Page 14

I did as he’d asked, and when my toes sank into the soft sand, I couldn’t help a little smile pulling at my lips. I’d always loved the beach.

We walked in a comfortable silence along the length of the short beach, the waves lapping at the shore and the cries of gulls high above us. Pausing to look out to the mainland, barely visible in the distance, I turned my face toward the warm sun, closing my eyes for a moment to bask in it.

When I opened them again, Jacob was staring at me, his intense gaze darker than I’d seen before, and butterflies began to flutter low in my stomach. I didn’t know why, but I liked the way he looked at me. It was as if he was really seeing me as opposed to the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Astor who had no prospect of a future other than producing children.

With a shake of his head, he tugged my hand, and we resumed walking over to a pile of huge rocks. Jacob indicated for me to sit on the biggest boulder, helping me to climb onto it. He perched next to me, and for several minutes, neither of us spoke as we stared out at sea.

My gaze fixed on the vague outline of the mainland, and a lump slowly formed in my throat. Now that I’d had a look around and seen just how isolated we were here, I couldn’t ignore the pit of worry that had taken root in the marrow of my bones.

“Did you not like the clothes I left for you, angel?” Jacob asked, catching me off guard.

My gaze dropped to my pink jumper and jeans. “Oh, no, it wasn’t that,” I stuttered, suddenly conscious that rejecting the clothes he’d bought me may have been rude. When he continued to wait for an answer, my embarrassment at my stubbornness grew. “I just…I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I kinda like being able to choose my own clothes.” My cheeks heated as his intense dark eyes bore into me, and I quickly added, “Besides, I’m not a fan of dresses unless I really have to wear them.”

Disapproval flashed in his gaze, gone before it had time to settle. The only reason I recognized it as disapproval was because I’d seen it appear in my mother’s eyes time and time again.

His head bobbed imperceptibly before he changed the subject. “So, what do you think of the house?”

I met his affectionate smile. “It’s beautiful.”

His grin widened. “I’m glad you like it. It’s your home now, and I want you to be happy here. If there is any room you want to redecorate or-” Not meaning to, a heavy sigh escaped me as I glanced back to the sea. Jacob squeezed my hand. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Meeting his eyes again, my question came out in a broken whisper. “How far is the harbor from here?”

His brow lifted. “It’s about twenty miles.” Dread coiled in my stomach as a little voice reminded me that I could barely swim half a mile. If I needed to find a way off this island and swimming was my only option, I would never make it without drowning. As if reading my mind, Jacob tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “Angel, talk to me. What’s bothering you? Why are you so worried about how far the harbor is?”

I chewed my lip, debating my answer. “I…” I twisted to face him, opting for honesty. “See it from my point of view, Jacob. I met you for the first time yesterday, and now I’m on an island twenty miles away from anyone, and with no way of getting to land if I need help.”

His head tilted to the side, his eyes darting between mine as he considered my answer. After several beats, he replied. “Angel, if you need help, I’m here. And if I have to go back to the mainland, Wallace can help you; he never leaves the island.” I didn’t have the heart to ask what I was supposed to do if I needed help to get away from him, not with the kindness in his tone. “And I forgot to mention when we were taking the tour. There’s a radio in my office that connects to the coastguard. It’s for emergencies, but, angel, it’s there if you ever need it.”

The tension in my body unfurled a tiny bit at hearing that there was a way to contact someone if I needed to. “What if I want to leave the island, though, Jacob? Is this it? Am I expected to remain here for the rest of my life?”

“Of course not. All I ask is that if you want to go back to the mainland, I’m always with you.” My gaze dropped to my lap at the weight of that request, but when Jacob placed his finger under my chin and lifted, I had no choice but to look at him. “Let me ask you this, angel. Would you rather be back at home with your parents, or here with me?”

I didn’t reply for several beats, taking the time to consider his question. After learning the reason why I was here in the first place, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to see my parents again. I’d always felt caged with the way they controlled and dictated my life, and I knew that if I were given the choice to return to that life, I wouldn’t.

But was here any better? On an island, twenty miles from anyone except Jacob and Wallace. It really was one cage traded for another. I knew what my life would have been like if my parents had never agreed to the deal with Jacob, though. Maybe, just maybe, my life would be better here; it did seem like Jacob genuinely wanted to take care of me.

I didn’t know what the future now held for me, but I had to hope that it was better than what could have been.

“I guess I would choose here.”

His lips pulled into a boyish grin that made me melt on the spot, and when his hand came up to cup my cheek, I couldn’t stop from nuzzling against his soft palm. “Give me a chance, Charlotte. Let me show you that I can give you the life you deserve. Let me prove to you that I would never hurt you, and that I only want what’s best for you.” His eyes dropped to my lips, and my breath hitched at thinking he was about to kiss me, only for disappointment to spear me in the chest when he released my face and sat back. “Please, angel. Give me your trust, and I promise that I’ll never break it.”

Captivated by his alluring voice and unable to think straight because my heart was racing impossibly fast, words tumbled out before I had time to register what I was saying. “I’ll give you a chance, Jacob.”

That flash of something indecipherable crossed his handsome face, gone as quickly as it had appeared, like last time, and I swallowed the nerves bubbling up my throat, hoping like mad that I wouldn’t regret my decision.

Chapter 6

After lunch, Jacob explained that he had a meeting he couldn’t miss, and he would be busy for a few hours. Honestly? I needed a bit of time alone; he’d barely taken his eyes off me as we ate together, and it was becoming a little unnerving. I’d never had so much attention on me.

I spent the afternoon wandering from room to room, studying all the artwork hanging throughout the house before returning to the bedroom, where I was reminded of Jacob’s words from the night before. ‘Let me show you to our bedroom,’ and ‘I’ll sleep in a different room for tonight.’

Collapsing on the bed, I stared at the ceiling with my stomach churning. Did I want to share a bed with Jacob? What if he touched me? What if he wanted to have sex with me? I didn’t know if the question worried the hell out of me or if it excited me.

I must have fallen asleep at some point during my inner musings, because a featherlight touch stroking my hair off my forehead woke me. My lashes fluttered open, and I was greeted by Jacob smiling fondly down at me from where he was perched on the side of the bed.

“Sorry to wake you, angel. Dinner will be ready soon; I thought you might be hungry.”