Illusion (Billionaire in Disguise 2)

“I didn’t say no one had ever made the offer, Derek. There were many who did, but I was never interested in anything like that with them. None of them. They were jobs and nothing more.”

“They were interested, but you weren’t,” I said.

“Exactly.”

“So that means you’re interested in this.”

“I believe I made that pretty clear on the beach this afternoon,” she said.

I pulled her hand to my lips one last time before I stood. I urged her to her feet, watching her rise with all the fluidity and femininity she said she didn’t have. My eyes ran up and down her form, drawing her to me as the music began to slow down. I took her wine glass from between her fingers and set it down on our table before my arm threaded around her waist.

“Dance with me,” I said.

Sam leaned into me, her body trusting me as her forehead leaned against my chin. I placed a chaste kiss on her skin, feeling how our bodies moved as one. We stood by our table, lost in our own world as the worries of the night faded from view. There were no fears or stressors. No work or changing of shifts. Sam and I were no longer client and bodyguard but lovers on a vacation. The ocean breeze was cradling us together, stroking against our skin as her body pressed closer to me.

My hands dropped down around her waist, pulling her into my warmth as her arms circled around my neck.

We swayed to the tune of the song and kept time with the beating of the ocean. I wished things could stay like this forever. I wished I could buy this entire island and create it into our own slice of paradise. I wanted to keep Sam here. I wanted to keep her at my side and travel the world with her. I wanted to go to each and every country she had ever worked in and show her the beauty she had missed out on. I wanted to single-handedly revive in her a passion for this world again. I dipped my face into the crook of her neck, breathing her in as our bodies swayed against one another.

But the harsh reality of what waited for us on the other side crept into my mind.

Jacob.

The company.

The position I had to fill.

My company would need me sooner rather than later. A strong force would have to stand out from the crowd and reassure everyone that things were going to be okay. I had employees who needed me and investors who needed their faith restored. I needed to hire someone to be my new COO, and I needed Jacob to be caught.

There were so many things I needed, and none of them could be found on this island.

“Relax,” Sam said into my ear. “Enjoy the moment.”

And I caved to her, leaning into the strength I knew her body possessed as she held me close. I

sought the comfort I knew her embrace could bring me as I ghosted my lips along her shoulder. I kneaded my hands into the toned muscles of her back, losing myself in the rhythm of her breath pulsing against my neck.

I allowed her current to wash me under, and I was determined to stay under as long as I could and as long as my lungs would allow me to stay submerged.

And if she didn’t require it, I would never swim back to shore.

Chapter 14

Sam

OUR TRIP TO HAWAII was fantastic. It was romantic, full of stress relief, and filled with warm sun and beautiful views. It was a place I didn’t want to come back from, where all my worries seemed to rot away. From the sex to the crystal-clear waters to the music we danced to, everything had its confined space, and everything seemed perfect.

But now, we were back.

Our week together made everything seem so far away. The ordeal with Jacob. All the high-alert moments and guarding Derek's home. Getting away for the week and being able to unload that stress and allow everything to fade to the back of my mind made everything feel so distant and strange. Coming back to San Francisco was almost an out-of-body experience. Getting back to the role I was supposed to play and the job I was supposed to do proved harder than I initially thought it was going to be.

And that wasn't good.

“Report,” I said.

“Welcome back,” John said. “How was the vacation?”

“Wasn’t a vacation, John. It was a getaway so Derek could get his head back in the game. Now, status report.”