“I won’t be without my phone,” he insisted.
Kelly tipped her head and smirked. “Oh, there will be no phone, no laptop, nothing. You will unwind, you hear me? We will get massages, food and drinks delivered to our private bungalow... And we will have our own beach and our own personal butler, as well. The point of this is to remove yourself from reality.”
He stared, wondering just how far removed from his real life he had to be. “I’ll give you the laptop, but not the phone.”
Kelly laughed, and he found that anger bubbling up once again. He was not going to be bullied through this entire situation.
“I will be taking all of it, putting it in the safe, and only I will know the code,” she informed him. “This will be a complete reboot of your system. Got it? You will relax and you will have a good time. I’m here to make sure of it.”
The thought of spending five days in a private beach house with his sexy assistant didn’t sound like the smartest move he’d ever made. Not that he would ever make a move on Kelly. He valued her too much and would never disrespect her in such a way.
But, damn, being on the beach also meant he’d be seeing her in a swimsuit. If he thought she looked sexy on the plane with those little glasses and polished toes, how would he handle wet spandex wrapping her luscious body?
“Hell,” he muttered. “I brought suits...not the swimming kind. I have nothing for a beach vacation.”
She threw him a smile. “No worries. I’ve taken care of that part.”
Something about that saucy grin terrified him and he had no idea what in the world he’d gotten himself into. He should’ve turned right around and gotten back on that plane. Kelly could have stayed and had all the vacation she wanted, he’d even give her paid time. Hell, he’d double it.
But somehow he’d ended up in the back of an SUV heading toward what some would say was a romantic, tropical getaway with his stunningly beautiful assistant.
Seriously. What could go wrong?
* * *
Kelly’s heart beat faster as they were escorted to their bungalow. The walk through the opulent gardens and tall palm trees flanking the narrow path seemed even more exotic than she’d imagined.
Before Zeke booked this place online, he had shown it to her to make sure it was okay. Like she was going to turn down a free vacation with the one man she’d wanted for years? Any place would’ve been perfect, giving her the chance she’d been too afraid to take in Royal.
But now, well, they would be alone and there was nothing stopping her. Kelly had gotten online and called the resort, giving strict instructions for her and Luke to be left alone. She’d also gone ahead and set up times for food deliveries, massages, and two excursions to get Luke to lighten up even more. She’d promised Zeke she would do anything to make his brother decompress, and she wasn’t going to let him leave this island until she saw an improvement.
As they got closer, the soft lull of the ocean waves lifted her spirits and calmed her nerves. The bright pink hibiscus trees lined the path of lush greenery. Then their home away from home came into view.
An absolutely adorable thatched roof covered the bungalow. The ocean was just on the other side, and she knew their private beach would have beautiful white sand. She couldn’t wait to get inside.
“Would you like to explore on your own or do you need a tour?” their guide asked as he stood outside the door.
“We can take it from here,” she told him, reaching in her purse for a tip.
“I will have your bags brought down at once,” he said, taking the tip and nodding his thanks. “You just need to type the code and the door will unlock. It automatically locks for your safety. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have any needs. Welcome to Malie Villa.”
Tranquility Villa. So perfect. That name had pulled her in as soon as Zeke shared it with her and, once she’d seen the online photos, she’d been hooked. Never in her life would she have thought to come to a tropical paradise like this. It wasn’t like she had a significant other to travel with...she also hadn’t been looking. Luke occupied way too much of her headspace.
Kelly typed in the code and opened the door. “Welcome to your vacation,” she said, gesturing for Luke to enter. “I’ll even let you choose which room you want.”
“Wonderful,” he murmured as he stepped inside.
Kelly closed the door once she was in and her breath caught in her throat. The view was even more breathtaking than any phot
o she could ever see.
The entire back wall was comprised of folding glass doors that had been left open to allow the ocean breeze to filter through. There was a private infinity pool and an outdoor eating area. The open living room seemed cozy with all the white furniture with green accents. There was an eat-in kitchen to the right and bedrooms to the left. The entryway had a small Christmas tree all decorated with pineapples and flamingos.
“I’ll admit, this place is gorgeous,” Luke stated, turning to face her.
Kelly smiled. “Did you think your brother or I would choose somewhere subpar to make you miserable? You deserved the best.”
“I didn’t think you’d take me anywhere,” he countered.