Mission: Seduction (15 page)

Four hours to tackle her to-do list and then she could spend time with her man, Rafe. She was still grinning when she let herself out of the bungalow and strode toward the resort. She braided her damp hair back from her face. The bruise on her cheek was still a bit dark, but with almost no swelling she barely noticed it.

Rafe wanted to act as her business manager. They'd talked about it late into the night. He loved this place and didn't see any reason she needed to get rid of it. In fact, he suggested she hire an assistant to shoulder the work when she was off the island and an accountant to do the books. Both would free up a lot of her time. Plenty of her employees were up for the assistant job. She considered Adrien right away and Rafe seconded the idea.

But what she loved most about Rafe was that he wanted her to make the plan and let him worry about how to execute it. They even made up a wish list of terms for her Baywear contract. Whenever she hesitated on an item, he told her to add it.

Reach for exactly what you want, worry about the details later. The worst they'll say is no. But if we don't ask for it, we can't get it.
His words echoed in her mind. His words and the way he said
we.
They were a
we,
an
us,
a
team,
and, yes, it had only been a short time and there were a lot of details to work out.

But she'd waited her entire life for someone to look at her the way Rafe did. Nothing could puncture the sunshine of her morning. She even whistled.

“Good morning, sweetheart!” Her mother's enthusiastic greeting halted her footsteps and Kelly covered her eyes, just in case.

Her dad's chuckle made her feel a little better. “We're perfectly decent.”

And they were, sitting out on the veranda with a pair of drinks. Their casual dress and her mother's apparent lack of cosmetic enhancement gave Kelly pause. “Good morning.”

“Congratulations. You were fabulous yesterday.” Her mother blew her a kiss.

“You saw me?” Kelly blinked. That was a first. In all her years of competition, she couldn't recall a single one where her mother congratulated her personally. Oh, she always sent flowers, and even had a charm bracelet made with a dozen different charms celebrating her surfing victories—but this was a first.

“Yes, I did. Your father and I were there first thing in the morning. We saw everything. Including how your Rafe got one over on George.”

“Greg, mom. And what are you talking about?”

“I told you he wouldn't tell her.” Carter beamed. “No man likes to brag about how he protects his woman.”

Kelly walked up the steps slowly and leaned a hip against the railing. “What are you two talking about?”

“Well, it seems there is a rumor that Glen was negotiating a certain Baywear deal for several million dollars but lost it when he completely embarrassed himself by trying to punch out his ex-girlfriend's new manager after she fired him for incompetence.” Her mother seemed almost giddy with the news.

What did a person say to that? Kelly didn't even realize there'd been a scuffle. In fact, she hadn't seen any mark on Rafe at all.

“It's so romantic.” Her mother sighed and propped her chin on her hand. “Would you let someone punch you for me, darling?”

Her father looked thoughtful and glanced down at his hands. “There was a time when I would have needed these to be in perfect condition, but now I will happily do the punching if need be.”

Raina cooed and Kelly couldn't help but laugh. “I am going to guess that things are better between the two of you?”

“Yes, they are. And that's all we're going to tell you. We promise to not involve our children in our issues anymore.” Raina beamed as Carter lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss.

“Back to you, Kelly, because your mother is right. You were fantastic out there on the waves. The next time you have a competition, you let us know, we'll make a special trip to see it.”

Kelly welled up—she couldn't fight the emotion. Pride shone in her mother's eyes and respect in her father's. Until that moment she hadn't realized how much she truly needed their approval.

She'd always known they loved and supported her. Their dysfunctional communication aside, they were her parents. Love like that doesn't just disappear, but they hadn't been demonstrative or so brazenly approving before.

“Thanks, really, both of you. I have a lot to get done. We're reopening the resort. Would you like me to reserve the honeymoon bungalow for you?”

“No, I think we're going to leave you and your young man alone while I whisk your mother away for a secret escape.” Her father grinned.

“Oh!” Raina straightened up immediately. “Where?”

“If I told you, darling, it wouldn't be a secret.” Carter picked up his drink and took a sip, his expression very mischievous.

“But how will I know what to pack if I don't know where we're going? What clothes should I bring?”

“Who said you'll need clothes?”

Her father's playful leer was Kelly's cue to leave. “La-la-la-la-la—daughter running away now.” She plugged her fingers in her ears and hurried off. Though she couldn't resist pausing at the door to look back.

Her father had moved closer to her mother to kiss her with such tenderness. Yeah, they had their issues, but times like this told her they could work it out if they tried hard enough.

Someday, that could be her and Rafe grossing their kids out.

Not if she wasn't honest with him.

And that means it's time for you to spill your guts. No more lies. No more half-truths. No more letting it hang over your head. Tonight, you tell him and put all your cards on the table.

Rafe wanted to be her partner. He deserved nothing but the truth. He would understand.

He believed in her. She would believe in him.

18

R
AFE
THANKED
THE
cab driver and passed him a tip before sliding out of the backseat. The trip to town had taken longer than he'd expected. He had planned a lunchtime return and now here it was after two. Still, he was satisfied.

The orchids and roses he'd chosen at the flower shop to apologize for his tardiness were pretty and fragrant. The resort bustled. Open windows on every floor let in the swift ocean breeze. He saw a maid carrying towels down to the bungalows while a gardener tidied the lush green lawn. The gardener noticed Rafe and threw him a friendly wave.

Guests must have arrived, but everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves. Kelly had been right about that. The guests wanted privacy and a haven away from their public lives.

He couldn't blame them.

His bungalow had become his and Kelly's hideaway from the main house and he wouldn't mind it if they moved in there permanently—or had a larger one built away from the resort so she always had a private escape.

The porch was empty and so were the salon and the dining room. He wandered through the rest of the first floor, checking for her, before he stuck his hand in his pocket for his cell phone. Then he heard her voice.

Tracking it like a beacon, he dodged a valet pulling a huge trunk toward the staircase and slid right up behind Kelly, where she was relaxing against the kitchen door frame. “We should stick with the buffet breakfasts this week, right? They're always popular and with the increased traffic to the island, thanks to the competition, we can offer them as an enticing alternative to what the other hotels have. Maybe we'll get some extra business.”

Adrien noticed him immediately, but Kelly kept talking. “What about adding a few more rounds of surfing lessons? I can do the ones in the morning, but if we bring in an afternoon and evening instructor...”

Rafe's arm snaked around her middle and he tugged her backward. “You would have more free time for me.”

She yelped and the papers in her hand fluttered to the floor. Amusement lit up her face. At the sight of the flowers, she gasped.

“It occurred to me that a beautiful woman deserves beautiful things and I didn't have flowers for you after the competition, so let's agree that these are serving double duty.”

“Are they, now?” She looked at him skeptically, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Yes, they're my you're-beautiful-and-talented-and-I'm-sorry-I-missed-lunch flowers.” He spread his hands over her hips, loving the way she fit against him. His gaze swept over her sweat-dampened face and the dirt smudges tracking across her brow and one cheek.

“What?” she asked, giving him a quick, fierce hug.

“You're pretty when you're all mussed up.” He waggled his eyebrows and she giggled.

“Let me put these in water.”

He caught her arm as she started to walk away. “Actually, Adrien will probably be nice and put those in water for us. Right now I need to steal the boss lady.”

They skirted more of the cleaning crew on their way out toward the front entrance. “Rafe!” Kelly tugged on his arm as they started down the steps. “You're not limping.”

He glanced at his leg and shrugged. “It's sore, but loose. Don't need to limp when I have such a great yoga and Pilates instructor around.” He urged her down the rest of the steps and paused at the driveway.

The place where they'd first met.

He turned then to face her. His business in town had taken a lot longer than he'd expected it to. The longest part was getting his friend Will on the phone and his new C.O. Both men supported Rafe's decision to accept an honorable discharge. He'd have to return to the States in a couple of weeks to sign his release papers, but he wanted to take Kelly with him.

“Listen, Kelly, I got you a present....”

Her eyes widened, but he held up a finger to stave off any questions.

“Before you say anything, know that this is not because you placed second in the competition or received an awesome contract offer and not because you run a resort that I never want to leave, but because you're you.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a silver surfboard hanging on a silver chain. It was attached to one of his dog tags. Her lips parted and she let out a soft sigh that went straight to his heart. He placed the delicate piece in her upturned palm.

“Surfer girl, you own my heart.”

Tears dampened her eyes and he chuckled, catching one as it splashed down onto her cheek.

“No crying. You helped put this marine back together and I'm yours. If you'll have me.” Probably not the most polished of proposals, but he wasn't making plans to go anywhere else except right here. “And if you can't answer me today, that's all right. I'll be here every day until you can. And we don't have to talk marriage yet, but—”

“I'm all for it.” Holding the chain carefully between her fingers, Kelly bit her lip. “I love it, but before we make any decisions, there's something I need to tell you. It's kind of funny and more than a little embarrassing, but...”

A car pulling into the driveway interrupted them. Kelly squinted past him and he had fully intended to ignore what was happening, until she went pale. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Rafe wanted to swear.

Mimi.

The drop-dead gorgeous model—all five-feet-eleven of her, with porcelain skin, charcoal-black lashes and pure black hair that fell like liquid velvet—squealed. She whooped like a teen and dropped all elegant pretenses to race around the cab to throw her arms around Kelly.

* * *

K
ELLY
COULDN
'
T
BELIEVE
IT
.

She returned her sister's enthusiastic hug and closed her fist around the surfboard and dog tag necklace to keep from dropping it. Rafe backed up a step, his expression tense.

“So sorry for barging in like this,” Mimi said to Rafe in what was her trademark dismissive tone. “I haven't seen my sister in months. I left as soon as I got Mom's message that she had some harebrained scheme to make Dad jealous. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, but I had a hard time canceling my next shoot and you know Sebastian, he didn't want me to go, but I told him I just had to rescue you from Mom's nonsense.”

Hurricane Mimi had officially landed.

“Hey, Mimi.” Rafe's brows drew together in a frown.

Her sister flicked a look back at him, a complete lack of recognition on her face. “Hello...?”

“Rafe. Rafe McCawley.” Uncertainty and unease crawled across his face. When Mimi continued to stare at him blankly, he sighed. “Don't be that way. I'm sorry it didn't work out for us, but I did try to get a hold of you after I got here.”

“What are you talking about?” Now it was Mimi's turn to frown.

Kelly winced. “How about we go inside and get Mimi settled, and then we can sort this out.”

Five more minutes, Mimi. Just five more minutes.

If she could separate them, she could spill her guts to Rafe about the lie. Why she ever thought not telling him when he'd arrived was a good idea, she couldn't begin to fathom. Sweat slipped down her spine and her heart raced.

“No, I want to know what he's talking about. Have we met?” Mimi put a manicured hand on her hip, her chin going up in the same stubborn manner as their mother's.

“‘Have we met?'” Rafe blinked, a profusion of emotions running riot through his blue eyes before they hardened. “New York fashion show? I walked you home? We've been writing for months. Does this not ring a bell with you?”

“No.” Mimi shrugged a shoulder and Kelly gritted her teeth. This couldn't get any worse.

“Mimi, darling!” Her mother's voice sliced through the tension and Kelly decided she'd discovered the social equivalent of a wipeout. She'd miscalculated the wave and now she was hanging ten off a board that was going to slam her fast and hard into the water.

“Rafe, you have to understand, Mimi's been traveling and she gets a little tired. She doesn't always know what she's saying.” Her mother swooped in and embraced Mimi. Her father trailed behind her.

“Of course I know what I'm saying. Do you know how many shows I've done in New York? I've been to Paris, Milan, and Saõ Paulo all in the last three weeks. I'm sorry I don't remember you, and I certainly haven't been writing you any letters.” Irritation flamed in Mimi's face, but Kelly stopped looking at her. Instead, she forced herself to meet Rafe's gaze and the anger that blazed in them.

“If you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Rafe.” Kelly reached for his hand and tried not to be hurt when he didn't take it. He motioned for her to go ahead of him and she led him away from her family and her mother's hushed and hurried explanations to Mimi.

She and Rafe made for the beach in absolute silence. It wasn't until they got there that she finally had to say something. “I'm sorry.”

“For what, exactly?” His ice-cold tone matched his frigid posture. He thrust his hands in his pockets and stared at her, his sexy smile hidden.

“I lied to you. It didn't start out as a big lie, it started out as one person reaching out to another....”

Rafe exhaled slowly. “Cut to the chase, Kelly. Please.” He seemed to tack the last word on as an afterthought. The warm sunshine and golden beach were a stark contrast to the darkness brewing between them.

“I wrote the letters. I pretended to be Mimi and I wrote the letters to you.” Pain flickered across his expression before he shuttered it away and she rushed on. “I read the notes you sent her and they were sweet and thoughtful and caring. I think I started falling for you just in what you said to Mimi, and then you were hurt and you sounded so lonely. I had Mimi's email password and I checked it every day after that first note.”

Tears clogged her throat, but she pressed on. “I wanted her to answer you, but when it didn't look like she would, I did. Then you wrote back. So I answered it and one thing led to another...”

“And you had a great time at my expense. Romancing your sister's half-forgotten and completely discarded date. What was the plan? Lead me on? Bring me out here because you felt sorry for me?” Every sentence was like a lash against her soul. She deserved it. Kelly had lied to him, but not for the reasons he listed.

“No. I liked you. In fact, I thought you were wonderful, and I wanted to get to know you better.” Though it was the truth, her words sounded trite and hollow.

“Because I wrote some sappy story to your sister? Really?” It was as if he were a stranger to her now. He simply stood there, glaring. “So why didn't you tell me the truth when I got here? After I'd flown
halfway around the world
to meet a lie?”

“Because I didn't want you to go. I didn't know I would fall for you or that we would get involved. And then you left that message for Mimi....” She swallowed and Rafe's anger seemed about to boil up to the surface.

“You listened to the message?”

She couldn't lie anymore. It was all or nothing. “Yes. The number I sent you was directed to my cell phone. It wasn't Mimi's.”

Rafe nodded slowly, his lips whitening into a hard line. “Well played, Miss Callahan. Well played. If you'll excuse me, I have some arrangements to make and some packing to do. Thank you for the vacation. I'm afraid you're going to have to find yourself another manager.”

“Rafe, wait.” She grabbed at his arm, the necklace falling down into the sand between them.

“Let go, Kelly,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I need you to understand.”

“I do.” He spoke in a gentle tone. “I get it. You wanted attention. You wanted to feel useful. You wanted someone to need you. I can appreciate that. I was broken, and you patched me up. Thanks for that. But I don't like head games, and this is the super championship of all head games. I'll be gone before nightfall.”

He strode away.

Kelly pressed a hand against her mouth, fighting the scream crawling up the back of her throat. Sound rushed in again, the call of birds, the pounding of the surf and the shattering of her heart.

* * *

I
T
TOOK
R
AFE
less than ten minutes to throw his gear into his bag. It wasn't as if he'd brought that much with him. In the bathroom he grabbed his toiletries and froze at the sight of her red-and-white bikini hanging off the shower rod.

Hurt speared him, but he shuttled it aside. Everything he knew about her, everything he'd told himself since he'd arrived—her honesty, her freshness and her open attitude—seemed somehow tainted by the lie.

She saw my face when I heard Mimi wasn't here. She even tried to comfort me when I saw Mimi and her playboy boyfriend on television. What the hell was she thinking?

In the bedroom, he moved the sheets and a pair of her panties landed on the floor. His heart squeezed. She'd teased him just last night, “dressing” for dinner in lingerie only, since he suggested she skip the dress.

They'd laughed so hard.

Get a grip, man.
He needed to get away from this place. Everywhere he turned, he saw some souvenir of their time together.

Hell, her pink surfboard was resting in the corner. Her bottle of nail polish sat on the table by his bed and he knew her damp dress still lay in a tangled pile with his towels in the hamper.

Grabbing his phone, he called the local airport. No one answered, but he didn't care. He had to get off the island.

I'm a damn fool. I'm sitting here mooning over a woman who lied to get me here.
Of course, she hadn't lied to seduce him. Or maybe she had.

He thought he knew her. But what did he really know? She gave a great massage, surfed like the professional she was and was the most generous lover he'd ever met. Pain spiked through him again.