"I've got a surprise for you today." I smiled down at her as she rubbed her eyes. "It's something I thought you'd enjoy, since we're going to be here for a while…"

She uncurled from my chest and I shifted, allowing the blankets to conceal my rock-hard desire. So fucking help me, I'd been awake the better part of the night. Still, it felt so damned good just to hold her. I was determined not to make things harder for us both. But there was no arguing with the demands of my body. All I could do was keep that to myself.

"Come with me, I want to show you something," I said, taking her hand and pulling her along with me down the hall. At first she grumbled, still sleepy. But by the time we'd reached the top of the staircase, she was fully awake… and curious. "Where are we going? Is this an attic…?"

I opened the door to a tiny room, windows on every side. It was an observation tower that looked out over the water in every direction. Light flooded in. Shelves contained all her supplies. The sculpture she'd begun at the lake house sat on a table in the very center.

"Oh, my god, Jack… You brought everything here?" She ran her hands over everything, as if to make sure it was real. "I can't believe you did this for me…"

"I know your art is what makes you happy, sweetheart." I came up beside her, my shoulder against hers. "I didn't want to keep you from what you love."

As badly as I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her, I held back. I could feel the pull in her too, like magnetism. It was just as well for her to have something to pour her passion into. I just wished to hell it could be me…

"There's something else," I said, taking her hand and leading her back toward the stairs. "The clay can wait, but I'm afraid the other surprise won't."

"Well, I'm hoping it's pancakes," she said, following me down to the kitchen. "I'm starving, and I can hardly wait to get my hands on that sculpture again and…"

She was cut off by excited barks, a furiously wagging tail and the clatter of toenails on tile. Seven pounds of curly brown fur and soulful eyes flew toward us and Libby bent down to greet her. "Oh, sweetheart…! Oh my god, Jack… where did he… Is this the surprise?" She already had the puppy in her arms and was being covered in kisses. "Where did you come from? You sweet little baby…"

"Not a he," I said, smiling as the puppy squirmed. "A little girl for you. One of the house staff had one left in the litter. She's a mutt…" I reached out to caress a silky ear. "You don't have to keep her, but I thought you might like to meet…"

Libby looked at me and smiled a smile that melted straight through my heart. Her eyes were bright with moisture, sparkling…

"Look at her, Jack," she crooned. The puppy's ears perked at her voice. "How could I not want her? Can I keep her… can we take her back with us when we leave and keep her?"

I put my arms around her. "Of course, sweetheart. She's all yours, if you want her."

But Libby wasn't listening to me anymore. She was already down on the floor with the puppy, stroking her wiggly little belly. "Who's a beautiful baby girl?" She looked up at me. "Does she have a name?"

I smiled. It felt so fucking good, to see her so happy. "She's yours," I said. I think you should name her yourself."

She picked up the puppy and held her in her arms like a baby. Maybe she had worn herself out with excitement. Maybe it was the soothing effect of Libby's warmth. But she settled down quickly as Libby rocked her. In minutes, her big brown eyes had closed and a tip of pink tongue lolled to the side.

"Mokita," Libby said quietly and she smiled up at me. "I think her name is Mokita."

It had been a risk, but I was glad as hell that I'd taken it. Libby and the puppy had turned out to be inseparable. Moki had even followed her all the way up the stairs to the attic where Libby had settled in to work for the afternoon. I had some calls to make, and we'd arranged to have a swim and dinner on the beach in a few hours.

I'd wanted Libby to have something of her own. Something for her to care for. To love. The puppy had seemed perfect. And when the contract was fulfilled… well, she would have Moki to take with her. I couldn't bear the thought of Libby going away alone once the baby was born…

I took a beer from the fridge and headed out onto the covered veranda. Tomorrow was Monday and I knew Spencer would be faxing over the paperwork for the Warner deal. I punched in his numbers and got voicemail. I left a quick message and called Blake.

"Hey, how's married life?" His voice was bright, teasing. "You're one lucky fuck, you know that, Jack? When you married Elaine, I thought you just had shitty taste in women. You'll be happy to know Libby's redeemed my opinion of you."

"I'll be sure to tell her," I said dryly. "So is Janet ever going to make an honest man out of you?" The word honest snagged at my conscience. I was being dishonest with almost everyone I cared about. I had my reasons… but it made my stomach tighten anyway.

Blake laughed. "Whenever she'll let me," he admitted. "She's so focused on her career right now. I didn't get lucky the way you did… finding a woman who was ready to settle down right away."

I took another long swallow of beer. "Well, you're right there, brother." I ran a hand through unruly hair. "I got more fucking lucky than any man has a right to be…"

"But you still made it out of bed long enough to call me. Don't say it… You want to know if the merger is on track. India told me you would. She can read you like a book, you know."

I could hear her in the background, asking Blake for the phone. "Let me talk to him." She laughed and there were dull thumping sounds.

"Jack, it's me. How's Libby and the honeymoon?" India's voice was purposefully casual. I heard Blake's goodbye from a distance and the sound of a door closing. India's tone changed instantly.

"So… tell me. Did Libby take the test? Is she pregnant yet? How's the honeymoon going?"

"It's great, India. And we don't know yet, for sure. We'll do the test in a few more days. She didn't want to rush it and risk a false negative…"

"How's she feeling. I know she was pretty emotional before the wedding and her stomach was a little upset."

I thought back over the last couple of days. "She's fine. She certainly has a healthy appetite."

I asked a few questions on the merger. India said Spencer had been out of the office more than usual lately, but he'd had a lot of last minute meetings. She assured me that he had everything under control.

"Just relax and enjoy the island, Jack. We've got it covered here." She paused. "How are things between you and Libby… are the two of you getting along okay? It's got to be a little strange, being alone together on an island, without really being… well… you know."

I struggled for a moment, unsure how much to admit. "It's fine," I said plainly. "Libby's happy with her art. And the puppy I gave her this morning…," I paused.

"Did my lawyer finish gathering that other information I'd asked for? The other history…?" India knew what I meant. She'd known for a long time.

"It's in your desk. Unopened. I locked the drawer myself." She paused for a long moment, both of us in our own thoughts. "It could change a lot of things, Jack. Or maybe nothing… But you need to be sure about what you want. What it is you're hoping for…"

"We're fine, India. Both of us, just how things are. Libby and I had a good, long talk and we're on the same page… about everything. It's all going to turn out the way it's supposed to."

"I'm happy for you," she said softly. "It's all any of us ever wanted for you, you know. For you to be happy. To have what you really want most in life…" Her voice trailed off.

"I love you, Jack."

"Love you too, honey. Give Mom and Dad our best."

We hung up and I sat looking out over the water. My sister knew me like the back of her own hand. And I knew her just as well. A lifetime together made any conversation between us so much more than the words that were spoken. I knew what she was hoping would happen on this trip. And I knew it was what she'd wanted all along.

The only thing I wasn't sure of, was whether there was any point in telling her she'd been right from the start. That Libby was the woman for me. The one perfect woman I'd waited a lifetime for. And that it made no difference at all. She would bear my child. And then she'd leave.

As much as I wanted things to be different, there was nothing real between us. Nothing that would last. No matter what the lawyer might have discovered… Maybe there was nothing I could ever do… to make her stay.