From Ex to Eternity (Newlywed Games 1)

Cara’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Is that the secret?”

“There’s no secret. You’re thinking about this too much. Don’t let the past ruin what you can have now. And really don’t let the future mess up the present. That hasn’t even happened yet.”

“Because you’re such a relationship expert?” That wasn’t fair and it had more to do with how closemouthed her sister always was about her own love life, or lack thereof. Meredith’s interaction with men started and ended in the bedroom, but that didn’t give Cara an excuse to be mean.

She started to apologize but her sister cut her off.

“No.” A shadow passed over Meredith’s face. “Because I’m an expert in messing them up. That’s how I know what not to do.”

According to Meredith, obsessing about the plan fell squarely in the category of What Not to Do. And maybe her sister was right. Cara bit her lip.

Cara’s design business filled her with purpose and gave her a level of satisfaction she’d never known. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to take that and run...straight to Keith. This was Grace Bay, not Houston, and Cara could do whatever she wanted. Be whomever she wanted. If Cara Chandler-Harris could start her own business, she could have an island fling with her ex, too.

No plan needed.

Then, when it was over, she could walk away. The possibility of making that choice was empowering. What did she have to lose, really?

Meredith jerked her head at the door. “Get going and pray he’s not already passed out from boredom.”

Cara took a deep breath. She could do this. Or at least she could knock on Keith’s door. One step at a time.

* * *

Tap, tap, tap.

Keith woke instantly from his uncomfortable catnap on the love seat, heart tripping. The light knock that had roused him could be only one person—Cara.

He yanked open the door and eyed the fully dressed woman on the other side. “You’re late. That means you lose an article of clothing for every minute.”

His already-surging blood pumped faster as he surveyed her. She was indeed wet. But not wet enough.

“I seem to recall you said you’d come looking for me,” she said primly and stood her umbrella against the outside wall. “Which you did not.”

“Now who’s being logical?” He held out his hand and when she took it, he pulled her inside the room, where he’d lowered the lights. Soft jazz music, which he’d switched on earlier before he fell asleep, played in the background. If she’d warned him of her imminent arrival, he could have done a little more to set the mood.

Of course, it would help if she’d tell him what sort of mood to set. A woman’s extreme tardiness usually didn’t bode well when a drink invitation clearly came with benefits.

“Nice,” she commented as she followed him into the room. “Being the boss has its privileges.”

Small talk didn’t scream “I’m into you” either.

She sank gracefully into a leather chair near the lounge table, pointedly ignoring the love seat, where they could have both easily fit. And could have indulged in a little foreplay.

Which might have been the point. But if she wasn’t here to pick up where they’d left off earlier this morning, why was she here?

“I didn’t think you were coming.”

Now, why had he opened that can of worms? Obviously, if she’d dropped him butt-first on a Tilt-a-Whirl she couldn’t have thrown him more off balance than she had with her late arrival.

Cara cleared her throat. “I didn’t think I was coming either. But I’m here now.”

Despite the ambiguity, he could roll with that. Something loosened in his chest. She was here and that was enough. If it led to more, great. If not, that was okay, too.

For the first time in their relationship, he genuinely wanted to spend time with her, talk to her, hear her opinions and—

God, what was wrong with him?

He poured her a glass of wine from the same label she’d enjoyed last night and handed it to her, then took the other chair, suddenly feeling oddly as if they were on a first date.

And maybe they kind of were. At least it was a first date between Keith and this new woman Cara had become. A first date after wiping the slate clean of all their disastrous history, including Keith’s mistakes. Perhaps she’d come to that conclusion as well—hence the distance.

She’d earned the right to be romanced, no matter how many times they’d seen each other naked in the past.