Chapter 1
TRAVIS
My phone beeped with incoming messages the second I turned off airplane mode.
I was in baggage claim, trying to keep an eye on the conveyor belt while checking what my niece, Paisley, sent me.
She was eleven years old and was obsessed with photography, so for Christmas I got her a professional camera.
Now every few hours, she sent me copies of the photos she took.
I didn’t mind. I had a soft spot for my niece.
She was the only kid in my huge family, which consisted of me, my five brothers—four of whom were now engaged or married—and two cousins.
I knew she got lonely from time to time, and I was glad we had this connection.
She was really a good girl and becoming a decent photographer too.
Paisley: THANK YOU THANK YOU, Uncle Travis. The camera is the best. What do you think about my picture?
I knew jack shit about photography, but I thought she did a decent job capturing how dead Chicago looked in winter.
Travis: You’ve got skills, kid.
Paisley: I want to get so good that I can take pictures at all the family weddings.
That seemed like a stretch, but you never knew. Neither my brother Luke nor Tyler had set wedding dates, and when Paisley put her mind to something, she usually made it happen. She was a Maxwell through and through in that respect.
Travis: Keep at it and you’ll be a pro soon.
There, that was true. It was important to build up her confidence.
Over Christmas break, I'd relaxed with my family, but then it was back to business, and I had things to do and people to see. One of the Maxwell mottos was “always have a purpose,” and that was what drove me.
I'd built and sold a huge software company specializing in predicting stock market trends, and now I was preparing to open a hotel. It was an entirely different industry, but I relished a good challenge.
Besides, it was my chance to expand my family’s legacy.
The plane was fairly empty, not a lot of people flying to this small remote community in Southern California, though I did spot a brunette who caught my eye as she lifted her small bag off the luggage belt.
She'd sat a few rows ahead of me on the plane too.
Definitely someone I could have an interest in, but I needed to stay focused on this business trip.
It was one of those make-it-or-break-it negotiations.
After picking up my luggage, I went directly to the car service desk. When I booked my room in Oceanwell Bay, the hotel told me there were no Ubers in the area because it was such a small community. There were some car rental companies but not in the airport itself.
Thankfully, my assistant arranged for a pickup service.
I should've flown my helicopter, but the heliport was even farther away from Oceanwell Bay than the airport, so I would've had the same transportation issue once I landed. I liked efficiency when traveling, which was really why I bought a helicopter in the first place.
I was here with one goal: convincing Tim Woodson to be the general manager of my hotel.
That was my secret to success—I knew how to attract the best people and convince them to work for me.
Unfortunately, Tim wasn't convinced yet, and I was here to do just that. We’d spoken on the phone, but some things needed to be done face-to-face.
As I approached the counter, I noticed a familiar brunette in front of it—the same woman I’d seen on the plane and in baggage claim.
She was insanely gorgeous, wearing a long skirt I suspected hid toned, sexy legs.
The huge belt around her waist accentuated her curves.
Her coat was hanging on the handle of her luggage.
This time I really took all of her in as she spoke with the clerk. The woman was hot.
"I'm sorry, the taxi we booked for you will be back in about an hour. I don't have any others available right now," the woman behind the counter was telling her. "The only one left is already booked."
By me.
“Are you sure the person who ordered it made their flight? They should be here by now.”
“I’m quite sure they made the flight. Otherwise, they would've notified us.”
"There's no other way to get to Oceanwell Bay, right? Or is there a car rental company in the airport?" the brunette asked.
“I’m sorry, ma'am, but there are no rentals on the property. This is a small community, and usually we can service everyone quite promptly. I’m so sorry this is happening.
All our drivers are out now delivering their passengers to their destinations.
The one we booked for you is stuck in traffic because there was an accident on their route, so it’s taking longer than expected. ”
I stepped up to the desk, rolling my luggage next to the brunette’s. "Good evening. I'm Travis Maxwell. I booked a car with you."
She smiled at me. "There you are, sir. I knew you’d be on this flight."
I turned to look at the brunette pointedly. Suggesting to the clerk that maybe I'd missed my flight was clever and very naughty.
"All right, I have your credit card and your ID on file," the clerk said. "Your assistant has taken care of everything. I'm just going to tell our driver that you're here."
I nodded, and the woman rose from her chair and disappeared in the back.
I turned, focusing on the beautiful brunette.
She was fucking gorgeous. Her hair was wild, skimming her back beneath her shoulders.
Her eyes were round and blue, the irises tinted with a little bit of green at the edges, or was it gray?
I barely restrained myself from tilting forward to look more closely.
"I can't believe it," she said, sounding frustrated. I couldn't blame her. It was late, and the options were slim.
"I couldn't help but overhear that we're heading in the same direction," I said, and although she smiled, I didn’t miss that it was a bit strained.
"Yes. Well, you’ll be heading there. I'm supposed to wait for another hour."
"I have a suggestion. We could share the car," I said.
She cocked a brow, clearly questioning the option, though her smile widened, and it wasn't strained anymore.
"There's a saying about cars and strangers." Her tone was playful, but I could see the concern in her eyes. I’d worry if my cousins shared a car with some guy they didn’t know, so I understood this woman’s cautiousness.
"It's no bigger risk than taking an Uber."
She shook her head. "It's not the same. The name and details of the route and the driver are available to you."
"You heard the clerk. She has my credit card and ID on file, so she's got all the details you could ever ask for on me. Besides, we’ll have a driver, and his credentials should be fully visible. And we can add your address to the order if you want everything to be on file," I suggested.
She didn't say anything for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay, thank you. I'll take you up on it." For some reason, that put me at ease. I didn’t want her waiting around here for an hour. Maybe I was being a bit overprotective. Hell, of course I was. It was in the Maxwell men’s nature, after all.
The clerk came back.
"The lady here decided to ride with me. Do you have both of our information in your files?" I asked.
The clerk sat down. "Sure thing. Mr. Travis Maxwell. Ms. Bonnie Wilson. I also have both your destinations on file.”
"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked me.
"The Winston Hotel."
"That's about ten minutes away from my bungalow, but then again, everything is a couple minutes away in Oceanwell Bay."
Once the clerk finished jotting everything down, she told us we could go outside. The driver had already prepared a car.
I grabbed the handle of my own bag and Bonnie's.
"I'll take care of this," I told her, noticing she was wearing a small bag on her shoulder. It was the gentlemanly thing to do.
"Thank you."
Was that a blush I saw?
The weather outside was cool but pleasant.
The driver was already waiting with the trunk open, and he put both bags inside.
I slid into the car behind the passenger seat.
Bonnie took the seat behind the driver, her dress sliding to one side when she lowered herself into the car.
I got a glimpse of bare skin, and although she quickly covered it, I'd seen enough to spark my imagination. I’d been right. Her legs were endless.
"What brings you to Oceanwell Bay?" I asked as the car headed out of the parking area.
"I’ve been here for a while. Just went home for the holidays.
I work at a vet clinic in Chicago as an assistant, and there was an opportunity to spend one year here to gather some experience with wildlife.
I thought it would be interesting, so I took it.
I still have a few months left in my contract. You?"
“I'm opening a hotel in Chicago, and I want to convince the manager of the Winston to work for me.”
Bonnie looked at me for a few seconds before starting to laugh. "You're trying to convince the manager of the hotel where you're currently staying to leave his job for you?"
"Yes."
"You've got guts."
The driver choked at her comment, and I laughed, impressed with her sass.
"I do. People tell me that often, but I didn't expect you to pick up on it so quickly."
"Oh, I picked up on it earlier. This was just confirmation.”
“You’re one to talk. You were trying to convince the clerk to give you my taxi, right?”
She blushed, pressing her lips together. “I figured you missed the plane.”
“Did you now?”
“What's your name, by the way? I wasn’t paying attention when the clerk mentioned it."
"Travis."
"Nice to meet you, Travis. Thank you for rescuing me tonight. I had the exact same problem last time."
"How did that work out?" I didn’t like the idea of her alone in the dark, searching for a ride.
"I pestered a friend in town, and he came and got me."
“The same friend couldn’t come and get you now?” For some reason, knowing some other guy helped her bugged the shit out of me.
“I didn’t get a chance to call him. Your idea sounded… reasonable, and I didn’t want to bother him again.”
“So we went from gutsy to reasonable?”
She grinned. “There’s no reason you can’t be both things.”
I looked at her appreciatively. I liked a woman who didn’t back down from a challenge.
We approached Oceanwell Bay a few minutes later, and I insisted we go by her bungalow first. Our driver told us it was on the way, which worked out perfectly.
"What are your plans for tonight?" I asked her as we approached the address.
It was late, but we both needed dinner. And this woman, this Bonnie, intrigued me.
"Oh, I don’t know. It’s been a rough travel day, so I think I'm going to take it easy. Go home, get a shower, read a book, and go to bed. I need to wake up early, at five thirty."
"Five thirty in the morning?" I knew that was a redundant question, but the early hour surprised me.
"Yes. Such is the glamorous life of a vet assistant, but I don't mind. I've missed my animals. I can't wait to see them tomorrow."
"I thought you worked with wildlife. How can they be your animals?"
“Some of them need greater care, so we take them in for a while before releasing them.
There's an ongoing debate in the scientific world if it's helpful for them to actually have so much human contact.
It could impact their life once we release them back into their habitat, but I can't see how cuddles could ever hurt anyone. "
This was an unexpected side to the sassy woman from a few minutes ago. The wistfulness in her eyes spoke volumes of her love of these creatures. Bonnie intrigued me.
"Have dinner with me," I said.
Her eyes widened, and then she had the most unexpected reaction. She burst out laughing. Not good for my ego, but once she calmed down, she said, "Yet another example of the ‘guts’ department."
The driver made a strange sound, and this time I couldn't tell if he was laughing or choking. Maybe he was choking while trying to fight laughter. Either way, why was he listening to our conversation?
"All right, so you convinced me with your logic of accepting car rides with strangers, but I am curious as to how you'll argue that it's a good idea to have dinner with a stranger.
" The coy look on her face indicated her sassy was coming out once again.
She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at me with her big, gorgeous eyes.
Once more, I had to fight my impulse to tilt forward and take a closer look.
I couldn't see clearly enough in here anyway—it was too dark. But her lips beckoned to me.
"If you have dinner with me, I wouldn't be a stranger anymore. I'll be a handsome man who takes you out." I poured on all the Maxwell charm.
Bonnie nodded, and I was close to claiming victory, but then she whistled. "It's one thing to agree that you’re gutsy, but calling yourself handsome is on another level entirely. You know what they say about singing your own praises?"
"Yes, but the saying doesn’t hold if the self-praise is true.”
Bonnie laughed again when the car slowed. "I don’t think it works that way. It was nice meeting you, Travis. Thanks for the ride and for the conversation. I needed this bit of fun to end a challenging day. Good luck stealing the employee.”
With that, she got out of the car.
Damn.
I was stunned. I hadn't been brushed off like that in a while.
A bit of fun. I was far more than that.
I could take this as a sign to let it go. But that wasn’t my MO. Yes, I was here to convince Tim to join my crew. Business was business, but Bonnie didn’t live far from the hotel. And I was determined to see her again.