THE CAPTURE: The Marriage Diaries, Volume 6 (Invitation To Eden) (2 page)

“Everything okay?” Stephanie asked.

Jillian exhaled a frustrated stream of breath and glanced at her boss. “Dean wants to go away for the weekend. Starting right this minute. I can’t believe he set all this up without talking to me first. I can’t just walk out-”

“Yes, you can,” her friend interrupted with a grin. “Dean called me about a week ago to ask if you could have this weekend off because he had a surprise get-away in mind. He wanted to make sure there wasn’t any work related conflicts, or anything important you needed to be here for, and there
isn’t
, so I wasn’t about to say no to something so romantic.”

Jillian raised a brow. “So, you knew all about this?”

Stephanie shrugged. “I knew he had something planned for the weekend, but I don’t know details.”

“Neither do I,” she said wryly as she skimmed the letter from Dean again. “It’s all very mysterious. I’ve got a plane ticket to Florida, and a note stating not to pack anything because he’ll have everything taken care of when I get to wherever I’m going.”

“Maybe he’s taking you to one of those clothing optional resorts,” Stephanie suggested.

Jillian cringed at the thought. “Umm, no. Just . . .
no
.” She laughed out loud and shook her head. “Walking around completely naked in front of other people is way beyond my comfort zone.” And since Dean had signed the letter with
enjoy your fantasy
, she was inclined to believe that whatever lay ahead had been planned with deliberate care, attention to detail, and her own personal fantasies in mind, which he knew intimately.

“Whatever is awaiting you, I’m sure it’s going to be sexy and fun, so go and enjoy yourself,” Stephanie said.

“Are you absolutely sure?” Jillian asked, wanting to be certain that she wasn’t leaving her boss short-handed.

“Of course I am,” her friend said as she retrieved Jillian’s purse from the cubby next to the drafting table. “Anything that needs to be done in regards to the Miller’s playroom you’re designing can wait until next week, or I can take care of myself.” She pushed the leather bag into Jillian’s hands. “Now get out of here and that’s an order. Your car is waiting out front to whisk you away for a weekend with your gorgeous husband, you lucky girl.”

“I won’t argue with that. I’m a
very
lucky girl.” Tucking her husband’s letter and her plane ticket to Florida into her purse, she slung it over her shoulder and headed toward the front door of the office.

Knowing she had her boss’s blessing allowed Jillian to enjoy the sense of anticipation rushing through her as she made her way outside and was greeted by the suit clad driver, who stood by the open back door of a shiny black Town Car. With a wave to Stephanie, she slid inside the vehicle and let the gentleman close the door after her.

As they drove toward the San Diego International airport, Jillian stared out the window at the passing scenery, thinking about how far she and Dean had come in their marriage and relationship in the past year. Seducing him in his office that day, and voicing her more forbidden desires to her husband, had changed their routine sex life into hot, erotic encounters that just kept on getting better and better.

But, admittedly, it had taken a lot of communication and compromise to get to this great point in their marriage, and it wasn’t very long ago that she’d rocked the boat, so to speak, by announcing her intention of going to work after being a wife and stay-at-home mom for twenty years. Her need to do something for herself had gone against Dean’s deep-seated duty to provide completely for his wife and family, which all stemmed from his own childhood and growing up with a drunken father who hadn’t given a damn about his wife or son.

They’d managed to work through that stumbling block in their relationship, and even though Dean would always prefer that she didn’t work so he could take care of her the way a husband should, he now understood her reasons for wanting a career of her own and supported her decision.

While she loved being a decorator for Fantasy Bedrooms and would never give up her job, over the past few months she’d discovered just how difficult it was to balance work and more intimate time with Dean—especially considering his erratic schedule and frequent business trips as a security consultant for his own firm—and just how hard it was to keep things fresh and exciting in the bedroom. Lately, they’d both been working long hours and were too tired in the evenings to indulge in some of their favorite past-times in their personal playroom, and she missed those more erotic, kinky encounters with her husband.

Apparently, Dean was feeling the same way, and she was dying to know what kind of hot and dirty fantasy he’d arranged for the two of them to enjoy.

The Town Car pulled up to the curb at the airport, and the journey began. She checked in with the airlines, delighted to discover that Dean had purchased a seat for her in first class. She had just enough time to get through security and purchase a book to read on the flight before boarding the plane.

The day consisted of eight hours of travel with a short lay-over in Houston where she grabbed a quick sandwich to take with her on the next leg of her flight, and finally arrived in Miami, Florida, at five in the afternoon. As she followed the rest of the travelers down to the transportation area of the airport, she saw a pretty young woman in her mid-twenties holding up a sign with her name, JILLIAN NOBLE, in bold text – just as Dean’s brief instructions told her she would.

Jillian approached the woman with a smile. “Hi. I’m Jillian. You must be Joely. My husband, Dean, said you’d be taking me to wherever my final destination will be.”

The younger woman’s green eyes lit up. “Yes, I’m Joely,” she confirmed. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’ll be providing your transportation to Eden.”

Eden—Jillian’s first clue as to where she was going. She’d never heard of such a place before, though the name alone made it sound very appealing. She fell into step beside her escort and slipped into a waiting vehicle. She expected a short drive to this place called Eden, but instead they arrived at a marina with a seaplane docked at the end of a pier.

“Is that plane for us?” Jillian asked hesitantly as she and Joely got out of the car and headed toward the small aircraft.

“Yes. It’s the quickest way to get to Eden.” Joely must have seen the nervous look on Jillian’s face because she rushed to reassure her. “Don’t worry. You’re in safe hands. I’m a former bush pilot and I’ve been chartering guests to the island of Eden for years.”

Jillian had no choice but to trust the other woman, as well as Dean since he undoubtedly knew she’d have to fly in this tiny plane. “What is Eden, other than an island?” she asked curiously as she climbed into the back and settled into a small seat next to the window, hoping to get a better idea of where she was headed.

“It’s a very magical place, located in the Bermuda Triangle,” her pilot said as she took her own seat in the cockpit, then glanced back at Jillian with a grin. “Eden is anything you want it to be.”

The last part of her comment sounded enticing, but Jillian could only wrap her mind around one thing. “The Bermuda Triangle?” she repeated, unable to keep the trepidation from her voice.

Joely just laughed, as if Jillian’s reaction was a common one. “Don’t panic. We haven’t lost a guest yet.” She powered up the plane and flipped some switches on the panel in front of her. “Put your headset on, relax, and enjoy the ride and view.”

Between the small plane and them heading toward the Bermuda Triangle, Jillian didn’t think she
could
fully relax, but Joely proved to be an exceptional pilot and the ride was smooth and uneventful.

“We’re nearly there,” Joely said almost two hours later, the microphone on her headset linked to Jillian’s. “Look out your window. The view of Eden from up here is breath-taking and you don’t want to miss it.”

For the first time since taking off, Jillian glanced down, catching a glimpse of a stunningly lush and gorgeous island out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean as Joely landed the plane on the water and taxied toward a small pier. Dominating the piece of land was an enormous, majestic-looking Irish castle made of gray stone that looked to be centuries old. With the sun setting behind the massive palace, the entire structure seemed to shimmer with a life of its own.

It certainly wasn’t your normal island resort, and Jillian was both intrigued and enchanted by the castle, and what might lie ahead.

She and Joely stepped out of the plane, and Jillian frowned when she saw a man at the end of the dock, wearing all black, with a cloak and a hood obscuring his face. He stood with his hands behind his back, legs slightly apart, his entire presence commanding and compelling.

“Who is that?” she whispered to the younger woman as they walked toward him.

“He is the Master of the island,” Joely replied simply. “He likes to greet his guests as they arrive, when he’s able to.”

They reached the man, and he extended a hand toward Jillian, and she slipped her palm into his larger, stronger one. “You must be Jillian,” he said, his deep voice just as mysterious as his persona. “Welcome to Eden, where reality is whatever you wish it to be.”

She smiled, remembering that Joely had said the same thing about this island. “That’s quite a promise.”

He tipped his hooded head in amusement. “I guess you’ll just have to see and experience it for yourself.” He turned and signaled for a young blonde-haired woman standing a few feet away from him, dressed in simple silk khaki drawstring pants and a white sleeveless top that appeared to be the island’s uniform. “Leila will show you your accommodations and take care of anything you should want or need.”

“Thank you.” Jillian followed the other woman along the pathway leading to the castle, then up a series of stone steps. Once inside, her decorator’s eye took in the fixtures and furnishings, from the rich marble flooring to the overhead chandeliers dripping with cut crystals. The interior had been restored to reflect the age and beauty of the castle, along with a few modern upgrades, but there was no mistaking the mystical, magical feel of the place.

“Right this way,” Leila said, and led her down a corridor until they arrived at a door, which she opened and Jillian followed her into a spacious, luxurious bedroom decorated in soothing colors of white and gray, and accented with deep purple—again, much more contemporary and stylish than she’d expected.

“This is where you’ll be staying the night,” the younger woman told her. “There are toiletries in the adjoining bathroom, and a brand new silk chemise and robe on the bed for you to sleep in. If you need anything at all, just pick up the telephone and make your request. Your dinner should arrive within the hour.”

Jillian turned to Leila with a smile. “It’s all very lovely. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” she replied, a delighted sparkle in her eyes. “Your fantasy will begin in the morning at ten am, after you’ve had breakfast.” She headed back toward the door, then stopped and glanced back. “Oh, and those flowers on the dresser were delivered specifically for you.”

Once Leila was gone, Jillian strolled over to the vibrant bouquet of exotic flowers arranged in a cut crystal vase and removed the attached card. She opened the envelope and read the message from Dean.

I hope you enjoy your accommodations tonight. Sleep well and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Jillian felt a pang of disappointment that she wasn’t going to be sharing this first night in Eden with her husband. And there was absolutely no hint of what he had planned for her in the brief note. The anticipation was killing her, but she was certain that was exactly what her husband had intended.

J
illian woke up the following morning feeling more rested and refreshed than she had in a very long time—despite the long, exhausting day of travel the previous day. She was also excited to see Dean and finally find out what fantasy awaited her.

She was sitting out on the balcony overlooking what she could see of the beautiful, lush island and deep blue ocean, and had just finished eating a continental breakfast with the most delicious fruit and pastries, when a knock sounded on the door—precisely at 10 am, as Leila had stated.

Still wearing the chemise she’d slept in—because she had nothing else to wear except yesterday’s outfit—she covered up with the matching robe and went to the door. A sweet, elderly woman stood on the other side, her brown eyes bright and cheerful.

“Good morning, Mistress,” she said with a polite nod of her head. “I’ll be taking you to the spa to ready you for your new Master.”

New Master?
A flutter of excitement stirred inside of her. Knowing this was all part of Dean’s arrangement, she followed the woman to another part of the castle and into a private spa where three other young girls were waiting to proceed with an abundance of beauty treatments.

Over the next three hours, Jillian was pampered from head-to-toe. She was waxed and plucked,
everywhere
, then moved on to a facial while two of the girls gave her a manicure and pedicure. Her skin was exfoliated with a sea salt scrub until it was baby soft, then she was massaged and rubbed down with soothing, fragrant oils. Her hair was washed, dried, and curled into loose waves, and a light dusting of make-up enhanced her now glowing complexion.