Finn frowned. “Who’s that?”
“My brother.” Her brother. Really? She was pathetic.
“He looks upset.”
“Yeah, he usually is,” she said dryly. Their eyes met one final time, and she had the impression she was saying goodbye to the sun—doomed to spend the rest of her life in dismal clouds. He looked like he was going to say something else, but she hurried away. Just before she reached Anthony, she turned, allowing herself one final glance at Finn. As he smiled and waved, she committed his face to memory. Then she gave him a nod and quickly turned away.
“Where were you?” Anthony said.
“Just getting my luggage.”
“Who was that guy you were talking to?”
“Nobody. We got our luggage mixed up and were sorting it out.” Guilt churned in her gut, and she feared it was written all over her face. She tried to keep her expression bland as Anthony scrutinized her.
“You didn’t answer my calls.”
“Yeah, it’s so loud in here… I guess I didn’t hear it. Sorry,” she said absently, her mind tracing the outline of a certain set of shoulders.
3
“So what’s it like? I’ll bet it’s absolutely beautiful. Have you been to the beach? How’s Turtle Bay?”
Samantha smiled, propped her legs on the side of the outdoor chair, and swung them back and forth. Dani peppered her with questions, asking ten before she could answer one. Samantha could imagine Dani talking with her hands the way she always did when excited. Her sister’s enthusiasm was infectious and lifted her spirits. “Turtle Bay is incredible!” She never dreamt a place could be so beautiful. Here, in this isolated island of sand and rocks, the elements of nature were larger than life. She felt a deep connection with the constant movement of the ocean as the tide rolled in and out. A plumeria tree growing beside the back deck made the humid air taste almost sweet enough to eat.
“Have you been surfing yet? You told me you were going to sign up for lessons the minute you arrived.”
For as long as she could remember, she and Dani had talked about learning to surf. When Dani found out she was going to Hawaii for a month, she made Samantha promise to take lessons. Her thoughts went to Finn and his offer to teach her. Of all the things to offer… he held the thing at the top of her wish list in his palms like a forbidden fruit.
She shook her head, frustrated that she was thinking about Finn. He was a random guy she would never see again, and yet she couldn’t seem to get him out of her head. She kept replaying their conversation over and over, savoring every delicious morsel. He’d become the go-to fantasy when she needed an escape from her dull reality with Anthony.
“Hello… Samantha… you there?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. What did you say?”
“Have you signed up for lessons yet?”
“No… not yet.”
“Really? What’ve you been doing?”
“Relaxing on the beach… soaking up the sun. Taking long walks. There’s this cool strip of coral reef on the side of the bay. I walked out on it and saw lots of crabs.”
“Bor-ing.”
Samantha laughed humorlessly. “I’m sorry my trip’s not exciting enough for you.”
“I’m not trying to be catty. But you need to get out and explore the island. You can bet your best pair of pumps that I’ll do just that the minute I get there.”
“Yeah, I need to…” She wanted to explore, but Anthony was worried about her venturing out alone. And he was so consumed with the condominium development on the west side of the island that she hardly ever saw him during the day. When he returned to the condo in the evenings, things were… tense. It was like they were two strangers trying to find something to say to each other.
Living in the same home, though in separate bedrooms, Samantha was getting a crash course in living with a clean freak. She hardly dared move for fear of messing things up.
And the glass incident was really strange. She’d made the mistake of using more than one glass to get drinks of water throughout the day. When Anthony saw the glasses in the sink, he immediately loaded them in the dishwasher. The next day, he brought home a water bottle and used a permanent marker to label it with her name. It could have been a sweet gesture, like he’d noticed she drank a lot of water and wanted to give her a special container, but he’d said, “Now you won’t go through so many glasses.” As if she’d personally been responsible for melting the polar ice caps and depleting every natural resource on the planet.
Even though his behavior was odd, she might not have thought much of it had he not gotten so bent out of shape over the picture. They were getting ready to go to dinner, and she was in the guest bathroom fixing her hair. A large picture hung on the wall, and she hit it with her elbows. To keep from knocking it off the wall entirely, she’d removed it from the hook and set it on the floor. When Anthony realized what she’d done, he got red-faced and told her in no uncertain terms that he paid a lot of money to have the place decorated and she was not to move a thing. He promptly put it back in its place.
To make matters worse, he watched her every move and had even made remarks about how much she was eating. And she wasn’t eating too much. She was starting to feel like the condo was a gilded cage.
Her thoughts jolted back to the present, and she realized Dani had asked her a question and was waiting for a response. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Geez. You’re spacey today. I said, how are things with Anthony?”
“They’re okay.”
Dani picked up on the hesitation like a bloodhound getting whiff of a timid rabbit. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know…” Her mind ran through the list of all the things she wished she could say. My fiancé is distant and controlling. I feel trapped and confused. She swallowed hard. “I think I’m just missing Dad.”
“Yeah, me too,” Dani said quietly. She paused. “Do you think it’ll ever get any easier?”
Tears pooled in Samantha’s eyes. “I don’t know.”
Silence settled between them, until Dani spoke. “You really do need to explore the island. Otherwise you’ll go crazy sitting there all by yourself.”
Her eyebrows turned down, forming a sharp V. “How did you know I’ve been alone?”
“Mom told me Anthony is tied up with the condominium development and that he’s gone most of the time.”
She scowled. “Remind me not to tell Mom anything else. She obviously doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut.”
“Oh, don’t be mad at Mom. She’s just worried about you. And for the record, I am too. You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I don’t feel like myself,” she admitted. This whole thing had thrown her for a loop, and she was trying to get her bearings.
“You need to take surfing lessons. It’ll take your mind off everything, and the adventure will do you a world of good.”
“I’m planning on signing up soon.”
She growled. “Ugh. You can be so frustrating sometimes. Just do it already, okay?”
She could only imagine how Anthony would react if she told him she was taking surfing lessons. He’d probably blow his cork—he was worried about her taking a bus around the island, and that wasn’t nearly as dangerous as surfing. “I promise I’ll do it… soon,” she said, knowing she probably wouldn’t. She had very little money of her own and would be forced to ask Anthony to pay for it. She didn’t want to endure that humiliation. There was a pause, and then she heard shuffling on the line. “Dani, are you still there?”
“Okay, you’re registered.”
“What?”
“I signed you up,” she said proudly. “You’re taking a private lesson tomorrow at nine a.m.”
Her mind whirled with the possibilities, rushing with excitement and anxiety. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. Call it an early birthday present.”
“But how can you afford it?”
“I’ve been wor
king at the boutique. And the life insurance policy finally came through, so Mom’s been giving me a little extra spending money.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I hate to think you’re wasting it on me.”
“I’m not wasting it on you,” she said tartly. “Now quit being the martyr, and go enjoy yourself for once. I can’t stand the thought of you sitting there all by yourself waiting for Anthony to get home and grace you with his presence. Geez. Didn’t I teach you anything about men? You need to make him work a little harder for your affection so he’ll appreciate you.”
She was taking surfing lessons in the morning! Anthony wouldn’t like it, but that was beside the point. She’d be a basket case if she had to walk on eggshells for the rest of her life. The lesson was a gift from her sister. She was going to put it to good use, regardless of how Anthony felt about it.
A sense of empowerment flooded over her. The sun was shining brightly, and the air around her smelled a little sweeter. For the first time in days, she had something to look forward to. And she owed it all to her feisty little sister. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And just so you know, it’s okay to tell me how you’re feeling. No matter how hard you try to sugarcoat the situation, you and I both know the only reason you’re marrying Anthony is because you’re trying to keep us from losing everything. I know this is hard. And as fond as you are of Anthony, he’s not what you hoped for. You wanted to marry for love, not money.” Dani paused. “I want to be here for you, but you have to let me in.”
Finn’s face floated through her thoughts, causing the dam to burst. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Samantha? Are you there?”
“I’m here,” she squeaked, and then laughed. “Quit making me cry.”
Dani sniffed. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
4
Samantha watched as Anthony meticulously buttered a slice of toast. Instead of tossing the used butter knife into the sink as she would’ve done, he rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. It was like he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving a single dirty dish in the sink. Then he poured himself a glass of orange juice, put the juice container back in the fridge, and wiped down the countertop. By the time he sat down at the breakfast table across from her, the kitchen looked as pristine as it had before he’d made something to eat.
The two of them sat—not speaking—while they ate. Loneliness engulfed Samantha, and she longed for home and the lively conversations that drifted easily on the morning air, unfettered by the constraints of Anthony’s expectations. Her new reality was starting to settle around her like concrete, dragging her down deeper and deeper, until her soul pruned up, and she couldn’t recognize the person she’d been before.
When he realized she was studying him, he spoke. “How’d you sleep?”
A polite smile formed. “Pretty good. How about you?”
“I slept okay.” He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth across the top of it. “I’d sleep a lot better with you at my side.” There was a wistful expression on his face.
Horror washed over as she looked down at her half-eaten bowl of cereal. Sooner or later, she would have to come to terms with the fact that she would have a physical relationship with Anthony. But she was determined it would only be after they were married. Remaining sexually pure was a rule she set for herself long ago, and she had no intention of breaking it now. She lifted her eyes to his. “Anthony,” she began, “you know how I feel about this. We’ve talked about it a dozen times.”
He dropped her hand, annoyance clouding his features. “Yeah, I know what you keep saying. I just hope your reticence is owed to your principles, not to any misgivings you have about me.” There was an open challenge in his eyes.
“Of course not.”
He studied her. “You sure about that?”
“Absolutely.” She took another bite of cereal, not tasting a thing.
Long pause. “What’s on your agenda today?”
The night before, she’d decided after she got off the phone with Dani that she wasn’t going to tell Anthony about the surfing lesson, because he would try to talk her out of it, and it would only cause more friction between them. Also, she wanted to have one thing that was completely hers—something that was beyond Anthony’s control. Her pulse increased as she tried to keep her voice even. “Oh, the usual. A walk on the beach. I just downloaded a new book to my Kindle. I thought I’d hang around the hotel pool for a while. Maybe get a massage later on. They have these cool little huts behind the hotel where they give aromatherapy treatments and massages.”
The corners of his lips turned down. “Hmm, sounds costly.”
Costly? He was a freaking billionaire! “I’m not sure how much it costs. Koa highly recommended it, so I thought I would look into it.”
He tensed. “Who’s Koa?”
“The concierge. He’s a really nice guy—part Hawaiian and part Tongan. He’s a local, so he knows all the best places to go. In fact, he gave me a list of things we should do while we’re here.” She hoped he would get the hint and take time out from his schedule to see a few sights with her.
Red blotches crawled up his neck and covered his face. “I see.”
She rubbed down the goose bumps that had risen over her flesh. Surely he wasn’t jealous of the concierge. Koa was perfectly harmless and had no romantic interest in her whatsoever. “Look, the massage was only a thought. If you’re worried about the cost, then I don’t have to do it.” The words dripped like acid from her mouth.
“Oh, no. I don’t mind you doing that.” He forced a smile. “It’ll help keep you occupied while I’m gone. Just tell them to put it on my account.” He paused. “You’re not planning on eating lunch at the hotel, are you?”
Heaven forbid if she got something at the hotel that cost a few bucks. “No, I thought I’d make myself a sandwich here.”
“Good. Just be sure and clean up after yourself. You forgot to close the turkey bag all the way yesterday.”
She had to fight the urge to laugh hysterically. “I’ll try and work on that,” she said with a deadpan expression.
His phone buzzed. He retrieved it from his pocket and began texting.
She glanced at the clock. It was eight forty. Her surfing lesson started at nine. It would take a good seven or eight minutes to walk from the condo to the hotel. She needed to leave in the next ten minutes, and she still had to change into her swimsuit. If Anthony didn’t get out of here, then she would be forced to come clean about the surfing lessons. If at all possible, she wanted to avoid a confrontation, but she was determined to go regardless of whether he found out or not.
He shoved the phone into his pocket and put his dishes in the sink. He was about to rinse them and put them in the dishwasher when she spoke up. “I can take care of that.” Time was ticking away.
He hesitated. “Okay, but make sure to load the dishwasher like I told you. Otherwise, the dishes won’t come clean.”
“Got it.”
“I’ve gotta run.”
“Okay, have a great day.” She couldn’t wait to get him out the door.
She expected him to give her the usual peck on the cheek and was surprised when he stepped up to her and reached for her hand. She scooted back her chair as he lifted her to her feet. Roughly, he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him.
She let out a shaky laugh. “I thought you had to leave.”
There was a territorial look in his dark eyes as he scoured her face. “You are so beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she mumbled, the second before he leaned in.
His mouth moved territorially against hers, his hands roving across her back. He seemed determined to do a thorough sweep of her mouth before the kiss was over. Finally, he pulled back, breathing hard and looking smug. “A little preview of what’s to come after we’re married.”
She stumbled back, her lips throbbing from the roughness.
He grabbed
his laptop bag and car keys. As he got to the door, he turned. “Oh, and if you run into Koa, you can tell him to keep his eyes to himself, because you belong to me.”
She had locked the front door and was walking down the sidewalk when the guy in the condo next door gave her a friendly wave. “Hello.”
“Hello.” She’d seen him from a distance the day before when she was out on the back patio, but had not yet met him. She cringed inwardly when he started walking towards her. Normally, she wouldn’t mind getting to know the neighbor, but she didn’t want to be late for her lesson.
He extended his hand. “I’m Liam.”
“Samantha.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” He had a British accent and was soft-spoken, requiring her to lean in slightly in order to catch every word. His T-shirt and cut-off khakis were wrinkled like he might’ve slept in them the night before, and his hair was a little on the shaggy side.
“Are you here visiting Anthony?”
“Yes, I’m his fiancée.” His ring finger was bare, and he was really cute, so she thought she’d better establish that right away to avoid any unnecessary complications. She still couldn’t believe she’d told Finn that Anthony was her brother.
He looked surprised. “I didn’t realize he was engaged. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’m still waiting for my engagement ring to arrive,” she explained. Then she clamped her mouth shut, realizing that she was rambling. He didn’t care about her silly engagement ring.
He grinned. “At first there were two… and then there was one. I guess I’ll be the lone bachelor on the street now.”
“There are worse things than being single.” Like getting married to a crazy man.
“Yeah… I suppose.”
She guessed him to be about the same age as Anthony, but he might’ve been younger. He had a boyish quality, which made it hard to pinpoint how old he was. The conversation lagged. “Well, I need to get going.”
He motioned to her towel and bag. “Headed to the beach?”
Everything to Lose (Destination Billionaire Romance) Page 3
