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“He runs like a hundred hotels,” I explained. “All over the world. He just lives here in Hawaii because he likes it so much.”
“Wow. What’s his name?”
“Alex Alson.” The name left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t want to talk about him. And I didn’t like lying to Krista, but how could I explain that Alex and I had had a one-night stand last weekend? Or that I’d dated his younger brother and not told him?
But Krista was looking at me, shocked.
“Alex Alson?” she said. “As in, the billionaire.”
“Yeah. I’m his PA.”
“Woah. That guy’s, like, a saint around here.”
“What do you mean?” Alex Alson was certainly many things, but a saint wasn’t one of them, that was for damn sure.
Krista slapped me on my shoulder. “You remember a few years ago they built that children’s hospital on Hawai’i Island?
I shook my head. I didn’t know a lot. I’d been to Hawai’i Island a few times, but mostly I’d stayed in Honolulu. I figured it was easy enough to travel by boat or plane if I wanted to.
“Well, that guy, Alex Alson? They were running out of money to build it. So, my brother Billy, who’s a doctor there, told me that Alex Alson donated like two-million dollars to finish it. Can you believe it?”
I shook my head, grinning. “Not really.” Alex seemed like a hard-nosed business type, the guy who wouldn’t exactly be a philanthropist.
“I’m serious,” said Krista. “Look!” She got out her smartphone and loaded up a picture for me. It showed me her brother Billy shaking hands with Alex.
I was shocked. I couldn’t square the image I had of Alex—a cruel, cold, calculating businessman who stalked his employees and was making my life a misery—with a philanthropist and donor.
“And it’s not just the hospital either. He donates money all over the islands. Protecting the wildlife, looking after the locals. He cares about this place. Billy said he was stationed here at the base when he was young.”
I was impressed, but at the same time, confused. It was hard to hear Krista tell me how great Alex was when my experiences of him were so much more negative. On the one hand, I admired him, his strength, his intelligence, and his good looks which still made my heart race when he walked into a room. On the other, I despised him. For some reason, it only made me sadder at the way things were between us.
Still, I shrugged it off and spent the rest of my evening happily walking along the beach with Krista, where we ate some incrediblelaulauat a restaurant. I wouldn’t be seeing Alex anymore in a few days.
Or so I thought.
Chapter Six
Alex
WasLenaChamberstryingto annoy me?
When I stepped into my office on the day of the meeting with my executives, I expected to find the briefing document for the employees on my desk, as I’d asked. But the manilla envelope didn’t contain any of the things I’d wanted. Instead, it contained Lena’s resignation letter.
I was still hoping Lena would come round, that she’d decide to stay. As much as she got on my nerves, as difficult and irascible as she was, I had to confess that I liked her. And our night together in the hotel had set off a deep longing in me, one that meant I paced the walls of my mansion like a caged beast, thinking of her touch, of the way her body had felt in mine.
Still, today was no day for fantasy. I had the executives of my company flying in to begin work on developing the Continental. I reached into my in-tray and discovered the stack of papers, along with another envelope, labeled ‘Briefing Documents.’
So, this must be the file Lena had gotten for me from the mailing room the other day. I would have checked it, only I didn’t have time. By 9:00 a.m. my team was assembling in the conference room.
The conference room was a wide, open meeting space, and by the time I arrived, everyone was setting up. A muted hush filled the room as I entered, stalking crossly over to where Lena was sitting at the table.
“I got your little note,” I growled.
“Good,” she replied, without even looking at me. I hated that.
I made a point of being respected, even a little feared, in my boardroom. It was the way I was used to doing things. And besides, I was as hands-on with the project as any of the executives. A lot of owners and CEOs wouldn’t have concerned themselves with the minute details of the refurbishment we were planning.
I began the meeting promptly at 9:15 a.m. and prepared a good opening salvo to inspire the team.
