And being close to her without being with her was starting to drive him mad.
Maybe being on their own, away from the bustle of the hotel, would help him peel away a few more of her protective layers.
“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” she asked.
“No,” he said, not bothering to glance at the scenery around them. With the wind blowing in her dark hair and her eyes alive with joy, she took his breath away without even trying.
“I’ve been around the world,” she said, “but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. Everyone should move here immediately.”
“The island might get a little overcrowded, don’t you think?”
“I don’t care. This is paradise.”
He caught her hand, running his lips across her knuckles. “Thank you for letting me come with you.”
Her eyes snapped to his, torn from the trees around them. “You’re the boss,” she said, her voice a touch more breathless than it had been a moment before.
“Still,” he said, “seeing this road again will help banish a few ghosts.”
Her fingers tightened on his. “Sophia?”
He nodded, kicking himself for bringing her up.
“Did she like this side of the island? From what you’ve said she doesn’t strike me as a camping sort of girl.”
He laughed at that, imagining his first love in the rustic cabin Avery had rented. “She wasn’t,” he replied. “There’s an expensive hotel in this area, tucked away from the world.”
“Did you ever think about building a second location out here?”
He nodded. “But I decided against it.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t convinced the traffic would be steady enough to justify even a smaller version of one of my hotels. Plus, I didn’t want to be responsible for drawing more and more tourists out here where everything seems so pristine and untouched.”
“A billionaire hotel mogul with a social conscience?” she teased. “I promise to keep your secret.”
He smiled. “Every now and then I can be decent.”
“I’m beginning to get that,” she said, looking away from him.
He studied her averted profile.
“If I were you, I’d do this drive every time I came to the island.”
“I never wanted to see it after my time with Sophia. Whenever I had to personally come here, I spent my time in the hotel and left as soon as I could.”
“It’s a shame,” she said, turning back to him. “Something this amazing shouldn’t be marred by bad memories. The only person who’s missing out is you.”
He reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m beginning to get that,” he said, repeating her own words.
Her wide eyes met his, so many questions swirling in their chocolate depths. How had he ever thought that piercing gaze was plain? Now it featured in his fantasies. He wanted to see her eyes fill with pleasure when he thrust into her.
“You’re making me do things I never thought I would again,” he murmured, his thumb brushing along her jaw.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.
“I haven’t decided,” he said honestly. His life had been more comfortable before the gala, of that there was no doubt. But being with Avery was relighting a spark inside him he hadn’t even known was out.
“How do you do it?” he said.
“Do what?” Her gaze was locked on him, ignoring the natural splendor around them.
“Make me forget about everything but you.”
Her lips parted on a surprised gasp. “You’re exaggerating.”
His thumb brushed down her throat, gliding over the soft skin. “I wish I was.”
She watched him, those big eyes wide enough for a man to drown in.
“Why did you run?” he whispered.
She swallowed hard. For a long moment, silence stretched, and he wondered if she would refuse to answer.
“Protection,” she finally said.
He blinked. “What?”
She pulled out of his grasp. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
When she tried to move away from him, he wrapped an arm around her middle to catch her. In the blink of an eye, he had her sitting between his legs, her back pressed to his chest as he wound his arms around her.
“Hayden,” she protested, squirming in his hold.
“Hush,” he whispered in her ear, leaning close enough to let his hot breath tickle her skin. A gratifying shiver shook her body.
“If you won’t talk to me, give me this at least.”
She was stiff in his arms but slowly yielded. “This can’t be comfortable for you,” she said.