[Invitation to Eden 04.0] Hydrotherapy by Suzanne Rock

it.” He took her down a familiar-looking corridor.
    She rolled yesterday’s conversation through her mind as they walked. “You told me that you brought me here, not Vardalos.”
    “That's right.” He picked up the pace, forcing Jenna to quicken her steps to keep up. Caine opened a side door and led Jenna out onto the same deck they were on yesterday.
    The rising sun felt warm on Jenna's skin. A few runners were out on the beach, but most people hadn't even gotten up yet.
    “Then who did I have that email conversation with?” she asked.
    “Me.”
    Shit. All of this time she had thought that she was interviewing for an office management position, and Caine was leading her on. “Who reserved the seat in first class, and sent me a wad of cash?”
    “I did.”
    “Why?”
    Caine shrugged. “I wanted you here with me.” His voice sounded matter-of-fact, as if his words explained it all.
    “Why now? Why not six months ago, or a year ago?”
    “The time was right.”
    This was getting more confusing by the minute. “The time was right? For what?” Caine quickened the pace, forcing Jenna to jog to keep up. “Does your boss even know I’m here?”
    Caine nodded to the right. “The stairs are this way.” He ignored her question, instead taking her down off the deck and onto a small, dirt path.
    “Caine.” Jenna’s chest ached and her bag felt like a ton of bricks, yet she didn’t dare slow down. “You didn't answer my question.”
    “Oh?” He took a side path, turning into a space where the terrain was uneven and the grass tall and thick. “What was your question again?”
    Jenna huffed as she gingerly stepped over a large stone. “Does the Master of the
    Island—Mr. Vardalos—even know I’m here?”
    “Not exactly.”
    Jenna stumbled over a root system and reached for Caine's arm. He grabbed her waist to steady her, his strong arms wrapping around her midsection and creating butterflies in her stomach.
    “Whoa,” he said as she dropped her bag and stumbled into his chest. Jenna put up her hands and splayed her fingers over the broad expanse of muscle.
    “Sorry,” she muttered as she looked up and met his gaze. Caine's features softened as he shifted his focus to her lips.
    “What do you mean, not exactly?”
    He jerked his gaze back up to her face. “He knows that we need help at the front desk and has approved an open requisition. He just…” He cleared his throat and let her go. “He just doesn’t know that I’ve hired someone.”
    She watched the muscles in his back ripple as he walked away from her and down the steep incline toward the water.
    “Wait a minute,” she said as she picked up her bag and scrambled to catch up to him. “So you hired me without telling him?”
    “That's right.”
    “Do you have the authority to do that?”
    “Yup. Watch your step.”
    Jenna ground her teeth as she maneuvered her way over a fallen branch. “Where is Mr. Vardalos now?”
    He stopped walking and considered her words. “Probably in the States.”
    “In the States?” Jenna said as he started walking again. “Why?”
    “Convention or something. I'm not sure,” he said over his shoulder. “Only a little farther 'til we get to the water.”
    “Have I even met him?”
    “Not yet.”
    “So, I don’t really have a job. This was all a hoax.”
    Caine sighed. “Don’t worry about the damn job, Jenna. I told you that you have the position, although I doubt that you’ll want it by this time next week.”
    “You have no idea how long I’ll need the position. You know nothing about me.”
    “I know you hate working in a spa so much that you quit and moved thousands of miles away after only a couple of emails.” He frowned and shook his head. “I did you a favor, Jenna, so don’t act all high-and-mighty with me.”
    High-and-mighty? Jenna couldn't believe what was happening. “I can’t believe you lied to me.”
    Caine stopped suddenly, causing her to yelp in surprise. When he turned