About the Authors

TARYN BELLE is the pen name of Cea Person, a bestselling Canadian author who wrote about her unconventional childhood in two memoirs, North of Normal and Nearly Normal, both published by HarperCollins. She is a former international model and a businesswoman, running a swimwear company with merchandise popularized by celebrities such as Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson. She loves playing board games with her husband and three children, hosting dinner parties in her Vancouver home, and crafting out.

MARGOT RADCLIFFE lives in Columbus, Ohio, right now, but surrenders to wanderlust every couple of years, so it’s hard to say where she’ll end up next. Regardless of location, her apricot dog will be by her side while she writes fun romances that hopefully make readers laugh and space out for a bit. With heroines who aren’t afraid to take what they want and confident heroes who are up to a challenge, she loves creating complicated, modern love stories. She can be found @margotradcliffe on Twitter and @margot_radcliffe on Instagram.

Also by Taryn Belle

In Too Deep

In For Keeps

Also by Margot Radcliffe

Friends with Benefits

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Intoxicated

Taryn Belle

Sin City Seduction

Margot Radcliffe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09948-6

INTOXICATED & SIN CITY SEDUCTION

Intoxicated © 2020 Cea Sunrise Person Sin City Seduction © 2020 Terra Rogerson

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Table of Contents

Cover

About the Authors

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Intoxicated

Back Cover Text

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sin City Seduction

Back Cover Text

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

About the Publisher

Intoxicated

Taryn Belle

Playboy James Ellison wouldn’t usually agree to a blind date at a wedding, but this date could help his career. Mixing business and pleasure has never felt better!

Real estate developer and lifelong bachelor James Ellison is at his cousin Kiki’s wedding on the tropical island of Moretta. Which is also the site where the biggest project of his career has run into trouble. He’s agreed to be bridesmaid Laina’s blind date, but James has a hidden agenda in mind. Architect Laina Rose doesn’t know it, but she’s going to help him get his project over the last hurdle…

Laina is recovering from a nasty breakup that has left her wary of intimacy with any man, let alone a womanizer like James. But the wild chemistry between them proves irresistible, and James is soon showing Laina what she’s been missing in the bedroom—and she’s ecstatic to learn.

After a string of red-hot encounters all over the island, James is falling hard for Laina and wants more than a fling. But when she finds out about his ulterior motives, she is furious! Has he been using her all along? It’s up to James to show her he’s a changed man—for now and forever.

Harlequin DARE publishes sexy romances featuring powerful alpha heroes and bold, fearless heroines exploring their deepest fantasies.

Four new Harlequin DARE titles are available each month, wherever ebooks are sold!

To Nicole

CHAPTER ONE

THE BRIDAL SHOP was at the corner of Spring Street, conveniently located beside a bakery displaying a flower-adorned wedding cake in the window. Standing on the sidewalk stuffing the last of her street vendor veggie dog into her mouth, Laina Rose stared at the fluffy white dresses with loathing. It seemed like everywhere she looked these days she saw some sort of display of everlasting love, which she guessed came with spring everywhere, not just downtown Atlanta. Businesses trying to cash in on the illusion of forever, still pretending in this day and age that it could be a real thing.

It made Laina sick.

Sighing deeply, she opened the door to the bridal shop and entered. She heard a squeal, and then a bundle of silk chiffon and strawberry-blond hair was launching itself into her arms. “Banger!” Kiki shrieked.

“Mash!” Laina shrieked back, using the old nicknames they’d given each other during a high school trip to London. Just seeing her friend’s beaming face was enough to make Laina’s bad mood vanish. “You look amazing!” It was true—Kiki was lit with a glow from within that could only mean one thing. “Oh my God,” Laina said as realization hit. “The adoption came through, didn’t it? You’re getting a daughter.”

“Yes!” Kiki’s eyes were dancing. “I still can’t believe it—Dev and I go to China to pick her up in a month. Right after the wedding!”

Laina grasped Kiki’s hands happily, her fingers closing around a large ring. She looked down at it and laughed. “Wow. All those climbers must be really disappointed that Mount Everest has been relocated to your finger,” Laina said, lifting the impressive chunk of jewelry up to eye level. “Dev doesn’t mess around, does he?”

“Nope.” Kiki grinned back at her. Despite Laina’s cynicism about marriage, she was truly thrilled for her best friend, who’d weathered more heartache on the path to happiness than anyone she knew: the loss of her mother, divorce, multiple miscarriages and infertility. The girls had met in ninth grade and become inseparable at their Atlanta private school, with their friendship continuing after Kiki moved to LA for university. Later, when Kiki had needed a getaway after a shattering divorce, Laina had offered her the perfect solution. Her parents owned a second home on the Caribbean island of Moretta, where Laina had spent her holidays growing up. Even though it had meant the unpleasant task of asking her parents for a favor, she hadn’t hesitated in offering the estate’s guest cottage to Kiki. It didn’t take long for Kiki to decide she was staying on the island, finding a bartending job and moving into her own cottage. Eventually she’d met Dev, a fellow Moretta resident who also happened to be a chart-topping rock star, and now they were getting married on the island in just two weeks.

“So, what do you think?” Kiki asked, pulling Laina over to the dressing area and doing a spin in front of the three-way mirror. On closer inspection, Laina could see that the dress had a faint blush-pink hue—Kiki’s signature color.

“It’s perfect,” Laina said, glancing at her own reflection over Kiki’s shoulder. She’d been up for work since 5:00 a.m., and it showed. Her dark curls had escaped the loose bun she’d put in that morning, allowing errant springs of hair to dance around the neckline of her navy work dress. Up close she could see that she’d forgotten to put mascara on, not that it mattered much. With her roundish face and a mouth that always looked too wide to her, Laina didn’t think of herself as particularly beautiful. But her eyelashes were her pride and joy, framing her large brown eyes in way that prompted friends to ask where she got her extensions done.

Kiki was twisting back and forth in front of the mirror, holding her hair off her shoulders in a mock updo. “You’re really up for this? I still can’t believe you’re going to host a wedding on your parents’ property.”

Laina shrugged. “It was their idea, remember? They almost never use it anymore. Plus they adore you.”

“They’ve met me exactly once.”

“To know you is to love you.”

Kiki dropped her hair and turned to face Laina with a look of concern. “Still… I know this must be at least a little uncomfortable for you. I mean, you haven’t even stayed at their estate in what, ten years?”

“Twelve. Since I was twenty,” Laina said more tensely than she’d meant to. She relaxed her tone. “But it’s not like I’m staying at the main house—I’ll be in the guest cottage. Besides,” she added, lifting an over-the-top crystal headpiece and placing it playfully on Kiki’s head. “My parents were right—if the press got wind that the rock god of the century was getting married, the paparazzi would be all over his house. Hibiscus Heights is the perfect decoy.”

“Well, I hope you know how much we appreciate it.”

“Of course I do. Just remember to keep my name out of it.”

“Pinkie swear,” Kiki said, and Laina grinned. She knew no further discussion was needed; Kiki had been there to nurse her broken heart several times when Laina had discovered that certain men were only after one thing. And it wasn’t her body—it was what they assumed she had in her bank account.

“Listen,” Kiki said, looking at Laina squarely. “I feel like I’ve been really carried away with the adoption thing and the wedding lately. I’ve hardly asked about you. I mean, how are things? How’s work?”

Laina moved to a display of delicate necklaces and started fingering through them. “Well, let’s see. I was up at five to finish a drawing for a client meeting this morning, I checked in on a condo project to find exactly one tradesman working, I spent an hour on the phone talking a client down from the ledge, and then I paid the bills and bought a veggie dog with my entire profits for the month. But I love it,” she said, finishing with a grin.

Indeed, three years into setting up her own Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—LEED—architectural firm, Laina’s work often felt like a labor of love. Great progress had been made in recent years with green construction, but passive design was still in its infancy. Even though she’d done nine major residential projects since opening shop and won an award for the city’s most promising architect, convincing clients that a LEED certification would save them more money than they could count in the long run was no easy feat—and her bank account showed it.

“Mmm. Sounds like you need an assistant,” Kiki said, accepting a necklace Laina was holding out to her.

“I wish. Running a one-woman show isn’t easy, but I keep telling myself it won’t be like this forever. At least I’m my own boss—I wouldn’t go back to working at a big firm for anything.”

Kiki fastened the bow-shaped pendant around her neck and glanced in the mirror. “A bit too sweet for me, I think,” she said, taking it off again. As she passed the necklace back, her eyes met Laina’s. “Okay, I have to ask,” she said with a sigh. “Do you ever hear from—”

“Asswipe?” Laina interjected. “No, never.” As she flicked her eyes away from her friend, they landed on a row of dresses on display. A high-necked, sleeveless bodice with a full skirt of lace. A pale aqua strapless number that reminded her of a mermaid. And a soft, drapey column with sweeping layers—exactly the type of dress Laina would have chosen if she’d gotten married a year ago like she was supposed to.

It had been twenty-two months since Ward left her, and though she didn’t have a shred of feeling left for him, the memory of his departure still stung. To think she had actually loved someone who would be that cruel to her…it made her wonder if she could ever trust her judgment again. It wasn’t enough that Laina had found her fiancé in bed—their bed—with another woman on a day she’d come home from a canceled lunch date. It was that after the woman had left, he’d acted like the whole thing had been Laina’s fault. I’m sorry you’re hurt, he’d said, as if that were any kind of apology, and then he’d shifted to a passive-aggressive stance. I blame myself. I knew you’d only been with two other men when we met, but I guess I didn’t realize that meant you’d only ever want to do missionary.

Laina had slapped him across the face when he said that, shocking even herself. And it wasn’t just because she’d been pushed to the depths of humiliation. It was because they’d started out so sweetly, with him leaving love notes in her pockets and cooking her dinner when she came home tired. Because she’d remained patient with him as she busted her butt to get her firm going while he stayed home “just waiting for the right opportunity to come along.” Because they’d planned their wedding and talked about forever as if it were a done deal. And because what he said was true: she really wasn’t that interested in sex, and she sometimes wondered if that meant there was something wrong with her.

But never again. She’d learned her lesson. Men were more trouble than they were worth, and her time and energy was much better put toward rewarding pursuits, like her career. And it certainly wasn’t Kiki’s fault that she’d introduced her to Ward and was now the one getting married instead.

“Seriously, though,” Laina said, “you know how you’re supposed to go through all those stages after a breakup? I’m finally at indifference. I feel like I could see him now and it would barely faze me.”

Kiki bit her lip. “Well, I’m really glad to hear you say that, because…”

Laina stared at her. “What?”

“I’ve been dreading telling you this,” Kiki said, dropping her face into her hands. When she spoke again, it was through her fingers. “First you have to promise me that no matter what, you’ll still come to the wedding and be my bridesmaid.”

Laina looked at her warily. “O…kay.”

Kiki heaved a deep sigh. “Asswipe is going to be there.”

Laina’s heart plummeted. “You’re joking.”

“I know,” Kiki moaned. “It’s horrible. It’s just…you know that his parents are my dad and stepmother’s best friends. They were the only family he asked me to invite, and…my father’s done so much for me. I just couldn’t say no. I’m so sorry.”

“I suppose he’s bringing a date,” Laina stated flatly.

“Yeah, he did check the plus-one box.”

Lifting the trailing skirt of her dress, Kiki dropped onto a satin-covered bench. Laina sank beside her and took a deep breath. “You know what? It’s fine. This is good, actually. I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever, and I’ll be so busy helping you I probably won’t even…” She trailed off unconvincingly as Kiki’s hand landed on top of hers.

They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Kiki turned to her with an excited expression on her face. “What is it?” Laina asked cautiously.

“I just got an idea. What would you say to a little revenge?”

Laina shook her head firmly. “You know me—not my style. I believe in karma, remember? It’ll all come around.”

“Oops, did I say revenge? What I meant was…fun. As in going to my wedding with the world’s hottest guy. And just as a fringe benefit, making your ex wild with jealousy.”

“When you say ‘world’s hottest guy’—”

“I mean my cousin James. Honestly, it’s probably against the law to say this about a blood relative, but he’s ridiculous. And single. And supersmart. And loaded—not that you care about that.”

“So what’s wrong with him?”

“Wrong? Um, nothing, as long as you don’t let him put you under his spell. Let’s just say he’s…got a way with the ladies.”

“Ah.” Laina rolled her eyes. A womanizer was the last thing she needed to welcome into her life right now, but showing up at the wedding of the decade alone while her snake of an ex flaunted his new girlfriend in front of her? Just the thought of it was enough to make her crawl into a hole. “Would he even agree to it? If he can have his pick of anyone…”

“Ha! If he sees a picture of you, I guarantee he’ll jump on it.”

Laina felt herself blushing. She couldn’t help it—she just wasn’t a seductress by nature, and the idea of being in the company of a man who was used to getting his way with any woman he wanted… It was intimidating.

But the alternative was even worse.

“Okay,” Laina heard herself say. “But he has to understand it’s just for show, okay? The last thing I need right now is some guy who thinks I’m going to fall at his feet for whatever he has in his pants.”

“Oh, my God. It’s beautiful,” Jennifer breathed in wonder as she stared. “Bigger than I was expecting, but…perfect.”

James grinned. “It always looks bigger in real life. Months of photos can’t compare to the real thing.”

“You’re telling me. Makes me wish I could enjoy it for myself. But I know for sure that it’s going to make a lot of women extremely happy.”

“My goal exactly,” James said with a smile, looking around the space with satisfaction.

This was the moment he lived for, the unveiling of the result of years of work to a happy client. Three years ago he’d partnered with Jennifer Liu, a Hong Kong investor, to formulate the development of Revive Fitness Centers. The one they were standing in was only the first of eighteen that would be built across Florida and Georgia over the coming years, and he already knew the huge risk he’d taken to finance it with Jennifer was going to pay off in a big way. Much more than just a gym, Revive featured an Olympic-size pool, sauna, minispa, Keto-inspired restaurant, fitness shop and day care with complimentary childcare—like a county club that was exclusive to women. Membership wouldn’t be cheap, but he knew the clientele would be able to afford it. He’d positioned his flagship center right in Bal Harbour, just blocks from James’s beachfront home in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Miami.

When Jennifer turned to face him, a quick image of her naked body flashed through James’s head. It had been five years since he’d slept with her—only once, and before they’d officially formed a business relationship. But from the way she was dressed—body-hugging dress, nude heels, black hair swept back to reveal her slender neck—he was pretty sure she was hoping for a repeat performance. Jennifer was a beautiful woman and he’d enjoyed their night together, even if he hadn’t given her a second thought outside of business since. Not only were clients and business associates off-limits, replay encounters made things complicated. And James did relationships only one way: simple and straightforward with no expectations on either side. Somehow that didn’t seem to stop a lot of women from trying to be the one who changed his mind, which James put down to his unavailability. His work was his life, and though many of his conquests showered him with compliments on his looks, he supposed he just didn’t see what they did when he looked in the mirror. With his sun-streaked hair, permanent stubble and tanned skin, all James saw was the same kid who’d spent his life at the pool, paying his way through university with his lifeguard certificate.

“What about the cat story?” Jennifer asked, gazing up at him under lash extensions. “We’re opening in a month. We don’t need any bad press right now.”

James smiled reassuringly. Several months ago, his workers had bulldozed a small section of naturally occurring vegetation to make way for the center’s planned outdoor gardens. But it turned out that five stray cats lived in those bushes, and the woman who fed them every day went ballistic, calling the press and raising a huge animal rights– and environmental-fueled stink. James got it; when he was little, he and his mother used to feed the stray dogs that hung around their concrete apartment complex, and he remembered crying when his favorite mutt failed to turn up one morning. After the woman complained, James had gotten his staff to take immediate action, turning the whole thing into a tall, cool glass of lemonade.

“It went away,” James assured Jennifer. “I personally visited Mrs. Lopez with photos of the cats in their new homes. When she finally realized they were much better off, she took the protest signs down from her lawn and even called the Herald to share the story. It was the heart-warmer of the day.”

Jennifer tilted her head at him. “And just like that, Ellison Enterprises was golden again. You must have the magic touch.”

“I believe that would be you,” James said sincerely. “Both projects I’ve done with you so far have surpassed our projections.”

“Let’s hope this one does the same,” Jennifer said, glancing around. “As well as the Moretta project. When do you break ground on that one?”

James’s smile didn’t slip. “I think I mentioned that I’m still working out a couple of details. But I’m going there in two weeks, and I should be able to work it all out then.” He searched his brain for a safe change of subject. The truth was that the Moretta project was currently stressing him out for a number of reasons, but that was information better kept to himself.

“I’m sure you will,” Jennifer agreed. “You know me, James—I hate delays. Once I make a decision, I like fast and furious.” She crossed her arms over her chest to squeeze her breasts together slightly.

“That I do,” he replied, keeping his eyes on her face. He extended his hand to the side. “Would you like to see the restaurant?”

Jennifer ran a hand down her ponytail and glanced at her watch. “Actually, I was thinking that a celebration drink is in order.”

James groaned inwardly, his brain scrambling to find an excuse. Just then his phone vibrated in his pocket. Saved by the bell, he thought as he glanced down at the screen: Kiki Becker. His cousin—nothing urgent, and he hated the rudeness of taking a call in the middle of a meeting, but right now he really needed an out. Excusing himself to Jennifer, he walked a distance away from her and picked up. “Kiki.”

“Cuz. You still single these days?”

He grinned. Same old Kiki—no pleasantries, just a quick cut to the chase. “As if I’d have it any other way. What’s up?”

“Just that I’m about to make your day. How would you like to go to my wedding with the hottest woman in Atlanta?”

“As in a blind date? No can do, cuz—you know that’s not my scene.”

“I’m betting you’ll make an exception when you see her.”

“You sound pretty confident.”

“I am. Laina Rose—you can look her up. But before you do…”

“Yeah?”

“Unless she makes the first move, she’s off-limits.”

“Then what’s in it for me?” he joked.

“Consider it a favor. She’s my best friend from high school. Awesome girl—funny, smart, a bit of an activist. Actually, I kind of owe her my life, since she’s the whole reason I moved to Moretta in the first place.”

“You mean she lives there?”

“No, she’s just…been there many times.” James thought her tone was slightly evasive. “Anyway, she’s had a rough go with her ex, and he’s going to be at the wedding. I convinced her that a little arm candy goes a long way in a situation like that. So, yeah—I’m fully using you. Just so you know.”

James shook his head affectionately. Blind dates definitely weren’t his scene, but there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his cousin. “Okay, but we’re talking a full week together here. What if she can’t stand me?”

“That’s a distinct possibility—”

“Gee, thanks.”

“—in which case you’re free to go your separate ways.”

He hesitated. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course. I’ll call you back in ten minutes.”

“You’re cute. Later.”

After James hung up, a quick glance at Jennifer told him she was now on a call herself, so he used his phone to pull up Laina Rose’s Facebook profile.

Her photo was taken from a distance in front of a mountainous background. It looked like she was dressed for a hike, and from what he could tell she was attractive enough—not that it really mattered, as he wasn’t about to break his no-first-move word to Kiki anyway. He was about to turn his phone off again when he remembered his cousin’s vague remarks about Laina’s connection to the island. Curious, he pulled up Google and typed her name into the search engine.

A few minutes later, he looked up from his phone with a grin on his face. It was almost too good to be true, but why shouldn’t he get something out of the deal too?

He fired a text to Kiki: I’m in.

CHAPTER TWO

AS LAINA DROVE her rented golf cart away from Moretta’s open-air airport, she focused on trying to relax her body one muscle at a time. Her jaw felt tight, her arms were tense and her stomach was thudding dully. Part of her stress was the result of the long flight to Barbados followed by the tiny puddle jumper to Moretta, but she knew that more of it had to do with her destination: her family estate. Though Moretta was tiny—consisting of only ninety-two properties on three square miles—and Laina had come here to visit Kiki many times since she’d moved here, she’d always managed to avoid her childhood second home. Today she would be setting foot on the property for the first time in over a decade.

For as long as Laina could remember, this island had been part of her life. With its lush tropical vegetation, picturesque white sand beaches and clear turquoise water, it was impossible not to love. Though Moretta was now established as a retreat for celebrities, it had originally been built up by a group of judges and high-ranking politicians who’d recognized its beauty early on and capitalized on it. Laina’s paternal grandparents, both in politics, were among its earliest inhabitants and had constructed Hibiscus Heights, which they’d eventually passed down to Laina’s parents. But her similarities with her family didn’t extend far beyond their mutual love of the island. Laina had always been different from her parents and two older brothers, who embraced the enviable position they’d been born into and used it to their advantage. She didn’t begrudge them that; she just didn’t feel the same way. Introspective as a girl, she’d often pondered the issue of class inequality and wondered at its unfairness. Along with her other passion of environmental causes, she’d done school essays on the class divisions and delighted in arguing her opinions on social justice. Laina understood clearly how lucky she’d been to be raised with such privilege, but she’d desperately wanted to blaze her own trail in life—a trail her parents simply didn’t understand. Which was exactly why coming back to Hibiscus Heights after more than a decade away made her feel like a sellout hypocrite, even if she was only doing so to help out a friend.

Laina could see the estate in the distance now, rising like a mirage from the top of the hill. As she pulled her golf cart into the long driveway that traversed the grounds, she had the eerie feeling that she’d never left. Everything looked exactly the same, tended by a team of staff that spent much more time at the estate than her family did. Memories lurked at every turn: the pool she’d learned to swim in, the front porch she’d built blanket forts on for her dolls, the palm tree she’d hauled out a ladder to climb when she was ten. Imagining it through a stranger’s eyes, Laina knew the house was undeniably gorgeous. Placed among eight lush acres in the center of the island, its clean white lines, black pitched roof and majestic columns had been built in the French colonial style. A massive pool swept outward from the front terrace, bracketed by a pool house on one side and a guest cottage on the other, each a tiny replica of the main house. And all around, in every direction, were stunning views of the Caribbean Sea.

Though the wedding was still several days away, Laina could see that the planning team was already hard at work. A series of white tents had been set up on the expansive lawn, and rows of silver chairs had been placed before a massive archway beside the pool, where the ceremony was to take place. She couldn’t help the small lift in her heart as she waved to the staff, driving her cart past a row of swaying palm trees to bypass the main house. A wedding was indeed a beautiful affair, even if Laina was quite certain she didn’t have one of her own in her future.

As she parked her golf cart in front of the guest cottage and grabbed her suitcase off the passenger seat, Laina’s thoughts turned to the evening ahead. Kiki’s wedding was a five-day celebration and tonight was the first planned event, a sunset yacht cruise for all the wedding guests—which also meant Laina’s first meeting with Kiki’s mystery cousin. Remembering the ridiculous commitment she’d made two weeks ago, she kicked herself for not having called Kiki to back out. Ever since she’d agreed to the arrangement, she’d just tried to forget about it, refusing Kiki’s offer to send her a photo of James or pass on his number so they could get acquainted beforehand. What had seemed like a good idea at the time had felt increasingly desperate and pathetic as the days passed. So what if her ex was going to be there? Laina couldn’t care less what he thought of her, and she certainly didn’t have to bring a blind date along to feel confident enough to face him. What had she been thinking?

She hadn’t been thinking—Kiki had. But Laina had agreed to it, and now she had to be nice and social and thankful to some cocky playboy for acting the part for her. As the big day approached, she’d meant to tell Kiki to call off the blind date, but she’d been so busy with work that the intention had disappeared into the mad whirl of her workday. And now, with just three hours until the cruise, Laina had to choose between being rude and spending the week in excruciating discomfort.

Option two was worse, she decided as she rolled her suitcase into the bedroom. She would cancel, and in the end James would probably thank her for freeing him to pick up as many chicks as he liked.

Laina was digging in her handbag for her cell phone when she heard it ding. She extracted it from her bag’s black depths and stared down at the text, which had come in from an unfamiliar number. A drink before the cruise? The Palms at 6 if you’re interested. Room 418.

Laina’s reticence was replaced with fury. His room number? Who the hell did he think he was—and who did he think she was? That did it—if she suspected this had been a mistake all along, this proved it.

Furiously, she typed back a message. Sorry, not in the habit of going to strange men’s rooms. Have fun at the wedding, though! She punched the send button with a jab of satisfaction. The ellipsis activated, and then: So we’re strangers now? It’s Ward. New job came with new cell phone. Thought you might want a chance to make nice, but guess I was wrong.

She threw her phone across the room, where it thankfully landed on her pillow with a quiet thump. Make nice? She felt like screaming. The fucking prick.

She needed to walk, get some air, blow her fury off. Slamming the door behind her, she left her cottage and headed across the lawn.

Her again. Jesus.

James started from the dream and opened his eyes to early-afternoon sunlight streaming into his hotel room. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but after arriving on Moretta and checking into The Palms an hour ago, he’d laid back on his bed to go over a project report and dozed off. And he’d dreamed of her again: Laina Rose—the girl he’d never even met—for the third time in two weeks. Last night he’d been standing with her in the doorway of one of his half-constructed buildings while a party went on around them. It might have unnerved him if he didn’t know better than to put any stock into the nocturnal tricks of the human mind. The reason for the dream was an obvious combination of three things that were stressing him out: his upcoming blind date, the completion of the property deal on Moretta and the dreaded wedding itself.

Weddings to James were like wet changing room floors to bare feet—to be avoided as much as possible. In fact, with all due respect to Kiki, he’d only accepted her invitation because it fulfilled another of his agendas on Moretta. James didn’t need a therapist to tell him he disliked weddings because his parents had divorced when he was two and he’d never known his father. He also realized that at age thirty-eight he should be wanting the happily-ever-after himself. He should have found a woman he wanted to commit to, maybe even started a family by now. It was what all of his friends were doing, but the mere thought of it left him cold—and he wasn’t sure he liked that. Casual encounters seemed fine until a certain age, when they suddenly started to look a little pathetic.

Like Jennifer. He was still kicking himself for that one. As determined as he’d been not to sleep with her again, he’d felt obliged to accept her offer of a cocktail. One drink had led to another and another, and before he knew it she’d been sitting on his lap in the lounge of her hotel room, and then…

James shut down the memory. It had been a mistake, but why? Jennifer had the full package—beauty, brains, drive, even money—so why wasn’t he interested? It was the same with every woman: out of sight, out of mind. And he had no idea why.

Rising from his bed, he changed into a clean T-shirt and put on his running shoes. Then he left the hotel and started down the dirt road, taking in the now-familiar sights of the island. He’d loved this place from the first time he came here to visit Kiki three years ago, and it had pulled him back many times since. Growing up, he and Kiki had lived polar opposite lives; while she was raised by her father and stepmother in a middle-class household, he was brought up in project housing by his single mom, who was the sister of Kiki’s long-lost mother. Though the cousins had little in common, they’d formed a tight bond, probably because his small family was Kiki’s only connection to her missing mom. Kiki had always made sure James was invited over for important holidays, where James remembered laughing with his mother around their dining room table. In fact, it was at that table that she had first announced to the family that she was sick.

James shook off the memory as he walked up the hillside, surveying the passing scenery through the eyes of a developer. Besides being idyllic in every way, this island—with a single hotel, one bar, a tiny grocery store, a gift shop and a post office its only nods toward commercialism—was also a world of untapped opportunity. As he climbed higher, barely breaking a sweat thanks to his regular workouts, James could feel a sense of power building with each step. Soon this place would transform for the better, and it would happen because of him.

Finally he stopped and turned to admire the view behind him. From up here he could see everything—the waves lapping against the white sand, the small town at the island’s west end, and below him, several homes built against the cliffs to take full advantage of the panorama. It was a perfection that deserved to be appreciated by more than just the superwealthy of the world, and James already had a development planned for Moretta that would facilitate just that. He’d started taking meetings with the island’s council members two years ago, and they had heartily agreed with him: it was time to expand—tastefully, of course, and at a pace that would hardly be noticed by their established residents. It was inevitable that change would eventually come to Moretta, and the council believed that he was the person to do it. James prided himself on doing things right. He had assured them that his structures would work with the lay of the land, taking cues from both nature and the surrounding buildings to create visual masterpieces that practically blended into the scenery. There were only two things keeping James from completing the deal, but he would soon have both of them in hand.

To his right, a grassy clifftop dotted with palm trees beckoned. He left the dirt road and started walking toward it.

Laina hadn’t been sure where she was going when she started walking, but it wasn’t long before she was pulled toward Pelican Rock. The high cliff was set near the edge of her family’s property, and her parents had brought her here as a child to show her something amazing—a rare Caribbean brown pelican nest. Observing the nest of driftwood sticks on the ground from afar, she’d spent hours making notes and drawings in her sketchbook. At the time the birds were threatened, but their numbers had recovered since then due to conservation efforts, and the pelicans had continued to make their home here. In her teens, her parents had even had the council name the small area a parkland so it couldn’t be developed.

And now it had been invaded. As Laina broke through the stand of palm trees into the clearing, she stopped short and froze. A man was standing with his back to her, taking photographs of the view with his iPhone.

Laina knew the flare of annoyance she felt was unjustified—this was public property, after all—but she couldn’t help it. Locals mostly stayed away for the good of the birds, and even she rarely came here anymore.

She cleared her throat loudly. “Hello?”

“Jesus!” The man jumped and dropped his phone. It landed at his feet in a patch of scrubby vegetation and slid downward, stopping dangerously close to the edge. He pounced on it and stood up, inspecting the device for damage. Laina couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips. Serves him right.

“Scare the shit out of people much?” the man asked, finally turning to face her with a look of annoyance that matched hers.

Laina blinked at him, rooted to the spot. Even with thunderclouds on his brow, the guy was insanely gorgeous. His thick sun-streaked hair looked freshly cut, and his green eyes stood out like laser beams in his chiseled, tanned face. He wore shorts and a plain white T-shirt, so she could admire the lines of both his arm and leg muscles, which currently looked coiled and ready to strike.

He’s like a dream come true.

She put her shoulders back and stood up a little taller, making the most of her five-foot-six frame. Then she glanced over at the empty nest at the edge of the tree line. It was well-camouflaged. He probably hadn’t even noticed the nest, but she didn’t want to draw attention to it. “Sorry, but this is private.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Private property? Am I trespassing?”

“Not like that, just—no one ever comes here.” His eyes were on hers, making her squirm. God, but it was hard to stay angry with a man who looked like that. “You surprised me, that’s all,” she added.

The man nodded, keeping his eyes riveted to her face. Why was he staring at her like that? Like he knew something about her that she didn’t. No, like he knew her. Then his gaze dropped, taking a slow inventory of her entire body right down to the silver Havaianas on her feet. Now what was that heat she could feel rising from her belly to her cheeks, and that unfamiliar flutter in her groin? She’d never had a reaction like this to anyone, much less some dude who’d invaded a sacred spot to take photos like some tacky tourist.

When he met her gaze again, he looked slightly amused. “I see. Then I apologize. I was just…admiring the view.”

Laina flushed again as she realized he was referring to her. Quickly she tried to remember how she’d looked when she’d left the cottage, but she hadn’t glanced in the mirror since she’d stepped out of the shower in Atlanta that morning. She was certain she looked travel-weary—bleary-eyed, static-haired and swollen-ankled from the long hours of dehydration. She tried to think of a snappy response but came up blank. “Is that what the pictures are about?” she finally asked, cringing at her stupidly obvious question. “The view?”

That amused smile again. “Yes. This island is incredible—it’s a shame only the top point-one percent get to experience it.”

The flutter in her belly gave way to discomfort. The fact was that she agreed with him; part of the reason she’d stepped away from her family and was currently staying in the guest cottage rather than the main house, was because the exclusivity of the island irked her. But there were other things to consider that were even more important. Just who the hell did this guy think he was? She knew almost everyone on the island, and she’d never seen him before—he was obviously some tourist who’d made himself an authority on something he knew nothing about.

And just like that, her brain kicked into gear again. “Actually, it’s for the island’s own good,” she snapped. “There’s a reason only ninety-two homes are allowed to be built here—it can only support so much growth. Do you know what would happen to the ecosystem of a place like this if it were allowed to be overrun by tourists? Just look at a place like Boracay—it’s a perfect example.”

“You sound very protective.”

“I’ve been coming here since I was two. I’m more than a little invested.”

“So it seems.” A smile played at his lips. Sure, they were sexy, but was she really imagining them on her neck, trailing down to her breasts, finding her nipples…she never had thoughts like this. So why was she looking for a wedding ring on his hand?

This wasn’t good. In fact, it was ridiculous—and she still had a date she needed to cancel.

“Hey, you know what?” she said, holding up a hand. “I’ll just leave you to it, but next time? This isn’t a tourist spot, so please enjoy the view somewhere else.” And with that she turned on her heel and left.

CHAPTER THREE

IT HAD BEEN HER, and she looked like an angel.

Strolling onto the pier and making his way to the luxurious yacht waiting at the end, James spotted her standing amid the circulating guests, engaged in conversation with another woman. She had that distracted look of someone occupying themselves while waiting for another to arrive, her eyes scanning the crowd every so often as she laughed with her companion. The top of her hair was swept up, leaving the rest loose down her back. She had just enough makeup on to bring out her gorgeous eyes and lips. And her body under that dress…

Seeing her eyes tracking in his direction, James ducked his head to avoid detection. If their first meeting was any indication, this was not going to go well. He knew he shouldn’t have let her walk away. He should have told her who he was right then and there, getting the awkwardness over with, but it wasn’t like she’d given him a chance. And it didn’t help that James had been practically dumbstruck. Standing on the cliff in a tank top and denim cutoffs, she’d been a million times more gorgeous than her photo, even with no makeup on. And so unbelievably sexy. Dark, wavy hair that fell to her nipples. A youthfully rounded face that didn’t detract from her enviable cheekbones, and a small dimple in her chin. At first he’d been stunned into silence by her beauty, and by the time he’d registered that it was her, she hadn’t even given him a chance to make the connection aloud. Just like she had apparently dismissed his offer, through Kiki, to arrange a meeting before the wedding. He would have liked to take her out for a drink before the cruise, made sure she was comfortable with him, exchange some basic information so they could make their display for her ex believable—or at least have a phone conversation. But she didn’t seem to care, which made him wonder why she’d agreed to the ploy in the first place. And now he’d somehow blown it before he’d even officially met her. Once she figured out her date was one and the same as her cliff invader, she’d probably call the whole thing off and spend the week ignoring him. And beyond wanting to jump her on the spot, James needed her for another reason. Not only would he have to win her over, he’d have to make her get past the fact that she already hated him.

Accepting a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, James watched as Laina’s companion gave her a quick hug and moved on. Laina sipped her drink, turning her back on him to take in the blazing sunset over the ocean—which was beautiful, but nothing compared to her. Finally James could allow his eyes to rove freely over her body. She was wearing a shimmery pale yellow sheath dress that just skimmed the tops of her knees, displaying her firm ass to perfection. Spaghetti straps crossed at her back, where the fabric plunged down to the indentation of her spine at her waist. He felt a bolt of heat shoot through his groin. He could imagine running his hands up that back, under the straps, slowly pushing them down…he could practically feel her satiny skin against his. She turned toward him again, and he stole a glance at her face. There was that beautiful mouth, those huge brown eyes under delicately arched brows, that cascade of chestnut hair that he longed to wrap his hands in, claiming her as his for the night. Or perhaps even the week—a quick, sex-fueled fantasy in paradise that would dissipate for both of them with their return to reality in seven days. Then James would go home to his freedom with his goal accomplished. Perfect.

It was time to strategize.

Since she didn’t know who she was looking for, James still had the element of surprise on his side—which meant he had to wait for just the right moment to strike. A moment that would bind them together in not only her eyes, but the guests’, as well.

Through the crowd, he saw an underdressed man with a hipster haircut spot Laina and start making his way toward her, pulling his overly buxom date along behind him. When Laina spotted him, her face told James everything he needed to know.

This was his chance.

Moving along the edge of the crowd, he sidled up behind Laina and slid an arm around her waist. She turned to him with raised eyebrows, her mouth an O of surprise.

“Babe, I’m so sorry. That took forever,” he said with a bright smile, holding her tightly. This close, he could smell the vanilla scent of her perfume. Just the curve of her waist under his hand made his libido rage. He switched his gaze to the couple. “Warning—if you need to go to the bathroom, leave a trail of bread crumbs behind you. That boat is like a maze! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m James Ellison,” he said, sticking his hand out to the couple.

The woman took it first, giving him a name he immediately forgot, and then after a heavy pause the man followed suit. “Ward Harris,” he said with a curt nod.

“A pleasure.” Keeping his smile on high-voltage, James turned toward Laina and circled his other arm around her, and then he reached up to stroke her hair. It was as soft as he’d imagined, taking his mind to thoughts of it trailing down his torso toward his cock. As her eyes met his, he felt another electric bolt to his groin. In his arms she felt amazing, firm and taut. And furious, like a cobra waiting to strike.

“I missed you,” he said in a voice just loud enough for the couple to hear. “Ten minutes away from you…how is that even possible? I swear to God, I am the luckiest man on earth.” He tipped her chin up toward his face and gazed into her eyes. “You. Are. So. Beautiful.”

“Um…” she stammered, “thanks.” Her cheeks were burning hot, but he could tell she was enjoying this. And was it his imagination, or was her body relaxing slightly in his arms? In any case, hipster dude looked like he wanted to kill—perfect. Mission accomplished. Even though he knew he should pull away from her now and sweep her toward the boat as a final touch, leaving the guy fuming in their wake, he didn’t want to stop touching her. But he had to do something before his barely restrained cock made her think he was some goddamned pervert. He stepped away from her slightly to put the brakes on his arousal, but then she surprised him by yanking him back toward her.

“We should really get on the boat, darling,” she said, finally falling into the role. “I can’t wait to see what the staterooms look like.” She nodded at the couple. “Have a wonderful evening.” James released his grip on her, but not before her hand slid down to give his rear end a playful squeeze. Then she took his hand and pulled him down the gangway into the yacht.

“What the fuck?” Laina sputtered at him the second they were on the boat, ripping her hand out of his. Her question was directed at the man who’d just manhandled her in front of her ex—the same guy she’d blown a fuse at on the cliff, no less—but it might have been directed at herself. Her entire body had gone to mush the second his arm had gone around her. After she got over the initial shock of both who he was and what he was doing, all she’d been able to think was that she wanted more of him. Considering both of her encounters with the man, it made absolutely zero sense. And of course the whole thing had been nothing but a role play anyway.

He was looking at her with that teasing grin again. “Listen, do you think we could talk somewhere a little more private?” he said in a loud whisper. “You’re going to blow our cover.” Without giving her a chance to answer, he took her arm and steered her toward a bathroom.

Laina had been so distracted that she’d barely had time to glance around, but as they cruised through the saloon, she had a moment to absorb her surroundings.

She’d seen plenty of luxury in her life, but she’d never been on a boat like this before. This room alone was as big as her entire Castleberry Hill condo back in Atlanta, and everything about it screamed opulence. The room was circular, laid with blond wood flooring. The furniture was all white leather and sparkling glass. Tuxedoed staff circulated among the guests with platters of gourmet appetizers. The stern side of the saloon opened onto a huge deck, where guests were lounging on outdoor beds or streaming toward the bar, which was framed in billowing fabric that fluttered in the wind. Above the bar was a silver sign with Kiki and Dev spelled out in pink lights. Laina took a quick glance around for the happy couple, not wanting to miss their entrance—she hadn’t even talked to Kiki since she’d arrived on Moretta—but they were nowhere to be seen.

“In here,” James said, pushing her gently through the bathroom door and shutting it behind him. She took in the large room quickly—polished ebony vanity, ornate gold mirror over a waterfall sink and a chaise longue sitting alongside a table displaying every toiletry imaginable. The word head just didn’t seem right for luxury like this.

Laina crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her eyes on his. “Really nice way to introduce yourself,” she said testily. “You might have told me who you were today when you had the chance.”

“Chance? Is that what you call that nanosecond between telling me to get the hell off your cliff and dressing me down for taking photos on it?”

“Well, excuse me!” she said, throwing her hands up. “You could have, I don’t know, gotten in touch with me afterward—”

“Exactly how? You wouldn’t let Kiki give me your number, remember?”

“—or at least introduced yourself like a normal person just now, instead of…pawing me in front of my ex—” She was advancing on him now, hands waving wildly, but he wasn’t budging.

“Aha! So it was him—I knew it!” He gave a self-satisfied grin.

She finally stopped in front of him, her toes inches from his. She could smell his aftershave now, woodsy, intoxicating…a smell that had her imagination going to places beneath his clothing. And the way he looked in his khaki pants and white linen shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms…his eyes on her, those lips she longed to kiss—good God. Okay, so the guy was hot, but that was no excuse for such inappropriate thoughts. What was wrong with her?

“We put on a great show. Isn’t that what you wanted?” he continued. “He bought every word. Not that I didn’t mean them, by the way.”

Laina felt a flush that moved all the way from her toes up to her hair…and she could tell he was enjoying her discomfort. Shit, but he was unnerving. Men didn’t call her beautiful without an ulterior motive, and Laina was certain there was no way James could have one—she’d been too careful to hide her true identity. “Still,” she said, softening a bit. “That didn’t mean you had to get all handsy with me.”

James lifted a hand to his chin, as if he were pondering her words. “Hmm. Okay, so what you wanted was a ‘boyfriend’—” he added air quotes “—who politely stood at your side without touching you. Who made small talk with your ex instead of showering you with the attention you deserve.” He shook his head. “Maybe you need to raise your standards a bit, Ms. Rose.”

Laina could feel her face tighten with fury, and it wasn’t because he was wrong; what did she know about choosing a man? She’d almost married a guy who’d let her pay all the bills and then cheated on her. All she’d cared about was that he didn’t seem to care about her family fortune, unlike every other man she dated. She knew she had to hold out for more than that—but she wasn’t about to admit that to the person who’d just called her out on it. “You don’t know the first thing about me—or my standards,” she retorted hotly.

He stepped a little closer to her, removing the last inch of space between them. She could feel his shoes touching the tips of her toes, the heat radiating off his body. “Maybe not, but I’d sure like to.” His gaze was steady on her face, his lips within reach of hers. Her stomach flopped over. Did she want him to kiss her? What would she do if he did—pull away or kiss him back?

It depended on whether she listened to her brain or her body.

Do it, she thought. I dare you.

Just then, she heard a roar go up from the crowd outside; Kiki and Dev must have arrived. Reaching his arm past her, James put his hand on the doorknob. “That must be the happy couple. Enjoy your evening, Ms. Rose.”

And then he was gone.

CHAPTER FOUR

JAMES STOOD AT the edge of the saloon, trading how-do-you-know-the-bride-or-groom stories with a circle of guests. But his mind wasn’t on his cousin and her famous fiancé—it was on her.

He hadn’t made the progress that he’d hoped to so far, but if he knew anything about women, he knew that to a certain type, unavailability was the ultimate aphrodisiac. And judging by his interactions with Laina so far, she was that type. All he had to do was bide his time circulating among the crowd and avoiding eye contact with her, perhaps engage in some mild flirtation with another woman when he knew she was watching, and bang—before he knew it she’d be stammering an apology, shortly after which she’d be heading for his bed. It was a no-brainer…so why was he feeling reticent?

Because she’d already had her heart busted by some asshole. Or because he could tell she wasn’t a one-nighter kind of girl…in fact, judging by her refusal to play games and her discomfort with his flirting, she probably didn’t have much experience in that department at all.

The problem was that that made her all the more appealing. When he thought about the things he could teach her and the pleasure he could give her, it was enough to pump lust through every cell of his body. In fact, just the thought of it—

“Cuz!”

James turned to see Kiki rushing toward him. She was wearing a body-hugging fuchsia number that ended at her slender ankles, a cascading diamond pendant and the biggest smile he’d ever seen. “You look gorgeous.” He grinned, giving her a quick hug.

“Not bad yourself,” Kiki said. She stepped a little closer and lowered her voice. “So have you met Laina yet? Has Ward seen you together?”

“I did. He has.”

“And…?” she asked impatiently. “What did you think?”

“Bad haircut. And wearing jeans to an affair like this? Tasteless. Laina was smart to get out when she could.”

“Not him, dimwit—her!”

“Oh, her. Well…” He shook his head. “Does it really matter? No first moves, right?”

“Right. But if I know you…”

“Maybe I’m not as bad as you think. Has that ever occurred to you?”

“Yes, you are,” Kiki said. “And whatever happens this week, do not hurt her. I’ll break your fucking face if you do.”

Kiki scowled at him as Dev came up behind her. James watched as he slid a hand up Kiki’s front, stopping just shy of her breast. James had met Dev a few times, and watching him and Kiki together, he hadn’t been able to suppress the odd stab of envy. The couple had been together for two years, and it was obvious the heat between them was as searing as anything James had experienced during a one-nighter. To think that some people could sustain that kind of passion was both heartening and depressing, because James couldn’t imagine finding any woman who brought that out in him.

“Hey, man.” Dev stepped forward to give James a quick embrace, but not before landing a kiss on the back of Kiki’s neck.

“Hey.” James grinned, clapping Dev on the back. “Congratulations, my man. You’ve landed the sweetest girl in the western hemisphere.” He shook his head at Kiki affectionately. “I hear a vodka soda calling.”

Yes, getting some air would be good. He walked out to the deck and stepped up to the bar, scanning the crowd for her face, but she was nowhere to be seen. The boat was a good distance from Moretta by now, cruising at a comfortable speed past a few smaller islands that looked straight out of Cast Away. The entire boat had been strung with white lights, lighting up its frame to a magical effect. With the sun having dropped behind the horizon, leaving behind an indigo sky and a crescent of moon, the setting was pure romance.

James accepted his drink and turned away from the bar—and came face-to-face with Laina. Her eyes widened slightly before she spun on her heel. That’s when James noticed she had company; standing beside her was a man with thinning hair who gave him a challenging look and then hurried after her like a puppy dog. What was that all about? James wondered, and then he remembered that he and Laina were supposed to be together. The guy had probably had his eye on her on the pier and seen them embracing, and now that she was giving James the cold shoulder he considered her fair game.

Which she was, of course, because she obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Clearly he had been wrong—Laina Rose was not going to apologize to him and then beg him to drag her off to his bed.

He sighed and went after her, pushing past the man in hot pursuit. “Listen,” he said when he reached her, touching her lightly on the arm. “Can we start over?”

She stopped walking and faced him as the man caught up to them. He stood looking at the couple uncertainly until Laina gave him a smile. “Would you excuse us for a minute?”

The man shrugged and left them reluctantly.

“Thank you,” James said. He smiled at her. “I’m James Ellison. Pleased to meet you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly still annoyed with him. “The pleasure’s mine,” she said with touch of sarcasm.

“Let’s get to know each other. What’s your favorite color? Mine was blue until about an hour ago. Now I think it’s yellow,” he said, letting his eyes drop to her dress.

There it was, that blush again as her eyes flitted away. He may have gotten a few things about her wrong, but he would put money on her inexperience. Which equaled the very best kind of sex—the type where he was completely in control, where she would discover exactly how much pleasure her body could give her through his touch.

Anticipation burned hotly in his groin. He couldn’t wait to hear her moan when he slid his hard cock into her…but not before he teased her nipples and licked her sweet clit until she came, burying her hands in his hair as she pressed his mouth into the best climax of her life. It was going to be amazing.

But of course he had to get her there first, and she wasn’t an easy one to reel in. He was formulating his next move when she suddenly stepped toward him and put her arms around him, and then brought her mouth up to his for a passionate kiss.

What am I doing? Laina’s brain screamed at her as James’s mouth yielded to hers. She never did things this impulsive, but it was all because of Ward. When she’d seen him looking at her across the deck, she’d remembered exactly what James was supposed to be there for and decided to take advantage of it.

But wasn’t that just an excuse to kiss him? Hadn’t she been sorely disappointed that he hadn’t done it when he’d had the chance earlier? And didn’t she want him more than she’d ever thought it was possible to want anyone?

This was no time for self-analysis. All she cared about right now was the feel of his lips; as they parted and his tongue met hers, her knees went weak. She kissed him back urgently, wanting more and more…it was insanity. She could feel her nipples hardening, wetness between her legs—she wanted him to fuck her, she realized. Not make love to her; for the first time in her life, she wanted to be fucked. She wanted nothing to matter but the connection of their two bodies, the heat of the moment…the thing she’d heard friends talk about but had never experienced for herself.

And he wanted her too. His hands were on her ass, pulling her hard against his groin. As their lips finally broke apart and they looked at each other breathlessly, she could feel him at her waist—long, thick, hard, and just for her.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I saw you on that cliff,” James said in a thick voice. “God, I wish we could get off this boat.”

She looked at him coyly. “Who says we have to?”

The sight of his surprised face gave her a bolt of satisfaction. He wasn’t expecting that from her, either, and for once in her life she was being a little bit wild. For the first time ever, it occurred to her maybe she’d been boring in bed because the men she’d been with had bored her.

She was about to find out.

CHAPTER FIVE

THANKFULLY, THE STATEROOM they chose had a lock on the door. Sneaking in together while making sure no one saw them, James could tell Laina was having second thoughts.

“Feels like we’re in high school, doesn’t it?” he said with a laugh, and she gave him a quick grin. Shutting the door behind them, he took a look around. Since this was a rental yacht, he didn’t have to feel bad about invading anyone’s private space—this stateroom was like any hotel room, if you could ignore the luxury of it all. The all-white, king-size bed was lit by overhead lights reminiscent of stars, and beyond it a massive window afforded a view of the passing islands in the near-darkness. Outside, he could hear music mingled with the noise and laughter of the party guests, heightening his already intense anticipation. He loved the idea of bedding the hottest woman at the party with a boatful of people—including her dick of an ex—mere feet away.

James took Laina’s hand and led her to the bed. She sat down, smoothing her hands over the duvet cover. Then she picked up a small vase beside the bed, which contained a single lavender-colored rose, and inhaled its scent. “My favorite flower,” she said, placing it down again. Her voice sounded nervous. “Whoever owns this yacht must have some serious clout, because they’re impossible to get on this island.” She glanced at him. “And I’m rambling.”

He ran the back of his hand up her arm. “You’re in charge, okay?”

She nodded, and then she suddenly leaned forward and reached for his shirt buttons. God, this woman was as unpredictable as she was beautiful. In a million years he couldn’t have foreseen that first kiss on the deck. It had been even better than he had imagined, firing intense heat straight to his cock. Now that familiar pleasant ache in his balls was getting more urgent. He knew he had to take it slowly, but she was moving so fast; was it because she was nervous, or could he be wrong about her inexperience? He had to find out. Not once had he put a woman into a position where there could be potential for regret on her side, and he wasn’t about to start now.

James caught her hands in his. “God knows I want you,” he said, meeting her eyes. “But are you sure about this?”

Laina looked shocked. “Yes! I mean, I’ve never really felt…” She shook her head. “I want this. And I know a lot of women want you, but that’s okay—I’m a big girl. I know what I’m getting into.”

He grinned at her. “You’ve never done this before.”

“I was engaged! You don’t think—”

“No, I mean this fast. You’re not in the habit of having casual sex.”

She shook her head. “Whatever you want to call it—no. I’ve never, um, exactly had a raging libido before.”

He pushed her hair back with two hands, gazing into those deep, dark eyes. “Maybe that’s just because you haven’t been with the right man.”

“But you are. The right man—for this, I mean. I don’t expect—”

“It’s okay,” he said, stopping her chatter with a kiss. “You don’t have to say anything.” He hooked a finger around a spaghetti strap, trying to rein in the charging need that was pounding through his body. He’d been with inexperienced women before, but there was something about this one that was messing with his process. He wanted to rip her dress off, ravage that beautiful silky skin and satisfy his aching need like an animal in heat. But he owed it to her to take this slowly, no matter what his cock was screaming for.

Sliding his hands to the place where her neck met her shoulders, James brought his mouth down on hers. Laina opened to him, her tongue sliding against his with increasing urgency as he nudged her dress down to her waist. Then he drew back to look at her.

No bra. And so beautiful, two perfect breasts crowned with nipples that strained toward him hungrily.

His cock surged in his pants. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” he said, spiraling a fingertip around one areola. She arched backward and he took her in his mouth, flicking his tongue across her nipple.

“More,” she gasped.

“So much more, don’t you worry,” he assured her, bringing his mouth back to hers to bite her lips gently. “Tell me what you want me to do to you,” he whispered into her mouth. “Tell me what makes you come—I want to make you come harder than you ever have.”

“I…whatever you want,” Laina said, reaching for his shirt buttons again. James could see that her hands were trembling slightly as she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off. She gazed at him with big eyes, her pupils dilated. “Look at you,” she breathed.

“I’d much rather look at you,” James growled. “Among other things.” Reaching under her dress, he found the lacy edge of her panties. He moved his hand in a slow circle over the thin fabric, palming her pussy. Her breath hitched as she pressed his hand tighter to her. Moving her panties aside under her grip, he found her wetness and drew it up to circle her clit. She let out a long moan, the sweetest music to his ears.

“Oh, God—”

Sliding two fingers inside her, James groaned himself. She was incredibly tight and wet, perfectly ready for his hard cock. He moved his fingers in and out, picking up speed as her eyes went hazy. “Please,” she whimpered, lying herself flat on the bed as he swirled his fingertips around her swollen clit again. “Now…please.”

He could barely take it anymore, but he had to. The most explosive rewards came with the longest tension—for both of them. “I haven’t even seen you yet,” he said, finally hooking his fingers around her panties and tugging them down. Her dress came next as he pulled it over her head. She looked up at him with those huge brown eyes, utterly beautiful and completely naked besides the delicate silver necklace at her throat. “You are amazing,” he said hoarsely. Keeping his own pants on, he laid on top of her. “Feel that,” he whispered to her. “That’s how much I want you. Do you know how good that’s going to feel inside you?”

“Yes,” she gasped.

“I can’t wait to feel your wet pussy wrapped around me,” he teased, pausing to bite her lip. “I’m going to ease myself into you and move slowly until you beg me to go faster. And then I’m going to fuck you hard enough to make you scream. Are you okay with that?”

“Uh-huh,” she managed to say, her breath coming out fast and hard.

He moved his hand downward, finding her clit again. “Do you want me to lick you first? Is that what makes you come?”

“I—I don’t know.”

He gazed down at her face as realization dawned on him. “You’ve never had a proper orgasm, have you?”

She shook her head.

Her first orgasm. Jesus. He’d just hit the jackpot.

Why did I have to go and tell him that? Laina wondered. She’d never revealed that embarrassing little item to a man before, and none of them had asked—not even Ward. And here she was telling a practical stranger…but maybe it was better this way. After all, this was just one night—what Kiki had always referred to as a hookup until she met Dev and got swept away by domestic bliss. Yes—she, Laina Rose, Little Miss Conservative when it came to sex, was about to have her first orgasm with a man who would likely kick her out of bed immediately afterward.

It was insanity.

But here she was self-analyzing again while he was busy taking his pants off. She watched him slide his boxers over his hips and then stand up to give her a full view. And there it was—what she was aching for. What she’d never known she could want so desperately. It was perfect—long, thick and smooth, standing straight up with urgent desire.

James opened his hand to reveal a condom—where did that come from?—and before Laina could blink he had it on. Propping herself up on a pillow, she felt her hips gyrating toward him as if that could bring him closer faster. He kneeled between her thighs, hovering so the tip of his cock lingered at her opening. She couldn’t take it. Animal lust pumped through her veins, taking her to a place she’d never been before. She arched into him, but it only made him smile and pull away. “Please…now…” she moaned.

He took hold of her wrists and put his lips to hers. “I’m going to let you feel me inside you first,” he informed her in a hoarse voice. “And then I’m going to make you come.”

“Yes, please.” Her heart was pounding with delicious anticipation.

Finally, without moving his hands or taking his eyes off hers, she felt him slowly sliding into her. Being filled with his hardness felt incredible. He closed his eyes, and a low groan escaped his throat as he started to move. “So good…” he said, easing slowly in and out of her.

“So good,” she agreed breathlessly. “But harder. Please, harder.”

“Like this?” Rising up on his hands, he started driving into her, his skin slapping against hers. She threw her head back and moaned. It felt so amazing—

“Or like this?” Before she knew what was happening, James had grabbed one of her legs and wrapped it around his waist so he was thrusting into her from one side. The new position allowed him to fill her even more deeply and, judging from the look of pleasure on his face, brought him dangerously close to the edge. Her body broke out in goose bumps—she’d never known sex could feel like this.

Flipping her leg back and pressing it firmly to the mattress, he lowered himself until he was back on his hands above her and slowed his pace. Laina inhaled his delicious scent and pushed her hands into his soft hair, indulging in every erotic sensation. “Look at that,” he whispered, pulling out of her far enough for them to see his glistening cock. “You are so wet. I think you’re ready.”

He brought his mouth down on hers again, filling her senses with the most intense kiss she’d ever experienced so that when he pulled out of her she barely noticed. All the same, she moaned in protest when he started moving down her body. “Nooo…”

“Shh. Just wait.”

Then his mouth was on her nipple again and his hand was on her pussy. The circling of his tongue matched the rhythm of his fingertip on her clit, barely skimming it at first and then circling it faster. She could feel an unfamiliar heat start to grow in her pelvis, spreading down to her thighs and upward to her chest, making her heart gallop. “Ahhh—”

“That’s it,” she heard James say urgently. His fingers went inside her, and by the time he pressed his palm into her clit again she was ready. As she bucked against his hand with a helpless cry, she finally understood. Her climax exploded out of her, crest after crest of heat that she rode with an endless moan. Her hands fisted the duvet over and over again in an effort to control something—anything—in her body while this ecstatic feeling invaded every cell. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, and she wanted it to last forever, but it finally subsided. She collapsed back onto the pillow with a sharp exhale.

“Good?” James asked, moving up to her shoulders.

“Not good. Incredible,” Laina responded, breathing hard. She turned toward him. He was lying beside her with his face close, his heart-stopping eyes pinned on hers. “How did you do that?”

“If I tell you that, then you won’t have any more use for me.” He grinned. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for this to be over.”

God, but this man was so damned dangerous. Laina could only imagine the lineups of women he’d given pleasure to over the years, and now she had joined them, only one of many. But that was okay. This was her night to be wild, and she’d known what she was getting into. Just for now she was going to give her body over to him completely, absorb every little thing he could teach her and every drop of pleasure he could give her. He’d already taught her the most important thing of all—that her body was capable of absolute ecstasy. And that she wasn’t boring in bed, if his stiff cock was any indication.

Laina slid her hand down between their entwined bodies and grasped him. Still rock-hard for her, just waiting to take her to new heights. “Now it’s your turn,” she said.

“I can wait. If I give you a few minutes, I bet I can make you do that again.”

She ran her hand up his arm, cupping a muscular shoulder. She didn’t want this to stop. She didn’t ever want him to come, because that would mean this was over. And what would happen then—now that he’d had her, would he move on with someone else tomorrow? The thought gave her a sharper stab of jealousy than she liked, but she wouldn’t contemplate that now. In this moment, the idea of feeling him inside her again, of having him chase his own climax as a result of his intense desire for her was too intoxicating to resist. And she was already burning for him again, feeling a low buzz in her clit that told her what had just happened hadn’t been nearly enough.

“I didn’t get enough of you inside me. You promised to fuck me until I screamed.” The dirty words felt foreign and awkward coming from her mouth, but they also gave her a powerful charge she’d never experienced before. She was sexual, desirous and desired, and the discovery of that potential was worth any discomfort that might come over the rest of the week. “I don’t want to wait,” she said, reaching for his raging hard-on.

A second later he was inside her again, with his eyes on hers. His body sheened with sweat as he drove into her over and over again. She loved the slick feel of it on her skin… She pushed her hands up into his hair, feeling its dampness. All because of her, and being the recipient of his urgency was the most incredible thing she’d ever felt. She could tell he was close now as he pushed one of her thighs upward and quickened his pace. His breath came out in an urgent pant. She tightened herself around him.

“Laina—here I come—” His whole body shuddered as he emptied inside her, a low groan emitting from his throat. He rode out his climax with his eyes fastened to hers, his face a mask of ecstasy, until he finally collapsed on top of her.

She trailed her hands up his back. “Let’s do it again,” she whispered.

CHAPTER SIX

JAMES COULDN’T SLEEP. From his bed at The Palms hotel he could see thin, early-morning light coming through the blinds, and from outside he could hear the soft calling of tropical birds. His room, with its white-canopied bed, massive whirlpool tub and expansive view to the ocean, was perfectly conducive to rest and relaxation. But it made no difference.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. And it wasn’t just his mind—his entire body wouldn’t stop yearning for her. He hadn’t wanted to leave her after their time together on the boat. Three times last night they’d brought each other to heaven, and still it wasn’t enough for him. He’d wanted to stay with her all night, doing it over and over again to tame the raging lust he felt every time he looked at her. He wanted to teach her everything he knew about pleasuring him, pleasuring herself, taking both of them to heights they’d never imagined. He wished she were here right now so he could put his arms around her, bury his face in her beautiful hair, and then pull her on top of him and enter her, hear her moan—damn it. He’d only had one night with her, and suddenly he was like someone possessed. James was a man who lived in the moment, moving on from his encounters within minutes of ending of them. The next morning, he never missed the women he bedded. He was always too busy with work, but somehow that didn’t seem to matter right now.

Work. He had to get his head back into it. Rolling onto his back and giving his erect cock a light swat to tame it into submission, he pictured the blueprints of the resort in his mind. All of his projects started with a photograph in his head that he couldn’t erase. When it was still hanging around in his head a month or two later, he knew it was time to act—and so far, he’d never been wrong. Sure, he’d thrown himself into a couple of developments that hadn’t become roaring successes, but he’d never had a failure. Some of it was luck, he knew, but a lot of it was drive. He’d done his first project at the age of twenty-two, right after graduating from Georgia State—the best he could afford on his lifeguard wages—with a BA in business. Though Kiki’s father wasn’t a wealthy man, it was he who’d lent James the five thousand dollars he needed to finance his first commercial venture, a smoothie stand in a strip mall that he’d helped build with his own two hands. Back then James had been driven by fear, a desperate attempt to make enough money to save his mother before it was too late.

But she’d never seen the stand completed.

James had needed twenty-six thousand dollars for the experimental treatment. He hadn’t cried at her memorial, but when he surpassed that number three months after her death, he spent a whole afternoon staring at the number on his computer screen with tears streaming down his face. And as the tiny business began to cough out more and more revenue, he buried his grief in a determination that had served him to this very day. He entered each new project with abandon instead of caution, optimism instead of pessimism, perhaps subconsciously honoring the spirit of his mother.

She would have loved Laina.

James jumped from his bed, almost physically shaken. Where the hell had that thought come from? He raked a hand through his hair, trying to clear his head. His phone dinged on his bedside table and he snatched it up, happy for the distraction. Jennifer Liu: All a go on Moretta?

James scrubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t want to deal with this right now, but it was a fair reminder. He wasn’t just in paradise for a wedding. He was here to get a deal done, and that was what really mattered. What always mattered. Yes—he had to get his mind off Laina Rose’s smoking-hot body and get it back into what she could do for him.

Working on it, he typed back.

Glad to hear it. I’ll expect an update tomorrow. The ellipsis spun, and then, I’ve been thinking about you.

No. James dropped his chin into his chest and let out a sigh. He had created this. He had slept with a woman he knew he shouldn’t have, it had given her hope and now he hated himself for it.

And yet he had to be careful. Jennifer had many places she could invest her money, but she’d chosen James’s projects four times because his deals were relatively fast and clean. This was the first time he’d hit a major hurdle on a project with her, but he knew better than to think she wouldn’t pull out. And she had every right to, seeing as he hadn’t filled her in on what the problems were. He could have a legal nightmare on his hands if he didn’t figure this out, and now she wanted more personally from him on top of it all. He’d royally messed up. How the hell was he supposed to respond to a message like that when he didn’t feel the same way?

Nice of you to say so, he finally decided on. I’ll be in touch soon. He pressed the send button and squeezed his eyes shut. His phone dinged in his hand again, and he cautiously opened his eyes. Kiki Becker: Don’t forget horseback riding at 10!

James groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead.

Placing her foot in the stirrup, Laina lifted her other leg and swung it over the mare’s back, settling herself comfortably into the saddle. It was a perfect day for a ride, with just a few streaks of cloud above and an endless stretch of white sand before her. The waves lapped around her horse’s ankles, but the mare barely seemed to notice. Almost all the horses on Moretta were accustomed to walking along the beach, often going into the water up to their haunches without fear—which was no small feat for their trainers.

Laina loved riding. It was one of her favorite things to do on the island, bringing her back to childhood memories of being sandwiched between her parents and brothers as they rode in a line through the hills near their home. They’d kept horses at the estate right up until Laina had stopped going there when she was twenty. Though she hadn’t officially announced her decision to her family, her mother must have sensed it because Laina got a call from her not long after. We’re thinking of relocating the horses. Of course, if you think you might be spending more time here again…

But Laina hadn’t. The horses had gone to live at the corral managed by the island council, where they could be given more attention and ridden frequently. After that, Laina’s mother had punished her by failing to send her a birthday gift a month later. Laina hadn’t cared about that, but it was the lack of a phone call, email or even text acknowledging her twenty-first year that had stung. Showering their children with extravagant birthday gifts was a tradition with her parents, and the way she and her siblings received them said a lot about how different she was from them. While her brothers used to rip open their presents, leaving their cards abandoned and sometimes even unread on the floor, Laina had always cared about them more than what was inside the boxes. Rarely personalized, she’d nonetheless looked for clues within those Hallmark poems, some sort of proof of her value that she rarely got verbally. To the best daughter in the world. From the day you were born, you lit up our lives. To someone who’s special and wonderful. She got only a few of those, but she never forgot them. More often they were of the generic variety—To our number one daughter; Thinking of you on your birthday; May the year ahead be all you hope for!

But Laina had stopped looking for validation from those cards, or from her parents, over a decade ago. Her mother and father had both made it clear they weren’t in support of her choices, and Laina had come to accept that some people just didn’t fit in with the rest of their family. She was one of them.

Laina’s horse was raring to go. Talking to her softly, she held her in with the reins while the rest of the party mounted their steeds and got ready. But still no James.

Just the thought of him sent a sharp flutter to her groin, a heat to her cheeks… Against her will, she twisted her head around to look for him for approximately the fiftieth time. She had to stop. She’d known exactly what she was getting into yesterday, and it had been everything she could have possibly dreamed of and more. She’d discovered life-changing things about herself and climaxed not once, but three times under James’s relentlessly pleasurable tutelage, leaving her completely spent at the end of the night and yet still yearning for more. Yearning for him.

But it was over, and she had no right to expect anything more from him. Even if the thought of spending five long days in his presence was torture, she could handle it. She’d keep herself busy by helping Kiki with the wedding and working on a housing project she was behind on. And she would not keep thinking about how amazing James had felt inside her, how hard his cock had been for her, how he’d pushed her hair off her face so he could see her eyes while he fucked her, how his ragged breath had sounded in her ear when he came, how his lips had felt on hers, biting her ravenously like he couldn’t get enough of her—

“Tell me it was him who made the first move and I’ll castrate him.”

Forcing her mind back to the present, Laina turned her head to the sound of Kiki’s voice. She’d brought her horse alongside Laina’s while she’d been lost in her feverish daydream, and now her friend was looking at her as if she knew exactly what was going on in her head.

“What are you talking about?” Laina asked innocently.

“My dumb-ass cousin. If he hit on you—”

“No! It wasn’t like that. I, um…”

Kiki gave her a slow smile. “You um-ed, did you? I see.” Glancing over her shoulder, she gave her horse a pat on its side. “Well, have fun um-ing. Just remember what I told you, okay?”

Laina dropped her chin slightly. It wasn’t like there was any possible way she could forget, and she had to admit it was a little embarrassing for Kiki to know she’d fallen under James’s spell—exactly what she’d warned her not to do. But it wasn’t like she could hide the truth from her friend, and Kiki knew a thing or two about falling for womanizers. Like Dev, former groupie-addict turned doting fiancé. “Don’t worry about me, okay? I can handle this.”

“I know you can,” Kiki replied, lifting the reins and expertly circling her horse back toward Dev. “Have a great ride. Oh, and by the way? James is right behind you.”

Laina’s belly exploded into a flurry of butterflies. Slowly she turned her head in his direction, her brain immediately going numb when she laid eyes on him. Wearing jeans, a navy T-shirt and a smile just for her, he looked like some sort of cowboy fantasy—the epitome of sexiness and confidence. And he was walking directly toward her.

He stopped beside her horse and gazed up at her. “I’m scared shitless,” he said.

It was as horrible as he remembered.

From atop his horse looking down, James literally felt queasy. Laina had assured him that the beach was the best possible place to learn to ride—if he fell off he would land in soft sand, she’d reminded him with a smile. Which did not help. The last thing in the world he wanted was to look like a fool in front of this woman, but he hadn’t wanted to skip the outing, either. He needed her to know he was interested, and not showing up would have sent the wrong message.

He could feel his saddle shifting slightly as his horse walked. Was it on tight enough? He was certain it wasn’t. The horse was going to bolt any moment now, and he would be helpless to stop it, sliding off to one side and hanging on for dear life until he fell off and got trampled under the beast’s hooves—

No! He had to breathe, get himself under control.

“You’re doing great,” Laina said, catching up to him from behind. “Just relax your hands a bit. Give the reins some slack—show your animal some trust. And when you want to slow him down, pull the reins up instead of back. That’s a common beginner mistake.”

“Up and not back. Gotcha.” James nodded. He could see her looking at him from the corner of his eye. Despite his nerves, her cock-stiffening beauty had not been lost on him when he’d had a chance to observe her before panic set in. She was wearing those damned cutoffs again, which showcased her tanned legs to perfection. Her hair was swept back into a ponytail, with a few loose tendrils around her face. It had taken all of his strength not to yank her off her horse and kiss her right then and there, but he’d had to settle for a light brush of her thigh with the back of his hand. Her hand had settled over his for a moment, communicating what he hoped was an unspoken message: Again.

Shit, how he wanted her. Even in the middle of the hell he was in, he wanted her more badly than he could ever remember wanting anyone.

Goddamn it. James could feel his cock thickening, just what he didn’t need right now. He focused on the scenery ahead, trying to stay upright in the saddle, and shoving all thoughts of her tight, wet pussy from his head.

From behind them, he could hear a horse approaching. He turned toward Laina and saw Ward come into view on a white stallion. Ward gave James a scathing look and then galloped away, leaving a trail of kicked-up sand in his wake.

Laina looked at James and burst out laughing. “What was that?”

He laughed with her. “A one-up on me, I’m guessing. It doesn’t take much to see I suck at this.”

Laina shook her head in amusement. “If only he knew I wasn’t keeping score. Or that if I was, he’d always lose.”

James hesitated. It was hard for him to believe anyone could be engaged to a woman like Laina and be fool enough to let her go, but he was hardly an expert on relationships. Safer not to comment, he decided—at least for now. “You’re obviously an excellent rider,” he said instead.

Laina grinned. “I grew up with horses. Certain things were expected in the Reinhard household.” She gave him a quick glance and then faced forward again. “Riding, piano lessons, a tutor twice a week whether I needed it or not. Things like that, you know.”

He shook his head. “Actually, I don’t. I think we grew up in very different worlds. I take it your family has money?”

When she didn’t answer right away, James turned to look at her face. She was staring straight ahead, and her profile had a hardness to it he hadn’t seen before. Was it defensiveness? Guardedness? He wanted to have this conversation—no, he needed to have this conversation, but maybe he was moving too fast. “You don’t have to answer that,” he said quickly. “Sorry. None of my business.”

“It’s not that,” Laina said with a shake of her head. “Yes. My family has money, and they have pretty much since currency was invented. Which I guess makes me a first generation starving artist.”

James grinned. “I wouldn’t say that. An architect, and LEED certified, no less? I’d call that a rousing success.”

She looked at him sharply. “How did you know that?”

He stared back at her. “You mentioned it yesterday.”

“No, I didn’t.”

He sighed. “Okay. I might have Googled you.”

She nodded slowly. “I see. And did you like what Google had to say about me?”

“I did. You’re clearly very passionate about your work, and I find that very attractive. I checked out your projects—extremely impressive. Your parents must be very proud of you.”

Laina snorted. “I wouldn’t say that. They’ve never really understood my choices. It’s like they expected me to go all granola on them or something, just because I care about the environment. I tried to show my father a set of blueprints I’d made up once, and he barely glanced at them. It was a good design too—something completely new in passive multiunit living. But my career didn’t fit with their picture.”

James kept his eyes on her. Careful, he thought as the sentence came into his head, but he had to say it. “I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn’t see how amazing you are.”

Laina looked him sharply, and then her face relaxed again. “You’re just saying that because…” When she trailed off, he grinned.

“Because it’s true, and—” He was about to add something clever and suggestive, but just then his horse decided to veer toward the water. As it turned out, trying to ride an animal you had no control over made for very awkward flirtation. “Whoa!” he called out. “Lucky! Whoa! Stop! Not that way!”

Laina calmly pulled up beside him, and then leaned toward him and reached out to take his reins. Clicking softly with her tongue, she gently steered his horse away from the water and back on course. James let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“I take it this is your first time,” Laina said, guiding her horse around a large piece of driftwood lodged in the sand. They were at the back of the pack now, with the other members of their party starting to wind their way away from the beach and into the trees ahead of them.

“Second. The first time didn’t go so well.”

“No? What happened?”

He hesitated. He’d never talked to a woman about his mother before. In fact, his first and only real girlfriend had left him for more or less that reason—he was “too closed off”—and that had been it for him for relationships. Strangely, though, he hadn’t made that connection in his head until just now.

He took a deep breath. “I went with my mother when I was twenty-one or so. My horse was okay, but hers wasn’t. He was acting up from the very beginning, but the ranch hand kept telling her he was fine. And then something spooked him and he bolted. He went for the woods. She managed to hang on, but it scared the shit out of her and she got banged up by the trees pretty badly.”

Laina shook her head. “God, that must have been horrible for her. For both of you—you must have been terrified.”

“I was. I hadn’t wanted to go in the first place, but…” He trailed off.

James felt her eyes on his face again. “But what?” she asked softly.

He sighed. “But I couldn’t refuse. Horseback riding was on her bucket list.”

Laina was quiet for a beat, and then said, “Oh, James. I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.”

They walked in silence for a moment, and then she moved her horse in front of his with a quick dig of her heels. “There’s something I want to show you,” she called to him over her shoulder. “The others will never miss us. Follow me!”

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE RIDE UP the incline was longer than Laina remembered, but maybe it was just her nerves that made it seem that way. Winding through the trees with James following behind her, she tried not to think too hard about what she was doing. She’d never taken anyone to this place, and though she’d checked in on it a few times over the past decade, she hadn’t really spent time there since her late teens. Like Pelican Rock, it was somewhat sacred to her, and what if James didn’t see the magic in it that she did? She couldn’t help it—no matter how strong her attraction to him was, she was certain it would lessen her opinion of him.

Laina knew they were getting close when they passed the iron gates of Ocean Lookout, the last property on the way up the path. Beyond it stretched the overgrown four-acre lot of Terrasse de Rêves with the house at dead center. After passing through a crop of fruit-bearing calabash trees, she drew to a halt.

It looked exactly the same as the last time she’d seen it. She stole a quick glance at James, who’d drawn his horse up beside hers, and she immediately knew that he got it. “Wow,” he breathed. “That is crazy.”

“I know,” Laina said with a smile. She led James to a shady tree and dismounted, and then she waited for him to do the same. He cautiously swung a leg over his horse and then settled onto the ground.

“What is this place?” he asked, turning back to the ruins.

“It’s called Terrasse de Rêves—that’s Terrace of Dreams. But I call it House of Broken Dreams.”

“How dramatic.” James grinned. Laina took his reins and tied both horses to tree trunks where they could graze, and then she and James both walked toward the structure.

The house was both unfinished and decaying, making for a uniquely ambiguous effect. It was easy to see how the home, if brought to completion, would have been stately and impressive. Laina remembered the day she had discovered it. She’d been riding with her family, and while they rode right past it like it was nothing interesting, she’d stopped and stared. When questions about it to her parents went unanswered, she’d gone to the council on her own to find out what the story was. Decades later the home was still an unsettling sight in its failed grandeur. The grounds, which had once been clear-cut, were now grown over with enough trees and bushes to create a darkly haunting atmosphere around the house. The red brick walls had begun crumbling with age, and the expansive wooden porch sagged into the ground. But oddest of all were the unfinished roof, which consisted only of rotting plywood, and the empty holes for windows and doors.

“It is pretty dramatic, actually,” Laina said. “The family who owned this place were some of the first outsiders to build on the island. The father was a respected judge from Montreal. While he was building this house, his wife left him for another man. A few months later, his young daughter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died. He had a complete nervous breakdown—it totally destroyed him.”

“Whoa. That is tragic,” James said, walking closer to the structure. “I guess that explains why it was never finished.”

Laina nodded. “He stopped construction of the house but refused to sell the land. When I was a teenager, I remember there being a big fuss about it—the residents were complaining and wanted the house torn down. I freaked out because it was my special place. I begged my parents to try to save it, and they went to the council and managed to talk them into it.”

James raised an eyebrow at her. “Wow. It sounds like you have a lot of influence around here.”

Laina looked away. That was the last thing she wanted him to think, and she was still angry with herself for her slipup back on the trail. She never told anyone her former last name, but judging from James’s lack of reaction, he either hadn’t picked up on it or he already knew; Laina was savvy enough to get that with some minor sleuthing it could be found out.

“I wouldn’t say that.” She brushed the comment off, turning back to the building. “But I was attached to this place. A house that had never become a home—it haunted me. I was always struck by how it looks like it’s growing from the earth. I think it’s what first lit up my love of architecture, and gave me the idea of combining progress with nature.” She turned to James with a hint of challenge on her face. “You’re a developer. Would you have built here if you had the chance?”

He looked taken aback. “Why do I get the feeling there’s only one right answer to this question?”

She shrugged. “Not necessarily. We all have to live by our own code of ethics, and I’m not in the habit of pushing mine on others. Inform yourself and make your choices, is what I always say. I’m just curious.”

He gazed at the house again. “That’s a tough one. This island is so beautiful, and with property at such a premium… I’d be tempted to side with the residents.”

“Well, I can’t fault your honesty.” She tore her eyes away from his face. She was disappointed in his answer, but not surprised…and it certainly didn’t make her want him any less. They were standing side by side, his body inches from hers, and she longed to lean close to him and feel him take her into his arms. But did he want the same thing? Sure, he’d trailed his fingers up her thigh when he’d first walked up to her, nearly causing her to combust, but he could just be toying with her in the way playboys did. If there was one thing Laina didn’t have experience with, it was navigating the subtleties of post-one-night stands.

She started walking toward the house, needing to escape the waves of electricity she felt radiating off her.

“So what were your broken dreams?” James said from behind her.

Laina stopped at the front porch, gazing into the gaping hole where the front door was supposed to be. Beyond it, she could see a majestic curved staircase, looking completely out of place in a framed room with no drywall. “Nothing big.”

“I’d still like to hear them.”

“Would you?” Laina was used to keeping her laments to herself. Growing up with privilege, she’d learned quickly that she wasn’t allowed to have complaints, at least in the eyes of people who hadn’t grown up in the same way. Everyone knew that money could make dreams come true, even Laina. It was only a problem if your dreams weren’t material.

James walked up to her and searched her face. Then he slowly reached for her hands, as if waiting to see if she would meet him halfway. Almost involuntarily, Laina felt hers rising. Before they’d even touched, she felt a jolt of electricity zap straight to her pussy. Their fingers entwined, and then James pulled her forcefully toward him. “Yes. I would.”

His face was inches from hers, his eyes electric on her, their torsos lightly touching. She stroked her thumbs across his wrists. God, was she really doing this? But it was like she was under a spell, powerless to stop the irresistible pull of her body toward his. She could already feel heat burning at her center, reminding her of every amazing thing she’d felt last night. “Well. You know what I’d like?” she asked.

His pupils dilated. “The same thing I do. At least that’s what I’m hoping.”

Disentangling one hand from his, Laina reached behind him and ran it up under his T-shirt. Just the warm, smooth feel of his skin had her knees going watery. She lifted her mouth to his and brushed it ever so slightly with her lips. “I want us to make each other come again. And then I want you to teach me everything you know.”

At Laina’s words, James felt his cock go rigid. Oh, yes.

He wanted her—no, he craved her—and he’d missed his chance to have the conversation he needed to have with her anyway. She’d even offered him the perfect opportunity when she started talking about their careers, but his comment about her influence was as far as he’d been able to go. Clearly it was a topic she didn’t like, and he could only imagine the horror on her face if he were to ask her the question that was burning in his mind. But it couldn’t be avoided, and the longer he waited and the more physical they got, the worse it would become for both of them.

He had to ask her. He should stop this right now—simply step away from her, take a deep breath and spit it out like a big boy.

But he couldn’t. Unfiltered lust had taken over his brain and his body, making him burn with a desperate desire that only she could quench.

James brought his mouth down on Laina’s with an animal sound, feeling her tongue reach for him urgently. He took her lower lip between his teeth and sucked it gently, and then he brought his hands to her waist and slid them under her tank top. Releasing one breast from its bra cup, he felt her nipple stiffen under his palm. She moaned and collapsed backward with her hands on the back of his head, bringing his mouth down to her breast. When their eyes met again, hers were already wild with desire.

“Show me,” she whispered fiercely.

Taking her hand again, James pressed it to his cock, now rock-hard through his shorts. Hot anticipation rolled off him in sweet waves. “You’re going to bring me to the edge but not let me come,” he said into her ear, holding her firmly against him. “And then it’ll be my turn.”

Laina moved with lightning speed, opening his zipper and yanking his shorts and boxers down his hips. They settled in a pool around his ankles and stayed there, evidence of the desperate need coursing through both of them as Laina lowered herself to her knees. When she looked up at James and licked her lips hungrily, he almost groaned aloud. Jesus—this woman was making him come apart in a way he never had before. He took her hands, wrapping one firmly around his shaft and the other around his scrotum. “I want to see your mouth on me,” he said hoarsely. Her lips wrapped around his head, tentatively at first, and then she was taking all of him in. “Oh, yes. So beautiful. So sexy,” he groaned. Her mouth felt hot and wet, and the sight of her—

He exercised control, knowing he could explode in an instant if he wanted to. Now that he was slick from her mouth, he took her hand and showed her how to work it up his shaft and over his head with her palm.

“Is that good?” she asked breathlessly.

“So good,” he managed to say, his knees practically buckling. Her eager face, looking for his approval when she had no idea of the power she held over him—it was mind-blowing. “And I am so…close.”

When he felt her release him, he pulled her up, kicked his shorts and boxers away and pushed her back until she was up against a tree. “Let’s see if you’re ready for me,” he growled into her ear, yanking her zipper down. She gasped as he grabbed one thigh and pulled it up and out to spread her open. The he slid his hand into her panties. “Absolute perfection,” he said, bringing her wetness up to circle her clit.

“James—” Laina cried, bucking back against the tree. But he was only getting started, and already control was a line he was just at the edge of crossing. He never went beyond it. He conducted his sexual encounters like anything else in his life, orchestrated with a measured plan and process that never veered off course. But right now his mind was hazy with unadulterated wanting, and what he wanted was to do everything with this woman. To have everything from her, and suddenly he barely knew where to start or where to end.

Like her sweet pussy, for example. He’d been planning to get his mouth onto it, but the feel of her wetness was messing with his head. Slipping his hand out of her panties, he brought his fingers to his mouth. “You taste like heaven,” he rasped, pushing her shorts down. “I can’t wait to lick you, but I just have to fuck you first.”

“Thank God,” Laina panted. Her chest was heaving, her fingernails digging into his back with desperation. “I need you so badly. Right now.”

Keeping her pinned to the tree, James got the condom on and then lifted her thigh again. He pushed into her, wanting to prolong the moment, but Laina grabbed his ass to pull him in deeply. “Harder,” she rasped, each small cry that ripped from her lips spurring him on further. “Harder!” James drove into her relentlessly, keeping his hand at the small of her back to save her skin from ripping apart on the tree trunk. Their urgent breath mingled in the warm air, two people in the throes of a passion so intense that every muscle burned as they raced toward their ultimate pleasure.

Restraint. Control, James chanted in his head, but it was hopeless. He needed everything she could give him, everything he could give to her. He growled and spun her around so her back was to him. Bending her forward by the neck, he entered her from behind in one forceful thrust.

“Yes, yes, yes—” Laina cried, meeting him thrust for thrust.

Looking at her tan-lined bottom and tapered waist, James suddenly felt like he’d entered a realm that he hadn’t even known existed. What was happening to him? He’d had plenty of good sex in his life—even great sex—but nothing like this. Like if he couldn’t have her he would die, like he’d compare every other woman to her from now on, like he wanted to possess her.

And now he was way too close for comfort and almost beyond caring. His release was so near, and he knew it was going to blow his mind. He wrapped Laina’s hair around his hand and tugged her head back until his mouth was at her ear. “I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered to her, all hope of restraint shattered by the sheer force of their connection.

“That makes two of us,” Laina said breathlessly. “Now please make me come.”

Reaching under her, James found her swollen clit and worked his fingers over it. It didn’t take much. He felt her pitch forward, and then her body shuddered as a long, animal moan escaped her mouth. Her pussy clenched his cock tightly over and over again, drawing him ever nearer—

And then he was falling over the edge himself, his entire body radiating with the most intense, white-hot pulses of pleasure he’d ever felt. When he finally collapsed on top of her, they were both breathing as if they’d run a marathon.

Finally James pulled her up, meaning to turn her toward him, but she stopped him by placing a hand at his waist. “Where do you think you’re going?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him. She looked incredible, her face flushed with heat and her hair tangled from their passion. Arching her back, she rolled her hips up and down, making her pussy squeeze around his still-stiff cock. “You still feel plenty hard to me.”

It was true. Though he’d had an earthquake-worthy orgasm just a minute ago, judging by the state of his cock he would never know it. He groaned. “God, Laina. You’re killing me.”

“But you like it.”

“No.” He threw himself over her back and found her lips. “I love it.”

She separated herself from him with a quick bump of her hips, and then she turned around to face him. Kicking her shorts away, she slid her tank top up to expose her bra. Then she ran a hand down her belly to cup her pussy, letting her eyes flutter shut as she moaned. James’s cock lifted from half-mast to a full-blown erection as he watched her, awestruck. “So, do you want to fuck me again?” she asked, her breath already quickening.

His heart started to pound. “I think the correct word would be need,” he said, moving to close the gap between them.

“Then go ahead,” she said, but she put a hand out to stop him. “On one condition.”

“Name it,” he said, licking his lips ravenously.

“That you take me into your bed tonight like a proper gentleman, and that you answer all my questions.”

“That’s two conditions.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Oh, I’ll definitely take it,” he said, reaching for her.

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