Read Hurricanes in Paradise for Free Online

gets enough of my money.”
    “I don’t know a person who would disagree.”
    They entered the covered foyer of the actual suites at The Cove. The ceiling was as high as the outdoor corridors. “Hey, Gerard,” Riley said to a young man at the concierge’s desk. “This is Ms. Fulton. Gerard will be helping to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.”
    “Oh yes, ma’am. Absolutely.” He extended his hand. “It will be my pleasure, Ms. Fulton.”
    Laine accepted it and nodded her head graciously. “Nice to meet you, Gerard.”
    “And you too, ma’am. I am available to you 24-7. It’s my pleasure to serve you this week.”
    “Well, thank you. I appreciate that.”
    Laine followed Riley to the elevators. As the door closed behind them, the small talk Laine hated began. “You’re from Los Angeles?”
    Laine exhaled slowly. “Yes.”
    “I’ve only been there a couple times. It’s very interesting. Completely different pace.”
    “It fits me fine.” Laine paused for a moment, then took over the conversation. “So tonight I’d like us to have dinner at Mesa Grill; then tomorrow night I would prefer to eat at . . .” She stopped when she saw the slightly panicked look on Riley’s face. “I’m sorry; did you not realize I’d need you with me this week?”
    “Oh, well . . . yes . . . sure, of course. This week is about you, and I’m here for you. So Mesa Grill is fine.”
    “You’re hesitating?”
    “No, no. I’m not at all. What time would you like to go?” Riley pulled out her phone. “I’ll make our reservations.”
    “I’m an early eater because I go to bed pretty early and get up before the sun. So let’s say . . .” She looked at the white face of her two-tone Baume & Mercier watch. It was already two o’clock. “. . . six o’clock.”
    The doors of the elevator opened, and they walked out onto the geometrically patterned carpet in rich jewel tones.
    Riley hesitated slightly again. “Sure . . . yeah, six will be fine.”
    “If you had plans, Riley . . .”
    “No, no. . . . My job is to make sure you have everything you need. It’s my pleasure. And you just let me know where you’d like to go tomorrow, and I’ll make sure that we have reservations for those places as well.”
    “I was going to say, if you had plans, you needed to cancel them.”
    She watched as Riley’s head snapped back slightly and her eyes widened. “Oh. Well, no worries, then. Because I didn’t have any plans.”
    Riley slipped the key into a room at the end of the hallway and pushed the door open to one of the twenty-six coveted Sapphire Suites. Laine walked across the marbled floors of the foyer and into the expansive space of the seventeen-hundred-square-foot suite. She kept going until she looked straight out through the wall of windows in front of her. The azure ocean seemed to begin where her living room ended. It was as if she could step out the door and walk on the water.
    “Do you like it?” Riley asked.
    “It’s beautiful. Thank you,” Laine said as she continued toward the double doors that led into the bedroom. She noticed the desk sitting in front of the window and felt a thud in her chest. She stopped abruptly. “Mitchell called you?”
    “Um, yes, he did. Why? Is there a problem?”
    Laine chewed at the inside of her lip, then turned to Riley. “No . . . no. I just saw the desk.”
    “He said you like to look at the ocean when you write.”
    Laine walked to the entrance of the bedroom and spoke without turning around. “I’m going to unpack now. I’ll meet you for dinner at six.”
    Laine could tell Riley got the message. She heard her feet stepping back onto the marble. “Well, I’ll just leave your keys here on the foyer table. If you need anything before dinner, just let Gerard or me know. We’ll be more than glad to bring you anything. No need to call room service or housekeeping. Just dial one and that will get Gerard, and two will reach