Body Heat

As the music of Weekes faded out, Rafiq turned the radio back down and grinned at Hylan. “So are you staying long or are you just swooping in to take our lovely Nikki away from us?”

“I’m just in for two weeks.” Hylan struggled to keep his grin from turning cocky. Rafiq seemed extremely confident in Hylan’s game when it came to women. But if this Nikki chick was even half the dime-piece Rafiq thought she was, then Hylan would be down for whatever. Vacations were always best when they were spent with the opposite sex. “But I can be persuaded to stay longer.”

Rafiq’s cocky grin matched Hylan’s as he made a sharp left on a rustic coastal road that ascended to Dawson’s private estate. Once they cleared the overgrown foliage, the two-story white, palatial villa stretched up toward a darkening blue sky.

“Looks like we’re in for a rough one,” Hylan observed.

“What are you going to do? It’s that time of year.” Rafiq said as he slammed on the brakes.

Hylan’s hands shifted from the door to the dashboard, which he was certain he was just seconds from sailing through. Before he could curse the driver out, Rafiq had jumped from behind the wheel and started unloading the bags.

“Welcome home,” Rafiq declared and then marched up toward the front door.

Hylan stumbled out of the vehicle on shaky legs and grabbed the two remaining bags. The moment he crossed the threshold however, he pulled up short and wondered if Rafiq had taken him to the right house. “What the…”

“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Rafiq said, bobbing his head and smiling as if he expected Hylan to turn cartwheels or something.

He almost did. Not that he didn’t like his house before with its pristine, airy, white décor that, quite frankly, most villas—whether they were homes or resorts—showcased. His spacious vacation villa now looked both modern and urbane, intimate, masculine, quiet and sophisticated—especially with its coffee-colored walls.

“This looks like it cost me a fortune,” he said. His gaze danced across the room with its new furniture and an array of eclectic artworks.

Rafiq shrugged. “I don’t know about such things. You’d have to ask the missus about that.”

Hylan bobbed his head, but then when Rafiq’s words registered, he frowned and turned his head toward him. “Ask who?”

“All I’m saying is that a man’s house is his castle, no?”

Hylan started to answer when this angelic voice floated down from the second level. “Rafiq, is that you?”

Hylan didn’t think it was possible but the man’s smile stretched even wider as he brushed a hand over his bushy, uneven ‘fro.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The woman laughed and it sounded like sweet music to Hylan’s ears.

“I thought so. I’d recognize that engine anywhere. When are you going to get a tune-up?”

Obviously embarrassed, Rafiq’s broad smile dimmed as he kicked the tiled floor in the foyer. “Soon. I’ll get it to the shop later this week. Promise.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Can you go help Momma Mahina out in the guesthouse? We’re storm-proofing all the windows.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rafiq started bowing even though the woman had yet to grace him with her presence. “By the way Nikki, I, um, brought you home a gift.” He poked another sharp elbow into Hylan’s ribs.

Hylan flinched, but not before debating whether to send a quick jab upside Rafiq’s head. He spared him this time, but if the man elbowed him again, all bets were off.

“No more gifts, Rafiq,” the woman said, her voice becoming clearer as she approached the top of the stairs. “I told you that I’m a happily married woman.” She stepped into view and froze.

Hylan’s eyes widened with a sudden jolt of recognition—like any man could ever forget those stacked curves or even that face. “You.” In the next second, he felt as if he was spiraling out of control in some mad man’s vertigo. He dropped the bags that were in his hands and at the last second managed a little more strength in his knees. Was he dreaming or was he seeing that New York actress’s twin? They say everyone has one.

After a few more seconds, Hylan felt as if he was getting his bearings back—at least that’s what he took his growing hard-on to mean.

“Ah, Nikki, I knew you’d like this gift,” Rafiq boasted, slamming his large, bony hand against the center of Hylan’s back.

Nikki? This was the infamous woman Rafiq bragged about? Hylan dropped his gaze so that he could take in the pleasure of its slow climb back up her body. This certainly had the makings of becoming a memorable vacation.

Rafiq’s laughter bubbled between the silent couple. “Looks like I was wrong. Nikki didn’t know you were coming. You old dog.” He delivered another whack against Hylan’s back, before he then leaned over and whispered, “About that gift thing, that’s just a little inside joke between us two. I would never hit on your wife.”

Rafiq’s declaration may as well have been a sucker punch. “My wife!”

Chapter Five

Oh shit.

That was the only thing that kept looping around inside Nikki’s head. No, she didn’t personally know the man standing at the bottom of the stairs. But she knew from the fair amount of pictures she’d seen in the house and from his many legions of cousins on the island that he was in fact the man she had been masquerading as being married to for the past year and a half. With nosy Rafiq looking on, she knew that she had to do something—preferably before her husband exposed her for the fraud that she was.

“Honey, you’re home.” She forced a smile across her face and then willed her legs to run down the stairs. “Why didn’t you call and tell me that you were coming?” As she hit the bottom stair, she opened her arms and then launched herself toward the complete stranger.

Inwardly, Nikki tried to prepare herself for the man to ward off her exuberant greeting, but instead he allowed her to wrap her arms around him and plant her lips against his. She meant for it to be just a small peck, but the minute their mouths connected, something unexpected charged through her—something nice, warm and downright magical.

The moan wasn’t part of the impromptu performance, but Hylan’s response was to fold his arms around her slim waist and pick her up a full four inches off the ground. It was either the sudden airlift or his incredible mouth that had her head reeling—she couldn’t decide which.

Damn. He can kiss.

Another pair of feet shuffled toward the foyer a second before Momma Mahina’s unmistakable husky voice boomed, “Nikki, chile. The windows out at the guesthouse have all been taken care of and…Oh, my Lord! Is that who I think it is?”

Hylan’s and Nikki’s lips broke apart. Their eyes locked and reflected the same level of shock. Clearly whatever she was feeling, he felt it, too.

“It is!” Momma Mahina clapped her hands together and let out a loud shriek and she raced over to Hylan, her large bottom swaying back and forth until she reached her longtime employer and enveloped both him and his wife in her arms. “I can’t believe it. You’re finally home.”

It’s been a year and a half and Nikki still hadn’t grown used to Momma Mahina’s hugs. The sweet woman could choke a boa constrictor to death before she realized that she needed to let go.

“You want to ease up on that death grip, Mahina?” Hylan croaked.

Momma Mahina’s arms sprang open and Nikki quickly sucked in a few gulps of air despite her aching rib cage.

However, Mahina’s excitement quickly changed and she delivered a quick slap to Hylan’s arm. “How dare you stay away for so long!” She smacked him again and then jerked Nikki out of his arms to pull her against her heavy bosom. “I can’t believe that you’ve been so heartless as to leave this poor chile here all alone. If I was her I would have left you a long time ago!”

Hylan’s brows jumped up as he lazily folded his arms in front of his chest. “Is that right?”

Nikki shut her eyes as if that would somehow make her invisible.

“You have a good woman here,” Mahina said. “Don’t forget that I knew your mother and I know for a fact that she would not have been pleased about the way you’ve been treating her.” She waved her finger at Hylan as if she’d just caught him stealing. “I know that you think that becoming some big shot businessman is important, but let me tell you that all the money in the world is never gonna bring you even half the happiness that a good woman can.”

Somebody shoot me now, Nikki prayed.

After a long silence, Hylan said, “You’re right.”

Nikki peeled one eye open. Did I just hear what I think I heard?