Chapter 4—Jessica

I looked down and realized my hands were shaking. I clenched my fingers into a fist before stretching them out. Then I broke into a smile. Damn him! I should be furious with him for pushing me like he had. I was his boss. He couldn’t talk to me like that. Yet, when he’d mentioned intercourse and fellatio, my mind raced with forbidden fantasies. And when he’d asked about kissing, my eyes had wandered to his full, luscious lips. I picked up a folder from my desk and fanned my face.

“I must be crazy,” I muttered, slapping the folder back down on the desk. I couldn’t let Travis Hale get to me like this. No matter how sexy he was, or how well he filled out both the front and back of his shorts, or how every time he turned those brown eyes in my direction I wanted to throw myself at him, I couldn’t lust after Travis. Besides, he reminded me too much of Mark. Maybe if I kept that thought in the front of my mind, I’d be able to resist Travis’s charms.

The only way to get my mind off him was to bury myself in work. I began to review the schedule of repairs and the staff that’d be here during the shutdown. It looked as though it’d be a quiet three months. In the past, before I’d taken over the books, the resort accountant didn’t usually stay during our off-season, but with Travis being new and needing to get acclimated to how things ran, he’d have to be here, too. My heart raced. Off-season often got boring around here, and I wasn’t stupid. I knew the staff hooked-up. I, personally, never had, but there was a first time for everything. My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. “Jessica Wallace,” I answered.

“Hey, Jess.” It was the one voice I’d hoped to never hear again.

I groaned, and my stomach dropped. “What the hell do you want, Mark?” I’d left him two years ago and recently he’d been calling again. He was probably broke and wanted to steal more money from me. Too bad for him I was smarter than that now.

“I want to see you,” he said. “There’s something important I need to talk to you about.”

“I’m working.” My tone was clipped. Surely, he’d get the message I didn’t want to speak to him or see him.

“I have some vacation time coming. I was thinking I could come to the island and—”

“We’re closed to guests for the next three months.”

“I could come after that,” he said.

“Then call the reservation desk,” I said, and then hung up. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped on this island with Mark, but I had no control over who stayed at the resort. At least I had plenty of people at my disposal to run interference for me. And I knew he’d never made a reservation. He was too damn cheap. He was hoping I’d cave and offer to let him stay with me or pay for him to stay here. Well, he had another thing coming. I gave my ringing phone a dirty look. “Jessica Wallace.”

“Why’d you hang up on me?” Mark asked.

“Let me make this easy on you,” I said. “You and I are over. We will never be together again. You left me in debt, stole every dime I had, and slept with my roommate. You can rot in hell. Stop calling me!” I slammed the receiver down and resisted the urge to scream. What the hell was he thinking? Like I’d ever take him back.

“Miss Wallace?”

“What?” I snapped and looked up. Travis stood in my doorway, concern etched across his handsome face. My heart raced at the sight of him. “Can I help you, Mr. Hale?”

“Everything all right?” His voice was calm and smooth.

I nodded, refusing to delve into the details of my personal life with a man I barely knew. “Yes, thank you.” I smiled warmly, hoping he wouldn’t pry.

He stepped in my office and held up a medium-sized white paper bag. Grease stains crawled up the sides, and the smell was unmistakable: chili fries and a turkey burger. “How about some lunch?” he said.

I glanced at the clock display in the corner of my computer monitor. 12:15 p.m. Wow. The morning had flown by. “Sure.” I closed out of the application I’d been working in and waved him in. “But I have to ask… How did you know this was my favorite?”

“Amy ordered for you,” he said with a laugh.

I was impressed he’d taken the initiative to figure out what I liked. It had been a long time since a man had done something nice for me like this. “Join me?” I asked before I could think about the implications.

Travis smiled. “On one condition.” He set the bag on the table, and I reached for it. “We don’t talk about work.”

For the past two years, all I’d known was work. Could I really carry on a conversation about anything else? I didn’t stop myself from nodding in agreement. “What do you propose we talk about then?” I asked, digging into my fries.

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself.” He sat, every movement graceful.

I laughed. “What is this? An interview?” Travis winked, and heat erupted on my face. I felt like a damn teenager with my first crush.

“I like to know who I’m working with, too.” He unwrapped his bacon cheeseburger and took a large bite.

“Well, I went to the University of Alabama for hotel management and right after graduation I took a job with—”

“No work talk, remember?” he said.

“Sorry.” I rolled my eyes, realizing for the first time just how much of my identity was wrapped up in my job. “I’ve been in Hawaii for a little over a year now, and I love it here. It’s beautiful. And I get to spend every day with the two people who mean the world to me.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “And who would those two people be?”

“Connor and Steven.”

“Who’s Steven?” There was a sharpness to his tone I hadn’t heard before. What the hell was that all about? When Mark used that tone, it usually meant he was jealous, but there was no way Travis could be jealous. Could he?

The subtle way his eyes darkened intrigued me, and I took a moment to study him. His gaze was unflinching yet soft in a disarming sort of way. “Steven is the resort’s entertainment manager and my best friend.”

“Lucky you,” he said.

“What’s your story?” I asked, licking cheese from my fingers. His eyes darkened even more as his gaze followed each of my fingers to my mouth. I swallowed hard and used a napkin to wipe the remaining cheese from my fingertips.

“No story really. I’m actually kind of lost.”

Lost? He seemed so put together and self-assured. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “That same old cliché about being a bachelor and not knowing what I want to do with my life.”

His honesty stunned me. “You seem to have things pretty well figured out. An ivy league education, a good job…”

“Professionally, I’m in a good spot, but personally…oh, sorry.” He grinned. “Would this conversation be considered fraternizing with the staff?” There was a wicked sparkle in his eyes. A challenge.

I hated myself for smiling at him. And I hated myself even more when I blushed after he smiled back. I was in serious trouble. “No. Please, go on.”

“Personally, I’m still trying to figure things out,” he said. “My mother wants me to settle down and find a woman who will pop out grandbabies for her.” He chuckled.

My heart clenched. I’d always wanted a husband and children. For a while, I’d thought Mark would be the guy to give me all that. How wrong I’d been. “And that’s not what you want?”

He shrugged again. “I’m not sure. I suppose the right woman could make me change my mind.” He met my gaze and held it, and a tiny thrill shot up my spine. “So, where is this little social event tonight?” he asked, breaking whatever strange connection we’d just shared.

“My bungalow,” I said.

“Sounds fun. Should I bring anything?”

“Just you,” I said.

He froze with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. Only then did the implication of my words sink into my mind. Oh my, God! “No, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Shit. How did I dig myself out of this hole?

“I know what you meant.” He winked.

* * *

I kept telling myself that my attentiveness to the whereabouts of Travis all night was simply to gauge how he interacted with the other members of the staff. Truth was I simply couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was a gorgeous man who knew how to handle himself. He got along with everyone—especially my brother, Connor. It was like Travis had intentionally sought him out and then spent the evening bonding with him. Mark had despised Connor, said my brother stole too much of my attention away from him. God, he was such a dick.

“You keep staring and you’re going to melt a hole in that man’s back,” Steven said, nudging my shoulder with his.

“What?” I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I took a sip of the now-warm water I’d been carrying around.

“You’ve been staring at Travis all night, Jess,” Steven said with a smile. “You’ve got good taste.”

I laughed. Even though Steven preferred women, he’d slept with his fair share of men, too. “He’s just another employee,” I said, knowing full well Steven wouldn’t buy it.

“I think you should fire him.”

“What? Why?” I turned to stare at him, shocked. “He’s a great accountant. Besides, I’m pretty sure if I tried to fire him, Franklin would return the favor and I’d be out on my ass.” Not only could I not afford to lose this job, but I also liked it here, and I didn’t want to find a new place to work.

Steven put his mouth near my ear and lowered his voice. “Yeah, but if you fire him, then you can fuc—”

“That’s enough,” I said pushing him away and laughing. “I get the point, Steven.”

“If you get it, then do something about it.”

I rolled my eyes. He was always on my case about working too much. Once, he even offered to fuck me himself just so I’d remember what I was missing out on. We’d both had a little too much to drink that night. Thankfully, we were smart enough not to cross that line. Don’t get me wrong. Steven was sexy as hell, but he was my best friend, and I wouldn’t jeopardize that for the chance to have an orgasm.

He hugged me and kissed my cheek. “Another great party my, love. See you tomorrow?”

“You bet,” I said. Steven left, and Connor was right behind him. Everyone else had trickled out within the last hour, too. Great. Now it was just me and Travis. I closed the door and cursed myself for having had those two glasses of wine. Alcohol had never been my friend, and it was already having an effect on me.

“This was fun tonight.” Travis came up behind me, close enough so I could feel the heat radiating from his body. I resisted the urge to lean back against him. “Thanks for forcing me to come.”

I chuckled and slowly turned around. “I’m glad it wasn’t torture for you.” He smiled that same smile he’d given me the first time I’d seen him—the one that was confident and cocky and sexy as hell. My knees felt weak, and my heart raced. Had he gotten closer to me? “Thanks for coming,” I said. I’m such an idiot.

“You didn’t really give me a choice, remember?”

“Right.” I laughed nervously. Turning away before I did something stupid, I gathered discarded paper plates and tossed them in the trash.

Travis gathered dirty dishes and carried them into the kitchen. He grabbed a trash bag and started to fill it with empty cans and bottles. I stood dumbfounded and watched. Why was he helping me clean up? God, I loved watching him. The way he moved with deliberate gracefulness; the way his muscles worked beneath his shirt, and the way his hair fell across his forehead when he bent over.

“Enjoying the show?” he asked as he looked over his shoulder at me.

Oh crap! He’d caught me staring at him. What should I do? I blushed. “Um…I’m just…uh…well, I guess I’m just shocked that you’re cleaning up.”

He tied the bag and set it near the front door. “I’m surprised your brother didn’t stay around to help.”

I laughed. My brother? Help clean up? Now that was funny. Connor was used to being waited on, and I couldn’t remember a time when I’d seen him volunteer to clean up after anyone or anything—unless, of course, he was getting paid for it. “Thanks,” I said walking into the kitchen. “I can finish up.”

Travis leaned up against the counter, folded his arms over his chest, and watched as I washed dishes. Normally, I hated it when people watched me clean, but considering my eyes had feasted on him earlier I guessed it was only fair that I gave him the same courtesy. Although, I highly doubted he was looking at me the same way I’d looked at him.

“Why do you do this?” he asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Throw these parties. Why do you do it?”

“It can get lonely here on the island.” I scrubbed a glass a little harder than necessary. “I guess these parties are my way of reminding everyone that they’re not alone.”

He nodded as if he understood perfectly. “Is there an expense account for this I should know about?”

“No.” I rinsed the glass then went to work on the next one. “I pay for it out of my own pocket. I guess I feel like it helps—ouch!” I yanked my hand out of the soapy water and rinsed it under the faucet. A sharp, stinging pain shot through my aching finger.

“You okay?” Travis straightened.

I shook my head. “I cut my finger.” As soon as I pulled it out from under the stream of water, blood dripped from the cut and turned the water pink. I gripped the edge of the sink. My stomach recoiled, and I scrunched up my nose, but it was too late. The room started to spin, and everything looked fuzzy. Oh great. I wasn’t going to pass out in front of Travis was the last thought I had before everything went black.

“Jessica. Hey, Jessica, wake up.”

His voice sounded so far away, and my eyelids felt like they were weighted down with cement. I groaned.

“That’s it. Open them eyes for me, sweetheart. Come on.” Travis’s soft voice soothed me, and I didn’t want to wake up if it meant he’d stop talking to me with that tone. “Jessica, you need to wake up now.”

I blinked several times until my eyes opened fully. I was lying on my couch, and Travis was kneeling on the floor in front of me, smiling. What an amazing thing to wake up to.

“How’re you feeling?” He brushed a strand of hair from my forehead, his hand lingering on my cheek, branding me with its warmth.

“Dizzy,” I said. “And thirsty.”

“Here, drink this.” He handed me a glass of water.

“Thanks.” I took it and noticed my finger was bandaged. I inspected it and was thankful that there were no signs of blood anymore. “How bad is it?”

“You won’t need stitches.”

I smiled and took a sip of water. Travis took the glass and set it on the table behind him. His hair fell across his forehead again, and before I could stop myself, I reached up and brushed it away. He looked at me intently, and I wanted to melt under his smoldering gaze. “Sorry,” I whispered, pulling my hand away from his face.

“For what?” His gaze was locked on mine.

I swallowed hard. “Touching you. I shouldn’t have—”

“Why? I’m not going to apologize for touching you.” He lowered his head, his mouth poised above mine. His gaze was still on me, searching, seeking permission. I knew what he wanted to do, and I couldn’t stop him. I didn’t want to. “And I’m not going to apologize for doing this either,” he said seconds before he parted my lips with his tongue and kissed me.

God, his lips were soft, and they tasted incredibly good—like that indescribable taste of testosterone mixed with desire. I knew what we were doing was wrong for so many reasons, but I allowed myself just a little bit of this forbidden pleasure. It’d been too long since I’d been in a man’s arms or been kissed like I was the only woman who mattered. I snaked my hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and around his neck, holding him to me.

With a throaty groan of appreciation, Travis deepened the kiss and climbed on top of me. And I let him. He eased down on me, settling between my parted legs. Holy hell, he was hard. My clit ached for attention, but I couldn’t bring myself to lift my hips, to tempt him for more.

“God, Jess, I’ve wanted to do this since I first laid eyes on you.” He nipped at my jaw, and then he was back to my mouth. Teasing and tasting. “Everything about you is so soft.” He groaned again as he eased his hand up the hem of my shirt, his thumb grazing the underside of my breast.

That small touch was all it took to snap me back to reality. “Travis,” I said, pushing his hand out from under my shirt. “We shouldn’t. I mean, we can’t do this. I’m your boss.”

“I know.” Sighing, he rested his forehead to mine. His perfect lips pulled up into a faint smile before he got up and offered me his hand. “Are you going to be okay?”

I nodded and stood, trying to hide the disappointment from my face. I knew things couldn’t go any further between us, but if he’d kissed me again, or even tried to protest my decision, I would’ve given in. And next time—if there was a next time—there was no way I’d have the strength to stop. Not now that I knew what it felt like to be in his arms.