by Eliza Boyd
Before she was out of sight, she spun back around and mouthed, “Thank you,” one more time. Then they were back inside the black SUV and out of sight.
But a smirking woman with her arms folded across her chest was right in his line of vision instead.
After that tumble to the ground, she probably shouldn’t have looked so smug. She should have been resting up in her room or on the beach. She didn’t have to be back in his presence, reminding him that he’d failed to make things right.
Slipping his hand back inside his pants pocket, he pinched his wallet to take it out. “Change your mind?” he asked, wondering how else this day could go wrong. First, he’d nearly given this woman a concussion. Then his had assistant quit. Now, this woman was back? “I only have eleven hundred after paying your driver, so I hope that’ll be enough for you now.”
The smirk fell right off her face. “I said I didn’t want your money. I still don’t want your money.” She readjusted the bag over her shoulder and crossed her arms.
“Then what do you want?”
Her lips curved again. He didn’t care for the red of her lipstick, but he did like the way her smile made her eyes widen. “I want to be your new assistant.”
Maxwell took a step back, blinking at the woman as his brow furrowed. “I’m sorry?”
She thrust a hand out between them, waiting for him to shake it. “I’m Alexis Robinson. I’m going to be your assistant for the week.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Why would you do that when I’m the one who owes you for what happened earlier?” he asked, sneaking a peek over her shoulder and remembering the scene. “You shouldn’t be doing me a favor. I should be repaying you.”
Her hand fell as the other one reached up to secure her bag on her shoulder. “Believe me. This is repayment. The only kind I’m interested in.”
Perhaps he had given her a concussion. What kind of person offered to work for someone who’d just practically knocked them out with their car door? A person with a concussion. That was who.
“Look,” she said when he hadn’t responded. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll take the eleven hundred dollars for the work, but please.” She clasped her hands together, her eyebrows rising on her forehead. “You need an assistant and I need something to keep me busy this week.”
The crease in his forehead deepened. “Isn’t there enough to do here to keep you busy for a week?” he asked, sweeping a hand out around him.
“Probably,” she sighed, “but I’m here alone and…” After her words had trailed off, she took a deep breath. “Seriously, you’d be doing me a huge favor.”
Maxwell scrunched his lips before scrubbing a hand over his jaw and propping that elbow on his other forearm. “How do I know you’d be a good fit for the job?”
A wide smile curved her mouth as she looked him proudly in the eyes. “It’s what I’ve been doing for the last three years.” Then it faltered, as did her eye contact. “Well, was doing.”
That concerned him. “Was?” he questioned.
Alexis straightened her spine. “I have three years of experience. Good experience. I can do this.”
He took a moment to weigh his options. He could say yes, repay her for what he’d done to her, and call it even. He’d even give her the money too. The last thing he’d do was ask her to work for free. But what if she messed everything up for him? What if she couldn’t keep up? Did he really want to show her the ropes and bring her up to speed? Especially when she might have a head injury and refused to seek treatment?
“It’s crazy, I know,” she said as if reading his mind. “But do you really have another choice? Your assistant just left you high and dry. For a good reason, I might add, but I don’t think I need to persuade you. I don’t see anyone else in this paradise clambering to work for free for a week.”
“You’ll take the eleven hundred dollars for the week,” he corrected automatically. Apparently, she hadn’t read all of his mind.
That made her eyes go wide though as her lips tilted up again. “So that means I got the job?”
This sigh he didn’t hold in. The week would be a huge disaster if he didn’t have a business assistant at his side. Phillip wasn’t about to snorkel and parasail with him as he decided if this all-inclusive resort was worth buying. Fun wasn’t in Phillip’s wheelhouse. And the last thing Maxwell wanted was to have to keep everything straight by himself. He really did need the help. So, reluctantly, he agreed.
“Thank you!” Alexis shouted. If the lobby had been enclosed, that would have echoed. But the open space swallowed her words as she lunged for him and squeezed him in a hug. Then she let him go and backed up. “I promise, as long as you don’t call me Lexi, you won’t regret this.”
He could see that she believed every single word she’d said. But a strange emotion swirling in his veins made him wonder if he believed her words. Would he come to regret this? He wasn’t sure what emotion he was feeling; he’d never felt it before. And he wasn’t sure he liked it.
Though something told him that he liked her.
3
Now, this was a story Alexis could take back to Heather. She almost couldn’t wait to get her friend on the phone, but she also didn’t want to set Heather’s expectations too high. Though she’d been on the island for barely a minute, some exciting stuff had already happened. She didn’t want Heather to think exciting stuff would keep happening.
Or maybe she didn’t want to believe it herself.
She had come to relax, though relaxation hadn’t been in her vocabulary lately. With a canceled wedding, she’d had exactly zero time to relax. Instead, she’d had to recoup deposits the best she could, void contracts, and terminate deals. Everything had been canceled—save for this trip. She’d felt owed this one.
This was the first day she’d been able to take a breath, though it’d been stressful to pack and prepare for this trip too. She’d wanted to enjoy it, but she hadn’t been sure she’d be able to. Now, she didn’t have to worry about it at all. She’d work the entire time and then go back to Montana ready to figure things out.
A new job. A new plan. A whole new life.
She hoped that nothing got too complicated with Maxwell. His dark eyes were easy to get lost in, and she didn’t want to test the theory that his touch really was comforting. One experience with that out on the resort’s driveway had been enough for the week. She needed to focus on the task at hand, and nothing helped her focus like a good task.
Her first wouldn’t be easy, she thought as she listened to him as he checked into his room.
“I thought we booked the honeymoon suite,” Maxwell said to the woman behind the reception desk.
“Sorry, Mr. King. You booked the presidential executive suite.”
“And the honeymoon suite,” he insisted.
But she shook her head, a sympathetic look on her face. “No, sir. All I see is a reservation for the presidential executive suite.”
“Okay, so I’d like to also book the honeymoon suite for the week.” He slid his black American Express across the shiny marble toward the woman.
But, again, she shook her head, her sympathetic expression deepening. “I’m sorry, sir. That’s already booked for the week.”
Alexis took a step toward him, lifting a finger. She was about to speak and make all of this very easy on him, but he had to go and do what he seemed to always do whenever he encountered a problem.
“Then I’ll pay double the rate for the week.”
Rolling her eyes, Alexis said, “Maxwell, I—”
The woman spoke over her though. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. The couple who booked this room are checking in today and I can’t leave them without a room. We have no other rooms available this week.”
Something about that made him pause, but then he went right back into bargaining mode. “Then get them on the phone? Perhaps I can give them some incentive to give the room up. And I’ll still pay you double.”
That stopp
ed Alexis in her tracks. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he found her on the other end of the line.
The reception clerk didn’t let it get that far though. “I’ll have to speak with my manager,” she said, looking uncomfortable.
That wasn’t what Alexis wanted, so she decided to put an end to this ridiculous charade. “That won’t be necessary,” she said, stepping forward. She put her purse on the marble and retrieved her ID and credit card. Then she slid it across the counter. “I’m Alexis Robinson, checking into the honeymoon suite.”
The woman took her cards with a hesitant hand. “W-welcome, Mrs. Robinson.”
“It’s Miss Robinson,” Alexis corrected, her lip curling at the thought of being a missus. She’d come dangerously close to making that mistake.
“Oh, o-okay,” the woman stuttered. “I’ll get you checked in now. It’ll just be a moment.”
While she did that, Alexis slid her gaze over to Maxwell. And boy was she satisfied with the look on his face.
Slack jaw. Wide eyes. Eyebrows high on his forehead.
“I told you,” she said quietly, while the woman at the desk stepped away for a moment. “You can’t just throw money at everything to make it go your way.”
Maxwell swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing from the movement. Then he pinched his lips, and Alexis thought he was trying to hide a smile.
The woman returned with Alexis’s keycard, her ID, and her credit card. “Here you go, Miss Robinson. You’re all set for the honeymoon suite until Sunday. I hope you have a beautiful stay, and if you need anything, just call. We’re here twenty-four-seven. Mahalo.”
“Mahalo. Thank you.” Alexis took her things and tucked them into her purse before moving away from the desk and gathering her bags. “You can finish checking in now,” she said to Maxwell, smirking at him.
Clearing his throat, he watched Alexis for a moment longer than necessary. Then he gave his attention back to the reception clerk and received his keycard. She also handed him two leis, one of which he handed over to Alexis.
“See?” Alexis teased, slipping the floral lei over her head. “You need me. Admit it.”
Maxwell said nothing, but the way he slid his hand over his mouth and jaw said everything.
She reached for her bags, but trying to balance all three of them proved difficult. When she nearly dropped one of them to the ground, Maxwell swooped in and saved it from toppling over. Then he took it from her.
In a low voice, close to her ear, he said, “It seems as though you need me just as much.”
A tiny flutter in her heart made her want to agree. But even as a warm shudder ran down her spine, her pride wouldn’t allow it. She’d been through too much lately to “need” a man. Sure, he was doing her a favor, but she could have just as easily found something else to keep her busy for the next seven days.
“So, what’s the first thing we need to do?” Alexis asked as they stepped into the elevator.
“I guess we should take your things up to your room.” He pressed the button for her floor with his free hand. “We’ll check out the honeymoon suite to see what it has to offer, and then we’ll head up to the presidential suite.”
“We?” she questioned, the elevator taking them up. “Why do I need to go to your suite?”
“As my assistant,” he said, putting emphasis on that word. “You know, that thing you requested to be? You’ll need to be my eyes and ears this week, help me bounce ideas around, and weigh pros and cons. Ana had a room in that suite, so you should be staying in it as well. But I’ll admit that your having the honeymoon suite makes things…”
“Perfect?” she finished for him as the doors dinged and opened. Then she exited the elevator, dragging her suitcase behind her. With the keycard, she opened the door and that word rang in her ears.
From the natural lighting to the king-size bed, the room had everything. A desk in the corner, lots of lamps, and an L-shaped couch off to the side. Beyond the practical, though, the bathroom to her left had a huge clawfoot tub, all kinds of toiletries, and two matching robes hanging on the door.
Forget the job. The room was perfect.
Or it would have been if she’d had someone to share it with.
With a deep breath, she shoved that thought out of her mind. Then she dragged her bags inside and set them next to the bed. Maxwell brought her third bag inside and placed it with the others, letting the door close with a click. After that, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and peeked around the room.
She was going to follow him and ask some more questions to get the ball rolling, but her phone rang in her bag. The music to “Single Ladies” blasted throughout the room. The loud ringtone caught Maxwell’s attention and he turned toward her, raising his eyebrows in what looked like disappointment.
Alexis felt her face heat up. It wasn’t embarrassment over the ringtone. She wouldn’t apologize for her choices. But the ringtone was a special one for one special person, and he was the last person she wanted to speak to in that moment.
After a few more bars of Beyoncé, Maxwell asked, “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
Stiffly, she shook her head.
“You could at least silence it, then,” he said.
Just as stiffly, she nodded, removing the phone from her purse. The name she’d expected flashed at her until the call went to voicemail. All she could do was blink at the device, hoping Gabe wouldn’t leave her a message. But fifteen seconds later, she found out he had.
“Should you listen to it?” Maxwell asked, his voice reminding Alexis that she wasn’t alone.
“Should and will are very different things.” She dropped her phone back into her bag and said, “Okay, well, this is the honeymoon suite. Should we go up to the other room now?” Throwing the strap of her purse over her shoulder, she made a beeline to the door.
After staying in his spot for a moment, he tentatively followed behind her. At the elevators, he pushed the up button and kept his eye on her, but Alexis ignored the weight of his gaze. She pretended not to pay attention to him. She didn’t know what to pay attention to instead, seeing as she was also ignoring her phone at the moment. So none of that lasted long.
The moment they stepped inside the elevator, he said, “Is everything okay?”
“Of course it is,” she chirped back, hoping to fool him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
He stayed silent for few moments, but then he said, “I haven’t known you for long, Alexis, but you had no qualms with coming up to me and demanding a job. That phone call, however…” He glanced toward her bag before bringing his gaze back to hers. “Something has you spooked. And I’ve already lost an assistant, so I’d like to know if I’m about to lose another one.”
Alexis focused on her breath for several beats. It’s what Heather had told her to do the night she’d discovered Gabe’s extracurricular behavior. Just breathe.
“It’s fine,” she finally answered. “I’m all yours all week.”
With that, the elevator doors closed, sealing her promise once and for all.
4
Maxwell wasn’t sure why that phone call had set her off, but he knew she wasn’t fine. She’d had so much fire and confidence with him earlier. Now, she looked worried and almost upset. He wondered if it had something to do with being alone in the honeymoon suite. It wasn’t his business though. He needed an assistant, not to be someone’s therapist for the week. He hoped she was okay, but he had work to do.
“So, this week,” he said when they exited the elevator to the presidential executive suite—the entire top two floors of the resort, “I need someone who’ll take good notes, keep up with small details, and make sure my schedule is in order. When Phillip gets back, he can coordinate with you on that.”
She followed behind him as he walked throughout the first floor of the suite. “Why doesn’t Phillip take over for Ana while she’s gone?”
“Because Phillip and Ana perform very different functions for me
,” he said absently as he examined the thread count of the sheets. But when he dropped his hand, he gave her a second answer. “Plus, once you get to know him, you’ll understand why he isn’t the man for this job.”
Alexis bobbed her head as she peeked around. Then she whistled. “This suite is intense. I can’t imagine needing this much space at a place where you should be outside, enjoying nature.”
Maxwell gave her a seriously? look. “This coming from the woman staying in a suite almost this size.”
She returned the look, exaggerating it even more. “Not even close! This is two floors.” She jabbed a finger toward the modern staircase that led to the sleeping quarters. Then she pointed at the full kitchen. “There’s a stove, an oven, and a dishwasher! And look! A stainless-steel fridge bigger than the one where I live.” After stomping over to it, she flourished her arms like a model on The Price is Right.
“Where is that, exactly?” he asked, feeling the opposite of smooth.
Letting her arms fall, she softened her expression. “Montana.” She twisted her hands in front of her. “A place I don’t suppose a man with his own plane would ever go.”
He opened his mouth to correct her, but she kept speaking.
“I overheard the entire conversation with your other assistant. I wasn’t trying to listen, but it’s like I have it programmed in me to tune into the frequency where wealthy men throw money at problems.”
Something about that stung. He knew he did that. It frequently worked, so it was his go-to move. But it felt like an insult coming from her. She kept coming back to that point, and this time, it felt personal.
When he opened his mouth a second time to speak, her phone blared that same song again. It was familiar but not familiar enough for him to name it. Either way, it broke the moment. Her face had the same expression now as it had when her phone had played this song before in the honeymoon suite.
“Maybe you should get that.”
“Nope,” she answered immediately, popping the P at the end. “He doesn’t get to call me whenever he wants anymore.”
