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Chapter Three
Will took in the restaurant environs. White lights strung from the rails to the roof of the restaurant building provided a soft, romantic glow. Each table in the outside area covered with its hibiscus-print cloth. The hurricane lamps were devoid of fingerprints or splatters of anything. The staff swept the old, splintery pier every afternoon, leaving it free of debris. Whenever he returned from a trip, he ran the grounds to get a good look at everything. Was there a more beautiful island anywhere? Each dwelling stood out of sight from the others, set in an environment where the guest could enjoy privacy as well as the flowers and trees. Most offered a beach view.
So many of their guests held stressful positions on the mainland and came here to absolutely get away from that environment. Most left their cell phones locked in the office safe, in fact, to ensure their peace and quiet, although the staff would never insist. And if the guests never found out they actually had Internet access in the office, nobody got hurt. Their tech genius/dive guide had some blocking trick for any other method of connecting to the Worldwide Web. Will didn’t ask how it worked. In case it wasn’t legal.
Ms. Carmichael still possessed her phone. No big surprise. Most first timers chose to do so. He’d done a little research on her while in Miami. Nothing crazy. A Google search. Checked out her LinkedIn profile. A few other sites open to anyone who cared to look. If people realized how much could be found out on them, they would be shocked. He’d picked up a lot of tricks from the investigators who assisted him with cases at the firm, but rarely needed to employ them. He’d called her office and spoken to the travel coordinator, as well, presenting himself as a representative of the resort. She’d been only too glad to chat about the reservation and the woman for whom she’d made it.
The woman had more than confirmed his guess the lovely Arabella Carmichael was a stress case of the very worst kind. A couple of weeks on the island could do wonders. Like many of their guests, she hadn’t taken a trip for pleasure in years. Over a decade, it seemed. No wonder she’d been practically vibrating with tension.
The fairy lights’ reflections shimmered as the lagoon’s gentle wavelets rolled past. Will focused on them as he questioned his actions of the last few days.
He always wanted to help the guests to relax and enjoy their stay. But he’d never done a background check on one before. Or cut his own vacation short to rush back and spend time with them. Surely at least one had also had ruby lips and high cheekbones, perky breasts and a small waist curving to flared hips?
What made Arabella Carmichael different? Why did he want to know everything about her?
“Will, you made it back early.”
Turning from his aqueous contemplation, he grinned at his friend. “Hey, Earl. I did, indeed. Having a good time?”
“I sure am. One of your more attractive guests will be joining me for dinner tonight and afterward…”
“You dog. Even here, you manage to find someone to take home. What’s she like?” Will pulled out a chair and sat at a nearby table. “No, let me guess. Pretty, smart, successful?” The guy had always displayed good taste, at least in the selection process. But he was a hunter, only interested in the chase as long as the quarry remained out of reach. Once he’d bagged his prey, his interest level dropped to zero.
“She’s all those things. I think Arabella might be the one.”
Will’s blood chilled. “Arabella Carmichael?”
“That’s right. You know her?”
“Not really, but she came in with Charlie the day I left, so I got a glimpse. Very attractive woman.”
Earl nodded vigorously. “She is hot, isn’t she? For a little thing, she’s got big tits. I can’t wait to get my hands on them.”
Like hell. “You sound pretty sure of yourself.”
“Well, she’s put me off until now, but when I ran into her at lunchtime, she agreed to have dinner with me and well…we know what that means.”
“Lobster?”
Earl’s eyes sparkled. “Maybe so, if she orders it. I mean what happens after dinner.”
“Dessert?”
The attorney winked. “We can call it that.”
He had to get him off the topic before he punched him in the face. “How about a drink?”
“I don’t know. Arabella should be here any minute.”
Will pushed to his feet. “Excellent! I’ll make three, then. Be right back.”
By the time she finished her makeup, she’d changed her mind six times. Earl would assume she’d be going back to his room, tonight. He’d implied as much, and she hadn’t corrected him. If she wanted to have sex for therapeutic reasons, what difference did it make? Her friends, the single ones mostly, talked about one-night stands. It always sounded like too much trouble, and maybe a little soulless, but on this island with nothing else to do and an admittedly hot guy asking, it seemed silly to resist at least trying out the theory.
The sundress fit well, sleeveless with a fitted bodice and short, flippy skirt, and its tangerine hue set off her new tan. Turning in front of the bathroom mirror with her hairbrush in her hand, she decided the high sandals might be possible to wear on the hard-packed sand by the water. So she was short. If Earl didn’t like her type, he could look elsewhere. But considering the guy had been practically panting every time he got close to her, he wouldn’t care if he had to bend down to kiss her.
After a few final strokes with the brush, she set it down and gathered her hair into a high ponytail. She’d promised to meet Earl in the dining room in about fifteen minutes, so she grabbed her little clutch purse and tossed in a lipstick and a couple of other necessities and headed off along the darkened beach. Her thoughts fluttered everywhere, but mostly on the rest of the evening. Aside from his overly obvious interest in bedding her, he seemed nice enough, if also a little career driven. Like her. Yet, he’d still taken time off for a vacation.
Oh well, driven or not, she didn’t expect a lifetime with him. Just some quality bedroom time. Help her relax a little. Already she could move her neck better, and the constant throbbing in her temples had eased. A couple of nights of wild lovin’ with a cute guy could go a long way toward healing. How could she forget?
