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Mission: Seduction
Candace Havens
Marine Lieutenant Rafe McCawley intends to seduce the woman who saved him. But does he have the right one?The breath-taking island resort is perfect for Rafe to relax, recover… and enjoy the woman whose e-mails kept him sane during his last tour. But instead, he is greeted by her stunning sister, pro surfer Kelly Callahan! The heat between them is red-hot.And wrong or right, it won’t be denied…


Subject: Marine Lieutenant Rafe McCawley
Mission: Seduce the woman who saved him. But does he have the right one?
A breathtaking island resort is perfect for Rafe McCawley to relax, recover…and enjoy the woman whose emails kept him sane during his previous tour. But instead, Rafe is greeted by her stunning sister, Kelly Callahan—pro surfer, resort owner and (God help him) hot enough to set the ocean itself ablaze….
But Rafe doesn’t know the whole truth. Kelly had been the one behind the emails. And she’ll tell him…as soon as she can get her libido under control!
The heat between them is immediate. It’s red-hot. And wrong or right, it won’t be denied….
Uniformly Hot!
The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell.

Twelve military heroes. Twelve indomitable heroines. One UNIFORMLY HOT! miniseries.
Mills & Boon
Blaze
’s bestselling miniseries continues with another year of irresistible soldiers from all branches of the armed forces.
Don’t miss
MISSION: SEDUCTION
by Candace Havens
September 2013
COMMAND PERFORMANCE
by Sara Jane Stone
October 2013
BACK IN SERVICE
by Isabel Sharpe
November 2013
A SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS
by Leslie Kelly, Joanne Rock and Karen Foley
December 2013
UNIFORMLY HOT!
The Few. The Proud. The Sexy as Hell.


Dear Reader,
We first met Lieutenant Rafe McCawley when he helped out his best friend, Captain Will, in Model Marine. I fell in love with Rafe in that story. He’s funny, strong and does what it takes to get the job done. What you may not know is when Will was injured that last time, so was Rafe. His recovery takes him to Fiji, where he meets a pro surfer, Kelly, who changes his life.
This is one of those books where I was able to combine my love for many things—tropical locales, surfing and hot marines! I hope you enjoy this fantasy trip to Fiji with Rafe and Kelly.
Also I hope you’ll take a moment this month to remember all of our military heroes and heroines at home and overseas.
Enjoy!
Candace Havens
Mission: Seduction
Candace Havens


www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Award-winning author and columnist CANDACE “CANDY” HAVENS lives in Texas with her mostly understanding husband, two children and two dogs. Candy is a nationally syndicated entertainment columnist for FYI Television. She has interviewed just about everyone in Hollywood, from George Clooney and Orlando Bloom to Nicole Kidman and Kate Beckinsale. You can hear Candy weekly on The Big 96.3 in the Dallas—Fort Worth Area. Her popular online writer’s workshop has more than 1,300 students and provides free classes to professional and aspiring writers.
For Kathryn Lye. For putting up with my kind of crazy!
Contents
Chapter 1 (#u00111bf6-c4cb-50ec-9845-a76948274abf)
Chapter 2 (#u17c0bc37-4cb3-56d6-a7aa-b94947525d2e)
Chapter 3 (#ue5589820-caea-5d5a-81c3-2ff48f63db83)
Chapter 4 (#u2965b0df-5070-5fdc-9d6f-ee6d975f9f09)
Chapter 5 (#u31c071bd-25be-527f-a8b2-eb3ffe07deda)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Excerpt (#litres_trial_promo)
1
THE BULLET ZINGED past marine lieutenant Rafe McCawley’s ear. Instantly, he went into defense mode. “Jeep!” he yelled to the doctor and the ambassador as he shoved them toward the vehicle.
“Sniper,” he told his men, but he knew they were already on it. As part of the rescue mission, they’d been trained for moments like this.
Buck and Meyers fired toward the hills.
Murphy had the car door open and helped the civilians in as fast as he could. Rafe used himself as a human shield.
Fire tore into his hip. He’d been hit.
He didn’t falter.
He was the only thing between the sniper and the civilians, and it was his duty.
Pain scorched his right arm. Another bullet. He was a sitting duck, but it didn’t matter. He had to get these people to safety.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion then. A series of bullets pounded his back. His vest kept them from penetrating. The force knocked the breath from his lungs. He lunged forward in a final effort to protect the ambassador, half throwing the man into the vehicle so that Murphy could shut the door. As he did, blood stained Murphy’s neck.
Rafe placed his hand at the wound to stop the blood flow, but he was losing blood, too, and he could feel himself getting weaker.
“Man down. Man down,” Rafe heard himself utter as he slid into the darkness.
“Mister! Hey, mister! Wake up. Bad dreams, man. Bad dreams.”
A groggy Rafe tried to open his eyes. It was as if someone had pulled him up out of quicksand.
“Mister, you okay? Wake up already.”
Blinking his eyes open, Rafe took in his surroundings. A taxi. The driver, who had deeply tanned skin and a thatch of bright white hair, stared worriedly at him in the rearview mirror.
Rafe was in Fiji. Safe.
“Thanks,” Rafe said to the driver. “Sorry for falling asleep.” He must have passed out in the cab. The flight to Fiji had been brutal on his still-healing body, and he hadn’t gotten much rest. Rafe scrubbed his face with his hand.
He was finally here.
Sun. Sea. And a woman.
Rafe figured that was all any man ever needed to heal wounds of the physical or mental variety. While he’d been in recovery for the injuries he’d suffered he’d thought of little else. The letters from Mimi were what kept him going through the intense therapy. Her sweet encouragement and kind words were the elixir his soul used to heal. And were exactly what his mind needed to help forget. Now he would see her in the next ten minutes.
The long hours on the plane here had been torture. His hip, arm and shoulder, which had suffered the brunt of the bullets in the firefight, were still sore. Even with his pain meds he couldn’t get comfortable on the plane. He’d been awake for almost forty-eight hours straight. But he hadn’t grumbled or even worried about it. The only thing in his mind was the image of the gorgeous five-eleven dark-haired beauty he was about to see. It had been eighteen months. He’d kicked himself for not kissing her at the end of their one and only date.
They met at a New York fashion show where Rafe had been duped into modeling some jeans that put him in hot water with the Marines. But it had been worth it to meet Mimi. After the fashion show, she’d taken him to a party with a lot of famous people. At the end of the evening, he’d walked her to her apartment but refused to go up. He was a gentleman, which seemed to surprise her. They hugged, and he left. The next day she flew out of town for a gig in London, and he hadn’t seen her since.
She began writing to him six months ago. That first letter from her was a surprise. He’d written to her six months prior to that and when she hadn’t answered, he thought that despite a great night she had moved on. In her first letter she told him that she traveled so much his letter must have slipped through the cracks.
They wrote back and forth frequently. He tried to get her on Skype or the phone, but things never appeared to work for Mimi when it came to electronics. She said it was one of her many faults. A few days before he’d been shot, he’d received a letter from her saying that as soon as he was free they should meet at her sister’s new yoga and surf camp in Fiji. The time he was ordered to take off for rehab gave him the perfect excuse to accept her offer.
“Almost there,” the taxi driver said as he swerved to miss a cyclist. Rafe’s shoulder hit the side of the car and he winced. He was beginning to wonder if he’d ever be back to 100 percent. Every day he worked his muscles hard to make sure they didn’t atrophy, but nothing moved quite as well as it should. And yet he needed to be ready for anything if he were to return to active duty one day.
The farther they drove away from the airport, the greener and more lush the surroundings. The cab’s open windows allowed the smell of exotic flowers to permeate the air. The car stopped in front of iron gates covered with vegetation.
This was it.
The past year had been hell, and Rafe had to admit hanging out in paradise for a few weeks didn’t sound too bad. Sure beat the hospital and his last three tours.
The driver pushed a button on the console at the side of the gate and the gate swung open.
The what-ifs plagued him. What if Mimi didn’t recognize him? What if she was merely doing this to be nice?
For months he’d imagined swinging her in his arms and kissing her senseless when he saw her again to make up for the lost opportunity on their date.
Play it cool. Get a read on the situation.
He took a deep breath, then another.
The taxi stopped on the circular driveway in front of the resort. Well, it was more like a mansion than a hotel. Mimi said that her sister had worked hard to make it feel like a home away from home.
He grinned. It wasn’t like any home he’d ever lived in. Mimi promised this was a great place to relax and rejuvenate and that was exactly what he needed.
As he glanced up, he realized there were several thatched dwellings along the beach on both sides of the house. They were probably the private bungalows Mimi mentioned. She was setting him up in one, all expenses paid.
He’d been hesitant about that, but she’d insisted, relaying to him that her sister had given her a great discount, since it was for a friend.
Grateful to stretch his legs again, he stepped out of the cab and was assaulted by the salty air coming off the sea. Surrounded by brilliant green foliage, it looked and sounded like a jungle. Birds chirped and there was even a monkey swinging in a nearby tree.
Yes, this was total bliss.
“Rafe?”
He turned and was expecting to see Mimi, but this woman didn’t look anything like her. She was about the same height, but her hair was long and blond. And Mimi had looked as if she’d never been in the sun, whereas this woman was the color of golden honey.
She had a California girl-next-door quality that would normally be very appealing to him, but he was here to see Mimi.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, I’m Rafe. Are you a friend of Mimi’s?”
She frowned and looked down at her toes for a second before glancing at him. “I’m her sister, Kelly. She’s actually been delayed a few days. She had a shoot in Canada of all places, and she asked me to look after you.”
Rafe’s heart sank. He knew it was silly to be so disappointed, but he’d been looking forward to seeing her.
“Oh. Hi.” He wasn’t sure what to say to this woman. “Uh...should I find someplace else to stay until she gets here?” He could probably find another hotel on the island. His friends told him the lodging and food in Fiji was usually pretty cheap, except at some of the larger, fancier hotels.
“No, no. How can I look after you if you stay somewhere else? No, I have you set up in the Blue Bungalow. Everything is done by color here. Your surfboard is blue, the instructions and times for your classes are in blue. Even the room is decorated in blue.”
She paused and then gave him a worried glance. “You don’t mind the color blue, do you?”
He chuckled. “No. It happens to be my favorite color, but I don’t want to put you to any trouble. And what do you mean by classes?”
The taxi driver cleared his throat, and Rafe pulled out his wallet. “Sorry, man. Here you go.” He gave the driver the money for the fare plus a generous tip. Then he picked up his pack and followed Kelly down a path.
“You asked about the classes,” she said as they tracked along another path, clearly leading to the bungalows on the beach. “There are yoga and surfing classes. I also have Pilates, ballet bar, regular and Bikram yoga classes. They’re popular with our usual clientele here at Last Resort.”
From the looks of the surroundings that usual clientele must be pretty high-end. While it had a wild feel to it, the bungalows and the mansion or main building, which had to be at least ten thousand square feet, were very well maintained.
“I don’t do any of those things,” he said.
“I kn— Uh, right. Mimi said that she didn’t think you’d go for it, but I also know that you are getting over some injuries. Surfing might be a little rough on you right now, but yoga could do you some good. And Pilates would help lengthen those muscles and relieve your pain.”
He felt like a jerk for being so blunt. “You know what, I’m here. I might as well try whatever you have.”
Turning, she smiled at him, her blue eyes shining with happiness.
Rafe’s breath caught, and his lower regions responded so strongly he had to position his pack in front of him.
What is wrong with me?
She’s a beautiful woman, but you are dating her sister.
Well, technically they weren’t dating. But he’d flown halfway around the world to see her and that counted for something.
“I’m glad that you’re so open-minded. I find that most women who come here are ready to try new things, but a lot of men are sometimes worried about looking ridiculous. And that’s kind of ridiculous when you think about it. Tons of athletes from football players to track stars do yoga and Pilates. It’s great for stress relief and it helps to clear your mind. We had a hockey team here about a month after I took over. Those guys were up for anything.” Laughter colored her voice.
Clearing the mind was something Rafe needed desperately. The more Kelly talked, the more entranced he became with her. She was like a beacon of light and he was the ship in need of safe harbor. He snorted.
What you need is some sleep.
That was it. He was punch-drunk and slightly delirious. With his defenses down, he didn’t have a chance when it came to Kelly, with her charm and beauty.
“So here we are.” She waved a hand at the bungalow before him. The doors stood wide open, allowing the breeze to cool the large room, which was done in shades of light blue and white. Calming. It was nicer than any place he’d ever stayed. As a marine, he learned to fall asleep anywhere, and when he traveled he usually picked cheap motels. All he usually needed was a bed.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me staying here?” Rafe asked as he ditched his shoes at the door and followed her inside.
The floor was cork or close enough by the soft feel of it. His aching joints relaxed their protest three steps into the place. There was a king-size bed on the left. To the right was a seating area with a huge flat-screen TV on the wall in the center, which could be viewed from both the bed and the sofa.
“Of course I don’t mind. I wanted you to come, when, uh, Mimi told me what you’d been through. I mean, not to make a big deal out of it—your bravery—well, you’re so darn heroic,” she said, and ducked her head as if she were embarrassed. “Sorry. It’s just that Mimi has told me so much about you that I feel like I know you. I’m normally kind of shy, which is why it’s weird that I can’t seem to stop talking around you.”
She grinned sheepishly. “I’m going to stop talking now.”
Rafe couldn’t help but smile at her nervousness. “Hey, you don’t have to worry about that with me. I spend most of my time with men who only communicate by grunting. It’s nice to hear a friendly voice that isn’t barking orders.”
Her soft chuckle was like a gentle caress. They stared at each other expectantly for a few seconds before he quickly peered at the ocean as though he was interested in the view.
“I bet you’re exhausted,” she said. “The bath is through there. There are robes and a selection of swim trunks if you need them. Dinner is at seven, but there are snacks in your fridge, which is under the television console. You have a butler, whom you can contact by pressing two on the phone. If you need maid service, that’s number three. If you’d rather dine here instead of at the main house, you push four and they’ll deliver the meal for you.
“So, that should be it. If you need me, push six and then seven, seven. We have several guests arriving, but practically everyone who comes to Last Resort is looking for solitude and waves to ride. It’ll be quiet around here for you.”
“Thanks,” Rafe said. “I mean, really. This is way more than I expected.”
The hopeful look in her eyes confused him. It was almost as if she’d worried he wouldn’t like it here. How could he not? The place was mind-blowing.
“Right. If you need help unpacking, you can call the butler. I’ll get out of your hair.”
She sprinted from the bungalow.
He watched as she tripped slightly on the path and then carried on as if nothing had happened.
The two sisters couldn’t be any more different. Mimi never had a hair out of place, and the night they went to the party she had dressed in pricey heels and a fancy dress that barely covered her thighs.
But if he were honest, he much preferred Kelly’s casual white shorts and bikini top.
“You aren’t going there,” he murmured to himself. “Mimi. You’re here for Mimi.”
Right. What’s it to be, then—a cold shower or a nap?
Nah.
Rafe glanced at the ocean and went in search of his board shorts.
A good hard swim would help ease his tension and get his mind off one very pretty resort owner.
2
“WHAT HAVE I done?” Kelly Callahan paced from one end of the kitchen to the other. Adrien, the resort’s main chef, didn’t bother to answer her. Though born in France, he’d grown up not far from where she had started surfing in Southern California. Still, half the time, he pretended he didn’t understand her. Mimi, her sister, called him “tall, dark and dangerous,” but to Kelly he was only ever one of her surfing buddies.
Kelly continued her rambling. “He’s so much more hot in person. I mean, almost godlike. But there’s such sadness in those beautiful eyes. The kind so deep you think it’s never going to go away. If he finds out the truth—”
The third time she bumped into the chef, he shooed her out of his way by silently threatening her with a large spoon. She resumed pacing on the other side of the enormous breakfast bar they used to lay out a spread of fruits and pastries for guests to snack on throughout the day.
She picked up a muffin but didn’t take a bite.
“No.” She shook her head. “I should walk over there right now and tell him everything. Rafe deserves to know.”
Adrien mumbled something in French and waved his spoon again.
She stopped pacing long enough to lean forward to taste his soup. Closing her eyes, she savored the broth’s spicy flavors against her tongue. Adrien never made a mistake with a meal.
“Why do you always have to do everything so well? Men! I swear. You’re all so—argh.”
Adrien’s eyebrow lifted.
She squinted at him and stuck out her tongue.
He smiled triumphantly and went back to his soup.
During her rant, she’d accidentally smashed the uneaten muffin onto the counter. She felt guilty about that, too. She hated to waste food.
Nearby, she could hear some guests returning from a catamaran outing. Time for Kelly to get a hold of herself. It wouldn’t do for the guests to see her in the middle of a nervous breakdown.
After dumping the muffin in the trash, she went to her suite to wash her hands. Her rooms were the only private bedroom and sitting room on the first floor and possessed the best sea views. Outfitted in colors of soft ivory and chocolate-brown, her suite could have been in any exclusive hotel in the world. She’d been lucky. When she bought Last Resort, it had been made over only a few months before. However, a high-end destination like this needed constant maintenance. There was always something that needed to be fixed, replaced or updated. The staff, most of whom she’d inherited with the buy, kept the place running smoothly. Some of them had been doing the same jobs since before she was born, so she left them to it.
After washing her hands, she sat down on the edge of her bed. Staring at her cell phone, she contemplated her next move. Mimi had to be told. Maybe she could convince her sister to temporarily go along with the ruse until Rafe was feeling better. She remembered the way his face fell when he found out Mimi wasn’t there. Kelly winced. There was no way Rafe would be interested in her if Mimi was around.
She lay back on the bed. “It’s not supposed to be about that,” she chastised herself. “It’s about helping him to get better.”
Initially, when Kelly had invited Rafe, her sole intention had been to help him. He never whined or complained, but she could always tell that he had seen things he’d rather forget. After several letters prodding him about his injuries, he’d finally told her everything. That he’d nearly died sent her heart reeling. That was when she knew she cared much more than she should.
In her mind and in her heart, she knew she could make a positive difference in his life.
She turned onto her side.
Rafe was even more than she had expected. His inner strength only intensified his attractiveness. She thought of his taut muscles and the way his jeans fit against his—
“Stop it,” she moaned. Even before she’d seen him, he had been a late-night fantasy. He’d often kept her awake as she wondered what it would be like if he touched her. Or better yet, kissed her.
Kelly quickly got out her cell phone and called her sister. She had to tell someone the truth, or she would die from guilt.
“This is Mimi, you know what to do,” the recorded voice said.
For a second Kelly thought about leaving the whole twisted story in a message. It would be so much easier, but she wouldn’t stoop that low.
“Call me,” she said before hitting the end call button.
“I’m not a bad person,” she whispered to her pillows. “This all began so innocently. Can I help it if his letters made me fall for him? Is it my fault that I want him all to myself?”
A little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. “Oh, be quiet, conscience.”
She needed something to do so she would stop obsessing. There was always paperwork, but she couldn’t concentrate.
Jumping up from the bed, she slipped off her shorts, revealing the rest of her bikini. She then reached for the latch and opened the sliding glass door.
Outside, her board stood waiting for her. She grabbed it and ran to do the one thing that always soothed her.
It only took a moment for her feet to hit the warm sand. Curling her toes, she watched as the waves broke over the sandbar. The motion of the water was the balm she needed.
Running, she dove with her board into the first wave.
Home.
* * *
RAFE STARED AS Kelly surfed one wave after another. The way she maneuvered the surfboard with such ease made him curious as to how someone so slim could tame the churning ocean. At first, he thought she must have to really focus on what she was doing, but she did it all so smoothly and controlled, she was clearly a natural.
When she hit the beach, she frowned and headed again into the surf.
Rafe didn’t know her, but he did know human nature and she was worried about something.
That bothered him. She was such a kind soul. He’d recognized that about her from the instant they’d met. That and the fact that she’d welcomed him to her resort without a second thought. There was an immediate connection between them, one that disturbed Rafe because of its strength. The pull toward her was something that should only come after knowing a person for months, not minutes.
What amazed him the most was how fast he was over his initial disappointment of Mimi not being there to greet him.
Stop it.
He kicked his feet and swam back to shore. Once there, he claimed the towel he’d brought with him and sat down on the sand.
Had she felt the same awareness? Just because Kelly had been nice to him was no reason for him to think she might be interested in him.
Give it up.
You’re here to hang out with her sister.
“Those look like some deep thoughts,” Kelly said. She stood before him with her board stuck in the sand. How had she snuck up on him like that?
Great, marine, just great.
“Not so deep, I promise. You’re a great surfer. I mean, I don’t know much about the sport, but you ride those man-crushing waves like a pro.” Rafe had stayed in shallow water to avoid the large swells, which rolled in higher by the minute.
“I am,” she said.
He gave her a questioning look.
“A pro,” she said, and laughed. “I surf professionally on the circuit. At least, I did until a few months ago before I decided to hit Pause for a bit and buy this place.” She nodded toward the resort.
If she made enough to afford this luxury spot, she had to have done pretty well as an athlete.
Rafe chastised himself for staring at her. Bikini bottoms with tiny red bows at the hips flattered her long, tanned legs. Her flat stomach was slightly ripped with muscles, just enough to show she wasn’t afraid of a good workout.
Rafe cleared his throat as he stood up. The interest in her toned-in-every-way body had to stop. He searched his brain to recall what they’d been talking about. “Why did you hit Pause?”
She pursed her lips. “Maybe that’s the wrong expression. I think of it as a long vacation. To reevaluate what I want to do next with my life.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ve been traveling the world from one competition to the next since I was sixteen. Burnouts happen a lot in my sport. And to be honest, I was heading that way. I forgot my love for surfing and I wanted to remember why I’m addicted to those waves. And it’s helped. A month’s gone by and I’m already anticipating the next big meet.
“Listen to me. I sound like some confused chick trying to find herself.”
“No, you don’t,” Rafe said quickly. “I love being an active marine and serving, but there are some days I want to give it all a rest and be a farmer or something.”
She grinned. Her amusement pleased him. “You don’t seem like the farmer type.”
“That would be kind of funny, since I don’t know a thing about it,” he admitted. “But some job where you work with your hands and you’re alone out in nature. There’s no one to report to, and you don’t have to constantly watch your back.”
That was true. After his last assignment, he’d begun to reevaluate what was important to him. Unlike Kelly, he had no idea what might be next. He had invested in his friend Will’s private security company so he would always have a job there. That was his safety net.
But Rafe seldom took the safe path. His beat-up leg and shoulder were proof of that.
“How did you end up here? Seems like a lot to take on for one person.”
She shrugged. “I’d been coming here for years during my off time because the waves are great for most of the year. A friend of mine owned it. One day he said he wanted to sell it, and everything fell into place so easily that I knew it was the right decision. It is a lot of work, but manageable. For the most part, it can run itself as long as there’s someone to oversee the accounting and business stuff. Everyone who works here has been here for years, so that also helps.”
Rafe studied her. Kelly was proud of what she’d accomplished, and she should be. From what he’d seen so far, this was about as close to paradise as one could get.
“So what time did you say dinner was?”
“Oh, thanks for the reminder. I need to get back there. It’s at seven, and it’s casual. Very casual. Shorts are fine. Well, see ya tonight.” She grabbed her board and swung away with a jaunty lift to her step.
Rafe couldn’t take his eyes off her bikini-clad body striding up the beach. The woman was insanely beautiful. It wasn’t fair.
He laughed.
What was paradise without a little temptation?
3
RAFE SPOTTED KELLY from the open glass doors of his cabana. She was dressed in a white T-shirt and dark shorts. A pair of pink flip-flops graced her feet.
Yep. She was as hot as he remembered.
Hell.
What was he going to do? Rafe lived by the code of the corps, but he had his own code, as well. Before he’d ever thought about the Marines, his mother had instilled in him a profound respect for women. His father was strict when it came to treating others as equals. Rafe had grown up in the melting pot that was New York, and on his block everyone knew everyone else’s business. There was no chance of getting away with treating a girl he dated any less than was expected.
Kelly leaned over to hand someone a drink, and he couldn’t avoid it—the way her shorts stretched over her butt nearly sent him back to the showers for a cold one. As he approached the group of other guests, he noticed the man she’d given the drink to follow her with his eyes. The appreciation on his face didn’t sit well with Rafe.
Hey, weren’t you doing the same thing?
Shut up.
There were several people gathered in the mansion’s central room. A big flat-screen was on in one corner where some of the men watched a soccer match. An older couple admired the fish in the aquarium that separated the room from the dining area. Rafe wondered how they kept the tank clean. It was enormous.
“Rafe, I’m so glad you’re here,” Kelly said as if she were surprised to see him.
The confusion must have shown on his face.
“After so many hours on the plane and the swim you took earlier, I thought maybe jet lag might have taken over.”
He returned her smile. “It did—I passed out for a while, which is why I’m late. Sorry about that.” In truth, it had taken everything he had to push himself out of bed and into the shower. Only the curiosity of wanting to see Kelly again had kept him going.
Careful there.
“Can I get you a drink?” she asked.
Rafe shook his head. He’d taken two pain pills so that he could make the walk over, and the doctors had warned him not to mix them with liquor.
“Nah, I’m good. Maybe some water?”
“Kelly, the dinner is ready,” announced a lithe teen with the same beautiful skin of the Fijians and bright blue eyes that spoke of another ancestry.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Kelly asked the young girl.
She nodded.
“Okay, but if you spill anything—”
“I know, I know.” The girl almost rolled her eyes but stopped. “Sorry. Yes, ma’am.”
The girl left them, presumably for the kitchen.
“Nari reminds me of myself,” Kelly said softly. “I would do anything to surf when I was a kid.”
“I don’t follow,” Rafe said.
“Oh, she helps out around the resort and occasionally waits tables to pay for her surf lessons here.”
“You give lessons?”
“That she does, mate,” said the man who had been watching Kelly when Rafe had shown up. The Australian was nearly as tall as Rafe’s six-foot-four, but he had white-blond hair and the body of a boxer. Big biceps, short neck. Rafe couldn’t imagine the guy on a surfboard.
“This is Josh,” Kelly said as she introduced them.
“Rafe,” he said as he stuck out his hand.
“Ah. You’re the soldier Kelly was telling the Seymours about. Been in Afghanistan, I heard, and you were shot up pretty bad.”
Rafe glanced at her to find her cheeks were pink.
“Gracie is a doctor,” Kelly said. “I...had heard about how you’d been wounded and I wanted to make sure we had the right therapies for you, and that we didn’t push you too hard. I promise we weren’t gossiping.”
“You don’t need to worry about me,” Rafe said. “As long as there’s a gym, I can follow up with what my trainers started in Germany.”
“Best facility on the island,” Josh told him, and slapped him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. Rafe struggled not to wince as a shot of pain raced down his back and into his aching hip. He reminded himself he was lucky to be alive. Unfortunately, there were few places on his body that hadn’t felt the effect of his time in the military.
“Yep, they’ll get you fixed up, all right. Came here a couple weeks ago to recover from a bruised hamstring and lower back troubles, and boom!” The man clapped his hands together eliciting a few startled glances. “All better now. This little chicken knows what she’s up to. Got me back to fighting form months before the docs thought it would be possible,” Josh announced to the group, squeezing Kelly into the crook of his arm.
Rafe took pleasure in the fact that she didn’t seem too happy about being smashed up against the guy.
“Josh, can you check that the doors to the kitchen are closed? I want to make sure we don’t get sand in there and it looks like the wind is picking up.”
“On it.” The Aussie lumbered through the main room over to the dining area.
“Are you okay?” Kelly asked softly. The light caress of her hand on Rafe’s forearm was enough to send him over the edge. “He has no idea how strong he is.”
“No worries,” Rafe told her, his voice deeper than usual because her hand was still gently stroking his arm. “Do you always order your guests around like that?”
It was a subtle way to find out if she and the Australian were close.
“Yes,” she replied with a laugh. “I’m bossy that way. Just ask my sister.”
At the mention of her sister, she lifted her hand from his arm and frowned. “Sorry. What were we talking about before that?”
“About you being bossy,” he said as he studied her carefully. Was there something bothering her about Mimi?
“Oh, yes. And with Josh, well, he was supposed to be here for a week and it’s turned into several. That happens a lot. Almost everyone who visits says they feel like family, so I guess it doesn’t hurt to treat them that way. We have a fairly exclusive clientele who are used to plenty of perks, but they like it here because they get all that and they get to be surf bums at the same time. There’s no paparazzi or helicopters flying over to see what kind of bikini they’re wearing or what they’re drinking, or who they are with for that matter.” She shrugged.
“I thought I recognized some faces on the beach today.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure you did. They keep coming back, since no one bugs them here. It’s always been my sanctuary when life got to be too much on the circuit, and I wanted to create that for other people as well.”
Sanctuary. If it weren’t for his dilemma with the sisters, this place would definitely be that. The waves had put him to sleep in seconds after his head hit the pillow. The bungalow was warm, but the sea breeze kept it from being miserably so.
Rafe wasn’t overly impressed with the boxer, but he understood why he was drawn to the place. It was the kind of environment a person could get used to easily. As Rafe sat down at the table across from Kelly, she gave him another smile.
Yep. He could definitely see why people never wanted to leave.
* * *
KELLY CROSSED HER legs on the special platform Nari’s father, Duke, had made for her.
Meditation was part of Kelly’s regular routine and, no matter what was happening around her, she did it twice a day. Settling on the raised part of the deck outside her bedroom, she took a deep, calming breath and tried to clear her mind.
Adrien would kill her for not finishing her dinner tonight, but Kelly’s nerves were like taut guitar strings ready to break. She’d have to speak to Josh about his being a little too handsy. Every chance he had, he put his arm around her shoulders or bent into her as if they were sharing a secret. He’d been overly friendly before, but Rafe’s presence must have caused him to turn territorial. She and Josh had known each other a long time, but that didn’t mean he could take advantage of their friendship.
His behavior probably gave Rafe the idea that they might be a couple, which was the last thing she wanted. She’d caught Rafe’s eyes on them more than once during the meal and he had the strangest look on his face. She was adept at reading people, but she didn’t have a clue what was happening in the marine’s head. He’d been polite throughout dinner even though she’d seen him wince more than once when he twisted the wrong way.
He’d caught the soup tureen when it slipped from Nari’s hands, keeping it from crashing to the floor. But his jaw had tightened and his hand shook as he placed the heavy bowl on the table.
In spite of his pain, he’d assured the young girl that all was well. His kindness toward the fumbling Nari had solidified his hold on Kelly’s heart. And, as if that wasn’t enough, she’d admitted she was infatuated with him before he’d even arrived.
What had begun as an act of kindness on her part for one of America’s heroes had now morphed into a complicated situation that confused her. What should she do? He was an honorable man who appreciated the truth. After seeing that up close and personal, she felt certain he would leave if he knew she’d lied to get him here.
She truly cared about him. And if he left before he really got to know who she was, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. Maybe he would, too.
Helping him heal was the one way she could clear her conscience and set her karma straight. He’d been through so much, the least she could do was support him as he tried to put the pieces of his life back together again. She’d recognized the signs of post-traumatic stress syndrome in his letters. His trouble sleeping, the nightmares, his erratic moods. He’d shared a lot with her, and now she knew what she had to do to repay that trust.
Taking another calming breath, she shut her eyes, but just before her mind went blank, a vision of Rafe on the beach overtook her thoughts. Water dripped from his dark hair, his swim trunks riding low on his hips, his chiseled jaw and toned abs some of the best she’d ever seen on a man.
She sighed.
Well, no one ever said karmic justice was easy.
4
RAFE LIMPED INTO the yoga studio, ready to tell Kelly he wasn’t up for her class. Like the cabana where he was staying, the studio and adjoining gym had glass sliding doors so that the view was of sand and ocean.
Before he could apologize for backing out of the class, the sight before him rocked him to the core.
Kelly, pawing through yoga mats, was dressed in pink shorts and a skin-tight bra top. He thanked the heavens for blessing him with this particular moment in time.
Rafe wasn’t sure if he should continue to ogle or announce himself, but she peeked up at him.
“Hey,” she said. “I’m trying to find you a mat. We have larger ones for tall people, but they’re in the bottom of the box.”
At the mention of bottom, he turned around to leave, but the Seymours were just arriving. Gracie was a physical therapist and her brother a trainer for a college football team. They were friends of Kelly’s who worked the pro-surfing circuit while putting themselves through college. Behind them was James Limon, one of the most popular directors in Hollywood. He and Rafe had discussed Limon’s time serving in the Gulf War and about his passion for surfing. He’d encouraged Rafe to try the sport when he was feeling up to it.
With nowhere left to hide his appreciation of Kelly, he rushed over to the box and knelt, as best he could, next to her.
“Here,” he said, grabbing onto the first mat he spotted. Thankfully, she couldn’t see the evidence her fine body had on his body. When he lifted his head, his eyes were level with her breasts.
Rafe sucked in a breath. He’d survived three tours, and now the universe was determined to kill him with her beauty.
“Oh, are you okay?” She was stared at him worriedly. “You shouldn’t kneel with your leg the way it is. Let me help you up.”
Panicked, Rafe mumbled, “I’m fine,” and made his way to the back of the class. Others had joined in while he’d been talking to Kelly.
By the time she began the class, there were four women and three men, one of whom looked like a pro baseball player, but Rafe wasn’t sure. Everyone put their mats on the floor and rolled them out. He couldn’t quite do that yet.
Facing the back wall, he willed his body to calm down. He forced himself to think of the last time that he’d been shot. The muscles in his body clenched, but the pain solved his problem. A few seconds later, he sat on the floor like the rest of the group.
Well, almost. His legs didn’t quite cross the way theirs did. He put the pads of his feet together. That was as much as he could do with his stiff leg.
“This is rehab yoga,” Kelly announced from the front of the class as she sat down and crossed her legs. “We have a new guest—Rafe.”
Everyone turned to smile and wave at him. He gave them a grin that was probably a bit more like a grimace, as his sore leg chose that moment to tense up in a charley horse.
His jaw tightened as he worked the muscle with the heel of his hand and then flexed his foot so the calf could lengthen.
“These exercises are done on the floor to ease the muscular pressure one might experience if doing them in a regular yoga class,” Kelly explained. “Today is about stretching and helping those muscles to relax so your body can heal. Okay, let’s start in the lotus position. That’s good, Rafe. If you need to you can separate the soles of your feet,” Kelly instructed. “You should not feel pain.”
Rafe’s groin wasn’t happy about where his legs needed to go, but he ignored the pain. He didn’t have the heart to tell Kelly that the pain never left his body. It served as a constant reminder that he was human and just as mortal as the next guy.
In the military, he’d been taught that he could do anything. Survive anything. But as they moved through the next two positions, he wondered if his body would ever recover from Kelly’s pretzel-like torture.
No pain, my ass.
“Now lift your arms up and over your head as we open ourselves to the sun.”
As she gracefully extended her arms above her head, Rafe noticed her top pulled tightly against her chest. He’d never make it through the class if he didn’t stop looking at her. Leaving was his best option, but he didn’t want to disappoint her. She had such high hopes that her classes would be beneficial for him.
Doing his best to stop staring at her, he switched his attention to the other men in the class and followed their actions. Finally, Rafe brought himself and his rebellious libido under control.
Until he glanced over and saw Kelly with her legs stretched wide.
As the class neared its end, Rafe’s muscles relaxed for the first time in months. Amazingly, the exercises had helped his leg. His muscles seemed considerably looser. The group was attempting one last stretch when Kelly put her hand on his ankle to turn his foot the right way.
“You want to keep it perpendicular so that you don’t pull on those hip tendons too much.” She gave him one of her dazzling smiles, and he was lost. Her gentle touch sent heat through his body.
“Thanks,” he said roughly, using every bit of his control to keep himself in check.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she were trying to figure something out, but she returned to the front of the class to do the last bit where they lay down on the mat to rest.
Rafe now equated yoga to sexual gymnastics. Sure it worked, but he was exhausted. A shower and a nap were next on his agenda.
“Close your eyes, and listen to the waves,” her gentle voice directed. “Feel the movement of the water as it caresses your body and sends you to your happy place...that Zen only you can find.
“Namaste.”
The sound of the waves filled Rafe’s head, and his body became so light that it seemed to float out over the ocean. He hadn’t been this calm in years.
“Rafe?” Kelly’s voice penetrated his thoughts. “Are you okay?”
He didn’t want anyone interrupting this peaceful feeling. Gesturing toward her, he hoped she’d get the message.
Kelly giggled, and his eyes popped open. She was biting her lip to keep from laughing.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“You,” she replied sweetly. “I bet you were riding those waves like a Zen pro.”
Rafe chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I have to stop making fun of froufrou yoga crap. I feel better than I have in months, maybe years. You’re a great teacher.”
“Thanks.” She extended a hand to help him up.
Rafe was shocked to find they were the only ones in the studio. “Where did everyone go?”
“You’ve been like that for about fifteen minutes. I let you rest while I cleaned up. I would have just left you there, but I worried your hip might stiffen on the hard floor.”
“Right. Well, I guess I’d better hit the shower. We didn’t move that much, although I did sweat.”
“Yes, it’s funny what happens when you are really working those muscles. Why don’t you take your shower, and I’ll put you down for a massage later this afternoon. Mason, one of our top masseurs, has terrific hands, and it will be good to get in there and work those muscles while they’re relaxed.”
“Great idea. See you later,” he said as he rushed out. The woman affected him like no other.
Walking straight into the ocean, Rafe used the cold water to rein in his libido again. This might be the longest two weeks of his life if he didn’t find a way to manage his attraction to Mimi’s sister.
* * *
RAFE WANTED HER. Kelly put her hand over her heart. The very impressive bulge in those loose shorts was impossible to miss.
She stared after him while he all but ran into the waves. His broad back, muscular shoulders and that tattoo of the rising phoenix across his back didn’t help the runaway train her emotions had become. The man was too hot for words.
Was that really in response to her? He’d avoided eye contact with her for most of the class and watched Clifton during the exercises instead. At first, she thought it was because he wanted to see the male version of the moves, but now she wasn’t so sure. Did she have that kind of sexual sway over him? She had to know.
“Rafe,” she called as she jogged out onto the beach.
“Yes?” He didn’t turn around.
“Your massage appointment is set for noon, and I’ve ordered some special oils that soothe aches and pains.”
“Okay.” His voice sounded strained.
She cleared her throat, stifling the urge to smile. Yes, she definitely had an effect on him.
Last night, she’d promised herself she would be a good friend to the marine and get him back into tip-top shape.
But knowing he wanted her as much as she did him—at least she hoped—changed the game entirely.
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, Rafe showed up at the spa wearing a crisp white T-shirt and royal-blue board shorts.
The man could have been a model the way he wore clothes.
Kelly ushered him into one of the Zen rooms, as they called them. She lit a candle and switched on some soothing music.
“Strip down, okay? That way the therapist can work on your hip.”
“Got it,” he said.
“We always ask if you would like a silent massage. Some people like to have only music without any talking so they can relax. Other people need the chatter because they may not be comfortable with someone touching them so—intimately. The choice is yours.”
He nodded. “I like the idea of the quiet one,” he said, his face a mask.
Oh, yes, this would work out perfectly.
“Excellent, so the masseur will be in shortly. When you are undressed and on the table facedown, you can push the button to the right.” She pointed to a small panel next to the massage table.
Then she left.
While he stripped, she changed into a white T-shirt, which she knotted under her breasts, and a pair of short gray workout shorts.
Once the light flipped on above the door, she entered.
Rafe was facedown on the table, a sheet covering his lower half.
Coating her hands in oil and eucalyptus, Kelly smoothed one hand down his back. Two small scars peppered his shoulder and there were three more on the right hip.
Poor Rafe. Most people had no idea how much these guys suffered for their country. Heart swelling with pride, it was all she could do not to lean down and kiss each scar. She moved on to his shoulders, his body relaxed and his breathing slowed. Her fingers dug into the tendons between his neck and right shoulder and she heard him groan slightly as the tension gave way.
When she reached his scalp, he let out a deep breath.
Kelly grinned. That she could bring him such relief was a balm for her soul. Massaging his temples, she felt him jerk suddenly.
“Kelly,” his deep voice rasped.
How had he known it was her?
“Is something wrong?” she asked lightly. “Is the pressure too much?”
“No, I was—uh—just surprised that you were the one doing the massage. I thought you said someone named Mason was doing it.”
“His current client requested an extra thirty minutes. Would you rather have a male? I’m sorry. I would’ve asked if I thought it would be a problem.”
Liar.
“No. That’s fine.” Rafe coughed. “Could I have some water?”
“Sure,” she said as she wiped her hands on a towel. She handed him a bottle of water she’d brought in just in case he needed it.
He lifted his head so that he could drink, and his gaze met her face.
“Hi,” he said. That one word was filled with so much desire that she felt it in her bones.
“Hi,” she said back. “In case you’re wondering about the massage, I am licensed. All the surfers on my pro team are trained so that we can help each other during competitions if we get beat up a little. Competition sites don’t always have chiropractors or massage therapists available.”
He took a long drink and then handed the bottle of water back to her.
“I believe you,” he said before putting his face back into the horseshoe-shaped hole at the top of the table. “If you don’t mind, maybe we could just focus on my back and legs for now.”
“Rafe, if you’re worried about tents rising in the middle of the massage, don’t.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that out loud. “Massage is a sensual experience. If it makes you feel any better, I can put extra towels over your pelvis, but I need to get deep down into those upper thigh and hip muscles if we want to do something about the source of your pain.”
He didn’t say anything.
“And for the record,” she stated, in her best professional sounding voice, “that happens a lot with me. In fact, it’s more unusual if it doesn’t.”
“You mean, almost every guy you massage gets, uh, aroused for you?” He didn’t sound happy about that news.
“Not for me, silly. It’s the body’s natural response given the circumstances.” She was being clinical, but when it came to Rafe, she was anything but. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on his body.
“I don’t like the idea of you working on guys like that. I mean, it doesn’t seem safe. Some might try to take advantage of the situation and...”
Kelly gave an unladylike snort. “I don’t do happy endings, Rafe. I’m a professional, but not that kind.”
He sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you were. It’s just that— Oh hell, I give up.”
“Let’s get you back into that relaxed state,” she said as her hands slid down his back again. She liked that he was slightly possessive and didn’t want her touching other men. Usually, she didn’t go for that type of guy, but with Rafe it was damn sexy.
* * *
Relaxed? Not likely. Rafe squeezed his eyes shut.
Why did he feel so protective toward this woman? The idea that Kelly touched other men in this way—it turned his gut.
What is wrong with you?
And how many times had he asked himself that question since he’d arrived at Last Resort? He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew exactly what was wrong with him. He had it bad for Mimi’s sister—in the worst possible way. In fact, he had it in a way that he’d never had before. This innate interest in her and need to take care of her was something completely new to him.
Sweet and so gorgeous, Kelly took his breath away. He had never believed in the ideal woman. The sexy woman, the fun woman, the marrying woman, even the nurturing woman, but Kelly filled all those categories and more. When he’d opened his eyes and saw her bright pink toenail polish, he’d nearly jumped off the massage table.
Strong, smooth hands pummeled and pushed his body. His cock was so hard that it hurt. Slim fingers worked the muscles in his upper right thigh and hip.
“Wow, you have a lot of tension here,” she said as she used her elbow to press effectively into his flesh.
No joke. If she could see his pelvis, she’d run for the hills. Tent nothing—he had a battleship underneath, ready to go to war with those precious hands of hers.
“Time to turn over.” She held up the sheet to give him some privacy. He couldn’t do it.
Ripping the sheet from her hands, he tightened it around himself as he rolled awkwardly off the table. Scooping up his shorts with one hand, he ran for the door. It was a full-on strategic retreat. He was not here to seduce Mimi’s sister. And yet, if he let her put her hands on him one more time, then that was exactly what would happen.
“Rafe?”
He couldn’t look back.
“Uh, I think I left the coffeemaker on in my room,” he said as he threw open the door.
Her soft, hesitant laugh caught him as he double-timed it out of the building.
She knew as well as he did that there were no coffeemakers in the rooms.
Standing under the cold spray of the shower in his room, Rafe tried to calm himself down, but it was impossible. He made the water warmer and grasped his cock.
Memories of Kelly flashed through his brain. Kelly on her surfboard, so free and happy. Kelly in her sexy pink yoga clothes. Kelly with that flat, tanned stomach under her knotted T-shirt. The woman was driving him mad with wanting her, and she was absolutely clueless.
When he started to imagine that sweet voice of hers begging him to make love to her, it was more than he could take. He came so hard he had to brace himself against the shower wall.
Gasping for breath, he let the water sluice down his body, rinsing away his need for her. He had to do something about this before it got any worse.
Maybe I should find somewhere else to stay? After all, what would she think of him if he dared to act on his urges? He had gone there to spend time with her sister.
Rafe rejected the idea of leaving, though, the moment it occurred to him. No way, wasn’t going to happen, he told himself. He didn’t want to be away from her. So even if he couldn’t—or rather, shouldn’t—have her, he’d still spend as much time with her as possible. She might drive his body wild, but she was a balm for his soul. The previous night had been the first without nightmares in years. He’d been so consumed with thoughts about her before he fell asleep that she’d filled his dreams.
“Rafe?” Hell, she was in his room.
“In the shower,” he called out to her. “Just a minute.”
He doused himself in freezing cold water to dampen the fire raging in his blood. Twisting off the knob, he sucked in a breath and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Just as he went from the bathroom into the bedroom, Kelly was setting an envelope on his pillow.
“Oh.” Her eyes flashed wide, and he watched as her gaze traveled from his chest all the way down to his toes and back up to his face. “I—”
Obviously, he affected her as much as she did him. Grim satisfaction surged through him. Her demeanor was exactly the sign Rafe needed—well, once he settled matters with Mimi. And he couldn’t rush at Kelly like he wanted to. This would take time. She was special, and he didn’t want to screw it up by coming across like some horny teenager.
“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you,” he told her, and gave her his best smile.
“That’s—” she swallowed hard “—okay. I wanted to see if you’d be my date, well, not actually a date, maybe escort. No, no, that isn’t right, either.” She looked in one direction then another as if flustered.
“I’m happy to go wherever you need me to.”
“I was hoping that it might be nice for you to meet some of the ex-pats who live here,” she said. “What I was trying to say is that we could go together to this party that one of my sponsors is throwing tonight. I want to show my face so that they don’t forget about me.”
No one could ever forget her, of that he was certain.
He couldn’t tell her no, and in fact, he didn’t want to.
“What do I need to wear?”
“It’s always casual around here. Jeans or shorts and a shirt would be great. It starts at eight, but we don’t need to get there until about nine. That’s when the band plays.” She turned and all but bounced from the room.
Band, that meant the possibility of dancing. Rafe smiled slowly. He didn’t mind that one bit. Even with his bum leg he might be able to do a slow dance or three.
Thoughts of holding her close appealed to him.
“And lunch is ready when you are,” she announced, stopping at the doorway to face him. She was fiddling with her hair and at one point she slapped her hands together. The fidgeting was provocative and inviting. He wanted to catch her hands in his and pull her close to him right then.
Never in his life had he wanted a woman so much. It was the universe messing with his head. If he played the gentleman like he’d planned to, he might never taste her lips or—
No. That wasn’t likely.
He kept his hands fisted at his sides and the towel in place. She gave him another one of those shy, sexy smiles and escaped into sand and sunshine.
Pressing flesh with Kelly was definitely intriguing, but he had a code he lived by. If he could possibly avoid it, he wouldn’t hurt her or Mimi.
He needed a solution and fast.
Picking up his cell phone, Rafe prayed that he could reach Mimi in time.
5
THE CALIFORNIA TAN girls surrounded Rafe like an impenetrable wall of bikini-clad models. They were there to promote tanning lotion, but they seemed more interested in the marine. Kelly couldn’t blame them. Given his rough good looks and firm body, he was like a god. Her palms itched to once again get her fingers on his rock-hard body. And those blue eyes...she could gaze into them all night. The man was absolutely breathtaking.
One of the brunettes pulled a small bottle of California Tan from between her breasts and rubbed the lotion into Rafe’s hand as she gave him a sensual smile.
Rafe tried to pull away.
Kelly’s mouth flattened into a straight line. Enough was enough. Rafe was hers. Well, technically he was her sister’s, but she couldn’t stand the thought of those women touching him.
They had to go.
Her plans to get rid of the annoying models conflicted, however, with the guilt nibbling at her conscience. Earlier, she’d listened to Rafe’s voice mail message. Believing he was talking to Mimi, he’d told her that something crazy had happened. He’d called twice and after getting no answer, he said he needed to go ahead and set the record straight so he wasn’t leading her on.
“You’ve been so kind to me the last few months,” he’d said earnestly in his message. “But the truth is, I’ve found someone who— Well, I really want to see where it goes. The woman, that part I would like to talk to you about in person. It’s complicated. I didn’t want to do this over the phone, but I’ve never been able to get a hold of you. Thank you so much for sending me here to Fiji. It’s turned out to be one of the most amazing trips of my life. I hope wherever you are that you’re having a great time. And thank you again for keeping my spirits up while I was in the hospital. Bye.”
Kelly had deleted the message and hugged herself. He was an honest and honorable man. She needed to be honest with him, too.
“We need to talk,” said Greg, her manager, interrupting her thoughts.
She sighed. He wouldn’t let up on her about returning to the circuit. She wasn’t ready yet, but he didn’t want to hear that.
“It’s a party, Greg. I don’t want to talk about business, and I haven’t changed my mind.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “I promise I won’t nag, babe. Just want to share some good news.”
Kelly narrowed her eyes at him. Greg wasn’t a bad guy, but the only thing he cared about was the bottom line. Of course, she was the last one to complain about that since his concern for the bottom line was one of the many reasons she never had to worry about money. She could live in paradise for the rest of her life if she wanted to. Still, even though she believed he had her best interests at heart, he didn’t understand the emotional side of what she needed.
That was something they’d both learned when they dated a few years ago. They were friends as well as business partners and he’d seen her through the good and the bad times. Then one day she looked at him and saw someone other than “the boss,” as she called him. She had the flu and he didn’t want her on the water until she was better. But it was one of the biggest meets of the year, and she refused to miss it.
She’d won the event but couldn’t even paddle in, she was so tired. He swam out to get her and carried her straight to the doctor’s office.
At first, she and Greg seemed like the perfect match. She so appreciated everything he was doing for her career, until she realized that crossing their private and professional boundaries meant that he would act as if he owned her. She broke up with him when he started to agree to things on her behalf without checking with her first.
She should have fired him, but she was loyal to a fault.
He motioned to the tables on the terrace overlooking the sea. “Fine, let’s talk.” But she frowned as she noticed the cloying girls circling Rafe.
She followed Greg to a quiet spot, impatient to get this over with.
“So,” Greg began, grinning as he set his beer glass in front of him. “Baywear wants you as a spokesmodel for their new clothing line and they are willing to pay big to make that happen.”
Kelly bit her lip. She’d wanted to be a Baywear girl all of her life. One of her surfing mentors, Roz Mazur, had been one. It was a sign that you had made it to the top. A dream come true. “What’s the catch?” she asked.
Greg shrugged. “There’s travel involved. You’d have to do their larger events at different tournaments, print and online ads and commercials. The contract they’re offering is for two million dollars, but you’ll be on the road at least eighty days a year.”
Kelly fidgeted in her chair. It made sense they’d want to get the most for their money. And eighty days was nothing compared to what she had done the past few years with more than two hundred days on the road.
“I’d have to find a full-time manager for the resort.”
“Yeah, listen, about that. I have an excellent buyer for you. He’s willing to pay three times what you did. Believe me, it’s probably the best deal you’ll ever get.” The blasé delivery coupled with Greg’s outright audacity delivered a one-two punch to her gut.
Glancing up at the sky, she fought to control her temper. “Why would you even mention selling my place? I told you I don’t plan on ever selling it. What is wrong with you? You never listen to me. It’s always about the money with you. I thought you cared about what’s best for me, but it’s obvious that you don’t.” Her raised voice was drawing the attention of the nearby crowd.
“What? I’m not supposed to tell you when some guy approaches me out of the blue and wants to buy your property? Whatever may have happened between us before, you’re wrong, babe. I always want what’s best for you.” He shook his head. “You don’t make it easy though. You could take that money and buy two more resorts, if you wanted.”
She growled in frustration. He always had an answer for everything. And getting angry wouldn’t work. He’d shut down and give her that patronizing look. The one that said he’d wait until she calmed down and became a reasonable human being.
She hated that look.
“I don’t want three resorts. I only want Last Resort. What’s wrong with that?”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’d walk away from a cash deal like this one for some big house by the beach.”
“Greg, that place is personal to me, okay? That’s the only way I know how to explain it to you. I need it. I will always need it.... It’s somewhere I can catch my breath, remember what’s important in my life. If you ever try to sell it, I will use you as chum.” Her last syllable had been a screech and she’d stood up during her speech.
Greg remained there, sitting peacefully, watching her, which made the scene even more frustrating for Kelly.
“Kelly, is everything all right?” Rafe asked, standing next to her.
“Yes.” She turned and gave him a tight smile. “This is my manager, Greg Sanders. Greg, this is my...friend, Rafe. Greg and I were just discussing some business.”
Her manager nodded by way of greeting. Greg never liked seeing her with other men, but that was his problem. He called them distractions. Funny, when she was dating him, the surf bunnies he hung out with didn’t seem to distract him.
“Do you want to dance?” Rafe’s gaze focused in on her, and immediately pulled her from the riptide of fury she was feeling. His grin was heart-stopping. No wonder women swooned around him. That rugged jaw and the intensity in his eyes hinted at danger. Every girl wanted a taste of the dark side.
“I’ll talk to you later, Greg,” she said by way of a dismissal.
“You have two days to make a decision, then Baywear will move on to their second choice,” Greg called out to her. He didn’t sound happy. How many times had she brought up Baywear and her desire for that contract? Annoying as he was, he only wanted to help her.
She stopped, deciding she should address him fairly. “I promise. We’ll talk tomorrow. And though it doesn’t sound like it, I do know how hard you worked for this. But I’m not just going to sign on the dotted line anymore. It’s important for you to understand that. I need to think about what it is I want for the future.”
Greg frowned.
Kelly took Rafe’s hand and told him, “Tonight, we party.”
Greg mumbled something, but she couldn’t hear him over the growing din of noise.
Last Resort had been turned over to the California Tan team, and they’d decorated it as a colorful, twinkling paradise. There were lights, food and plenty of giveaways. The party planners had even hired bikini-clad girls to dance inside giant plastic balls that rolled around on the surface of the pool. They spun into one another like some kind of bubble derby.
Everything organized about these parties was to entice buyers to pick up loads of product. Many guests at these events were circuit sponsors. If it wasn’t for them, Kelly would be counting pennies and still working at her local surf shop. Her parents were well-off, but she and her sister had always been determined to make it on their own.
The Beach Bums band was set up on a makeshift stage. One of their best-known ballads filled the air.
Rafe held her loosely and she slipped her arms around his neck. Emboldened by his voice mail message left for her sister, Kelly felt totally confident. She opened her mouth to tell him the truth, but his gaze scorched her. Pressing herself into him, she laid her cheek on his chest.
“Things seemed heated when I walked up,” he said.
She didn’t want to talk about Greg. She had a lot to think about and right now all she really wanted to do was lose herself in Rafe. Being here with him, like this, gave her an unexpected sense of calm. It was strange, given they’d just met face-to-face, that he should feel like home to her. She had that same feeling about Last Resort, but it was as if he were the missing piece of the puzzle.
For a few seconds she thought about what it would be like to settle down with someone like Rafe. To give up the travel, the competitions, the adrenaline rush.
Already she was making a home for herself on the island—a home Rafe completed with his mere presence. Of course, she couldn’t actually say that to him. The poor guy would freak and run away faster than a cheetah.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interfere with your business,” Rafe said apologetically.
“No. That’s how Greg and I talk over things these days. He gets on my nerves, and I’m sure I do the same to him.”
“From the way he looked at you, the two of you are more than friends.” His tone was guarded, cautious.
Lifting her head, she met his gaze. His face was a blank mask.
“We were, a long time ago. But that proverbial boat launched and sank almost simultaneously. We’re better business partners. This is nice,” she said as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.
“It is.” They swayed together perfectly in tune with each other.
She must tell him the truth, Kelly thought. This would be a good time. Maybe in public he wouldn’t get upset at her for her deception about Mimi.
“Rafe, there’s something I want to talk to you about.” She kept her head down, too much of a coward to look him in the eye.
“I have something I need to talk to you about, too,” he said, “but let’s wait until we’re alone. I really just want to enjoy—uh—hanging out with you.”
Don’t give in to temptation. Be honest with him and rip the bandage off.
But his hands stroked the base of her spine and she gave a happy sigh. One night with Rafe might be the only one she ever had. Realistically, once he did know the truth, he might not forgive her.
It was selfish and stupid, she admitted, but she’d dreamed about him for so long. Never knowing how it felt to—
“Hey, stop hogging the marine.” A brunette—one of the California Tan girls—interrupted their dance.
Oh, come on. The image of punching the girl’s cute, perky nose filled Kelly with a giddy type of euphoria. Unfortunately, the consequent lawsuit accompanied by an arrest record and plastic surgery bills would not.
“Marine, am I hogging you?” Kelly leaned back, gazing sweetly at Rafe.
A boyish grin spread across his face. “Oh, no. I’d say it’s me who’s hogging you.” He kissed her softly on the lips.
Hissing in a breath, it took her a moment to register the contact. Then his tongue slid across her teeth and she was lost.
He deepened the kiss, and her body rocked forward. The length of hardness against her belly sent her senses reeling. His hands pressed into her lower back and she had an urge to wrap herself around him.
“Whatever!” The brunette stormed off, her high heels clicking against the wooden dance floor.
“I don’t think she’s very happy with either of us,” Kelly murmured against his lips.
“Don’t care. Thanks, by the way, for the save.”
Was the kiss a save? Was it simply for show?
“Rafe, I’ll always be happy to rescue you from the evil half-naked bikini witches of the world.”
The music changed to a faster beat, but they kept moving slowly, their arms around each other.
“That kiss—it...” He paused, as if he had to choose his words carefully.
“Was in the moment and it was nice,” she finished for him. And it gave him the out. Though he’d made a good attempt to reach her sister and explain how he now felt, he didn’t know that she knew that.
“Very nice,” he said. “But I meant for it to be a quick peck. Then our lips met and I lost control. I’m sorry.” He didn’t look apologetic; if anything, his blue eyes blazed hotter.
Kelly smiled. “Don’t you dare apologize, Rafe. I enjoyed it every bit as much as you did.”
“But your sister,” he said sadly.
Happily, it was exactly as she thought. “Rafe, there’s a connection between us. You know, stuff happens sometimes. We went with it. Don’t be upset.”
The last thing she wanted was for him to regret their first kiss.
“I’m not upset, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, and I think maybe we shouldn’t wait. Do you mind if we take a walk on the beach?”
It felt as if the ground had dropped out from beneath her and she rebounded again.
This is it. Tell him.
Her mouth went dry and her heart skipped a beat. Taking his hand, she led him away from the party. She slipped off her heels and waited while he took off his shoes and rolled up his jeans. Then they walked side by side across the sand.
“I’m trying to get in touch with your sister but she won’t return my calls.” He exhaled the words on a long breath as they neared the water.
“Oh? I told you, right? That when she gets on a shoot, time flies. She’s the worst at returning calls, texts and emails.” That was true at least. “Perhaps I can help.”
He laughed. “I don’t think so. I’m not going to say too much right now. I need to speak to your sister first. It’s the right thing to do. But I wanted you to know that kiss was more than a save to me. I’d like to do it again.”
Kelly blushed with the news.
“Hmm. Me, too—a lot,” she said.
He squeezed her hand. “But that can’t happen until I reach your sister and explain.”
“Got it,” she said, though her mind raced to find a way to solve this situation. If she told him the truth now, he might never want to talk to her again. That would break her heart. If she let him get to know her, the real her, maybe he wouldn’t get so mad when the truth came out. “You’re an honorable guy. I kind of adore that about you.”
At least one of them should be honorable.
“Yeah, I’m not big on games and lies,” he said. “The truth is important to me. I have a code I live by.”
Kelly couldn’t help it. Each word ripped at her heart. “I agree with you to a certain extent, but sometimes white lies can help protect someone from harsh realities. Or they can cushion a terrible blow. I mean, the person needs to have a great reason for lying, but I think sometimes it’s necessary.”
He shrugged. “I’ll take your word on that. Should we go back and join the others?”
The idea of him being mauled by more women was too much for her. “I’m tired of the noise, and I really don’t want to deal with Greg anymore,” she answered frankly. “How would you feel about watching a movie?”
One golf-cart ride later and they’d arrived at the side entrance to the main building and quickly made it to her suite.
“I’m going to change out of this dress—I’ll be back in a minute,” she told him.
Tempted to run, she forced herself to walk casually to her bedroom. Once she closed the door, she hurried to her closet.
What am I doing?
Seducing Rafe.
Was she?
Never in her life had she been so unsure of herself. Tackling big waves was a lot easier than relationships. He wanted to wait until he talked to Mimi, but who knew when that would ever happen?
Kelly would have to figure out how to contact her sister and right away. Mimi might not like the subterfuge, but she was also a romantic—one of the reasons she fell in love three or four times a month. Surely, she’d understand Kelly’s predicament.
Determined to try again to clear the air with Rafe, Kelly chose her outfit carefully.
She picked the hanger with her favorite white eyelet halter. And digging deep in the bottom shelf of her dresser drawer, she found a white wraparound skirt to match the top.
Five minutes later she pulled her curls into a ponytail, slapped some lip gloss on her lips and decided she was good to go.
Kelly came out of her bedroom to find the television on.
“Supermodel Mimi Callahan was seen frolicking on the shores of a private Malibu beach with her new love, actor Sebastian Lockwood. These two were also seen kissing at the hot new club LaDon last night. Two of the most beautiful people in the world—could this be true love?” The announcer smiled broadly and gave a fake wink as the entertainment show moved on to the next segment.
Rafe shook his head.
“You must be upset. I’m sorry,” Kelly said softly. She reached for the remote and turned off the television.
Why did this have to happen tonight?
Tell him the truth.
Rafe faced the expanse of glass that framed the ocean, so she couldn’t see his expression. “We can watch a movie tomorrow or the next day,” she offered. “You probably don’t want anything to do with the Callahan girls. I get it.”
“No.” The word sounded strangled.
Kelly’s heart tightened painfully in her chest. He cared for Mimi, and now he was crushed. As much as Kelly had hoped she might fill in for her sister, she should have known no man got over Mimi that fast. Still, she ached to go to him and take him into her arms and offer comfort.
It was her stupid fault for doing all this in the first place. For making him think that Mimi cared about him when in truth her sister probably didn’t even remember who he was. Men were accessories for her. As easily cast aside as a pair of cheap costume earrings. She would fall madly and hopelessly in love with a guy, and then, in a matter of days or weeks, she moved on to the next one.

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