Chapter 19
Monica
“ L et’s go to the Bahamas,” said Troy.
“What?” I asked, my voice shrill with surprise.
I quickly looked around the office to make sure no one was witnessing this little exchange. As if I didn’t already have a bomb dropped on me about him having been married, now he wanted to spring a tropical vacation on me. He looked at me, hopeful like a little kid. It was hard to resist his eyes dancing with excitement, but I was still recovering from seeing his Sports Illustrated ex-wife saunter her way into his office.
I didn’t have the right to be upset. Or jealous even. We each had our own pasts, ones we hadn’t really talked about, and while mine didn’t include walking down the aisle, I had no right to judge him. Or be hurt. Though my self-conscious thoughts were ringing in my head as I compared myself to her long legs and big chest. It again made me wonder why he was with me.
“It’s been a stressful week,” said Troy softly, turning his body so his back was to the rest of the office.
A stressful morning, I thought.
I looked up at him and chewed on the inside of my cheek as I thought about his proposition. A trip like this was something I had only dreamed about and in the real world, would take months, if not a year, to plan for and save up for. Yet, here was this billionaire dreamboat suggesting we leave sooner than later.
As I looked out the large windows of the office with frost clinging to the glass and the gray clouds looming in the air, a beach sounded like the perfect escape from the city’s harsh winter. Normally, I would be jumping at this impossible chance. But here in this moment, I realized I was scared.
I didn’t know if it was because of possibly getting caught and losing this job that I desperately needed—since writing wasn’t paying the bills. I hadn’t even touched my laptop at home. Or maybe I was scared because I didn’t know what this thing was between Troy and me. It felt like I was at the edge of a cliff about to free-fall. Into what, I didn’t know.
“But what about work?” I asked, raising my brows.
It was a question that needed multiple answers. We had to be back in the office on Monday, so how would we swing a trip this quickly? And how would we get away without anyone knowing or having their suspicions. It wasn’t like we had any business in the Bahamas—at least I didn’t think so. We already had Kathy on us, who seemed to be trying to catch us in the act. I still had to talk to him about their conversation in his office.
“What about it? We will be back by Monday. It’s only a three-hour flight.”
One question answered.
“And what about Kathy?” I asked, narrowing my voice.
“Leave her to me.”
“But what happened in your office? Did she say anything?”
He waved me off. “Nah, she was just asking about those reports.”
Something in his voice didn’t make me quite believe him. I pressed further.
“Won’t it look a little suspicious? Us going on vacation together? Do you take all your personal assistants on vacation?” I regretted the question as soon as it left my mouth. I didn’t actually want to know.
He sucked in a quiet breath.
“No, I don’t,” he said, backing away slightly.
I seemed to have struck a nerve.
“I just mean…won’t it raise some questions?” I said, touching his arm.
“No one will know,” he said. “I have a private house on a private beach. We can do as we please.”
I could think of a hundred different things we could do as we pleased. The idea was becoming more appealing by the second.
“We will take my private jet. You say the word, I’ll have it ready at the airport. We can leave your name off the itinerary. No one will know you were ever on board.”
Private jet? This felt like a dream.
He leaned in closer and I shivered slightly under his gaze and the feeling of his breath against me.
“Come on,” he said. “I can’t think of anything I would rather do than be on the beach with you in a bikini.”
I felt my cheeks flush.
“Or nothing at all.”
I felt a warmth between my legs as his growl of a whisper traveled through me. Suddenly, I didn’t have any more questions.
“Okay,” I said, unable to fight the smile that spread across my lips.
He knocked his knuckles against the desk and stood up suddenly. I could see his excitement bouncing off him. It was contagious.
“You go home and pack. Leave the rest to me,” he said, walking into his office.
I watched him go, the moment still feeling completely surreal. I wondered how this could possibly be my life. Despite the lingering questions in my head, about his ex-wife, about what this thing was between us, about the risks, I let myself feel excited. I let myself be the main character in one of my novels, and it felt so damn good.
I logged off my computer and gathered my purse, heading toward the elevators and praying I wouldn’t see Kathy along the way. While it wasn’t out of the norm for me to be running errands during the day, I didn’t know if I could pull off the lie. As I slipped by her office undetected and into the elevator, I breathed a sigh of relief as the doors closed.
Back at my apartment, I rummaged through the top shelf of my closet for a weekend bag. I hadn’t used one in a while. Not since my last book signing on the West Coast. I pulled the black quilted duffel down and tossed it on the bed, ready to be filled. I pulled open my dresser drawers and began pulling out bikinis I hadn’t worn in ages. New York wasn’t exactly the place to wear swimsuits.
I selected three, each with Troy in mind. A hot pink strappy bikini. A black one-piece with a plunging neckline, and a white two-piece halter. Each one I could imagine him easily taking off me and the thought was thrilling. I smiled as I folded them carefully and placed them in the duffel bag. Next, I selected the new lingerie I had picked up at Bloomingdale’s last week. A crimson, silk slip and a lacy, pale yellow set.
I doubted I needed much else, since the house was private, along with the beach. Still, I threw in a few flowy dresses that were perfect for warm weather and sandy beaches. Once I was all packed, I plopped down on my bed next to the duffel bag and looked up at the ceiling. In a few hours, I would be in a different country with the man I was seeing. I took a deep breath, as if I were about to lunge myself off of that cliff.
My phone pinged next to me on the bed. I quickly picked it up and saw Troy’s name on the screen. I opened his text.
Troy: The jet is being fueled up right now. I’ll be by to get you in twenty.
Me: I’m all packed and ready.
Troy: Can’t wait to see what I’ll be taking off you.
I smiled and placed my phone on my chest, my heart beating quickly against it. As much time as we had spent alone together in our evenings at his place or in the privacy of cabs or fitting rooms, this would be the first time we had uninterrupted alone time. The thought was exciting and nerve-wracking all at once. It felt like we were taking a step toward something more, but I wasn’t sure if he felt that way. I tried to remind myself this was just for fun. To not get too wrapped up.
But how could I not? He was whisking me away on a romantic vacation just us two.
Twenty minutes later, my apartment bell buzzed, alerting me that someone was downstairs. I quickly looked out the window and down to the street to see a shiny black town car waiting. We usually took cabs, so this was a surprise. I pressed the intercom button and said I would be right down. I grabbed my duffel bag from the bed and locked up my apartment before taking the stairs down, two at a time.
Outside my apartment building, I found Troy leaning against the brick wall in that effortlessly confident way that made him look like a GQ model. He still wore the same navy suit from this morning that fit him as if it were sewn onto him. I was still in the same black dress he had bought for me. I thought it better to look the part of his assistant, at least while we traveled.
I greeted him with a nervous hello as he reached for my duffel bag. I sucked in a slight breath as his fingers grazed against mine. He gave me a look that melted me into a puddle before leading the way to the car that waited.
“This is…different,” I said as the driver opened the door and I slid inside, Troy following in behind me.
“I wanted to make it special,” he said as the door closed behind him, leaving us in the privacy of the dimly lit backseat.
I nodded and sat back against the leather, the warm air from the heater caressing my legs and taking the bite out of the cold air outside. The driver had barely gotten into the driver’s seat as Troy’s hands found my body, wrapping around me and sliding me closer to him. I looked from him to the driver nervously. With a flick of a button on the door panel, a divider rose slowly between the backseat and the front seat.
“Better?” he whispered.
I nodded.
He let out a soft laugh as he pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked down at him from where I perched.
“Thank you for coming,” he said.
“Thank you for convincing me to.” I smiled.
His hands slid up my back and he pulled me closer to him, tilting his chiseled chin up to meet his mouth to mine. Our lips pressed lightly together and his fingers gently ran up and down my back, matching the pressure of his mouth against mine. I felt the tip of his tongue run slowly across my lips, and the car suddenly felt hotter than before. I parted my lips, allowing him access to my eager tongue that was ready to taste him again.
A low groan rumbled through him as his tongue met mine, massaging it slowly. His fingertips pressed into me, again matching the intensity of our kiss. I ground my backside against his lap as my hands traveled to his hair. I felt him twitch underneath me. I smiled into our kiss knowing I had this effect on him, and he had the same effect on me as I felt the familiar sensation between my legs.
Soon, the car was slowing down and came to a stop. We had arrived sooner than I would have liked, as we were just getting started. We pulled away from each other breathless. Troy laughed as he looked out the windows, fogged up from our intense make-out session. He rubbed his palm against the window in circular motions and peered out.
“We’re here,” he said.
A moment later, my car door opened and I stepped out. I let out a quiet gasp as I realized we were on the actual runway and a private jet stood before me, its stairs already spilled out and ready to take us away.