He laughed, breaking up the tension that banded his chest. Seeing no harm in divulging the truth, he said, “An accurate guess, I admit.” He took a long swallow of his cool, tangy drink and reached for the bowl of shelled peanuts on the counter. “I was looking for Alexis.”
“Well, Ms. Baylor opted to eat dinner in her room,” Merrilee informed him. “At last account she was in bed for the night.”
Jackson met Merrilee’s gaze as he took another drink, trying to gauge why she was supplying him with so much personal information on Alexis. “Looks like my efforts at trying to find her tonight were futile then.”
“But tomorrow is another day.”
“So it is.”
Merrilee hesitated for a moment, then said, “On your fantasy application and when we spoke on the phone before you booked your trip, you said you wanted to find a woman you could open up to and trust.”
“Yes.” He managed, just barely, to refrain from wincing as a twinge of guilt nudged him. The lie he’d fabricated for a believable and acceptable fantasy had been a necessity, one he wasn’t exactly proud of considering how much he liked and respected Merrilee. But he’d been pushed too far by one woman too many, and in order to obtain what he truly wanted from Alexis Baylor, he had no choice but to hold tight to that pretense.
He continued. “My relationships with women have been…lacking. And I’ve been betrayed one time too many.” That much was pure truth. “It’s a novel concept to me to be able to trust a woman.”
She gave a compassionate nod of understanding. “I did tell you that you’d have to see how your request played out once you were at the resort, that I couldn’t guarantee that you’d find a woman who suited your fantasy.”
He tossed a few peanuts into his mouth and chewed. “I remember.”
“However, I did want to ask, how does Alexis fit your perception of the kind of woman you want to open up to and trust?”
Jackson nearly choked on his peanuts. Coughing, he washed down the snack with a huge gulp of his drink. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was singling him out, and offering him exactly what he wanted—a direct link to Alexis, all based on their connection on the seaplane.
He regained his composure and clung to his pretense. “I’ve only met her once, but Alexis could be that woman.” He stared Merrilee straight in the eyes. “I definitely want to get to know her better, but the question is, do I fit into her reason for being here at Seductive Fantasy?”
“I believe you could, very easily. But of course the decision to accept you will ultimately be up to Alexis.”
If all went as he planned, Jackson didn’t see that as a problem, not after the way Alexis had reacted so favorably to him on the seaplane. He’d use that attraction to his advantage. “So, how do I go about doing this?” he asked.
“Well, I can help you out a bit.” She smiled mischievously. “As part of your fantasy, and Alexis’s, I can give you complete access to her whereabouts at all times, day or night. A phone call to Stewart at the concierge desk will provide you with details and information on Alexis so you can keep track of her. However, if I see that she isn’t interested, the privileged information will discontinue.”
“Fair enough.” Jackson realized that Merrilee was attempting to act as matchmaker and trusted him with Alexis. He did his best to ignore the tightening in his gut and the little voice in his head making him question what he was going to do. “For starters, can I have her room number?”
“Room 305, in the main hotel,” she supplied easily, then pressed her soft hand to his arm. “I hope she’s the one who makes up for all those other women in your life.”
Jackson forced a smile and held back the comment, she’s going to be added to the growing list. Merrilee moved on to mingle with other guests, granting Jackson a reprieve. Tossing a tip for the bartender onto the counter, he left the Players’ Lounge and followed the path toward the hotel to seek out Alexis’s room for future reference.
He shook his head as the day’s events filtered through his mind. His first evening on the island certainly hadn’t turned out as he’d expected. Then again, if he was honest with himself, Alexis Baylor wasn’t what he’d anticipated, either. Not at all.
The pictures Mike had taken of her had accurately depicted her physical attributes. What those candid snapshots hadn’t captured was just how soft and lush her mouth looked, how smooth and luminous her skin appeared, or how expressive her blue eyes were. Despite her plain, reserved packaging, she possessed the potential to transform herself into a sensual beauty, but obviously wasn’t aware of her appeal. He found that realization amazing, especially when he was accustomed to women using their looks to their advantage.
In the flesh, Jackson had discovered that this particular woman was a paradox. The fascinating bits of vulnerability and softness she’d displayed on the seaplane had clashed with the image of the ruthless businesswoman he’d conjured in his mind. She’d been far more demure and reserved than he’d visualized, and he was finding it difficult to mesh the two individual, contradictory impressions.
With a disgusted grunt at his own gullibility, he reminded himself that this woman had cheated him and his company. Regardless of her modesty when it came to men, she definitely took an aggressive approach in business.
An approach he fully intended to emulate for the next week. A gradual buildup of flattery and romance to something far more assertive, persuasive and single-minded—a combination most women found difficult to withstand. And Merrilee had offered him the perfect opportunity to make Alexis the center of his attention. He’d initially take the chase slow and easy. Tease her. Tempt her. Then ultimately seduce her.
Judging by the attraction that had sparked between them in the seaplane, he had a strong feeling that Alexis Baylor wouldn’t be able to resist him. Pursuing her, and delving past all that reserve, wouldn’t be difficult for him, either. Not when she intrigued him, aroused him even, with her contradictions.
Jamming his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, Jackson followed the pathway through an elaborate garden of exotic plants and flowers flanking the courtyard designed between two separate wings of the hotel. There were benches situated along the trail and pillars entwined with night-blooming jasmine, scenting the air with a drugging, seductive perfume. His steps slowed and he glanced up at the four stories of suites looming in front of him, counting three up and five across, pinpointing Alexis’s room. The interior was dark, but she’d left the glass slider open to allow fresh air to slip inside. The diaphanous sheers covering the window billowed gently in the fragrant, sultry evening breeze.
He imagined her warm and soft in her bed, her breathing deep and even. Did she wear her hair down and free, or did she keep it neat and orderly even at night? She might dress practically in loose clothing, but he couldn’t stop himself from wondering what she slept in—something silky and decadent as Mike had suggested during his investigative report, or nothing at all? A slow burn settled in Jackson’s belly at the thought.
Soon, he’d find out.
Tomorrow, the seduction would begin.
3
IF HER FANTASY MAN was on the island he had yet to make an appearance, and half of her second day on Seductive Fantasy was nearly over.
Exhaling a breath of frustration, Alexis lifted her gaze from the romantic suspense novel she couldn’t quite concentrate on. She scanned the guests lounging around the pool area and couples conversing at the swim-up bar who were obviously enjoying their fantasies, whatever they may be.
For the umpteenth time in the past hour since she’d eaten a light lunch at the outdoor café, she searched for a dark-haired man with blue eyes who would set his sights on her and make that all important first advance.