“What does clothing matter, anyways?” replies Jane, pretending to not be as nervous as she feels inside. She can only wonder what he’s planning for her. A bikini? Black leather? A show girl’s outfit? Her mind is running wild, and she wonders how she would look and feel in each.
“How bad could it really be? I’m used to a bit of performance, and we’re on vacation, aren’t we?”
Jane takes a sip of champagne, realizing she’s almost willing to do anything for a million dollars at this point. If she’s tipsy, it may not even be that big of a deal if she sleeps with him. In fact, she’s starting to think she would like it.
“And Jane, please know at any time, you can let me know if you’re uncomfortable. You know that, right?”
Jane nods. “Yeah, I think I’m getting it, Brad. I trust you, for some reason.”
“Good. That’s how it should be. And you know, Jane, I need to put it out there that I’m very attracted to you, and I hope we do get to be together for more than just as a business arrangement, if you get my drift, but I understand if you don’t feel the same way.”
Jane is kind of taken aback, though she’s not surprised. They did kiss, there were sparks, and she’s been feeling his sexual energy since she got on the plane. She’s never had a man be this direct with her, ever, and she’s not sure how to respond.
“Well, we will have to see, won’t we, Brad?” replies Jane, with a strange sense of self-assuredness. “We never know what the week will bring.”
Brad likes this side of her. This virgin in her who is also confident in herself and kind of flirty, like she’s rehearsed her lines from T.V. shows.
He gazes at her with a longing inside of him, waiting to see if maybe she would be open to even a kiss. He’s learned to never be forceful with women, or to make assumptions, instead waiting for that signal that shows she wants something more.
He reaches out his hand, hoping she’ll respond to the invitation. She complies and he holds her small hand in his grasp.
“You know I would never want to hurt you, Jane. You are very special, and I know you’ve never been with anyone before, so I don’t want to scare you away or make you do something you don’t want to, okay? It has to be something you want to do in your heart. Alright?”
Jane feels his sincerity, and it makes her feel even more at ease with him. She takes a breath of relief, grateful that she doesn’t have to feel the pressure of performing for him. He feels her hand calm down in his, and it relaxes him as well.
He strokes her hand to reassure her, making her feel safe, held, and comforted all at the same time. She loves his large hands. He is a man who takes care of so many important things in the world, but all he wants to do now is sit here and be with her.
He lifts her hand and kisses it gently. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you, Jane.”
Jane smiles with a tenderness in her eyes.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too.”
Just the way he touches her sends tingles up her arm and neck. She wishes he would kiss her hand, then make his way up her arm, then kiss, lick, and suck on her neck, going around and finally kissing her on the mouth.
Before meeting Brad, she had only been kissed once before, by Jimmy, that guy she worked with who lied about not having a girlfriend. He was two years older than her when she was only 15. She was working at the local restaurant and they were in the basement getting supplies. He claimed he had a crush on her, and she was confused but flattered enough to let him kiss her.
They spent about two minutes playing with each other’s tongues and biting lips, as awkward as most teenagers are. She thought she was a special girl in Jimmy’s eyes, then found out the next day he had a girlfriend. She never trusted boys after that and just stuck with her studies.
But with Brad, she really does feel what he’s telling her is true, and she would love nothing more than for him to woo her, put those gorgeous lips on her, and kiss her so deeply she can hardly breathe.
After he kisses her hand, he looks up and continues to hold it.
“I hope you will have the best time of your life this week, Jane Bryden. You of anyone deserve to have a break like this. You are one beautiful and unique young lady, and I want you to walk away knowing that with every ounce of your being.”
Tears of joy and love start welling up in Jane as she is really beginning to feel how special she is.
“So, here is the first invitation for tonight.”
He hands her the card.
She opens it and reads it out loud. “Go to your hotel room. You will notice a bag with a dress in it and a pair of shoes. Put them on and meet me at the hotel restaurant at seven sharp. Don’t be late.”
“Well, that seems easy enough,” Jane comments. “I will accept your invitation,” she says, smiling back.
“Wonderful,” Brad replies. “I am glad you will be my dinner guest.”
Chapter 19
They arrive at La Casa Cabanas, a gorgeous, small hotel on the edge of the turquoise sea where only high profile guests are allowed to stay. It has a strict, low-noise policy and people can hang out at the outdoor bar on hammocks sipping cocktails made from freshly picked fruit.
There is a staff person available at every turn, not only to open doors, but also to hand you drinks, hand towels, and offer mini back rubs. Jane has never been to a place like this before, and had no idea such a thing actually existed except for in the movies.
“Madam?” a gentleman wearing an all-white suit says, putting his hand out to her. “Can I help you up the steps?”
Jane looks around and realizes that he is speaking to her. She takes his hand graciously and thanks him. Brad follows behind and feels so happy he can do this for her. He knows now that nobody else has ever noticed her or cared about her like this before.
They make it to the front desk. Jane isn’t sure what to say, so she looks to Brad to take the lead.
Before he can say a word, the front desk clerk says, “Hello, Mr. Halliwell. How are you doing today? It’s been awhile since we’ve seen you! I see we have you booked in for two rooms. Is that right?” he asks, checking to make sure, since Brad doesn’t usually do that, even if he has a lady friend with him.
“Yes, that is correct. One for myself and one for my friend, Jane Bryden,” Brad says without blinking an eye.
“Well, Ms. Bryden, if you could sign right here, I’ll give you the keys to the Coco Cabaña room.”
Jane’s hands are a bit shaky. She doesn’t want anyone to find out about her past or that she doesn’t know who she is or where she has come from. She’s not sure how to refer to Brad. She surely can’t say she’s the woman he’s paying a million dollars to spend the week with and decides ‘friend’ will have to do for now.
The front desk staff seems to know how to avoid asking too many questions.
“Well then, James will help you with your luggage and show you to your rooms,” says the desk clerk, motioning to the bellhop.
Brad walks beside Jane and puts his arm around her waist, clearly showing the world that she is with him, more intimately than as a friend.
He leans over and whispers in her ear, “I don’t want anyone else to get any big ideas about snatching you away from me, I hope you don’t mind.”
His warm breath sends tingles down her neck, and she smiles to show she likes having someone want to claim her as his own, as if there were others who would even want her.
She leans back and whispers in his ear, “I don’t mind one bit.”
Brad embraces her, pulling her even closer to him.
“Here is your room, Madam, the Coco Cabana,” says the bellhop, unlocking the door and opening it for her, then bringing her luggage inside.
Jane looks over to Brad. He reassures her that his room is the one right next door, called The Banana Sundae.
“Cute names,” Jane remarks.
“So, I’ll meet you at six p.m. down at the restaurant. It will probably only be
us there, so we should have lots of privacy. Your first instruction is in the room on the bed. Sound good?”
Jane nods, then turns into her room, closing the door behind her.
The room is absolutely stunning—with mirrors along one wall, an open, private view of the sea where no one can look in, automatic fans that turn on and off based on the temperature of the space. A cold bottle of champagne sits chilling in a bucket on a nearby table with a plate of fine cheeses, and on the bed, as Brad promised, is a box with a note on it.
She goes over to it, and opens the note. It says, ‘A delicate piece for a delicate woman. Wear this under your dress tonight. We’ll have a surprise dip later.’
She opens the box, and inside is a beautiful, white bikini that will barely cover her parts.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” she says out loud. “I’ve never worn a bikini in my life! I’m going to scare him away!”
She takes off her dress and starts putting on the bottom and then the top. The bottom has strings on the side and just covers her hair, barely. It might as well be a thong with the tiny amount of fabric on the back. The top covers her nipples and the bottom side of her breasts, but clearly shows her cleavage very openly. She could pop out at any minute.
How the heck does a gal swim in this?
She looks in the mirror and is shocked by what she sees.
“Wow! I didn’t even know I had a body that could fit into something like this,” she says as she examines her reflection in the mirror.
She turns around and actually likes what she sees. She always thought of herself as a boring beanpole who didn’t have much to her, but looking at herself now, she sees something different. She sees a woman who might have something a man would want.
“Well, Mr. Brad Halliwell, eat this,” she says to herself in the mirror, raising her eyebrow and pulling on the bikini bottoms to make them snap against her skin.
She puts on a cotton, turquoise dress Brad had waiting in the room on the bed. The dress is loose-fitting, and you can partially see the white bikini through it. Jane has never worn something so revealing before.
“A million dollars, eh?” she says to herself. “This guy must be some kind of pervert.”
She puts on the white sandal heels, checks her makeup and hair, and walks out the door toward the restaurant.
“Just for a week,” she says to herself, taking a deep breath in and out.
Chapter 20
Jane walks through the lobby and immediately heads begin to turn and look at her. She starts feeling self-conscious and unsure, wondering if she is looking inappropriate. She has to trust that Brad knows what he’s doing by making her wear this outfit.
“Good evening, Ms. Bryden. You are looking lovely,” says the front desk manager.
Jane isn’t sure if the man is just flattering her or if he actually means what he says.
“It’s the Helen Millar collection, isn’t it?” he adds.
Jane has no idea what he’s talking about, but he seems to be impressed. It must be some fancy fashion designer. She nods and agrees with him just to make him think she knows what he’s talking about.
“Mr. Halliwell is over there on the patio. Would you like me to escort you, Madam?” the front desk manager asks.
Jane sees Brad sitting at the table by himself. She wonders if he’s been alone most of his life, given how comfortable he looks sitting there. Jane can relate. She prefers to be by herself more than most people. In fact, most people scare her. She wonders if it’s the same for Brad, but probably not. He has to deal with high-powered people every single day.
“No, I think I will be fine on my own, thank you,” she responds gracefully. “Thank you.”
Jane musters up her courage to walk over to Brad. She feels so attracted to him—the way he sits, the dark color of his hair, the way he looks out at the sea.
He has a strength to him she has never seen before in a man. She feels herself getting nervous and turned on at the same time, the closer she gets to him. She feels moist in her bikini already, and can even smell a waft of her juices. The bottom is crawling up into her crotch and rubbing her in all the right places. She can barely stand it.
What she would love to do is walk right over to him, kiss him deeply, then sit on the table, spread her legs open, and lay back across the table so he can pull her bottoms off. She wants him to stroke all over her lady bits and slip his fingers inside of her until she screams with pleasure, not caring who is watching.
She wants him to rub his hands all over her belly while he unzips himself and undoes his belt, driving her wild while she waits for him to push his hard, bulging cock inside of her, fucking her deep and hard, holding her hips and pushing them back and forth while she feels him getting harder and harder, until he comes. Then she wants him to hold himself inside her while she settles down, saying he will never let her go.
She walks up to Brad, snapping herself out of her daze. He stands up and takes a step back.
“Wow, you look breathtaking.”
He stares at her body unapologetically.
Jane can see that Brad is getting a hard on. Her tits are still perky from her daydreaming, too. She can feel her heart racing a bit faster, and she has no idea what to say other than just fuck me, Brad, right here and right now.
The server walks up behind them and pulls the chair out for Jane to sit down.
“Here you go, Madam,” he says respectfully.
Jane takes her seat and pulls it underneath her.
Brad sits down on his own and tries to get his composure back. He notices Jane’s hard nipples sticking out against the fabric and the cleavage showing through the dress. God, what he wouldn’t do to just reach over and suck on them, bite them, and make them even harder so she would get wetter underneath those bikini bottoms.
“Honestly, you look so sexy. You need to know that,” Brad says, unabashedly.
Jane blushes and looks down.
“Well, I have to say, I’ve never worn anything so revealing before. I am a bit uncomfortable.”
“Do you want to change? I don’t want you feeling awkward,” he says, feeling concerned.
Jane is touched he cares about how she’s feeling. Nobody ever has before.
“Oh no, really, don’t worry. I’m getting used to it, actually. It’s a whole other side of myself I never knew existed,” she says, smiling a bit coyly.
He loves when she does that. So innocent, yet she puts in a hint of sexiness when she talks. He loves how she curls her lips up to the side and then looks down bashfully.
He reaches over for her hand and says, “Please know that if ever you feel uncomfortable, I want to know. It is important to me that you feel good and safe with me always, okay?”
She nods, looking into his eyes as if for the first time. They have these blue rings around them, highlighting the green on the inside so there is a special intensity to them. Her grandmother would call them ‘bedroom eyes.’ They are that captivating.
“I promise,” she replies honestly.
“Good. So, shall we eat?” he says.
Jane looks around the restaurant and notices that no one else has come to sit for dinner.
“Is the kitchen even open?” she asks. “We are the only ones here.”
Brad calmly replies, “Why yes, it is. I made sure we would be the only ones. I wanted to have my first dinner with you alone.”
Jane looks around, surprised and flattered. He must have paid the restaurant for the amount they would have made if they had more guests.
“Oh wow, okay. So this is what it’s like to be out with you,” remarks Jane. “I can handle that,” she jokes.
The server comes to the table with a bottle of cold Chardonnay and starts pouring the wine. Jane asks him for the menu.
“Mr. Halliwell has already ordered for you both. Lobster with asparagus tops and artichoke salad drizzled with a fine wine rosemary dressing. Would that suffice for you, Madam?”
Jane is no
t sure how she feels about him ordering for her, but she can’t refuse this kind of meal. She’s never had lobster before, but she absolutely loves asparagus and artichokes. She wonders how he knew that or if it was a lucky guess.
“Um, yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you.”
Jane looks at Brad in amazement and also with some suspicion.
“How did you…?” she begins but doesn’t want to come across as rude. “Asparagus and Artichoke hearts are my favorite. I had them for the first time when I came to New York.”
Brad smiles and says, “Well, my personal assistant did some research. She spoke with your ballet instructor and asked a few questions.”
That made sense to Jane and it set her heart at ease.
“Cheers,” Brad said, lifting his glass. “Here’s to a delightful evening together.”
Chapter 21
The whole beach is dark, the stars are out, and there is a light breeze that reminds Jane of her summer nights in Utah, except for the sound of water in the background and the taste of salt air. The patio lanterns flicker and Brad and Jane laugh about silly things. They finish the bottle of wine and share a crème brulee. Life tastes so good right now.
“What’s your favorite color? What was your most embarrassing moment? Who was your first kiss?” Jane asks Brad.
At the last question, Brad clams up. He remembers Kelly and how it felt when they kissed for the first time. They were at the ice cream store and were sitting outside on a summer night, kind of like this night. She was eating chocolate mint ice cream, and he had pralines and cream.
She’d had a dab of ice cream on her chin and he leaned over to lick it off. Then he moved up to her lips. His heart jumped through his chest and he felt so excited and in love with her in that moment. He wanted to kiss her forever.
“You don’t have to tell me who your first kiss was, if you don’t want to,” says Jane.
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