No Strings... (10 page)

9

T
HE
NEXT
THREE
days at the resort passed quickly for Chloe. The mornings and afternoons were filled with attending activities and working on her ad campaign and presentation, while her nights were spent with Aiden, fulfilling all sorts of fun fantasies and just enjoying one another. Yeah, that was definitely the best part of their time together, she thought as she cast a glance at Aiden where he sat across from her at the spacious boardroom table in one of the conference rooms that the hotel had given them to use during their stay at the resort.

Sex with Aiden was so off-the-charts hot, beyond anything she could have imagined or predicted, and just thinking of being with him made her go all warm and soft inside. Physically, they were incredibly in sync, but as the days passed, she was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that every time they were together, she became more emotionally involved, and that was something she never could have anticipated happening.

She continued to silently watch Aiden, very familiar with the slight crease of his brows that indicated he was deep in thought as he worked. His hair was tousled from being finger-combed, something he did when he was completely immersed in a project. He was wearing a casual T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders, drawing her gaze to his toned biceps and strong forearms and how those muscles flexed as he typed a steady stream of information on his laptop.

She could sit for hours and marvel at how gorgeous and sexy he was, but that wouldn’t be very productive for her, though she had accomplished quite a lot since they’d arrived earlier that afternoon. Chloe figured she deserved a break. Especially after the intense meeting they’d had with the vice president of the resort, Edward Luca, which had given them both the opportunity to ask pertinent questions about marketing strategies and objectives and get a better feel for what they envisioned for the future of the resort.

The knowledge they’d gleaned from Edward had been invaluable, but she and Aiden were still very aware of the fact that there was another ad agency on the island, and they’d had a meeting with the VP, as well. The pressure was on, because today was their last day to gather any last bits of information for their campaigns before flying back to Boston tomorrow.

She and Aiden had both used the large, flat surface of the conference table to spread out the visual presentation boards they’d created over the past few days that included the photographs that Ricardo had taken for them, along with their campaign theme and branding message that would complement their PowerPoint presentations. Chloe had yet to nail her slogan for the St. Raphael Resort; she wanted something simple yet nuanced, and while she had a few ideas in mind, nothing had yet to grab her in terms of giving the client that clear message that would resonate with their target audience.

The one thing she was extremely excited about was the flash mob concept she’d come up with that gave the entire campaign a fun, fresh and hip feel, and would showcase all of the resort’s activities and focus on an entertaining matchmaking theme. The ad agency had the means to make the video a viral sensation that would sweep the internet and increase the resort’s visibility, while appealing to singles looking for a fun and unique way to find romance, and ultimately, love.

Love.
The one word prompted Chloe’s heart to flutter wildly in her chest as she stared at Aiden, who was still deep in concentration as he typed away on his laptop computer, oblivious to anything but his campaign. Good God, had she done the unthinkable and fallen in love with Aiden? She swallowed hard in denial, but it was getting more and more difficult to dismiss the intense feelings he evoked that indicated she was perilously close to letting their brief island affair mess with her head and her emotions. And that had disaster written all over it for both of them.

They’d always been friends, and the sex between them had been nothing short of amazing, but spending the past week with him as an intimate couple had unlocked something inside of her that made her want...more. More time with Aiden, and not just between the sheets. And
that
was a huge revelation for her, considering she swore she’d never, ever, allow herself to be that vulnerable with another man again.

But there was no denying that she enjoyed being with Aiden. He made her laugh and he’d even pried some of her darkest memories out of her. She’d shared things with him she’d never intended to, let him into places she’d sealed off after her painful breakup with Neil—and that was something she’d never shared with anyone before.

But the fact remained, they were colleagues, working for a company with a strict no dating policy. She had goals for her future, and the promotion she wanted so badly was within her reach...yet a part of her wondered if she wanted it bad enough to walk away from Aiden after this week together. She gave her head a slight shake at how one-sided her thoughts were. While she and Aiden had had a great time together, he’d never given her any kind of indication that the two of them had a future beyond the resort. And even though she’d opened up about her past with him, he’d remained tight-lipped about his own divorce and what had transpired between him and his ex-wife. But he’d obviously been burned, and she was curious to know what had happened.

With a low groan, Aiden stretched his arms over his head and rolled his neck from side to side, easing the tension that had settled there. “I think I’m just about done.”

“Me, too,” she said, though there were a few things she needed to refine and tweak. But those could easily be done back at the office. “How did your presentation turn out?”

“Honestly, better than I’d anticipated,” he said, a pleased note to his voice. “I just have a few more final touches to add, but I have to admit that Hattie is quite a convincing matchmaker.”

Chloe knew he’d spent the past three days interviewing employees at the resort about the older woman’s reputation, along with perusing dozens upon dozens of letters written from past guests about how accurate Hattie’s predictions had been. Considering how the woman’s skills directly related to the resort’s main purpose of pairing up compatible singles, Hattie’s expertise was hugely overlooked and underutilized. Especially from an advertising perspective.

“It’s a fantastic marketing angle,” she said, then took a long, cool drink from her bottled water.

“So is your flash mob concept.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled indulgently. “It’s very current and trendy.”

“Thanks.” Despite the fact that Perry had instructed them to develop individual campaigns, Chloe appreciated that she and Aiden trusted each other enough to bounce ideas off one another to help refine their own strategies. He was incredibly creative and insightful, and she loved brainstorming with him.

“I guess it just depends on what the vice president is looking for and what appeals to him the most,” she said of their individual ideas. “And we have no idea what the boys are doing, either.”

They’d nicknamed the two executives with the Metro Ad Agency “the boys,” even though they knew their names—Darryl and Ken. While she and Aiden had seen them around the resort, they hadn’t fraternized with the enemy, and they’d been careful about keeping their own advertising concepts under wraps.

Aiden rubbed his thumb along his jaw, the brief hesitation glimmering in his gaze giving way to something more decisive. “Would you like to see my PowerPoint presentation? I’d really like to get your take on it.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. Yes, they’d verbally discussed their campaigns over the past few days, but she hadn’t expected him to share such an integral part of his presentation with her. It was such a huge show of trust on his part, and she was dying to see what he’d come up with.

“Yes, I’d love to.”

He withdrew the small flash drive from the side of his laptop and slid it across the conference table to her. She connected the memory stick to her own computer, and within seconds the program streamed onto her monitor in a compilation of slides spotlighting some of the resort’s most spectacular amenities, and featuring photographs of the tropical landscaping, gorgeous beaches and couples enjoying many of the recreational offerings.

The pictures that Ricardo had taken for Aiden conjured excitement and passion, and he’d used them in a way that was romantic and seductive. The presentation segued into a video interview with Hattie in her greenhouse. With a sparkle in her deep brown eyes, Hattie introduced herself as the island’s resident matchmaker and spoke about seeing that magic spark between two people and knowing when a couple was meant to be together.

In another clip, upon Hattie’s urging, a young man and woman gently grasped the stamen of that pink hybrid flower Chloe and Aiden had also touched. The stem turned a deep, dark crimson in both places, and with a satisfied smile Hattie pronounced them soul mates...if they opened up their hearts and
believed.

Chloe believed, and that knowledge sent a crazy, unexpected surge of adrenaline rushing through her veins. She might have been doubtful about that flower and Hattie’s prediction that first day in the greenhouse, but her shifting feelings for Aiden supported the older woman’s claim that he could possibly be
the one
for her.

In her head, she could deny the inevitable all she wanted, but in reality she knew it was too late. There was no stopping the emotions blossoming deep in her heart when it came to the man sitting across the table from her. It was a frightening realization, because she had no idea how he felt about her.

Aiden’s presentation offered hope and romantic possibilities to singles wanting to fall in love, and the irony of Aiden’s core message to his target audience wasn’t lost on Chloe. He was hinging his campaign on Hattie and her matchmaking intuition, yet he clearly didn’t really believe that the older woman had the ability to see a couple’s fate. For him, Hattie was nothing more than an advertising tactic to romanticize the St. Raphael Resort and the island itself.

As a marketing ploy, it worked, and Chloe knew in her gut that between her flash mob idea and Aiden’s more traditional approach, his packed an emotional punch that would be difficult for her to trump. Not that she wouldn’t do everything in her power to sell her concept and give Aiden a fight to the finish. Being competitive was in her nature, and ultimately she wanted the St. Raphael account and the bonus that came with it.

“So, what do you think?”

Chloe didn’t miss the anxious note to Aiden’s voice, as if her opinion mattered to him. Glancing up from her monitor, she met his gaze and gave him the truth. “I think it’s phenomenal.”

The stiff set of his shoulders relaxed. “Really?”

She smiled. “Yes, really. But how is it that you and your presentation made me believe in Hattie and the magic of this island when you have your doubts?”

“I’m creating a perception of the resort and engaging the consumer,” he said with a nonchalant shrug. “That’s what you and I do. I don’t have to believe in the product in order to sell it. As long as it works for the resort and their matchmaking theme, that’s all that matters.”

His reply was logical and rational, and she couldn’t argue his point. “You’re right.”

He stood up and began gathering the files and papers he’d spread out on his side of the conference table and tucked them into his leather attaché case. “There’s a few things I need to follow up on before we leave the resort tomorrow, but we’re still on for tonight, yes?”

More than anything, she wanted this last night with Aiden before their affair ended and they returned to real life. And she was feeling selfish enough not to want to share him with anyone, or anything. “Instead of attending the farewell gala, how about you come up to my room? We can order room service and have our own private party, just the two of us?”

His gaze heated, matching the slow, wicked smile on his lips as he added his laptop to his bag. “I like that idea. A lot. I’ll come by around seven.”

She honestly couldn’t wait, and she planned to make the most of their final night together. She watched him walk out of the conference room, already planning in her mind how the evening would go.

It wasn’t until she was finished working on her own campaign an hour later that she realized she still had his flash drive with his PowerPoint presentation. She tucked the small device into her briefcase to give to him later, and with the rest of her afternoon free, she decided to take advantage of the complimentary spa package the resort had extended to her when she’d first arrived.

* * *

A
IDEN
ARRIVED
AT
Chloe’s room a few minutes before seven. As he stood in front of her closed door, he was struck with the somber realization that tonight was the end of their time together. Tomorrow was Sunday, and after nearly a week at the St. Raphael Resort, they were heading back to Boston and to real life...as colleagues, not lovers.

His gut twisted with a twinge of disappointment, because he knew that reverting back to being just friends and coworkers was going to be incredibly difficult to do—and it wasn’t all about giving up their sexual encounters, though he was definitely going to miss that, too.

No, it had more to do with their comfortable conversations and how quickly and easily he could laugh with her. She made him feel lighter inside than he had in years...and she also made him realize all the things he wanted in his life. Marriage. A family. A wife who shared his same life goals. He wished Chloe could be that woman, but there was no possible way.

As much as he and Chloe clicked, intellectually and physically, they had no future together. Their goals were on the opposite end of the spectrum. She was career-focused and competitive, and while he admired her drive and determination, all that ambition was a sharp reminder of just how far his ex-wife had gone to achieve her own personal success. Though he no longer believed Chloe would betray him like his ex had, their future desires were incompatible and out of sync.