by Tracy March
Cyn reached out and squeezed his arm. “It’ll work out. Even if you botch the whole thing, I’m sure the magic of editing can save you. Just remember to relax.”
“Easier said than done, but I figured this little adventure might take my mind off it all for a while.” Trent pulled the flashlight from his back pocket and clicked it on. He inhaled deeply, taking in the musky scent of the foliage, and shone the beam at the dark path between the tall hedges. Holding the blanket in one hand, he held out the other for Cyn. “I don’t want you to wander off into a dead end in there.”
She took his hand, holding tightly. He led her through the twists and turns of the maze, avoiding all the paths that led nowhere.
“You sure we’re headed the right way?” she asked.
No matter how much time passed since he’d navigated the path to the middle, he never forgot how to get there. He never took a wrong turn. “Promise.”
After the winding path switched back on itself for what seemed like the fiftieth time, the narrow space opened up and they emerged in the middle of the maze—a large grassy area with a small terrace in the center featuring marble benches and a tiered fountain that was currently dry.
Trent released Cyn’s hand, checked the compass inlaid in the brick terrace, and scouted for the best place to lay the blanket. “We need to face east.”
Cyn quirked up an eyebrow. “We do?”
“Trust me.”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be out here in the dark in the middle of this maze with you.”
Fair point. Maybe he should worry more about whether he trusted himself to lie beneath the stars on a blanket with her and behave. He’d gone to her cottage figuring this would be a fun way to get to know her and kick off a comfortable working relationship, but the more time he spent with her, the more tempting she became. She didn’t seem to know how gorgeous she was, she had a confident comeback for everything he said, she made him laugh, and she liked baseball. The girl had one heck of a résumé.
His gut told him to forget the blanket and opt for sitting on one of the marble benches with her. But he wasn’t a fan of doing things halfway, so he spread the blanket on the ground and gestured for her to sit. She sat cross-legged and he joined her, his legs stretched out in front of him.
“Would it be weird if I asked you to lie down?” he said.
Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight as she gave him a curious sidelong glance. “Easy, boss.” She crossed her arms and rubbed her hands up and down them. The temperature had dropped even more during the time they’d been outside.
Under her questioning gaze, Trent stretched out on the blanket, his hands behind his head. “No worries. But it’s best to watch the meteor shower lying down.”
“No way! There’s a meteor shower tonight?” She tipped her chin up and expectantly scanned the vast sky. She quickly stretched out on the blanket, a safe distance away, and gazed up at the stars.
He loved when a good surprise came together. “Tonight’s the peak of the Lyrids, the oldest known meteor shower.”
She tucked her hands behind her head, too. “How do I forget about all this cool stuff? I hear about it or read about it, and rarely remember. Then I hear about it again after I’ve missed it.”
“Not this time,” he said.
“I’m glad you remembered.”
“At the risk of sounding like a total astro-nerd,” he said, “I put an alert in my phone for things like this. I’m a big stargazer. They’re phenomenal out over the ocean. I’ve—”
“There’s one.” She pointed to the spot where a streak of light had flashed across the sky and faded. “Wow. That was amazing.”
Trent imagined how it would feel to hear her say that under different circumstances. Heat stirred through his body despite the chilly air. “Keep watching.” He pointed toward the same area where the meteor had just fallen. “Near Vega, the star that looks brightest. That’s supposed to be the radiant point of the shower.”
“When you were a kid, you wanted to become an astronaut, didn’t you?” she asked.
There she went with the mind reading again. “How did you know?”
“Paige and Liza told me you tried to swallow a Lego astronaut, thinking it would turn you into one.”
“I don’t care what I accomplish in my life,” he said lightly, “I’ll always be known for trying to swallow that Lego astronaut.” He shook his head. “Who knows what might’ve happened if I could’ve just choked that little sucker down. I might’ve been watching this show from the international space station.”
“Right. And I should’ve swallowed a Lego supermodel.”
“You didn’t?” He caught her gaze and winked.
She rolled her eyes, then turned her attention back to the sky just as two meteors shot across it in nearly the same arc. “Did you see that?” she asked excitedly. “Synchronized star-falling.” She glanced at him and smiled. “Definitely something I’ve never seen before.”
Trent’s heart did a backflip. “Told you.”
“Aren’t we supposed to make a wish on falling stars?”
“Yep,” he said. “Since you’ve already seen three, you can have three smaller wishes or one big one.”
“I think you have to wish right away, or it doesn’t count. You probably have a better chance of it coming true then, too.” She pulled her hands from behind her head, hugged herself, and shivered.
“You cold?” he asked.
She nodded, but stayed focused on the stars. Trent rolled onto his side and propped himself on his elbow, just inches away from her. He reached across her, pulled the corner of the blanket down over her shoulder, and covered her with the part that had been spread beside her on the grass.
“Better?” he asked.
“There’s another one!” She poked her arm out from under the blanket and pointed at the sky. “Did you see it?”
Trent turned his attention to the sky just in time to catch another shooting star. “Nope, but I saw that one.”
“Me, too. We have to wish fast.” She closed her eyes, seeming focused on her wish.
“Say it out loud.”
She opened her eyes wide. “No. You’re not supposed to tell anyone your wish. That’s bad luck.”
He smirked playfully. “Guess we have our own ideas about wishes.”
“Everyone knows that rule,” she said. “You keep your wish a secret.”
Trent had underestimated his discipline. She’d been hard to resist before, but now she lay close to him, thrilled by the meteor shower, playfully wishing on stars, beautiful in the moonlight. He rested his hand on her forearm, getting her attention. “No rules here. I’ve saved up all my wishes, so I’m going for the big one now.”
She gazed at him with those incredible eyes. No common sense was going to stop him this time. His heart hammered as he held her stare. He reached out and smoothed his fingertips down her cool, satiny cheek and traced them along her jawline, leaning in close. “I wish I could kiss you,” he whispered.
She tipped up her chin and her lips parted, maybe more from surprise than desire, but he interpreted it like he wanted to.
“You said it out loud,” she whispered. “There’s no way it can come true.”
He swept his hand along the curve of her neck to the nape and cradled her head in his hand, silky strands of her hair between his fingers. “You’re right,” he murmured against her ear, then raised his head and caught her gaze, his lips just inches from hers. “No way it can come true.”
Trent gently kissed her lips. Smooth. Soft. Sexy. But his plan to keep it short and sweet was shot all to hell the second his lips touched hers. He melted into her kiss, stars firing through his veins. Kissing Cyn was totally out of bounds, but that only made it more satisfying—and that was saying something. He couldn’t remember feeling this turned on when he’d kissed a girl for the first time. She was definitely making his wish come true.
Seeming as caught up in the moment as he was, she cupped his face wi
th one hand. With the other, she lightly stroked her fingers through his hair, coaxing him closer. Her velvety tongue kept a perfect, sensuous rhythm with his, sending heat pulsing through him. Meteors might be flaming all over the sky, but the fire was right here on this blanket. His wish list had suddenly gotten way longer than it was already, every one of them having to do with Cyn.
He reluctantly ended the kiss, already anticipating their next one, and pressed his forehead to hers.
“I think my rules just changed,” she said. “Maybe you’re supposed to say the wishes out loud.”
“See?” He pulled away but held her gaze. “I told you.”
Cyn bit her bottom lip and looked away from him. “Then I have to say—I wish you hadn’t kissed me…that I hadn’t kissed you, too.”
She might as well have punched him in the gut.
“I mean, I could’ve stopped you,” she said, “but I didn’t. And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t awesome.” She pulled the blanket more tightly around her. “But we’re supposed to be working together on finding a wife for you, not kissing each other.”
He sat up, blew out a breath, and dragged his hand down his face.
“Your grandmother would have a stroke if she knew what just happened.” Cyn sat up, too. She pressed her fingers to her lips and stole wayward glances at the sky. “Can we please forget this ever happened because I really need my job and, all kidding aside, I know the real rules. No employee fraternization—especially with the boss.”
His stomach sank. He hated that the sparks between them seemed to have burned out, leaving a smoky mess in their wake. He could’ve sworn she’d been as into their kiss as he was, but that wasn’t the point. “I got totally carried away, but that’s no excuse. I know the real rules too, and I shouldn’t have put you in such an awkward position.”
Despite the fallout, Trent caught himself longing to pull her close and kiss her again. But she was right. He couldn’t threaten the resorts by having a relationship with an employee—especially one whose job was to set him up with a wife.
“That was quite a moment.” Cyn gave him a coy smile and nudged his elbow. “Now let’s get back to business.”
Chapter Seven
Cyn stepped off the seaplane and onto the dock, Jamie close behind her. Were it not for her sunglasses, she was certain she’d be blinded by the iridescent blue-green water and alabaster sand surrounding Andros Island. She hadn’t even touched land, yet she knew this was the closest to paradise she’d ever come. A balmy sea breeze blew wisps of hair from her ponytail. Gentle waves lapped at the shore. Palm trees waved a relaxed hello, the rooftops of the private plantation-style villas along the beachfront visible between the fronds. The sprawling Great House—the hub of the resort—rose in the distance. Cyn walked to the center of the dock and stood mesmerized, drawing in a fresh, deep breath of the salty air. Sun warmed her ankles where they peeked between her cropped pants and flats.
“So stunning,” Jamie said. “Catches me off guard every time.”
Cyn nodded, hating to ruin this Zen-like moment with words. “I expected it to be beautiful. I mean, I’ve seen pictures and videos. But this is beyond what I imagined.”
Gordon and Stuart clambered off the plane and unloaded some of the lighter-weight equipment while Trent remained aboard, chatting with the pilot.
Facing Cyn, Jamie lifted her sunglasses, her squinted eyes sparkling. “Wait ’til you see the resort.”
Cyn couldn’t wait. Sure, this was work, but it seemed as if she’d lucked into the best job on the planet—at least for today. This place was nirvana, and literally a thousand miles away from the Queen.
Talk about a bonus…
Trent stepped off the plane, managing to look carefree, easy, and in-charge all at once—standing tall, shoulders back, chin high. Ralph Lauren couldn’t have cast a more perfect model for this scene. The sun shone on his blond hair and reflected off the angles of his scruffy face. He nodded a greeting toward two resort employees in uniform who approached on the dock, one toting a bottle of champagne in a bamboo ice bucket, another carrying a tray of fluted glasses. The corners of his bright eyes crinkled as he scanned the place as if he owned it. Arguably, he did.
Awareness fluttered through Cyn as she thought about last night. About the two of them alone on a blanket beneath the stars. About the toe-curling kiss that she’d always remember but had better forget. Fast. It was surreal to think the guy had been Trent—sexy resort tycoon and face of a future international ad campaign.
Also soon-to-be engaged to another girl if things go…well?
Cyn swallowed the lump in her throat. She had to concentrate on the bonus the Queen had offered her, on saving her parents’ house from foreclosure, on giving them back just a little of what they’d invested in her. Getting Trent engaged to one of the Queen’s girls had to be her focus. She couldn’t get sidetracked by one meaningless kiss. How else would Trent have proven that wishes come true—even if you say them out loud? If their kiss had been anything more, surely there would’ve been awkwardness between them today, and Trent acted casual and confident—as if nothing had happened at all.
Thankful for the cover of her sunglasses, Cyn stole another long look at him. Of course one of the girls would fall for him. Or all of them. Because there was more to him than good looks, a buff body, and buckets of money. Paige and Liza had always said so, and now Cyn had gotten a glimpse of it herself. All that would have those girls swooning. And the second he kissed them, they’d be goners—three chances for Cyn to become twenty-five thousand dollars richer. But right now she was still seeing stars, not dollar signs.
Dressed in crisp sea-green shirts and tan slacks, the two resort employees stood to the side. One of them—a tall, slender man with creamy brown skin, short dark hair, and a name tag that said “Marcelo”—popped the cork on a bottle of champagne. He poured it into glasses on the tray held by his coworker, a freckled redheaded woman named Della.
Trent gestured for them to bring the champagne over as he joined Cyn and Jamie, sporting a proud, crooked grin. “Welcome to Adormecio.”
“It’s off-the-charts gorgeous,” Cyn said, unable to think of a better way to describe it, but wishing she could.
Gordon and Stuart strolled over and Della handed everyone a glass. Cyn wrapped her fingers around the stem of the cool, smooth champagne flute. Could this workday get any better?
Marcello and Della discreetly stepped aside and Trent raised his glass. “Here’s to finding love,” he said, setting his gaze on Cyn. She drew in a quick breath as heat rose in her face and Trent turned his attention to Jamie, Gordon, and Stuart. “And producing a kick-ass marketing campaign.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Gordon clinked his glass against Trent’s and the others joined in the toast.
Cyn took a quick gulp of champagne and tried to blink away her sudden nerves. It made sense that Trent would look at her when he mentioned finding love. With someone else. That was their goal, right?
“I’ve always wondered how you came up with the name Adormecio,” Jamie said to Trent. “It sounds so romantic.” She batted her lashes at her husband.
Gordon scrunched his weathered face. “Aw, jeez.” He took a big slug of champagne as his face turned a shade redder.
Cyn couldn’t help but be amused by them.
“Good thing you weren’t counting on us to star in your marketing campaign,” Jamie teased.
“For sure.” Gordon winked. “It’s supposed to make people actually want to come here.”
Jamie elbowed him playfully.
“Andros Island is known as ‘The Sleeping Giant,’” Trent said, “because it’s the biggest island in the Bahamas and much of it is unexplored. Adormecio is Spanish—a form of the verb that means to make sleepy, or to lull. So the resort name is kind of related to the island name, but I think my grandparents really liked the suggestive sound of it, too.” He flashed his million-watt smile at Jamie.
A pang of envy shot t
hrough Cyn, but she drowned it with champagne.
Jamie nodded. “It sounds like ‘adore me’ with a seductive twist on the end,” she said dreamily.
Gordon winced, shifting his gaze from Stuart to Cyn to Trent. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”
“She’s partly right,” Trent said, and Jamie shot Gordon a satisfied smirk. “My grandparents thought it sounded like ‘adore me,’ too. I can’t say whether they thought the twist on the end was seductive.” He gave Cyn a wry glance.
Cyn pressed her hands over her ears and shook her head quickly. “You just put the thought of your grandmother way too close to ‘seductive.’”
Trent grinned. “Crazy, right? But she’s really a hopeless romantic. That’s why she and my grandfather built the resorts.”
“I guess it makes sense,” Cyn said. “She’s worked really hard to pick out the girls for you to meet. She can’t wait for you to find a bride.”
“And give her some great-grandbabies.” Jamie smiled slyly.
Gordon rolled his eyes and plucked the champagne flute from Jamie’s hand. “That’s it. No more bubbly for you.”
Everyone laughed.
“It’s not the bubbly, it’s the atmosphere.” Jamie pulled Gordon close and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Trent gave Gordon a knowing look. “I think you’re in trouble, man.”
Cyn figured she might be, too. She hadn’t thought anywhere could be more romantic than being in the middle of the boxwood maze beneath a sky full of shooting stars. But maybe she’d been mistaken.
…
The setting sun neared the horizon by the time Trent stepped into the large living area of the three-bedroom villa where Cyn, Stuart, Gordon, and Jamie were staying. Within walking distance of the resort, it was designed in a similar barefoot-chic style—comfortable and welcoming in shades of ivory, white, and mahogany, with bold-colored accent rugs. Plantation-style doors and windows opened to a private beach beyond, the west-facing view framed by flowering tropical foliage. As much as he would’ve liked to have personally made certain they got settled in, he had business to attend to after being off-property for a while.