Chapter One
Spencer Rowe felt it before he saw her.
For days, he’d felt someone was watching him. But he never saw anything that alarmed him whenever he scanned his surroundings.
This was different, though. He recognized the sensation of that familiar watchful gaze.
Spencer turned and saw a tanned woman making her way toward him.
The woman’s bright orange, yellow, and blue halter dress swayed as she rocked to the loud music blasting from the speakers of the hotel’s bar. She was like a cat zooming in on its prey. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t going to stop until she got it.
Usually, Spencer welcomed such attention.
Partying—loud music, alcohol, and women—was Spencer’s thing.
His blond hair and dark blue eyes had always been popular with the ladies. Now that he was a famous Hollywood actor with more than enough cash to burn, he never ran out of women by his side.
But tonight, he wasn’t quite up for it. Actually, he hadn’t been in a party mood for a while. He’d thought the Bahamas would help him get his mojo back, but it hadn’t worked.
And there was something about the woman. She seemed a little tipsy, not that he would’ve cared. No, there was something more, something familiar about her—which was always a sign for him to get out of the way.
He wasn’t interested in handling the aftermath of forgetting a woman’s name. He wasn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy. He had fun, then he left. There was no need for him to remember names.
Besides, he could always charm his way out of whatever situation he found himself in. He just wasn’t in the mood to do so tonight. So Spencer downed the liquor in his glass and turned. He meandered his way through the crowd and toward the attached beach cordoned off for the hotel’s guest.
Several guys he didn’t know hugged and thanked him for the fabulous party.
To be more accurate, they were thanking him for the open bar. He was feeling generous and wanted something to do. So why not?
The interceptions of the guys slowed his way toward the beach, and he almost groaned when someone grabbed his hand.
“Baby.”
He put on his charming smile and turned around. “Hey, baby.” He called all the women he met baby, so he wouldn’t ever get it wrong. He just hoped she wouldn’t continue with a ‘do you remember me?’
“Do you remember me?”
Of course she had to ask. Spencer stepped closer and whispered into her ears, “How could I forget someone as beautiful as you?”
The woman with light blue eyes grinned and leaned back, pulling him toward the bar. “Dance with me.”
“Not tonight, baby. I’ve got to go.”
She pouted. “Why? One minute.”
He curled his hand around her waist and jerked her closer. “Another time. I promise.”
The woman wrapped her arms around his waist. “Come on. Just one dance.” She took his hand and put his index finger into her mouth. “I’m bored. Have some fun with me.”
“Not tonight, baby.”
“Look, I’ve had a terrible night.” She pouted. “Please dance with me.”
Spencer sighed. “I’m sure there’s someone else here who’d love to turn your night around.”
“Come on!” She threw his hand aside and tugged at his shirt. “You threw this party, right?”
“I’m footing the bill, so please enjoy.” He removed the woman’s hand from his shirt.
“Spencer!”
“Enough.” He pulled his arm away from the woman, her nails scratching him. “I’m sure you can find someone else to dance with you.”
The woman grabbed a bottle from a guy standing nearby and flung it at him.
The beer bottle hit him in the chest, and Spencer caught it before it dropped onto the floor. But he wasn’t able to stop the beer from spilling onto his light gray T-shirt, resulting in a darker patch right down the middle. “What the—”
He took a step toward the woman, but someone cut between them and pushed him back.
“Don't.”
Spencer took his eyes off the woman and turned to the guy pushing him back. It took him a moment to recognize the familiar boyish face. “Nick.”
Nick Evans pushed back the dark brown bangs that were falling over his forehead and took a few steps forward, nudging Spencer back with him.
Spencer and Nick used to bump into each other so often at parties that they had become pretty good friends. Though Nick hadn't been around the party scene since getting back with his ex-girlfriend and then getting hitched, Spencer still saw Nick from time to time at the after-parties of award shows.
Nick was often in oversized T-shirts and low-hanging jeans, but this was the first time Spencer had seen him in a regular-sized T-shirt and beach shorts.
“She’s had too much to drink,” Nick said. “Let her be.”
While a few people dragged the woman away, Spencer turned back to Nick. “You’re here on your own?”
“Kerri’s over there.” Nick jerked his chin to the side. “We heard Spencer Rowe was throwing a party, so I came to say hi. It seems like you’re leaving. Not having fun?”
“I got bored.”
Kerri Adams, daughter of Hollywood’s legendary star Claudia Adams, came over in a light blue sundress, her thick dark brown hair in a braid. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. That woman just had too much to drink.”
Kerri nodded and turned to her husband. “Do you want to stay here with Spencer? I could head back upstairs first.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “You know I won't let you do that.”
“Go,” Spencer said. “Don't worry about me.”
Nick turned to him and studied his face for a moment. “Or you could head out to the beach with Kerri, and I’ll get us something to drink.”
“Sure.”
Nick leaned over and gave Kerri a peck on the hair. “Be right back.”
It was such a simple gesture, but it suddenly struck Spencer that he hadn't ever done that to anyone.
“Are you okay?” Kerri asked as they made their way down to the beach. “You looked so distracted just now.”
“I was trying to get away from that woman.”
“You don’t even know her name, do you?” Kerri laughed and shook her head. “But I meant before that. We saw you at the bar. You were just staring into space.”
He shrugged.
“Elena?”
His brows rose, and Kerri laughed softly.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “My mom and Elena are pretty close. My mom told me about it.”
“It looks like she’s back with her ex.”
“Is that why?”
He shook his head. “What I had for her was … nothing. She was just different from most women I met.” When he’d gotten to the Bahamas, he’d missed Elena. At parties, he realized how different Elena was from the rest of the women he’d met.
But he’d also missed Keith. He wished his buddy was here with him, and he realized Elena was the first woman he’d actually considered a friend.
“Do most women throw bottles at you? What did you do to her anyway?”
“Refused to dance with her.”
“That’s it?” Kerri glanced over her shoulder. “I thought you just broke up with her.”
“Kind of hard to break up with someone when I don’t even know her well enough to know her name.”
“True.”
“For you.” Nick handed Kerri a cocktail, then turned to Spencer. “Beer?”
“Yeah.” He took the bottle from Nick and took a swig.
“So how long will you be here?” Nick asked.
“I’ve already been here for over two weeks. I think I’ll be leaving in a few days.”
“We’ll be here for another week. If—” Nick looked back when a woman behind them screamed, her finger pointing at the hotel.
Kerri gasped and Nick pulled her into his chest, not caring that the cocktail spilled all over him.
“Don’t look,” Nick said while his own eyes were glued to the scene, just as Spencer’s were.
Spencer watched the colorful dress flutter in the air as it made its descent down the hotel’s building. Only problem was the dress wasn’t drifting down by itself. It was still on the woman who was wearing it, the woman who had been dragging him back for a dance minutes ago.
Despite the loud music that still thumped in the background, a strange muteness took over.
He stared, as everyone did, until the figure fell out of sight, behind the line of trees that blocked the final impact. Then screams broke the muteness, and everyone began to scramble toward what Spencer assumed was the body.
“Oh, God,” Kerri said, and Nick tightened his arms around her before glancing at him.
Nick didn’t say a word to Spencer, but Spencer understood the look in Nick’s eyes. He was going to be in trouble.