Since hed begun working for his father a year ago, Trey had been forced to leave his jet-set Casanova lifestyle behind. Six months ago, hed ended a relationship with a somewhat crazy, but sexy, English actress. Since then, hed had a few one-night stands, but theyd left him more confused than satisfied.
Hed spent his adult life indulging in one whim after the other, all of it fueled by a seemingly bottomless trust fund. But now, at age twenty-nine, the money was almost gone and the lifestyle with it. His fathers job offer was his only option.
Ah! the driver cried, pointing at a rusty sign dangling from above a hangar door. Nous sommes ici! Madigan Air. Voilà!
Trey paid the driver in colorful French Pacific franc notes, then grabbed his bag and slid out of the cab. He slowly walked through the huge overhead door into the interior of the hangar. The place was a wreck, parts strewn everywhere, a bent propeller dangling from the ceiling, an old girlie calendar hanging on an open office door. A small amphibious plane was parked inside. Either the guy on the phone had oversold the company, or Trey was in the wrong place.
Hello? he called. Anybody home?
Bonjour!
The female voice came from the direction of the plane.
Is this Madigan Air?
Oui. This is. Youre late, the voice said. When you didnt come, I decided to do some maintenance. Well be ready to go in about fifteen minutes. Just find a seat and relax. I wont be long.
Though she spoke flawless English, Trey could detect a French accent. He approached the plane, circling around the front until he came upon a slight figure standing on a small ladder, her head bent over an open engine compartment. He expected her to be cleaning the windows or polishing the mirrors, not wielding a wrench!
She wore a skirt made of fabric so thin he could see her bare legs through it, a tiny T-shirt didnt even cover her midriff and her dark hair hung well below her shoulders, held back by a colorful scarf. Shed tucked a flower behind her ear, the creamy-white color a stark contrast to her deeply tanned skin. Are you sure you should be messing with that? Maybe you should wait for the pilot.
Her head snapped up and he met her gaze. Treys breath caught in his throat as the most stunning pair of sapphire eyes fixed on his face. He watched as her expression quickly shifted from thinly veiled annoyance to embarrassment. A pretty blush colored her cheeks and she forced a smile. I-I am the pilot, monsieur, she murmured.
Trey couldnt help but laugh. Youre the pilot?
She straightened her spine. What? You dont think a woman might be capable of flying a plane?
A smudge of grease marred her exquisite complexion. Even from this distance, hed become lost in her eyes, rimmed by long, dark lashes. Her features were perfectly balanced, and even without a bit of makeup, her beauty stole the breath from his lungs. No. Of course not. I was justsurprised, thats all.
She grabbed a rag, wiped her hands, then climbed down the ladder. It seems Im both. Pilot and mechanic. Sophie Madigan. She said her first name in the French way, with the accent on the last syllable.
This is your plane? he inquired.
No, it belongs to my father. But I fly it. I am a licensed pilot, she said. There is no need to worry, Mr. Shelton. I know what Im doing.
He reached out and took her slender fingers in his, shaking her hand. God, she was stunning. This island was teeming with gorgeous women, but this woman put them all to shame. She was slender and delicate, with long legs and graceful arms. Her clothing clung to every curve of her body and if he had to guess, Trey would venture she wasnt wearing a whole lot underneath.
You are younger than I expected, she said, a tiny smile curving the corners of her mouth. Her gaze was still fixed on his face, her eyes slowly taking in his features. For a moment, he thought she might say more.
She didnt seem to recognize him, even though his name should have given him away. Treys reputation as a celebrity playboy usually followed him wherever he went. The press had dubbed him the male equivalent of Paris Hilton. Theyd documented his exploits with women and poked fun at the various careers hed attempted.
Most women found his bad-boy reputation irresistible. But he found the thought of going unrecognized for once intriguing. What would it be like to be judged on his own merits rather than an image perpetrated by the press?
My friends call me Trey, he said, turning on his most dazzling smile. She still showed no sign of recognition.
Très? Très what? Sophie asked, frowning.
He chuckled softly. My name is actually Peter Shelton the Third. My grandfather was the first and my father was the second. Im the third. Trey.
Oh, like un, deux, trois. Well, that makes sense then, Sophie said, dragging her hand from his. But Ill call you Mr. Shelton. Okay, just have a seat and let me finish and well be on our way. She climbed back up the ladder, then gave him an odd look.
Im good right here, he said. Id be happy to give you a hand.
She shrugged and went back to work. His gaze slowly drifted along the length of her body, lingering on her backside. Hell, hed flown in a lot of planes, but hed never had a pilot like this. The thought of going up with her made him a little uneasy. Was it because she was a beautiful woman? He couldnt deny his immediate attraction to her, so why even bother? Or was it because she seemed so young?
Do you mind if I ask you a question? he ventured.
It depends upon the question, she said.
How old are you?
This is not a proper question for a man to ask a woman, she said, sending him a coy smile.
But I think its highly proper for a passenger to ask his pilot.
Im twenty-six, she said.
Are you French? he asked.
Half, Sophie said, glancing up and bracing her arms on the edge of the engine compartment. And the other half, American. Why? Is that a problem, too?
He shook his head. I was just curious. The accent. Its a little confusing.
I can talk American, Sophie said, her accent shifting with lightning speed. If that would suit your ears better.
He shook his head, grinning. No, I like the way you talk, he said. Itsexotic.
His words seemed to take her aback for a moment. She gave him an uneasy look, then returned to her work. My father has chosen some spots he thought youd like to see. Is there anywhere specific you want to go?
Three islands, Trey said, pulling a crumpled sheet of paper from his leather messenger bag. Waruhatu, Pareaa and Suaneva.
Those are all on my list, she said. She glanced over at him, then reached up to close the cowling over the engine. All done. Ill just do the preflight and well be ready to leave in about ten minutes. There are some cold drinks in the cooler over there if you want to grab one. You can stow the cooler behind the front seat, if youd care to help.
She brushed by him as she returned the wrench to the tool cart and Trey caught the scent of her perfume, or maybe it was the flower in her hair. Whatever it was, he found the smell incredibly intoxicating. What was this beautiful girl doing in such a place? he wondered.
True to her word, they were rolling down the runway ten minutes later, Trey strapped into the passenger seat and Sophie Madigan behind the controls. Though Trey had never been afraid of flying, something about this situation made him nervous. For the first time in his life, hed placed himself in the hands of a beautiful woman. The most hed ever surrendered to a woman in the past was his body and even then, it had never been complete surrender.
The plane smoothly lifted off the runway and soared into a steeply banked turn over the water. As they continued to climb, Trey closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. She seemed to be a very competent pilot, at least so far.
Are you all right? she asked.
He opened his eyes to find her staring at him, her brow furrowed. Yeah.
If youre going to be sick, theres a bag under the seat.
Im not going to be sick, he said. Im just not a big fan of small planes.
She shrugged again. Dont worry. I can put this plane down anywhere. Thats the benefit of an amphibious plane. Water or land.
How about on the side of that mountain over there? he said.
Why would I want to put it down there? she asked.
Hed never met a woman quite so unimpressed with him. Trey knew he was a handsome guy, and charming, quite the catch according to everything hed read in the tabloids. Although he wasnt sure how much of the attraction had to do with him, and how much with his money. But now that the trust fund hed inherited from his grandfathers estate was virtually gone, hed had to make some changes.
In less than a year, when he turned thirty, his father would decide whether to give him his share of the larger Shelton family trust, millions set aside for each Shelton heir, controlled by a man who thought Peter Shelton III had nothing substantial to offer the world.
To prove himself, Trey had gone to work for Shelton Hotels, focusing on a new division that developed smaller, more exclusive resorts, the kind of properties that appealed to his celebrity friends.
To Treys surprise, he enjoyed the work. Hed found himself building resorts in his head-from the basic architecture to the linens in the rooms. After living in hotels nearly his entire adult life, Trey knew what worked and what didnt. And he was beginning to wonder if he might have something to offer the family business.
It was still a rather revolutionary concept-Trey Shelton, giving up the fast life for a real job. He figured hed decide what to do with his future once he convinced his father to release his share of the Shelton family trust. If he still found the job appealing, then maybe hed stick around.
He looked over at Sophie. She seemed quite relaxed behind the controls, as if shed been a pilot for a long time. Where did you learn how to fly? he asked.
I just picked it up. I flew all the time with my father, and one day we were doing preflight together and he put me in the pilots seat and we took off. He taught me what I needed to know and I got my license.