The Billionaire's Island Bride (South Shore Billionaires 3)

THE ROOM WAS gray when Brooklyn woke the next morning. Last night they’d at least remembered to close the drapes to the room, and there was nothing but silence as her eyes adjusted to the dim light that entered through a sliver of window. Cole was asleep next to her, and neither of them was wearing a stitch of clothing. She’d slept naked with him...all night.

Now that day was dawning, reality poked its annoying head into the room. Today they would put on yesterday’s clothes, and pick up Marvin, and fly back to the island and home.

She didn’t want it to be over. Not yet. There was something so wildly wonderful about being in this bed with him, right now, away from both his world and hers, and in a world where it was just the two of them. She wanted to hang on to it a little longer, because that pesky reality kept wanting to have its say and she didn’t want to listen. She’d have to, but not quite yet.

She shifted and the sheets brushed over her sensitive skin. Cole’s lashes fluttered and she slipped her hand over his ribs, grazing the skin with her fingertips. “Mmm...” he murmured, eyes still closed. Her hand drifted lower and a smile teased the corner of his lips.

This time she let him have control, and she willingly surrendered to his desires. He didn’t speak and neither did she; they let their bodies do the talking. There wasn’t an inch of her now that he didn’t know, and the thought was both wonderful and overwhelming.

She wasn’t sure they could stay just neighbors after this. And wasn’t sure where that left them, either. Not together, but with this thing between them, always making it more.

Cole kissed her forehead and slid out of the bed to turn on the shower, and Brooklyn stared at the ceiling. This couldn’t happen again. Somehow they’d have to go back to being neighbors, wouldn’t they? And only through part of the year. Somehow she had to find a way to put them back on even terms where he could carry on with his life and she with hers...

Then again, maybe it wouldn’t be that hard for him. After all, he did admit that he’d played hard in years past, which translated to no serious relationships. There was no reason to think this would be anything different. Heck, even yesterday he’d said he avoided relationships because of his parents’ marriage. She was making a big something out of nothing. Or, as Gram would say, there was no need to borrow trouble until trouble borrowed you.

She waited for him to finish showering, then took her turn while he called Dave and set up a pick-up time for around noon. Instead of room service, they checked out and grabbed coffee and pastries at the inn coffee shop. Then it was off to the clinic in a taxi.

The clinic was back in business, which meant the waiting room was full of clients and dogs on leashes and cats in carriers. Brooklyn was suddenly nervous about Marvin, and taking him home. He’d had surgery, so was it really okay for him to be going home so early?

Dr. Thorpe popped out from the back of the clinic and beckoned for them to follow him through. There they found Marvin, moving slowly but with a steadily wagging tail and a happy-dog smile on his face.

“Hello, my boy.” She knelt down and he came over, nudging her shoulder with his wide head, begging for pats. She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over her face, and she leaned back and caught his head in her hands. “Look, you crazy dog, don’t go eating random stuff and scaring us again, huh?”

He licked her face.

Her cheeks flared as she realized she’d said “us” instead of “me,” as if she and Cole were a couple.

Cole voiced the question that was on her mind. “Are you sure it’s okay for him to go home?”

Dr. Thorpe nodded as Brooklyn got to her feet. “We could keep him another night, but he’s doing well. I’ve got some medication for you to take with you, and a staff member will go over it with you, but he’s young and healthy. I don’t see any reason to expect complications. He needs to take it easy, though. For at least a week or two. No big runs on the beach. His stomach is bound to be touchy, too, so a bland diet is a good idea until he’s healed. Mostly he just needs love and rest at this point.”

“Love won’t be an issue,” Brooklyn assured him. She was fairly swamped with gratitude. “And I’ll keep him on leash until he’s good to go.”

“If anything happens, we can be here fairly quickly.” Cole spoke up, his voice quiet but with authority. “I’ve got to head back to New York in a few days, but my caretaker will be at the house and I’ll keep the pilot on standby.”

Dr. Thorpe grinned. “First patient I’ve ever had with his own air ambulance.”

Brooklyn was still reeling from what Cole had just said. Not about the helicop

ter; at this point she was no longer surprised at his generosity. But he hadn’t mentioned a word about going to New York. Of course, she’d known it would happen eventually, but he must have known before...

She swallowed tightly. Before last night.

She didn’t feel duped, exactly, but there was no denying that if she’d known, she might have thought twice about sleeping with him. And there was definitely a niggle of doubt where he was concerned. Had he kept that little detail to himself because he suspected she would shut him down?

“Thank you so much, Dr. Thorpe.”

“No problem at all. Call if you have any concerns or questions, okay?”

She walked Marvin out to the waiting room and then got all the paperwork and instructions from the assistant at the desk. She also pulled out her credit card to pay the bill, but the invoice showed a balance of zero.

She looked up at Cole. “You paid my vet bill?”

“If you’re mad about it, we can talk. You can always pay me back.”

“I will.” She lifted her chin. He’d been a wonderful help, but he’d taken over a lot, too. She still had some pride. And that pride was stinging over his lack of disclosure. “Marvin’s my dog, and I’m responsible for him.”

“Okay, then.” He said it easily, maybe too easily. They left the clinic and got into the waiting cab. Brooklyn’s emotions were all over the place. She needed to pay her own way, but the vet bill and her half of the hotel bill would definitely take a chunk out of her small savings. But she didn’t want his help, either. Didn’t want their friendship to be predicated on whether or not he paid for things. Or...feeling constantly indebted.