13. James

CHAPTER 13

JAMES

" S ir. We're here."

I look up from my phone to see rain splattering the windshield. My driver looks at me in the rearview mirror.

"I'll go get her, Mr. Garris."

"No." I put away my phone — and the emails I was trying to catch up on before our flight — and open the back door. "I'll get her."

Stepping out into the drizzle, I make my way up to Billie's apartment. The front area is friendly and warm, with a welcome mat and a few potted plants. I start to ring the doorbell before but before I can even touch it the door opens and Billie is there, her suitcase in tow.

"Hi!" She hustles out the door, quickly closing it behind herself.

"Hey." I swallow hard, trying to not be affected by how great she looks.

Her hair is in loose waves that cascade down her back, and she's wearing a dress that hugs her curves in all the right places. I can feel the heat rising inside of me, and I try to keep my cool.

"Let me get that for you." I reach for the suitcase, but she's already pushing past me, headed for the car.

I glance back at her apartment, with its drawn blinds. For a second, I think I see a blind move, like someone is peeking out of them.

But then I look again, and nothing is there. Maybe I imagined it.

I follow behind Billie, who is already at the car. "Ready for Hawaii?"

She nods, a small smile playing at the edges of her lips. "I'm so ready. I can't believe we're actually going."

My driver is already at the trunk, where he helps Billie with her luggage before opening the back door for her.

I slide into the car next to her, careful to keep a comfortable distance between us.

"Is Quinn home?" I ask. "I thought I saw the blinds move."

It takes her a second to answer. "Yes. My friend is staying with her all week."

"I would have loved to meet her."

She studies me. "I thought you didn't like kids."

I shrug, trying to keep my expression neutral. "It's not that I dislike them. I just don't know what to do with them."

"They're not that complicated. They're regular people, just smaller. They have needs too." There's an edge to her voice, which is weird.

Maybe she's nervous about flying.

Or maybe she's still pissed about what I said about children being a burden.

If so, I deserve it. That was unfair, and I said it in a moment of heat.

Honestly, I don't know whether children are a burden or not. I've never had the opportunity to find out.

"My friend Carlos has two kids," I say.

"Are they are burden too?"

Right. So she is still pissed about that.

"He's never talked about them in that way." I pause. "In fact, they've got him wrapped around their little fingers." I chuckle.

Billie nods, her eyes trained on her lap. "Yeah, kids do have a way of doing that."

There's a moment of silence between us, and I can feel the tension growing thicker by the second. I don't know what to say to make things better, so I opt to change the subject.

"This will be your first time in Hawaii, right?" I say, trying to sound casual.

She nods. "That's right. But I've always wanted to go."

"Well, you're in for a treat," I say. "The beaches are beautiful, the food is amazing, and the weather is perfect."

"I can't wait," she says, her voice softening. "Thank you for bringing me along."

"Of course," I reply.

Billie nods, and we fall into a comfortable silence as we make our way to the airport. The rain continues to pour down, but inside the car, it's warm and dry.

As we approach the airport, I can feel my nerves starting to build. I'm going to be spending a week alone with Billie, and I don't know how I'm going to handle it.

As we go through the airport gates and drive directly onto the tarmac, she leans forward and gasps. "That's your plane?"

I nod, "Yes, that's the one."

"Wow, I've never flown on a private jet before."

I grin. "It's a perk of the job. Come on, let's go."

As we step out of the car, I take her hand to help her onto the jet. Her hand is small and delicate in mine, and I feel a jolt of electricity shoot up my arm.

I quickly let go, trying to shake off the feeling. This is a business trip, nothing more.

Once we're settled in our seats, I can't help but steal glances at Billie. She's gorgeous, reminding me of Snow White. I can only imagine what her lips taste like.

As the plane takes off, I try to distract myself by focusing on the work I need to do once we arrive in Hawaii. But it's no use. My mind is consumed by thoughts of Billie and the desire burning within me.

I glance over at her and our eyes meet. There's a moment where everything seems to stop, and then she looks away, breaking the spell.

"So." She fiddles with her seat belt. "Tell me more about this conference."

The question yanks me back to reality and I take a deep breath, grateful for the change of subject. "ThisTech is a major event in the tech industry, and we're going to take the opportunity to showcase our new AI product. It's still in development right now, but the prototype has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology."

Billie nods, listening intently. "That sounds amazing. I can't wait to see it in action."

I smile at her enthusiasm. "You'll have a front-row seat." I pause, then add, "Plus, it'll give us a chance to explore Hawaii and have some fun."

Billie smiles back at me, and I feel my heart skip a beat. Maybe this won't be such a difficult trip after all. Maybe we can just focus on work and enjoy each other's company as colleagues.

But as the flight progresses, I find myself unable to shake the feeling of attraction towards her. Every time our eyes meet, I feel a shockwave run through my body. I can tell she feels it too, by the way she bites her bottom lip and looks away.

As the plane begins its descent, Billie tenses. There's a bump, and she yelps and grabs at my knee.

I feel her nails digging into my skin, but the pain is nothing compared to the way her touch sets me on fire. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

"It's okay. Just a little turbulence," I say, trying to hide the way her touch affects me.

But Billie doesn't let go. She squeezes my knee harder, and I feel the heat of her body radiating towards me.

I turn my head to look at her, and her eyes meet mine.

"Oh, God." She withdraws her hand just as the wheels meet the ground. "I'm so sorry."

I try to ignore the disappointment I feel as she pulls away from me. It's for the best, I tell myself. We're colleagues, nothing more.

But as we make our way to the hotel, I find myself struggling to keep my thoughts and desires in check. Billie seems to sense my tension, and she stays quiet as we walk.

Once we arrive at the hotel, we're greeted with stunning views of the ocean and the lush landscape of Oahu. The beauty of the place is breathtaking.

"Wow," Billie says, looking around with wonder. "This place is incredible."

I nod, barely able to focus on anything but her. "It's amazing."

A smiling woman comes forward. "Mr. Garris, it's so wonderful to have you here. I hope your flight was a pleasant one."

"Yes, thank you…" I glance at her name tag. "Kiana."

One of the perks of being so well-known is that hotels bend over backwards to accommodate you. I haven't had to check in at a front desk in years, as Terri makes sure everything is covered before I even reach my destination.

"May I get you and Ms. Hackett anything before I show you to your room?" Kiana asks.

"Room?" Billie's voice pitches, and we glance at each other.

Kiana's smile flickers. "Yes. We have the captain's suite all set up for you."

"Oh, no." Billie blushes furiously, and I feel myself turning warm.

"There must have been a misunderstanding," I say. "We need two rooms."

Kiana's face falls, and her eyes flicker between us. "I'm sorry, Mr. Garris. We're fully booked this week. The only available accommodation we have is the captain's suite."

I can't even force myself to look at Billie. What if she thinks I did this on purpose? That I invited her to Hawaii in an attempt to bed her?

That would be… well, exactly something I would do. Once I see something I like, there's very little that can stand in my way.

Except for when it comes to this woman. This time there are important boundaries in place — which is why we really need at least one solid wall between us.

"You're sure there isn't anything?" I raise my eyebrows.

Kiana shakes her head apologetically. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Garris. What with the conference and all, we're completely booked."

I take a deep breath, trying to think of a solution. "Is there any way we could have some kind of partition or screen put up in the suite? Just something to separate the main room from the sleeping area."

Kiana considers this for a moment, then nods. "I can certainly see what we can do. If you wouldn't mind bearing with me for a few moments."

"Thank you," I say. "That would be much appreciated."

After a short phone call, Kiana leads us to the elevator. I can feel Billie's eyes on me the entire way up. I can't blame her for being cautious; I know how I can come across sometimes. But I'm determined to show her that this trip is strictly business.

When we reach the captain's suite, I can see why it's so highly coveted.

The decor is sleek and modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. A plush sofa and armchair are arranged in front of a large flat-screen TV, and a kitchenette is tucked away in the corner of the room.

Kiana gestures towards the divider standing in the middle of the room, which must have been put in place with record timing. "We were able to find this to separate the sleeping area from the living space. I hope it's to your liking."

I nod my approval. "It's perfect. Thank you, Kiana."

As soon as Kiana leaves, Billie lets out a nervous laugh. "Well, this is… cozy."

"I'm sorry. I'll have Terri see if any other hotels have something available."

"No, it's fine." She sits on the couch. "We're already here, so let's just make the best of it."

I smile at her, feeling a thrill of excitement at the thought of spending the next few days with her. "It's not so bad. We'll have plenty of privacy."

Billie nods, still looking uncertain. "Yeah, I guess so."

I take a seat next to her on the couch, determined to put her at ease. "Listen, Billie. I know this might be awkward, but I assure you that I have no ulterior motives here. This trip is strictly business."

She turns to look at me, her eyes searching mine. "I trust that, James. It's just… I don't usually mix business with pleasure."

I lean in closer, my voice low and intimate. "Who said anything about pleasure? We're here to work, remember?"

Billie flushes, and I can see the effect my proximity is having on her. I'm not immune to her either; I can feel my pulse racing at the thought of what could happen between us.

But I've made a promise to myself to keep things professional. At least for now.

Clearing my throat, I stand up and head towards the kitchenette. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure," she says, following me. "What do we have?"

I open the fridge, scanning the contents. "Just some water and soda, I'm afraid. It's not exactly a fully stocked bar."

Billie laughs, a tinkling sound that makes my heart skip a beat. "Water is fine, thanks."

As I hand her the bottle, our fingers brush, the fleeting contact lighting me up inside. I quickly pull back, trying to act nonchalant.

"So," I say, trying to steer the conversation back to business. "As I said before, we'll need to keep working while here."

She nods. "Of course. Let me grab my laptop and we can go over the bullet points for the week."

She sets her water bottle on the table and zips open her suitcase. Two small pieces of red fabric fall out.

I freeze, unable to stop staring at the itsy-bitsy bikini on the carpet.

Billie looks up and follows my gaze. Her face turns a deep shade of red as she quickly bends down to pick it up. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I must have packed it by mistake."

I clear my throat, trying to keep my composure. "It's okay. No need to apologize."

She gives me a sheepish smile and sets the bikini aside. "I swear I didn't mean to bring that. It's just that I tried it on and was considering bringing it and—"

"It's fine," I repeat, trying not to sound too affected by the tiny piece of clothing. "You don't have to apologize for a bathing suit. You can wear whatever you want. You're a grown woman."

Billie nods, but I can tell she's still flustered. I decide to give her some space and head back to the couch, grabbing my laptop from the coffee table. "Let's get started on work."

We sit down at the table and start going over our plans for the week. But my mind keeps wandering back to the bikini. I can't help but wonder what Billie would look like wearing it.

Would her body look as good as it does in her clothes? Would I be able to resist her if she were wearing that skimpy little thing?

I know I've already crossed the line by having Billie stay in my room, even though the mix-up was completely unintentional.

I just can't help myself. I'm already picturing what it would be like to peel that bikini off her toned body.

Groaning quietly to myself, I try to focus on the work in front of me. Billie's not going to be a distraction, I tell myself.

She's here for one reason only, and as long as I keep that in mind, everything will be okay. I just need to remember that.