This could happen. Under the right circumstances, this could actually work! As he considered the logistics, he remembered a place…a tiny island near…where was that island? In the Caribbean somewhere. But what was the name of that island?

  When it came to him, he snapped his fingers, startling Ormond. “There’s an island off of the coast of Belize. It’s small, but beautiful. There’s a resort there that will be safe enough. Suggest that for the face to face conversations.”

  Ormond nodded, typing frantically even as he headed for the doorway. “Yes, Your Highness,” he replied absently.

  “And contact Maya,” Jahlil added, startling the man into turning around.

  “Ms. Tisdale? You want to speak with her?” he asked, trying to understand.

  Jahlil thought for a moment, wondering if his plan made sense. But as he considered options, he knew that this was the right thing to do. With a sharp nod, he confirmed his order. “Have her pack a bag for a tropical island. If she can get away from her job, I want her with us for the negotiations.”

  Ormond blinked, his fingers hovering above the virtual keyboard on his tablet. “You want her to participate in the negotiations, Sire?”

  Jahlil laughed and shook his head. “Not a chance!” he replied. “I don’t want her near those bastards.” He thought about it for another moment. Was he making a mistake? He tossed the pros and cons around for a moment. No, this was the right thing to do. Nodding as if mentally confirming his thoughts, he glanced at his assistant. “Yes, Maya needs more sunshine during the winter months. See if she would be willing to come along. She won’t participate in the discussions, but she can stay with me and relax for a week. Longer if she likes. It will help her if she gets some sunshine during the winter months. That should help her sleep patterns, as well as her moods during the grey days facing her in Boston.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Ormond replied, understanding the tact dismissal. He started towards the door again, and bowed at the exit. Jahlil watched the older man leave. He suspected that his assistant didn’t entirely approve of Maya. He wondered why, but wasn’t in the mood to worry about it.

  Besides, he loved the idea of spending a whole week with Maya. Jahlil had managed to spend some time with her over the years. Mostly, he was only able to carve out a dinner every couple of months. But a whole week! Yes, that would be…hellish. And heaven!

  Was the idea of spending a week with Maya a bad idea?

  This would be his last contact with her, he promised. He needed to move on. He needed to find a wife, produce an heir.

  Immediately, the image of Maya popped into his mind. Maya lushly pregnant. Maya nursing their newborn. She had lovely breasts, he thought. His body hardened painfully and he bent over, fisting his hands on his desk again as he closed his eyes, forcing the woman from his thoughts.

  Maya still loved Sandoor, he told himself. She was off-limits!

  Chapter 7

  Maya smiled as she read the message. “Typical Jahlil,” she muttered, leaning back in her leather chair. Obviously, this was an invitation for Thumper to jump onto her lap. The tiny kitten Jahlil had given her had grown into an enormous, twenty pound cat! “Oh, so you think it’s time for attention?” she teased, but automatically, she scratched Thumper’s ears. “He wants me to talk to him,” she told the massive cat. “In the Caribbean!”

  Thumper wasn’t overly impressed. He nudged her hand off the keyboard. “Hey!” she laughed, but continued petting him. His heavy purring always soothed her. As an added benefit, the sweetly ferocious cat continuously reminded her of Jahlil. Thumper was big and fierce when he wanted attention, then turned sweet and cuddly.

  Okay, so Thumper wasn’t particularly ferocious, but he always got his way. Just like Jahlil.

  She turned back to the e-mail, reading through the details. “A driver will pick you up and take you to the airport. A plane at Logan airport will be standing by to fly you here.”

  She smiled, thinking of the big guy. “At least he’s not flying into Boston to take me out to dinner again,” she muttered to Thumper. “But I’m not sure if I want to spend a whole week with him on a warm, Caribbean island.”

  Thumper wasn’t impressed with her dilemma.

  For several moments, she contemplated her answer. She didn’t want to see Jahlil again. Every time he flew into town, it took her several weeks, sometimes months, to stop thinking about him. He was so amazingly virile and male and…she loved him. Their dinner conversations were lively and challenging. He always took her to the best restaurants in town and he always had a beautiful, expensive dress hand-delivered to her door prior to their dinner “dates”.

  She looked down at Thumper who had his eyes closed, blissfully purring while Maya scratched behind his ears. “The dresses have become a bit sexier over the past year, haven’t they?” she asked of her feline beast. His answer was a blinking of his golden eyes.

  “I know! You don’t approve either.” She continued to scratch. “But I gotta tell you, my friend, every time I wear one of his dresses, I feel…amazing!”

  She leaned back again, biting her lower lip as she contemplated the invitation. A whole week. In the tropics. With Jahlil!

  “No,” she said out loud, this time, more to herself than to the cat. “I can’t do it. I just…I need to stop seeing him.” Maya knew that her heart was so completely in love with Jahlil that it was time to stop seeing him. “Cold turkey,” she told the cat. His ears twitched and his head swiveled in her direction, then he turned toward the kitchen where his food bowl was. A bowl that was probably empty. “Not you,” she whispered, soothing her hungry beast. “Me. I have to stop seeing him. This obsession isn’t healthy. I have to…” she swallowed past the lump in her throat, “get over Jahlil. I need to find someone else. Someone…” she stopped. The word “boring” popped into her mind.

  “No!” she gasped, surprising Thumper into turning to glare at her. “I’m not going to find someone boring!” she vowed. “But I need to do something. I need to change my life.” She looked down at Thumper who blinked up at her indignantly. “I’m not going to become a hermit who only talks to my cat!”

  Turning back to her computer, she typed out her reply. “We need to talk,” she started off. “What time will the car pick me up?” She could have easily gotten to the airport on her own. And Maya knew that there were daily flights to the island. So, she didn’t need to have a personal chauffer pick her up and take her to the airport, and she definitely didn’t need the private plane to fly her to the island. But she also knew that Jahlil wouldn’t allow her to get there on her own. He was a bit stuffy about her personal safety.

  Maya didn’t allow herself to smile at that. She was a strong woman and didn’t need a man to take care of her.

  Even if she was madly in love with him.

  Sighing, she turned back to work, refusing to check her e-mail for a response.

  Chapter 8

  The sun felt like a soothing blanket, warming her after the almost frigid air on the plane and the icy temperatures she’d left behind in Boston. Lifting her face up to the sunshine, she stood on the tarmac for a long moment, just letting the warmth and gentle humidity seep into her winter-dry skin.

  “You look like a sun goddess,” a deep voice called out.

  Startled, Maya turned to find Jahlil coming towards her, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. But she’d recognize him anywhere. He had only grown more muscular over the past few years. He was still shockingly attractive in that raw, powerful way. And every time she saw him, it was a shock to her system.

  Shaking herself out of her momentary stupor, she smiled up at him. “We need to talk, Jahlil,” she told him.

  He smiled slightly, putting a hand to the small of her back. “I figured that was the case. Let’s talk in private though.”

  “You’re going to be difficult, aren’t you?” she laughed up at him.

  “Of course!” he replied cheerfully as he opened the door to the Jeep and gestured her inside. “Get in. I’m driving.”

  Her mouth fell open. “You are driving? Has hell frozen over?” she teased.

  “Get in, brat,” he growled.

  She laughed as she climbed into the Jeep, settling into the comfortable seat. She watched hungrily as he came around to the driver’s side, admiring the powerful way he moved. He always moved with absolute confidence, she thought. It was such an amazing thing to watch Jahlil.

  With a sigh, she pushed her sunglasses higher, then waited while he climbed into the Jeep, refusing to watch him as he settled his tall, muscular frame next to her. Keep it cool, she silently told herself.

  It was only a twenty minute drive to the resort, which was a beautiful yellow building surrounded by twenty additional buildings encircling a stunning courtyard filled with lush tropical plants, flowers bursting with color, and a small waterfall. She’d like to say that it was a charming place, but it was too big and too elegant to qualify as charming. But there was definitely a charming element to the site.

  “This is lovely.”

  “Is this the only luggage you brought?” he asked, watching as one of the bell hops pulled a small suitcase out of the back of the Jeep.

  “Yes. I didn’t think I’d need much,” she told him.

  She almost laughed as his lips compressed in disapproval. “You think so, huh?” he asked, putting a hand to the small of her back.

  “Well, we need to–”

  “When we’re alone,” he repeated, but this time, he lowered his head so that his lips were very close to her ear. Maya couldn’t stop the shiver of awareness when he did that, and she prayed that he didn’t notice. The last thing she needed was for Jahlil to realize that she had personal feelings for him! Goodness, she couldn’t repay his kindness over the years with an awkward moment when he realized she had a painful crush for him!

  Okay, so it was a whole lot more than just a crush, she thought as she followed him through the beautiful lobby and into what she suspected was a private elevator.

  Once inside the elevator cab, she stood awkwardly on one side while he stood in the middle and the bellhop remained on the other side. The poor man could obviously feel the tension, if his odd looks and darting eyes was any indication.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator doors opened. The bellhop stepped out first, and he immediately moved off to deliver her suitcase into what she suspected was one of the guest bedrooms. Meanwhile, Maya looked around, taking in the glorious beauty of the space. “Wow! These windows looking out to the ocean must be pretty amazing to wake up to every morning.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t get to see much of the view. I’m here for meetings.”

  “Ah, ever the serious leader.” she teased.

  He rolled his eyes. “Now that we’re alone,” he started, only to pause when the bellhop emerged from the bedroom. The poor guy looked at them, then literally stumbled out of the room, pulling the suite’s doors closed behind him without waiting for a tip.

  Jahlil turned to look at her again. “As I said,” he paused, looking around and Maya laughed, “now that we’re alone, what did you need to talk to me about?”

  He walked over to what appeared to be a fully stocked bar, pulling out a bottle of white wine from a small refrigerator. With expertise, he uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses.

  She watched, as always fascinated by his hands. Jahlil had long, tanned fingers and she remembered him holding Thumper so carefully as a kitten.

  “Maya?” he prompted.

  She blinked and realized that he was holding the glass of wine out to her.

  “Oh! Sorry!” she gasped, taking the glass, careful not to touch his fingers. She might drop the glass if she had any contact with him. She knew from experience that touching Jahlil, even in the most casual way, would prompt a response in her body that was…well, embarrassing.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, taking a quick sip of her wine to camouflage the fact that her hands were shaking.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, then sat down across from her. “So, what’s on your mind?”

  It was the perfect opening, but still, she hesitated. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She lov…respected him a great deal. He’d been so good to her over the years. But she knew that she needed to be firm.

  “I need you to stop,” she explained with as gentle a tone as she could manage.

  He lifted a dark eyebrow quizzically as he peered at her over the rim of his wine glass. “Stop?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “Stop intimidating the men I go out with. Stop taking my car in the middle of the night and getting everything checked and the tires replaced. Stop with the food and meal deliveries when you think I’m not eating.” She took a deep breath. “I know that you think that I’m your responsibility, Jahlil, but I need to move on with my life.” Her voice cracked a little. She didn’t want to move on. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and beg him to think of her as someone other than his little sister. She wanted to be his lover! She wanted to feel the heat of him against her skin and taste his kisses the way she’d done so often in her dreams.

  But that was not to be, she reminded herself firmly, tightening her grip on the wine glass.

  “You don’t eat well,” he pointed out calmly. “In fact, there are days when you don’t leave your apartment and you forget to eat at all.”

  She lowered her head. “That’s another thing. How do you know that I forget to eat?” she asked. “That’s a bit creepy, Jahlil.”

  He laughed softly. “I don’t know the specific days that you forget to eat, Maya,” he replied calmly. “I just know that you go shopping on Thursday evenings. Except on the days when you forget. You purchase seven containers of yogurt, seven bananas, one loaf of bread, lunch meat, cheese, seven apples and a few other items that vary from week to week.”

  She stared at him, her mouth falling open. “How do you know that?” she demanded.

  “Because I’ve assigned a body guard to watch over you,” he explained. “You are family, Maya. It is my responsibility to take care of you.”

  She set the glass of wine down on the coffee table, then stood up and walked over to the window. “I don’t want to be your responsibility, Jahlil. You have too many people who claim your time.” She spun around, imploring him with her eyes to understand. “I’ve always wanted to be your…friend,” she replied, hoping that he hadn’t noticed her hesitation. “And if you’re constantly checking up on me, then I’m only one more thing that you have to make sure is working properly.”

  He stood up as well, walking over to her. “And you want to be free of me?” he asked, his voice velvety smooth.

  No! The word echoed in her mind immediately. But she swallowed the retort, forcing herself to nod instead. “Yes. It’s time. You helped me through that period after Sandoor passed away,” she told him, closing her eyes as she remembered the way he’d held her, the tender way he’d wiped her tears. She’d loved every moment of being in his arms and this “brotherly” affection was killing her. Slowly, it was wearing away every ounce of her will to see other men, to find that elusive happiness that she so desperately wanted to find with him, but knew deep in her heart that she couldn’t. She had to move on!

  He looked at her steadily and it took every ounce of self-discipline within her to keep from fidgeting.

  “I’ll make a deal with you,” he offered.

  Relieved, she released the breath she’d been holding. “What’s that?”

  “You stay here with me this week and relax. Get some sun because you’re looking a little pale. And eat enough to gain a few pounds back. At the end of this week, then we’ll discuss how to move forward.”

  She contemplated that for a long moment. Looking around, she accepted that there were worst fates she could face rather than spending a week in a luxurious vacation spot.

  “And after this week, you’ll let me fail if I fail?” she prompted.

  He smiled, but his expression turned mysterious. “Let’s just take it one day at a time.”

  Despite herself, she smiled at him. “That’s a non-answer, Jahlil.”

  He chuckled and shrugged. “And that’s the best I can give you right now.” He glanced at his watch and sighed. “Unfortunately, I have another meeting that I must attend.”

  She turned as well, confused as he moved towards the doorway. “Wait, you want me to relax and have a good time, but you’re going off to some tedious meeting where you’ll probably spend hours debating the price of…corn and soybean or oil and natural gas? That doesn’t seem fair!”

  He waved to her without responding, then vanished out the door.

  Left alone, Maya wondered what she was supposed to do now. Looking around, she blinked at the beautiful suite. The beautiful, empty suite! She was in a beautiful, romantic vacation spot. Alone. What fun was that?

  She walked through the suite, which was more like a penthouse with five bedrooms, a full dining room, massive living room with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the turquoise ocean, a surprisingly large kitchen, a game room, music room complete with a grand piano, as well as a movie room with a massive television that was larger than the biggest wall in her apartment.

  “Good grief,” she muttered, walking back into the bedroom where she’d found her suitcase. She unzipped it and pulled out the pretty sundress she’d packed. Just one sundress and her toiletries. She’d intended to stay here just one night. “I guess I’d better hit the shops,” she muttered.