Chapter 5
When he finally stirred, the room was bathed in a soft, golden light that filtered through the curtains like liquid gold.
The warm glow cast delicate shadows across the walls and furniture, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere that seemed to wrap the entire room in a cozy embrace.
It comforted him in a way he wasn’t used to.
For a moment, Saul was disoriented, his mind foggy from the medication and exhaustion. As awareness slowly returned, so did the dull throb in his shoulder, a constant reminder of his close call.
He blinked, trying to focus on his surroundings. The room was airy and elegant, with large windows overlooking a lush tropical vista that fell away into the valley below. A gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers and sea salt. This wasn't his cabana, he remembered.
Saul shifted slightly, wincing as the movement sent a sharp pain through his shoulder. The events of the past day came flooding back - the shooting, his desperate escape, and the woman who had found him. Sadie, he recalled. Sadie Jones.
As if summoned by his thoughts, the door opened, and the woman in question entered, carrying a tray.
She was dressed casually in linen shorts and a flowing top, her blonde hair pulled back in a loose bun.
He remembered thinking she was an angel last night.
Not because she’d come to his rescue, but because her spun gold hair had shone like a halo around her head when she’d turned on the lights of her ATV and stepped in front, so they lit her silhouette from behind.
Of course, he’d also thought he might be dead at the same time, so there was that, too.
"Good morning," Sadie said softly, approaching the bed. "How are you feeling?"
Saul managed a weak smile. "Like I've been shot," he quipped, then winced at how raspy his sleep roughened voice sounded.
Sadie's lips quirked in a small smile. "I can imagine. I've brought you some water and pain medication. Dr. Blake said you should take it with food, so I've made you a light breakfast as well. When you’re done, I need to change your dressing.”
She set the tray down on the bedside table and helped Saul sit up, since he’d slumped down in his sleep, adjusting the pillows behind him.
"Thank you," Saul said, genuinely grateful for her care. He caught a whiff of her perfume - something light and floral that reminded him of the sprawling jasmine vines that were scattered around the island. It was a pleasant distraction from the pain throbbing in his shoulder.
Sadie handed him a glass of water and two pills. Saul took the medication and washed it down with the water. He hadn't realized how parched he was until the cool liquid hit his throat. He drained the glass quickly, and Sadie refilled it for him without prompting.
"Thank you," he said again, his voice a little stronger. "For everything. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't found me last night."
Sadie nodded matter-of-factly. "I’d like to think anyone would have done the same, but I guess we both know that’s not always the case. I'm just glad I could help."
She busied herself arranging the breakfast tray on his lap, and Saul took the opportunity to study her more closely.
In the soft morning light, he could see the fine lines around her eyes and the faint worry creasing her brow.
She was beautiful, but there was a sadness and resignation about her that seemed out of place for her age, which he guesstimated was late twenties.
"How did you know I was there?" Saul asked, picking up a piece of mango from the plate. "No one knew I was coming. I deliberately kept it that way in case I was followed."
Shit. He probably shouldn't have said that; he was giving too much away… but then, he owed her something, especially to keep her safe. And it wasn’t like she didn’t already know he’d been shot and was being cagey.
He hadn’t been thinking straight when he arrived last night.
The pain and blood loss made everything a little hazy.
“I was awake,” she replied, looking away, and making him wonder why she was awake at that time of the morning. “And I recognized the sound of the helicopter. Since I know we don’t authorize night flights, I went to investigate.”
Saul nodded, impressed by her attentiveness and quick thinking. "Well, I'm grateful you did. And I appreciate your discretion in calling Luca rather than raising a general alarm."
Sadie gave a small shrug. "I've lived long enough to know when something requires...
special handling." She paused, her eyes meeting his.
"I won't pry. Your business is your own.
But if there's anything pertinent I need to know, I do expect a heads up. Luca vouched for you and that goes a long way, but you’re in my home, and I need to trust that I'm not putting myself or anyone else in danger by helping you.”
Saul held her gaze, respecting her directness.
She was very different from the fawning women who usually surrounded him.
It was a breath of fresh air. "That’s fair, and I can assure you I've taken every precaution to ensure I wasn't followed. As for Elysium, no one is aware of my connection to this island, but if I have any reason to believe that’s changed, you and Luca will be the first to know. "
Sadie nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. For now, at least.
"Good. Now, eat all your breakfast.” She nodded to the food he was picking at. “You need to regain your strength."
As Saul ate, he found himself studying Sadie. She was striking, though not beautiful in the polished, ‘buy your body’ plasticized way he was used to. He liked that about her, too.
He watched as she moved around the room, straightening things and opening the curtains wider to let in more sunlight while she waited for him to finish eating. There was an easy grace to her movements, but also a wariness, as if she was always on guard. It intrigued him.
Once he was done, she moved the tray to one side and sat next to him on the bed. He was naked, except for his boxers, so at least they didn’t have to go through the painful experience of removing any clothing. He pushed the sheet away to give her better access.
Sadie’s eyes inadvertently dropped to his crotch, and he watched as they widened at the indisputable evidence of his hard-on before they flew to his face.
“What can I say?” he asked with a shrug, then winced when the movement sent shards of pain lancing through his shoulder.
“Morning wood.” His voice was a little more strained this time.
“At least I know the important parts are still working.”
Sadie shook her head, but he saw the hint of a smile pulling at her lips. She said nothing, just leaned in close and carefully removed his soiled bandages, before gently cleaning the area around his wound of dried blood and checking for signs of infection.
Saul grunted, the pained groan bursting from his lips as she smoothed a new dressing into place over the ravaged skin.
Sadie lifted her head to check on him at the same time as he turned to look at his shoulder, and suddenly their faces were just centimeters apart.
He could feel the soft warmth of her breath on his cheek and a filament of awareness arced between them.
Sadie sucked in a breath and bit her lip, though whether it was in response to hurting him, or the heightened perception that spun between them, he wasn’t sure.
What he did know was it drew his gaze to her lips like a moth to flame.
Her little pink tongue darted out to lick them, and Saul wanted to groan for an entirely different reason.
He wanted to taste her. Lose himself in the heady scent of jasmine that swirled around them.
Forcing himself to lift his gaze back to hers, their eyes clung.
Saul felt like he was drowning in liquid pools of azure blue, a willing victim to the call of a siren.
Like magnets, they were drawn closer until there was no more than a breath between them, their eyes casting mesmerizing promises. Did she move, or was it him?
Oh yeah, she moved, alright, her shoulder bumping his and causing him to cry out in pain.
Sadie sprung back, her eyes wide and confused. “I’m so sorry,” she sputtered, jumping up, her hand automatically reaching out towards his throbbing shoulder before she snatched it back as he grated out, “I’m fine.”
Instead, she began grabbing up the detritus from changing his dressing, looking anywhere but at him, as she fumbled and dropped things.
"So, Dr. Jones,” Saul said, in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had pulled taut like an overstretched band between them. "How does a psychologist end up on a private island in the Bahamas?"
Sadie turned to face him, relief painting a wry smile on her lips, and quirked an eyebrow. Her expression had smoothed, and she was back in control again. It was a shame. He kinda liked the befuddled her. “How does a billionaire playboy end up shot and hiding out on said private island?"
Saul chuckled, then winced again as the movement jarred his shoulder. "Touché. I suppose we both have our secrets."
"Indeed," Sadie replied, her expression softening slightly. "Let's just say I needed a fresh start, and Dallas owed me a favor. This place... it's a sanctuary of sorts. For many people." Was she warning him off?
Her words prodded at a memory, and one of those lightbulb moments went off in Saul’s head.
He was friendly with Dallas Johnson, the golf pro who was also one of the island's ten investors, so Saul knew about the implosion in Dallas’ life which had led to his ‘retirement’ from the professional circuit.
The scandal which now saw Dallas working as the Eden resort’s golf coach.
He narrowed his eyes and Sadie stared back at him, her hands in the back pockets of her denim shorts, like she was daring him to say what he was thinking. “You’re…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
“Yes, I am.” There was a finality to the statement, but no chill in her voice.
Saul frowned. Sadie hadn’t been recognizable in the kink video that had been released of her and Dallas in an attempt to blackmail the golf champ. Plus, the timeline didn’t work, either. Still… “Was it that incident that…”
Once again, she cut him off before he could finish, proving how accurately she could read him.
He put it down to his trauma, since he normally had an excellent poker face.
“No, it didn’t affect me at all. It was a different demon, a ghost from my past that brought me here, but one equally destructive. ”
She made the cryptic comment and collected his empty plate, effectively ending the conversation as she turned and headed towards the door.
Okay - sore subject there, too. He had the feeling Sadie was as much of a vault of secrets as he was.
But that was fine. Saul could appreciate people had parts of their lives that were off limits.
In a lot of ways, it was better like that.
People who had their own secrets were less prone to digging after other peoples.
"Well, I'm glad you called in the favor which brought you here," Saul said softly, before she left the room. "I owe you my life."
Sadie's expression softened some more. "You don't owe me anything. But if you insist on repaying me, you can do so by following doctor's orders and getting better. The last thing I need is a dead billionaire in my bedroom."
“Well, it’d be a great excuse for mouth to mouth,” he quipped with a wink, in an attempt to lift the mood. It was a shame it came out like one of his usual corny pick-up lines, because the last thing he wanted was to treat Sadie like one of his pick-ups. She was worth more than that.
She rolled her eyes, shook her head and left the room, but not before he caught the hint of a smile turning her lips up at the corners.