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“Yes, we’re ready,” she says, making me laugh again. She makes a beeline to the car where a driver is holding open the back door. She practically dives into the vehicle.
“Thank you,” I tell the man who loaded our bags. I hand him a tip then follow Sasha into the car. She’s looking all around it, then rolls down her window and practically sticks her head out as we begin driving.
Her eyes dance as she takes in the lush scenery along the well-cared-for roads. She turns to me to exclaim over each new discovery before quickly turning back to look out the window. I sit back and watch her. Why do I need to look at anything other than her? She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.
We arrive at the resort and exit the vehicle. A sense of pride surrounds me, as usual, when I look at the way it seamlessly blends into the natural beauty of the island. This resort is my pride and joy. We’re immediately greeted by several employees, each of them offering warm smiles and heartfelt welcomes. This is a piece of paradise in an already idyllic location.
“Callan, this is spectacular,” Sasha says in wonder.
“It’s mine,” I tell her. She turns in shock.
“You built this?” she gasps. She looks around at the simplicity of it, and I can see the wheels spinning in her brain. “It’s so charming.”
“You haven’t seen the best it has to offer yet.”
“I want to see it all,” she demands, making the staff laugh. I quickly introduce her, then take her arm and lead her into the open lobby. A huge tree sits in the middle of the room, reaching for the sky, and desks are set up in a circle. A few guests are checking in or checking out, and everyone looks happy.
We exit the lobby and take a path out back as I give Sasha a tour of the small cabins nestled among the trees, past the serene spa overlooking the ocean, the koi pond that leads into a small river where colorful fish are lazily swimming, and then down to the beach where games are set up and happy vacationers are playing. This is my smallest resort, but it’s the one in highest demand.
“This is paradise within paradise,” Sasha says as she looks out at the water.
“It’s my favorite place to come, the place I vacation the most. We leave one cabin for family and friends so it’s always open for spontaneous trips,” I tell her.
We stroll along the shoreline, the warm breeze tousling our hair, laughter surrounding us, with too many sights to take in. “I’m so glad you brought me here, Callan. I don’t want to admit it, but you’re making me rethink building in Seaville. I didn’t think you could make something so quaint and beautiful. I thought it would be a monstrosity that would ruin the town.”
“To be honest, I wanted to build a giant resort, but you’ve made me reconsider. The reason this resort works so well here is it adds to the intimate feel of the island. It might not have the highest profit margin, but it’s a perfect fit for this island.”
“I agree; the staff all look so happy, and the vacationers are relaxed. It really is perfect.”
“I want to take you around the world,” I say, shocking myself. She beams at me.
“I aim to please. If you need to show me all sorts of resorts, I’ll make the sacrifice.” She bats her eyes at me. We both laugh as I take her hand and we keep walking.
We wander the beach, pausing multiple times so she can bend down and gather seashells or run out to splash in the ocean. Her shoes were kicked off long ago. Sasha suddenly rips her hand away from mine and claps.
“Look out there,” she demands. Out in the ocean, dolphins frolick in the water. I’m so used to seeing sights like this I rarely take the time to appreciate their beauty anymore. It’s refreshing to see it from her point of view.
“This place really is a whole other world.” We stay put for a while as we watch the graceful creatures leap and dive through the waves as they draw closer to surfers, delighting the tourists out in the blue water.
“How about a game of pickleball?” I ask.
She turns and beams at me. “I will destroy you. I’m quite good.” I take her hand again and lead her to the courts where we’re quickly given what we need. It doesn’t take us long to team up with another couple, and we play a few games, Sasha’s laughter music to my ears. She wasn’t kidding, she’s very good. It’s a good thing she’s on my team. We destroy the couple, who are very good natured about it.
We finish up and I’m starving. “Why don’t we get cleaned up and have a nice dinner on the patio?”
“That sounds like heaven,” she says. I lead her back along a trail straight to our cabin. I’m not even pretending we aren’t sharing the space.
We step inside and she has to explore every inch of the small space with a bedroom, intimate living room, large bathroom with walk-in tub, and private deck overlooking the ocean. I wait in the living room, allowing her to take her time. She finds her bag then disappears into the bathroom.
I realize as she closes the door that I’m not going to be able to easily walk away from this woman like I’ve always been able to do. This might be what I’ve been looking for my entire life without knowing I was looking.
Chapter Eighteen
Sasha
Magic. That’s the only word I can use to describe how wonderful this day has been. To have the man I wanted nothing to do with a week ago whisk me away to a tropical paradise is the single most amazing thing I’ve had happen.
I live in paradise at home on a beautiful beach, but this might be better. I feel slightly guilty for even having this thought, but this resort on this island is positively incredible. I’m utterly in love with it. I’m also finally willing to listen to Callan about his resort plans.
