“Thank you, Mavis.”

  Ethan ran his hand through his hair and looked across at Zoe. She looked confused. Well, welcome to the club, Ethan thought. After Summer had left his office three weeks ago he had met with Mr. Johnson who refused to tell him how he found out about him and Summer, only stating that his father had approved of the firing. Ethan had been livid and unfortunately his father had been conveniently unavailable to him for a week. When he had finally met with him, he had simply said what’s done is done. Just like that. It was over. When he tried to ask more questions a day or so later he was informed that he needed to think about the company, the family, and what was in everyone’s best interest. In other words, fall in line and don’t question. He had reluctantly done just that but not a day went by that he didn’t think of Summer, wondering what could have become of them and questioning why he didn’t try to find her. It wouldn’t have been that difficult to do. It wasn’t until last night at dinner that he realized he could no longer go with the status quo that was his life.

  “Ethan, the chef prepared a special meal,” his mother began. “I told Salvatore you had been in the Bahamas recently and that I thought you might be missing the islands,” she said with a smile.

  Ethan gave her a quizzical look and then heard his father scoff. “I don’t think it’s the food he liked, dear.”

  “Oh really?” she turned to Ethan. “Did you meet someone there?”

  Ethan sighed and took a sip of wine. “It was…”

  “Nothing,” his father finished for him.

  Ethan narrowed his eyes and set his glass down.

  “Oh don’t look at me that way, son. You’re better off without this Summer woman.”

  Ethan sat back as it all started to fall into place. “I never told you what her name was,” Ethan seethed.

  His father looked down at the plate that was set before him, avoiding his son’s gaze.

  “What did you do?” Ethan demanded.

  “Secured your future,” his father stated simply, looking indifferent as he began eating.

  “Mr. Webster, I’m not sure why I’m here,” Zoe stumbled with her words while Ethan breathed out, having been drawn out of his memory.

  “Is Summer doing okay?” He asked, sipping his coffee.

  “Umm, yeah, I guess. Finding a new job is difficult,” Zoe stated uneasily, not sure where this was leading.

  He gently tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m sorry about that. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Aside from getting her job back,” Zoe questioned, her anger starting to creep out.

  He paused with a faraway look on his face before finally responding, “No, I won’t be able to do that.”

  “Why ask if…” Zoe stopped and clenched her fists under the table, trying desperately to stay calm. “May I speak freely?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Summer really cared about you. Yes, she knew who you were when she met you on the island. She’s been in love with the idea of you for ages. Too bad the reality of you was lacking. Because ya know what, she was fraternizing with you, but I don’t see you suffering in any way,” Zoe raged, unable to stop herself. Ethan opened his mouth to speak but Zoe continued. “Is she a bit extreme? Hell yes, she can be, especially when she sees something that she wants. But…” Zoe rose from her seat. “She’s never been interested in your money. EVER! And for the record,” she leaned down as to not draw attention to herself and whispered in a strained voice, “She’s not now nor has she ever been a gold-digging whore!”

  Ethan’s eyes closed, and his expression became strained as he remembered telling Summer that. It was not one of his proudest moments. He had immediately called the airlines afterward and got the hell off the island but he regretted leaving in that way. In fact, his intent was to talk to Summer once she returned from her vacation. Unfortunately, all hell had broken loose before they had a chance to do that and then he wasn’t able to. This is such a mess! He thought as he opened his eyes and saw that Zoe was walking outside the diner.

  Zoe was fuming at Ethan for the way he treated Summer, for the inequity of the situation. But mostly she was angry at herself. She had lost her temper and basically yelled at one of the executives. If he wanted, he could fire her on the spot. Damn, this mouth of mine, she thought as she pushed through the door in a panic and walked straight into someone.

  ~*~

  Masen sat in the conference room along with his father and a few other people he was not interested in getting to know. Everyone had treated him well, like royalty even, but Masen was already bored. He longed to at least be outside. He missed the ocean, he missed riding that perfect wave, he missed the feel of the water on his skin and he missed the freedom of mind that surfing provided him. He had only been working in the office for two days and he already felt like he was suffocating. How was he supposed to live like this?

  “I need to meet with Mr. Webster to go over quarterly financials.”

  Masen’s ears caught that. He looked up and saw that it was Alberto Hoffman talking. His father’s business manager and right hand man.

  “I’d like to go with you if possible,” Masen spoke up.

  Alberto started to say something but his dad raised his hand, looking at his son with a smile. “That’s a good idea, Masen.”

  Alberto frowned. He had been optimistic when Rodrigo said his son was coming to work for the company but so far he had not been impressed. He didn’t believe that Masen had the disposition for the work and seemed disinterested in learning anything. He imagined that there was likely another reason he wanted to go to Webster, Inc. but he would never say that aloud.

  “Of course, I’d love for you to shadow me,” Alberto said, unable to hide his annoyance at the intrusion.

  Meanwhile, Masen’s father beamed, excited that Masen seemed interested in something, anything, related to the company. He began to think that maybe if he saw the financial part of the business that he would want to become more involved. Alberto gathered his things, annoyed, but he knew he couldn’t question Rodrigo’s decision on this. He only hoped that Masen would eventually put in some effort, even if it was only minimal.

  Masen paid no attention to Alberto as they walked out of their building and got into the waiting town car. Masen had one purpose and one purpose only and that was to see Zoe. He had told himself he wouldn’t do it, that he wouldn’t force the situation but he couldn’t let her go. She was on his mind constantly. Perhaps if they saw each other again she would change her stance, and maybe want to pursue a relationship with him. As they stepped out of the vehicle in front of the Webster’s building, he saw her crossing the street, following an angry looking man in a business suit. His heart dropped, she’s with someone? He questioned and then shook his head. No, no way. He could feel the rage building within him, even though he knew that he had no right to feel this way.

  “Masen,” Alberto stated, aggravated that he wasn’t listening to a word he’d been saying.

  “I’ll be right back,” Masen stated dismissively as he crossed the street.

  He was trying desperately to control the growing anger inside, fully aware he shouldn’t be upset. But he couldn’t accept that she was with someone else. He stopped at the door and saw her rise from her seat. She said something angrily to the man at the table and then stormed off. Masen stepped back as she pushed through the door and suddenly she was right before him. She was beautiful in her business attire, her long hair flowing everywhere, her face filled with anger and confusion. His heart beat rapidly as he breathed in deeply.

  “Zoe,” he stated simply.

  Zoe eyes shot up, and low and behold, Masen was standing before her, smiling that wonderful smile. He looked different though. Instead of the board shorts and t-shirt, he was wearing a suit and tie. Instead of his long wavy hair, he was sporting what Zoe liked to call the professional man’s cut, short at the sides and a tad longer on top. He had only a hint of stubble on his magnificent jaw but it was perfectly manicured. Simply put, he was breathtaking. Zoe automatically reached her hand up and ran it over his shorter hair, causing him to chuckle. Suddenly, his expression became serious. His tongue passed over his lips as she whispered his name.

  “Masen.”

  “Yes,” he said, unable to stop himself from kissing her.

  The minute their mouths touched, it was as if they had never been apart. Their fear, their joy, their confusion and their desire all erupted within them. And more importantly, the love that neither had expressed to one another became very real and completely overpowering. They both realized then and there that their lives were forever entwined and although they had not yet expressed their feelings for one another they were both aware of its presence. That would need to be enough for right now. They kissed long and passionately, right there on the sidewalk in front of the little diner. He wondered briefly if he could simply sweep her away. Would anyone miss them? His father surely would, and what about Zoe? He was positive that she couldn’t leave her job in the middle of the day. With those thoughts in mind, he reluctantly pulled away from her, cradling her face with his hands before touching her lips once more.

  “What are you doing here?” she finally mumbled, still shocked at his presence.

  “I’m supposed to meet with Mr. Webster. I’m not sure which one though,” Masen said with a shrug, slightly embarrassed that he was so eager to see her that he had neglected to get some vital information.

  “That would be me,” Ethan said stepping up to them.

  Masen let go of Zoe’s face. He had momentarily forgotten that she had been sitting with this man. Masen’s face hardened as the man looked between the two of them. Then suddenly Masen realized that he actually remembered meeting this person once before. His mother had invited people over for his eleventh birthday. It was before all hell had broken loose in his life. He recalled a small skinny boy that pretty much stayed at his father’s side.

  “I was expecting Mr. Hoffman,” Ethan looked at Masen for a moment longer and seeing the resemblance smiled. “Mr. Pelletier, I presume.”

  Masen nodded and shook his hand. “I think we’ve met before.”

  “Yes, I believe it was your birthday party. You were eleven or twelve?”

  Masen laughed. “Eleven.”

  Ethan forced a smile. “So you’re working with your father now?”

  “Unfortunately,” Masen mumbled under his breath.

  Ethan looked across the street and saw Mr. Hoffman standing at the curb. He looked perturbed but he wasn’t sure if that look was aimed at himself or Mr. Pelletier. He turned back to Masen and motioned his head toward his office building.

  “You are a little early but come with me, let me show you to my office.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Masen said. “Give me a moment, please.”

  “Of course,” Ethan replied and turned to Zoe curiously.

  He wondered how she knew the son of their biggest client. He started to say something else, to ask her to relay a message to Summer, to tell her he was sorry for how things happened but instead he closed his mouth and turned toward the street where he left to greet Mr. Hoffman.

  “Can we go somewhere to talk when you get off tonight?” Masen asked, praying that her answer would be yes.

  She nodded excitedly. “I’d like that.”

  21 Beyond the Beach

  E than looked at his watch. His meeting with Mr. Pelletier and Mr. Hoffman ended forty minutes ago. It had gone well, but if you asked him what transpired, he would not be able to remember as neither his heart nor his head were in it. He was troubled as Zoe’s words rang in his head, causing him deep pain. She spoke the truth and it made him realize just how much his father dictated his life and how much he towed the line because of it. He didn’t even stand up for a girl who had done nothing wrong. Well, she had lied that she knew who he was, but, in hindsight he could understand why she did it. The problem he saw was that they never got the chance to actually talk about it and if his father had his way they never would. He pushed back in his chair and stepped out of his office, walking to the other side of his floor. He breathed in deeply and stepped inside his father’s opened door. Mr. Webster was talking animatedly on the phone and motioned for Ethan to take a seat.

  “How’d it go?” Mr. Webster asked, hanging up.

  “Good. Mr. Hoffman brought Mr. Pelletier’s son, Masen.”

  “Really?” he nodded, “What’s your impression?”

  Ethan shrugged. “He seemed nice.”

  “Nice?” Mr. Webster questioned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m leaving for the rest of day,” Ethan stated, not answering his father’s question.

  His father laughed. “Leaving, what on earth for?”

  Ethan rose and set his hands on the desk causing his father to lean back, startled. “I’m going to fix what you messed up.”

  “Honestly, Ethan, all this fuss over a woman you barely knew,” he stated dismissively.

  Ethan narrowed his eyes and slammed his hand on the desk. “I LIKED HER, and YOU messed things up before I had a chance to get to know her better.” Ethan fumed and then drew in a breath trying to calm down. “She may not forgive me for how I treated her in Eleuthera or for what you did but, damn it, I need to find out.”

  “I won’t give you permission to leave,” Mr. Webster stated with little weight behind it.

  It was Ethan’s turn to laugh. “Well, I guess you’ll need to fire me too. You’re good at that, aren’t you?” Ethan turned and started walking to the door, satisfied with himself.

  “Ethan, come back here!” his father yelled.

  Ethan didn’t listen. Instead, he stormed out of his father’s office, leaving him speechless. As he walked down the hall, he finally felt in control of his life. He had stood up to his father. A rarity for him but something he needed to do. His father was wrong about Summer and wrong about what Ethan needed in his life. Ethan may not have known completely himself, but what he did know was that Summer made him feel happy, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He couldn’t dismiss that. He had to see where it led. He only hoped that Summer would let him explain.

  ~*~

  Zoe tapped her fingers on her desk nervously. For some reason, the clock seemed to be going extremely slow. It had been a crazy day so far. Between the incident with Ethan, then running into Masen, her emotions had been all over the place. She had texted Summer telling her what had happened with Ethan and that she had run into Masen afterward. She also told her that she would be seeing Masen tonight and not to wait up. Zoe had the distinct impression that Summer might get a visitor as well. Ethan had seemed out of sorts when they left the diner and Zoe had heard that he actually left early.

  “Well, he better go apologize to Summer, that’s for damn sure,” Zoe mumbled to herself as she checked the clock once more.

  The phone rang, startling her, but she quickly answered and then did what Mr. Johnson asked of her. She was thankful for it actually as it kept her mind occupied. When the clock finally read five, Zoe sprung from her seat and made a mad dash to the elevator. Well, as quickly as her heels would allow her.

  “Zoe,” Masen called to her.

  She turned toward the sound and smiled widely. He was still in his suit but had taken the tie off and loosened the top couple of buttons. She took off her heels and ran over to him, flinging her arms around his neck. He buried his nose in her hair, smelling her sweet fragrance. He had missed that. He had missed everything about her. He lifted her into his arms and started walking them backward. Zoe giggled as he stumbled while trying to back them through the door. By the time they got outside the building, they were both laughing hysterically as he set her down.

  “Where to, Ms. Macintosh?” he asked with a light kiss on her lips.

  She stopped smiling, a serious expression formed on her face. “Let’s go to your place.”

  His look mirrored hers as he nodded. His hand grabbed hers as he led her to the waiting cab. Masen gave the location and then promptly started kissing Zoe. They kissed the entire way, unable to break from each other. If they could have actually had sex in there they most surely would have. When the cab stopped and they were finally forced to break away from each other, Zoe looked around and realized where she was at. She had never been to this part of town, way beyond her social scale. She glanced at Masen, suddenly worried and nervous. He kissed her lightly.

  “It’s okay, baby. Come on.”

  Masen handed the driver a handful of bills and helped Zoe out. Out of his periphery he could see Sam waving at them as they entered, but Masen was only focused on Zoe. In the elevator, they immediately found themselves kissing again, only stopping when the bell indicated they were at Masen’s floor. As soon as they were inside his apartment, Zoe let out a soft breath. The apartment was filled with modern furniture and plants strategically placed throughout. It looked like it belonged in a magazine photo spread and not something someone would actually live in, let alone Masen. She frowned at that thought.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  She turned to him. “This doesn’t look anything like you.”

  He nodded. “I know. Come here, let me show you something.”

  “Is it amazing?” Zoe asked in almost a whisper.

  He smirked naughtily, as he remembered telling her that he wanted to show her something amazing when he took her snorkeling. He reached for her hand again and directed her down the hall, passed his bedroom and into his office. When Zoe stepped inside, her hands went to her mouth. Now, this looked like Masen to her. There were several of his pictures on the wall, including one of her, and on the adjacent wall was a slideshow of pictures from Eleuthera, chronicling their time together. Masen came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  “Sit with me,” he said before kissing her sweetly on the temple. “Let’s talk.”

  “Talk, huh?” she questioned.

  He chuckled lightly. “Yes, talk.”