by Erika Rose
Lost In Paradise
By Erika Rose
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2017 Erika Rose
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
SNEAK PEEK
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Prologue
The sea and sand are not the only mesmerizing sight…
Self-made Billionaire Jason Pike had never felt the need to display his status with his lifestyle. Firmly rooted in the belief that life isn’t just about the things you have, Jason struggles to be accepting that his new fiancée is more than happy to flaunt his riches for him.
But when Jason arrives on the Hawaiian Islands to oversee renovations for Angelique’s new vacation home, he comes face to face with trouble in paradise. With the day of wedding vows looming, Jason struggles to be more concerned with them… and less so with a simple, dark haired island beauty.
Caretaker for the rich and famous, Mia Kanu is determined to focus on making her life as carefree as it is wild. But when a spark of undeniable attraction draws her to Jason Pike, Mia realizes that this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew.
Unable to resist the heat rising between them, Jason and Mia are thrown into a torrent affair. The only question is what will break them first… the searing hot passion between them…. or guilt?
Can Jason focus on his renovations and less on his caretaker? Or will Mia be unable to resist her feelings for a man who is due to be married to another woman?
Chapter 1
“Don’t look at me like that,” Mia said to her long time friend, who worked as a cashier at the local grocer.
“I’m not looking at you that way.” Alana swiped a six pack of spring water past the sensor, “In fact, I didn’t even say a word.”
“You didn’t have to. I can see exactly what you’re thinking. This is ridiculous.” Mia drew a hand through her short brunette hair. On anyone else it would look unkempt but on Mia it suited her witty personality. “This is the first time I’ve taken care of a house without meeting the owner. And judging from the ridiculous list he sent me to prepare for his arrival, I can almost guarantee he’s going to be old with hair growing out of his ears, and completely entitled.”
Alana laughed, “Well I must say at least he has good taste in houses. That place is amazing.” Alana had helped Mia move into the mansion on North Shore about a month before when she was hired by the realtor on the client’s behalf. The house was large and spacious and the best part was only a small grass hedge separated the pool and her cottage from the Pacific Ocean. Mia had already settled into the habit of having her first cup of tea by the beach. Alana sighed; sometimes she envied her friend’s occupation as caretaker for the homes of the rich and famous.
Mia dragged two large bags of oranges out of the cart and passed them to Alana, who snickered, “Let me guess, and freshly squeezed orange juice each morning.” And then again at times like this she didn’t envy her friend at all.
“Of course, who can stomach that awful artificially-sweetened, store-bought orange juice?” Mia said with touch of sarcasm while rolling her eyes.
“Honestly, you need to unload that cart faster. This is just getting better by the item.”
Mia bent down and collected a box of M&M’s, a humidifier, a large jar of pure peanut butter, 80SPF sunscreen, fresh salmon and vast variety of vegetables and fruit. She lastly placed the latest swimsuit edition of a popular magazine on the counter. She gave Alana a warning look not to comment. “I’ve had stranger lists in the past, but I must admit this one is the most diverse so far.”
“Do you remember the guy that requested dolphin tail for dinner?” Alana asked, laughing.
“Yes, and do you remember I quit before he even arrived?”
They both laughed at the memory of the strange request. Mia had always been an activist when it came to the environment, especially since she lived in Hawaii and every second mogul wanted to plant another high-rise hotel. Even though her clients gave her good salary and a place to live she drew a firm line on providing her clients with dolphin tail.
“So what do you know about the new client?” Alana asked as she scanned the final items.
“Not much. I know he is rich, obviously, and that I’ll get further instructions on how to take care of the house when he gets here.”
“And that is when?”
“This evening; I’ve already turned down his bed and made sure the cleaning crew came in yesterday. So all that’s left for me to do is to unpack all of this before he comes.”
Alana indicated toward the screen with the total, and Mia paid with her own card. Normally she received an expense card from the owner of the house she was currently taking care of, but since she hadn’t even met Mr. Pike yet, she was still working on a receipt system to claim her expenses. She handed over her own card and thought what she was going to do with the rest of the day. She walked out of the supermarket pushing the cart, and felt the sun already beating down. Most people hated the humid, hot Hawaiian climate, but that was one of the reasons she’d never leave. Mia loved the feel of her skin tingling in the sun, knowing that the ocean was always close by and that she could write whenever she wanted. After loading the bags into her old jeep she got in and turned up the radio. There was a Jason Mraz song playing loudly through the speakers, the perfect company on the drive back to the mansion on North Shore.
Mia had been orphaned when she was two and had spent the next sixteen years in Hawaiian foster care. Luckily she had none of the horrifying experiences that normally go with foster care; she actually liked the families that took care of her. The only problem was they were never her own. When she was eighteen and it was time to move out of the system she didn’t have the funds to either move out or to go to college. She found an advertisement about a caretaker job on the North Shore, the only requirements were being responsible and being able to manage cleaning and maintenance. On impulse she applied and once she was hired she knew it was a dream job. She never had to worry about where to live, and the bonus was that when there was no one in residence her time was basically her own. She only had to oversee maintenance, cleaning, pools and gardening and used the rest of the time to write. When the clients were in residence she doubled as an assistant and cook. It mostly depended on the client how busy she would be then. Some of them worked her to the bone, seeing as she was basically off for most of the year, and others just expected her to do the weekly marketing, still leaving her enough time to write. She hoped that one day all the short stories and novels she wrote would pay for a home of her own, but had never had enough confidence to send any of her work to either publ
ishers or agents. As she pulled the Jeep into the small parking lot at the back of the house adjacent to her small cottage, she thought more about the owner of the house. He had done the whole deal online was all that Sally, the realtor, had told her. It was to be a wedding gift for his fiancée. Mia smirked, no doubt the fiancée was a gold-digging, twenty-year-old model with a penchant for old men and their bank accounts. After packing away all the items requested from the client, she decided to spend her afternoon lounging by the pool before getting ready for Mr. Pike’s arrival later that evening.
Jason Pike sat back in soft leather seat of his private plane. He had become so accustomed to luxury that he didn’t even notice the luxurious smell of polished leather or thought anything of the air hostesses offering him twenty year aged scotch. He was on his way to see a house he bought a few months ago after his fiancée Angelique had prodded him to. According to her money didn’t mean much if you didn’t have a house on the Mediterranean or in Hawaii to show for it. Jason didn’t agree with the statement at all, he believed there was nothing better than investments, and had eventually acquiesced thinking property on Hawaii would be a good investment. He had scrolled through a few online realtor websites looking at property on the North Shore when he saw the house. In the spur of the moment he decided to buy it as a wedding gift for Angelique. The wedding was in four months and he hadn’t even been able to see the house, he had penciled two weeks into his busy schedule to view the house and to do any renovations he saw fit. Glancing through the window as they left the coast of San Francisco he still couldn’t believe that he could afford to buy a house on a whim in Hawaii. He had grown up with a large family where the only thing in excess had been love. Clothes were to be passed down, meals rationed and expensive toys or summer camps were never even asked for by him or his siblings, knowing that their parents couldn’t afford it. The air hostess placed his scotch on the tray next to him. He took a sip, enjoying the smooth fiery liquid burning down his throat, wondering where he would’ve been today if he hadn’t won that money in the lottery when he was twenty two. After school he had been a struggling waiter in a small bistro on Windy Road, when he had played the lottery every week. One week he went to check his ticket, more out of habit than hope, when he realized he had won enough to buy a house or to take his whole family on a trip around the world. Luckily sensibility prevailed. Instead he had used the money to buy the bistro. After making some changes to the structure, the interior and the menu, business boomed. But he had felt restless. He had enjoyed the process of changing and improving and just watching the money flow in wasn’t the thrill he had expected. He had taken a chance and sold the bistro with a substantial profit which he used to buy a small restaurant. The rest was history. The restaurants had become larger, extending into hotels and other businesses, and the profits had become enough for him to never worry about money again. When his first big deal came through he had offered to buy his parents a new house, holding onto their pride they had forcefully refused to take money from him. Instead he paid off their mortgage. From there he had kept a few businesses and employed steadfast managers, knowing that the money would always be rolling in, and he didn’t have to worry about wearing second hand clothes or about food ever again. He still bought and sold businesses, but more for the thrill than the money. The captain announced they would be landing in Hawaii in approximately four hours and that he could now safely move around the cabin. He pulled out his phone and dialed Angelique’s number.
“Angelique,” came the soft familiar purr.
Jason could imagine her sunning in the Mediterranean, her long lithe limbs golden from the sun’s gentle kiss. “It’s me.” Jason said.
“Darling, are you there yet?”
Jason had told her about the house in Hawaii if only to get her to stop whining about buying one. He had explained to her that he was heading over there for a few weeks to make sure the place was in tip top shape when they arrived there for their honeymoon. “No, I’m somewhere over the Pacific.”
“Please do remember to send me photos once you get there, I can’t wait to see it.” Angelique was currently busy with a swimsuit shoot and wouldn’t be able to get away for another month at least. She was one of the most sought after models in the world. Sometimes Jason still wondered how he ended up being engaged to one of the most beautiful woman in the world.
“I will, are you off today?”
“Yes, we shot all day yesterday so I’m sunning a bit and drinking cocktails,” She giggled and Jason could tell by the lilt in her voice it wasn’t her first. “But I was a good fiancée; I’ve made sure there is a small surprise when you get there.”
Jason felt a slight irritation, he had told Angelique many times not to interfere with his business or his employees but she obviously needed reminding again. “Angelique, you didn’t?”
“Of course I did!” She exclaimed, “Who else is supposed to look after you?” She asked feigning innocence.
“I can take care of myself. I’ll speak to you later.” Jason said off handedly, he didn’t know what Angelique had waiting for him.
“Love you.” She purred, knowing she had crossed the line.
“You too.” He rang off and sat back in his seat hoping to catch a few hours of sleep before he landed in Oahu.
The plane touched down in Oahu shortly after two in the afternoon. Stepping out into the humidity and bright sunshine, Jason was glad that he had arranged to leave earlier. If he had left at the originally planned time he would’ve only landed in Oahu after seven at night. After receiving a lay of hibiscus flowers, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of visiting Hawaii before now. He loaded his bags into a rented vehicle and set off towards North Shore. He had seen pictures of the house and a short video clip before approving the sale, but Jason knew just as well as the next person that a picture could hide many flaws if the right lighting and angles were used. Frankly he had no idea if he had just bought a crumbling castle, or a pristine mansion. He enjoyed the ride north on the east coast of Oahu. It felt as if he was a film star in a movie. It seemed surreal, the island was beautiful. To the left of him he had lush tropical forests and to the right the blue Pacific Ocean. By the time he reached North Shore he was completely relaxed. He hadn’t been on a proper holiday in years, and apparently he needed one. He found the estate fairly easy from the help of the GPS voice in the car. For some reason she was speaking to him in a high British accent. Jason couldn’t help but repeat every sentence she said and then laughing to himself at his own poor accent. As he pulled up to the large iron wrought gates, he punched in the security code the realtor had emailed him. He slowly followed the curve of the long driveway lined by beautiful palm trees. As the house first came into view, he felt his breath catch. It was beautiful. The house was a large and imposing two story with only the terraces on the second floor and the pillars at the front softening the appearance. It was painted a gleaming white that stood out from the lush garden surrounding it. It had originally been built as a plantation home on the island more than one hundred years ago, and yet it still stood proud and inviting. The grass hugging the entire house looked soft and well taken care of. A vast variety of tropical plants grew side by side in the garden adjacent with the wall. It looked exactly like the small parts of the indigenous forests he had seen from the road. The landscaper clearly knew what he was doing. Jason could imagine looking down from one of the terraces with his morning coffee, enjoying the tropical garden or the Pacific Ocean. This wasn’t the first house he had ever bought but for some reason without even stepping inside, he already felt home. He walked up to the large carved wood door and pulled the brass knocker. The only contact details he had for the caretaker was her email and he didn’t have his own set of keys yet. Sally, the realtor, had promised him that Miss Kanu’s services as caretaker were sought after and that her experience would benefit both the property and the house. For a moment Jason wondered if it was a good idea to hire an old woman as a caretaker. For all he knew she w
as deaf. He pulled the knocker a few more times but no one opened. He stepped back from the front door searching for a way into the house. Finding a small pathway leading around the house to the back, he followed it to where he knew he would find the pool overlooking the Pacific. Walking around the large house, Jason for the first time realized the actual size of the property and had to congratulate himself again for his choice. As he reached the patio surrounding the pool, he stopped instantly. Lying on one of the chaise loungers was a young girl. A small triangle of yellow material doubled as a bikini bottom and slight strip of yellow material ran across her generous breasts. Jason tried his best not to notice the rises and dips of her female curves. Her face was shaded by her one arm but short wispy brunette hair peeked through. He felt a stirring low in his groin and admonished himself. He was engaged to one of the most beautiful woman in the world and here he was getting hard for an imposter on his property. Angelique was tall and extremely thin, exactly what Paris and New York looked for in a model. Strangely enough there was something feminine about the imposter’s body. The swell of her breasts, the curvy hips…. More furious for his own reaction than her imposition, Jason walked over to the chaise lounge. He caught the scent of honey blossoms drifting towards him from her and couldn’t help but notice her nipples were slightly puckered under the thin yellow material. He tapped her shoulder ignoring how soft her skin felt under his fingers. “Can I help you?” His voice was rough, his breath shallow. She didn’t react, just softly moaned. Jason shook his head; she must be the worst burglar in all of history. There should be a book, Burglary for Dummies. Rule Number one, you don’t fall asleep while trespassing. He brushed his fingers along her shoulder again, and she moaned again turning her face towards him. She had moved her arm and Jason could now see her face. It was oval shaped with a sharp chin, her nose jutted out a small bit, just enough to look cute. Her lips weren’t full but they weren’t thin either, with a perfect cupid’s bow. Jason’s eyes lingered on her mouth for a moment wondering what it would feel like if he pressed his own lips to hers. Long dark lashes rested on her cheeks. He shook his head as if to clear the attraction he felt for her, he needed to get her out of his yard before he did something he regretted. He looked around for the care taker, but still no sign of her. The old woman was probably asleep. Jason grabbed a glass sitting on a table next to the sleeping girl and walked to the pool. He scooped up some water and walked back. He wanted to throw it in her face to get her to wake up, but something caused him to slowly trickle the water from her chest down her stomach. He watched the water run between her breasts, pool in her belly and slowly seep into the triangle of cloth nestled at the top of her thighs. There was a soft moan at first followed by chaos. She jumped up, knocking Jason right on his nose in the process. As Jason grabbed his nose to check for bleeding, she grabbed him by the shoulders and jammed her knee straight into his groin. For a moment he believed he actually saw stars from the pain radiating outward from his groin. When the pain slowly became manageable he opened his eyes only to find the small curvy woman standing in a fighting pose. Her knees were bent, arms raised in a boxer pose and a frown had settled between her eyes. She was ready take him on.