She had had the entire flight to herself and she had relished her moment in this unfamiliar world of the uber-rich and famous. It was a world of unashamed luxury where a click of a finger brought you anything you wanted, from champagne to chocolate bars. Her seat was so vast that she’d been able to read her book with her legs tucked underneath her, and the press of a button had turned it into a comfortable bed.
This was how the half a percent lived and this was how James Stowe had always lived. He’d been born into money and, whilst there might have been a brief hiccup within that gilded existence, he had spent his life protected against the harsh realities that most people faced on a daily basis. Even the leggy supermodels he dated, household names who graced the covers of so many magazines, were cosseted and moneyed, thanks to their profession.
She thought of Naomi, with her casual acceptance that attention from everyone around her was her given right. No wonder she had taken it badly when she and James had broken up!
His background couldn’t have been more different from Ellie’s, and she thought that that might be why she found him so mesmerising...why something in her was stubbornly drawn to him even though she valiantly fought it. He was a shiny bauble. Who could blame her if she was occasionally dazzled by him?
‘Slept much?’ he enquired, and Ellie looked at him from under lowered lashes. He looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and raring to go.
‘Not at all. Gosh, it’s hot.’ This was a different world. The hot sun beat down over a flawless blue sky. Even the airport staff scurrying around outside seemed to move at a slower pace, taking their time.
‘Tights might not have been such a good idea.’
Ellie flushed. Of course he was right, but she had been so keen to return to the safety of being his PA, and re-establishing herhands-offapproach, that she justhadn’t stopped to think.Yes, she’d known that it was going to be hot, but she hadn’t expected this level of stultifying heat.
‘I’ve never been to this part of the world before.’
‘I’ve only been a handful of times. It’s worth exploring, so don’t think that you’ve got to bury yourself behind your computer and work twenty-four-seven. A personal driver will be available at all times.’
Ellie interpreted that statement to mean that she would be able to explore on her own, and that went some way to reducing her levels of simmering anxiety.
They moved quickly through customs and were treated like visiting royalty. Once outside the terminal, they were ushered to a long, sleek car which was waiting, doors open, for their arrival.
Thrust into scenery that was nothing like any she’d seen before, Ellie forgot her nerves. She forgot that he was sitting right next to her. She even forgot that her clothes had now stuck to her like cling film. The blast of the tropics was so beautiful that she wanted to drink everything in on the short drive from the airport to the hotel—a scant half an hour, if that. Everything was so different. The foliage, the open fruit and vegetable stalls they passed, manned by one or two people sitting on tin chairs and fanning themselves, the blue, blue skies and the shimmer of heat over everything. She felt hot even inside the cool, air-conditioned car.
It was almost a shame when the car swerved into the hotel courtyard. She’d seen pictures of the place on the website, and in the flesh it was exactly the same but with people milling around in brightly coloured clothes, stepping into waiting taxis, holding hands and having fun.
Her choice of clothing, worn to remind her that this wasnota holiday, worn toremind himthat this was abusiness trip, felt ridiculous now. It felt prickly and constricting, and for a few wild seconds she felt so out of her depth that she had to stifle a gasp.
She could smell the ocean as she stepped through the archway into the candy-pink hotel, with its bank of coconut trees fanning out over neatly manicured grounds at the front.
‘What would you like me to do for the rest of the day?’ she asked, turning to him and managingnotquitetofocus on him as he led the way towards the marble reception desk.
‘Relax. Go sit by the pool. If you’re tired, you can order room service or you can join me in the restaurant. Your choice. At any rate, we meet the guys tomorrow morning.’
‘Here?’ The thought ofroom servicefilled her with delight. She was tired, and spending what remained of the day in her room would give her time to adjust to these new surroundings. It would also give her time to scrutinise her wardrobe and reflect on some of her ill-advised sartorial choices.
‘Bridgetown.’ He checked them in, then turned to her. ‘I don’t know about you, but I need a shower.’
‘It’s so hot,’ she agreed.
‘You won’t be able to wear...’ he nodded to her outfit and raised his eyebrows ‘...any of your suits while we’re over here.’
‘I... I hadn’t expected this amount of humidity. Of course, I’ll make sure to dress appropriately.’
‘Good, because tomorrow we’ll be on a Catamaran for the day.’
‘A Catamaran?’
‘A twin-hulled sailing boat. My idea. We’re dealing with three young guys who live on an island. Seemed a good idea to have the first business meeting on a boat. Besides, I wanted to see the spec.’
‘The spec?’ Ellie hadn’t had to think too hard about the actual venue for the meetings they would be having with the young businessmen. She’d assumed the usual. A conference room in the hotel...a restaurant...maybe one of their houses for an informal dinner. And all with the usual array of lawyers on the side, quills at the ready.
She’d bought an outfit earmarked for each of those scenarios, and a couple of more casual items for exploring the island on her own.
‘You remember the super-yacht? We now have it moored in Monaco,’ James drawled, not looking at her as he pinged the button to call the lift. ‘It’s insanely luxurious, but a super-yacht is a super-yacht at the end of the day. Where’s the hands-on experience? It has its own speedboat on board if Max or I want to do something a little more adventurous, but at the end of the day it’s largely a passive experience. I want to see what a Catamaran has to offer as a hands-on situation. A fleet of them might prove a good investment.’
The brushed steel doors of the lift purred open and they stepped inside. Ellie looked at him and burst out laughing, and he grinned, a slow, lazy smile that sent a bolt of raw awareness racing through her body with the ferocity of an electric shock.
