CHAPTER FOUR
I unpacked my suitcase containing a week’s worth of dirty vacation clothes—cocktail dresses, strappy heels, two bikinis, shorts and tees—thankful that the employees were given uniforms, albeit unflattering ones. Imagine boxy blue-and-white Hawaiian shirts, khaki linen shorts, white socks, and white orthopedic sandals or running shoes.
I looked at myself in the full-length mirror on the back of my bedroom door. A nerdy nod to Magnum P.I.
A sharp knock jolted me in my fancy dry-weave socks.
“Stephanie? You ready?” said Luke’s deep voice on the other side of the door.
“One sec!” I finished buttoning my blouse and grabbed the sunglasses from the new-employee welcome box that had been left at the door. It contained Rook-approved Ray-Bans, sunscreen, and deodorant—scent-free and forty-eight-hour lasting (not likely in this heat)—and an employee handbook. Best of all, there was a map. Not just of the surface of the island, but of the underground structures. I’d literally opened it up and clacked my teeth, half excited and half in awe. Four fucking floors below ground? Seriously? No wonder Rook charges so much money. I knew zero about construction, but my guess was that they’d needed a considerable amount of concrete and steel to build anything that deep below sea level.
I opened the door. “Like my look?”
Luke raised his light brown brows. “Gorgeous. I love how it shows off your curves.”
“I’m actually shaped like a cereal box, so yeah, this is great.”
“I’ve seen your curves. Not a straight line anywhere.” He looked me over again.
Hmm. Unless I determined it would benefit me in some way, I needed to move him away from the flirting. Yes, it was a ruthless way to think, but what else could I do? I had to be tough, even if it wasn’t in my nature to hurt others.
“Okay, lover boy.” I gave him a playful poke in his broad chest. “You can stop drooling now. Hey, speaking of seeing things, where’s the laundromat? I desperately need to wash clothes.”
“There’s a stacked washer/dryer in the hall closet.”
So fancy. “Does every employee have a nice apartment like this?”
“Pretty much. There’s also a complimentary twenty-four-hour employee cafeteria right outside the elevators down one floor. But if you prefer to cook, there’s a small store next to it. The food’s not free, but you can place an order for just about anything you want. It’s all delivered by plane once a week.”
“Rook really takes care of his staff,” I noted.
“The pay isn’t as much as you’d get back home, of course, but Rook does go out of his way to pamper us. The only exception is that everyone shares an apartment unless you’re a couple—they get a place with a single room.”
With the way Luke spoke, he might have me believing that Rook was the kindest man on the planet.
“How long have you worked here, again?” I asked.
“About ten months.” Luke’s expression hinted at discomfort—shifting eyes, exaggerated smile. “Well, let’s get to that tour.”
Subject change, huh?
“Great,” I replied. “I just need to get over to Rook’s before noon.” Rook had said he would send for me, but I wanted to go through his house one more time. I’d actually stayed in his guest room for a few days at his insistence after he told me Cici drowned. “…best not to leave you alone given the recent events,” he’d said. Really, it was all part of the illusion to make me think he cared. Bullshit. Either way, I’d checked out some of the house and found nothing, but I couldn’t help hoping I’d missed something—a hidden storage room or a secret drawer where he stashed thumb drives. He had to keep bank records and guest profiles somewhere. Eerily, though, his home lacked any personal effects. Not one family photo or keepsake, like it was all just for show.
Regardless, I had to start somewhere, and I hadn’t combed through Rook’s private upstairs office.
Luke and I headed to the stainless steel elevators at the end of the long hallway inside the underground apartment complex. He pointed out the stairwell, vending machines and ice room, and the common areas for our floor, which was where the senior staff stayed. B-one. The newer or lower you were on the employee totem pole, the lower the floor you lived on. Sort of snooty, but I guessed they had to have some kind of system.
“So are all of the apartments co-ed?” I stepped onto the elevator.
Luke came in behind me and jabbed the ground-floor button. “If you’re that caught up on traditional values, you have no business being here.”
He’d taken offense.
“I wasn’t implying anything about you. I promise I’m fine with it.” I wasn’t. In fact, my mind subconsciously kept drifting back to the topic. I couldn’t help feeling a little wounded by Rook’s blatant rejection. On the other hand, it only proved I’d been right. Rook’s feelings for me had been a show. Ironically, I felt more angered than vindicated. Because now, that little part of me that felt something for Rook, something slightly more potent than lust, had been made a fool of.
Luke and I stepped out into a small enclosed lobby that looked like a brick storage shed from the outside. No one would ever guess a small city existed underneath the serene tropical landscape.
We hopped into a golf cart parked just outside, along a row of six of them.
“These carts are all over the island,” said Luke. “Grab any one you want. The bellhops make sure they’re charged up and parked near all of the main structures.”
“It’s all so organized.” I got out my map.
“Rook is a perfectionist. He says that our time is more important than money.”
I thought about that for a moment. “Yeah, I guess not a lot of people die wishing for more money.”
“You’re exactly right.” Luke gave his head a quick bob. “So what do you want to see first?”
I studied the map and all its drawings of tiny trees and trails. Honest to God, it looked like an amusement park map with its little cartoon representations of the attractions: A small mountain with snow on top, labeled “Everest”; a building to the south labeled “City”; a dock to the south with a pirate ship; and a fort with little cannons sticking out from the top.
“Wow. How many fantasies do you have here?” I asked.
“We have one hundred and thirty fantasy stations, though some are very small, like the blackout room, Grecian spa, or trampoline.”
“Trampoline?”
Luke shrugged. “Some women like to bounce.”
“I’ll try not to spend too much time visualizing that one. And what’s a blackout room?”
“Total darkness. It’s popular with shy people.”
“Oh.” I was beginning to see that when it came to what women desired, I knew very little. “Let’s start on the south end and work our way back.” I stared at the map. “Is there really snow on that mountain?”
“This is Rook’s Island, Stephanie. We’ve got everything.”
“Including the impossible?” Because it had to be at least ninety degrees today. With the humidity, it felt like one hundred.
“We specialize in that,” he said.
An hour and a half later, I’d seen a replica of a Scottish castle, the cattle ranch with twenty cows and two bulls, an overflowing waterfall, a baseball field, Greek amphitheater, office building—only ten stories and rather narrow, but fully equipped to house an entire crew of fake employees for an authentic office-based romance—swing set, bungie station, elaborate tree house for a Tarzan and Jane, romantic cabin in the woods, and the indoor fantasy complex containing all of their small one-room stations such as an S&M red room, classroom for the hot-for-teach fans, and the Grecian spa Luke mentioned earlier. I really couldn’t remember it all. Each particular fantasy station had been meticulously built and decorated. No cheap painted backdrops or lame amusement park costumes. Everything looked authentic, right down to the color of the dirt or smell of the filtered air.
“It’s pretty impressive,” I said as we pulled up in the golf cart next to the stairwell that led down to the main offices situated directly beneath Rook’s mansion.
“Each fantasy has a detailed specification you’ll want to familiarize yourself with since you’ll be in charge of ensuring every detail.”
Wait. Luke was the scuba instructor. Now he was educating me about my role? He’s been assigned to train me. One more slap in the face. Rook wanted there to be no doubt left in my mind that he couldn’t be bothered with me. Asshole.
I swiftly pushed back on any ego-driven feelings. This was for the best. No temptation on his part meant no temptation on my part. Not that I would allow it. Not again.
Luke must’ve noticed my lips puckered with agitation because he said, “Oh, don’t worry. Rook always has the island’s manager try out the fantasies. It’s much easier to get a feel for what makes each one special.”
“Ha-ha. Funny.” Still seated in the cart, I turned to fully face him.
Luke wasn’t smiling.
“Back up.” My blood pressure dove for my ugly white socks. “You were joking, right?”
“Didn’t Rook tell you all this when you asked for the job?”
“No, but that’s insane. I’m not going to have sex with every guy on this island.” And I found it hard to believe that the silver-haired Mrs. Day, who had been in her sixties, went on a fucking spree as part of her onboarding process.
“It wouldn’t be everyone,” Luke said. “We all know Rook is off-limits. And don’t forget, some of the men, like myself, aren’t fantasy hosts, so you wouldn’t be having sex with us.” He shot me a sly look. “Unless you wanted to.”
Trying to digest his words, I ignored the come-on. One hundred and thirty fantasies? And Rook really expected me to just bang my way through each of them as part of my job?
“Steph?” Luke prodded for my attention.
“Oh. Sorry. It’s just…I wasn’t expecting the role to be so demanding.” I gave him a knowing look. “I’m not good with strangers. Not like that.” Casual sex and I weren’t friends.
He bobbed his head, mulling it over. Probably wondering why I’m really here, then.
“Hopefully you can work something out with Rook,” he patted my leg, “because he’s a stickler for the rules, and I’d like you to stay. Still on for dinner tonight?”
Stickler, my ass.
“Dinner. Sure. As long as Rook doesn’t throw me any more curveballs.” I slid from the cart.
Luke chuckled. “Now, why would he do that? Not like he gets off on it,” he said facetiously. “See you tonight.”
I was getting the feeling that everything happening around me had been orchestrated, meant to evoke a particular response or test me. First Luke as my roomie. Now this.
Rook’s trying to distract me again. There was no other explanation. But it wasn’t going to work. Not this time.
I watched Luke drive off down the palm-tree-lined path toward the north side of the island, where the guest bungalows, restaurants, spa, and other non-fantasy-related sports activities were located—like tennis and scuba. They also had a dock filled with expensive yachts used for diving, dinner karaoke cruises, and whatnot.
I glanced over at Rook’s large white plantation-style house with black steel shutters. It stood on a small embankment overlooking his private beach. When I’d stayed there these past few days, it felt more like staying in a museum rather than a home. The dark wood floors and antique furniture were polished to perfection and in impeccable condition. The state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen appeared to have never been used. His bedroom contained nothing personal, except for a few suits in the walk-in closet. His nightstand held a Bible, but nothing more. Just like a hotel.
My conclusion? He didn’t live there.
He probably lived in some weird-ass temple filled with floggers so he could punish himself every night for all his lusty, sinful daytime activities.
My mouth went dry, thinking of him naked, kneeling in the dirt beneath the stormy night sky. I had watched the muscles of his powerful arms and strong back working to deliver each painful blow. I remember feeling horrified by the sight of it, but more than anything, there’d been this twinge of anger in the back of my mind, telling me he had no right. No right to disfigure something that belonged to me.
But, of course, he didn’t and never would.
I took the walkway through Rook’s grassy garden lined with a few red and yellow flowers that had apparently survived the winds. I stepped onto the porch and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
No answer.
I knocked once more but got the same empty reply. Time to snoop. If I got caught, I could say I’d left something personal behind from my stay, like an earring.
I stepped inside. “Rook? Hello?”
It had only been a handful of hours since I’d been here, but the air smelled different, like lavender and pine. The floors had been mopped and shined.
Had he sent in the cleaning crew to remove any traces of me? I couldn’t lie. It hurt a little to think that.
My gaze scaled the wooden staircase. Up there, he had his unlived-in bedroom, his office, and another room—the room she stayed in.
Who was she? He wouldn’t say, but she’d been beyond pissed when she caught the two of us naked in his bed last week. Rook had then gotten dressed and went to her room, where they proceeded to fight in some dialect of French or-or…I wasn’t sure.
“Hello?” I called out one last time for good measure.
Silence. Excellent. I raised my foot to take the first stair.
“Lovely outfit.” Rook’s voice echoed through my ears, nearly springing me out of my shoes.
“Jesus.” I gasped, palming the space over my heart. “You scared me.”
Wearing the same neatly pressed, black linen suit and light blue tie, Rook stood in the hallway that led to the guest rooms and a small reading den on the first floor. His tall frame, proud stature, and broad shoulders always gave him the appearance of coming from some elegant dinner party. I hated that he looked so gorgeous.
“My clothes are the latest in the Rook Island collection. Do you like them?” I grabbed the hem of my oversized Hawaiian-style blouse and held it out.
“Everything looks nice on you, Miss Fitzgerald,” he said, as if it were an irritant. “What are you doing here?”
I flapped my mouth for a moment, trying not to get caught up on his compliment. “Uh. Our meeting?”
“I said I would send for you.”
Yes, well. I was hoping you wouldn’t be here so I could dig around in your office. “Luke and I finished up with the tour, and I thought this might be a good time. But I’ll come back later.” I turned for the door.
“No. Wait. There is something I wish to show you.” Rook marched past me and headed up the stairs.
I hesitated with my hand on the shiny white top of the railing. What the hell was this man up to?
“Coming, Miss Fitzgerald?” Rook growled, already halfway up.
“Yes.” I followed him, having zero clue what came next. A curveball, Stephanie. Haven’t you learned by now? That’s all he’s capable of.
“I haven’t got all day,” Rook snapped, waiting for me on the landing that served as another living room, with a built-in bookshelf, brass floor lamp, and cozy brown armchair. All antique, of course. All in pristine condition.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He jerked his head toward the doorway leading to his private office. “This is where you will work.”
I blinked. “Sorry?”
“I’m afraid Mrs. Day decided to remodel her office with a hammer prior to her departure. And with the work required for the storm cleanup, there is no time to prepare another space for you.”
Christ. It’s like he knows my every move. And instead of blocking me, he shoved everything in my face. Almost as if to say, “Look. Here’s a map. And here’s my office. I’ve got nothing to hide, Stephanie.”
“What about one of the small conference rooms?” I asked. There were several along the narrow corridor just outside the conference room we had been in this morning.
“Do you object to this room?”
Other than the fact that it’s across the hall from your bedroom, where we almost fucked a few days ago?
“I feel I’d be more effective at my job if I were closer to the other staff members.” Though, I was sure Rook preferred me to be as isolated as possible. If I were him, I’d want to contain me, too. And keep a close eye on me. Yet he’d taken me out of the guest room here, put me in an apartment with Luke, and then proceeded to bring me back to the same house, giving me an office.
Fuck. What was his game? Rook probably wanted to spin my head so fast, everything would be a blur.
I needed to take control. “I don’t feel this is the best place to work. I’ll be disturbing the woman who lives in the room next door.”
“She is no longer on the island. You will disturb no one.”
What? “Why did she leave?”
He rubbed the side of his dark scruffy jaw, producing a bristly sound. “We no longer saw eye to eye regarding certain matters pertaining to the island.”
“You mean that she caught us in bed and wasn’t happy,” I blurted out before thinking through my words.
Cool as ice, Rook dropped his hand from his jaw, and the corner of his full sinful lips curled into a smirk. “I thought you put that in the past.” His eyes gravitated toward my mouth, sending a sensual chill through my body. “As good as it felt.”
My lungs began pumping for extra air while memories of his large, strong body—grinding between my thighs—pummeled my mind. The taste of his soft lips, the feel of his rough jaw on my fingertips, the sweet smell of his hurried breath.
Fucking dammit. How, after everything, could I still be so susceptible to him?
“As far as I’m concerned, it never happened.” I stepped back, but he moved closer, refusing to give me space.
“Are you sure about that, Stephanie?” he asked, his voice gravelly. “Because I have no intention of forgetting about it.” Rook seemed hell-bent on playing a wicked game of mind fuck to keep me distracted. It was working.
I can’t let it. Because anything that came from his mouth was a lie.
“I seem to remember the exact opposite,” I pointed out. “You even said you couldn’t see me again.” Immediately following our close encounter, he had come to my room and confessed he wanted me, but it could never happen between us. His vow of celibacy wouldn’t permit it.
“I think you know why I said that.” He reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to gape into the depths of those hypnotic pale eyes.
My heart galloped. Locking gazes felt like traveling to another time, another place—somewhere warm that seeped through your skin and settled deep inside your bones.
My body began to tingle with the rush of oxygen and animalistic urges. Suddenly, I felt my body lean toward him. I never thought it possible to feel so much just from staring into a man’s eyes, but when Rook looked at me like this, I was lost to him.
“Stephanie?”
I realized that Rook had released my chin and had been speaking the entire time, but I hadn’t heard a word.
“Sorry. What?”
“So then you’ll stay. Here.” He looked around the sparsely decorated room—brown plantation shutters, cherry wood desk, and a leather exec chair. Two TV screens, mounted to the wall, were on mute, one set to the Weather Channel, the other to MSNBC. They seemed incredibly out of place in this museum he called a home.
“Won’t I be too close?” I asked, my voice coming out all raspy. I couldn’t seem to breathe right.
Rook’s eyes darted over to his bedroom doorway twenty feet away, across the landing. He smiled wickedly. “I don’t believe in boundaries between my personal and work space.”
He’s doing it to me again. Stupid, Stephanie. Stupid, Stephanie. Fight back. “Then how do you manage to keep your vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience when they’re at complete odds with your work?”
His smile dropped and so did his mood. “You really wish to know?”
“Yes.” I took a small step back and crossed my arms, foolishly believing that a few extra inches between our bodies would help me keep my wits.
Rook bobbed his head, strolled over to the window, and then pulled open one of the dark shutters. Sunlight flooded the room as he peered at something outside in his garden. “I have no choice but to give everything to this island’s existence, even if that means damning my eternal soul.”
“So every sin you commit is justified, because you’re prepared to pay the price. Wow. That allows you to get away with a lot.” Including killing people. And the fact he was prepared to sacrifice his soul to protect this island was just one more reason for me to believe he was hiding something big because—let’s face it—nobody would condemn themselves to rotting in hell for eternity just to protect a resort. And yes, he’d said the land and lagoon were sacred, but that just didn’t feel like enough. There had to be more.
Rook closed the shutter and calmly came toward me, leaving little space between us. “I will get away with nothing,” he said, bearing down on me with a harsh look. “And I get no pleasure from any of it.”
“If you say so.” I shrugged.
He narrowed his eyes, studying me for a long awkward moment before breaking the silence. “If you’re going to be my right hand, it’s more efficient to keep you close. Your office will be here. In my home. I insist.”
Your home, yes. But you don’t live here. What are you up to, Rook?
I offered him my most innocent, trustworthy smile. “As long as I’m not creating turbulence with your beliefs, it’s perfect. Thank you.” I gave him a nod and moved toward the desk. I needed air. “So where do you want to start? I’m sure there’s a lot to learn.” I opened the laptop sitting on the desk and suddenly felt the heat of his body behind me.
“Stephanie.” He grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him.
Lungs paralyzed, I looked up at the tall, tempting man with a tinge of anger in his eyes. My cheeks flooded with heat.
“This morning. What I wanted you to know…” He paused.
“Yes?”
He hesitated. “Never mind.”
He released me and stepped back, gesturing for me to take a seat at the desk. “Shall we?”