Chapter 7
Fallon
“Here you are, Ms. Zimmerman.” The girl from reception had personally guided us through the lavish gardens and thick greenery, and the twitter of birds along with the swell of waves hitting the rocky shoreline was perhaps the sweetest music I’d heard in a very long time.
The cottages were also of various sizes, most built of white siding, yet every one of them with gingerbread adornments and colorful accents.
While the fresh air had helped, I remained mortified.
The front door of the one I’d been assigned was a bright turquoise, flowers in pots in various shades of rose and fuchsia while hibiscus in yellow and orange flanked the short walkway.
“You’ll find a welcome basket with a few goodies. If you need additional coffee or water, please contact the front desk. There is limited room service and of course we have a small restaurant and outdoor bar for your convenience.”
“Thank you so much,” I said as I grasped the keycard.
“All charges will be placed on my account,” he told her, daring me to challenge him.
“Yes, sir,” she said with a chipper voice as he handed her a folded bill that I happened to notice was one hundred dollars. Big tipper.
Vissarian hadn’t given me the choice of bringing my own suitcase, eyeing me with continued amusement as he placed the case onto the stoop directly in front of the door. Where he remained after shoving his free hand into the pocket of his trousers.
He was entirely too close.
Was he expecting me to say something? I’d check the itinerary Jeffrey had provided, but I didn’t think I would officially be on duty again for two full days.
“Day after tomorrow, sir. I’ll be waiting for you at the airport when you’re ready to leave. If anything changes, I’ll be ready to leave within ten minutes.” My words were clipped, as professional as I could muster given my earlier embarrassment.
“Hopefully I’ll be seeing you much sooner than that, Fallon. In fact, I’d like you to have dinner with me tonight.”
I could tell instinctively that his question was just a typical command for him.
Command and conquer.
No, thank you.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll grab something from room service. I’ve had a difficult few days and would enjoy a long night of rest.” Whether or not he believed me just didn’t matter. If there was one thing I would adhere to, it was the rules I’d set for myself.
That had been the only way I’d kept my sanity.
He studied me in a way that felt as if he was dissecting me. Likely trying to determine if I was telling him another lie.
As he’d said, it was something he couldn’t tolerate. The bad girl inside of me almost wanted to tell him a series of lies to see how he’d handle it.
Remember, you’ve yet to be paid. You need the money.
My inner voice was correct.
“Alright, Fallon. So you are aware, I anticipate the schedule will remain the same. I have a very important business meeting tomorrow, which I suspect will run long. Please enjoy yourself while you’re here.
” While his eyes remained locked on mine, he addressed the receptionist once again.
“As I said before, make certain anything Ms. Zimmerman orders is on my tab.”
“You can’t do that. That’s not how this works.” My defiance was stronger than before. I even added punctuation by placing my hand on my hip.
He was even more amused.
“Oh, really? Then please tell me how this is supposed to work.” The wafting of his aftershave created a high that I wasn’t prepared to fight.
“I have money, Mr. Dmitriyev, and quite frankly, I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t treat me as if I wasn’t capable of taking care of or entertaining myself.”
I could tell by the flash in his eyes I’d fallen into a slight trap.
“Oh, I can tell you’re perfectly capable of entertaining yourself. However, should you become bored, I’d like to show you around the island. If that wouldn’t be objectionable to you.”
“As you’d already noticed, I have a couple good books I’d like to finish while I’m here. I’m certain you’ll find an attractive woman who wouldn’t mind being your… escort for the few days you’re here. In the meantime, I’ll purchase whatever I need.”
“You have no choice in the matter. For two days, you belong to me. At least with regard to the purchases you make.” He lifted his arm and for no reason other than I didn’t know anything about him, I stiffened.
He noticed, hesitating before curling three of four fingers, raking the tip of the other through a strand of hair that had become plastered to my remaining lip gloss. “And remember, my name is Vissarian.”
Holy crap. Had he just said what I thought he’d said?
Belong.
Yes, he’d allowed his arrogance to fly high and proud. He was very lucky that I didn’t tell him exactly what to do with his money and clout.
But I didn’t.
Money.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
The word ‘belong’ stuck in the back of my mind and sadly, for a few horrific seconds I replaced his handsome face with the scarred one of my stepbrother. A cold chill swept through me.
“Yes, sir. Vissarian.” I would never belong to anyone. The words slipped from my mouth. Maybe they’d stop him from making any further overtures. I wouldn’t be able to hold my tongue if he did.
With his hands in the air as if surrendering, he grinned and backed away, cocking his head as he finally turned and headed toward his cottage.
As soon as he disappeared into the thick foliage encasing the cobblestone path, I took a deep breath. Talk about being formidable. The man was a powerhouse.
And far too attractive.
My skin continued tingling even after he’d disappeared. I’d make a point of staying out of his way.
As soon as I walked inside, a tiny squeal flew from my mouth.
“Wow.” I wasn’t easily impressed, maybe because my tastes were simple. But this was… amazing.
I dropped my bag on the tile floor, shocked at the accommodations. Calling the tiny home a cottage didn’t have an adequate ring to it.
The living room had the most incredible furniture, soft and inviting with pillows on both the loveseat and matching chair.
The kitchen was small, but was fully operational with a breakfast bar, the sleek granite counter in a shade matching Vissarian’s eyes.
I noticed a Keurig machine and did a little happy dance.
Coffee was a lifeline, wine a soothing concoction.
From where I stood, I could already see sweeping views of the ocean given the elevation. After the tense two weeks, this was exactly what I needed.
I headed to the deck, gasping as I took in the spectacular view. The corner spot allowed for a perfect one-hundred-eighty degrees. On one side was a tropical jungle shadowing the craggy mountains and on the other was an incredible sun-kissed shimmer of the ocean.
There were two wicker chairs with cushions and a table the perfect size to hold a glass of wine, a book, and a snack.
I leaned against the railing and for some crazy reason, images of Vissarian popped into my mind.
I could not believe he’d not only seen but had turned on my vibrator. My God. How could I ever look him in the eyes again?
Grabbing my bag, I headed into the bedroom, immediately flopping down on the bed.
The handle slipped from my hand and I threw myself down on the thick oh-so-soft white comforter.
What a dream. It would be like sleeping on a cloud.
I remained where I was, listening to the ocean sounds from the open door, the breeze just enough to cut through the thick humidity.
I stared at the fan, my thoughts drifting to the horror my life had become and the good fortune of being allowed a couple of days completely away.
I’d been followed from the day I’d set foot back in Chicago. Everywhere I went, outside my mother’s house. They were watching me. I couldn’t wait to free myself of the city once and for all.
Antonio’s final words before departing would forever haunt me.
“Tick tock, sister. Your time is almost up.”
Time. What the fuck had he been talking about?
The phone call had prompted me to call Jeffrey.
After our quick discussion, I’d hopped a flight, something that as a captain I was privileged to be able to do with little notice.
I’d disappeared before the sun had come up, taking the earliest flight to Miami.
I’d known Jeffrey would help make sense of the nightmare I’d been living.
He’d encouraged me to return to Miami, leaving behind the memories and connections I’d once cherished.
Then he’d fallen ill.
Continually going over the events of the last two weeks wasn’t going to help make sense of anything. My best bet was to try to forget, escape for just a little while. This was as good a place as any to make that happen.
Exhaling, I jerked up, determined to shove aside every dark thought. A gift basket. Why not see what was inside. Then I’d change and curl up with one of my books on the veranda.
Lighter on my feet, I headed back to the kitchen, doing another little happy dance when finding a bottle of cabernet as well as snacks to die for. With a quick check of the cabinets, I found both a wine stem in acrylic and a wine opener. Perfect.
With a glass poured, I headed back into the bedroom to change clothes. There was nothing stuffier than what I’d been wearing. A strangling necessity, but such a beautiful day called for as few clothes as possible.
The summer dress would do, a pair of sandals all that was necessary.
Once I was changed, I grabbed my wine and the book whose cover was stained with his fingerprints and headed to the veranda. I preferred the term versus deck. It was so much more elegant than the tiny space barely big enough to fit a single chair at my apartment.
The moment was perfect, the only music needed the sweet sound of the ocean waves. As soon as I opened the book, another flashed into my mind of Vissarian’s wide grin from his scandalous discovery.
Hissing, I shook away all thoughts of him as I started to read.