Seduced by Love, Claimed by Passion~Summer Box Set

by Helen Conrad

  She’d always been proactive, taking charge whenever she could. Trying to find the best way to get to the ultimate destination. The goal. And that was what she planned to do with her oil company, once she had control. If her beauty could work to her advantage, so much the better. If not, she’d find another way.

  But now, looking at Jack, she got a hint of what it was like to be affected by it from the other side—how powerful and mesmerizing it could be. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she’d ever seen, with the sort of looks that turned heads, male and female. His profile could have been on a Greek statue, his dark eyes were alive with desire and humor at the same time, his body was molded by work and luxury. He was gorgeous. Just looking at him made her pulse race, just being close to him made her desire surface and begin to bother her. She’d never seen another man who sent her to the moon the way this one did.

  But all that didn’t matter. They were too much alike, actually. They couldn’t occupy the same space at the same time. He had his kingdom—she needed hers. She had to fight him. She had to win.

  He helped her onto the dock after tying the boat secure on their arrival. People called out greetings to him and he returned them with a casual confidence that told her a lot about the esteem these people held him in. There were limousines waiting to take them to the site of the wedding celebration, and as they drove through town, Summer was surprised to see that the modern world had come to Samoa. Stores and restaurants and strip malls looked as familiar as they did a block from her house in Dallas.

  “They had the actual wedding ceremony at sea yesterday. Today is the reception. The feast. The fun.” He smiled at her. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”

  She stared into his eyes for a moment, lost in their cloudy depths and then she caught herself and turned away. But a feeling of loneliness and longing stayed with her. She ached inside, needing something, yearning for something, and she wasn’t sure just what it was. But she knew he had the key to what she hungered for. And she also knew, it wouldn’t be long before she would have a chance to taste it. Would she take that chance? Or would she fight against it? Her heart beat faster and her breath came in tiny gulps for a moment, before she closed her eyes and steadied herself.

  This man! What was he doing to her?

  They arrived at a large building that spread out like a circus tent. He presented his arm and she took it, and they started toward the entrance. People greeted them, waving at Jack and looking at her curiously. She could feel the whispers beginning, and suddenly, she stood a little taller, proud to be his companion. What was he, some sort of minor king around here? She’d never seen anything like it and she was enjoying the heck out of it.

  The atmosphere was a blur of color and laughter, of flowers and exotic dress, of smiles and song. Round tables filled the hall, but the center was left open as a sort of processional ramp and at the front of the building, there was a stage with a master of ceremonies busy on a very loud microphone. He noticed them right away, laughing and pointing out Jack’s arrival and everyone clapped and called out comments as they passed. A young woman came forward and led them to the head table where room was quickly made for them. Friendly faces leaned forward to meet Summer and she felt like the belle of the ball.

  “Is it always like this for you?” she asked him at one point.

  He shrugged. “Pretty much. It can get to be annoying over time.”

  “Too much adulation, huh?” She laughed at him. “Jack you are spoiled rotten.”

  He nodded, looking waif-like. “Probably.” And he took her hand in his under the table.

  The entertainment was never ending. Lines of young girls danced something similar to a Hawaiian hula and lines of muscular young men in loin cloths did their own version of dancing, slapping and chanting to the beat of a wild drum. The show went on and on, displaying the different styles from the various parts of Polynesia, from Hawaiian hula to New Zealand Maori war chants to Samoan slap dancing.

  “Enjoying this?” Jack asked, though he looked like he already knew the answer.

  “It’s overwhelming,” she told him, her eyes sparkling. “I had no idea.”

  He nodded. “It’s only just begun,” he warned her.

  She smiled at him, thinking again how he seemed like a different person from the man who had been so cold and angry the night before. This was a Jack Masters she could deal with.

  To a point. There was still something lingering in his eyes, a sense of watchfulness and waiting, that gave her goose bumps when she noticed it. Their relationship was an ongoing creation and she wasn’t sure what it was aiming at yet.

  Finally it was time for the wedding party to arrive. They began coming in two by two, and there were a lot of them. A man came up and whispered in Jack’s ear and he turned to her.

  “We’re going to have to go out and get in line,” he said, eyes shining with amusement. “They want us to be part of the introduction processional.”

  “Why?”

  “Hey, it’s a Samoan wedding. Everybody gets involved.”

  She frowned, still not convinced this was right. “Are you related to the bride or groom?”

  He shook his head. “Not that I know of. “ He shrugged. “What can I say? They love me.” His gaze swept over her appreciatively. “And they all want to get a good look at you.”

  She was reluctant but they went out and got into the mix with the others, all dressed in what they had worn for the ceremony the day before, and the two of them were placed just before the final couple, the bride and groom, a beautiful pair who seemed very pleased to have them. The procession started and Summer began to realize what was going to be expected of her.

  Each couple was introduced by the mc from the stage. Music played, heavy on the drumming. And each pair sashayed down the walkway, the male acting jaunty, the female twirling and waving a scarf over her head, as the crowd roared around them. Each couple seemed to have worked out their own unique dance steps.

  Summer looked at Jack in terror. “I…I’m not that good a dancer,” she said. “I can’t do what they’re doing.”

  He grinned at her. “Just be yourself. People want to see you and get to know who you are. Just smile and wave. Blow kisses. Do whatever a beauty queen would do. That’s what you look like. Play the part.”

  Play the part! Wasn’t that what she always did? But not like this! Adrenalin was racing through her veins. She took a deep breath and got ready to make a fool of herself.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer began. “We have a special treat for you today. Mr. Jack Masters is here to honor our bride and groom, and with him is his lovely special guest, Miss Summer Davis. Welcome them, please!”

  She looked at Jack. He’d pulled a pair of dark glasses out of his pocket and put them on. He was looking very cool-cat debonair. He offered his arm and she took it and they began the strut down the flower-strewn path. Jack played to the crowd like a seasoned performer, nodding and posing in a jaunty way that sent the audience into ecstasy—and astonished Summer.

  Someone came out of the crowd and handed him a bouquet of flowers and he turned, went down on one knee, and offered it to Summer. She took it with a smile, by now beginning to get into the mood, and waved it high, turning slowly so everyone could see it. The cheers rolled over her as she joined Jack in the walk, but when he stopped her, turned her face up to his and kissed her softly on the lips, the place erupted. By the time they arrived back at their seats at the head table, Summer was breathless and laughing.

  “That was so much fun,” she admitted to him as he laughed at her.

  They stayed standing for the arrival of the bride and groom and joined in the cheers. The rest of the afternoon was spent eating and drinking from the abundant offerings on the side tables. Summer met friend after friend of Jack’s. She didn’t try to keep the names straight—there were just too many of them. Finally, she excused herself to visit the ladies room, and she could have sworn the two women, one local, one with
flaming red hair, who followed her in had been lurking, waiting to catch her there. They appeared friendly at first.

  “Having a good time with our Jack, are you?” the redhead asked.

  Summer smiled and nodded. “It’s a lovely wedding party.”

  “Oh yes. Samoan weddings are nothing but fun.”

  The darker of the two leaned closer.

  “But do be careful, dear. Jack is very attractive but he uses women and throws them away like used Kleenex.”

  Summer’s smile faded and she began to prepare to leave as quickly as she could.

  “And don’t forget,” the redhead added. “The ones who get pregnant have an unhappy habit of falling off cliffs. Such a shame.”

  The island lady nodded wisely. “Better watch yourself.”

  Summer departed without another word, sliding in next to Jack at the table and leaning on his arm as if she needed his protection.

  “Remind me not to go off on my own again,” she said softly to him. “The vultures swoop in for the kill.”

  “Vultures don’t kill,” he said, enjoying the way she was comfortable enough to lean on him, pulling her into the circle of his arm. “They eat what other animals have killed.”

  “So do these harpies.” She glanced at him, wondering if she should tell him what they’d said, then deciding to do so only to a point. “They wanted to tell me the true story about your history with women.”

  “Oh yeah? And they think they know what that is?”

  “In their minds, it seems to involve a lot of womanizing and…” Okay, she might as well get it out into the open. “And a fall or two off a cliff. That ring a bell with you?”

  His smile had evaporated and his eyes had turned cold in fractions of a second. “Don’t listen to gossip,” he said crisply. “It’s all lies.”

  She leaned away from him as though to get a better look. “Yes, but you would say that, wouldn’t you?”

  He hesitated, and then his teasing smile was back. “Obviously I’m incorrigible. Just think of how much fun you could have trying to reform me.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Jack Masters reformed? You’d lose all your appeal.”

  His grin had returned as well. “You like my bad boy image?”

  She shook her head. Right now, she would do almost anything for him. “I’ve got to admit, it’s sexy as hell,” she said, giving him a flirtatious look from under her lashes.

  He laughed and took her in his arms, kissing her soundly. “We’re going to be so good together once you get over your stubborn resistance,” he whispered against her ear.

  That warmed her, but it didn’t answer all the questions, and as the day wore on and they left the party, heading to the boat dock, the words that came back to her were these: The ones who get pregnant have an unhappy habit of falling off cliffs.

  That brought back the issue of Karl and Valima, didn’t it? The day had been lovely, but there were problems that couldn’t stay hidden for long.

  They didn’t talk much on the trip back over the water. When Jack cut the engine, Summer looked up in surprise.

  “Is this Lelei?” she asked, looking up at the sheer cliffs that rose ominously above a rocky shore.

  “It is,” he said, staring up at the cliffs himself. “We’re coming in from the other side.”

  “Oh.” She glanced at him, wondering what he was thinking. “It’s beautiful here, too.”

  “Yes.” He turned to look at her, standing close. “This is Lovers’ Leap.”

  “What?” A coldness came over her.

  “Lovers’ Leap,” he repeated. “This is where Julia fell. This is where she lost her life.”

  Suddenly, she was trembling. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know any more. “Oh.”

  “You heard enough to make it necessary to tell you more,” he said dryly. “So here it is.” He slumped down to sit on the edge of the wooden rail beside her. “Her name was Julia. My mother invited her to live with us. She was the daughter of an old friend of hers and she hoped we would fall in love.”

  Summer swallowed hard. “Did you?” she asked, her voice sounding like a croak to her.

  He shrugged. “It was over nine years ago. I was only twenty-three. I had no intention of getting tied down. She was seventeen and she’d come from a bad situation.”

  “I see.”

  He nodded. “She claimed her stepfather raped her. That was the original reason my mother took her in.”

  She frowned, bothered by something in his voice. “You didn’t believe her?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “No, but you… .”

  “Something had happened to her. I’m not sure what it was. But she was damaged. Damaged beyond repair.” He glanced at her again, then looked away quickly. “At least by me,” he said softly.

  “What happened?”

  He grimaced, staring off at the cliffs, and she realized, suddenly, that this was hard for him. “She saw me with another girl,” he said in a strange monotone. “She ran off into the jungle. I let her go. I never thought… .” He shook his head and swore softly. “When she didn’t come back, we hunted for her. We hunted for hours. I was the one who finally found her.” He pointed toward a place where the waves hit a large outcropping, crashing spectacularly into the air every few minutes. “She was there. She’d fallen….or jumped..from the cliff. She was dead.”

  “Oh no!”

  “Yes.” He looked at her coldly and when she started to move toward him, he backed away. It was obvious he didn’t want hugs and kisses right now. No comfort. No physical contact. It was as though he owed her—Julia—that much. “I just wanted you to see. I wanted you to know. That’s all.”

  He turned back to start up the boat again and soon they were off, racing around the side of the island, the ocean spray in her face. The things she’d heard were swimming around inside Summer’s head. She seemed to have all the facts, but did they mean what she thought they meant? Was there another angle to the story? She wasn’t sure. Maybe she would never know.

  Had he and Julia been lovers? He didn’t say. She didn’t have any way of knowing. And did it matter? She wasn’t sure about that.

  When she thought about Valima and Karl, it did make her wonder….

  They arrived at the dock, tied the boat fast and stepped onto the dock. The funny thing was, as soon as they were on solid Lelei ground, the dark side of Jack re-emerged. He was cold again, angry again. The wonderful warmth she’d found in him during the wedding was completely gone. That special magic that had sparked between them was gone as well. He was scary again.

  “If you’d like something to eat….” he began.

  “Oh no. I feel like I’ve been eating all day.”

  He nodded, turning so he wouldn’t have to look her in the face. “Then I’ll say good night. I have work to do. I’ll be in the library if anyone asks.”

  And before she had a chance to say a word, he was gone. She heard the key turn in the library door. He was serious. He wanted to be alone.

  Well, so did she. She was exhausted. A quick shower and she would be in bed. She supposed that meant another day without a decision on what she was going to do. Just a few hours ago, she would have said nothing could take her away from this magical place. But now…

  Now she’d been reminded of what Jack could be. And if he was going to be that dark force of arrogant evil, she was out of here.

  Chapter Six

  Summer sat on a huge volcanic boulder overlooking the silver waters of the lagoon, her plans to leave first thing in the morning on hold once more. Sunlight glinted through the sweep of her lashes, blinding her for seconds at a time. She put a well-manicured hand to her eyes and peered down at the man and bushy haired boy cavorting on the white sand below where she was resting. A reluctant smile curled her lips.

  “Come on down,” Jack called. “We could use your help.” He grinned at the short, dark eyed boy at his side. Ever since they’d arrived at the beach, he’d been
helping the boy try to capture his playful dog.

  Summer couldn’t help but be amused as she watched Jack’s unsuccessful attempts to catch the boy’s pet. But she wasn’t ready to join them. Slowly, she shook her head.

  “Not yet,” she called back. “I need a few more minutes of sun.”

  What she actually needed was a few more minutes to digest the events of her morning.

  Jack had woken her just after dawn, demanding that she see the garden with the dew still fresh enough to catch the first yellow-peach rays. Mystified by his casual friendliness after the intensity he’d displayed again the night before, she’d followed him through the primeval looking papaya trees laden with their golden fruit and helped him pick a spray of purple vanda orchids for the breakfast table, her mind still confused by his shifting moods. Was this the real Jack Masters? Or was it the man whose arrogance made her shudder and search for the nearest exit?

  After a quick meal of orange juice and sweet toast, he’d hustled her off to the shore to begin work on the shell book her father had started. The protected lagoon he’d brought her to was within ten minutes walk from his house. A lovely crescent of fine white sand bounded on one side by a row of swaying palm trees, on the other by shimmering swirls of green and blue water—it was a picture postcard dream of tropic splendor. Jack had shown it off to her with the pride of a man displaying his prize possession.

  Sitting on her boulder, she finally had a moment to think things over. And as she did, she wondered what his aim was. Jack was working very hard at being friends. He hadn’t said a harsh thing all morning. She couldn’t help but think there must be some ulterior motive.

  It had taken her a long time to fall asleep. The story of Julia and her possible suicide—after seeing Jack with another girl—wouldn’t leave her alone. She couldn’t help but wonder—was she the only one? And—was she pregnant? When she looked at him now, she couldn’t believe any of that could be true, but around 3 in the morning, things had looked very different.