One Night Forever (Vacation Getaway)

4. Tanner

CHAPTER 4

Tanner

I ’m beyond pissed. I thought we had agreed to give it a chance, but when it was time to leave, she didn’t want to come with me. As much as I want her, I'm not going to force her to do what she doesn’t want to do. I’m going to bide my time, and play it right, and once she realizes that we’re good together, it’ll work out okay.

“Tanner,” James says, strolling into my office. “I’m glad I caught you. I have some news.”

I raise my head to look at him. He’s dressed down today, in a long sleeve Henley and jeans. “What’s that?”

“I got a call from Tyler Bennington, he wants you to fly out to Fiji and talk at the conference.”

I feel my brows practically hit my forehead. Tyler hosts the biggest tech conventions in the world. The man makes millions in doing so. I hadn’t expected to get a call and ask to be a speaker.

“When is it?”

James grins. “Next week and it’s for four days.”

Fuck that’s short notice not to mention a long time to be out of the office.

“I already told him you’re going and that you’ll have your assistant along with you. You’re going to talk about the business and Arabella can be on hand if you need her.”

I nod slowly, my mind already racing with the implications of this trip. It would be a huge opportunity to network with some of the biggest players in the tech industry, but it also means having Arabella with me, maybe I can get closer to her while we’re away.

"Thanks for letting me know, James," I say, trying to keep my tone neutral. "I'll get started on preparing my presentation right away."

As James leaves my office, I lean back in my chair and close my eyes, trying to come up with a plan. Maybe there’s a way to get her to open up to me. I know she wants me just as much as I want her. It would be the perfect chance to show her a different side of my life, to let her see the world beyond the office and the asshole she thinks I am.

But I know that Arabella needs more time to figure out what she wants, and while bringing her with me is the only option, because James is right—if someone has questions or needs anything while I’m there, Arabella is the only person who can help—I can’t help but feel maybe pushing her isn’t the right way to go.

I quickly send Arabella a message letting her know that she’s needed with me in Fiji as I have a conference coming up.

Arabella: Does this mean I get a vacation?

I grin, fuck, that’s not what I expected, but damn, at least she’s not arguing.

I quickly glance over the calendar, I could push our stay for a few days.

Me: If you’re lucky. I can extend our stay for the weekend. Does a three day vacation work for you?

She doesn’t make me wait that long for a reply.

Arabella: I’ll take it. I have a boss that has worked me to the bone. I’m in need of a much needed vacation.

Me: Your boss sounds like an asshole.

Arabella: He is, but he’s also bringing me to Fiji, so I say he’s forgiven.

Damn, if taking her away is all it takes, I can see plenty more vacations in my future.

I spend the next few hours organizing our stay as well as preparing my presentation. I always have one on hand for whenever I need it, it just needs updating.

As I work through the night, my mind keeps drifting back to Arabella and the upcoming trip. This could be a turning point for us, a chance to break down the walls she's built around herself. Maybe in the paradise of Fiji, with the stress of work temporarily forgotten, she'll see that we could be good together.

I arrive at Arabella's doorstep early in the morning. She opens the door and I see that she’s dressed casually in a pair of well-worn jeans and a pale pink t-shirt. Her bright smile greets me, lighting up her face. Seeing her look so fucking beautiful has my cock stretching against my pants.

“Ready?” I ask her as I reach for her bag that’s against the wall by the door.

She nods in response to my question, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yeah," she breathes. "I've never been to Fiji before, have you?"

A small smile spreads across my face at the question. "Actually, I've been a few times," I reply, memories of warm sand and crystal-clear waters flooding back to me. "But always for conferences," I add with a hint of amusement. It's no secret that the rich and famous like to hold these events in exotic locations, indulging in luxury while also taking care of business.

Arabella lets out a small sigh, her hand fiddling with her passport in nervousness. "So, you get a vacation too? That's good," she murmurs, her words tinged with envy. "You work too hard though," she adds, giving me a knowing look.

"You're always working late into the night."

"Pot meet kettle," I retort playfully as we make our way towards the waiting car. My driver is already there, trunk open and ready to take Arabella's luggage.

"Says the man who signs off on all my work," she shoots back, rolling her eyes affectionately. "I'd actually finish at a reasonable time if he didn't keep throwing tasks at me at all hours."

I chuckle as I watch her slide into the car. I have a feeling that this trip is going to be anything but boring, especially with Arabella and her quick wit and smart mouth.

The flight is long and mostly uneventful, giving me ample time to work on final preparations for the upcoming conference. As a perk of my wealth, I have my own private plane, which means no waiting in long queues at the airport.

After what feels like an eternity, we finally land in Fiji. As we descend from the sky, I catch sight of Arabella's eyes widening with wonder as she looks out the window and takes in the breathtaking views of lush green islands surrounded by crystal-clear blue waters.

She’s so fucking beautiful but even more so when she smiles brightly and so genuinely. I want to see more of it.

"Welcome to paradise," I say to her as we step off the plane and onto the warm tarmac. The feel of a gentle breeze hits my face, and it carries the scent of tropical flowers.

Fuck, it feels good to be here. I can already feel myself starting to relax.