“I like your tattoo,” a deep voice came from behind her. “The last time I saw it I was taking you from behind.”
Delanie choked on the wine she’d just taken a sip of, her fingers almost crushing the stem of the glass.
No. It wasn’t possible. Goosebumps broke out over her body even as quick heat spread inside her. She could feel the owl tattoo on her shoulder blade tingle under his gaze.
What was more shocking? His words or the man who had just spoken them? God, it was a toss-up.
She drew in a slow breath, afraid to turn around. Her heart pounded furiously beneath her breasts and her palms dampened.
The coin she’d stolen from him six years ago hung on a pendant around her neck like a beacon. Thank God it was beneath the neckline of her sundress and well out of his view.
“Do you remember that night?” His warm breath tickled her ear.
Hot shivers raced down her spine as his words evoked images of the night they’d spent together. The air locked in her throat and she bit her lip, trying to halt the bombardment of erotic images.
Of course she remembered. That night was a firebrand on her mind. But admitting she hadn’t forgotten could only bring trouble.
It couldn’t possibly be him standing behind me, the silly voice of denial screamed in her head.
Without turning around, she could sense the tall hardness of his body just inches from her. Could feel his blue eyes burning a trail over her.
Another tremble wracked her body.
Get yourself together, Delanie. You’re not a silly co-ed anymore. And he has no idea what you did the morning after your night together.
She focused hard on the sparkling blue water that lay beyond the trees. She'd always heard Washington State was beautiful, and this island resort in the San Juan Islands was a genuine paradise.
Funny how she’d considered herself a lucky woman getting invited to such a posh place. How wonderful that not only was she here to accept a donation to the Second Chances shelter, but to also consider an offer as the resort’s marketing director.
Her lips twisted. She should have known. Paradise always had a price.
“Still thinking about that night?”
Annoyance pricked at his mocking tone. Knowing she couldn’t very well keep her back to him forever, she forced a bland expression onto her face and turned around.
Her bravado slipped a notch the moment she saw him—because it was him—but she forced it back by lifting her chin higher. “I think you have me mistaken with someone else.”
“Do I?” He lifted an eyebrow, his mouth twitching with obvious amusement.
She swallowed hard.
Grant Thompson looked just as good now as he had six years ago. Scratch that, he looked better. The tall, lean, college athlete had turned into a sexy grown man. His face was harder now, more angular with the loss of the boyish roundness.
His hair, once more red than blond, had settled into something in between. But those eyes…those eyes were just as blue and piercing as they had been all those years ago. On that night she’d been stupid enough to bounce the bed springs with him.
She felt the warming of a blush and bit her cheek.
“Excuse me.” She stepped past him, but he reached out and caught her elbow, swinging her back around. Hot tingles raced up her arm where his fingers touched.
“Wait, Lanie—”
“Well at least you got my name right this time.” Her voice shook as she tugged herself free from his grip. She stumbled backward and eyed him warily.
That heart-crushing moment would remain engraved in her mind forever. Right after bringing her to a sweet morning-after orgasm, the jerk had called her Janie. Janie! And then to add insult to injury, he’d fallen back asleep before they could even finish making love. Wait, sex. Of course a guy like Grant wouldn’t consider it making love.
“I’m sorry about that.” Grant’s jaw hardened, all amusement vanishing. “That mistake caused a helluva delay in finding you.”
“Sorry? As if that—” She broke off and narrowed her eyes. “In finding me?”
He tilted his head and gave her a considering look. “Is that why you left so suddenly that morning?”
Guilt stabbed low in her gut, and she reached to touch the pendant under her dress. Before her fingers connected, she jerked her hand away and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear instead.
Careful, girl.
“Look.” She let her gaze slip away from his. “I don’t know what kind of twist of fate brought us together, but I’ll catch the first ferry back to Anacortes.”
“It was me.” He stepped closer, blocking her path back into the building.
Her heart almost stopped at the three words. “Excuse me?”
“I’m the twist of fate.” His mouth tightened. “Finding you was the first piece of good luck I’ve had in years.”
She almost dwelled on the luck comment, but the fact that he was claiming to be the twist of fate resonated louder.
The urge to flee increased and she shook her head, glancing around the patio. Her stomach clenched as she realized they were alone now.
“Grant…” She ran her tongue over suddenly dry lips and his gaze darkened as he observed the small movement.
“Lanie.” He stepped forward and she took a step back, her pulse jumping.
“Delanie,” she muttered without thinking. “I haven’t been called Lanie since college.”
“Fine. Delanie.”
The waves crashed against the rocks below as he backed her up against the guard railing.
“When does the next boat leave?” she queried, her heart fluttering harder in her chest. “I can arrange to be on it.”
“You don’t understand. I don’t want you to leave.” His hands curled around the rail on each side of her body.
The faint smell of soap and cologne tickled her nostrils and the heat of his hard body mingled with hers.
“It took me six years to find you.”
Six years faded to nothing with him standing so close. A tremble rocked her body, and her nipples tightened, chafing against the lace of her bra.
She bit back a groan. “Please…”
“The last thing I’m going to do is put you on a boat home, Delanie. We have a lot to talk about.”
Her stomach dropped and her mouth went dry. Oh. God. He knew.
His lips hovered just inches above hers and he used the tip of his thumb to trace the seam of her lips. The blood pounded through her veins and it became a struggle just to drag air into her lungs.
All outside noise disappeared and their gazes locked. The vision of that night so many years ago ran through her head, trapping her in a vortex of memories and sensation.
Her gaze moved to his mouth. She wanted him to kiss her. Wanted him to eliminate those few inches between them and cover her mouth with his. But that would be crazy. Ridiculous.
Her eyelids drifted shut.
“Ms. Williams, we can check you in now.”
The heat of his body disappeared. She blinked her eyes open again and Grant had stepped away from her, annoyance clear on his face.
“Thank you, Burton.” He shifted his attention from her to the approaching employee.
Smoothing her hand down the front of her dress, Delanie tried to regain some of the composure she’d lost in the past few minutes. She had to be completely insane. Talk about a close call. She’d been fully prepared to let him kiss her.
“Please remember that Ms. Williams is to be placed in room two in the north building.”
Her gaze jerked back to Grant in surprise. Why was he ordering around the employee like he owned the place?
The blood drained from her head and she gripped the railing to steady herself. Oh God. He probably did own the resort. Was Grant the sponsor who had seemed too good to be true? Was he the one offering her this job?
Her stomach dropped and all her hopes and expectations disappeared.
“Of course, the room is already prepared.” The employee gave a quick nod. “If you would just follow me, Ms. Williams.”
Eager to put as much as distance as possible between herself and Grant, she hurried after the employee.
“Delanie.”
Her name spoken softly on his lips had her stumbling to a halt again.
“Yes?” She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, glad her back was to him once again.
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
“This is supposed to be business—”
“I know.” Footsteps sounded on the patio and then he walked past her. “I’ll come by your room at six.”
She stared at his retreating back, her eyes widening when he suddenly tripped and stumbled into one of the patio chairs.
“God damn bad luck,” he mumbled before disappearing inside.
Why did he keep bringing up luck? She shook her head and dragged in a deep breath, clenching her fists at her side.
“Ms. Williams?”
“Yes. Sorry, I’m coming.”
* * * *
Delanie stared out the open French doors of her suite. The cool breeze from the straits swept into her room, lifting the gauzy white curtains around her.
The décor of the room ranged from white wicker furniture to a plush bed set high on the far side of the room.
The resort was the ultimate paradise. It had also just become her personal nightmare.
Grant Thompson. Just thinking his name made her knees a bit weak again. And she was not a weak in the knees type of woman. But nothing could have prepared her for the emotional punch she’d taken when she’d turned around to find him standing there.
He wasn’t supposed to show up in her life again. Ever. Fate didn’t have that perverse a sense of humor. She groaned. Obviously it did.
It had been one night. One night when she’d been young, stupid, and horny as any sorority girl in lust could be.
She picked up her cell phone and debated who to call. She’d been spending more time with Franklin lately, but the idea of calling him made her stomach churn. Besides, it’d be a little weird to discuss her old lover with her current almost lover.
Biting her lip, she called Second Chances, the battered women’s shelter where she worked. She pushed aside the immediate guilt over the fact that she hadn’t mentioned to her friend that she’d considered taking a new job. Not that it mattered now…there was no way she’d accept a job at a resort Grant owned.
“Second Chances, how can I help you?”
“Phoebe? Hey, it’s Delanie. Is it at all possible to get me on a flight back to San Francisco tonight?”
“Tonight?” Phoebe asked sharply. “What do you mean? You just got there. I thought the invitation was for one week to relax, enjoy the resort, and discuss details.”
“It was.” Delanie nibbled on her bottom lip and went to sit down on the plush bed.
“Then what happened? This is the chance to mix business with pleasure. I would have killed for that opportunity. I mean the owner of the resort comped your entire trip and specifically requested we send you.”
Yes, and now she knew why. It wasn’t just about a job and a check. She touched the pendant around her neck and exhaled heavily. It couldn’t be a coincidence. It just wasn’t possible. In fact, Grant had pretty much said so himself.
Admit it, Delanie. He hasn’t forgotten that night any more than you have.
“Delanie? Are you still there?”
“I’m here.” She sighed, hesitating whether to bring up the situation.
“Is the place just trashy or something? I mean the pictures looked great…”
“It’s beautiful.” She closed her eyes. “The resort itself is absolutely stunning.”
“Okay. Look, whatever it is, can’t you work through it? I mean they’re offering to—”
“It’s Grant.”
Heavy silence met her statement. She could almost hear the wheels spinning in her friend’s mind.
“Wait a minute, the Grant? The one you told me about?”
“Yes. The Grant. He owns Athena’s Oasis.”
“Well,” Phoebe’s voice sounded a little too bright. “That certainly makes things interesting.”
“Umm, yeah, just a little.”
“Does he know you took his coin?”
“I have no idea,” she admitted and pushed a shaking hand through her hair. “But I have to admit I’m freaking out a bit, Phoebe.”
“As well you should be. I mean if he found out and pressed charges, it could be considered a felony.”
“Okay, not exactly what I wanted to hear right now,” Lanie grumbled. “And besides, that’s only if the coin is real…”
“Exactly. And the guy at the antique shop said it wasn’t. So, nothing to worry about, right?”
“Right.”
“Plus, it was so long ago, he probably couldn’t press charges anyway.”
“Of course.” There was another pause. “So, what’s going on? Has he been mean to you?”
Mean? No. Made her want to rip off her clothes and have sex like she was in college again? Yes.
“He hasn’t been mean. I just have to question his motives for bringing me up here.”
“Wait a minute, it wasn’t a coincidence?”
“No. He pretty much told me that he’s been searching for me for the past six years.”
Silence. Then, “Okay. Well, then it’s simple. Get an earlier flight home, because the man is obviously nuts.”
“But, Phoebe, what about Second Chances? We—”
“Unless…” Phoebe’s tone shifted, turned more thoughtful. “Unless he’s just nuts about you. You did say you guys had this incredible connection that one night together.”
“We did. But it was just one night,” she protested.
Who was she trying to convince though? Her one night with Grant had emotionally linked her to him in a way she’d never been able to equal with another man.
It had taken her years to accept that fact. Her stomach clenched and she gripped the phone tighter.
“Well, maybe one night simply wasn’t enough for him.”
Lanie snorted, more than prepared to shoot down Phoebe’s ridiculous theory. “Or maybe he knows I stole the coin.”
“Maybe,” Phoebe agreed mildly, though she didn’t sound convinced. “But the only way you’ll find out is if you stay.”
Lanie sighed, shaking her head. “That’s a pretty big risk.”
“Okay, well forget about the whole we screwed bit. Think about the shelter. I mean, he’s offering to donate a pretty big sum to the shelter annually. That’s huge. Way more than we ever could have hoped for.”
Guilt knotted in her gut. Jesus, she was a selfish witch. She closed her eyes and shoved her bangs away from her eyes. This wasn’t about her. This was about Second Chances and what Grant was offering could go so far for the shelter and the women there.
“Delanie?”
Realizing she’d been quiet for too long, she cleared her throat. “I’m here. You’re right, Phoebe. You’re always right. Of course I’ll stay. Forget I even called. I overreacted. You know me.”
“Yeah, I do. And you’re not the overreacting type. You’re the overanalyzing type. Which is why I’m not really surprised to be having this conversation.”
Delanie gave a soft laugh. “You’re too good to me.”
“Ditto. Oh, and by the way, Franklin called the office looking for you. Said you weren’t answering your cell.”
“Right,” Delanie’s lips twitched and some of the tension eased from her body. “Reception is terrible out here.”
“I’m sure.” Phoebe giggled. “That’s why you’re calling me right now with no trouble.”
Earlier she’d turned off her phone to avoid his calls. It was another reason she’d been eager to take this trip.
She suspected he wanted their relationship to be quite a bit more serious than she did. The part she couldn’t figure out was whether or not Franklin just thought she was the perfect arm candy for a senator.
As Phoebe had pointed out more than once, she was an attractive young woman from a respected family, who worked tirelessly for a battered women’s shelter.
“All right. I need to unpack and get settled.” She tightened her grip on the phone. “And thanks again, Phoebe.”
“For?”
“For talking me down from the ledge.”
“You’d do the same for me. Have a good night and keep me posted on everything. And I do mean everything.”
“Will do. Say hi to Gabby for me.”
“I will. She’s been asking about you. Should I tell her you’re miserable?” Phoebe teased.
“No. Tell her all is bliss. Why weigh her down with my drama.” Delanie laughed. “Good night, hon.”
She shut her phone and set it on the bed then leaned back against the pillow and let her head sink into the feathery softness.
She closed her eyes, hoping it would erase the image of Grant from her mind. If anything, it only heightened it.
Her fingers brushed over the faded coin around her neck. And just like every other time she touched it, the vision of that one night with Grant flickered through her mind.
A cold night, it had been snowing outside. While two hot, naked bodies joined in passion and moved together on flannel sheets.
It was a night that should never have happened.
The plan had seemed so simple. Stage an accidental meeting with Grant at the bar and get him to bring her back to his place. Then she’d steal the coin and sneak out.
“But being an overachiever, I just had to go for extra credit,” she muttered to herself with a bittersweet smile. “I just had to go ahead and sleep with him too.”
Delanie sat up on the bed and glanced outside her room to where the wind had picked up. The water beyond the resort was whipping into a frenzy of whitecaps and swells.
She lifted the coin closer to her face to stare at it. Even six years later she couldn’t explain why she’d kept it for herself. That certainly hadn’t been part of the plan. But when she’d untied the leather cord on the pouch and dumped the coin into her hand, the plan had gotten ditched.
The first thing she’d noticed about the coin was that it seemed old—many centuries at least. The second thing that had caught her attention was the owl on it. A weird twist of fate, since she’d just gotten an owl tattoo on her shoulder blade the week before. And maybe that’s why she’d made the decision she had.
Her choices had been simple. Throw it into a lake as she’d promised the person she’d stolen it for, or keep it for herself.
The decision had been a no brainer. Not only had she kept it, but she’d had it turned into a necklace. Though she’d made sure the tiny prongs that held the coin ensured no damage would come to it.
You should’ve just thrown it into the lake.
She let go of the coin, the cool weight of it between her breasts calming her. No. That was another decision she wouldn’t regret, no matter how much it came back to bite her in the butt.
Sliding off the bed, she reached behind her to untie the back of her halter dress. Looking over her shoulder, she caught sight of the small tattoo on her shoulder blade.
Grant’s words flitted through her head again. The last time I saw it I was taking you from behind.
Heat spread through her body and she closed her eyes. More images assailed her. She on her hands and knees, his strong hands biting into her hips as he took her.
She swallowed hard and shimmied out of the dress, letting it pool at her feet.
She glanced at the clock. Grant said he’d come for her at six. Two hours.
That meant she had two hours to make herself look good. Not good—great. When she pulled out all the stops with her appearance, she felt confident, ready to take on the world. She could hold her own in any situation.
Which seemed all too appropriate for the dinner she was going to attend tonight. Uneasy now, she headed to the bathroom to shower.