JULIETTE DOVE into the heated pool, the water still cool enough to jolt her back into reality and out of the sensual haze her dream had taken her into. And what a dream she’d had. Centering around Doug and his erotic talents, all of her senses had been heightened and aroused. She’d fallen asleep thinking about him, so her dream made sense on a logical level. But in her imagination, he had taken her to a fevered, unsatisfied state of desire and she’d awakened, her yearning high, to find he’d been watching her as she slept.
As she rose from the depths of the deep end, pushing her hair back and shaking the water from her face, Doug surfaced beside her. “How about that drink?” He pointed toward the cascading waterfall and the tropical water bar.
“I think I’ll wait awhile.” No telling how her body would react to a combination of alcohol, sun and Doug. She leaned back and floated on top of the water, letting the rays bathe her face in warmth.
“How about sharing a raft instead?”
She lifted her head to find him in possession of a simple float. Grabbing on to one side, she waited while he did the same. They floated in the deep end, adrift and alone. “You have to admit, this is the life.” She let out a satisfied sigh.
“Beats the daily grind, that’s for sure.” He slicked back his dark hair.
“You said you’re a writer.”
He nodded. “I followed in the old man’s footsteps.”
She rested her chin against the plastic liner. “Do you mind if I ask which father?”
He shook his head. “Ted Hou…my adoptive dad.” His voice took on an unmistakable warmth. “He’s really the only father I have or care to recall. My real old man took off, so there’s not much point in remembering him.”
“But you’re close with your adoptive parents?”
“They’re the best.”
She smiled. “So are my parents. I think it’s a wonderful gift when you can look back and know you’ve had it good.” She thought about her father, his warmth, caring and the regular Sunday morning breakfast with his “girls” as he called Juliette, Gillian and their mother.
He’d given them so much love and acceptance—which was probably why she felt so strongly about protecting him now. “Do you ever feel you owe your parents? Your adoptive parents, I mean, for giving you more than a roof over your head?” Because her parents had not only given her life but they’d sheltered her from the harsh realities of the press and public scrutiny when they could, and they honestly cared about her happiness. She sifted water through her hand, lost in thought.
“I know I owe them.” At the sound of Doug’s voice, she raised her head. “They saved me from the street.” He cleared his throat.
“How so?”
“I was ten years old. I hadn’t slept in days, unless you count resting on a park bench, and I hadn’t eaten in twice as long. I was half a step away from foster care and one quarter step away from being arrested.”
Hearing his story, her heart twisted at the pain no child should have to know. When she’d voiced her thoughts aloud, she’d been pondering how to save her father’s reputation, not something as elemental as basic survival. Without thinking, she reached out and put her wet hand over Doug’s arm, silently conveying her understanding.
His free hand covered hers. He glanced up, blinking into the sunlight, as if remembering. “Sometimes in the middle of the night, I’ll wake up hungry and have to shake myself so I remember there’s a full fridge downstairs and I’m not some ten-year-old kid out of options who has to resort to pickpocketing if I want food in my belly.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling embarrassed at what seemed like shallower pursuits. “You know, when I asked you that question, I was thinking about my dad and how I can help him now. I never imagined…” She shook her head, not knowing what else to say. And even as she realized she’d mentioned her father, though not by name, she couldn’t regret exchanging information with Doug. Not when he’d given her such insight into his past.
His blue eyes, reflecting and taking on the hue of the water, focused on her. “When you find yourself fortunate enough to have good parents and, believe me, I know the difference, there’s little you wouldn’t do in return. That’s something I understand well.”
Juliette nodded. He obviously could understand her desire to care for and protect the people who raised her.
“It sounds like you’re here to sort something out. Something related to your dad?” He squeezed her hand, as if asking her to trust him.
“You could say that.” She wondered what Doug would advise her if he knew the truth about who she was and what she’d been through. She wondered if her heart, which beat erratically in her chest and begged her to open up and let him in, could be trusted. After all, she’d made too many errors to be one-hundred-percent certain of her judgment and choices. But something inside her told her this man was different. That he wouldn’t use her the way Stuart had. She’d already decided to trust him with her body. Her emotions couldn’t possibly be far behind.
A loud whistle rent the air. “Beach volleyball,” a woman’s voice called out to the guests, breaking the opportunity to share and shattering the intensity between them. “Ten minutes until game time,” the woman called once more.
Juliette forced a laugh, not knowing if she’d been spared or not. “Organized events.” She shook her head. “They’re for the people who can’t stand to be idle.”
“And people who like crowds,” Doug muttered, seconds before ducking under the water for a quick escape.
Damned if Juliette hadn’t done it again. She’d gotten him to open a vein and pour out his soul, when he was the one who needed information from her, not the other way around. But once he’d begun talking, he couldn’t stop.
And he didn’t understand why. He’d never revealed his painful past to anyone before, especially to a woman and, Lord knew, Erin would have lain prostrate at his feet for such in-depth information. Doug had had no desire to share with Erin, his girlfriend of two years, yet one day with Juliette and she knew his deepest secrets. Doug wasn’t a fool and understood the kind of intimacy they’d just shared would go a long way toward gaining her trust and convincing her to open up in return.
He just wished his need for information on her ex-fiancé was the only reason he’d bared himself first. Wished he wasn’t drawn to her compassionate nature and giving heart. Because he feared losing his own heart. And he hated the now constant guilt that accompanied his every move.
Doug resurfaced, shaking water off himself and grabbing back on to the raft. “Volleyball interest you?” he asked.
“I know you said you wanted to try some resort activities, but I’m going to pass on the beach volleyball bit.” She looked into his eyes and drew him in. “I prefer the company of one special person to a large group, myself.”
Doug didn’t miss her deliberate hint. And though beach volleyball was safer, he was too close to gaining her trust to push her away and risk losing her now. “I’ve got something special planned for us, remember?”
“Are you going to fill me in?”
He grinned. “Soon enough. For now all you need to do is head on back to your room. Everything you need for tonight will be waiting for you there.”
“If I’m not careful, I could get used to this kind of attention.”
“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t. A woman like you deserves the best.” He reached forward with his feet, entangling their legs together beneath the water, and was rewarded by her huge smile.
His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he knew he was a goner. Hell, he should have known the minute he’d unburdened himself about his childhood. But with this one smile—meant for him alone—Doug knew he was falling for this woman fast and hard.
He hadn’t lied when he’d told Merrilee he believed in happily ever after. He just hadn’t thought any woman could inspire those kind of thoughts in him. Least of all Juliette Stanton, the woman he needed for selfish reasons. He shook his head. Life had a way of throwing him the toughest curves.
He needed the information Juliette possessed too badly to walk away and he was mired too deep in lies to admit the truth outright and rely on her good nature for the answers. The guilt he’d been feeling since arriving at the island grew and settled in the pit of his stomach.
But so did his certainty that she was in possession of information he needed. Juliette had just admitted she’d come down here to sort out something related to her father. He wondered if Senator Stanton was involved with his protégé in illegal dealings and, though Doug would never dismiss the notion without evidence, he doubted it was true. His earlier information had never mentioned the senator and his record and reputation were above repute.
Which led Doug back to Juliette and her relationship with Stuart Barnes. Earlier this morning she’d questioned Doug about being engaged. She’d mentioned that by getting caught up in the swing of things, a person could end up nearly married. Without a doubt, she’d been talking about herself as well as about him.
So Juliette, of all people, would understand putting a parent first. Unfortunately she wouldn’t appreciate being the one sacrificed for the cause. He thought of his father in ICU—the IV and other tubes poking and prodding him, and the smile on his weary face when Doug had left to hunt down this story—and he knew one thing for sure. He didn’t have a choice.
HOW DID HE KNOW? Juliette stood in front of the closet door that doubled as a full-length mirror, taking in the denim jeans, the white, oxford-type shirt with a tank top beneath, and the pair of simple black boots. All perfectly sized, all comfortable and easy. She wondered again how Doug could possibly know how badly she needed these ordinary clothes that symbolized an ordinary life.
She hadn’t worn such a basic outfit since college and didn’t have a pair of blue jeans in her wardrobe now. Ever conscious of public scrutiny, especially since she’d begun dating Stuart, she’d never left the house looking less than conservative and dressed up.
When the doorbell rang, she ran, intending to greet Doug with a huge hug of thanks. But as she twined her arms around his neck and his hands reached out to grasp her waist, simple gratitude became something more. Something primal and elemental, wild and free.
She tilted her head back, intending to just look at him, but the result put their bodies in intimate contact. His firm chest, covered by a denim shirt, pressed against hers, heightening the ache in her sensitive breasts. His belt buckle pushed into her stomach but that pressure was nothing compared to the hard outline of his erection snuggling against her femininity, a place where pressure built and desire found a home.
He sucked in a startled breath but didn’t break their physical connection. “To what do I owe such an enthusiastic greeting?” he asked.
For a woman already on the edge, his grin was nothing short of devastating. “You anticipated my needs.”
“How do you know that when you don’t even know what I’ve got planned for tonight?”
“The jeans would have been enough.”
He held on to her hand and twirled her out in front of him, letting out a whistle of approval. “Nice fit.”
She felt the burn rise to her cheeks. He must have seen it because he stroked her heated skin with one roughened fingertip. “Never heard a catcall before?”
“Oh, I’ve heard them. I’ve just never had one directed at me.”
His eyes darkened in appreciation. “Then the men in Chicago must be blind. Don’t tell me a beautiful woman like you has never had a serious relationship.”
She let out a sigh. Suddenly her recent past and the all’s-well pretense here on the island became too heavy a burden. She wanted to share the truth. With Doug. “I probably came closer to getting married than you did.”
His eyes narrowed. His interest was apparent but, by his furrowed eyebrows, so was his concern. “How close?” The words seemed reluctantly drawn from him. As if a part of him wanted to hear while another rebelled against it.
“Close enough to be wearing a wedding dress,” she admitted softly.
Doug exhaled hard. He hadn’t expected to get so much out of her so soon and hated the deception that caused her to open up to him now. He was using her fantasy and everything he knew she needed from a man to get information to help his cause—and yet there was nothing he’d done for her, nothing he would do, that was faked or phony. She was beautiful inside and out and irresistibly desirable too. He wanted nothing more than for her to believe it as well.
Even if she never gave him another piece of information about herself, her life or, damn him, her ex-fiancé, Doug would still be on this island fulfilling Juliette Stanton’s fantasy. He just couldn’t deny the benefits he might reap as a result.
“What kind of fool got that close to forever and let you get away?”
“The kind that has aspirations higher than he deserves.” She shook her head and those loose curls spread over her shoulders. With a frustrated groan, she lifted the heavy mass of hair and pulled it back into a high ponytail, drawing his attention to her chiseled profile, defined cheekbones and full lips. “So what do you have planned for tonight?”
Her change of subject was obvious and Doug knew he had to accept the parameters. After all, she’d trusted him with so much more than he’d imagined possible after just one day.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red bandanna. “Does this give you a clue?”
She eyed the sheath of fabric with curiosity. “Not a one.”
“I’m disappointed. Put the clothes together with the bandanna…”
She laughed. “Still nothing.”
He shook his head. “Looks like you’re going to have to humor me.” He folded the scarf into a rectangular shape. “And trust me.” Walking around her, he came up behind her and blindfolded her with the bandanna. “Now it’s a real surprise.”
Her hands reached upward and he playfully slapped them down.
“It’s dark,” she complained.
“That’s the point. Hold my hand.” Grasping her soft fingers in his, he walked her forward then helped her into the electric car he had waiting. He reached around to fasten her seat belt and caught a hint of her enticing, arousing scent. His body stiffened in response and he prayed for restraint. Then he placed her hands safely on the dashboard to steady her. “You okay?”
Her lips turned upward in a smile. “Dying of curiosity, but fine.”
“Good. Anticipation’s half the fun.” He swung himself into the seat beside her. “Now hang on.” He put the car in gear and drove them around the back of the resort and headed toward a secluded path, to the place Merrilee’s staff had told him about earlier.
“We’re here.” He stopped the cart and shut off the motor.
Her nose crinkled upward and he realized she’d caught a whiff of their environment. “Any clue yet?”
“It smells like…” Before she could finish, he whipped off the bandanna, freeing her vision.
She blinked into the setting sunlight, adjusting to the shift in conditions before focusing on her surroundings.
“Horses! It smells like horse poop.” She laughed. “This place is a stable! How amazing!” Grabbing on to the metal bar, she hauled herself out of the cart and jumped onto the ground. “I have always wanted to ride. When I was a little girl, I begged my father for a horse. He laughed and bought me a puppy instead. He was back and forth to Washington, D.C. too often to saddle himself or us with the responsibility of ponies, but I never stopped wanting one.” Sheer joy edged her voice.
In her excitement, she hadn’t even realized she’d connected her father to Washington, D.C. and opened the subject up for questioning. Doug knew. But any mention of her father would destroy the moment and he was too enthralled watching her happiness to burst her enthusiasm. And again, emotions won out over professional necessity. Doug stifled a curse, knowing this woman had him tied in knots in a way he’d never before experienced.
“I didn’t know they had horses here.”
“There isn’t much Merrilee’s missing.”
She turned to face him. “So what’s the plan?”
“An evening ride on the beach.”
Her eyes opened wide and filled with gratitude. “I can’t think of anything better.”
Looking at her, neither could he. The stable hand privately warned Doug about an incoming tropical storm, common for this time of year, and the gray sky in the distance backed the claim. Doug promised to return early or take advantage of the shelter points set up along the route. The smart thing would be to give Juliette a brief ride and return quickly—but nothing about his reaction to Juliette, including his feelings, was smart. Still he’d been warned and the choice was his.
After touring the stables, they took off. The farther from the resort they traveled, the more pristine the beach, the whiter the sand and the farther they got from civilization. Because Doug had ridden before and the horse chosen for Juliette was gentle and easy, they’d gone out on their own, following the trail set by the staff. The ocean was choppy thanks to the incoming weather system and he kept the horses back from the tide.
Though Doug had planned this trip for Juliette, he was blown away by the beauty surrounding him and he wasn’t just talking about the crashing waves, the endless deep blue water or even the dolphin he saw breaking through the surf. He was floored by Juliette’s childlike reaction to the little things in life—like blue jeans and a horseback ride. And again, it was that innocence, in stark contrast to his jaded life, that beckoned to him.
He had much to learn from her, he realized, and glancing around he knew he was seeing the world for the first time—because her perspective was rubbing off on him. Changing him.
Thanks to the sound of the ocean and the noise made by the horses, they couldn’t do more than drink in the serenity and relax to the steady beat of the hooves, and Doug was grateful. He couldn’t speak if he wanted to. The lump in his throat was too great.
Dinner, some pointed questions and a quick return home—he reminded himself that was his plan. One that would minimize the risk to his heart, which he suspected was too far gone already. Finally they reached their destination on the other side of the island, and he transferred the horses to a stable hand.
“Where are we?” Juliette asked.
In response, he held out his hand and led her beyond the stables. Like much of Florida, this part of the island was decorated with pastel-colored stucco buildings, making the rougher city boy in him feel out of his element. He walked her toward a yellow house with lush tropical gardens he’d seen in the pictures this afternoon.
A birdbath with running water flowed freely out front. “This place is owned by a couple who used to work in a New York City restaurant and got tired of the pace. They hooked up with Merrilee, moved down here and they now cater to private parties,” he explained.
“So it’s just us?” He heard the hitch in her voice and understood the emotion because it obviously matched the feelings rioting inside him. His heart beat louder in his chest whenever she was near. The two of them alone was either a prelude to disaster or a trip to heaven in the making.
“I could call out the cavalry if you’d rather not be alone,” he said lightly.
“There’s no place else I’d rather be,” Juliette said. And her body agreed.
She’d dreamed of riding a horse as a child, but never had she envisioned the adult feelings the powerful beast could stir. Sitting on the horse, her concentration on both the romantic scenery surrounding her and the incredible man by her side, she’d discovered the pounding surf had nothing on the pulse beating between her legs. The ride had taken on aphrodisiacal qualities and its effect hadn’t lessened since she’d climbed down and into Doug’s waiting arms.
Still strung tight from the vibration of riding the horse and thinking about Doug at the same time, she tingled in anticipation of them spending the evening alone. And two hours later, full from a lobster dinner and light-headed from a glass of wine, she still felt the same way. There hadn’t been a lull in the conversation and they’d covered a broad range of topics, likes and dislikes, much like a first date.
She was more relaxed than she ought to be considering the intent way Doug studied her, yet she had no second thoughts about being with him, no hesitation or doubts that he was a good man.
“Are you ready to head back?”
She shook her head. “Are we in a rush? Because you wouldn’t want me riding drunk would you?”
He laughed but she caught a hint of something that resembled anxiety in his. “I didn’t realize one glass of wine over a two-hour dinner would hit you hard.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” She folded her hands in front of her and leaned forward in her seat, then crooked her finger, indicating he should do the same.
He closed the distance, only a small table corner separating them, but before he could respond the waiter stopped by their table. “Excuse me, folks.”
“Yes,” Doug said through clenched teeth.
Well, at least he wasn’t any happier with the intrusion than she was.
“I have a message from the main resort. There’s a storm moving in faster than expected. The horses are in the stable and safe here but you’ll have to take a car back. It’s waiting out front, ready when you are.”
“Thank you,” Doug said. The waiter nodded and left them alone.
A storm. Juliette inhaled. Her fear of storms was juvenile and unreasonable, the result of a childhood foolishness that had left eight-year-old Juliette and Gillian stranded in a tree house in their backyard long after it was safe to be outdoors. Fear of being yelled at had been greater than their fear of rain, and by the time the girls realized the severity of the storm, thunder and lightning prevented their easy return. Her father had found them, finally, but not before lightning had struck a tree branch nearby and Juliette’s fear of storms had been permanently instilled. Their parents’ punishment had seemed mild in comparison.
Doug turned to face her. “See? We get a ride back. No drinking and riding issues at all.”
She forced a smile and pushed her fear of storms away for now, in favor of Doug and more pressing concerns. “But there are other issues.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”
She inclined her head. “It’s not the wine that’s hitting me hard but…” She drew in a deep breath for courage and strengthened the resolve she’d been developing throughout dinner.
She’d come so far in letting herself go. Another woman might not think so, but from her change in clothing to her outward flirting and the tingling awareness in her body, Juliette knew she’d taken great strides. Problem was, she hadn’t gone as far as she would have liked, and she didn’t want to have regrets when her time here was through.
Now that he’d given her not just a simple glimpse into his life but an overt revelation of childhood pain, she was comfortable with the man and knew she was ready. Ready to take that next step—the one Doug the gentleman had been obviously avoiding. Out of fear of offending her? She didn’t know but it was time to find out.
He reached out and covered her hand. “But what?”
“It’s you. You make me light-headed and dizzy. You affect me. And I was about to tell you I’m not ready to go home if it means leaving you standing at my doorstep again.” She’d said it. Juliette let out a huge breath of air and waited.
Doug coughed, a sound that resembled a strangled groan and looked into her expectant gaze. The man who was attracted to her warred with the reporter who’d promised himself he wouldn’t use her sexually to accomplish his goal. But, he reminded himself, he was also on this island to make her wishes come true. If he turned her away, he’d be crushing both her fantasy and her need to feel desired by that one special man. The man he’d set himself up to be. And the man who wanted her as much as she wanted him. Weighing the circumstances, he knew he could convince himself that being with her—at her request—wouldn’t be using her for information.
But it was a thin argument. So he’d make damn sure she knew how badly he wanted her and make sure she enjoyed their intimacy. However, as he’d promised himself earlier, sleeping with her couldn’t, wouldn’t, happen.
He brushed his thumb back and forth over her soft skin before turning her palm up and grasping her hand in his. He rose, pulling her to her feet. “We should get going now, but we’ll talk in the car on the way back.”
She nodded.
He’d counted on a driver being a buffer for the sexual tension reverberating between them. Except the resort hadn’t sent a shuttle van or a car as he’d expected. They’d sent a limousine, something he’d never have thought necessary on this small island resort. But, he realized, the limo, like the resort’s owner, catered to people’s fantasies. Recalling Merrilee questioning him about happily ever after, he knew the woman was a romantic. And what was more romantic than a limousine ride when necessary? The concept went all the way back to high school senior proms, he thought wryly.
This limo came complete with a shaded partition obliterating the driver’s view of the passengers—and whatever behavior they chose to indulge in. And from the bright gleam in Juliette’s eyes, the possibilities hadn’t escaped her notice either.
But then she glanced at the darkening sky, thick now with gray clouds overhead. She shivered, a tremor shaking her hard. “Storms scare me,” she whispered.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Old childhood fear. It’s silly, I know.” She squinted, studying the gray sky again.
“It wasn’t supposed to roll in until later tonight.”
She shrugged. “It happens.” She climbed into the car and he followed.
The driver closed the door behind them and the rain began to fall—leaving Doug alone with a woman who looked like she’d jump into his lap at the first clap of thunder.
A woman he desired. Badly.