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“That’s not what I meant. You’re here, Della.” He rapped his knuckles against his head. “And here.” He patted his chest, right over his heart.
“Oh. I…you know what? You make no sense, and I’m tired of the hot and cold routine. I’m going.”
“Where are you going to stay?”
“I’ll get a room.”
“It’s a private island. The resort only has twenty-five suites. Martin’s assistant only got one because someone cancelled at the last minute.”
“Then, I’ll sleep on the fucking plane. This is not my fault.”
His nostrils flared, and his gaze drifted to her mouth. “I’m not blaming you. I’m perfectly capable of grasping the misunderstanding. I just…fuck. I need to get right in my head, and I don’t think I can do that when you’re around.”
“Fuck you, Bex. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
He grabbed her, his arm banding around her back, and hauling her up hard against his chest. “You’re a liar. You asked everything from me, and I gave it to you. I gave you so much that I wound up losing everything.”
The heat from his body blazed through her, and his scent—clean cotton, soap, and his potent masculinity—melted her into a puddle of lust. So, she pushed him away. “If you could lose it so easily, then you didn’t have much of anything at all.” She turned to get the hell off the plane.
“Della, stop. Look, I’m sorry about what happened in the hotel.” He closed his eyes and let out a harsh breath. “I don’t normally drink, and I have a low tolerance anyway, so I don’t know what happened the other night. I…” He shook his head.
She softened toward him—but only a little. “I don’t remember, either. But I’ll tell you what. My first thought wasn’t about a damn NDA.”
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “Ten years…it’s automatic.”
“I’m sure you’ve had paternity suits and all kinds of wild stalker fans…but I’m not any of them. I’m…me. And I thought there was something here.” She wagged a finger between them. “Even if it’s not some grand romance, I thought we were at least friends. And to hit me with the contract after waking up with a wedding ring on my finger…it made me feel like just another crazed fan.”
“I never want you to feel that. Della, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was exactly what I needed to put things into perspective.” Hitching her purse on her shoulder, she headed off the jet into the sultry weather. She breathed in the saltwater-air and let the warm breeze fluttering across her skin soothe her. Immediately, she began to relax.
It was never meant to be with Bex. She’d just gotten carried away with the two of them stuck on a bus every day.As long as she ignored the pinch of disappointment and hurt, she’d be just fine.
It had only been a few days, after all.
Once inside the terminal, she pulled out her phone and dialed Martin. He’d take care of everything. Even if she had to sleep on the plane, she’d be out of here tomorrow and heading back to real life.
What time was it, though, in LA? She had no clue, and her internal clock had gone haywire. Not only had she gotten black-out drunk, but she’d jumped across multiple time zones.
She’d leave a message with his assistant. “Hey, this is Della. Martin arranged for me to take the jet to the Maldives because he thought the guys would finish out the tour, but it turns out Bex slept on the plane last night. So, I really need to get out of here as soon as possible. Can you arrange that? Call and let me know.” She disconnected.
“It’s booked.” That deep voice startled her.
“The resort?” She turned to face a sleepy, gorgeous rock star.
“Yeah. I just checked.”
“Well, I’ll take a boat to another island.”
“No, it’s all right. You can stay in my room.”
“You want me to stay in the honeymoon suite?”
“It’s only for a night or two.” He acted like they were resigned to this horrible fate, and yet he forgot that she knew him—and recognized the fire in his eyes. His brain might be telling him this situation was bad, but he wanted her around.
So what? I don’t want to be near him. “I mean, does it have two bedrooms?” It hurt too much.
“No idea. I didn’t book it. Martin’s assistant did.” He shifted his leather overnight bag to his other hand. “So, what do you want to do? Arrange for a boat to take you to another island, then get a cab and try to find a hotel? Or crash in my room right now and order room service later? I’m pretty sure a massage comes with the suite.”
“I’m dead on my feet, so I’d like to pick the second option, but you literally just told me you need some time alone. Your entire life has flipped upside down.”
“And if this is the view from upside down, then I couldn’t ask for anything better.” He didn’t smile, but his words warmed her down to her bones.
Desire stirred, but she did her best to shake it off. She gave a long-suffering sigh. “Okay, but don’t get any ideas in your head. If sex with you was that forgettable, it’s not happening again.”
He stared at her for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing.
