Chapter Seventeen

We take to an over-polished staircase the colour of mahogany. I don’t scan our surroundings as we climb. Instead, I keep my eyes planted on Arlie’s arse because that’ll be the only way I’m going to survive this stint of physical activity.

We make our way along some tiled flooring, then swiftly turn up another set of smooth, varnished wooden stairs.

You’ve got to be kidding me. I hope this is the tour and welcoming portion of the day because if this is the hike to our bedrooms, then I don’t see me coming down often or at all. “Are the bedrooms all the way up here?”

“Our bedrooms are on level three. They’ve been allocated to us, although there are rooms on all levels from what I’ve found.” We continue taking each step. “The pool, sauna, and a fully equipped gym fill level four. Oh, and I think there’s a beauty parlour, but I didn’t gawk inside. There’s one big bedroom up there too. It appears to be some type of honeymoon suite, and let me tell you, the view of the beach is far better than the one I have.” He takes a breath, then continues, “Level one is the lounge, cooking quarters, formal dining area, library, sunroom …” He pauses, as if thinking. “There’s a bathroom on level one. Well, there are bathrooms on every level, I think.” We make it to the top of the stairs. I look to my left, then my right.

A long hallway. Only two doors coming off it at either end.

“Level two is a cinema and a stack-load of guest bedrooms. Well, that’s what they look like to me.”

“This place is gigantic.”

“It is, but if you search for this big winding staircase, I’ve found you won’t get lost inside it.”

“Find the staircase. That I can do.”

“Our rooms are down different ends of this floor. Yours is to the right and mine is to the left.”

Keep your eyes on his. Don’t look down at his junk. Don’t look at his crotch.

I flick my vision to his crotch. His cock is so well defined against that material. Big, too. Could I fit it in my mouth?

“Melinda?”

“Hmm?” I reply, and—

Oh, shit. I’m still looking at his crotch.

I shoot my eyes to his.

There’s a quiet snickering. “Melinda.”

“Yes?” I clear my throat.

“Our rooms are at different ends of the floor.” He pauses, the corners of his lips rise, but swiftly fall. “My room is massive. It’s the one they said I was to take, but if yours isn’t up to scratch, then feel free to check out mine, and if you like it better, we’ll swap. I want you to be comfortable.”

“Comfortable. Right.”

He smiles.

I bite my lower lip when my eyes greedily scan past his mouth, his clean-shaven chin, and stop on the only part of his broad chest not covered by his belongings. The top of his pecks.

“I’m going to get dressed. I’ll be back in a minute. Do you want me to take your luggage to your room before I head off, or are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Again, with the dreamy reply. Stop it, Mindy. Just stop it.

“I’ll leave it here for you then.” Arlie’s free hand now skirts my upper arm. “See you in a minute or two.”

I nod.

He turns and walks down a carpeted hallway. I don’t shift my sight from his bare back, because it’s beautiful. Even the small brown birthmark marking his skin like a tramp stamp in the small of his back is perfect.

Snap out of it before he sees you staring at him.

I blink excessively, then grab my suitcase and make my way to the right and the bedroom I was told was mine, dragging my luggage behind me. “Thank you, God,” I whisper under my breath, still thinking about the sudden strip show I was gifted.

The door to my quarters is cracked open. I push against the wood until it widens farther. It’s dark, which I’m not expecting due to the time of the day. However, after adjusting my sight, I spy two huge curtains pulled along the farthest wall. I leave my belongings inside the door, including the hat I take off. Is it bad luck to wear a hat indoors? Or is that only if you open an umbrella inside? I can’t remember.

I make the vast distance from the room’s entry to the curtains. I take one of the two metal sticks hanging from the point where the curtains meet and pull.

Step by step, I draw back the dense material. Sunshine blasts through the gap it creates like an eclipse. It’s bright enough that I could wear sunglasses. Perhaps I’ll leave here with Amazonian skin and not the milky white complexion I currently have. That would be a bonus.

Once I have one side completely drawn, I make my way to the other curtain but stop before I finish the trek. The view—the view is so captivating. It has me holding my breath. Trees sway, waves ripple onto the shore, and there’s so much white sand. The sky glows a brilliant blue above, and it almost appears as if it’s been hand-painted there.

“Wow,” I mouth, noticing the sea is absent of boats, vessels, and people. I’m really on a deserted island. My breath gets faster. Whoa. Did I even realise that before now? It rains down on me like a tonne of bricks. Every breath I take becomes harder. Oh God, am I hyperventilating?

“Melinda, are you happy with your room?” Arlie says over the sound of light tapping.

“I am,” I reply, with my eyes glued to the view laid out in front of me as I attempt to control my sudden bout of anxiety.

“It’s pretty impressive, yeah?”

“It is.”

I don’t hear his footsteps, but I know he’s standing behind me because I can feel his breath cascading across the back of my neck. “I don’t think I’ll want to leave here when it’s all said and done.”

I shake my head, slowly, hesitating. I’m mesmerised.

Arlie’s presence disappears. I catch him striding past me from the corner of my eye. He pulls the opposing curtain away.

“Our rooms are pretty much identical. Even the view is similar,” he says.

“How is that possible? Didn’t you say you’re down the opposite end of the hall?”

“I am, but it appears the scenery is similar from both ends of the property.”

“Do you see the mountains, too?” I point towards the high green peaks in the distance.

“I do, although one of mine looks like a crooked nose on a face.” He half laughs. “Well, that sounded stupid, but to me it does. What do yours look like?” He comes to stand beside me. I scan peak after peak until I’m left looking at a rock face with a protruding mound.

“A boob.” I giggle. “Doesn’t that one there look like a boob?” I stretch my finger in its direction.

He mimics my movement and uses his extended finger to trace the shape of a breast against the glass sliding door which separates us from the circular veranda. “With a nipple and all. I think we should swap rooms. I want to admire the boob mountain. You can have the crooked nose mountain?”

“No dice. If you’d said it was shaped like a giant peen …” I snap my teeth together and curl my lips shut.

“Peen? Were you going to say pen?” Arlie grins in a way that says he knew exactly what I had intended to say.

I’m blushing. I know I am because my face becomes overheated.

“What’s so endearing about a pen? Are you a stationery collector or something?” He nudges into me softly. “I know—you've got a thousand pens scattered from arsehole to breakfast around your home, don’t you? Sticky notes, oh la la! They’re stuck to every wall, too, I bet. Go on. You can share.”

I clear my throat, trying not to laugh.

“I should go down to level two. There’s a conference room there. If my memory serves me correctly, I think there’s a few pens with the Heart Key logo on them. I could get you some, if it’ll tickle your fancy.”

My determination falters, and I giggle. “Stop it.” I fold my arms defensively across my chest and dramatically huff.

“What? You’re the one who loves pens, not me.”

I turn my eyes in his direction. Big wide teeth. A gorgeous broad smile. A face so handsome it should be carved into the side of a mountain for every person on Earth to admire.

“So is that a yes to me getting you those pens?” His banter is cheeky.

“Noooo!” I place my hand on my forehead. “You make me so embarrassed.”

“Me?” He stops. “There’s no need to be all blushing and overwhelmed. We all have things that, you know, turn us on. Personally, I love me some balloons. All colours, every shape. They feel …”

“Stop taking the mickey out of me. You don’t even have a thing for balloons. I think you teasing me is what turns you on here, Mr Blight.”

He shrugs. “I guess time will tell.”

“Arrrgh. You’re terrible.”

“I am. It’s true. I’m a monster.”

Arlie’s quick-witted, handsome, and funny with a hot-arse body. I can mess around with him with such ease, and, apart from Chris, I typically don’t let any man see that relaxed side of me. But with Arlie, it comes easily. He’s everything I hoped for and more, which is why I need to tread carefully because I don’t want to get hurt.

I don’t want Arlie to leave me with scars.