Illusion

by J. S. Cooper

  “Okay . . .”

  “I think I was being followed because of the letter.” I gazed out at the ocean. “Actually, that’s not exactly right. I was being followed because of what I did after I read the letter.”

  “What did the letter say, and what did you do?”

  “You’ve got to understand that this isn’t me.” I looked back at him with a frown. “If you would have told me five years ago that I’d be acting like some older version of Nancy Drew, I would have told you you were lying.”

  “Nancy Drew, huh?” He raised an eyebrow. “That must have been some letter.”

  “It was.” I chewed on my lower lip for a few seconds before continuing. I needed to make sure I was making the right decision, but I knew that there was no way for me to be certain of that fact. I knew that between Jakob and Steve, I trusted Jakob the most.

  “So, are you going to tell me anything else?”

  “My father was poor when he died. He didn’t leave a will, he didn’t have anything to leave in his will. He had no money. Though, he should have had millions. He invented the self-painting machine, the thirty-minute cooker, and the first prototype for the mini car.”

  “Really?” He looked back at me with a blank expression that surprised me. Most people were shocked and amazed to find out my father had created so many products that had changed the way millions lived their lives.

  “Yes, really.” I snapped, annoyed by his lack of reaction, not knowing why I felt so upset. I knew a part of it had to do with the fact that I was trusting him with something I’d never told anyone before, and he wasn’t reacting in the way I’d hoped he would. “So when he died, he basically left me a letter that told me that he didn’t trust his old business partners. He left me some papers that led me to believe that he should own the rights and be receiving the royalties for those products.”

  “I see.” He pursed his lips. “So you’re trying to get the money you think is yours, is that it?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded and looked away from him again. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t tell him about my mother’s car accident and the fact that my father had believed that she’d been killed. I didn’t tell him that the real reason I was investigating was to get justice for my mother. I wasn’t sure that he’d understand. I thought back to the letter my father had left me; the letter that had led to my kidnapping and being stuck on this island.

  My Dearest Bianca,

  My darling daughter, as I lie here writing this letter, there are so many things I wish I could go back and change.

  First, let me apologize to you. I spent too many years carrying around my grief at your mother’s death that there are many times I didn’t fully appreciate how alive we both still were.

  Your mother meant the world to me and I see her living on in you. She would be so proud of the historian you’ve become. Stay inquisitive and beautiful, my darling. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to leave you anything in my will. I wasted my life away and there are many things I wish I had told you before today.

  There’s one thing I think you should know. One thing I’ve agonized over telling you. I don’t think your mother’s car crash was an accident. As I’ve gone through my papers and recalled various conversations from the days before her death, it has occurred to me that there may have been people that wanted to see me incapacitated. People that knew that your mother’s death would change everything in my life.

  My darling, I may not be able to leave you riches in the bank, but go through the papers in the box and you might find the truth. The truth will provide for your children and bring justice for your mother’s death. Writing this letter and knowing how strong you are is giving me great solace in the sadness of my last days. All I ask is that you be careful of who you trust. Friends can be foes and foes can be friends. Remember that I love you and I’m sorry.

  Fight on like your beloved Mary, Queen of Scots.

  All my love,

  Papa

  “Are you okay, Bianca?” Jakob moved closer to me. I could see the concern in his eyes. “You just spaced out for a long time.”

  “I was just thinking of my dad.” My body trembled as his fingers ran down my arm.

  “Thinking about the money?” His mouth twisted and I sighed. Jakob was really preoccupied with money. It seemed like he became irritated every time the subject was brought up. I was going to have to remember that.

  “No, I was just wondering if we were kidnapped because the Bradleys think I’m about to take over their company.” I chewed on my lower lip. “A police officer, or someone posing as a police officer, came to my house recently. I’m pretty sure he was looking for some papers my father left me. Some papers that might entitle me to a majority share in Bradley Inc. Ever since I told my ex that I wanted to do some research on the company and meet his brother, Mattias, strange things have been happening.”

  “Your ex, David?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you told your ex that you think you’re the rightful owner of his family company?”

  “No, not exactly. I told him that my father used to work there and I was doing research on his inventions. The self-painter has revolutionized the way people get their home painted. It costs less than fifty dollars, and a room is primed and painted in an hour. The paint he created to work with the self-painter is only sold by Bradley Inc., and it made their company tens of billions of dollars last year. Even contractors are using it for their businesses.”

  “I know what the self-painter does.” His voice was dry. “Let me get this straight. You told your ex-boyfriend that your father created the product, actually multiple products, that made his family company one of the largest corporations in the world. And then you told him you were doing research on said company, and you expected that he’d be cool with that?”

  “I just wanted to talk to his brother, Mattias, the CEO. I know he has access to the files. I know his father had to have told him where the private files are kept.” My words tripped out of my mouth in a hurry as I sought to explain to him, why I’d tried to incorporate David’s help. “I just needed David to introduce me to Mattias.”

  “That was pretty convenient that you ended up dating the heir to the company you were researching.” His eyes bored into mine and I didn’t even flinch at his question.

  “Yes, it was.” I smiled widely at him. There was no way I was going to tell him how hard I had to work to get into a relationship with David. I was embarrassed by some of the things I’d done. Not even David knew the truth about our meeting.

  “So did you meet Mattias then?” He leaned back and rested on his elbows as he stared at me.

  “No.” My face paled as I remembered the phone call from David that told me his brother had no interest in meeting me. His voice had sounded odd, as if he’d been coached. “I never got to meet him. In fact, I don’t even know what he looks like.”

  “How can that be?”

  “I don’t know. The only information online about him is a brief blurb on the company website saying he is the CEO. He has no web footprint whatsoever.”

  “Weird. I wish I knew how he did that. There are things I’d love to get erased from online.”

  “So that’s basically it. A couple of days after David’s call, I started feeling like I was being watched. And then the letters came. And the police incident.” I stopped then and looked around me. “And here I am. Or I guess here we are.” I looked at the dark sky and stared at the stars glittering down at me. I felt as if they were communicating with me, telling me to keep some things to myself.

  “That’s all of it?” I could hear the question in his voice. It was almost as if he knew that I was holding back part of the story. It was almost as if he knew that there were other things that David had told me. Things that I definitely was not going to share.

  “Yeah, that’s it.” I said, and ran my hands down my matted hair and attempted to comb the knots out with my fingertips. I grimaced at the frizzy mess that met my touch and cried
out as I yanked a few hairs too roughly. “Ouch.”

  “Hey, be careful with yourself.” Jakob reached over and touched my hand and pulled it away from my hair. “Leave it alone. It looks fine.”

  “Sure it does.” I smiled at him. “No need to lie to me.”

  “It’s natural.” He smiled, his eyes lightening as the conversation changed. “I like women who are more natural.” His fingers touched the top of my head and then ran down the arch of my nose. “Your cheeks look rosy red and I know that’s not from blusher or bronzer.” He leaned forward and lightly licked my cheek. “Yup, no taste of makeup.”

  “Obviously.” I stared back at him in shock, I could still feel the tip of his tongue on me and my body was on high alert, waiting to see what he was going to do next. “So do you have a girlfriend?” I asked softly, pretending like I didn’t care about his answer.

  “No.” He laughed heartily. “I don’t do girlfriends.”

  “Oh, okay.” I wasn’t sure if I was happy or sad at his response.

  “Though I don’t expect my woman to mess around.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m just saying, when a woman is with me, there is no one else in her life. When I take a lover, she knows I own her body.”

  “I see.” I bit my lower lip and squirmed in the sand, imagining him as a lover.

  “But that’s neither here nor there.” He looked away and lay back. “Shall we try to sleep now? We should get up early and explore part of the jungle. I think we should try to wake up before Steve gets up. I want us to explore the jungle without him. See if we see anything suspicious.”

  “Suspicious like what?”

  “I don’t know.” His eyes darkened. “A gun maybe?”

  “What?” My eyes stared into his. “You think he has a gun?”

  “I don’t know.” He shook his head. “But I think we need to figure out how he ended up on the island with us. And he’s been on his walk for an awfully long time. It makes me wonder where he’s gone. Why would a man with a limp be venturing on a long walk in the evening by himself on an island with two strangers?” His eyes pierced into mine. “It doesn’t make sense. We need to figure out why he’s on the island.”

  “But we don’t even know why we’re on the island.” I stared at him and then at the darkened figure of Steve farther down the beach as he walked back toward us. “He’s on the way back.”

  “Let’s change the subject now.” He looked toward Steve and then leaned toward me. “I trust you.” His voice was soft. “Though you could be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He paused. “Anyway, tomorrow we should go explore in the jungle. I also think that’s going to be our best bet for finding fresh water.”

  “Okay.”

  I lay back on the sand and stared at the sky. Our shoulders rubbed together, and I closed my eyes, wondering if he was going to suggest that we snuggle up. He didn’t say anything, but I felt him reach out for me and pull me toward him. I lay there on my side with my back to his chest, and I closed my eyes as my body started trembling slightly at being so close to him.

  “You’re too close.” I shifted slightly away from him. I was uncomfortable being so close together—or rather, I was uncomfortable feeling his practically naked body pushed up against mine. And when I say uncomfortable, I mean I loved it. I was most uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to prevent myself from turning over and running my fingers across his chest.

  “That’s the point, isn’t it?” he whispered against the back of my head. “That’s how we’ll stay warm.”

  “I’m plenty warm already, thanks.” I turned around abruptly as I felt his manhood push up against my ass. “I think it’s better if we face each other,” I continued weakly, not wanting him to see how he was affecting me.

  “I don’t mind that at all.” He grinned and pulled me toward him. “Not at all.”

  I groaned inwardly when I felt his hardness press against my stomach and my breasts press against his chest. This position was even worse, even more intimate, and I shifted again. Only this time, my legs grazed his and we both froze for a moment as a small spark of electricity passed through us.

  “So tell me more about you.” He spoke softly as his finger idly trailed down my arm. “The you that’s not connected to getting the money you think you’re owed.”

  “There’s not much to tell,” I mumbled, and then paused. What the hell did his comment about money mean? I was about to ask him, but I knew Steve was getting closer. I couldn’t risk getting into an argument with Jakob with Steve so close.

  I was also finding it hard to think straight. My body felt like it was starting to catch fire, and all I could think about was how raw and masculine he smelled. I so badly wanted to run my fingertips down his chest and then across the stubble on his face, but I managed to stop myself.

  “The more we know about each other, the easier it will be for us to figure out why we’re here.”

  “I guess.” I sighed and looked into his eyes. “Though, I can’t see why anyone would kidnap the two of us. I’m really a nobody, asides from the investigation. I can’t think of a reason why anyone else would want to kidnap me.”

  “Nobody’s a nobody,” he said, and then we both laughed.

  “Well, I don’t have any money. My father was pretty lower-middle class. He was an inventor like I said, though he didn’t get credit for any of his inventions that became a big hit. My mother died when I was just a kid. My dad never remarried. I went to college, studied history, got a job working as a researcher for a well-known historian, he helped get me into the master’s program at Columbia. I was going to go on for my PhD, but my father died, and things changed.” I was silent for a few seconds. “I found his letter and decided to focus my energies on finding out the truth, and so I took a leave of absence from the program and my job. Now I’m self-employed.” I smiled then. “And I make less than forty grand a year, so if anyone is trying to make money off me, they’re in for a surprise.”

  “Your dad didn’t leave you any money?” He frowned.

  “Did you not just hear me when I said he didn’t make much money?” I laughed.

  “I suppose that’s why you like dating rich men, then, huh?”

  “Excuse me?” I pulled away from him then and jumped up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m just saying most women in your position would be happy to date and marry a rich guy, right? And it’s obvious you’ve got an eye for the finer things in life.”

  “What are you talking about?” I glared at him as he jumped up and stood next to me.

  “Isn’t that ultimately what this is all about? You trying to get access to the money that a large corporation made off your father’s inventions?”

  “No,” I hissed at him angrily. Did he really have that little respect for me? I knew that he didn’t know me well, but I was still hurt by his assumptions, even if that was what I’d led him to believe.

  “Shh.” He grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. “Steve is looking over at us.” He kissed the side of my neck gently as his fingers ran down my back and cupped my ass. I felt my anger subsiding at his touch and I felt strangely bereft when he pulled away from me.

  I tried to ignore how glorious his body looked in the moonlight. He was so virile and strong. If he wanted to take me, all he would have to do is pin me to the ground and kiss me. His strength would be a big turn-on, especially if he just ripped my panties off. I could feel myself growing wet at the thought. If he wanted me, he could have me.

  “It’s not anything bad to be impressed by wealth, Bianca. Plenty of women and men have been blindsided by the allure of money. I’m not saying this as disrespect to your character, but it’s something I’ve noticed. I mean just earlier, look how quickly you recognized my Rolex.” He continued talking about money as if he had no idea at the inner sexual turmoil running through my mind.

  “Only because my ex had one.”

  “Exactly m
y point.” He smirked.

  “How is that your point?”

  “You dated a man rich enough to own a Rolex.”

  “Are you kidding me? David’s money didn’t matter to me. I didn’t even know David was rich when I first met him.” I shook my head at him. Though, only part of that was true. I did know that David was rich, but his money had been the last thing on my mind when I met him.

  “Really? How’s that possible? Girls like you seek out rich men.”

  “Girls like me?” I gaped at him.

  “Women who try to use their looks and body to trap a man.”

  “Are you joking? This isn’t a real-life remake of How to Marry a Millionaire.”

  “What?” He looked confused.

  “It was a movie with Marilyn Monroe and—”

  “I don’t need the details.” He cut me off. “Why did you bring it up?”

  “Because you insinuated that I’m trying to use my looks to catch rich men, as if I can’t provide for myself. I’ve never tried to date a guy because he has money.”

  “My apologies,” he shrugged. “I guess I’ve been around too many beautiful women that have tried to use me and then tried to trap me for my money.”

  I stared at him in shock for a few moments. I’m embarrassed to admit that a part of me was flattered by what he’d said. I didn’t consider myself any great beauty, and I knew I didn’t have the skinniest or hottest body out there. I was pretty sure that, even if I’d wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to trap a rich man.

  “You’re an asshole,” I finally muttered. “I didn’t trap anyone.”

  “So you don’t want a man with money?”

  “No.” I walked to the water’s edge and stared at the illuminated ripples of water as they ebbed and flowed.

  “I’m sorry if I offended you.” Jakob walked up next to me, reached out, and touched my shoulder. “Like I said, I’m accustomed to many women in the city approaching me because I have money. I didn’t mean to displace that onto you.”

  “It’s fine.” I shrugged but didn’t look at him. I was so angry that he would associate me with a gold digger, when I was anything but one. I felt so hurt inside. I’d trusted him enough to tell him part of my story. The fact that I was attracted to him made me feel like I’d made a mistake in telling him anything. Maybe I was letting my physical attraction to him override my gut instincts.