Cursing under his breath, defeat would happen very soon. She was going to win the bet. Yet, he needed to save his ego somehow. He’d have to figure out another bet to make with her just to save face.
Gradually, he grinned. Her face lit up, seeing his smile.
“I like it, Ivy. How soon can we get started?”
SIX
Ivy stood in front of one of the many suites in this luxurious resort and hesitated to knock. Last night’s conversation over dinner with Steele hadn’t left her mind. He had been the one to bet her, and the first one to cave in. That only reinforced the enthusiasm for her commercial idea. It must be good enough for Steele to approve, especially when he was so dead-set against it.
And now… She exhaled slowly and raised her hand to knock on the door. This morning she would meet with Evelyn Reese – the person Gordon had suggested Ivy meet with – and Steele and go over everything they needed to start the commercial. Putting together the production would be easy. Working so closely with a handsome man whose sincere smile made her lose her breath – that would be very difficult.
She knocked quickly, knowing that the only way to get past her nervous stomach was to push forward. If she waited any longer, doubts would start filling her head again, telling her that she wasn’t good enough to create a commercial for a billionaire’s resort.
The door was opened by a strikingly lovely middle-aged woman with blonde hair. The woman appeared very stylish wearing black jeans and a tan cashmere sweater. Her blonde hair hung around her shoulders, but the sides were tucked behind her ears. Her eyes twinkled and she smiled wide.
“Good morning. You must be Ivy Kidman.”
Ivy nodded. “I am. Nice to meet you.” She shook Evelyn’s hand and then walked into the woman’s suite.
Evelyn shut the door and moved toward the dining room table. “Gordon suggested I meet with you and Steele and look over the commercial. I’m an investor, and he wants my opinion on the commercial.”
“Oh, I see.” Ivy moved toward the dining area as she scanned the woman’s suite. The place was much bigger than her own suite. She inhaled the minty scent that filled the air as she followed Evelyn. At the table were three notepads and pens, along with a coffee pot, a teakettle, and three cups, saucers, and spoons.
Ivy set her sketchpad on the table and motioned toward it. “I hope you don’t mind, but I like to draw, and I sketched a few scenes from my idea to give you an example of what I’d like to have in each scene.”
Evelyn clapped her hands and giggled, acting so much younger than her age. Ivy suspected the woman was in her mid-forties.
“Oh, Ivy. I can’t wait to see them.” She moved to a fancy cushioned dinette chair and sat, pulling the sketchpad closer.
Ivy took a quick glance around the room. “Are we waiting for Steele?”
“Yes.” Evelyn flipped over the first page. “He’ll be here soon.”
As the woman returned to the sketches, Ivy slowly moved to a chair and sat. If the woman’s expression was any indication of what she thought of Ivy’s commercial, there was nothing to worry about. Evelyn’s smile widened as the seconds ticked on. Her head bobbed as if agreeing with the picture. When she turned to the last page, she sighed and met Ivy’s gaze.
“Although you haven’t said a word about the commercial, I feel I know the theme of it already, and Gordon is going to love it.”
Happiness grew inside Ivy. “I hope so. I briefly told Steele last night over dinner, and he seemed to like it.”
“Steele? Over dinner?” Evelyn blinked as if surprised. “You had dinner with Steele?”
“Well…” Ivy chuckled lightly. “I was having dinner by myself, and he sat at my table to try and convince me to leave, but things ended well, I think.”
“Reeeeally.” Evelyn leaned her elbows on the table and her gaze narrowed mischievously. “He tried to talk you out of the commercial?”
“Yes, but I convinced him otherwise.”
Evelyn laughed lightly. “He’s a hard man to figure out sometimes.”
Ivy couldn’t hold back from laughing out loud. “You don’t have to tell me that. And yet, I think I’d figured him out by the time we were finished with our meal.”
His handsome face and sweet smile flashed in her memory. By the time she’d returned to her room last night, she could still hear his laugh and see his adorable blue eyes twinkle.
Just then, a knock came upon the door. Evelyn hurried over and opened it, letting in the man Ivy couldn’t get off her mind. He was very good-looking today. Then again, she doubted there was a day when he wasn’t handsome. But he wore a black sweater-shirt with coffee-colored jeans and black boots on his feet. He’d slicked back his dark brown hair.
“Good morning, Miss Reese.” Steele’s gaze swung toward Ivy and did a quick sweep over her attire before resting on her face. “And good morning to you.”
“I think it’s a very beautiful morning.” Ivy quickly caught herself from saying more, hoping he didn’t think she was referring to him. “It’s light outside, and I’m sure it’s going to be a warm day.”
Both Evelyn and Steele laughed. “Not in Alaska in December.” He shook his head. “The sun might be shining, but because there are no clouds in the sky, the air is colder.”
Inwardly, Ivy kicked herself for not remembering that. The weather wasn’t much different back home in Montana. “Yes, of course.”
“Steele,” Evelyn bumped her elbow against his, “you need to come over here and see these sketches Ivy drew. This commercial is going to be exactly what your father was hoping for.”
As he moved toward the table, his gaze kept jumping back to her as a lazy grin stayed on his face. The butterflies she had told to stay away last night, returned in full force, creating their own version of the ballet The Nutcracker… but in high-speed. She silently cursed her reaction to this handsome man. How could she have forgotten how upset he’d made her yesterday on the plane and especially after they’d met at the resort?
He stood behind Evelyn’s chair, looking over her shoulder as the other woman flipped the pages. Appreciation highlighted his face, making Ivy’s heartbeat knock crazily against her ribs.
“Don’t you think your father will love this?” Evelyn asked Steele, glancing over her shoulder at him.
His gaze lifted and met Ivy’s. He smiled. “Dad will be very happy with this.”
“Great.” Evelyn rubbed her hands together. “I’ll arrange for the cameras and the equipment to be brought over from Dancer Island. There is a television studio on that island, and I’m sure Dash won’t mind if we borrow his equipment.”
“Dash?” Ivy asked, feeling like the third-wheel again.
Steele moved closer to her. “That’s my brother. We call him Dash. Dad calls him Dasher.”
“Oh,” Ivy nodded, “like the reindeer.”
“Yes, exactly like the reindeer.”
Evelyn pulled out her phone from her jeans and slid her finger across the screen. “I’ll call him now.”
“And we,” Ivy hurried and said, aiming her statement to Steele, “need to start finding people to be in the commercial.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a lot of couples who’ll want to help out.” Evelyn nodded.
“I’m sure we will, but the main couple should also have some acting skills.” Steele moved away from Ivy, heading toward the door. “I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes. Go get you a really warm coat, gloves, and a hat, because you’re going to need that today.”
Steele didn’t have to bundle up because he was used to this weather, but he wasn’t too sure about Ivy. All he knew about her was that she worked at a small television station someplace in the northern United States. Now he wondered if his father had told him where she came from and Steele was too upset to hear. When his father mentioned bringing someone in to make a commercial about the resort, Steele had once again felt that what he did was never good enough for the old man. Whenever he got together with his father,
all Steele heard was how well his five older brothers were doing with their resorts. Next to those brothers, Steele had always felt inferior.
He paced the lobby, waiting for Ivy. He watched several couples enter the resort, and several couples leave, but none of them were right for the commercial. Would Ivy have a different idea of what she wanted in the commercial?
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
Ivy’s sweet voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he swung toward her. She wore the same red coat with sheepskin collar and black cap that he’d seen her wear at the airport. But there were no gloves to keep her hands warm and no scarf.
“I wasn’t waiting long.” He smiled before glancing at her hands. “Do you need some gloves? I think your hands might get cold.”
“No, I’ll be fine. Besides, I can’t function the voice recorder with gloves on.” She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the handheld machine.
“Okay then… let’s go.”
Together they walked outside. A small breeze stirred the already cold air, stinging his cheeks. The sun continued to rise in the sky, and he hoped it would bring a little warmth to their outing.
When they reached the end of the walkway, Ivy turned and glanced back at the resort. She clicked on her voice recorder and held it up to her mouth. “Film people entering the resort, starting at the road in front, all the way up to the sliding glass doors. Inside, sweep the lobby slowly.”
A grin tugged on his mouth, and the urge to tease took over. He was helpless to stop it at this point. He leaned closer, moving his mouth toward the recorder. “Make sure they dust and mop, too.”
A small gasp ripped from Ivy’s throat and her eyes widened. It only took a few seconds for her gaze to drop to his mouth before she jumped back, putting distance between them. As soon as she was a few steps back, she laughed, turning off the recorder.
“You’re funny, Steele, but I wasn’t talking about cleaning the lobby.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry to interrupt your thoughts. It just struck me as funny when you said sweep the lobby.”
She playfully swatted his arm. “I know what I’m doing, I promise.”
He motioned his arm ahead of him. “Then proceed, Miss Kidman.”
She glanced up the street and then down again. “In the resort’s brochure it mentions outdoor activities here at Cupid Island.”
“Of course. We have several activities that will help couples grow closer – both physically and emotionally.”
“What about the dog sled? I’d thought that should be the first scene in the commercial – when the man and woman are apart and watching the dog sleds. That will be where they first notice each other.”
Nodding, he pulled out his cell phone from the pocket of his coat and pushed a few numbers before holding the phone to his ear. When the man’s voice came on the other end, Steele grinned, keeping his attention on Ivy. “Hey, this is Steele. I’m in front of the resort, and I need you to bring me Commando.”
Ivy’s pretty face scrunched in confusion, but she didn’t say anything. He couldn’t wait to see her reaction when he showed her their transportation for the day. Having her sit so close to him with her arms around his waist would be a pure delight, and the anticipation was almost more than he could bear.
SEVEN
Ivy’s curiosity had grown a notch, but it was due more to the mischievous look in his blue eyes and the smirk on his gorgeous face than anything else. Now that she’d seen his smile and the way it lit up his amazing eyes, she almost wished the irritated man from the airport would return. She wasn’t sure she liked the way her heartbeat accelerated or the way her knees became weak when he touched her.
It didn’t take long before she spotted Steele’s surprise. One of the resort’s employees drove up to them in a Cazador Commander ATV. He stopped and climbed off. Ivy recognized the all-terrain vehicle because her sister’s wealthy husband owned one.
The resort’s employee handed the keys to Steele before walking away. Steele motioned toward the ATV.
“Your chariot awaits, Lady Ivy.” Steele grinned.
“No, you first, Sir Steele.” She wagged her eyebrows. “Unless of course, you want me to guide the chariot and run us into snowbanks.”
He tilted back his head and laughed heartily before climbing on first. He turned slightly and reached for her hand. She really didn’t need his help. Not only did she know how to climb on, she knew how to drive one. However, she liked how heroic Steele was acting, thinking he was her warrior.
She hesitantly slid her hand into his. The warmth from his skin enveloped her and took the chill from her body. She bit her bottom lip and straddled the seat, slipping her arms around his waist. Oh, heavens! He was the perfect size for her to hold onto… and so dang muscular.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I’m ready.”
He put the ATV into gear, starting them out slowly. He did this for her benefit, she was sure. Although, she suspected he would pick up speed soon just so that she could tighten her arms around his waist.
“Over there,” he said over the noise of the engine, pointing to the right at the large dome building, “are indoor tennis courts and a swimming pool.”
“That’s nice.”
“Do you swim?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Yes.”
“Well, if you didn’t bring a swimsuit, there are three clothing stores on the island.”
“What else does the island have for couples to do?”
“There are two restaurants away from the resort, and one movie theater.”
“How interesting.” She leaned closer to his ear so she wouldn’t have to yell. “With as many activities available on this island, do they all get used?”
“Definitely.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “These islands are popular all year long. Of course, during the winter, the winter activities are more popular.”
“That’s good to know. I might have to add something in the commercial about the year-long activities.”
“Good idea. I’m sure there are people that don’t have any idea what goes on here.”
He drove a few more minutes in silence, which gave her time to look at the glorious snow-covered land. Mother Nature had been exceedingly kind to this island. It reminded her of her home in Montana, but with fewer trees.
Suddenly he came to a stop and pointed in the field to their left. “Look. There’s another beauty that’s on our island.”
In the group of trees, the majestic animal in brown fur with wide, thick antlers stood out. Seeing moose in Montana was a daily occurrence, but for some reason, this particular animal looked so much better. Was it because she shared this moment with a handsome man? Or was it because she was pressed against him sharing his warmth which made her heart feel lighter, and she appreciated nature’s wonderful animals?
“He’s beautiful,” she whispered, relaxing her cheek against the back of his coat. His scent of musky-pine drifted around her. For a brief moment, she didn’t want to move. Resting right here and inhaling Steele’s scent was very relaxing.
“If we don’t bother him, he won’t bother us. Thankfully, we’ve never had any issues with wildlife attacks with our guests.”
“That’s good to know.” Hesitantly, she sat up straight.
He started the ATV and continued driving, and just as she’d thought, he went faster. She grinned and held back the laugh that threatened to burst from her mouth. Following the protocol of the situation, she wrapped her arms around him tighter. Unfortunately, they reached the dog sleds minutes later and she had to let go.
Being close to him like that would cause major distractions with the commercial, but how could she stay away from him? Keeping focused was very important, and she couldn’t let Steele win their bet. Creating this commercial was the first step toward her dream. She could not let a handsome man take that away from her no matter how her heart flipped crazily whenever he was around.
Steele
stood back and watched Ivy move around the area, studying the dog sleds and the dogs. She stepped away and talked in her voice recorder, but he couldn’t hear what she was saying. Instead of trying to focus on her words, he examined the way her lips moved with each word, and the way her eyes twinkled, and especially the way her cheeks grew redder whenever she met his gaze and then shyly looked away. By now he knew she was not shy in the least, but for some reason, she acted like it now.
Whatever she was talking about in her recorder, her free hand motioned through the air, sweeping wide as she looked at the sleds and the land around them. At times he wished he could climb inside her head just to see what fascinating scenes she could see. While he was in her mind, he would also discover what she was thinking about him.
He chuckled under his breath and turned back to the ATV, hoping she couldn’t see his wide smile. Odd to think that only yesterday he’d wanted her off his island. At the airport, he’d even gone as far as to consider her cursed and accident-prone. Yet now… He looked at her again and his heart softened. Now all that was going through his mind was the way she’d felt in his arms while they were in the elevator, and how nice it had been to have her arms around his waist, holding tight to him as they rode on the ATV.
Ivy slid the voice recorder into her coat pocket and walked toward him. Her smile grew the closer she came.
“Are you done?” he wondered.
“Yes. I’m done with figuring out the scene with the dog sled. But…” She glanced back at them again before meeting his gaze. “I’ve never had the privilege of riding on a dog sled. Can you explain to me what it’s like?”
He chuckled. “I’ll go one better and show you.” He looked at the resort employee who worked in this area today, motioning his hand for the man to tie up the dogs. Steele then hooked their arms together and led her to the sled.
“Does it hurt the dogs?” she asked.
Cupid Takes a Wife Page 5