Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Maya
“This one would look magnifique on you,” Sabine says as she holds up a shimmering blue dress. It’s more glamorous than anything I’ve ever worn. Nothing in my wardrobe has even come close to that.
My head is spinning as she lays it on the bed and takes another gorgeous silver dress off the rack.
I’m not sure where Adrian went, but he was very secretive about it. Something tells me he’s setting up something special for tonight.
We came in from a wonderful day at the beach, swimming and tanning and… other things. And Adrian had this surprise set up for me.
Sabine is the stylist at The Aurelia and she arrived with a rack of gorgeous dresses in my size.
I’m talking exclusive designers from Milan, Paris, Florence, and London.
I don’t even know who any of them are, but Sabine assured me that they’re the best in the world.
I can tell from the luxurious material and fine craftsmanship that they are.
I feel a little out of sorts trying them on.
They look fit for a queen or a princess, but here I am, putting them on my sunburnt skin.
“Try this one on,” she says, pulling a sleek red dress off the rack.
I take a step forward, tingly all over as I stare at it with my heart rate picking up. This is it. This is the one.
“I love it,” I whisper as I carefully take it from her hands and look at it up close.
The fabric is so smooth, but it’s weighty at the same time and cool under my fingertips. It’s the kind of red that turns heads. That songs are written about. This is the kind of dress that can make any man, even a billionaire, fall in love with you.
“Made by Carmina Voss out of Milan,” Sabine says, inspecting the dress like it’s a fine piece of art. “Hand-stitched silk charmeuse, custom-dyed for the spring collection. There’s only one on the island. Most likely, the only one in the whole of the Caribbean.”
I swallow hard as I run my eyes along it, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Sabine has plenty to say.
“A thin strap over each shoulder,” she continues, “the neckline plunging just enough to make any pulse jump. The back dips scandalously low. A single slit runs up the side, high enough to be dangerous but still tasteful. This dress is a masterpiece. A show stopper. It is cut on the bias, designed to hug the body’s natural curves.
Deceptively simple. No heavy beading. No fancy structure.
But because of the bias cut, it clings perfectly to every curve and moves like liquid.
Simple in design, yet jaw-droppingly stunning in effect.
Sexy, elegant, breathtaking. The kind of understated glamour that quietly destroys everyone in the room, or, on the yacht in your case. ”
“Yacht?” I say, looking up.
Her eyes widen like she just realized she let a secret slip. “Did I say that?”
“We’re having dinner on a yacht?”
She breathes out long and hard as she looks at me, wondering if I’ll rat her out.
“I won’t tell Adrian you said anything,” I say and she takes a breath of relief.
“Merci, Miss Howard. As a repayment, I’ll make sure you look more stunning than you ever thought possible.”
“That would be nice,” I say with my pulse racing.
She helps me step into the dress and I get goosebumps when I feel the cool material gliding up my skin. It hugs every curve and fits me like it was designed exclusively for my body.
When I turn to the mirror, I stop breathing.
It’s gorgeous. Unreal. Bold and timeless. I look like a Bond girl and my hair and make up haven’t even been done yet.
For a moment, I don’t feel out of place here.
The girl in the mirror looks exactly like the kind of woman who belongs on the arm of a billionaire. The kind of woman who dines on yachts and stays in suites with their own private beach.
“What do you think?”
I spin around, marveling at how good my ass looks. This dress is otherworldly. It might just be enchanted.
“I think I’m in love,” I say as I arch my foot, letting the slit run up my thigh. “They’re all so beautiful, but if I have to pick one, I’ll take this one.”
Sabine looks confused. “Pick just one?” she says, tilting her head. “Non, non, non. These are all yours courtesy of Mr. Drake.”
My mouth drops open. “What?”
“Oui Mademoiselle,” she says, nodding. “He purchased them all for you.”
I don’t even know what to say. These are all mine? There must be two hundred grand or more worth of dresses here.
“Now that we have your dress picked for tonight,” she says, moving on to a beautiful large wooden box on the rolling rack. “We should move on to the jewelry.”
“Jewelry?” I say, feeling a little faint.
“Oui,” she says as she opens the box, revealing an assortment of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Inside shines with diamonds, emeralds, gems, polished gold, and silver. All stunning.
I feel lightheaded as she pulls out a sparkling diamond necklace that should be locked under glass in the Louvre.
“How about this one?” she asks.
I take two steps back and sit on the bed, too lightheaded to stand. “I just need a second.”
What is this crazy world I’ve wandered into?
The surprises don’t stop at the wardrobe and jewelry. While Sabine is doing my makeup, my coworker Wendy calls and she’s ecstatic.
“I know you’re on vacation,” she says with her voice racing. “But I just had to tell you!”
“What?”
“We got a huge donation,” she says. “Maya, it’s massive.”
“From who?” I ask, but even as I say it, I realize I already know who it’s from.
“Are you ready for this?” she asks, sounding breathless. “Ten. Million. Dollars.”
I hold the phone away from my ear as she screams.
Sabine leans back, looking at me funny. “Is everything okay?” she whispers.
I nod, feeling my head swirling. “It’s all good.”
“Can you believe this?” Wendy shouts. “Ten million dollars! We won’t have to turn away any applicants for years. We’ll be able to expand to different cities. This is going to be the best summer ever!”
I hold the phone away from my ear as she screams again.
My heart races with excitement. Ten million dollars. I can’t believe it. We’ve never had this kind of money before. Last year, Wendy and I worked ourselves to the bone and we only managed to raise two hundred thousand.
This kind of money… God, it’s going to change so many kids’ lives.
We chat for a little longer and then she hangs up, saying she’s going to call everyone she knows to tell them the good news.
I’m kind of stunned as I sit here with my heart pounding.
“Should we continue?” Sabine asks, holding up a lip liner.
“Yes,” I say, barely able to focus. “Please continue.”
I want to look extravagant for Adrian tonight. I want to knock his socks off.
I want to make today a day he’ll remember forever.
Because that’s what he just did for me.
When I’m all ready, I don’t even recognize the woman in the mirror. I look like a movie star. I look like a dream version of myself.
The red dress and the diamond jewelry and the professional makeup and my hair swept up into what Sabine called a sleek chignon.… It’s all so ethereal and dreamlike.
It feels odd to see myself like this and a part of me wants to take it all off and be myself. If Adrian can’t fall in love with the real me, do I even want him?
But I already know this man has fallen hard. He fell for me in my yoga pants and my old hoodie on the airplane. All of this doesn’t mean a thing.
Plus, Sabine did so much work and it would break her heart if I took it all off now.
I’ll keep it on and have fun tonight. I’ll play the princess role and then be back to myself in the morning. If he looks disappointed when I wake up without make up on and my hair a wild mess, than I’ll know for sure.
“What do you think?” Sabine asks as she stands back and appraises me like an artist critiquing their own work.
“Sabine, you outdid yourself.”
She smiles. “I think so too. You’ll be married by morning.”
I laugh and turn a little red. “I don’t know about that.”
But it’s a tempting thought. And one I indulge in a little as she packs up and leaves.
“The jewelry,” I say when she leaves the large box behind.
“That is yours, Mademoiselle,” she says with a wink. “Purchased by Mr. Drake.”
I don’t even know how to deal with that, so I just turn back to the mirror and admire the stunning red dress hanging off my body.
Jericho knocks on my door a few minutes later. His eyes bug out for a second when he sees me, but then he slips his professional mask back on and nods. “Good evening, Miss Howard. I’m here to escort you to your dinner date.”
“Where’s Adrian?” I ask with a nervous laugh. “Am I eating alone?”
“It will all make sense in a moment,” he says, offering me his arm.
I appreciate it, since these heels are a little high. He brings me to his golf cart and we drive through the resort, passing beautiful couples on their way to dinner. The sun is setting and the lights around the resort are glowing, giving this whole place a magical vibe.
Everything is so grand and lavish. So pristine and well cared for.
There are no drunk college kids here or towers of empty cups.
No massive families wearing matching travel shirts, no wet towels left behind on the pool chairs, or crazy lineups at a packed buffet.
This is all luxury. Everyone here must be in the one percent. Except for me.
Although, with my new jewelry and dress collection, I might be. I don’t even want to think about how much all of that is worth. It’s going to make me break out in nervous hives.
Jericho drives me past the resort to a long dock where a massive yacht is parked, lit up and glowing like a floating palace, the water around it shimmering in golden reflection.
“Is Jeff Bezos here?” I ask with a laugh.
“No, but he vacations here on occasion,” Jericho says. I turn to see if he’s joking, but he’s not. Of course, he’s not.
He drives onto the dock and I can’t believe my eyes.
Standing at the end of it, framed by the setting sun painting the vast sky in streaks of blue, purple, red, and orange is Adrian. The breeze plays with his hair, the sky behind him on fire, and for one ridiculous second I think: if the perfect man existed, he would look exactly like this.
I swallow hard as we approach. He’s so beautiful it’s intimidating. No man should look this good in real life.
He’s wearing a navy suit, perfectly tailored to his tall, broad frame. The crisp white shirt beneath is open at the collar, just enough to show a tease of tanned skin.
His jacket is unbuttoned and he looks relaxed and at ease, but everything about him still radiates confidence and control. There’s a white pocket square tucked neatly into place—clearly a man who pays attention to the small details—and a silver watch gleaming on his wrist.
And that look—sexy, possessive, a little dangerous. It completes the outfit better than any accessory ever could.
If effortless power had a dress code, this would be it.
That suit doesn’t just match my red dress—it was made for it.
For us.
For this exact moment where luxury and desire collide, and he looks like the man every woman dreams about—but tonight, he’s only mine.
Jericho stops the golf cart and Adrian walks over to help me out.
“Thank you,” I whisper as he offers his arm. I take it, steadying myself, as I step onto the dock.
I stand up as he steps back, looking me up and down slowly. That look in his gorgeous blue eyes… I’ll remember that look forever.
“I thought I knew beauty before tonight,” he says in a low throaty voice. “I was wrong. If the stars have any sense, they won’t come out tonight with you outshining them. You are breathtaking, Maya.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. I hope I can be as graceful and elegant as this man deserves.
But then I take two steps and my heel wedges between the wooden boards and I stumble forward, about to nose dive into the ocean.
Adrian catches me and we both laugh at how embarrassing I am.
It cuts the tension and reminds me that this isn’t some rehearsed movie moment and this gorgeous man isn’t some fictional dream guy.
It’s real. It’s Adrian. The man who can make four hours on an airplane go by in a flash.
The man who I can’t stop thinking about.
The man I’m crushing hard on. The man who just might be the one for me.
All of this extra stuff is fun, but I have to remember the most important thing here. Our connection… that can’t be bought.
“Maybe we should save the swimming for tomorrow,” he says with a grin.
I shake my head and laugh. “Probably a good idea. Any life jackets on that thing?”
I picture myself sitting at a romantic dinner with a big bulky life jacket covering this stunning red dress and chuckle. That would be so me.
“It has everything you could desire,” he says, holding my arm a little more firmly. “Come. I’ll show you.”
“You didn’t have to do all this,” I whisper as I step onto the yacht. The staff is lined up, smiling and welcoming us aboard. I smile and nod back to them.
“The dresses and the jewelry,” I say as we walk into a beautiful seating area with leather couches and a bar off to the side. “I feel like I don’t deserve any of it.”
“You don’t need the dress, jewelry, the makeup, or any of it,” he says in a deep, sincere tone.
“You could walk in wearing a T-shirt and still ruin me. But don’t say you don’t deserve it, Maya.
You deserve the whole world. What you do for those kids.
Trying to make the world a better place for them.
You deserve everything and more. Let me make the world a better place for you. At least for this week.”
I step on my toes and kiss his cheek. Our eyes meet and there’s so much burning between them. So much fire. “Thank you for the donation,” I say. “You have no idea what that means to me.”
“Donation?” he says, playing coy. “What donation is this?”
I shake my head and smile as I stare at this one-of-a-kind man. “The anonymous donation.”
“Anonymous?” he says, waving the waitress over. “Well, that could be anyone.”
I just stare at him in wonder as the waitress arrives with champagne. Who gives a ten million dollar donation and doesn’t want any credit for it? This guy does.
He takes the champagne flutes off the tray and hands one to me.
“Cheers,” he says, holding up his glass. “To a night that changes everything.”
I’ll cheers to that.
I clink my glass to his and then he does the funniest, cutest thing ever. He pinches my nose closed as I take a sip so I don’t sneeze from the bubbles.
“Thank you,” I say, both of us laughing as the waitress looks at us like we’re insane. That just makes us laugh even harder.
It’s one thing to find a man who will spoil you and shower you with gifts… But finding a man who will pinch your nose closed for you so you don’t sneeze…
Now, that’s a man worth keeping.