Page 70 of The Protégé

He gripped my wrist, pulling me close. I didn’t resist him.

Couldn’t.

He brushed his lips over mine, and I surrendered to him. The kiss was slow, wet, and inviting. It wasn’t like the passionate kiss we’d shared in the Cosmic Lounge. This was gentle and special,reminding me of the natural way the dandelion seeds moved with the wind. His tongue sought mine, and I moaned against his mouth. I slid my hand up his chest, shoulders, looping my arms around his neck. Then I felt his necklace and stiffened.

He drew back. “What’s wrong?”

“I . . .”

What could I say without sounding jealous?

He held me close, and I could hear his heartbeat. My eyes landed on the gold band around his necklace. After this morning in the Cosmic Lounge, I promised myself that if a relationship were to happen between me and him, he had to be honest with me. I had to know why he was still wearing that ring. Obviously, she still mattered to him.

Who was she?

I considered myself a generous person, but I wasn’t that generous. If he wanted to be with me, he couldn’t be wearing a piece of jewelry that belonged to another woman. It was wrong and disrespectful to both parties involved.

I sighed. “It’s late. I have to get ready for bed. I have work tomorrow.”

“But I’m your boss, and you’re allowed to come in a few hours?—”

He was about to say something else but his phone rang. A crease formed on his forehead as he took the call, releasing me from him. “What is it, Ed?”

My body yearned for his touch again. I had to train my body not to get used to this. The more he gave, the more I wanted. But what if things ended as quickly as they started? I didn’t know if I had the energy to cope with another heartache.

As I brought the mugs back into the kitchen, he let out a curse. “I’ll be there tomorrow. Have the authorities been alerted?”

Inside the kitchen, I studied him as he stalked over to the railing, glancing into the darkness. His face had taken on a stern expression, a man detached from emotion and focused on a task that required his objectivity. He just did a one-eighty like it was ingrained in him. I found myself doing that often too. We all needed an outlet, a way to detach from things that bothered us.

After a few more words, he ended the call and walked back into the kitchen. “I won’t be in the office tomorrow. The elevator will recognize your facial features and allow you to the top floor. Ralph might stop by, but I’m not sure. Go into my office and look at the research board I’ve been working on. There’s a lot of information there. Text or call me if you have any issues.”

I didn’t remember seeing a board during lunch, but I hadn’t been looking. “Is everything okay?”

“There’s a dead body on my island.”

“You have an island?” I gaped at him, wondering why he had an island. But then again, why did wealthy people purchase the things they did?

I couldn’t ignore our stark differences. The gap between me and him widened every day. I wasn’t sure if I could have a relationship with him. We’d be talking about things that didn’t exist in each other’s world.

He tipped up my chin. “I’ll take you there soon. Thank you for today and this evening. See you soon.” He kissed my forehead, sending a zing of energy straight to my toes.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ORION

I walked around the island,surveying the area for clues about the dead man. Was he a random person who had fallen off his boat and washed on to my shore? Was he murdered on my island? Had he been lurking and gotten injured by the laser traps I’d placed near my home? But these traps weren’t meant to kill anyone, they would only subdue the trespasser. He’d have to be near my home for that to occur. But my security system would have alerted me of his presence. The coroner’s report would provide me more details, but that wouldn’t happen for another week.

I walked through the woodedarea behind my house and glanced at the devices installed in the trees. Nothing seemed out of place. Then I strode around, reviewing the construction of my abstract building and the guest house. They were close to completion. My mom had left this island to me, and I’d taken care of it. For the longest time, I didn’t know what to do with it.

Quintile Island was my sanctuary from my chaotic life.

This place possessed a peaceful atmosphere that was difficult to explain. Anyone who dared desecrate that would pay.

Most people knew Quintile Island was private property owned by one of my many companies. The small circle of people who knew it belonged to me were mostly family and a few business acquaintances.

A thought trickled into my head. Was Jasper behind this? He’d been harassing me about selling it. Maybe he was creating bad press to force me to sell it. Jasper could talk someone to death, but I didn’t know if he had the guts to kill anyone.

I looked at the picture of the man on my phone. “What were you doing on my island, Aaron Turnerfrom Massachusetts?”

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