I walked along the beach path toward the mansion, humming slightly. I hadn't felt this happy in a long time. I didn't know it was possible to feel this happy. Not only was I off to see the man of my dreams, but he was still on the island. We had a chance.
The sky was a beautiful blue with the only clouds being dark gray, but far on the horizon. The world was made of blue, green, and sand. It was almost too gorgeous of a day to be real. I came to the entrance of the Grove and sent some good vibes toward it. Hopefully that would turn out all right too. I had thrown my four thousand dollars of tip/bet money into the fund to buy it. Four thousand dollars wasn't much toward the overall price of the property, but I hoped it was enough to help tip the scales in our balance. I had already done so much work and had so many wonderful ideas to research there.
Passing the last little bit of the Grove, I came to the beach where Noah and I had built the sandcastle. I almost didn't want to look, afraid that the beautiful castle would be washed into the sea, but I did. And it was still there.
I stepped off the path and into the beach, heading to inspect the sand structure. The moat, and the lack of rain the past few days, had saved it. The edges were starting to wear away, and several of the shells I had placed had fallen into the moat, but it was still standing. Despite the worn edges, I still thought it was the most beautiful castle I had ever seen. It stood on the beach like a glorious sentinel, waiting for its occupants to return from the sea. I wished that it could stay standing like this forever. For a moment, I even thought it had a chance.
I replaced one of the shells and deepened a section of the moat before continuing on my way. I gave it one last look as I got back on the path and hurried on my way to see Noah.
***
I knocked on the door to Noah's villa, my heart speeding up with every knock. I could hear his footsteps as he came to the door, and I smoothed my hair one last time. I loved how just thinking about him made my insides shiver. I couldn't have removed the grin on my face if someone had paid me.
“Izzy,” he greeted me warmly, opening the door. Barefoot, he had on a pair of low slung khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt that made his eyes pop. His hair looked tousled and windblown; it was all I could do to keep my hands to myself and not run my fingers through it. He dipped his head and kissed me demurely on the cheek as I stepped inside.
I had expected the little beach cabana to be empty, but instead, it looked like a paper tornado had hit. Sitting sedately in the center of the wreckage was a petite, adorable, redhead. She had her hair cut in a pixie-cut style that made her sexy and cute at the same time. She wore running shorts and a tank-top that accented her fairy-like body. I was really, really glad Noah had warned me about her. If he hadn't, I would have been incredibly jealous. Even as it was, the green-eyed monster in my stomach wasn't terribly happy about the situation.
“Hi!” the girl chirped, hopping to her feet and holding out her hand. “You must be Izzy.”
Her handshake was firm and professional. She grinned, her green eyes sparkling. Her smile was infectious.
“Hi,” I replied, “and you must be Noah's assistant.”
“Yup, I'm Beth. It's nice to finally meet the woman who has made Noah stop answering my phone calls.” She turned to give Noah a teasing glare. He laughed and held up his hands.
“You guys look really busy,” I said, eyeing the piles of paper scattered across the table, floor, and chairs. Two laptops sat open on the table, and even their keyboards had paper on them. I tried to see what was written on the papers without looking like I was, but Beth was already busy picking them up.
“Yeah, but I'll take this view over my cubicle any day of the week,” she said, gesturing to the ocean out the window. Her arms were full of papers, but she had most of the ones near me picked up before I even had a chance to help. “I should convince Noah to go to his friends' parties more often.”
I went to hand her the last piece of paper near my feet; it looked like a map of the island, but Beth had it in her pile before I could get a good look. Maybe Noah was looking at a house to flip? There were several hurricane-damaged properties in the area that he could renovate and sell to a wealthy businessman for a nice sum of profit.
“How about you take the rest of the day off, Beth?” Noah asked, his eyes fixed on me. I bit my lip as he looked tellingly at the hem of my skirt. A warmth spread in my stomach and headed south. “Go enjoy the island a little bit.”
Beth set her stack of papers on the table. She grinned at him, her hands busy picking up the various files scattered on the chairs and adding them to her stack. “You don't have to tell me twice. I'm out of here as soon as I get this put away.”
Noah put his hand on my shoulder, his touch adding to the warmth in my lower section. He put his mouth near my ear. “Let's go outside and let Beth finish in here,” he said, his words causing my hair to tickle my neck and sending sexual currents straight down my spine. I nodded and followed him happily outside onto the porch.
He leaned nonchalantly against the wall. I loved the way his shirt hugged his broad shoulders, then tapered into his waist. He looked good, and he knew it.
“What would you like to do today?” I asked as his blue eyes watched my every move with a slight smile. He looked me up and down, obviously liking what he saw and stoking the fire growing in my belly.
I went to the wall beside him, pressing my shoulder blades into the wood. He shrugged. “I didn't have any plans.”
He pushed himself off the wall and placed his arms on either side of me, pinning me in place. My breath caught a little bit. He smelled like clean sunshine and soap with just a hint of something masculine that drove my feminine parts into a frenzy. He came in slowly, taking his time as his mouth covered mine. His tongue probed gently at my lips until I let him in. I heard a low moan that I realized was mine. The man could kiss.
“How's that for doing something today?” Noah asked, his voice low and rough. I wanted him so bad.
“Wow. That sounds good,” I gasped. I was already halfway to the bedroom in my head when I heard a thud followed by an “Ouch!?
?? from inside. “I think the room is currently occupied, though.”
He chuckled and kissed me again. I wondered if I would be able to walk after this, because he was melting all my bones into liquid desire. He pulled back again, giving me enough space to breathe but still keeping me pinned against the wall.
“Where's she staying anyway?” I asked, desperately trying to gather my wits together. He scattered them so effortlessly that it was difficult. “I happen to know there isn't a pull-out sofa in there.”
His mouth twitched in a smile and he kissed my forehead. His eyes were glowing with desire and making my thoughts scatter again. I loved that look. “The main house is practically empty. Owen went home after the party, Jack met a girl on the island, and his secretary is leaving this afternoon.”
“Jack brought his secretary?” I asked. “I didn't see her at the party.”