Chapter 9
“How do you know my mother’s name?” I straightened, pulling out of Garrett’s hold.
His comforting arms tensed and hesitated before stepping back. “George told me. He mentioned her being sick since he knows how I feel about people being punctual and reliable. I don’t settle for anything less, yet he managed to talk me into going out on a limb with you. Somehow, I agreed to let you off from time to time if the need arose, maybe work from home if necessary. He convinced me you were so good I wouldn’t be sorry.”
“And Jason’s?” I folded my arms over my chest, demanding to know the truth. “My mother is the only one who knows anything about us.”
“George knows.”
My mouth gaped, disbelieving. “You’re lying. I’ve never told George.”
“It isn’t hard to figure out. He and Andrea spent time by your side when your mom was in the hospital.”
“Are you saying you believe my mother told George?”
He nodded. “I believe she knows they will always look after you if anything happens to her, and she’s right. George knew you needed the extra income to make life easier, and he threatened to personally kick my ass if I did anything to make life difficult for you.”
I heard him sigh, and I turned away, toward the ocean. How was I supposed to feel? I’d trusted my mom to never share my secret, but she knew I trusted George and Andrea. She would give her last breath trying to make life easy for me, to tell me she loved me, to make me feel loved.
“Brooke.” He stood so close without touching me.
“I need a minute.”
I didn’t hear him step away, but I knew he’d left me to deal with things my way. Sinking down into the sand, I stretched my legs out in front of me and put my palms in the sand at my hips. The sun beamed down on my face.
I wanted to be mad at my mom. I wanted to yell and have a meltdown…but her words rang in my ears.
“I’d sell my soul if it meant you were taken care of.”
And she would.
After a few minutes of basking in the sun, I marched into the shade where Garrett sat on the driftwood, staring intently in my direction.
“Are you okay?”
“Hard to believe you knew about my mom being sick and all the baggage that comes with it…and you still gave me the job.”
“Sometimes I surprise myself.” Flickers of relief teased the corners of his mouth, lifting it into a smile.
“You should do that more often.”
“What? Keep secrets?”
“Smile. You have a nice smile.”
Ignoring the compliment, he picked up the coconut, sliced another piece, and handed it to me. “Eat.”
The big bad Tin Man had a heart after all.
I nibbled on a few pieces and drank some of the water from the fruit before we started construction on our dwelling. He demonstrated how to bind the palm branches together until we’d made a large enough lean-to for us to sleep in. He’d made a fire pit with bigger rocks and shells, and one of the wire hangers from inside his garment bag would serve as a makeshift rotisserie rod.
“You worked hard today—sit down for a while and take a break.” He handed me the bottled water from inside the plane. “I’m going to see if I can find us some lunch and bring back some water from the lagoon.”
I watched him pick up a piece of wood he’d sharpened into a fine tip. My gaze trailed down his backside, and my blood buzzed. His rippled torso glistened as a trickle of sweat rolled down his back, and his broad muscled shoulders worked as he fastened the sharp piece to the end of a long branch, making a spear.
“Is there a place to bathe at the lagoon?”
Garrett stopped moving for a second before turning his head to look at me over his shoulder. His dark eyes devoured mine with clearly defined desire.
God, those eyes. He had the most beautiful spellbinding eyes that drew me to him with one look.
“Yes.” He swallowed hard.
“Let me grab the soap, shampoo, and a change of clothes.”
“Look in my bag and grab mine too, if you don’t mind.”
“Anything in particular?”
“I mostly packed suits, but I have one more pair of shorts in my suitcase—oh, and get my toothbrush too please.”
We carried our things in silence as we made a ten-minute journey through the thick greenery. I heard the sound of the waterfall before it came into view, and I stood in awe at the beauty. The clear water fell approximately fifteen feet into the small lagoon. Surrounded by lush tropical flowers, it was tranquil and inviting.
“While you’re getting cleaned up, I’m going to try my luck at spearing some fish.”
“No peeking.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” His voice teased, but his eyes were hooded.
As soon as he was out of view, I peeled off my clothes and dipped into the cool refreshing water. I used the shampoo sparingly, wondering how long I could make it last. Before dipping underneath the surface, I looked around, making sure Garrett wasn’t in sight. With the coast clear, I stood in the waist-deep pool. Drops trickled down my body as I headed toward the bank to finish off by shaving my legs.
Afterward, I dried my body with a t-shirt then shimmied into a sundress and the only flip-flops I’d brought. As I combed through my wet hair, the pleasant scent of peaches from the fragrant shampoo wafted through the air.
“Garrett?” I called out.
I looked around, ready to call out his name again, but then I found him leaning against the trunk of a large tree. My face warmed at the thought of him watching me.
“How long have you been there?”
“Long enough.”
“What did you see?”
“Not enough.” Hunger danced in his eyes—hunger for me.
“What’s going on between us, Garrett?”
“You’re fired, Brooke.”
My eyes widened. “What? Why?”
He dove into the water, slid his shorts off, and tossed them onto the bank. As he shook the water from his hair, droplets rolled down his face.
“When we’re back in Dallas, you can apply for your marketing job if you want.”
“Why would you do this?”
“Because we can’t fuck if you work for me, and I can’t pretend I don’t want you any longer. You’re killing me.” There was a playful smile in his voice, but his expression was predatory. He raised his eyebrows as if daring me to protest.
I was speechless as I stood at the edge of the water, caught up in the chemistry between us. It was useless to pretend I could resist him. My hibernating hormones had fully awakened and were ready for a thrill.
Fuck consequences.
He grinned, holding my gaze captive with his wicked stare. A shudder passed through me and I fought the urge to wade into the water and make good on his promise right there, right then.
“Tonight, wear the dinner dress you brought. I’m going to take you on a date.”
“A date,” I repeated.
“Dinner. Lucky for you, I speared some fish.” He winked.
Even the way he lathered soap into his hair and washed his body made mine hum. I almost laughed and told him he didn’t have to try to seduce me to have sex with me; we’d crossed that line when he kissed me. I was a sure thing, and I craved the sparks he lit.
He started toward the bank without caring that I was watching. With each step, the water lowered on his hips and his perfect V came into view. I gasped before coming to my senses and quickly spun my body around.
Dear mother of all saints.
That man made all the air whoosh out of my lungs, made me forget my own name.
As we walked along the narrow path leading to the camp, he stayed in front, holding branches back to keep them from hitting me. The entire way, my eyes were treated to a perfect view of his glorious backside.
When we reached the shore, the afternoon sun had started setting. He kneeled at the edge of the pit where he’d stacked some wood and lit a fire. Raising a box of matches, he said, “We can make these last for a while if we keep the coals hot enough to self-start. Let me get my bags and you can use the back of the plane to get ready.”
I licked my lips. “Um…Garrett, that’s not really necessary. I can help you cook the fish and we can—”
“I need to get my suit. I’m taking you on a date, and it’s a black-tie occasion.” He strolled over to the plane, retrieving his suitcase.
In the back of the cabin, the breeze brushed my bare skin as I did my best to roll my hair into a simple but classy updo. Having only a small compact mirror created limitations, but I managed to pull together a chic messy bun.
A date.
Lost in the middle of the ocean with nothing but water and uninhabited land in sight, it still felt as though I were getting ready for a night at the finest restaurant and theatre.
I applied smoky grey eye shadow and a coat of mascara then traced around my eyes with a charcoal liner before swiping my lips with a nude gloss. Standing, I slipped into the most beautiful black dress I owned, loving the low neckline and satin spaghetti straps. Forgoing the battle of heels against sand, I opted for black ballerina flats, and I longed for a full-length mirror.
Breathing in the aroma of savory fish, I almost laughed. It had been almost twenty-four hours since my last real meal, and yet it was Garrett I craved. He made my heart race and ignited a flame in every cell of my being.
As I stepped into the dusky evening air, a swarm of butterflies came alive in my stomach as if they were competing in an Olympic event.
Garrett.
He strolled forward, drawing closer with each step, wearing a sharp black-on-black suit and a sexy-as-hell grin. His brilliant eyes twinkled, and I felt as though mine sparkled brighter than the stars in a pitch-black sky.
“You look beautiful.” His gaze traveled over me.
“You do too…I mean, you look handsome.”
He held out his arm and I looped mine through it as he led me to edge of the water. My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. He’d arranged fanned palm leaves to form a picnic blanket next to a large piece of driftwood.
“I don’t know how long the batteries will last.” He held up an iPod and a portable speaker. “I left them in my bag from when I went to Port Bolivar a few weeks ago.”
He pressed a button and the tune “Feel Again” by OneRepublic filled the air.
“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back with the fish.”
Watching him saunter toward the firepit, I felt the electricity of the moment. It zipped through me with a force I’d never felt for anything or anyone. My stomach clenched, and my heart hammered in my chest.
Seconds later he returned carrying a tray of steamy fish and wearing a lopsided grin. “I used a piece of the wing. It was barely holding together so I managed to rip it off for a homemade griddle.”
“Well, well, well, I see you do have skills.”
“I’ve been told that on more than one occasion.” He lowered himself onto the padded ground and eased a bottle of wine from underneath his arm. “I picked this up for George, but I’m sure he’ll understand. No glasses though.”
“Smells delicious.”
“No seasoning, but it’s food.”
I sampled a piece of the filet and closed my eyes, savoring the heavenly taste.
“It’s soooo good.” I moaned with delight.
He let out a husky groan, almost too quiet to hear over the soft music and waves lapping at the shore, and it made me freeze, my second bite halfway to my mouth. His jaw twitched, and he looked intense as he picked up a piece of the fish and ate it. He watched me with an intense stare, opening the bottle of wine with the tiniest corkscrew on a ring.
“You carry that thing around with you just in case you’re in the middle of nowhere and happen to want to impress your date?”
“Souvenir for Greta.”
“While I’m shocked you actually bought gifts for anyone, I’m wondering when in the hell you had time to shop. You barely gave me time to get dressed, let alone take a trip to the ladies room.” I deepened my voice, mimicking him, “This is a business trip, not personal.”
“I scouted the gift shop when you went back to the room to change.” He took a sip, exposing glittery cufflinks that sparkled in the light of the flickering flames a few feet away. He passed me the bottle and I pressed my lips to the rim, taking a drink of the sweet red liquid, and I swore I tasted him over the wine.
“Dance with me.” He pulled himself to his feet, shrugged out of his jacket, and tossed it over the log, completely carefree.
Not waiting for my response, he grasped my hand, tugging me to a standing position. Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” filled the air as his hands wrapped around my waist and I circled my hands around his neck, blood pumping fiercely through my veins. Our eyes met, and under the full glowing moon, I melted into him.
Garrett’s hands lowered past the small of my back, inching down and stopping at the curve of my ass as we swayed to the music. He pressed intimately against me, making thinking impossible. I tilted my head upward and his mouth dipped down, pausing and hovering so closely his breath seemed to hypnotize me.
“You’re all I think about.” His lips brushed mine in a feathery kiss. Unable to resist another second, I opened my mouth, inviting his tongue inside. He slanted his head, deepening the scorching connection. My fingers locked into his thick silky hair and I melted in his arms.
In one swoop, he cupped my ass and hauled me up against his body, the hem of my dress riding up around my hips as I wrapped my legs around him. He eased us down onto the blanket of palm leaves, and I straddled him while his fingers lowered my zipper.