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  Wickedness simmered in his eyes, but he didn’t make a move. She dropped her head to the back of the chair, alert enough now to question what was going on. What was he trying to do? Woo her out of her clothes? She didn’t need to be wooed. She’d gone to that dance before, and it had ripped her apart. If this was just about the attraction, it could be handled without all the extras.

  “Why are you doing this, JP? If all you’re after is sex, we can go at it right here in this room. There’s no need for the plane. No need for the seduction.” She shrugged, self-conscious, her voice now a whisper. “You’ve proven more than once that I’m powerless to the chemistry between us.”

  He didn’t answer at first, instead rising to return the cloth to the other room. When he once again towered in front of her, he tucked his hands in his pant pockets and peered at her, giving away nothing in his expression. “You had every intention of buying a date with me. That’s what I’m giving you.”

  “And I’m giving you an out.”

  “An out? Because you’d rather I disappear than go on a date with me?” JP’s low voice was hypnotic, a master at seduction. But she also detected the same vulnerability she’d seen at the auction the instant before he’d looked away from her. “Is that really what you want?” he asked.

  She locked her gaze on his. “If I said yes?”

  The fight behind his eyes was clear. He wanted to take charge, demand she follow his plans. “If you really want me to go, I’ll walk out the door and never bother you again.”

  Yes. Yes. Say it, Vega. Yes.

  If she didn’t say yes, she would not only soon be naked with him, she might like it so much she’d want more. She swallowed. “One day?”

  His jaw twitched. “One day.”

  She silently cursed her life. One had to be enough. More wasn’t an option.

  “I’ll be ready in thirty minutes.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE TURQUOISE WATERS and bright sun of the Caribbean greeted JP as he descended the steps of the plane. The four-hour flight—most of it spent watching Vega sleep on the couch—had been uneventful, though not even close to his original agenda.

  When he’d set out for her hotel that morning, his plans had been to coax her on board, then once lifted to the skies, into the bedroom—and not to sleep. He’d figured, why not start off by confronting facts. They both wanted each other, so they might as well go for it and take the edge off.

  But the instant he’d heard the uncertainty in her voice, the whisper that sounded like shame for the fact she was powerless to their attraction, he’d known this trip wasn’t about him. And it wasn’t about them.

  It was about her.

  He had no idea what had happened in her past, but he’d suddenly found himself near desperate to learn. He wanted to know everything, but he wanted her willing to share it. He wanted her trust.

  Turning, he smiled at the sight of her inching down the steps behind him, taking in the scenery as he’d done mere seconds earlier. She wore oversize dark sunglasses, a floppy hat—every strand of the glorious hair he’d ogled that morning tucked up underneath—and her standard-issue baggy cargos paired with a pink short-sleeved pullover, also too big.

  He’d hoped the islands might be a first for her. He’d looked forward to seeing her excitement at what lay ahead, but from the tight expression and lack of amazement, he was guessing this wasn’t her first trip after all. And quite possibly, not only had she been here before, but there just might be bad memories associated with it. Well, damn.

  “First thing on the agenda is to buy you new clothes.” He’d act cheerful whether he was or not.

  She snapped her tinted lenses his direction. “I don’t need clothes. These are perfectly suitable.”

  His words had been meant to take her mind off whatever was troubling her, but he also wanted to see her in properly fitting clothes again. How could he not after witnessing perfection?

  Last night’s outfit hadn’t been anything special when compared to the other women in attendance, but the formfitting tuxedo shirt and low-riding black trousers hugging every curve had set him on fire from first glance. The clothes, along with watching Evan attach himself to her side, had been what had sent him chasing after her. But their kiss had been even more surprising than his actions.

  He couldn’t remember ever being so tempted from a simple touch of the lips. Then he’d gotten his hands on her. If he hadn’t grabbed hold of her shirt and stopped his exploration, he’d have had them both naked and sweating within minutes. In that very public hallway.

  She’d felt everything he had too. There was zero doubt about that.

  If he’d pushed, she’d have gone along willingly with whatever he’d suggested, and damn the consequences.

  He reached for her when she stepped to the tarmac, closing his fingers around hers, and tightening when she attempted to pull away. He wanted her in his hands. Since this might be all he got, he wasn’t giving it up easily. He nodded at her legs. “It’s too hot here for anything but shorts. Plus, I suspect there isn’t a single swimsuit in that purse you brought.”

  Her forehead pinched as if she were narrowing her eyes on him behind the sunglasses. “You promised to do nothing to make me stand out.” She lowered her voice as the pilot and copilot exited the plane. “I don’t want to buy clothes that’ll draw attention to me.”

  “If you don’t want to stand out,” he began, and tapped her bottom lip with his finger. He wanted to kiss that mouth. “Then you’ll be in shorts. A bikini top would be preferable as well.”

  “Preferable to you, maybe.” Her mumble reached him as the pilots neared.

  He pressed his mouth to her ear, nipped her lobe, and whispered, “I’d prefer you naked.”

  “Sir,” began the captain, a man who’d piloted a Davenport plane for over twenty years. “You’ll call when you have your return time?”

  “Absolutely, Michael. You two have a good time. I have rooms reserved at the resort.”

  The men moved off to care for the plane, and Vega whirled on him. “Rooms? Were you planning for us to stay overnight?”

  He opened his mouth, trying to figure out a way to suggest that spending the night might be a good idea, but she interrupted him, her voice tight. “This is just a date. One day, remember?”

  “We’re here to have a good time, that’s all.” JP rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand to calm her. “We can stay or we can go, whatever you want, but I can’t ask them to make two flights in one day and not have a place to rest in between.”

  “Oh.” Her fingers wiggled in his hand. “Okay. But I’ll want to go back tonight.”

  He nodded. “I’m aware of that.”

  He led them to the car Beverly had reserved, tugging at the ball cap on his head. He’d been uncomfortable with the thought of disguises, but with Vega’s refusal to share her secrets, he’d decided to do this to make her more comfortable. Besides, it would be fun being incognito for a day. It had been years since he’d gone anywhere and not been recognized.

  After several moments, each of them lost in their own thoughts, a tremulous sigh echoed from Vega. “They won’t tell anyone we’re here, will they? The pilots?”

  He squeezed her hand. “They’re loyal, sweetheart. Nothing to worry about.”

  Tension radiated from her, worrying JP, but he had no idea how to fix it. After climbing into the sedan and leaving the airport, he pulled to the side of the road and faced her. “Did I mess up? Should we not have come here? I wanted to give you a great day, but I can tell something’s wrong.”

  Vega looked out the side window, the tension easing, but sadness replacing it.

  “Vega,” he said softly. He removed his sunglasses. “Look at me, please.”

  Several seconds passed before she turned to him. When he continued waiting, she finally reached up and pulled her own glasses from her face.

  “Thank you.” He picked up her hand and turned it palm up before placing a kiss in the middle o
f the soft skin. He ran a finger back and forth over the spot. “I want this day to be great for you. Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it.”

  His words seemed to jolt her from wherever she’d been. She blinked and smiled. Slowly, but at last it reached her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She pressed her hand to his cheek, her palm cool against him. “Thank you for this. It’s lovely.”

  “I’m not looking for gratitude, here, honey.”

  The devil played in her eyes now. “No? I wonder what you are looking for then?”

  She leaned across the space and pressed her mouth to his, then tilted her head and parted her lips. He knew he should pull back, but he couldn’t. Instead, he cupped her around the neck and drank from her, fighting the urge to take more.

  With a heavy breath, he separated from her lips and pressed his cheek to hers. “That’s not it either,” he whispered.

  “No?”

  He leaned away and fiddled with their now-skewed hats until they were both once again pulled low on their heads, while watching desire being reflected back at him. But there was something else there, too. She suddenly looked far younger than her years. And the sadness was killing him.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I want to make love to you in the worst way possible, but that’s not why we’re here.”

  “Yes, it is.” She shifted her gaze to the hand he still held.

  “No.” He touched a finger under her chin and nudged her back to him. He needed her to see the truth in his words. “We’re here because I want to spend the day with you. Because I want you to spend the day with me. I knew you wouldn’t give me that in Atlanta.”

  She nodded as if believing him, but her eyes remained lost.

  “How about if I promise not to touch you again? Will that prove it?”

  Her brown irises deepened to a rich chocolate—half flirt, half resignation. “What would be the point, then?”

  JP didn’t know what to say. Since he’d met her, though she might not have been too thrilled with the chemistry that burned between them, she’d at least acknowledged it was a two-way street. Now she acted as if he intended to use her while giving her no choice in the matter.

  And then it hit him. He closed his eyes with frustration, afraid Vega would see it as something else. When he had the anger under control, he cracked open his lids. “Whatever happened in your past, sex played a role, didn’t it?”

  Her eyes turned black. She remained silent.

  “What happened? Did he use sex against you somehow? Force y—” Pain ripped through his chest. “Because I’ll—”

  “No.” The word barely sounded. “I slept with him voluntarily.”

  Relief came close to smothering him. The thought of another man’s hands on her was bad enough, but hands that’d had no permission to be there was unthinkable. If that had been the case, he would have to personally hunt the man down and take care of the situation.

  He removed the hat from her head and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. “Then let me in,” he muttered. “Let me help. Did something happen here? Is that it? I’m sorry. Say the word, baby, and I’ll take you back home.”

  Vega enjoyed being pressed to JP’s chest so much she almost forgot the man was waiting for her to speak. She felt cared for and protected in his arms. Something she couldn’t remember feeling since her dad had died. And she didn’t want to wonder if there was an ulterior motive, but she couldn’t help it. He’d made it clear more than once that all he wanted was to take her to bed. Heck, until she’d stepped out of the plane, that’s all she’d thought she wanted. A day of hot sex and wild passion, then back to her normal life. Her normal, boring, about-to-lose-her-job life.

  But when she’d caught sight of the water, felt the salty air touch her skin, she’d been transported to the past and had suddenly been angry that JP was just like him. Not married—she was smart enough to make sure of such things these days. But he only wanted her for a good time. When would she be more than that to someone?

  The last time she’d thought she was, she’d been gullible and apparently desperate for love. That’s all she’d ever come up with for falling for the lies. Gullible and desperate.

  Until this week, she’d been certain she’d overcome both those flaws. Looking at the man, though, who’d stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her, she’d realized she liked him. Not just the insane attraction, but actually liked him. From what she could tell, he wasn’t a bad guy. His sister loved him. His mother couldn’t be more proud.

  But as he’d held out his hand to her, what she’d seen instead of the good guy was a man willing to humor her just to get what he wanted. He was used to women falling at his feet, and when she hadn’t immediately followed suit, he’d rolled out all the tricks to get her there. Not that he’d ever done anything to make her think he wanted more than a good time. He’d never promised her more. Yet she’d found herself suddenly hurt over the fact that today was all he was offering. When would it be her time to have more?

  With determination, she pushed her maudlin thoughts away and reminded herself that whether she wanted more or not wasn’t what was important. Today was what she had. And today she wanted to make love to this man.

  She wasn’t about to waste time worrying over what couldn’t be. Like him, she’d take what she possibly could and not look back.

  “There’s no need to go home,” she murmured, finally bringing herself to answer his question, and trying her best to put a happy lilt in her voice. She pushed off his chest, his arms still looped around her. “I’m sorry I flaked out on you there. I’m okay.”

  She tried to turn away, but JP wouldn’t let her. “What’s going on, Vega? You can’t just ignore this and pretend everything’s okay. I’m right, aren’t I? Something happened here?”

  “Not here,” she slipped her fingers through his when he released her to reach for her face. “It was a different island, but I haven’t been in the Caribbean since.”

  “And how long has that been?”

  She believed he was asking out of concern, she really did. But the last time she’d trusted someone with everything, he’d not only broken her heart, he’d dragged her image through the mud, paid off her friends, and ended her dreams. She wasn’t ready to give over that power again. She might never be.

  Leaning forward, she pressed a quick kiss to JP’s mouth. “It was a long time ago. How about those clothes? Let’s go shopping.”

  JP didn’t immediately start the car. “I only want to help, you know.”

  “I know.” Her smile was bright. “It’s just that it’s not worth talking about.”

  Something passed through his eyes for an instant that Vega would swear was hurt, but that didn’t make sense. Her not answering his question wouldn’t affect him one way or the other.

  She smiled again and leaned on the console between them, breathing in his scent. “Let’s go shopping,” she whispered. “I need a bikini.”

  A short while later, Vega’s eyes widened behind her dark lenses as JP opened the double doors of the terrace. She crossed the white tile and took in the brilliance of the early-morning sun sparkling over Maundays Bay. It was simply stunning.

  He’d rented a suite at an exclusive resort and had convinced her that it made more sense to shop in the resort boutiques and then change their clothes in the room before heading out for the day. In fact, given the activities available on the grounds there, she wasn’t sure at this point if there was a need to go anywhere else. They had everything she could possibly want.

  She dropped her purse on the chaise, then pulled off the hat and glasses and tossed them down with it. She stepped to the edge of the patio. The crystal-clear water was almost too perfect to be believed. It was as if the sand beneath was painted the most beautiful shade of aqua.

  “Do you like it?” JP stepped to her side, his voice so smooth she almost felt as if she could melt into it.

  “It’s…” She crossed her arms over her chest and rubb
ed a hand back and forth over her upper arm, nervous to voice how much she liked it. When she’d left the Caribbean for the last time eight years before, she’d honestly never thought she’d return. There was nothing quite like looking out over the tranquility of a white-sand beach and slow, lapping waves. The sailboat in the distance framed by the mountains of St. Maarten added the finishing touch. “I must say, I was prepared for the beauty I knew I’d find here, but this is sheer heaven.”

  He handed her a champagne flute and she raised her eyebrows in question.

  “Mimosa,” he answered.

  Perfect. She couldn’t believe she’d been worried about whether JP was or was not like Ted. She had a charming companion, a location to die for, and nothing but a day of luxury stretched before her. She would make the most of it, and would not expect more from it than it was. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  Eyes very similar in color to the waters fifty feet from them glistened back at her. “I’m glad you said yes.”

  So was she.

  “So.” He sipped his own drink, then motioned to the beach before them. “How about we get changed into our swimsuits? The first activity I have planned begins in less than twenty minutes, so we should get going.”

  He’d held off on sharing what he had laid out for them to do today, and she found she liked that. It added to the adventure. She tilted her head back and finished her drink, then smiled up at him. “I’ll be ready in five.”

  You watching the news this morning? You’re leading the way on all stations, little brother.

  JP read the text from his sister as he waited for Vega to join him. It had been over five minutes, but he didn’t care. As long as she remained relaxed and happy, he could wait all day. He’d been a nervous wreck since she’d gone a little weird on him in the car earlier, but he hadn’t seen another sign of that side of her since. They’d shopped and laughed, and he’d caught more than one intentional flirt. He couldn’t be happier with the way the day was turning out.