Mission: Seduction

The third time she bumped into the chef, he shooed her out of his way by silently threatening her with a large spoon. She resumed pacing on the other side of the enormous breakfast bar they used to lay out a spread of fruits and pastries for guests to snack on throughout the day.

She picked up a muffin but didn’t take a bite.

“No.” She shook her head. “I should walk over there right now and tell him everything. Rafe deserves to know.”

Adrien mumbled something in French and waved his spoon again.

She stopped pacing long enough to lean forward to taste his soup. Closing her eyes, she savored the broth’s spicy flavors against her tongue. Adrien never made a mistake with a meal.

“Why do you always have to do everything so well? Men! I swear. You’re all so—argh.”

Adrien’s eyebrow lifted.

She squinted at him and stuck out her tongue.

He smiled triumphantly and went back to his soup.

During her rant, she’d accidentally smashed the uneaten muffin onto the counter. She felt guilty about that, too. She hated to waste food.

Nearby, she could hear some guests returning from a catamaran outing. Time for Kelly to get a hold of herself. It wouldn’t do for the guests to see her in the middle of a nervous breakdown.

After dumping the muffin in the trash, she went to her suite to wash her hands. Her rooms were the only private bedroom and sitting room on the first floor and possessed the best sea views. Outfitted in colors of soft ivory and chocolate-brown, her suite could have been in any exclusive hotel in the world. She’d been lucky. When she bought Last Resort, it had been made over only a few months before. However, a high-end destination like this needed constant maintenance. There was always something that needed to be fixed, replaced or updated. The staff, most of whom she’d inherited with the buy, kept the place running smoothly. Some of them had been doing the same jobs since before she was born, so she left them to it.

After washing her hands, she sat down on the edge of her bed. Staring at her cell phone, she contemplated her next move. Mimi had to be told. Maybe she could convince her sister to temporarily go along with the ruse until Rafe was feeling better. She remembered the way his face fell when he found out Mimi wasn’t there. Kelly winced. There was no way Rafe would be interested in her if Mimi was around.

She lay back on the bed. “It’s not supposed to be about that,” she chastised herself. “It’s about helping him to get better.”

Initially, when Kelly had invited Rafe, her sole intention had been to help him. He never whined or complained, but she could always tell that he had seen things he’d rather forget. After several letters prodding him about his injuries, he’d finally told her everything. That he’d nearly died sent her heart reeling. That was when she knew she cared much more than she should.

In her mind and in her heart, she knew she could make a positive difference in his life.

She turned onto her side.

Rafe was even more than she had expected. His inner strength only intensified his attractiveness. She thought of his taut muscles and the way his jeans fit against his—

“Stop it,” she moaned. Even before she’d seen him, he had been a late-night fantasy. He’d often kept her awake as she wondered what it would be like if he touched her. Or better yet, kissed her.

Kelly quickly got out her cell phone and called her sister. She had to tell someone the truth, or she would die from guilt.

“This is Mimi, you know what to do,” the recorded voice said.

For a second Kelly thought about leaving the whole twisted story in a message. It would be so much easier, but she wouldn’t stoop that low.

“Call me,” she said before hitting the end call button.

“I’m not a bad person,” she whispered to her pillows. “This all began so innocently. Can I help it if his letters made me fall for him? Is it my fault that I want him all to myself?”

A little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. “Oh, be quiet, conscience.”

She needed something to do so she would stop obsessing. There was always paperwork, but she couldn’t concentrate.

Jumping up from the bed, she slipped off her shorts, revealing the rest of her bikini. She then reached for the latch and opened the sliding glass door.

Outside, her board stood waiting for her. She grabbed it and ran to do the one thing that always soothed her.

It only took a moment for her feet to hit the warm sand. Curling her toes, she watched as the waves broke over the sandbar. The motion of the water was the balm she needed.

Running, she dove with her board into the first wave.

Home.

* * *

RAFE STARED AS Kelly surfed one wave after another. The way she maneuvered the surfboard with such ease made him curious as to how someone so slim could tame the churning ocean. At first, he thought she must have to really focus on what she was doing, but she did it all so smoothly and controlled, she was clearly a natural.

When she hit the beach, she frowned and headed again into the surf.

Rafe didn’t know her, but he did know human nature and she was worried about something.

That bothered him. She was such a kind soul. He’d recognized that about her from the instant they’d met. That and the fact that she’d welcomed him to her resort without a second thought. There was an immediate connection between them, one that disturbed Rafe because of its strength. The pull toward her was something that should only come after knowing a person for months, not minutes.

What amazed him the most was how fast he was over his initial disappointment of Mimi not being there to greet him.

Stop it.

He kicked his feet and swam back to shore. Once there, he claimed the towel he’d brought with him and sat down on the sand.

Had she felt the same awareness? Just because Kelly had been nice to him was no reason for him to think she might be interested in him.

Give it up.

You’re here to hang out with her sister.

“Those look like some deep thoughts,” Kelly said. She stood before him with her board stuck in the sand. How had she snuck up on him like that?

Great, marine, just great.

“Not so deep, I promise. You’re a great surfer. I mean, I don’t know much about the sport, but you ride those man-crushing waves like a pro.” Rafe had stayed in shallow water to avoid the large swells, which rolled in higher by the minute.

“I am,” she said.

He gave her a questioning look.

“A pro,” she said, and laughed. “I surf professionally on the circuit. At least, I did until a few months ago before I decided to hit Pause for a bit and buy this place.” She nodded toward the resort.

If she made enough to afford this luxury spot, she had to have done pretty well as an athlete.

Rafe chastised himself for staring at her. Bikini bottoms with tiny red bows at the hips flattered her long, tanned legs. Her flat stomach was slightly ripped with muscles, just enough to show she wasn’t afraid of a good workout.