I see Cindy prepared the buffet with refreshments and I nod to a few board members and shake some hands. Jake comes up to me. I shake his hand and pull him into a side hug. I can see the tiredness and weariness on his face.
“You okay?” I question him.
“Yeah, got a lead on Larissa last night only for it to turn into a dead end. When I leave here today, I’m going to her parents’ house to see if they’ve heard anything from her,” he says.
“As long as you’re okay. Don’t forget what I said, whatever you need. The jet is on standby at the airport if you need it,” I tell him. Jake is basically a second brother, to be honest I’m closer to him than I am to Brian and to see him so distraught, it’s not something I’m used to.
“I may take it this afternoon. I should be back by the evening. Her parents live in Tennessee, so the trip shouldn’t take that long,” he says as he rubs the side of his neck. I hope Larissa is worth it, especially because of everything she’s putting him through.
“No problem. You ready to start?” I question.
“Without a doubt,” he takes his seat and we get down to Jake signing papers and then I’m next. We then pass it around to the board members so they can make sure we dotted our i’s and crossed our t’s.
When we’re all done, everyone welcomes Jake aboard our team, and as much as I’d like to take him out to celebrate with a couple of drinks, I know he’s ready to find Larissa more than anything.
“Thanks for being a part of our team, Jake,” I say as we walk out the door of our building. I’m waiting for an Uber to take me back to the hotel and Jake is headed to the airstrip.
“Thank you for having me. I’m thankful to be on your team,” he says with a smirk.
“I texted the pilot. The jet’s ready and waiting for you. I’m not leaving for Michigan until tomorrow, so, take your time. If you need it, I can always stand to use another vacation day anyway.” I tell him as my car that I’ve been waiting on comes to a stop. I open the door when I hear Jake say, “Thanks, man. You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”
“I understand more than you know. I’m off to get my woman myself.” I smile and then I take off to the hotel.
Chapter Eight
Kendall
I received a text saying Max wasn’t making it out today. I kind of assumed that would happen by the time one o’clock in the afternoon rolled around. Instead of going shopping, I went back to my hotel room and changed into my bathing suit. It’s a black one piece with lace design on the v that dips down between my breasts. It’s more daring than I would usually wear, but I took a chance when I tried it on, and it flattered my size twelve figure. I have curves, something no matter how hard I exercised or dieted, they were just always there. I never got down to a size ten. I learned to embrace it and find pieces that accentuated my body.
When I get down to the beach, I find a lounge chair and lather myself with sunscreen. I don’t tan like my mother does, and even if I did, she instilled it into my head to always protect your skin when I was barely a teenager.
A waiter comes by and I ask for a bottle of water and a lemonade, knowing I need to stay hydrated in the heat and humidity. Now that I have everything I want, I fire up my kindle.
I get lost in the story I started this morning and am just finishing my book when I look up and see Declan walking down the beach. He looks lost in thought.
I take a chance, abandoning my chair and leaving my things where they are. I walk up towards him and he notices me.
“Hey, Kendall,” he says with a smile.
“Hey, Declan. I didn’t expect to see you out here today. Didn’t you say you were going to be in meetings all day.” I remember him mentioning on the plane he was coming down here for something to do with his company.
“Yeah, I just finished and figured I’d come out and get some fresh air. Want to go in the water with me?” he asks.
“Sure. Want to leave your things with my stuff?” I suggest as I hook my thumb over my shoulder, pointing to where I was sitting.
“Yeah, that would be good,” he rasps as he appraises my body. I’ve wanted Declan since I first started working on his private jet. The naughty thoughts I’ve had of him have been replaying in my mind daily, especially at night.