“Ah, but I get pleasure watching other people’s fantasies come to life and play out. Nine times out of ten the end result isn’t what they intended, but often better than they’d hoped.”
Doug laughed, enjoying this woman and her philosophy of life. “Sounds cryptic.”
“Talk to me again when the week’s out.” She rose from her seat and Doug followed. “But don’t hesitate to stop by my office when the whim strikes. I like you, Doug Houston.”
“The feeling’s mutual.”
She patted his hand. “Then don’t disappoint me.”
She ambled off down the beach and he exhaled a groan. She didn’t ask for more than she had a right to expect. Hell, she didn’t ask for more than he demanded from himself. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling he was treading very shaky personal ground. And Merrilee knew it.
On his way out of the main lobby, he stopped at the concierge to make arrangements for a special evening. When he’d gotten access to Juliette’s Fantasies, Inc. paperwork, he’d discovered more about her than he’d ever dreamed. He knew not only the things she feared, like water skiing, but things she’d love to try, from hot-air ballooning to horseback riding on the beach. In an effort to broaden the possibilities of her guests’ fantasies, Merrilee’s questions were broad and thorough enough to give Doug a boost in his quest to make Juliette’s experience one she’d never forget. Hell, Doug knew he wouldn’t forget one minute of his time here.
After setting up the evening, he headed for the pool. The entire area was already filled with people and towels on the chairs, but Doug had an easy time spotting Juliette in the eclectic mix. No one else had her shade of hair and no other woman attracted him so strongly.
When he joined her at the far end of the free-form pool in a space with ample privacy, he realized she’d fallen asleep. He pulled over a chair from a neighboring table and sat facing her, propping his feet on the edge of her lounge. For the first time in his life Doug, a man always on the move, was content to sit in silence and watch a woman sleep.
Her chest rose and fell in even breaths, her breasts full, her nipples tight against the bikini top. In contrast to the sexy sight of her lush body in the skimpy bathing suit, her makeup-free face glistened with suntan oil and her mouth was opened slightly, giving her an innocent appearance that touched something inside his more world-weary soul.
He crossed his hands over his stomach and studied her, wondering why she appealed to him so. Just then her eyelashes fluttered and she let out a sigh, shifting restlessly. He reached out a hand to soothe her with a caress, then withdrew as she settled down before he touched her. He wondered if she was dreaming and if so about what. Or whom.
Minutes later she woke with a start. A shiver shook her, despite the heat, and he watched, entranced, as awareness of her surroundings dawned slowly. “You’re awake.”
Startled, she turned toward him, a light blush on her already sunburned cheeks. “How did, when did you get…” She shook her head. “Never mind. I’m sure I don’t want to know.”
He laughed, not at her discomfort but because he enjoyed her so much. “I’ve only been here a short while and, in case you’re curious, you don’t snore.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Did you have a good rest?”
She nodded, then quickly averted her gaze, making him wonder again about those dreams she might have had. “Are you still interested in those resort activities?”
She curled her knees up beneath her chin. “You bet. After a swim and cool drink. What did you have in mind?”
“Beach volleyball and then a surprise.”
She grinned. “I love surprises.”
“Then let’s get the day started. I’ll race you to the pool.” He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on top of her beach bag on the ground.
Her wide-eyed gaze followed his movement, her stare settling on his bare chest.
“You keep looking at me like that and even the pool won’t cool me off.”
“There’re more ways than a pool to take care of your problem.” Her eyes darkened with a heat he couldn’t mistake.
For the first time in their acquaintance she didn’t look away when tossing out a provocative comeback. And though a light blush stained her cheeks, determination shone in her eyes and no tremor shook her voice. She was comfortable around him, he realized. Enough to let down her guard. The initial awkwardness was gone.
Heaven help him now.
CHAPTER FOUR
JULIETTE DOVE into the heated pool, the water still cool enough to jolt her back into reality and out of the sensual haze her dream had taken her into. And what a dream she’d had. Centering around Doug and his erotic talents, all of her senses had been heightened and aroused. She’d fallen asleep thinking about him, so her dream made sense on a logical level. But in her imagination, he had taken her to a fevered, unsatisfied state of desire and she’d awakened, her yearning high, to find he’d been watching her as she slept.
As she rose from the depths of the deep end, pushing her hair back and shaking the water from her face, Doug surfaced beside her. “How about that drink?” He pointed toward the cascading waterfall and the tropical water bar.
“I think I’ll wait awhile.” No telling how her body would react to a combination of alcohol, sun and Doug. She leaned back and floated on top of the water, letting the rays bathe her face in warmth.
“How about sharing a raft instead?”
She lifted her head to find him in possession of a simple float. Grabbing on to one side, she waited while he did the same. They floated in the deep end, adrift and alone. “You have to admit, this is the life.” She let out a satisfied sigh.
“Beats the daily grind, that’s for sure.” He slicked back his dark hair.
“You said you’re a writer.”
He nodded. “I followed in the old man’s footsteps.”
She rested her chin against the plastic liner. “Do you mind if I ask which father?”
He shook his head. “Ted Hou…my adoptive dad.” His voice took on an unmistakable warmth. “He’s really the only father I have or care to recall. My real old man took off, so there’s not much point in remembering him.”
“But you’re close with your adoptive parents?”
“They’re the best.”
She smiled. “So are my parents. I think it’s a wonderful gift when you can look back and know you’ve had it good.” She thought about her father, his warmth, caring and the regular Sunday morning breakfast with his “girls” as he called Juliette, Gillian and their mother.
He’d given them so much love and acceptance—which was probably why she felt so strongly about protecting him now. “Do you ever feel you owe your parents? Your adoptive parents, I mean, for giving you more than a roof over your head?” Because her parents had not only given her life but they’d sheltered her from the harsh realities of the press and public scrutiny when they could, and they honestly cared about her happiness. She sifted water through her hand, lost in thought.
“I know I owe them.” At the sound of Doug’s voice, she raised her head. “They saved me from the street.” He cleared his throat.
“How so?”
“I was ten years old. I hadn’t slept in days, unless you count resting on a park bench, and I hadn’t eaten in twice as long. I was half a step away from foster care and one quarter step away from being arrested.”
Hearing his story, her heart twisted at the pain no child should have to know. When she’d voiced her thoughts aloud, she’d been pondering how to save her father’s reputation, not something as elemental as basic survival. Without thinking, she reached out and put her wet hand over Doug’s arm, silently conveying her understanding.
His free hand covered hers. He glanced up, blinking into the sunlight, as if remembering. “Sometimes in the middle of the night, I’ll wake up hungry and have to shake myself so I remember there’s a full fridge downstairs and I’m not some ten-year-old kid out of options who has t
o resort to pickpocketing if I want food in my belly.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling embarrassed at what seemed like shallower pursuits. “You know, when I asked you that question, I was thinking about my dad and how I can help him now. I never imagined…” She shook her head, not knowing what else to say. And even as she realized she’d mentioned her father, though not by name, she couldn’t regret exchanging information with Doug. Not when he’d given her such insight into his past.
His blue eyes, reflecting and taking on the hue of the water, focused on her. “When you find yourself fortunate enough to have good parents and, believe me, I know the difference, there’s little you wouldn’t do in return. That’s something I understand well.”
Juliette nodded. He obviously could understand her desire to care for and protect the people who raised her.
“It sounds like you’re here to sort something out. Something related to your dad?” He squeezed her hand, as if asking her to trust him.
“You could say that.” She wondered what Doug would advise her if he knew the truth about who she was and what she’d been through. She wondered if her heart, which beat erratically in her chest and begged her to open up and let him in, could be trusted. After all, she’d made too many errors to be one-hundred-percent certain of her judgment and choices. But something inside her told her this man was different. That he wouldn’t use her the way Stuart had. She’d already decided to trust him with her body. Her emotions couldn’t possibly be far behind.
A loud whistle rent the air. “Beach volleyball,” a woman’s voice called out to the guests, breaking the opportunity to share and shattering the intensity between them. “Ten minutes until game time,” the woman called once more.
Juliette forced a laugh, not knowing if she’d been spared or not. “Organized events.” She shook her head. “They’re for the people who can’t stand to be idle.”
“And people who like crowds,” Doug muttered, seconds before ducking under the water for a quick escape.
Damned if Juliette hadn’t done it again. She’d gotten him to open a vein and pour out his soul, when he was the one who needed information from her, not the other way around. But once he’d begun talking, he couldn’t stop.
And he didn’t understand why. He’d never revealed his painful past to anyone before, especially to a woman and, Lord knew, Erin would have lain prostrate at his feet for such in-depth information. Doug had had no desire to share with Erin, his girlfriend of two years, yet one day with Juliette and she knew his deepest secrets. Doug wasn’t a fool and understood the kind of intimacy they’d just shared would go a long way toward gaining her trust and convincing her to open up in return.
He just wished his need for information on her ex-fiancé was the only reason he’d bared himself first. Wished he wasn’t drawn to her compassionate nature and giving heart. Because he feared losing his own heart. And he hated the now constant guilt that accompanied his every move.
Doug resurfaced, shaking water off himself and grabbing back on to the raft. “Volleyball interest you?” he asked.
“I know you said you wanted to try some resort activities, but I’m going to pass on the beach volleyball bit.” She looked into his eyes and drew him in. “I prefer the company of one special person to a large group, myself.”
Doug didn’t miss her deliberate hint. And though beach volleyball was safer, he was too close to gaining her trust to push her away and risk losing her now. “I’ve got something special planned for us, remember?”
“Are you going to fill me in?”
He grinned. “Soon enough. For now all you need to do is head on back to your room. Everything you need for tonight will be waiting for you there.”
“If I’m not careful, I could get used to this kind of attention.”
“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t. A woman like you deserves the best.” He reached forward with his feet, entangling their legs together beneath the water, and was rewarded by her huge smile.
His heart beat rapidly in his chest and he knew he was a goner. Hell, he should have known the minute he’d unburdened himself about his childhood. But with this one smile—meant for him alone—Doug knew he was falling for this woman fast and hard.
He hadn’t lied when he’d told Merrilee he believed in happily ever after. He just hadn’t thought any woman could inspire those kind of thoughts in him. Least of all Juliette Stanton, the woman he needed for selfish reasons. He shook his head. Life had a way of throwing him the toughest curves.
He needed the information Juliette possessed too badly to walk away and he was mired too deep in lies to admit the truth outright and rely on her good nature for the answers. The guilt he’d been feeling since arriving at the island grew and settled in the pit of his stomach.
But so did his certainty that she was in possession of information he needed. Juliette had just admitted she’d come down here to sort out something related to her father. He wondered if Senator Stanton was involved with his protégé in illegal dealings and, though Doug would never dismiss the notion without evidence, he doubted it was true. His earlier information had never mentioned the senator and his record and reputation were above repute.
Which led Doug back to Juliette and her relationship with Stuart Barnes. Earlier this morning she’d questioned Doug about being engaged. She’d mentioned that by getting caught up in the swing of things, a person could end up nearly married. Without a doubt, she’d been talking about herself as well as about him.
So Juliette, of all people, would understand putting a parent first. Unfortunately she wouldn’t appreciate being the one sacrificed for the cause. He thought of his father in ICU—the IV and other tubes poking and prodding him, and the smile on his weary face when Doug had left to hunt down this story—and he knew one thing for sure. He didn’t have a choice.
* * *
HOW DID HE KNOW? Juliette stood in front of the closet door that doubled as a full-length mirror, taking in the denim jeans, the white, oxford-type shirt with a tank top beneath, and the pair of simple black boots. All perfectly sized, all comfortable and easy. She wondered again how Doug could possibly know how badly she needed these ordinary clothes that symbolized an ordinary life.
She hadn’t worn such a basic outfit since college and didn’t have a pair of blue jeans in her wardrobe now. Ever conscious of public scrutiny, especially since she’d begun dating Stuart, she’d never left the house looking less than conservative and dressed up.
When the doorbell rang, she ran, intending to greet Doug with a huge hug of thanks. But as she twined her arms around his neck and his hands reached out to grasp her waist, simple gratitude became something more. Something primal and elemental, wild and free.
She tilted her head back, intending to just look at him, but the result put their bodies in intimate contact. His firm chest, covered by a denim shirt, pressed against hers, heightening the ache in her sensitive breasts. His belt buckle pushed into her stomach but that pressure was nothing compared to the hard outline of his erection snuggling against her femininity, a place where pressure built and desire found a home.
He sucked in a startled breath but didn’t break their physical connection. “To what do I owe such an enthusiastic greeting?” he asked.
For a woman already on the edge, his grin was nothing short of devastating. “You anticipated my needs.”
“How do you know that when you don’t even know what I’ve got planned for tonight?”
“The jeans would have been enough.”
He held on to her hand and twirled her out in front of him, letting out a whistle of approval. “Nice fit.”
She felt the burn rise to her cheeks. He must have seen it because he stroked her heated skin with one roughened fingertip. “Never heard a catcall before?”
“Oh, I’ve heard them. I’ve just never had one directed at me.”
His eyes darkened in appreciation. “Then the men in Chicago must be blind. Don’t tell me a beautiful
woman like you has never had a serious relationship.”
She let out a sigh. Suddenly her recent past and the all’s-well pretense here on the island became too heavy a burden. She wanted to share the truth. With Doug. “I probably came closer to getting married than you did.”
His eyes narrowed. His interest was apparent but, by his furrowed eyebrows, so was his concern. “How close?” The words seemed reluctantly drawn from him. As if a part of him wanted to hear while another rebelled against it.
“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…”
Secret Fantasy (NYT Bestselling Author) Page 6
