Chapter 11
KAT
Idrop down onto one of the sofas in the corner and stare out of the window. The speed with which the storms pass is unbelievable. It’s the catch-up that takes time.
My head begins to spin, my muscles heavy. I want nothing more than to fall into a comfortable bed and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.
Despite leaving Jax and going into the bedroom, I failed to get any sleep. The tightness in my chest and throbbing heartbeat make it impossible to wind down.
So much for a relaxing work break. I’m going to kill Cal when I get home.
“Here you go, Ms Frazer.”
I look up to find Em standing next to my chair. In her hand, a plate of food. Not from the buffet, but what looks like a fresh chicken salad.
“Mr Lockwood said you would like some food,” she says, placing it and a chilled bottle of water down on the table in front of me.
I stare at the plate, and back up at the woman who delivered it.
“Thank you, Em.”
She smiles before walking away.
My eyes search out Jaxson. He’s done as he promised and has made himself scarce, sitting on the opposite side of the room. He appears engrossed in something on his computer.
The man calls me a workaholic.
My stomach grumbles. I pick up the salad and take a mouthful.
I bite back a moan, my body screaming in delight, at finally receiving sustenance.
The chicken is warm and lightly spiced, the salad fresh and crisp with a variety of different greens and vegetables.
If this is a taste of the food to come, I may find my appetite returns.
I sit back, salad in hand, and eat it while watching the seaplanes land and take off.
I finish the plate of food in record time, the dizziness from before slowly dissipating as my blood sugars rise.
I open my laptop, turning my attention to the screen, reading the latest updates from Michael, and a number of reports from some of the other managers.
I’m lost in work when Em finally reappears.
“Ms Frazer, the seaplane is ready. We’ll be heading down to the boarding gate in five minutes,” she says.
“Thank you, Em. And thank you for the salad, it was delicious.”
Her face lights up at the use of her name.
“Take the time to memorise names, Kat. Use them whenever possible, goes a long way in building relationships with your staff.”
Dad’s voice, once again, echoes through my mind, as it has been doing a lot recently.
I close down my laptop and return it to its sleeve.
I stand up as Jaxson appears silently by my side.
“Thank you for the food,” I say.
His gaze meets mine before softening.
“You’re welcome.”
I nod before turning my attention to Em, who has returned.
“If you’d like to follow me.”
We make our way down to the boarding gate, where she bids us farewell and a happy break.
The seaplane is busy. Jax offers for me to board first. I get on board and take one of the single seats, trying to ignore the roar of the engines.
Jaxson drops into the seat behind me, but I keep my eyes forward.
The pilot comes over the tannoy as we take off, the plane bouncing and accelerating before soaring up and over the water.
It’s forty minutes to the island.
A new acquisition to the FHG’s portfolio. There’ve been a few issues, which is why I’m here. A working holiday. The report says they need a large influx of cash. It’s my responsibility to decide if that’s true.
The past ten weeks have been a rollercoaster, and I feel like I’m holding on by my fingertips. I needed an escape, time to decompress. My attention has been wandering, and my judgement is definitely impaired. My agreeing to work with Jaxson is evidence of that. My icy, calm demeanour is cracking.
This was my chance to reset, and my bloody brother has seen to it that I now have to deal with Jaxson.
I stare out of the window at the crystal waters and islands below.
Jaxson Lockwood is not going to derail my plans.
This trip will be on my terms. I will work with him for the good of the project. His input on the plane was impressive for someone who’s just come on board. But other than that, I’m demanding my own space.
We finally come into land. The seaplane bounces over the waves as it pulls into the island’s jetty. A team of representatives from the hotel are waiting to greet us individually.
Nice touch.
“Ms Frazer, Mr Lockwood. My name is Bethany. If you have any questions or need anything, I’ll be your representative during your stay with us.”
“Thank you, Bethany,” I say, ignoring the fact that Jaxson and I have been grouped together.
Jaxson follows silently behind as we make our way down the jetty and onto the island itself.
Bethany motions us to enter a covered seating area. A server appears with a warm smile, a facecloth to freshen up, and a long, ice-cold, fruity drink.
We sit and listen as we’re given the standard welcome and explanation. Some is as I would expect at any FHG hotel, the rest is island-specific.
Other guests drift off one by one with their representatives.
“Ms Frazer, welcome.” A man approaches, his hand outstretched. “It’s lovely to have you with us. I’m Don Baskin, the general manager. I hope you had a pleasant flight.”
My professional persona locks back in place as I accept his hand.
“Mr Baskin,” I say, trying to infuse some enthusiasm into my tone.
“Don, please.”
I don’t return the offer, not yet. We’ll see by the end of the visit whether he earns the position of trusted staff member. Until then, it’s all professional.
“Is there anything I can get you while you wait?” he asks.
My scalp prickles. Something is off.
“Mr Baskin, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s been a long trip. I’m sure Mr Lockwood, like myself, would appreciate being shown to our rooms.”
The colour drains from his face, and I swallow my groan.
What now?
Mr Baskin turns to Bethany. “Bethany, can you show Mr Lockwood to his water villa?”
“Of course.”
She plasters on a smile, but I don’t miss the lack of eye contact as she leaves.
“I’ll catch you later?” Jaxson says, his brows furrowing.
He’s also sensing something is off.
“I’ll drop you a message,” I say, wanting to get whatever Mr Baskin needs to say over and done with.
Jax and Bethany disappear.
Don’s body language changes as soon as they are out of sight. The man almost shrinks into himself.
“What is it, Mr Baskin?” I say, as my extremities start to twitch from a combination of impatience and exhaustion.
“There’s been a slight issue. I’m working with our maintenance team to get it rectified as soon as possible.”
His words come out thick and fast.
I close my eyes briefly and count to ten.
Of course there is.
“What’s the problem?”
His shoulders drop.
“Last night’s storm has damaged your villa. Flooded it.”
I sigh.
Is that all?
I force a smile. “That’s okay,” I say. “I’m happy to stay in one of the guest villas.”
His colour drains further.
“Er, Erm,” he stutters.
“Mr Baskin, please. It’s been a long flight, I don’t have the time or the patience for a thousand questions and answers. Tell me what the problem is.”
“We’re fully booked,” he blurts out. “There are no spare villas.”
I rub my temples.
“Let me get this straight. What you’re saying is, there’s nowhere on the island for me to stay?”
He wrings his hands, and I want to scream.
I get that this is not what you want to tell the CEO of the company that just bought your hotel. But as the general manager, you need to handle a crisis without drama.
“Can you take me to the villa?”
He jumps up. “Of course.”
He grabs one of the golf carts and drives us to the villa. Pointing out the various parts of the island as we pass. Restaurants, tennis courts, staff quarters, and spa.
I half listen, the travel catching up to me. My muscles twitch and scream in protest.
He pulls up at the villa and unlocks the gate, walking us through.
The outside shows remnants of the storm and seawater damage.
The plunge pool is full of debris, and the furniture is filthy.
But it’s on the inside, the staff are busy working.
Water-damaged furniture is being carried out, while another team is replacing the smashed glass door.
This is not good if a guest had been staying here.
“What happened?” I ask, adrenaline burning through my exhaustion.
Mr Baskin leads me to the beach, pointing out the barrier circling this side of the island. I look out over the now calm sea.
“It’s washed away. Part of the money we’ve requested is to rebuild the breakwaters.
The previous owners let them go. With global warming, the storms are getting more frequent.
They help reduce the energy of the incoming waves.
We’re already being forced to rebuild the beaches in places where they’ve been washed away. ”
Five PM.
I pull out my phone and dial the UK office.
“Michael,” I say.
“Ms Frazer,” the surprise in his voice is unmistakable. “Is everything okay? Have you arrived?”
“Yes. Although there’s an issue. I want you to call James Lawson. The breakwaters need to be repaired ASAP. It’s all in the report. I’ll send him an email with details as soon as I have somewhere to park myself. Until then, I want you to start the ball rolling.”
Luckily, the team are aware of my initial orders coming from Michael.
“On it,” he says.
I disconnect and turn back to Mr Baskin.
His eyes are wide as he stares at me. “Thank you,” he says.
“There’s still the issue of me needing somewhere to stay,” I say.
He nods. “I’m having my quarters prepared for you as we speak. I’ll move into the staff quarters. The renovations should be complete within forty-eight hours.”
“Aren’t you worried it’ll happen again?”
“It’s the first time it’s happened. As part of the renovation, another team will be fixing the breakwater, with a temporary fix, but it won’t last.”
I nod. “My team will get this resolved properly, Mr Baskin. If you can find me somewhere to work, I’ll send off the relevant requests.”
“You can either work from my office or the library. The library is probably more comfortable. I can also send someone to bring you food and drink.”
“Kat?”
I look up at the sound of Jaxson’s voice.
“Oh hell,” he says, taking in the destruction of the villa.
Mr Baskin moves away, giving us space.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“I gathered something was wrong when Bethany spirited me away, so I asked her. She told me what happened.”
“It’s a bit of a wreck, at least for the next forty-eight hours.”
“Where are you staying? According to Bethany, the island’s fully booked.”
“It is. Mr Baskin is having his living quarters prepared for me,” I admit.
I walk back towards the villa, my ankle catching on the sand, making me stumble. Jax reaches out, catching me, his hand wrapping around my bicep, sending sparks of awareness up my arm.
He speaks close to my ear, his breath making my stomach somersault despite my exhaustion. “You take my villa, I’ll take the manager’s room.”
I shake my head, turning to face him.
“For goodness sake, Kat. Why not? You look like you’re on the verge of collapse.”
I scowl at him.
“Is that what you say to charm all the girls?” I ask.
He scowls, his forehead furrowing.
“I know you, Kat, even if you’d rather I didn’t.”
I wrap my arms around my stomach and concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other.
“That’s kind of you. However, guests can’t stay in staff quarters. It’s against company policy. It’s also not fair on the staff, as it’s their space,” I say.
Jax steps back and shakes his head.
“Fine, then we share. My villa is more than big enough.”
I let out a bark of laughter, which draws the eyes of the staff.
“Share? We’d kill each other in hours.”
“Would we?” he says, his voice dropping, making my stomach contract. “We didn’t the weekend we snuck away.”
Heat rises in my cheeks.
“That was different,” I hiss, looking around.
“Why? Because we were lovers?”
“Exactly,” I say, wishing instantly I could take the words back.
“Well, the offer is there,” he says with a shrug.
Mr Baskin takes that moment to return.
“My rooms are ready for you,” he says, ushering us towards the gate. “The villa should be ready within the next forty-eight hours, but until then, my rooms are at your disposal.”
He drives us to the staff quarters, pulling up outside one of the larger buildings. The place is alive with off-duty staff. All greet us with a welcoming smile. It’s a private community, with its own general store, cafe, and gym, all hidden from view, in the centre of the island.
My head pounds at the noise.
“Last chance,” Jax whispers, his breath tickling my ear, causing goosebumps to erupt over my body.
I bite the inside of my mouth.
Can I?
There’s a crash from the kitchen. My body flinches as my tired muscles twitch.
I stare at Jaxson for a moment.
“Mr Baskin,” I say. “Mr Lockwood has offered for me to stay at his villa with him.”
Mr Baskin spins around in his seat, his eyes wide.
“He’s a long-standing family friend,” I say, wanting to make it abundantly clear that there’s no romantic entanglement going on. “We were wondering if it’s possible to have a second bed installed in the villa?”
A smile spreads over his face. “Of course, of course. That can be done immediately.”
He ushers us back to the golf cart and practically races us out of the staffing area, pulling up instead at the beach bar.
“Please,” he says, jumping out. “Let me get you both settled while I get it organised.”
Staff jump at the sight of us. Mr Baskin disappears as drinks and snacks are delivered to our table.
When we’re alone, I turn to Jax.
“Thank you,” I say. “I’m not sure how much sleep I would have got.”
“I promise not to snore,” Jaxson says with a smirk, making my lips twitch.
His eyes sparkle in response.
“Look, I know this is a working holiday, but you also want some private downtime,” he says. “We can stay out of each other’s way. I’ll be out of the villa for most of the day, so it will be all yours.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
He shrugs and takes a sip of his ice-cold beer, the condensation running down the outside of the glass.
“It’s for forty-eight hours. We can make it work. What can go wrong?”