“You don’t understand.”
“Help me to.”
“It’s the middle of the night. I’m going to sleep.”
“And then?”
“And then, I’m going to the docks to get my sister.”
“And when Rick comes after you for stopping her?”
“That’s a worry for another day.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Tapping her foot, she stared at him. Silent.
But he was done with silence. “Am I going to wake up and find you gone, Maddie?”
“You’re my pilot. How gone can I get?”
“There’s always a commercial flight.”
She wrinkled her nose and nearly made him laugh. She was a food snob and a plane snob.
“Look, you should really just wait here anyway. You don’t need to risk yourself for Leena-”
“No. But neither do you.” He rose to his feet and walked toward her. “But we’re both going to.” Snagging her hand, he gave a little tug, and when she looked questioningly into his face, he gave her hand a squeeze. “Not having to go isn’t going to stop either of us from helping the person we care about.”
She just stared at him. “You really are crazy.”
“Already established, babe. Already established.”
Chapter 17
Leena stood in front of Ben’s New Orleans gallery holding the letter she’d written on the plane. It told him that she wasn’t who he’d thought, that she was a fraud, every bit as much as the jewelry she’d made him, and that she hoped he could someday forgive her but that she wouldn’t expect him to.
If he wanted to prosecute, she completely understood and understood she deserved everything that was handed out to her, but she’d promised him in the letter that someday, somehow, she’d compensate him for his loss.
Dawn had just turned the sky a pale purple, and the gallery was closed, but that worked. She didn’t need to see him. For a moment, she stared down at the envelope that would give Ben the proof he needed to take her to the authorities if he chose. But if that happened and she went down, then Rick would, too.
She was okay with that. Heart heavy, fingers shaking, she reached for the mail slot, but suddenly, the door opened, and her gaze locked with Ben’s.
Maddie woke up at dawn, wrapped up tight in Brody’s arms. She could get used to this. But what the hell was he doing back in her bed?
His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even. He had a scruffy jaw and bed head, and honest to God, just looking at him did her in.
But why was he here?
Lifting the covers, she took a peek. She was still in her pjs.
Not Brody.
He wore the big zip, which she admitted, took a long, long moment to register. But being so damn gorgeous did not excuse him holding her close in a possessive, proprietary way that made her want to curl in against him even more. “Brody.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Eyes still closed, he wrapped her in tighter, snuggling his face against her throat.
She gave him a little shove that accomplished nothing. “What are you doing?”
He slid one hand inside her pj pants to cup her bare butt, the other slid languidly up her back, making her want to purr like a kitten. “Mmmm,” he repeated.
“Wake up!”
Looking sleepy and sexy as hell, he opened his eyes. “Hey.”
“Hey? Hey yourself. Why are you in bed with me?”
“Because you asked me to be.”
“I did not.” After they’d had all that inappropriate but amazing sex, she’d kicked him to his room. Hadn’t she?
“Somewhere around three, you knocked on the connecting door and said you were cold.”
Oh, God. She remembered now. She’d had the nightmare again, and she’d told him she needed his body heat. With a sigh, she got out of bed and headed for the window rather than risk giving into temptation and jumping his naked bod. Again. “I’m not cold now.”
“Yeah. Getting that loud and clear.” Behind her, she heard him get up and craned her neck, watching as he grabbed his clothes and walked naked into his room.
God, he was something to look at…
“Don’t even think about leaving me behind,” he warned.
Behind? He had a great one-
With an easy flick of his wrist, the connecting door shut, and her view was gone. Shaking it off, she turned back to the window.
The storm had vanished as quickly as it’d come, leaving a yawning blue sky and warm, salty air blowing in from the ocean over the town of Nassau. Time to track down Leena. She took a quick shower and dressed, then knocked on the connecting door for Brody.
He answered, looking a little grumpy and still, a whole lot sexy.
Damn it.
He checked them out of the inn, drove them back to the docks, and then carrying both of their small overnight bags, walked in brooding silence with her to check on charter boat availability.
There were three companies. One was closed, the other two open, with none of them having a reservation in Leena’s name. Or any reservations, for that matter.
So Leena hadn’t called ahead, which meant all they could do now was wait.
At least the salty air was warm and calm and filled with the cries of seagulls nabbing their breakfast from the dock railings.
“You okay?” Brody asked after an hour.
“Yes.”
An hour later, he asked again.
“Where is she?” It was after eight now. It’d take thirty minutes or more to get to Stone Cay. If she didn’t show soon, Leena would be late for Rick, something that just wasn’t done.
“Have you called her?” Brody asked.
“Once or a million times.”
In the time they’d been waiting, both of the available charter boats had gone out with paying customers, none of whom were Leena.
The third still wasn’t open.
Brody stared out at the ocean.
Maddie sighed. “I guess she didn’t come here after all-”
“Where is that boat from?”
Maddie focused in on where he was pointing, where she could see another charter coming in. “Hey!” she called to the captain on board. “Did you come from Stone Cay?”
“Je ne parle pas anglais.”
No English. And she had no French. “Stone Cay?” she asked, pointing out at sea.
He nodded and gestured them on board.
“The question is,” Brody murmured, holding her back from jumping onboard. “Is he saying he’ll take us there, or that he just came from there?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she decided. “She’s not here. And if he took her there…” Pulling free, she hopped to the boat.
He followed. “Maddie, listen to me. For all you know, he was stuck there overnight because of the storm, and he’s just now coming in.”
“Which means Leena’s been there too long.”
“Maddie-”
“You don’t have to come.”
“Fuck.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Do you have a plan?”
“I always have a plan.” But she chewed on her lip, her mind racing. “Okay, I’m working on it.” They paid for the ride, and Maddie watched the winding canals vanish behind them, the miles and miles of fine white sand beach fading away, as well as the towering palms.
It was beautiful, she thought. Far too beautiful to have such grim memories attached to it all. “I can’t believe I’m going back.”
She didn’t realize she’d spoken out loud until she felt Brody at her side, arm to arm with her at the railing.
“That fun a place, huh?”
“You really shouldn’t have come, Brody. I’m not all that nice when I’m around family.”
“As opposed to the rest of the time?”
He was teasing her, but she shook her head. “I mean it. Leena got all the warmth and sweetness.”
“You’re not serious.”
When she remained silent, he tipped his head up skyward, then with a softly uttered “hell,” pulled her around to face him, then lifted her up against his chest so that her toes were dangling. Nose to nose with him, mouth to mouth, she opened hers to say something, except he stopped her with his lips. He kissed her hard and deep and wet, and she was shocked to find her arms entwining around his neck to hold on for more because oh God, did she want more.