There was something about the twinkle in his blue eyes that made me think that he wasn’t being entirely truthful, but I wasn’t going to back out now. I was too intrigued by what he might have planned.
“Just meet me in the hotel lobby at noon,” he said to me, before turning his attention back to my friend. “Faith, it was nice to meet you.”
Bowen left after that, and Faith and I got on treadmills side-by-side. There was a smug smile on her face, but I pretended I didn’t see it. I knew what she was thinking, but I didn’t want to go there. I was having a hard enough time trying to resist falling for Bowen, and I knew that if Faith and I discussed it, she’d just encourage me to go for it.
I couldn’t be with a man that lived in the spotlight. My nude picture problem would become a full-blown scandal, and that was the last thing I wanted.
Besides, I wasn’t sure if he was interested in me in that way. The man could have any woman he wanted, so why would he pick an average one like me? I knew from the tabloids that he dated gorgeous actresses and models. I was confident in my appearance, but I was no Stephanie Love, who was the last starlet he’d been reported to be with.
All I could do was assume that he was passing time on the island with me because it was convenient. He’d already told me that his fame made him lonely, and I already knew who he was because of our coincidental meeting when we both arrived on the island.
I was developing feelings as we spent more time together, but I could just keep that to myself and enjoy his company.
CHAPTER8
Bowen
“Are you kidding me? You said it wasn’t dangerous!”
I looked over at Marlee as I parked the golf cart in the lot of the Fly Free Helicopter Touring Company. There was clear apprehension on her face as she stared at the building with the yellow metal siding and big red sign above the door. The helicopters weren’t visible from here, but I knew from my research that there was a large area around back where they kept them.
“It’s not dangerous,” I told her, unable to hide my amusement. “It’ll be fun.”
I got out of the golf cart and walked around to the other side, where she was still sitting.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” I assured her, holding out my hand.
She hesitated, but I waited patiently. She didn’t know this, but I could fly one of these helicopters myself if I wanted to. I played a spy in a movie that had to fly one away from an explosion after rescuing the president’s daughter. I liked my roles to be as authentic as possible, so I usually tried to learn the skills that my characters were supposed to possess. Flying a chopper was harder than I thought it would be, but once I learned how to do it, it ended up being a lot of fun.
Finally, Marlee put her hand in mine, and I couldn’t believe how much her trust filled me with pride. I meant what I said. If I thought there was a real risk to this, I never would have brought her here.
I called this morning after I left the gym to arrange a tour of the island for two, so the check-in process was easy and we were on a helicopter within minutes. I expected Marlee to hesitate again as we were getting in, but she didn’t. I climbed into the seat beside her, and we were sitting so close that our legs were pressed against each other. I felt warmth spread through me at the contact.
“Are you nervous?” I asked as the pilot got into his seat in front of me.
“A little,” she admitted, then lifted her chin determinedly. “But I’ve already made up my mind to do this, so I’m not backing down.”
I admired her courage, but before I could tell her, the pilot started up the helicopter. He was flipping switches and turning knobs, and when the blades started moving, I saw Marlee’s face go pale.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
But she clenched her jaw and didn’t say a word. It turned out that this woman was stubborn as hell, but I liked that about her. There was a fire inside of her that made me think she’d be up for any adventure I could ever take us on, even if she was nervous or scared.
Impulsively, I reached over and took her hand as the helicopter lifted off the ground. She squeezed my fingers and I could tell she was holding her breath as her eyes were glued to the window. I knew that most people looked away when they were nervous about flying, but not Marlee. She faced it directly.
We rose high into the air, and the helicopter turned toward the ocean. I could see our hotel as we flew out over the sandy beach and above the water. Then, we were at least a thousand feet in the air. I could see the whole island from here, and it was gorgeous. There was a lot of wooded area on the island, varying shades of green surrounded by white beaches and an endless blue.
Marlee gradually started to relax as the helicopter flew north and before long, she was smiling. Her grip on my hand loosened, but neither of us let go.
“This end of the island is actually all classified as a national park,” the pilot said into our headsets, pointing in the direction. “That’s why it’s all trees and hiking trails. There’s a waterfall in there too that’s popular with the locals.”
He circled the tip of the island, and I realized that it was shaped like a teardrop, with a pointed tip on the north end and a round bottom end where all the civilization seemed to be located. We flew over cliffs, sheer rock faces that rose from the ocean and made up one whole side of the island. I could see farmland and wineries and a country club.
The pilot turned back in his seat to look at us. “This is usually the part of the tour where I give you a chance to fly, if you’re interested.”
“Fly?” Marlee squeaked with wide eyes.
The pilot smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here to make sure that everything goes fine.”