Girl Gone Solo

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Girl Gone Solo

by

Joanne Rock

Chapter One There were several benefits to being stood up at your own engagement party. Kasey Dunlap swiped a finger over the whipped cream frosting of her black forest cake and decided that not having to share the chocolate confection topped her list. No matter that the words "Kasey and Ben" were outlined in glossy red decorator frosting along the top of the decadent layers. The dessert was hers by default. Sighing, Kasey slumped deeper in her velvet-covered chair at the banquet table and stared down the rows of empty champagne glasses awaiting the bubbly celebration that would never take place. She'd obsessively planned tonight's party at Miami's exotic Club Paradise, ironing out every last detail with the hotel's caterer to ensure everything would be perfect. Which reminded her of the second benefit of attending her engagement party solo— not having to share top-shelf champagne. Easing out of the chair where she'd spent the past hour in utter shock at having Ben stand her up, Kasey skirted through the vacant Lovers Lounge, her silk halter dress sliding against her legs with a seductive swish. Because she hadn't wanted witnesses to the party her fiancé had called off, Kasey had sent everyone home with the help of the hotel's catering staff, even her nearest and dearest friends. Now she claimed a bottle of Cristal and popped the top, not caring if a little spilled on her brand-new designer dress. She was fairly certain she had every right to torch the outfit she'd been wearing during her night of public humiliation, so a few alcohol stains didn't bother her in the least. "To me." Kasey lifted a toast in her honor, determined not to waste another moment of rental time on the famed Lovers Lounge, a sensual haven within a provocative hotel. She'd come here to party, damn it, and that's exactly what she planned to do— with or without the man who'd proposed two weeks ago and then called ten minutes before the event to say he'd gotten cold feet. Savoring her champagne, Kasey decided Cristal made a very nice chaser for unwanted doses of reality. In fact, the smooth fizz of cold bubbles compelled her to lift her glass for another toast. "And to life on my own terms." She mulled over the idea as she slid behind the vacated DJ booth still stocked with stacks of records. Flipping on a red power switch, she jumped as the bass line of a funky new dance tune thudded through the speakers. She'd come to Club Paradise to celebrate, right? Whooping out a party animal yell, she grooved her

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way over to the empty expanse of hardwood that served as a dance floor. "From now on, I'm going solo." She gulped the rest of her champagne to that sentiment, then set aside her glass. Closing her eyes, she let the rhythmic pop music take her far away from Ben, the failed engagement party and all the stupid expectations she'd piled on herself over the past few years. What did it matter if Miami's best-known casting director couldn't seem to cast herself in her own romance? Kasey was still good at her job, with or without the seemingly perfect man by her side. And honestly, Ben had leaned more toward "seemingly" than perfect. She might be a master at making things look great on the outside, but her relationship with Ben taught her she didn't know squat about seeing beneath the surface. At least she knew how to dance. Right now, as the music pulsed through her veins and set her hips into motion without a conscious thought on her part, Kasey decided that was enough. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she enjoyed the sensual swing of her hips and tried not to think about the sex one needed to forego in the solo life. How long could dancing alone satisfy a woman? A twinge of rogue heat rolled through her midsection as she admitted to herself there were probably a few drawbacks to attending your engagement party alone, too. Abruptly ending her dance, Kasey wasn't expecting the deep masculine voice— the voice she thought she'd never hear again— from the other side of the room. "Don't stop now, Kasey. Things were just getting interesting."

Chapter Two

Myles Rivera had never been into South Beach's thriving club scene, but the Latin blood in his veins meant he didn't mind cutting the rug on occasion. Especially when there was a beautiful woman involved. And Kasey Dunlap wasn't just any beautiful woman. She was a red-hot blast from his past, a mouthwatering feast for any man's eye, especially when she moved her hips with the kind of decadent abandon he'd just witnessed. He'd searched for her for a few weeks after their one-night fling two years ago. Had even called around a couple of production companies trying to find the woman who'd told him she worked in the film business. But no one had recognized her name. When he'd overheard some waitresses dishing about an engagement party gone bust, he'd shut out the words as idle gossip. Until one of them said the client in question was a local casting director. He knew it couldn't be her, but part of him had wondered if the woman from his past might be at the party. Soon he found himself taking the long way out of the building just so he could pass the reception rooms. And now there she was. Dressed in a silvery outfit designed to make men drool, Kasey possessed

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curves other women paid big bucks to re-create. Long, honey-blond hair had been twisted into a knot at the back of her head, a rhinestone clip rapidly losing the battle to keep it in place. Light blue eyes widened in shock as she realized who'd been watching her from the open door to the private lounge. "Myles?" His name fell from her lips with a breathless quality that reminded him of another time she'd whispered in the dark. "What are you doing here?" Moving deeper into the room, he took in the empty place settings and fresh flowers, the barely eaten cake with "Kasey" scrawled in deep red frosting beside another man's name. Where the hell was the dumb-ass named "Ben" who should have been here right now, grateful for landing a woman like her? "I might ask you the same question since your answer promises to be far more interesting." He couldn't help but stare at her finger where no engagement ring rested. "But I'll go first since I'm a gentleman and let you know that I'm just dropping off some brochures for my charter boat business. I usually land a few clients a week from Club Paradise." He owned a small fleet of boats and rented some while serving as captain on others. He'd lived on one of the boats when he met her, but now he had a house in the city, too. The song that had been blaring through the lounge speakers faded into silence, the needle bouncing into the record label over and over again until Kasey moved to shut down the system. Myles followed her deeper into the lavish red room steeped in crimson velvet furnishings with elegant cherry wood accents. Chaises dripped with tasseled silk throw pillows in an array of colors, giving the room a Middle Eastern appeal. Banquet tables were dotted throughout the room, set for about fifty people. "Well?" He waited for her answer, wondering where she'd been hiding for the past two years since they'd met. "You did such a good job of disappearing after our last…encounter…. I don't plan on letting you out of my sight this time." In fact his gaze seemed to be seared to her now, a phenomenon enhanced by heated memories of this woman with whom he'd spent one unforgettable night. Kasey's cheeks colored, an event he remembered was very easy to inspire in this woman, who looked so perfect on the outside yet harbored a very wild streak on the inside. "I'm— um— sorry about any confusion." She flipped a strand of honey-colored hair from her eyes, as her elegant upswept style slid slightly from its knot. "I was a little embarrassed over the whole thing. And I don't normally— actually, I've never in my life— partaken in that kind of thing with a man I hardly know." "Yeah?" Hell, that made up for a lot. Myles had hoped that night was special for her since every moment of it was stored in full-color detail in his own memory. But when she'd left while he was sleeping, never to be heard from again… Frankly, the sting of her disappearance still ached two years later. "'That sort of thing' you're referring to was probably—" there was no probably about it "—the best sex of my life."

Chapter Three

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No. No. No. Myles Rivera could not be here, at her engagement party from hell, possibly the worst night of her life. It didn't help that he could make any woman's pulse pound. Dark hair, dark eyes and bronzed skin were obvious blessings of some kind of Latin heritage. Add to that the fact that he loomed above her with broad shoulders and a lean, well-cut bod, and it was only a matter of time before she'd start swooning. In a word— yum. And who wanted an old flame to witness their most mortifying moment? The only other time that had come close to the engagement party debacle on her personal hurt meter had been the day she'd left Myles, following the most incredible night of her life. She'd regretted that move for days— no, weeks— on end, until she managed to convince herself that their time together hadn't been as magical as it'd seemed. She had to admit, the hurt she felt now at Ben calling off their engagement had more to do with social embarrassment than any kind of deep-seated regret. She'd been so caught up in solidifying the perfect relationship, she hadn't really paid attention to how happy she was. Or Ben either, for that matter. Thankfully one of them had been smart enough to put the brakes on a relationship that looked great on the outside but hadn't delivered much substance beyond the comfort of knowing you'd always have a date for corporate shindigs. God, she was such a loser. How shortsighted could she be? Then again, Ben surely could have found a less hideous time to realize he wasn't in love. "Myles, I'm really sorry about what happened two years ago, but this isn't the best time to rehash—" "I'm not." He stepped closer, plucking the open bottle of champagne off the banquet table near the DJ booth. "I'm glad to see you again, Kasey, because there were days when I wondered if I dreamed the whole thing." He poured two glasses of champagne, using a couple of the fifty empty flutes that no one had needed tonight. Handing her a glass, he flashed her a small-scale version of the grin that had wooed her right out of her clothes once upon a time. "Cheers to the fact it wasn't a dream." He clinked his crystal flute to hers before taking a long sip. "You care to tell me why you left?" "That's why I left." She pointed to him, remembering what had caught her off-guard about the man she'd met at a friend of a friend's beach party long before she'd met her ex-fiancé. "You have an uncanny knack for ignoring everything around you to focus on the things you think are important." His dark eyebrows lifted as though he hadn't a clue. Anger— old hurts from her parents steamrolling her into a marriage she wasn't ready for, new frustrations from an ex-fiancé who didn't give a crap about her feelings— rumbled through her as she remembered why she'd run the morning she woke up in Myles's strong, warm arms. "Look around you." She gestured wildly toward the shambles of her love life, the Lovers Lounge a lavish paradise echoing in its emptiness. "Aren't you even mildly curious what went on here today? Doesn't it occur to you that something must be horribly wrong for you to find me here all by myself in the most sex-drenched exotic resort in South Beach? Yet you pick up a two-year-old conversation between us like it was just yesterday and ask me why I left."

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She hadn't understood this man then, and she sure didn't understand him now. He followed no recognizable social rules, while she took care to order her life by them. At least, most of the time, she ordered her life by them. There had been that one night of obvious exception, of course. Myles set his glass on the banquet table, his tall body leaning over hers as he reached down. Kasey backed up, closer to the table, only to find he'd followed her. When her backside hit the table, she stopped, trapped between him and ten china place settings. "I picked up on an old conversation because it's the only thing that seemed relevant to me right now." The brush of his thighs against hers brought back a wealth of memories she would have been better off forgetting. "How do you figure?" Her pulse hammered faster in recognition of this man and all the delicious things he could do to her. "I'm not oblivious to what must have happened here tonight." He gestured vaguely toward the case of buckets of chilled champagne and the cake bearing Kasey's name. "But as far as I'm concerned it happened for a damn good reason since you still have unfinished business with me."

Chapter Four

Since when could silk feel so hot and stifling? Heat crawled through Kasey's veins, kicking up the temperature in every region of her body. She resisted the urge to fan herself as she stared up at her only one-night stand. "Do you mean to imply that I shouldn't be getting married because of you?" It had been two years since they'd laid eyes on one another. "Hell, if I'm only implying it, then I'm doing a poor job of communicating. I mean to say, flat out, you've got no damn business getting married." "Unbelievable." The man had gall to spare. And dear God, but he had as much sex appeal as gall. No wonder she'd run in the other direction last time. If she had any sense right now, she'd do the same thing. "What?" Myles appeared lost in thought and distracted, his dark eyes taking in every detail of the silvery silk dress she'd chosen because it made her light blue eyes look more gray and interesting. Damn it, why did she warm to that intrusive gaze of his when she should be putting space between them? But she'd spent hours looking for the perfect dress, and this simple silky party frock fit as if it had been custom-made for her awkward assembly of generous curves and narrow waist. Could she help it that her vanity danced a few pirouettes at his obvious male appreciation? Scrounging up her indignation at having her engagement party written off as though it was of no

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consequence to him, Kasey sidestepped him, her thigh brushing against his as she moved away. Her skin tingled there, the patch of skin hotter than the rest as if Myles had the power to make her blood simmer wherever he touched. "How dare you suggest that my fiancé was just a way of marking time until we found one another again. If you think back to that night we shared, you'll recall that you were just as evasive about us seeing one another again as I was. It seemed a mutual decision not to let each other get too close." "Is that what you thought?" His gaze shifted, eyes darker than before as if clouded over by frustration. Anger? She couldn't be sure. But she did remember all at once how making love to Myles had been so simple because she could see all the shades of emotion— pleasure— register in those expressive brown eyes. "You couldn't be any more wrong about me, Kasey, and I think the moment has arrived for us to understand one another better." He stalked closer, startling her with the sudden purpose of his steps. "And this time there's going to be more to it than sex."

Chapter Five

Frustration churned through Myles as he watched Kasey fidget with the skinny silk-and-rhinestone belt that knotted at her waist. The ends of the belt dangled along her thigh and she brushed them absently over her leg through the thin fabric of her dress. How could she have written off what they shared? "Do you have any idea how many times I tried to track you down after that night we shared?" He'd kicked himself for not finding out more about her, but the attraction had been so strong, so fast, they hadn't talked much beyond the preliminaries. "I don't use my real name in my profession." She twirled one end of her belt around her finger as she shrugged. "It goes on enough credit rolls and press releases that I thought it would be safer to use a pseudonym. Most people probably know me as Kassandra Matthews." "And the friend you came to the party with? Brianne someone or another?" He'd tried to track down her, too, since the host of their private party hadn't known Kasey, but he'd known Brianne, who was a film producer. "She was just down here to shoot a documentary and she flew back to New York shortly after that. We had wrapped production earlier that day and when she asked me to go to the party with her, it sounded fun." "No wonder I couldn't find you." He'd driven himself crazy looking for her those first few days. And after the first few days, he told himself she'd come around eventually. She knew where he lived. "I called every Dunlap in the book, but no luck." "I'm unlisted. And I'm from Indiana originally, so I don't have any family down here." She reached over

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the DJ's turntables and flipped through a stack of records until she found a well-worn copy of "Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Cole Porter" and slid the album onto the high-tech record player. "I thought about coming out to your boat a few times, but I told myself it had just been a one-night deal and that I'd look pathetic if I showed up on your dock. Do you still own the houseboat?" Strains of "I Get a Kick out of You" filled the lush lounge. Myles regretted the lost time he could have spent with this woman who'd bowled him over from the moment they'd met. She wasn't so wrapped up in her career the way other women in Miami seemed to be. She'd taken time to delight over every inconvenience his houseboat had to offer, declaring it charming when he knew damn well the old boat had been on its last legs. But she had seemed genuine, a rare optimist in a cynical world. "I do. In fact, I've since bought a few other boats and now I've gone into the charter business." He watched her sway to the orchestra music and wondered how he could convince her to leave her failed party and escape the shadow of her worthless ex-fiancé. "But I don't want to talk about me anymore. What do you say we blow this joint and find someplace more private?"

Chapter Six

Leave her engagement party that wasn't meant to be? Kasey pivoted away from Myles Rivera's heart-fluttering good looks to peer around the Lovers Lounge. "I suppose it is getting late." She looked at her watch and realized the party would have been over by now if they'd gone through with it. She was glad they hadn't. Glad Ben had realized they were making a mistake getting engaged just because they looked right together on paper. In real life, they just didn't add up. "But I need to meet with the caterer to pay a portion of the bill even though the party never took place." Myles gestured toward the door. "We'll find her on our way out. I'll drive you home." That sounded dangerous in her lonely, heart-sore condition. Especially when her attraction to Myles— senseless though it might be— loomed as sizzling hot now as it had two years ago. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I need to sort through what happened tonight and I've got to get up early to scout a location for a new soap commercial." Along with fifty other "must-do" tasks before she went back to the office on Monday. She always hated carrying over assignments from the week before, preferring to toil away on the weekends so that she could stay ahead— although this year it seemed as though her weekends were turning into a series of work-fests. She wandered over toward her seat at the head table, where she'd set her purse earlier. Time to leave this night— and Ben— behind her. "You planned to go to work early the morning after your engagement party?" He had followed her toward the head table, where he now stood staring down at her black forest "Kasey and Ben" cake.

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"Ben and I both placed a certain amount of importance on our careers." Ben had actually planned to fly out of Miami for a business meeting in New York tomorrow, so he would have had to be home even earlier than her. "That much importance?" Myles frowned as he smeared Ben's name into a red blur with a knife before cutting two slices of cake and handing her one. "Maybe we should have seen the warning signs earlier," she admitted, welcoming the chocolate fix in lieu of what she really wanted to taste. Her gaze tracked Myles's mouth as he licked a patch of frosting from his thumb. "Yeah, like two years earlier." He lifted his cake as if to toast her with sugar. "Here's to new beginnings." Nodding, she agreed with him in theory, but it was difficult to have your cake and eat it, too, when she kept wondering about the flavor of Myles's kiss. "What's the matter?" He set down his cake when he noticed she wasn't smiling. Tracing a finger over her mouth, he seemed to understand the heat in her gaze. His voice grew husky and low. "Cat got your tongue?"

Chapter Seven

A gentleman wouldn't have kissed her tonight. And a gentleman probably would have given her a day to put all thoughts of her former fiancé from her mind before making a move. Fortunately, no one had ever accused Myles of being overly sensitive. Stubborn, maybe. Independent to a fault. And, now that he thought about it, maybe even a little on the superstitious side because something about seeing Kasey here alone tonight had him thinking fate wanted them together. His thumb slid over her mouth, remembering the feel of those soft, lush lips. Her eyelashes fluttered for a moment before she set aside her cake and reached up to curve a hand about his neck. He needed no more invitation. He pressed her lower lip aside as he bent to taste her. Clean and slightly sweet from champagne, the flavor of her came back to him with perfect clarity. He nipped gently at her lip, savoring her soft warmth at the same time she sank into him with her generous curves. Her scent hadn't changed. The hollow of her neck smelled sultry and floral, a tropical haven for a man who spent most of his time at sea. He licked his way closer to that scent, relishing the pounding of her pulse beneath her creamy skin as he tasted his way south. Her body shifted against his, her silk dress enhancing the feel of her curves and providing precious little barrier for hands determined to wander. His fingers traced the curve of her hip as he gathered her closer, explored the line of her panties through the clinging silk. She still wore high-cut bikinis. And she still sighed with pleasure when he cupped her round bottom. "Let me take you home." He whispered the word against her fragrant neck, no closer to identifying that elusive scent she wore.

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"I can't." She murmured the words even as she arched closer, those voluptuous curves making his mouth water to taste more of her. But damn it, that's how he'd gotten in trouble last time. He'd followed the heat between them to its natural, bone-melting conclusion and wound up hugging nothing but a damn pillow the next morning. Sighing, he pulled away by a fraction of an inch. He couldn't let her leave without figuring out how to see her again. "Then when can I see you tomorrow?" Her tongue darted around the perimeter of her full lips. "I have to scout locations tomorrow, remember?" Too damn tied to her work. Myles remembered to be thankful his job involved skimming across open water, feet planted to the deck of his own boat. "What exactly are you looking for?" Maybe he could help. He'd lived in Miami all his life. And come to think of it, he had an eye for beauty. Witness the gorgeous woman in his arms. "A waterfall. We're filming a soap commercial and—" "I've got just the place." "There are really a lot of particulars that I need to make it work." She blinked, the heat sliding slowly from her eyes as she thought about her job. But this time, damn it, he wouldn't let her shove him aside. This time, he planned to insinuate himself into her life— even, if need be, her work— so that she couldn't walk away without remembering exactly what they'd been like together. Kasey Dunlap had ignored her own needs long enough. "Trust me. This is the best waterfall you've ever seen. I'll take you out there tomorrow so you can decide for yourself." Suddenly, getting her to say yes was more important than any charter trips he might have planned for the next day. He could shuffle anything aside in order to be with her. She bit her lip, staring up at him uncertainly. "I guess I need to start somewhere. Are you sure it won't be too much trouble?" "Not at all." In fact, Myles was already counting on it. He would make sure tomorrow would be a trip Kasey would never forget.

Chapter Eight

"I hope you're keeping the ring." Giselle Cesare, Club Paradise's resident chef, read Kasey the riot act over the phone an hour later. Kasey had finally managed to convince Myles she didn't need a ride home because she would be staying

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at the hotel anyhow. The room had already been paid for as part of the party package she and Ben had chosen before he'd decided she wasn't the woman of his dreams. Of course, Myles had still insisted on walking her back to her room, a scenario that required major willpower once she got to her suite. But how could she leap into another relationship when she was still stinging from the mess she'd made with the last one? Didn't she need to learn something useful from the Ben incident before she moved on? And furthermore, hadn't she decided going solo was the best course of action this time? Good thing tomorrow's trip to the waterfall would be business only. "Kasey? Hello?" Giselle sighed on the other end of the phone. She'd been friends with Kasey since high school, where they'd immediately bonded because Giselle's overprotective big brothers wouldn't let her get away with anything, and Kasey had been too conservative to be a bad girl. "Keep the ring and put the diamond in a big, fat necklace that you can wear around as a talisman to ward off men who aren't the real deal. Now why don't you let me come up with a tray and we'll eat chocolate and man-bash for an hour or so before I head home? I don't know why you were so stubborn about not letting anyone hang out with you after Ben backed out of the party. I think your mom really wanted to stay." "My mom is disappointed because she thought Ben was perfect for me." Actually, her mother thought they were both perfect for each other because they were equally driven. And okay, maybe a little uptight. Kasey's go-with-the-flow parents had never understood their ambitious daughter, but her mother had been certain Ben was the ideal man to keep pace with Kasey— to the point that her mother had made several sales pitches in his favor to make sure Kasey decided to tie the knot. "Besides, I wanted to get my head on straight before any well-meaning friends started telling me what I should think and how I should feel." Kasey twisted the phone cord around her finger as she flopped into a chair on her balcony overlooking the beach. "You know I adore you, Giselle, but I can't be too mad at Ben because I know he did the right thing. And I'm definitely giving back the ring." "I still say chocolate would make it better." Giselle harrumphed as strains of Frank Sinatra drifted over the phone line. Kasey knew her friend loved Ol' Blue Eyes, but he'd been the only man in Giselle's life for too long. "Listen, don't worry about me. I'm already bouncing back anyway." The more Kasey thought about it, the more she realized Ben had saved them both from making a really big mistake. She had no business getting married when she didn't even know what it took to be truly happy. What if Myles had a point about her putting too much emphasis on her career? And why on earth had she ever thought it would be a good idea to go to work early the morning after her engagement party? On a Saturday, no less? God, she was pathetic. "Bouncing back?" Giselle banged pots and pans as she worked in the kitchen. "Do I detect another man in there somewhere, you wicked woman?" "Me?" Kasey had to laugh. She'd never done anything remotely scandalous, let alone juggle two men. "Hardly. I just ran into a guy I used to know tonight. He was at the hotel promoting his charter boat business."

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The clank of metal pots paused. "Not Myles Rivera?" "Why?" With Kasey's luck he had a wife at home. Or he still lived with his mother. Or he'd get cold feet and ditch her ten minutes before going public with their engagement. "You know him?" "Honey, every female employee of Club Paradise knows him. We look for that cute butt of his every month when he comes around to promote his charter business. I think there might even be a betting pool in place where you lay odds on who'll be the first to…um…get close to him." "Really?" A wave of possessiveness rolled through her at the thought of other women jockeying for position. How could she sit back and let that happen when just the thought of his kisses made her thighs shiver? "Well you can put your money on me, girlfriend, because I'm going to be first to the finish this time."

Chapter Nine

Kasey didn't feel nearly so full of herself by the clear light of day the next morning. Who was she to brag about being first in line to boff the sexy charter boat captain? She hardly knew the man, except for one hot, toe-curling night that had colored her fantasies more often than not. Now, as she searched the private marina dock for Myles's boat, she reminded herself why she'd run so fast and hard from the man the first time around. He was pure fantasy. The kind of man that had no business in Kasey's life since, even though she'd always been a bit of a romantic, she knew that lasting relationships should be based on more practical grounds like fundamental compatibility, common interests and values. That's what made her so successful as a casting director. She knew how to put believable characters together on-screen. She put together people like her and Ben— both successful, career-oriented people with common goals and dreams. Her feet paused on the planks of the wooden boat dock, the soft swish of rhythmic waves and the swirl of Saturday morning marina activity fading into the background as she wondered how she and Ben could look so great on paper and still fail so miserably in real life. What if she'd been basing her relationships on all the wrong things? Maybe she owed it to herself to at least take a walk on the other side and see what happened. What if she cast the fantasy man with the everyday, average workaholic just to see how it went? "Kasey!" The deep masculine voice rolled over the row of boats bobbing gently in the water. "Over here." Her breath caught at the sight of him in his sinfully sexy khaki shorts and a half-buttoned dress shirt that looked as though it had never seen a tie, much less a corporate boardroom. But the white sleeves were rolled up to reveal bronzed forearms, and somehow his shirt looked just right even with a navy blue ball cap settled on his dark hair.

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Urging her feet forward toward a masculine temptation no red-blooded woman could resist, Kasey wondered how long she would survive with this man if her breath kept catching in her throat like that. How could she enjoy her fantasy man if she keeled over from lack of oxygen? "'Morning." She closed the distance between them, hoping she didn't sound as nervous as she felt. After the kiss they'd shared the night before, her sensual impulses seemed to have been switched into overdrive until she ached just standing next to him. "Thanks for offering to show me the waterfall today." "My pleasure." The barely noticeable roll of his r whispered over her senses like a feather flicking across warm skin. "Are you ready to go?" She licked her lips in anticipation, eager to follow this fantasy wherever it led. "I was ready ten minutes ago, Rivera. Take me where you will."

Chapter Ten

"We'll be able to see the waterfall once we round that next bend in the path." Myles pointed to the place where the trail disappeared into a thicket of trees. After taking the boat to a tiny island off the coast of the Bahamas, they'd docked in a deserted inlet near a waterfall he remembered from a long-ago trip. They trudged deeper into the snarl of tree roots and sandy terrain toward the sound of rushing water. "Can you hear it?" He reached back to give Kasey a hand over a rocky patch, hoping she didn't mind the short hike to find the hidden spot. He'd only remembered her wild side from their long-ago night together, not realizing she maintained a far more civilized— and citified— side. He'd seen plenty of that conservative streak today, but he refused to let a few inhibitions stand in their way. Especially when she practically trembled every time he touched her. Like now. As she took his hand to step over a gnarly tree root, she almost vibrated with restrained energy. Passion? Hell, he couldn't wait to find out. Just the sight of her denim shorts hugging her soft curves was enough to make him want her. "I hear it." She went still beside him, tensing at the sound of the cascading water. Turning light blue eyes on him, she smiled. "It sounds bigger than I imagined." "I didn't want to oversell it when I was describing this place to you, but I think you'll be pleased." He couldn't wait to get there. Was it just a guy thing that images of rushing water incited thoughts of a sexual nature, or was there a chance the view would inspire Kasey, too? Either way, there couldn't be a more ideal setting for a tryst. If he failed to solicit a few more kisses today with such an idyllic backdrop to aid his cause, he had no one to blame but himself. And damn, but he wanted her. Conservative streak and all. Maybe that good-girl side made her all the more appealing, actually, since it made him realize how rarely the bad girl came out to play. He hoped maybe she saved that wild side only for very special occasions. Holding aside a tree branch for her as they rounded the last bend, Myles positioned himself so he could watch her face when she first glimpsed the narrow falls.

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"Oh!" Her cry of surprise didn't come close to capturing the wonder in her blue eyes as she took in the scene. Water spilled from a wide rock crevice down into a natural pool, the force of the rushing stream causing a perpetual spray of mist to rise in a soft white cloud all around the grove. Tropical plants sprouted all around, the wealth of water nourishing bright, exotic flowers and trees heavy with lush foliage. But the best part of the waterfall was the inky black rock ledge beneath the cascade, as if nature had conspired to create the ideal showering place for anyone bold enough to brave the pounding stream. "It's absolutely perfect." Kasey's eyes glowed in warm appreciation, but Myles couldn't be sure if she simply liked the location for her upcoming commercial shoot or if she found the raw beauty of the scene as sensually inspiring as he did. He didn't have to wonder for long, however. "So what do you think?" She toyed with the strap of her blue tank top and flashed him a naughty grin. "Are you ready to get wet?"

Chapter Eleven

Kasey didn't bother to look back to see if Myles was following her. She took off toward the waterfall and the ledge beneath it as soon as she issued her brazen invitation. Her skin was on fire from too much Caribbean sun and too much Myles Rivera. She needed that waterfall. Her feet slipped on the damp moss as she approached the crashing water. She didn't know when she'd turned into such a sensual creature, but the moment she'd laid eyes on that misty grotto beneath the rushing stream, she knew she had to feel the force of that pulsing water herself. "Easy." Myles's voice reached her the same moment his arm slid around her. He held her steady when she would have lost her footing on the treacherous moss. "I've got you." His hand on her waist, his arm around her back nearly undid her. She'd almost unraveled in his arms the night before, but she'd held up by a thread, knowing her failed engagement party was not the time or place to rekindle the spark between her and Myles. But her body had been on fire for twelve hours straight since then and now that his hands were on her again, she didn't have a chance of letting him go. She turned in his arms to get closer to the tall male strength of him. Muscles bunched and flexed beneath her hands, her belly, where she touched him. His body loomed, solid and warm, against hers. "Come with me." She wanted him in that deluge of water with her; she needed his hot strength to hold her steady against the relentless spill of slick, cold liquid. "My pleasure." He rolled out that ticklish Latin r again, and this time the sound vibrated against her skin as he whispered it into her bare neck. A world of want swirled through her as his mouth opened onto her skin, tasting her. She arched into him,

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a willing feast for his searching tongue. And then they were moving, backward toward the falls. Myles's steps were sure and swift as he crossed the moss, and she danced along with him somehow, her feet gliding along to the rhythm he set. Mist enveloped them as they neared the falls. The rumble of water grew loud in her ears, drowning out the sound of her sighs. She wanted to venture deeper into the heart of that crashing water until it swept her away from all thought and annoying reason. Today, she didn't care about shared goals and values, and she didn't give a rip about compatibility. She only wanted the fantasy. *** Myles had hoped to lure out Kasey's inner bad girl, but he never thought he'd have this much incredible success. Her hands trailed everywhere, fingers dipping beneath his shirt after she flicked open the buttons, her short nails skimming his flesh. He needed her— badly— but he didn't want to push her when she was just coming off a broken engagement. If he dipped her beneath that waterfall right now and peeled off their clothes, would that make him big-time insensitive? As they reached the edge of the waterfall, he pried his mouth from the warm skin at her throat, forced himself to confront her before they reached the point of no return. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" He let go of her long enough to look into her blue-gray eyes, and in those scant few seconds, she tugged off her tank top. His brain checked out, leaving nothing but raw, underutilized sex drive to handle the situation. Had he been saying something? With the enticement of soft, full breasts now bared to his gaze, he couldn't remember a damn thing but how much he wanted her. Now. "I'm very sure," she whispered, arching up on her toes to confide the word directly into his ear. Yes. He cheered her knack for being well prepared even as his blood pounded thick and hard through his veins. There would be no stopping them now, and nothing to hold them back until he was deep inside her. Would it be as incredible with her as he remembered? Her breasts pushed up against his chest as she leaned into him, the taut peaks demanding touches he was all too glad to give. He cupped them together, circling each rosy nipple with his thumbs. They puckered and tightened even more, darkening to a deeper shade of pink. Bending closer, he savored each of them, stroking the beaded peaks with slow laps of his tongue. Delicious. He vowed to win over this smart, sensual woman who didn't realize how good they could be together. Starting right now.

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Chapter Twelve

Kasey couldn't wriggle out of her shorts fast enough when she got an eyeful of Myles in broad daylight as he stepped out of his clothes. Her fantasy was hot and hard and…hung. Did it make her utterly wicked that she noticed? But she couldn't help but notice when the man loomed large and luscious and close enough to touch. She reached for him, but at the same moment, he backed them out onto the ledge beneath the waterfall. A cool deluge sluiced down over her shoulders, dousing her warm skin. Squealing at the sudden shower, she clung to Myles and threw her head back into the spray, letting the water flow through her hair and over her whole body. The erotic downpour cooled her sun-warmed skin, but it didn't help the other form of heat rapidly taking over her senses. Myles licked the water from her breasts, his hands curving around her hips and gliding over her slick skin. His big hands grazed her back, pressing her abdomen against the hard length of him. Her insides melted in the flare of heat he spurred, everything inside her turning to hot liquid. Her hands roved over him, absorbing the strength of rock-hard muscle encased in slippery smooth skin. And beneath the cool water streaming over him, she felt the heat of his body simmering warmly. He let her go just long enough to roll the condom on. Long enough for her to delight in the sight of his bronzed muscles glistening with moisture in the dappled sunlight streaming through the curtain of water. Her breath caught again, and she would have most certainly expired from heart palpitations if he hadn't come back to her then, lifting her high enough in his arms to wrap her legs around his waist. He cupped her bottom, guiding her to the impressive length of him. She contracted around him even as he entered her, her body quivering with the thrill of his thumb pressed gently against her sex. He tilted her chin up to taste her lips as he drove deeper, filling her completely as water pounded down on their shoulders. Every drop conspired to push her closer to the sensual edge she sought, the heat inside her unbearable until he found just the angle she needed to send her careening into sensual spasms. Her whole body tightened, squeezing him until he found his release. And as the spray poured over them, drowning their cries with the relentless crash of water, Kasey decided that just this one time, the fantasy had been absolutely real.

Chapter Thirteen

Two days after their slippery encounter under the waterfall, Myles waited for Kasey and a film crew to arrive at his boat, which they'd chartered for the afternoon. Kasey hadn't run completely this time, but she'd definitely retreated into corporate mode, tossing all kinds of barriers up when he'd suggested they see each other the next day. The South Beach sun blazed hot and relentless already, glinting off rippling waves as Myles checked his watch and searched the docks for signs of Kasey and his other passengers. He nodded at the gangly

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teenager he regularly paid a few bucks to deliver ice to his boats every day and whooped appreciatively at a marlin one of the local fishermen dangled in front of him for approval. Finally, there she was, high heels clicking across the wooden planks of the dock as she led the way toward his boat. Two men and a woman rolled assorted dollies and camera equipment down the dock, the wheels thumping at regular intervals as they made their way down the pier. A tall, slender woman trailed behind them, a light backpack strapped to her shoulders as she talked into a cell phone and waved off a shorter woman dotting her nose with powder. Myles had the taller woman pegged as the talent for the soap commercial Kasey's crew would be shooting today, and although his male eye recognized the balanced proportions of her slim body and angular face, he couldn't help but think Kasey's kick-butt curves and sweet smile held ten times more appeal. "'Morning." Kasey greeted him with too much reserve, even though she did lean in to kiss his cheek. He had the feeling in her business, cheek-kissing was the equivalent of a handshake, however. Where was the woman who could unbutton his shirt in ten seconds flat? Content to bide his time until they could speak more privately, Myles greeted his passengers and helped them store their equipment for the crossing to the island. He planned to seek her out while the camera crew did their shooting, since he assumed she must take a smaller role during the actual filming. But twenty minutes away from their destination, she surprised him by making an appearance in the cabin on the upper deck. "Hi." She gave him a half smile, her cheeks touched with enough pink to make him wonder if he made her nervous. "I thought I'd see how much longer until we reach the island. The natives are getting restless, if you know what I mean." The back spray doused them as the boat slapped through the water, the drops dotting Kasey's dress and reminding him of their waterfall encounter. How could he survive this day being around her and not touching her, not asking for a repeat of their incredible time together? "Cell phone connections are sketchy once you're out on the open water. I think some people don't know how to fill their time if they're not connected to technology every second of the day." Myles wondered if Kasey fell into that class. She hadn't seemed bored the day he brought her out here, but then they had the spark of explosive chemistry to keep them entertained. Did she need to access her work all the time when she wasn't occupied by passion? He'd seen too many of his friends' relationships go down the tubes because they were married to their jobs. "Our model is having a meltdown because she can't confirm her bookings for tomorrow." Kasey's eye-roll assured Myles she wasn't tied to her technology, after all. He wondered what she'd think about taking a few weeks off from work to tool around the Caribbean with him, explore more islands, hunt for hidden waterfalls. He was about to propose the idea when she withdrew a few papers from a folder she carried. "I also thought I'd come up here to ask if you've ever given any thought to advertising your charter business." Venturing closer, she left the papers on one of the seats near the captain's chair. "I took the liberty of putting together a few notes for a possible storyboard if you're interested. A commercial could really boost your visibility."

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Myles wrenched his gaze from the horizon and turned on Kasey, wondering how they could have a mile-wide gap between them in the eight-foot-square space that housed the cabin. "You don't get it, do you?"

Chapter Fourteen

Kasey hugged her file folder closer to her chest even though she knew there was no way Myles could be mad. She'd spent half the night working on a proposal for his business at absolutely no cost to him. Her premise for the TV spot would appeal to locals and tourists alike, a surefire plug for Rivera Charters. "Actually, I think I do 'get it.'" She straightened, not sure why Myles would have a problem with advertising. "I've come up with a concept with a lot of appeal, and commercials are known to have a strong impact on consumer decision-making. Something like this could really help your business." "I already have a very successful small business." He squinted into the sun as he peered back at her, then tugged a navy blue ball cap down further over his eyes. "I like the hands-on time. But if I transform it into a big company, I'll be chained to a desk in no time, losing what I like best about my work. I like the freedom that comes with this business, the ability to take time off whenever I want it." Mulling over that bit of logic, she frowned. "You can hire other people to manage while you take vacations." "But then I have all the more people depending on me, all the more company to oversee." His hands moved over the controls, dropping the engine into a lower gear as they neared the island. Kasey suppressed a sigh as she remembered how smoothly those same hands had moved over her controls, handling her with a deft, knowing touch. Her throat dried up along with her thoughts until she forgot what they'd been talking about. "Besides," he continued, steering the nose of the craft toward an inlet. "I don't want to be trapped into a business where I take a once-a-year vacation. I like the freedom to wander whenever the mood strikes, to search out new adventures. You can't do that if you're tied to a job where everyone expects you to be Joe Corporate. That's not me." Kasey couldn't remember ever encountering anyone who didn't care about getting ahead. Except maybe her parents, who'd drifted aimlessly through life for so long she doubted they'd ever had any real sense of direction. Their hands-off approach to life had made Kasey all the more determined to keep her direction on course. But Myles clearly wasn't like her family. He wasn't disorganized or lacking in focus. He just didn't care about growing a bigger, better company. The notion seemed utterly foreign to her. "Do you always need to be searching for new adventures?" She hadn't planned on asking the question— it just fell from her lips. "Maybe that was part of my appeal for you the last two years. I was a mystery.

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An adventure of sorts. Now that you've found me and you've come to see I'm an uptight corporate type, maybe I won't be so interesting anymore." She was surprised to realize how much the notion stung. But somehow, she wasn't surprised that Myles couldn't refute her words.

Chapter Fifteen

Myles had been too stunned by Kasey's accusation to answer at first, but when she turned on her heel to go, he realized she was absolutely serious. She thought he'd only wanted her because she seemed unattainable. "Kasey, wait." He would have reached for her, but there was the matter of docking the boat to consider. He couldn't just cut the engines here without causing a stir on the main deck. "I can't." She shook her head impatiently, her loose blond waves bouncing in emphatic time to her answer. "I've got to help the crew unload." "I need to talk to you today." He steered toward the same cove where he and Kasey had parked before. "Alone." "I've got a lot of work to do." She edged closer to the stairs leading to the main deck. "Damn it, when don't you have a lot of work to do?" She'd worked all weekend, only taking off a few hours to attend her engagement party. How could she be happy with that kind of lifestyle? "You can't accuse me of pursuing you just because you were a mystery and then not give me a chance to talk to you." She stared back at him for a long moment, her blue-gray eyes searching his for answers. Finally, she gave a clipped nod. "I'll see what I can do. You're going to stay at the island until we're ready to go back later?" Hell, yeah, he was staying. "I can guaran-damn-tee you I'm not going anywhere now that I've found you again." Without bothering to respond, Kasey's low heels clicked down the metal steps to the main deck, leaving Myles to wonder if there'd been any truth to what she'd said. It was true enough he liked the thrill of the chase. But didn't he fulfill that on the water, chasing the winds with his sailboat or hunting down the best game fishing in the gulf? Surely he didn't need to chase women just for the hell of it. There hadn't even been many women since Kasey. Two brief affairs, to be exact, which wasn't much considering it had been two whole years since he'd last seen Kasey. But maybe there was some facet of his personality that feared settling down. He'd always loved the illusion of freedom he felt from being out on the open water. Maybe he'd never gotten involved with any

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woman seriously because he hadn't wanted to be landlocked. Who wanted to be tied up at dock when there was so much to explore? Still, Kasey had provided him with plenty of excitement. If he ever settled down, he could see her being the kind of woman he'd want by his side. Now all he had to do was prove the thrills between them weren't just a fluke. They were real— the product of major chemistry between them. He simply had to prove it to her.

Chapter Sixteen

"Cut!" Kasey welcomed the director's cue that signaled the lunch break later that day. Her nerves were frazzled after hours of watching the mostly naked model soap herself enthusiastically in a waterfall full of private memories for Kasey. She couldn't look at the tropical haven without experiencing an onslaught of sensual longing for the man who'd shared this magical place with her. Part of her regretted offering it up as a shoot locale to her production company. Selfishly, she wished she'd kept it as her own little erotic secret. An electric tingle hummed through her veins, a feeling that seemed to go hand in hand with Myles. And sure enough, as she gathered her storyboard notes to join the others for lunch, she spotted him coming toward her. She'd been so certain that he had offended her back on the boat this morning. His lack of interest in the television commercial had stung her professional pride, causing her to strike back with the jab about him not taking interest in her now that the mystery of her identity had been solved. She hadn't intended to reveal her secret fears like that, but anger did strange things to a tongue sometimes. Especially where sexy fantasy men were concerned. Ready to clear the air between them, Kasey figured she would just apologize for jumping to conclusions and move on. No harm, no foul. There was no point having him think she cared too much. "Do you have time to talk now?" He gathered up the last of her papers strewn on the ground, one of fifty different shot ideas compiled by her company's artistic staff. Funny how even now she was juggling mounds of paperwork for the commercial when she technically didn't even belong on a shoot as a casting director. Her part in the commercial should have been complete once she hired the talent. Yet her company was a small, up-and-coming business where everyone chipped in to get the job done. The atmosphere had been fun for the first few years, but maybe Myles had a point about how much overtime she dedicated to the business. Filing away the notion as she tucked the papers into her clipboard, Kasey couldn't deny she was glad to join Myles for lunch instead of eating with the film crew. "I've got some free time until they finish up lunch." Talking to Myles fed another kind of appetite

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altogether. She would gladly trade cold sandwiches for the taste of this man's hot mouth on hers. "Good." He offered her his arm, turning away from the crew tackling the coolers they'd brought. "I did a little fishing this morning while you were working. How about you join me on the beach for a bite and I can tell you my latest idea?" Her belly grumbled in reply. Having lunch and Myles at the same time was simply too delicious to deny. "Sounds great." Sliding her fingers around the sun-warmed arm he offered her, Kasey soaked up the male strength of his solid biceps. "I wanted to apologize to you for what I said on the boat earlier today anyway. I didn't mean to play amateur shrink and tell you what you were thinking with the comment about me losing my mystique now that you've found me." "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, too." "Really?" Oh, great. Now he was going to tell her he really had lost all interest? She stumbled on a root as they picked their way through the rocky island terrain. Myles tucked his arm around her waist to anchor her up, the heat of his body permeating the knit sundress she wore for the shoot. He paused as they reached the beach, his arm curling her closer to face him. "I think I know a way to prove to both of us that the thrill hasn't come close to wearing off yet."

Chapter Seventeen

Myles could feel the rapid rate of her pulse beneath his fingers. Her warm skin smelled like coconut sunscreen, the heat of her body intensifying the scent as they faced each other on the beach. "You—" Kasey seemed to be grappling with her words. "What?" He slid her clipboard out from underneath her arm, tossing her notes on the stump of a fallen palm tree. "I want to prove to you that the excitement hasn't worn off for me now that I've found you." He slid his finger beneath a hair the wind had blown across her eyes. "This heat between us isn't a fluke. It's not going to just fade away. And neither will I." Kasey struggled for a few last scraps of logic before Myles kissed her. And he was going to. She could tell by the way that warm chocolate gaze of his fixated on her lips. She shouldn't indulge in something so private while she was working. Her business associates were eating lunch on the other side of a rocky hill. But then again, no one could see them on this isolated stretch of beach, except for an occasional seagull. And when had she ever put herself before her work? She arched up onto her toes to meet his lips with her own, her hunger solely focused on Myles now. He

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tasted clean and salty, like sea air or maybe a beer he'd sipped while fishing. But as she sampled more, she recognized a flavor that belonged only to him, a primal male essence as unique as any one person's scent. She arched closer to the taste of him, her body coming alive at the feel of him against her. She remembered the hard planes of his chest, the solid ripple of muscle in his abs, and she wanted to feel them again. No, she wanted to savor them with her lips and tongue, to explore every inch of him with her fingers and mouth. "I don't want you to fade away either," she whispered, breaking away long enough to shove his T-shirt up his impressive chest. Did he get those ripped muscles from working on his boats? Whatever it was that gave him such a prime bod, Kasey was all for it. "Should we take this out to the boat?" Myles stilled her questing fingers long enough to peer around their quiet stretch of beach. "I don't want to compromise your professional image, and you're about to get very naked if I have my way." "Oh." Her limbs trembled at the promise inherent in those words. "Ooh. Yes, please. The boat would be nice." Her work could wait until later, couldn't it? She'd gone above and beyond the call of duty even to be here on another weekend shoot when her job description only entailed a nine-to-five gig. Surely she could afford to try out a few afternoon delights with Myles, the man who'd starred in plenty of her fantasies these last two years. She squealed as he lifted her off her feet, sweeping her up in his arms to carry her closer to the rowboat that would take them out to the bigger boat. She nipped his bare shoulder with her teeth, hoping she wouldn't regret her bold decision. "This time, I'm going to make sure forgetting me is no longer an option for you."

Chapter Eighteen

Myles barely recognized the wild woman who tackled him the moment they reached the privacy of the cabin below deck. She slid out of her sundress with the flick of a couple of straps, giving him an eyeful of bright pink cotton lingerie and curves even more generous than he'd remembered. Kasey Dunlap could inspire a major meltdown in any man, causing brain function to cease and animal instincts to take over. And maybe that's what Myles liked about her so much from the first time they'd met. She gave one hundred and ten percent to everything she did. Including sex. Once she made up her mind to be with him, she transformed from driven workaholic to determined sex fiend with delicious results. Making him wonder, how could he complain about the way she dedicated herself to her job when he loved the way she dedicated herself to him? Was that being hypocritical? But then her bra went flying over his head to land somewhere on the bed behind him, and he couldn't

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contemplate the issue anymore. Reaching for her in the dim light afforded by a single porthole, Myles hauled her onto the double bed in the boat's only private room. Hands running over her silky skin, he appreciated every soft curve with slow thoroughness until he'd touched every inch of her except for the places covered by her pink, lace-trimmed panties. And then he couldn't wait a second longer. Especially now, when Kasey sighed and twisted beneath him, tugging his hand toward the cleft between her thighs. He peeled off the last scrap of cloth covering her lush body, not sure how long he could restrain himself. Just touching her was enough to make him out of his head with hunger for her. He slid out of his shorts, so damn ready for her he felt light-headed. The scent of her— warm woman and sweet coconut— filled the small cabin, whetting his appetite for a taste of her. She lay there on the bed so sweet and luscious with her eyes closed he couldn't staunch the urge to surprise her with an unexpected touch. Bending close, he licked the heated center of her, startling a soft scream from her lips. She was hot. Wet. And very ready for him. Yet he wanted more. More of her taste in his mouth, more of her sighs filling the tiny room. He nipped and tasted until her sighs turned to pants, and finally she cried out in time with the spasms traveling through her so hard her thighs trembled with the force of them. And damn, but he loved that. As he reached for a condom, he realized some primal male need in him was utterly fulfilled by those soft cries of hers, some hunger to possess and be possessed. To love and to be loved. It was his last thought before he buried himself deep inside her. And even though he couldn't pull together any more rational thoughts with Kasey warm and willing in his arms, he made love to her this time with the knowledge they were meant to be together. The two years they'd been apart had given him enough time to recognize what was important in life, and it wasn't about boats or business or even complete freedom to do whatever the hell he wanted. For him, nothing was more important than keeping Kasey in his life— now and always.

Chapter Nineteen

Kasey was still seeing stars later that afternoon when the sounds of celebratory whooping echoed in her ears from a far-off distance. At first she thought it must be her gloating Sex Muse conducting a little victory dance after her third orgasm of the afternoon. But then, as the sound repeated, she realized it was the routine cheer the production guys hollered when they wrapped a shoot. They must be done for the day. "Oh my God." She bolted up in bed, edging out from under Myles's heavy thigh as she peered at her clothes strewn around the cabin. "I need to get back to the island." Apparently not comprehending the seriousness of her request, Myles propped a pillow behind his head as if to have a thoughtful discussion. "I thought you said this sort of thing wasn't really in your job

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description." Vaguely she remembered talking about her work earlier that afternoon, possibly between their trip above deck to grill a fish and their sprint back to the cabin to make love for the third time. Had she just thought of it as making love? Sex, Kasey. No matter how tender her emotions for this man, she was going solo this time in order to protect herself from relationship hell. No ifs, ands or buts. And no sexy boat captains determined to wreak havoc with her career. "Maybe not technically, but I've been with this company since its inception and we all pitch in to make it work." Although there was a good chance she pitched in more than the rest. But she'd always possessed a perfectionist streak, a will to make sure everything she did was a success. Peeling her bra off a small bureau, she scurried around the room to retrieve her clothes, occasionally flinging some of his things at his broad chest. "So what happens now? Something tells me if you're so busy on the weekends, you'll be twice as busy tomorrow once you're back in the office." His frown furrowed deep lines into his handsome face. "It does get a little hectic, I suppose." Which would be a good thing considering she wasn't going to cast herself in the couple role again anytime soon, right? Then why did her heart ache at the thought of walking off his boat? She walked up the stairs to the main deck slowly, afraid of what might happen once their day together was over. "But my career means something to me." Still frowning, Myles slid into the shorts she'd tossed his way before he followed her up the steps. She couldn't deny the pang in her chest at the thought of not seeing him like this again. Their afternoon together had been…perfect. "Does it mean everything to you?" Not sure where he was going with this, she slowed her frantic rush across the deck long enough to hear him out. "What do you mean?" "You're spending days, nights and weekends on your job. Are you content with that? And what's more, do you really want a man who would be content with that?" His dark eyes searched hers in the fading daylight that bathed the sky in muted shades of pink and blue. "Damn it, Kasey, don't you want to be with someone who wants to spend some time with you?" "Does that mean—" Flustered and confused, Kasey tried not to fall into those endless dark eyes while she sorted through his words. "Are you saying you want to spend more time with me?" "Hell, yes, that's what I mean." He wrenched into the shirt that she'd thrown aside earlier. "I would say today proved that the mystery hasn't worn off for me. I still want you as much as ever. No, scratch that. I want you even more than ever now that I've had more time to get to know you." Panic tickled her insides even as hope built in her wary heart. Then again, maybe the panic and the hope were opposite sides of the same emotional coin. How could she trust her heart to a man who loved to wander, a man who didn't understand her drive to work hard and get ahead?

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Chapter Twenty

"I don't know, Myles." Her soft words were barely audible over the sudden din of the production crew tugging their gear down the rocky hill onto the beach. "I do want to carve out a private life for myself again. You're right about me working too hard and too often. But I'm so scared of screwing up another relationship. I promised myself I wasn't going to jump into another relationship after the slap in the face of getting dumped at my own engagement party." Kasey couldn't allow herself to romanticize men anymore, even if Myles's tousled dark hair was the stuff romantic fantasies were made of. Even if he had the staying power of a sex god and the kind of grounded calmness that soothed her frenetic need to work hard and perfect everything in her path. "Hey, Kasey!" Shouts emanated from the beach beyond them. "Where've you been?" A bunch of whistling and hollering began as the production crew arrived at the water's edge with all their gear. While Kasey hoped they were too far away for anyone to see her disheveled state in much detail, Myles ignored the ruckus, his dark gaze searching out her secrets. Her feelings. He turned her chin back to him, seemingly unfazed by their audience some fifty yards away. "Look at it this way. You're not jumping into another relationship." "I'm not?" Her skin tingled where he touched her, every nerve ending alert to the smallest shift of his hand on her jaw. "We're fixing an old one that never got the fair shake it deserved." Threading his hand through her hair he cupped the back of her neck, tilting her gaze up to his. "But we're both a little wiser now. And I don't think either of us is prepared to walk away from something so undeniable it wouldn't let go of us for two years." His thumb reached forward to skim over her lips. Kasey kissed the rough skin there, feeling as though she had all the time in the world for this man, no matter that her co-workers were waiting for their rowboat ride back to the bigger boat. "I don't want to walk away," she admitted, the panic lessening at the certainty in Myles's eyes. "And I felt things today— with you— that I've never felt before." Myles grinned. "It was pretty good, wasn't it?" "Besides that." She jabbed a finger lightly below his rib in a spot she'd learned was just a little bit ticklish for him. "I felt it, too, Kasey, for the first time in my whole life. And it was strong enough to make me want to plant my feet on dry ground to be with you wherever you are." The last shreds of any remaining panic disintegrated as hope flared hot in her heart. "Honestly?" "I love you, Kasey. And you can take as long as you need to figure out if you can feel that way about me, too. All that I ask is for you to give me— to give us— time together."

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"Oh!" Emotions clogged her throat, making articulate speech impossible. She settled for flinging herself into his arms, heedless of their rapt audience still watching from the beach. Another cheer went up as she kissed Myles with everything she had, and as she reluctantly pulled away, she couldn't help but smile. She had a very good feeling about this. "I never forgot that night we spent together," she whispered in his ear, thinking maybe a casting director with such a good record of matching up couples on-screen ought to give one last try to matching up herself. "Not even when I got engaged. I love you, too, Captain." Bending down to kiss her, Myles nudged her toward the rowboat. "I'm going to make you ten times happier than you ever dreamed of being— right after you take your first turn as Mrs. Captain." "Me?" She wondered if he was teasing, but she didn't think so. Something warm and steady in his brown eyes told her he meant every word. A warm shiver stole over her at the magic in the air. "I don't even know how to drive this thing." "That's okay," he assured her as he handed her down into the smaller craft. "Because I don't plan on ever leaving your side." And filled with the warmth of true love, Kasey took her place next to her one-and-only leading man. The End