She wanted it all.
She wanted everything they’d had last night and then again.
She wanted it because a small part of her wasn’t at all sure if she was going to be able to pull this off, and if she didn’t, she wanted something to remember. Wanted this to remember. So right there, with the sea breeze in her face and the salty, flowery scent of the islands all around, she slid her fingers into Brody’s hair, holding on for dear life to the only steady thing in her entire world.
With a low murmur, he backed her to the hull and pressed up more fully against her, freeing his hands to cup her face, his thumbs sweeping over her jaw on either side as his mouth plundered, using his tongue, his teeth, his entire body to kiss her.
Unbelievably, everything faded away-the swells slapping against the sides of the boat, the cries of the seagulls, the murmur of the two fishermen also on board, the heat of the sun beating down on their heads…the fact that she was going back to a place she’d promised herself she’d never, ever go again-all of it simply faded away in the face of this, in the face of what she felt for Brody, of what she was afraid she could still yet feel.
His hands slid down her body and then up again with the familiarity of a man who now knew her every curve and nuance. That was new and thrilling, but then he was slowly changing the pace of the kiss from deep and hungry to something lighter, sweeter, settling his hands on her hips instead of letting them roam over her, stoking fires. Then, only mouths lightly touching, they just breathed each other’s air…until finally, he lifted his head.
Ridiculously breathless, she stared at him. “What was that?”
“Me proving how warm and sweet you can be.”
“That wasn’t sweet.”
“Felt like it to me.”
“Your sweet meter is off.”
“Maybe it’s been off since you had me strip you out of your clothes at the cabin.”
“Stop it.”
He shrugged. “Or it might have been last night when I had you all wet and naked in bed.”
“That was a fluke.” She pointed at him. “I’m serious. No more thinking about wet and naked.”
“Fine.”
“Great.”
“Yeah, great.” But he let out a breath and shook his head. “Shit. That’s not great at all. Not anywhere close.”
Why that caused a little shiver of anticipation to race down her spine, she had no idea at all because she meant it. No more thinking it, no more doing it.
“Is that it? Stone Cay?” He was staring out at the faint outline of an island.
At the thought, her heart sank to her gut.
Stone Cay. “There it is.” She concentrated on the choppy ride, waiting as the island got bigger and bigger-her first view of her childhood home in ten years.
The island was low lying, composed of coral and limestone. Its highest point wasn’t even five hundred feet above sea level, and the island was covered in woodlands and surrounded by gorgeous, bright white beaches. The sea around it was shallow and clear for as far as the eye could see. As they moved closer, the subtropical exotic growth and flora became more visible. Lush, vibrant colors bloomed on the bushes and scented the air.
As there had been ten years ago, there was a dock with a wide, white beach sprawling out for several hundred yards before vanishing beneath heavy jungle growth. Straight back from the dock lay a road, obviously tended to but empty.
No sign of another soul, and certainly, no Leena.
Not good. Maddie hesitated, then got off the boat to look around.
“Maddie-”
“Hang on. I’m looking for-” Fresh tire tracks. But before she could say so, she heard an engine.
“Maddie.” Clearly hearing it too, Brody jumped off the boat as well, just as a Jeep came down the road toward them.
Recognizing trouble when she saw it, Maddie grabbed Brody’s hand and whirled back to the boat but skidded to a halt at a very unwelcome sight-the charter speeding off back toward open sea.
Maddie could only stand there and stare at it, feeling the bottom drop out of her stomach. “He wasn’t supposed to do that.”
“No,” Brody said, calm. “He wasn’t.”
Calm was good. She felt his hand at the small of her back. “Breathe,” he murmured in her ear. “You’re not breathing.”
No, she wasn’t.
The Jeep parked, and the driver got out.
Standing at her side, gaze on the Jeep’s driver, Brody kept his hand on Maddie’s back. “Let’s get this over with and get back to the fun stuff,” he murmured for her ears alone.
“What’s that?”
“Anything to do with getting wet and naked.”
“Leena,” Man In Black said.
Maddie blinked and glanced at Brody. Leena?
“You’re late. You know Rick hates late.” He looked at Brody. “Who’s this, the husband?”
Maddie swallowed. “Uh-”
Man In Black raised a brow, waiting.
“Could-” Maddie licked her suddenly dry lips. “Could we have a moment?” She waggled a finger between her and Brody.
Man In Black nodded curtly and leaned back on the Jeep, arms over his massive chest, face impassive.
Maddie pulled Brody a few feet away for some dubious privacy. “He thinks I’m Leena,” she hissed.
“Actually…” Brody glanced at the guy. “I’m not sure he thinks at all. You see the size of his neck? It’s got to be ten times the size of his brain.”
“Leena didn’t come,” she whispered, both relieved and terrified.
“Yeah.” Brody cut his gaze to the empty dock. “But we did.”
“Yeah.”
“And the charter’s gone.”
Which really sucked. “Which leaves us at their mercy.”
“Okay, I really hate the sound of that.”
She did, too. “I have to be Leena.” She looked at him. “It’s the only way.”
“What? No.”
“Well, I can’t be me!” she whispered harshly. “Don’t you see? If I’m Leena, all Rick wants from me is some work, and then I’m free to leave again, assuming I convince him I’m not running away.”
“Jesus. This is suicidal. You know that.”
“What choice do we have? The boat’s gone. If I’m Maddie, well…I think that might be a bit of a health hazard for me.”
He swore beneath his breath. “Your life is too complicated.”
“I told you!”
Brody looked over at MIB again. “Christ, I’m crazy for agreeing to let you do this.”
They had no choice. None at all. Brody wore tan khakis and a white shirt. His eyes were a cool, give-away-nothing gray, and his wind-tousled hair fell carelessly across his forehead. Did he look like a husband? Her husband? She hoped so, because holy mother of God, he was who he was and didn’t do pretense for anyone.
“I’m not going to screw anything up,” he said, obviously reading her mind. “I know what we have to do.”
Well, she was glad someone did, because she didn’t. She was putting him directly in danger, and the thought wasn’t an easy one. If anything happened to him, if anything at all went wrong, she’d never forgive herself.
Never. “Remember,” she hissed. “I’m-”
“Yeah, yeah. You Leena. Me ball and chain. Got it.”
“No.” She was doggedly determined to make sure he had everything straight. “She’s different than me. I’ll be different. I’ll be quiet. Demure.”
“Your virtual opposite, you mean?” He put his hands on her arms and looked into her eyes. “I get it.”
“Do you? Because Leena wouldn’t marry a scowling badass. You need to act…beta.”
“Beta?”
“Yeah. Easygoing. Laid-back…”
“That’ll be new,” he admitted.
“Can you try for…refined?”
He let out a low laugh. “I’ve never been refined, not from the day I was born in the gutter or the day I crawled out of it.”