“I doubt he will,” Jordan pouted.
Vince doubted he would too. But at least Jordan wouldn’t be alone. “Go to sleep in Ari’s bed and masturbate if you have to. Just get a good night’s sleep and hit it hard in the morning.”
“Vince,” Jordan sighed. He paused for a moment, then said, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Jordan,” Vince said calmly, and closed the line.
The sunrise over the back side of the island was spectacular. They stopped at a hut near the farm, where the workers took their breaks, and grabbed bottles of water out of a cooler. Then they stood on the beach and watched the sun creep over the horizon. The sky, and the water, first turned soft shades of pink, then orange as the sun came higher. As the sun rose higher everything became a muted golden color. Then the blue sky seeped in at the edges, and finally the blue over-took the gold.
“That was magnificent,” Arianna murmured. “Thank you.”
“You are more than welcome,” he grinned. “Would you like some coconut milk to go with your water?”
“Sure,” she shrugged. Damien walked toward a palm tree, and grabbed hold. “What are you doing?” Before she knew it he’d stripped off his shirt, wrapped it around the tree and started climbing. He was at the top so fast she could barely believe it.
“Watch out,” he yelled, then picked several coconuts and threw them down onto the sand. She giggled and applauded when they landed several feet from her. He was down again as quickly as he climbed up.
“How did you do that,” she wondered as she stared at the top of the tree where he’d just been. It had to be at least forty feet tall.
“Practice,” he chuckled. He took a knife out of a holder that he’d tucked into the waistband of his shorts. It was about as long as her own knives she’d left in the States. She stared at the blade, shocked that he’d carry something that size with him. “There are still some wild animals on the island, but not many. There used to be a lot of monkeys, but the villagers hunt them and eat them.”
“Ewwww,” Arianna said with a cringe.
“It’s good. It tastes just like chicken,” he teased as he expertly opened the coconut. “Hold it up and drink it like this,” he instructed as he held it over his mouth and let the milk trickle in. Then he handed it to her.
She tried, and it just got all over her shirt. She laughed at herself, and rolled her eyes. He smiled at her, the way she didn’t get upset that it got all over her. His wife would have had a fit that it ruined her designer clothes.
“Try again,” he said as he helped her. His hands folded over hers, and aimed it so that the milk went right in her mouth. It tasted so much better than the stuff they sold in stores. They finished off the milk, then he cracked it open on a rock and cut out the meat. They shared it, eating it with their fingers.
“Oh, my gosh that’s so good,” Ari cooed. They ate nearly all of the coconut, then he rinsed his hands with his bottled water. She noticed that he’d left his shirt off. For some reason she wanted to touch him, to see if his skin was as soft as it appeared. Everything about him was attractive, sweet looking. He looked so pure and wholesome.
He held the bottle over her hands and smiled. “Ready,” he asked. She didn’t answer. He glanced over at her, and saw her staring at his body. Her cheeks glowed bright pink as she stared. And then her eyes moved up to his lips such a light pink compared to her own, and she wanted to kiss him.
It wasn’t like with Jordan and Vince. She wanted to kiss them, yes, and she wanted to do everything else that happened that first night. But she wasn’t the one to initiate. She just kind of let it happen. Jordan decided, and Vince went along with him. With Sam it was the same thing; Jordan decided he wanted it to happen, and she went along with it. No, this was nothing like that. This is how she and Jordan would have progressed, had they been left alone to get to know each other slowly. It was organic, a basic physical desire that became a need.
“Ari,” he groaned. Did he want her the same way? He acted like he did, but she wasn’t sure. And then her eyes moved from his lips to his eyes. He seemed to be waiting; for a sign from her?
“Yes,” she sighed. “Rinse my hands.” She looked down to her hands as the water splashed on them. She flicked the water playfully onto his bare skin. He giggled a pleasing laugh. “Do you sing,” she had to ask.
“Sometimes, in the shower,” he answered.
“You should sing all the time,” she said as she stood. He carried the mostly eaten coconut, along with the other two he’d picked, to the hut. He said something to one of the workers, and he nodded back.
“They’ll carry those over to the house later, along with a few more. We’ll have more drinks tonight.” He smiled at her as he said it.
“While we’re in the hot tub,” she wondered.
“Definitely,” he agreed, and they returned to their run.
Sam agreed to meet at the house for dinner, and he brought two bottles of wine this time. “You should have a glass,” Sam urged as Jordan sat quietly and stared at the empty chair across from him. He cooked a simple dinner of pasta and sauce, and garlic bread, but it was delicious. “It will calm you down.”
Jordan nodded, and Sam poured a glass for him.
“We’re all worried about Arianna. I have faith, though, that Vince will find her.” Sam watched as Jordan sipped the wine and frowned. “Drink it in one gulp, don’t taste it.” Jordan closed his eyes and gulped the wine. Then he quickly took a drink of water. “Have another,” Sam suggested as he poured another glass. Jordan nodded, and gulped it down as well.
“It’s my fault, you know,” Jordan said. “It’s my fault he took her.”
“His parents did some horrible things. They had to know eventually that it would catch up with them,” Sam soothed him.
“No, it’s definitely my fault,” Jordan said forcefully as he shook his head. “What I did is inexcusable.”
Sam didn’t think that exposing two people who preyed on the emotions of young women was that inexcusable. Sam was proud of Jordan for what he did. “Anyway, maybe Damien Tremblay doesn’t have her. Maybe she’s on some private island in Fiji.”
Jordan’s eyes popped open, and he turned to Sam. “What?”
“Maybe the kidnappers took her to some private island in Fiji, or New Zealand.” Sam said as he poured another glass of wine.
“I wish I had thought of that,” Jordan said as he downed the third glass of wine. “I’ll set SIB to search in the morning.” Sam poured another glass of wine, and Jordan downed it too.
“When are you going to tell me how SIB works,” Sam wondered.
“Never,” Jordan beamed. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes were glassy, and he slurred the word.
He wasn’t sure if Jordan should have any more alcohol, since he didn’t normally drink. When he didn’t pour it Jordan did, and finished off the bottle. There was another bottle in the kitchen, and Sam wondered if he should open it. But as he thought it Jordan’s head lulled forward.
“Let’s get you upstairs,” Sam said, and wrapped his arm around Jordan to help him out of the chair.
“Okay,” Jordan agreed, and shakily stood up. He leaned heavily on the shorter but heftier man. As they walked up the steps, Jordan said, “Vince suggested that I get you drunk and try to kiss you.”
“I’m sure Vince did,” Sam chuckled.
“You wouldn’t be interested, would you?” Jordan wondered.
“You’re the one who’s drunk, not me,” Sam said seriously. They arrived at Jordan’s room, but he shook his head.
“I’ll sleep in Ari’s room.” And then he pointed at her door that still held the sign Jordan had created for her when they first moved in.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Sam stated, and led Jordan toward it.
“You wouldn’t want to sleep there too?”
“Not tonight,” Sam said gently. Then he pulled down the covers and laid Jordan down on the bed. He pulled off his shoes, and tucked him in.<
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“Good night, Sam,” Jordan sighed sleepily, then closed his eyes.
“Good night, Jordan,” Sam replied as he turned out the light. He stared at the bed before he silently shut the door.
Sam thought about the drive back to the city, and decided against it. He would rather be there for Jordan, if he needed him. He cleared the table downstairs, then headed up to the room where he and Arianna slept before she went missing. At least he got his fantasy fulfilled before… He stopped himself there, opened the door, and undressed. He climbed in the bed and thought of Ari laying there with him.
Vince boarded the plane to Hong Kong. He wasn’t sure how much the government would like all these flights he was taking, but he didn’t care. He was sure that Jordan would pay it back if they asked for it. He arrived at the same hotel where Damien was staying and requested a room. Again, he didn’t care how much it cost. He wanted to be as near to the man as possible. He was taken to one of the smallest rooms, and it was still bigger than any he’d stayed in recently. It had a small sitting area, a tiny table with two chairs for dining, and the bedroom was in a separate room. The only thing missing was a mini-bar, Vince thought. Not that he would drink any of it. Or maybe he would, he mused, as he checked his phone again to see if Jordan had called. Maybe he really did get lucky with Sam Clark. He shook his head and chuckled at the idea as he threw his bags on the floor of the bedroom and headed down to the lobby.
After their run Arianna removed her t-shirt, her shoes, and her socks, and ran excitedly toward the sea. The bright blue-green water was just too tempting. She didn’t ask Damien’s permission, she just did it. She laughed like a kid as she bent down and splashed the water up on her. The sand was so soft, and the ocean water felt refreshing. She bounced and splashed around in it.
Damien approached from her right side, shirtless, and dove in. He swam like a fish, out into the deep water. She was afraid to go out that far, but she cheered him on. After several minutes of showing off, he joined her again in the shallow water. He stood up and shook his head, sending droplets of water flying.
“I’ve never seen water so clear,” she sighed as she watched tiny fish swim around her feet. He reached down into the water, idly trying to catch the fish with his hands. “There’s one!” She’d call out, and he’d chase after it.
They played for several minutes until he got tired of the game. “I’m going back to the beach.” She followed after him, and found two towels on top of grass mats lying in the sand near their clothes. She dried off and fell onto the mat. He sprayed himself with sunscreen and lay back on the mat beside her.
Soon Kosum was attending to them again, bringing them drinks of pineapple juice with a splash of rum and fresh fruit. They sat cross legged and ate on the beach. She had quickly grown accustomed to the red, spiny fruit Kosum provided, along with mangos and bananas.
“What is this?” Arianna asked as she held the fruit that she first mistook for a huge bug.
“Rambutan,” Damien said as he peeled one and popped the white fruit into his mouth. He puckered up slightly, and she laughed. They were slightly sour. “They grow on the other side of the island.”
“This really is paradise, isn’t it,” she sighed as she peeled the fruit.
Vince was beginning to think something was up when, at noon, Damien Tremblay still had not showed his face in the lobby. Maybe he’s a late sleeper, Vince thought. He wanted to call Jordan, but he figured if he hadn’t heard from him that was a good thing. The last thing he wanted to do was call and wake him up if he’d finally fallen asleep at home.
He made his way to the restaurant, where he ordered his usual cheeseburger, fries, and coffee. He didn’t care if he did seem too American. He didn’t care much about anything. He ate quickly, as he always did. He stopped by the news stand and picked a novel about World War I, and carried it back to the lobby. He wanted to at least seem like he had a reason to be there.
Chapter Nine
Arianna showered and braided her hair, then slid into the blue sundress that had the guys drooling when she wore it to their last dinner together. She even dabbed on some makeup. She stopped mid stride as she walked toward the door.
How long had she been on the island? How long had it been since she slept between Vince and Jordan? At the time she thought she’d never be able to live without them. And then she woke up on a grass mat in a hut. She had no way to get back to them, and they probably had no way to find her. Didn’t they suspect Damien Tremblay?
She was enjoying herself on a private island, and Jordan was probably half insane. And Vince… He looked so disappointed when they talked on the beach the last time she saw him. He walked away instead of telling her how he felt. And she was getting dressed up to look good for her captor.
Then images of Damien flashed in her mind. Damien as he climbed the tree. Damien as the sunset painted his hair pink as he disembarked from the boat. Damien as he stood in the doorway with the moonlight behind him, turning his pale hair and skin silver. Damien as he swam in the pool and the sea. And as he nearly kissed her, but holding back because he wasn’t sure if she was ready.
She touched the door knob and wondered, was she falling for Damien Tremblay? They were so different, and yet so much alike. She was his prisoner, her brain said loudly. She turned the door knob, and it opened. Maybe she wasn’t so trapped after all.
Should she climb the spiral staircase to the top floor and search for him in his bedroom? Or should she make her way down the glass stairs and out to poolside. Such tough decisions, she scoffed to herself.
Damien sat by the pool in the open air bar area. He sipped a bottle of water and stared out at the ocean. But when he heard her approach, he stood immediately and turned toward her. The emotion displayed in his eyes, the color of the sea behind him, made her stop in her tracks. He looked at her like he’d never seen a woman before, like she was the first. His hair blazed golden in the sun. He looked like an angel.
“I thought we’d have lunch out here,” he said. Since her feet felt stuck in place, he took the few steps toward her. He took her hand lightly and led her toward the settee, where he sat down beside her. He turned toward her, taking in her hair, her eyes, and her makeup. He smiled slightly when he saw light pink gloss on her lips. He wondered what it would taste like. And then his eyes roamed over her chest, and to her arms, noting how the blue dress flattered her coloring.
“I don’t need to tell you this…” He began; then she batted her eyes as she fixated on his lips. “Or maybe I do. God, but you’re gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. Confusion filled her head again. Kosum brought her a drink, and she nodded in appreciation.
Damien said something to her, and she left quickly. “Lunch will be soon.”
“I would like…” Her voice caught in her throat, but she cleared it and finished her sentence. “I’d like to talk about something with you.”
“Alright,” he said, and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. When he did, he brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers.
Her lip quivered. “I’m very confused right now,” she began. He didn’t speak, but his eyes told her to continue. “I feel things when I look at you.” One light eyebrow climbed up his perfect, unlined forehead. “Things I shouldn’t be feeling,” she continued breathlessly.
Damien glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Kosum approach with their food. He shook his head slightly, and she returned to the house. “Tell me what you’re feeling, Arianna.” As he said it his hand brushed against her bare shoulder.
“I feel like I want to stay here,” she admitted. It hurt her to say it, but it was true. “I want to stay here with you.”
“That could be arranged,” Damien said seriously. But inside he was smiling. His plan had worked perfectly. He knew if he rushed her into a sexual relationship, as badly as he wanted to, she would resist. Allowing her to come to that point by herself was sheer genius.
“But what about Jordan
?” Her voice lowered as she said his name. “And Vince? They are probably worried sick right now.”
“Yes, I’m sure they might be,” Damien agreed. His fingertips trailed lightly down her arm, and she trembled. Goose bumps covered her skin. “But we could always call them.”
“But Jordan would trace the call, and then…” She stopped, and was again confused.
“Not if we’re careful,” he stated as he took her hand and held it. “So much can be done with technology now.”
“Yes, you’re right,” she agreed. “Maybe someday I’ll want to go back and visit them.” She finally said, and she bit her lip. She knew what would happen; they would want her to stay with them.
Kosum walked toward them again, slowly. Damien nodded this time. “Look, Kosum is bringing lunch. You don’t have to decide right now, mon petit chou. We have all the time in the world.”
Arianna nodded, and followed him to a wicker dining table and chairs with colorful flower cushions. Everything about the island was perfect, and cozy.
He took several bites of his noodle soup, and chewed slowly. Then he glanced up at her, and said, “If you were mine, Arianna, I’d never share you with anyone.” Her eyes grew wide as his meaning sunk in. “Do you understand what I mean?”
“Yes, I think so,” she nodded.
“If you stay with me, you have to agree to that,” he insisted. “Could you?”
She gazed at him from across the table. This is what could have happened, what should have happened, with Jordan, if he wasn’t so damaged. If he wasn’t so broken that he had to urge Vince to kiss her because he was too afraid. If they’d been left alone they would have fallen in love and she would have resisted Vince. It would have been just Jordan and Ari.
The Executioner 2: Love, Lies, and Revenge (The Executioner Series) Page 9
