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  “I needed to get away,” Nikki confessed.

  Concerned, Hylan frowned. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  She shook her head. “I wasn’t in any physical danger. I-I guess I was at crossroad in my life and…like my father always says, I chose to run away from it.”

  “But…why me? Why here?” he asked, his hand still stroking her hair. Even through the candlelight he was able to see her embarrassment in her coloring.

  “A, um, former girlfriend of yours had mentioned this place one night at a club. Hell, I don’t think I even caught her name,” she recalled. “Anyway, I was depressed. I had just become the laughingstock of Broadway—well, not quite Broadway—off Broadway.”

  You might want to add a few more offs to that, Hylan thought.

  “Anyway, I was having a hard time facing the end of…a dream.” Her tears came roaring back. “You see, I spent my whole life chasing this ridiculous pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and I just couldn’t believe that after pouring everything I had and everything my parents had into this production that it opened and closed practically at the same time. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. It…it wasn’t fair.”

  Hylan’s heart lurched. He could see that she was struggling to summon a modicum of dignity, but having been there on her opening night, he knew just how humiliated she’d been. “Nothing in life is fair,” he said, gently.

  His clichéd response was met with an instant eye roll. “Said the man who has everything.” She swept her hand around of the room. “Look at this place. It’s an island paradise that sits empty for years at a time. You have a business that’s booming even in the middle of a recession and—”

  “You’ve been keeping tabs on me?” he asked.

  Another wave of color washed over Nikki’s face. “Well, people are always asking about…”

  “Your husband?”

  Instead of answering, she pressed her lips together and nodded sheepishly.

  Hylan stopped stroking her hair and inched away again. “I still don’t get it.”

  “It’s simple, really. I needed a place to go and I heard that you rarely came here. I figured I’d come, clear my mind, figure out some sort of plan and get out of here before you showed up.”

  “But you’ve been here for a year and a half,” he said, shaking his head. “Isn’t your family looking for you?”

  “No. They know where I am. They can’t wait to meet you, by the way.”

  Hylan’s frown deepened as he waved a finger at her. “See. When you say stuff like that it scares me.”

  “Well, I didn’t want them to worry and since I had already told people here that I was married, I figured that it would be easier to just keep track of one lie than a whole slew—but it didn’t quite work out that way, either.” She huffed, exasperated. “Once I got here, it turned out the house wasn’t exactly as empty as your ex-girlfriend led me to believe.”

  “Mahina,” he said.

  Nikki laughed at a sudden memory. “Swear to God I think we both damn near had a heart attack when she walked in on me in your shower that first morning. There I was thinking that I had died and gone to heaven in that huge marbled and glass shower and when I stepped out in my birthday suit, she was right there ready to knock me into the middle of next week with a cast-iron skillet.”

  Hylan barely heard anything after the image of her standing naked in his shower popped into his head. “So, um, what did you do?” He coughed, but couldn’t clear the sudden thickness clogging his throat or erase the picture of soap bubbles running down her curves.

  “Well, I had to think fast. That’s for sure. She really looked like she knew how to use that skillet,” Nikki said. “She was yelling at me in English, French, Spanish and a few more languages I’m still not sure of, but the gist of it was that I needed to tell her who the hell I was before she called the cops.”

  “So you told her you were my wife,” Hylan said, finally seeing the big picture.

  “Well, at first I was trying to say that I had permission to be here.”

  Hylan cocked his head.

  “But it was clear that she wasn’t buying that story so I…um, guess I just said the first thing that popped into my head,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I know it was wrong. Maybe I just got scared for a moment,” she reasoned. “But the next thing I knew she was sweeping me up into her arms and swinging me around the room. You had her convinced that you’d never get married.”

  And she was right, he thought, but refrained from saying it aloud.

  “Anyway, she was whooping and hollering so loud that her sisters and your Aunt Addie came running into the room.”

  Hylan frowned.

  “They were all here to cook for a church fundraiser,” she supplied. “Next thing I know I was being passed around from one woman to another each of them coming dangerously close to breaking me in half.”

  “Were you still naked?”

  Nikki blinked at the strange question. “Uh, no. I managed to grab a towel when the herd of women came running into the bathroom.”

  Hylan shook the image of Nikki naked out of his head and tried to concentrate on the point at hand. “Okay. You were caught flat-footed breaking into my house so you lied.”

  She looked insulted. “I was caught taking a shower and I avoided going to jail,” she amended. “Really, I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s not like I snuck in here to rob you blind or anything. There was no harm done.”

  “Except you were living here rent- and utility-free. And no doubt you’ve been using the house expense accounts for food, clothes and whatever else you needed to maintain your new identity,” he tacked on. “Some would say—me in particular—that was a form of stealing.”

  Nikki jerked away from him. “Wait a minute. I didn’t just lounge around here like the Queen of Sheba, you know. I worked very hard on this property. I scrubbed and cleaned and helped Momma Mahina with most of her duties. When that hurricane blew through here last fall, I took charge of renovating the place—and some would say—me in particular—that I did a damn good job, too.”

  Seeing that she was dead serious, Hylan stared incredulously at her.

  “And stop looking at me like that,” she snapped, feeling her nerves fray. “I’m not crazy. I did what I did out of desperation, but it’s not like I killed someone—and it’s not like you didn’t benefit from it.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Hell, yeah that’s right. Before I married you, people around here had a very low opinion of you, you know. You’re related to maybe half the people in the quarter and yet you never come to visit—and when you do, it’s to parade your latest, empty-headed but always half-naked girlfriend on the beach. You don’t call, you don’t write, but when you do show up it’s to parade around like some proud peacock. News flash—your money doesn’t impress anybody around here.”

  Now Hylan was insulted. “What? I’m supposed to be ashamed of my accomplishments?”

  “No, but you could give back the very thing they gave you during those summer months when you were growing up.”

  “And what was that?”

  “Love,” she said simply.

  Hylan’s heart kicked at the mention of the word. He liked the way it sounded coming from her lips. “You know a lot about that, do you?”

  “What, love?” she asked.

  He smiled.

  “Maybe,” she said, shrinking back.

  “Aw.” Hylan nodded and folded his arms. “Real easy to lecture me, isn’t it, Mrs. Dawson? What’s your relationship with your family like?”

  Nikki started to scramble back to her feet, but Hylan quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and restrained her. “Where are you going, sweetheart? I thought we were trying to get to know each other. After all, it seems that you know an awful lot about me.”

  “Well…just what people here have told me. The rest I sort of just made up.”

  “Made up, eh?” Hylan couldn’t believe he
was starting to find this whole thing amusing. “Like what?”

  She started squirming. “Just…how we met and how you proposed to me.”

  “Oh, this ought to be good,” he said, turning and giving her his complete, undivided attention. “Exactly how did we meet?”

  Nikki squirmed a bit. “Well, you, um…came to one of my plays.”

  Hylan’s brows spiked in surprise. “Did I now?”

  She nodded. “And you loved it, by the way.”

  “Of course I did.”

  “One of the best plays you’d seen in a long time, you said.” Her eyes rolled upward as if she was imagining the whole scenario. “I thanked you and told you how much I really appreciated your coming to see it. But even as we shook hands there was an instant spark between us. Everyone saw it—including your date that evening.”

  “Ah. So you stole me from another woman?”

  She shrugged. “Well, she was sort of on the bimboish side.”

  “So my usual fare?”

  Nikki nodded. “She just kept standing there, twirling her hair, popping her gum and asking me how come there weren’t any poles on the stage.”

  Hylan laughed so hard his head nearly rocked off his shoulders.

  “Anyway, for the next two weeks during the play’s run you were right there in the front row, laughing at every joke and leading the crowd in a standing ovation.”

  “That’s the kind of guy I am.”

  “You were so sweet,” she gushed. “After every performance you’d come backstage with a dozen roses, congratulating me on another great performance. And each night you would ask me out, but I would always turn you down.”

  “Why?”

  “I had a boyfriend,” she said.

  “First time I’ve heard of a boyfriend,” he said, disappointed. “Who is this guy?”

  “Oh, I just made him up,” she said with a casual wave.

  “Figures…”

  “What? It was perfectly reasonable for me to play hard to get.”

  “Why? If you like someone, you should go out with them. Why play games?” He ground his teeth together. “Women!”

  “Oh, right! Like men don’t play games. In fact that’s all you ever do—especially you.”

  “Oh, are we back to what people told you about me or are we dealing with facts yet?”

  “Okay, then. You tell me why you haven’t settled down—or why you’re attracted to women who are allergic to clothes.”

  “So because I don’t want to get married that makes me a bad guy?”

  “What’s wrong with getting married? To have and to hold someone until death do you part?”

  “Why should I limit my options?”

  “You mean you can’t keep your dick in your pants, don’t you?” she sassed back, smugly.

  “My dick is not the issue.” Hylan couldn’t believe that he was having this discussion.

  “When it comes to men, their dicks are always the issue.”

  “I resent that.”

  “But you don’t deny it?”

  Hylan was boxed in. He had the feeling that if he gave her an answer, any answer, that she’d flip it and make him sound like some serial womanizer—who needed to be put down in order to save mankind—or womankind. “You know what? I’m not going to answer that.”

  “Smart man.”

  “Wait. How come you’re not married? Oh, wait. I forgot. You’re too busy pretending to be married to men you’ve never met before.”

  Nikki gasped.

  He actually felt guilty for striking the low blow.

  “I could get married if I wanted to,” she said.

  “Yeah. Okay.” Hylan decided that it was best to let that one go.

  “What? Are you suggesting that a man wouldn’t want to marry me?”

  “No. I’m not saying that at all.” He tried to backpedal his way out of the conversation.

  “Because I could, you know.” Her confident statement was undermined by her lowered chin and slumping shoulders. “It’s just that…well, you know the life of a writer is very solitary…and I was really focused on my career.”

  “The one that blew up in your face?”

  She gasped again, this time tears glistened in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, reaching over and taking her hand. “That was uncalled for,” he said.

  Their eyes locked. Something, neither knew what it was, started flowing between them—electricity, a moment, a feeling.

  Suddenly, Hylan became fascinated with her mouth. It was full, shapely and held the promise of softness and sweetness that was tempting Hylan to do the unthinkable.

  “Look, Mr. Dawson—”

  “Hylan,” he corrected. At her surprised look, he added, “I think it’s customary for a wife to call her husband by his first name.” Nikki laughed.

  Hylan even liked the way she did that. This whole incident was a shame because under different circumstances, he would probably try to holler at her. “Look. Your relationship with your family is none of my business,” he acquiesced. “And maybe there was really no real harm done here. But you have to admit this whole thing is a little bizarre.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip before finally shrugging and conceding the point.

  “And tomorrow when I have to tell—”

  “Do you have to?” she asked as if suddenly realizing that the people she’d come to love over the past year were going to find out the truth about her.

  “Of course I have to tell them,” he said.

  “Why? Can’t you just tell them that we’re, I don’t know, um, separating or getting a divorce?”

  “What? So they can go back to thinking that I’m the bad guy? No thank you.”

  “So you rather they start hating me?”

  “Are you even listening to yourself?” Hylan shook his head.

  “Yes. But, it’s just that I really adore Momma Mahina and I know that she’s not going to take my…my…”

  “Deception?”

  “Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “She’s not going to like the fact that I deceived her all this time. You might not know this, but she’s a very prideful woman.”

  “I do know that and you should have thought about it a long time ago.” His reprimand caused her bottom lip to start quivering. He relented and gave her shoulder another squeeze. “And don’t worry. Mahina never stays mad for long. She’ll forgive you…in time.”

  Nikki dropped her chin and smacked her hand against her forehead. “What was I thinking?”

  “No clue.”

  “Why didn’t I leave sooner?”

  “You got me.”

  “Why did you come back?”

  “I have no—what?” His arm fell away from her shoulders.

  “Well our marriage was going great before you showed up.”

  “Unbelievable.” Hylan rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I give up.”

  Nikki laughed. Even when he glanced at her, she couldn’t stop laughing.

  Figuring that her last comment was meant as a joke, he joined in, completely loving the way her laughter sounded like music. Before he knew it, he was staring at her mouth again and fighting that animal desire to kiss her. A few seconds later, he could tell that she was fending off the same impulse because her dark gaze had locked onto his own lips.

  Then it was just the sound of the rain against the roof and windows that set the mood. When that wasn’t enough, gravity wielded its power and the two slowly started leaning toward each other.

  Hylan just wanted a taste to satisfy his curiosity. One kiss, that’s all.

  Nikki’s brain was screaming for her to snap out of whatever trance this notorious playboy had cast over her, but she couldn’t seem to do it. She just wanted one taste to satisfy her own curiosity. One kiss, that’s all.

  But the moment their lips melded together, they were both lost—swept into a different kind of storm that was brewing inside of them. For Hylan, Nikki’s lips delivered on their promise. They w
ere softer than anything he’d ever known and just sweet enough to give him a sugar high. For Nikki, she finally understood why women fell for this handsome man. It wasn’t the money or power he possessed, but the magic and tenderness of his touch.

  There was a loud shriek from the house alarm system and the entire house was flooded with light as the electricity came back on. Even still, Hylan and Nikki were reluctant to break their kiss. It was as if they’d been starving for each other their whole lives.

  When it finally dawned on Hylan exactly what he was doing, he pulled back and blinked at the woman in front of him in surprise.

  The long stare made Nikki self-conscious and made her fully realize what she’d just done: made a fool of herself again. She quickly jumped to her feet, and this time he didn’t stop her. “I—I guess I better get back upstairs and finish packing.”

  Hylan opened his mouth, but at the last minute decided that it was best to let her go.

  “Right,” she said and then raced out of the room in embarrassment.

  Chapter 8

  Trees down. Roads closed. Nobody was getting off the island.

  Nikki had the sneaking suspicion that Hylan wasn’t going to like hearing that when he woke up that morning. As for herself, she was a bit relieved seeing as how she didn’t have anywhere to go and she hadn’t quite mustered up the courage to call her family for a plane ticket home. The only thing left to do now was to make sure to stay out of Hylan’s way until she could leave.

  Not only that, she sort of hoped that he wouldn’t mind keeping their whole not being married thing between them until after she left. Fat chance of that happening. After last night, she wasn’t sure whether she’d been successful in trying to explain why she did what she did and how it all just sort of snowballed—but at least he wasn’t yelling at her anymore.

  “Good morning.”

  Nikki’s head jerked up from the picnic basket she was cramming with food. Her train of the thought was completely derailed at the sight of Hylan’s six-foot-three chocolate, hard body standing in the kitchen doorway dressed in only a pair of black, silk boxers. Damn. The man must live in the gym. His shoulders alone were the size of mountains and his pecs, good Lord, they looked like fine works of art that she would love nothing more than to run her fingers all over. Staring, she could feel her eyes bulge and her mouth sag open.