Powerful and Proud: Beneath the Veil of Paradise / In the Heat of the Spotlight / His Brand of Passion

Plenty of people, she reminded herself, had second chances. Plenty of people were bereaved and moved on with life, found someone else to risk it all for. Plenty of people, but not her. She just didn’t think she was made that way, couldn’t imagine breaking her heart all over again.

And what about Chase? Even if he was interested in taking their fling past this week, he’d surely want more than she could give. Marriage, maybe even children. The thought had a shudder of both longing and terror ripping through her.

All foolish fairy-tales, anyway, because Chase wasn’t interested in any of that. He’d wanted the fun back, just like she had wanted, but no more. And she got that now. They’d play by his rules from now on, and they would be her rules too.

‘I wondered where you’d gone.’

Millie stiffened at the sound of Chase’s sleep-husked voice. He made her think of rumpled bed covers and salty skin. The way she’d abandoned herself to him just a few hours ago and how she’d gloried in it.

‘I couldn’t sleep.’

She heard the whisper of sand as he came closer. ‘No?’

‘No. I’m afraid I’m a bit of an insomniac. Comes with the job, unfortunately.’

‘Have you checked the stock market today?’ Chase asked, only half-teasing, but Millie stiffened in sudden realisation.

She hadn’t. She hadn’t checked the stock market in over forty-eight hours. Good Lord.

‘Of course,’ she answered breezily, but it was a beat too late.

‘Liar,’ Chase said softly, and came to sit beside her, clad only in boxers, his bare thigh inches from her own. She’d been intimate with him in so many ways, yet the feel of his leg next to hers still gave her the shivers.

‘If I haven’t checked, it’s only because I can’t get reception on your boat.’

‘You’re a terrible liar, you know that? You haven’t checked because you haven’t thought of it, and that scares you more than anything.’

Millie said nothing. She was falling in love with him, and even though her body still tingled from where it had been joined to his she knew it was the last thing he wanted.

‘The stock market will live without me for a few days.’