Mission: Seduction (10 page)

But it was a
lie
and he deserved so much better.

“Morning.” Rafe's sleepy voice washed over her. She'd never tire of hearing it.

“You are one hot marine.” The stubble on his cheeks prickled her fingers. Those whiskers had chafed her inner thigh as he'd brought her to climax time and again. Never in her life had she been with such an unselfish lover.

“Hmm, you are as beautiful as ever. That's an interesting hairstyle, but you even make that work.” The sweet compliment carried an edge of wicked humor.

Her hair.

She'd forgotten about all the hairspray her mom had used on it the night before.

She quickly went to check her appearance in the mirror over the dresser. Her hair jutted up in three different directions.

“Ack.” She tried to flatten it with her hands, but Rafe's arms snaked around her and she found herself back on the bed, staring up at him.

“Look who I found....” He silenced her squeal with a hard, demanding kiss. She groaned and then burst out laughing as his fingers glided down her sides, tickling her.

She squirmed but only ended up farther beneath him, her legs wrapping around his hips. His cock swelled against her stomach, but he continued his slow torture of caresses and kisses.

“Yes, I think it must be a wild woman from the island of Fiji—I hear you have to kiss them into submission.” The humor in his voice spiked the need he'd awakened and she pressed into him only to wiggle as he found a particularly sensitive spot.

Wanton, she thrust up against him, the friction both a torment and a release.

A hard knock on the bedroom door left ajar and a throat clearing made Rafe automatically lunge to block their visitor from seeing her naked. She grabbed his shoulders and peeked around him.

Oh, jeez. What was he doing here?

Mortification swooped up and swallowed her whole.

“Hey, Daddy.”

* * *

“S
EEMS
LIKE
A
nice man. How long have you been seeing him, Kelly?” Her father walked beside her. He wore a pale green polo with his requisite khakis, and his feet were bare. He'd always said walking in the sand in bare feet was one of the greatest pleasures in life. Steel-gray hair framed his suntanned face. His dark eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

“Daddy, Rafe is a friend of mine. You had no business barging in on us like that. I'm a grown woman.”

The embarrassment and shocked look on Rafe's face would be hard to forget. Poor guy. He might never forgive her.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Rafe had mumbled before escaping to the bathroom. Her hurried apology couldn't possibly make up for leaving him with a hard-on and a humiliating introduction.

She'd hustled her father out of there as swiftly as possible.

“Why are you here? And why did you find it necessary to embarrass me?”

“Your chef directed me to you. I won't lie. I thought you were alone. When I heard you scream...” He stopped abruptly and closed his eyes. “There are just some things a father should never see,” he grumbled.

Kelly stopped abruptly and whirled to face her father. Finger up, she jabbed him in the chest. “First of all, what I do in the privacy of my own bedroom is none of your business. Secondly, you don't call, you don't text, and you show up like one of the dawn patrol?” She didn't tack on the “in Fiji” part, because that was implied. Her parents lived in California, she lived in Fiji. It wasn't a quick trip.

Another big bonus to living on the island, it put her a good distance away from the family soap opera. Well, until now.

Mom!

He was here to get Mom back. Kelly's irritation evaporated. As unpredictable and self-centered as her parents could be in their dysfunctional relationship, they did care about each other and were heartbreakingly romantic at times.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart, I hate to be the one who has to tell you...but your mother's left me.”

Or not. Kelly pinched the bridge of her nose. “Dad—”

“No, it's not altogether unexpected. She and that Gunther character have been linked for months—years, really. I retired, like she wanted. I bought the house she wanted. I attend all the parties, do all the things she wants. But how could I possibly hope to compete with someone who
understands
her?”

Had her father actually used air quotes? Kelly shook her head. “Daddy...”

He patted her arm in an assuring gesture. “Really, it will be fine. Besides, I wanted to come spend time with my favorite girl. I tried to call Mimi, but she's with some Italian Romeo and can't be bothered with the little people in her life.”

Kelly stared agog at her father. He couldn't have surprised her more if he'd sprouted two heads or turned green. Grabbing his arm, she tugged him into resuming their walk. They were almost at the resort.

She would break it to him that Mom was there, encourage a reunion and then watch as he whisked her mother back home. Kelly could exit stage left before the dinner theater got started. Unfortunately, her mother chose that minute to appear at the front door.

“Carter.” Her voice cracked like a whip through the predawn hush.

“Raina.” The surprise and grief on his face solidified into an emotionless mask. “You brought your lover here?”

“My lover?” Raina marched down the steps, her silken dressing gown flowing around her like some heroine in an old horror movie. Despite the early hour, her hair was perfectly coiffed and her makeup only accented her stunning beauty. “Where is yours? I imagine you've come here to the islands, expecting to sow your oats while our daughter watches? Oh, Carter, what kind of an example is that?”

“The one her mother is already displaying, apparently.” He cut a look down at Kelly as though remembering that she was still there. “This isn't an appropriate conversation to have in front of her. If you'll excuse us, Kelly, your mother and I will take this inside.”

With that, Carter gripped Raina by the arm and directed her into the mansion, the door slamming shut behind them. Kelly stared at the closed door to
her
house—her
resort
and sighed.

Could this day get any more bizarre?

13

B
Y
LATE
AFTERNOON
, Kelly was about to tear her hair out. A tropical squall was bearing down on the island, which meant the surf was hopping and so was she, not to mention her staff. They'd done a quick stocktaking, reviewed safety measures and boarded up all windows on the inside and closed storm shutters on the outside. Also, she had to crank up the truck and drive into town for fuel. The hollows on the waves were amazing, but she couldn't get anywhere close to them because there was too much work to be done.

Adrien grunted something about the generator before heading out to distribute supplies. She saw Rafe at one point hammering away with the other guys who worked at the resort, but aside from his heart-wrenching smile, she didn't get to talk to him. She mouthed,
Later,
and he gave her a quick nod as she ran off to do her next errand.

She was lucky to get fuel. There had been a lot of tourists and competitors arriving on the island for the weekend's upcoming surf meet. It would be her first competition after several months. It was the one thing Greg hadn't griped about when he'd cornered her at the party.

At the thought of him, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Greg's face peered up at her on-screen and she stifled a growl. “Yes, I know, I need to be on the waves and I will be as soon as I get the resort ready for the storm.”

“If we hired a manager for you who would run things, you could be out there now.” He meant well, he really did. She told herself that over and over. But the fact remained that she didn't want a manager. She loved Last Resort.

“I'll take that under consideration.” She so didn't want to fight with Greg. “Look, my parents are here.”

“Ah.” The sound of understanding, only not. Greg didn't like her parents. Fortunately, the feeling was entirely mutual, so he wouldn't be plaguing her at the resort while they were there. A mixed blessing.

“I've got to go.” She shoved the phone in the pocket of her denim shorts and finished adding the fuel and last of the supplies they'd need into the truck.

In all likelihood, the storm would last overnight or maybe a day at most. But she'd been on the island long enough to know they had to be prepared for anything. Better to be safe than stranded and starving.

When she got back to the resort, Adrien took over at the truck and assured her that the generators were good to go, thanks to their handyman, Duke. They might lose phone and satellite, but they would have power. The winds blew in from the east, stronger with each passing hour.

Trees leaned away from the shore and the choppy waves taunted her. Farther out, the sweeter swells were just getting started.

“I can't believe you're not ready.” Raina, elegantly dressed, stood in the main living area and adressed Kelly as she was passing through. “Dinner is in an hour.”

“What?” Kelly had barely spoken to her parents. She struggled to rein in her temper, already fried from the day's stressful activities. “I'm sorry, Mother, what are you talking about?”

“Dinner. Your young man is joining us. He will be here at seven and you've not bathed. Have you even run a comb through your hair today?”

She would not kill her mother.

She would
not
kill her mother.

Kelly counted to ten and tried again. “Mom, there's a tropical storm coming and we're getting everything organized....”

Raina waved away the concern. “I know, dear. The place is buttoned down or whatever it is you say. Adrien made sure we had the emergency kits, flashlights and bottled water. They hammered all day getting the windows covered. Now we're going to sit down like civilized people and dine. Go have a bath or shower, and change.”

Kelly opened her mouth to argue, but her mother pointed a manicured finger at her. “Your father told me what happened with Rafe. The least we can do is try to show him that we are a normal, happy family. Okay?”

“Mom,
we
are not normal.”

“Fine.” Her mother's hands went to her hips. “But we are civilized, young woman. You will show that striking and honorable man what a treasure you are. You may have to tell him the truth at some moment, but by then he'll be so enraptured by you, it won't matter. And goodness knows what kind of horrid stories you've been telling him about us. Rafe has been defending our country. I will not have him thinking we are some kind of Hollywood trash.”

Usually her mother's diva attitude would put Kelly on edge. However, she did make sense. Sort of. And when Kelly had told her mom everything about the letters and lying to Rafe, she hadn't judged her. Her mother had talked about doing what was right and moving forward.

“Okay, I'll go get ready.”

“Wonderful. And put some makeup on—do you want me to help?”

Kelly held up a hand to stop her. “No,” she blurted. “I mean, no, thanks, I'm good. Where's Dad?”

Her mother shrugged. “We will see him at dinner. Drinks are in half an hour, you really need to hurry.”

Fifteen minutes later, she shut off the blow dryer and slicked her hair back into a ponytail. Her mother would be appalled, but Rafe wouldn't mind. In fact, Rafe might even like it. He enjoyed making her hair fall down over her shoulders.

Her memory ran to their night together, but she shoved the thought away. If she were to survive this dinner, she would need her wits about her.

She chose a blue-and-white halter dress. The skirt had slits that hit midthigh.

It was easier to take off than put on. Pausing at the mirror to give herself the once-over, she added a touch of lip gloss. Outside, the wind continued to batter the property.

When the waves slammed dangerously high onto the beach, the storm would be upon them.

Twenty-nine minutes after reaching her suite, she strolled barefoot back to the living room. Her father rose from his chair to greet Rafe, who had also just arrived.

The marine's amazing smile was like a sip of whiskey warming Kelly's body to the core. No man should ever look that good. The moment his gaze touched hers, tingles raced over her skin.

“Hey.” She waved, slightly nervous with two of the men she cared most about in the same room.

“Good evening.” Rafe shook her father's hand. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner,” he said.

“That would be my wife's idea,” her father remarked.

Kelly scrunched her face. “Dad, behave. Rafe is a friend of mine.”

Rafe's gaze met hers, and once again, it was as if there was no one else in the room. No,
friend
did not explain what he was to her or her to him. Something that Kelly was a little afraid to explore. How had she fallen for this guy so fast?

Who was she kidding? She'd fallen for him after those first few letters.

Rafe stepped around her dad and gave Kelly a brief kiss on the cheek. Out of her respect for Rafe, and him doing his best to be polite, she didn't pull him in for the kind of kiss she really wanted.

She leaned back slowly and gave him a grin. “I missed you.” It was a murmur meant only for him.

“I missed you, too.” He brushed another kiss to the tip of her nose. He wrapped one arm around her waist and tucked her against his side.

“Dr. Callahan. We weren't formally introduced earlier. Rafe McCawley.”

“I hear you're a marine,” her father said by way of a hello.

Kelly stared at her dad, hoping he got her message to be nice.

“Yes, sir. On medical leave.”

“Medical?” Her father eyed Rafe.

“Yes, sir.”

“In Iraq or Afghanistan?” her father inquired.

“Both, sir. But I was in Somalia when I took some fire meant for civilians.”

Kelly knew all of this from his letters, but she acted surprised. “Oh, you never said what happened.”

Rafe smiled down at her. “Not something I really like to talk about.”

“How many bullets?” Her father continued his inquiry.

“Dad, he just said he doesn't like to talk about it. Give the guy a break.”

Rafe squeezed her affectionately. “It's okay.” His eyes stayed on hers. “Two in the right shoulder. Two in the right hip, and one in the thigh. Hit the artery. If the ambassador hadn't been a doctor I would have bled out.”

“Son, you're lucky to be walking, having survived that kind of damage.”

“Yes, sir, I thank God every day that I'm here. No one knows what a blessing life is more than me.”

“That's a good attitude for someone who's been through as much as you have.” Her father's shoulders had dropped. He might not like Rafe yet, but he respected him. “Going back soon?”

Her father motioned to the bar. Her parents had evidently already served themselves. She glanced around for her mom, but, despite her admonishment to Kelly earlier, she was late.

Typical.

“Currently undecided, sir. I've got to finish my medical leave before I can be recertified for active duty.” A note of worry echoed between the words, barely noticeable, except to Kelly. She did hear it. She'd read the same thing in his letters, too. Recovery was hell and he had a lot of decisions to make.

The last thing he needed in the mix was a relationship with a woman who lived on the other side of the world. No one knew that better than she did. Unfortunately, the idea of Rafe going back to serve his country terrified her in ways she didn't like to think about. What if he wasn't so lucky the next time someone shot at him? And for how long would he be deployed? It might be months or longer before she saw him again.

That's if he's still speaking to you after he finds out about Mimi.
She cleared her throat.

“He's come to Fiji to relax, Dad. To enjoy the sun, the sand and the salty air, so maybe we can leave him alone about his future. His body is healing, and you've told me often enough that it takes a stress-free environment to recover properly. Can I refill your drink?” She squeezed Rafe's arm and moved away, claiming the tumbler from her father's hand.

“Thank you. Anything for you, Rafe?” Her father wasn't quite done with her date.

“A beer would be good.”

“I'll get us both one,” she said as she filled her father's glass with another two fingers of Scotch and a splash of soda. She opened the small refrigerator below the teak bar and extracted two cold beers, popping the caps with the opener before handing one to Rafe.

He gave her a little wink. Apparently, her father's interrogation wasn't bothering him.

“Where are you stationed, Rafe?”

“Wherever the Marines need me, sir.”

“So you travel frequently?” If her father didn't stop soon, she would have to put tranquilizers in his next drink. He'd given her dates the third degree before, but this was just embarrassing. She was a grown woman, for goodness' sake.

“Dad,” Kelly said, by way of warning. “How is your golf handicap these days?”

“Unimpressive. I simply want to know how serious the man is. If he travels the world, you're going to spend a lot of your time waiting or, worse, worrying about each other.” Her father sipped from his glass, but like a high-powered laser beam, he never took his attention off Rafe. “It would be a shame for her to get sidelined in the prime of her career. She's one of the top athletes in her sport, ranked third worldwide.”

“Second,” she amended. Or she had been when she'd started her break. The only surfer better than her was Loni Kalakaua. The woman was a dream on a board. As much as Kelly wanted to beat her, she also admired her. “But I haven't decided whether I'll be touring extensively this year.” Or ever.

She liked having a home, one place, with friends and coworkers who cared about her.

“She's an incredible surfer, sir,” Rafe said proudly. “You are right, even though we don't know each other that well, I would miss her.”

Only Rafe could bat away the pointed questions her father was laying on him and have Kelly sound like an angel.

And he would miss her. She sighed happily.

“You say that now, but celebrity has a way of making people do strange things.” Carter's troubled expression intensified as he looked past them.

“And it makes bitter fools of others.” Raina strode into the living room in a completely new outfit. The black-and-silver gown more suited for an awards show than a family dinner. Impeccably groomed, she knew exactly how to make an entrance.

“Good evening, Rafe. Please ignore my husband. He's always a bit ridiculous when he's had one too many Scotches.” She offered a hand out to Rafe and he had to release Kelly to accept it.

“I'm sure the two of you can email if you're separated. And then there's this newfangled technology called texting, dear,” she said to her husband with one eyebrow up, “where people can let each other know what's going on in an instant, without worrying for days or weeks.”

The temperature in the room plummeted a good ten degrees. Carter grunted something unintelligible and gulped his drink. Kelly coughed and stared at her mother.
Please don't say anything. Please don't say anything.

Raina gave her an almost absentminded wave. “Am I wrong?” her mother tried to ask innocently, but Kelly knew it was an act. “With all the advances today, it's not as if you have to be on the same continent to share a romance. Oh, and there's that Skype. One of my friends has, well, she keeps her relationship going by video conferencing with her lover every night they are apart.”

Her father's shoulders stiffened.

Rafe nodded slowly and gave her mother an easy smile. “Absolutely, ma'am. Can I get you a drink?”

“Aren't you the charming one? You should hang on to him, Kelly. He's a keeper. They just don't make men like that anymore.” She laughed with a light tinkle in her voice. A voice that had charmed princes and male chief executives alike.