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Sointo it.
He’d cupped her jaw with his hand like he was drinking her in. The years of wanting him day after day had been building for that moment, and she was overwhelmed by a deluge of heat and a rush of something she hadn’t experienced in too long—pure hope. She arched into him, and he followed her cue, wrapping his arm around her and pressing his chest against hers. It was really happening, and her mind had leaped ahead to what came next...a quick escape, a race back to his place, clothes coming off before they were even inside, lips and hands exploring the landscape of each other’s bodies until they were both exhausted. It was going to happen. Finally.
Then he froze. And everything else became a blur. He pushed her away, ashamed to look her in the eye. He blurted something about betraying Scott. He said he was sorry. He shook his head and muttered that it had been a mistake. He pushed back from the table and rushed out the door, leaving Allison shell-shocked. How could she have been so close and have it all taken away? It felt like a cruel joke life was playing on her. It hurt like hell.
For weeks, that painful scene played in her head. But once she got beyond the hurt, she realized that the real problem had been Scott. If they’d been truly alone that night, her fantasies would’ve come true. She and Zane would’ve been naked and sweaty in no time.
But hopefully, Zane wouldn’t be so worried about her hyperprotective brother if he was a thousand miles away. With close proximity to Zane and some privacy, she could finally go for what she’d always wanted—a night of pure abandon with Zane. She knew better than to hope for more than that. He was the ultimate ladies’ man, and she was okay with that. He was who he was, and she still wanted him more than any man she’d ever laid eyes on. If she played her cards right, she’d at least get to fulfill this fantasy, even if it was only a onetime thing.
“Do you want me to tell him you’re coming?”
If Allison had been talking to Kianna, she might have made a joke about orgasms, but that was not appropriate with her aunt. “No. Don’t. I’ll surprise him.”
“I’m so happy you’re coming to stay, Alli. It’s been too long.”
“I’m excited to spend some time unwinding.”
“Text me your flight details. I’ll have someone pick you up at the marina.”
“Sounds perfect. See you tomorrow.”
Allison gathered her things, closed up her office, said goodbye to Kianna and hurried out to the parking lot, feeling a new purpose in every step. She hopped into her Mercedes, cranked the stereo and headed toward her new apartment, where the guys from Hunks with Trucks would soon be waiting to move her into her new place. She wasn’t even going to bother to unpack. She was going to let them in to do their work while she turned around to go shopping for a hat, a sarong and the skimpiest bikini she could find. Then she was going to get a good night’s beauty sleep and get her butt on a plane tomorrow morning.
Next stop, paradise. Next stop, Zane.
Two
The flight from Miami to Eleuthera Island was not for the faint of heart. Scott’s aunt and uncle Angelique and Hubert had booked a charter for Zane on the tiniest of Learjets. Still, Zane loved the freedom of hanging by an invisible thread over the jaw-dropping blue of the Atlantic.
Zane’s pulse skipped a beat as the aircraft floated down to the tiny landing strip and bounced its way to an abrupt stop. Another five hundred yards and they would’ve been in the ocean. Engines whirring, the plane taxied around to a modest outbuilding—yellow with a rust-red roof. The crew quickly opened the cabin door, and Zane whipped off his seat belt, sucking in his first sweet breath of Bahamian air. Sunglasses on, he surveyed the landscape from his vantage point at the top of the plane stairs. Palm trees rustled in the wind, and gauzy white clouds rolled across the seemingly endless stretch of azure sky. This was exactly what he’d needed. He knew it already.
A driver from Rose Cove, the boutique resort owned by Scott’s aunt and uncle, met him outside the airport building, and after a quick zip through customs, Zane was on his way to the marina in a golf cart. From there, a speedboat captain named Marcus took Zane for the two-mile trip to Rose Cove Island, off the southernmost tip of Eleuthera. The water was tranquil and clear, the wind buzzing through Zane’s ears as the boat sliced through the water and the sun blanketed him in warmth. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and powered it down. He had zero plans to look at it while he was in paradise. He not only needed to unwind, he wanted to disappear. Falling Brook, the Lowell family and Black Crescent weren’t even a distant thought—they’d evaporated from his mind.
Pulling up to the dock at Rose Cove, Zane was struck by the beauty of the pink sand beaches from which the tiny private island got its name. Marcus directed him down a crushed-seashell path through a tropical forest so shaded by palm trees that it was a good ten degrees cooler. Colorful birds chirped and flitted from tree to tree, while the occasional lizard skittered across the sandy ground to hide behind a rock. He eventually reached a clearing with a white single-story building of colonial architecture, with a porch that wrapped around the entire structure. Inside, Zane finally got to meet Scott’s aunt Angelique.
“Welcome to Rose Cove!” she exclaimed, rushing out from behind the check-in desk, wearing a beautiful turquoise sundress, flat sandals and her braided hair pulled up in a twist. Despite her enthusiasm, Angelique’s peaceful voice suggested that she lived her life at a pace far different from the rest of the world’s. “My nephew has told me so much about you.” She gave him a hug, showing the same warmth Zane had found in Scott’s entire family. He already felt at home here. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave.
“You can’t believe everything Scott says,” Zane joked.
Angelique smiled wide. “He had nothing but great things to say.” She bustled back behind the counter and unfolded what appeared to be a map. “Here’s all you need to know about the island. This is the main building, where my husband, Hubert, and I live.” She circled a picture of the building where they were. “The ten cottages spoke out from here and are a good distance from each other for privacy. You’re in cottage number eight. You have a quiet stretch of beach, a hammock and a private plunge pool. There’s a beautiful king-size bed, a luxury bath and a fully stocked kitchen. Or our staff will bring you breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Simply fill out the card waiting for you in your room. Until then, I invite you to relax and enjoy the island. Perhaps say hello to your neighbor in cottage nine. She’s been waiting for you to arrive.”
“A neighbor?”A she, no less?Perhaps this was Zane’s lucky day, although there was a part of him that knew his tendency to get lost in women was not his best trait. Really, he should be focusing on fishing and swimming while detoxing from social media and the internet.
“My niece, Allison. She arrived a few hours ago.”
Zane’s jaw dropped so far he had to make a conscious decision to close his mouth. He was flabbergasted. What were the chances that he and Allison would end up on the island at the same time? “Allison is here. On this island. Right now.”
“Is there a problem?”
He shook his head so fast he nearly lost his sunglasses, which were resting on top of his head. “Absolutely not. I love Allison. I’m just surprised. I’ll have to stop over and say hi.” He hadn’t seen Allison much in the years since he graduated from high school. He’d gone to college in North Carolina on a basketball scholarship, and when he returned to Falling Brook after four years, she was off to school in Los Angeles, where she stayed to start a business. She returned every Christmas, but Zane always seemed to be visiting his mom in Boston at the same time. But three weeks ago Scott’s wife, Brittney, invited both Allison and Zane to a surprise birthday dinner she was having for Scott. Allison flew in for the weekend. The instant Zane saw her, he knew exactly how good the years had been to Allison—almost too good. She’d taken a straight line from cute to drop-dead gorgeous. Her long and wavy black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, showing off the incredible depth and warmth of her brown eyes. The chemistry of the entire room shifted when she smiled or laughed. He’d always found her interesting and a bit otherworldly, with a style and vibe all her own, but that night he was transfixed.
She’d surprised him many times when they were younger, like the day she got her nose pierced, but she’d flat-out shocked him that night at Scott’s house. She kissed him—soft and sensuous and so packed with sexy intent that he’d felt the earth shift beneath him. He was so conditioned to think of Allison only as his best friend’s little sister that he’d been wholly unprepared for Allison, the fully formed woman. And with Scott in the other room, a man to whom there would be no explaining, Zane had done the unthinkable that night. He’d pushed beautiful, beguiling Allison away.
“Well, she has the cottage next to yours, so I’m sure you’ll see her,” Angelique said.
Now Zane was wondering how in the hell he was going to navigate these difficult waters. He didn’t want to relive the awkward aftermath of that kiss. Their conversation from that night was permanently emblazoned on his psyche.
This is wrong, Allison. Your brother.
