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Their driver, a tall, thin man going by the name of Francesco, had thinning, wavy, black hair and dark brown eyes. He talked quickly to Dietrich in Portuguese. The language was beautiful, and she felt herself get caught up in the melodic quality of it.
They followed Francesco up the wide front steps that led to the front door on the first level. Blythe let her hands travel over the wrought iron railing, the metal warmed from the sun. The first level housed a porch with dark patio furniture.
The view was stunning even though the ocean was on the other side. Francesco pushed the all-glass front door open, and she followed the two men inside. The chilled air from the air conditioner hit her, and she shivered.
Her heels on the shined, white marble beneath her feet sounded like a herd of elephants stampeding through. The two men started speaking quietly again, and Blythe took that time to walk around and get familiar with the home.
To her left was a sitting room. The cream-colored furniture and earthy tone décor complemented each other well, but it was the view that stole her breath. Every wall was made up of glass and made her feel as if she could reach out and touch the ocean.
She walked farther into the sitting room and followed the small hallway to the right until she came across the dining room. Of course, this room was gorgeous, too, but she ignored the expensive decorations and crystal chandelier, and stopped in front of the glass French doors.
Blythe turned the brushed brass knobs, and the cool, ocean breeze hit her immediately when she pulled the doors open.
A circular veranda was directly in front of her with an intimate,al frescosea view. To her left and right, the walkway continued to what she assumed wrapped around the first level. Above her, another veranda wrapped around the second level.
She stepped onto the stone outcropping and gripped the banister. Below her, an infinity pool sat with a side gate that accessed the white sandy beach. She was in heaven. Pure and simple.
The waves crashed on the shore, and she let the sound take her away. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head toward the sky and smiled as the sun warmed her face.
“It’s quite a breathtaking view, isn’t it?” Dietrich’s deep voice startled her, and she spun around, gripping the banister behind her. He leaned against the door she had left open. He no longer wore his suit jacket, and he had gotten rid of the tie. His hands were in the front pockets of his slacks as he watched her.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
He smiled at her and walked out onto the veranda to stand beside her. Blythe turned around and went back to staring at the ocean. He had said the villa was on a private beach, but she wondered how much he owned.
For as far as she could see on both sides was nothing but sand and water. There were no people walking the shore, and only a few, large homes were sporadically placed along the cliff’s side in the distance.
“I’ve made dinner reservations for nine. I know it’s a bit late, but with the time difference, it will be an early dinner for you. I also am meeting a former business associate, and I’d like you to meet him since the majority of my business will be in his presence.”
“Of course, Mr. Moore.” She felt his stare on her and turned to look up at him.
It seemed strange to her that she had only known this man for twenty-four hours, yet she felt strangely comfortable around him. True, at times his controlling personality set her on edge, but a part of her, the part she deemed sick and twisted, liked the orders that came from him.
They gave her a thrill yet made her feel calm and relaxed. It was a strange combination of emotions, ones she wasn’t comfortable dissecting.
“I’ll show you to your room where you can get settled in.” He turned without further comment, and she followed him back inside. They took the stairs to the second floor, and he led her to a set of double doors to the right.
When he pushed the doors open, she let a sigh slip from her lips at what she saw.
“The walls are glass to ensure the guest has an unobstructed view of the ocean. Your bathroom is over there.” He pointed to a door to his left.
He walked up to a console on the wall and pushed a button. The glass suddenly darkened, and she realized it automatically tinted the windows. “This panel controls the lighting, heating and cooling, and, of course, the tinted windows. Be at ease knowing no others can see into your room once the tint is activated.”
Blythe was speechless. She took everything in and let her smile spread across her face. Turning to her employer for the next four weeks, she hoped she didn’t seem like a foolish novice.
He was wealthy and worldly, and here she was, a girl from Ohio who hadn’t been anywhere compared to him. “Thank you so much, Sir.”
He stared at her for several silent moments, and she felt her smile fade. No doubt she was making a fool out of herself with her excitement. “I’m sorry. It’s just so…incredible.” Heat suffused her, and she turned away when he didn’t answer.
He cleared his throat and said, “Well, I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’re doing well with everything given the fact you were thrust into this situation, Miss Winters.” She turned and looked at him with surprise.
Why his praise meant so much to her she didn’t know, but hearing those words come from him had pleasure filling her. Before she could say anything else, he nodded and left her alone.
Once the door shut behind him, she giggled out loud and let herself fall back on the big bed. She looked at the ceiling but couldn’t sit still for long. She should get a few hours of sleep, but her excitement was far too strong.
First, she had to look around her new room. Pushing herself up, Blythe took everything in. A small neutral-colored loveseat sat in front of the windows. The floor was the same white marble as the rest of the house she had seen thus far.
Making her way to the bathroom, she pushed the door the rest of the way open and turned the light on.
