by JB Duvane
I continued to thrust into her, gripping her ass and holding it in place so that I could sink my cock into her as deeply as possible. The sound of her voice and the way her body felt against mine—and the knowledge that it was Maggie—made me come harder and longer than I ever had in my life.
When I finally opened my eyes and saw her lying there so peacefully, I wrapped my arms around her tightly and slowly kissed every inch of her face. She opened her eyes and a smile spread across her face, an incredible sparkle lighting everything up.
"This is exactly what I've been wanting for the last ten years."
"What?" she asked so sweetly, while she pushed her hand up my chest and wrapped it around the back of my neck.
"You."
I could see a hint of pink on her cheeks and what looked like a glaze of tears in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. She just kissed me so softly and gently that it felt like we were floating together on a cloud. I'd never felt anything like that with another woman.
I fell asleep with Maggie in my arms.
When I woke the next morning, she was still there, her soft, warm body pressed against mine. We made love again, with a little less intensity than the night before, but it was perfect. The way her body moved with mine, it was as if we were made for each other.
"Stay here," I said, kissing her neck and shoulders while I held her from behind. "I'm going to make some breakfast."
"I'm ready to get up. Let me help you."
"If you really want to help, you can sit out on the balcony and relax. I want to take care of you."
"Okay, but you have to let me do something. Cut up some fruit, maybe?"
"I mean I want to take care of you, Maggie. From now on."
"Shane …"
"I know it probably seems sudden, but you have no idea how much I've thought about you, how much I've missed you. I was young and stupid when I left here and I have to admit, in the beginning, dating models and famous actresses … well, it made me feel good. It made me feel important, I guess. But, then, after years of being in the spotlight and seeing how fake so many women were with me, I wound up only dating women who had the same experiences as I did. It just felt safer. But safer isn't always better. In fact, it rarely is. And it took me way too long to realize that."
"I completely understand, Shane, you don't have to explain—"
"But I want to. It's something that has weighed on my mind for a long time. I feel like I just ran away after that kiss on the beach. I didn't say anything to anyone about it."
"I didn't either. I never told another person about that kiss. It was really special to me, Shane."
"It was to me too, and that's why I feel like such an asshole for never having told you. It's been ten years. And, for some reason, it took me running into you again to remember how much you meant to me. When I saw you there in the restaurant, I remembered that you were the reason I loved this island so much—and the cove. And I remembered how much I've always felt that I could trust you. I haven't felt like I could completely trust anyone for a long time. After I saw you, I realized that you are the reason I jumped at the chance to buy that property, Maggie."
Chapter Seven
Maggie
"You did?" I was in shock. I was so glad this conversation was happening, but I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Shane's mouth. I'd been kicking myself throughout the night for not bringing it up earlier, right when we sat down at the restaurant yesterday. Then, when I woke up this morning, I was worried that I'd waited too long.
But the more I got to know Shane again, the more I had the feeling that he couldn't possibly be doing this to make money or capitalize on the land. He didn't seem like the type at all.
"I wasn't even sure if you were still living here. I'd planned on looking you up once I got settled. But I was with Brittany and, even though I wasn't one-hundred-percent sure how I felt about her, I wouldn't have cheated on her. I could never lie to someone like that. It's just not in me."
"I'm glad." I heard the words after I'd said them and realized how callous it sounded. "I mean, I'm glad you're not that kind of person, not that you two broke up. I guess I'm glad that you figured out how you felt, though. But what makes you think it was me?"
"I don't know, it was almost like an idea at the back of my head that I couldn't shake, or a feeling. When the offer came up, I just knew I had to take it."
"How did you find out about it?"
"My manager. He's been with me for a long time. He'd been my agent up until a few years ago and, because he seemed to know what he was doing, I had him start managing my money for me. I've had a hard time getting to a place where I felt I could trust anyone, especially on that level, but I trust him. He's made some really good investments for me, and that's mostly why I'm able to afford the land. Even the money I make on all my movies wouldn't have put me in the same league as the other guys who wheel and deal in that kind of market."
"Is he taking care of the whole thing for you?"
"Yeah, pretty much. He's got a real estate lawyer all lined up and the only thing I really have to do is sign the papers when the deal is finalized. I wouldn't know what to say during any of those meetings anyway."
"Wow, that's really exciting. I hope it all works out for you." I paused for a moment before asking my next question. The question that had been on my mind ever since Janine told me about the sale. "So what are you going to do with the land?" I think my nervousness came through in my voice because I could hear it shaking ever so slightly. I really wanted to trust Shane, and when I looked in his eyes and saw the sincerity there, I knew that I could.
"Why don't we talk about that out on the balcony? I'll bring breakfast out there and I can show you what I've been thinking. Maybe you can help me decide," he said with a warm smile.
"I'd like that."
When we were out on the outdoor patio that wrapped around the entire back of the house, Shane brought out a huge tray of fruit and toast and tea.
"I hope you like tea. I forgot to get coffee and this is all there was in the cupboard. Earl Grey," he read off the tag as he sat the tray down in the center of the table and started to pour some for himself.
"Earl Grey sounds perfect." Everything sounded and felt perfect. The incredible view from this gorgeous balcony … and last night with Shane. Being with him was better than I could have ever imagined—and I had imagined it pretty well.
After I ate a huge pile of cubed mango and pineapple, Shane took me over to a telescope and showed me the area of land he was purchasing, which included my secret cove.
Our secret cove, I thought as I looked through the eyepiece and felt Shane's warm body up against mine.
"So, the property I'm purchasing covers the area from the line of short palm trees about forty feet from this house to that second outcropping of rocks and extends about twenty miles south."
"Wow, that's really far."
"Yeah, it's a lot of land, and I really want to do right by it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I don't want to ruin any of the natural setting. When I build on it—I'm planning a house for myself and one for my parents—I'm going to have someone come in who will be diligent about making sure the building of the houses and the maintaining of them doesn't have any impact on the surrounding forest. I want to keep everything as close to the way it is right now as possible."
"Wow, that's really incredible, Shane. I'm impressed that you care enough to consider that. You know, this whole area is pretty sacred to the native people on this island. My father's side of the family has ancestors buried here. Plus my grandmother's ashes were scattered at the cove."
"Yeah, I've heard a little about that, but I'd love for you to tell me more. I'd love for you to be a part of this, Maggie."
When Shane spoke those words, I felt like I was falling into a pool of warm water that enveloped my body. His voice and the words he said, it was all so incredible. I felt like this all had to be a dream. It just
didn't seem like I could be this lucky.
I turned around and looked up into his eyes. "I want to be a part of it too, Shane." I wasn't sure if I should say what was on my mind, but I knew I had to. "I knew you were buying that property, and to tell you the truth, I was really upset at first. I thought maybe you were going to tear it all up and build some horrible condos or a resort."
"There are a lot of people who want to do that exact thing. I was lucky to get in on it when I did. I don't know how my manager swung it, but I was the first one offered this deal. But now … well … if I didn't buy this property … I know for a fact that there's a list as long as my arm of other people who would snap it up in a second. For twice what I'm paying. And there would be resorts popping up along this shore within months."
"I can imagine." I smiled up at Shane. "I'm glad you're buying it. It feels right."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me, Maggie."
When I got home I was practically floating on air. Shane and I had finished breakfast on the terrace, then he brought me back to my house around noon. Even though I felt like I had to tear myself away from him, I had lots of things to do before the work week started.
After I walked in the door, I felt my phone vibrate. When I fished it out of my bag I was surprised when I saw multiple calls and texts from Janine. I hadn't even looked at my phone once while I was with Shane.
"What's up?" I asked Janine.
"Where have you been? I've been trying to get ahold of you since last night."
"I'll tell you all about it. But first tell me whatever it is that had you calling and texting me fifteen times. It must be pretty damned important," I laughed.
"You're not going to like this, Maggie."
"What?"
"I talked to one of the lawyers at the firm on the team that is putting together that land deal."
"Yeah?"
"He is totally planning on building condos, right down there on the beach."
"Who?"
"Shane Holloway!"
"No, Janine, that's not possible. I just talked to him and he told me what he's planning on doing. It has nothing to do with condos. He's building a house for himself and one for his parents. He said he doesn't want any of the guys who are thinking about condos to even get their hands on that property."
"They've applied for permits, Maggie. For multi-dwelling structures."
"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. I told you, he's planning on building two homes. That's probably why there's permits for multiple buildings."
"No, not multiple buildings, multiple dwelling structures. Condos."
I was stunned. I still couldn't believe what she was telling me. If what she was saying was true, that meant that everything Shane told me was a lie.
"Are you sure they couldn't be mistaken? Just because there are permit applications, that doesn't mean that's what he is intending to do."
"One of the reasons people apply for permits at this stage is to make sure their plans will be able to go forward once the deal is finalized. If they're applying for them, that means they intend to use them. I hate to say it, Maggie, but it sounds like he was feeding you a story."
"But why would he do that?" A sinking feeling hit my stomach even before the words came out of my mouth.
"Did you sleep with him last night?"
I didn't say anything. I couldn't believe it was true. There was no way my instincts about him could have been that far off.
"Maggie? You did, didn't you?"
"But he didn't tell me about his plans until after … Oh God. Do you really think he told me that to get me into bed?"
"What do you think?"
"I have no idea what to think now! I mean, I obviously can't trust my instincts because I never in a million years would have thought everything he said was a lie."
"What else did he tell you?"
I didn't want to repeat any of it. I was too humiliated to even think about all the wonderful things he'd told me last night and this morning. I couldn't believe how stupid I was.
"I don't want to talk about it right now, Janine. I'm gonna go."
"Maggie, please don't take this too hard. He's just a guy—"
"I gotta go." I hung up on Janine, but I couldn't stand to hear her say another word. I couldn't believe any of this. It just didn't seem possible. But the truth was staring me right in the face. Shane had lied to me … about everything.
Chapter Eight
Shane
"I have an interview for you if you're ready for that kind of thing. Someone local. They want to do a piece on the big celebrity coming back to the little island—something like that."
"Already? I've only been back here a couple days."
"Well, you know how it is. The last thing you want is for them to forget about you. You gotta keep moving, like a shark, or … you know … you'll sink faster than the Titanic."
"Thanks for all the analogies, Frank. I think I got it."
I had just returned from taking Maggie back to her place and was settled down on the couch for some mindless channel surfing when my manager's name popped up on my phone. I wasn't really ready to get back into all that yet, but he was always looking out for me, especially since I had a tendency to keep to myself. If it were up to me I'd never speak to a single fan or reporter, but not because I didn't appreciate them. I did. I just preferred it if we could all appreciate each other from afar, without all that up close and personal, face-to-face crap.
"So how are you settling in up there at your new place?"
"Fine, it's nice and quiet here—"
"Just the way you like it, eh?"
"Yep, just the way I like it. So how's the deal coming along?"
"Well, we're waiting on some signatures, but everything seems to be going as expected. We haven't hit any snags with permits or anything, so things are pretty much on schedule."
"Awesome. Let me know if you need anything from me."
"Oh, I will, don't worry."
"Thanks, man."
"All right, I'll have the reporter call your PR phone, you got that one handy?"
"Yeah, it's around here somewhere. Give me a few minutes to find it."
"Alrighty, oh, and do me a favor. Don't mention anything about the land deal. We don't want any inside info getting out about it before the sale goes through. We're in a pretty coveted spot and there are plenty of bloodhounds that would love to find any loophole they can to take us out of the game."
"Yeah, no problem."
"Okee dokee, talk to you later. Holler if you need anything."
"I will. Later, Frank."
I rummaged around in my suitcase and found the phone I had for interviews and other public relations type stuff. Frank and I shared the line, so if someone called or texted and I didn't want to deal with it, he would take over. I usually didn't even look at it unless Frank set something up for me.
A few minutes later, as I was killing time by jumping my robot unicorn over a chasm, my work phone flashed an unlisted, local number.
"This is Shane Holloway."
"Hello, Mr. Holloway. This is Darlene Simms from The Garden Island. I spoke with your manager, Mr. Frank Jennings, and he told me he'd set up a short interview."
"Yes, I talked to him earlier. I'm happy to answer a few questions."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Holloway—"
"You can call me Shane."
"Thank you, Shane. I'm thrilled to be getting this opportunity. The whole island is thrilled to have you back."
"Well, I'm really happy to be back. I've missed this place."
"So rumor has it that you're revisiting a lot of your past now that you're back. Including the property you're in the process of purchasing."
"Yeah, that's true. I grew up here, so there's a lot of history for me. I have to tell you up front, I can't address any rumors you may have heard about a land purchase. But everything else about my career is on the table."
"Okay, I'll stay away from that topic. Let's see
, do you have any upcoming projects you'd like to tell us about?"
"I just wrapped up filming The Impossible Deal, in Mongolia. It's an action flick with an awesome cast. It was a really incredible experience. You can get all the info about it from Frank—the release date and the synopsis."
"So do you like traveling to far-off locales when you're making movies?"
"Yeah, that's one of the best parts of the job as far as I'm concerned. I've gotten to see places that most tourists never get to."
"Can you give me some examples?"
"Well, in this last shoot, we stayed in some yurts with a tribe in northern Mongolia. There were a few down days and some of the members of the tribe took us on a wolf hunt. It was insanely beautiful. We rode these massive reindeer out into snowy fields that looked like they went on forever."
"So did you bag a wolf yourself?"
"Oh, no, we weren't allowed to do any actual killing since we were all residents of other countries. They just let us come along for the ride. I honestly don't think I could bring myself to kill an animal for any reason."
"I hear you on that. So when you're off shooting a movie, how long are you usually away from home?"
"Oh, it depends, sometimes a month, sometimes two."
"And do you miss your special someone while you're out there? Are you allowed to have them on the set with you?"
I laughed at the question. I figured that's what she really wanted to know all along—about my love life. There were always interviewers hounding me for stories about the women I was dating, or photographers following me down the street to get a shot of me holding hands with one of them. It bothered me a lot at first, but I just answer questions as simply as possible now and don't let it get to me. "I've had girlfriends stay with me in hotels during some shoots, but I honestly don't know a woman who would be willing to stay in a yurt with me for a month, no matter how many animal skins lined the sleeping area."
"Yeah, I can imagine," the reporter said with a laugh. "My sources tell me that your last relationship was with Brittany Lake, but that she's returned to the States. Is that correct?"
