Lisa headed for her office, and I returned to my work. A few hours later, my stomach growling, I headed out for lunch. Lisa’s office was located near Cosi’s, my favorite sandwich shop, and I ate outside, enjoying the sun on my skin, the light breeze blowing across my face and through my curls. I returned to the office refreshed and ready to work.
“Isabelle, I’ve been calling your cell for the last fifteen minutes!” Lisa said as soon as I stepped out of the stairwell. I’d taken to walking up the four flights, the trip up and down the only form of exercise I had time for.
“I’m here now. I didn’t have any appointments scheduled. What’s wrong?” I asked.
She shoved a folder into my hands. I glanced down. Elite was typed on the folder label. “New client?” I asked.
Lisa nodded, rushing me through the main entry and toward the conference room.
“Then why aren’t you taking them? You screen the clients, I work on the—”
“She asked for you,” Lisa said.
I narrowed my gaze. “Nobody knows about me.” I paused. “My designing abilities, I mean.”
“Doesn’t matter. This is a nightclub to end all nightclubs. Only the crème de la crème will go there, or should I say, be deigned entry. The woman in that room asked for you, so go!” Lisa shoved lightly on my back.
This whole scenario made no sense. Grasping the folder, I opened the door to the small conference room. “Lisa—” I glanced over to find my boss had disappeared.
I straightened my shoulders and headed inside, coming face-to-face with a petite brunette with dark blue eyes—eyes I’d seen not once but twice before. Eyes I wouldn’t forget, even if this time they were in the face of a beautiful female.
“You must be Lucy Dare,” I said, proud my voice didn’t shake and betray my shock.
She smiled wide. “Isabelle.”
I shut the door behind me and stared at the woman who looked so much like her brothers. I didn’t know where to begin, so I started with the obvious. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Lucy tipped her head to the side, curiosity—about all things me—oozing from her as she openly studied me.
“For letting me borrow your clothes.” I blushed as I said it, but she deserved my gratitude. I’d come to Gabe with nothing but the clothes on my back, literally.
She waved a hand away. “What’s mine is Gabe’s to lend.” She laughed but quickly sobered when she met my gaze. “He’s never done that before. Ever.”
Somehow I knew that. Believed her. Believed in him.
“What can I do for you?” I asked.
“What do you know about our club business?” she asked.
“Not much.” I hadn’t been around long enough to learn about Gabe’s holdings.
“Good.”
“Excuse me? You’re obviously here to talk business, and you’re glad I don’t know much. How does that make sense?”
She smiled then. “I like you. And I can see why Gabe’s hooked.”
I narrowed my gaze. “I haven’t spoken to him in three months.”
She waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, all of our current clubs are elite and exclusive. They cater to an upper-class clientele. Well-off people looking to blow off steam and pay a hefty fee to just walk in the front door.”
Lucy, wearing a white pair of slacks, a yellow silk halter top, and high-heeled strappy sandals, began to pace as she spoke. Hands flying, animated, she was clearly in her element when discussing her business.
“All interesting facts, but it doesn’t explain why you’re here.” I figured Lucy wanted to meet the woman who’d invaded her brother’s life for a short time. Because I couldn’t imagine that Gabe had pined for long—or at all—after I left.
“Because we’ve been given the opportunity of a lifetime. There’s an exclusive island resort near the Bermuda Triangle. Eden.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t heard of it.”
Her eyes lit up. “Not many people have. The only way to get to the island is to be invited by the Master, who is the host.”
I shivered at the name Master, unsure of why.
“What does this have to do with me?”
“I’m getting to that. We’ve been offered first dibs to buy in and recreate one of our signature nightclubs there. Giving it its own unique stamp, of course. And I want you to manage the décor.”
She held out a folder. “Inside are photographs of our clubs and other information about what makes Elite … well, Elite. I want you to up the ante and help me create something beyond fabulous there,” Lucy said.
“But—”
“No buts allowed,” Lucy said, going on as if I hadn’t objected. “We have to go visit the island, so your invitation is in the folder along with travel instructions and tickets. Since I assume you’ll need time to buy island-appropriate clothing and organize yourself, you don’t leave until Friday. There’s an expense check in there for wardrobe since we’re taking you out of your element here. It’s a two-hour charter plane ride.”
I blinked at the part about the expense check. “I already have summer clothing.”
Lucy waved a hand dismissively. “Buy new ones anyway.”
My head was spinning, both at the speed of her words and the scope and breadth of her request. No, not a request, a demand, making me wonder if this was her usual MO or something Gabe had concocted to see me again. My heart sped up in my chest at the thought.
“I’ll meet you on the island,” Lucy said, answering my question about Gabe’s involvement. Even if he’d suggested me, this seemed to be Lucy’s show and not her brother’s. “Any questions?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“So you’re in?”
As if I had a choice? Lisa might be my friend, but even she would fire me for turning down this opportunity. Still, none of this made any sense. I didn’t have the expertise or the talent to take on this task even with the clearly formidable Lucy Dare to guide me.
“Lucy, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the offer. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but if this is Gabe’s version of charity, you can assure him I’m doing just fine.”
Lucy tipped her head back and laughed. “Do you really think I’d risk handing over the biggest challenge of my career to someone my brother, at worst, feels sorry for or, at best, just wants to fuck?”
“Excuse me?” I tried to sound outraged, but the sad truth was, either was a valid possibility. And I appreciated her candor since I wanted to be the same in return.
Lucy propped a hip on the conference room table. “Look, my brother stepped in when my parents died. He made sure I wanted for nothing, from the material to the emotional, and I owe him for that. But even then, I wouldn’t jeopardize our reputation on a whim of his. But you’re no whim.” Lucy Dare met my gaze, confidence oozing from her in a way I envied.
I turned and looked out the windows, confused. My usual state when it came to Gabe.
Lucy came up alongside me. Actually, she towered over my more petite frame, and her body was even more slender and perfect than her undergarments had led me to believe. Just as I had when wearing her clothes, I wanted to hate the lithe, beautiful woman who, from outward appearances, was everything I wasn’t. But I knew appearances were deceiving, and life dealt blows and wounds nobody could see.
Besides, she was bouncy and nice and impossible to dislike. I let out a sigh. “Gabe was infatuated with me,” I admitted. “If nothing else, I’m still a challenge to him.” Not only because I left but because we’d never actually had sex.
She laughed. And laughed some more. “You really think that, don’t you? Oh my God, you are perfect. Listen. My brother believes in you. And after years of watching him in action and learning, I believe in him.”
I smiled at that, glad Gabe had Lucy in his life.
“Isabelle, he wants to give you this chance to shine. And I’ve looked into every client you had a hand in over the last three months. Not long, I know. But you do hav
e design talent, and I have the experience to guide you. Everything in life comes down to who you know and opportunity.” She picked up the Stella McCartney handbag she’d placed on the table.
“I—”
“Don’t decide now,” Lucy said. “Spend the afternoon reading the information about our clubs and Eden. If you think you’re up to the challenge, I’ll see you on the island on Friday. If not, let me know, and I’ll contact my second choice.”
I picked up the folder, intrigued despite myself. “I’ll seriously consider it,” I promised her.
“It’s been a pleasure, Iz,” she said, a gentle smile on her lips.
The unexpected nickname set off a flurry of emotions and memories inside me, but before I could gather myself, Lucy Dare had walked out the door, leaving me behind with a folder. And a challenge.
One I sensed would eventually lead me back to Gabe. If I was brave enough to accept it.
Chapter Eleven
Gabe: Patience versus Sanity
Patience wasn’t Gabe’s strong suit. Three months had exhausted what little he had left. He waited for his sister’s return, pacing his Madison Avenue office in the penthouse of their flagship hotel, staring out the wall of glass, as if he could see her petite form rushing up the street.
By the time Lucy let herself in—without knocking, Starbucks in hand—he was ready to throttle her. “Well?”
His sister settled into the chair across from his desk and propped her feet up on the polished wood. “I like her. She’s feisty. And not too skinny. Oh, and she’s not a bitch.”
“Not what I meant, and you know it.”
Lucy grinned. “She’ll be there. I phrased it as a challenge. There’s no way she won’t rise to the occasion.”
“If she’s not—”
“Then you’ll go after her like you should have done from the beginning,” his sister said, a smug look on her face.
Gabe shook his head. “If I’d done that, she wouldn’t trust me now.”
“When she finds out you’ve kept tabs on her all this time, you think she’ll trust you?”
He shrugged, but his skin felt too tight at the thought. “She’ll understand,” Gabe said.
She had to because he wasn’t giving her up again.
Chapter Twelve
Isabelle: Paradise Awaits
I opened the invitation, my fingers gliding over the clearly expensive parchment-like paper, the words and information engraved on the page. The elegance and feel of the scroll writing and the almost demand-like phrasing to come to the island reminded me of Gabe, the deliberate way he went about things, the certainty he put into everything he did, and the sheer masculine perfection of the man. God, I missed him.
We’d barely been together at all, but the sense that I knew him and him me had remained during our time apart. Just as it had existed within me while I’d been with Lance. And now, even with Gabe gone from my life, knowing he’d easily let me go, I’d somehow felt his protection around me. Odd. Impossible. But still.
Swallowing hard, I pushed him out of my mind and focused on work. The only reason I’d been invited to the tropical island was to create a nightclub, not imagine a reunion with the man I couldn’t forget.
I researched Elite and discovered the clubs, both in Manhattan and the ones in various other cities like Las Vegas and South Beach, existed in a stratosphere the likes of which I’d never experienced. The challenge, to not just recreate the atmosphere but to exceed its luxury, was one I found impossible to resist. Still, I thought long and hard about whether or not I wanted a job that was handed to me courtesy of Gabe, who—I thought it best to remind myself—clearly was still avoiding direct contact. Even if it was what I’d told him I wanted, the fact he hadn’t come after me still hurt. Talk about feminine indecision and wanting to have it both ways. I winced, not thrilled with myself at the moment.
Ultimately, I decided only a fool would turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Elite wasn’t just an exclusive nightclub. It was, for lack of a better metaphor, for the elite of the elite only, where celebrities like Rihanna, Beyonce, and Jay-Z were seen. Not only did you have to know someone to get in but you had to be willing to pay fifteen hundred to ten thousand dollars for the privilege of a table for the night. Yep, I’d be crazy to turn down the opportunity—as crazy as Lucy had been to entrust the job to me.
On Friday morning, I walked out of my apartment building and, just as the instructions indicated, a large stretch limousine waited out front.
“Isabelle Masters?” a man dressed in a chauffeur uniform asked me.
I nodded, and he held open the door for me to enter. I slid in, finding myself alone. I stretched my legs out in front of me and looked through the tinted windows, feeling like a celebrity as the driver took me to the airport for my trip to Miami, where I would switch to a charter for the short flight to Eden. Besides being in first class, which I would never have booked for myself, the first leg of the trip was uneventful.
Hours later, I was driven from the large main airport to a private airstrip. The plane, a seaplane, made me wish for a drink, a tranquilizer, or a potent combination of the two. The plane was too small, and the thought of landing on the water made my stomach dip with sheer nerves. I walked up the stairs, which I knew had been rolled out to the plane, and boarded.
The interior was small and confined, but before I could work myself into further panic, a woman walked out of what I knew was the cockpit.
“Isabelle?”
I swallowed over my fear. “Yes.”
“I’m Joely, and I’m your pilot.” She extended her hand, and I took it. Her no-nonsense grip was at odds with her entire appearance.
She was about my age with light brown, wavy hair, and her uniform, if you could call it that, consisted of khaki shorts and a black polo shirt. I could more easily picture her as an island guide than the woman who would be flying this plane. I played with the pearls at my neck, trying not to show my panic, which had only increased upon meeting her.
“Are you okay?” she asked perceptively.
I nodded. “Do you mind if I ask how old you are?” I blurted out.
She grinned. “Old enough to fly this baby, I promise. I’m a mechanic, and I have experience as a bush pilot. You’re in safe hands.” She waved hers in the air.
Her confidence inspired more in me. “Okay, then. I hope I didn’t insult you.”
She shook her head. “Nope. Don’t worry, I get those questions a lot. So are you ready?”
I glanced around the empty inside of the vehicle. “I’m the only passenger?”
The other woman nodded. “It’s a fast two-hour trip, so buckle up, and we’ll get going.”
I did as instructed. I still can’t figure out whether I was grateful for the loud noise that surrounded us inside, preventing conversation, or if it frightened me more. I only know that I passed the two hours with a white-knuckle grip on the armrests, and I’d never been happier to see land.
The island I viewed out the window was nothing like I’d imagined. The greenery spread out as far as the eye could see, and jutting out from the lushness below, an Irish castle of gray stone sat looking majestic and regal in the distance.
I exited onto a long dock, grateful to be on the ground at last. I waved at Joely, who grinned and promised to return for me when my time was up. I had no idea when that would be.
Even though I was used to Manhattan in the summertime, the island humidity and heat swept over me, and I regretted choosing a pair of silk slacks, like I’d wear to work, and a tank top, which already clung to my breasts.
Alone on the dock, I fingered the pearls around my neck and looked around, relieved when a man strode toward me. As he drew closer, I realized he wore a cloak of some kind over his head, obscuring his face.
“Isabelle?” he said, sounding sure of my identity, as he extended his hand.
“Yes.”
“Welcome to Eden.”
“I knew immediately he was the
elusive Master of the island.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Enjoy your time here.”
I glanced up at the fantastical castle I’d seen from the air and smiled. “I’m sure I will.” I turned to address him again, but strangely, he’d disappeared.
Before I could contemplate that oddity further, a woman approached from the pathway opposite the one the Master had taken. She wore a pair of simple silk khaki drawstring pants and a white sleeveless top, her name tag identifying her as Connie Hendrickson. Dark brown hair had been pulled into a work-friendly, island-necessary bun, keeping her hair off her neck.
She was attractive with a warm smile. “Isabelle,” she said with the same familiarity everyone associated with this place had used. “Welcome to Eden. If you will come with me, I will show you to your room. Your bags will be brought up shortly.”
“Has Lucy Dare checked in yet?” I asked, following her up a narrow, winding pathway.
She turned, her eyes narrowed in confusion. “I don’t recognize that guest’s name. The Master has placed you in the penthouse,” she went on, as if my question hadn’t been asked.
“There must be some mistake. I’m here to work. To help decorate the new club opening on the island. Elite?”
The other woman shook her head. I’d obviously asked another question she wasn’t aware of the answer to. “I assure you there are no mistakes made here. You’re in the penthouse.” Again, she’d ignored my inquiry.
As we approached the castle, sliding glass doors immediately opened for us, and a blast of cool air assaulted me from inside. I gratefully stepped into what was clearly a lobby. It was darker than I’d expected, and I pulled my sunglasses off, allowing my eyes to adjust as I looked around. Dimly lit sconces adorned the mirrored walls, but I couldn’t see myself in what must be tempered glass.
“We’ve recently upgraded the room keys, so if you’ll just give me your hand,” Connie said, capturing my attention.
She snapped a bracelet on my wrist and went on to explain. “Just line up the ‘E’ to the one on your door and the lock disengages. A little bit of technology we borrowed from Disney,” she said with a smile.
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