Melissa Villar POVAs relaxing as the ten-day boat ride had been, I was antsy to do something. Arriving on the island felt like that event: the destination of the trip. Things were finally going to start happening!But then, at breakfast, Roman informed me that Joemar had a busy schedule.“What do you mean, he’s completely busy for the next two days?”“Joemar is an extraordinarily busy man,” the dry personal assistant said. “Investors from around the world will be visiting him.”“Can I sit in on these meetings?”Roman furrowed his brow as if I had suggested we invite the local spiders to dinner. “You may not.”“Why not?”“Because,” he replied, “you are Joemar’s surrogate. There is no place for you at these meetings.”“But I’m bored,” I complained.“I am sure a woman such as yourself can find a way to occupy your time.”I bristled. “A woman such as myself? What’s that supposed to mean?”Roman’s demeanor immediately softened. He put a hand on my arm and said, “I meant a woman who is int
Melissa Villar POVJoemar met with his investors for two straight days, almost around the clock. He took all of his meals with them, too. Once again, I felt practically ignored.He wasn’t rude. He greeted me warmly the couple of times we passed in the hall or while getting coffee in the kitchen in the morning. But overall, I felt like I was forgotten.By the time the last investor departed on the helicopter, I was getting stir crazy. There was only so much time a girl could spend at the pool or on the beach before she started getting antsy.I found Joemar on the terrace overlooking the pool. He was with Roman and Andre while a white-clad servant popped a bottle of champagne.“Just in time,” Joemar said when he saw me. He was wearing baggy linen pants and a tighter-fitting T-shirt, which made his arm tattoos visible.“What are we celebrating?” I asked.There were four glasses, which meant he had expected me. “The conclusion of two days of nonstop work. Talking to people is exhausting.”
Melissa Villar POVJoemar never looked in my direction. In fact, he had been sitting facing away from me this entire time. How did he know I was stalking him?I considered playing dumb. Ignoring the text, or replying to tell him that I didn’t know what he was talking about. Of course, that would have been stupid—he obviously knew I was here. Swallowing my pride, I grudgingly left the shop and walked over to the outdoor restaurant.“How do you have my number?” I demanded.Joemar gave me a funny look. “That’s what you’re surprised about?”I sat across from him and eyed the food. It was a bowl of thick white chunks mixed with diced peppers and spices, and a side of crackers still in the plastic wrapping. Were the white chunks fish? Instead, I took a long pull from the second beer. It was called Imperial, with a black, yellow, and red label. I didn’t recognize it, but it was cold and tasted good.“What are you doing here?” I asked.Joemar gestured with his beer. “What does it look like? I
Melissa Villar POVDespite being dark out, the streets of San Jose were still packed with people. Joemar’s fingers held my hand tightly as he guided me along, turning right down a larger street and then left along a smaller alley. He seemed to know where he was going, although it seemed impossible without marked street signs.“Are you sure this is safe?” I asked.“Of course it is,” he replied.I hoped he was right. I was outside my comfort zone and felt a tingle of anxiety as we delved deeper into the city.After ten minutes of crowded streets and twisting alleys, we came to a nondescript door behind a restaurant. Joemar knocked; the man who opened the door looked like he wore a permanent scowl and scanned us up and down. Joemar slapped some money into his hand with a handshake, and the man stepped aside.We descended a narrow staircase, passed through two more doors, and then emerged into a larger space. House music that was muffled by two stories of cement was thumping loudly here,
Melissa Villar POV Emphasizing the words as I drove down on his cock, I said, “Somehow I doubt you showed such restraint.”“I don’t like to fantasize about something unless I know I can have it.”“You didn’t have me, even after I signed the contract,” I said, practically moaning each word.“You mean how you could have sat by the pool for six months and collected the money?” he asked, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. “That wasn’t going to happen.”“How can you be so sure?”Joemar shrugged and grinned up at me, his hips thrusting a little bit with every downstroke I made. I realized in that moment that he was right. Once I signed the contract, I had intended to sleep with him. The bonuses involved were too great not to.And, more importantly, he’s absolutely fucking gorgeous.Joemar sat up and took one of my nipples in his mouth, sucking gently and swirling his tongue around the outside. I responded by riding him even faster, ignoring the burning exhaustion in my thighs. Anothe
Joemar Soriano POVExtraordinary.That was the best word to describe the first time Melissa and I made love. Extraordinary. People often romanticized their first time, making it out to be more perfect than it actually was. In truth, it was usually an awkward, fumbling affair while two people learned how to communicate through the language of sex. Which was fine; communication, in every form, took time to perfect.But not with Melissa. The two of us had an undeniable chemistry together, intuitively sensing what the other wanted. Just like on the dance floor, we were naturally in sync. That was rare.It was extraordinary.“A fine vintage,” Fernando said, smacking his lips after tasting the wine. “I am quite fond of reds.”I gave him a measured smile. “So I remembered. I had a crate of their bottles from 2003 delivered after our last visit.” In truth, it was Andre who had made note of the preference and taken steps to ensure we always had some here at the island. But Fernando didn’t need
Melissa Villar POVA servant arrived with my breakfast and Joemar’s. He thanked the man, then told me, “The meeting was unnecessary. President Fernando got wind of all the meetings I was orchestrating here and assumed, correctly, that I was preparing for my next business venture. He claimed he wanted to offer his help. It was a waste of time.”“No meeting that strengthens relationships is a waste of time,” Roman said. It sounded like he was quoting someone.“I hate it when you use my words against me,” Joemar said. “But it was obvious that Fernando had no real interest in helping me. He just wanted information on what I’m working on.”I took a bite of bacon and asked, “What are you working on?”Joemar laughed. “She lasted longer than you expected. What did you guess, five days?”“Four, actually,” Roman replied.“I was the one who guessed five days,” Andre said while joining us at the table. He flashed a warm, boyish smile. “Although I’m glad to be wrong.”“Happy to exceed your expecta
“It’s weird when you phrase it as growing,” Joemar said. “Like it’s a plant in the garden.”“Dodging the question. Interesting.” I sat up a little straighter and sipped my wine. “You’re not planning on doing that incredibly arrogant thing men do, are you?”“What is that?”“Naming the baby after yourself.”He gave me a funny smile. “Why is that arrogant?”“Because it is!” I insisted. “Men see a perfect bundle of joy and have to put their own name on it. You’ll never see a baby named Melissa Junior.”“You know what? Just for that, I am naming her Melissa Junior,” Joemar said happily. “If it’s a girl.”“Absolutely not!”“You have no say in the matter,” he pointed out. “I can name him or her whatever dumb thing my heart desires.” “You have good taste. You would never do that.”He narrowed his green eyes at me. “Deflecting with a compliment. You’re cunning.”“I still can’t help but notice you’ve avoided the question.”Joemar sighed, swirled his wine around, and said, “I haven’t settled on
Apollo stands up and pulls me into a hug, speaking softly into my ear. “Ellen, I love you. I know that if I don’t try to make amends and ask you to spend your life with me, I’ll forever regret that. So I’m asking you - and if the answer is no, I deserve that for how much I’ve hurt you. But will you marry me?”I pull back to look him in the eyes, worried he’s joking or messing with me or that this is some kind of prank. But he looks serious and genuine and maybe a little bit afraid.Standing in my apartment surrounded by flowers, I realize that the man that I love just asked me to marry him.I glance down at the ring.He continues speaking. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you. I want to be with you until my last heartbeat, my last breath. You make me happy.”Emotions crash over me, disbelief, excitement, joy, fear, and overwhelmingly, love. I love this man, and I want to spend forever with him. Not because of the firm, or because of the flowers. B
I press the call button and let them know he’s awake and feeling some pain. They assure us they’ll be right in and I thank them.Dad, however, has already gone back to trying to figure things out. “An outside lawyer, huh? What are you up to?” he muses under his breath, correctly assuming I’m not about to tell him my secrets.There’s no way he’ll guess what I have planned. It’s so elegant, simple, and perfect. I know how I’m going to win Ellen back - if she’ll have me. I know there’s a possibility that I screwed things up beyond repair, but I’m going to hope for the best. And heck, this plan might just win her back even if she hates me now.I decide to toss my dad a bone. “I’m going to fire her.”He lifts his head, looking at me like I've lost my mind. And maybe I have. “I don't think making her hate you is the way to win her heart.”I can only hope that my gamble pays off exactly how I hope it will, and I lift a shoulder at my father. “I guess we'll see what happens, huh?”XXXEllen d
What do I have to lose by telling him the truth? Then again, I kind of just want to have fun and forget about everything. I lean in close to the guy. “Actually, I'm totally on the run from the cops right now.” I press my finger to my lips and he laughs.“Cute and funny, you’re dangerous. I’m Jack Xander.” He offers his hand and I shake.“Ellen.”“Cute name. What do you do for a living, Ellen?”“Why, you looking for a sugar momma?” I ask.He laughs again. “No, it just seems like a good icebreaker.”“I am... a librarian.” If the guy doesn't get the reference, he's not the guy for me.“I love that,” he says. “Have you come here before?”I shake my head no.“Do you want to dance?”A glance at him and hesitate. I don't want to dance. But I don't really want to talk either. “I think I've had a couple too many for that,” I say instead.“And you’re honest. Triple threat lady.” He gestures at me with his cup as if saying cheers and I try not to be bored. There’s nothing about this guy that mak
Ellen de Luna POVI can barely draw a breath.How could he just end things and worse, end them through an impersonal text?It's been several days since he dumped me, and I'm still trying to pick up the pieces of my emotions and broken heart.He hasn't come back to work yet, but I assume that he has been talking to other people about his plans. But I'm not the one that's in the loop anymore, and that kills me. I wonder if he's okay. I wonder why he chose now, of all times, to break up with me.Did Steven get to him? Or did he tell his dad about us, only for his dad to tell him he’s making a huge mistake? The last option is the most probable.I should have prepared better for this. Instead, I feel absolutely blindsided. The timing just doesn't make sense - his dad must be the reason. But I can’t imagine why Raul Soriano wouldn’t want us together. Would the man really make work a priority over his son’s happiness? And if Raul knows, why wasn’t I fired?There are so many questions that ke
No matter how I look at the situation, every outcome seems like some kind of disaster.Katie clearly doesn't see things the same way. “So what? You're both adults. You're both single. Other people need to mind their own business.”That's not the way any of this works. “It's not that simple, Katie. It's never that simple. There are consequences to everything, and I don't want to risk losing him or my job or my self-respect.”“I know,” she says, a false smile on her lips as she watches people go about their strolls in the sunshine. “It’s not fair, is it?”Nope.“You shouldn’t let fear hold you back. When you get one chance at life, don't do things that you'll regret.” I know she's right, but the thing she doesn't seem to see is that I'm not sure which decision will lead to the least regret. I’m going to have regrets no matter what I do.“Are you settling in well to your new office?” I ask, needing to change the subject away from myself in Apollo.Her animated expression tells me everyth
I didn't want to risk it. I didn't want to jeopardize our careers, our reputations, even our futures. But I didn't want to hurt her or let her ache without offering some warmth and safety when she needs it most. My father's words ring in my ears. Life is too short to waste on regrets. I should follow my heart and be happy. I should find love and hold on tight.He is right; life is too short. And what I feel for Ellen is deeper than anything I’ve felt for a woman before. Deeper than what I felt for my ex, even, who’d I’d forgotten about until this moment. Ellen had touched a place deep within me that I thought would be sealed off from people for good after the betrayal I’d suffered.And I make a decision. I stand here, patting her shoulder awkwardly, trying to act casual. Then I wrap my arms around her. I hug her tight, feeling her warmth and her heartbeat while whispering in her ear that I’m sorry for what happened and that I'm glad she's okay. I tell her that she's strong and that St
Ellen de Luna POVI'm sitting at my desk working on a case, when I hear a knock on the door. I assume it’s Apollo, though a second later I wonder why he’d knock.It’s not Apollo. When I look up, I see a delivery man holding a large bouquet of beautiful flowers; white Chrysanthemums with pops of color from pink and purple daisies.The delivery man flashes a handsome grin and asks me if I'm Ellen. I nod, and he walks over to place the flowers on my desk. “These are for you,” he says before leaving the room as quickly as he came.I'm surprised - and curious. Who would have sent me the flowers? I mean, Steven thinks red roses are literally the only kind of flower in existence, so he’s out.As I study the flowers, I'm impressed. They're beautiful, colorful, and smell delightful. I also have to give kudos to the flower company - the flowers are fresh, elegant, and cheerful.Suddenly, I know how to tell who sent these to me. I search for a card and find one. The small, white card simply read
“I meant what I said.” Apollo sounds confident as he doubles down. “No one's going to believe a word that comes out of his mouth after what happened in our office. Besides, how is he going to come tell anyone at our office if he's not welcome in the building? Security is going to see him at the door and escort him off the premises, and if he continues trying, he'll get slapped with trespassing charges.”The thought of Steven running to tattle on us at our jobs and getting charged with trespassing brings a smile to my lips.“Are we being stupid?” I ask, wondering what he’ll say to my concerns.“I don’t think so. Do you? If we let Steven dictate what we can and can’t do, that seems more stupid.” He lets out a soft chuckle and I couldn't agree more.“You’re right,” I say, letting the breath out of my lungs slowly. With it goes some of the stress and tension I’ve been struggling with. He’s so reassuring, and I’m grateful for this conversation.“Look, I like you. A lot. I don’t want Steven
Two hours later, I watch her walk into the park where I’d asked her to meet me. Her gaze meets mine and a smile brightens her face as she walks my direction. She reaches my side. I take her hand and lead her toward the little ice cream cart that I'd spied earlier. I know this particular vendor often hangs out near the park. “Ice cream?” I ask.“I love pistachio,” she says, and I signal for two cones as the vendor serves us up. The weather is warm and the sun peeks from behind intermittent clouds as we take our cones and go for a walk amongst the beautiful trees and plants.“You like pistachio, too?” she asks.“I’ve never had it and wanted to try,” I say honestly. The thought of a nut-flavored ice cream always steered me away but as I try the light green treat, I’m pleasantly surprised.“And what do you think?” she asks, angling her body toward me as we walk.“I think I have a new favorite ice cream flavor,” I respond.She laughs. “Okay, now honestly.”“Honestly,” I say, smiling at he