lucrative investments. So” She feared she’d been babbling again—very recklessly. “So that’s why.”
Across from her, Brock gave his handsome head a slight tilt. “You leave anything out?” What was he getting at? “Not that I can think of. Why?”
“You love the guy?”
She rolled her eyes as her stomach pitched slightly. Somewhere nearby, palm fronds rustled in the evening breeze, and she really did feel chilled now. “Of course I love him. That goes without saying. Which is why I didn’t bother saying it.”
He lifted an elbow to the table and propped his chin on one fist. “I’m not buying, kitten.”
His words settled like a knot in her stomach, and she tried her best to cast a death glare. This is your own fault, for trying too hard to make it all sound so fabulous. But she decided to take it out on him, just the same. “As if I care what you think. I would hardly consider you an expert on love anyway.”
He tilted his head to the other side, looking slightly mysterious. “Why not? For all you know, I left Naples, fell in love, and settled down. For all you know, I have a houseful of kids and a little missus waiting for me somewhere.”
All the blood drained from her face, leaving her light-headed. “Did you? Do you?” He grinned, sexy as ever. “No.”
Thank you, God.
“But I know one thing about love.”
“What’s that?”
The grin faded. “That you damn well oughta be in it before you marry somebody.”
Damn it, she was getting tired of defending herself. It was bad enough with Nina, but Brock didn’t even know her anymore—if he ever had. She spoke slowly, firmly. “I told you, I love my fianc.”
“Cutting it awfully close, aren’t you?”
She narrowed her gaze. “Cutting what awfully close?”
“Staying here ’til Thursday, then getting married on Saturday? Seems like you’d want to be doing all that bride stuff girls do—getting ready for your big day, trying on your dress twenty times—rather than camping out on an island in the middle of nowhere.”
Her stomach fluttered with the fear that his observation might hold a hint of truth. But she said, “There’ll still be plenty of time for bride stuff when I get back. And given the change of circumstances out here, I’d go back right now if I could.”
“So you think someone will come looking for you on Thursday, huh?”
She nodded. “When my parents figure out I’m not home when expected, they’ll call Nina, and she’ll be forced to come clean and tell them where I am.” She drew in a deep breath, still feeling the desperate need to convince him everything was fine between her and Ian. “Then I can get back to the man I love.”
He stayed silent for a minute, never taking his eyes off her. In fact, they somehow felt even more on her—as if he were peering into her soul and knew every thought and feeling he aroused in her. “Well, if you do love the guy, kitten,” he finally said, “that’s a real shame.”
She blinked. “Oh?”
“Otherwise, we could take care of some unfinished business.”
She swallowed nervously, unable to tear her gaze away. “Unfinished business?”
His eyes took on a wicked glimmer that melted all through her. “You remember. Me, you, a hot night, and the sexiest panties I’d ever seen. We’ve got five nights here—and, the way I see it, a lot of lost time to make up for.”
Chapter Three
Kat worked hard not to let her eyes go wide as she tried to absorb his words. Although her breasts and the juncture of her thighs seemed to be absorbing them just fine, going maddeningly hot and tingly without a moment’s delay. It was her heart and head that were having a more difficult time believing he’d just tossed out a major sexual proposition like it was typical dinner conversation.
“After all,” Brock went on, speaking in that slow, sure, and all-too-hot way of his, “the last time I saw you, you wanted to give me your virginity.”
She held in her gasp, but
Across from her, Brock gave his handsome head a slight tilt. “You leave anything out?” What was he getting at? “Not that I can think of. Why?”
“You love the guy?”
She rolled her eyes as her stomach pitched slightly. Somewhere nearby, palm fronds rustled in the evening breeze, and she really did feel chilled now. “Of course I love him. That goes without saying. Which is why I didn’t bother saying it.”
He lifted an elbow to the table and propped his chin on one fist. “I’m not buying, kitten.”
His words settled like a knot in her stomach, and she tried her best to cast a death glare. This is your own fault, for trying too hard to make it all sound so fabulous. But she decided to take it out on him, just the same. “As if I care what you think. I would hardly consider you an expert on love anyway.”
He tilted his head to the other side, looking slightly mysterious. “Why not? For all you know, I left Naples, fell in love, and settled down. For all you know, I have a houseful of kids and a little missus waiting for me somewhere.”
All the blood drained from her face, leaving her light-headed. “Did you? Do you?” He grinned, sexy as ever. “No.”
Thank you, God.
“But I know one thing about love.”
“What’s that?”
The grin faded. “That you damn well oughta be in it before you marry somebody.”
Damn it, she was getting tired of defending herself. It was bad enough with Nina, but Brock didn’t even know her anymore—if he ever had. She spoke slowly, firmly. “I told you, I love my fianc.”
“Cutting it awfully close, aren’t you?”
She narrowed her gaze. “Cutting what awfully close?”
“Staying here ’til Thursday, then getting married on Saturday? Seems like you’d want to be doing all that bride stuff girls do—getting ready for your big day, trying on your dress twenty times—rather than camping out on an island in the middle of nowhere.”
Her stomach fluttered with the fear that his observation might hold a hint of truth. But she said, “There’ll still be plenty of time for bride stuff when I get back. And given the change of circumstances out here, I’d go back right now if I could.”
“So you think someone will come looking for you on Thursday, huh?”
She nodded. “When my parents figure out I’m not home when expected, they’ll call Nina, and she’ll be forced to come clean and tell them where I am.” She drew in a deep breath, still feeling the desperate need to convince him everything was fine between her and Ian. “Then I can get back to the man I love.”
He stayed silent for a minute, never taking his eyes off her. In fact, they somehow felt even more on her—as if he were peering into her soul and knew every thought and feeling he aroused in her. “Well, if you do love the guy, kitten,” he finally said, “that’s a real shame.”
She blinked. “Oh?”
“Otherwise, we could take care of some unfinished business.”
She swallowed nervously, unable to tear her gaze away. “Unfinished business?”
His eyes took on a wicked glimmer that melted all through her. “You remember. Me, you, a hot night, and the sexiest panties I’d ever seen. We’ve got five nights here—and, the way I see it, a lot of lost time to make up for.”
Chapter Three
Kat worked hard not to let her eyes go wide as she tried to absorb his words. Although her breasts and the juncture of her thighs seemed to be absorbing them just fine, going maddeningly hot and tingly without a moment’s delay. It was her heart and head that were having a more difficult time believing he’d just tossed out a major sexual proposition like it was typical dinner conversation.
“After all,” Brock went on, speaking in that slow, sure, and all-too-hot way of his, “the last time I saw you, you wanted to give me your virginity.”
She held in her gasp, but
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