Harlequin Desire June 2020 - Box Set 2 of 2

by Karen Booth

  Scott stepped back and opened the front door wider. “Fine. Come in.” He closed it as soon as Zane walked past him. “I could literally kill you for sleeping with Allison. How could you treat her like one of your hookups? She’s my damn sister. You’re my best friend, for God’s sake.”

  Zane turned back to Scott. The guilt he bore from his own actions was eclipsed by his best friend’s misguided characterization of what had happened. “I did not treat her like a hookup. I care about her. Deeply.” He felt the wobble in his own voice before he heard it. As if he needed any more confirmation that he was in deep with Allison. “That’s why I’m here. I need to talk to her.”

  “She left about ten minutes ago.”

  “It’s not even eight o’clock. Where did she go?”

  “I’m not sure I should tell you.”

  Zane swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. His best friend still felt the need to protect his sister from Zane. He had to put an end to that. “Look, man, you and I have got to get past this. I know I crossed a line, but you need to know that I did not do it without thinking about it hard, and for a very long time. I fought our attraction as long as I could, but in the end, Allison made a compelling case. I’m drawn to her, and she’s drawn to me. We work well together, and we care a lot about each other.” Zane directed his gaze down at his feet, knowing he wasn’t 100 percent certain about her side of that assertion. “Well, I care deeply about her. I think she cares about me.”

  “Yeah?” Scott asked, seeming unimpressed.

  “Yes, Scott. I care about her. I want to see where that can go.”

  “You. The guy with the revolving door in his pants.”

  “Hey. Am I not entitled to want more? Do I not get to change the direction of my life because I’ve found the right girl and I want to be with her? You found that with Brittney, and you’re happy. In fact, you love to remind me of it. All the time.” Zane again looked Scott square in the eye. “Please don’t torpedo our friendship because I’m looking for the same thing that you have. It’s not fair.”

  Scott drew a deep breath through his nose and leaned against the doorway into the dining room. “You have to swear to me that you will not intentionally hurt her.”

  “Of course.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yes.”

  Scott clapped his hand on Zane’s shoulder. “Okay then. You have my blessing.”

  “Now tell me where she is.”

  “She’s at Black Crescent.”

  Just when Zane thought he couldn’t take another shock to the system, he got another. Black Crescent was the exact last place on the planet he wanted to visit. Was this the universe’s way of forcing him to deal with every sticking point in his life all on one day? If that was the case, bring it on. He was done letting BC define him. He certainly wasn’t going to let it stand in the way of what he really wanted—Allison. “Got it. Thanks.” Zane reached for the doorknob.

  “Don’t make a fool of yourself, okay?”

  Zane opened the door. “I won’t embarrass Allison, if that’s what you’re trying to say. I would never put her job in jeopardy.”

  “Good.”

  “As for me, I’ve already made myself look like an idiot. Things can’t get any worse.” With that, Zane rushed down the driveway to his car. He knew that his conversation with Scott was as close as they would ever come to working things out in regard to Allison. If this next part went well, he and Scott would hopefully return to their affable, hypercompetitive dynamic. Another outcome to wish for.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered to himself when he pulled into the Black Crescent parking lot. He’d come here a few short weeks ago to come clean to Joshua Lowell about the anonymous DNA report he’d received and shared. Unfortunately, Josh had left the office. It took several hours, but Zane had been able to track him down in a bar in the neighboring town. Zane wished he could erase that entire chapter of his personal story with BC. He never should have gotten involved. He never should have let Josh get under his skin.

  He pulled into a space with a decent view of the entrance, rolled down the windows and sent a text to his assistant letting her know that at best, he’d be late getting in the office. In truth, he hoped against hope that he and Allison could work everything out and he wouldn’t feel driven to go to work at all.

  An hour passed. Then another. He knew better than to waltz into that office and ask for her, but damn he was tempted. He didn’t want to wait. Impatience was gnawing at him. But he stayed put, running through the words he wanted to say, praying that somehow it all worked out. Even with all that preparation, he wasn’t truly ready when Allison walked out of the BC building, looking like a million bucks in a sleek black skirt, white blouse and heels. She was smiling. A big, wide grin. And it stole more than a breath. It knocked the wind out of him.

  The Zane of old would’ve allowed her facial expression to send him into a downward spiral. How could anyone walk out of that building and be happy? But he knew that his old thinking had gotten him nowhere. It had left him running in circles. Allison’s business was important to her. It must have been a good meeting. He had to believe that whatever had happened in that building had made her happy. And that made him happy, which was yet another reason to see BC in a different light. Yes, his old life had been ended by forces within that company. But his new life, the one that left him with a sliver of a chance with Allison Randall, had started at the same time.

  He jumped out of his car and called her name. “Allison!”

  She startled, then swiped off her sunglasses. “Zane? You came to Black Crescent? Are you insane?”

  “Maybe a little,” he muttered to himself.

  “What in the world are you doing here?” she asked, incredulous, marching toward him.

  He rushed over to her and didn’t wait another minute to just come out with it. “I’m sorry. So sorry about last night. I was wrong.”

  She shook her head. “No, Zane. I was wrong. I should’ve told you back on the island. Before anything happened. That was wrong of me, and I’m sorry that I did it.”

  Relief washed over him in a deluge. All was not lost. He took her hand, loving the feel of her silky skin against his. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

  “If anything, it should tell you how much I was worried about messing things up with you. I had to have my chance, and I couldn’t bring myself to jeopardize it by coming clean.”

  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He wanted to be able to do that every day. Forever and ever. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  She turned for an instant and glanced back at the building. “I hope you know it’s just a job. I mean, I will kick some serious butt for them, but it’s what I do. It’s not out of some grand allegiance to the company or the Lowell family. It’s out of a commitment to being a professional, working hard and supporting myself and Kianna. That’s all it is.”

  He nodded. “I know. And I get it. You weren’t afraid to do the thing no one would’ve expected you to do. You’re great at taking chances. It’s something I need to get better at.”

  “I took a chance when I kissed you that first time.”

  “That’s the perfect example. I need to stop playing it safe.” He swallowed back the emotion of the moment, of how much she meant to him and how grateful he was that she’d stuck around and kept pushing when he’d been doing nothing but putting up walls. He was so lucky to have her in his life. “When you’ve lost everything, it’s just easier to play it safe. Don’t risk a thing. Don’t put anything of importance on the line. Friendship. Your heart. But then you came along and took my heart from me. You have it, Alli.”

  She cocked her head to one side. “I do?”

  “Yes. And I don’t want it back.” He took her hand and pressed it flat against the center of his chest. It had hurt s
o badly that morning, and now it was nothing but impossibly warm. A single touch from her and he was healed. “I want you to keep it forever. Promise me that you’ll hold on to it. I love you, Allison Randall, and I don’t want you to ever forget that.”

  Her eyes lit up, bright and brilliant. “Oh, God, Zane. I love you, too.” She gripped his elbows and leaned into him. “I think I’ve loved you since the moment I met you.”

  His heart felt as though it had swelled to twice its normal size. He hadn’t realized how little hope he had that she’d return the sentiment until the words crossed her lovely lips. They fell into the most memorable kiss yet—it was an unspoken promise, wrapped up in years of friendship, tied with a wish for forever.

  They came up for air, and he rested his forehead against hers, holding her close, not wanting to let her go ever. “I want it all with you, Allison. I realize it hasn’t even been a week since we first slept together, but I know that the foundation is there between us. I don’t want to wait to build our life together. The two of us. Forever and ever. Husband and wife. Best friends. Platinum bands and wedding bells.”

  She bit down on her lower lip. “A Rose Cove honeymoon in a cottage up on the hill?”

  “Will it make you say yes?”

  “I don’t need a trip to an island to know that I’ll love you forever, Zane. Of course I’m saying yes. A million times yes.”

  EPILOGUE

  One month later

  Angelique and Allison’s mom walked into Angelique’s bedroom at the exact right moment—Kianna was putting the finishing touches on Allison’s bridal hair.

  “So beautiful,” her mom said, smiling, then kissing Allison on the cheek.

  “The most beautiful,” Angelique added.

  Allison’s heart was already so full of love, she wasn’t sure how she’d survive the wedding. She knew she’d better prepare. There was only a half hour until they’d walk from Angelique and Hubert’s house for the dock at Rose Cove. From there, Marcus would be taking everyone via boat to Mako Island. Zane had decided it was only fitting that they get married there. He liked the idea that no one else would ever be able to say that their wedding had taken place on that particular patch of sand in the Caribbean.

  As for Allison, she was simply glad that they’d decided to have the ceremony be a small and informal affair. Only so many people could fit on Mako Island, so they’d kept the guest list small—Scott, Brittney and the kids, Zane’s mom and dad, Allison’s parents, Angelique and Hubert, and Kianna. The dress code was decidedly casual—bare feet and flip-flops, shorts and sundresses, hats and sunglasses. Allison had gone with a new white bathing suit—a simple one-piece for modesty since her parents were in attendance, but with a plunging back for Zane’s required sexy factor. A white sarong embroidered with silver threads wrapped at her waist completed the look. Zane had once said that he loved her flair for fashion, and she was happy her bridal ensemble perfectly reflected her individual style. She could not have gotten away with this getup in Falling Brook. All the more reason to be glad to be far away from that.

  “It’s so amazing that you were able to get the guest cottages fixed up in time for the wedding,” Kianna said to Angelique. “From everything Allison said, things were pretty messy.”

  “My husband was highly motivated. He had a crew out here as soon as Alli called to tell us the news. He didn’t want her second visit this year to Rose Cove to be anything less than perfect,” Angelique said. “It was mostly water damage. Luckily, all of the building structures rode out the storm just fine.”

  “I’m so glad,” Allison said. “It could’ve been so much worse.” Although that scary weather event had caused so much heartache, she was still oddly thankful for it. It forced her and Zane to get past their other issues. It brought them together. If it hadn’t happened, she might have spent the rest of her vacation holed up in her cottage, mad at Zane. And the rest of her life feeling as though something big was missing.

  “How is your husband doing?” Kianna asked Angelique.

  “Hubert is a new man. The doctor gave him a clean bill of health, so it looks like we’re in the clear, which is a huge relief.”

  A knock came at the door and Brittney poked her head inside. “I think they’re ready for you. It’s only forty-five minutes until sunset.”

  “Angelique, we’d better get the flowers,” Allison’s mom said. “We’ll meet you on the boat, sweetheart.” She cupped Allison’s face. “I love you. Always.”

  Moments like that reminded Allison how precious her family’s love was. It wasn’t a burden as she’d sometimes felt. “I love you, too, Mom.”

  Angelique and her mom left, while Kianna made one final adjustment to the tropical flowers in Allison’s hair.

  “Thank you for being here for this,” Allison said. “I know it’s a pain to fly across the country to spend time in Falling Brook, then all the way down here.”

  She shook her head. “Do not thank me. I’m over the moon to be here. I couldn’t feel more honored. Plus, I’d better get used to flying great distances to see you.”

  “You’re sure you’re okay with us running a bicoastal operation?”

  “I don’t want to do it forever, if that’s what you’re asking, but I’m cool with it for the next several years. You got a one-month extension on the Black Crescent retainer, and we’ll see how that plays out. Sounds like your future hubby wants us to do some recruiting for his company, and I figure it’s just another selling point for potential clients that we can say we have offices in New Jersey and LA.”

  “Yes. I think so, too. We can cover the entire country. No problem.”

  “I will say, however, that if you decide to find a wealthy CEO in Falling Brook to set me up with, I could be very happy becoming an East Coast company, too.”

  “Really? You liked Falling Brook?”

  Kianna shrugged. “I did. I can also admit to being a bit jealous. You have it all, girl. A beautiful place to live and the best man ever. Zane is a dream come true. If I can find a guy half that good, I’ll be happy.”

  “You’ll find him.” She thought about it for a minute. “Although if it might get you to move to New Jersey, I might have to start looking for him myself. In earnest.”

  “Executive recruiter and matchmaker. I like it.” Kianna unleashed her megawatt smile, her cheeks plumping up. “That could end up being your ultimate calling.”

  “I’m on it. As soon as I get married.”

  They walked down the crushed-shell path toward the dock, where the rest of the guests would be waiting on the boat. Zane and Scott had gone out to Mako Island an hour earlier so they could spend some time talking and Allison could still make her traditional bride’s entrance. Scott and Zane’s friendship had not only withstood the test of the romance between Allison and Zane, it had come out on the other side much stronger. Both Zane and Scott had admitted as much to Allison—not voluntarily; she’d had to drag it out of each of them separately. She was glad they had each other. She was relieved that hadn’t gone away.

  When Allison and Kianna approached the boat, the gathered family all stood and clapped. Allison felt a rush of pleasant warmth to her face. She didn’t relish being the center of attention, but on this day, she lapped it up. They were soon on their way, the warm sea breezes brushing against her skin while the sky turned the most brilliant shades of pink and orange as the sun began to make its descent. Her heart picked up in anticipation when she caught sight of tiny Mako Island and could see those two tall figures standing on the beach—Scott and Zane. Her two favorite guys.

  Marcus carefully motored the boat into the shallowest navigable water, then set anchor, instructed Allison’s dad to roll up his pant legs and helped to guide everyone through the knee-high depths to shore. They all gathered under the shade of the largest palm with Scott standing at the center. He’d been ordained via the internet for the occasion
, and was quite proud of his job as officiant, although Zane and Allison had designed the ceremony to be ultrashort and sweet. Zane was to his left, and even from this far away, with Allison still standing on the boat in the bobbing water, she could see how happy and relaxed he was. She hoped he could spend as many days of his life as possible looking and feeling that way. He deserved it. They both did.

  Finally, it was Allison’s turn to be helped off the boat. Her dad was standing only a few feet away, ready to walk her down the aisle, or, more specifically, across the sandy bottom. She kissed his cheek, then hooked her arm in his and snugged him closer.

  “I love you, Alli,” he said as they began their father-daughter ocean stroll.

  “I love you, too, Dad. So much.”

  Ahead, all Allison could see was Zane, the man of her dreams. His heartbreaking smile seemed like a permanent fixture on his handsome face, which was exactly the way she liked him. Off in the distance, the sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon, coloring the sky with more deep and mesmerizing shades of summery pink, warm beachy orange and beautiful blue. At Allison’s feet, tiny tropical fish darted through the water, and all felt right with the world. Everyone she loved was here. And she was ready to start her new life.

  When she reached Zane, she gave her dad one more kiss before letting him join her mom. Then it was time to take the hand of the man who was her whole future.

  “Hey there, beautiful,” he whispered into her ear.

  “You’re not half-bad yourself.” Dressed in a white shirt and pants, with the legs rolled up to midcalf, he was an absolute vision. She’d purposely asked him not to shave—she loved his late-day scruff. It was so sexy.

  “Family and friends,” Scott began. “We’re gathered here today to witness the joining of Scott and Allison in matrimony. They will now share their vows.”