Page 76 of Devil's Iris
“Just how rich are you?”
“Rich.” His voice cracks with amusement. “Rich enough to give you the whole world.”
My throat goes dry. He alreadyhasgiven me my whole world. I take a shaky sip of water, desperate to change the subject before I say something I’ll regret. “Are you really not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“Do you not know what the definition of a surprise is,tentatrice?” His voice is dark as sin, his eyes equally dark, and suddenly the cabin feels like it’s been dialed up to tropical temperatures.
I fan myself with shaking fingers and stare out the window,trying to ignore the way his gaze tracks my every movement like a predator watching prey.
Tentatrice. He’s been calling me that since yesterday. Temptress. The word makes my skin burn, especially knowing why he thinks it fits after I apparently stripped naked and slept wrapped around him all night.Christ, Leni, what is wrong with you?
I clear my throat and take another long sip of water to cover my silence.
Then the changing view outside pulls my attention—the jet dipping lower, the ground rushing closer. Are we finally here? I sit up straighter, practically gluing my nose to the glass, only to slump back in disappointment when all I see is tarmac and boring airport buildings.
Romero chuckles. “You’ll see everything you want to soon enough.” His mood has completely transformed since we boarded. It’s lighter, almost playful. Like he’s holding the world’s best secret and can barely contain himself.
When the plane stops, he rises and offers me his hand. I take it, that familiar jolt I’ve now come to anticipate zipping up my arm. His sharp inhale doesn’t escape me, though I pretend not to notice.
He tightens his grip as we walk through the cabin towards the already-open door, and when I step outside, my jaw literally drops.
Towering green forest stretches as far as I can see, surrounded by water so crystal clear it looks like liquid diamonds shimmering under the dusky sun. We left New York in darkness, but here it’s barely sunset. I’m time traveling again—both times because of this man next to me.
“Come on.” He nudges me forward, but I can barely drag my eyes from the water as I start walking down the stairs. Then he steers me right, towards a sleek blue-and-white seaplane bobbing near a small makeshift dock.
“We’re getting onthat?” The nerves leak into my voice. Compared to the jet we just left, it’s so—small. Almost like a toy.
“The plane is taking us to our final destination. This is just the halfway point.” Like he can sense my nervousness, he stops walking and grips my chin, tilting my face up to his. Those green eyes are serious now, searching. “Do you trust me?”
I don’t even need to think about it. “Yes.”Completely. Terrifyingly. More than I should.
Something flickers in those green depths at my quick answer—surprise, maybe? Relief? Heat, definitely. “Good.” He clears his throat. “Then trust me when I say you’ll love this.”
I give him my best skeptical look as he helps me into the tiny plane. But he’s right. God, is heright.
The seaplane is loud as hell as we take off, but I can’t stop the wide, excited grin on my face if I tried. It’s like the entire world just falls away until there’s nothing left but sea and sky and the surprisingly plush cabin. I feel weightless, free, my face glued to the window as I soak it all in.
I don’t know how long we fly. Time becomes meaningless up here. But by the time we touch down on the glassy water, the sun melts completely into the horizon, painting everything in shades of orange. Then I see it—our destination up ahead—and my breath catches.
This can’t be real.
The island is shaped like a crescent moon, the curve lined with white sand so fine it shimmers like sugar. Dense green forest crowds the back, and nestled right at the edge of it all is a villa that looks ripped from a magazine spread.
A four-story white stone and dark wood building, with floor-to-ceiling windows that reflect the sea and the sky. From here, I can make out a large pool on one level and hammocks swaying lazily on another.
It’sstunning.
And it’s ours?
The seaplane glides to a stop at a dock where uniformed staff wait with welcoming smiles, and I turn to Romero, completely speechless. When he first mentioned the honeymoon, I assumed we’d go somewhere decent for appearances’ sake. A nice hotel, maybe a resort. Something to sell the illusion that we’re madly in love.
This isn’t selling an illusion. This is insane. Like he reached into my dreams and built my perfect paradise from scratch. He’s gone all out.
He’s already watching me, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. “You like it?”
My throat works uselessly for several seconds as I try to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. But words have abandoned me entirely.
He chuckles at my fish-out-of-water impression. “I’m glad you like it that much.” Rising, he offers me his hand. “Come on, let’s go explore.”
