saw for her future.
“What about … diseases?” she asked, her words hesitant. “Do you worry about that?”
“Of course,” I said firmly. “And I’m tested regularly, as is anyone who comes to the island. I’m clean.”
She peered up at me. “You don’t know that I am.”
True. I didn’t. But I knew one thing. “I’ve learned enough about you, Braelyn, to know you would’ve told me.”
To my surprise, Braelyn’s hand slid over my stomach, her head burrowing into my shoulder. “You’re right. I would have. I’ve only been with a couple of men and I’ve always been careful.”
I heard the underlying admission: until me.
“I’m not sure I want kids, either,” she said softly. “I’ve thought about it, wondered if there was something wrong with me because I don’t immediately get all giddy at the thought of kids. But that’s always been the case. Maybe because I didn’t have a female role model, a mother.”
I didn’t say anything, not sure what to say. Even though I had the distinct feeling I was falling for this woman, would give her anything she ever asked, I still didn’t want children of my own. My lifestyle wasn’t conducive to a family.
“How long have you lived here?” Braelyn asked, her attention focused on the courtyard below.
Grateful for the shift in subject, I answered easily. “Sixteen years. I acquired the island before Owned, Incorporated was even a seed in my mind. The resort wasn’t built until roughly four years ago, right after I acquired my fourth possession.” I looked up, nodded. “Ari, as a matter of fact. I determined I needed a secluded place for Owners and possessions to meet, figured this would work nicely.”
“Who was your first?”
“Auberon, six years ago. Taurus and Rolphe came next, then Ari. I acquired Sim three years ago, figured he would be the last, but then I came across Corvin and Bram. They’ve been with me two years now.”
She peered up at me. “Where did you live before here?”
“All over the US and South America. I was born in Cuba, lived there until I was seven.”
“And your parents?”
“There’s no record of my birth, so it’s all hearsay.”
“What does that mean? How is there no record?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve always figured my mother was unwed. From what I’ve gathered, I was left at a church, taken in briefly, then sort of passed around from there. I was adopted when I was seven by a wealthy American businesswoman, although there’s no record of the adoption. Technically, it wasn’t legal because there’s no documentation of my birth. She took me in, raised me.” I took a sip of my drink. “We moved around a lot. She spent her last years in Chicago, said she was born there.”
“Last years? Did she die?”
“Brain cancer.”
“How old were you?”
“When she died? Seventeen.”
“Were you close?”
I glanced at Braelyn. “As close as we could be, I figure. She’d always wanted a child but had no interest in relationships. She worried about me, worried I would get into trouble, and I think that was difficult for her. I took care of her when she was sick, looked after her. She left her massive fortune to me—old family money—along with a handful of lawyers paid to hammer out the details. After she died, I wandered for a little while, ended up keeping the house she had in Chicago. Bought this island when I turned twenty, right after I made my first million.”
“From…?” Braelyn gestured toward the Owners’ Retreat.
I laughed. “No. This came much later. My main source of income is from perfume and cologne.”
Braelyn’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Something I know?”
“Zafiro was the first perfume I launched, and also the name of the company I started.”
Now her mouth opened, eyes popping. “That’s yours?”
I smiled. Evidently she’d heard of it. “It is. Zafiro means sapphire in Spanish. I named it after the woman who raised me.”
“Oh, my God.” She giggled. “I remember begging my brother to buy me that perfume when I was fourteen. That was when I learned it sold for like a hundred dollars an ounce, which he said was a little out of his price range.”
“It’s gone up a bit since then.”
“I can’t… Wow. That explains why all of you smell so good.”
I remembered how she’d said as much at TJ’s.
“So … this…” She gestured toward the other building again. “This is just a side business, then?”
“It’s equally important,” I assured her. “I’ve got a good team running Zafiro, so I spend most of my time focused on this. Would you