She shouldn’t have asked him to stay. Knew it was unfair to him. But that kiss had awakened something in her.

Plus, the gravity of her choices had suddenly hit her. She had basically burned her bridges at Prescott. There was no way she could go back to work after this. Which meant she wouldn’t see Dane. She’d see the city that reminded her of him, but once he got on that plane back to New York tonight he’d be out of her life for good.

“What do you mean?” he rasped out, his voice husky.

The sensation of his lips on hers still lingered. Made the place between her legs throb with longing. “You can’t leave now. It wouldn’t be fair for you to go on a three-hour flight after you decided to make sure I was okay.”

“Is that all?” he demanded. “Is that the only reason you want me to stay? Because I might be tired?”

Her lower lip quivered. “I don’t know. I’m afraid to promise anything.”

“But you want me to stay the night?”

“I do.” The weight of those two words crushed her. They were the words she should have said at the altar when they got married. In her despair over everything she pressed her lips to his, searching for the type of comfort that didn’t need words.

His tongue swirled into her mouth, expertly probing, making her needy. With their mouths still joined, she reached for his hand and guided it back up her dress. His fingertips were like a brand, trailing up her thigh until he found the fabric of her panties. Quickly, she broke the kiss to help him peel her panties away.

Dane’s hand went up her dress again. When he cupped her sex, the sensation of his touch made her quiver. Bliss was already shooting through her.

“Do you want me to keep touching you?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she gasped out. She didn’t bother to hide how desperately she wanted him. Right now, she was too needy, too scared of losing him to try to hide.

“Spread your legs for me,” he commanded.

She was still sitting but she leaned back, propping herself up on the palms of her hands, and spread her legs. A cool breeze caressed her flushed skin. A moment ago, the pool water that washed over her legs had chilled her, but now her body was a raging fire.

For a moment she thought that he might torment her and go no further. Instead, he eased a finger into her wetness and the pleasure was so intense she almost climaxed. She moaned as he started to thrust in and out of her. The sweet torture of his touch was banishing all her doubts and fears. All she had now was feeling. An exquisite, indescribable bliss that already had her quivering.

“Look at me,” Dane urged. “Look at me, Allyson. I want to watch you while you come.”

His dirty words made her feel wanton, completely at his mercy. She turned her gaze to him and he stared back, his blue eyes blazing with unmistakable lust.

He slipped another finger into her, filling her with so much bliss she clenched around him. As he stroked her faster and faster, she found herself on the edge. Her eyes were still locked on his as she started panting. The pleasure mounted. She came hard and fast with a cry of his name.

She held on to him until she managed to catch her breath.

“Still want me to stay the night?” Dane asked, amusement in his voice.

She laughed. “You’re way too good at that.”

“I have my uses,” he said. “But maybe we should get some rest. It’s been a long twenty-four hours.”

“Probably the longest of my life,” she confessed.

They slipped back into the villa and Allyson headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Then, they searched the kitchen for something to eat and settled on instant noodles. It wasn’t exactly gourmet food, but they were too tired to make anything more complicated.

“I’ll take the room on the second floor,” he said after they were done with dinner.

“Okay,” she said, trying not to sound disappointed. It was wise for them to avoid sharing a room. Things were already getting way too complicated.

She said goodnight to him and headed for her bedroom. After changing into her pajamas, she slipped under the covers of the huge bed. She had wanted to ask Dane what time he was leading for New York tomorrow, but didn’t have the heart to ask. It was likely that she wouldn’t like the answer. She didn’t know how she was going to survive tomorrow, and as she drifted off to sleep she felt more confused than ever.  

 

*  *  *

 

When Allyson woke up in the morning sunlight was streaming in through the window, warming her face. She stretched, and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower and put on a sundress. The housekeeper would probably show up soon, but she made the bed.

The room was gorgeous. The walls were painted a cheerful coral pink, the furniture was made of wicker and wood, and the heavenly scent of tropical flowers filled the room. She hadn’t noticed it last night, but there were two large double doors that led outside to a lounging area. From there, she got a breathtaking view of the white-sand beach and the clear blue ocean beyond.

Squaring her shoulders, she slipped out of her room to go look for Dane. She hoped that he hadn’t left without saying goodbye. It was one thing to run away to the Bahamas after breaking up with him. Waking up to find him gone would just break her heart all over again.

She made her way to the living room, which was lit up from all the natural light streaming in through the huge double doors and windows. The walls were a light-yellow offset by the cream of the sofas and the deep brown of the mahogany tables. A tropical ceiling fan with wooden blades made to look like palm fronds whirred overhead. On the center table was a bowl of mouthwatering fruits, each tropical fruit a vibrant red, green, orange, or yellow.

“Good morning.”

Dane’s voice almost made her jump out of her skin.

He was already dressed in khakis and a white shirt that offset his tan. His blue eyes rivaled the ocean that was only a few feet away. She tried not to stare but he was gorgeous, like he’d just stepped out of a men’s magazine.

“Good morning,” she said once she found her voice. “For a second I thought you might have left.”

“Without saying goodbye?” He frowned. “You think I’d do something like that?”

“I’ve hurt you.”

“Was it your intention to hurt me?”

“No. Never. I ended things between us because I think we hurt other people.”

“We didn’t intentionally hurt Holly,” he pointed out gently.

“No, but she’s still in the hospital because of us—because of me.”

“And you feel guilty.”

“Don’t you?”

“Yes. I flew down here to make sure you were okay because of that guilt,” he admitted.

“Maybe we’re not so different after all.” Days ago, she had reminded him how different they were. He was from a world of privilege that, even now, she couldn’t truly understand. Meanwhile, she was just ordinary. Forgettable, really. Nothing like the women who ruled his world. Yet here they were, both haunted by the same guilt.

“Maybe.” He appraised her, like he was trying to decipher what she might do next.

“I don’t want you to go,” she blurted out. She cringed the moment she said the words. Maybe fooling around with him last night had fogged up her brain. Or maybe seeing him here in the place she had run off to was making her emotional. Whatever the reason, the thought of him getting on a plane and leaving her behind sent her into a panic. A panic she had no right to feel since she was the one who had broken things off with him.

“I don’t want to go either,” he said. “But we’re not engaged anymore.”

“No, we’re not,” she said miserably.

“Do you wish we were?”

Her stomach knotted up. “I….” Of course, she did. She loved him with all her heart and soul. If there was a way to be his wife without causing so much pain and harm, she would do it. But their love was so destructive. Dane didn’t know it, but their engagement had put his parents on the brink of divorce. She wondered if he would still be eager to marry her if he knew how much damage their love would do to his parents’ marriage. She shook her head. “I’m sorry. You should go. Your father might be recovering, but he still needs you.”

“My father…” He narrowed his eyes. “Is that why you freaked out at the hospital? Because of my parents?”

“What would give you that idea?” she asked, startled. “I’m just worried about your father—”

“After you left the hospital, my parents got very quiet,” he interrupted. “Usually my mother would’ve been overjoyed about you breaking things off, but she hardly said a word. What did she say to you?”

“Nothing,” she replied. “Your mother didn’t cause this. I know it’s easy for you to blame her—”

“You think it’s easy for me to wonder if my own mother destroyed my life?” His face hardened with anger. “Do you know what it’s like to know that I can’t talk to my parents about this without wondering if they’re secretly happy that I can’t marry the woman I love?”

“You still love me?”

“Of course, I still love you,” he said gruffly. “You think I just turned that off in two days? I love you, Allyson. I will never stop loving you. You, on the other hand, can just turn your back on us.”

“This hurts me, too,” she said desperately. “I can’t talk to my family either. I feel so alone. Holly is one of my best friends, and I can’t talk her about breaking up with you because I don’t want her to blame herself.”

Silence. He crossed his arms, a scowl on his face. Then he turned around to face the ocean, his back turned to her.

She fought the tears. If she told him the truth about his parents arguing in the hospital, he might want to ruin his relationship with his parents in an impulsive act of resentment. But after everything they had been through, she knew that he had the right to know. Even if he was determined to destroy what was left of the relationship he had with his family.

Allyson approached him and put her hand on his shoulder. He stiffened, but didn’t move away. “You deserve to hear the truth. You’re right. Something did happen with your parents,” she said softly. “Dane, part of the reason I ended things between us was because your parents were going to get a divorce if we stayed together.”

 

*  *  *

 

In complete shock, he turned around to face Allyson. He stared down at her, her huge green eyes shining with unshed tears. “What?”

She swallowed. “They were arguing in the hospital. Your father threatened to divorce your mother if she didn’t accept that we were getting married. And I knew she would never accept us.”

“Is that why you ended things between us?”

She chewed her lip. “Partially. I started thinking about it after Holly fell. Your parents arguing pushed me over the edge, I guess.”

His gut started churning. Hot rage coursed through him. It surprised him that he could still get angry even through the heartache. Then he took a deep breath, and cupped Allyson’s beautiful face in his hands. None of that mattered now. The thought of his parents being partially responsible for the worst moment of his life hurt him deeply, but he had allowed himself to be distracted by outside forces for too long. Allyson must have felt utterly alone in that hospital. She must have felt out of control, blaming herself for the conflict between his parents and for Holly’s fall.

He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “None of this is your fault.”

“You’re not angry with your parents?” She stared at him, her eyes large with surprise.

“I think my love for you has numbed all other emotions.” He rubbed his nose against hers.

She gave him a faint smile. “I don’t want you to go, but I can’t ask you to stay.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“I love you. But I don’t know if we should be together. We’ve caused so much pain.”

“Holly’s fall isn’t your fault. I know it feels that way now, but she’s safe. She’s okay.”

“I thought that my niece or nephew would die, Dane. I felt responsible. It made me think of our future children and the dangers they might be in because of all this.” She sighed.

With all their talk about future children, it was no wonder that Allyson had put herself in Holly’s shoes. She must’ve been terrified when she thought that Holly might lose her baby. The baby that was her niece or nephew. There was no way he could get on a plane and leave her now. Even if he had to find somewhere else to stay while she was here, trying to heal at the villa, he would do it. He didn’t know what staying in the Bahamas for the moment would mean for their relationship, but he was at least going to watch over her.

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “I want to be here with you, if you’ll let me.”

“I’ll be here for a week, but I don’t expect you to stay here that long.”

“Let’s take it one day at a time,” he suggested.

“Are you sure?” Her eyes lit, he swore it. Like there was optimism in them. “I can’t promise anything right now, and I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

“I’m sure,” he said firmly.

She leaned into him. “It’s been good having you here. Coming out here has helped me get in touch with things I kept pushing aside. But I don’t want to talk about any other painful things right now. I just want to enjoy what’s left of my time here before going back to…”

“To face the dragons?” He grinned. “We have the whole beach to ourselves.”

“Didn’t you say there was a golf course nearby?”

“What do you know about golf?”

“Nothing,” she replied. “But it would be a nice distraction. Then, after, we could spend time on the beach.”

 “Whatever you want.” He kissed her forehead again. But as his lips brushed against her skin, there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that if he stayed to help Allyson get over this bump in the road, there was still a risk that his heart would get smashed all over again.