Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) (18 page)
Read Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) Online
Authors: Adrianne Byrd
Minutes later, Toni completed her induction to the Mile-High Club by reclining Jonas back in his chair, climbing into his lap and riding him until he could spell her whole name both backward and forward.
Exhausted, neither knew who went to sleep first, but Jonas woke when the plane began its slow descent. He started to wake the sleeping bundle on his lap, but he was suddenly stuck by how beautiful and frail she looked.
The woman was definitely running from some terrible demons in her past. And he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t hurt by her unwillingness to confide in him. Then again, maybe her elusiveness was another element that intrigued him.
Drawing a deep breath, he studied her for a few more seconds. Likely, such moments would be his only time to witness this incredible vulnerability. Did it make him a jerk for wanting to protect her from whatever she was trying to run away from?
Before making love to her in her office this afternoon, he thought all he wanted was to slide her into position as a playmate—a lover-a glorified booty call whenever the need arose and in return he wanted to take care of her. Money, cars-whatever she wanted. But now, his heart demanded something else, something stronger, something long-lasting.
He closed his eyes and swore under his breath. How did he get himself back in this position?
He wasn’t supposed to get attached.
He wasn’t supposed to care.
He wasn’t supposed to fall in love.
All three of those things would be easier to do if they weren’t currently joined together and he couldn’t feel her very heartbeat pulse all around him.
Jonas leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her forehead. Maybe he could give love another try? See where the road takes him.
But could he recover if she broke his heart?
Alyssa’s Crush
Chapter 22
Alyssa was supposed to go to her room.
She also always had a hard time doing what she was told—especially now since the guests had started to arrive. Beautiful women draped on the arms of handsome men had her young, romantic mind churning and her body itching to be a part of the festivities.
Maybe she could.
The moment the possibility crossed her mind, her shoulders deflated when the promise she made her father floated back to haunt her.
“Cheer up, Alice. Things can’t be all that bad.”
Alyssa’s head jerked up to see Quentin leaning against the oak door leading to the service quarters. Her heart flipped-flopped in her chest and when he flashed his dimpled cheeks, she nearly swooned on the spot. “What are you doing here?”
Q shrugged. “Well, if you don’t want me here, I’m sure I can find a group of females who’d actually enjoy my company.” He pushed away from the door and started to head back toward the wedding party. “I just thought you wanted to hear the rest of Jonas and Toni’s story. Silly me.”
“Wait.” She raced over to him and grabbed him by the wrist. “I do.”
When he turned to face her, she was suddenly stunned by her own behavior and released his hand while embarrassment scorched her entire body.
“Ah. So you are interested?”
She was much more interested in spending time with him.
He laughed. “What is it about women that make them love sappy love stories?”
Women? Did he consider her a woman now?
Alyssa straightened and even tried to thrust up her flat chest. Her effort wrangled another laugh from him. “Calm down.” He tugged her fat pigtail. “Don’t try to grow up so fast, sport. You have plenty of time to torture the opposite sex, Alice.”
She smiled, enjoying their developing friendship. “It’s Alyssa,” she said meekly.
“What?”
“My name.” She shrugged. “It’s Alyssa—not Alice.”
“Alyssa,” he repeated; his eyes sparkled like diamonds. “I like it.”
Another flash of his dimples and her knees nearly folded.
“Now about this story.” He leaned back against the door. “I can’t tell you all of it, but if you tell me where you left off, I can tell you what I do know...”
Chapter 23
“Where are we?” Toni asked, peeking out of the window while trying to make herself presentable. The only problem was she couldn’t make anything out other than a small runway surrounded by lush green trees.
“I told you,” Jonas said, looking shamelessly delicious in his button-less dress shirt and rumpled pants. “It’s a surprise.”
She hesitated, not out of mistrust, but because of overwhelming incredulity. It wasn’t like handsome men whisked her away like this on a daily basis.
“C’mon,” he added with a wink, and extended his arm. “You can trust me.”
Smiling, she linked her arm through his and followed. The moment the cabin’s door open, a brilliant sun perched high above scattered cottony clouds nearly blinded Toni and she impulsively clutched Jonas’s arm.
When her eyes adjusted beneath the shield of her free hand, she made a quick panoramic scan. Still she could see nothing but a landscape of lush green trees and a beautiful cerulean sky.
But there was something else.
The air was different.
Just as her feet stepped off the last metal stair, a gust of wind whipped out of nowhere and caused her tussled mess of hair to start flapping around her face. It also caused her entire body to pimple against the cold.
“Are we by the ocean?”
Jonas just flashed her with his adorable dimples and turned his attention to two approaching Jeeps.
The moment the vehicles stopped, two ebony-rich colored men bounded out of one and race to the side of the plane.
“That’s not necessary,” Jonas called to the men. “We didn’t bring any luggage.” He then turned toward an older gentleman with twinkling black eyes.
“It’s been a long time, Mr. Hinton,” the man said in a thick Caribbean accent. “Everything has been prepared as you’ve ordered. If there is no luggage I can take you to your chartered boat.”
Toni blinked in further astonishment. “There’s a boat ride, too?”
Another flash of dimples and Jonas approached the Jeep and opened the back door for her. “After you, my love.”
Toni’s stomach clenched at the casual endearment, but she painted on a smile and climbed up into the vehicle. Jonas jogged to the other side and climbed inside. A few seconds later, they were off.
More wind streamed through Toni’s hair and ruffled her clothing as if it was trying to take them off, but none of that mattered. At this moment in time, she was happy—positively giddy with excitement.
Where were they going?
What had Jonas planned?
Why had he called her “my love”?
She cast a look in his direction, momentarily surprised to find him staring. “What?” she shouted above the gusty wind.
Jonas continued on with his secretive smile and shook his head. “Nothing,” he shouted back.
“Liar!”
That wrestled a laugh from him.
“C’mon. Give,” she pressed.
Finally he shrugged and leaned closer. “You just look so beautiful when you’re happy.”
Touched, she smiled. “Well what can I say? You definitely know how to sweep a girl off her feet.”
His arm glided around her waist in silent possession and to his surprise, she tensed. He frowned, but then she relaxed again.
Minutes later, Jonas and Toni arrived at the Sapphire Marina and were escorted to a stunning wind racer yacht. Toni didn’t think it was possible but more butterflies filled her stomach while Jonas greeted the boat’s captain. After boarding and harnessing their life vest, they were off once again; this time, sailing through the tranquil blue sea.
Jonas had taken her to paradise.
But the best was yet to come.
“You have your own private island?” she asked incredibly as they approach a magnificent green vista.
“Actually, it belongs to my father,” he responded with another squeeze to her waist. “He made most of his money in real estate.”
“Pretty damn good real estate.” She sighed.
“We think so.” Jonas followed her gaze to his favorite hideaway.
They docked and then took another Jeep ride on the private island. Jonas finally escorted Toni into the verdant hillside Chateau Maria.
Toni tried to absorb the warmth of the carved teak-and-mahogany wood. Everywhere she looked there was polished granite, coral and marble tile. Whoever decorated the place obviously had an artistic eye for rich regal décor—a nice contrast against the secluded tropical forest outside.
Jonas gave her the grand tour through the winding terrace, railed woodened decks and even stone paths.
“This isn’t a house. This is like a compound,” she said after reaching the third floor of the grand chateau.
“Does that mean you like it?”
“What’s not to like? This is paradise.”
“I think so. Now that you’re here.”
Toni playfully narrowed her eyes. “Are you trying to get all mushy on me?”
He couldn’t resist leaning in and delivering a quick peck to her upturned nose. “I might be.” Another kiss. “Why don’t you indulge me for the weekend?”
As her habit, a lone eyebrow crept to the center of her forehead. “I just might do that.”
In the master bedroom, Toni’s eyes instantly went to the carved mahogany king-sized bed and her imagination took flight.
“All in due time, my love,” Jonas promised. “All in due time.” He headed over to the closet and pulled it opened. “All of these should fit you.” He turned and faced her. “A size eight, right?”
Toni joined him at the closet and quickly sorted through the stunning selection of island clothing—the majority of them being scanty two-piece swimsuits.
“Since you have the body, you may as well show it off,” he whispered.
“And pray tell what will you be wearing?”
“Well,” he said, pulling her into his arms, “as little as possible.”
The first thing Toni wanted to try out was the polished marble shower room. She quickly found out that such an endeavor was like showering beneath a waterfall and after a few adjustments she was quite content to spend the entire weekend in the shower.
That was, of course, until an impatient Jonas joined her and showed her other things that could be enjoyed in a spacious shower room.
Many other things.
Once they were dry and quite satisfied, Jonas further surprised Toni by proving to be quite apt in the kitchen.
“You cook, too?” Toni asked, stealing a morsel from one of the serving bowls and then moaning in sheer pleasure when it melted against her taste buds. “Strike that. You’re a chef.”
Jonas chuckled and plopped another piece of his perfected Sea Bass into her mouth. “I had a great teacher. My parents’ personal chef, Alfred, a lion of a man and absolute genius in the kitchen, I learned a great deal from him.”
“No doubt you shamelessly parade your cooking skills before all the women you’ve dated.”
“Not all. Just one other.”
Stunned, Toni blinked and then studied his face to see if he was pulling her leg. When she saw that he was serious, she decided to chance another question. “And how many women have you brought to this paradise island?”
Jonas met her gaze unblinkingly. “You’re the first.”
The impulse to call him a liar stayed on her tongue when she realized he was telling the truth.
“What? No snappy comeback?”
She shook her head, but continued to study him. “Why me?”
“I’ll let you in on another little secret.”
He smiled and pulled off another piece of fish and lifted it to her lips. “I like you.”
Toni liked Jonas as well-however, the electricity crackling between them hinted at something stronger.
And that scared the hell out of her.
However, Jonas gave her little time to reflect over her feelings. He was too busy making her laugh over his childhood stories and antics with his brothers. Jonas, the oldest, enjoyed his preteen years by being the head ring leader. He and his younger brothers had always had a thing for the
Godfather
movies and Jonas cast himself in the lead role.
He’d dole out childish orders like putting firecrackers in potpourri dishes, dying their mother’s beloved toy doggies blue and even stuffing bananas in their father’s car tailpipe à la
Beverly Hills Cop
.
Sterling may have been the middle child, but he was always the most serious of the three and he would always try to talk his brother out issuing such dangerous orders that would guarantee spankings or thirty-day restrictions inside their rooms. In the end, he would carry out Jonas’s orders and they would eventually get those spankings and restrictions.
