible lovemaking which had resulted in her becoming pregnant.

  Oh God! A pregnancy Flynn had never found out about.

  What would he say if he discovered the truth? She’d lost their baby, but it wasn’t her fault. She’d been in a car with Hammond, and there was the accident . . . Guilt overcame her.

  ‘Yeah,’ Flynn said with a rueful sigh. ‘Once again it really is me.’

  ‘I didn’t doubt it,’ she replied, thinking how much he would hate her if he unearthed the real truth.

  ‘You look lovely,’ he said, noting that she seemed a lot better than the previous night.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, making a determined effort to pull herself together and not fall to pieces.

  ‘I was thinking that maybe we should talk,’ he said, clearing his throat, nervous for the first time in God knew how many years – which was odd, because he didn’t get nervous, it simply wasn’t on his agenda.

  ‘I think we should,’ she said, nodding her head, although she wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk to him. It wasn’t as if it would solve anything.

  ‘Well,’ he said, ‘since this seems like the perfect opportunity, why don’t we go up to the top deck. I don’t think there’s anyone around up there.’

  She nodded again, feeling breathless and yet strangely excited at the same time.

  Closure. It was exactly what she’d been waiting for all these years, and now that it was about to happen she wondered if she was capable of handling the situation. Thank God Hammond wasn’t present to get in her way. It was just herself and Flynn, exactly how it should be. So yes, she could handle it.

  They headed upstairs and settled on comfortable chairs in the all-glass atrium. For a few minutes they made stilted conversation until he finally said, ‘So, Sierra, all these years later, here we are.’

  ‘Yes, here we are,’ she agreed, glancing out at the endless blue sea. ‘What a place to meet up – it’s so unbelievably breathtaking.’

  ‘Better than some of the places I’ve experienced,’ he said dryly.

  ‘I know about the places you’ve been,’ she blurted out. ‘I’ve followed your career on your website, read your newsletters.’

  ‘You did?’ he said, surprised and more than a little pleased.

  ‘Yes, Flynn,’ she sighed, thinking that getting older suited him. He was more handsome than ever with his intense blue eyes and strong jawline.

  ‘I’m flattered,’ he said.

  ‘In spite of what happened,’ she said softly, ‘I always had this crazy urge to keep you in my life.’

  They exchanged a long intimate look.

  ‘Hey – I kept tabs on you too,’ he said at last, finally breaking the look. ‘But I was shocked when I read you’d married Hammond.’ He took a long steady beat. ‘I guess it must’ve started between you and him when I left for London, then I got the photos.’ He stared at her intently. ‘Tell me, Sierra, was that the only way you could think of breaking up with me? ’Cause it was pretty damn shitty.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ she said, frowning. What on earth was he talking about? It was he who’d broken up with her.

  ‘The photos,’ he said insistently. ‘Why’d you do it?’

  ‘Funny, that’s exactly what I was about to ask you,’ she said, her eyes burning bright. This was a crazy conversation and she didn’t like it.

  ‘Ask me what?’ he said, puzzled.

  ‘Look – I understand we were both kids back then,’ she said, desperately trying to stay in control of her emotions. ‘Only sending me those photos was such a cruel thing to do. I couldn’t believe you would do something like that.’

&nb
sp; ‘What are you talking about?’ he said, his temper rising. ‘You were the one who sent me photos.’

  ‘Oh come on, Flynn,’ she sighed. ‘I didn’t send you anything.’

  ‘Hey – somebody sent them. And while we’re on the subject,’ he said heatedly, ‘it might interest you to know that you broke my fucking heart.’

  ‘No, Flynn,’ she said, torn between tears, guilt and anger. ‘You broke mine.’

  ‘Oh yeah? Photos of you making out with other guys, including Ham—’

  ‘Are you serious? I never made out with anyone, especially not Hammond. He was there for me when I needed him, it was purely platonic, and let’s not forget that it was you who asked him to watch out for me.’

  ‘Yeah? Then how do you explain the photos?’ he said roughly. ‘What’s your story?’

  ‘How do you?’ she said indignantly. ‘You were the one with girls draped all over you.’

  ‘What girls?’ he said, perplexed.

  ‘The ones in the photos.’

  ‘Now hold on,’ he said, perceiving that they were definitely talking at cross-purposes. ‘Are you telling me that you got photos too?’

  ‘What do you mean, too?’

  ‘I mean that someone sent me photos of you with other men.’

  ‘And someone sent me photos of you with a whole bunch of naked girls.’

  ‘What? There were never any other girls after I met you – I swear it. And there sure as hell were never any photos.’

  ‘Then . . . what?’ she questioned, confused and upset, wishing she was somewhere else.

  ‘Fuck!’ he said, realization dawning. ‘Whoever sent the photos must’ve been out to break us up.’

  ‘Why would anyone want to do that?’

  ‘Jesus!’ he exclaimed, smacking his forehead. ‘And here’s the kicker – like a couple of morons we both fell for it. How stupid is that?’

  ‘I don’t understand,’ she said, her eyes widening.

  ‘No, but I’m beginning to,’ he said grimly, getting up and pacing around. ‘Don’t you get it? We were set up.’