by Claire Adams
"It's okay, Emily," he said. "It's not your fault."
"But if you hadn't run into the house and tried to save me-" I began.
"Then you might not be here talking to me," he reminded me with a smile. "If this is the price of not losing you, then I'm more than happy I paid it."
"But you didn't call me..." I said quietly.
"Yeah, about that," he said shaking his head. "My driver rushed me to the hospital instead of heading back to the hotel like I'd instructed him. He knew something was wrong and didn't waste time getting me the help I needed. But after I'd recovered from the initial shock of the injury, Bax showed up at my bedside and told me he'd figured out what Daniel was doing in Berlin."
"You went to Berlin with broken ribs and a punctured lung?" I asked horrified by the thought.
"Well, my lung wasn't punctured by the time I hopped on the jet," he laughed. "And since I wasn't expecting for things to come to blows with Daniel, I felt fine making the trip."
"You're crazy, you know that, right?" I said. "But why didn't you call me?"
"Honestly?" he asked.
"Always." I nodded.
"I didn't know what to say to you," he said looking down at the ground.
"Oh, so it's like that," I said as I felt the air leaving my lungs. He was trying to break up with me, but he didn't know what to say and he didn't want to beat up on the girl who'd already been beat up by her violent drunk husband.
"Emily," he said softly as he reached out and lifted my chin so I was looking up into his dark beautiful eyes. "I didn't want to interfere with what you were doing to get yourself out of the marriage and into your own life, and, honestly, I didn't know how to tell you how much I care about you and how afraid I was of losing you."
"Oh, Austin," I said as I fought the urge to hug him again, and instead reached up and touched his cheek. "You didn't have to worry about any of that."
"Maybe not," he shrugged as he smiled warmly as he put his hand over mine and pulled it to his lips. "But when it comes to you, I find myself worrying about a host of things I've never worried about before."
Chapter Sixty-Three
Austin
Two hours after Emily walked into the hotel, we were climbing the steps to my private jet in anticipation of being whisked away to the French Polynesian island of Motu Tane. I'd invested in the island after I had landed the job as CEO knowing that someday, I would need a place to escape from the hectic rigors of my job and the company, and I wanted somewhere that was more than just a house or a plot of land.
"Are you ready to go?" I asked Emily as we sat down and prepared for take off.
"Where are we going?" she asked as she looked out the window and then back at me.
"Well, you're not going to figure it out while looking out the window here!" I laughed. She laughed with me and then leaned over and kissed my cheek. I took her hand, brought it to my lips, and gently kissed it. "I'm taking you somewhere absolutely magnificent."
"I wouldn't expect anything less of you," she smiled. "But you know that I have no luggage or travel case, don't you?"
"Ah ha, but you do!" I cried triumphantly as she gave me a confused look. "I called Trish and had her pack a bag for you and while we were talking, the driver went and picked it up."
"You're so sneaky," she laughed as she leaned her head against my shoulder carefully avoiding all the tender spots. "You're truly remarkable, Austin Marks."
"You're not so bad yourself, Emily Warner." I smiled as the flight attendant advised us to prepare for takeoff and then took his seat in the galley.
We flew all night and as we rounded the earth's curve and flew into Bora Bora, I woke Emily and told her to look out the window. The view of the ocean was magnificent at this height and I pointed out all of the luxury resorts situated on various atolls surrounding Bora Bora. We refueled and took off again headed southwest toward my island. As we approached, I pointed out the various features of the island and Emily oohed and ahhed over the turquoise blue waters that were so clear we could see the coral reef from the air.
"Oh, Austin!" she exclaimed as she grabbed my hand and looked out the window. "This is incredible! It's like heaven!"
"I've never brought anyone but my mother here," I said quietly. She turned away from the window and looked at me for a long time before smiling and turning back to take in the magnificent beauty of the sparkling blue waters surrounding the island. We touched down on the small landing strip that I'd had built for this purpose and when the door opened and the stairs were pulled down, I sighed with relief. I felt like I had come home.
Emily lightly hopped down the stairs and ran across the runway to where the beach began and pulled off her shoes, burying her feet in the warm sand. I laughed as I watched her joyously wiggle her toes and let out a happy laugh.
"Wait till you see the beach by the cabin where we're staying," I called.
"Cabin?" she repeated. "We're staying in a cabin on this island?"
"Well, yes," I replied. "Where did you think we'd stay?"
"I don't know, I guess I thought this was just a day trip to a secluded beach where you'd seduce me and feed me luscious fruit," she called back laughing.
"You're silly," I said as I joined her on the sand. "No, I built a place here on the island so that I wouldn't have to go back to the mainland if I didn't want to. There's a staff house, too, so we don't have to cook for ourselves."
"Now that's luxury!" she exclaimed. "What's for dinner?"
"Let's go find out," I laughed as I took her hand and pulled her to the waiting car. The drive to the cabin was a quick one, and while we could have easily walked, I was so eager to show Emily the cabin that I decided not to take the time. As we pulled up to the place, she looked at me with wide eyes and then back to the building.
"Cabin, eh?" she said. "Austin, this is a castle!"
"Nah, it's really not as big as it looks," I said waving her off. "It's just a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen, and a sitting area surrounded by a huge porch."
"It's bigger than my house," she reminded me with a laugh. We got out of the car and walked toward the front door, and when I swung the French doors wide open, I heard Emily gasp. I smiled as I watched her take in the place since I remembered how I felt the first time I'd seen it.
The front room was a wide-open space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that made it feel like we were standing at the edge of the water. The furniture was low to the ground and done in light sandy colors imitating the beach colors and making the room seem even bigger than it was. On the wall over the fireplace hung a huge blue swordfish that looked like it was leaping off of the mantle, its majestic back fin curved across the space as its sword-like snout stretched to the ceiling. To the right of the fireplace was a dining area with a long Birchwood table upon which sat a meal fit for royalty.
"Do you want to eat now or check out the place first?" I asked Emily.
"I want to see this place!" she called as she ran towards the hallway that stretched out toward the west side of the island. The hallway, much like the large living space, was lined on either side in floor-to-ceiling windows, giving it an outdoor feel. When she reached the other end, Emily pulled open the sliding door to reveal a guest room done in soothing turquoise and taupe colors. She declared it gorgeous before moving further down the hall to the master bedroom and stood stock still as she looked through the door.
"Oh, Austin," she sighed. "This is the most amazing room I've ever seen!"
I didn't disagree. The room was a glass cube with windows for walls and ceiling. There was a switch that triggered shades and, in case of storms, a hard shell covering to protect them, but most of the time, I left it all open to enjoy the sunlight streaming in through the glass. The room was done in sandy tan and shades of blue varying from indigo to robin's egg, making it felt like being in the middle of the ocean. As she stood taking in the view, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She gently put her arms on top of mine and si
ghed contentedly as she leaned back and rested her head on my shoulder.
"Welcome home, Emily," I said as I kissed the top of her head and inhaled her scent.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Emily
Standing in the most beautiful room I'd ever seen with Austin's arms wrapped around me, I smiled and sunk into the warmth of it all. I'd never been somewhere this beautiful and certainly not with someone I had such feelings for. It felt like heaven on earth.
"Shall we eat something?" Austin asked.
"Yes! I'm starving," I replied as he stepped back and took my hand. Austin led me back to the dining room where the table was set for us and groaning under the weight of the food the chef had prepared.
"We can't eat all of this!" I laughed. "We'll never move again!"
"Well, you'd better eat up so we can fortify ourselves for the day's activities," Austin grinned. I gave him a naughty grin in return as he continued, "We've got a paddle board lesson at eleven and then reef swimming after lunch and then there's a night club that gets going on the next island around ten, so eat up!"
"Don't tease me," I said as I sat down and prepared to dig into the plate of fresh island fruit sitting off to the side of my breakfast plate. I speared a piece of juicy pineapple and popped it into my mouth.
"I'm totally serious," he said as he put a forkful of fish and rice in his mouth and grinned.
"Fine," I shrugged. "If that's what you want, then I'll just go change into my bathing suit after breakfast and head to the beach!"
"You are so beautiful," Austin said as he let out a loud laugh and leaned over to kissed my cheek. "We'll do whatever you'd like."
I smiled warmly as we gazed into each other's eyes, then speared another piece of fruit and slowly offered it to him. Austin parted his lips and allowed me to slide the fork between them so he could pull the fruit from the tines. I watched him, thinking he was the sexiest man I'd ever known, and then leaned forward to flick my tongue across his bottom lip and lick up the juice that dripped off of it.
He stood up and quickly pulled me out of my chair as he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the floor. He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me in a way that let me know he wanted me more than he wanted breakfast right now. I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his kiss as we teased each other's tongues. He positioned me on the edge of the dining room table and pushed my skirt up over my knees as he slid a hand between my thighs to part them.
I looked up into his eyes as I reached out and unfastened his pants, slipping my hand into them and pulling out his throbbing shaft. I smiled as I slid my hand up and down the hardened length and heard him groan.
"I need you, Emily," he whispered into my lips before he kissed me harder.
"Austin," I moaned softly. "Yes, oh yes."
He reached down and positioned himself at the edge of my aching opening, looking deep into my eyes. When I nodded slowly, he thrust deep inside me, forcing the air from my lungs and setting my body on fire. I gripped his upper arms as he slowly withdrew and then held his gaze as he thrust back into me hard and fast. He did this several times before stopping at the edge of my entrance and pulsing in and out without pushing deeper. The sensation drove me close to the edge of climax and when he slipped his hand between my legs and stroked my hard little clit, I felt like I was going to spin off the edge of the cliff. He sent me soaring with the next thrust, and soon afterwards joined me on my flight.
After we'd both landed, we stayed wrapped around one another, me on the table and him standing between my legs still buried deep inside me. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek to his chest as I whispered, "I don't ever want to leave this moment."
"Nor do I," he murmured into my hair as he stroked my back and held me close.
At that moment, I heard my phone ringing in my purse and from the ringtone I knew it was Tommy. I raised my head and looked up at Austin saying, "I need to answer that one." He nodded as he stepped back and helped me off the table. I quickly walked over to where my purse lay, grabbed the phone and answered it.
"Now is not the time," I said into the mic.
"Now is always the time, darling," Tommy slurred on the other end. He was drunk again.
"What do you want?" I hissed.
"What do I always want?" he laughed. "Money, darlin'. I need some money."
"I don't have any money and you know that," I replied. "The house hasn't been put on the market and until it sells, there's no money for either of us."
"You might not have money," he sneered. "But from what I understand, your new boyfriend has tons of it. Am I right?"
"Tommy, what the hell are you talking about?" I hissed angrily.
"Your boyfriend, the one who came to your rescue and saved you from your drunk, abusive husband," he laughed. There was a hollow meanness in his voice and I didn't like where this was headed.
"Leave him out of this," I warned.
"Oh no, darlin'. I'm not leaving anyone out of anything," Tommy said in a deadly calm tone. "The two of you have made my life a living hell, and now I'm going to return the favor."
"No one made your life a hell but you," I said tersely. "And I'm not doing anything for you."
"Oh, I think you will, darlin'," he said, laughing as ice hit a glass in the background. "I've got dirt on your boyfriend and if he doesn't give up the money, I'll spill my guts and sink him."
"Tommy, you have no idea what you're talking about," I said, irritated that he was threatening Austin.
"But I do, Em," he said in a sinister tone. "Ask him about where the money for his Paris project is coming from and watch what happens. I'd recommend that you two figure out a way to get me the cash I need. I'm not unreasonable, just give me the sale price of the house and we'll call it even."
"Tommy, the house has to sell before I can give you money," I protested. "Besides, you only get half of the sale price. The other half is mine."
"No, darlin', it's all mine," he said before disconnecting.
I sat on the couch looking down at my phone, wondering what Tommy had meant and why he was choosing now to blackmail me. I looked up and found myself staring out at the pristine sand beach that led out to the crystal blue waters of the atoll and sighed as I wondered if he was going to ruin every good thing in my life.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Austin
Emily looked up at me from the couch with weary eyes and a sad expression. I knew she'd been talking with Tommy, but I didn't feel like I had the right to demand that she tell me what was going on. I needn't have worried.
"He's blackmailing me," she said as she shook her head. "And to get to me, he's blackmailing you, too."
"With what?" I asked. "I have nothing to hide."
"He said something about the Paris project and that if I didn't pay him, he'd spill the details," she said with a perplexed look. "Do you have any idea what that means?"
"Not right now," I said. "But I will in a few minutes." I grabbed my phone, tapped the screen and in a few moments I was connected to Bax.
"Hey, boss," he said with a smile in his voice. I wasn't sure what had happened, but I didn't have time to ferret out the details of his personal life. "What's up?"
"Bax, what's going on with Daniel?" I blurted out.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean, why is Emily's soon to be ex-husband calling her here in Bora Bora to tell her that he's got dirt on me and the Paris project?" I replied.
"What the hell?" Bax said in a surprised tone that made me worry that he didn't know what was going on. "How the hell did he get that information?"
"So, it's true?" I asked.
"Well, I'm close to tracking down the source of the rumor, but until now, it's only been a rumor," he admitted. "I didn't want to bother you with it until I had some solid information, but I guess Daniel is leaking things himself now."
"What is going on, Bax?" I demanded as I felt my pulse rising. Daniel was spreading rumors about the Paris project a
nd me, and my second in command didn't keep me informed – this pissed me off.
"Look, it was a rumor, Austin," Bax said as he tried to calm me down. "If I took every rumor that crossed my desk seriously, I'd never do anything but put out fires. I was waiting to hear back from the Paris detective that I put on the case before I decided to take it seriously or not. I guess we need to take it seriously."
"Damn right, we do!" I yelled. "Jesus, Bax! This is my company and my reputation we're talking about!"
"Hey, calm down," he said. "I'll find the source and figure out how to neutralize it. Just give me a few hours and I'll get back to you."
"You'd better do something about this, Bax," I growled. "I'm not going to allow Daniel to drag this company down into the mud with his rumors and innuendos."
"I'm on it, boss," he replied before disconnecting.
I turned and walked across the room toward Emily who was now curled up in a ball on the couch. She looked up at me with tearful eyes and said, "I'm so sorry, Austin."
"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I sat down next to her and laid a hand on her arm. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."
"I feel like my messy life is dragging you down into the dirt," she said as she looked at the floor and shook her head. "I never should have come here with you. I should have stayed home and packed the house and gotten it ready for the market. I should have taken care of my situation before I hopped on a plane and flew out to some remote tropical island. None of this is right."
"Emily, listen to me," I said as I reached out and cradled her chin in my hand, lifting her face up so that she couldn't look away. "None of this is your fault. Not a single bit of it. Daniel Wentworth has been out to get me for years and this is simply his way of letting me know that he's got me in a chokehold."
She looked up at me as the tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. I didn't know how to convince her that I was telling the truth, but I knew I had to try, so I reached out and pulled her into my arms before launching into the whole sordid story about my father's death and Daniel's attempts to claim the company as his own. I'd never told anyone the entire story, not even Bax, and spilling all the details made me feel lighter.
