The Honeymoon Prize

by Melissa McClone

  “Did you take any pics?”

  “Ewww.”

  “You’re right. Not your style. But Emily . . .”

  Addie had taken away Emily’s cell phone. Time to get this conversation back on track. Where were they? Oh, right. Ground rules. “An in-name-only, no-sex marriage probably should exclude being naked around each other.”

  “Probably?”

  Laughter sounded in his voice. No doubt he enjoyed making Addie squirm. He was doing a good job. Not that he could see her under the sheet. “Definitely.”

  “Fine, as long as this rule doesn’t keep me from seeing your new jammies each night. Fashion show, remember?”

  “Nick . . .”

  “Otherwise, nakedness shall be acceptable here. You decide.”

  Not much of a decision. She blew out a puff of air. “Fine. You get to see the pajamas.” She’d show him the lingerie on a hanger. He’d left wiggle room for that to be okay. “Now will you get dressed?”

  “I’m dressed. Have been for a while.”

  She groaned, but kept the sheet over her head. “Really?”

  “I’m a guy. Doesn’t take me long. A minute max.”

  Addie lowered the sheet to her chin. His royal blue swim trunks intensified the color his eyes. “You could have told me.”

  “And miss all the fun of a blushing bride hiding under the covers. No way.”

  “You are . . .”

  “The best.” He winked. “Get dressed. Mama Lani was setting the table on the patio when I was coming back from my run. Let’s eat then hit the beach. Maybe we can sneak away before Brad and company are up.”

  “I wonder what I’m supposed to wear.”

  He motioned to his swim trunks. “A matching bikini and cover up are in the bathroom for you.”

  “They must think if our clothes match, we do, too.”

  “We match. Not romantically, but in other ways, or our friendship would have never lasted this long.”

  “I guess.”

  “It’s true.” He grinned wryly. “Romantic or not, we are the cutest couple on this island.”

  “Not going to let that die.”

  “Nope.”

  “Even if we’re not a couple.”

  “Hey, we’re a couple of good friends. That’s better than two people who will divorce in a year or two and never see each other again.”

  “We’ll be divorced in five years,” she half-joked, thinking of the end date to his marriage plan.

  “But after the divorce, nothing will change. You and I will still be friends.” His eyes darkened. “Not many married people can say that.”

  Not many engaged couples, either. He didn’t have to say the words for her to know he must be thinking about Carrie. Nick had never been one to get serious, but the woman had ruined him for wanting any type of long-term relationship in the future. “Never thought of the end of our fake marriage that way.”

  “Lots of ways to spin this.” He sat on the bed. “Today when they’re filming us, we may be asked to do things you’re not comfortable doing with me. If that’s the case, let me know. We’ll figure something out.”

  “And if we can’t . . .”

  “We suck it up and do our best.”

  “That’s what I was afraid you’d say.”

  Nick touched her shoulder, his hand warm against her skin. “Listen, no matter what happens in front of the camera, nothing changes between us. We’re friends, Addie. Single, married, divorced. No matter what, we’ll always be friends. No stupid reality TV show is going to change that.”

  “Good, because I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Right back at you, kiddo. I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”

  His words wrapped around her heart like a bear hug, making her feel like she was part of a family again. And in a way she was, her and Nick. And though she worried what Brad and the film crew would want them to do, she had a feeling this island adventure would only strengthen their friendship.

  We’ll always befriends. No stupid reality TV show is going to change that.

  Three hours later, standing in waist deep water in a secluded cove with the film crew on a dinghy ten feet away, Nick believed the words whole-heartedly. But he wondered if the tiny scraps of blue fabric someone decided to call a bikini might change everything.

  Sweat beaded on the back of his neck. If he liked seeing Addie in a swimsuit back in high school, he loved seeing her now.

  Hot. Hot. Hot.

  He wasn’t talking air temperature.

  She frolicked twenty feet from him, her breasts jiggling, her skin wet, her luscious curves barely covered. “Having fun?”

  If he ignored the urge to tear the itty-bitty bikini off Addie and pretended the film crew didn’t exist, he’d be having a blast. But she was all bubbly and smiles. No reason to ruin her fun. “Oh, yeah. How about you?”

  She nodded, then pushed her wet hair off her face. She’d ditched her ponytail again. Good. He much preferred her hair worn loose, past her shoulders. “Being watched and filmed is creepy, but at least we aren’t having to wear microphones.”

  Nick knew what she meant. The filming this morning had them paddleboarding to the cove while wearing microphones to capture their conversation. “Dunking wearing mikes would be dangerous.”

  She held up her arms as if to ward him off. “Please no dunking. There’s not much to this swimsuit. One wrong move, and I’ll be getting a fine from the FTC or need parts blacked out.”

  Come on, wrong move.

  Crap. He shouldn’t be thinking that.

  Friendship was stronger than lust. Stronger than her swimsuit that might blow away with a strong gust of wind and leave her naked in the water. Stronger than her perfect C-cup breasts that he had no doubt would fit perfectly in his hand. Stronger than her bright-as-the-tropical-sun smile making him feel like he was the center of her universe.

  “No worries.” He raised his arms in surrender, more a reminder to himself than her. “I won’t dunk you. Wouldn’t want pics of my naked wife to go viral.”

  “Naked trophy wife.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  He did the same. Man, she was sexy, even playing like a kid.

  Wes jumped out of the dinghy with his camera leaving Dylan, the sound guy, and Conrad, the other cameraman, with Brad.

  “Okay, Addie, move closer to Nick,” Brad directed from the boat. “Splash him a few times.”

  Addie followed the instructions, wading through the water until she was five feet away, water dripping from her hair and down her soft skin. “Ready?” she asked Nick.

  “You don’t have to ask permission to splash me.”

  One shoulder lifted in a shrug. She sent a weak wave toward him.

  Nick laughed. “You can splash harder than that.”

  “I’m trying to be nice.”

  “They haven’t asked us to do much. If we perform now.” He lowered his voice. “We might not have to later.”

  Her mouth formed a perfect O. “Good point.”

  “Show me what you’ve got.”

  Her splashes burned his eyes, but that wasn’t going to stop him from getting his shots in.

  “Your turn,” he warned.

  Addie opened her mouth to speak. Perfect target. He returned fire with a massive splash. A direct hit.

  She coughed, wiped her face. “I’ll get you for that, Mr. Cahill.”

  “I don’t think you will, Mrs. Cahill or should that be, Mrs. Nice?”

  “Mrs. Don’t-Mess-With-Me.”

  She splashed him. He retaliated. The attack continued, water flying and laughter filling the air.

  Over the years, distance had separated them physically, but never stopped them from staying in contact. They’d been through too much with his parents separating, reuniting, divorcing, and her grandfather’s death when they were thirteen to not remain close. But spending time together now reminded him of their carefree and fun high school days. Happiness, pure and simpl
e.

  “Stop splashing and move closer together,” Brad ordered.

  So much for fun. Nick hoped this would be as easy as the rest of the morning.

  Addie’s smile tightened, her lips pressing together like a vice. No one else would notice, but Nick did and hated how uncomfortable she looked walking toward him, not quite a lamb to slaughter, but a close second. “Hey, honey, it’s okay,” he said softly.

  She nodded once.

  “When you’re two feet closer, jump into Nick’s arms and kiss him,” Brad added. “Show us some serious lip-lock action.”

  Addie’s eyes widened, her face a portrait in panic.

  Aw, hell. This was what Nick thought would happen. He stopped walking. He’d grown up dreaming of kissing Addie, but never acted on those desires. Came close, but he hadn’t wanted to scare her off or lose her friendship. He felt the same way now. Kissing for the hell of it was one thing. Being forced to kiss. No way.

  Brad’s blinding smile disappeared. “Got a problem, Nick?”

  Yes. “No.”

  “You stopped walking. You’re supposed to keep going toward Addie so you meet in the middle.”

  Nick shrugged.

  “I thought green hats knew how to follow orders.”

  Every single muscle tensed. His jaw, too. “Berets. Green Berets.”

  “Just kidding.”

  He didn’t say anything, though he flexed his fingers. Another joke and Brad would be searching for his veneers at the bottom of the dingy.

  “Keep moving. Kissing your wife will be the easiest thing I ask of you today,” Brad continued. “I’m sure you’ve done your fair share of womanizing over the years until you and Addie reconnected. Though you A-Team boys aren’t as badass as Delta Force or SEALs. Those guys are real lady killers.”

  Nick balled his hands. He looked at Addie. “Thirty seconds is all I need. I promise I won’t hurt him. Not too badly.”

  Something flashed in her eyes like a golden lightning bolt. She ran through the water, jumped into his arms, knocking him off his feet.

  Nick fell back, cushioned by the water. His hands wrapped around her waist to keep her afloat. He regained his footing, but stayed low holding onto Addie. “Hey—”

  “No hurting anyone.” Her voice was low, but firm. “Understood?”

  He opened his mouth to answer.

  She kissed him hard on the lips.

  What?

  Whoa. A flame ignited low in his gut. This was unexpected. But wow.

  Wow, wow, wow.

  Her lips moved against his. Hands splayed his back, her fingers pressing into him with a sense of urgency.

  Did he say wow?

  Addie making the first move was a complete turn-on. The way she continued to kiss him . . . so hot. Nick couldn’t believe this was happening, but he was going to make the most of opportunity.

  His lips moved over hers, wanting more. She tasted salty and sweet like peanuts and chocolate. She smelled like that lotus scent and sunscreen, a potent combination making him lightheaded.

  He didn’t mind. Not one bit.

  Her hunger and eagerness surprised him. No complaints. He’d dreamed of this moment as a randy teen and was not disappointed as a grown adult. His expectations had been exceeded. Ten . . . a hundred fold.

  All he wanted was to keep kissing her.

  A bird squawked. Waves rolled into them. The temperature seemed hotter than a few minutes before. A little heat wouldn’t stop him. Not with a beautiful woman in his arms and her lips against his.

  One kiss, another kiss, he lost track of the kisses and everything else. Not that he cared. His world was complete at the moment. Nothing else mattered, but Addie. Sweet Addie.

  Soft, smooth, wet skin pressed against him. His hands wanted to feel every inch of her. Addie didn’t seem to mind so he touched her. Here, there, everywhere. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  She deepened the kiss. Her tongue explored, tangled, and danced with his.

  Oh, yeah. Tingles shot across nerve endings. Pleasurable sensations pooled in his stomach, fueling the fire building inside. He burned with desire and heat.

  More, he wanted more. He cupped her bottom, bringing her closer to him.

  She wrapped her legs around him, running her fingers through her hair. She arched, pressing her hips against his.

  His groin twitched, tightened. He knew what was coming next.

  Crap. Nick jerked back, not getting far with her legs holding her to him.

  Addie stared up, her lips parted like she wanted another kiss. He would be happy to oblige. No, he wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

  Not with her.

  Nick untangled her legs from him, made sure she was standing before he let go. He couldn’t believe he’d gotten so turned-on by a simple kiss.

  Nothing simple about her kiss, logic said matter-of-factly.

  Shut up. Letting himself get carried away with Addie made him feel like a jerk. He hadn’t been kissing a random woman he wanted to have sex with. He’d been kissing Addie. His friend, the one he was supposed to be looking out for, protecting. He’d failed. Big time.

  Sure he’d had sex with other female friends, but Addie was different. She’d always been different from other girls . . . women. Truth was, he needed her—her understanding, her compassion, her support, more than she needed him. That had always been the case with their friendship.

  He couldn’t screw up. Not with Addie.

  But he’d come close.

  So what if she kissed better than Nick imagined when he was younger? No reason to lose control and want to take her to bed. Hell, a few more minutes and he would have taken her right there, if she’d let him. He swore under this breath.

  Addie wouldn’t meet his gaze. Staring at the horizon, she bit her swollen lower lip, looking like she was ready to bolt. He didn’t blame her for wanting to get away from him. Not after he’d responded to her kisses as if he’d been deployed and cut-off from women for months.

  Calm down, Cahill. Figure out why this happened before you get your panties in a twist.

  The words of his Team Sergeant, otherwise known as “Team Daddy,” sounded in Nick’s head. The voice had been second only to God on his ODA team. You listened and followed directions, which was what Nick would do now.

  A list of why he might have acted the way formed in his mind—strong physical chemistry, attraction pushed aside for too long, not having sex to show his boss he wasn’t a player. Yeah, Nick could explain his reaction to Addie’s kiss. He glanced up at the blue sky and saluted. Thanks, Team Daddy.

  “Cut.” Brad clapped his hand. “You two are naturals.”

  Damn. The film crew. Nick had forgotten about them, but his main concern was making sure Addie was okay. “Do you guys need anything else?”

  “We’re good,” Brad said, over the sound of the engine igniting. “Enjoy your lunch. It’s waiting for you on the beach. Make the most of the cove, then paddleboard back to the resort. We’ll see you this afternoon.”

  They picked up Wes, then the boat motored away.

  “Good riddance.” Nick looked at Addie, who was jogging through the water toward the beach.

  Nick followed. He would downplay the kiss, especially his reaction, and focus on them successfully pulling off being honeymooners, even though he had forgotten about the crew and cameras being there.

  But she didn’t need to know that.

  And wouldn’t.

  Chapter 5

  Oh, no. She’d kissed Nick. Kissed him so many times she’d lost track. Worse, she’d been all over him. Literally.

  Addie’s feet hit the sand. She wanted to run except she hadn’t a clue where to go. Beyond the sand were palm trees and greenery. This was a secluded cove, reachable only by water, no path to the resort. That meant she was stuck here on a sigh-worthy beach with the gorgeous guy who’d nearly kissed her out of her bikini. Worse, she wouldn’t have minded. Physical awareness of him buzzed through her body.

  So. Not. Go
od.

  She plopped down on the blanket the resort had laid out for a picnic. A canopy of ivory fabric provided shade. A champagne bottle chilled in a silver bucket.

  Better not drink too much. Nick’s kisses made her tipsy enough. Though chugging champagne might be a way for her to forget about what she’d done, captured on film, for all to see.

  Any normal woman would have kissed Nick, maybe twirled a lock of his hair with her finger, and rubbed his back, not gone after him with reckless, wanton desire, complete with tongue action and legs wrapped around him. Her cheeks burned.

  What had she been thinking?

  She hadn’t been. That was the problem. She’d given into the moment, into stupid teenage fantasies of kissing Nick, without a thought to what she was doing as a woman being filmed for a reality TV show.

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  The worst part? She had no idea what she was going to say to Nick. Her friend. Her platonic friend.

  Was there any chance of a volcano erupting nearby? She’d happily sacrifice herself because that was the only way she could save face.

  “Addie,” Nick yelled from the water.

  She didn’t look his way. She . . . couldn’t.

  Not with her heart pounding, her breathing ragged, and her face heated, likely the shade of a hothouse tomato. The way he’d touched her had sent explosions through her. She hadn’t wanted to stop. A part of her wished they hadn’t.

  Lust or temporary insanity? Maybe a combination.

  “Hey.” Nick emerged from the sea like Poseidon himself, water streaming down his athletic body, over muscles, tattoos, and gleaming skin, making her mouth go dry. The gold band on his finger shone, mocking her reaction to his kisses and reminding her, like their marriage, whatever happened between them wasn’t real. “Hungry?”

  “Yes.” As long as more of his tasty kisses weren’t on the menu. Another one might push her over the edge or make her want to get naked. She rubbed her aching forehead. Maybe the sun was affecting her brain and common sense.

  “Me, too.” He shook his arms, sending droplets of water spraying, then sat next to her on the blanket. His smile wasn’t forced, no lines of worry around his mouth or forehead. He looked the same, as always. Of course, kisses were no big deal to Nick. They were a regular part of his life followed by sex.