Addy glanced at the crashing waves and dug her feet into the warm wet sand. This place was paradise. How could Kayla own this island and ever be able to leave? This was her second day there. Ryan had said he’d talk to Nick to see if he’d come down to the island but there had been no other calls from either him or Kayla. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if maybe Nick wasn’t interested in learning the truth. Maybe he wanted to believe the worst in her.

She turned back down the beach to head to the giant blanket the housekeeper had put under a big palm tree for her. The sun was setting and the picnic lunch she’d brought had felt like a lot of food before, but now would make a great dinner.

From a distance, she could see someone on her blanket. She frowned until she realized who it was as she approached him.

“Nick?” She stopped a few feet away from him. “What are you doing here?”

He met her gaze and offered her a hand. “Why did you spend all that time at the hospital with me when I was going through all those surgeries?”

She took his hand and sat next to him on the big blanket, both facing the water and watching the sun go down. “I was heartbroken for you. I couldn’t believe Gracen could be so emotionless and leave you to deal with that alone.” She turned to meet his gaze. “You did something heroic and were hurt. I couldn’t let you live through that without some support.”

“But why not tell me? Why not let anyone tell me?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t think you would want to think about Gracen when you were fighting for your life.” She sighed. “I also did it for me. When I started going to see you, I wanted you to feel supported. Even if you were in a coma. But then…”

His frown deepened. “But then?”

“I realized I enjoyed spending time with you. I loved telling you how I felt and how work was and when you did good after a surgery, I was so happy. I got attached to you, Nick.”

“I remember,” he murmured.

“What?”

“I remember you reading to me when I was in and out of the anesthesia. I thought I was dreaming, someone telling me how good I was doing. How proud she was of me. How much she wanted me to get up and keep living life to the fullest.”

“Oh god,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. “You do remember.”

He took her hand from her mouth and brought it to his chest. “I even remember you telling me those scars were honorable. That I should feel like the ultimate warrior. That you were proud of me.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. Emotion clogged her throat. She’d only said what was in her heart, not for a second thinking he’d remember any of it.

“I’m sorry that Gracen treated you the way she did,” she said.

“I’m not,” he said solemnly. “If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met the woman who really deserves my love.”

“Nick—”

“I was angry when I thought it was you saying those things, but now I realize that could’ve never come out of your mouth. I should have known better then. She did a good job pretending to be you, but where it counts,” he said. “In her heart? She’s nowhere near you. She’s a cold, mean, bitch and her dumping me is the best thing she could’ve ever done for me.”

“Really?” She sniffled. “I can’t believe she pretended to be me with you, too!”

“If I hadn’t been so angry over the words she used, I would’ve noticed she wasn’t you. But anger took control and I didn’t want to hear anything else you had to say.”

“So you ignored all my calls,” she said, finally realizing why her messages went unanswered.

“Forgive me, Addy,” he said, raising his hand to cup her cheek. “Give me a chance. Let’s see where this relationship takes us.”

Addy nodded, her heart filling with emotion once again. “Yes. Nick, you’re the first man to make me want that. A relationship.”

He leaned in and kissed her, his lips soft over hers at first and then she was pulling him to her, closer. Their lips mated and their tongues danced in a ritual that warmed her from the inside out. Addy’s breaths pounded in her ears. Something changed in the kiss.

It went from soft to aggressive and possessive in a single tongue slide. His hands were under her tank top, sliding up to cup her breast while her fingers were all over his T-shirt, tugging and trying to get it off him without breaking their kiss. It wasn’t happening. He pulled back and got his shirt off first, then hers before attacking her lips again.

He pulled from her lips, giving her a chance to gulp air. There was no stopping, though. He glided down, kissing and licking long slides down her neck. Warm wind skated up her thigh as he caressed her leg, pushing the material of her skirt up to her hips. The breeze sounded and the sun hid behind the waves as Nick’s touch turned scorching.

She gripped his hair between her fingers, holding on to him while he licked her chest. The swim top came off and his mouth sucked her nipple, sending a rush of moisture down her channel.

He crawled his hands up her legs and undid the ties at the sides of the bikini she wore under her skirt. Then his fingers were touching her so intimately she lost her ability to think. She gulped, feeling his fingers part her pussy lips and press at her clit.

“Oh…god!” she moaned brokenly.

He didn’t stop; he flicked circles on the tiny, aching nerve bundle with the speed of one of her sex toys. She gasped at his touch. She arched her back, pushing her breast into his mouth, hoping for more of that suckling he did that sent electricity careening straight to her clit. He sucked her nipple and bit, making her ache down to her core.

The fingers on her clit massaged and then dipped into her sex—in and out, slowly at first and then faster. Her muscles started to burn as she tensed, expecting the wave from her release.

It didn’t take long. He rubbed a wet thumb on her clit and sucked harder on her tit, groaning how good she tasted against her nipple.

“Oh god. Yes!”