The Honeymoon Prize

by Melissa McClone

  But the dress was only part of the package. She wore make-up. Eye shadow and mascara, a touch of blush, nothing crazy. Her pink glossy lips looked full and kissable. He wanted to know if she tasted as good as she—

  “Nick?”

  “Enjoying the view.”

  Her cheeks reddened, but her gaze didn’t waver. She struck a pose, one that raised the hem of her skirt. “Look all you want.”

  Sassy. He liked that. “I plan to.”

  “Mama Lani’s friends helped me get ready, showed me make-up tricks and new styles for my hair.”

  Her excitement bubbled over. About time her eyes twinkled again. “Sounds like fun.”

  “It was.” She shimmied her shoulders, giving a bounce to her breasts and making him wonder what they would look like free and in the palms of his hands. “The ladies made me feel like Cinderella getting ready for the ball.”

  “You look like a princess.”

  She beamed. Her million-dollar smile made the long flight and whatever they had to put up with from the film crew worth the trouble. Might as well make the best of their evening while they were here.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “Thank you.” He motioned for her to spin again. She did, but not fast enough to make her skirt fly up. Damn. He’d wanted another peek. “Looks like I’ve gone and married myself a trophy wife.”

  “Yeah, right.” She winked. Her playfulness made him want to skip dinner and go straight to dessert . . . between the sheets. “You look handsome yourself.”

  Anticipation prickled. She’d never called him that.

  “Love the shirt,” she added.

  The shirt had pastel tropical flowers with larger tan ones in the foreground. The pink ones matched her dress. “Mama Lani said we’d coordinate.”

  Addie nodded, her hair swaying. “We do. Like real honeymooners.”

  A real honeymoon with his wife sounded perfect. A wedding night in a tropical paradise deserved a night of hot sex.

  Crap, what was he thinking? This was Addie. Sex wasn’t part of their agreement. But that didn’t change the fact he wanted her.

  Whoa. Time to slow down.

  Nick looked around. Where was the waiter? He needed a drink. Whiskey. Straight.

  She shifted her weight between her feet.

  His gaze dropped to the pair of sexy, strappy silver heels she wore. Her toenail color matched her dress. “Love the shoes.”

  “I practiced walking. I’m not used to heels.” She pointed her toe, showing off her toned calf muscle. “Most people go barefoot around here, but Mama Lani said I should wear the shoes because you would like them.”

  “I do.” More than he should, but he couldn’t help himself. Her eagerness appealed to him at a gut level. She’d been locked away for the past nine years, and Mama Lani had used her key. Or maybe the island had. He liked thinking he might have given the door a shove. “If your feet hurt, tell me. You can take off your shoes, and I’ll carry you back to the bure.”

  Holding her would be sweet torture, but he was willing and able. Who was he kidding? Nick would gladly take off her shoes, her dress, her panties.

  He swallowed. Thoughts like that would get him into trouble. Addie was his wife in name only. She’d never treated him as anything other than her friend, good old Nick.

  They’d never crossed the line though he’d been tempted once or twice. Any romantic interest was in the past. He had to be careful, not impose on Addie, but let her know how special she was. “Carrying you won’t be a problem. You deserve VIP treatment. Very important princesses do.”

  “That’s so sweet of you.” The sincerity in her voice matched the smile on her face. “But I can walk barefoot if my feet hurt. Crossing fingers they don’t.”

  “You had a French manicure.” He reached for her fingers, raised them to his mouth, kissed the top of her hand then let go. “You smell different.”

  Her cheeks deepened two shades of pink. She stared at her hands. “That’s the lotion Mama Lani gave me. Lotus something or other. Made my skin tingle.”

  “Nice scent.” Everything about Addie was nice. He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. “A seat for the beautiful princess to keep her feet from hurting.”

  She curtsied, then sat. “Everything is so lovely. I wonder what’s on the menu tonight.”

  “I’d say fish.”

  A boring reply, but Nick had forced himself not to make a flirty reply about wanting her. He joked with Addie via text and email. She had a great sense of humor and didn’t mind his off-color jokes or military-inspired humor. But letting the sexual innuendos fly tonight might get him into trouble.

  Her appearance wasn’t the only attraction. Seeing her relax and have fun was sexy, too. The V above her nose wasn’t as deep. She hadn’t reached the carefree stage, but she was closer than she’d been in a long while. That pleased Nick. He sat across from her.

  A waiter arrived with champagne and two flutes.

  Finally. Nick would prefer whiskey or a beer, but he wasn’t going to turn down a bottle of bubbly.

  The waiter handed Addie a glass, his gaze lingering on her longer than Nick liked. “Compliments of Brad.”

  She flashed Nick a closed-mouthed smile. So beautiful.

  “At least the guy’s good for something,” Nick muttered, taking his glass from the waiter and wishing the man would leave them alone. He wasn’t jealous. No way. But he was protective. Yeah, that was it. Protective over his friend. Make that his wife.

  A memory rushed back. When he was younger, his friends had called him Addie’s husband. They joked about him being in love with her. He countered he’d needed to protect her because she was like a sister. Except as they went through high school, his feelings toward her weren’t brotherly.

  They weren’t now, either.

  She didn’t seem to notice the attention from the waiter or Nick. She focused on her surroundings. He didn’t blame her. This might be an all-inclusive resort, but Mama Lani deserved a special tip for setting the romantic atmosphere with this meal and helping Addie get ready.

  “I’ll be back with a platter of appetizers and to tell you about the dinner choices.” The waiter placed the champagne bottle in an ice bucket, then walked down the dock toward the beach.

  “To new adventures.” She raised her glass, a twinkle in her eyes. “May our ten days turn out better than we expect.”

  Damn. Nick rubbed his fingers against the flute. “About the ten days. I was thinking we’d make an excuse—I have eight to choose from—then catch the first flight off the island tomorrow morning.”

  Her face fell. She lowered her champagne. “Oh, okay.”

  Only two words, but the disappointment in her voice clawed at his chest. “The reality show . . .”

  “Not a good idea with your job. I get it.”

  “No, but . . .” He studied her face, noting the smile and twinkle had vanished. The V deepened again. He hadn’t expected this reaction. “You want to stay with a film crew on our tails?”

  She glanced around, her gaze lingering on the beach. “It may sound crazy, but I like this place. Mama Lani is so nice. I understand if we have to go. Your job is the whole reason we got married.”

  “We got married to help you, too.” Nick didn’t want her to think they’d married only for him. “Emily’s couch was fine in the beginning, but you couldn’t stay there forever and it’s time you went back to college.”

  “I know, but the reality show doesn’t affect me the way it will you.”

  He didn’t understand why she wanted to stay. “The film crew made you nervous.”

  “They did, but I’m not sure they’ll ruin paradise for me. The island is spectacular.”

  “Yes, but reality TV is a misnomer. The crew is going to tell us what to do and how to act, then edit the show how they want. Nothing on the show will be real.”

  She raised her glass toward her lips. “Nothing about our marriage is real.”

  “True.�
� Addie needed time to relax and find the person she’d once been, but going home was the easy and safe choice. The list of reasons for leaving outweighed those for staying. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

  “I’m uncomfortable lying about our marriage. That’s going to be the case whether we’re here or in San Diego.”

  Her words surprised him. “You’ve thought about this.”

  “I’m thinking it out now.”

  “You want to stay.”

  “Only if you do.”

  Nick should be happy she’d left the choice to him, but he didn’t want to disappoint her. If she wanted to stay, he would figure out a way to make this work for Addie and for him. “Okay. We’re staying.”

  She leaned forward. “Are you sure?”

  He would talk to his boss, determine out what could be said about his job and what couldn’t. No last names used or anything about him working in personal security. He’d limit the information about his military career. No one needed to know he’d been on an ODA team, better known to the public as an A-Team. Special Forces would be good enough, the U.S. Army better.

  Nick tapped his glass against hers. The chime hung in the air, a perfect pitch to match their perfect evening. “I’m positive.”

  Chapter 4

  Light hit Addie’s face. Morning already? Last night, she’d put on a frilly white nightie and climbed into bed. She didn’t remember anything else. No doubt sleep had come hard and fast. Being a princess for the evening was tiring work, especially combined with jetlag, excitement, worry, and champagne.

  She blinked open her eyes, raised her head slightly, looking at the hand-woven ceiling and the sheer white curtains hanging on sides of the bed. The muted sound of a ceiling fan was all she could hear.

  So quiet and peaceful.

  Nowhere to be. No one to worry about. No one to accuse her of stealing her grandmother’s cottage.

  A feeling of contentment settled over her. She loved everything about Starfish Island: the bure, Mama Lani, the entire resort. Addie lay against her pillow, not tired but wanting to relish in the moment, something she hadn’t felt like doing in . . . years.

  Today would be her first full day of vacation. Her first full day with the film crew, too, but she wouldn’t think about them. She would, however, think of Nick, her handsome in-name-only husband. She rolled onto her right side, facing the large, empty place where he would sleep if they were married for real. The covers were messed up, and the pillow had an indention mark.

  Nick must have done that before heading to the patio’s day bed last night or first thing this morning. He’d done a good job. Anyone looking at the king-sized bed would assume a couple had slept together. But a kiss on the forehead was the only wedding night action after a spectacular and romantic dinner on the dock.

  For the best.

  She and Nick were friends, good friends. They might not have spent much time together lately, but they’d picked up without missing a beat—talking, joking, flirting the way they had back in high school. She’d managed to keep her shoes on the entire evening, too, and hadn’t needed carrying. An omen they could pull this off honeymoon-marriage sham? She hoped so.

  Things were going so well she would believe almost anything. Naïve? Yes, but this was her vacation on a fantasy island. She was willing to forget reality. Last night, she’d felt sixteen again with a life full of possibilities ahead of her. Nick had made her feel comfortable and pretty. He’d listened when she said she wanted to stay and changed his mind about leaving. This place was paradise.

  Humming the theme from Disneyland’s Tiki Room, she sat. The sheet dropped to her lap. Whether their contest entry had been randomly picked or purposely chosen, she no longer cared.

  Emily must have known they would have never come if she’d told them about the reality TV show. Way to skirt the issue, but then again, she was an expert at that and one reason she was so good at advertising. Still Addie owed Emily for entering their names into the contest. A honeymoon-between-friends was the perfect start to their in-name-only marriage.

  Nick walked from the bathroom area, his hair wet and a towel wrapped low around his hips. “You’re awake.”

  You’re almost naked. She gulped. Nodded.

  Wowza. Her gaze traveled down his muscular chest covered with tattoos to his rock solid abs. He’d had a nice body in high school, but nothing like the awe-inspiring hotness standing in front of her.

  Ripped. Cut. She’d run out of adjectives to describe his amazing better-than-an-underwear-model physique before she was ready to stop looking.

  Oops. No staring. Nick might get the wrong idea.

  Or maybe she would.

  Addie fingered the edge of the sheet, wanting to look anywhere but at him, except her gaze kept straying back to his chest, his abs and lower.

  “See something you like?”

  Busted. Her cheeks warmed. She needed to say something. Fast. But she’d die of embarrassment before admitting being struck by a sudden case of lust due to his killer body. “Isn’t the shower great? I wondered what standing under a waterfall would feel like. Now I know.”

  “You should try the real thing. There might be a waterfall or two on the island. I’ll ask.”

  She jerked her gaze up to his face, realizing she’d been distracted by his abs again. At least she could own up to what she’d been looking at. “You’ve been working out.”

  He stared at her with an interested expression. “Yeah.”

  “Ladies must like that.”

  “A side benefit. I need to be in shape for my job.”

  She fought the urge to cringe. The guy was a bodyguard. Working out was a job requirement. “Right. I knew that.”

  What was wrong with her? She hadn’t drunk enough champagne to be buzzed this morning. Lust was one thing, but maybe not dating for years had taken a toll and pushed her over the edge. Gawking over Nick, her friend, in a towel would be proof. The last thing she wanted to be was one of his lovers. No way was she joining that endangered species list.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Nice jammies.”

  “Part of the new wardrobe.” One of the nightie’s spaghetti straps fell off her shoulder. She pushed the thin white satin ribbon into place. “I have one for each night. A little excessive.”

  “Not at all.” A mischievous smile spread across his face. “Looking forward to the bedtime fashion shows.”

  His playful tone set off a warning bell in her head. She remembered when they’d been at the beach boogie boarding. Sophomore, no, junior year. Her bikini strap had broken. He’d come to her rescue, but not before he’d gotten a look at her exposed left breast.

  She glanced down. The white fabric of her nightie covered her, but was sheer, something she hadn’t realized being so tired last night.

  Double oops. She pulled up the sheet to her neck. “I . . .”

  “You have nothing to be shy about,” Nick teased. “Don’t forget, I’m your husband. You’re beautiful, and the nightgown is perfect for you.”

  Perfect for a bride on her honeymoon to entice her groom. Not perfect for a friend rooming with a friend of the opposite sex. But Nick seemed cool about this. Maybe she shouldn’t be so uptight. They would be living together for the next five years. At some point she would see him in a towel again.

  She loosened her grip on the sheet. “Well, I’m your wife. I don’t see you prancing around naked showing off your wares.”

  He grabbed onto the edge of towel. “I can remedy that.”

  Nick wouldn’t. Oh, yes, he would.

  She squeezed her eyes closed and covered her head with the sheet.

  He laughed. Of course he would find this funny.

  Something thudded against the bamboo floor. The towel? She saw light through the sheet but nothing else. “What was that?”

  “My towel.”

  Her pulse kicked up a notch. Temptation flared until common sense kicked in. Naked or not, this was still Nick. “What do you think you’re
doing?”

  “Following orders.”

  His body might have improved, but his sense of humor was the same. He must be grinning from ear to ear. “I was joking.”

  “Sure about that?”

  No. Yes. Stop. No second-guessing. Nick made a habit of getting naked in front of women, and she was a woman, but that didn’t mean . . . “Yes, I’m sure. Are you still naked?”

  “Why don’t you find out?”

  He was playing with her, teasing, seeing how far he could push her. Part of Addie was amused. The other part imagined him strutting around with nothing on but a smile.

  She fanned herself with her hand. “No, thank you.”

  “So polite.”

  Not exactly. The thoughts running through her head ran more to the naughty side. She swallowed. Maybe leaving the island hadn’t been such a bad idea. “Nick?”

  “Hmmm.”

  “It’s warm under here.”

  “I’m quite comfy.”

  Heat rushed up her neck. “I can imagine. I mean . . .”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing.” Nine days of this would be . . . challenging. “No, there’s something. I think we need, um, ground rules.”

  “About?”

  “This.”

  “What?”

  “Nakedness.”

  “Not a fan of birthday suits?”

  She could tell he was smiling. “I never said that.”

  “When was the last time you saw a man naked?”

  Addie blew out a puff of air. “A week and a half ago.”

  “Living a secret life I know nothing about?”

  “Nothing so clandestine or exciting.” Though maybe that was what she needed to keep from overreacting to Nick.

  “Gotta give me more than that,” he said.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “A naked guy is not nothing.”

  “Says the naked guy.”

  “Tell me.”

  Might as well. Maybe he’d take advantage of the time to dress. “After brunch, Emily and I stopped by to watch the surfers. We were standing right next to one guy when he changed out of his wetsuit.”

  “Liked what you saw?”

  The man was incorrigible. “I’m not going to answer.”