The Billionaire's Proposal (Scandal, Inc Book 4)

by James, Avery

  “Fine, but I’m driving again once we’re back to the road.”

  “See, you liked it,” he said. “You’re going to like this even more.”

  “We’ll see,” she said. She got back onto the bike behind Harry.

  “By the way, this is how you start fast on purpose,” he said. He revved the engine and spun the back of the bike around to face the trail. Maggie felt like the world had shifted under her, but Harry didn’t speed up the dirt track. He went slowly, taking care to follow the smoothest route. Soon they were winding back and forth up the hillside as the road widened. Twice the path crossed over a river on bridges that Maggie worried couldn’t hold their weight. A few of the bumps in the path nearly tossed her off the bike, and she grabbed onto Harry as tightly as she could. He didn’t say anything, but she could tell he didn’t mind.

  After a few miles the trail started to narrow again. Maggie had lost track of the number of cutbacks in the road, and the trees around them were so tall that she’d lost almost all sense of direction. She wondered what could be this far off the main road that could warrant their trip to Cuba. When Harry pulled the bike to a stop and cut the engine, she knew she was about to get her answer.

  “We’re almost there,” he said. “The rest of the way is by foot.” He climbed off and held his hand out. Maggie wondered how he had any idea where he was. The forest was overgrown around them, and she could hear the sound of running water somewhere nearby, or maybe it was just the wind rustling through the leaves.

  “Are you finally going to tell me what we’re doing here?” Maggie asked.

  “How much do you know about my family?” Harry asked.

  “I’ve read the full file on you and your father. I know a good deal of information about the family company, how it was founded by your grandfather and taken over by your father. Is there more I’m supposed to know?”

  “Walk with me, and I’ll explain,” Harry said. He grabbed a small bag out of the bike’s saddlebag and motioned her forward. “I’m starving. There’s a great picnic spot ahead. Let’s eat and I’ll try to explain myself.” The wind was cool and Maggie followed Harry along a small path that wound higher and higher up the bluff.

  “My grandfather built Avalon Hotels from a small bed-and-breakfast in Maine all the way to a regional chain of hotels. He and my grandmother bought a lakefront retreat after he retired. He sunk half his fortune into that land. It was thousands of acres surrounding half of a pristine lake. There were rivers and woods, and when I was little, we used to go camping there. He called it Shangri-La. It was my favorite place in the world. When he died, they were nearly broke from paying the taxes.”

  “I’m not sure I follow,” Maggie said.

  “I’m getting there,” Harry said. “My grandmother sold off the big mansion they’d built and moved into a smaller cottage on the waterfront after my grandfather passed, and she gave the land rights to my father and my uncle. She passed away a few years later, leaving my father and my uncle to split up her estate.” Harry stopped at a fork in the path and looked around before heading right. He slowed his pace. “We’re almost there, Maggie,” he said.

  “Why are you slowing down?” she asked.

  “I’m trying to time this right,” he said. The trees were starting to thin, and the breeze was picking up. Maggie could tell they were coming to a clearing, but she wasn’t sure what to expect.

  “My uncle was never the brightest bulb, and he burned through his money on a series of ill-advised investments. It was barely two years before he sold his half of the land to my father. My father, in turn, greased a few palms and managed to turn the property into the largest vacation development on the East Coast. Hotels, timeshares, condos, everything you could imagine. He even built a marina. It had an enormous outdoor mall and three golf courses. By the time they were done developing, he had made over a hundred million dollars, and everything I loved about that place was gone. You know the rest of the story. He grew the empire, and now we’re here.”

  “I see,” Maggie said. “And somehow, this place is like that place?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure it could compare,” he said. “Watch your step. This last bit is tricky.” He took Maggie’s hand and led her around a large boulder. As soon as they were on the other side, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The forest they had just driven through stretched down to the ocean, and she could see all the way to the waves crashing against the shore in the far distance. Before the barrier island, there was a lake with clear turquoise water. It was breathtaking.

  “Harry,” she said. She placed her hand on his arm, unsure of what to say.

  “I wanted to show you this place because it’s impossible to do it justice.”

  “I understand,” she said. “And the money?”

  “We should eat first,” he said. “We can enjoy this place without worrying about any of that.”

  “Just tell me,” she replied.

  “My father’s company is expanding across the Caribbean. They have designs on a handful of sites across the islands. Can you imagine it? All of this cut down in order to add a few zeroes to my father’s bank account. If I’m the CEO, I’ll be the face of destroying this place.”

  “So you’re bribing someone to prevent that,” she said.

  “With a little luck, it’s going to be a national park, and my father will have to look somewhere else. I told you my intentions were good.”

  “How do you even know about this place?”

  “My recent string of trips across the Caribbean wasn’t as random or as drunken as it would seem.”

  “Is that right?” Maggie asked.

  “I figured I’d see the places he was planning on developing before he got to them. A few of the sites would be better off, but not this place. My father thinks it will be the crown jewel of his hotel empire. I think it’s fine as is. Do you?”

  “It’s beautiful,” Maggie said. “I half worried that you were going to ask me to run off with you.”

  “Is there a chance you would have said yes?”

  “I would have advised you against it.”

  Harry smiled. “That wasn’t a no.”

  “It wasn’t a yes either,” Maggie said.

  “But it’s enough for me,” Harry replied. “I’m glad I was able to share this place with you. Thanks for coming along.”

  “All in a day’s work,” Maggie said.

  “You and I both know that’s not true,” Harry said. “I brought you here because I thought you’d understand, and I wanted to share this with you. You’re the only person who knows.”

  “What are we supposed to do now?” Maggie asked. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I need to call the office at some point to let them know you haven’t abducted me.”

  “I have a cell phone in my pack, but it doesn’t have any service around here. You’re free to try it if you want. Let’s eat lunch, and you can try to make that call, but when it fails, you’ll go back to enjoying the day with me. I’d hate to spend the rest of this beautiful afternoon searching for a phone.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a phone. “I haven’t had service since Key West,” he said. “Feel free to give it a shot.”

  “Lunch sounds great,” she said. She at least knew what the money was for. That was the answer to one question. But there was another that had been in the back of her mind since she got on the plane with him: Why did he bring me? Why did he feel a need to show her all of this?

  When Maggie had started working for Haven, Amy had given her one piece of advice. Don’t try to make them into something they’re not.

  Harry took her hand and looked up the rock outcrop that rose behind them. “I know a great little spot up at the top of this boulder. And there are no tourists in Speedos to steal your spot.”

  “That’s a shame,” Maggie said.

  “On the other hand, it’s clear enough today that you can almost see the Speedos in Key West.”

  “I’ll stick with the view of the
water,” Maggie said. She took out the phone and held it up, but her hope of finding any hint of a signal was hopeless. Instead, she used it to take a picture of the beautiful scene before them. As she handed the phone back to Harry, she noted that he seemed more interested in her than the view. “It really is beautiful here,” she said. “The water just looks perfect.”

  “Then you’ll love our next stop,” Harry said.

  “Is it on the way back to Havana?” Maggie asked.

  “Not exactly,” he said.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, we’re taking the scenic route. I’m hoping I’ll be able to get an answer out of you before we get back.”

  “An answer to what?” Maggie asked.

  “About what we have together,” Harry said.

  “Oh, that,” Maggie said. “You know it’s complicated. I just need some time to think about it.”

  “Take all the time you need,” Harry said. Time, Maggie knew, was a luxury neither of them had.

  Chapter 11

  As they rode back down the hillside, Maggie was of two minds. Half of her wanted to embrace the adventure and go wherever Harry led. The other half knew she should talk him out of his plan, that she should get him back to Havana, or even better, Key West, and keep him from creating an international incident. As they hit bumps in the narrow dirt track, Maggie tightened her arms around Harry’s waist. She felt good when she was with him. She felt right, like she was connected to something bigger than herself. She was falling for him, but she knew it couldn’t last. After all, she had to get him back to D.C. so he could get married.

  The money had been a good distraction. It was the kind of problem she was used to. Clients lied and hid stuff all the time. It was part of the job. She was good at dealing with that kind of unexpected, but her feelings for Harry were something else altogether. If she had known he was a client from the start, she would have been prepared, and she wouldn’t have allowed herself to open up to him. She also wouldn’t have kissed him.

  Note to self, she thought, do not think about kissing Harry. But it was too late. She couldn’t help but think back to the way she’d felt in his arms, couldn’t deny how deprived she had felt when he had broken away and said he wanted something more than physical from their relationship. She did too. She just knew that it couldn’t last. Were a few days of happiness worth all the trouble they would cause down the line? And what if he was the one, and she was throwing away her chance to be with him?

  When they reached the main road, Harry pulled the bike onto the shoulder and offered to let Maggie drive again. The late-afternoon sun had dipped behind the trees on the hillside and cast long shadows across the road.

  “I don’t even know where we’re going,” Maggie said.

  “We’re heading down to the ocean,” Harry said. “If we make good time, we’ll get there a little before dark. It’s not a complicated route, two or three roads at most. When we need to make a turn, I’ll let you know. I sent Ramon there this morning with our stuff. I have a little house rented through the end of the week. I had planned on heading there by myself for a few days to clear my head, but then I met you, and you completely screwed up my plans.”

  “I’m terribly sorry.”

  “I’m not,” Harry said. “You can ruin my plans any day.”

  “An open invitation,” Maggie said. “Watch out. I might just take you up on it.” She slid up the seat into the driver’s position as Harry climbed on behind her. “One night at the house, and then we go back to Havana,” she said. “Do we have a deal?”

  “One night?” he said. “Once we get there, you’ll want to stay longer.”

  “We’ll see,” Maggie said. The ride had helped calm her mind, but it hadn’t pushed the questions away completely. She knew what she was supposed to say—that she couldn’t be with him, and that she’d already crossed more personal and professional boundaries than she could count. But she also knew what she wanted to say—that, client or not, she’d never met anyone like Harry and that she’d never felt as alive as she had over her short time with him.

  Whether it was for one night or a hundred years, she wanted more. She watched the countryside roll by as Harry tapped on her side and shouted directions to her for each turn. The farther they got from the hillside, the higher the temperature rose. Maggie wondered if it had been this hot all day or if the weather had turned. She could see clouds on the horizon, and she wondered what they would do if they encountered rain. The shadows across the road were growing longer, and the sun was starting to set behind the hills, and still Maggie had no idea where they were headed. Trust him, she told herself. Some people just need you to trust them. Even if it goes against everything you’re supposed to stand for, trust him.

  She knew he had something special in mind, some new surprise for her. That wasn’t even a question. Maybe he wasn’t the one she needed to trust. Maybe she needed to trust that feeling deep inside that was telling her to take another chance on him. He hadn’t let her down yet. Even when he did something ridiculous, like bring her on this mission of his, he’d had good intentions. Though something told her his intentions for her were less than pure. As bad as it could be for her job keeping him out of trouble, Harry’s wild streak excited her. Maybe she’d leave that part out when she was old and gray and telling the story to her cats. Whatever happened between her and Harry would have to stay on the island.

  Shortly after dark, they reached a small town on the water. The houses were small and close together as Maggie steered the bike through the empty streets, but Harry guided her through to a small street that ran parallel to the beach.

  “We’re here,” he said over the hum of the motor. “It’s the house with the lights.”

  He slid his hands over her arms and helped her guide the bike the final distance to the little house. There were lights strung across the yard from tree to tree like a field of stars. The house itself was small and blue, more of a cottage than a house. Beyond it, Maggie could see the ocean stretch off to the horizon.

  “It’s adorable,” she said once she was off the bike. “How do you even find a place like this?”

  “I have a guy,” Harry said.

  “You mean Ramon?”

  “He’s a man of many talents. He’s the one who found me this place last time I was here. You should have seen it before I bought it.”

  “You own this house?”

  “Technically Ramon owns it. He lets me borrow it whenever I’m in town. Only Cubans can own property here.”

  “You gave him a house?”

  “He has family not too far from here. This gives him an excuse to visit them. If anything, I was doing myself more of a favor than him. I did help him fix up his car, though. The last time I was here, I smuggled in original parts for his motor. You should have seen the look on his face. You’d think I’d given him the world.”

  “You like helping people, don’t you?”

  “Don’t let anyone know,” Harry said. “I’d hate for word to get out. I like getting people to like me. It’s more fun when they don’t think too much of me at first.”

  “Oh, so that’s why you keep hitting on me?” Maggie said.

  “Watch out—sooner or later, you’re going to start liking me.”

  “I’ll marry you myself if you get back on a plane to D.C. tonight and forget about your bribery plans.”

  “That’s quite the offer,” Harry said. “I’ll think it over, but first we need to go swimming.”

  “I don’t have a bathing suit,” Maggie said.

  “Who said anything about needing bathing suits?” Harry asked. “Come on, it will be another great story to tell your cats someday.” He put his hand around her shoulder. She’d spent half the day with his arms around her waist and close to the other half with her arms around his, and yet the feeling of his hand on her shoulder sent a tingle up her spine and made her feel short of breath.

  “If you’re trying to get me naked, you’ll have to do b
etter than that,” she said.

  Harry grinned. “It was worth a try. Your bathing suit’s inside, along with everything else.”

  The inside of the cottage was clean, well lit, and rustic. The dark wood of the roof and the beams were exposed overhead, and the little kitchenette had a small fridge and a stovetop with two burners. The main space had simple furniture and large windows that looked out past a back courtyard to the beach. A quick search revealed that there was no phone. She’d have to wait to make her next call back to the US. It was a bit of a relief. She wasn’t sure what she’d report. Yeah, I think I’m falling for the client, and I’m going to help him bribe a government official.

  The house was nothing compared to her suite in Key West, but she immediately felt more at home in the simple space. It reminded her of a cottage her parents used to rent in the summer. They’d pile in the car and drive to Wisconsin. She used to like sleeping in a sleeping bag on the back porch.

  She opened a few windows and breathed in the ocean air. It was humid, and she could feel her clothes sticking to her skin. Maybe a swim with Harry was exactly what she needed. She found her bathing suit in a suitcase in the bedroom. Maggie was quick to note that there was only one bedroom. I might have to make Harry sleep on the couch out of principle, she thought.

  When she stepped back into the main space, Harry was waiting. How he had changed into his bathing suit so quickly, she didn’t know. She couldn’t help but stare for a moment at his chest and abs.

  “Did you just check me out?” he said.

  “No,” Maggie said. Busted. “There’s nothing past tense about it.” She couldn’t believe she had just said that, but there was no denying it. She could feel the color rushing into her cheeks as she blushed.

  Harry laughed. “Good,” he added. “Now I won’t feel so bad next time I check you out.” He opened the screen door to the back and waved her on. “Come on, let’s go. Unless you’d like to stay here and look at my abs a little longer.”

  Maggie shook her head and pushed out past him into the night. The sand was cool underfoot as she headed toward the water. Harry caught up with her after a few steps, and they reached the water together. She was surprised how warm the water was, and she walked right in without hesitation, lowering herself until she could lean back and float. The sand at the bottom was soft, and the slope was shallow enough that she could probably walk another hundred yards if she wanted. But this spot was perfect. She let herself float. She felt her worries wash away as she stared up at the sky.