by Sara Daniel
“A week?” What kind of resort was this place? What if a guest had a medical emergency? Or a family emergency? It was unlikely Holly would have either, but she was likely to have a client emergency that she’d need to drop everything for.
“You must come this week. It will make a difference in the rest of your life.”
She rolled her eyes. Myron was completely overselling the place. But Holly also couldn’t help feeling that the lady was exactly right. She needed to do this. It would be inconvenient to be stuck there for a week but not the end of the world. She had her laptop and a wireless internet connection. She could send press releases, review security concerns, counsel clients, and speak to media outlets from anywhere. “Make my reservation.”
Chapter Two
HOLLY WATCHED THE FACES of the people getting off the ferry. They looked amazingly relaxed and refreshed, happier than her sister, if that was possible. Next week that could be her wearing that exact expression of bliss.
Envy wasn’t her real reason for watching them, however. As a practical matter, she needed to make sure Justin wasn’t among the departing passengers. She wouldn’t spend the week trapped on the island for nothing when she could take care of the conversation now and move on with her life.
With no sign of Justin and no guarantee that he was in fact still at the resort, she waited until the last call for boarding and reluctantly walked down the dock. The other guests for the week jockeyed for a place at the front of the boat, so she retreated to the back and began going through her e-mail, replying to each one.
The third one stopped her cold. Her most prominent client, the pop star with on-going security concerns, a goody two-shoe image, and an insatiable urge for kinky sex, was being blackmailed by her bodyguard who claimed to have numerous sex videos he was willing to leak across the internet unless she met his price. Clearly, the woman needed a new image and a new bodyguard. She also needed her PR representative to stand by her in person as the crisis unfolded.
Holly frowned at the wall of fog ahead and then looked back toward shore. If they hadn’t gone too far already, she could probably convince the captain to turn around and take her back. Unfortunately, she could no longer see the shore or any land at all. In fact, with fog closing in on them, she couldn’t even see much of the ocean.
She’d settle for a phone call now. Hopefully, she wouldn’t lose reception, but this call simply couldn’t wait until she was sure. The phone rang twice, while the moisture in the air left tiny droplets on her skin. Somehow, she had to get to the island, fit in a quick chat with Justin, and then return immediately to the mainland. The lure of an enormous tip would hopefully persuade the crew to wait for her.
“Took you long enough to call,” the pop diva snapped.
“I’m so sorry. I just saw the e-mail,” Holly said. “I’ll be heading straight for your place as soon as—” The phone crackled with static. “Hello?”
No answer. No static. No dial tone.
She looked at the phone. The call hadn’t just dropped. The phone was dead. She pushed the power button, but it didn’t respond. The passengers at the front of the boat gasped in delight as cliffs came into focus through the fog. No one else looked like they were having trouble with their cell phones, but no one looked like they were attempting to use them either.
Holly closed up her phone and computer. Her focus right now was supposed to be on finding Justin and getting the closure she needed. Instead, she had an irate, panicked client in the midst of a personal and career crisis that could make or break Holly’s own career. This wasn’t the blissful relaxation she’d hoped for at all.
Justin sat on a rock ledge above the path and watched the ferry boat pull up to the dock. The impatient passengers filed quickly down the ramp and up the path to the lodge. Next week they would take the same ferry back—renewed, refreshed, and relaxed.
Meanwhile, he would still be limping around the island, scowling and frustrated. He’d seen it happen for three weeks now. Sure, he was sleeping better. He wasn’t limping as much. He wasn’t constantly scanning the horizon for a non-existent sniper to blow his head off.
He frowned at the final guests walking up the dock. One woman wasn’t hurrying along the path. In fact, she seemed distraught that the boat was sailing away, disappearing into the mist. With her corkscrew blonde curls and ever-present laptop, she looked remarkably like his Holly.
Not his Holly. He punched the side of the cliff as he corrected himself. He’d given up his claim to her.
Cemil Rowan, the most amazing empath Justin had ever met and one of the four siblings who ran the island, jogged down the dock and put his arm around her, personally escorting her along the path below Justin’s seat.
“I made a mistake coming here,” she insisted. She might not be his Holly anymore, but she was in fact Holly. “I have a client emergency. I have to go back.”
“Your client will be okay without you. This week is for you and your personal needs. It’s time for you to give them priority.”
Even though Cemil never glanced up at him, his words jabbed Justin. Had he put his own needs before Holly’s? He hadn’t thought so. He’d broken up with her because he was protecting her. He’d done the right thing.
And now she was here. Military life had taught him not to believe in coincidences. Choosing to vacation on an island that only accepted twelve ferry boat guests a week had to have been a deliberate decision on her part based on the knowledge that she would find him here, even if she regretted that decision now.
For all he knew, her plan might have been to punch him in the face for the way he’d treated her. He didn’t deny he deserved it. Even more, it filled his chest with a strange, warm ache. No one had ever gone after him before. Not his birth parents, certainly not his foster parents, nor any of the other women along the way.
A chill obliterated his warm fuzzy feeling and made his knee throb. For Holly to have come here to find him, someone had to have told her where he was. If Tom or the superiors were talking, the team member who’d shot at him likely knew where to find him too. If she was willing to come after him, the traitor was even more likely to come and finish him off.
He looked toward the striking white walls and red roof of the Wiccan Haus. The other passengers had already disappeared inside. None of them had looked familiar as they walked by. No one had walked with clipped military precision. Everyone looked like tourists, sighing and gushing over the beauty of the island.
He waited until Holly and Cemil disappeared into the main lodge, as well. Then he gripped his cane and slowly climbed down from the rock. He methodically circled the island, seeing none of the beauty, only the potential for danger.
Some people might claim he was paranoid, but he knew better than to trust others. He only trusted his instincts. His instincts told him whoever had shot at him before wanted him dead. Not only was Justin in danger; this time Holly was too.
“Coming was the right choice,” Myron said, nodding with approval, as Holly stepped up to the front desk. Cemil had kept her from hurling herself into the ocean and trying to swim back to the mainland, but he hadn’t stopped her from second-guessing herself.
Now he gave her shoulder a final squeeze as he stepped away. “You’re in good hands, Holly. We’re going to take care of you this week.”
She wanted to believe him. Maybe if she spent most of the week on the phone, Holly could guide her client and assistant through the steps to extract themselves from the minefield of ruined reputations, late-night jokes, and terminated recording contracts that seemed like the inevitable conclusion.
Instead of referring to a computer monitor to start the check-in process, Myron spread a row of playing cards across the desk and focused on the two of hearts. “You’ll want to attend the deep breathing class tomorrow morning.” She flipped over another card. “You’ll find our mediation sessions beneficial, as well.”
Holly was going to be taking a lot of deep breaths as she worked with her problem cl
ient this week. She didn’t need a class for it. But she smiled and nodded, hoping to hurry along the clerk who seemed more interested in playing cards than giving her a room key.
“Dinner is served every evening in the dining room,” Myron continued. “Everyone is expected to attend each night.”
She’d never heard of such a bizarre requirement, but in this case, it suited her purposes. If Justin was here, he couldn’t take room service to hide from her, and she wouldn’t have to knock on everyone’s door to track him down like a stalker ex-girlfriend that she was starting to worry she resembled.
Myron told her the time for dinner, and Holly looked at her watch. She had plenty of time to work damage control with her client and issue detailed instructions to her assistant. With any luck, she could make this week productive on both a business and personal level.
Finally in possession of her room key, she followed the bellhop to her room. He opened the door, deposited her luggage, and left with a wordless smile. The room was simple, with cream walls, wooden floors, a cupboard, a bed, and a chaise. She’d expected something more opulent and plush from a place that claimed to be a “resort and spa.” But she couldn’t deny feeling instantly more relaxed as she walked in and closed the door behind her.
In contrast to the simplicity of the looks, the smell of the room was incredible. There was no hint of Lysol or furniture polish. Instead, the complex mixture of herbs made Holly want to ignore unpacking her suitcase and sprawl out on the chaise.
Focus. She’d cut off an overemotional client on the verge of professional ruin and needed to soothe her as quickly as possible. Holly tried turning her phone on, but just like on the ferry, nothing happened. She’d charged the battery last night. She went to her bag and pulled out her charger. Luckily, she could talk while it was plugged in. It was just a bit of a nuisance, and she’d have to make sure her laptop was within reach, so she could instant message with her assistant at the same time.
The phone still refused to turn on. She pushed the button for her laptop, and it didn’t respond either. What was going on? She lifted the house phone, looking around for instructions on how to call out, since they weren’t listed on the keypad.
A knock sounded at the door before she got any further. Oh good. With any luck, that would be the maintenance department, realizing they’d given her a room with an electrical defect. Or perhaps the entire lodge was experiencing electrical problems. That would explain why Myron had never used her computer during check-in.
Holly replaced the receiver and went to the door. A small woman with long, blonde hair that flowed down to her waist stood on the other side. “I had this feeling that you needed a couple more candles and a stronger mix of herbs than what I provided. I hope you don’t mind if I come in. I’m Sage Rowan, by the way.”
“Sage, great, come on in.” She wasn’t maintenance, but she could still help. She had the same startling blue eyes as Cemil, who’d explained that he ran the island with his siblings. “You work here, right? I was just going to get some help. It seems that there’s an electrical problem in the room. My cell phone’s not charging, and I’m having problems with my laptop.”
Sage looked at her closely. “You read our brochure, right? Electronics don’t work on the island.”
Of course she hadn’t seen a brochure. She was sure Myron hadn’t mentioned it when she was strong-arming Holly into staying for a week either. “How can they not work?” She started hyperventilating just thinking about it. She should have jumped in the ocean after all. Surely, the boat would have come back for her then, and she could be on her way to her client’s side right now. She couldn’t be offline and out of touch for a week.
“Don’t worry,” Sage said with a smile. “That stuff is a lot easier to get along without than you think.”
“Okay, I get how wireless signals might not get picked up out here, but why wouldn’t the computer even turn on?”
“It’s just the way it works.” Sage lit a candle. “Here, hold this.”
Holly took the thick base of the candle in both hands. The waxy vanilla scent curled up her nostrils. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She should have been frustrated and demanding a refund and the ferry return for her immediately, but she just felt…relaxed.
She sat down on the chaise and leaned back, still holding the candle between her hands. “Do I need a credit card to make calls out from the phone here, or can I charge them to the room?”
“This phone only goes to the main desk,” Sage said cheerfully. “Don’t worry. We have a house computer that you can check if you must, but that’s not why you’re here this week. Let it go. That stuff will be there when you get back.”
In the back of her mind, Holly knew she should be completely panicked, but for once she did what Sage said and let go. Sage took the candle out of her hands. Holly closed her eyes and relaxed for the first time since she’d opened the doors to her business, since her sister had gotten married and turned into a baby factory, since Justin had made her feel like she was a disposable human being.
He would see her at dinner. Justin made his way to the dining room early and took a seat where he could watch everyone as they came in. The Haus had an interesting mix of guests. The comingling of Paras and humans made dinner the most entertaining part of the day.
He especially liked to watch the humans, as they realized there were others in their midst or, as was usually the case, remained completely clueless that the people who looked like them weren’t anything like them at all. Not for the first time, and probably not the last either, he wondered what Holly would have thought if he’d told her he hunted down the bad guys from these other worlds for a living.
At that moment, she walked into the dining room and paused, looking around. It hit him that he’d missed her. He’d missed her face that fairly shone when she smiled at him. He’d missed her full pink lips, just begging for one more kiss. He’d missed her mass of curly blonde hair that he couldn’t resist burying his fingers in.
Of course, her hair wasn’t the only thing he’d found irresistible. Today, her full round breasts were highlighted under a blue knit sweater. His palms itched to touch her.
He hadn’t chosen to break up with her using technology just because he was a callous jerk. If he’d had to do it in person, he never would have been able to keep his hands and mouth off her long enough to convince either one of them that he meant what he said.
Her eyes locked on him, and the last of his doubts about the coincidence of them being here together vanished. She swallowed and squared her shoulders, like she was preparing for battle. Then she pasted on a fake smile and took a step toward him.
A vamp who’d been leering across the room intercepted her. Justin was too far away to hear what he said, but his intent was obvious, even as Holly continued to smile and shake her head. Didn’t she know better than to move and entice him with her scent? The vamp leaned toward her neck, and Justin shoved back from the table so hard that he knocked it over.
Holly looked toward him in surprise, but the vamp didn’t glance his way, just kept leaning closer to her exposed skin.
“Don’t touch her!” he shouted, weaving between the tables, as quickly as he could. But not quickly enough. An older man pushed his chair out in Justin’s path. Justin leaped over it, jumping for the first time in weeks, and landed hard on his feet. His knee buckled, and he sprawled across the floor, sliding to a stop at the toe of Holly’s shiny black shoes.
“Justin!” She knelt next to him.
The vamp scowled down at him and strolled away.
Pain sliced through his knee so hard that Holly’s concerned face blurred, even though it was only inches away. He closed his eyes, trying to shove away the pain and the look in her eyes that said he was a pathetic excuse for a man. If she hadn’t come looking for him, she never would have learned how weak and pitiful he’d become.
“What did you do that for? Are you hurt?”
“No.” But he couldn’t st
op the grimace as he struggled to sit up.
Holly pressed her hands to his back. She probably thought she was helping him, but in reality her touch was killing him. “You are hurt.”
He’d completely humiliated himself in front of her. His knee was throbbing with pain, and now other body parts had decided to throb, too. Her simple touch made him want to take her right here on the dining room floor. “You were supposed to give me a lifetime alone. At least give me a minute now.”
Chapter Three
HOLLY DREW HER HANDS back immediately. From what she’d witnessed, Justin had injured himself in a fit of jealousy because she’d talked to another man. Like he had a right to be jealous after he’d dumped her and exiled her from his life. “Where are you hurt?”
“It’s my fucking knee again.” His teeth were gritted in pain.
“Again?” Justin was hurting now. She needed to focus on that and get him help. But when the hell had he been hurt before? He sure hadn’t shared it with her. As far as she knew, he was an indestructible superman. Leaning this close to him, she couldn’t help noticing that his biceps and abs still consisted of taut tan skin and rock hard muscles that Superman couldn’t come close to replicating.
She stood up to locate a member of the staff. A man wearing all black was speaking to the pale man who had approached her when she’d entered the room. Sage and Cemil came toward her. “My friend needs an ice pack,” she said, although clearly Justin didn’t see her as a friend. He’d never wanted her back in his life in any capacity.
Cemil squatted in front of them and put his hands on Justin’s knee. “So you tried to give the guests a show with their dinner tonight. That was quite the sight.”
“Why did you do it?” Holly crouched on his other side. How could he act so jealous and protective one moment and push her away the next?
Justin didn’t glance at her as he looked at Cemil. “Did I screw up the knee enough that I’ll need more surgery?”
