by Trish Morey
There was a brief hesitation and then, ‘Sophie? I just wanted to thank you so much for being there,’ Monica said breathlessly, as if she’d made a sudden dive for the phone. ‘Daniel told me you’d be staying on Kallista now until the wedding, to make sure everything is absolutely perfect. It means so much that you’re prepared to do that. Thank you so much. See you when we get back!’
Monica was gone by the time Sophie could manage a numb reply and she replaced the receiver with more questions than answers. She was staying on Kallista?—Daniel had told Monica that? So when had he decided that was going to happen? And when had he been planning to fill her in on the details?
Her earlier apology for wrongly accusing him of taking control suddenly seemed premature. Daniel Caruana didn’t just like things to go his way, he liked to be in the driver’s seat to ensure he got where and what he wanted. It was like playing chess with someone who was always two moves ahead. There was no way she was going to be told what she was doing by him.
In the very next breath she remembered that it was Monica who had told her, Monica who had thanked her for staying. Sure, Daniel was clearly behind the idea, but Monica’s effusive thanks for staying proved she was right behind the concept. Sophie was trapped somewhere between Daniel’s heavy-handed tactics and her responsibility to Monica and Jake. Her very own rock and a hard place.
Infuriating man! But he was Monica’s brother. He had to know his sister better than she did. After all, he’d been right about her wanting to get married on Kallista, hadn’t he?
Maybe he really did just want his sister to be happy.
And then she almost laughed out loud. This was the man who’d made no apology for disposing of his sister’s previous boyfriends by paying them to disappear. Instead he’d practically boasted about it! Was this a man who really cared about his sister’s happiness? Not likely. Which brought her back to earth with a crash.
So why was he going along with these wedding plans?
Did he really believe his sister was in love this time? Given his mistrust of her previous suitors, and his intense dislike of her brother, the idea seemed incomprehensible. But what other reason was there for his suddenly being so compliant?
She didn’t know. But what she did know was that this wedding would be everything that Monica and Jake wanted it to be, and that she would do her utmost to make it so—no matter what Daniel Caruana had planned.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DANIEL had been called away on an important call, Millie advised when Sophie emerged, but she was to show her to her new office and to make sure she had everything she needed in the guest room for her stay.
Sophie nodded numbly. Slowly she was coming to terms with the concept she might have to spend most, if not all, of the next few weeks here on Kallista if this wedding was to get off the ground. What was more disconcerting was that everyone else seemed to accept it as a given. It was just lucky Monica had warned her.
Clearly she could forget about getting back to Brisbane tonight, or any time soon.
‘I didn’t bring any clothes,’ she offered by way of a half-hearted protest. Daniel had already taken care of that minor inconvenience, Millie informed her; a selection of items was arriving tomorrow to supplement whatever was already in the guest-room wardrobe.
Sophie suppressed her irritation. How typical of Mr Bossy Boots Caruana that now he assumed he could dress her. Did he think that just because he owned or employed everything and everyone on the island he now owned her too? Not a chance. She’d have Meg sort some stuff out and courier it up tomorrow. She might have to live here, but that didn’t mean she’d have to wear his clothes.
The guest office sat at the far end of the house, just beyond her room, boasting a view that could never improve productivity, she was sure. The windows here were angled towards the mainland, the ribbon of white coast and lush green mountains the perfect foil for the cerulean perfection of sea and sky.
But, if you could manage to drag your eyes away from the view, the office had everything that opened and shut—computer, printer, wireless broadband along with a phone and fax.
Sophie looked around her, wondering at the calibre of person Daniel entertained here that he would have an entire guest office laid on, as well as a guest suite. Clearly not your average aunt and uncle. Not that she knew the first thing about his family, really, beyond the guest list Monica had provided her with.
In the space of a few short weeks she’d get to meet them herself, assuming she ever got the invitations out. Monica and Jake had decided on the stationery, but the printing had to wait until the venue was confirmed. That would be one of her first tasks, to get the invitations out; then, given the extremely short notice, she’d have to follow up each and every one by phone or email to ensure those who could make it would attend. Plus she’d have to add transfers to the arrangements too, she noted, for those arriving via Cairns airport. She’d ask Daniel about making available his helicopter, and maybe the launch he’d mentioned too.
The string quartet she’d organised could fly up, though she’d have to arrange flights and accommodation; then she had to find a cake, originally part of the Tropical Palms package. And Monica wanted doves.
She felt a rush of adrenaline as what seemed like a million thoughts vied for priority. This was what she loved about her job, the building blocks falling into place, the wedding becoming more real with every concrete decision.
This was only the tip of the iceberg. There was so little time and so much to do.
Game on.
Sophie surveyed the office around her and nodded approvingly. She’d need a space like this and it was good she’d be on the spot to iron out any difficulties as they arose. It made sense.
This wedding would be as perfect as she could make it, and Daniel would see he’d done the right thing by his sister and that he’d done the right thing by her. She was determined it would happen.
She looked up to see Millie waiting expectantly at the door. ‘It’s perfect,’ she said with a smile, feeling good for the first time today. For she realised she was thinking about the wedding again, planning what had to happen. Doing her job instead of fantasising about the brother of the bride.
And didn’t that make for a welcome change?
An hour later she’d showered and changed back into her own clothes and was in the new office, getting the computer set up with files from her USB drive, when Daniel knocked on the door. The look on his face was unreadable. ‘Making yourself at home?’
In a cool linen shirt and lightweight trousers, he should have looked safer than the last time she’d seen him. Yet still his appearance sent a jolt to her senses and jagged her pulse a notch higher. Casual had never looked so sexy. Maybe it was the late o’clock shadow that graced his jaw that turned property magnate into pirate, but whatever it was it was a potent force that threatened to destabilise her and make her forget what she was doing here all over again.
‘There’s a lot to do, to get this wedding off the ground,’ she managed. ‘Especially given there’s not much time.’
He cocked one eyebrow and tucked his hands into his pockets. ‘I can imagine. Exactly why I knew it would be wise to base your operations here. I’m so glad you agree.’
She stood up straight. ‘It’s not about agreeing, though, is it? It’s about making the best of it.’
But he just laughed off her thinly veiled objections and moved with that panther-like grace across the tiled floor to the wall of windows that lined one whole side of the room, gazing out over the beautiful view before he turned. ‘I have to go to Townsville for a meeting early tomorrow and I’ll probably be late back. Will you be all right by yourself?’
She was tempted to tell him that she’d get more done with him absent than with the distraction of him being around. But instead she said, ‘I’ve got heaps to do. I doubt I’ll even know you’re gone.’
She could swear she saw a tic in his jaw as he looked her over; maybe he was just unimpressed she’
d put her own dress back on rather than having chosen something from the wardrobe.
‘I’ve arranged for a boutique to send clothes.’
She waved his offer away, his words confirming her suspicions. ‘Thanks, but my assistant’s sorting some clothes.’
‘There’s no need.’
‘On the contrary,’ she said firmly, ‘There’s every need, so long as they’ll find a way over to the island. I’m having them couriered to your office.’
He nodded. ‘They’ll come over on the launch, then. I’ll have the chopper in Townsville.’
‘I need to talk to you about that,’ she said, remembering one of the points on her to-do list. ‘I’ll have to arrange for transfers of guests from Cairns to the island. Will your helicopter be available for those? Or maybe the launch? Otherwise I’ll have to try to secure another vessel.’
He pulled his hands from his pockets, looking suddenly uncomfortable, his eyes hooded as he checked his watch. ‘Sure, make whatever arrangements you like. I forgot, Millie asked me to let you know dinner is ready. We’re eating out on the deck. This way.’
She blinked in his wake, following him when it was clear he wasn’t about to wait. So, now he’d guaranteed the wedding would be held here, she could do whatever she liked? She really didn’t understand Daniel Caruana at all.
Late the next day Sophie put the phone down and rubbed the back of her neck, ready for a break, surprised to find it was already five o’clock. It had been a full-on day of organising, and she’d been on the phone since breakfast. It was amazing, she mused, just how much you could get done without distractions. Away from her own office, where the phone seemed to ring every ten minutes, and with Daniel away, she’d made amazing progress. Maybe this arrangement would work better than she’d expected. Millie popped her head around the door to tell her that dinner would be ready in an hour, which suddenly seemed an eternity away. Already the smells wafting their way from the kitchen had her stomach rumbling in anticipation. But then she had skipped lunch while she’d been on a roll.
What she needed first, though, was some exercise. A walk down those steps and a swim in the tiny cove would be perfect.
She changed into the blue bikini and dug out a pair of sandals from the bottom of the wardrobe that were more or less the right size. With a quick word to Millie to let her know where she’d be, she set off for the path. The steps down to the shore were longer and steeper than they looked and it took some time to wend her way down the short flight of steps that zig-zagged down the hillside. But she did keep stopping to enjoy the way the view changed from different angles. It was quiet here, peaceful; the rustle of lizards scurrying through the leaf litter, the call of birds and the gentle shush of sea meeting sand at the beach below was the music that accompanied her steps. The canopy sheltered the steps from the worst of the sun, but it was warm and still, and by the time she reached the white sand beach she did no more than kick off her borrowed sandals and untie her sarong before heading straight for the water.
Bliss. She sank down, letting the current play out her hair, letting the water refresh her. It was magic. Nobody could see her, nobody could bother her. It was like having her own private beach.
Oh yes. There were definitely compensations for having to stay on Kallista for a few weeks. The climb back was definitely the exercise she needed, and Sophie arrived breathless, hot but definitely more relaxed for the exercise. She patted her forehead with her towel as she slid open the door to her room, only to find someone already there.
‘Well well, look what the cat dragged in.’
The man was on the other side of her bed, the side where she knew she’d left her handbag. He straightened and she got the impression of bulk and power; his arms were muscled, his hands curling and uncurling at his sides. A thief, here on Kallista? Daniel had said there were none. But it was the look in his eyes, the long, leery stare from top to toe, that made her shiver and suddenly feel fearful for Millie. Where was she? How had he got past her? ‘Who are you?’
‘So you’re Fletcher’s sister?’
She bristled, pulling the knot in her sarong tighter, the scent of stale cigarette-smoke hitting her nostrils. She didn’t appreciate being so clearly at a disadvantage, and had no intention of answering his question if he wouldn’t answer hers. ‘What are you doing in my room?’
‘I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to be such a good looker.’
Sophie tried to look past him—surely Millie was around somewhere?—but his shoulders were so broad he blocked her vision of the door. ‘I wish I could return the compliment, but as I didn’t expect you at all, Mr…?’
‘Call me Jo. I’m Caruana’s security manager. Just checking to make sure everything’s all right for the little lady.’
Snooping, more like it. At Daniel’s behest? Then he smiled and took a step closer, holding out his hand, a big, beefy paw with a brassy gold watch at his wrist, a thick, gold chain that matched the one at his neck. Two gold bands glistened on nicotine-stained fingers. Reluctantly she put her own hand out, felt it practically absorbed into his and had to stop herself from pulling away.
‘A pleasure to meet you.’ She wondered if she’d misjudged him. He was large framed, but it was all muscle, like you’d expect on someone who worked in security, and when he smiled he didn’t look quite so frightening. But then his eyes shot a glance down her body, lingering where she knew the two sides of the sarong parted near her bikini bottoms. ‘All of you, that is.’ She decided she didn’t like the man after all.
‘Is that you back, then?’ Millie’s voice sounded down the hallway and Jo dropped her hand and turned.
‘Hello, Millie. Just getting acquainted with our new guest.’
‘Oh, Jo,’ she said, wiping her hands on her pinny as she looked uncertainly from one to the other. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
‘I didn’t want to disturb you, Millie. I let myself in.’
The older woman sniffed, as if he should know better than go skulking around the house by himself, but she said nothing more to him. ‘Dinner’s almost ready, lovey,’ she told Sophie. ‘If you want to get out of your wet things.’
‘Sounds good, Millie,’ Jo said. ‘I’ve missed your cooking at the café.’
‘Won’t your wife be expecting you?’
‘Not tonight. She’s staying at her sister’s. And I did go to all the trouble of bringing this…’ He reached down and picked something from the floor then placed it on the bed. A parcel. Sophie could see by the return address that it had come from Meg.
‘My clothes?’
‘I thought you might be needing this sooner rather than later.’
‘Thank you.’ So he hadn’t been snooping. Or had he just taken the opportunity for a little digging while he was making the trip?
Jo sucked in air and gave another self-satisfied grin. ‘I reckon I might have earned myself a dinner. What do you reckon?’
She looked searchingly at Millie. She didn’t relish the idea of sharing a meal with someone who made her feel so ill at ease, but would it be churlish to refuse, given he’d brought her clothes? Was it her decision to make?
‘Where is everyone?’ Daniel’s voice boomed down the hallway and she wanted to sag with relief. He was back earlier than expected and she wanted to hug him. If Jo stayed to share dinner, she’d feel much better if Daniel was that too—even though Daniel was as dangerous as hell and made her feel at times as skittery as a cat on a hot tin roof. Much safer.
He entered the room and took in the scene, smiling at Millie. He scowled, she realised, when his gaze fell on her, still damp from her swim. ‘Jo,’ he said, jerking his eyes to the big man. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’
His security chief crossed to his boss. ‘I just dropped off that package you said might turn up.’ He hesitated a fraction or two. ‘You were going to be longer in Townsville, I thought.’
One half of Daniel’s mouth turned up. ‘We finished up early. Thanks for delivering
the package. Did you have anything else for me?’ The big man shook his head.
‘I’m waiting. I’ll text you.’
Daniel nodded. ‘Then if that’s all?’
‘Well, all except for Friday night’s poker game—we still on for that?’
Daniel looked at Sophie, a frown tugging his brows. ‘Not this week. Maybe next.’
Jo followed his gaze and smirked. Sophie wanted to protest that it was nothing to do with her, but he was already leaving. ‘Later,’ he said.
Millie gave a matter-of-fact harrumph and excused herself for the kitchen with the news that dinner was now only ten minutes away.
Daniel leaned one hand against the wall and sighed. Sophie sure was a sight for sore eyes. Her hair was wild and stiff around her face, her damp sarong clinging to every curve, and he applauded the disarray. She looked so much better like this than in that buttoned-up dress he’d seen her in yesterday. She looked more real. More woman. Oh yes; coming home early was the best decision he’d made in a long while.
She looked in the direction where Jo had exited. ‘I don’t think I like that man.’
‘Jo? Why? What did he do?’
‘He was just…’ She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. ‘I don’t know. Creepy—the way he looked at me.’
‘Jo’s ex-army. He’s tough, but he’s a good operator. One of my most loyal employees, in fact.’ Still he noticed the tremor that moved through her, and he wondered if there was more to it than she was letting on. Then again, no man in his right mind wouldn’t want to stare at Sophie, given the way she looked right now, still damp from the sea, her cheeks flushed, her hair like he imagined it would look after a long, hot session making love.
Damn. Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of anyone else wanting to stare, not if their thoughts ended up along the same path…
He had to change the subject. ‘How was your day?’
She blinked, and once again he got to appreciate that sweep of impressive lashes against her cheek. Strange, how something so innocent could be so sexy.