Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
“What’s going on, boss?” he asks. “Oh shit,” he says when his eyes land on the woman. “What do we have here?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I just found her. She must have come from the main island,” I say.
He looks at me.
“She breathing?”
I nod.
“Yeah.”
“Still, that’s a hell of a swim, even with snorkel gear,” he says, looking at the fins scattered nearby. I nod again.
“Yeah, she probably caught a current. Help me get her into the house. It’s the least we can do.”
With his help, we manage to maneuver the woman’s limp form up to the entrance of the guest house. Kicking open the door, we stagger in and place her gently on the couch. Then I pull out my cell.
“I’m going to call the embassy. I’m sure someone has reported her missing by now. You guys go ahead and head back. Oh wait. Can you stop by the local police precinct and let them know that I have a woman here?”
Peter looks at her skeptically.
“Should we take her with us? It’s no trouble, boss.”
I look at her curves again and nod yes, but then shake my head against my better judgment.
“Nah, it’s no trouble. Besides, she’s out cold so it’ll be doing no favors to have an unconscious woman with you on that little boat. You’d have to tie her down to keep her safe from the waves. I’m sure she’ll wake up soon. I’ll keep her warm here in the meantime.”
Peter looks doubtful, but he nods and leaves the house. “You got it boss.”
Meanwhile, I pull a throw blanket gently over the woman’s sleeping form. She really is gorgeous, and we managed to get her life jacket off to reveal lush curves barely contained in a turquoise bikini. Forcing myself not to look, I pull out my cell again and begin to dial the American Embassy number. But before I get halfway through, the woman groans. Quickly, I sit down next to her.
“Hey,” I say. “Can you hear me?”
Her long, dark, eye lashes flutter open and I stare down into warm brown eyes. Her full lips open but no sound comes out.
“Can you speak?” I ask gently. “Just try.” She swallows hard and nods her head. Then she manages to gasp, “Water.”
Immediately, I bolt to my feet.
“Oh, of course,” I say. “Sorry about that.”
In the kitchen, I grab a glass, filling it with filtered water from the fridge. Then, I bring it to her and help her sit up before holding the glass to her lips. She takes a long, grateful sip and when I pull the glass away, she looks up at me.
“Thanks,” she says, smiling weakly.
I smile back because her beauty is so breathtaking that it’s impossible not to.
“Sure, no problem.”
Then her eyes flutter shut and she falls asleep again. At first, I’m worried that she’s passed out, but her even breathing assures me that it’s just slumber. Thank god.
I take a deep breath and try not to stare down into her heart shaped face. Her warm body is pressed against mine and it’s making the blood pound in my ears. One of my hands strokes her damp curls, which are quickly drying to a chestnut-copper color. Suddenly my cell rings, startling me back to the present.
I gently ease myself away from the beautiful girl and pick up.
“Randy, what’s up?” I whisper.
“Why are you whispering?” he asks with confusion in his voice.
I explain to him everything that’s happened.
“So basically, you have a drowned woman on your couch,” he says slowly. “Is that right?”
“She’s not drowned, she’s alive.”
He’s silent for a moment.
“But you’ll get her back to the main island tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
There’s a long silence on the other end of the phone.
“What do you mean, you’ll try?”
“I sent the boat out to the main island as soon as I found her. There’s no way to get her there until they get back.”
“But you called the embassy.”
“I was just about to.”
Another long silence.
“Tom, please I’m begging you. Do not kidnap this woman.”
I’m so surprised I almost drop the phone.
“Kidnap? Who said anything about kidnap? She washed ashore, my friend. I had nothing to do with that.”
My agent merely grumbles on the other side.
“Don’t act all innocent with me, bud. I know you. You could have packed that girl off with the shipping ferry, but you didn’t. Let me guess – she’s a ten.”
I pause.
“You know, I really resent your implications, but in case you’re wondering, she’s an eleven.”
Randy’s long sigh is audible this time.
“Get her off your island as soon as possible,” he warns. “I’m not joking. The last thing you need is the media catching wind that you’re holed up with a beautiful woman for sex romps.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” I snap.
I can take a lot of hits to my character because I’ve been in the limelight for decades now, but still. Sometimes too far is too far. There’s a pause before I hear Randy take a deep breath.