Frowning, she shut her laptop, dismissing her empty inbox. They would eventually reply. They always did. The time difference was tremendous and besides, she was being foolish, willing the return emails to appear like she had magical powers.
If she had magical powers, she’d snap her fingers and have the perfect scent created. The Worths would celebrate her. The entire industry would declare her brilliant. And Rhett…
Rhett would wrap her in his arms and whisper that he never wanted to let her go.
Literally snorting, Ella stood and went to the window, staring out at the ocean. It was yet another beautiful day on Maui, her last, and she spent it cooped away in the room she’d hardly used since arriving. They’d slept in this bed their first night there, the first time they had sex, then moved to Rhett’s room the next day.
She cracked open the window, allowing the scent to waft in on the gentle breeze. A mixture of heat and sand, the salty, slightly algae smell of the ocean and a hint of blooming native flowers, it was what she so desperately tried to capture.
It scared her, how unsure she felt. How risky this entire endeavor was. She was already feeling on unstable ground when she received the phone call earlier. Her father, giddy with his news, proudly proclaiming how he’d somehow come in contact with one of the Renaldi brothers, letting them know he’d seriously considered taking on the Worth perfumer contract but ultimately told them no.
What would it take to have you take on a perfume assignment again? the Renaldi brother had asked her father.
Too much for you to fathom, he’d answered, laughing when he recounted the story for Ella’s benefit.
She hadn’t wanted to hear it. The news had made her sick when he announced the amount of money they were willing to offer him. An exclusive two-year contract, he’d boasted. Near complete creative control, not only would he formulate the juice, he would have a say in the final decision as well.
Practically unheard of in the industry, and her father had scored such a deal. She still could hardly believe it.
You need to learn how to negotiate properly, he’d chastised her, his voice gruffer than usual. His disappointment had been palpable, even over the phone. You take the first deal you’re offered and allow them the ability to cut you off as quickly as they hired you. You’re a fool.
She was a fool to believe her father would be proud of her. He was selfish. She’d known this her entire life but had chosen to ignore it. No child wanted to admit their parent didn’t care for them properly, was too wrapped up in their own lives to attend to the needs of those who solely depended on them.
When she was small, she’d at first feigned interest in scent. As she grew older, she realized she had a true talent, a gift. A nose, her father had proclaimed to his friends and colleagues. He’d told everyone his daughter had as good a nose as he and everyone knew how refined his was.
She’d become a perfumer because she’d known nothing else. And for the first time in her life, she resented it. Resented her father, the life he’d provided her, the lack of choices. She’d had no choice. She was who she was because of him.
The burden to impress, to prove to all she was just as good and someday would most likely be better than Michel Durand was exceptionally heavy. Her father believed she would fail. Oh, he didn’t outright say so, but he didn’t need to. He believed she would never amount to anything.
Or that she would never amount to the greatness that was Michel Durand. She lived in his shadow her entire life. And it was so dark and so long, it nearly consumed her.
A knock sounded at the door and then it opened, Rhett peeking his head around it. His eyes were gentle, as was the smile that curved his full mouth. He was devastatingly handsome, sweet when he wanted to be, but bossy and stubborn too, sometimes a bit more than she cared for.
Deep down, she liked the way he took charge. It aroused her and his behavior made her feel cared for. Something she’d never really experienced before.
Ever.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded, tried to offer him a reassuring smile but failed. She saw it in the darkening of his eyes, the concern written all over his face. “I’m fine,” she lied.
He entered the room, closing the door behind him, why, she wasn’t sure. Slowly he approached her, his steps light, his gaze locked directly on her. “We leave first thing tomorrow morning,” he said when he stopped in front of her.
She nodded, afraid of what might happen if she tried to speak. She could fall apart, start blubbering all over him and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
“I want to spend the rest of the evening with you,” he murmured, reaching out so he could capture her hand in his.
“What time is it?” She hadn’t paid much attention, knew she’d spent most of the afternoon locked away considering the placement of the sun, the shadows that it cast.
“Almost four.” He squeezed her hand before entwining his fingers with hers. “We only have a few more hours together alone, Gabriella.”
A wave of sadness washed over her, so large it made the back of her knees dissolve. He squeezed their linked hands, but it didn’t reassure her like usual. The unspoken words rang through her head. What they shared was temporary. As soon as they returned to New York, it was over. She knew this, was savvy enough to understand how it worked, but she hadn’t anticipated finding herself halfway in love with him.
And she was. It wouldn’t take much to nudge her over the edge, either. It was foolish, she’d known him for such a short amount of time, but there it was.
To Rhett, she was an island fling. She’d told herself this from the start. Her head knew it, but her heart was a complete idiot.
That she allowed her heart to become involved in the first place was more than enough proof of her utter foolishness.