Stranded in Paradise (The Blake Boys Book 13) (7 page)

“It was really nice to meet you, Jared. Thanks for keeping me company tonight.” She put her fork down and pushed the plate away and grabbed her purse. “But heads will roll when I get home.”

“The pleasure was all mine. Like you said, it’s all about attraction.” His eyes sparkled.

“I did say that.” She stood to leave, but he grasped her arm and stood too.

“What do you think is a better approach?”

“To what?” She squinted at him.

“You said there was a better approach than the whole caveman thing. What works for you?”

Autumn moved so close to him she was only a few inches away. Even in her heels, she had crane her neck back to look up at him. “Confidence, honesty, and sincerity.”

He moved closer to her. “In that case, I can honestly say you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met in my life. You’re charming, smart, funny, independent, self-assured, and graceful. Qualities I love in a woman. And now that I’ve met you, I’m glad we didn’t meet before. You are the kind distraction I avoid but longed for at the same time. I would have done something stupid that screwed up my priorities. And right now work is all that I can afford to have on my plate.”

“I sincerely hope you believe that.” Autumn smiled, kissed him on the cheek, and walked away.

* * *

Jared watched as Autumn sauntered away in that form-fitting white dress that outlined her curves and he wanted to kick himself. There had to be a law against a woman looking that good. It was no wonder the lounge lizards swarmed on her as soon as she’d entered the room. Not only was she exquisite, but she was intelligent and business-savvy. He’d read that NuWave was taking the technology world by storm. She was everything he was looking for in a woman…if he were looking.

He walked back to his bungalow, half tempted to take a lap in the night waves rushing to shore to cool down. He hadn’t had that kind of immediate reaction to a woman in a long time and had been rock hard since she sat down on the stool next to him. Too tired to read his book, he went straight to the bedroom and opened the terrace doors so he could get a good look at the moonlight. The entire island had a magical feel, or maybe he was just looking for a reason to explain his behavior. He’d wanted to kiss her when she’d gotten closer to him. Hell, he wasn’t one to move fast, but if she’d given him the slightest hint she would have come back to his bungalow, he would have made love to her all night.

Spending the evening with her had taken his mind off work and Taylor. He hadn’t glanced at his phone once, scared Autumn might leave or someone else would come and grab her attention. Bo’s stories about her love them-and-leave-them attitude loomed in the back of his mind, but now he knew why men went crazy over her. She was walking sex appeal and she was oblivious to it. The guys trying to buy her drinks annoyed her more than flattered, and he was impressed she could easily see through the machismo that was going around in the room.

There had been plenty of good-looking ladies there but none like her. He’d gotten a few winks and made some small talk, but it all felt cheap. Talking to Autumn was like going for a drive with Tyler in one of his race cars. It was a high-octane, out-of-control feeling that was exhilarating, and it pained him to tell her he was glad they hadn’t met. It was a complete and utter lie, but he had to do something before he asked her out the next day. He lay back on the pillows, closed his eyes, and caressed himself. Autumn’s perfume, the soft feel of her skin, it all overloaded his senses. He wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

* * *

Autumn was both relieved and delighted not to see Jared over the next couple of days. It was probably for the best anyway. She barely got any sleep after their conversation at the mixer. Why did he have to be so handsome and intense? He wasn’t someone she could have a good time with on the island and then go their separate ways. Their lives were connected immensely back home. And speaking of home, she resisted the urge to call Summer and Bo and give them a good tongue-thrashing over the blatant setup. She loved them, but her love life, or lack thereof, was her own business. But more importantly, she wanted the happy couple to know they didn’t have to worry about her being alone. She was dealing with her impending separation from her twin in her own way and planning the wedding ironically was helping with that. She would give Summer the wedding they’d dreamed about when they were kids. She knew, if no one else did, what her sister’s perfect day would be like.

Determined to have fun but away from Jared, she signed up for a doubles tennis tournament and ended up being paired with a guy named Graham. He was a handsome investment banker who had a nice smile and a good serve. They were beating the pants off all challengers, and after she shot down a few obvious flirtatious quips from him, she found herself having a good time. When he asked her to have dinner with him that night, she said yes and was pleasantly surprised that he was a nice guy who thought he had to be flirty to get her attention.

Now she was getting ready for a sightseeing tour. No way Jared would be going on a tour. He seemed adventurous, like he’d go out on his own and explore. That was fine by her. He was keeping his promise to stay away from her. She thought she saw him hiding behind a plant in the lobby earlier. He was almost trying too hard to stay away from her.

She stepped onto the bus and took her seat. The brochure said they’d be seeing most of the island and had a two-hour layover at the casino. It was going to be a small group today. There were only nine people on the bus. The tour guide was taking a final head count and checking his clipboard.

“Hi everyone, I’m Dave. I’ll be your tour guide for the day. We’re going to have a fabulous time. We just have one late comer and here he is now.” Dave stepped back to let the last person onto the bus.

Autumn’s heart skipped a beat when Jared hopped on the bus. She scrambled around in her bag for her sunglasses and hat. Once she put them on, she tried to pretend she was looking out the window and maybe he wouldn’t notice her. But it didn’t work. He waved and when he reached the row, he plopped down next to her.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi. Funny running into you here.” She removed the accessories.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you now?”

“I didn’t plan this. It was a spur-of-the-moment sign up. So no need to call home.”

She laughed. “I don’t know. Teri-Lyn’s powers are far-reaching.”

He laughed too. “I agree.” The bus pulled off, jostling them both. Jared instinctively reached out and put his hand on her arm to steady her. “So how have you been enjoying your time off?”

“I’ve been exploring the wonders of the island and staying out of your way. How about you?”

“Keeping a low profile and reading the spy novel I brought.”

“And don’t tell me, when you’re not hiding away like a hermit you check in with work?”

“Guilty as charged.” He raised his hands in acknowledgment.

“Couldn’t resist, could you?”

“My resistance has been pretty low to many things lately.” He grinned. “But I did leave a new employee in charge to field calls until I return. She’s a cousin, but I still have an obligation to check in with her to make sure she won’t quit before I return. Oh, I have been jogging on the beach. And I got interior design ideas for Summer and Bo’s house.”

“Good for you.” She smiled. She’d overheard a few of the women at the spa talking about a tall drink of water that jogged on the beach in the early morning. From their description, she suspected they were talking about him.

A few minutes later the bus stopped. As they got off, Jared held out his hand to help her down off the bus. The guide went on about some battle that occurred there, but she really couldn’t hear because Jared was asking her a thousand questions about Summer and Bo’s wedding plans. They shuffled back on the bus for the next stop. Autumn took her time sitting down, hoping he’d get the hint and take another seat. Instead he waited for her to fuss with the chair. She didn’t continue the conversation they were having outside hoping he’d get the hint. This continued on for the next few stops, but he wouldn’t relent. He kept up with the chatter whether she liked it or not.

“I know it will be a grand affair,” he said, “especially if you’re in charge of your sister’s special day.”

“Well, it’s Bo’s day too,” she replied.

“Men don’t care about that stuff. We just pray the woman we love will show up at the church and seal the deal so we can get on to more important things like the honeymoon. What does it mean for you to be on your own for the first time? I know the connection between twins is strong. My nephews taught me that. It must be quite an adjustment to share the person you’ve been closest to your whole life.”

“I guess it’s like getting a divorce, except there’s no custody battle and I’m gaining a pretty awesome brother-in-law and his clan.” She gave him a knowing look. So he wanted to talk? OK. It was time to turn the tables on Mister No-Time-for-Distractions. “Why did you get divorced?”

Jared was silent for a moment. “We grew apart.”

“Textbook answer.”

“Well—”

The bus stopped and Dave announced they were at the casino. Autumn glanced at Jared, who looked relieved at the interruption. In addition to gambling, there was a row of quaint shops in the area, so she opted for shopping.

“Good luck at the tables.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I insist.” He smiled.

Autumn glared at him. Jared didn’t know she was a professional shopper. He was going to need a full body massage by the time he got back to the hotel.

Jared had been perfectly content bumming around the island with his book in his hand and sipping on the occasional drink at the cabana bar. He’d even put his phone on vibrate for a whole afternoon. Things were going great until he went to the hotel bar to grab dinner and saw Autumn having dinner with some jock-type jerk. It didn’t make any sense to him, but it made him mad seeing her sitting there, having a good time. She looked breathtaking in a strapless coral dress and her hair in a ponytail. The chemistry between the both of them was undeniable the other night, so why was she out with this idiot? So what if he inferred he’d be avoiding her like the plague. She’d just moved on to the next guy without a second thought.

He saw her get her ticket for the tour earlier in the day and something in him felt compelled to get one too. He’d be around in case Mr. Sparkly Mouth got too handsy when he should have been looking at the scenery. Now he was following her around from shop to shop, schlepping her bags. She must have been getting everyone in the state of Texas a souvenir.

His cell phone rang. He looked for somewhere to set the bags down. A light rain earlier in the day on this side of the island had left the ground wet. He finally spotted a bench, but the phone stopped ringing. It was probably his friend Derek Popovich. He’d left him a message that morning responding to his question about the renovation of the Slap Shot bar. Autumn came strolling out of a pottery shop with yet another bag.

“Let me guess. Something else you just had to have.”

She smirked and put on her sunglasses. “I saw something that would go nice in Cassidy and Channing’s house.”

“Can you do me a favor and get my phone out of my pocket and retrieve that message? I’ve been waiting for a friend of mine to get back to me with final approval on some plans I sent him.”

“Sure.”

He smiled when she carefully eased her hand into his pants pocket, hoping she wouldn’t notice he was stiff as a board. She hit the voicemail app then put it on speaker for him. It wasn’t Derek returning his call. Jared froze when he heard Taylor’s voice.

“Hi, Jared, it’s your favorite ex-wife. I was just checking to see how the vacation was going. I know I said I’d give you some time, but I wanted to know if you’ve given any further thought to my proposal. Anyway—” He dropped the bags and took the phone out of her hands and disconnected the voicemail playback.

“Please don’t tell me you broke the porcelain doll I bought for your niece.” Autumn folded her arms across her chest.

“Sorry.” He put the phone back in his pocket and inspected the bag with the doll. “No, it didn’t break.”

“You and your ex-wife sound like you’re close.”

He shrugged. “We’ve tried to be reasonable adults about the divorce and remain friends. She likes to keep in touch.”

“Yes, she likes to call with mysterious propositions.” Autumn bit her lip.

Out of nowhere, an older woman in hot pink culottes and a tie-dyed shirt approached them. “Would you like me to take a picture of you and your wife?”

“We’re not married,” they said in unison.

“My mistake. Could have fooled me.” The woman beamed.

Jared looked at Autumn, who seemed to be looking past him. He turned around to see Dave waving at them. It was time to go. They rode back to the hotel in silence mainly because he was afraid she’d ask more questions about Taylor. When they got off the bus, he thought he’d take a chance.

“Would you like to join me for dinner?” he asked.

“Thanks, but I have plans.” She smiled.

“Oh, with that muscle-head guy I saw you with at dinner the other night?”

“Yes. His name is Graham.”

“Like graham crackers?”

“No, like I’m not a distraction.” She winked.

He nodded. “I deserved that. Well enjoy and be safe.”

“Wait. I have something for you.” She dug in one of the bags, retrieved an exquisite silk tie, and hung it around his neck. “I thought this would look good on you.”

“Thank you.”

“See you around.” She went off into the lobby.

CHAPTER FIVE

Autumn fidgeted with the fuchsia sundress, hoping she’d made the right decision with her ensemble. She’d grown so accustomed to barging into Summer’s room for her opinion on little things that it felt strange to make up her own mind. She giggled when she thought of the incident a few months ago when she went into her sister’s room for their morning chat. She plopped on the bed and nudged her sister until she woke and they began talking about their plans for the day. It was a full fifteen minutes before Bo peeked from under the covers. She and Summer both laughed. Bo didn’t seem to mind, but that was when she’d first realized she had to respect the new boundaries that existed.