the instinctive attraction she couldn’t quite control was going to be the most enjoyable task Harry had set himself for some time.
Ellie Flippence...
That’s who she needed to be, not stiff-necked Elizabeth. Though she did have a lovely long neck. He’d often fantasised bending that swanlike column with a trail of hot kisses, melting the rest of her, too. She had beautiful lush breasts and the gorgeous butterfly wings on her blouse showed them off a treat.
This morning he’d wanted to reach out and touch them, cup them, kiss them. He’d find the right time and place for that now. The moment would come when she’d give in to good old healthy lust, and Harry intended to make it so good she’d forget all about her shattered Mickey dreams and revel in the pleasure he’d give her.
But business came first.
He definitely needed to sober up, not give away the game before Elizabeth was ready for it.
* * *
Just as well she’d worn sandals, Elizabeth thought as she moved around the galley, steadying herself to the sway of the yacht as it headed out to sea. High heels would have been disastrous in this environment. Clearly there were tricks to keeping everything safe on board. She found a drink holder attached to a sling which made transporting coffee to the bridge relatively easy, and mugs with lids like the takeaway variety used by coffee shops. There was no risk of slopping it onto her good clothes which had to last her until her luggage arrived.
A scene flashed into her mind of Lucy in their apartment, with Michael advising her on what to choose for her sister’s island wear—an intimate little scene that made Elizabeth gnash her teeth. She had to stop thinking of them together, think about what was ahead of her instead.
Finn Island was at the high end of the tourist industry—exclusive to only twenty couples at a time, people who could pay thousands of dollars for a minimum three-day stay. She had never been there, since it was way beyond her pocket. However, the Cairns office did have a video of it, showing its attractions and facilities, so she had some idea of how it operated.
There were twenty luxury villas, a tennis court, a gym with a pampering centre offering all sorts of massages. The administration centre, boutique, restaurant and bar faced the main beach and were spread around a landscaped area with lush tropical plants and clusters of palm trees, plus a swimming pool and spa. Apart from this artfully designed section, most of the island was covered with rainforest. A creek running from the central hill provided delightful waterfalls and rock pools, and walking tracks had been made to these natural beauty spots.
Dive-boats for exploring the Great Barrier Reef were readily available, as were yachts for deep-sea fishing and small motorboats for reaching the other beaches at the various inlets around the shoreline. All in all, Finn Island provided the perfect tropical getaway...if you were rolling in money.
Guests who could afford it would obviously be demanding, expecting the best for what they were paying. Elizabeth hoped there would be no hiccups to the island’s excellent reputation for providing it while she was in charge. She knew supply boats called regularly. However, how the staff operated was a mystery to her and the need for that information was foremost in her mind as she climbed the ladder to the bridge.
She sat down in the chair beside Harry’s before handing him his coffee. ‘Black, as requested,’ she said, forcing a smile to disprove his sourpuss description and holding on to a fierce determination not to be prickly in his presence.
‘Thanks.’ He smiled back. ‘We’ll be there in about forty minutes.’
‘I know the general layout of the resort, but I know nothing about the staff, Harry. Or how everything runs.’
‘You’ll learn fast enough,’ he assured her. ‘Basically you have three undermanagers. Sarah Pickard is the head housekeeper. She handles the cleaning staff. Her husband, Jack, is the head maintenance man, who has his own team of helpers. The head chef, Daniel Marven, runs everything to do with the restaurant. He also keeps a check on the bar and will tell you what needs to be ordered in.’ He made a wry grimace. ‘The guy you are going to replace was overordering and reselling elsewhere, not to mention a few other perks he was working.’
‘His name?’
‘Sean Cassidy. Not important for you to remember. He’ll be gone within an hour of our arrival. I’ll call up a helicopter to take him off.’
‘Are you going to prosecute?’
He shook his head. ‘Bad publicity. Besides, it wasn’t major criminal stuff.’
‘How did you find out he was crooked?’
‘Our sommelier in Cairns remarked to me that our island guests drank an inordinate amount of wine and spirits. Surprisingly inordinate, despite the fact that we run an open bar. It rang warning bells. When Sean had his mainland leave this past weekend, I did a thorough check of all supplies and usage, and bingo! No doubt he was robbing us and has been doing it for some considerable time.’
‘Will he know you were checking on him?’
‘He knows I was there but I didn’t tip my hand to anyone. Mickey and I still had to decide what to do about it. Any disruption is not good for business.’ He flashed a grin at her. ‘Which is where you come in. No disruption.’
She nodded. ‘I’ll do my best to make it appear a smooth transition, but I’ll need some help to begin with.’
‘No problem. I’ll be your guide for the first few days, until you’ve familiarised yourself with how everything runs.’
A few days in close contact with Harry had to be tolerated. The groundwork for this management job had to be laid if she was to carry it through successfully. It was the measure of closeness she had to watch. If he started taking liberties with her person...somehow she had to deal with that if and when it happened.
‘I’ll get on top of it all as soon as I can,’ she said with strong resolution.
Harry chuckled, his vivid blue eyes dancing with teasing knowledge as he slowly drawled, ‘I’m sure you will, Elizabeth. Can’t get rid of me fast enough, can you?’
She felt heat rushing up her neck and turned her face away, looking out to sea, hating how he could read her mind and provoke this reaction in her. ‘I’m sure you have to keep a check on other things besides the resort,’ she said flatly.
‘True. Though I am aware that I’m throwing you into a position you haven’t held before. I’ll spend a few days with you, then drop in from time to time in case you have any problems that I can resolve.’
She wished she could say, Don’t. I’ll call you if I need your help. But he was her boss now and what he was laying out was reasonable. Problems could arise that she didn’t even recognise because of her inexperience. ‘Do you have accommodation kept especially for you on the island?’ she asked, worrying about how close he was going to be to her.
‘No. I’m happy sleeping aboard this yacht. The Pickards have their own private villa as they are the only ones on the staff, apart from the manager, who actually live on the island full-time. The rest work on a rotation basis—ten days here, four days on the mainland—and they’re accommodated in a series of motel-like structures.’
‘Is that where I’ll be staying?’
He
