Mission: Seduction (16 page)

This was why he didn't do relationships. Never had he dated a girl more than two or three times. And he should have kept it that way.

She made him think about plans, about a future. He was ready to walk away from the Marines, retire and travel the world with her.

And she had lied. Not once, but multiple times. The truth was something that was important to him. He couldn't stand it when people lied to him. And he'd believed in her. Believed in what they could have been.

Dammit.
He picked up the bag and slammed his way out of the bungalow, heading for the driveway. Even if he couldn't get a ride into town, he could be at the airport in an hour at a fast march. As much as his left leg ached, it didn't match what was happening to his heart.

Kelly stood at the end of the driveway, a cab idling behind her, her red-rimmed eyes betraying her.

“You're really going?”

“Yeah...I need some space. I'm sure there's a flight in a couple of hours.”

She nodded slowly. “There's another storm coming. It might be difficult to get away.”

“I'll take my chances,” he said as he tried to hold his temper.

“I wish—well, never mind what I wish. I asked the driver to wait for you. I've already paid the fee. Be careful, long plane rides can't be good for the leg. Make sure you get up and walk around when you can.” She held out a small bag. “This is the ointment we used on your leg.”

How well he remembered those first few days when she'd used her gentle hands to ease his muscles. He'd been an aching mess when he'd arrived. She was the reason his leg hardly bothered him, why he slept so soundly and had serenity back in his life.

She's also the reason you're standing here like an open wound. Get in the cab.

“You deserve better,” she said so quietly that he had to strain to hear it. “A lot better and I hope you find it. You made me believe in me again, you—you helped me believe that a person can have more than one dream and it's okay to give up or let go of the ones that don't make you happy. Thank you for that.”

He wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss away the hurt in her eyes, but she'd made him look like a fool. It was such a stupid lie, and she'd ruined what had been the best thing in his life.

He nodded and quickly climbed into the cab. As the driver put the car in gear, he could see Kelly staring after him, her tears spilling again.

Guilt assailed him. She looked so lonely and lost.
She'll be okay. She has the resort. Her parents are here. Mimi.
He grunted at the last. The driver picked up speed as they left the gravel road and bounced up onto the surfaced one.

His thigh and hip protested, but he ignored them until the driver swore and the cab squealed to a halt. Mimi was standing in front of the taxi, waving frantically at them. She circled around the cab and jumped in beside him. “You don't mind if I ride with you to the airport.”

She rapped the glass and the driver grumbled, but the car started moving again.

“Can I help you?” Rafe stared at the model warily. Her failure to remember him was bad enough, but she really didn't match up to the picture he had of her in his mind. Not anymore.

Once he'd met Kelly, there wasn't another woman in the world who would compare. She was beautiful, kind...

“Nope. I did want to tell you, though, that I'm sorry for my sister. My family seems to have some real boundary issues and they don't communicate well.” Her red-painted lips drew back into a practiced grimace. “But what can you do? Her heart was in the right place. She just forgets that you can't think with your heart, you know? That, and she acts so impulsively. For what it's worth,
Rafe,
I do remember you and I'm sorry I didn't answer your email. Okay? But hey, it was a fun night.”

She pressed her hand to his shoulder and he shifted away from her.

He couldn't stand this a second longer—he had to defend his surfer girl. “Kelly's heart is what makes her special, Mimi. She doesn't confuse prestige and fame for genuine affection, and she doesn't treat people badly because she's in a position to do so. She bends over backward to accommodate the people she loves.”

Mimi shrugged. “Being a martyr doesn't make you special, Rafe. It just makes you sad and lonely while the people you love leave and do whatever they want. Kelly would be better off if she remembered that instead of giving her heart so freely to people who will toss it aside the first time she makes a mistake.”

“It was more than a mistake. She lied to me for months. And she's had plenty of opportunity here to tell me the truth.”

“You know, people think I'm shallow, and they're right, except when it comes to my family. Let me tell you something, Mr. Marine. I'm sure you've never made a mistake or had a white lie turn into a mess that seemed impossible to clean up. You're probably perfect. But the rest of us, we screw up all the time. It's called being human. Look, you can find girls like me all over Manhattan and L.A. But girls like Kelly...she's the kindest, most loving person I've ever known. She's too trusting, and her record with awful men is appalling. Turns out you're no different than the rest of them.”

“She lied to me over and over again.”

Mimi pursed her lips as if she were concentrating. “My guess is, it wasn't so much to protect herself, but you. She was worried about your health and didn't want to cause you any undue pain. Knowing her, she probably thought you'd hang around a few weeks, she'd nurse you back to health, and you'd be on your way never the wiser. But then she fell for you, and she found herself in a quandary.”

“How do you know?” Rafe asked, skeptical.

“What?”

“That she really fell for me. It was all a lie.”

Mimi shook her head in disgust. “Did you see her face when you left? I've just discovered that over the last couple of weeks she'd left me five million messages asking me what she should do about you. She told me about the subterfuge and that she wasn't sure how to tell you the truth. And she was right—you did lose your cool and run away. As far as I'm concerned, she's an idiot for falling for you in the first place.”

Eyes narrowing, he glared at her sister. It wasn't that she was shallow, but her casual dismissal of her sister's pain seemed callous. What had he ever found so attractive about her?

“Well, here you are.” Mimi pointed out the window to the airport. “When you do figure out what a moron you've been, don't bother writing. I'm going to make sure my sister never has to see or hear from you again. You don't deserve her. She's way too good for you.”

The driver opened the door and Rafe eased himself out of the vehicle. Before he knew it, the taxi was gone.

This was it.

In a few hours, he would be thousands of miles away from the island and Kelly's lies.

He had to leave, to sort out his own life, make the right choices for him without worrying about anyone else.

The memory of her beautiful face stained with tears haunted him.

No. He would do this. He needed a clean break.

That's what he wanted, right?

19

“H
E
'
S
GONE
,” K
ELLY
told her parents.

Her father went to her right away and put his arm around her shoulder.

“This is what happens when you aren't honest with the people you love. I'm no better than you and Mom.”

Her father harrumphed but just squeezed her tighter.

Her mother touched her back affectionately. “That man will realize how much he loves you and return on his knees. Men can be a bit slow sometimes.”

Ignoring his wife, her father guided her to the couch.

“Do you love him?” he asked.

“Dad, that's personal.”

Her mother handed her a tissue and she held it to her nose.

“Yes, it is,” he said, “but you need to say it out loud.”

“I love him, more than anything. But he left. The thing is, I was surprised that he left. Some small part of me hoped he would understand. That what I did wasn't as selfish as it seemed. I never meant to hurt him.”

“You did, though,” Mimi countered as she strutted into the room. “He's mad. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen.”

“Mimi, you probably made it worse.” Kelly closed her eyes. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

Her sister thumped her on the head. “It couldn't get much worse.”

“Mimi! This isn't the time,” her mother admonished.

Kelly was ready to scream about the insensitivity of her sister, but she remembered this had all started because she'd pretended to be her.

“He was furious, which means he cares—a lot. Really, you think you'd know something about men by now.” She rolled her eyes. Then she sat down next to Kelly. “Listen to your big sister for once. He'll be back.”

“Mimi, I can't believe you interfered. Things are bad enough without you nosing into my private life. That goes for all of you. None of you ever cared about who I was dating before. Why now?”

Mimi pulled on her pigtail. “Behave, brat. We love you. The man you love has strolled out the door, that's why we care. He'll remember why he adores you even more than you do him. He'd be a fool to walk away from the best thing that ever happened to him. Now, how fast that happens, I couldn't say. He's pretty hardheaded.”

She had a point. “Do you really think he'll forgive me?”

Mimi scrunched up her nose. “From what I saw, once he realizes what he's missing, he'll be running back so fast it'll be like one of your tropical storms blew in.”

“Speaking of which, that storm will probably be here in a couple of hours. We need to make sure all the beach chairs and things are collected and put in the shed.” Work. She needed to work.

Her father kissed her forehead. “Don't worry, Kelly. We will take care of everything. Your staff is incredibly adept and most of it is already done.”

Kelly jumped up. “It's a small front, it won't be that bad, but—Adrien!”

“
Ma petite,
what did I tell you about yelling? I am not deaf. What did you need?” He stopped short when he saw Mimi.

Mimi, in turn, frowned, her brow creasing.

Kelly and her mother stared back and forth from Mimi to Adrien and back again to Mimi.

“Um, the truck, Adrien,” said Kelly. “We need to make sure it's full—”

“Seen to. The generators are also fueled and ready. Everything that can be boarded down has been. We have food and drink, enough to feed the island for a few days, if necessary. But all indications are that the storm's intensity is waning and that it will die out before it hits land.”

Kelly stood with her hands on her hips. “Oh. Thanks. You didn't have to do all that.”

“I'm a hired hand, that's what we do.”

A hired hand? He was a world-renowned chef who loved to cook and surf. She noticed that Mimi had crossed her arms and was sitting on the sofa sulking.

“So, there's nothing left to do?” she asked.

“Your father and I will look after the last of the outdoor furniture and that's it,” Adrien replied.

Kelly blew out a breath. “I'm feeling somewhat irrelevant.”

“Oh, honey, you were so upset,” her mother said. “We thought it best not to disturb you in your room.”

She had been in there for a few hours. The tears just wouldn't seem to stop.

Rafe, I wish you could know how sorry I am. I love you so much.

Kelly couldn't even begin to hope. The look of anger and hurt on his face was something she would never forget. Her family was sweet to try to console her, but they didn't understand Rafe the way she did. The marine in him saw things in black-and-white, and he lived by a code. One that was about being honest and forthright. Protecting those who needed it. And she'd thrown it all away. “Oh, no, my necklace!”

She took off in search of the silver thread with the tiny surfboard attached. It was the last thing Rafe had given to her, and she'd dropped it on the beach somewhere.

There was no way he'd come back to her. The keepsake was all she'd ever have of him.

Her shattered soul broke into more pieces as her knees hit the sand.

* * *

“S
IR
, I'
M
SORRY
.
There's nothing we can do. The last flight took off fifteen minutes ago. You should have called before you arrived. The airport is closing. Tomorrow afternoon, if the planes are okay, will be the earliest we can get you over to the main island.” The woman behind the desk at the ticket counter stared at him as if she'd heard it all and then some. He'd been at the end of a very long line of angry customers.

The marine in him forced a smile. “Understood. Can we go ahead and book a flight for tomorrow now?”

The relief on the poor woman's face was evident. “I can put your name on the list. They aren't allowing us to book anything for the next twenty-four hours because it depends on how the storm hits, and if the planes are damaged. This happens often this time of year, when the storms happen one after another.”

Rafe took a long, steadying breath. “Okay.”

“We do have rooms available at some of the hotels nearby, though you may need to share with someone.”

This just kept getting better and better. “Thanks, I'll see what I can find on my own.” He gave her a tight smile and moved out of the way. It was as if the universe had conspired against him. There was no way to get to the mainland, no matter how badly he wanted to leave.

Rafe slung his sack over his shoulder and took a few steps. What was he going to do? He didn't have anywhere to stay and he sure wasn't going to share a room with a stranger.

Anger churned in his gut, and he considered putting his fist through a wall. Trigger. Any kind of emotional turmoil set him off—he'd talked about it with his doctors. At first, he'd had a difficult time seeing the signs, but now he was aware of how it happened and why and, more importantly, what to do about it.

A few months ago, the frustration and feelings of betrayal would have sent him off the edge. But he closed his eyes and calmed his mind. Instead of hitting the wall, he went to the men's room and splashed water on his face. The cool water was welcome in the heat of the muggy airport. The storm coming in had made the humidity practically unbearable.

He considered his options. There weren't any rules about not staying at the airport, and he'd slept in worse places. He'd find a corner and shut his eyes.

As if that were possible.

Why had Kelly lied to him? None of it made sense. She should have been straight from the beginning.

Thinking about her betrayal wasn't helping anything. He was disappointed because he thought they might have found something special. He'd never had that kind of connection with a woman. From that first moment on the driveway, she'd stolen his breath—and his heart.

He'd come to Fiji expecting a weeklong fling with Mimi. In her place, he found the woman of his dreams, one who had made him think about his future. His was so uncertain, yet it was probably best that he leave.

She'd hurt him badly, and he'd lashed out. Well, he'd taken off. The same thing her dad did when he couldn't take what was going on with her mother. What had he said about marines never running away from trouble? They always ran toward it.

Rafe sat down in a quiet spot of the lobby and sagged against the wall.

So why didn't he stay and fight?

Because you're a coward.
He recalled the night he and Kelly had first made love. She'd been trying to tell him something, but he'd suggested they leave the past behind them. Then she'd tried to talk to him again when they'd been interrupted by Mimi's arrival.

She'd been trying to tell him the truth.

The idea struck at him like a bomb, shattering his anger. It wasn't the night in New York that had attracted him to Mimi—it had been her letters.

Kelly's letters.

He had fallen for the woman who had written him every day, which had encouraged him, pushed him, supported him...the woman who had listened to his every complaint without judgment.

When he'd arrived in Fiji, Kelly had done nothing but help him heal his body and his soul. And she'd asked for nothing in return.

Yeah, she'd pretended to be her sister, but in name only. The words she'd sent, those were her words. The invitation was hers, too.

The wild attraction he felt for her wasn't some figment of his imagination—it was an extension of the feelings she'd already aroused with her letters. He'd been in love with Kelly before he ever got to the island. And he was fairly certain she felt the same way about him.

“I'm an idiot,” he whispered.

“You'll get no argument here, son.” Carter Callahan stood above him.

Rafe lifted his head. “Sir.” He couldn't imagine why the man was there. Probably to give him a beating for hurting his daughter. And damned if Rafe didn't feel like he deserved it.

Carter held out a hand to help him up, and Rafe took it.

“I need your assistance with something,” Carter said seriously.

Rafe frowned. “I'm not sure what I could do, sir, but I'll help if I can.”

“Hoped you'd say that, soldier. Get your pack and let's go.”

Used to taking orders, Rafe did as the man asked and followed him out of the airport.

“Thank God.” Raina was at the wheel of an expensive SUV. “Adrien called—the swells are higher than expected and he still can't get her to move.”

“What's going on? Who won't move?”

“Kelly,” her mother said. “She's looking for something on the beach and, short of knocking her over the head and dragging her inside, we can't get her to move. She's soaking wet and going to catch pneumonia.”

“Never seen her like this,” Carter said.

“Why did you leave her?”

“Adrien and Mimi are trying to help her find whatever it is she lost. But it's getting dangerous out there.”

Hell. What had he done?

“Kelly's a strong girl, but she's under a lot of stress. You hurt her, Rafe, and she's not thinking logically. We were hoping maybe you could tell us what she's looking for on the beach. And we thought, perhaps, if you don't mind, you could talk some sense into her.”

He couldn't look at Kelly's parents. He'd put their daughter's life in danger because he'd run off like a rat.

He had to make it up to her, do whatever it took. He'd haul her over his shoulder if he had to and apologize until she forgave him.

The torrential rain and wind were so strong that he wasn't sure how Raina was keeping the car on the slick roads. Suddenly, the wind whipped up around them and he was sure the SUV would tumble onto its side.

“I want to be clear about this. We aren't asking you to do anything other than to convince her to come inside,” Carter said. “The situation between you two, well, we're the last two to give advice about communication in a relationship.”

“Besides, it's none of our business,” Raina added.

He wished Kelly were around to hear that. No one would be more surprised than his surfer girl.

His girl.

Hell. If she was sick, or hurt, because of their fight, he would never forgive himself.

“If she'll have me back, I'll make it up to her,” Rafe said, more to himself than to anyone.

“You better,” Raina murmured.

Here he thought he was the brave one, but it was Kelly. She'd helped him move on from one of the worst times of his life with nothing but her generosity and her heart.

He had to get back to her.

He had to fix this.

A branch from a large palm tree flew past as Raina swerved into the resort's driveway.

“This storm has hit faster than the weatherman said it would,” she said as she shifted into Park.

Rafe left his bag in the car and ran as fast as he could through the blinding rain. He didn't let himself slow down until he found her.

Adrien and Mimi both wore rain slickers, but Kelly was in shorts and a tank top, digging through the sand.

In spite of his leg aching from the run, he knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands. She abruptly pulled away from him, never looking up.

“Kelly, whatever it is, we'll find it tomorrow,” he said.

The wind blew hard and fast around them as thunder clapped and boomed in the distance. He had to get her into the mansion. The storm surge was closing in.

“I have to find it,” she said, her voice low and harsh. “It's all I have left. The sea will take it, and I'll never have it again.”

“Kelly! Look at me.” He gently took her by the shoulders and made her face him.

“But you left,” she whispered.

“Yes, I did. And it was one of the dumbest things I've ever done. Now come on, the storm is dangerous. You're going to get hurt out here.”