Enticed by His Forgotten Lover (Pregnancy & Passion 1)

He sighed. “Maybe not. Maybe you’re the reason for my reevaluation. Ever think of that?”

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. “I’ll take that explanation. I prefer it over thinking about you dying anyway.”

“You and me both,” he muttered.

“Tell you what. You hit the shower. I’ll cook breakfast. Then I’ll take my bath and we’ll head out. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous all week. We can pack a picnic and eat out on the beach.”

“I’ve got a better idea. How about we shower together then I’ll help you cook breakfast. I cook a mean piece of bacon.”

She laughed and he sucked in his breath at the love shining in her eyes as she stared up at him. No one had ever looked at him like that.

Then her expression grew serious as she stroked her palm over his unshaven jaw. “I love you, Rafe. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I don’t expect anything in return. But now that I’ve told you I can’t not keep saying it. I look at you and it just bursts out.”

He captured her hand and pulled it to his mouth, his heart thudding against the wall of his chest. “I like you saying it,” he said hoarsely. “It means… It means everything to me right now.”

She pulled away, joy lighting her eyes. Eyes he could drown in. Her eyes were so expressive. They reflected her mood so perfectly. Sad, angry, happy. You only had to look into her eyes to know exactly what she was thinking.

She crawled over him, giving him a good view and feel of her soft curves. It was all he could do not to haul her back and make love to her all over again.

When her feet hit the floor, she turned back and held out her hand. “How about that shower?”

He stared at her profile for a long moment, committing to memory just how she looked bathed in morning sunlight, her gently rounded abdomen, the swell of her breasts and the wild curls that spilled down her back.

This was his. His woman. His child.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

She flushed, her face grew pink, but her eyes lit up until they were as bright as the sunlight pouring into her room.

“I do now.”

He grinned at her cheeky response. “Let’s go hit the shower.”

Seventeen

“You’ve done a good thing, Mr. de Luca,” Silas Taylor said as they stood on the patio of Laura’s house.

Bryony’s grandmother had invited everyone over for tea and lemonade and for some of her famous peanut butter cookies. And by everyone, she meant whomever happened to wander by.

Such a thing baffled Rafael, who was used to strict guest lists and checking invitations at the door. Laura didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the more guests that meandered through, the more delighted she seemed to be.

There was no entertainment. Conversation drifted from one mundane topic to the next or people just stood around, enjoying the day and inquiring as to the health of yet another islander who was either family, friend or both.

“My investors probably wouldn’t agree,” Rafael said dryly as he turned his attention back to the sheriff.

Silas shrugged. “They’ll find something else to invest in. Those kind always do. People are always looking for places to put their money and there are always people willing to take it. Seems to me it wouldn’t be that hard to figure it out.”

Rafael wanted to laugh. Or shake his head. Months of financial analysis, blueprints being drawn up, investors courted, endless planning on his and Ryan, Devon and Cam’s parts all reduced to a few words so casually tossed out.

“That may be so, but I lose credibility and respect in the process,” Rafael said evenly. “Next time I want their backing, they won’t be so willing to give it.”

“And what will you gain?” Silas asked as he looked in Bryony’s direction. Bryony, who stood in a small group of people looking so damn beautiful that it made Rafael’s teeth ache. “Seems to me you gain far more than you lose.” With that, Silas slapped him on the shoulder.

“Something to think about, my boy.”

Then he walked away, leaving Rafael to shake his head again. Boy. He wanted to laugh. Granted the sheriff was at least thirty years older than Rafael, but no one had called him a boy since he’d been a boy.

Time was running out. His BlackBerry was full of voice-mail notifications and missed calls, and his inbox was bursting. His week would soon be up, and Dev would come down with Ryan and Cam to kick Rafael’s ass.

For the past several days, Rafael had willfully ignored everything but Bryony and their time together. They’d spent every waking moment walking the beach, cooking together, laughing together, talking of nothing and everything.

They made love, they ate, they made love some more. There was an urgency he couldn’t explain, almost as if he wanted to cram a lifetime into as few days as possible because he feared it would all slip away from him.

Tomorrow decisions had to be made. He couldn’t hold them off any longer. He still had no idea what he would do, but he couldn’t—wouldn’t—lose Bryony over a resort. Over money.

“Can I get you something, Rafael?”

Rafael turned to see Bryony’s grandmother smiling at him. He smiled back and shook his head. “No, I’m okay. Don’t let me keep you from your guests.”

“Oh, they’re fine. Besides, you’re a guest, too. How are you liking your stay so far?”

Again Rafael’s gaze found Bryony. This time she lifted her head as if sensing that he watched her and her face lit up with a gorgeous smile.

“I’m enjoying it very much. I’m only sorry I can’t remember when I was here befo

re.”

Laura stared thoughtfully at him for a long moment and then put her hand on his shoulder. “Maybe it’s better that you don’t.”

She patted him and after offering those cryptic words, she turned to talk to another group of people.

Rafael shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to stare out over the water. He hadn’t ever been someone who practiced avoidance, but he knew that was precisely what he was doing. Here, it was as if he existed in a bubble. Nothing could intrude or interfere, but the outside world was still there, just waiting. The longer he put off the inevitable, the more he dreaded it.

“Rafael, is something wrong?”

Bryony’s soft voice slid over him at the same time her hand slipped through his arm and she hugged herself up to his side.

He disentangled his arm from her grasp just long enough to wrap it around her waist and then pulled her in close again.

“No, just thinking.”

“About?”

“What has to be done.”

Instead of pressing him for answers as he thought she might, she said, “Why don’t we take off, go for a long walk? Mamaw won’t mind. She’s having fun being the center of attention. She won’t even notice we’ve gone.”

Unable to resist, he leaned down to kiss her brow. She was so in tune with his moods. It shouldn’t have surprised him that she could read him so easily. He’d found that he could pick up on the nuances of her moods just as quickly. He anticipated her reactions much like she did his own.

It was something he imagined a couple doing after years of marriage.

When he drew away, she took his hand and tugged him toward the stone path leading through the garden and down the dune onto the sand.

Sand slid over his toes but he found he didn’t mind as much as he had when he first started wearing these ridiculous flip-flops.

They ventured closer to the water that foamed over the sand. Soon the cool waves washed over their feet, and Bryony smiled her delight as they danced back to avoid a larger one from getting them too wet.

Soon Laura’s and Bryony’s cottages were distant points behind them as they approached the land that he’d purchased from her.

“My father used to bring me here,” she said. “He used to tell me that there was nothing greater than owning a piece of heaven. I feel like I’ve let him down by selling it.”

Rafael grimaced feeling even guiltier over his part in the whole thing. It didn’t matter that if it hadn’t been him it would have been someone else. She could no longer afford the taxes and if someone hadn’t bought it, eventually the land would have been seized for taxes owed. Either way it would no longer belong to her.

But you have the power to give it back to her.

The thought crept through his mind, whispering to him. It was true. He owned the land. Not his company. Not his partners. He’d purchased the land outright. The building of the resort and development of the land was what he’d brought investors in for.

“I love you,” she said as she squeezed his hand.

He looked curiously at her, startled by her sudden affection.

She smiled. “You just looked like you needed that today.”

He stopped and pulled her into his arms, brushing a thick strand of her hair from her eyes as the wind blew off the water. “I did need that. I shouldn’t be surprised that you always know just what to say.” He took in a deep breath. “I love you, too, Bryony.”

Her eyes went wide with shock and then filled with tears. Her body trembled against him. “You remember?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “No, but it doesn’t matter. You said I loved you then. I know I love you now. Isn’t now all that matters?”

Wordlessly she nodded.