Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
As the elevator doors opened, she stared at the handsome man who waited for her. “Caesar! I’m super early.”
“I was eager to see you.” He walked forward to place his hand on the small of her back to steer her away from the other guests.
When they were out of the traffic pattern, he leaned down to kiss her softly before commenting, “Mmm, sweet.”
“I don’t know what to say to that,” she whispered.
“Say, do it again,” he suggested.
“Do—” The rest of the words never made it out of her mouth as he pulled her closer to press against his hard body. Responding automatically to his skilled kiss, Isla completely forgot where she was. When he lifted his head, she blinked up at him as she tried to pull herself together.
“I love that look in your eyes. I will look forward to satisfying it.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t really even know you. I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”
“Like what? Like a woman who’s found a man that intrigues her and makes her want to spend time with him?”
“Yes. That’s it,” Isla seized on that less intimate answer when what her body and mind were urging her to do was suggest he carry her upstairs and make love to her.
“Hmm,” he hummed, and she knew he knew just what kind of effect he had on her.
Pulling herself together, she straightened and squared her shoulders. “Look, Caesar. I don’t know what’s going on here. If you’re a lothario who preys on single women, do us both a favor and leave me alone.”
Immediately, he looked concerned. “I don’t play games, Little girl. I respond to you as much as you react to me. I’m not looking for a vacation fling. I think you’re my Little girl, and I would never hurt you. I’m sorry I moved too fast.”
Her stiff posture deflated. “You didn’t…scare me, I mean. I scare me. I react to you like no one I’ve ever met. It’s… It’s discombobulating.”
“It’s discombobulating to me as well,” Caesar said with a smile.
“You’ve never used that word before in your life, have you?” she asked, smiling back at him.
“Never. But it’s a good one. It fits the situation perfectly. Come on, Little girl. Let’s go have some dinner, and maybe we can figure this out a bit more,” he suggested, taking her hand.
She nodded and allowed him to guide her to the outdoor restaurant. Lit by overhead fairy lights and globe lights on poles, it welcomed guests and charmed them with the sound of water in the distance.
“I bet it’s beautiful here earlier in the day,” she said, looking around at the beautiful plants and décor.
“It is. It’s close to the water, which automatically makes it a fun place for our guests and people out on the water. Many people who don’t stay here at Danger Bluff stop here for a bite to eat.”
“The food must be good then.”
“It is. I haven’t had anything that I haven’t loved. The lobster mac and cheese is the cheesiest. It’s super filling if you’re hungry,” he suggested.
“I’ll definitely have that before I leave. I think I’ll have something lighter tonight as my body adjusts. What do you think of the red snapper?”
“Delicious. You’ll love it.”
“Done. I’ll have that,” she announced, closing her menu.
A young man appeared at her side. “Hi, I’m Terrence. I’ll be your server tonight. You look like you’ve already made up your mind.”
“I have,” Isla confided before looking over at Caesar. “Do you need more time?”
“Nope. I’m ready, too.”
With their orders recorded, Terrence hurried away to get their drinks.
“How are you feeling after your nap?” Caesar asked, smiling at her.
She liked that his expression was one of fondness. Is that possible already? Yes.
“I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed. It was a good thing I set an alarm.”
“You’ll crash again tonight, and then tomorrow, you’ll wake up feeling well rested,” Caesar predicted.
“I hope you’re right. That was definitely the longest flight I’ve ever been on. How did you end up working here?” she asked.
“The man who owns the resort saved me from a bad situation. When he asked me to come, I didn’t hesitate. I owed him,” Caesar admitted.
“What happened?” she asked, leaning forward. Would he tell her the truth?
“A woman I considered my girlfriend convinced me to take her scuba diving. What I thought was a random destination turned out to be a very specific site. While we struggled to free a box from the ocean floor, bad guys showed up. It turned out that they were after the same prize.”
“Oh, no! What happened?”
“I got injured helping Mindy back to my boat with the heavy case. As soon as it was loaded on the boat, she took off, leaving me.”
“She left you with the bad guys?” Isla asked, aghast.
“With the bad guys and a spear running through my thigh. Until the good guys showed up. Now, I get to be a good guy,” Caesar said.