He snickered. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” He kissed the top of her head and she snickered.
“Awwww ... you don’t want to give me a little hint?” She looked up into his eyes and he saw hers shining. He’d be lying if he didn’t feel a hitch in his breath when he saw her staring at him. It was an unusual feeling for sure. He pondered over that and thought about all the hints he could pass along, but decided to still hold that back.
“It’s more fun to keep you guessing, don’t you think?” He laughed when she playfully hit his chest.
“You’re cruel. You know that?” She chuckled as she snuggled against him.
He laughed. “So I’ve been told.” He brushed a soft kiss on her lips. “I will tell you one thing, though. It’s a romantic getaway that most women would die to have in their sights.”
“Hmmm...I do like the sound of that,” she said. Aria found it appealing to know that Devon wanted to go on this romantic getaway with her. A week in the sun with Devon sounded enticing. She was looking forward to it. She closed her eyes and rested against him, when she heard a female’s voice.
“Would you like some champagne?”
She opened her eyes to find an airhostess with a tray and two glasses of champagne. She nodded eagerly as Devon was already grabbing both glasses. “Thank you, Margaret,” he said.
The woman nodded and turned around to go back into a little cubby. He handed her the glass and held up his.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” he said.
She smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Here’s to getting to know one another better and to see what may come.” He tapped the corner of her glass with his.
She was beaming by the time they took their first drink. She sighed. “I like the sound of that, Devon. I want nothing more.” She wrapped her hand that wasn’t holding the glass around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. The week was starting off great and she had high hopes it would only get better.
WHEN THE PLANE LANDED, they were greeted by an SUV limosine. With the help of the driver, they loaded their suitcases. The driver then held open the door for them. “Welcome to Fiji.”
Aria was beside herself. She couldn’t help it. She looked at Devon and squealed. “Fiji.”
He laughed and she wrapped him up in a hug, all the while excited to make their way to their hotel. They both slipped into the car and snuggled up with Devon holding her hand and Aria resting her head on his shoulder.
“I can’t believe it. Someone should pinch me because I think I’m in a dream,” she said.
He chuckled. “I can assure you, baby, this is no dream.”
She looked out the window. “What time is it here?” she asked. “What’s the time difference?”
She heard a phone ring and Devon pulled it out of his pocket. “They’re nineteen hours ahead,” he said, then quickly answered the call. “This is Devon.”
She turned and looked back out the window. Nineteen hours ahead? She couldn’t believe it. That meant that by Fiji time, they would be in a different day, when LA would just be going into the previous day. That would take some getting used to and it was no wonder that she was already feeling the effects of the jet lag. She drowned out Devon’s words, until she heard the final sentence.
“I will meet up with you as soon as I get settled in. See you then.”
She turned back to him. “Who was that?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Just some business I have to tend to. Nothing you need to worry about,” he said. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him as he looked out the window. He had some business to deal with while he was on his trip. It wasn’t going to be all fun and games for him, but he didn’t want to burden Aria with the details.
He was there for a real estate conference, where all the top real estate developers—the power players—gathered to party and talk gains and losses. Devon used it as a time to network and lay the groundwork for deals. And this year everyone was going to want a piece of Devon, who power had increased by a factor of ten. He had obligations, this year more than any previous one, but he wanted Aria to believe that he would still have time to be there for her. He was going to do his best to satisfy both parts of the trip.
The car pulled up in front of the resort they were staying in and the driver got out and went around to open the door for them. Devon stepped out, then offered his hand to Aria, helping her out. When she got out of the car, she looked up at the resort and her eyes bugged out.
“We’re staying here?” she asked. The scene was picturesque, something out of a romantic comedy. He smiled just seeing the joy on her face.
“We are,” he said. He grabbed her hand and escorted her into the resort. Aria’s mouth hung open once she saw the inside. The outside was exquisite, but the inside reminded her of every postcard she saw of romance and love. She never envisioned it being a place she would someday walk through. Every direction she looked, she found more reasons to smile.
They walked up to the desk and Devon checked in. He only let go of her hand to sign the paperwork to their room. “The bellhop will show you the way,” the man behind the desk stated.
The bellhop took their luggage and led the way to the elevator. “You should find your room in order,” he said. The minute the bellhop said, your room, it dawned on her that of course they would be sharing one room. She didn’t know why she expected anything else. This was going to be the situation that would bring them together and they’d make love. She didn’t know why it would come as some surprise. Her palms grew sweaty and she pulled her hand from his.
From the corner of her eye she noticed that he was seeing the change in her reaction. They got off the elevator and she quietly held back, walking behind him. At one point he stopped and looked back at her. “Are you coming?”
She nodded. “Yes ... of course.”
But Devon got the feeling that something was worrying her. He wanted to figure it out and knew that in time he would. When they reached a room, the bellhop put the keycard in and opened the room for them. He went in with their luggage, followed by Devon, and then slowly by Aria. Her eyes widened once she stepped inside. How could one resort suite be so lavish? She sighed and gawked at the room.
“Thank you,” Devon said to the bellhop. He slipped him a tip as the man left the room. He turned back to Aria. “Is it to your liking?”
She nodded, speechless for a second. “Yes. I’ve never seen something so amazing.”
He laughed and smiled with pleasure. “Nothing for the best for my girl.” He withdrew his phone and watch from his pockets and put them on the table in the middle of the room. When he looked back at her, she was nervous. “Is there something wrong?”
She looked around the massive entryway before glancing back at him. “We’re sharing a room.”
He frowned. He didn’t see why that had to be such a big deal, until it hit him. She was likely concerned about the sleeping arrangements. He stepped closer to her. “You don’t need to fret, Aria. I told you that I’m not going to force you into something you’re not comfortable with. There are two bedrooms in the suite. You will have one and I will have the other.” He shrugged. “We can leave it at that, until you’re comfortable.”
She was actually surprised that he had done the gentlemanly thing and booked a suite with a second bedroom. It touched her. His phone started ringing. He saw the name Joseph Greene, who investment dollars he need to court.
“Feel free to look around. I have to take this.” He grabbed his phone and answered it. “This is Devon.” He slipped away, as Aria went off to look at the rest of suite. She first stepped into a room that had at least a king-size bed. It looked even larger. The room was about the size of many studio apartments. It had a bathroom attached to it, along with another door that led into a room that had a personal hot tub. The place was gorgeous. She shook her head in disbelief.
She left the room and went around to another. There was another bed and i
t was about the same size. She chuckled and remembered how scared she was that it would immediately be assumed they were going to share a bed on their first night in the room. She ran her hand over the bedding and a thought slipped into her mind. She wouldn’t completely dismiss the idea. After all, it was obvious to her that she did care about this man. The next step was to have sex, so it was going to clearly be on the table. She left the room and looked around the larger living space, where there was a kitchen dinette, living room, and even a small dining room section. There was a balcony that looked over the beach and she stepped out onto it. The breeze felt warm to the touch and she took in the fresh air.
She could get used to a life like this. She turned around and walked back into the room. He was still chatting on the phone and she went over to the table, where he had laid down his belongings. She picked up the watch lying on the table. She turned it over and tried to close the clasp back up, but found there was no use. It was broken, which was probably why he wasn’t wearing it on his wrist. As she was looking at the watch, she noticed there was an inscription. She had to squint to read it as through the years the wear and tear had taken its toll. Your lov...
“What are you doing?” She flinched and dropped the watch in the process.
She turned around. “I’m sorry. I was just looking.”
“You were being nosey Nora, that’s what you mean,” he snapped. He hurried over to the watch and picked it up. His eyebrows furrowed. “Look. You cracked the face when you dropped it.”
She turned red. “Devon, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She reached out to touch his arm, hoping he’d see her sincerity.
“It’s fine.” He walked over to his suitcase and opened it up, then dropped the watch into it. He looked back at her. She was upset, but he couldn’t think about that. She shouldn’t have touched what didn’t belong to her. “You should get some rest. It’s late and I have somewhere I need to be.”
She frowned. “You’re leaving?”
He heaved a sigh and tossed a glance in her direction. “I have things I have to do on this trip. I have responsibilities. If you need anything, I’ll leave you a number to get hold of a car. Have a good night’s rest.” Then with that, he turned away from her and left the room. She stared after him before sinking down onto the couch. She didn’t know if she should be angry or upset that he had taken off, leaving her behind. She now knew there was no point in worrying about things getting too intimate before she was ready. He wasn’t even going to be around and that thought made her want to cry.
DEVON YAWNED AS HE unlocked the door to their room. It was after two o’clock Fiji’s time and he was exhausted. Once he got in the room, he spotted Aria. She was on the couch and sound asleep. A pit formed in his stomach. He knew that he had jumped all over her for looking at the watch and the fact he startled her was the only reason she had dropped it. He didn’t mean to be so rude about it, but there was something about the watch and its sentimental value that caused Devon to react in such a way.
He moved closer to the couch and stared down at her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. He wanted the week to be more than work, but if he kept pushing her away then he wouldn’t get that. “Aria?” he whispered. “Are you awake?” She made no movements, so he decided it was best to let her sleep, but she couldn’t be comfortable. There was no way she was.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her to one of the bedrooms. Before leaving for the evening he hadn’t even looked around the suite, but he didn’t care where he slept. He could sleep on the floor if he had to. He pulled back the covers and placed her into the bed. He covered her back up and leaned down to brush a kiss on her forehead.
“Sweet dreams.”
He left the room and went over to his suitcases. He picked them up and carried them over to the other bedroom. He opened the one that had his lounge pants and stared at it. He was too tired to even get dressed. He put his suitcase to the side and pulled off his tie and suit jacket, tossed them in the chair and slipped out of his shoes. He climbed into the bed after pulling back the covers and sighed as he hit the sheets. He was out almost the second his head hit the pillow.
ARIA OPENED HER EYES with a start. She stared up at the ceiling, then sat up in bed. At first glance, she wasn’t sure how she had gotten there. She frowned, rubbing her eyes, as the previous night slowly came back to her. She remembered that Devon was extremely upset with her, at least his body language seemed to tell her that story. It was after he left for the evening, she wasn’t sure what happened.
She pulled back the covers. She was still fully clothed. The clock next to the bed showed nearly 8 a.m. She had slept longer than she expected. Yawning, still feeling a bit tired from the flight, she got out of bed and went to the door. She didn’t know what to expect once she left the room, perhaps a good morning beautiful, would have been nice, but Devon wasn’t there. She walked over to the other room and spotted the bed was undone, so that would explain how she got in her bed, but he was gone. She glanced around the room and spotted a piece of paper lying on the table near the TV. She walked over to it and picked it up.
Aria –
Have meetings today that will keep me away for much of the morning and afternoon. I have left you a credit card. Feel free to go shopping and buy anything you desire. Let’s just move past what happened yesterday. Use the number to call yourself a car and enjoy your day.
Devon
She groaned. It was nice to get his apology, but she hated the fact that he had no intention of being there again. It appeared to her that he was planning on staying away much of the trip and she wondered why he even bothered inviting her. She was annoyed with him. She picked up the credit card in her hand and stared down at it, a smile coming to her lips.
If he wanted her to go out and buy some things, at his cost, then she would gladly do that. She wasn’t opposed to splurging, especially with someone else’s money. She went over and grabbed her luggage, then carried it back in the room and decided to get in the shower and get dressed and she would enjoy her day and not even bother thinking about Devon and what she was missing out with spending the day with him. It was high time she put herself first. This was a vacation for her.
She got in and out of the shower, then dressed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and gave herself a once over. She nodded with satisfaction and left the mirror. She grabbed the credit card and slipped it into her wallet, then put it back into her purse. She was about to reach for the door handle when she heard a firm knock. She peeked through the peephole and spotted an employee with a tray of food.
She opened the door. “Good morning, Miss,” he said. “I have come with your breakfast.”
“You’re mistaken, I haven’t ordered anything,” she said.
He smiled. “Quite the contrary, Madame. Mr. Prescott has done the honors of ordering up your breakfast. Should I bring it in for you?”
She stared at the cart of food, then nodded and backed up so that he could enter. She hadn’t expected that. She was still pretty upset with him over the fact that he wasn’t spending any time with her, but this slowly dissipated that pain.
“Enjoy, Miss.”
“Oh wait,” she said, stopping him before he could leave. She reached into her purse, grabbed some money and tried to hand it to him.
“No need for that. Mr. Prescott has taken care of it. Enjoy.” He nodded and left the room. She closed the door behind him and her heart warmed up even more for Devon Prescott.
She walked back to the tray and took off the lid. She breathed in the scent of eggs and bacon. There were even pancakes on the side. It was anything and everything she would want to eat. She took a piece of bacon and pondered over it. He confused her One moment she was mad at him, then she was thinking about how amazing he truly was. A smile crossed her lips and she knew that she wanted to do something for him, something to thank him for the trip. A trip she wanted to share with him, but at least it gave her some time
away from work. That deserved appreciation in itself.
After she finished her tray of breakfast and finished off her orange juice, she went over to his suitcase that stood next to a shelving unit. She opened it up and looked through the pockets of the suitcase to see if she could locate his watch. After digging through his suitcase, she came up empty-handed.
She turned around and looked to see if she could find his other suitcase. When she was certain it was no longer out there, she moved to his room. She felt strange going in there, but she wanted to take his watch and get it fixed. It was the least she could do. She stepped into his room and found his other suitcase. It was already open. She dug through the pockets and eventually found it located down in one of the pockets, almost unreachable. She pulled it out and turned it over. She looked at the inscription and she finally made out the engraving.
“Your loving father,” she read. She nodded with satisfaction and left his room. She put the watch in her purse and left the apartment. When she got on the elevator, she pulled out the card with the phone number on it for the driver. She grabbed her phone and dialed up the number.
“Hello? This is Walter.”
“Hello. I’m staying with Devon Prescott and he gave me your number. I’m in need of a ride. The name is Aria Nolan.”
“Yes, Ms. Nolan, of course. I will meet you out front in five minutes.”
“Thank you.” She disconnected the call and rode the elevator down to the main lobby. She stepped out of the elevator and looked around. As she was making her way out of the resort, she saw a young girl standing with a basket.
"A flower, Miss,” she said. She handed Aria a single red rose.
“Thank you.” Aria reached in her purse and gave her a few dollars and then smelled the rose. There was nothing more romantic than Fiji it appeared. It was breathtaking.
When I Dream of You: A Valentine's Day Romance Page 9
