Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) (4 page)

“That’s the Ultimate Fantasy, the newest in our fleet,” Alec said, following my gaze to the massive vessel. “Her maiden voyage is Friday.”

“She’s beautiful.”

Alec
leaned
closer.
“Yes,
she
is,”
he
whispered.
His
warm
breath on my ear sent goosebumps down my side and I had to bite
my
lip to
keep
from
moaning.
It’d been months since a
man
had been
that
close
to
me
and my body wanted more. Only Alec Payne wasn’t
just
any man.
He was
a
client.
I
pulled
my
hand
back,
but
he
tightened
his
grip.

“This way,” he said, tugging me gently toward the
courtyard
of
the
Plaza.

We
walked
past
the
fountain
and
the
palm
trees
in
the middle of the outdoor shopping center then up a steep
staircase
to
the second floor where there were noticeably fewer
people.
Many of
the
storefront
windows
were
empty
and
everywhere
I
looked
I saw signs that read “space
available.”

“Where are all the stores?”

“Some
closed,
some
relocated.”

“Why? This place seems pretty cool.”

“It
was
.” Alec closed his eyes and smiled. “It will be again,” he said when he reopened them.

“You sound certain.”

“That’s because I am,
Isabella.”

Controlling
and
clandestine!
M
y
inner
self
chimed
in
and
I
rolled my eyes at them
both.

“Did you roll your eyes at me?”

My face turned bright red as I realized I’d been caught. I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again, not sure what to say at the moment.

“Well?”

Something about the way Alec asked made me squirm. My breathing increased and a nervous grin crossed my face. I broke away from his stare before my heart beat out of my chest. “Yes!” I said, much louder than I’d expected.

Alec squeezed my hand tighter and pulled me inside the restaurant without saying another word. He led me through the large dining room, past the Hibachi stations, finally stopping at a quaint booth in the far corner. I slid around the table far enough to ensure a clear look at the inside of the dining room full of tropical plants, Japanese antiques, and the most beautiful hand carved wooden tables I’d ever seen. The deep rich colors of the décor and soft lighting offered a romantic feel that made me wonder why he brought me here.

“Can I bring you a drink, Mr. Payne?” our waitress asked.

“Bring us a bottle of the 2009 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese and two glasses of water,” he ordered without so much as consulting me. She nodded and walked away.

“It’s a Riesling,” he said, finally looking in my direction.

“What if I don’t like Riesling?”

“Do you?”

“Well, yes,” I answered honestly. “But that wasn’t my question.”

“You’re the issues manager, Isabella. I’m sure you’d figure something out.”

I shook my head, my level of annoyance climbing another notch.

The waitress was back in no time with our drinks. She opened the wine and poured us each a glass before placing the bottle in the center
of
the
table.
I
picked
up
my
glass
and
eagerly
took
a
sip.
“Oh, this is amazing,” I admitted after I tasted
it.

“I’m
glad
you
like
it.
It’s
one
of
my
favorites.”
Alec
picked
up
his glass
and
took
a
slow
drink,
his
eyes
never
leaving
mine.

The intensity of his stare made my heart race again and I had to look away.
“Do
you
know
what
you’re
having?”
I
asked,
reaching
for
the menu.

“I do.”

Alec motioned for the waitress before I’d even gotten the menu open, and she quickly returned. I looked up, ready to tell her I still needed a minute, but Alec spoke first. “We’ll have the Sex on the Moon and a Pink Lady,” he said, flashing me that wicked grin of his.

A rush of heat coursed through me and I felt compelled to tell Alec about Spencer. “It’s probably just the wine,” I said silently, trying to convince myself he had no effect on me. But the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Alec, I’m married,” I blurted out.

He titled his head. “You’re not wearing a ring.”

“We’re um… we’re getting divorced.”

Damn it Izzy!
my inner voice admonished. I hadn’t told anyone but Dr. Leonard and my attorney about my failed marriage. And this was hardly the time or place to start, either. I took another drink of the wine to strengthen my resolve. When I looked up again Alec was staring at me. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure why I brought that up. Can we just change the subject?” This was not a conversation I should be having with a client, especially one that made me wet just by looking at me. I took a long drink, then another, not stopping until the glass was empty this
time.

Alec lifted the bottle and poured me a second glass. I took the opportunity to steer the subject of the conversation back to him. “Do you always order for your dinner guests?”

“I want what I want, Isabella.” He lifted his glass of wine, his eyes still fixed on mine. “And right now I want to talk more about this issue you couldn’t manage.”

“I am managing the issue!” I snapped, my brain-to-mouth filter temporarily rendered useless by the effects of the alcohol. “You know, Mr. Payne, not all solutions include a happily ever after.”

“Or maybe you just haven’t found the right solution.”

My mouth dropped open. Was he seriously going to try and tell me I hadn’t worked hard enough to save my marriage? Oh, he wasn’t just a control freak. No, he was an arrogant ass! He didn’t know me, and he certainly didn’t know the circumstances that led to my divorce.

Right when I was prepared to tell him what I thought of his assumptions and his opinions, the waitress returned with our
food.

Seemingly unaware of my pending rage, Alec placed a couple pieces of each sushi roll on my plate. “I hope you like spicy,” he said.

He lifted a piece from his plate in the air with his chopsticks. “To your new found freedom, Isabella.” When I realized he was going to hold the food in the air until I said something, I lifted one of the pieces he put on my plate but immediately dropped it. We both laughed as I struggled to pick it up again with the
chopsticks.

“You can use a fork, you know.”

“No. I’ll get it.”

“Stubborn, I see.”

“I’m not stubborn,” I snapped. Alec raised his eyebrows. “Well, maybe a little.”

“A little?” he laughed.

“Well, what about you?”

“What about me? I know how to use chopsticks.”

I rolled my eyes and exhaled loudly, completely exasperated by this man.

“Didn’t your parents ever teach you it’s rude to roll your eyes at people?” he asked.

I
rolled
them
again
in
an
exaggerated
fashion
then
took
a
long drink from my wine glass, strengthening my nerve even more. “Apparently
not.”

“It’s never too late to be taught, Isabella.” Alec pressed his lips in a thin, hard line making me squirm. I tried to ignore his stare and the tingling between my legs but failed miserably. My insides were on fire.

Surprised
by
my
reaction,
I
looked
down
at
my
plate
and
did
my best to focus on the food before I said something I might regret tomorrow. I jabbed the chopsticks into the piece of sushi and somehow managed to get it into my mouth without dropping it
this time. Alec poured us each another glass of wine and we sat in silence while we ate.

“How long have you worked at Dimarco?” Alec asked when I finally looked up from my plate.

“Long enough…” I lifted my wine glass and took a long drink. “You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Payne. We’re the most requested team in Issues Management because we’re good at what we do.”

“I’m
sure
you
are,
Isabella.”
With
a
raised
eyebrow
Alec
took
the wine glass from my hand, replacing it with the glass of water he’d ordered me. His fingers brushed against mine and it was all I could do to sit still. “Drink this,” he ordered. My sex tingled and I bit my bottom lip to suppress a moan. “Drink,” he said again.

Without a word, I lifted the glass to my lips and took a long, slow drink, my eyes fixed on his now.

Stop this, Izzy!
I shouted silently, willing myself to look away. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to regain some resemblance of professionalism.

“Do you have any other questions, Mr. Payne?”

“Several,” he said, that wicked grin returning. “How long ago did you file for divorce?”

“Four months.” I quickly set the glass of water down on the table. “Alec, I haven’t told anyone about the divorce yet. And I know I’m the one who brought it up, but could we please not talk about it?” I dropped my head, praying he’d let it go.

“How about a tour of the ship before your flight?” Alec asked after a long and uncomfortable silence.

“I’d love that,” I answered honestly. I knew it probably wasn’t
a great idea, given all the wine I’d had to drink, but I didn’t care. I was just thankful we were moving
on.

The sun had already set by the time we left the restaurant, and the air had begun to cool. Luckily it was a short walk to the ship anchored just behind the plaza. I grabbed hold of the rail and stepped onto the gangway, doing my best not to look down.  The heel of my shoe caught on the metal surface of the
passageway, and I stumbled. Alec reached down and grabbed my arm a mere second before my knee hit the ground. He pulled me into him, his arm gripped tightly around my waist. The warmth of our bodies touching
had
my
insides
tingling
once
again.
This
was
so
wrong.
He was
my
client,
and
I
was
still
married.

“Thanks.
I’ve
got
it
now,”
I
said
trying
to
pull
away.
Alec
held on to me tight as he stared deep into my eyes. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to reach up and kiss him, to taste the saltiness on his lips. It took every ounce of strength I had not to. I knew I had to break the connection between us before it was too late.

With both hands on his chest, I pushed away from him. Alec let go of my arm, but wrapped his hand around my wrist and continued up the ramp.

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Payne,” the security guard called out as we boarded. Alec nodded but kept walking, not stopping until we reached the ship’s main lobby.

An enormous stained glass chandelier with rich gold tones caught my eye. The dim lighting reflected of the marble floors, the deep red, blue, and green accents highlighted by the lighting two floors up. I could’ve stood there longer and watched the lights move, but Alec tugged on my arm.

Alec led me under the chandelier, past the grand staircase, toward a glass elevator in the atrium lobby. My eyes followed the lights on the elevator shaft, toward the ceiling some seven floors up. “Stunning,” I said
breathlessly.

“Isn’t
she?”
Alec
whispered,
pausing
momentarily
to
take
a
look around.

“Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.” Alec stepped inside the elevator, taking me with him. He pressed the number eighteen on the operating panel and the doors quickly closed.

The glass walls of the elevator offered an incredible view of the atrium as we ascended to the top deck. I moved closer for a better look but stopped when I felt my knees starting to buckle. Before Alec could notice, I stepped back to a safe distance so I could enjoy the view without the fear of falling or fighting the tingles that ran through me every time Alec touched me.

When the elevator stopped Alec led me out onto the open deck. My eyes darted from left to right, trying to soak it all in. “This way,” he said as he gently tugged on my hand.

“Is that a track?” I asked when I spotted the smooth surface circling the
deck.

“It is. Would you like to try it out?”

I did love to run but I wasn’t so sure about running that close to the edge, especially this high up. “Aren’t you afraid someone will fall overboard?”

“No,” Alec laughed. “That’s what the guardrail is for.”

“Yeah, well, I tripped walking up the gangway, remember?”

Alec laughed harder. “Another good point, Isabella. Maybe you should stick to the track inside the fitness center.”

I crossed my arms, feigning injury to my ego. Alec pulled me into his chest, my back to his front, and wrapped his arms tightly around me. “Pouting makes me crazy, Isabella,” he whispered into my hair.

The energy between us was dangerously electric. I wanted to give in but I couldn’t. I took a deep breath and wriggled free.

“Feisty,” Alec breathed with a huskiness in his voice that had my insides tingling all over again. “Oh, I like feisty.”

“Then you’re gonna love me,” I blurted out without thinking.

“Are you trying to tempt me?”

I tilted my head to one side. “Whatever do you mean, Mr. Payne?”

Alec shook his head. “Isabella, you’re playing a dangerous game.” I nervously bit my thumbnail to hide the guilty
look on my face. He was right; flirting with a client was very dangerous, but certainly not a
game.

“Wasn’t there something you wanted to show me?” I asked, quickly changing the subject, my distraction technique hard at work.

“I know what you’re doing, Isabella.” Narrowing his eyes, he continued. “Luckily for you there
is
something I want to show you.” He took my hand once more and moved gracefully toward the stern.

Alec pointed over the guardrail. “Down there,” he said.

I took a step closer, willing myself to look. My legs began to tremble, but I grabbed on to the guardrail and peeked over the edge anyway.
Big mistake.
My knees buckled and I lost my balance.

“Whoa!” Alec reached out and grabbed me around the waist with
both
hands
to
steady
me.
His
touch
was
like
a
jolt
of
electricity straight through my body and I quickly pulled away. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,
um…
thanks.
I’m
fine,”
I
muttered
as
I
stepped
farther
away
from the
edge
and
out
of
Alec’s
reach
where
I
could
regain
my
balance,
a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by
Alec.

He inched toward me until I could feel the heat radiating off his body. “Is it heights you’re afraid of? Or is it me?” I heard the question but for the life of me I couldn’t make sense of the words. My mind was spinning. My legs were giving out. I reached out
and grabbed Alec’s arm. The corners of his mouth curled into a smile. Damn it. He was enjoying this. “So I guess its heights then.”

My hand quickly retreated. “I’ll never tell.”

Alec took another step forward. Less than an inch separated us now.
“Don’t
tempt
me,
Isabella,
because
I
have
ways
of
making
you tell.” His eyes narrowed and I wondered if that was a promise or a threat. My insides began to tingle once again. This was so wrong. He was a client, and I was still married. That couldn’t happen, no matter how much I wanted him to make me
talk.

“Is that a waterfall?” I asked by means of distraction, more for me than him this time.

“It is,” he relented. “Here, take another look.”

I took a deep breath
to
steady
my
nerves
before
accepting his
outstretched
hand. Anxiously, I walked back to the edge, doing my best to hide my mounting
fear.
With
a
firm
grip
of
the
rail
I
peeked
over
the
edge once
more.

The water flowed into a large, oval shaped pool that was surrounded by a garden of tropical plants several decks below us. I focused on the sound of the falling water and soon forgot all about my wobbly legs.

“Alec, it’s amazing.”

“It is,” he said with a satisfied look that made me smile. He moved closer, wrapping his arms around me now.

Instinctively I leaned into him.
Stop this. Stop this now!
my inner voice shouted. I stood up straight but Alec didn’t let go. And honestly, I didn’t want him to.

“I could stand here with you all night, Isabella,” Alec whispered in my ear, “but you have a plane to catch.”

No, I wasn’t ready to go. I wanted to stay in this moment, wrapped in his arms, warmed by the heat of his hard body, no matter how wrong it was.

Alec released me then tugged my arm, forcing me to let go of the rail. As we walked back toward the elevator I spotted a miniature golf course that I hadn’t noticed earlier and was suddenly curious about the ship. “An outdoor track, a waterfall, a garden, mini-golf, what else do you have onboard?”

Alec pressed number fourteen on the control panel of the elevator. “I guess we have time for a quick tour,” he said.

We stepped out onto the promenade deck. “There’s a theater that way,” Alec said, pointing toward the bow. He tugged on my hand, leading me in the opposite direction. “There’s a video arcade for kids here and a casino for parents over there.” He paused briefly,
allowing
me
a
chance
to
look
around. “The bar behind me is alcohol free for our younger guests, but we can get a drink in the lounge.”

Alec led me through the spacious lounge to a barstool in front of the sleek black bar and motioned for me to sit. He stepped behind the bar and pulled two wine glasses off the shelf, placing them both on the counter in front of me. When he leaned down I heard the cooler door slide open, and when he stood up again he was
holding
a
bottle
of
Riesling.
The
same
wine
we’d
had
with dinner.

Alec moved with ease behind the bar and it made me wonder how
much
time
he’s
spent
here.
He
probably
brings
women
here
every night
, my inner voice offered. I shook her off. She was probably right but I didn’t want to think about that right now. It had been so long since I’d enjoyed a man’s attention. And I was definitely enjoying
Alec’s.
He
filled
both
glasses
and
returned
the
bottle
to
the cooler before
handing
me
a
glass.

“Let’s go. We don’t have a lot of time.” Alec extended his hand and I accepted it willingly.

We walked past a multitude of restaurants and shops, an art gallery, and several night clubs before coming to a stop outside the garden we’d viewed from the top deck. A sign outside the entrance read
adults
only
.
I
looked
at
Alec,
wide
eyed,
curious
as
to
what
I
was getting myself in
to.

“It’s
a
place
where
adults
can
relax
without
the
chaos
of
kids,” he
said
as
if
reading
my
mind.
I
nodded,
completely
understanding the
need
for
an
escape,
and
not
just
from
kids.

Beyond
the
entrance
was
a
lush
garden
of
tropical
plants.
There were
several
species
of
palms, plus an array of calla
lilies,
orchids,
and
the
greenest big
leaf
philodendron
I’d
ever
seen.
Alec
motioned
for
me
to
sit
in one
of
the
many
lounge
chairs
that
circled
the
pool.

I
walked
to
the row of chairs and cautiously took a seat, taking extra care not to trip. I’d expected Alec to follow me, but when I turned around he wasn’t
there. Before I had a chance to look to see where he’d gone, the light inside the pool caught my eye. Quickly, the colors changed, fading from blue to purple to red before jumping out of the pool in a
fabulous
display
of
light
and
water
mixed
with
sound.