Chapter 4
We were surrounded by small trees, strands of twinkling lights hung over our heads, and Lola’s was just what I needed. Greta and I drowned in a bottle of wine and feasted on the best shrimp fettuccini I’d ever tasted. I had something I hadn’t had in a long time, if ever: laughter and friendship.
“I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place. It’s amazing.” I tilted my glass to the stars above.
“This is my go-to spot when I need to relax and flirt with some eye candy. If I’m lucky, I sometimes get laid.”
I almost choked on the sip I’d just taken and set my glass down on the coaster. There was something genuine, honest, and fun about Greta. A few times, her unexpected statements had made me laugh so hard I’d wiped tears from my eyes.
“Did you change your mind about resigning?”
“No. I’m out of there.”
“Well that’s a bummer. You’re the first assistant Mr. Mitchell has had that I’ve liked. The last one, Celeste, was a malicious slut—total bitch. She set him up. I’m not saying he’s not a player—because Lord knows he is—but she set him up.”
“What happened?”
“What didn’t happen? First, she found a handwritten note written on his office stationary inviting someone to his hotel room, one obviously not meant for her. Having the company credit card at her disposal, she sent herself a dozen roses. Then there was the diamond tennis bracelet charged to his account. I could go on and on with the damage she managed to inflict in just one month. Finally, Jennings did what he does best and arbitrated an agreement. She accepted a substantial amount, and it was easier to pay her off than have her cry on demand in front of a jury.”
“She sounds awful.”
“Evil. I never trusted her.”
“What makes you trust me?”
“You’re different. Even Mitchell knows it, maybe because of George. Either way, he’s different with you. I swear I almost lost my shit when you unintentionally called him an idiot because of his filing system, and then you called him out in front of Jennings, of all people.”
I shrugged. “In the morning, he’ll only have twenty-nine days left of dealing with me.”
“You’re crazy to quit, Brooke.”
I laughed, sipping from my glass of sweet red. “With all that’s going on right now, I don’t need to add a complication to my life.”
She narrowed her eyes. “He’s not all that bad. Underneath it all, he’s a really nice guy.”
“So why don’t you apply for the position?”
“I’m not qualified, or I would. Seriously, Brooke, you should reconsider. The first couple of days got off to a rocky start, but just forget them and start over.”
I shook my head. “He’s a jackass. I don’t need a boss talking about the way I dress, let alone my underwear.”
“Can you honestly say you’ve never wondered what’s underneath those expensive suits he wears?” She wriggled her eyebrows up and down, tipping her head to the right. “I mean, it’s normal to be curious. Look at those four guys sitting over there in the corner. The one in the blue polo is scorching hot, and there would be something terribly wrong with you if you didn’t wonder what he had going on beneath it. I mean, he has big feet and big hands, and you know…big feet, big…”
I laughed, rolling my eyes. Greta should have come with a warning label. “You’re crazy.”
She looked me over, rolling her fork around in the creamy noodles. “What about that fortune cookie message you have in with your stuff? What’s that about?”
“Nothing I want to talk about.” I hated going down memory lane.
Greta sank back in her chair, staring at her almost empty glass of wine. “I bet mine trumps yours. Five years ago, I went home early to try to sleep off a migraine. When I arrived I found my husband on all fours in the middle of our bed having an orgasm compliments of the town mayor’s dick. I packed my shit, walked out the door, drove away from that small Mississippi town, and never looked back.”
“Oh my God, Greta.”
“Hard to top that, huh? Cheating with a man twice his age—and he wasn’t even good-looking. His lover had a beer belly hanging over his pants, a disgusting greasy comb-over, and a teeny tiny penis ramming him up the ass. Jeff chased me to the door, sobbing like a pathetic baby, saying it wasn’t what I thought.” She refilled her glass then mine while letting out a sigh.
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t have a better response, though I knew better than anyone those two words didn’t mend a fractured heart.
“Don’t apologize, and don’t worry—I got even. Cell phones happen to have cameras that take pretty damn high-quality photos!”
“Tell me you didn’t.” My eyes widened.
She laughed with a mischievous twinkle dancing in her eyes. “Let’s just say the mayor’s wife filed for divorce shortly thereafter.”
My mother was the only one who knew my darkest secret. He’d left me broken, untrusting, and without the desire to ever fall in love again. In that moment, though, I opened my mouth, the story spilled out, and I couldn’t have stopped it if I’d tried.
“I had an affair with one of my professors. He said and did all the right things, making me fall head over heels for him—whisked me off on weekend getaways, romanced me with flowers, always signing the card with a made-up name so we could be discreet. Once when we were in New Orleans, he got on stage at a club and sang ‘All Of Me’ by John Legend while looking straight into my eyes. He poured his lying soul into me with the lyrics.”
“What happened?”
“A week later we were eating our favorite takeout Chinese on the floor of my apartment. Reading our fortune cookies together was a signature thing for us, and the one in the box in my office was mine. He told me the first day he met me had been the first day of his happiness and said I was his forever. I loved him hard in that moment.”
“Please tell me he didn’t die.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “No, he didn’t die. We were just lying there wrapped up in a blanket when a voice came out of nowhere, crying, ‘Daddy, how could you?’ He was married with five daughters, and one of them had seen him pick up our food. He was supposed to be out of town, and she followed him to my apartment.”
“Holy shit.”
“I know, right. There were so many clues I should have keyed in on, like the fact that we never went to his house. I mean, who dates a guy for a year and doesn’t ever go to his place?”
“All of Jeff’s lies were right in front of my face, I just didn’t see it until he was screaming another man’s name in our bed.”
“Jason told me his roommate was another professor and it was too risky because we might get caught. He promised as soon as I graduated, everything would be out in the open, no more secrets, and I fell for all of it.”
Greta raised her hand for the waiter. “Can you bring us another bottle?”
“Not for me. I have to be at work early.”
“Pffft, don’t worry about tomorrow. You’re going to need another glass when I tell you my other biggest secret.”
I giggled. “This must be good. I swear I can see you blushing in the dim light.”
“There’s someone I can’t stop thinking about. I can’t stop imagining what he looks like without his suit on, but he won’t give me the time of day.”
“Oh God, it’s Garrett Mitchell.”
She snarled. “Good God, no. It’s Jennings. I want to taste that man’s lips so bad I can’t stand it.”
“Does he know?”
“Unless he’s blind, he should.”
“Do you just want to sleep with him or see if there’s potential for something more?”
“Both. I’d die for that man to make me scream his name and date me at the same time.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Make a bolder move. Open up Jennings Lockwood’s eyes. He may think you’re young and beautiful and taken. Maybe because you work for his client-slash-friend, he sees you as off limits.”
“Jennings is the kind of man who does what he wants—he wouldn’t care if Garrett had a problem with it or not.”
“Maybe he doesn’t think you’d be interested because of the age difference.”
“I don’t give a fuck about him being older.”
“Maybe he thinks you do.”
The next morning, I regretted the second bottle of wine as I nursed a serious hangover. My head throbbed, and the elevator bell sounded as if it were in the center of my eardrum. Reaching the top floor, I gawked at my image in the mirror behind Greta’s desk. I’d worn another blah-white blouse, making my skin appear paler, and no amount of makeup could hide the misery I felt. Dark shadows circled my eyes, and I groaned as I made my way into my office.
Easing into the chair, I rubbed my temples, hoping the pain relievers I’d taken before showering did their job soon.
“Good morning,” Garrett called out in his husky morning voice.
“Shit, you startled me,” I whispered, drawing in a shuddering breath.
He was a mass of perfection, striding toward me holding a sherbet-colored plastic cup. “I don’t knock, Brooke. Thought you might like a donut with your skinny latte.”
“Um…thanks.”
Apparently Nice Garrett had shown up that day.
“Late night?” He scanned my face, wearing a frown.
“Something like that. Greta, wine, and Lola’s are now off limits during the week.”
He laughed, and it sounded so damned sexy. “There should be some over-the-counter pain medication in the top drawer in the closet.”
“I’ll be fine—I took some before I left home.” I reached for my morning cup of happy and savored the day’s first taste of heaven. “What do you need me to do first?”
“Do you have a passport?”
“Yes.” I retrieved the donut, which was covered in pink glaze and colorful sprinkles. “This looks delicious.”
“Have you ever been to paradise?”
I almost choked on the first bite of pure sugar. It had been two long years since I’d had a big O, and up until that moment, I’d been perfectly fine with my self-imposed drought. Heat crept into my face, turning my skin a soft shade of pink.
“Tropical paradise, Brooke—I only meant the tropics.” Humor danced at the corners of his lips as they curled into a devilish smile.
“My mom and I…used to go to Pensacola. Does that count?”
“Pensacola is beautiful, but not quite what I’m talking about. Salvatore has assured me everything is ready at La Amory. In two weeks, plan on spending a couple of days in St. Thomas, and another night at a small remote island. I hear it’s coming on the market soon.”
“If it’s small and remote, the return on investment might be risky. You need to determine how long it will take to make a profit. It may take more than it’s worth if it’s not touristy.”
“That’s why I’ll pay experts to gather data and put it all together before making an offer. George was right when he said you have a good head on your shoulders and a mind for business.”
“Thanks.”
His rich brown eyes—the color a cross between whiskey and espresso—flickered pure sexiness. Jolts of electricity shot through me, making my body sing to the very core.
Trapped in his gaze, my breath caught, and it seemed like an eternity, neither of us being willing to make the first move to look away. His jaw flexed before his eyes finally dipped down to my mouth when his inner brakes must have screeched things to a stop.
He felt it too—I know he did.
Garrett cleared his throat. “Hang on, I want to show you something.”
As he retreated into his office, I held my eyes on his backside. Pausing at his wide shoulders, I took him in, so tall and all male dressed in his suit. I felt my breath hitch in my chest.
When he was no longer in sight, I emptied the air from my lungs. Something primal coursed through my blood, spreading fire down to my center core.
I am in so much trouble.
Garrett came back carrying a tubular canister and wearing a dazzling smile. Instead of stopping across from me, he moved around to my side. Leaning over my shoulder, his chest brushed against me, and the contact fueled the burning he caused. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to shake off the unwanted chemistry exploding inside me.
Slowly, he unrolled the contents of the tube on the desk in front of me and spread his arms out, holding down the corners. It was as if a drug had been placed before an addict, and I fought the urge to give in.
“This is the place I want us to scout out and see if it’s what I think it will be. I want to introduce it to the world. It’s perfect for romance, lovers, honeymoons, and rekindling old flames. You can only get there by boat or chartered plane because there’s no commercial runway.”
His intoxicating scent invaded my senses. It wasn’t cologne, not anything but his own masculinity. I swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on the poster-sized picture of a beautiful mass of topaz water and sugary sands lined with palm trees.
My finger trembled as it traced where water met sky. “It’s breathtaking.”
He pointed to the tip of the island. “This is where the resort is. You’ll see it on a smaller scale in the next picture.”
His breath brushed against my ear, and I bit back a moan at the foreplay he didn’t know he was engaging in. Forcing myself to focus on the beautiful poster, I asked, “What’s this called?”
“Bella Vista. It means beautiful place. There are fourteen villas I want to turn into five-star facilities fit for royalty. The rooms need renovating, and I’d want to add an infinity pool, a spa, and fine dining—make it a once-in-a-lifetime memory, tranquil and romantic.”
I stared at the picture, too afraid to look over my shoulder at him. This was a side of Garrett Mitchell I’d never seen, and I was fairly certain no one downstairs had either. Blinking several times, I licked my lips, forging on as if the cat didn’t have my tongue.
“The name is fitting. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“I want you to help me with this project, come up with designs for the rooms and the pool.”
“I don’t know the first thing about designs, spas, or pools, Garrett. I can market it, but I can’t design anything.”
“Learn.” He moved away, seating himself in the chair across from me.
“I resigned.”
“HR didn’t receive your resignation.”
“Did you make sure of that?”
“Something must have happened in the system. Occasionally IT shuts things down after hours for upgrades.” He smirked in the cockiest way, not fooling me in the least. He’d made that shit happen.
“Garrett, I need my job. My mother is sick, and while I know you don’t give two shits about that, I do. I’m going to put in a transfer request today to go back to my old department. I can tolerate the job for thirty days, but afterward, I’m going back to George.”
“If I can’t find the right person for the job, I’ll deny your request.” He leaned over my desk, flipping to the next poster. He seemed so cool and collected while I gave him a death glare.
“Why would you do that? You would rather fire me? Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen if I stay.” My throat went dry and a chill went through me.
“Then don’t give me a reason to fire you.”
I slammed my hand down in the center of the picture, making him look up at me. Thick, long eyelashes framed his intense chocolate eyes, and my whole body tensed at the powerful connection in the stare, as if the drug called my name.
Get it together. He’s your boss, and you have a job to do.
“Garrett, please. I need you to authorize it.”
“I need someone with your capabilities, and I don’t have time to train anyone else any time soon. Discussion ended.”