Chapter 9
I stared out the glass doors of my room in awe. Outside the ocean sparkled in blue jewel tones against pristine white sand, rolling and dancing together like lovers. Even through the glass, I could hear the song of the sea, calling me like a siren's song. The bright blue sky stretched out into infinity. It was possibly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.
I looked down at the schedule in my hand. I was going to get some good time in with that perfect turquoise water. The schedule looked more like a vacation than a conference. There was barely a meeting a day and never for more than a couple of hours. Most of the items on the schedule were for fun events like wine tastings and dancing. Alexa and Calvin could suck it in Texas while I vacationed with Kathryn in the Caribbean. I sent Alexa a silent thank you for taking my spot. She was going on thankless coffee runs while I sunbathed.
It wasn't just the vacation that was making me happy. It was my job. In just two weeks, I had done more with Kathryn than I had ever done with Calvin. Kathryn trusted me and appreciated my ideas and experience. Even though I wasn't a lawyer, she listened to me like I was. For the first time in months, I was appreciated and being used to my full potential.
The only thing that could have made the last two weeks better was if Aiden had come back. I kept my eyes open for him, but I hadn't seen him in the office since that night. When I'd asked around, no one knew who Aiden the Assistant belonged to or where I could find him. If I hadn't kept the note from dinner, I would have thought I had dreamed him up.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. It came from the adjoining door to Kathryn’s suite. If I thought my room was luxurious with the ocean view and king sized bed, Kathryn's made it clear that my room was meant for the hired help. She had a huge living room and a giant bedroom that dwarfed even my apartment at home. I had only heard of luxury like this.
“Lena, I'm going to go meet some of the other lawyers for drinks,” she informed me. She was wearing a low cut sundress that showed off just how fit she had stayed through the years. Her hair was down and she almost looked relaxed. It was a far departure from the perfect lawyer I had worked with for the past two weeks, but I liked it. “The evening is all yours. I'll see you tomorrow for the first official meeting.”
“I'll make sure everything is ready, Ms. McDonald. Have a wonderful evening.” I grinned at her.
“We're not in front of clients here. We'll be with colleagues pretty much this whole trip, so you can just call me Kathryn. Especially in private,” Kathryn told me with a warm smile. “This is the closest I get to a vacation, so I won't have you ruining it by making me feel like I'm working.”
“Okay, Ms... Kathryn.” It felt strange to call her that, but I liked it. It felt like we were friends. “I'll make sure you're out of bed by noon tomorrow for the meeting.”
Kathryn grinned. She had the enthusiasm of a college freshman going to her first frat party wrapped around her like clothing. I had a feeling it might be harder than I was expecting to get her up in time. “I knew it was a good idea to bring you.”
Kathryn giggled and hurried out the door. I went back to my own room and looked out the window again. The ocean was calling me. I was going swimming.
***
The water was even better than the pictures made it out to be. It was calm and clear, like looking into an aquarium. I stepped timidly out into the water and was presently surprised to find it warm. It was like bathwater. The water wasn't cold like Lake Michigan or sandy like the beach in Florida. It was exactly what I imagined a beach looked like in heaven.
I waded out to my hips before I stopped. I was slightly hesitant to get my brand new swimsuit wet. It was a deep burgundy halter top that fit like a glove with a bottom that looked like a very short skirt. I had been hesitant about wearing a bikini until Raoul put me in this one. The suit hid every flaw while still making it look like I was wearing something sexy. I never would have paid the three-hundred dollars for it myself, but it certainly seemed worth the price now that I was wearing it.
A fish darted past my leg and I giggled. I spun to watch it flit toward the shore, looking up to see a man standing on the beach watching me. He was tall with broad shoulders, wearing dark blue swim trunks and a megawatt smile. My breath caught. It couldn't possibly be, but it was. It was Aiden the Assistant. He waved and my heart went into overdrive.
With my back to the ocean, I didn't see the wave coming. It shoved me forward and knocked my knees out from under me. I felt like an idiot, knowing that Aiden was there, watching me fumble through the water like a drowned cat. That was not the impression I had been going for.
“You okay, Lena?”
He was suddenly there, holding my elbow and helping stand. I wasn't sure if I was happy or mortified. I loved the way his hand held onto me, and the fact that he remembered my name made me stumble again without the need of a wave.
“You remembered my name,” I said, determined to keep my feet underneath me this time.
“How could I forget it, Lena the Lawyer.” He hadn't let go of my arm yet and I hoped that he never did.
“Thank you, Aiden,” I whispered. I wasn't sure if I meant for helping me out of the ocean or for sending me dinner. Or both.
“Apparently, I'm memorable too,” he responded, grinning at his name.
“Very,” I told him. I knew I was blushing as deep a red as my swimsuit. “Actually, I never got a chance to thank you for dinner. I really appreciated it.”
He guided me out of the water and up onto the beach. As soon as the water no longer threatened to knock either of us over, he let me go. He turned looked me up and down with his eyes, inspecting me for damage. Having his gaze on me made my heart pound and I suddenly felt light headed.
“It was my pleasure. You sure you're all right?” he asked, taking in my wobbly, now light-headed wobbly stance.
“I'm better than fine,” I assured him. I could have been bleeding from every orifice and not have cared. Being around him was intoxicating and wonderful. “You keep rescuing me.”
“I didn't know carrying books counted as a rescue,” he replied. I blushed harder.
“It did that day.” I looked into his hazel eyes and found them just as mesmerizing as I did the first time. They had actually gotten even better. “I can't believe you're here. Are you with one of the law firms?”
Confusion crossed his handsome face for a second, but he quickly replaced it with an easy smile. “I'm with Travel, Inc.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” I hoped I didn't sound as ditzy as I felt. He had the ability to completely take logical thought straight out of my brain just by standing there. The fact that his shirtless chest was soaking up the sun right in front of me certainly wasn't helping my brainpower any either. I just wanted to stare at his body and drool. “It was really nice of them to have the meeting here.”
He nodded, and started making his way up the beach. I followed like a happy puppy. “This way the vacation counts as a business expense. Everyone but the accountants are happy.”
I laughed far too hard at his lame joke. “So what do you do at Travel, Inc. then?”
He stumbled on some sand, but recovered quickly. I smiled nervously. I didn't want him to get nervous and run off. Not after I had been thinking of him for so long.
“Not much, really,” he said smoothly, as if he had never been caught off guard. “I just help out my brother.”
“You mean Ben?” I asked innocently, remembering the man from before.
“What about Ben?” He glanced away from the beach and up toward the resort buildings as if he expected Ben to jump out at him.
At that moment, I stepped directly on something sharp and let out a shriek of pain. All questions about Ben were forgotten as I hopped up and down, cradling my foot and balancing on the other.
“Are you okay?” Aiden asked, anxiously, holding his arms out to steady me. I gave sincere thought to falling just so that he'd have to catch me, but decided against
it. I didn't want to be a complete ditz.
“Yeah,” I answered. The pain was fading, but it still hurt. “I just stepped on something sharp.”
Aiden dropped to his knees a took my foot in his hand. His gentle fingers probed my flesh and I had to put my hand on his shoulder for balance because he was making my world spin with want.
“You're barefoot again,” he chastised gently. “It doesn't look like you broke the skin, though. You have something against shoes?”
“You're just as barefoot as I am,” I informed him. “Besides, who goes swimming with shoes?”
He chuckled and set my foot back on the sand. “You sure you're okay?”
I nodded. “It doesn't even hurt any more. You must be magic.”
He rose in a smooth motion to his full height, looking down at me with those amazing eyes. I still had my hand on his shoulder and I caught the scent of his soap again. All I could think about was kissing him. His lips were so close and perfect, and there wasn't an elevator to interrupt us this time. I closed my eyes, ready to have my fantasy become a reality.
“Aiden?” A deep voice called. At his name, he turned and once again the spell was broken. My hand dropped to my side. I was beginning to think I was cursed when it came to kissing him. Ben, wearing khakis and a polo shirt and looking very professional was was looking down at us from the path back to the resort. “I heard a shriek. Everything okay down there?”
“Everything's fine,” Aiden assured him. I smiled at Ben, but I really just wanted to hit him. This was the second time he had interrupted a kiss.
“It's three-o'clock. We're supposed to be in a meeting,” Ben reminded him.
“Dammit!” Aiden put his hand to his head and clenched his jaw, before turning to face me. “I have to go. It was really nice to see you again.”
“Likewise,” I replied lamely. I wasn't sure what else to say. Everything felt cliché at this point. I wanted to ask him what his plans were for later, but I knew I was too chicken to actually do it.
He turned and took two steps before pausing. I could almost hear the internal debate in his head as he stopped and then turned back around. “Would you be interested in having dinner with me tonight?”
I grinned and my heart threatened to thump out of my chest. “Only if you come with the food this time.”
A blinding smile filled his features. “Excellent. I'll come pick you up at seven.” He turned and hurried up the path toward his waiting boss.
“I'm in room 2172B,” I called out. He looked back and flashed me that knee-melting grin again. I watched him walk away, totally checking out his ass in his swim shorts. I was going to have to call Darcie. Mashed potato guy was back!
Chapter 10
“Wear the silver dangling earrings. They look better with the dress,” Darcie told me. I held them up to the computer screen and she nodded. Ever the saint, she helped me get ready from thousands of miles away via my laptop's web-cam. It perched up on the dresser so she could see the full ensemble.
I wore a pale blue sundress with a lace overlay. I had loved it from the moment I saw it in Raoul's selection of dresses. It was flirty, sexy, and elegant all at the same time: all the things I wanted to be for tonight. I put the earrings in and stood back so Darcie could see.
“Stunning,” she informed me with a smile. “You have some cute shoes, right?”
“Of course I have cute shoes,” I exclaimed, putting my hands on my hips. She raised her eyebrows and popped a potato chip into her mouth. She knew me well enough to know that shoes were not my thing. “They're silver and strappy and it doesn't matter that Kathryn bought them. I still have them, okay?”
A knock on the door took my thoughts off shoes.
“He's here!” I whispered to the computer. My stomach was suddenly doing the meringue, mambo, and cha-cha-cha. Aiden was here.
“Then you should probably go answer the door,” Darcie advised me with a straight face. “Have fun! Do whatever you think I would if I were single!”
I stuck out my tongue at her and closed the laptop screen. There was a second knock, and I scrambled to get to the door, nearly tripping on my shoes laying on the floor in the process. I threw it open and did my best to look nonchalant instead of nervous and flushed.
“Hi.” I opened the door wider and motioned him in. He looked good enough to eat. He was wearing dark gray pants with a crisp button-up shirt, much like the outfit he had worn the day we met. I wasn't sure if he had done it on purpose, or if that just happened to be the nicest clothes he owned. Either way, he looked great.
“Hi, yourself.” He smiled as he took in the dress. “You look spectacular.”
“Thanks.” I was giddy from the compliment. “You look spectacular, too,” I said, cringing at my words after they came out. I sounded like a love-struck tween. Go me. “I just need to grab my shoes and I'll be ready.”
He waited patiently as I slipped on the pair of silver pumps. The heel was higher than I was used to, with strappy ribbons that wrapped around my ankles, but they were beautiful and I felt like a princess wearing them. I couldn't walk very fast, but I didn't care. It was beautiful out and walking slow meant I got to spend more time with Aiden.
“How do you like the island?” he asked, offering me his arm to keep me steady as we walked out the door. I happily took it, even though I felt fairly steady on my feet. No way I was turning down an opportunity to touch him.
“It's amazing. I can't believe how clear the water is here,” I told him. “It's completely different than anything I've ever seen before. Emma was right about this place.”
“Emma?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“My cousin. She, um... vacationed here about a year ago.” To say she “vacationed” here was putting it mildly. My cousin, Emma LaRue, had won a trip to this resort and met billionaire Jack Saunders. Their relationship had been in all the papers and tabloids for months. I didn't want to name drop my billionaire relatives, though. It felt too much like bragging. “She met her husband here and never shuts up about how awesome this place is.”
“It is definitely one of my favorite places,” Aiden agreed. “I know a story like that about this place, too.”
“I never believed her when she described it. I didn't know it was possible for a place this beautiful to even exist.” I looked around in awe. “I can see how this place helped her fall in love.”
“It would be easy to fall in love here.” Aiden smiled at me and I blushed a deep, deep red. It would be all to easy to fall in love in a place like this, especially with him.
“What about you? Are you enjoying the island?” I asked, changing the subject before I accidentally professed my love for him.
“I am now that you're here,” he answered with a charming grin that only sped up my already frantic heartbeat. “I thought I was going to be bored this week. I don't really need to be here for this, but it makes the company look good.”
I nodded. I was here for basically the same reason. I was here to make my boss look good. It was something we had in common.
“So I'm just a distraction from boredom for you?” I teased. I felt brave around him. Like I could say and do anything. I wasn't afraid to flirt with him, which was a new feeling for me.
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean...” He glared at me. “You certainly are distracting.”
I giggled as we entered the restaurant. It was strangely quiet, and I noticed that nearly every table was empty. The clock on the wall said that it was dinner time, and I knew this was the main restaurant, but I had no idea where all the people where.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, peeking around a corner. Only one or two tables had guests at them.
“Probably hiding from me,” he joked. I didn't quite get it, but he had already pulled out the schedule of events from his pocket. “Ah ha. There's a 'Welcome to the Island' party going on at the dance club.” He put the schedule back neatly into his jacket. “Would you like to go there instead?”
“And ha
ve to deal with drunk lawyers and loud music?” I quickly shook my head. “This looks like more fun.”
He looked around at the quiet, candlelit tables and nodded. “I think so, too.”
The host showed us to a small, romantic table for two next to the window. The sun was just setting on the horizon and turning everything into red and orange flame. We had the best seat in the house since no one else was in the restaurant. It was absolutely stunning. I couldn't imagine a better place to spend an evening with an attractive man.
“What are you getting?” I asked after we had both taken a moment to look through the heavy leather menus. There was some amazing, fancy sounding food and I wanted to try all of it.
“I have no idea,” he answered honestly, peering at the menu. “It all looks good. What about you?”
“I'm in the same boat. I think I'll just have one of everything.” I looked up at him from the menu. “It's all inclusive, right?”
He chuckled and set his menu down, focusing his beautiful eyes on me. I felt like I was the center of the entire universe when he looked at me. “Why don't we order for each other?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, setting my menu down as well.
“It's something my brother and I used to do as kids,” he explained. “I'd pick his meal and he'd pick mine.”
I thought about what I would order for my sister and wondered just what kind of terrible things he had eaten doing this. “What's to stop you from picking something terrible? I know my sister would have picked the most disgusting thing on the menu for me just because it would be funny.”
“Nothing,” he said with a shrug. “I've eaten some disgusting things because of my brother. But, if we ordered it, my Dad made us eat it. Neither of us could leave until our meals were finished. So, in order to avoid the wrath of Dad, we usually ordered good things for each other. It was easier than the alternative.”
“Your dad sounds strict,” I said. I couldn't imagine my dad doing something like that. He would have let my sister and I reorder until we got something we liked. There was a reason my dad called us his princesses.
Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story Page 7