⁅ Amelia ⁆

I didn't know where the heck I was going when I packed my suitcase and hightailed it out of Willem's house. My survival instincts had kicked in and I needed out.

This wasn't a contract to smuggle drug for the cartel, it was a marriage. Divorces existed for a reason and I refused to feel like a failure. The marriage had been rigged from the start, the odds forever against us.

Filo offered to drop me off at the airport but I refused. I needed to do this on my own. I had gotten myself into this unfortunate situation, had stepped blindly into horse shit — the giant kind that one didn't just miss — and I intended to clean it up all by myself. There was no need to contaminate anyone else. There were too many players involved in this marriage as it was... as if it was a game of Monopoly. Everyone so far had collected two hundred when they passed 'Go', except for me.

But this girl, right here, was standing on Bahamas avenue and I was about to collect big time. Not that I needed Willem's money or anything else from him. I was just done.

Eleven years later and our marriage was over before it even began. I may have been a little desperate because of the sex, and my ideals that intercourse was something precious that should solely be shared within a marriage bed only complicated things. This is why as soon as I got out of here I was going to slam myself down on the first dick that glanced my way and showed me some respect.

Alright, maybe I was a tad bit overdramatic with the sexual fantasies. That still didn't change the fact that I was going to throw a sexy-smart-and-single party as soon as those papers were signed and I was going to invite every bachelor within a hundred-mile radius to shoot their shot.

The suffocating front gate slid open and I walked through, dragging my pink suitcase behind me. Under my arm, I carried Oreo whom Filo was pleasantly surprised to meet for the first time not too long ago.

The sun blazed down on my head and I regretted not wearing sunscreen. I wore a simple white T-shirt and blue shorts. A pair of light pink heels with wooden platforms adorned my feet as I trudged down the brick sidewalk.

Two minutes later, I stopped to wipe droplets of sweat off my forehead. I had no idea how far the closest bus stop was. But no biggie.

The houses, correction, villas in this neighborhood were beyond magnificent. Think Caribbean, but then Jay-Z and Beyonce upper scale. There were pools for days and the ocean was just a step away from most of their doorsteps.

Ten minutes later I arrived at a bus stop. I said good afternoon to a man standing under the sheltered part and he answered back with a bright smile.

"Where do these buses go?" I asked.

"The ones on this side go to town. The other side goes to the airport. I reckon you're looking for the latter?"

"Yes, thank you so much." As I was about to walk away and cross the road, the advertisement at the bus stop caught my eye. The suitcase and I came to a sudden stop.

White sand, blue seas, coves, and palm trees. Anguilla, where the people were friendly.

Hell yes, that sounded amazing right about now.

Half an hour later I was sitting in a ferry heading to the British island of Anguilla. The boat ride was only twenty minutes long. The nicest twenty minutes of my life. I had no destination and no obligations toward anyone. I was a free woman, coasting on the waves of the present, letting go of the past, looking forward to the future.

The ferry dropped me off at Blowing Point and I stopped to take in my surroundings. The seawater was an indigo blue. In the distance coconut trees swayed in the wind. Further out on the water, flamboyant yachts floated like retired old billionaires with not a care in the world.

After I went through immigration it dawned on me that I had nowhere to go. Once outside of the terminal, I spotted a small cafe and I entered it to get on the wifi and do some research. Booking.com told me there was one last villa available for today until my two weeks were up and I had to go back to work. All the other cheaper options only had check-in dates for tomorrow afternoon or later.

I bit my lip, contemplating the price. Shit was mad expensive.

Butttt, it had a pool and an outdoor shower. It was also located on a private beach on the western tip of the island and was shared only with occupants from the two other villas dotting its shoreline. There was a live-in chef and a maid.

Oh, the luxury. I couldn't wait to jump on the beds in all of the five bedrooms.

I clicked the buy button and paid with my credit card. I had the money... a good bit of it actually, and when was I ever going to take a vacation like this again?

My phone chimed from the free wifi I was still connected to and I checked it. I'd gotten an email from the host and chef of the villa telling me that I would be able to check-in in about two hours as my booking was last minute and unexpected.

He asked if I wanted to make use of their transfer service and I replied that I did, also telling him my location. He told me to sit tight and he gave the number plate of the taxi that would be picking me up.

While I waited, I took Oreo out of the carry-on for a bit. The owner of the cafe came up to me and started petting him and we talked about his love for animals.

The taxi that eventually arrived was not what I was expecting. It was a white Range Rover with all the fancy specs. The man who stepped out to greet and help me with my suitcase was not as fancy, but he had to be one of the hottest men I've ever laid my eyes on.

Dressed in a casual white linen shirt, dark blue denims, and white La Coste sneakers, he was the true definition of rugged sexiness. He had a faded haircut and a well trimmed beard that only served to emphasize the fullness of his lips. His skin was dark and smooth and I couldn't get over how gorgeous he was.

He regarded me with the simplest brown eyes, but his gaze burned me with its intensity. I felt a heat in my cheeks that I hadn't experienced with anyone else but Willem. I welcomed it, noticing how my breathing had changed, becoming shallower. There was a pulse at my neck as my heartbeat quickened and a feeling of giddiness settled over me.

He said his name was Hunter as we took off down the road to this villa in the middle of nowhere on a private beach. Sitting in the passenger seat, less than an arms length away from him was nerve-wracking. The man had a powerful presence, so magnetic I wanted to jump his bones.

"Thank you so much for accommodating me on such short notice," I said while toying with my fingers on my lap, something I rarely did.

"Glad to help. Ever been to Anguilla before?" His voice was as deep as the Atlantic Ocean and his accent was definitely from the islands, rolling and tumbling like it was.

"It's my first time. I can't wait to go to the beach and maybe visit one of the cays."

"I'll take you wherever you want to go."

I smiled. "Thank you, Hunter. You're the first private chauffeur I've ever had. If I knew they could look as good as you, I would have gotten one a long time ago."

Hunter's eyes jumped from the road to mine. "Why? So you could use him as a sex object? I'm not a sex object Ms. Miller."

The gasp that escaped my mouth was small but audible in the striking interior of the car. "I would never. I meant you're easy on the eyes, that's all. Nothing else."

"I'm just messing with you. Relax, baby. I can show you a good time."

Baby?

I swallowed and looked outside. What in the world was going on right now? Hunter was hitting on me. I think...

"You're awfully quiet over there," he drawled. "Was it something I said?"

Yes, yes it was. What kind of good time was he talking about? Did it involve alcohol and spending the day on the beach vibing to good music? His hands on my thigh, his lips on mine?

I looked at him, taking in his strong profile. "It's nothing. I'm an introvert. I live for peace and quiet."

"That's good. I'm not much of a talker myself. I'm all about action."

"I bet you are."

"Are you here alone? And I'm not asking in a creepy way."

I frowned. "Then why do you want to know?"

"I would love to take you out on a date. I know the best spot in town where we can eat. It's local."

I hesitated, thinking about Willem and my lack of experience with men in general. Hunter was a shark in the dating world and I was just poodle. A poodle who was still married and had never slept with her own husband or any other man.

Hunter made a right turn and the car came off the main road and drove down a dusty one flanked by flowers and palm trees on both sides. Less than a minute later we arrived at a magnificent villa situated at the end of the road with the ocean as its backdrop. An automatic gate similar to the one at Willem's house on St. Maarten rolled open to reveal a round driveway with an angelic fountain made of stone in the center. Vines climbing up the walls of the villa added a touch of ancient allure and pulchritude. There were shutters at the windows, all flung open to let the island breeze in.

When the car came to a stop, Hunter turned his intense gaze on me and then he looked down at the ring on my finger. "If you have a husband or a wife, you should probably tell me to go fuck myself. I don't usually do this, but I think you're a beautiful woman and I would love to get to know you better. I don't want to bother you on your vacation, but I also don't want to miss out on something great between us."

"I would love to go on a date with you, Hunter."

He smiled, his teeth so perfect, I doubted they were real. His eyes lit up and then smoldered over as he leaned toward me. "I'm going to kiss you now," he said in a husky tone.

I blinked and somehow my body moved forward and Hunter's sexy full lips were a mere centimeters away. My lips parted and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Hunter angled his head to the right and I did the same. This kiss was about to go down and I was a thousand percent certain there were going to be fireworks.

But the nanosecond before our lips could touch, something crashed onto the roof of the Range Rover. Startled, I reared back.

"Damn coconuts," Hunter muttered, opening his door and getting out of the car. "I parked way too close again."

I laughed. "That sounded like a bomb."

"Yeah, they fall fast and hard. Luckily, this car can handle it."

I nodded although he couldn't see me. The villa was like something out of a dream. Opening my door I got out. Hunter was busy getting to the coconut, using the tires as a step. The muscles of his back and shoulders bunched as he reached forward and I had to bite my lips to keep myself from combusting.

Hunter may be too much for me to handle, but I definitely wanted to take a bite out of him fully knowing that it may choke me.

🌴