by Alexa Davis
"Wait till you see the beach by the cabin where we're staying," I called.
"Cabin?" she repeated. "We're staying in a cabin on this island?"
"Well, yes," I replied. "Where did you think we'd stay?"
"I don't know, I guess I thought this was just a day trip to a secluded beach where you'd seduce me and feed me luscious fruit," she called back laughing.
"You're silly," I said as I joined her on the sand. "No, I built a place here on the island so that I wouldn't have to go back to the mainland if I didn't want to. There's a staff house, too, so we don't have to cook for ourselves."
"Now that's luxury!" she exclaimed. "What's for dinner?"
"Let's go find out," I laughed as I took her hand and pulled her to the waiting car. The drive to the cabin was a quick one, and while we could have easily walked, I was so eager to show Emily the cabin that I decided not to take the time. As we pulled up to the place, she looked at me with wide eyes and then back to the building.
"Cabin, eh?" she said. "Austin, this is a castle!"
"Nah, it's really not as big as it looks," I said waving her off. "It's just a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen, and a sitting area surrounded by a huge porch."
"It's bigger than my house," she reminded me with a laugh. We got out of the car and walked toward the front door, and when I swung the French doors wide open, I heard Emily gasp. I smiled as I watched her take in the place since I remembered how I felt the first time I'd seen it.
The front room was a wide-open space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that made it feel like we were standing at the edge of the water. The furniture was low to the ground and done in light sandy colors imitating the beach colors and making the room seem even bigger than it was. On the wall over the fireplace hung a huge blue swordfish that looked like it was leaping off of the mantle, its majestic back fin curved across the space as its sword-like snout stretched to the ceiling. To the right of the fireplace was a dining area with a long Birchwood table upon which sat a meal fit for royalty.
"Do you want to eat now or check out the place first?" I asked Emily.
"I want to see this place!" she called as she ran towards the hallway that stretched out toward the west side of the island. The hallway, much like the large living space, was lined on either side in floor-to-ceiling windows, giving it an outdoor feel. When she reached the other end, Emily pulled open the sliding door to reveal a guest room done in soothing turquoise and taupe colors. She declared it gorgeous before moving further down the hall to the master bedroom and stood stock still as she looked through the door.
"Oh, Austin," she sighed. "This is the most amazing room I've ever seen!"
I didn't disagree. The room was a glass cube with windows for walls and ceiling. There was a switch that triggered shades and, in case of storms, a hard shell covering to protect them, but most of the time, I left it all open to enjoy the sunlight streaming in through the glass. The room was done in sandy tan and shades of blue varying from indigo to robin's egg, making it felt like being in the middle of the ocean. As she stood taking in the view, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She gently put her arms on top of mine and sighed contentedly as she leaned back and rested her head on my shoulder.
"Welcome home, Emily," I said as I kissed the top of her head and inhaled her scent.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Emily
Standing in the most beautiful room I'd ever seen with Austin's arms wrapped around me, I smiled and sunk into the warmth of it all. I'd never been somewhere this beautiful and certainly not with someone I had such feelings for. It felt like heaven on earth.
"Shall we eat something?" Austin asked.
"Yes! I'm starving," I replied as he stepped back and took my hand. Austin led me back to the dining room where the table was set for us and groaning under the weight of the food the chef had prepared.
"We can't eat all of this!" I laughed. "We'll never move again!"
"Well, you'd better eat up so we can fortify ourselves for the day's activities," Austin grinned. I gave him a naughty grin in return as he continued, "We've got a paddle board lesson at eleven and then reef swimming after lunch and then there's a night club that gets going on the next island around ten, so eat up!"
"Don't tease me," I said as I sat down and prepared to dig into the plate of fresh island fruit sitting off to the side of my breakfast plate. I speared a piece of juicy pineapple and popped it into my mouth.
"I'm totally serious," he said as he put a forkful of fish and rice in his mouth and grinned.
"Fine," I shrugged. "If that's what you want, then I'll just go change into my bathing suit after breakfast and head to the beach!"
"You are so beautiful," Austin said as he let out a loud laugh and leaned over to kissed my cheek. "We'll do whatever you'd like."
I smiled warmly as we gazed into each other's eyes, then speared another piece of fruit and slowly offered it to him. Austin parted his lips and allowed me to slide the fork between them so he could pull the fruit from the tines. I watched him, thinking he was the sexiest man I'd ever known, and then leaned forward to flick my tongue across his bottom lip and lick up the juice that dripped off of it.
He stood up and quickly pulled me out of my chair as he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the floor. He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me in a way that let me know he wanted me more than he wanted breakfast right now. I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his kiss as we teased each other's tongues. He positioned me on the edge of the dining room table and pushed my skirt up over my knees as he slid a hand between my thighs to part them.
I looked up into his eyes as I reached out and unfastened his pants, slipping my hand into them and pulling out his throbbing shaft. I smiled as I slid my hand up and down the hardened length and heard him groan.
"I need you, Emily," he whispered into my lips before he kissed me harder.
"Austin," I moaned softly. "Yes, oh yes."
He reached down and positioned himself at the edge of my aching opening, looking deep into my eyes. When I nodded slowly, he thrust deep inside me, forcing the air from my lungs and setting my body on fire. I gripped his upper arms as he slowly withdrew and then held his gaze as he thrust back into me hard and fast. He did this several times before stopping at the edge of my entrance and pulsing in and out without pushing deeper. The sensation drove me close to the edge of climax and when he slipped his hand between my legs and stroked my hard little clit, I felt like I was going to spin off the edge of the cliff. He sent me soaring with the next thrust, and soon afterwards joined me on my flight.
After we'd both landed, we stayed wrapped around one another, me on the table and him standing between my legs still buried deep inside me. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek to his chest as I whispered, "I don't ever want to leave this moment."
"Nor do I," he murmured into my hair as he stroked my back and held me close.
At that moment, I heard my phone ringing in my purse and from the ringtone I knew it was Tommy. I raised my head and looked up at Austin saying, "I need to answer that one." He nodded as he stepped back and helped me off the table. I quickly walked over to where my purse lay, grabbed the phone and answered it.
"Now is not the time," I said into the mic.
"Now is always the time, darling," Tommy slurred on the other end. He was drunk again.
"What do you want?" I hissed.
"What do I always want?" he laughed. "Money, darlin'. I need some money."
"I don't have any money and you know that," I replied. "The house hasn't been put on the market and until it sells, there's no money for either of us."
"You might not have money," he sneered. "But from what I understand, your new boyfriend has tons of it. Am I right?"
"Tommy, what the hell are you talking about?" I hissed angrily.
"Your boyfriend, the one who came to your rescue and saved you from your drunk, abusive husband," he laughed. There w
as a hollow meanness in his voice and I didn't like where this was headed.
"Leave him out of this," I warned.
"Oh no, darlin'. I'm not leaving anyone out of anything," Tommy said in a deadly calm tone. "The two of you have made my life a living hell, and now I'm going to return the favor."
"No one made your life a hell but you," I said tersely. "And I'm not doing anything for you."
"Oh, I think you will, darlin'," he said, laughing as ice hit a glass in the background. "I've got dirt on your boyfriend and if he doesn't give up the money, I'll spill my guts and sink him."
"Tommy, you have no idea what you're talking about," I said, irritated that he was threatening Austin.
"But I do, Em," he said in a sinister tone. "Ask him about where the money for his Paris project is coming from and watch what happens. I'd recommend that you two figure out a way to get me the cash I need. I'm not unreasonable, just give me the sale price of the house and we'll call it even."
"Tommy, the house has to sell before I can give you money," I protested. "Besides, you only get half of the sale price. The other half is mine."
"No, darlin', it's all mine," he said before disconnecting.
I sat on the couch looking down at my phone, wondering what Tommy had meant and why he was choosing now to blackmail me. I looked up and found myself staring out at the pristine sand beach that led out to the crystal blue waters of the atoll and sighed as I wondered if he was going to ruin every good thing in my life.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Austin
Emily looked up at me from the couch with weary eyes and a sad expression. I knew she'd been talking with Tommy, but I didn't feel like I had the right to demand that she tell me what was going on. I needn't have worried.
"He's blackmailing me," she said as she shook her head. "And to get to me, he's blackmailing you, too."
"With what?" I asked. "I have nothing to hide."
"He said something about the Paris project and that if I didn't pay him, he'd spill the details," she said with a perplexed look. "Do you have any idea what that means?"
"Not right now," I said. "But I will in a few minutes." I grabbed my phone, tapped the screen and in a few moments I was connected to Bax.
"Hey, boss," he said with a smile in his voice. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I didn't have time to ferret out the details of his personal life. "What's up?"
"Bax, what's going on with Daniel?" I blurted out.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean, why is Emily's soon to be ex-husband calling her here in Bora Bora to tell her that he's got dirt on me and the Paris project?" I replied.
"What the hell?" Bax said in a surprised tone that made me worry that he didn't know what was going on. "How the hell did he get that information?"
"So, it's true?" I asked.
"Well, I'm close to tracking down the source of the rumor, but until now, it's only been a rumor," he admitted. "I didn't want to bother you with it until I had some solid information, but I guess Daniel is leaking things himself now."
"What is going on, Bax?" I demanded as I felt my pulse rising. Daniel was spreading rumors about the Paris project and me, and my second in command didn't keep me informed – this pissed me off.
"Look, it was a rumor, Austin," Bax said as he tried to calm me down. "If I took every rumor that crossed my desk seriously, I'd never do anything but put out fires. I was waiting to hear back from the Paris detective that I put on the case before I decided to take it seriously or not. I guess we need to take it seriously."
"Damn right, we do!" I yelled. "Jesus, Bax! This is my company and my reputation we're talking about!"
"Hey, calm down," he said. "I'll find the source and figure out how to neutralize it. Just give me a few hours and I'll get back to you."
"You'd better do something about this, Bax," I growled. "I'm not going to allow Daniel to drag this company down into the mud with his rumors and innuendos."
"I'm on it, boss," he replied before disconnecting.
I turned and walked across the room toward Emily who was now curled up in a ball on the couch. She looked up at me with tearful eyes and said, "I'm so sorry, Austin."
"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I sat down next to her and laid a hand on her arm. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."
"I feel like my messy life is dragging you down into the dirt," she said as she looked at the floor and shook her head. "I never should have come here with you. I should have stayed home and packed the house and gotten it ready for the market. I should have taken care of my situation before I hopped on a plane and flew out to some remote tropical island. None of this is right."
"Emily, listen to me," I said as I reached out and cradled her chin in my hand, lifting her face up so that she couldn't look away. "None of this is your fault. Not a single bit of it. Daniel Wentworth has been out to get me for years and this is simply his way of letting me know that he's got me in a chokehold."
She looked up at me as the tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. I didn't know how to convince her that I was telling the truth, but I knew I had to try, so I reached out and pulled her into my arms before launching into the whole sordid story about my father's death and Daniel's attempts to claim the company as his own. I'd never told anyone the entire story, not even Bax, and spilling all the details made me feel lighter.
"This is awful," she said quietly once I'd finished. "What are we going to do?"
I explained that Bax was on the case and would be calling back in a few hours. I hugged her tightly and then said, "So, how about that paddle board lesson?"
"Are you kidding?" she said as she turned and looked up at me. "How can you paddle board at a time like this?"
"Well, we can either sit here on the couch and fret about what is going on thousands of miles away," I said. "Or we can get out and get a little sun and sand and try to enjoy ourselves. The choice is yours, but I know what I'm going to do!"
I let go of her and hopped up off the couch as I turned toward the master suite. I flashed a mischievous grin and said, "Last one ready for the water is a rotten egg!"
Chapter Sixty-Six
Emily
Despite my initial reservations, we spent the afternoon paddling around the lagoon and soaking up the warm sunshine. Around noon, the chef called us in for lunch and we found that the breakfast dishes had been cleared and replaced with a sumptuous lunch feast that included delicious poisson cru, a Polynesian twist on ceviche made with red tuna marinated in an aromatic blend of lime juice and coconut milk, and a huge plate of fresh mangos, melon, pineapple, and breadfruit. We gorged ourselves until we both groaned that we were full to the brim.
After lunch, we headed back to the beach where a diving instructor waited for us with masks and a short lesson on the reef. I was enthralled with the description of the many different sea creatures living in and around the coral and asked so many questions that Austin laughed and claimed that he was going to appoint me to an executive position in Marks Enterprises simply to keep an eye on everything.
I looked at him knowing that we were both anxious to know what Bax had found out about Tommy's threat, and then ran my hand over his arm as a reminder to relax and let go until we got more information.
He smiled down at me as he donned the mask and snorkel, then we both ducked under water and spent the next two hours kicking around the reef looking at all the sea had to offer. It was a veritable magical kingdom under the surface, and I was in awe of the variety of marine life. The guide had said that there were more than eight hundred distinct species that swam in the waters off the island, and by the time we were done with our dive, I swore that I'd seen most of them.
"You're so cute," Austin laughed. "I've been here hundreds of times, and every time I go under, I notice some new fish."
"Well, it felt like I saw them all!" I cried as laughed and grabbed a soft fluffy towel from the pile that the housekeeping staff had left perched on th
e edges of our chaise lounges.
"I'm sure you did," Austin smiled as he bent down and lightly kissed my lips. No matter how many times he did this, it never failed to awaken all of my senses, and as I kissed him back I felt a rush of strong emotion surge through me. It was followed by a stronger sense of dread. We hadn't yet heard from Bax, and I was crossing my fingers hoping that when we did it would be good news rather than bad.
"I know what you're thinking," Austin whispered. "Just let it go and enjoy the day."
"You have no idea what I'm thinking, Mr. Morning," I replied in a sassy tone. "None whatsoever."
"Oh, I think I do," he said raising an eyebrow.
"Do you now?" I said lowering my voice so that it was in the sexy range as I draped myself across his lap on the chaise.
"Mmm hmm," he smiled as he cradled me in his arms and pulled my lips down to meet his. I melted into him and gave myself over to his kiss.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Austin
Just as I was ready to sweep Emily off her feet and carry her back to the master suite, my phone buzzed with an urgent message from Bax. I knew this was what we had been waiting for, so I gently set her on the chaise next to me and answered the call.
"What's up?"
"Well, boss, I've got a line on what's happening with the ex and Paris," Bax reported.
"Spill it," I ordered.
"It seems that Daniel has gotten to Tommy," Bax began. "He's given him information about the Paris job that makes us look like we've got shady deals with Benoit and his construction company, and Tommy isn't the only one Daniel has been feeding information to."
"Oh really, who the hell else is he spilling these lies to?" I yelled into the phone.
"Well, that's the problem, boss," Bax said hesitating a bit. "They aren't exactly lies."
"What?" I shouted. "I've never done a dirty deal with anyone in my life, and you know it!"