Billionaire Romance: Desires (Complete Series) (10 page)

After she had gone, Milton dug his hands into the pockets of his Bermuda shorts and walked over to her. “You were set up, huh?” He asked, and she adored his island accent.

“That obvious? I guess it wasn’t enough that she dragged me here.”

“She is a good friend, then?” He asked.

Melody smiled. “She is.” Then she turned uncomfortably in the room before sitting on the bed. “So, what do we do now?”

“Well, we can hang out. There will be a party later down by the pool. We can go there.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” she said, and Milton left then with the promise to pick her up again when it was time. Melody found Crystal once more, and together they changed into their swimwear and went to the beach. Melody could not tell the last time she’d felt this free, and as she skipped out of her sandals and tossed her towel on the chair, she was grateful that she knew how to swim. She let the water beat upon her as she swam about two hundred meters and back. By the time she did, she was exhausted, having not had this much exercise for a long time. She grabbed up her towel and dried herself before plopping herself down next to Crystal, who had chosen to sunbathe instead. She was reading a novel that was now splayed across her face.

“This is not what the beach is for,” Melody said to her. “Look at that blue and white expanse of beauty.”

“I’m sorry, but that is not how I am going to die,” Crystal told her.

Melody laughed. “Milton says there will be a party by the pool later.”

“Oh,” she said as her eyes lit up.

“Where is your escort?” Melody asked, only now realizing she might be the only one with one.

“I didn’t need any; I’m in a relationship,” she said, and smiled.

“Anyway, I’ll be going. I intend to make the most of this. And seeing as I haven’t rested all day, I may as well do so before that. You coming?” She asked as she got up.

“No, I think I’ll stay here a while longer; the ocean relaxes me.”

Melody walked off then, and as she got into the room she walked right into the shower for a hot bath. Her adventures had worn her out, and she fell asleep even before she touched the bed. She rose a few hours later, and realized that it was already dark. She got up to get ready while she waited for Milton. She had barely done so when she heard a rap at the door.

“Just a minute,” she called as she hopped into her sandals. She opened the door and he stood there like a Roman God, in all white.

“You ready to party?” He asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said as she slipped her hand through the arm he held out for her. The two walked down the hall together, and though the scene was a lovely one, she couldn’t help thinking that something about this picture was entirely wrong.

CHAPTER 3 - MELODY

The party was already in full swing by the time they got there, and soon more tourists could be seen venturing out. Milton got Melody a spot that was close to the wall; there were thatched umbrellas lining the poolside that presented a beautiful picture. Melody looked around, but she couldn’t find her friend Crystal anywhere. They were playing calypso music now, and some of the braver folks were gyrating to the lively sounds. Melody couldn’t help swaying to it as well, and soon Milton had coerced her into joining a conga line that had formed.

He was a most gracious escort, and Melody wondered how much Crystal had paid for his services. He was very charming, and catered to her every need. Now, he was returning with some chicken soup that she’d requested.

“Thank you,” she smiled as she took the hot beverage from him.

“No problem,” he said as he sat down; he had a cup as well. “So, how do you like this party?”

“It is very nice,” she had to admit. “I am glad you asked me.”

“Usually we have some event happening every night; tomorrow I believe is karaoke, and then the next night is a beach picnic and party in one.”

“Sounds like fun. I’m game,” she said.

The party continued, and since Melody couldn’t dance, she was content with sitting and watching the other braver tourists tackle the Caribbean sounds that streamed from the speakers. She encouraged Milton to participate, and she found it immensely funny to watch him dancing with others who didn’t have a clue how. Finally he returned to her and held his hand out to her; they had changed the tempo to slow ballads and he wanted her to have those dances. She smiled and stood up, and soon her head was resting against his chest, his arm was holding to the small of her back. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the ocean as they swayed there like trees in the wind.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” He asked her when the music stopped.

“Sure,” she said, and he held her hand and led her down to the beach. There were a few people milling around, and she hugged herself as the breeze from the ocean swept over them, giving her a chill.

“Are you cold?” He asked her.

“Just a little; I’m afraid I didn’t dress for a night’s walk along the beach.”

He slipped out of his shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders then, and his essence clung to her as he warmed her through his shirt. “Thanks.”

He reached down and held her hand, and she didn’t object to his doing so. Pretty soon, he found a secluded spot and pulled her down to sit. He started a conversation, and soon they were discussing the weather, politics, and eventually sex. She was a bit uncomfortable broaching that subject, but she didn’t want to appear rude. She turned away from him as he provoked memories she would have preferred remain hidden. The moonlight on the water was hypnotic, and maybe it stirred something in him as well. When she turned her head around again, her lips met his. She paused for a second before opening her mouth to respond, but when she closed her eyes, there was only one face that popped into her mind. She pulled away hesitantly, and he tipped her head towards him.

“Is everything alright?” He asked.

“I’m fine,” she lied. This time he didn’t ask again as he tried to kiss her once more. She couldn’t bear the thought of kissing someone else tonight, so she jumped up from the seat. “I’m sorry, Milton, but I can’t do this,” she said as she slipped from his shirt and threw it toward him before running off into the night. Why was she constantly plagued by thoughts of Phillip? He hadn’t tried to call her even once since the moment he came to her apartment and forced himself in. Surely he had moved on by this point, and she needed to do the same. Furthermore, he’d only been in her life for a day; why should he be impacting her this way?

She removed her sandals and walked closer to the shoreline, allowing the sand to get caught between her toes as she sank them further in when the water washed over them. She was getting swept away in the moment and walking farther than she would have cared to. She barely heard the sounds of the music from the party she’d been at earlier, and she decided that maybe she had better turn back. She was about to when she spotted a cruise liner, and right away she began to imagine what it would have felt like to be on a cruise. She drifted closer until she was able to see the passengers as they descended the steps, while others seemed to be returning. She wondered how long they would be staying: perhaps overnight.

She stood there with the wind whipping her hair about, and she hugged herself once more now that she was without Milton’s shirt. Something about the ship pulled her in, and she ventured a little closer. She stood there for minutes, as if she was waiting for something to happen, and then she looked back to see how far she had come. The beach was getting less populated, and she decided that she had better return this time. She was about to move when she made one last look at the cruise, and then froze. Now descending the steps was a familiar figure, and she squinted, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. They weren’t. The man exiting the cruise was no other than Phillip, and immediately her heart started thumping in her chest. She stood there paralyzed as she watched him step onto the wooden structure and walk towards a group of people. She wondered if she should go to him, make him aware that she had seen him, but her legs refused to move.

She had to go to him, and explain that she was wrong and that she had mistaken his kindness for abuse, that he was all she thought about and that she wanted to start over. She stood there still, her legs moving slowly until she broke into a run. She no longer felt the chilly air as it left the ocean. She had only one resolve now, and that was to get back the man who had taken control of her mind and was slowly creeping into her heart. She was close enough to call out his name and make him aware of her presence when her run was cut short by an image she hadn’t expected. As he neared the group of people, a woman came forward to meet him, and as she held onto his arm, Melody didn’t need to guess to determine what she meant to him. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, and the two walked off, their backs to her now. She stood there frozen as the color drained from her face, now unsure of her next move.

CHAPTER 4 - MELODY

Melody felt weak inside as she stood there watching them leave, and finally she turned her back to run back to the hotel. But she wouldn’t go down that easily. Here she was pining away over this man who had entered and left her life like a freak storm, and he had gone ahead to plan a Caribbean cruise with some other woman. She felt the tears as they stung her eyes, and she tried to blink them back, but they refused to stay at bay. They came tumbling down now, and she wiped her face more vigorously now as the tears came down full force. But she had no one to blame but herself. He had tried, and she had shut him out completely, so what else was he to do?

She looked back once more and decided that she would confront him after all, if only to make him aware of what she was feeling. She started to go back, but then she heard a voice calling to her from the distance. She turned and squinted, and could barely make out the shape of someone approaching her. She stood there and waited, and as the figure got closer she realized it was Crystal.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” She asked, confused.

“I needed some air,” she told her. “How did you find me?”

“I saw Milton, and are you crying?” She asked as she circled her. Melody tried to mask it, but she was too late. “What’s wrong? Did he do something?”

“No, he was great,” she had to admit. “It’s just that he was moving too fast and...”

“Moving too fast? It wasn’t supposed to be a relationship; it was supposed to go too fast.”

“Well, I didn’t want to go anywhere so soon with a man. You know I’m not comfortable with casual sex, and it was only after he started kissing me that I ran off. Then I started thinking about Phillip, and...” she hung her head. I think I was wrong about him. All along I thought he might be using me, and then he said otherwise, and so did you.”

“Why are we even talking about him? We came here so that you could escape it for a while.”

“And I wanted to do that, and I had started to, until Milton started kissing me and I started seeing his face. I wandered all the way down here and then I saw that,” she said and pointed at the cruise liner.

“The cruise? What was so fascinating about the cruise?” Crystal asked, growing more confused the longer Melody spoke. “What did Milton give you to drink? You sound disoriented.”

“I am perfectly sober, thank you. Anyway, I was walking to clear my mind when I was drawn to this ship, and just when I was about to return, I saw Phillip. He came on the cruise.”

“Are you kidding me?” Crystal asked as she walked past Melody and focused on the ship.

“I kid you not,” she told her. “I could hardly believe it myself. I thought it might be fate that had brought him here, until I saw who he was with.”

“Who?” Crystal asked, getting excited now.

“Some woman. She hung onto him, and it was clear that they came together. I was preparing to confront him when she stepped up to him.”

Crystal stood there for a moment and then turned to her. “Look, I don’t have anything against Phillip, but I don’t think you should do this to yourself. You need to let this go.”

“I can’t. I didn’t give this a fair chance and I think it will continue to haunt me if I say nothing to him. I need to know for sure of I was just a piece of ass to him, or if he wanted more.”

“Don’t do this, please,” Crystal pleaded. “This may not turn out the way you want; he’s here with another woman for crying out loud.”

The words only just seemed to register in Melody’s mind. “And that’s why I need to do this. I was just beginning to feel as if I was wrong, and now I see this,” she said as she looked back to the cruise. “I need to go and find him, here, now, while I still have the nerve.”

Crystal threw her hands in the air in defeat. “Okay, you win; it’s your funeral. I’ll just tag along to bag the body,” she frowned.

Melody smiled at her and the two set off in search of Phillip. “Where did you last see him?” Crystal asked.

“Over there, by the bushes. I don’t suppose they would have gone far from the ship,” Melody replied. They kept walking in circles until Crystal began to get bored.

“Maybe he went back on board,” she finally said when they could see no sign of him.

“Maybe,” Melody agreed. “I guess I can always confront him when I get back home.”

“Okay. Come on,” Crystal said and the two set off in the direction they had come. Melody was growing mad with jealousy and rage, and she wasn’t content on ruining her vacation by being mad at Phillip. She turned around again to scan the environs one last time, and it was then that she saw him a good distance away.