CHAPTER EIGHT
“Hey, where you been? Thought we were going to work out,” said Luke, making himself a cup of coffee as I came through the door, all buzzing with adrenaline. I’d found something. Something that might soon bring this nightmare of a situation to a close.
His eyes washed up and down my body. “Please don’t tell me you went to the gym without me, wearing that.”
I glanced down at the enormous, oversized brown robe covering my body. “Errr…no.”
I headed straight for my bedroom, closed the door, and spotted my pajama bottoms on the bed. So I’d literally stripped in my sleep and then walked across the entire island in my thong. What the hell is the matter with me?
I blew out a breath. I couldn’t keep doing this.
I threw on my PJ shorts and headed back into the living room. “Where can I buy a lock for my door?”
Wearing a gray tee and black exercise shorts, Luke stopped stirring his coffee and blinked at me with his big hazel eyes. “Have I done something wrong?”
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean for the inside of my room. I meant for the outside. I want you to lock me in every night.”
He frowned with a disturbed expression. “I’ve heard a lot of strange requests from women, but that’s a new one.”
“I sleepwalk,” I explained. “And apparently I’m now doing it in my underwear.”
Luke set his spoon on the breakfast counter. “Really? Did you do it last night?” He sounded excited.
I nodded.
“And I missed it?”
I tilted my head to the side and flattened my lips.
His smile dropped. “Sorry. Yes. We can get you a lock. I’m sure the maintenance crew has plenty. But are you sure you want me to lock you in every night? What if you have to use the bathroom or there’s a fire?”
“I’ll manage.” I really couldn’t allow this place to take over my mind in the nocturnal hours like it had been. Especially since there was no explanation for why it was happening.
“Okay,” he said hesitantly. “But I’ll unlock you as soon as I get up for the gym—I don’t always come back afterward.”
“Thank you.” I stared absentmindedly at his cup of coffee, thinking about Rook’s underground room. Why keep all of the records there? And on paper?
“Want some coffee?” Luke asked, noticing the direction of my gaze.
“Oh, no, thank you. I was just thinking about my new role. I’m supposed to screen guests before they come on the island, but don’t we have a lot of repeat customers?”
“Sure. Half the people who come are regulars.”
Doing some rough math, if the island hosted about twenty guests a week, that came out to around one thousand visitors a year, but half were repeats. That meant Rook added about five hundred new records each year. There had to have been at least five thousand records on just one floor of that library—that equated to ten years’ worth. And there are ten floors in that library.
“Has Rook ever mentioned how long he’s been in business?” I asked, just to see what Luke might say.
Luke shrugged. “Not sure. You should ask him.”
“Yeah. Of course. I was really just thinking aloud,” I lied.
“Well, lucky you. Listening is my specialty.” He took another sip of coffee.
Luke’s words triggered another thought. Now that I knew Rook had a camera in here, it finally made sense that we’d been roomed together. Rook believed there was an attraction between Luke and me, so this situation could only fuel those feelings. Rook wanted us to be close so I’d tell Luke what I was really thinking.
What other reason could there be? None. And this morning had been the kick in the ass I needed. I’d been softening toward Rook again, falling victim to the powerful, sinful feelings he provoked. But now, I knew he’d lied. I knew he was watching me, too.
Okay, so I’ll let him watch me and Luke bonding. Rook could listen in and see I wasn’t up to anything—I respected his vows; I felt connected to this island and committed to my job. He could trust me. And trust would lead to information.
I smiled at Luke. “So what are you up to today?” I asked cheerily.
“We’re salvaging the second yacht. Then we’ll start cleaning the fleet and preparing gear for next week.”
“Well, I need to take a shower. Maybe we can meet up for lunch? I saw there’s a nice beach on the east side of the island, and I can make sandwiches—spotted some delicious peanut butter in the fridge.”
Luke shrugged. “Sure. I can bring a few snorkels if you’re into that.”
I continued smiling. “That sounds fun. And considering where we live, I’m sure you won’t mind if I skinny-dip. I seem to have lost my swimsuit.” I turned and went into my room, letting that thought simmer in Luke’s head. I hoped to God Rook heard that. If not, he’d surely see or hear about my lunchtime skinny-dipping from Luke.
Next, I needed to get ready and head to the office. I would be making some changes in my training program. When I was done with the next week’s activities, Rook wouldn’t have a doubt in his mind that I was here for one reason and one reason only: to work for him.
I threw on a clean Hawaiian-style shirt and khakis and headed for Rook’s tropical Ken-and-Barbie mansion. That was what it reminded me of now. Just a fancy shell made for pretending. It wasn’t really his home, as I’d suspected all along.
I opened the front door, peeking in. “Hello?” No one replied, so I entered, closed the door, and headed upstairs. As I passed the bedroom where the woman had been staying, I couldn’t help snooping to see what had been left behind.
I cracked open the bedroom door. There wasn’t much besides the floral curtains and empty bed. I went over to the closet door and found a few wire hangers left on the floor.
“As I said,” Rook’s voice came from behind me, “she is gone.”
I drew a breath, remembering my renewed pledge to play the role of happy, carefree manager who was here to live, here to stay.
I turned and smiled. “Where did she go?”
He shrugged and looked away. “She didn’t say.”
A lie. He looked away when he lied.
Wanting to choose my next words carefully, I stared for a moment, trying not to notice the masculine shape of his body, accentuated by the casual clothes he wore today—rumpled navy blue Bermudas that hung low on his narrow hips and a light blue T-shirt that matched his eyes. With the way his clothes hugged the contours of his pecs and muscled thighs, it was difficult to think clearly.
“That hurricane must’ve really scared her off,” I said with a small quiver in my voice. “It was pretty crazy, though I have to admit, you built everything on this island like a fortress.” I’d seen very little damage besides a few fallen trees and a lot of branches and leaves.
“Best construction money can buy.”
“Kind of like Disneyland,” I said.
He smiled and two small divots puckered in his stubble-covered cheeks. “Only naughtier. And for adults.”
“Works for me.”
“Speaking of, how is the arrangement with Luke suiting you?” he asked.
“Wonderful, actually. I think we’ll get along great.” I purposely looked away as if I had something to hide, something in the realm of a woman’s secret, such as Luke and I were “bonding.” Really though, I thought of Rook—naked, his body emerging from the lagoon and drops of water glistening off his tall, chiseled body. His long, thick cock hanging between his tanned thighs. My body instantly flushed and a sensual chill swept through me. I’d never in my life seen a more stunning man. I doubted I ever would.
Feeling my face flush, I drew a breath and returned my gaze to Rook just in time to see him licking those sinful lips.
“So you are happy, then?” he asked with a subtle edge.
“Yes. Aside from the strange sleepwalking. By the way, I’m really sorry about this morning. It must’ve been a shock to find me there. I mean, I’d never even seen the place.”
“Nothing shocks me anymore. But I’m sure you just stumbled upon it as you were wandering the jungle. Either way, I am happy you were not injured, though you did look quite shaken.”
Ah yes. He’d said I looked like I needed him. “I was fine once I fully woke up. Really. And I’ve asked Luke to put a lock on the outside of my door so I don’t wander into the ocean or something. Not sure I can sleep-swim.”
“Let us not find out. Shall we get on with our day?” He turned and headed for my new office.
“Rook? There’s something I need to talk to you about. It’s important.” I followed him into the office and stopped in the doorway.
“Yes?” He stood behind the desk, reaching for something in the drawer.
“I want to do the fantasies.”
His head of dark, thick wavy hair whipped up, but he didn’t speak. The aggravated look in his pale eyes said it all.
“Not all of them,” I added. “Just the most popular ones.”
“Why would you want that?” he spat.
“I think if I’m really going to do this job well, I need to know the product. I need to experience what our guests feel, and immerse myself in the island.”
“You were a guest just last week.”
He’s pushing back. Rook didn’t want me sleeping with these men, and I couldn’t lie, it felt good knowing he was against it. But there was no room for that little corner of my soft heart anymore. I knew Rook was a con man. I’d seen the proof this morning.
“I was too wrapped up in Cici’s death to really experience anything,” I explained. “I mean, yes, I saw how well run this place is and how beautiful the men are, but I didn’t get into the fun.”
He knew that was true. I’d been nothing but a pill while the other guests lived it up, dancing, drinking, swimming, and screwing.
“Why? Is there an issue?” I asked. “Because Luke told me the prior managers were required to do a run-through because you really wanted them to know the fantasies from the inside.” I paused. “No pun intended.”
His dark brows pulled tightly together. He looked like he might just throttle me. “You are out of your mind if you think—”
“I don’t expect special treatment because of our,” I toggled my finger between us, “relationship.”
“We do not have a ‘relationship.’” Rook’s nostrils flared, and his chest expanded with several angry breaths, reminding me of a bull ready to charge.
Suddenly, he turned, heading for the door. “I must go and help Luke recover that last boat. We can discuss your onboarding further at another time.”
“What do you want me to do all day?” I asked.
“Review the file for next week in the schedules folder. Learn about the guests, memorize their fantasies, read the preparation checklists.”
Unable to get away from me fast enough, Rook disappeared from the room, leaving behind a scent of exotic spices and florals. And Rook. He smelled so delicious, like he’d gone to a male pheromone factory and had been drenched in sexual temptation.
I resisted inhaling deeply and instead called out, “I’m doing dry runs of the fantasies for next week!”
A few moments later, I heard the front door slam shut.
Jesus. I let go of the tension in my chest and dropped my hands to my sides. A small city could be lit up with the energy left in the room. Rook and I were like two giant spinning magnets. Then it dawned on me. Rook would be tied up for the next few hours. I had to go back to his library. I had to see what else might be down there.
“Motherfucker,” I whispered, sweating profusely from my sprint through the damp, hot jungle. Rook had locked the goddamned door. Only, there was no keyhole. Just a plain wood-plank door.
“Sure. Mi casa, su casa,” I panted, giving the door a spiteful shove.
He either knew I’d found the rest of his little home or he feared I might. I would have to find a way to get back in. Perhaps I could follow him and see where he kept a key. Maybe I’d make up some bullshit story about wanting to hang out here again.
For fuck’s sake. Like he’d believe that. It was a hot, musty shack. Only mosquitos wanted to hang out there. I would definitely have to follow him back here tonight. If there was no lock, then he had to open the door somehow.
By the time I returned to my office on the second floor of Rook’s mansion by the sea, it was almost ten o’clock in the morning and I had a lot of cramming to do. Grateful for the air-conditioned room, I logged in to the computer and found the schedule for next week along with the guest list.
A full house. Fifteen women would be flying in on Monday, but there would be no VIPs. I wondered if Rook handled them exclusively.
I quickly took notes, listing which fantasies the women would be enjoying. The harem, the submarine, snowed in with a sexy stranger. There were also two cowboy fantasies, but one wanted Old West and the other modern-day Wyoming. There were a few requests for the Scottish laird fantasy with a “Jamie look-alike” and a Game of Thrones Khal Drogo request.
I cleared my throat. I wonder if she wants rapy honeymoon Khal or the nicer version?
The rest were interesting but not surprising—kidnapped sex slave and a Roman gladiator seduction, plus a Captain Hook request.
I looked up from my notepad, staring at the wall. I’d already told Rook I was going to do some of these, but I wasn’t sure I really could. In all honesty, I’d only had a few boyfriends, and I’d never enjoyed sex. Something had always been missing with them. Mainly, orgasms. Then, after Cici died, it got worse. I couldn’t stand being touched. For months, I experienced panic attacks when anyone so much as brushed against me in passing. Forget about being hugged or shaking hands. The psychologist I visited once and only once told me it had been related to the trauma of losing my sister, that intimacy frightened me.
It wasn’t until Rook touched me on my first night here that I felt something other than painful pinpricks and a rush of fear. His warm hand on the small of my back as we’d danced felt good. It felt right. Then, when he’d kissed me a few days later, for the first time ever I felt the sort of hard aches and throbs I’d only heard about from my girlfriends. Rook had made me want him so badly that I’d nearly come the moment I felt his naked shaft brush against my sensitive bud.
“Gah.” I stood from the desk, feeling hot and flustered. My nipples ached and my core fluttered uncontrollably.
But I would not be sleeping with Rook. Not now. Not ever. I would be sleeping with strangers, though I knew it would be difficult to enjoy it.
Get it together, Steph. I was a grown woman who had to act like it. This wasn’t a game or a movie. This was real. Cici’s death was real. Warner was real. If I had to step outside my comfort zone to get what I needed, then so be it.
I took my list and started searching the files on the computer for the fantasy specifications. I read them carefully and then set up time with the area managers to go over the staffing and props checklists. Tomorrow, Wednesday, I’d call a meeting to ensure everything was on schedule and I would schedule my dry runs.
I glanced down at the list of fantasies again. I would go with the least uncomfortable fantasies and pick two—just enough to make Rook believe I was really into this.
Scottish laird and cowboy. Those were popular and they seemed simple enough. I could probably ask the hosts to give me a short version of their dates. In and out. Literally.
My heart began to race at the thought of a strange man’s hands on my body, of him inside me.
I am so not cut out for this place. I looked at my watch. It was almost noon and time to meet Luke. One more man I might need to sleep with to make Rook believe I was here for the right reasons so he’d tell me his secrets before my time was up.
Ten minutes later, I arrived in one of the carts to the small beach on the east shore. The white sand and calm turquoise water was the stuff even postcards dreamed of. The thick curtain of lush greenery hadn’t been touched by the hurricane, giving the tiny beach a secluded, uninhabited-island feel, like I could very well be the last woman on earth.
I stared out at the ocean, enjoying the warm breeze kissing my cheeks and flowing through the gaps between the buttons of my cotton blouse. It was so peaceful here, so breathtaking that for a moment, I understood why Rook might do almost anything to prevent his home from becoming a Sandals or just another touristy stop for a Carnival Cruise, filled with T-shirt shops and bars. But little did he know that either way, the outcome to all this would involve him losing his island to Warner. Warner would likely turn it into some private gangster oasis with drugs, gambling, and prostitutes. He’d launder his money. He’d kill anyone who got in his way.
Part of me felt guilty about it. The other part of me felt that this was Rook’s karma.
I began stripping off my clothes, knowing that Luke would be here at any moment, and I couldn’t afford to lose my nerve. Rook wanted me to have a fling with Luke, then that was what I’d do. I’d show I trusted him. I’d tell him things, knowing Rook listened in.
I pulled off my blouse and shorts and then did away with my bra and panties. The wind picked up just enough to make the calm waters chop a bit. Carefully, I tiptoed into the bath-like ocean until waist deep.
“Miss Fitzgerald,” Rook’s deep voice called out.
Oh God. Why is he—I turned my head right as I took a step and something sharp jammed into the arch of my foot. I fell into the water, and a small wave smacked the back of my head. Sonofabitch! What was that?
I popped my head from the waves and clutched my burning foot. Rook, still in his same T-shirt and black shorts, charged in after me.
“What in God’s name are you doing, woman?” He scooped me up in his powerful arms.
“I was,” I grunted out my words, “going to snorkel with Luke.”
“Naked?” he barked, wading back to shore, looking ahead and not at my nude body.
“That was the idea.”
“Why?”
I had to lie. “It’s time for me to embrace the way things are done here. Otherwise, I’ll never be of any use to you.”
He grumbled something in a language—maybe French—that I didn’t understand. “I’m going to set you down. Just stand on one foot so I can get a look at the other.”
I went onto my good foot, and Rook kneeled in front of me. I couldn’t help blushing. His face was less than a foot from my groin and his eyes kept flittering to that exact spot.
“Lift the foot higher,” he barked.
I placed one hand on his broad shoulder to keep from falling, my breasts, ass and everything blowing in the wind.
“What happened to Luke?” I asked.
“He’s still tied up with the yacht. He asked if I could stop by and let you know he couldn’t come.”
Luke knew I’d be here, likely unclothed. He set me up.
Still on his knees, Rook straightened his back, desperately trying to avoid looking at the V between my legs.
“Hold still,” he grumbled. “I need to remove my shirt so I can tie it around your foot; there is a deep cut.”
He ripped off his shirt, and my breath caught. The deep grooves of his tan chiseled abs, the dark dusting of hair that ran from his navel underneath his waistband, the strong smooth swell of his arms, and of course, his third rails—those muscles that cut diagonally across his lower torso—he was perfect and oh so astoundingly beautiful.
Rook tied the shirt around my foot to keep the pressure on. “That should hold.”
He looked up at me, and his gaze instantly shifted, likely in response to whatever he saw in my eyes. Hard lust. Hunger. Appreciation.
His pale blue-gray eyes slowly drifted down my neck to my breasts. I could almost feel his hands touching my skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. His eyes went lower and my breathing became faster. He studied my stomach and hips, and then lower. He stared at the valley between my legs, his chest rising and falling quickly with his own breath.
“You’re going to cost me ten lashes tonight, Stephanie,” he said, his voice low and gruff.
My nipples hardened. The space between my legs ached and heated. “What would twenty buy you?”
Why had I said that? Why did it take so little for me to forget everything I was here for?
His cool stare snapped to my eyes, a look of turmoil in them. “Not nearly enough.”
Slowly, he rose to his feet and grabbed my pile of clothes from a few feet away. “Here.” He handed them over, averting his gaze. “Put these on, and I’ll get you to our doctor.”
Without a word I dressed. My hands were shaking. I felt light-headed with lust. This was not good.
“Ready,” I said with an unsteady voice.
Once again, Rook avoided eye contact, but swooped me into his arms.
I needed to say something. Something that would make him believe I was here to work and meant it.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like this.” I stared at his face—that strong jaw inked with black stubble, the elegant curve of high cheekbone.
“I am not. I quite enjoyed it.”
What? “Why do you keep toying with me like that, Rook? Is this some game to you?”
He stopped in the soft white sand, clutching me in his arms as if I weighed nothing. “My apologies. You are right. I drew the line. I should maintain it.”
“Drawing a line. Is that what you call it?”
He looked at me with furrowed dark brows.
“You’re the master of the mind fuck, Rook. You say make yourself at home, you say you want to help, but…” I pulled myself back. I was losing control again.
“But what?”
I smiled to cover my deep-seated frustration. “Never mind.”
“Tell me.”
“What’s the point?” I’m only going to lie to you.
“The point is I asked.”
I drew a breath, knowing I had to say something. “I now recognize what happened between us last week wasn’t real. Because you’re just a fantasy like anything else on this island. You play a part, you let people see what they need to see, you say what they want to hear. But that’s not really you, and I get that now. So how could anything I felt for you have been real?” Basically, I’m over you.
He stared into my eyes for a long moment, and then, without warning, he kissed me.
Whoa. I wasn’t dreaming. Not this time. I hadn’t gotten into bed or hit my head. Rook’s soft warm lips were on mine, his hot tongue playing against the seam of my mouth. Why is he kissing me? I didn’t know, but I couldn’t stop from melting into it. His tongue slid between my lips, allowing me to taste him.
Sweet. Delicious. My body instantly ached for more.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, our tongues sinfully dancing.
How does a monk learn to kiss like a sinner? Because Rook definitely moved like a bad boy. I couldn’t get enough.
With our mouths pressed tightly together, the pace of our kissing accelerated. I moved my hands to the sides of his rough cheeks, savoring the feel of having him close while he devoured me, breathing into me.
Suddenly, he set me down and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tightly against his tall, muscular frame, allowing me to feel the steely heat of his erection seeping through our clothes.
Our panting turned into muted groans as our hands began exploring, clawing and grabbing. He leaned over me, cupping my ass and lifting.
Yes, that was what I wanted.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, completely absorbed in him and this moment, of us exchanging the heat of our bodies. Though I bounced in his arms as he walked, the feverish kissing continued, consuming all rational thought.
When the rough bark of a palm tree hit my back, I grunted with pleasure. Not from the bark digging between my shoulder blades but because I felt the force of his hard cock pressing through my shorts.
Fully clothed, he moved his hips, grinding against my c-spot. I moaned with pleasure, and he grunted with his. Soon, he broke the kiss as our hips and bodies found a sinful rhythm leading only to one place.
“Look at me,” he commanded in a low voice, his hips bucking hard between my legs.
I opened my eyes, feeling lost in the depths of his gaze while our bodies moved together. I didn’t have words for what I felt, but I knew what I wanted with all my heart: for there to be a reason for the emotions stirring inside me.
“Fucking hell, you’ll be the death of me, Stephanie,” he said, staring into my eyes.
He pushed one last time, and I exploded, coming with every nerve, muscle, and cell of my body, everything freezing in time, everything fading and illuminating all at once. The sinful contractions spiked through me like a bolt of electricity, and I pushed back my head, crying out his name.
Rook’s deep voice growled out an animalistic sound as he pressed his entire body into me.
I opened my eyes, wanting to watch him come, to see what his beautiful face looked like when he was lost in the moment. It was sexy beyond words. Uninhibited, masculine, and vulnerable all rolled into one. With his guard down, Rook was even more gorgeous.
My eyes teared up, but I quickly swept the moisture away. I couldn’t let him see me like this. Wanting him so much.
With his eyes closed, Rook bent his forehead to mine, his chest heaving. He released my legs and then planted a lazy kiss on my now swollen lips, his strong hands cupping the nape of my neck.
“Why do you make me question every choice I’ve ever made and every choice forthcoming?”
Forthcoming. A word no one used anymore. A word from another time.
“Who are you?” I asked.
He opened his pale eyes and gazed tenderly into mine. “Today I am a sinner.” He smiled softly. “Come. I need to get you to our doctor. And I’m in need of a shower and fresh clothes.” He held out his hand.
Clearly he wanted to lighten the mood. But I could see the darkness lurking behind his eyes.
“How many lashes?” I asked.
“Enough. But that is not your concern.”