Chapter Three

Zoe

I'm admiring the gardens when Mr. Pellegrino approaches. He sort of takes my breath away the moment I see him. In board shorts and one of those athletic t-shirts that wick moisture but also cascades over every hill and valley of his well-formed chest, he looks ten years younger.

"Wow," I say aloud, unintentionally, as he leads the way through a path, disregarding the sign that says ‘no trespassing'.

He smiles crookedly down at me. "What?"

"Confession?" I ask, and he shrugs, holding back a large palm frond for me.

"Go for it."

I walk past him, stepping up the incline of earth and rocks. "You look totally different without the suit and tie." I glance back, shooting him my sassiest smile. "Almost like when you removed it, the stick came out."

He barks a laugh and I catch my top lip between my teeth. "Sorry, sometimes, particularly outdoors, in the sun and fresh air, my filter doesn't work." I lift my arms and turn around admiring the lush beauty around us. "It's such a gorgeous place."

"I can appreciate a broken filter now and then—like when I'm outdoors, in the sun and fresh air, but… confession?"

I nod, smiling at the easy way we're communicating. He's nothing like the stuffy grump he was in his office and more like the man I've been chatting with the last few months.

"Most of the time," he cocks his head, "I'd say ninety-nine percent of the time, it irritates the fuck out of me and actually brings out my dominant side."

My brow shoots up. Dominant? "Like dominant with a capital D?" The incline is getting steeper and I feel it in my breathing. The air is heavy with humidity amongst the flora and fauna of the jungled path. Or maybe… I can't catch my breath for another reason.

"Are you fifty shades of fucked-up, Mr. Pellegrino?" I ask with a smirk, grasping a gnarled branch to hoist myself further up.

"Is this a pop-culture reference?" he asks, a little too innocently.

I shrug. "A book series."

He grunts. "You read?"

"I'm adventurous in all things, Mr. Pellegrino. Including my taste in books." That's not exactly the truth. The reading, yes, but I likely have the least adventurous sex life known to man. Oh, I've had kinky, adventurous fantasies, but never acted on them.

Mark was as straight-laced as can be in the bedroom. With me at least. I mean he did bend my sister over some rocks in a public park. We weren't strictly missionary, but we weren't far off. And he was my only sexual partner.

"You can call me Amadeo again."

"Okay, Amadeo," I reply, and smirk, knowing I've been forgiven. Reaching for a rock I pull myself up a near ninety-degree angle.

"Another confession?"

"Yes, please," I prod, eagerly. "I like this impromptu confession sesh we've got going on here." I puff out on a labored breath, this time pulling myself up with a root. It comes loose and I slip.

Steadying me, Amadeo says, "Your comment made my palm twitch."

Now I bark the laugh. He's totally read Fifty Shades or at least watched the movies.

"As did the pile of your stuff in my office, your rumpled clothes for our meeting, and the way you kicked off your sandals and left them in two different spots in my office." His grimace makes me laugh harder.

"Oh my god, that stick was so huge!" I giggle. "It must have hurt like hell coming out."

He smirks. "Enormous, indeed."

We laugh together as we scale the steep path but then we go silent in concentration. By the time we get to the top, we're huffing so much, neither of us could speak if we tried.

Catching our breath, we take in the view. It's stunning, with sunlight dancing off the sea. The humid air around us is sweet with the scent of white Hibiscus and Jasmine, and as our breathing slows we hear the sounds of the birds and tree frogs.

"God, this is amazing," I comment on an exhale, enjoying both the view and the breeze.

"Agreed. Especially the breeze." He chuckles.

I glance back at him. He's plucking at his shirt which is clinging to his muscular chest. "This must be your favorite resort."

Amadeo looks at me, his face relaxed and thoughtful. "It is. Always has been. It was my father's too. That's why it's named The Pellegrino. Our version of planting a flag."

"But you don't come here often," I state, knowing it's true. I've wanted a meeting with him here for a while now, but every time I contacted his assistant, she told me he had no plans to come to this resort. I was actually pretty shocked when she messaged me a few months back and told me he was coming and asked if I'd like to set up that meeting during my honeymoon.

I wanted the meeting before I booked the honeymoon, so I agreed and the rest is history.

"I don't. Not anymore."

"Why's that?"

He doesn't answer me. In fact, I'm beginning to think he didn't hear my question when he says, "What are we waiting for?"

I look over the edge and adrenaline spikes in me. My nerves twist and my belly quivers but I remind myself this is my fresh start.

"Let's jump then." The words don't come as strongly as I mean them too.

He glances at me. "It's a ways down, yeah?"

"Hell, yeah. A Zoe Wayz down," I say, acting far braver than I feel. I'm about to leap when he speaks again.

"I thought you were just kidding."

I shake my head. Is he trying to give me an out? "I never kid about adventure."

He peeks over the edge, pulling off his shirt.

"You chicken?" I ask, some hopeful part of me springing to life.

"Nope, just checking for sharks."

"Sharks?" A huge wave of fear hits and I cautiously ask, "Did you see any?"

But he doesn't answer, he just turns his back to the sea, winks at me, and, holy shit, leaps from the edge.

I grin at the sound of his whoop on the way down, and when I volley, the birds burst from the trees and fly into the air at my squeal.

My head bursts from the water below, and I laugh. "That was awesome!" Looking around, I spot him treading water behind me.

"It was." He sounds lazy, which isn't something I'd ever expect of him.

"Want to go again?"

He lifts his arm to glance at his watch. "I should get back. I haven't been here in a while and there's a lot to do."

"Yeah, I guess. I should do some work myself. It might be hard to do while avoiding my sister though," I say, my voice betraying me with its sadness. He suddenly dives under the water and grabs my legs, tugging me.

When he pops up, I splash him.

"I think landsharks are far more dangerous than ocean sharks."

"And there are so many more landsharks," I agree.

"Let's do one more jump."

My smile is instant. "Yes!" And I actually mean it this time.

After several more jumps, we're flopped on the sand like beached whales. It's a small beach, completely empty of humans since the only access is from the water or the path that leads to the cliff, which is marked clearly with a ‘no trespassing' sign.

"Is this your private beach?" I ask lazily, my words almost sounding slurred with exhaustion.

He turns his head to face me, his forearm against his forehead blocking the sun.

"Don't all billionaires have a couple of private beaches?" He covers his eyes with a lazy sigh.

I shake my head. "I don't know. You're the only billionaire I've had the opportunity to ask."

"In your line of work?"

"I've rubbed elbows with lots of managers, Amadeo, you're my first owner."

He peeks at me under his arm. "I gotta say, I like being your first."

I try to hold back my smirk, but it's futile."You're an incorrigible flirt."

"Said no woman ever."

"Oh, please." I roll my eyes. "You're very charming."

He sits up, leaning on his elbows, his abs tightening in the most delicious way. "Actually, the adjective most often used is surly. Although it's usually followed by the word, "asshole'." Turning his attention back to the ocean, he adds, "At least for the last few years anyway."

"Well, I don't think so."

He gives me the side-eye. "You just met me."

"True, but we've been talking so long now on video chat and through email, we're practically best friends." I look out at the ocean. "Besides, we just faced uncertain death together."

"Well, I guess we're bonded for life then."

"I don't make the rules," I say with a shrug.

"One last swim to get the sand off," he says, rising from the Amadeo-sized divot he's made in the white sand to hold a hand out for me to take.

I don't reply, but grab his hand. Water from my wet shorts drips down my thighs as I get to my feet and it feels a little symbolic because Amadeo's hand gripping mine is melt-worthy.

After our final jump, we bob a moment in the cool crystal-clear water.

"We didn't have our meeting, you know."

"No, but I'm not sure I should finalize our plans right now anyway."

He swims leisurely around me. "Why not?"

"I think dumping my sister and my ex-fiance on you might have soured you."

His hair is wet and stuck to his forehead making him look far less intimidating than he is, but his sharp blue gaze is a stark reminder.

"Admittedly that did piss me off, but…" He pauses, looking into my eyes as if he's reading me. "It wasn't you, was it?"

I take in a breath.

"Don't lie to me now, Zoe." His firm stare and raised brow give me pause. They also make my stomach flip. His ‘look' is pretty damn hot for a submissive girl like me.

"I wasn't myself when I wrote it." I flip onto my stomach and start to swim back to shore before he can ask me any more about it because I hate lying even though my whole career is based on them. I should have protected my accounts better. My sister easily gained access to my phone, so I'm taking full responsibility.

As I sluice water onto the sand on the beach, he's rising from the sea. The sun behind him casts him in silhouette, but as he gets closer, his glistening strong chest comes into view and my heart pounds.

I look like a wet rat, my curls likely springing every which way and my drenched clothes simultaneously cling and hang limply from me, but he looks like a God, rising from the depths.

"We'll have our meeting, Zoe. I want to finalize your proposal. How's tomorrow? Can you meet me for lunch at eleven?"

I smile. "You're never painted as the gracious type, Amadeo, but you've been nothing but gracious to me."

"You have no idea how badly I needed this. Thanks for suggesting it. It's my second favorite way to burn off stress."

"You're welcome," I stammer, his words forming new fantasies in my head. "Your second?"

He nods slowly, a devilish grin on his sexy mouth.