The Island

by Alice Ward

  “I bet you never made your own campfire, huh?” Her fingertips trailed over my knee, and she rested her hand there. It felt warm and sweet, and I wished we could’ve always gotten along this well.

  She and I had not only an attraction for one another, but our bodies and hands migrated to the other’s often, without us seeming to even realize it. I’d never been so in tune with anyone. The way she held me back was excruciating. But the trip might be what would end that. She was just afraid of me, was all. I could see that easily enough.

  How could I blame her? Even I had no idea if I’d want more after we slept together. I knew she would be harder to get out of my system than most, but I didn’t know how much of myself I could give her after that.

  And she wanted all of me. She’d been clear about that. All or nothing.

  I’d never thought about being faithful to any one woman in my life, but I knew Kendra would need some type of commitment from me. She was a good girl. I’d never met one of those before and had no idea how to handle them.

  We pulled onto the tarmac, close to my shiny black jet, Key Ventures proudly written across the side. “This is it.”

  “I’ve never been in a private jet. Only commercial flights.” She looked at me with wide eyes. “Promise not to make fun of me when I get all starry-eyed over the grandeur of it all?”

  “I promise.” I caught her chin in my hand. “Can you stay like this for the entire trip? This is the Kendra I adore.”

  “Adore?” She laughed. “I’ll try to stay agreeable if you promise not to put the moves on me, Romeo.” The driver opened her door, and she got out before I could say a word.

  Not put the moves on her?

  That was my only plan. I’d have to be the most subtle I’d ever been with a woman. Brand new territory was before me. But I felt up to it. I genuinely liked and maybe even cared for her, after all.

  True to her words, Kendra was looking around at everything when we got into the cabin. Her hand trailed over the leather seats as her jaw hung only the slightest bit ajar.

  “Over here.” I took her hand and led her to a couple of seats that were side by side. “Window or aisle?”

  “Um, can I not sit by the window for now? Takeoffs and landings kind of freak me out.”

  “Of course. Once we’re up in the air, we can move around. For now, let’s take our seats so everything can be put away, and we can get going.”

  The new bodyguard, Christopher, brought in our luggage with the help of the steward. Kendra watched them as they took the things to the bedroom to put them away. Then the pilot and copilot came aboard, two men I’d yet to meet from the business I hired to manage the staff for my company’s frequent flights.

  The taller of the two gave us a nod. “Hello, I’m Captain Isaacs. Captain Matthews and I will be your pilots for this trip, Mr. Reed. And your friend is…?”

  “I’m Kendra.” She gave them a little wave and a smile. “Looks like we’ll be in good hands.”

  The other man nodded. “That you will. You two just sit back, relax, and you’ll be in Inverness before you know it.”

  Into the cockpit they went, closing the door behind them just as the other two came out of the bedroom. The steward was also unfamiliar, but seemed competent enough. “I’ll serve refreshments once we are at cruising altitude. The cook is boarding now, and we’ll be ready for takeoff shortly.”

  Once we were alone, Kendra whispered, “Did you notice that all four of those men look like bodybuilders?”

  The green-eyed monster hit me hard. “So?”

  She grinned. “So, I’m just saying.”

  The cook came in, and fuck it if he wasn’t muscular too. Seemed JetNet’s new hiring qualifications included being buff as shit. Kendra wiggled her eyebrows at me after the man closed the door to the plane and joined the others in the galley.

  “Okay, so what? They’re all built. A lot of men are into fitness.”

  She batted her lashes. “You seem a little jealous.” She patted my leg as she smiled at me. “You have nothing to worry about. It’s not just you I won’t give in to. It’s all men.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Is that a challenge?”

  She shook her head, but her eyes were shining with good humor. “Not at all, so keep your hands to yourself.”

  I looked pointedly at the hand still on my knee, and she whipped it away, the blush returning. I laughed, enjoying this little game with her.

  Her eyes widened when the engine revved up. “Oh, Lord, we’re about to take off, aren’t we?” Her fingers dug into the leather armrests.

  I took her hand, fake wincing as she bore down. “Sorry,” she said with a nervous laugh. “It’s only the takeoffs and landings that make me nervous.”

  One of the pilots came on the speaker, giving us the normal blah, blah, blah. All I cared about was that I’d have nearly seven hours alone with the glorious creature who was digging her fingernails into the back of my hand.

  Kendra looked a bit on the pale side. “I bet you feel the takeoff even more in a plane this size.”

  She was really nervous, so I took her hand in both of mine, wishing we were on the sofa instead of the club chairs. “This part will be over soon. For now, just know that I’ve got you.”

  She gave me a shaky smile as the plane began to move and her eyes closed. I wished I could take her in my arms, kiss her fears away, make love to her until she could only think of me.

  Make love?

  Shit. I never thought of fucking like that.

  But as I held her hand, making love seemed appropriate. Seemed right.

  And when the plane leveled off and those beautiful green eyes opened again, I found myself falling for her a little harder.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Kendra

  I tried to not like Eli, I really did. Tried not to like how he smiled. His laugh. His sense of humor, or even his serious side. The side that came forward as he taught me the tricks to understanding business I’d never learn in the classroom.

  My mind wandered to Eli more than it should’ve. I’d be sitting at my desk, inputting data or reading a report, and my mind would latch onto a memory about something Eli had done. Something cute or funny he’d said would replay in my mind, and I’d just start smiling like a lunatic.

  When I told Dad about the Scotland trip, he had been worried and I’d endured a good half-hour lecture. A part of me wanted to scream that I was an adult, that I could handle myself, but I had too much respect for my father for that. I listened, knowing his wise words were ones I could always rely on.

  “I had to work with all kinds of people,” he told me, “and there were times when females were attracted to me, even when they knew I was married. The best thing to do is make sure your boss knows clearly that you won’t tolerate any hanky-panky.”

  I smiled at his old-fashioned words.

  Then my stomach twisted at the thought of hanky-pankying with Eli, of having his hands on me. In me. How it would feel. If it would be as good as it was in my imaginings.

  What I didn’t tell Dad was how much I wanted all those things. How I could see myself falling in love with Eli. Well, the Eli with me now, not the Eli I knew he’d become the moment after I let him fuck me.

  That was the thing. Right now, he saw me as a challenge, a prize to be won. I didn’t think I could face the moment when he turned his back on me after having attained his mission.

  For a crazy moment, I wanted to call Dad back, tell him my real feelings and ask for his advice, but he’d probably jump the next flight and haul my butt home. In all honesty, I couldn’t see myself admitting to anyone that I was falling for the bad boy billionaire. Even myself.

  On the bright side, maybe my experience with Eli was a good thing. I had to learn how to handle things like this, men like Eli, with more diplomacy than I’d shown. If nothing else, Eli would be a learning tool for me, not only in business but in love as well.

  Lots of girls fell for bad boys, so why would I be
any exception to that rule? But there was a difference between falling and being sucked down into a pit of despair. I’d have to learn how to handle myself without falling into his trap, no matter how much I liked the man.

  He’d held my hand tight while the jet rose into the sky. When he let me go, I felt the emptiness where he’d been. I hated that I could feel that.

  The steward came out as promised and set us up with a couple of cocktails, but I found it too early to drink at ten in the morning. Eli, on the other hand, had no problem with downing his.

  Free to move around the plane, I was about to get up and check things out when Eli grabbed my hand and pulled me back down. “Hey, where you going? Drink up.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “That drink is probably a little too strong for me. You’re already looking a little lit.”

  “Me?” He hiccupped and chuckled. “Nah. Come on. Drink with me. This is kind of like a vacation. We can get a little loopy if we want. And there’s the bed in the back where we can sleep off the effects of the alcohol. If we want.” Hiccup.

  “Ah, the bed.” I leaned back and sighed. “Please tell me you’ll be cool, at least some of the time.”

  “I’m always cool.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “You’re the one who should chill.”

  He lifted his drink, then looked confused that his glass was empty. “Press the button for me. I need one more of these babies.”

  “I think you’re good.”

  He placed the empty glass in the cupholder and patted his hand on my arm. It was heavy, awkward, as he tried to caress me. “I think you’re good, Kendra. Very good.” His eyes were growing heavy too as he moved his finger up and down my arm.

  I grew concerned. “How has that drink affected you so much? Have you eaten anything this morning?”

  “I only got an hour or two of sleep last night.” His eyes closed. “Just tired is all.”

  I ran my hand over his forehead, finding it a little warm, unsure if it was from the effects of the alcohol or if maybe he was getting sick from whatever Lola had. “You should go to bed and sleep for a while.”

  He blinked slowly as his eyelids got heavier. “Ha. No way. I saw you lusting after all the other men on this plane. I’m not about to leave you all alone up here.”

  “How gentlemanly of you.” I ran the back of my hand over his cleanly shaven cheek. “I wasn’t lusting after any of them. I was merely observing their strong physiques. You can go lay down, I’ll be fine up here.”

  Another clumsy grope as he clung to my arm had me placing my hand over his. “How about you come lay down with me?” His words were slurred, causing me to worry even more.

  I shook my head as I tried to peel his hand off me. “Seriously, Eli, you need to go to sleep.”

  He smacked his lips and closed his eyes. “I’ll sleep right here, baby. I’m not leaving your side for a minute.” And then he was out and already snoring.

  Although surprised by his sudden drunkenness, I’d never had an occasion when I could actually look the man over. I took advantage of the moment and ran my hand through his dark hair. It was soft and smelled of some combination of sandalwood and citrus and… him.

  He was completely out, he didn’t move a muscle as I touched him, so I went further and ran my hand over his bulky bicep. He wore shorts and a t-shirt, giving me a peek at parts of him that were usually covered. Casual and relaxed as he was, I thought he looked even better than when wearing expensive suits.

  His skin was tan, his muscles defined, even at rest. Deep sleep had already taken him into its soft embrace and held him there, peacefully.

  My voice was soft, a bit less than a whisper. “Why can’t you be Mr. Right, Eli?”

  As nice and sweet as he could sometimes be, I knew he wasn’t the relationship type. Women threw themselves at him. It was a no-brainer that he’d end up in someone’s bed, even if he and I did get together. Eli was a flirt and didn’t even realize it most of the time, it was so ingrained in him.

  Laying my head back until I was face-to-face with him, I breathed in the air he exhaled. It was fruity with a tinge of alcohol, but I loved it. It reminded me of the kisses we shared that first night.

  Moving closer to him, I kept going until our lips almost touched. I could feel the energy that came off them. One little kiss wouldn’t hurt anyone.

  Lingering a bit too long, I heard men talking and hurriedly pulled my head back, surprised and disgusted at myself. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. If he’d kissed me while I was asleep, I’d have come unglued.

  The men spoke again, and I realized I didn’t recognize what they were saying. Weird. Their English had been so flawless I’d assumed they were all American. I listened harder, but still couldn’t place the language being spoken.

  I jumped a little as the steward came up from behind me. “Pardon me, Miss. We seem to be having some type of electrical interference…” I sat up straighter, immediately alarmed. “Would you please make certain your cell phone is off completely?” His eyes flicked to Eli. “And Mr. Reed’s?”

  His accent was so perfectly New York that I began to wonder if I’d simply misheard what sounded like a foreign language earlier. But learning there was an electrical problem with the plane made all thoughts of accents take second place in my mind.

  “Is the plane in trouble?” I powered off my device then pulled Eli’s out of the small bin in which he’d placed it.

  “No, Miss. I’m sure everything is fine.” He held out his hand. “I’ll take them.”

  Surprised, I looked up at the man. “Why?”

  “We’ll be able to determine if the disturbance is truly phone related.” He gave me a worried look. “It’s best if we can rule out relevant causes.”

  The skin on my arms prickled as unease shot through me. “And if the phones aren’t the cause?”

  He made his face carefully blank. “I’m sure the captains will assess the problem. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  Fat chance now.

  I handed over both devices, wishing Eli was awake. I touched his arm again, worried at how deeply he was sleeping.

  “Perhaps a fresh cocktail can help you relax,” the steward said, gesturing to my untouched drink.

  I pressed my hand to my stomach. “Not so early in the day. I’m not a huge drinker anyway. Thank you, though. And it seems like it’s pretty strong. It knocked Mr. Reed out. I don’t imagine much does that to him.”

  “I’m sure he had nothing on his stomach. My wife and I drink that all the time. You should try it. It’s very delicious.” He picked it up from the drink holder attached to my seat, handing it to me. “Enjoy yourself, Miss. It’s not everyone who gets to travel this way. Live it up.”

  He walked away, taking our phones as he did and I could have sworn he said, “while you can,” under his breath.

  Shaking my head to clear it, I waited for him to leave the cabin before I put the drink back into the holder. I wasn’t going to drink it, and that was that. He might’ve thought little of Eli’s ability to hold his liquor, but I knew better. The man had no problem consuming adult beverages and maintaining his consciousness. I’d seen him drink enough wine and whiskey over the past month to know.

  Why did the steward take our phones?

  The feeling of unease grew heavier as I thought everything through. I’d never needed to turn in my phone on any commercial flight I’d taken. Of course, this was a private jet so the rules could be different.

  I settled back into my seat, berating myself. These were employees of Key Ventures. It wasn’t my place to question their regulations. I was just nervous, I decided. Tense about the trip. Tense about dodging Eli’s advances.

  Sexual frustration.

  I scowled at the window and the bright blue sky behind it. Yes, that must be it. I was tense for a great many reasons, which circled back to my attraction to the man sleeping next to me.

  I’d been doing a lot of research on being a virgin and whether men could tell if
a woman was one. There was the old bleeding after the hymen was broken thing, but who the hell checked for blood on the sheets anymore?

  The newest research downright rejected the hymen as a myth anyway, and if there was still a covering over the vagina, it got obliterated by tampons and masturbation while a girl was still in her teens.

  The new research even said that it didn’t hurt the first time, another old wives’ tale. That it only hurt because the girl expected it to.

  Gah!

  Why was I so worried?

  I was not having sex with Eli Reed. Not. Not. Not.

  When I did find Mr. Right, he and I should be close enough for me to be honest with him about my virginity, or lack thereof. We should also be close enough for me to tell him that my dad would probably pull his dick off if he so much as pointed it at me before we were married.

  Of course, my father never had to know…

  Closing my eyes, I didn’t know who I thought I was fooling. My father was a human lie detector. On top of that, he had the supernatural gift of telepathy. Or so I thought, anyway.

  I was sure Dad would call me during my first act of intercourse — if it wasn’t with my ordained husband — and ask me what the hell I was thinking.

  I even had proof.

  Once upon a time, I was asked to the senior prom by a football player who was hot for me. Dad was acutely aware of this, even though I wasn’t.

  I thought the night would be dinner, dancing at the prom, then he’d take me home in the white limo he’d rented for the special night. What I hadn’t expected was for Dean Richardson to kiss me right on my mouth just after we got into the back of that long car that smelled like old cigarette smoke with a side of puke.

  That seventeen-year-old boy had promised my father only two minutes earlier that he’d respect me and would take excellent care of his daughter. I believed him. Dad didn’t.

  Dad told me I shouldn’t go with the kid. But if I did, I was to watch out and not drink a thing the boy gave me. And I was to guard my virtue with everything I had. According to my father, prom was the biggest night for teens to lose their virginity, get pregnant, and ruin their lives forever and ever, amen.