by Nina Singh
His knowing smirk of a smile told her his words had had the intended effect. She shook off the oh-so-dangerous thoughts. What in the world was wrong with her? Two days ago, she would have named Reid Evanson as one the few people on earth she’d be content to never run into again throughout her lifetime. Now, here she was fantasizing about him as he held her in a viselike grip.
“I didn’t notice the envelope right away,” she lied. What was one small fib in an attempt at saving face? His eyes narrowed on her before traveling down the length of the dress she wore. He wasn’t convinced. The truth was she’d agonized over whether to come or not. She’d stood so long in the shower trying to decide, her skin would probably stay pruned into next week.
“I can come back,” she managed to say. With some reluctance, she moved out of his arms. He hesitated for the briefest moment before letting her go. “You were obviously on your way out.”
“No. Come in,” he said then stepped aside, motioning her into the room. “My errand can wait.”
Celeste had to take a steadying breath as she moved past him into the spacious office.
“Have you eaten?” he asked as he followed her in. “The offer was to treat you to breakfast, after all.”
The answer was no. She hadn’t had a bite to eat this morning, just some coffee brewed in the room. But she didn’t think she’d be able to summon an appetite right now. Her heart was still stammering in her chest. Her pulse hadn’t slowed yet. And she certainly didn’t need any more of the strong island coffee in the state she was in.
“Maybe just some tea.”
He nodded then fired off a text. Before she’d even had a chance to sit down, a young woman appeared carrying a tray with a steaming carafe and various tea bags.
“Help yourself.”
“What did you want to see me about, Reid?” she asked as she poured herself a cup of steaming water and dunked two bags of English breakfast in.
He sat down in the large leather desk chair across from her. The massive mahogany desk between them served as a makeshift barrier and calmed her somewhat. But not completely. Why was she finding herself so affected by this man? She remembered there had always been a strange kind of awareness between them when she’d been engaged to Jack. But she’d chalked it up to conflicting personalities. She certainly hadn’t realized all he’d observed about her, the things he’d shared last night.
Reid began to speak. “You mentioned last night that we don’t call enough attention to the various activities and attractions that the resort has to offer.”
“That’s right.”
“I know you have no reason to, but I wanted to ask if you’d help me with that.”
The successful businesswoman in her suddenly stood at attention. Celeste couldn’t deny she was intrigued. “Help you how?”
He shrugged. “It’s what you’re known for professionally. Developing and running marketing campaigns that appeal to as large a target audience as possible. Tell me how to appeal to potential vacationers about all we have to offer. I’m prepared to pay you for your time. Or, since I’m guessing you don’t need the money, I’m willing to offer you a lifetime of free stays with us. As long as we have space, you can come spend a week here completely complimentary.”
“I can afford vacations, Reid. Like you said, I don’t need the money and I don’t need freebie getaways.”
“But you have to admit, it would be a nice option to have at your disposal.”
His statement reminded her just how far she’d come in life. The girl she’d been, the one who’d grown up with hardly enough to get by let alone the means to travel, would never have believed the opportunity before her now. Hard to believe that girl had grown into the woman who was about to turn such an offer down.
“I’m on vacation. I really wasn’t expecting to do any kind of work.”
He smiled and tapped a finger against his temple. Had she found that smile so dazzling three years ago when he’d been a member of her wedding party? No wonder she’d done her best to avoid the man. That smile was dangerous. Perhaps she should be avoiding him now, too. “That’s the best part,” Reid continued. “What I’m proposing will only enhance your vacation experience.”
Now her curiosity was definitely piqued.
“Hear me out,” Reid prodded further.
Despite herself, she tilted her head in agreement. What did she have to lose to just listen for a few minutes? Celeste took a sip of the hot, soothing tea then settled in her chair and waited for Reid to begin.
* * *
He was perilously close to the verge of babbling nonsensically. Reid knew he wasn’t explaining his proposal as well as he could. But it was hard to focus. He still felt Celeste’s warmth down the length of his body. The smell of her shampoo lingered in his nose. Her hair was slightly damp, hanging in loose freshly washed waves down her sun-kissed shoulders. She must have come down to see him right after a shower. The sudden, unbidden image of her naked under a stream of steamy water led immediately to yet another much more vivid one. In this next vision, he was under the water with her, running his hands down her skin. Rubbing soapy bubbles over her shoulders and moving his hands lower... That image had him tripping over his words again.
Get a grip.
She was here at his request so that he could run a business proposition by her. He had no business fantasizing about joining her in a steamy shower.
For heaven’s sake, he was an accomplished businessman. He had given talks and presentations to world leaders and titans of industry. There was no reason to act so flustered now.
But then again, he had never before imagined anyone in his audiences naked in the shower.
Luckily, Celeste seemed to be getting the gist of what he was trying to say.
She cleared her throat. “Let me get this straight,” she began. “You want me to go on the resort’s offered excursions, with you. So that I can offer you some suggestions on how to market them to potential guests?”
“Exactly. What do you say? I’d planned to go by myself. But I could use another set of eyes.”
“With you?” she repeated, seemingly hung up on that variable. Would she prefer to go by herself? He felt his fists clench at his sides.
“Yes,” he answered simply.
“I thought you said you had a business partner?”
“Alex needs to stay here and run things while I’m gone all day. And besides, as someone who lives and grew up on the island, his isn’t exactly the vantage point I’m after.”
“What kind of excursions are we talking about, exactly?” she asked cautiously. He wasn’t surprised that she was trying to ascertain all the details.
“The best Jamaica has to offer. We’d be climbing up a rushing waterfall, visiting a beautiful botanical garden, driving ATV’s over some rugged terrain.”
Celeste bit her lip. “I’d really intended to just lie on the beach and read for the next several days.”
“You’re here for what? Over a week? You’ll have plenty of opportunity to do so in the coming days.”
“How many days exactly are you asking me for?”
“Three, max. We should be able to cover all the excursions in that amount of time. I’ve already booked for myself, I’ll just add your name.”
She held her hands up. “Hold on. I haven’t said yes yet.”
“But you haven’t said no.” He paused for effect. “Come on, there are worse ways to spend three days on an island like Jamaica.”
It occurred to him that he was trying too hard. With anyone else, he would have laid his offer on the table then walked away. He’d always been known as a tough negotiator, not willing to budge or cajole. For some reason, with Celeste, he was intent on making his case. Not like him at all.
He would have to think about why that was so. After all, this was nothing more than another smart business decision.<
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* * *
Everything he said made perfect sense, Celeste had to admit as she took in exactly what Reid was suggesting. In fact, his proposal was so logical that a small part of her felt a slight tickle of disappointment. Reid was strictly all business at the moment. He was dressed in black slacks this morning, a white button-down shirt accenting the contours of his hardened chest and torso. The shiny gold watch on his wrist caught the sunlight as he gestured with his hands occasionally while speaking.
An appealing, successful, handsome man was asking to spend time with her on various island adventures but his only objective was her business acumen.
That shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did. But that was a silly notion, it wasn’t like she and Reid were friends or anything. In fact, a few short days ago, she would have listed him as one of the few people on earth who actually may not even like her.
“Why me?” she asked. There had to be other individuals he could ask. A man like Reid was unlikely to be lacking in female companionship. No doubt he had a girlfriend. Hadn’t she just recently stumbled upon a social media posting of Reid accompanying a famous international pop star to some Hollywood gala event? In the photo, he’d had his arm wrapped around her waist as she looked up at him adoringly, clearly smitten. What would she think about another woman spending the whole day traipsing around a beautiful island with her man? If their roles were reversed, Celeste didn’t think she’d appreciate the circumstances one bit.
Then again, any woman lucky enough to snare Reid was probably more than secure with herself and her status as his girlfriend.
That wayward thought led her to other unwanted ones. She imagined what it would be like to date a man like him. What it would mean if he was sitting here asking her to do these things with her simply because he wanted to spend time with her.
What his lips would feel against hers if he ever were to kiss her.
Dear saints! What in the world was wrong with her? Was it simply because she’d been without a man for so long? Perhaps it was the romantic, exotic location. Something had to be causing such uncharacteristic behavior on her part.
Why hadn’t she just said no already? Was she really even entertaining the idea?
She wasn’t exactly the outdoors type. Or much of an athlete, for that matter. Sure, she’d scaled countless fences during her youth trying to outrun the latest neighborhood bully after defending her younger sister. And she’d developed some really quick reflexes averting touchy men in city shelters. But that was about the extent of it.
Reid answered her, breaking into the dangerous thoughts. “Think about it. Between your professional credentials and the fact that you take frequent tropical vacations, you’re actually the perfect person to accompany me.”
Again, nothing but logic behind his reasoning. On the surface, she’d be a fool to turn down such an exciting opportunity; the chance to experience so much more of what the island had to offer and, in the process, acquire a host of memories she’d hold for a lifetime. It was as if he really was Santa and he had just handed her a gift most women would jump at.
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say yes. Not right away.
“I’ll need to, Reid. Think about it, that is.”
His eyes clouded with disappointment but he gave her a small nod. “As you wish.”
* * *
She could think of nothing else.
Celeste vowed she would take her time and weigh all the pros and cons before getting back to Reid with her decision. So why did she now find herself in the resort’s retail surf shop? Why was she eyeing water shoes that someone would need if she were to go waterfall climbing? And why was there a one-piece swimsuit draped over her arm? She’d only packed two-pieces or tankinis and those wouldn’t be terribly conducive to water sports or rock climbing.
So many questions. Like had she imagined it, or had Reid indeed held her just a smidge longer than necessary when they’d collided in his office? That lingering uncertainty was what had her debating the merits of accepting his offer.
Her unexpected attraction to him was throwing her off balance. Reid represented everything in her life that she’d vowed to move on from. He and her ex weren’t terribly similar below the surface but they were cut from the same cloth; wealthy, privileged, carefree. They’d been lifelong friends, for heaven’s sake.
Reid may be a successful hospitality industry tycoon but men like him didn’t understand women like her. They didn’t get what it took to succeed in life when you’d literally started with nothing. Or what it was like to try to hold a near full-time job during high school and still maintain your grades well enough. Or when your single parent couldn’t earn enough to make ends meet, which meant that you and your younger sister often went hungry. Or without adequate shelter.
None of that however had anything to do with the matter at hand currently. She couldn’t keep Reid waiting for long.
A sales clerk approached her from across the aisle. The young woman had a dazzling smile and long, tight braids cascading down her back.
“Can I be of assistance, miss?”
Celeste returned her smile. “I’m just being indecisive, that’s all.” In so many ways.
She pointed to the water shoes Celeste held. “Well, if you’re going on the tour tomorrow to climb Dunn’s River, you’ll need sturdier protection than those for your feet.”
That was indeed one of the excursions Reid had asked her to attend.
“Follow me,” the clerk said, then turned to lead her to a different shelf. “These are a bit thicker in the sole. Better to grip the slippery rocks.”
Just how slippery were those rocks? Maybe this was a sign. The universe had sent this pretty sales clerk to warn her not to try to do anything so perilous as climbing up a waterfall. She liked to think she was fit. But her exercise regimen mainly consisted of meditation and yoga. Though the latter could be strenuous and muscle straining, Celeste was no rock climber.
The sales clerk suddenly laughed. “You look very concerned.”
“I am a bit,” Celeste admitted. “I’ve never climbed up a waterfall before.”
“Trust me, you will love it. It’s an experience of a lifetime. There are professional, knowledgeable guides to help you every step of the way. You’ll do fine.”
“I’m not so sure. Sounds like it could be very dangerous.” Part of her was referring to so much more than the climb. She’d be opening herself up to danger on so many other fronts. She could no longer deny her attraction to her ex-fiancé’s best man. An attraction which was wrong on so many levels.
The more Jack had learned about her background, the more distant he’d grown. Ultimately, he’d walked away.
What made her think Reid would be any different?
“This isn’t an opportunity you want to miss. What if you never get the chance again?” the smiling clerk asked, breaking into her thoughts.
That was certainly something to consider.
“It’s just not an activity I would normally do,” Celeste admitted.
The woman’s smile grew. “What better time than on vacation to take a chance and try something new?”
Celeste didn’t bother to explain. She wasn’t usually the type to take chances. Too many things could go wrong. Life ran so much smoother when every detail was attended to and risky endeavors were steadfastly avoided. The only time she’d been remiss in that regard had resulted in humiliation and heartbreak.
Climbing up some slippery rocks as a waterfall cascaded over your body certainly wasn’t on the same scale as agreeing to marry a man you had many reservations about. But still, risk was risk. What would happen to her mother if anything were to happen to Celeste? Or to her sister and young niece, for that matter? She knew they’d be taken care of financially, she’d seen to that years ago. But they needed her so much more than just monetarily.
The
n again, maybe she was just flattering herself. Maybe Tara and her mom would figure out how to move forward without her, especially as long as the checks kept on coming.
Plus, how dangerous could these excursions really be? It wasn’t like she was putting her life in danger. From what Reid had explained, dozens of tourists a day participated in this particular activity. Even young children.
She’d spent countless days on vacation lying on lounge chairs with her nose in the pages of a book. Maybe it was time to try something different.
“Also,” the clerk continued, “your man is going to love the way you look in that.” She pointed to the swimsuit Celeste held. “That shade of blue will look great with your skin tone and dark hair.”
“Oh! I’m not—I mean, we don’t—”
The other woman quirked an eyebrow at her. “Are you going alone? That’s all right, too. Many people do.”
“No. I won’t be alone. I am going with a man. It’s just that—well, he isn’t my man. Just a man, you see. And we’re not even going as friends. Not really. It’s more a business thing.”
For Pete’s sake. Now she was just a rambling, incoherent mess. Hard to believe she made her living the way she did.
Not surprisingly, the clerk stood staring at her with a look of utter confusion on her face.
“You’ll be climbing the falls for business?” she asked.
Celeste nodded. “Something like that. It’s hard to explain.”
“I see.”
She lifted the items in her arms and gestured to the shoes the clerk held. “I’d like to charge these to the room, please.”
There it was. Somehow, without even realizing, it appeared she’d come to a decision after all.
She could only hope she wouldn’t regret it.
CHAPTER FIVE
HER PHONE VIBRATED in her dress pocket just as Celeste slid her keycard into the door lock slot. So much for giving her time to get back to him. Assuming it had to be Reid, she fished it out of her pocket and clicked before checking to be sure.
