by Jenna Brandt
Cindy brought the wraps over to Peyton first, but she put up her hand and used her finger to beckon the other woman closer. She leaned down to Peyton and whispered, “What is it?”
“I think you should start with Blake first, just in case I have to calm him down.”
“Do you think that will be necessary?”
Peyton glanced over at Blake, who’s legs were shaking now in a way that made her wonder if she should just call this part of the time at the spa off. Before she could do that though, Blake called out, “How much longer do I need to wait?”
“I’m starting right now,” Cindy promised as she came over and placed the first layer around his body.
Blake immediately flinched, as if he was hit with a hammer. As Cindy continued, his grip on the table tightened to the point Peyton was sure he was going to break the sides of it—despite it being metal. By the time Cindy was placing the final wrap around his face, Blake was groaning in what sounded like a mixture of discomfort and fear. Peyton was certain this was a bad idea. She stood up and pulled her robe securely around her. “You don’t look so good Blake. Are you going to pass out?”
“I might. I don’t know why I agreed to this with me being claustrophobic,” he mumbled from the small slit in the wrap for his mouth. “What I won’t do to impress a lady.”
“Cindy, you need to take him out of that, right now,” Peyton demanded as she reached out and started undoing the wraps from his face to help the process move faster.
A few minutes later, Blake was free and sitting up drinking a double Macallan single malt Scotch. “Man, remind me to never do that again.”
“Got it. Blake ‘The Blazing Comet’ Holliday is afraid of any spa treatment involving something wrapping his body,” she teased. “I never knew you had such a hang-up. Here I was, thinking you were invincible. I never would have suspected a body wrap was your kryptonite.”
“Hey now, I never confessed to being Superman,” Blake said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head, then letting them rest on his hips like the comic book superhero. “I might look like him and all, but I can assure you that I can’t lift a car over my head or stop a bullet with my body.”
“But I wonder if you’re faster than a speeding train,” she teased with a wink.
“Maybe, I’ve never raced one,” he joked back.
“I have decided one thing from your experience. We need to put a warning label for guests on the Galvanic treatment that it can induce panic and turn one into a baby,” she jested one last time.
“All right, that’s enough of that,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her around the waist. He pulled her towards him and his mouth descended to hers.
For a moment, she was positive he was going to kiss her, but before it could happen, Cindy walked back into the room. Her eyes darted between Peyton and Blake. “Should I come back later?”
Peyton quickly stepped back, averting her eyes. “No, we need to finish up going over the rest of the items on the list.”
“I’ll go set up the massage room,” Cindy offered, obviously uncomfortable with what she just walked in on.
“There’s more?” Blake whined. “I think I’ve earned a break. Besides, I trust your judgment, Peyton. You know what you’re doing.”
“How about this, we finish up with the massage. You’ve earned it and it will relax you before we clock out for the rest of the night.”
“What type of ending do I get with it?” Blake asked, with raised eyebrows and a smirk.
“I hope you don’t mean what I think you mean, Mr. Holliday. This isn’t that type of place and I’m definitely not that type of woman,” Peyton admonished, though part of her suspected he was just trying to get a reaction out of her.
“I guess if we’re doing it together, I’m in,” Blake relented. “Even if I don’t get the happy ending I want.”
Once they were situated on the massage tables, two massage therapists entered the room and started to work on them. Within a few minutes, Peyton was relaxing and letting her mind drift off. Tantalizing images of Blake’s lips drifting towards hers came back into her mind, and it was all she could do to not moan out loud.
“I have to admit this feels pretty great. I mean, I’ve had plenty of rub downs after a meet or workout, but this is completely different.”
“Is there anything that would make it more relaxing?” Peyton probed.
“Only if I could look at the stars,” he admitted.
“That’s the second time you mentioned the stars,” Peyton noted. “Why are they so important to you?”
“My mom used to take me out to look at the stars at night. It’s one of my only memories of her before she passed away.”
“I read that she passed away from cancer,” Peyton said, her heart hurting for his loss. “I understand what it’s like to lose a parent, but I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been at such a young age.”
“I didn’t even understand what was going on. One day, my mom was perfectly fine, and the next she was in the hospital with a bunch of tubes all over her. I thought the stars could fix everything, so I begged my older brothers to help me bring the stars to her. We spent all night cutting out paper stars while she was napping, we hung them in her room. When she woke up, she started crying. I think she knew she would never see the real stars again. She held me in her hospital bed, under those paper stars all night long. The next day, she passed away.”
Peyton turned on her side to face Blake, gesturing to the masseuses to leave. “Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry. No wonder the stars are so important to you.”
“It’s why I studied astronomy in college,” he admitted, turning over to face her. “I wanted to be an astronomer, but when I qualified for the first Olympics, it took over everything. My dad pushed me to focus on that, and after a while, college wasn’t a priority anymore.”
“Have you ever thought about going back to college?”
“My dad would tell me what’s the point. I already have a great career as an athlete, and now with him expecting me to run Comet Island, I don’t have time for anything else.”
“Well, this just confirms that we need to make the stars a big part of our island. After all, it’s called Comet Island for a reason. We definitely need to have a stargazing tour as part of the wellness packages, and I just had another great idea.”
“What’s that?”
“We need to add glass ceilings to the spa. That way, we are bringing the stars to the guests. We can have electric shades for the daytime, but at night, couples can book special spa packages to happen under the stars.”
“I love it,” he said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “And I think my mom would have too.”
Peyton squeezed his hand in return. “Good. We can also put up a plaque to dedicate this place to her. Thank you for sharing all of this with me.”
“Thank you for caring enough to listen,” Blake said. “I don’t often talk about my mom, but I feel safe with you.”
The heartfelt confession made Peyton’s own heart swell with warmth. Never would she have thought taking the job offered by Gordon Holliday would result in her falling for his son, but that was exactly what was happening. She was starting to fall for Blake Holliday.
Chapter 5
Blake’s phone rang, causing him to roll over and pick it up from his nightstand. Who in their right mind was calling him at 7:30 in the morning? He saw his father’s name flash across the screen and he groaned. Of course, Dad. He was an early-bird-catches-the-worm type of person—the exact opposite of Blake who was a natural night owl.
He hit the button to accept the call, knowing his father would just keep calling back until Blake did. “What’s up, Dad?”
“I was calling to check in on you, to see how everything is going on the island.”
“It’s going fine, Dad, but I’m sure your little spies and cameras all over the island have already told you that,” Blake said, knowing his father didn’t take chances and most definite
ly had the island under surveillance.
“Now, why would you go and say that. It’s your island, Comet, and you can see to the managing of it however you see fit.”
“Really? So, if I told you I was going to add a stargazing tour to the wellness packages as well as install glass ceilings in the spa for stargazing at night, you wouldn’t have a problem with any of that?”
“Does Miss Belmont approve?”
That wasn’t a question Blake was expecting. “Yes, she does. Not all of Peyton’s ideas are as crazy as I first thought. Why does that matter if she approves though?”
“Because I hired her to rebrand your island and to make it the best fitness destination in the world, Comet, that’s why. If she says it’s a good idea, then I’m sure it is.”
And there it was. His father didn’t think it was a good idea if it was just his alone. It had to be approved by someone who had better knowledge of the industry. It didn’t matter how many medals he won, or how many records he broke, his dad was never going to put stock in Blake. “Whatever you say, Dad. Look, I need to be going. I’ve got a lot to do.”
“Wait, Comet, we’re not done. I need to tell you a couple more things.”
“What now, Dad?” he said with a heavy sigh.
“I wanted to warn you. Mara’s been making surprise visits to your brothers’ islands. Has she come by yours?”
“No, but I don’t think she will. We didn’t part on the best of terms last time she stopped by in Madrid. She begged me to write her another check. When I found out it was just for another round of liposuction, I was furious; told her she needed to get a job or find a new family to bilk for money. As far as I am concerned, I am done.”
“You know how many times we’ve all said that to her? She probably thinks you’re over it by now. She’ll be back bothering you in no time—mark my words.”
Blake didn’t want to believe his father, but the old man was often right more times than not. “Okay, Dad, I’ll keep an eye out for her. Anything else?”
“Yes, the family is getting together on Blitzen Island for Thanksgiving. I expect you to be there, and you should bring along Miss Belmont, since she doesn’t have any family nearby.”
Blake could point out that they could fly Peyton back to Washington to be with her mother for the holiday, but what he found odd was that he didn’t want to suggest it. He hated the idea of Peyton going anywhere.
“Sure thing, Dad. We’ll both be there.”
As he hung up the phone, Blake realized he was starting to have romantic feelings for Peyton. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he was falling for the beautiful wellness coach.
Peyton couldn’t wait to show Blake her final surprise. Of everything she planned, this was what was going to set them apart from other wellness destinations. A small yelp from the crate she carried in her hands made it clear their newest employee wanted out.
She knocked on Blake’s penthouse suite door. He opened it, revealing a giant grin on his face. “Come on in.” Another yelp drew his eyes down to the crate. “What on earth is that?”
“You’ll see in just a second,” she said, floating in past him. She placed the crate on the table and opened the screen door. Immediately, the cutest golden Yorkshire terrier flounced out of it. The small animal took a look around, then proceeded to jump from the table and sniff every nook and cranny of the place.
“Why is there a dog running around my suite?” Blake accused with disbelief. “What possible reason could you have for bringing one here?”
“This is my final surprise for the guests,” Peyton explained. “Comet is a therapy dog. I had him shipped in from Nebraska.”
The dog barked, recognizing his name.
“You named it already?”
“Of course not, he already had one, which is why I thought it was a sign he was the right dog for the island. I mean, what are the odds that when I started looking for an emotional support dog, I would find one with the name Comet.”
“I still don’t get how this is going to work,” he said, gesturing towards the dog that was now sitting at his feet wagging its tail and barking at him. “What’s the purpose of having it here?”
“Well, he’s just the first one. I want to have a team of dogs for guests to help them let go of anxiety and stress while on the island. It’s proven to be a very effective means of relaxation. Guests are going to love him,” Peyton promised.
Comet continued to bark, over and over, and Peyton could tell it was annoying Blake. He pressed his lips together, clenching his fists at his side. “Can you get it to stop doing that,” he snapped out.
“He, not it. Comet is a he,” Peyton corrected for the third time, leaning down to pick up the Yorkie, who immediately stopped barking, but instead began to lick Peyton’s face. She tried to pull back, but Comet just followed her face with his tongue. She was going to have to break him of that habit. She wondered why the trainer hadn’t done that. Though she didn’t mind it, most guests wouldn’t want to be licked in the face by one of the island dogs.
“Well, he needs to go back in his crate and be shipped back to wherever he came from. We don’t need a dog running around the island.”
“I was assured he’s extremely well-trained. He doesn’t even need a leash,” Peyton assured Blake. “Watch.” She set Comet down on the ground. “Stay,” she commanded.
Without warning, Comet took off running and disappeared towards the living room.
“He wasn’t supposed to do that,” Peyton said, feeling her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.
“You think?” Blake mocked sarcastically. “Now, where did he go?”
“I think he went under the couch,” Peyton said, moving over to look under it. She climbed down on her knees and started to move along the edge. She couldn’t find Comet anywhere. “I guess I was wrong. I don’t see him under here.”
“Great, so I have a dog lost in my suite. What if he pees on something?”
“He won’t do that—like I told you, he’s trained.”
“So trained, he ran off first chance he got?” Blake countered. “I don’t have time for this. We’re supposed to be over at Blitzen Island for Thanksgiving today.”
“Oh, that’s right. I nearly forgot with Comet showing up last night. I thought he wasn’t arriving until Monday.”
“The trainer probably couldn’t wait to get rid of him,” Blake mumbled under his breath. “An emotional support dog, and a defective one at that—I never would have thought one would end up on my island.”
“It will be fine. He’s probably just scared because he’s in a new place. Once we find him, he’ll calm down and get used to being here.”
“That’s just it, I don’t want him to get used to being here,” Blake challenged. “I want him off my island.”
“Well, that can’t happen today. It’s a holiday. He barely got here to begin with because I shipped him priority.”
“You shipped a dog here priority?” Blake asked in shock. “Why?”
“Because Comet needs to get used to the place before we unveil the rebrand in the new year. He’s going to be our star emotional support dog, after all.”
Blake shook his head in frustration. “We need to be going. I’ll just have James track him down while we’re gone.”
“Are you sure your valet is going to want to do that?”
“He doesn’t have a choice. I don’t have time, and I can’t very well have a loose dog in my suite. James,” Blake called out.
From the other part of the suite, a tall gray-haired man appeared in a suit. “Yes, Mr. Holliday, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to track down the dog Miss Belmont brought in here.”
“A dog?” James asked with incredulousness.
“Yes, I know, it sounds preposterous, and I never thought I would be saying this, but you need to find the dog that’s hiding somewhere in my suite.”
“His name is Comet. He’s supposed to respond to his name,” Peyton adde
d. “Thank you, James.”
The valet did not look happy about his assignment, but he didn’t voice his displeasure as they exited the suite.
Peyton and Blake headed out of the hotel and made their way to a private dock where a seaplane was waiting.
“Where’s the pilot?” Peyton inquired, looking around.
“There isn’t one. I’ll be flying us. I got my pilot’s license a few years back, then bought this for my island,” he explained, gesturing to the gleaming silver plane that sat on the water.
“Really? How cool is that,” Peyton said with a smile. “I can’t wait.”
They climbed into the plane, buckled up, and Blake handed her a headset. “Slip that on.”
She did as he suggested, then braced herself for the take-off. Within a few minutes, they were high in the sky and on their way to the other island.
“Wow, the Sound looks amazing from up here,” Peyton said through her mic.
“I know, it never gets old. I forget sometimes how beautiful it is here while I’m away, but when I come home, I remember why I didn’t want to leave for college all those years back.”
“I can see why,” she marveled. “I could get used to living here, too.”
A few minutes later, he landed the plane on the sea and docked at the marina. They climbed out; a Land Rover waited for them. The driver must have already known where they were going because Blake didn’t have to tell him. It was a short drive, and before she knew it, they were pulling up in front of a giant mansion. Blake got out of the vehicle and came around to Peyton’s side, opening it and helping her out.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said with a smile.
“I wanted to. Besides, my dad would kill me if I didn’t behave like a gentleman when a lady’s present.”
They climbed the steps that led to the gleaming white building. Blake didn’t knock, but instead walked right inside. Just as she would expect from a Holliday home, everything was pristine inside, from the crystal chandeliers in the entry, to the marble floors and pillars.
“You grew up here?” Peyton whispered, questioning in awe.