Stranded in Paradise (The Blake Boys Book 13)

by Rhonda Laurel

  True love wasn’t eluding her. She was just sidestepping a boatload of egomaniacal idiots who were more interested in her looks than her brain. Being told you’re beautiful all the time lost its appeal after a while, especially when it was all they could see in her. She was a businesswoman, sister, daughter, and a great friend. She wanted someone who could see the things beneath the surface. She wanted someone of substance. A nice guy who knew how to treat a woman and perhaps would want a puppy someday. A puppy was a great dry run for the real thing: motherhood. But the guy would have to be perfect for her to fall in love. And she’d never truly been in love before. She listened to Summer going on about Bo, and that’s when she knew she’d never experienced the real thing. But she was certain she wasn’t going to find a soul mate on this island.

  Autumn stepped out of the limo and entered the hotel where she was escorted to Amber’s office. She was impressed by the woman’s knowledge of who she was and why she was there. The gracious hostess told her she could go full spa mode and hibernate or she could venture out and see what the island had to offer. She noticed Amber was kind of insistent about the mixer tonight. She got it; there were plenty of hot guys who were on vacation too. She was never one for vacation hookups. She thanked Amber for the itinerary and then was escorted to a beautiful, spacious suite with a great view of the ocean.

  She walked out onto the deck and leaned against the railing in the sunlight. The ocean breeze was cool and carried a hint of brine. She closed her eyes. Summer had been right. She needed this. Needed to get away from things and leave her problems behind.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  After lounging around all afternoon, Jared decided it was time to venture out. It was six-thirty. The mixer should be in full swing. He wasn’t really looking to meet anyone, but he was hungry and it wouldn’t hurt to show his face. Besides, he had a feeling if he didn’t make an appearance he’d get another pep talk from Amber. The family had tailor-made this vacation for him, so it was a reasonable assumption the astute hostess would make sure their instructions were followed to the letter.

  He took a shower and changed into suitable casual evening wear: a pale blue, linen shirt and three-quarter khaki carpenter shorts. The super-short haircut he sported required little maintenance, but he ran a brush over his smooth scalp anyway and dabbed on a little cologne. He could do this. He wasn’t allergic to fun and good times. He closed the door and followed the path lit by tiki torches to the main building. There were signs pointing to the party but there was no mistaking where it was. The dining room was packed, and the live band was on fire.

  Jared grabbed a seat at the bar and was immediately approached by the bartender with a menu. The seared ahi tuna steak sounded divine, so he ordered it and a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue. There were plenty of beautiful women around, but one in particular seemed to be causing quite a stir. Every man in the bar was breaking his neck to get a glimpse of the woman who’d just sauntered in wearing a white halter dress. Jared did a casual half turn to get a better view. He choked on his drink when he saw her face. Either Bo’s fiancée Summer had a doppelganger or that was her twin sister Autumn. She was even more stunning than the pictures he’d seen of her.

  As soon as Autumn saw that the room was full of swinging singles, she made a beeline for the bar. The music was delightful and the setting was nice, but she just wasn’t as jazzed as everyone else who was there. But that hadn’t stopped her from putting on the new dress she’d bought and coming to get a bite to eat. She’d taken so much time putting away her things and gazing out at the ocean from her deck that she’d lost track of time.

  She kindly told a guy who’d stepped in her way with an offer to star gaze that she wasn’t interested and continued her trek. She was then stopped by another guy who tried to use some lame pickup line. She zagged right when she saw another would-be suitor waiting to ambush her near the piano. She let out a big sigh when she finally plopped down on a bar stool, thankful she’d made it through the maze of cheesy pickup lines. The nice bartender flashed an easy smile at her and handed her a menu. She munched on the olives in the bowl while trying to decide what to order. After a few minutes she picked a simple salad and was reviewing the drink menu when someone came up behind her.

  “Bartender, can you get the lady a martini? It’s on me.” The guy wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt flashed a wide grin and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Kyle.”

  Autumn glared at him. “Thanks for the offer Kyle, but I can buy my own drink.”

  “You tell him.” Another man, dressed in a silk shirt and a gold chain said as he waved at the bartender. “Besides, she looks more like a mojito girl. A mojito por favor.”

  “What makes you think I’m a mojito girl?” Autumn fought back the urge to beat him with the bar stool he was trying to slither onto.

  “I have the uncanny knack for knowing what a woman wants.” He winked at her. “It’s crisp and smooth with a hint of mint. You’ll love it.”

  “Actually, she looks more like a Johnnie Walker kind of woman, but I wouldn’t dare insult her by paying for it,” someone said at the end of the bar.

  Autumn nodded at the bartender, who had placed the three drinks before her, to let him know she wanted the Johnnie Walker. The other two guys looked disappointed, but she didn’t care. Served them right for assuming what she drank. Yeah, the third guy did too, but he was on the nose with the libation selection. She leaned over to see the latest contender in the “who was going to buy her a drink contest” and was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. He held up his drink, raised an eyebrow, and took a sip. As she watched his Adam’s apple move as the liquid went down his throat, she could see he knew how to appreciate good liquor. Damn, he was right. She loved her fruity drinks and consumed so much wine she should have had stock in a California vineyard, but there was something about the sip of a quality whiskey that felt like velvet in your mouth.

  He was gorgeous and had the most penetrating eyes that seemed to be sending her an invitation from across the bar to come join him. The close haircut and five o’clock shadow was working for him. He seemed perfectly at ease dining on his tuna steak, not at all desperate like the two who were vying to sit next to her. He looked familiar. There was only one thing left to do, go over and talk to the man.

  “I’m changing my seat,” Autumn said to the bartender, who smiled when the other men retreated in defeat.

  “Sure thing, Ms. Waverly.”

  She grabbed her lowball glass and hopped off the stool. The least she could do was express gratitude to the man who’d helped her thin the herd of losers trying to pick her up.

  “Thanks for the save.”

  “You’re welcome. Although, I was cheating. I knew you liked Johnnie Walker. And my guess is that you’ll be getting the triple chocolate cake for dessert?”

  Autumn’s stomach flip-flopped. She’d traded two desperate singles for a stalker. Who was this guy? And why did he know so much about her tastes? A thousand things ran through her mind. She was half way onto the stool, but she put her leg back down.

  “Do I know you?”

  “In a manner of speaking. I think we should have met several times before, but we never seemed to be in synch with each other’s schedules. I’m Jared Reed. Morgan’s brother.” He extended his hand.

  Autumn’s stomach calmed down, but her heart started thudding in her chest. Holy cow. This was the guy she’d been avoiding for months? The pictures she was shown didn’t do him any justice. It was as if someone had plucked some sexy, rugged nerd out of the sky and planted him on that stool. She shook his hand, which was surprisingly soft. He made a firm connection, applying the right amount of pressure. It was a delicate thing, shaking hands with a man. They’d either try to crush it in some subconscious power move, or they’d go limp like they were afraid you’d break.

  “So, you’re the divorced workaholic architect who threw his back out during the wedding activities playing touch football?” She raised an eyebrow.

&
nbsp; “In my defense, I was playing against men who were born to play the sport.” He laughed. “And you’re the incurable flirt who leaves a trail of broken hearts behind wherever she goes?”

  “Maybe, not so much a trail as a foot path.” She smiled.

  He motioned to the guys at the end of the bar. “I see you have a few fans already.”

  “They’ve already moved on. What a shame.” Autumn looked at her would-be suitors. They were accosting two other women. “Not exactly the vacation I had in mind.”

  “What were you expecting?”

  “I don’t know. I wanted to get some sun, pretend to read a book, and maybe check out some of the activities.”

  He laughed. “Dodging gigolos is an activity.”

  “Snorkeling and hiking is an activity. Fending off the advances of some idiot trying to get laid on his holiday is not my idea of fun. Men always assume women like to be chased. Such a caveman mentality.” She shook her head. “What about you? I thought you were too busy designing buildings for a vacation or a social life. What compelled you to put down your T-square and come here?”

  “It was long overdue. It wasn’t my idea to come here, but Bo passed this vacation on to me when he started seeing your sister. I guess when he found Summer, he found his haven.” He smiled. “So what motivated you to step away from the virtual world?”

  “It was a present from Summer and Bo. They think I’ve been burning the candle at both ends with work and planning their wedding, so it was an appreciation gift.” Autumn swirled her drink around in the glass. What were the chances two people who were constantly trying to be setup would take the same vacation at the same time? “I smell a setup.”

  “I do too. The entire family has been giving me the hard sell on us being a couple. Not that I blame them.” He gave her a casual once-over. “I guess they see two successful, attractive, single people and think we’d make an easy connection.”

  When he motioned for the bartender to refill his drink she could see the definition of his body beneath the baby blue shirt he wore. Autumn swallowed hard. “Attraction is key when making a connection.”

  The bartender bringing over her meal was a welcome interruption. There was something about the way Jared looked at her that made her feel self-conscious, and she hadn’t felt that way around anyone in a long time. She had the feeling he was an intense, all-or-nothing kind of lover. The type of man who demanded a piece of your soul when he connected with you, even if it were only for a little while. Summer’s happiness had made her think about letting someone in, allowing someone to know her in a more intimate way, but she didn’t want to get hurt.

  They talked about Bo and Summer and the rest of the family. It was funny how they knew the same people intimately but didn’t have a clue about each other. He was a workaholic who was hitting his stride with big projects since working with the Blakes, and she could tell he was trying to keep his ego in check. She’d perused a few architectural magazines with articles that featured him, touting him as some sort of structural visionary and she knew why. She’d seen the blueprint for Bo and Summer’s future house on the ranch. He’d managed to merge the theme of country living with the latest technology, and it was an architectural spectacle. But she’d also seen the tree house he’d constructed for his nephew Jake, and he’d designed it with the same passion and precision. He was a gifted man and an insane perfectionist.

  Jared flashed an “I told you so” smile when she ordered the chocolate cake for dessert. She ignored it and enjoyed the treat without a care of whether she’d ruin her white dress. She was also pleasantly surprised about how much he knew about her company. He was familiar with their wide variety of games and was aware of their latest project to create a new operating system for cell phones that would rival the major competitors. Which also meant he knew her net worth and that didn’t seem to bother him. Men flirted with her all the time and tried to woo her with gifts and invitations to travel to tropical locales. What they didn’t understand was that she was rich in her own right. She didn’t need to be swept off her feet.

  Autumn looked around the room. It was all but empty. She glanced at the clock behind the bar. It was almost midnight. Had she spent four hours talking to Jared? He moved closer to her and reached out and touched her face. She froze, not knowing what to expect, but he was getting some chocolate off her cheek. But when the rubbing of his thumb turned into a subtle caress, she knew it was time to go.

  “It was really nice to meet you, Jared. Thanks for keeping me company tonight.” She put her fork down and pushed the plate away and grabbed her purse. “But heads will roll when I get home.”

  “The pleasure was all mine. Like you said, it’s all about attraction.” His eyes sparkled.

  “I did say that.” She stood to leave, but he grasped her arm and stood too.

  “What do you think is a better approach?”

  “To what?” She squinted at him.

  “You said there was a better approach than the whole caveman thing. What works for you?”

  Autumn moved so close to him she was only a few inches away. Even in her heels, she had crane her neck back to look up at him. “Confidence, honesty, and sincerity.”

  He moved closer to her. “In that case, I can honestly say you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met in my life. You’re charming, smart, funny, independent, self-assured, and graceful. Qualities I love in a woman. And now that I’ve met you, I’m glad we didn’t meet before. You are the kind distraction I avoid but longed for at the same time. I would have done something stupid that screwed up my priorities. And right now work is all that I can afford to have on my plate.”

  “I sincerely hope you believe that.” Autumn smiled, kissed him on the cheek, and walked away.

  * * *

  Jared watched as Autumn sauntered away in that form-fitting white dress that outlined her curves and he wanted to kick himself. There had to be a law against a woman looking that good. It was no wonder the lounge lizards swarmed on her as soon as she’d entered the room. Not only was she exquisite, but she was intelligent and business-savvy. He’d read that NuWave was taking the technology world by storm. She was everything he was looking for in a woman…if he were looking.

  He walked back to his bungalow, half tempted to take a lap in the night waves rushing to shore to cool down. He hadn’t had that kind of immediate reaction to a woman in a long time and had been rock hard since she sat down on the stool next to him. Too tired to read his book, he went straight to the bedroom and opened the terrace doors so he could get a good look at the moonlight. The entire island had a magical feel, or maybe he was just looking for a reason to explain his behavior. He’d wanted to kiss her when she’d gotten closer to him. Hell, he wasn’t one to move fast, but if she’d given him the slightest hint she would have come back to his bungalow, he would have made love to her all night.

  Spending the evening with her had taken his mind off work and Taylor. He hadn’t glanced at his phone once, scared Autumn might leave or someone else would come and grab her attention. Bo’s stories about her love them-and-leave-them attitude loomed in the back of his mind, but now he knew why men went crazy over her. She was walking sex appeal and she was oblivious to it. The guys trying to buy her drinks annoyed her more than flattered, and he was impressed she could easily see through the machismo that was going around in the room.

  There had been plenty of good-looking ladies there but none like her. He’d gotten a few winks and made some small talk, but it all felt cheap. Talking to Autumn was like going for a drive with Tyler in one of his race cars. It was a high-octane, out-of-control feeling that was exhilarating, and it pained him to tell her he was glad they hadn’t met. It was a complete and utter lie, but he had to do something before he asked her out the next day. He lay back on the pillows, closed his eyes, and caressed himself. Autumn’s perfume, the soft feel of her skin, it all overloaded his senses. He wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

  * * *

&nb
sp; Autumn was both relieved and delighted not to see Jared over the next couple of days. It was probably for the best anyway. She barely got any sleep after their conversation at the mixer. Why did he have to be so handsome and intense? He wasn’t someone she could have a good time with on the island and then go their separate ways. Their lives were connected immensely back home. And speaking of home, she resisted the urge to call Summer and Bo and give them a good tongue-thrashing over the blatant setup. She loved them, but her love life, or lack thereof, was her own business. But more importantly, she wanted the happy couple to know they didn’t have to worry about her being alone. She was dealing with her impending separation from her twin in her own way and planning the wedding ironically was helping with that. She would give Summer the wedding they’d dreamed about when they were kids. She knew, if no one else did, what her sister’s perfect day would be like.

  Determined to have fun but away from Jared, she signed up for a doubles tennis tournament and ended up being paired with a guy named Graham. He was a handsome investment banker who had a nice smile and a good serve. They were beating the pants off all challengers, and after she shot down a few obvious flirtatious quips from him, she found herself having a good time. When he asked her to have dinner with him that night, she said yes and was pleasantly surprised that he was a nice guy who thought he had to be flirty to get her attention.

  Now she was getting ready for a sightseeing tour. No way Jared would be going on a tour. He seemed adventurous, like he’d go out on his own and explore. That was fine by her. He was keeping his promise to stay away from her. She thought she saw him hiding behind a plant in the lobby earlier. He was almost trying too hard to stay away from her.