The Island

by Alice Ward

  I shook my head. I could read the man like a book. He was all cool, casual, and trying to play me. That card probably said something like, meet me in my office wearing nothing but a smile, or some other cheesy come on.

  “Now that you know about my family, want to tell me about yours?”

  The way his eyes went dark had me thinking all was not rosy on his home front. “My mother died from cancer when I was thirteen. She didn’t fight a battle because she never went to the doctor to find out what was wrong with her. Not until it was too late to do anything about it. My father took it hard for three years. One day, he came out of his room, dressed up, ready to head out on a date, of all things. I guess he was over her.”

  Sympathy swept through me. “Do you hate him?”

  I was caught off guard by his stern stare. “Why would I hate him? He’s just a human being. He couldn’t control what he did. And when she was alive, he adored my mother. It was his right to move on to dating other women. And he still does that to his heart’s content. Hate has no place in a family. At least, I don’t think it does.”

  “Noble of you. I don’t know how I’d feel if my father did something like that. He and my mother are like team cocaptains. That’s how my sisters and I have always thought about them. They always have each other’s backs, no matter what. It’s not one of those handsy, sexual relationships. It’s more about working together, making a family, doing what’s right for the group rather than the couple who created the group.”

  Intrigue popped into his expression. “So, romance plays no part in their lives?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “Not that I’ve seen. It works. I think I’d be lucky to find myself in a relationship like they have.” I spun around again to look out the window. The day was moving fast, the morning rush of commuters slowing, and we hadn’t even gotten down to business about what I’d be doing.

  “Not a romantic either? Are you not a fan of all the love stories that are abundant in movies and books?”

  “Not really.” I turned to him again. “I like a great love story like anyone else, I guess. I don’t entirely believe people actually find love quickly, or that it’s as intense as the movies make it out to be. I mean, Mom and Dad love each other. They prove that all the time by what they do for each other and us. No mind-blowing passion needed.”

  His lips quirked up to one side as he winked at me. “Oh, but mind-blowing passion sounds good. Don’t you think?”

  My breath halted in my throat. How easy it’d be to hand my body over to the man. And I knew he’d know just what to do to make passion ignite into an inferno that would take me over.

  But he’d done that to many women. I wouldn’t be special to him. Not nearly as special as I wanted to be. Demanded to be.

  My mind had slipped off to a place it shouldn’t have, and I forced it back on track. “Passion aside. I’m not here for that. I’m here to learn.”

  “Do you think you’ll want to have a career with our company?”

  “I’d like a shot. I know I’ll have to put in my time before I can get out on my own. New York isn’t where I want to stay forever.”

  “And where would you like to stay forever, Miss Baxter?”

  In your arms.

  I couldn’t believe that was the first thing that ran through my head. I cleared my throat. “I’m young. I have no idea where I want to make my home. I do know that I’ll probably be in New York for the next ten years. I’ve committed myself to that time frame. After that, who knows?”

  “And there might be a significant other by that time, huh? He might help you decide where you’ll call your hometown. You’ll get married and raise kids together. You look like that kind of woman. Not the kind who marries her career. But I do believe you’ll make a savvy businesswoman, and I can help you achieve that goal. If you trust me. Do you think you can find it in yourself to trust me, Miss Baxter?”

  Did I?

  I studied him for a moment. “In business, certainly. Who better to trust than you, Mr. Reed?”

  With a nod, he pushed the card to me again. “Glad to hear you say that. On that note, you need to get started on the orientation portion of our software. You’ll need to go through all that before you can run free with the many sheets of data you’ll be given.”

  I looked at the card as if it would jump up and bite me. “Cool. I can’t wait to get to work. This will be fun. I can already tell.” I paused, and the silence stretched between us, begging me to fill it with what needed to be said. “Mr. Reed, I’m sorry for how I acted before. I was worried about you. Worried about you thinking I was one of those women who don’t mind sleeping their way to the top.”

  He got up and looked at the card then at me. “I can see you’re not that way, and I’m glad to find that out. Now, you need to put that card in a safe place. It’s your username and password for our system.”

  I smiled. “In my desk would make the most sense.” I started to pull open the drawer.

  “That does make the most sense. But that’s not your desk. Not yet.”

  I stared at him, trying to process his words. He’d set me up, the bastard.

  He grinned, that damn dimple winking at me again. “If you do well on this internship, and I decide that you deserve the promotion, then this office or one similar could be yours. Until then, you’re down on the ground floor. Your cubicle number is on the card too.”

  I opened my mouth to say something… anything. But nothing came past my dry throat. I stood, trembling with anger and humiliation, and snatched the card from the desk.

  “I’ll be around to check on you or send Lola to do so every so often. Now, you should get down to where the rest of the interns are. See you later, Miss Baxter.”

  Heat filled my cheeks as he gave me a little wave and sauntered out the door.

  The ass.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Eli

  A few hours after I’d sent Kendra down to the cubicle swamp on the first floor, I went to Lola’s desk, finding her fingers flying at an amazing speed across the keyboard.

  “If I could rip you away from your transcription, do you think you could make a reservation for Miss Baxter and I at Delmonico’s? I think the little country bumpkin could use a taste of how the wealthy live.”

  “Sure, I can do that. And since we’re up here all alone, do you need any help in your office? You know, anything private I can take care of for you?” She batted her long lashes, and I tried hard not to groan.

  “No, thanks. Just make the reservation. I’m going to head down to see how my little intern is getting along.” I walked to the elevator, not entirely oblivious to the frozen shock of my secretary.

  When I stepped into the pit of despair, as I called the place the lowest people on our company’s ladder worked, I noticed Kendra was busily occupied at her computer. Others were talking, not paying attention to the executive moving into their midst. “Morning.”

  Heads snapped up, eyes bulged, and the large room went quiet. That’s when Kendra looked up and found me coming toward her. She smiled, and my heart, stomach, and balls all squeezed. It was so unlike any sensation I’d ever felt that I almost tripped. “Hi, Mr. Reed.”

  I took a seat in the tiny chair next to her small desk to cover my stumble. “How do you like your cubicle, Miss Baxter?”

  The smile never faltered. “It’s great.”

  I wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic or not. It wasn’t great at all. “It is?”

  She pointed to the picture she’d already put up of her family. Her mother and father behind three young women, who all looked a hell of a lot alike. The only way to tell them apart was their various shades of blonde hair. “I’m already settled in.”

  I picked up the picture of her family. “That’s you on the left. What are your sisters’ names?”

  “The one right next to me is Kayla. She’s two years younger than me. The last one is the youngest, Kandice, who’s four years younger.” She smiled as she gazed at the picture
, giving me an insight into what was important to her.

  “Family is a big thing in your life, isn’t it?”

  She looked at me with that genuine expression I was coming to expect from her. “Family is what it’s all about.”

  “That and making money to support one, right?”

  She nodded. “That helps.”

  I leaned back in the chair, feeling comfortable with her already. “Kendra…” I paused, as I’d jumped from calling her Miss Baxter to a much more informal first name basis, “you don’t mind if I call you that, do you?”

  “Not at all, Mr. Reed.”

  “I was going to ask you what you want to be when you grow up.”

  “I’m after your job.” She winked at me. “Or at least one like it in another company. I’d never steal yours away from you.”

  “I bet.” I liked her spark and found it interesting she’d have the guts to even joke about such a thing. “You should know, the New York business world is pretty cutthroat. You’ll have to watch your back, the way I do all the time. There’s no end to young punks who want to take over your place in a company. Any company, Kendra, and any place.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Have you had to deal with that a lot?”

  “I have. And not only from young punks but older men and women too. The role of CEO is coveted. Being only thirty-three has older executives testing me quite often. I have to stay on my toes or risk someone trying to take it all.”

  “And if you did lose it, would that financially wreck you?”

  I smirked, watching her eyes travel to my dimple as they seemed to do every time I smiled. “Now, why would you ask such a thing? I bet you’ve already searched my name and found out tons about me.”

  Her grin was shy, a thing she wasn’t too often. I’d just met her, and already I knew that. “Maybe I have.”

  “Maybe?” I tapped the top of her desk as we looked into each other’s eyes. “What might you have found out about your new boss?”

  “I found out that you’re a wealthy man. If you closed the company today, it wouldn’t hurt your bank account one bit.” She bit her lower lip as her cheeks went pink. “By the pictures I saw of you, it’s pretty clear that you don’t hang onto any one woman for extended periods of time.”

  “And you came up with that assumption how?”

  She grinned at me. “Maybe because I saw picture after picture of you at events with a different woman on your arm each time. Am I wrong? Do you have a relationship you keep private?”

  “Maybe,” I lied.

  “Okay, so maybe you have a woman who’s hiding in the background of all those pictures.” She shook her head. “I’m not buying it, but you can try to sell it if you like.”

  “We should keep our personal lives out of this, don’t you think?”

  I regretted the words the moment they left my mouth because she immediately straightened and pulled away, all hints of playfulness gone. “You’re right. So, I’ve finished the orientation to the software. Now what do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to tell me what type of experiences you’ve had in the world of business.” I leaned forward a bit and noticed how she leaned back and put her elbow on the desk. Every time I moved in, she moved back.

  Was it because she wasn’t into me? Or could it be because she was attracted to me as much as I was to her? Was it because she had to keep herself as far away from me as she could or she might just reach out and grab me by the lapels of my jacket? Maybe she was afraid she’d pull me to her so she could drop those plump lips of hers onto mine.

  “I worked at a fast-food restaurant when I turned sixteen.”

  Her answer confused me. “And that’s what got you interested in business?”

  She nodded. “Sure. If people could figure out how to sell that shit—” Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “Excuse me, sir. That slipped out unexpectedly.”

  “It’s okay. We’re both adults here. A little foul language won’t offend me. So, if people could figure out how to sell what you consider to be shit, then what?”

  “Then I could figure out how to make great things sell. Like smart investments and making sound financial decisions. I want to help people make great decisions. That means I have to learn what great decisions are. You already know how to make them. I hope you can teach me so I can teach others.”

  “And get rich doing it?”

  “Rich?” She shook her head. “That’s a byproduct of why I want to be a financial consultant, Mr. Reed. I’d like to see our country be on top again. The way it used to be, way back before I was born.”

  “Morals, huh?” I was happy to hear her answer was wholesome. It wasn’t a thing I found a lot of in business. “This is a dog-eat-dog business. If you’re soft, your enemies will know that.”

  Those green eyes of hers narrowed again into a near squint. “Do I seem soft to you?”

  I had to smile. “In a way, yes. But years of hard work will toughen you up, I bet.”

  “I’m already tough. Tougher than you’re giving me credit for. Just because I have a good reason for wanting what I want to do doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.”

  “Okay, then what are you?”

  “I’m a fighter. I work hard for what I want and when I get it, it takes an army to get it away from me. You can take that to the bank.” She crossed her legs, closing herself off even further.

  “You have tons to learn. The people who will seek to destroy your moral attitude will sneak in from behind you. They’ll cloak themselves in friendly attire and find out your dreams and try to shatter them in ways you never knew were possible. You’ll learn to not take anyone at face value. If you believe everything a person says, you’ll end up broke and out of a job. If you do manage to get one.”

  “You sound jaded, Mr. Reed.”

  “Realistic, Kendra. And I’ll teach you all about the things I’ve found out on my rise to the top. It’s not an easy road to navigate. Especially when you add in all the men and women you have to try to pass up on your way to the top.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Is it really that difficult to do? I mean, if you know what you’re doing, is it so hard to move past people you know more than?”

  Her naivety pulled at my heartstrings. She had no idea how many ignorant people pushed to get into places they didn’t belong. And they’d pushed individuals with more knowledge and experience out of their way to get what they wanted.

  “You know, it’s going to be fun mentoring you. I’ll help you see behind the facades people put up.”

  “I’d like that. I’ve been told I tend to look for the best in people who don’t deserve it. If you could teach me to see past what I want to see in a person, then I might overcome that weakness.” She searched my eyes as if looking for an answer to some unasked question.

  I felt as if she was looking to see if I had hidden aspects she should know about. Right now, I was still able to keep the wild animal in me tied up. I had my rule about not messing with women I worked with. I reminded myself that Kendra was no exception to that rule, no matter how she pulled me to her. “And what is it that you want to see in people?”

  “Good.” She cut her eyes away from mine. “I want to see the good in everyone. Dad says not all people have good in them, and that I’ll get burned if I don’t learn how to spot that.” She looked back at me. “I’ll have to trust you. Take you at your word and hope you have my best interest at heart.”

  I wanted her trust. Needed her trust, I realized. I had no idea why, but I did.

  “You can count on me. I’m the man who took you on. I have no interest in handing you over to the wolves in our industry without giving you the tools to survive.” She’d tied me up on the matter in one conversation. Took me to a place no woman ever had before. A place of responsibility. Not just for her career, but her well-being too.

  That genuine smile showed up on her beautiful face again. “Good. I knew you were the right mentor for me. Well, once I got past the whole ‘wolf
inside you’ thing. Sorry about that, boss. Just because a person is promiscuous doesn’t make them a bad person. Right?”

  “Huh?” It was a backhanded compliment if ever I’d heard one. And how had she seen through me so quickly, straight to the wild wolf, when no other woman had? “Promiscuous?”

  “Did I offend you?” Her expression was incredulous. “Mr. Reed, I didn’t mean to say anything that would hurt you.”

  “Hurt me?” I was reeling from her words. She thought she could hurt me, offend me, bother me at all. It was laughable. It had been a long time since anyone had hurt me. I didn’t allow it, and made a mental note to reevaluate my self-made armor, since it seemed she saw right through my bullshit. “I’m not thin-skinned. If what you said could hurt me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And just so you know, you should develop a thick skin too, or you’ll be annihilated before you ever get started. New York is a killer.”

  She blew out a relieved breath. “And you can teach me to take those verbal punches?”

  “Maybe. I won’t slam you with all that right away. I’d like to get some knowledge under your belt first. I’ll take you with me to meetings as often as I can. That way, you can sit back and take mental notes about how things should be handled. Would you like that?”

  “Learn things hands-on?” She nearly clapped with enthusiasm. “Most definitely. I think you’ll be the best mentor for me, just like Mrs. Peterson said you’d be. I feel pretty foolish now. I know it was only a few hours ago when we met, but I was kind of stepping ahead of myself. You probably thought I was being an idiot, thinking you were interested in me…” she paused and looked around then leaned in close to whisper, “sexually.”

  An abrupt laugh came out of my mouth. Could she really be so clueless when it came to her sexuality?

  “Yeah, that was a little crazy, kiddo.”

  “So, you and that lady you were making out with before we arrived, is she your current main squeeze?” Her eyes danced, and I found her question kind of aggravating.