Trapped with Temptation

Gemma

I grinned excitedly as I shoved the last bikini into my suitcase.

Finally.

A real weekend vacation.

No Richard. No Angela. No stupid drama. No annoying phone calls.

Okay… maybe still annoying phone calls.

Actually, scratch that.

For the past few days, my phone had practically become a hotline for madness.

Richard kept calling, saying nonsense about destroying his life. Angela kept texting, calling me an evil bitch for ruining her wedding plans. Even Sam had sent me several pathetic voice notes I didn’t bother opening.

At this point, I had blocked more than twelve different numbers already, yet somehow they still kept finding new ways to contact me like jobless parasites with unlimited SIM cards.

Gigi had even forced me to report the harassment to the police. Unfortunately, there was little they could do because none of the messages contained direct threats.

I zipped up my suitcase and grabbed my phone. I was finally going to get away from the madness and have a nice time.

I quickly called Gigi.

She picked up almost immediately.

“Tell me you’re ready already.”

“I’m ready, Gigi. Are we heading there together or what?”

“Actually, something urgent came up at work, so I need to head there ahead of time.”

“Wait. What?”

“It’s nothing serious,” she said quickly. “I already arranged everything, so you just need to head to the location I sent you. I’ll meet you there.”

My eyes narrowed slowly. Something about this entire vacation smelled fishy.

For starters, Gigi had refused to tell me where exactly we were going because apparently it was “a surprise.”

Secondly, this was the same woman who initially rejected the idea of taking a vacation because she was married to her work.

And now, suddenly, she had magically planned an entire trip within a few days?

“Gigi, is there something you’re not telling me?”

She laughed softly.

“You worry too much, Gemma. Everything has already been sorted out. Just head to the location, okay? I’ll see you there.”

Then she hung up.

I sighed and decided to stop overthinking.

This was Gigi.

I trusted her completely.

About an hour later, the taxi finally pulled up outside the location she had sent me. The moment I stepped out, I froze.

“…What the hell?”

Skyline Executive Airstrip.

And sitting directly in front of me was an helicopter… an actual freaking helicopter.

Two men dressed in black suits stood nearby like Secret Service agents guarding a president.

Okay.

Nope.

Something was definitely wrong now.

I immediately reached into my bag for my phone, already preparing to call Gigi and tell her I had obviously arrived at the wrong location.

But before I could dial, one of the suited men approached me politely.

“Ms. Gemma Tate?”

I blinked.

“…Yes?”

His expression immediately softened.

“We’ve been expecting you, ma’am. Please come with us.”

Oh hell no.

I quickly forced out the fakest smile imaginable.

“Sure. Just… give me one second.”

The moment he stepped back, I hurriedly texted Gigi.

<

Her reply came almost instantly with a laughing emoji attached to it.

<

I stared at the message suspiciously.

This woman was way too calm for someone potentially sending her best friend into organ trafficking.

Still… this was Gigi.

If she said it was safe, then it probably was… right?

“…If I die, I’m haunting Gigi forever,” I muttered before finally boarding the helicopter.

To my surprise, the entire experience was ridiculously comfortable.

The seats were soft leather, the cabin smelled expensive, and the headset they handed me made communication surprisingly easy despite the loud rotors overhead.

I had expected dramatic shaking and near-death experiences. Instead, it felt oddly smooth.

Hours later, endless blue ocean stretched below like an enormous sparkling blanket.

A small island appeared in the distance, surrounded by crystal-clear water that shimmered beautifully beneath the afternoon sunlight.

From above, it looked almost unreal. Like something straight out of a luxury travel magazine.

As we descended lower, I noticed a beautiful cabin nestled near the shoreline, surrounded by tall coconut trees swaying gently in the breeze.

It was gorgeous.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Once the helicopter finally landed, I climbed out carefully with my bag while the cool ocean breeze immediately brushed against my skin.

The salty air smelled refreshing, peaceful, and clean. The cabin itself looked stunning with its dark wooden exterior, wide glass windows, and cozy tropical design.

I could already hear the calming sound of waves nearby.

Oh my goodness!

God bless Gigi again.

This woman had truly outdone herself.

Practically vibrating with excitement, I forgot about the chopper leaving, grabbed my suitcase, and hurried toward the cabin.

“Gigi!” I yelled excitedly. “This place is fucking amazing! How the hell did you even pull this off?! Get your ass out here right no—”

I froze mid-sentence. My mouth fell open when I saw a familiar figure step out instead.

Holy mother of temptation.

Julian Ferguson stood there with nothing but a white towel wrapped low around his waist, his damp hair slightly messy from what was obviously a recent shower.

Drops of water still glistened against his chest… his very naked chest.

Dear God.

My brain stopped functioning immediately.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out because my traitorous eyes had already started roaming shamelessly over him.

“How was your trip?”

Julian’s deep voice broke through my internal crisis.

I quickly jerked my gaze away before my thoughts became criminal. Heat flooded my cheeks so fast I could practically feel myself combusting alive.

“This… this has to be some kind of mistake. What are you doing here?”

Julian chuckled softly.

“You mentioned wanting a weekend vacation,” he replied calmly. “And your best friend seemed too busy with work to accompany you, so I decided to do it myself.”

My brain malfunctioned again.

“What?!”

No, that was definitely not possible.

I immediately pulled out my phone and tried Gigi’s number… unreachable.

What exactly was going on?

Suddenly, I heard Gigi’s voice behind me.

“Hey girl!”

I turned around instantly.

A laptop sat open on the dining table near Julian, and Gigi’s face appeared on the screen.

“Oh thank God!” I hurried toward it. “Gigi, what is happening?! Why is he here?! And where are you?”

I stopped midway when I realized Gigi wasn’t responding. That was when it hit me.

“…This is a recording.”

That evil little witch.

Video-Gigi smiled brightly on the screen.

“So by now, you’ve probably realized I lied about the trip. But honestly? Sorry, not sorry. I knew you needed a break from Richard and all his endless nonsense, so Mr. Ferguson and I decided to give you the best vacation possible.”

I slowly turned toward Julian, who looked completely unbothered.

Video-Gigi continued cheerfully.

“And before you start yelling and cursing at me, yes, I know exactly what I’m doing. I also know how much you enjoyed Mr. Ferguson’s company last time. So relax, have fun, and enjoy the weekend.”

And the video ended.

“GIGI!”

My face instantly burned violently from embarrassment.

What kind of friend sends her best friend to a private island with a ridiculously handsome man?

A criminal friend.

That’s what.

I slowly turned toward Julian again.

“Call back the helicopter.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“The pilot already received instructions to return after the weekend. And since this is a private island, there’s barely any network coverage out here.”

Then he looked directly at me, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

I swallowed hard.

How exactly was I supposed to survive an entire weekend alone on a private island with Julian?

A man currently standing half-naked in front of me, looking like every sinful fantasy wrapped into one human being.

Yeah.

This weekend vacation was definitely going to be a very long one.