A Passionate Discovery (Self-Discovery Series)

by Brooke, T

  The drive to the private airfield only took about fifteen minutes, even in New York traffic, which surprised Carla; she hadn't realized it was so close to the campus. When they arrived she was amazed by the small jet they were led to. She had only flown once before, and found the contrast in experiences startling.

  Not only was the plane before her a fraction of the size of the jet she had flown in from O'Hare airport, but the private airfield Jason had brought them to was absent all of the x-ray machines, metal detectors, and security she remembered from her previous flight. No sooner had they arrived at the plane than they were on board and the luggage was being loaded.

  Briefly Carla wondered where Jason was but she was soon diverted by the sight of the luxurious interior of the plane. The seats were upholstered in soft beige leather and she sank onto the couch that ran along the side of the plane as she looked around her.

  "So is this thing safe?" Carla asked, having finished admiring the interior she became more aware of the small size of the plane, especially in comparison to the huge jumbo jet she had flown in previously.

  "It's as safe as you can get, my sweet girl." Jason had entered the cabin at just the right time, he thought as he saw the slight touch of concern on Carla’s face. "You don't think I'd allow you to be in danger, do you?" Crossing the cabin he pulled Carla up and into his arms so he could kiss her.

  Daniel had entered with Jason and he quickly moved over to sit beside Scarlett. "I know I would never let my Scarlett fly in this if it wasn't safe." He smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. "Good to see you, babe." It had been two nights since he'd seen her, and in his opinion that was much too long.

  Giving Jason a shaky smile, a little relieved by his words, Carla took a seat across from Daniel and Scarlett when she was released.

  Unnoticed behind them the young captain had boarded. He waited until his employer had finished greeting his young lady and then informed him that there were no delays and the weather was perfect for flying. "We should make great time and be on the ground in three and a half hours."

  "Thank you, Captain; we're ready to take off whenever you are," Jason told him. He noted the look on Carla's face as the captain made his way forward to the cockpit, it was clear she thought the man too young to be a pilot. "Don't worry, sweetheart, he's highly qualified, trust me, he's been my pilot for five years now." His words didn't seem to reassure Carla all that much; she continued to look a little nervous.

  When the jet finally took off Carla thought her heart was going to explode. Why she felt so nervous she couldn’t have said, it didn't make sense to her, but she finally began to relax when the plane leveled out. The smoothness of the flight enabled her to put her worries aside and settling back she looked out of the window next to her.

  They were above the clouds, which looked like puffs of cotton candy, and that helped her to relax even more. The one other flight she had been, on the plane had flown through a storm, which she knew was the cause of her slight fear of flying. She was glad that wasn't going to happen that time.

  By the time they touched down in Mexico Carla had decided she didn't mind flying. She was sure that decision was at least in part the result of the comfort of the small jet, though the wine she and Scarlett had enjoyed while Jason and Daniel discussed their upcoming meeting had certainly helped.

  The moment the jet came to a stop Carla was on her feet so she could hug Jason. She realized what she'd done after a few seconds and tried to pull back, he continued hold her in his strong arms though. "Sorry, Sir," she whispered into his strong chest.

  "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Carla." He held her for a few seconds before letting her go. "Daniel, our car should be waiting, I'd like to get the girls settled in before we have to tackle this meeting." He kissed Carla briefly then took her hand and led her off the plane.

  Carla couldn't take her eyes off the bright, colorful scenery surrounding them during the short drive to the docks. She had never seen anything so vibrant before. The water, when they reached it, was the most beautiful shade of blue, reminding her of Jason's eyes, while the sands, which stretched as far as she could see, were so white the sunlight reflected off, almost blinding her.

  "I can't wait to go swimming," Carla said, grinning at Scarlett. The two men were busy discussing their itinerary and were oblivious to their surroundings.

  "I know you're going to love it." Her friend's excitement was contagious and they were giggling like schoolgirls as they finally boarded the boat that was waiting for them. "We're crossing over to one of the other islands; you're going to be amazed by the resort, they even have their own boutiques there. I just hope we have time for some shopping," Scarlett whispered loudly, deliberately allowing Daniel to overhear her.

  "Of course you can go shopping, babe," Daniel grinned at her, "meetings will take up most of the day so I want you to entertain yourself."

  "You are so good to me, Sir." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  "Just take care of my sweet girl, Scarlett," Jason told her, winking at Carla. "I would hate to have some island boy sweep her off her feet while I'm working." He chuckled at Carla's blush.

  Carla had never seen Jason in such a playful mood and loved the changed in him. "I doubt there could ever be another man as perfect as you, Sir."

  Her words pleased him and he grinned. "I should hope not, sweetheart, I would hate to have to tan that gorgeous ass for looking at another." At her crestfallen look he chuckled again. "Baby, I was only joking."

  She blushed and smiled uncertainly, not used to him teasing, especially in front of her friend and his partner. "I would never push you to see if that were true, Sir."

  "Good girl, because I was only half joking." He winked at her again, enjoying seeing her flustered. She was his, he thought, a protective surge of jealousy moving through him. The thought of any man taking what was his did not sit well with him at all.

  Carla barely noticed the beautiful sea as they approached their destination; Jason had a strange look on his face, and she could only wonder at what was going through his mind. She couldn't believe he would actually think any other man could hold her attention after him.

  As he struggled to understand his reluctance to share Carla, Jason gave careful thought to one of the nights he had planned. The idea that she might desire another man, let alone prefer another man over him, was an unpleasant one, and he worried that the night he intended would backfire on him. Pushing such thoughts from his mind he resolved to put a guard on his heart; he had no desire to find himself pussy whipped, not when he had spent so many years firmly in control of every aspect of his life.

  They disembarked when the boat docked and were met by the resort’s car. They could have walked, but Jason wasn’t prepared to carry their luggage, not when there was an alternative open to them.

  Jason found his thoughts growing darker with each passing moment, as the car carried them the short distance to the resort. He needed to take some time away from Carla for a while, that much was clear to him; he needed some space to work out what his emotions were telling him.

  Love was not an emotion he had any time for. In his opinion it made a man weak, and unable to take care of his woman. A woman needed a strong man to lead her, at least any woman that wanted a part of his life.

  Compromise was not something he was good at; he avoided it wherever he could. It was occasionally necessary in business, but he refused to do it in his personal life; he wasn’t about to start now with Carla. He would give her the ten nights they had agreed to, and at the end of them he would know what she was able to deal with, and she would know what he could offer her. He was confident that she would accept the proposal he had made to her.

  When they were checked in it was immediately apparent to Carla that Jason was a preferred customer. The desk clerk, who looked decidedly nervous at the approach of an obviously important guest, was nudged out of the way by the manager, who dealt with them personally.

  The check-in process was c
oncluded with a speed that was almost breathtaking and a bellboy was summoned to take their things up to their rooms. He led them over to the lift with the manager’s assurances that his staff were available, any time of the day or night, to see to their needs ringing in their ears.

  Carla was floored by the way Jason was treated, not just by the manager, but by his entire staff. She had never had such attention bestowed on her and it made her a little uncomfortable, though not so uncomfortable as how Jason, Daniel and Scarlett reacted to the manager’s behavior. All three of them acted as though they were being treated in just the manner they expected.

  Stepping through the door behind Jason and the bellboy Carla came to an abrupt halt, stunned. The room was unbelievable. Not only was it far bigger than any hotel room she had seen, outside of a television show, but it was as luxurious as any room in Jason’s house.

  Everything was so immaculate and expensive that Carla was afraid to touch anything.

  “Carla,” Jason called for her attention after tipping the bellboy. “Here is my credit card.” He held out his black American Express card, keeping hold of it as she went to take it from him. “I want you to buy yourself a sexy bathing suit. I want to see you in something that shows off that gorgeous ass of yours. Think g-string, and buy whatever else your little heart desires,” he told her, letting go of the card. “I want you to have a great time today, but keep the iPhone with you, I have no idea when Daniel and will be done with our meeting.”

  “I promise I won’t go crazy with it, Sir.” She smiled and put the card safely in her purse.

  “I want you to go crazy, sweetheart, buy yourself whatever you want. Don’t even think about what it costs, it’s only money.” He lowered his lips to her cheek and kissed her quickly. “I’m going to freshen up and then I’ve got to get out of here. You and Scarlett do whatever you want for lunch. Don’t expect us for supper either; if something changes I’ll call you.”

  She waited until he walked into the bedroom before she allowed her face to show her disappointment. She knew he was there for business but she’d hoped that they’d be able to spend at least a bit of time together; it sounded as though he was going to be busy almost constantly.

  Walking over to the huge glass doors that led outside Carla slid them open and stepped out onto the balcony. The heat she had first noticed upon stepping off the plane hit her like a blast from an oven as she left the air-conditioned room.

  She sucked in a breath at the sudden heat but quickly recovered and moved forward to lean on the railing. How could anyone be upset when treated to such a view? She couldn’t help wondering. The sight of the white sandy beach and blue-green sea spread out before her brought a smile to her lips.

  Inhaling deeply she took in the salty sweet air, relaxing as her senses were assaulted by the sight, sounds and smells of the paradise she found herself in.

  Jason hated to leave Carla; he would have loved to show her the island paradise he had brought her to, but neither international law nor real estate development were careers that cared about personal desires.

  He was working on one of his largest real estate deals ever, if it all went well he would be adding a resort worth two billion dollars to his list of acquisitions. While many people would have avoided such an ambitious purchase at a time when the economy was in a slump, he considered it the perfect time to bail out the current owner. He would get the resort at a bargain price, and he had the money to keep it running until the economy turned around and he could make back his investment.

  Leaving the bathroom Jason looked around for Carla, when he saw she was out on the veranda he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Sweetheart, when I make it back tonight I am going to make love to you right here, so anyone walking by can see me make you scream,” he whispered the words sensuously in her ear.

  Just a few days before, the thought would have shocked her, now his words turned her on. “I’ll look forward to you doing just that, Sir.” She shivered in anticipation, aching for him to take her there and then.

  “Have fun, my sweet girl.” He moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck tenderly before stepping back and hurrying from the room. The temptation to take her was overwhelming, but he knew he couldn’t afford the time; the people he was doing business with wouldn’t appreciate the delay, especially for such a reason.

  Scarlett arrived a short while after Jason left and the two of them went out. They spent a while exploring the resort, with Scarlett leading the way, describing the delights she remembered from her previous visit.

  Aside from the swimming pool and tennis courts, which didn’t surprise Carla, there was a gym, an on-call masseur, spa, sauna and a beauty salon that rivaled the best New York could offer. They then reached the beach and the water sports center, where they spent a while deciding what activities they would indulge in the next day if they were left to their own devices again.

  With the exception of swimming Carla was a complete novice at all of the water sports and activities on offer. Scarlett encouraged her to go for water skiing, if they had the time, but advised against scuba diving since there wasn’t enough time for her to complete the training and do any dives for fun.

  Parasailing was added to the list of activities for them to enjoy if they had the time; Scarlett assured Carla she would love it.

  Carla was all for hiring a boat and spending an afternoon on the water, she thought that sounded like a fantastic idea until Scarlett pointed out that neither of them knew how to drive a boat. Seeing Carla’s disappointment Scarlett suggested they see if their men were going to be free at any time, if they were they could hire a boat then since both Jason and Daniel could operate boats.

  Once they had finished picking out the fun they were going to have on the water over the next couple of days, Scarlett led her friend to the small avenue of shops that catered to the resort’s guests. Along the way they were intercepted by the resort pro as they skirted the beginning of the golf course.

  It took a few minutes for them to make it clear to the pro, who was full of enthusiasm, that neither of them had any interest in golf, and didn’t care in the slightest that the course was a splendid mix of challenges for the experienced golf, while still being accessible to beginners.

  They reached the avenue a couple of minutes later and Carla was surprised to see a clothing boutique, as exclusive as the one Jason had taken Carla to just a few nights before, a jewelry shop and a sports equipment shop.

  The sports shop held no interest for either of them, but they did browse through the jewelry shop. Carla was bemused by the lack of price tags and asked Scarlett about it, who laughed and told her most top quality shops operated the same. Anyone who had to ask the price of something couldn’t afford to buy it.

  A number of items caught Carla’s attention as they wandered around the shop, under the watchful eye of the saleswoman, but despite Jason’s instructions to go crazy and buy whatever she wanted, and Scarlett’s encouragement, she couldn’t bring herself to buy any of them.

  Knowing that Scarlett was disappointed with her timidity, Carla left her friend to buy the diamond pendant she was looking at and made her way into the clothing boutique.

  She spent a short while just wandering around, admiring the fantastic selection of outfits, until Scarlett rejoined her. Together they proceeded to spend more money than Carla had thought it was possible to spend in one day.

  Scarlett spent the most money out of the two of them, but Carla allowed herself to be talked into letting loose with Jason’s credit card. By the time they left Carla felt as though she had bought herself an entirely new wardrobe of clothes, certainly enough to replace all the clothes that Jason had bought her just a few days before.

  Under Scarlett’s guidance Carla bought outfits to wear during the day, outfits for the evening, whether they stayed in their rooms or were taken to a restaurant or a show, and even items to tantalize her man in the bedroom. Carla doubted she would need the night atti
re, and she certainly didn’t think Jason would allow her to wear it for long, but she enjoyed knowing that she now possessed a couple of slinky negligees.

  Sexy underwear was also added to the piles of clothes they bought, items that Carla was sure would turn Jason on so much he would rip them from her body, an idea that appealed to her greatly.

  They had such fun, once Carla overcame her shock at the bills they were running up, that the sexy g-string bikini Jason had told her to buy was forgotten until they were almost out the door. She quickly selected two, but when she tried them on she was embarrassed to discover they were made up of just enough material to cover her nipples and a thin strip that went between her legs.

  “Wow, babe, you look gorgeous,” Scarlett whistled when she joined her friend in the changing room and saw her. “Jason is going to die when he sees you in that, not to mention any other guy that sees you.”

  “Oh God, don’t say that Scarlett,” Carla moaned, doing her best to resist the urge to cover herself up as she looked at herself in the mirror, disturbed by the amount of skin she had on show. “It’ll be bad enough wearing this for Jason, I’m not sure I could bring myself to wear it out in public.”

  “You will if Jason tells you to,” Scarlett observed, “and chances are he will, especially if he’s with you.”

  Carla nodded, realizing her friend had spoken the truth. She didn’t like the idea of wearing such a skimpy bikini around a lot of strange men, but she knew if Jason told her to she would.

  With the bikinis bought the two of them left the boutique. Carla expected to have to carry the clothes they’d bought back with them, and wondered how they were going to manage that, but Scarlett assured her that their purchases would be delivered to their rooms.

  Amazed by the treatment they received at the hands of every member of staff they encountered, Carla was in a bit of a daze when they returned to the hotel. Walking past the restaurant she was brought to her senses by the smells emanating from it, which reminded both of them they hadn’t eaten lunch. The excitement of the flight down and their exploration of the resort had pushed food from their thoughts until then.