Black Diaries

27. Stargazing 2.0

Dazed, I let myself be led onto the plane. The inside was even more luxurious than the car. More dead cowhides, masses of chopped up and lacquered dark walnut wood. There were even some parts I suspected came from a tropical forest. Jill would definitely change her opinion about this guy if she could see this.

"Mr. Winslow? Ma'am?" came a voice out of the speakers, "Please take a seat. We've been given green light, and are preparing for takeoff."

Still dazed, I took a seat. Elliot folded his tall frame into a seat several yards away, in the shadows of a mahogany and brushed aluminum luggage rack where his beautiful face was half-hidden in the shadows. I couldn't see his eyes, and had no ideas what he was thinking. But then, I wasn't even sure what I myself was thinking right now.

The flight was over almost before it had begun. Not for one minute did I take my eyes of E.W. Winslow, and he never looked away from me, either. Yet neither did he make any move towards me, or say a single word. Only when the plane began to descend and woods and water appeared beneath us out of the dark clouds did he stir again.

"Please remain in your seat," the pilot's voice came out of the speakers. "We shall be landing in a few minutes."

He didn't mention exactly where we would land.

Only a minute later, the plane lowered itself onto the tarmac and slowly rolled to a stop. The gangway went down with the ominous pssshh noise of pneumatics. Outside, it was dark. The blackness was broken only by the stars and the bright moon somewhere above the treetops.

"Shall we?"

Elliot suddenly stood beside me, gesturing to the open exit. For a moment I hesitated—but then I raised my chin, defiantly. Great jumping Jehoshaphat! I was a serial killer, for crying out loud! A modern woman who took her fate into her own hands and didn't let any man get her down! Was I going to be intimidated by this Billionaire Adonis throwing his money around?

Well...yes.

No! No, definitely not!

"We shall," I said with a smile, and rose. He led me outside. The moment we stepped from the plain, sweet, fresh sea air filled my nostrils. My eyes widened. White beaches and palm forests stretched seemingly endlessly in front of me. Birds circled over the trees. Even in the gloom, I could still make out the tropical colors in their plumage.

Elliot swept his hand out towards the white stretch of sand. "May I introduce – Cassidy, the beach. The beach, have you met Cassidy?"

"Where are we?" I breathed.

He shrugged. "Oh, just a little Island I rented for the occasion."

"You rented an island?"

One corner of his mouth quirked up. "Well it seemed a bit extravagant to buy it for just the one night."

Holy shit! Was he kidding? He was smiling, yes, but... Crap, I could absolutely not tell! He guarded his emotions better than a stoic on steroids!

I swallowed. "Y-yeah... I think that probably would have been too extravagant." Stepping down the gangway, he held out his hand to me. Without thinking I took it and let myself be led down to the mysterious beach.

Fortunately, I didn't have to get sand on my shoes. There was a wooden walkway that looked as if were made of the same expensive wood as the console in Elliot's jet. It shone in the moonlight. At the end of the walkway, a table and luxuriously upholstered chairs awaited us, standing on a round stone platform. There were place-settings on the table that looked like they came fresh from the latest worldwide award for modern design.