Chapter 3

Chapter Three

When they reached the dock after the second trip, Isla was zapped. The exercise, sun, and fresh air had taken the last of her energy reserves. Caesar was surrounded by the group, who all had questions and wanted to thank him. Knowing that Caesar would have a lot to do after that group left to clean the wet suits and get everything sorted for the next day, she texted him that she was going to check into her room and shower.

Heading out, she retraced her steps to the front desk and greeted the same woman who had helped her earlier. Remembering the employee’s name from their earlier interaction, she greeted her. “Hi, Sadie! I’m Isla Callas. I hope my room is ready now.”

“Hi, Isla. It is. Let me grab everything for you. You’re on the fourth floor. I already had the bellhops take your things up to your room. Here’s your keycard,” Sadie informed her as she handed over a small folder with the room number and keycard.

“Thanks. And thanks again for letting me get into the scuba excursions.”

“Did you have fun?” Sadie asked.

“It was a blast. I saw so much. Oh, I need to pay you for lunch, or do you put that on my bill?”

“That was compliments of the Danger Bluff resort,” Sadie informed her with a smile.

“Thank you. I appreciate all your help.”

“Let us know if you need anything. We’re here to make your stay amazing,” Sadie told her.

“It’s off to a great start,” Isla assured her before turning to walk to the elevator. She stopped in her tracks at the sight of Caesar jogging toward her, dressed in swim trunks and a Danger Bluff polo. She tried not to drool as she let her gaze roam down his frame. His hair was dark and thick, and he had a short beard that was probably the result of simply not shaving for a few days. When she lowered her gaze, she took in the tattoos on his arms and the powerful leg muscles that propelled him, noticing a vicious scar on the front of one thick thigh. It didn’t take away from his allure. He was dangerous for her blood pressure.

“Hey, Isla. You disappeared before I could invite you to dinner.”

“Hi, Caesar. I knew you’d be busy for a while. I didn’t want to hold you up from your work.” Isla tried to play it cool.

“I do have some work left before I’m free, getting everything put together for tomorrow’s guests. If you’ll join me at seven, I’d love to take you to dinner,” he offered with a smile that did something to her insides.

“I… I was going to take a nap.”

“That’s a good idea. Set your alarm for a couple of hours and join me. You don’t want to go to bed now. That will play havoc with adjusting to a new time zone,” he recommended.

“Okay. Seven o’clock. Casual or dressy?”

“It’s all casual here. We’ll go to the restaurant that overlooks the water. A sundress or shorts will be fine,” he told her.

“I can do that.”

“Go up and get some sleep, Little girl. I’ll see you here by the front desk at seven,” Caesar said before he pushed the elevator button for her to go upstairs.

“Thanks. See you at seven,” she responded as she got on the elevator. When the doors closed, she leaned against the cool metal wall. What was happening here? He couldn’t be her Daddy, could he? And would he help her with the map? Or should she be wary?

“Miss?” a guest said from outside the elevator.

Isla blinked at her in confusion before realizing the elevator hadn’t moved anywhere. “Sorry. I forgot to push a button. Are you going upstairs?”

“Yes, please.” The woman stepped inside and stood against the other wall after pressing the button for the third floor. “What floor do you need?”

“Four, please. Jetlag has gotten me, I’m afraid,” Isla shared as the elevator began to rise. She felt like an idiot.

“It’s awful. You’ll feel better tomorrow. Get some sleep,” the guest said as the doors opened on the third floor and she walked out.

“Thank you. I will.”

In just a few seconds, Isla stepped out and consulted the small folder Sadie had given her. Dragging herself down the hallway, she located her room and opened the door. Smiling at the beautiful furnishings, Isla stared longingly at the bed but forced herself into the bathroom for a shower.

A few minutes later, she wrapped a soft towel around her body and dried her hair with another as best she could. With a final exasperated look in the mirror at her disheveled appearance, Isla gave in to her exhaustion. She headed for her carry-on and found her charger and her childhood stuffie, Nado. When everything was set up, she set her phone’s alarm and plugged it in to charge as she slept.

After abandoning the towel on the floor, she pulled back the covers and lay down. Isla didn’t usually sleep naked, but she was too sleepy to search for her nightshirt. Turning onto her tummy to get comfortable, she pulled Nado close before allowing her drooping eyelids to shut.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Groggy, Isla lifted her head to look around. The unfamiliar surroundings made her heart rate skyrocket, and she pushed herself up to sit. Finding herself naked, she panicked a bit more and grabbed a handful of the sheet to shield herself.

After a few breaths, everything clicked back into place. She was in New Zealand on vacation at Danger Bluff. Isla pushed her hair back out of her face and laughed. Leave it to her to be frightened by her own phone. Snagging it off the nightstand, she quickly turned off the alarm.

A glance at the time showed she had plenty of time to dress and put on makeup before meeting Caesar if she moved now. Pushing herself off the bed, she headed for the bathroom before throwing her suitcase on the bed and unzipping it. Isla searched for something not too wrinkled after her long journey and pulled out a dress made of a material that laughed at wrinkles.

“I love this dress,” she announced to the empty room and chuckled. “Now, I’m talking to myself.”

Catching sight of her stuffie, she laughed again. “I was speaking to you, wasn’t I, Nado? I’m glad you’re here.”

After pulling on fresh underwear and a bra, she slid the dress over her head and smoothed it into place. Isla couldn’t resist swaying back and forth to swirl the skirt around her legs. It came to just above her knees, making it cute but not “I want to jump your bones” cute. She didn’t want him to think that she was trying to seduce him.

Finding her cosmetic bag, she carried it into the bathroom and took a few minutes to erase the circles under her eyes. Darn the time change! By the time she finished, Isla felt a lot better.

Grabbing her purse, phone, and room key, she headed downstairs. She was a bit early but would look around before seven.

As the elevator doors opened, she stared at the handsome man who waited for her. “Caesar! I’m super early.”

“I was eager to see you.” He walked forward to place his hand on the small of her back to steer her away from the other guests.

When they were out of the traffic pattern, he leaned down to kiss her softly before commenting, “Mmm, sweet.”

“I don’t know what to say to that,” she whispered.

“Say, do it again,” he suggested.

“Do—” The rest of the words never made it out of her mouth as he pulled her closer to press against his hard body. Responding automatically to his skilled kiss, Isla completely forgot where she was. When he lifted his head, she blinked up at him as she tried to pull herself together.

“I love that look in your eyes. I will look forward to satisfying it.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t really even know you. I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”

“Like what? Like a woman who’s found a man that intrigues her and makes her want to spend time with him?”

“Yes. That’s it,” Isla seized on that less intimate answer when what her body and mind were urging her to do was suggest he carry her upstairs and make love to her.

“Hmm,” he hummed, and she knew he knew just what kind of effect he had on her.

Pulling herself together, she straightened and squared her shoulders. “Look, Caesar. I don’t know what’s going on here. If you’re a lothario who preys on single women, do us both a favor and leave me alone.”

Immediately, he looked concerned. “I don’t play games, Little girl. I respond to you as much as you react to me. I’m not looking for a vacation fling. I think you’re my Little girl, and I would never hurt you. I’m sorry I moved too fast.”

Her stiff posture deflated. “You didn’t…scare me, I mean. I scare me. I react to you like no one I’ve ever met. It’s… It’s discombobulating.”

“It’s discombobulating to me as well,” Caesar said with a smile.

“You’ve never used that word before in your life, have you?” she asked, smiling back at him.

“Never. But it’s a good one. It fits the situation perfectly. Come on, Little girl. Let’s go have some dinner, and maybe we can figure this out a bit more,” he suggested, taking her hand.

She nodded and allowed him to guide her to the outdoor restaurant. Lit by overhead fairy lights and globe lights on poles, it welcomed guests and charmed them with the sound of water in the distance.

“I bet it’s beautiful here earlier in the day,” she said, looking around at the beautiful plants and décor.

“It is. It’s close to the water, which automatically makes it a fun place for our guests and people out on the water. Many people who don’t stay here at Danger Bluff stop here for a bite to eat.”

“The food must be good then.”

“It is. I haven’t had anything that I haven’t loved. The lobster mac and cheese is the cheesiest. It’s super filling if you’re hungry,” he suggested.

“I’ll definitely have that before I leave. I think I’ll have something lighter tonight as my body adjusts. What do you think of the red snapper?”

“Delicious. You’ll love it.”

“Done. I’ll have that,” she announced, closing her menu.

A young man appeared at her side. “Hi, I’m Terrence. I’ll be your server tonight. You look like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“I have,” Isla confided before looking over at Caesar. “Do you need more time?”

“Nope. I’m ready, too.”

With their orders recorded, Terrence hurried away to get their drinks.

“How are you feeling after your nap?” Caesar asked, smiling at her.

She liked that his expression was one of fondness. Is that possible already? Yes.

“I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed. It was a good thing I set an alarm.”

“You’ll crash again tonight, and then tomorrow, you’ll wake up feeling well rested,” Caesar predicted.

“I hope you’re right. That was definitely the longest flight I’ve ever been on. How did you end up working here?” she asked.

“The man who owns the resort saved me from a bad situation. When he asked me to come, I didn’t hesitate. I owed him,” Caesar admitted.

“What happened?” she asked, leaning forward. Would he tell her the truth?

“A woman I considered my girlfriend convinced me to take her scuba diving. What I thought was a random destination turned out to be a very specific site. While we struggled to free a box from the ocean floor, bad guys showed up. It turned out that they were after the same prize.”

“Oh, no! What happened?”

“I got injured helping Mindy back to my boat with the heavy case. As soon as it was loaded on the boat, she took off, leaving me.”

“She left you with the bad guys?” Isla asked, aghast.

“With the bad guys and a spear running through my thigh. Until the good guys showed up. Now, I get to be a good guy,” Caesar said.

That explains the scar on his leg .

He reached for Isla’s hand twisting on the tabletop. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his. “I don’t understand this.”

“I know. It’s okay. Just let me take care of you.”

Nodding, Isla turned her hand to intertwine her fingers with his. “Okay.”

He squeezed her hand.

“Here are your drinks,” Terrence announced.

They both looked at him and then back at each other with a smile. They’d been so wrapped up in each other that neither had noticed the server approaching.

When Terrence left, Isla asked, “What happened to that lady and your boat?”

“She went to jail for a year. The box was recovered. I don’t know what was in it. I really don’t want to know. Recovering it wasn’t worth lives,” Caesar told her.

“No.”

Isla fell silent. Here she was coming to follow a treasure map that her grandfather had left. He had to see the similarity to this awful event in his life.

“Hey. I don’t judge you by Mindy’s greed. You’re a totally different person. I will admit it made me hesitate when I discovered you came here following a map. Searching for treasure is dangerous. There’s always someone evil willing to do anything to get what they hope is a pile of money.”

She nodded. “My grandfather was very blunt about the risk in going after whatever the map leads to. He waited for years, pretending as if he hadn’t found anything in the bathroom. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to look for it.”

“So, you’re here to finish his legacy. I have a feeling he would be pleased,” Caesar murmured.

“I do, too.” Isla blinked away the tears that threatened at the thought of making her grandfather’s dream come true.

“If you trust me, I’ll ask you to show me the map one day. I don’t want you going after it without me.”

“After all that happened to you, I’m surprised you’ll even consider helping me.”

“If it were anyone other than a small crew that I trust, that now includes you, I would try to find someone honest to explore with you. But you, Little girl, aren’t to attempt this without me. And then, I’m going to insist that you listen to me every step of the way. I’m not going to risk you getting hurt.”

Nodding without questioning his conditions, Isla thanked him and added, “I’m glad to have you on my side. After meeting you, I wouldn’t want to do this without you.”

“Then we do this together.”

After a moment of silence, Isla asked, “How long have you been diving?”

“Years. I was on a dive team for the Coast Guard for several years. After that, I knew I always wanted to be in the water, so I started giving lessons and taking experienced divers out. Now, I’m here running the dive program.”

She smiled. “Except for the incident with your ex-girlfriend, it sounds like you’ve had a pretty good life.”

“I definitely have. And it’s getting even better now.” With a squeeze of her fingers, Caesar sat back. “Here comes Terrence with our food. We’ll talk more about explorations another time. Tonight, let’s relax and get to know each other better.”

“I’d like that.”