Why hadn’t he just asked her those same questions in a natural flow of conversation? He’d never let an opportunity slip by in the past, yet he had now—because he didn’t want to watch a shutter fall down over her honest and expressive eyes again. There it was again, that innocence and naïveté that called to him in ways he didn’t understand. If Doug wasn’t careful, he could easily end up wanting her trust more than he wanted information, and that he couldn’t afford. Damn.
Merrilee laughed. “Are you saying you’ve met your match?”
He refused to touch that comment. “Are you telling me I can stay?” He sat up in his seat and met her on level ground.
Her warm eyes danced with delight. “Mr. Houston, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. But make no mistake, if you hurt Juliette Stanton instead of making her happy during her time on my island, you’ll answer to me and my lawyers.”
Doug ignored the unwelcome shaft of guilt over his hidden agenda. He might not understand it, but here on Secret Fantasy, he’d grown used to the sentiment.
He attempted to assuage his conscience by telling the truth instead. “You have my word. I’m not looking to hurt Juliette Stanton.” He extended his hand, gripping Merrilee’s in a strong shake.
She nodded. “Please come to my office and sign the paperwork documenting your fantasy,” she said, her voice softening.
“My pleasure. I noticed some people disembarking from the seaplane. Are you fully booked this week?”
“I’ve been fortunate in that since opening the resorts, I’m booked solid every week, though I’ve fit some people in toward the end of this week who seem more desperate than most. I’ll do that sometimes, if the person strikes a chord with me.”
Doug grasped her hand. “Something tells me most people strike that chord. You’re a rare breed—an honest, caring soul.”
She laughed. “And you’re a charmer. But actually, I’m an old soul. Lived and seen enough to understand other people’s joy…and pain. Enough to make this place a success, I suppose.”
“Forgive me for being blunt but I noticed a sadness in your eyes the first time we met.”
She smiled, the lines around her eyes giving her face more mature beauty and character. “You’re a reporter. I don’t expect much to miss those eagle eyes. But you’re right.” She glanced down, toying with a fringe on her long skirt. “I lost my fiancé in the Vietnam War. I married afterward but it wasn’t the same. I spent my life catering to someone else’s needs at the expense of my own.” She looked up, meeting his curious gaze.
“Seems to me that opening these resorts accomplishes the same thing.”
“Ah, but I get pleasure watching other people’s fantasies come to life and play out. Nine times out of ten the end result isn’t what they intended, but often better than they’d hoped.”
Doug laughed, enjoying this woman and her philosophy of life. “Sounds cryptic.”
“Talk to me again when the week’s out.” She rose from her seat and Doug followed. “But don’t hesitate to stop by my office when the whim strikes. I like you, Doug Houston.”
“The feeling’s mutual.”
She patted his hand. “Then don’t disappoint me.”
She ambled off down the beach and he exhaled a groan. She didn’t ask for more than she had a right to expect. Hell, she didn’t ask for more than he demanded from himself. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling he was treading very shaky personal ground. And Merrilee knew it.
On his way out of the main lobby, he stopped at the concierge to make arrangements for a special evening. When he’d gotten access to Juliette’s Fantasies, Inc. paperwork, he’d discovered more about her than he’d ever dreamed. He knew not only the things she feared, like water skiing, but things she’d love to try, from hot-air ballooning to horseback riding on the beach. In an effort to broaden the possibilities of her guests’ fantasies, Merrilee’s questions were broad and thorough enough to give Doug a boost in his quest to make Juliette’s experience one she’d never forget. Hell, Doug knew he wouldn’t forget one minute of his time here.
After setting up the evening, he headed for the pool. The entire area was already filled with people and towels on the chairs, but Doug had an easy time spotting Juliette in the eclectic mix. No one else had her shade of hair and no other woman attracted him so strongly.
When he joined her at the far end of the free-form pool in a space with ample privacy, he realized she’d fallen asleep. He pulled over a chair from a neighboring table and sat facing her, propping his feet on the edge of her lounge. For the first time in his life Doug, a man always on the move, was content to sit in silence and watch a woman sleep.
Her chest rose and fell in even breaths, her breasts full, her nipples tight against the bikini top. In contrast to the sexy sight of her lush body in the skimpy bathing suit, her makeup-free face glistened with suntan oil and her mouth was opened slightly, giving her an innocent appearance that touched something inside his more world-weary soul.
He crossed his hands over his stomach and studied her, wondering why she appealed to him so. Just then her eyelashes fluttered and she let out a sigh, shifting restlessly. He reached out a hand to soothe her with a caress, then withdrew as she settled down before he touched her. He wondered if she was dreaming and if so about what. Or whom.
Minutes later she woke with a start. A shiver shook her, despite the heat, and he watched, entranced, as awareness of her surroundings dawned slowly. “You’re awake.”
Startled, she turned toward him, a light blush on her already sunburned cheeks. “How did, when did you get…” She shook her head. “Never mind. I’m sure I don’t want to know.”
He laughed, not at her discomfort but because he enjoyed her so much. “I’ve only been here a short while and, in case you’re curious, you don’t snore.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Did you have a good rest?”