Edward’s plane took him away from everything; from the problems he was facing with his brother, from the issues he was forced to deal with involving not only his company but Mia’s as well, from everything that seemed to be pulling his life into a hole. There were matters at hand he needed to deal with, pressing matters that needed his attention. But on a moment’s notice, he decided to pack a small bag and call his pilot. Two hours later, he was in the air and on his way to his villa on Necker Island.

“Mr. Donovan?” Edward opened his eyes and saw the soft hand of a pretty woman standing over him. “We’re approaching the British Virgin Islands.” She nodded toward the window and smiled at the brilliance of the sunrise peeking over the dark blue ocean.

He looked out the small cabin window, trying to see the same beauty she did. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation or the clouded thoughts he still had in his brain. He managed a little sleep, but not enough to make a difference.

“Good morning, Mr. Donovan.” The pilot’s voice sounded over the small speakers that lined the cabin. “It is just after six in the morning. We have started our descent toward Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport and should be arriving in approximately twenty minutes. It is currently eighty-one degrees Fahrenheit with sixty-seven percent humidity. Sounds like a perfect day.”

Edward begged to differ. He stood up and stretched his body, keeping his eyes on the stewardess. She was familiar, but since he rarely indulged in the family perks, he wasn’t sure of her name. “How long have you worked for my father?”

“About three years.”

“Was he a good man to work for?”

“Sir?”

“Never mind. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t put you on the spot like that.” He knew the answer. He was, perhaps, hoping for someone who might have cherished him. He grabbed his bag and walked to the back cabin, where he freshened up and changed from his suit to something a little more island-ready. He took his seat and pulled the buckle around him.

“Can I get you anything?”

“I’ll need transportation from the airport to the island.”

“There will be a boat on the bay and a car to take you directly there upon your arrival.”

He nodded his approval and looked back to the window. He saw the island in the distance, and nothing but blue around it. Paradise.

After touching down, everyone he came in contact with seemed overly enthusiastic about taking care of his needs. When the car pulled him in front of Marché at Trellis, he tipped the driver generously and went inside.

“We are still closed.” A thin, very dark-skinned man with a Spanish accent worked behind the bar, restocking his inventory for the day.

Edward walked to the counter and pulled out a hundred dollars. He handed it to the man and waited for his response.

“What can I get for you, sir?”

“Something strong.” He sat on a nearby barstool and pulled his phone out.

“Whiskey, bourbon, beer, or cocktail?”

“Surprise me.”

“How about a nice rum punch? It is our specialty.” He worked quickly to make Edward’s liquid breakfast, glancing at him several times while he did. “Rough night?”

“I just arrived.”

“Ah. Welcome to the British Virgin Islands. Are you here for business or pleasure?”

“I’m headed to Necker Island.”

“Pleasure.”

“Actually, I’m getting away from both.”

The man set a tall glass in front of Edward, the aroma of pineapple filling his senses. The orange liquid faded up into a yellow splash, and a taste pungent of rum overcame his taste buds with the first drink. He quickly drank it down, looked around the beachy hut, and ordered another one. Once he had it in his hand, he set a twenty on the counter and thanked the man. Carrying his drink out of the bar, he walked the small distance to the bay, where a boat was waiting for him.

By mid-morning, Edward was being greeted at his villa by a staff hired to clean and fully stock for his stay. With a light buzz in his head and a new drink from a small bar on his patio, he stripped his feet bare and took in the scenery on the beach.

It was the perfect atmosphere to help forget his problems, but it wasn’t working. He still thought heavily about Mia and the issues he was having with his brother. After a light lunch and more drinks with a couple of local beauties, he began to forget.

Tropical music played from a small radio while Juliette and Maria danced together in bikinis and small wraps that hung loosely from their hips. Their bodies were kissed by the sun, their skin bronzed perfectly, a smell of soft coconut radiating from their direction. White sand covered their toes with each step they took. It was a sight any man would kill for, and he was able to enjoy it without wanting to. Long fingernails touched each other as they glanced at Edward for approval. Lips kissed playfully, and arms snaked around glistening waists.

The girls walked to Edward and snaked their arms around his neck, their fingernails gliding along his arm. “Do you want to play with us?” Their Spanish accents added to their beauty.

“Yes, come dance.” They tried pulling him up, but he politely declined their tempting offer.

“How about I refill your drinks? I’m not much for dancing and playing today.”

“Aw.” They pouted sexily and started dancing together once again.

Edward shook his head and smiled, walking around to the bar and refreshing everyone’s drinks. The sun was warm against his skin, and he was feeling the effects of the alcohol.

“How about we go into town, and you can buy us dinner?” Juliette flirted, every word pouring out like honey.

“That sounds fabulous!” Maria picked up on her tone easily and tried to do the same. They both worked very well together. “I know of an exquisite place close to the marina. Afterward, we can take a little trip on the water.” Both girls looked at Edward like small children asking for a new toy.

“Sounds perfect.” He downed the rest of his drink and set it down. “Do you girls want to freshen up first?”

“Give us half an hour. We’ll be right back.” Hand in hand, they ran down the beach, giggling and frolicking in the sand.

Edward took that time to do the same, walking away from the beach into his villa.

The restaurant the girls picked out had to have been one of the most luxurious on the island, but who could blame them? Getting pampered by rich, good-looking Americans was what they lived for, was what most of the young girls on these islands lived for.

Edward had been to the island with his father a couple of times, but he was much younger then. It looked different to him as a man. He no longer noticed the castles in the sand, the beach balls being tossed around, the trampolines in the water. He no longer wanted to rush down the hot water slides into the heavily salted waters of the ocean or join in on the pirate parties on the beach.

He wanted to lose himself in the nightlife. He noticed that most the female population was in shape and beyond attractive. He was drawn in by the casinos and the ambiance of the music and the lights on the yachts that lined the marina just down the beach from the restaurant.

With the beautiful life pulling him in, he still practiced self-discipline in being true to what he wanted: Mia. Although the small island and abundance of alcohol were helping him destress and relax, he still had his mind on Mia and how he’d make it right with her when he saw her again.

Dinner went well; what he remembered of it, that is. Somehow, he ended up with three more dinner guests dressed as provocatively as Juliette and Maria were. Their long, sexy summer dresses showed almost as much skin as their bikinis did. Whether they knew each other or not, they got along very well. Edward enjoyed watching them flirt with each other, touching and kissing and getting worked up. He paid the check and left a generous tip, getting up from the table after his guests did. When they bounced and danced off the patio toward the beach, he followed. They led him down along the water to another establishment he immediately guessed to be a gentlemen’s club.

“You girls don’t have to accommodate me. We can do whatever you like.”

“We’d like to go here.” Two of the girls danced around him, each of them taking his arms and leading him to the front of the windowless building. “Nadia works here.”

“And, so will Maria, starting tomorrow.” They giggled as they walked up to the front door. The music thumped a beat that grew stronger as they got closer. When the door opened, strings of colored lights danced around the room, occasionally ripping by his face and then disappearing into the room.

Several small stages standing several inches from the floor were lit up by several spotlights as half-naked women danced around long steel poles. Some girls danced slowly, provocatively, teasing their onlookers, who sat along the stage awaiting their special dance with money in their hands.

Other girls whipped themselves around their poles, showing off their ability to combine gymnastics with their dance. Edward followed the girls toward the bar and waited while Maria leaned over and whispered into the ear of a very large man with a black suit. He nodded and gestured to a man standing just out of the large room. The girls followed, taking Edward by the hands and coaxing him along. They left the room and walked along a narrow hallway until it fed into a staircase. He followed them up the stairs until they opened a door and poured themselves into a cozy room about half the size of the club downstairs. The room was lined with couches and overstuffed chairs, small tables strategically placed for drinks and other recreational drugs and mood lighting with soft music to set the atmosphere.

He sat on the edge of one of the couches, a drink offered to him by one of the girls. He reluctantly took it, wondering if it was just alcohol and juice. She danced around his legs, running her fingertip along his jawline as she squatted down, stuck her ass into the air, and stood up slowly. She kissed her finger and ran it over his lips before she turned away and walked toward two of her friends bent over a small table. They sniffed a line of white powder with a straw until the small, narrow strip had disappeared. Giggling and rubbing their noses, they started dancing with each other in the middle of the room.

This wasn’t what Edward had in mind when he followed them, but who was he to judge anyone at this point? He knew better than to follow them up the stairs, but he was in such a relaxed state of mind that he’d stopped making decisions when they asked him to foot the bill for dinner.

“Come on, baby. Have some fun with Nadia and me.” Maria pulled him up off the couch, and he moved his body as they danced around him, their hands rubbing his stomach and his chest underneath his shirt. “We can show you such a good time, baby. You’re never going to want to leave.”

“As tempting as it seems and as beautiful as you ladies are, I have to say no. My work is my drug.” His words slurred together. He needed to shut down and get away from there before he did something he’d regret, but Juliette danced so provocatively.

She had her luscious lips puckered around a joint and sucked the marijuana into her lungs. She passed it to Maria, who did the same, seductively looking up at Edward. She held her breath and offered it to him.

His practical side was screaming at him to say no and say goodnight to everyone, but everything else within him crowded his practical side out, and he felt himself taking the joint from her.

He held it to his lips, barely touching the end, and sucked the pungent smoke into his lungs. It was very strong weed and affected him as soon as he breathed it in. He held his breath and handed it back to Maria.

“Good shit, huh?” Nadia leaned into him, her breasts touching his chest. She slid her arms around his neck and began to slow-dance. “I can make the rest of your night just as good if you let me.” She rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, “Let me, Edward. Let me make you feel good.”

“Just like that?”

“Five hundred and I can do whatever you want me to do.”

He actually felt sorry for her. Such a beautiful woman, degrading herself to such a profession. She had so much more potential if presented to her. He felt for his wallet and wondered if he even had that much cash on him.

She took his hand before he had a chance to answer. She winked at a few of the girls still partying around the small table and led him out onto a small balcony overlooking the ocean. She guided him toward a long wicker bench and sat him down, straddling him and kissing him passionately. Her fingers worked the buttons on his shirt as she followed them down with her mouth on his chest. When her hand reached into his pants and began stroking him, he leaned his head back and just let it happen. He was beyond caring about anything at this point.

Shortly after it all started, it stopped. “I’ll be right back, lover,” she whispered, disappearing. He thought about getting up to rejoin the party or even make his way out of there, but he felt numb. He listened to the beat of the music from downstairs and the waves of the ocean washing up onto the beach. When he felt her hands on his arms, he smiled and mumbled something about not wanting to upset her.

“I can still give you something for your troubles, but I can’t do this. I don’t want to hurt her, even if I fucked up my chances to be with her.”

“Edward?”

He opened his eyes and saw the very woman he was talking about standing directly in front of him. “Mia?”