Page 17 of An Epic Voyage (The Epic Beauty Salon Files #1)
I ndigo woke early, turned off the television, and climbed out of bed.
The mattress had been comfortable enough, but she’d still spent a restless night tossing and turning.
She’d seriously wanted to invite Griffin to stay with her last night.
Thankfully, her practicality had overridden her hormones, at least while she was awake.
Her dreams had been a completely different story all together.
The best way to vanquish sexual frustration—besides jumping the bones of the person who had engendered the feelings—was exercise. She hadn’t brought her workout clothes with her, so she grabbed her bag and headed to her room.
Griffin had been right about the noise. Goodness, some of the men needed surgery to fix their snoring. It would improve their breathing and allow them to sleep better—and everyone else around them.
She didn’t pass another person as she took the stairs to her deck. The first thing she noticed was that the paper Griffin had placed on the top of the door was gone. Someone had been here. She found the scrap on the floor when she entered.
It creeped her out to know Van Houten had come to her room again last night. She’d have to be very careful once they arrived on his island. He’d been tenacious so far. She didn’t see that ending unless she put a stop to it, which she couldn’t do until she found the nuke.
Indigo changed and headed to the gym, only to find it empty. She’d been secretly hoping Griffin would be there again. Watching his muscles flex and bunch had been a more effective cardio workout than running.
She powered through a five-mile jog on the treadmill, followed by free weights and yoga stretches.
There was no time for a swim today, so she returned to her room to shower.
Her hand hovered over the knob. Cursing Van Houten for making her wary, she slowly opened her door.
After a perfunctory search, she verified the room was empty.
Locking herself in with a degenerate wasn’t on her agenda.
After showering, she pulled on capri yoga pants and a sleeveless top, bypassing her sundresses since she planned on exploring the island—weather permitting. A glance out the window told her she would undoubtedly get wet.
Packing took no time since she never unpacked on a mission. Easier to make a quick escape if necessary. She needed to return the dress to Jordy, which she would do when getting Jinger ready for the day.
She didn’t have to wait long. Her phone buzzed with a text, summoning her to her duties. Indigo took her luggage with her. There was no need for her to return to her suite.
With the blue dress hanging over her arm, she toted her bags behind her and knocked on Jinger’s door. Franklin opened it, and she greeted him as she passed.
“Where were you last night?”
His words stopped her in her tracks. She slowly turned. “Excuse me?”
“Mr. Van Houten wanted to speak with you. I went to your room to get you but you weren’t there. I waited for over an hour. Where were you?”
“Sorry, Franklin, but what I do on my own time is nobody’s business but mine.”
He looked as if he wanted to argue, but she didn’t give him the opportunity. She moved past him and found Jinger, who looked tired, sullen, and a good ten years older than her actual age. Goodie. Indy would have to layer foundation on with a trowel.
Jinger was unnaturally silent. Indy tossed Jordy a questioning look. He held out his hands and shrugged.
Indigo didn’t want to get involved, but the red eyes made her ask, “Is everything okay, Jinger?”
Oops. Big mistake. Tears welled and spilled down Jinger’s cheeks. “I think Benny has grown tired of me!”
Indy recoiled. That wail would wake the dead back in Miami.
“He certainly seemed smitten with you last night.” A little white lie was necessary sometimes.
“He hasn’t wanted to have sex with me for two days. He’s usually a voracious lover. We make love three, sometimes four times a day.”
To borrow a well-used phrase from nineteen-eighties Valley girls: gag her with a spoon . Indigo could’ve lived happily the rest of her life without knowing that sordid detail about Benedict Van Houten’s sexual proclivities.
“He doesn’t love me anymore.” Jinger sobbed.
Indy was not good with tears. She’d never been a crier, nor were any of her friends. She wasn’t sure how to console Jinger. Telling her to get over it would not sit well, she was sure. She started to motion Jordy over, but he’d conveniently disappeared. Coward.
“I’m sure that’s not true, Jinger,” she cajoled. “Maybe he’s just distracted or something.” He did have an impending, important meeting with a deadly warlord, after all.
Jinger shook her head. “I can tell when a man’s interest has waned.” She wiped her nose and looked up at Indy with hope. “Make me so gorgeous he can’t resist me.”
Indy couldn’t suppress a wince. With eyes redder than a lobster, sallow skin, and a snot bubble, it would take someone with more skill than Indy to make her beautiful. The best she could hope for was presentable.
After discreetly handing Jinger a tissue, Indy went to work, squirting drops into her eyes to clear them and placing the cooling patches over the significant under-eye bags.
While they did their job, she tamed Jinger’s brittle, over-processed hair into a sleek, straight ponytail with volume on the top.
Then she applied the required excessive amount of makeup, topping it off with thick lashes that included subtle sparkles, knowing Jinger would appreciate them. She needed a little pick-me-up today.
“Oh, Indigo, you did it again. I’m stunning!” She turned this way and that. “Jordy, get in here and dress me.”
Indy frowned when the man quickly appeared. He had the audacity to wink at her.
She packed her supplies while Jinger dressed in a form-fitting top and a flowing skirt. She twirled in the mirror, her earlier melancholy nowhere to be seen. Indy ducked into the closet before Jinger repeated her mantra and doused herself with perfume. Jordy hurried after her.
“Where did you go?” she whispered harshly. “You left me alone with her.”
“Honey, better you than me. Besides, I’m immune to her tears by now.”
“Then you should’ve stayed and placated her.”
“You did a fine job by yourself.”
Indy peeked to make sure Jinger was gone, then grabbed the dress she’d borrowed. She tried to hand it to Jordy but he waved his hands.
“That’s yours to keep.”
“I couldn’t.” It was a designer label that she knew had to cost a fortune.
“She’ll never miss it. Besides, I altered it to fit you. I’d never be able to stuff her gargantuan boobage into it now.”
Indy chuckled. She did love it. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Call it hazard pay.”
Indy hugged him. “Thanks. I’ll think of you whenever I wear it.”
“Good. You’d better think of me at other times, too, like when you need a wedding dress. Speaking of, how did things go with Mr. Tall, Blond, and Sexy?”
At Jordy’s description of Griffin, her whole body tingled. “Fine, but nothing happened, nor will it. I’ll be going home soon.”
“Now, Indy, let me teach you a thing or two about the intrinsic benefits of a hot, mutually satisfying fling.”
#
G riffin’s eyes were glued to the television streaming the latest weather report.
It didn’t look good. A storm of catastrophic proportions, the meteorologists were proclaiming.
The path was still uncertain, but the forecasters were now on record saying it would most likely head their way.
They were almost to the island and far from Miami now.
Maybe fortune would smile on them and it wouldn’t hit, but there would still be significant damage wherever it made landfall.
Griffin had planned to work out this morning, but one of the security guards had tripped going down the stairs and injured his ankle, so he’d taken his shift watching the monitors. It was a tedious job, which allowed his mind to wander.
Several times during the night, he’d almost gotten out of bed to knock on Indigo’s door. Something kept stopping him. He didn’t know if it was honor, decency, or what, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out. Everything about her called to him. He was fiercely attracted to her.
It was a good thing they were arriving soon, so his thoughts would be occupied with his job. He wouldn’t have time to fantasize about stunning blondes with killer smiles—one in particular.
At least, that’s what he told himself. His body had other ideas, as evidenced by what it was doing right now as he watched her on the monitor, walking down the hall with Jordy. He had to turn away before he embarrassed himself in front of the other people in the room.
“How are we on time?” he asked the man tracking their progress.
“Estimated time of arrival is approximately thirty minutes.”
Griffin retreated to his room to gather his things, then he headed to the railing and watched as the island came into view. He had seen pictures, but they didn’t do it justice. He called Van Houten to let him know they were almost there.
The boat circumnavigated to the southwest side, where an enormous palm tree-lined pier waited for the yacht to dock.
A two-story boathouse, made of the same materials as the primary residence, was off to one side.
It contained several smaller boats and watercraft that the security team could use.
Four men lived on the island year-round to ensure its safety. Griffin planned to meet with them soon.
The home itself loomed large, with a red terracotta tiled roof and light-gold stucco walls. It was a Mediterranean mansion. Everywhere you looked, there were tropical plants and blooming flowers. It would’ve looked idyllic if not for the churning clouds and ominous black sky.
The pier was long enough for the mega-yacht to pull alongside. Island workers waited to secure the bridge in place for the passengers to disembark. Griffin was the first off, and he helped get everything ready.