Stranded in Paradise (The Blake Boys Book 13) (8 page)

It saddened her to think she couldn’t just barge into her sister’s room anymore. The last thing she wanted was to be an obvious third wheel. Perhaps that’s why the Blakes were pushing so hard to set her up with Jared. If she were busy with a love life of her own, Bo and Summer could have more time alone together. The matchmaking with Jared could have been a nice way of shooing her out of the picture.

She declined an invitation from Graham to join him at a friend’s villa. But she did agree to dinner again. He was harmless enough and was a deterrent for other guys trying to hit on her. Satisfied with the finished product, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs to the bell desk and asked about the boating tours. The pictures of the speedboat excursion had caught her attention. It seemed like an excellent way to see the entire island and get some scenic photos.

She looked forward to having one day without Amber looking over her shoulder. She knew the Executive Desires staff liked to keep tabs to make sure the guests were enjoying themselves, but Amber was going overboard with the five-star treatment. She’d peeked out from under her mask at the spa to see what was taking the masseuse so long and there was Amber standing there in her pristine, expensive white linen suit asking her if she was having a good time. Paranoid that she’d just seen Amber come out of her office, Autumn asked for her ticket so she could skedaddle. The concierge informed her that all she needed to do was go to the dock and her name would be on the list. The bellman flagged a bicycle taxi for her as she soon as she stepped outside, and she was on her way. She reached into her bag and put on her sunglasses and tied her hair with a fuchsia wrap. She relaxed. There was no way she’d be running into a certain hunky architect today. For someone who didn’t want to be around her, he popped up everywhere.

* * *

Jared looked at his cell phone, tempted to turn it off. He’d made the mistake of turning it on to check messages for work and had another one from Taylor. He knew she was a woman of focus, that’s what made her an excellent surgeon. But today he was going to enjoy himself and that didn’t include talking to her. He ate an early breakfast and dashed out of the hotel to resist the urge to spy on Autumn. He thought about her constantly since they’d parted ways after the tour. He should have been kicking himself, running away from a beautiful woman. But it wasn’t like she was lonely for company. There was no shortage of suitors flocking to her, and that Graham guy was showering her with attention. So why did this upset him so? Because she had an infectious smile and eyes that sparkled like precious gems. She had a way about her that made him fantasize about kissing her senseless and endless days in bed. She was the kind of woman who could make a man forget about his priorities. Staying away from her was for the best. Too bad he wasn’t taking his own advice.

The sun felt good beaming down on his skin. The staff was prepping for the speedboat tour that was supposed to leave at ten. He was habitually early, but he seemed to be the only person lining up for the excursion, and the boat would fit twenty-five people easily. He boarded and took a seat. The boat was rocking gently with the waves and it felt so soothing he closed his eyes. It was a truly peaceful moment until he heard a commotion coming from the back of the boat. Maybe more guests were arriving. He turned around to see Autumn boarding the boat, and of course there were two men breaking their necks to help her. The second she stepped on the boat, Gustavo, the captain, complimented Autumn on the sundress she wore, and she responded in kind with a bright smile and the whimsical giggle he’d become familiar with over the last few days. But that smile faded when she laid eyes on him.

“Hello, Autumn. This is quite a surprise,” Jared said as he approached.

“You.” She squinted at him. “Like the tour bus surprise? I smell a rat.”

“Good to see you too.”

“I think you’re stalking me.”

He smirked. “I could say the same about you.”

“I selected this trip myself an hour ago. So before you start yammering about someone scheming to spend time with you, get a grip.”

“Well, I booked this trip last night before I turned in for the evening. Maybe in between the dancing and drinking with Graham, you saw me talking to the concierge and asked about my plans.” He folded his arms over his chest.

“Do I look like I need to follow a man around?”

“Yet, we keep running into each other.”

The captain announced they should take a seat.

“I thought we agreed that I was an unwanted distraction to you,” she huffed.

“Perhaps. But both of us showing up here on our own accord shows we think alike, just a bit.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? What am I thinking about now?”

“I’m a gentleman. I wouldn’t use such language in front of a beautiful lady.” He grinned.

* * *

They zipped around the island in the speedboat. There was no bad view of the place. But Jared was more interested in Autumn looking absolutely ravishing in her sundress than in taking photos. Gustavo made a turn and drove away from the shore, toward a tiny island in the distance. It was so small it looked like a reasonably large wave would swallow it up. As they neared it, it became clear it was bigger than he thought and had more topographical features. It had a few more hills, and he could see a cabin sitting atop it, which could be accessed by the stone steps that led the way up the small hill.

“We’re going to stop here for a while and do some exploring,” Gustavo said as he shut off the engine.

“Cool,” Autumn replied.

“Is this part of the resort?” Jared asked.

“Yes, the resort owns this property. It’s normally reserved for…special clientele who want privacy, but there’s no one here.”

“Oh. Sounds mysterious,” Autumn mused.

“The best view is at the top of the hill. It’s a great photo op of the surrounding areas.” He motioned to the camera hanging around Autumn’s neck. “You go take some pictures. I’ll stay aboard and do some paperwork.”

“Sounds good,” Jared replied.

“Ms. Waverly, you’re wearing very pretty sandals, but I’m afraid the rocks can be treacherous. You should probably hold Mr. Reed’s hand on the way up to make sure you don’t fall.”

“I can handle—”

“Thanks for the head’s up, Gustavo.” Jared clasped her hand.

He had a good six inches on her, so he was mindful to keep his steps smaller, but Autumn wasn’t being cooperative. He could tell she was swaying and moving out of sync with him on purpose. OK, maybe she didn’t want him to lead, but that was no reason to risk an injury. The sandals she wore were nice, but they weren’t made for the rocky terrain of the path.

He stopped. “You’re not wearing sensible shoes for this trek. Either we walk together or I carry you.”

She glared at him. “I’d like to see you try. And don’t you dare try to pick me up. I took Sam’s self-defense class and I will karate chop you.”

“Martial arts skills or not, I am not letting you cut your foot because you’re stubborn,” he countered and continued to walk with her.

“Yeah, well you’re bossy,” she replied.

“Being stubborn is worse. It’s a more manipulative way of being bossy. You don’t budge from some ridiculous stance and end up making anyone who wants peace to move around you and bend to your will.” He flashed a smile.

Well that sent her into a tailspin. While Autumn fired back at how ridiculous his theory was, she kept in step with him as they winded up the hill path. When she finally took a breath for the next portion of her speech, they’d reached their destination.

On top of the hill was a pleasant surprise. The terrain became smoother and a path of carefully placed stones led to a small bungalow surrounded by palm trees and banana leaf plants. The open porch was fitted with net fencing to keep the insects at bay. There was a hammock in the corner and an open roasting pit a few feet away from a dining table and chairs.

“Well, isn’t this cozy,” Jared mumbled.

“Let’s see what’s inside.” She moved past him and opened the door.

The interior was just as impressive. It was decorated with exquisite furniture and state-of-the-art appliances.

“I would have gone with a brighter color but nice nonetheless,” he said.

“You just can’t turn it off, can you?”

The faint sound of the boat’s engine caught their attention. They hurried to the edge of the deck and saw the boat heading back to the main island.

“Is Gustavo leaving?”

“Yes, he is.” Jared shielded his eyes to see the speedboat getting further away from them.

“When will he be back?”

“I don’t know. Missing Graham already?”

“So we’re stranded?” She put her hand on her hip. “Did you plan this?”

Jared held up his hands. “No. I didn’t, I swear.” He could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t believe a word he said.

“Well I’m not participating in this shipwreck fantasy. I’m calling Amber and demanding she send him back to get us.” Autumn whipped out her cell phone and began scrolling furiously and held it up to her ear. “The call won’t go through.”

“Let me try.” He dialed from his phone with the same result. “Great. I was expecting a call from a client.”

“Aren’t you on vacation?”

“So? Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about work or the wedding since you got here.” He gave her a knowing look.

He saw her bite back a smile. “I tried to get some work done, but Summer stopped answering my calls.”

“The nerve of her. At least I have an excuse. I’m doing some work for my friend Derek’s restaurant and we’ve been playing phone tag.”

“Looks like Gustavo left something.” She pointed at the box sitting on a huge rock.

“Let’s see what it is.”

He grabbed her hand as they scurried back down the path. They immediately began rifling through the box. “Here’s a note.”

Dear Jared and Autumn, everything you need to survive the next twenty-four hours is in the box. And no worries, a boat will pick you up tomorrow around noon. I have it on great authority that Mr. Reed is more than capable of capturing dinner for tonight. You may want to get an early start. The sunset has a habit of sneaking up on us in paradise.

Amber

“Someone is going to get choked when I get back to Texas.”

He looked at the fishing poles next to the box. “They did leave us essentials. Vegetables. Some seasonings. All we have to do is catch dinner ourselves.”

“I swear if a volleyball washes up named Wilson, I’m going to lose it.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t be going full
Cast Away
. I know how to handle my pole.” He grinned. “I can rustle us up some fish in no time.”

“And let me guess? You catch it, and I clean it and cook it?” She rolled her eyes.

“On the contrary. There’s no bigger crime than improper preparation and cleaning of a freshly caught fish. Besides, I have the feeling I’m a better cook than you.”

“How so?”

“You ordered that filet mignon medium well-done the other night at dinner. I’m surprised the chef didn’t pass out in the kitchen.”

“I like to make sure the cow isn’t still mooing when I eat it.”

“But when you cook it within an inch of its life, you make it tough and ruin the flavor.”

“Moo!” she bellowed.

“I know it’s less than ideal, but where’s your sense of adventure? Don’t you design video games with premises like this? An impossible situation the player has work through to win?”

“Summer designs the games. I come up with marketing campaigns to convince every gamer on the planet they should be playing her games.”

“OK. That’s just a different type of creativity. Imagine you have to pitch this scenario as a future bestselling game. Look for the good points and go from there.”

“I guess.”

“We have a few hours of light left. Let’s go catch us some dinner.”

Jared gave Autumn a quick tutorial on fishing, putting the bait on the hook for her. The most effective way to show her how to maneuver the pole was to get behind her and grip it with her so she could feel the way he was angling it. He’d taken off his shirt, so as he enclosed his arms around her, their arms touched. They cast the lines, but an hour later there were still no nibbles.

“This is boring,” she huffed.

“Well, fishing isn’t an exciting sport. It’s more about patience.”

“I’m just about all out of patience.” She took out her phone again to see if she could pick up a signal. “I’m going to salvage what’s left of this day and enjoy the waves.”

Jared’s mouth went dry when Autumn lifted the sundress over her head to reveal a stunning turquoise bikini. Like he imagined, she had full breasts and hips. “Just—” he swallowed hard, “—try to keep away from my fishing line. I’d hate for you to tell anyone I tried to get my hooks into you.”

“Will do. And by the way, your stalker status has been reinstated. I had that steak when I had dinner with Graham.” She stuck her tongue out at him then slowly waded into the water until she was waist-deep.

* * *

Autumn swam a few laps to cool off, but it had been equally satisfying to see the way Jared’s eyes glazed over with lust as she’d made her way into the water. It was nice to know he wasn’t made out of stone. That was the trouble with those introverted brainy types—it was difficult to know what they were thinking. Jared reminded her a lot of Bo. He was handsome, intelligent, reserved, and had a hotness he didn’t flaunt. She could tell Jared liked the attention the ladies were giving him, but he never reciprocated. The women went all-out with the flirty laughs, the subtle hair tosses, and the seemingly innocent biting of the lower lip, and they didn’t have the slightest effect on the man. And it was a shame because those were some of her best moves.

He liked eye contact. She didn’t mind, but it was a little more intense for her tastes. He made promises with his eyes if one dared to stare into them long enough. She could tell he didn’t do casual dating, no matter how much fun it was. Summer said the family spoke of his playing the field since his divorce, but she doubted it was exactly that way.