CHAPTER 26
Kenzie
When we landed at the private airstrip, a car was already waiting to take us to an exclusive part of the island. “We’ll have the run of the place. I have a house that’s secluded,” Aaron promised me as we rode along.
Our driver was sweet, attentive, pointing out interesting bits of scenery along the way. I told myself to stop thinking about Aaron’s coldness and to start enjoying where I was and who I was with.
When would I ever get the chance to return to such a place? Probably never.
The first thing I noticed was the color green. It was the greenest place I’d ever seen—needless to say, growing up in Charleston, South Carolina and spending the last several years in Manhattan, I wasn’t accustomed to fields and fields of lush trees and grass. And when mixed with the wind blowing in my hair, I finally felt my shoulders drop and relax.
“You know what these islands are comprised of?” Aaron reached over and set his hand on my thigh.
“What do you mean?”
“They’re underground mountains. They sit on the intersection of the North American, Eurasian, and African tectonic plates.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense.” Just the thought of the pressure and time it had taken to build the islands was astounding and humbling.
“The soil is extremely fertile, so it’s excellent for growth. And the water is warm, too, thanks to the Gulf Stream. You’ll find all kinds of life here. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.”
“I can see why.” It was breathtaking. I had never seen such blue water, such blue sky. It was like heaven on Earth. If there was such a thing.
The air was mild, sweet with the scent of life. I wished I could bottle it and take a sniff or two whenever the stench of city life or the stale, recycled office air got to be too much.
“What’s the plan? Any word from your legal team or designer friend?” I asked.
“Enjoy yourself.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
I frowned, looking out the window as we pulled up to the beautiful little white, red-roofed chalet that would be ours for the duration of our so-called work trip. If that even was why we were here to begin with. Why wouldn’t he just tell me what was going on? Why did he have to be so evasive? And why come all the way to the Azores just to meet with his legal team that was probably based in New York?
I blinked and reset my mind, forcing myself to just let it go. We had a secluded spot, surrounded by tall, shady trees on three sides, and a wide expanse of white sand beach stretching in both directions leading from the front door.
It was perfect. And every bit amazing.
Or it would have been had I not developed a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. What was I here for?
My mind couldn’t stop, despite my best efforts.
I mean, really. Just for Aaron to use me as his plaything? Did he take me as seriously as he’d pretended to when hiring me? If he did, why not include me in more of the business side of the trip? And what was that meeting with Reed about? He never did say anything and I never asked. So maybe feeling off was my own fault, and I was making assumptions that weren’t even close to what was actually true.
I stepped out of the car, willing myself to soak in every last detail. The smell of the water, the feel of the breeze on my face. I wanted nothing more than to soak in that beautiful blue-green sea. It pulled at me, begging me to take a dip.
“I thought you would like it,” Aaron said, and when I looked over at him, I saw the way he smiled. A warm, genuine smile for the first time since . . . well, since before we’d left.
I wished he would tell me what had him so worked up. Didn’t he know that I was here for him?
“I have a little bit of work to get done,” he said, still standing by the car, holding his phone in the palm of his hand like he’d just received a text. “I had the chalet fully stocked, so you’ll find food, clothes, newspapers, and magazines—just about anything you need. There should also be toiletries waiting for you.”
Of course. He’d thought of everything, hadn’t he? I didn’t have to worry about a thing. It was nice, especially when finding myself in such an incredible location, but I was beginning to see how such a life could get boring very fast without a man to spend it with.
“Thanks.” I held my hair back so it’d quit flying in my eyes. “When will I see you?”
“Soon. I shouldn’t be longer than an hour. Make yourself at home.” He climbed back into the car, not even bothering to change before heading off to whatever meeting he’d planned.
It was unlike him—then again, I reminded myself, I didn’t know him well enough to pass judgment. I might have known his body and a few of his quirks, but there was a lot more to him that remained hidden. I hadn’t scratched the surface to the secrets that swirled around him.
The thought gave me a chill in the warm air.
I went inside, eager to look around despite my misgivings. It was everything I’d ever dream a beach house could be. A large, open floorplan with plenty of windows and a set of doors that opened directly onto the beach. It was very clean and very simple, yet luxurious at the same time. It didn’t need to be crammed full of things. Just simple furnishings, wood floors, flowing white curtains. It was a serene, tranquil paradise that Aaron created for himself.
And I had it all to myself. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about that or not.
I puttered around, exploring. A stocked fridge and pantry, as promised. I went upstairs to the massive bedroom suite overlooking the Atlantic and found a few dresses, shorts, t-shirts. And, of course, bathing suits. Good thing, because I intended to use one.
I could have gone to sleep—my entire body in desperate need of a good rest—but with the bright morning sunlight streaming through every window of the place, combined with a budding excitement about where I was, I knew there was no point in trying.
I took a shower, fascinated by the skylight above the stall that made me feel like I was out in the open. I looked up at the blue sky above me, wondering if the people who got to look at that sky every day appreciated it the way I did.
After changing into a bikini which did little to hide my assets, I grabbed a towel and sunscreen in hopes of a little sunbathing. Might as well do what Aaron suggested and enjoy myself, I thought.
I picked up a few fashion magazines on the way out, too, along with a tabloid for a little brain candy. Settling on a lounge chair by the pool, I reminded myself that I deserved a break after the hard work I’d put in—if not for Aaron just yet, then for Reed.
My stomach turned over just thinking about that asshole, Reed.
The pool was the picture of serenity. I flipped through the tabloid, skimming the headlines, chuckling over some of the unflattering photos printed there. What must life be like for the paparazzi? Always hanging around, waiting for somebody to look terrible. It seemed like an appalling existence and a shady way to make a living.
As I was about to flip another page, passing stories that held no interest for me, a name caught my eye, making me pay attention. My brain raced to catch up with my beating heart.
I sat up, my mouth open in horror.
Aaron Bello. Insider trading.
What?
I read the article as fast as I could, horror growing larger with every passing second. Allegations of damning evidence that he’d profited from shady stock deals.
My hands shook so badly I could hardly make sense of the last few paragraphs. It wasn’t as though my brain could make heads or tails, anyway, so I put the magazine down and stretched out on the chair. My chest felt tight, my stomach in knots.
Just who was he?
Did I make a huge mistake betting my career on Ricardo de Lugo?
And what would happen to me because of him?