by Cathryn Fox
“I’m sorry I hurt her, too, but she deserves better than me.”
“Are you...” Ugh, how can I word this?
“Still in love with her?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll always love her, Khloe.” He casts a quick glance my way, his blue eyes showcasing pain and regret. “We had something great. I ruined it, and something like that doesn’t come along every day.”
I stiffen at that admission, jealousy zinging through me. What the hell? No way should I be feeling anything other than sadness for this whole situation.
“Maybe something better will come along.” Not that he’d ever know. He’s locked up tight and not about to open himself to love.
He grunts a response.
“Do you still keep in contact?”
He runs agitated fingers through his dark hair. “No, and I don’t read the tabloids, either, but the last I heard she was in Milan and seeing some guy there. I have no idea if it’s serious or not, but I want her to be happy.”
I’m totally shocked by his maturity. He loves the woman yet wants her to find happiness with another man. Not quite the asshole everyone says he is...but the pictures. I press my hand over my stomach as it takes that moment to tighten, and I make a mental note to do a little research of my own.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“I need to stop at Granddad’s resort.”
“James has a resort here? I knew about the one in Saint Moritz because he showed me pictures of Megan and Alec’s wedding, like I mentioned. Actually he showed me a picture of you at the wedding.”
“Why did he do that?”
“I guess he wanted to show me the ogre I would be working for.”
“Ogre, Khloe. Really? Do you want to go talk about how I took care of you when you were pro—”
“Okay, not an ogre,” I say, laughing. “Tell me about James’s resort.”
“It’s called Great Bay Resort. I think he bought it because the first time we came here, I fell in love with the place. Granddad’s like that. And he’s always been there when we needed him.” He chuckles, staring into the distance like he’s remembering happier times.
“What’s so funny?”
“I’m just thinking back to when he told Tate he wanted to gift half of his million-dollar estate to Summer Love. And Tate thought she was a con artist out to steal millions from him, so he flew to Saint Moritz to take her down.” He chuckles again. “She took him down instead.”
“What do you mean?”
“He fell in love with her. Sometimes I think Granddad orchestrated the whole thing, but other times I realize he’s in his nineties and probably couldn’t pull off a scheme like that even if he had a team working for him.”
You’re perfect for Will.
For a moment, James’s words ping around inside my brain. During our meeting he seemed so lucid at times; other times, I thought he was dozing off. Is it possible that he was trying to find a wife for his grandson? No. The man barely knows me. What would make him think I was perfect for his grandson? He wouldn’t, simple as that.
“That’s a great story, Will. So romantic.”
He makes a noise—a half laugh, half groan. “It’s crazy how it all played out, if you ask me.”
We pull up to the resort, and my eyes go wide to take in the opulence. “It’s beautiful.”
“It was practically destroyed in the hurricane.”
“The damage and loss broke my heart when I heard about it on the news. So much devastation.”
“You remember Bevey?”
“How could I forget her?”
He chuckles again. “She’s head chef at Granddad’s resort. Her husband, Samuel, was injured in the hurricane.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Her daughter’s school was destroyed, too. The kids are in an old school that’s been waterlogged. It’s dirty and mold-ridden. Not healthy for them at all.”
“My God, I had no idea. I wish I could help out some way,” I say. “I don’t really have anything to offer, though.”
He casts me a quick glance, and I can’t quite figure out his expression. He drives under a roofed-in area, pulling up in front of the grand resort.
“It’s even more amazing up close.” I examine the sprawling resort painted in bright yellow, orange and blue. Each room has a balcony overlooking the emerald waters.
“How come you don’t stay here when you visit?” He arches a brow and reaches for his door handle. “Right, privacy,” I say, answering my own question. “This doesn’t look like it was destroyed by the hurricane.”
“We rebuilt quickly.”
“I’d imagine that really cut into the bottom line,” I say under my breath.
He opens his mouth to speak, but the valet steps up to the driver’s side.
“Good morning, Mr. Will.”
Will smiles at the valet and turns back to me. “I have some things to take care of. Do you want to wander around, check out the pool and gardens?”
“Sure, but I thought you said we were getting ice cream.”
“We are, soon.”
Will opens his door, and the valet gives him a big smile. “Mr. Will, it’s so good to see you.”
Will shakes the man’s hand. “Anthony, my friend. It’s been too long. How is Hannah?”
He sticks his stomach out. “Another little one on the way,” he says, his big brown eyes beaming.
“Congratulations. Is Hannah well this time?”
He holds his hand out flat and wavers it a little bit. “Just slight morning sickness. Not like last time.”
“No hyperemesis, then?”
“No, thankfully.”
“Glad to hear it.”
I stand there and listen to the exchange. Not only does Will know the valet, he appears to know his wife and the circumstances surrounding her last birth. I’m beginning to believe there is more to this man than meets the eyes.
Will looks my way. “Anthony, this is my assistant, Khloe. Khloe, if you need anything at all, Anthony is your man. You can trust him to help you.” Anthony appears to grow two inches taller at Will’s compliment. I exchange pleasantries with Anthony, and Will hands his keys over. He circles the front of the vehicle, puts his palm on the small of my back, and leans in. “I’ll only need about thirty minutes, I think. I have some staffing issues that need my attention.”
“Who are you firing?”
He shakes his head. “I love the high opinion you have of me.” Before I can say anything, he holds out his hand. “Pass me your phone?”
I reach into my purse. “What do you want my phone for?”
“I’m going to put my number in, call myself, and then I’ll have yours.”
He takes my phone, puts his contact in and a second later his rings. “Don’t venture off the resort, okay?”
“Why?” I shoot a glance over my shoulder. “Is it dangerous?”
“It’s safe enough, but easy to get lost. Although I’m pretty sure you can handle yourself,” he says with a smirk.
“You know I can.” He gives me a nudge and the double glass doors open, inviting us into the posh lobby. I glance around, take in the buttery yellow sofas, the chandeliers, the curving staircase that leads to a restaurant on the next level.
“Through those back doors, you’ll find the garden, the pool and the bar. Grab yourself a drink. Charge it to me.”
“I can buy my own drink,” I say, and frown as I recall the meager amount of money at the bottom of my purse.
“You’re my guest, Khloe.” His blue eyes narrow, go serious. “You’ll charge it to me.”
“You’re kind of bossy.”
“Which is why you call me sir,” he says, but the heat behind that one word fills me with luscious memories.
My gaze travels back and meets his. “Right, thanks for the reminder, sir,” I tease, and I’m rewarded with a groan. With an extra little shake of my ass, I head toward the back door, not bothering to glance over my shoulder. My cell pings. I lift it and read the text from Will.
Will: You’re going to pay for that.
Khloe: Looking forward to it.
His growl follows me outside, and the sound is muted as the double doors close behind me. In the courtyard, men, women and children lounge at the pool. There are a few people sitting at the bar, nursing things that look quite refreshing. The fragrant foliage fills my senses as I walk the brick path to the outside bar. I slide onto one of the stools, and the bartender comes right over. He looks to be in his midthirties, a light beard covering his jaw. He’s handsome, but let’s face it, he’s not Will Carson handsome. Few, if any, are.
“I’d like something fruity and refreshing,” I say, and tap my chin as I look past his shoulders at the chalk menu listing the drinks.
“Strawberry daiquiri?” he suggests.
“Perfect.” The man two stools over picks up his icy beer and begins to spin my way. “Oh, and please put it on Will Carson’s tab. I’m his assistant,” I add, as per Will’s request. The man does an about-face, sets his drink back down and stares into the glass like it holds all the answers to the universe.
Wow, it’s almost like the simple mention of Will invokes fear in others. Maybe he actually is an ogre to the staff working here. In all seriousness, he’s been nothing but a perfect gentleman to me. Well, okay, maybe that’s pushing it. Other than ensuring I’m having a good time and climax first, he’s no gentleman between the sheets. But I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I pick up my drink and wander around, taking time to smell the flowers and smile at the child laughing in the pool. The longing pulsing through my body doesn’t go unnoticed. Here I used to think Liam and I would marry and have a family of our own. Now I’m convinced there is no right man out there for me. And that’s okay. I don’t need a man to make me happy. Kids? Well, if I do decide to have them someday, there’s always in vitro.
The warm sun beats down on me as I meander through the gardens, greeting guests and staff. My phone pings and I grab it.
Will: All done. Meet me out front? Let’s go get you that ice cream.
Khloe: On my way.
I tuck my phone back into my purse, take my empty glass back to the bar and head toward the front of the resort. Will is leaning against his car talking to Anthony. I don’t want to interrupt, so I open my door. Will turns at the sound, and a smile touches his mouth, like he’s extremely happy to see me. Weird thing is, my heart is speeding up a little, too.
“Hey,” he says turning to me. “Did you get a drink? Enjoy a walk?”
I nod. “Did you get your staffing situation straightened out?”
He nods, says something to Anthony and slides into the car. I drop into the passenger seat next to him.
The drive is a short one, and the next thing I know he’s parking on a street.
“Where are we?”
“Historic downtown. Have you heard of the ninety-nine steps at Charlotte Amalie?”
“I’ve been busy wrestling a vacuum into submission, so I haven’t had time to do much research.”
That brings a smile to his face. “Well, you’re about to get a firsthand look, and I’m going to race you to the top.”
“So this is why you told me to wear comfortable footwear.”
“Yup.” He unbuckles and slips from the car.
I do the same, and the heat beats down on me. “I am not running up ninety-nine steps, Will. I’ll die.”
“It’s fun, trust me.”
“Trust you? I don’t trust anyone, remember?”
He briefly looks past my shoulders, his smile faltering. “First one to the top wins.”
“Wins what? A drive to the hospital in an ambulance, or worse, to a funeral home?”
He laughs out loud, circles the car and steps close to me, very close. His warm breath feathers over my face.
I plant one hand on my hip. “I thought we were getting ice cream.”
“You can have ice cream and anything else you want. If you beat me.”
I spin around and glance up and down the busy street. A man with a cart full of coconuts stops to hack the top off one with a huge knife and hands it over to a customer, who dips a straw inside. I make a mental note to try one. Then I see the brick stairs. My gaze goes from the bottom to the very top.
“That looks like a lot more than ninety-nine steps to me.”
“Only by four. They added some cement steps.”
I eye Will. “You’ve done this before, right?”
He rolls one shoulder. “Sure, numerous times.”
“Okay, since you have an advantage, I get a head start.”
He thinks about it for a second. “Fair enough.”
“You have to count to ten before you can start up.”
We walk toward the stairs, our knuckles brushing innocently, but damned if it doesn’t send shock waves straight down my body. Maybe the rush of adrenaline will help me beat him. We reach the bottom step, and I glance up to see the green wooden rail on the right, and foliage popping with bright purple flowers on either side of the steps.
“It doesn’t look so bad up close.”
His mouth is close to my ear when he says, “It’s not.”
“What does the winner get?”
“Whatever they want.”
I take a second to think about what I want. But the vision of myself living happily ever after in a cozy house with a family, writing articles I want to write, is a dream not even Will, a man with all the resources in the world, could fulfill.
“Go,” he says.
“What?”
“One, two...”
“Oh, shit,” I say, and dart up the stairs. Will is laughing from the bottom. “Count slow,” I yell, but when I look back he’s already closing the gap between us. I start laughing so hard I can barely climb, but I’m competitive, and clearly Will is, too. I pick up the pace and hurry onward.
I push harder, but his long, strong legs have no trouble reaching me. His breath is hot on my neck, and I do everything to block his way. I spread my arms, but he grabs me by the waist, picks me up and spins me until I’m behind him.
“That’s cheating!” I yell at his back, but my gaze quickly drops to his ass as he easily negotiates the steps. I reach the top, panting like a Newfoundland dog...in Hawaii. Will doesn’t appear winded at all. Jerk.
“I won,” he says.
“You cheated.”
He takes my hand, leads me through a crowd I hadn’t noticed from the base of the stairs, and my breath catches when I see the spectacular view below.
I turn to see Will’s reaction to the view, but it’s me he’s looking at. I swipe at my damp forehead. I must look a mess, but from the appreciation in his eyes, you wouldn’t know it.
“Fine, you won. But I want a rematch after I get in shape.”
“You’re in great shape, Khloe,” he says, and despite the crowd of tourists at the top, all standing by the rail taking pictures of the most breathtaking view of Saint Thomas, he comes close and puts his hands on my curves. For a private guy, this public display of affection surprises me. Then again, the place is full of tourists who don’t know either of us.
“Want to know what I want?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Will
“WHAT DO YOU WANT, Will?”
I open my mouth, about to tell her how I plan to take her tonight, when my pants start pulsating. She glances down, arches a brow.
“Ah, you’re vibrating down there,” she says, and grins at me. “Maybe instead of asking you what you want, I should be asking what kind of kinky things you’re into.” Her
voice is playful, and if we weren’t in public, I’d strip her bare and show her exactly how kinky I like it.
I grin. “Since I won, you’ll soon find out.”
A visible shiver moves through her as I pull my phone from my pocket. I hope it’s Granddad. When I see it’s Alec, I frown.
“Hey, bro, what’s up?” I ask.
“Not much. Just wondering how things are going in Saint Thomas.”
Why the hell is everyone calling and checking in on me?
“Since when do you call me when I’m here?”
“Never. Just missing my big bro is all.” My gaze slides to Khloe, who is wiping her brow with the back of her hand. Her big eyes are full of awe and wonder as she steps away to give me privacy and takes in the view below.
“Have you been talking to Granddad?” I ask.
“Yeah, I was with him yesterday. Brianna is back from Italy. She was hoping to see you. Megan wants to have a big family barbecue.”
Shit, it’s been months since I’ve seen my cousin and her husband. “How long is she home for?”
“Just a couple weeks.”
A thread of worry weasels its way down my spine. There was no talk of Brianna coming home. Is her marriage breaking up? “Is she...okay?”
“Why wouldn’t she be okay?”
I step away from the chatter of the crowd and lean against a tall tree. “If she’s back suddenly and Luca isn’t with her...”
“That’s where your mind goes?” Alec asks. “Straight to divorce?”
“You know we’ve seen a lot of it.”
“We’re a new generation, Will,” he says, his voice full of conviction.
I snort. “Yeah, well, tell that to Naomi.”
“She was never right for you anyway.”
“Alec—” I begin.
“Listen, Luca is flying in next week. He had some work commitments. So you see, they’re still happily married like the rest of us, and we’re hoping for a big family reunion.”
I don’t miss the dig. “I probably won’t be back in time.”
“You could come home early.” I let my eyes travel Khloe’s length, admiring her curves in her V-neck T-shirt and the shorts that show off her curvy ass and hips. I suppose I could cut this trip short, but do I want to? “I’m ah, not sure that’s possible.”