Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“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.