“Close enough to be wearing a wedding dress,” she admitted softly.
Doug exhaled hard. He hadn’t expected to get so much out of her so soon and hated the deception that caused her to open up to him now. He was using her fantasy and everything he knew she needed from a man to get information to help his cause—and yet there was nothing he’d done for her, nothing he would do, that was faked or phony. She was beautiful inside and out and irresistibly desirable too. He wanted nothing more than for her to believe it as well.
Even if she never gave him another piece of information about herself, her life or, damn him, her ex-fiancé, Doug would still be on this island fulfilling Juliette Stanton’s fantasy. He just couldn’t deny the benefits he might reap as a result.
“What kind of fool got that close to forever and let you get away?”
“The kind that has aspirations higher than he deserves.” She shook her head and those loose curls spread over her shoulders. With a frustrated groan, she lifted the heavy mass of hair and pulled it back into a high ponytail, drawing his attention to her chiseled profile, defined cheekbones and full lips. “So what do you have planned for tonight?”
Her change of subject was obvious and Doug knew he had to accept the parameters. After all, she’d trusted him with so much more than he’d imagined possible after just one day.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red bandanna. “Does this give you a clue?”
She eyed the sheath of fabric with curiosity. “Not a one.”
“I’m disappointed. Put the clothes together with the bandanna…”
She laughed. “Still nothing.”
He shook his head. “Looks like you’re going to have to humor me.” He folded the scarf into a rectangular shape. “And trust me.” Walking around her, he came up behind her and blindfolded her with the bandanna. “Now it’s a real surprise.”
Her hands reached upward and he playfully slapped them down.
“It’s dark,” she complained.
“That’s the point. Hold my hand.” Grasping her soft fingers in his, he walked her forward then helped her into the electric car he had waiting. He reached around to fasten her seat belt and caught a hint of her enticing, arousing scent. His body stiffened in response and he prayed for restraint. Then he placed her hands safely on the dashboard to steady her. “You okay?”
Her lips turned upward in a smile. “Dying of curiosity, but fine.”
“Good. Anticipation’s half the fun.” He swung himself into the seat beside her. “Now hang on.” He put the car in gear and drove them around the back of the resort and headed toward a secluded path, to the place Merrilee’s staff had told him about earlier.
“We’re here.” He stopped the cart and shut off the motor.
Her nose crinkled upward and he realized she’d caught a whiff of their environment. “Any clue yet?”
“It smells like…” Before she could finish, he whipped off the bandanna, freeing her vision.
She blinked into the setting sunlight, adjusting to the shift in conditions before focusing on her surroundings.
“Horses! It smells like horse poop.” She laughed. “This place is a stable! How amazing!” Grabbing on to the metal bar, she hauled herself out of the cart and jumped onto the ground. “I have always wanted to ride. When I was a little girl, I begged my father for a horse. He laughed and bought me a puppy instead. He was back and forth to Washington, D.C. too often to saddle himself or us with the responsibility of ponies, but I never stopped wanting one.” Sheer joy edged her voice.
In her excitement, she hadn’t even realized she’d connected her father to Washington, D.C. and opened the subject up for questioning. Doug knew. But any mention of her father would destroy the moment and he was too enthralled watching her happiness to burst her enthusiasm. And again, emotions won out over professional necessity. Doug stifled a curse, knowing this woman had him tied in knots in a way he’d never before experienced.
“I didn’t know they had horses here.”
“There isn’t much Merrilee’s missing.”
She turned to face him. “So what’s the plan?”
“An evening ride on the beach.”
Her eyes opened wide and filled with gratitude. “I can’t think of anything better.”
Looking at her, neither could he. The stable hand privately warned Doug about an incoming tropical storm, common for this time of year, and the gray sky in the distance backed the claim. Doug promised to return early or take advantage of the shelter points set up along the route. The smart thing would be to give Juliette a brief ride and return quickly—but nothing about his reaction to Juliette, including his feelings, was smart. Still he’d been warned and the choice was his.
After touring the stables, they took off. The farther from the resort they traveled, the more pristine the beach, the whiter the sand and the farther they got from civilization. Because Doug had ridden before and the horse chosen for Juliette was gentle and easy, they’d gone out on their own, following the trail set by the staff. The ocean was choppy thanks to the incoming weather system and he kept the horses back from the tide.
Though Doug had planned this trip for Juliette, he was blown away by the beauty surrounding him and he wasn’t just talking about the crashing waves, the endless deep blue water or even the dolphin he saw breaking through the surf. He was floored by Juliette’s childlike reaction to the little things in life—like blue jeans and a horseback ride. And again, it was that innocence, in stark contrast to his jaded life, that beckoned to him.
He had much to learn from her, he realized, and glancing around he knew he was seeing the world for the first time—because her perspective was rubbing off on him. Changing him.
Thanks to the sound of the ocean and the noise made by the horses, they couldn’t do more than drink in the serenity and relax to the steady beat of the hooves, and Doug was grateful. He couldn’t speak if he wanted to. The lump in his throat was too great.
Dinner, some pointed questions and a quick return home—he reminded himself that was his plan. One that would minimize the risk to his heart, which he suspected was too far gone already. Finally they reached their destination on the other side of the island, and he transferred the horses to a stable hand.
“Where are we?” Juliette asked.
In response, he held out his hand and led her beyond the stables. Like much of Florida, this part of the island was decorated with pastel-colored stucco buildings, making the rougher city boy in him feel out of his element. He walked her toward a yellow house with lush tropical gardens he’d seen in the pictures this afternoon.
A birdbath with running water flowed freely out front. “This place is owned by a couple who used to work in a New York City restaurant and got tired of the pace. They hooked up with Merrilee, moved down here and they now cater to private parties,” he explained.
“So it’s just us?” He heard the hitch in her voice and understood the emotion because it obviously matched the feelings rioting inside him. His heart beat louder in his chest whenever she was near. The two of them alone was either a prelude to disaster or a trip to heaven in the making.
“I could call out the cavalry if you’d rather not be alone,” he said lightly.
“There’s no place else I’d rather be,” Juliette said. And her body agreed.
She’d dreamed of riding a horse as a child, but never had she envisioned the adult feelings the powerful beast could stir. Sitting on the horse, her concentration on both the romantic scenery surrounding her and the incredible man by her side, she’d discovered the pounding surf had nothing on the pulse beating between her legs. The ride had taken on aphrodisiacal qualities and its effect hadn’t lessened since she’d climbed down and into Doug’s waiting arms.
Still strung tight from the vibration of riding the horse and thinking about Doug at the same time, she tingled in anticipation of them spending the evening alone. And two hours later, full from a lobster dinner and light-headed f
rom a glass of wine, she still felt the same way. There hadn’t been a lull in the conversation and they’d covered a broad range of topics, likes and dislikes, much like a first date.
She was more relaxed than she ought to be considering the intent way Doug studied her, yet she had no second thoughts about being with him, no hesitation or doubts that he was a good man.
“Are you ready to head back?”
She shook her head. “Are we in a rush? Because you wouldn’t want me riding drunk would you?”
He laughed but she caught a hint of something that resembled anxiety in his. “I didn’t realize one glass of wine over a two-hour dinner would hit you hard.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” She folded her hands in front of her and leaned forward in her seat, then crooked her finger, indicating he should do the same.
He closed the distance, only a small table corner separating them, but before he could respond the waiter stopped by their table. “Excuse me, folks.”
“Yes,” Doug said through clenched teeth.
Well, at least he wasn’t any happier with the intrusion than she was.
“I have a message from the main resort. There’s a storm moving in faster than expected. The horses are in the stable and safe here but you’ll have to take a car back. It’s waiting out front, ready when you are.”
“Thank you,” Doug said. The waiter nodded and left them alone.
A storm. Juliette inhaled. Her fear of storms was juvenile and unreasonable, the result of a childhood foolishness that had left eight-year-old Juliette and Gillian stranded in a tree house in their backyard long after it was safe to be outdoors. Fear of being yelled at had been greater than their fear of rain, and by the time the girls realized the severity of the storm, thunder and lightning prevented their easy return. Her father had found them, finally, but not before lightning had struck a tree branch nearby and Juliette’s fear of storms had been permanently instilled. Their parents’ punishment had seemed mild in comparison.
Doug turned to face her. “See? We get a ride back. No drinking and riding issues at all.”
She forced a smile and pushed her fear of storms away for now, in favor of Doug and more pressing concerns. “But there are other issues.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”
She inclined her head. “It’s not the wine that’s hitting me hard but…” She drew in a deep breath for courage and strengthened the resolve she’d been developing throughout dinner.
She’d come so far in letting herself go. Another woman might not think so, but from her change in clothing to her outward flirting and the tingling awareness in her body, Juliette knew she’d taken great strides. Problem was, she hadn’t gone as far as she would have liked, and she didn’t want to have regrets when her time here was through.
Now that he’d given her not just a simple glimpse into his life but an overt revelation of childhood pain, she was comfortable with the man and knew she was ready. Ready to take that next step—the one Doug the gentleman had been obviously avoiding. Out of fear of offending her? She didn’t know but it was time to find out.
He reached out and covered her hand. “But what?”
“It’s you. You make me light-headed and dizzy. You affect me. And I was about to tell you I’m not ready to go home if it means leaving you standing at my doorstep again.” She’d said it. Juliette let out a huge breath of air and waited.
Doug coughed, a sound that resembled a strangled groan and looked into her expectant gaze. The man who was attracted to her warred with the reporter who’d promised himself he wouldn’t use her sexually to accomplish his goal. But, he reminded himself, he was also on this island to make her wishes come true. If he turned her away, he’d be crushing both her fantasy and her need to feel desired by that one special man. The man he’d set himself up to be. And the man who wanted her as much as she wanted him. Weighing the circumstances, he knew he could convince himself that being with her—at her request—wouldn’t be using her for information.
But it was a thin argument. So he’d make damn sure she knew how badly he wanted her and make sure she enjoyed their intimacy. However, as he’d promised himself earlier, sleeping with her couldn’t, wouldn’t, happen.
He brushed his thumb back and forth over her soft skin before turning her palm up and grasping her hand in his. He rose, pulling her to her feet. “We should get going now, but we’ll talk in the car on the way back.”
She nodded.
He’d counted on a driver being a buffer for the sexual tension reverberating between them. Except the resort hadn’t sent a shuttle van or a car as he’d expected. They’d sent a limousine, something he’d never have thought necessary on this small island resort. But, he realized, the limo, like the resort’s owner, catered to people’s fantasies. Recalling Merrilee questioning him about happily ever after, he knew the woman was a romantic. And what was more romantic than a limousine ride when necessary? The concept went all the way back to high school senior proms, he thought wryly.
This limo came complete with a shaded partition obliterating the driver’s view of the passengers—and whatever behavior they chose to indulge in. And from the bright gleam in Juliette’s eyes, the possibilities hadn’t escaped her notice either.
But then she glanced at the darkening sky, thick now with gray clouds overhead. She shivered, a tremor shaking her hard. “Storms scare me,” she whispered.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Old childhood fear. It’s silly, I know.” She squinted, studying the gray sky again.
“It wasn’t supposed to roll in until later tonight.”
She shrugged. “It happens.” She climbed into the car and he followed.
The driver closed the door behind them and the rain began to fall—leaving Doug alone with a woman who looked like she’d jump into his lap at the first clap of thunder.
A woman he desired. Badly.
CHAPTER FIVE
THUNDER CRACKLED overhead. Juliette clenched her hands tight in her lap. Lord, she was embarrassed. How could she seduce the man if she was too afraid to move? And she had no doubts she wanted to seduce Doug. None at all.
Without warning, his large hand covered hers. “Relax.” He eased her hand out of its fist until her fingertips splayed—not across her thigh—but his. As a way to distract her, it worked. His leg was hard and strong beneath the rough denim and his powerful muscles flexed at her touch. She let out a slow exhale.
“You missed that last flash of lightning.”
She met his amused gaze. “I had better things to think about.”
He laughed. “That was the point.”
A rumbling of thunder took her off guard. She tensed, curling her fingers around his leg. “Did you know if you count the seconds between the flash of light and the noise you can tell how far away the center of the storm is?”
“Truth or old wives’ tale?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” Regardless, she’d stayed awake many nights focusing on the equation. “But thanks to you I’ve got something else to think about—at least during this storm.” She lowered her voice, conveying a deliberate hint of mischief combined with desire.
His eyes darkened to a deep blue hue. “Whatever you’ve got in mind, will it keep you from being afraid?”
She nodded and shifted so she was facing him, then placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’ll be way too preoccupied to even think about the weather.” Juliette knew she was finding bravery in the darkened car, courage in his physical and emotional strength.
“Then by all means let’s keep you distracted.” His husky voice sent awareness shooting through her veins.
The storm, her nerves and overwhelming need had her trembling. With shaking hands, she moved her fingers to the buttons on his shirt. Two buttons were already opened and her fingers brushed the coarse hair on his chest. He sucked in a breath of air and when he let it out, the sound came out a ragged groan. One Juliette felt deep in her belly and lo
wer, in the pulsing place between her legs.
Power. He’d just proven she possessed the power to affect a man physically, something she’d seriously doubted. Doug might not realize the importance of her discovery but she’d never forget this gift, this moment or this man.
She slipped the tiny white button through the buttonhole and repeated the motion with the next, then the next. All the while his heated breath whispered against her cheek and she inhaled his seductive, masculine scent with each intake of air. And a tiny moan of need escaped her throat.
Doug leaned his head back against the seat and shut his eyes tight. She was killing him by degrees—her delicate, hesitant touches, her wide-eyed stare, and her ability to put fear aside and get lost in her gentle exploration of him. He was fulfilling her fantasy and giving her back the heady power of awareness and desire, but he was also discovering he had needs of his own.
He opened his eyes when, as if she’d read his mind, she parted his shirt, pushing the garment off his shoulders, baring his chest to her gaze. Her hands tangled in his chest hair, her fingertips brushed his nipples and her lips caressed his sensitized flesh until he shook with unrestrained need.
Lightning flashed in the sky and thunder crashed around them. By the formula she’d explained earlier, they were now in the center of the raging storm. But Juliette was too consumed, creating a storm of her own, to notice. And he was too lost in her fragrant scent and the incredible sensation she created in his body to point it out. Getting lost himself wasn’t what he’d had in mind when he’d set out to ease her fear and soothe her nerves. His heart galloped faster than the horse he’d ridden earlier and desire pulsed deep inside. Strung tight, he was the one that needed calming now and he wouldn’t find the relief he sought if she continued her sensual moves.
With her damp tongue, she licked a path up his chest, lingering on his neck, and pausing when she reached his ear. “I’m distracted,” she whispered in a soft voice with husky undertones.
“I’m sure you are.” He placed his hands safely at his sides. For one thing, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t get involved this way and for another she was doing a fine job of distracting herself from her fear of storms.
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