Lila lay curled in her bed, listening to the waves. The house was empty. Josie and Anton had left right after dinner, boarding their private jet, and this time, Josie took her dog, Lucky, with her.
Secretly, Lila had been hoping she’d leave the dog to keep her company, but Josie had missed him, so Anton made arrangements for the pup to travel to Marinbourg with them.
It was unsettling being truly alone. At least when she was in her condo, there were people around. She could hear the neighbors coming in at night, or going out to work in the morning. Now the light from the moon shone in her window, the waves gently brushed the shore, noticeable in the silence…
And a door slammed.
Lila’s stomach lurched. Someone was in the house.
She heard a crash. “Fuck,” came the growl from the kitchen. Whoever it was must have thought the house was empty, because he wasn’t trying to be quiet.
What would he do when he found her alone?
Her heart started racing and a thump of adrenaline had her shooting out of bed and flinging open the closet door. There had to be something she could use to beat the son of a bitch with.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much. The best thing she found in the back of the closet was an old set of golf clubs. So old, in fact, the shafts were made of wood. It was better than nothing. If she was able to get a good swing, maybe she could knock the guy out long enough to get help. Lila doubted she’d actually be able to do that, but she had to try.
Slipping out of her bedroom, Lila wished she’d been dressed in more than a big tee shirt. She was almost naked underneath, wearing just a pair of boy shorts. All she could hope was that she hit the guy hard enough before he noticed she was there.
Inching her way down the hall, she stopped when she saw the tall shadowy figure looking through the kitchen cabinets. He was pushing around cans and boxes of food, finally grabbing one and reaching his hand into a bag of cookies.
What the hell? Some random hoodlum just dropped in for a snack? Moving into the kitchen slowly and silently while the intruder devoured her favorite oatmeal raisin cookies, she took him in.
He was tall and muscular, but not large. What he didn’t have in bulk, though, she bet he made up for in speed. Which meant she had to act fast.
Taking a step and stopping, then another, she paused about three feet away from the intruder. Her heart was beating hard, and her hands were so wet she was afraid the club would slip.
Raising it up over her head, she was just about ready to crash it down on his head when he spun around, grabbing the head and throwing Lila off balance. The man’s grip on the club kept her from hitting the floor too hard, but that didn’t stop him from pinning her to the ground with a good amount of force. He was so fast, so agile… Lila never had a chance.
God, she was scared. And she couldn’t breathe. Figuring she’d be dead soon she struggled, but to no avail. She wasn’t going anywhere. Damn. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to settle into the new place and make a life for herself and her baby. A baby that now might never be born.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered. “Please.”
The house fell completely silent. All she could hear were the waves on the beach.
“Lila?”
The voice. Warm and deep, it wrapped around her like a soft blanket. Nick.
Her eyes fluttered open and she took in his handsome face. His dark hair was longer, not cut in a military style like it was when she last saw him, and his jaw was covered in a neatly groomed beard. He looked breathtaking—like a pirate.
“What the hell are you doing?” he snarled.
“I was protecting myself. I thought you were robbing the house.”
“So you were going to hit me with a golf club? There’s a door in every bedroom. You run; you don’t try to fight off an intruder.” He tossed the club to the side with a thud. “Shit. I could have hurt you. Not your best move.”
His arrogant attitude was pissing her off, and that was on top of being furious that he’d dropped off the face of the earth. It didn’t matter that he was right about running, the bastard.
Still on the floor gazing up at him, Lila tried to free her arms. They’d made love on this floor. Impulsive and hot, he’d pinned her down then as well, but it had been a lot more fun. She’d never forget it, or how he made her feel. Sexy, desired…loved.
It had only taken three days for her to fall in love with Nick DeMarco, and it was very likely she’d never get over it. Furious or not, she’d finally met her match. Unfortunately, it didn’t sound like he felt the same.
“Can I get up?” she asked, wincing. “All of a sudden, everything really hurts.”
“Oh. Yeah. Of course. Sorry.”
Hopping to his feet, he grasped her hands and pulled her up. Lila immediately got lightheaded and found herself leaning against Nick’s strong chest. Perfect.
She had to pull it together.
He smelled like a storm. Crisp, electric. But he felt different. His body under her hands didn’t have the bulk it did just a few months ago. And she wondered why. Had something happened?
“Are you okay?” His concern was genuine. For now.
Finally, she stepped back. “Yes. Fine. I’m sorry about attacking you. It’s my first night here by myself.”
“Why are you here instead of your condo?”
This wasn’t a topic for the middle of the night. The adrenaline was starting to crash, her hormones were surging just being close to him, and the last thing Lila wanted to do was lose it in front of him.
“Why don’t we talk in the morning? I assume you’ve come to stay for a few days?”
“It might be a little longer.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. “Why are you here? What’s happened?”
His eyes drilled into her, locking her in place. “I…there was a fire. My condo…”
“A fire? How bad?”
This was a truth Lila had been avoiding. She didn’t have to talk about it with Josie because her friend had been on the island when it happened. She’d been Lila’s first phone call. Josie had seen the smoldering rubble. But it was in the past, and it was unlikely her home would be rebuilt.
“It was bad,” she breathed out. “I lost everything.”
There it was. Her life, and his glaring absence from it, was all too obvious now.
“Jesus. I’m sorry.”
Immediately, Nick’s arms banded around her, but Lila pushed him away. Tempting as it was to let herself be comforted, she had to keep her distance. He wasn’t staying. There was no way he was staying very long.
“We’ll talk in the morning,” she said, holding up her hand. “The guest room is all yours.”
He stood there. Staring at her. God, he was beautiful. She could go to him and he’d hold her, and for a moment Lila would feel better. Then her self-respect would kick her ass. She might be carrying his baby, but she couldn’t let him get inside her head again.
He’d leave.
He would always leave.
What the hell? Nick never expected to be on the receiving end of Lila’s wild golfing skills, but she’d managed to clip his arm before he took her down.
He hadn’t even thought. He’d just reacted.
Flattening an unarmed woman was definitely not going to rank as his finest moment.
Nick had done everything possible to get Lila out of his head. The truth was no matter how hard he tried, he’d thought about her every day since he’d left on his last mission. Now she was here, living in the house where he’d planned on hiding out until he could get his shit together.
The universe was fucking cruel.
The woman made him want in ways that were a problem for a guy like him. He had no roots, and even now, without the danger associated with his work, he still didn’t know what he was doing with his life. Lila definitely deserved better.
She was pissed off. That much was obvious from the way she reacted to him, but something else was eating at her. She was nervous, and while he liked that he made her nervous, he didn’t have any idea why that was.
Lila was strong and funny. She was adventurous in and out of bed, and when they got together four months ago, she knew exactly what she wanted. It was a huge turn-on.
They’d had a great time together. So good that leaving was hard for the first time in his life. Lila had gotten under his skin, and when he was away, he’d missed her. It was new. And he sometimes wondered if it was a distraction.
But distraction or not, when he woke up in the hospital after being rescued, she was the first person he wanted to see. Not his parents, or his sister, or his best friend. Lila was the one he almost asked for.
Almost. He’d promised to call, or write when he could, and he didn’t. He’d broken that pledge to women before, but those other women weren’t Lila. Even as he lay in his hospital bed, he thought about calling. But asking her to get on a plane to Germany after months without a word was wrong. He didn’t need her visiting out of pity or obligation.
God, she’d lost everything. The trauma of watching your life go up in flames was bound to change a person. But it still didn’t explain why she was so nervous. He needed to know more.
Slamming a cabinet door, Nick swore under his breath. He was damned confused. The Lila he knew would have given him hell. Instead, the woman who had just attacked him with his grandfather’s ancient golf club was quieter, more controlled.
Nick thought it could have been the shock. The fact that she thought she’d had to defend herself in the middle of the night that affected her. She was obviously scared. And she’d made one other thing perfectly clear.
She wasn’t happy to see him.
Making his way to the bedroom Josie always kept made up for him, Nick dropped the duffle on the floor and walked to the doors that led out of the house to the beach. The moon shone down, making the sand and water sparkle.
It reminded him of some time he spent in Indonesia. The situation they’d dropped into was abominable, but there were moments like this during those crazy days, a few seconds of total peace, that allowed him to clear his mind.
He’d always liked Mimosa. The memories of vacations with his family, of his grandparents, brought a smile to his face. He still believed it was a good idea to come to Barefoot Bay, but he’d have to prepare himself for a tough conversation with Lila.
All things considered, it was probably a good idea to leave his bag packed in case she didn’t want him to stay.
Pulling out his cell, Nick pressed a few buttons and waited. It was barely six in the morning in Marinbourg, but Tony would be up. The man never slept.
“So you are alive.” Tony’s voice held an edge. “Nice of you to let us know.”
“Funny. How’s the castle now that Hurricane Josie has moved in?”
Tony chuckled. “The staff didn’t know what to make of her at first, but they love her. My mother and sister can’t imagine the place without her, and even my father is charmed.”
Thinking about his little sister, the future queen, Nick’s heart warmed. “She does that to people.”
“She does, my friend. She certainly does.” Anton’s voice betrayed how much he cared about Josie. It was that—the love—that helped Nick get past the fact that they’d hidden their relationship from him. “So, are you going to tell me where you’ve been, or is it top-secret?”
“I can’t,” Nick responded. “But I can tell you that I’ll be around for the wedding.”
Tony exhaled. “Don’t let Josie down. If you say you’re going to be here, you have to be here. No running off to overthrow some government.”
Should Nick tell him? Tony was his best friend, and he knew, more than anyone, the kind of life Nick led. Or used to lead. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“What does that mean, exactly? Everything all right?”
Nick hesitated before answering. “I guess that depends on your definition of all right. I’m alive.”
“Hang on a second, let me go in my office.”
Nick waited, hearing Tony move to another room and shut the door.
“What’s happened?” Tony asked firmly.
“I took a bad fall on my last assignment.” Okay, so it wasn’t the whole truth. “Broke a few things, tore a few things, banged my head up good. But I got through the worst of it.”
“Really?” Tony began. “Go on. I have a feeling there’s more to it. Are you still recovering?”
It was a simple question, and there was a simple answer. But it didn’t feel that way to Nick. “I’m out of commission. They’ve taken me out of the field. So you’re right, physically I’m okay. Still a few things to work out, but I’m fine.”
“Come here then,” Tony said. “Josie would love to see you. And having people around will keep your mind off things.”
“I don’t think so, man. I need some time.” The last thing Nick needed was his sister telling him what to do.
“Nick, I think it would be best…”
“No,” he snapped.
“Where are you?” Tony was annoyed. He didn’t like being told no.
“I’m at the house. In Florida.”
“Ah. Oh… You saw Lila?”
“Scared her to death. She came at me with an old golf club.”
“Shit. Is she okay?”
“Yeah, I didn’t know she was here, and before I knew it I’d pinned her on the floor. Pure instinct. But other than knocking the wind out of her, she seemed fine,” Nick replied.
“Good God,” Tony muttered. “She’s fine, though? You’re sure.”
Yeah, she was fine all right; every inch of her felt fine to him. “She seemed it. Wasn’t too happy to see me though.” That was going to be a problem. He’d just told Tony too much.
“Why wouldn’t she want to see you? Did you offend her when you were here last?”
“I definitely didn’t offend her.”
“You’re certain? Josie is very protective of her. Especially since the fire.”
There was no reason for it, but Nick’s spidey-sense was hyperactive. He was missing something. Something critical. “Why are you so worried about Lila? It sounds like there’s something I should know. Since I’m gonna be here for a while, maybe you should fill me in.”
Already being out of the field was making him itchy. Feelings were everywhere, and Nick was not a touchy-feely kind of guy. Still, he’d have no trouble getting all touchy-feely with Lila again. The woman was his personal kryptonite.
Thinking about the few seconds he’d held her in his arms again, Nick felt like he had come home. Which was one of the reasons he didn’t balk when he was sent on assignment with no warning. It pulled him away from her special kind of magic. A guy like him couldn’t afford to get mixed up with the woman who had forever stamped on her forehead.
“What am I missing, Tony?”
“Didn’t get a good look at her?”
“No, it was dark. Why?”
“Because she’s pregnant. A little over four months gone.”
There was nothing Tony could have said that would have shocked him more. Lila was pregnant. Four months. Quick math told him it was likely he was the father, and he never would have been the wiser if he hadn’t come back. He wasn’t planning on having kids, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take responsibility if he did. He wasn’t in the habit of leaving women pregnant and alone.
“You know,” Tony said. “I never thought about it much, as she didn’t seem like your type, but you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that baby she’s carrying, would you?”
There was no good answer to the question, but Nick did know that he wasn’t going to have a conversation with anyone until he’d talked to Lila first. “I guess I have to talk to her about that. I’ll call later. Tell Josie I’ll speak to her then.”
Nick hung up before Tony could ask another question. Yeah, he was ducking. But as he contemplated all this new information, he didn’t need any external pressure messing with his head. A baby? Was he going to be a father? Tossing his phone on the bed in his room, he made his way to Lila’s bedroom door. Raising his hand to knock, he stopped and stepped back. Morning. He’d talk to her in the morning.
“Damn, Lila. A baby,” he whispered.
He wondered what she would do. It was obvious the fire had upended her life. Insurance might help, but that could take months. For the first time in weeks, Nick didn’t feel at loose ends. He had a purpose.
Nick was used to saving people. Granted, he generally worked on a bigger scale, but that didn’t mean this mission would be easy. The subject would most definitely be a challenge.
Uncooperative.
Possibly hostile.
Headstrong and determined, Lila possessed brains and a temper, and Nick had his work cut out for him. But he didn’t care—failure was not an option.
Lila needed him. Even if she didn’t realize it yet.