Julienne's POV

Julienne's POV

Alex was true to his words, by evening of that same day I had supplies lined up for me to do whatever I wished with them, it was exhilarating not having to defend my passion yo anyone but myself.

Two days into our honeymoon however, with his fiance stuck in a room ignoring me. I realized that more or less I had been unproductive everyday I walked down to the beach and sat there with a canvas or a sketch book and stared at the ocean for hours, only to jerk thirty minutes to when I was supposed to leave flushed and flustered. All from remembering that god-damned kiss, it was infuriating how much of my control was tossed out of the window with Alexsander Cross.

Even thoughts of revenge were sporadic and that was unacceptable. I wasn't here for love, I was here to find a way to get revenge over Corey, in a weeks time we would be out of this paradise and back to the real world and I would have to work towards getting my revenge, so I needed to get my shit together and do what needed to be done, I stood from the ground and set my canvas on the sand, looking into the water. It was a soft blue almost bordering on ash it was beautiful and I wanted to paint it , as it flowed in and then out of the beach.

I took a deep breath and dipped my brush into paint and then I begun almost immediately, I lost track of time as usual but I started thinking of that kiss, the soft brush of his lips against mine the heat of his breath against my lips, I wanted him, so badly I wanted him but I wasn't sure if this was right, there was so much baggage between the both of us enough to sink the Titanic all over again.

" You're so engrossed" I jerked turning to face Alex, he looked gorgeous in the moonlight, staring at me, his hair fluttering over his face. I gulped looking away from him

" Yeah . I get that way sometimes" I muttered and he laughed shoving his hands into his pockets.

" Are you hungry, I think something was delivered a few minutes ago," he mumbled, I dropped my palette on the table besides me and and dunked the paint brushes into a bowl of water, there was a small rag next to it and I wet it dragging it over the paint stain on my fingers and nails, Alex was so close to me, I could feel him next to me and I tried not to let the awareness of him to unsettle me but it didn't seem to be working much, my cheeks still heated like a furnace and my stomach felt like a hoard of butterflies were hosting a small party there.

It was getting to be frustrating, did he feel the same was he having the same feelings I did, find it hard to breath as I did or was I the only one who was struggling with this deluge of emotions.

" How is your girlfriend" I asked sliding away from him eager to put some distance between the both of us he scoffed

" Tammy is not my girlfriend" he muttered and I shrugged

" Tammy feels otherwise and I'm sure she'd like to tell me all about it in detail" I replied, he groaned in seeming frustration

" I told you I would take care of that " he muttered and I shrugged

" And I'm sure you did but I don't think it turned out as well as you hope it did" I mumbled. I had read up on Tammy Jones and her father, she was a influential character in the beauty industry with dozens of brands offering her deals all the time, if it was money she was looking for then she had it, her father was a prominent lawyer in the city so she had fame but I knew that just like Corey Montgomery she was looking for the one thing that only few people could have in our country, prestige and glory.

In a place where the blue bloods had the highest say to anything, you had to be the one willing to take the chances and do something about it even if it meant clawing your way up that ladder.

What I didn't understand was they were so many others she could have gone for to get what she wanted but she had chosen him.

Then his gaze locked with mine and I remembered all of a sudden that yes there was something about him, and the way he made me and likely every other woman feel that would inspire that kind of want.

"You don't have to worry about that" he whispered, he was close to me enough that I could feel the breath of his lips over my neck, he kissed me softly once twice and my head fell back betraying me and my intentions, like my body had control over me that was not part of the bargain, as if I had stumbled on a minefield of emotions and was about to go out of control.

" We shouldn't be doing this " I hissed trying to regain control of myself but he held onto me, dragging me to hold me closer to himself his arms like bands around me, I wanted him in that moment. I wanted to say screw it all and fall into his embrace, I wanted to sink into him and never come out of his hold but there was something holding me back.

Revenge. Tammy.

I wasn't sure which of them it was but together they made a most compelling argument and so I pulled back from him.

" You mentioned dinner" I said and he laughed

" Yes I believe I did " he replied his gaze shifting to the sea behind me that seemed to mirror the chaotic state of my emotions right now.

" Then let's go eat and then we need to discuss Corey" i replied he nodded,

" You need help," he muttered as he started to pack the bowls and instruments in the desk one at a time, until there were all gone and then he looked to the painting and then at me.

" You may think you're running away from me, from us but there's only so far you can go" he muttered, nodding to the painting.

" And it seems you can't even go that far" he whispered with a small smile, or was it a smirk. I couldn't tell, I was too busy looking at the painting I had spent the last five hours working on, a man and a woman intertwined on a bedding if sheets and grass by the waters edge, their bodies wrapped around each other like there was no thought to let go. I gulped. I was so screwed wasn't I .

---

We normally had dinner together it was something that Tammy believed in doing, I think she did it to shove her relationship with Alex in my face, I could understand her a bit but it was getting tedious, my interactions with Alex were stilted and tense and those dinner wound me up even more. Two days to the end of this honeymoon and I was up to my neck with annoyance. It seemed that Alex noticed it

" Let's have dinner outside " he offered to me that evening.

" Tammy"I asked

" Had gone to see a play in the theatre"

I found it amazing the rate of self sufficiency that the island had but it was a renowned paradise so I could see that working in their favour.

" We talk about what to do with Corey" I said softly and he sighed

" If that's what you wish"

He took me to the restaurant, we walked there the distance mostly negligible, the wind blew at my dress hems and I looked at the sky counting the stars.

" You look beautiful " he whispered and i stayed silent

" You plan on not talking to me the rest of the day" he asked

" If it's about Corey. I can sing till the birds come home" I replied and he laughed

" Of course" we were seated at a table and the waiter came in to serve us and give us what we needed. It didn't take that long and soon we were alone.

" So how are you enjoying our honeymoon," i shrugged.

" It's not important and you know it. Corey" I muttered with a note of exasperation, and he nodded

" Fine, how do you want to handle him" he asked and I shrugged.

" We've shut off his investment, the next thing would be to find out his future plans and sabotage them" i replied.

" That involves getting close to him, how do you plan on doing that " I kept eating my brain thinking about it. Corey was a smart man but he was also ruled by his ego. I had bruised his ego and he would be furious with me but he would also be looking for a way to get me back, I was now a prize he wanted to win at all costs.

" How do you plan on doing that,I can infiltrate the company but personally–"

" I'll do it " I cut him short and he paused his brows furrowing

" You'll do what " he asked and I shrugged

" I'll get close to him again"