A nine-month business deal

Bree Tucker’s company is her everything. So when she becomes pregnant after a fling, she knows she can’t be a mother. She has no room for a baby in her life and zero maternal instinct. But the father, Nick Harmon, vows to raise the child on his own. Fine by Bree. Thing is, he wants to be right by her side for the next nine months. That can only mean trouble. Nick makes her feel things no other man has. Surely her growing attraction to Nick is pregnancy hormones and not the idea that he’d make a wonderful dad...

“You’re asking me why I want to make you dinner?”

Bree nodded. “Yes. Why do you want to have anything to do with me? All I’ve done is turn your world upside down. You should be enjoying this time before you have all the responsibilities of fatherhood.”

Nick hadn’t thought about it that way, and he didn’t want to think about it that way. “I’m just as responsible for this situation as you are.” He turned off the engine and opened the car door. “Now, come on. Let’s go see what’s in my fridge to eat.”

He came around to her side of the car and opened her door. He reached in to give her a hand as she got out and then, as if completely natural, she leaned into him and their lips met in a kiss.

A kiss filled with promise for things to come.

Dear Reader,

Everyone has had those days. The ones where things don’t go as planned. A flat tire on the way to work. You need to pick up your sick child from school, so lunch with friends is out. A flight delay. But what if that unplanned event didn’t just shake up your day but your entire life?

That’s what happens to Bree in The Baby Arrangement. She sees her life one way, with no possibility of straying from her plan to put all her energy into her expanding company. And then she meets Nick...

I hope you enjoy this first book in my new series. Stay tuned for more stories about Bree’s friends. Visit lisadyson.com to find out when they’ll be released.

I love hearing from readers. Please email me at lisa@lisadyson.com.

Wishing you the very best of days,

Lisa Dyson

The Baby Arrangement

Lisa Dyson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

LISA DYSON has been creating stories ever since getting an A on a fifth-grade writing assignment. She lives near Washington, DC, with her husband and their rescue dog with a blue tongue, aptly named Blue. She has three grown sons, a daughter-in-law and four adorable grandchildren. When not writing, reading or spending time with family, Lisa enjoys traveling, volunteering and rooting for her favorite sports teams.

For Lila, one of the many strong women in my life

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

HOW WAS BREE TUCKER supposed to relax and kick back when she’d been so obviously abandoned?

She couldn’t figure out where the heck her friend Roxie had gone. She scanned the other people around the tiki bar once more with no luck. She and Roxie had come over to order drinks, and now she was nowhere in sight.

Thinking she’d walk around the bar to the other side, Bree took a step back from the bar without looking. She immediately tripped over something and gasped as she fell backward. Somehow she ended up in someone’s strong arms instead of butt-first in the sand.

Her gasp had heads turning in her direction. Great. She’d managed to attract unwanted attention from the mostly men around the bar. She turned her head to see who’d caught her, and her gaze collided with a pair of deep brown eyes with long, dark lashes. She blinked and slowly disengaged herself from him.

“Are you okay?” He was probably the nicest-looking man she’d seen since arriving on Isla de la Blanca earlier in the week for a working vacation with her girlfriends slash coworkers.

“Yes, I’m fine. And thank you for catching me. I’m sorry about that.” She straightened her bright blue romper and tossed back her long hair. “I’m not usually that clumsy.”

Her rescuer smiled, his eyes twinkling. A neatly trimmed dark beard set off perfectly straight white teeth. “It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention, and my legs got in your way. I’m the one who should apologize.”

“But I shouldn’t have stepped back without looking.”

“Let’s call it a draw,” he suggested.

“Deal,” she said, then looked around again for her friend. “Have you seen a redhead? I’ve misplaced my friend Roxie.”

He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her.”

She whirled around as she checked out the nearby area again. She shielded her eyes from the glare of the setting sun off the clear azure water of the Caribbean Sea. “Did anyone see where my friend went?” she asked the men around the bar. “She’s got red hair and is wearing a dark green top with white shorts.”

She’d been well aware that the guys hanging out at the tiki bar had been paying a lot of attention to her, whether they were actually speaking to her or merely ogling. So she decided to use that to her advantage in locating Roxie.

“I’ll be happy to help you find her,” a sloppy drunk propped on a bamboo bar stool told her with a crooked grin before he belched and reached out to her, nearly falling off his perch.

Bree took a step back. “That’s okay, I’m sure I—”

“She has all the help she needs,” said an older man who appeared from nowhere, his Jimmy Buffett Parrot Head affiliation obvious from his Hawaiian shirt and straw hat with a Margaritaville button attached. “At your service, ma’am.” He stepped forward abruptly, his drink sloshing over the rim of his glass.

“She’s fine,” her rescuer growled from behind her. He took Bree’s elbow. “She doesn’t need anyone’s help.” Before Bree could say a word, the man guided her away from the bar and maneuvered them through the growing number of people looking for fun.

“Hey, come back here!” called several of the men left behind.

“Wait! Where are you taking me?” Bree stumbled in the sand and nearly lost a sandal. She jerked her arm away when they were barely fifteen feet from the bar, hopping on one foot while she tried to adjust her shoe. “Stop already!”

“I was getting you out of an uncomfortable situation,” he explained.

“What do you mean?” She could hold her own with a bunch of drunks. “What uncomfortable situation?”

“Those men back there,” he muttered, jerking his head in their direction. “Didn’t you see how they were looking at you?”

“So what?”

He continued. “You’re a woman alone with a bunch of drunk and gawking men.”

“And?”

“And some might get the wrong idea.”

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and squinted at him. “The wrong idea?”

He shook his head. “You really have no idea what kind of signals you’re giving off, do you?”

She was doing no such thing. “So I’m supposed to be comforted by your macho manhandling of me for my own good?” She scowled. “Dragging me away to this secluded area where you can do whatever you want to me just because I might have tugged at my ear or scratched my leg in a way that turned you on?”

In truth, they were anything but secluded, with people barely a few feet away, but she wasn’t about to admit that she’d possibly overreacted.

“How do I know you’re not the one I should be worried about?” she said. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Believe me, my intentions were honorable.” He cocked his head and shrugged. “I’m sorry if I misread the situation.” He turned to leave without a backward glance.

Good riddance, she thought as she watched him walk away. Too bad Sir Condescension thought he had to play hero, even if his overt sexiness made him extremely appealing.

Oh, well. She didn’t need him sticking around, even if she had promised her girlfriends she’d try to be more open to meeting new people while on this working vacation. She just didn’t need a know-it-all jerk.

Who was she kidding? At thirty-three years old, she avoided new relationships altogether. Period. She had enough people in her life, even if none of them happened to be a love interest.

Her girlfriends might think she needed a vacation fling, but this latest encounter proved Bree had been right all along. Her time would be better spent on her company’s future, the only thing she truly cared about besides her girlfriends.

Bree searched again for Roxie and the others, the crowd growing more raucous as the sun all but disappeared and the tiki torches were lit. A pig had been roasting on a spit since early last evening and when she inhaled the scent in the air now, her stomach growled. She had to find the girls and then get some food.

Isla de la Blanca, off the Puerto Rican coast and named for its pure white sandy beaches, had been her coworkers’ choice of a working vacation spot, not Bree’s. Although, she had to admit, she hadn’t gotten tired of the constant seventy-eight-degree weather and sunshine. So different from January in their hometown of Arlington, Virginia, where highs of forty-five degrees were sarcastically called balmy.

Her best girlfriends had all spent their free time this week getting massages and facials, frequenting the small shops and kiosks in the tiny village, as well as discovering the island’s vibrant nightlife. After much coercion, and since they’d accomplished their work goals, Bree had finally agreed to put her job aside and join them tonight. At least for a little while. She still had some phone calls to return and a report to read.

“There you are!” Bree shouted, waving her hand as she made her way through already intoxicated patrons to where her girlfriends were gathered around a wicker table under the palm trees, coconut-shell cocktails with straws and paper umbrellas in their hands. Bree tilted her head at Roxie. “Why did you disappear? Didn’t you see me nearly fall on my butt?”

They all chortled and spoke at once.

“It’s not funny,” Bree said, but she couldn’t keep a straight face. “Listen, I didn’t bring you all down here just so I could give a bunch of drunks an eyeful!”

Again they laughed. Bree knew when she was outnumbered, so she plopped into the single empty chair, crossed her bare legs and pretended to sulk.

“I’m sorry, Bree,” Roxie said, appearing anything but remorseful. “I found a server to come over here so we could order our drinks, and then I got distracted. When I came back to find you, you were gone.” She handed Bree a cocktail and pointed to the plate of food they were sharing. Their hotel offered free appetizers during happy hour and the girls had taken advantage.

“What happened anyway, Bree?” Showing her usual empathy, Hannah’s voice was filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

Bree shook her head and reached for a cheese cube. “Yes, I’m fine. I just tripped and fell into some guy’s waiting arms. Typical macho guy who thinks every woman is a damsel in distress.”

Hannah’s mouth formed an O and her dark brown doe eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Wow! Was he cute?”

“Invite him over!” Amber said, and then lowered her voice. “Unless he was a troll. Was he a troll?” Amber was nothing if not a straight shooter.

“Not even close.” Bree pursed her lips as she remembered the heat that had suffused her before she’d brushed him off. Or had he been the one to brush her off? Either way, he was in the rearview mirror.

Hannah interrupted Bree’s musings. “Where is he? Do you see him anywhere?” Hannah craned her neck, searching for the guy she’d never even seen.

“Was he hot?” Amber wanted to know. “I bet he was hot. You never follow up when a good-looking guy shows interest.”

“Give her a break,” Roxie said. “Just because the two of you are looking to hook up doesn’t mean everyone is.” Roxie’s longtime boyfriend had recently moved to California for his job, and they were still working out the long-distance romance thing.

Bree looked around, telling herself it didn’t really matter if the guy who’d caught her had disappeared. “I don’t see him. He must have found someone else to annoy.” She shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, but she’d bet the women who’d known her since freshman year of college weren’t fooled.

Truthfully, the man had made her heart accelerate wildly. His dark hair was full and thick, and just long enough to be sexy. He had a strong jaw under that closely trimmed beard. He was a little above average in height, with lean musculature, and way above average in sex appeal in his khaki shorts, faded Dave Matthews T-shirt and boat shoes. Then again, she’d always been a sucker for guys with intense brown eyes. Too bad those eyes came with such a macho attitude.

“We could walk around and maybe accidentally run into him,” Roxie suggested, using finger quotes.

The others started to get up, but Bree raised a hand to stop them and changed the subject. “Not so fast. First of all, I’m not interested. Second, I want to get your opinion on something—work related.”

There was a collective moan as the women dropped back down into their chairs.

“I want to offer a bartending class,” she told them. “Watching the bartender over there gave me the idea.”

“Bree! We worked all week on our five-year goals,” Roxie whined. “You promised we’d have the evenings to actually vacation, and now you’re back on the subject of work.”

“Yeah!” Amber and Hannah chorused.

“And you also promised to hang out with us tonight!” Amber added.

“I know, I know. And I will.” Bree held up one finger. “But I really want your opinion. We could offer mixology training for women, especially for moms who would benefit from working nights while their husbands can be home with their kids.”

The other three women bobbed their heads. “I like that,” Amber said. “And it would be a faster turnaround than some other training we’ve considered.”

“Also a relatively well-paid position if you consider tips and location of the bar, like at a high-end-hotel lounge compared to a local bar or a chain restaurant,” Hannah added.

Bree’s private company, BeeTee, Incorporated—based on her initials—had been born during her junior year of college when she’d discovered her talent for composing résumés and guiding women into the right jobs. Her business degree, as well as her absorption by osmosis of her excessively rich and powerful father’s phenomenal business savvy, had given Bree the knowledge to grow her female-based employment-and-retraining business. Two years ago, they’d branched into investing in women-owned businesses. Several years before that she’d brought her three best friends from college along for the incredible ride, knowing full well that they came with their own unique talents.

Last year the company had grossed over four million dollars, and they were well on their way to doing better this year. Bree had used her private financial resources to start up the company, but Roxie, Hannah and Amber received yearly stock options on top of their salaries as compensation for their dedication and hard work. Bree still owned the majority of BeeTee, but she ran it pretty much as if the women were full partners.

They discussed Bree’s idea for a few more minutes, until Amber held up her hand and said, “Enough! We agree it’s a great idea, but now it’s time to play.” She straightened her back and peered out at the people around them. “Let’s find us some new friends.” She waggled her eyebrows and fluffed her dark hair with her airbrushed fake nails. “Ooh!” Amber crowed, pointing to something behind Bree. “And here comes a splendid specimen, indeed!”

Bree took a sip of her drink, enjoying how smoothly the liquid went down her throat, and didn’t bother looking up until she heard a familiar deep voice.

“Good evening, ladies,” her sexy rescuer said smoothly, then tapped Bree on the shoulder from behind. “I believe this is yours.”

She gasped and her drink went down the wrong way, sending her into a coughing fit.

* * *

THE WOMAN FINALLY stopped coughing and angled her head around until their eyes met. Nick Harmon dangled the earring where she could see it. He’d discovered it when he’d gone back to the bar to get a fresh drink and felt obligated to find her.

The woman narrowed her dark blue eyes and uncrossed her incredibly long legs. He’d noticed her back at the bar before she’d fallen into his arms. How could he miss her?

“Not mine.” She unstuck a strand of hair from her lip gloss and pulled back her long, golden-brown hair to show him her earrings. Not even close to what she wore.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, feeling like a fool. “I found it back at the bar where you were standing and just assumed...never mind.”

He went to leave, but one of the other women called out to him, “Hey, wait!”

He slowly turned around.

“Why don’t you join us?” the redhead suggested as the women shifted chairs to make space for him. “I’m Roxie,” she said, and pointed to the others. “This is Hannah, Amber, and you’ve apparently already met Bree.”

“Let’s just say she dropped into my life.” He winked at Bree. “I’m Nick, and you must be the friend Bree lost,” he said to Roxie. Then he made eye contact with each woman in turn.

They made quite an intriguing group, each an individual in appearance and sense of style. Besides redheaded Roxie with her fair complexion and dancing green eyes, there was petite Hannah with long blond hair and bangs that framed her deep brown doe eyes. Next came Amber, who had East-Asian features, straight black hair blunt cut at her collarbones with wispy bangs over a high forehead, and the impression that she was a very direct person.

Finally, there was Bree. Nick had trouble keeping a straight face. Horrified didn’t come close to describing her expression at that moment. She didn’t want him there, and she wasn’t subtle about it. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she desperately telegraphed her feelings to her companions.

They were having none of it. In fact, they were completely ignoring her distress. The group seemed fun loving, so why not join them? Three out of four wanted him there. Not a bad percentage.

Besides, his cousin, Pete, hadn’t shown up yet, so why not make new friends?

“What brings you ladies to the island?” he asked, determined to show Pete that he was still on his game. Pete had pressured him into coming on this trip with him, complaining that Nick hadn’t taken time for himself since his life had been torn apart last spring. “Girls’ vacation?” Nick guessed.

“A working vacation,” Hannah said with a scowl.

“More work than vacation,” Roxie grumbled, and reached for a carrot. She gestured that Nick should help himself before dipping her carrot into the white dip on the large plate of appetizers they were sharing.

He laughed, chose a cheese cube and a raw mushroom, and then washed them down with a swig of the beer he’d brought with him. “How long are you staying?” He looked directly at Bree, who still seemed to be adjusting to his presence.

“Two more days.” Bree looked down at her drink. “We leave Sunday afternoon.”

“Yeah, only two more nights to have any fun on this island paradise,” Amber said petulantly as she narrowed her gaze at Bree.

“Then you better stop wasting time.” Nick tossed out his most sincere grin and rose from his chair. “Come on.” He held out a hand to Bree, but she didn’t take it. He kept smiling as he dropped his hand. For some reason, he felt the need to make her like him and prove that she’d been wrong about him. “There’s a limbo contest and karaoke going on nearby, as well as a steel-drum band. There’s also plenty more of whatever you’re drinking out of those coconuts.”

“Let’s limbo!” The women were enthusiastic as they jumped up to join him, with Bree bringing up the rear.

“I love steel-drum bands!” one of them shouted.

Nick downed the last of his beer and set his plastic cup on the table along with the nearly devoured appetizer plate and several empty coconut shells.

The group stopped at the tiki bar to get fresh drinks and to drop off the earring he’d found before continuing on to search out the entertainment Nick had suggested. From the way Bree kept ignoring him and putting one of her friends between them, she seemed determined to pretend that he hadn’t invaded her territory.

He refused to be deterred—he would win her over. Besides, he was a nice guy, damn it. Everyone said so.

After several drinks and a quick dinner from a kiosk on the street, a limbo contest on the beach and a half-decent try at karaoke later, Nick finally found himself alone with Bree at a corner table in the main hotel lounge. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but she seemed more comfortable around him. “Would you like to take a walk on the beach?” he asked, raising his voice to be heard. The steel-drum band had just begun another set after a short break, so conversation was difficult.

“I should probably call it a night,” she said on a hiccup. Then she giggled, more evidence that she’d finally relaxed.

“Maybe the fresh air will get rid of your hiccups,” he suggested, enjoying Bree even more in her calmer state.

She giggled again. “That’s silly.” She picked up her empty coconut shell and considered it. “Did someone drink all of this?”

“You could say that.” He grinned automatically and caught her hand in his. She smiled and didn’t pull away, a dreamy look on her face with her eyes shuttered to mere slits.

“You know, you’re not half-bad,” she said. “I’m starting to get used to you.”

“Gee, thanks.” He laughed at her backhanded compliment. “You’re not so bad, either.” He meant the words. Once she’d given in and let herself enjoy her surroundings—live in the moment—she was fun to hang out with.

He wondered what it was about her that had made him think she was so vulnerable. Now he only saw her as damned attractive and overtly sexy. Not that he was looking to hook up, no matter what his cousin thought he should do.

So what if she had a slender body with just enough curves to make his own body react. And so what if her long, medium-brown hair had shades of gold that sparkled when light hit them. Just because the long layers rested against those delicately toned, bare upper arms didn’t mean he wanted to kiss every inch of them.

The sudden urge to run his fingers through her silky locks that she liked to toss made his fingers curl into tight fists, and he reined himself in.

“No, really,” she said. “When we first met I thought you were pretty bossy and a know-it-all. But you actually seem like a pretty nice guy.”

He grinned, blaming it on the sweet mixed drinks she’d been downing. He’d consumed more alcohol than he normally did and he was beginning to feel it. He suspected she didn’t imbibe this much very often, either. She presented herself as always in control—of both herself and situations.

A short while ago, her friends had mysteriously disappeared after excusing themselves, one by one, to go to the bathroom. Nick checked his watch. The last woman had left nearly ten minutes ago. Either there was an emergency in the ladies’ room or Bree’s friends had deliberately abandoned her.

He chose the second option as having a higher probability. As protective of her as they seemed to be, he supposed this meant he had their approval as a chaperone. Of course, it wasn’t like they’d been left alone in the woods. There were plenty of people still enjoying the tropical night.

“You have the nicest smile,” Bree told him. “Thank you for catching me earlier. Have I thanked you already?”

“Yes, you have.” He’d been absently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked the caller ID, not surprised when he read it. “Excuse me a minute.” He rose, touching Bree’s bare shoulder and speaking close to her ear. “Promise you’ll be here when I get back?” The citrus smell of her hair was nearly his undoing.

She nodded, held up three fingers in a mock salute and said, “I promise.”

Damn. She was nearly irresistible.

“Hey, Pete,” Nick greeted his cousin on the other end when he found a quieter spot to talk. “I’ve been trying to reach you. What happened to you earlier? I thought you were meeting me at the bar. After all, this weekend getaway was your idea.”

“There was a problem on the boat and it’s taking longer than expected.” Nick and Pete had flown to San Juan, Puerto Rico, using Pete’s airline miles. Then Pete had borrowed a friend’s boat for them to come to Isla de la Blanca. Nick probably wouldn’t have let himself be talked into coming if most of the trip hadn’t been free.

“You need me to come back to the marina?” Pete had told Nick to go to the lodge without him so he could take a quick shower first.

“No, I’ve got it,” Pete said. “There’s a guy here who’s helping me out. Shouldn’t be too long now.”

“Get here as soon as you can. You’ll be happy to know that I met a group of really fun women.”

“Excellent. Be there soon.”

By the time he made it back to the table, he was second-guessing what he’d told Pete. The other three women were still nowhere in sight. Bree was alone—her head was on her folded arms and her eyes shut.

CHAPTER TWO

BREE LIFTED HER HEAD when she heard Nick move his chair as he returned from taking his phone call. She was tired and would have preferred to go to bed, but she’d promised the girls that she’d let her hair down while they were on vacation. She didn’t think she’d had that much to drink. After all, how much alcohol could there be in those sweet drinks? Still, she felt a little wobbly when she stood up.

“Maybe some fresh air is a good idea,” she told Nick. Afterward, she could go to bed with a clearer head.

“Let’s go.” He offered her his arm and she didn’t refuse.

They stepped through the automatic doors and Bree drew in a deep breath, trying to counter the effects of the alcohol.

The air was humid, but the continuous breeze off the ocean was refreshing.

They followed a masonry walkway that led to a narrow boardwalk, and from there they walked down the few steps onto the sandy beach.

“Hold on a sec,” Bree said, stopping abruptly. “I need to take my shoes off if we’re going to walk on the sand.”

They both slipped off their shoes and left them next to the stairs before heading to the water’s edge.

The sky was clear and Bree saw more stars than she could count, wondering what constellations she was admiring.

“That’s Orion, the Hunter,” Nick said as if reading her mind. “Those three stars together make up his belt.” He pointed to another cluster of stars and took a step to the side as if trying to keep his balance. So she wasn’t the only one who was feeling the alcohol. “And that’s Cassiopeia,” he added.

He’d taken her hand somewhere between the lounge and the beach, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she kind of liked it. She decided to blame her nonchalant attitude on too many sweet drinks.

“You’re probably making that up to impress me,” she teased.

“Is it working?” Nick chuckled, a pleasant sound that made Bree smile. “I promise, those are definitely Orion and Cassiopeia.” He spoke as he looked toward the sky, wavering slightly. “Legend has it that Orion had women trouble. When he wooed Merope, the daughter of King Oenopion, she rebuffed him. One day he drank too much wine and tried to take Merope by force, so the king had Orion blinded and banished.”

“Imagine if today’s sex offenders met the same fate.” Bree was fascinated by the tale. “So this guy, Orion, was blind forever?”

“No, eventually he regained his sight with the help of Hephaestus, the god of the forge. Not sure how a blacksmith can restore sight, but that’s what I learned.”

“What are you, an astronomer or something?” She knew very little about him aside from his skill at rescuing falling women.

“Nope. Just an Eagle Scout.”

“Eagle Scout, very impressive. I’m sure your parents are very proud.”

“They were,” he told her in a more subdued tone.

“You make it sound like past tense.” Bree cocked her head, waiting for his explanation.

“Sorry. My mother still brags about me.” He paused. “My father died almost two years ago.”

“I’m sorry.” Her own father had been absent so much of her life that it sometimes felt like he was deceased. And he lived only a half hour away from her.

He shrugged off her condolence. “It was very sudden and there are times I still can’t believe he’s gone. He actually taught me how to navigate with the stars, and he did all the venture camping trips with me.”

She tried to lighten his mood. “So I don’t have to worry about getting lost, and you’ll protect me from bears?”

That made him laugh, an enjoyable male sound. “I doubt we’ll come across any bears on the beach, and as long as we stick next to the shore I’m pretty sure I can get us back to the main lodge.”

Her head had cleared a bit and she didn’t feel quite as out of control in the fresh air. At some point during the evening, she had stopped resenting Nick’s intrusion on her girls’ working vacation and begun having fun. He hadn’t made a good first impression, but she had been willing to rethink her initial opinion of him.

Maybe the girls had been right about her needing to have a vacation fling. She wasn’t about to seduce him, but he was definitely entertaining to have around.

“Someone mentioned earlier that you were all here on a working vacation,” he said. “So what kind of work do you do?”

This was a subject she loved to talk about. “I own a company that helps women get ahead in their jobs. We offer training and guidance for women already in the workforce, as well as for those coming back into the workforce.”

“Isn’t that a little sexist, just focusing on women’s issues?”

“Isn’t it sexist for men to be paid more than women for the same job? Or for women to be passed over for promotions because they’re of childbearing age and might require maternity leave?”

“Whoa! I’ve obviously struck a nerve. Sorry,” he said. “I just wondered why you don’t offer the same services to men. But you’ve explained it perfectly.”

She relaxed. “I’m passionate about my company and what we do for women. Two years ago we even started loaning money to women to start up new businesses. So far, it’s been very successful.”

“That’s great! When did you start the company?”

“Technically, about thirteen years ago.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

“But I was still in college then,” she added. “I didn’t actually incorporate until two years later.”

They were silent for a while, the pounding of the waves crashing on the shore making for a pleasant soundtrack.

“What brought you here?” she asked as they continued walking. “I didn’t even know this place existed.” The island was small, no more than a few square miles, but with all the luxuries imaginable. So far, four days into the trip, Bree had no complaints.

“Someone recommended it to me,” he said as he looked at the sky.

“And you just had to check it out?”

“Something like that,” he said cryptically, and then looked down at her. “Would you believe I just needed to get away?”

She shrugged. “But why here?”

“Why not? From where I’m standing right now, it seems like I chose wisely.”

She stopped walking at those words.

He stopped, too, and turned to face her.

Their eyes met and she forgot to breathe. He took both of her hands and pulled her to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. His body was solid, and the heat coming off him suffused her in a cocoon of warmth and comfort.

She rested her cheek on his chest. The pounding of his heart and the hard muscles beneath his T-shirt were difficult to ignore.

He tipped up her chin with his finger. Her eyelids closed as his mouth descended on hers. Their first contact was chaste, but her lips hummed with expectation. She ran her hands up his back, enjoying the play of his muscles as he tightened his embrace.

He slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss and stealing her breath away. His hand on her lower back held her securely.

But then Nick ended the kiss abruptly, leaving Bree to question her kissing ability. “What—” she gasped, realizing how truly out of practice she was at this man-woman thing.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “We should get back. Your friends will wonder what happened to you.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her in the direction from which they’d come.

“Slow down,” she cried, trying to keep up. Her foot landed on something sharp. “Ouch!” She liberated herself from his grasp and hopped on her good foot.

“What happened?” he asked, when she sat down hard on the damp sand.

“I think I cut my foot on something,” she sputtered. Then she mumbled under her breath, “As if you cared.” Not only was her pride hurt, but now she’d done a number on her foot if the pain she felt was any indication.

“Bree, I’m sorry. It’s not you,” he began. “I—”

“Save it.” She’d never been as good as her friends were with the opposite sex. Up until this moment, she hadn’t really cared.

She brushed the sand from her cut foot to discover she was bleeding. The moon and stars were bright, but not bright enough to see how deep the cut was. “It’s bleeding.”

Without another word, he picked her up and carried her back to where the light was brighter and set her down.

“You might need stitches,” Nick said, after examining her foot.

No way. That would mean needles and she didn’t do needles. “I’m sure some antibiotic ointment and a bandage will do.”

“Let’s get a second opinion,” he said as he lifted her again and proceeded to carry her to the hotel. He inquired at the front desk about a nearby infirmary, and was directed to the resort’s clinic, just a short walk away. He was also given a towel to wrap around her foot.

“Really, Nick, I’ll be fine.” Being carried around by a strong, sexy guy might be some girl’s fantasy but not hers. She was just plain embarrassed.

He ignored her pleas, as well as her demands to walk on her own. And about five minutes later she was seated in front of a nurse, who was irrigating the sand and debris from Bree’s wound.

“All this fuss is ridiculous,” she said to Nick.

“Humor me,” he said from the fake leather chair in the corner of the exam room. His arms were crossed, the ankle of one leg resting on the knee of the other. Thankfully, he’d picked up their shoes on the way to the clinic, donning his but not even allowing her to carry her own shoes, which were now on the floor next to his chair.

“The wound is pretty deep,” the nurse stated. “The doctor will be in to stitch you up in a few minutes. When was your last tetanus shot?”

Bree’s heart stopped. Stitches and a shot? “In high school,” she mumbled. There hadn’t been a need for one since then. She wasn’t exactly an outdoorsy kind of gal.

The nurse raised an eyebrow. “And you’re thirty-three now?”

Bree nodded her head and frowned.

The nurse made a note in Bree’s chart. “I’ll be back with the booster when the doctor has finished stitching you up.”

“It’s not that bad,” Nick said when the nurse left them alone. He must have seen her panicked expression. “They’ll numb you and—”

The doctor knocked before opening the door, a syringe visible in his hand.

“Numb me? With a needle?” She was suddenly light-headed. “I don’t feel so well.”

Then everything went black.

* * *

NICK FOUGHT OFF CONSCIOUSNESS without success the next morning when bright light stabbed through his eyelids to penetrate the center of his brain with white-hot fire.

He moaned in agony, brought his hand to his head and squinted at the source of his torture.

A sliver of daylight shone through the room-darkening drapes where they hadn’t closed completely.

He rolled from his left side to his back and realized he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t even on the tiny bunk on the boat, which meant this wasn’t his bed. His head jerked to his right, the pain slicing through his skull again.

“Bree!” he gasped. They were in her cottage.

“Hmm?” She lay on her right side, her back facing him.

Nick knew the minute Bree regained consciousness, because she rolled to her back before abruptly sitting up straight. Her hands flew to her head and she moaned. She pulled up the sheet to protect her modesty, but there was no need.

She was fully dressed in the shorts and tank top she’d changed into after they’d gone to the hot tub.

How had he—they—ended up in such a compromising position?

“What happened?” Bree demanded in too loud a voice for his ears to tolerate. Her hand flew to her temple and she lowered her voice. “What are you doing here?” She got out of bed and looked around the room as if there was an answer. “Did we—?”

Nick lifted the sheet to look at his lower body. Definitely fully clothed, too. “I wish I could remember, but I don’t think so.”

“You don’t remember?” Bree’s bug-eyed expression would have been laughable if there had been anything funny about the situation. “Believe me, if we had—you know—there’d be no way you wouldn’t remember.”

“Right back atcha,” he countered.

Bree turned away in a huff, nearly losing her balance on her one good foot before she grabbed on to the bedside table. “Why are you in my bed?”

He sat up too quickly, his head throbbing from the effort. “I have no idea. I’m going to take a guess and say we both passed out last night. Or very early this morning.”

He had this nagging memory of Bree being anything but prudish as she—

Damn. Why couldn’t he remember?

It was more than eight excruciating months since he’d had sex, and here he was with no memory of what could well have been a truly memorable experience. Never mind. He’d obviously passed out before anything happened or they wouldn’t still be fully dressed.

Unless...

“Do you remember anything about last night?” he asked tentatively. “Did we—?”

“You really don’t remember?” She glared at him and then turned away before answering. “Of course we didn’t do anything.” Her words said one thing, her attitude another. She didn’t have a clue, either.

He looked on the floor around the bed and then walked over to check the wastebasket. No sign that they’d used protection. He could only hope they hadn’t been completely stupid. “So do you remember everything?” he asked.

She stomped toward the bathroom in a huff, her hurt foot preventing a full demonstration of the desired impact. She stopped short, put her fingertips to her temple and then faced him. “I’m going to take a shower. I expect you to be gone when I come out.” Her words were succinct, and, judging by her wincing, her head obviously hurt to utter them.

Bree didn’t wait for his reply and slammed the bathroom door behind her. He felt the noise pound like something was trying to escape from his head, and at the same time he heard her moan.

Instead of leaving, he came around the bed to talk through the closed door.

They had to talk. If not now, then later if she needed time to pull herself together. He had to fill in the missing pieces. He couldn’t leave things between them like this. He’d really enjoyed their time together—at least what he remembered—and he didn’t want her to think of him as a bad guy.

He checked the bedside clock. It was just after nine, so they had at least eight blank hours. The last thing he recalled was planning to bring Bree back to her room after the doctor stitched up her foot. But when they heard her girlfriends frolicking in the hot tub, they’d made a detour to see them. After that, a blur.

Nick had opened his mouth to speak when the sunlight streaming through the crack in the drapes shone on a napkin with an embossed W and an anchor on the dresser across the room. He walked closer and his breath caught in his throat.

He was beginning to remember.

Damn, damn, damn.

They’d all gone back to the boat, where they’d done shots. It came back to him now.

Pete had come to the hot tub when Nick had texted him where they were. Pete then invited everyone to the boat. It was obvious that he’d made a liquor run, because the booze had been free-flowing.

Nick also remembered that Bree had refused to take any pain medication since she’d already been drinking, so Nick had figured the shot or two she’d had afterward would at least dull her pain. But from the look of her this morning, she must have had more than he’d known about.

From the other side of the bathroom door, Bree let out a yelp.

“Is everything okay, Bree?” Nick yelled over his shoulder, and opened the door to check on her while mumbling softly to himself. “’Cause it sure as hell isn’t okay out here.”

* * *

BREE HUDDLED IN the corner of the large bathroom, trying to ignore her queasy stomach and aching head. She kept her eyes focused on the creature in the glass-enclosed shower stall.

Nick came straight through the bathroom door she’d neglected to lock after slamming it, his gaze taking in the room until it stopped on Bree. “What’s wrong? Is it your foot?”

Bree’s hand shook as she pointed to the shower stall. “In there.” She hated that she needed his help, but there was no way she was touching that slimy creature.

Nick stepped closer to the stall and laughed. “It’s just a harmless frog. I’ve seen them all over the island, either live or painted on something. It’s called a coqui, I think, named after the sound it makes.”

“Don’t tell me,” she grumbled, the slightest sound piercing her brain, “you earned a merit badge on frogs, too.”

“If you don’t want my help—” He turned to walk out.

“No, no, please.” She’d get down on her hands and knees to beg if that was what it took.

He reached for the shower-door handle.

“Don’t open the—” she yelled without thinking, sucking in a breath when her head reminded her to lower her voice. “It might escape.”

“It won’t hurt you, Bree. In fact, it’s probably more afraid of you than you are of it.”

“Isn’t that what people always say about small creatures who are venomous or carry disease?”

He ignored her and opened the shower door a little at a time. Bree squeezed her eyes to mere slits as he stepped carefully inside the stall, shutting the door behind him. He cornered the frog and carefully picked it up. Cupped in Nick’s large hands, the frog looked smaller than she’d originally thought. Maybe two to three inches at most.

“What are you going to do with it?” she asked when he stepped out of the shower.

He held the frog gently in one hand. “I’ll take it outside and release it.” He winked at her. “Don’t worry, I won’t do it too close to your cabin.” He gestured to her bandaged foot with his head. “Don’t forget, you can’t get that wet.”

“I know. I thought it might be easier to take a bath.” She gestured to the separate tub. Truthfully, she’d forgotten that she had to keep her foot dry. That seemed to be the least of her problems. The total loss of memory about what had happened last night was her major concern.

“There’s probably a plastic laundry bag somewhere if you’d like me to seal up your foot.”

That sounded like a better idea. A long soak in the tub would feel wonderful, but if she wanted to wash her hair, the shower would be best. “Good idea, but I can handle it myself.”

Bree heard Nick go outside and she searched the room for the laundry bag while trying to put two and two together. The hard part was that she had no two and two to put together. Her memory was completely blank.

She had drunk a lot more than she usually allowed herself, that much was clear. After she’d passed out in the doctor’s office, embarrassing herself beyond measure, she remembered coming to and finding the doctor almost finished stitching her foot. Nick had actually been very sweet by distracting her while the nurse gave her a tetanus booster shot. Bree moved her arm tentatively, happy that it didn’t hurt too much, at least not yet. Although nothing was as bad as her headache at the moment.

She remembered Nick walking her back to her cabin. But wait a minute... They’d stopped walking when they’d heard laughing in the distance and Bree had recognized her girlfriends’ voices. So they’d followed the sound to the hot tub. Right, the hot tub.

Amber had been curled up in a towel on a lounge chair, an empty champagne bottle on the ground next to her. Hannah had sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water. Roxie. What had Roxie been doing? Oh, right. She’d been in the hot tub with a couple of other people.

She remembered something else, but had no clue how much time had passed between the two memories. There was something about a boat. Had they been on a boat?

The rest was a blank until she woke up this morning next to Nick. At least they’d been fully clothed.

Had they slept together? Evidence pointed to them doing just what Nick had suggested. Sleeping or—more precisely—passing out.

Nick walked back into the cabin then, ending her musings. He headed directly to the small kitchen sink in the corner of the cabin and washed his hands.

“Have you been tested?” she asked.

He spun around. “Tested?”

“Yes. Have you been tested for...for STDs?” The thought that she might have been so stupid made her stomach roil.

“Did you remember something from last night?” he asked, instead. He turned away to finish washing his hands as if she’d merely inquired about the time.

“I don’t like to take chances in case something happened between us. Just answer the question. Have you, or have you not, been tested recently?” She could barely breathe, anticipating his reply.

He dried his hands on the towel hanging on the side of the upper cupboard and finally faced her, a dead serious look on his face.

“Yes, I’ve been tested. You don’t have to worry.” He was hiding an emotion that Bree couldn’t quite decipher.

“You don’t have to worry about me, either,” she said quickly, in case that was what his reaction was about. Her gynecologist tested her yearly, but you had to be having unprotected sex to contract an STD.

That counted her out since she hadn’t had sex since—

“Did you find a plastic bag?” he asked.

She was happy to change the subject. “No, I got distracted.” Trying to remember if she’d screwed up last night.

He walked to the closet next to the bathroom door and opened it. He reached in for the dry-cleaning bag hanging there. “This will work perfectly. Do you have a rubber band or something to go around your leg to seal it?”

She nodded and hobbled to the bathroom where she had a hair scrunchie she thought would fit over her foot and ankle. He’d followed her and she handed it to him.

“Sit down over there.” He pointed to the closed toilet.

“I told you I can do it myself.”

“I heard you the first time,” he said. “But if your head feels anything like mine, then it’s going to explode if you lean over.”

As much as she wanted to argue, she knew he was probably right.

She took a seat and watched the top of his head as he dealt with the plastic bag, wrapping it tightly enough around her ankle to keep out water. He looked up at her and asked, “Is that too tight?”

She shook her head, and that same vague memory came to her as his gaze met hers. She couldn’t wrap her head around it because it didn’t make sense. “Were we on a boat last night?”

“A boat?” he asked. “You remember being on the boat, too?”

So there was a boat.

She nodded slightly. “We were all there. You, me, my friends.” She paused. “Wait. There was another guy there, too.”

“Pete. Pete Buchanan.”

She nodded. “Yes. That sounds familiar.”

“He’s my cousin, although he’s legally my brother. My parents raised him after his mom and dad were killed in a car accident when he was eight.”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” she said. “So it was his boat we were on?”

“No, we borrowed it from a friend of his who lives in San Juan. This vacation was all Pete’s idea. He thought I needed to get away, stop focusing on work so much.”

“Sounds familiar,” she said. “That’s exactly what the girls said to me. ‘Go have a vacation fling,’ they said. ‘You work too hard.’”

“I guess we have that in common,” he said quietly.

He was being very nice to her, and she hadn’t been as thankful as she should be. In fact, she’d been openly hostile. Opening her mouth to speak, she was suddenly very aware that he still had his hand on her calf. Their eyes met and she couldn’t look away. Without thinking she put her hand to his bearded cheek, remembering the softness of it when he’d kissed her on the beach.

She wanted him to kiss her again. In fact, she wanted more than a kiss. She wanted him. All of him. She wanted to take her girlfriends’ advice and have that vacation fling.

With Nick.

She leaned in and he did, too. When their mouths met, she knew for sure that nothing had happened between them last night except for that kiss on the beach. She definitely would have recalled the electricity between them.

Nick rose, pulling her up with him until they were both standing. He deepened the kiss and her body kept screaming that she wanted more.

He suddenly lifted her, and her legs wrapped around his waist. He carried her to the bed without removing his mouth from hers. She touched him everywhere she could reach—his back, his hair, his face, his arms, his butt. She couldn’t get enough.

He caressed her, as well, his large hands learning her body. When he stopped kissing her suddenly and pulled back to look her in the eyes, she groaned. She didn’t want him to stop. She didn’t want this to be a repeat of how he’d ended their kiss on the beach.

“Are you completely sober?” A strange question to ask her at this moment.

“Yes, I’m sober. Why?” She ran her hand down his chest to his abs, lingering on the button at his waistband.

He grabbed her hand and held it in his. “I’m serious. I don’t take advantage of inebriated women. I’m pretty sure neither of us was in good enough shape to do anything last night, but if you’re sure you’re sober enough to consent—” he grinned and waggled his eyebrows “—then I plan on taking full advantage.”

She grinned back. “Would you like it in writing or is my word good enough?”

His answer came in his extremely adept actions. Words were definitely unnecessary.

CHAPTER THREE

QUITE A WHILE LATER, after a most satisfying time in bed, Bree and Nick moved their activities to the shower. Still breathing hard, Nick reached around Bree’s wet and sexy body to turn off the water. She was facing away from him, and when she leaned back into him, she ran her hands up and down the outside of his wet thighs. He kissed the side of her neck and pressed his hand to her abdomen. He slowly inched upward until he cupped her breast, teasing her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

He kissed her shoulder and groaned. “You feel so good,” he whispered close to her ear before reaching for a towel for her and then one for him.

“Need help?” he asked when she turned toward him as he toweled off his hair.

She grinned back. “I think you’ve been quite enough help, thank you.”

He opened the glass shower door and exited, wrapping his towel around his waist and securing it.

“I’m starving,” he said as his stomach growled. “Want to grab breakfast?”

When she didn’t say anything, he turned to look at her. She’d wrapped her towel around her body and now held on to it tightly between her breasts. She seemed to be surprised by his question.

“It’s just a meal,” he said. “I could use some coffee and about a gallon of water. Plus food.”

“I know. But...the girls will be expecting me.” She removed the wet laundry bag from her foot and tossed it into the trash can.

“Sure. I understand. I hope they’re feeling better than we were when we woke up.” He grinned. “My head still feels like it could explode any minute.”

“Could have fooled me,” she quipped as she ran a comb through her hair. “Your head didn’t seem to bother you a little while ago.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I think I may have found the perfect hangover cure.”

She smiled at him in the mirror and he felt an unfamiliar twist in his gut. He really enjoyed being with her. “Maybe we can get together later today. You’re here until tomorrow, right?”

“Right. We leave tomorrow. I don’t remember what time. I’ll have to check and see what the girls have planned.” She sounded hesitant.

“Is something wrong?” He suddenly felt slightly unsure of himself.

She hobbled past him to the bathroom door and turned to face him. “No, nothing’s wrong.” She smiled, a pleasant smile. Almost a sympathetic smile. One to let him down easy? “I’ve had a great time with you, Nick—”

“But that’s it,” he finished for her. He raised his hands. “Hey, I get it. A vacation fling and all that. What happens here, stays here.” He could feel his blood pressure rising as he spoke. “We both have lives to get back to.”

“You’re not upset, are you? I thought you’d be relieved that I’m not going to become clingy just because we had sex.”

He should be feeling relief. He’d come here for the same reason. To relax for a few days before returning home to the problems that were mounting for him there.

He didn’t need to add another to the list.

“You’re right. Anything more right now isn’t an option for me anyway.”

“Same here,” Bree said. “My friends say I’m married to my job.”

“And what do you say?”

“I say I’m dedicated to my company and have no time or interest in a relationship.”

* * *

AFTER NICK LEFT, Bree limped around her cabin as she slowly got dressed. She could tell that Nick hadn’t liked that she’d been the one to say that nothing would come of the good time they’d had together. She really liked Nick, but she also knew that being in a relationship would take up too much of her time and she wanted to focus on her company right now.

She braided her wet hair and made her way toward the breakfast buffet in the main lodge of the resort, although she had no appetite. Which was surprising after all the physical activity she and Nick had engaged in. In fact, the mere thought of food had her stomach reacting negatively. What she really wanted was coffee. Maybe that would help this awful hangover, because the large amounts of water she’d consumed in her cabin hadn’t done a thing for her.

As soon as she entered the large dining room, she nearly left again but was stopped by her friends waving to her. The smell of the food was upsetting her stomach even more. She was definitely avoiding alcohol for the near—and far—future.

Maybe she just needed dry toast and some precious coffee. She was well-known for not being able to function without several cups of the stuff during the day. So she headed to her friends’ table, and they pulled up another chair for her to join them. They all started speaking to her at once.

“How are you feeling?” Hannah wanted to know.

“You don’t look so good,” Amber said, not hiding the truth. “Is your foot bothering you?”

“Why don’t I get you a coffee,” Roxie suggested, and left the table before Bree could reply.

“My foot’s the least of my problems. Can someone tell me what happened last night, please?” She looked directly at Amber and then Hannah. Although after what had taken place between her and Nick this morning, it didn’t matter so much whether they had done the nasty during the night. She’d just like to fill in the missing hours in her memory bank.

“You don’t remember?” Amber asked, while Hannah seemed to go slightly pale.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I remembered.”

Roxie set a cup of black coffee in front of Bree. One whiff of it nearly did her in, and she pushed the cup away.

“You really must not be feeling well,” Hannah said unnecessarily. “You never turn down coffee. Can I get you something else?”

When Bree could answer without gagging, she said, “Maybe dry toast.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,” Bree whispered as Hannah left the table.

“Maybe you should go lie down for a while,” Roxie suggested.

Bree shook her head. Her hands flew to her temples as she reminded herself not to shake her head unless she wanted the feeling of a jackhammer through her skull. How had she managed to have incredible sex with such a terrible hangover? Obviously, her body had compensated for her discomfort. Not that sex with Nick had been anything but spectacular.

“I’m not going anywhere until I find out what happened last night.” She paused, squinting her eyes. “Were we on a boat?”

The women grinned. “Yep,” Amber said. “Nick and his cousin, Pete, took a boat here from San Juan. Too bad you don’t remember anything because you were having a great time.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t very good at the drinking game we were playing,” Hannah said as she set a plate with dry toast in front of Bree. “That’s probably why you don’t feel so good now.”

Bree gave her a forced smile, knowing better than to nod her head. “Nick told me about Pete. They were raised as brothers after Pete’s parents died.”

A collective “oh” came from her friends.

“See, Rox, all the more reason for you to give Pete a chance,” Amber told her.

Bree looked to Roxie. “You and Pete?”

Roxie shook her head vehemently. “No way.” She looked at Amber and addressed them all. “You know Jim and I are still together. Things may be a bit rocky, but there’s no way I’d cheat on him.”

The women had been a little relieved when Jim moved away, hoping that he and Roxie would eventually call it quits. It wasn’t that they didn’t like Jim—they just didn’t think his and Roxie’s relationship was one that would last. Jim was a nice guy, but he could be picky. There were restaurants he wouldn’t try because he was sure he wouldn’t like the cuisine. He hated horror movies and Roxie loved them. And, worst of all, he had a problem with her spending any free time with Bree, Hannah and Amber. He wanted her all to himself.

“We all know you’d never cheat on Jim. Maybe Pete just wants to be friends.” Bree picked up a piece of toast, even though she didn’t really want it, hoping it might soak up whatever was upsetting her stomach. She took a few bites and kept them down with difficulty. Thinking she might be able to drink the coffee now, Bree pulled it closer. But as soon as the aroma reached her, she pushed it away again.

If she tried to drink it, she’d never keep it down. So now, on top of a hangover, she’d probably have a caffeine headache, too.

“I don’t think friendship has anything to do with whatever Pete wants.” Roxie shook her head vehemently. “Even if Jim weren’t in the picture, Pete’s not my type.”

Bree came to her friend’s rescue and changed the subject. “I think I’ll take Roxie’s advice and go back to my cabin to rest,” Bree said. “Maybe I’ll feel better when I wake up.” She rose slowly, the room tipping slightly as she did. “Please promise me that you’ll never let me drink that much again.” She gave a little wave and slowly made her way out of the room.

* * *

WHILE NICK HEADED to the marina from Bree’s cabin, he wondered why he cared whether Bree wanted to spend more time with him or not. It wasn’t like he would ever see her after this. He didn’t even know where she lived.

There was a lot they didn’t know about each other. He realized that they hadn’t even shared last names.

“Hey, buddy,” his cousin said from the galley when Nick came aboard the boat. “You must have had a good night.” From the way Pete looked this morning, he had probably been just as drunk as Nick and Bree.

“I wish I could remember it,” Nick said as he helped himself to a cup of coffee. “I know we were doing shots here, but I don’t remember how I got to Bree’s cabin.”

“Ha! The girls walked both of you back to the lodge. Seemed like they were trying to get you two together.”

Well, they’d succeeded, hadn’t they? “And you weren’t part of that conspiracy?”

Pete put up a hand. “Hey, I’ve been telling you for months that you need a social life, but I can’t take credit for whatever happened between the two of you.” Pete cocked his head to the side. “So what did happen?”

“We woke up in bed together—”

Pete perked up.

“—fully clothed.”

Pete’s shoulders slumped. “Damn, I thought you were gonna say—”

“I know what you thought. But I’m telling you what happened.” At least part of it. For some reason, he wanted to keep his time with Bree to himself. For now. Possibly for always.

Besides, what difference did it make, since he’d probably never see her again?

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Nick said, remembering that Bree had been anything but disappointing. He sat down with his mug of coffee.

“You’re the one who should be disappointed,” Pete said.

“Why’s that?”

“She was supposed to be your first step to taking back your life.”

Nick leaned forward, his eyes open wide as he asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Getting Tracy out of your system.”

“Oh.” Pete had been saying the same thing for months. He’d never been a fan of Nick’s ex, and having her call off their wedding the week before the date hadn’t ingratiated her to Pete. “Doesn’t matter anyway. She’s really dedicated to her career and says she has no time for relationships.”

Pete nodded. “That’s right. I remember Roxie—who, by the way, is damn hot—telling me about what their company does. Helps women, lends them money and stuff.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Pete’s eyes widened. “Hey, I think I’ve got the answer to all your problems.”

“I doubt that.”

“Listen. Bree’s company lends money, so why shouldn’t she loan some to you to save your restaurant?”

Nick shook his head. “Did you miss the part about how she only loans money to women? That kinda leaves me out of the running.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Please tell me you’re not thinking I should sleep with her to make a good impression?” He was pretty sure he’d already lived up to her expectations.

“I wasn’t, but that’s not a terrible idea. Seriously, though, she’d probably lend you money if she got to know you better.”

Well, that wasn’t going to happen.

“And, there’s also the fact that while the restaurant isn’t completely female-owned, it is partially female-owned.”

“What do you mean? You and I own the restaurant.” What was Pete talking about?

“Okay, now don’t get mad, Nick. But you know how we needed help when things went south?”

“How can I forget?” After his ex, Tracy, dumped him, he’d gone into a funk, not paying enough attention to what was going on at The Fresh Pantry, the restaurant he’d opened three years ago. To make matters worse, at the same time, he’d found out an employee was stealing from him and his food supplier had been overcharging him. His world had imploded all at once, and now he was struggling to keep his restaurant afloat.

“So I went to Auntie Em,” Pete said, referring to Nick’s mom. “She was happy to help.”

“What money did she use?” Please don’t say she borrowed from her 401(k).

“She took a loan from her retirement account,” Pete said.

Nick slumped over. “I can’t believe you went behind my back—both you and my mom. Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because Auntie Em didn’t want you to know. But now you need to know so that you can hit up Bree for a loan. See how it’s all working out perfectly?” Pete looked hopeful.

How could he ever ask Bree for money now without her thinking he’d slept with her for just that reason? What a mess.

CHAPTER FOUR

NICK HAD BEEN home from the island almost two weeks, and every single day his cousin had asked him the same question.

As soon as he saw Pete enter the restaurant’s professional kitchen, Nick stopped chopping herbs for a new pork marinade he was trying out and waited for it.

“Have you called Bree about loaning the restaurant money yet?” Before they even left the island, Pete had looked up Bree’s company online and discovered that it was located in Northern Virginia, not too far from where Nick’s restaurant was located.

Pete had obviously come straight from his engineering consulting office because the top button of his pale green dress shirt was open and his navy-and-green tie was loosened and hung at an odd angle. Thanks to Pete’s hard work over the past several months, the company he worked for had been awarded a big government contract. But now that he didn’t have to put in so much overtime, Pete had more time to bug Nick about talking to Bree.

Nick sighed and began chopping garlic while he spoke. “For the last time, I’m not going to ask Bree for financial help.” He hadn’t told anyone, including his cousin, about sleeping with her, and he planned to keep it that way. The only problem with that plan was that Pete wasn’t buying Nick’s reason for not calling Bree.

If he called her at all, it would be to ask to see her again on a personal basis, certainly not for money. But he hadn’t called her yet because she’d made it clear on the island that she didn’t want him to. She’d brushed him off again when she and her girlfriends and Pete and Nick had met before leaving the island. Not that he could blame her. She seemed to want to keep their very brief fling a secret and in the past.

His body reacted to the memory of their one morning together, and he nearly sliced his finger.

He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since he’d returned home, and it wasn’t only the sex he recalled. Their sniping banter had been very entertaining. He’d never had that kind of connection with Tracy. Bree had lit a fire in him with just a spark from her sharp tongue. Maybe that was what Tracy had realized when she’d called off their wedding—they had lost their spark...or maybe it had never been there.

“Are you even listening to me?” Pete asked in a tone that revealed his frustration.

Nick blinked and looked up from the cutting board. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said I don’t buy that you won’t ask Bree for money because you don’t want to take advantage of your friendship. I know that you haven’t had any contact with her since we left the island. Not much of a friendship.”

Nick agreed that was a weak excuse, but it was the only one he’d been able to come up with. That and the fact that Bree’s company lent money only to female-owned businesses. Even though Nick’s mom had a partial stake in the restaurant, she wasn’t the majority owner. He didn’t know why Pete wouldn’t just drop it.

“Nick, don’t you realize you’ll lose this place without financial help?” He spread his arms wide to encompass the restaurant Nick had opened by using every penny he had.

“We’re still pulling in a solid number of customers every night, even on weeknights,” Nick said.

Pete shook his head slowly. “That’s not enough, buddy, and you know it. The restaurant needs a shot of cash now or you’ll lose the lease on the building.”

Nick gritted his teeth. He blamed himself for the mess they were in. He’d been so focused on his breakup with Tracy and paying off wedding expenses that he hadn’t seen what was going on around him. He’d let things get out of his control, and you couldn’t run a successful business like that. But learning a few weeks ago that he might lose his restaurant had been a wake-up call.

“I’m working on some other things, Pete.” That was true, but they were pie-in-the-sky ideas that would take time before they produced a profit—nothing that would bring in fast cash. “And don’t forget that restaurant week starts in a few weeks. That always brings in customers.”

“It’s just not enough, man. We need cash now.”

“Hello, boys.” Nick’s mother appeared just in time to stop the conversation. She was in her midsixties but was often told she could pass for late forties. He’d witnessed younger men flirt with her while she worked at the restaurant’s hostess station, a job she’d taken on part-time when they’d opened. She’d been his most dedicated employee, only taking off the week his dad passed away.

“Hi, Mom, what are you doing here?” Nick asked as she presented her cheek for his kiss. The restaurant was closed Mondays, which was why he’d thought he’d have the kitchen to himself to work on new recipes.

“Can’t a mother come by to see her son?” Her tone was slightly haughty but mostly teasing. She looked at Pete. “I even lucked out and get to see both of my sons at once.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “You work here, Mom. We see each other every day.” He set down his knife. “So what’s up?”

His mom smiled and winked at Pete. “He always sees through me,” she said.

Pete grinned. “I have to say I’m also wondering what you’re up to, Auntie Em.” Nick’s mother’s given name was Emily, but most people shortened it to Em. When Nick’s parents had adopted Pete after his own parents died in a car accident when he was eight, Nick’s mom suggested Pete call them Mom and Dad if he was comfortable doing so. Pete had acquiesced when it came to Dad, but, after seeing The Wizard of Oz, he’d always called Nick’s mom Auntie Em and wasn’t about to call her anything else.

His mother pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Pete, probably surprised that he hadn’t automatically taken her side against Nick for once.

“As a matter of fact,” Nick’s mother said to Pete, “I’m glad you’re here, too.” She began digging through her purse until she came up with a few slips of paper. “A friend of mine is opening a pop-up restaurant tonight, and I’d like you both to come with me.” She looked expectantly at them. “It’s more like an open house or cocktail party. My friend is showcasing her tapas menu and wants to generate some financial interest in the restaurant she’s hoping to open.”

Nick looked at Pete, who shrugged, and then back at his mother. “Who is this friend?” With his restaurant in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, he was usually pretty savvy about what was going on with other restaurants in the area.

She didn’t meet his eyes, instead concentrating on moving things around in her purse. “No one special. Just someone I met at my yoga class. She’s a lovely woman. We went for coffee the other day, and she invited me to come tonight and to bring a few people.”

“No reservations required?” Nick was suspicious of the whole setup. His mother had been a matchmaker her entire life. And since Pete had a new woman on his arm every week or two, her attention was fixated more on Nick’s lack of female companionship. She claimed she wasn’t getting any younger and wanted grandchildren.

She held out the slips of paper she’d taken from her purse. “I was waiting for you to agree to come. Here’s a ticket for each of you. The address and time are right there.” She paused, then looked from one man to the other. “Would you like to bring someone with you?”

“No, thanks,” Nick said.

“I might,” Pete said, catching Nick off guard.

“You would?” Nick narrowed his eyes at Pete.

“Sure. Why not?” Pete took a second ticket from Nick’s mother. “I’ve got someone in mind.”

“Well, darn,” she said to Pete. “I was thinking you and Pinar, tonight’s pop-up restaurateur, might hit it off.”

“You did?” Nick stopped short before asking why she thought the woman was right for Pete and not Nick. Never mind. He wasn’t interested anyway.

“Yes, dear,” she said, tilting her head at his question. “Oh, well, I guess I’ll see you both later, then.” She waved over her shoulder as she hurried out the back door that led to the alley behind the restaurant.

“What do you suppose that was all about?” Nick asked Pete when they were alone again.

Pete shrugged. “Beats me. You know how she is.”

He certainly did, and that’s exactly why he was concerned.

* * *

LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON, Bree entered the main conference room at the BeeTee office. Roxie, Amber and Hannah were already seated, silent as they were busy on laptops or cell phones.

She pulled out her chair at the head of the table, setting her glass of water down in front of her as she lowered herself into her seat. “Would you mind moving your coffee cup?” she asked Amber, who sat to her right.

Amber’s head jerked up, and she narrowed her dark eyes as she moved the cup. “You’re still not able to drink coffee?”

“Are you sick?” Roxie asked, looking up from her phone to join the conversation from her place next to Amber. “You haven’t been right since the island. That was two weeks ago.”

Hannah added in her two cents. “Yeah. You’ve never been able to survive without coffee.”

Bree shrugged. “I don’t know. Just the smell of it makes me nauseous. Ever since we got back from vacation.”

“But a hangover doesn’t last two weeks,” Roxie pointed out. “Maybe you should see a doctor. Could be an ulcer or something.”

Bree waved away her suggestion. “I’m fine. I’ve probably just upset my stomach lining with so much alcohol and now I’m paying the price.” She paused. “Maybe it’s a good thing, healthwise. I’ve not only given up alcohol but coffee, too. I’m sure this is just temporary.” She consulted the list of discussion items she’d brought with her. “Let’s get started. I’d like to get home and freshen up before we head to dinner.”

The women nodded in agreement and got down to business. They spent the next hour on each of their departments. Roxie, the most outgoing of the group, was head of marketing. Amber was head of technology, a role in which her confidence and skill served her well. And Hannah was the artistic one of the group who consulted with clients about their websites and corporate logos.

Bree had been blessed with a group of friends who got along so wonderfully while having entirely different talents to offer BeeTee. And they worked well together when it came to making big decisions.

“Everything sounds good,” Bree announced after they’d each finished briefing her. “Is there anything else I should know about Pinar Garcia and her restaurant?” They’d already decided to back her restaurant, but hadn’t told Pinar yet. Going to her pop-up tonight was just a formality to see how she handled a hungry crowd.

“Nothing new,” Roxie said. “Her background check came back and all seems fine. Nothing more than the student loan she’s nearly repaid and no criminal record.”

“Glad to hear it.” Bree gathered her things and paused before standing. “What time is dinner?”

“Six to nine,” Hannah said. “Why don’t we meet at The Tides around six thirty?”

“Sounds good to me,” Roxie said. “Pinar said they have our names at the door.”

Bree nodded and the others began talking about what they were going to wear this evening. She left the conference room and headed back to her office. She had one last phone call to return before going home.

The advantage of locating her company in Arlington, Virginia, was the ability to walk home from work to her high-rise condo. The two-block distance was usually not a problem weatherwise except for early February days like today with freezing rain. If given the choice, she would rather take a long soak in her tub and then put on her comfy PJs than go out tonight. But this was her job, and this was important. She blamed her recent lack of energy on working too hard without her usual high doses of caffeine, as well as it being the most dreary month of the year.

By the time she reached the restaurant later, there was a line of people to go in.

“Come to the front.” Roxie had appeared behind her. “You don’t need to wait out here.”

Bree wasn’t the type to use her influence when it meant others couldn’t benefit, as well, but she did as Roxie suggested. After giving her name to the woman at the hostess desk, Bree said to her, “Several people are standing outside getting wet. Is there any way you can get them inside quicker?”

The young hostess appeared startled. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Tucker.” She came around the podium. “I’ll make sure they get inside. There’s probably enough room for them to wait in the entranceway. And I’ll try to get them checked in faster.”

Bree nodded her approval. “Great. We want the patrons to enjoy the food and not be turned off before they get to try it.”

“Nice going,” Roxie said when the girl was out of earshot. “The hostess, I think her name is Calista, is Pinar’s younger sister. I’m not sure she has much experience, so I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Good idea,” Bree said. “Let’s check out the food. I’m starving.”

“Me, too.”

The restaurant was set up with the eatery’s usual tables and chairs, but a long table with food on it buffet-style had been added at the far end of the room. The idea for Pinar’s pop-up restaurant was to offer a tapas-only dinner, but not in a formal dinner style. Instead, diners could mix and mingle, stand or sit, whatever they preferred. More like a casual cocktail party than a sit-down dinner, which was a nice nod to the origin of tapas. Pinar had explained that the small plates had been initially designed to cover glasses of alcohol, specifically sherry, to keep the fruit flies away.

The decor in The Tides restaurant was nautical, but definitely on the tasteful side—no large fish hanging from the ceiling or nets filled with crustaceans. Instead, the pale blues and greens on the walls were a nice backdrop to ocean vistas in framed photographs, as well as oil and watercolor depictions of calm seas.

Bree had been to The Tides many times. Her favorite dish was their mahimahi in a bourbon sauce, quite different from the Spanish tapas laid out on the table in front of her for this pop-up restaurant event.

She recognized some of the food, like empanadas and olives stuffed with anchovies. But others were new to her. Pinar had been smart to put little signs in front of each platter to tell diners what they were eating.

There was a potato dish with a sauce she couldn’t identify, and chorizo cooked in wine that she could probably make a meal of by itself.

“How do you think it’s going?” Pinar had made her way through the throng of people to the corner where Bree stood with her plate of food. “We have a good turnout, even with the bad weather.”

Bree nodded. “Lots of hungry people.” She gestured with her plate. “Great food, too.” Although she hadn’t done more than nibble because her stomach still wasn’t feeling quite right. There was a smell she was detecting that seemed to be causing the upset to increase. No need to tell Pinar that, though. She had enough to think about.

Pinar colored slightly at Bree’s compliment. “Thank you. I’m so glad you approve of the menu.”

“I do. I think this is a great start for your restaurant. Why don’t you make an appointment with me some time this week, and we’ll discuss the terms of your contract.”

Pinar’s eyes widened. “Thank you so much! You don’t know what your financial help means to me.”

Actually, she did know, but she didn’t correct Pinar. “I’m glad we’ll be able to provide it. You have a good product and deserve to have a chance to make a go of it.”

Pinar was still speaking when Bree’s attention was drawn across the restaurant to the entrance. Her eyes must be deceiving her because the two men talking to the hostess looked exactly like—

Nick turned in her direction and their eyes locked. It was him. What was he doing here? What were the odds that they’d be in the same place at the same time?

She couldn’t tear her eyes away, even as he left his cousin behind and walked straight toward her.

* * *

ROXIE COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. She must be seeing things. Was that really Pete with a girl on his arm? The same man who had been all over Roxie just two weeks ago on Isla de la Blanca and claimed he couldn’t wait to see her when they got back to Virginia?

She ought to give him a piece of her mind since she hadn’t heard a word from him since. Straightening her back, she took a step forward and stopped abruptly. He hadn’t seen her yet. Maybe she should just play it cool and act like she didn’t care.

Because that was the truth. She didn’t care what he did or with whom he did it. She was in a relationship. A long-distance one, but still a relationship. Even though she hadn’t heard from Jim in over a week, she was still unavailable to Pete. Besides, he was obviously a playboy who collected women like some people collected coins.

Except it looked as if the “coins” he gathered in the form of women were casually tossed into a fountain when he got bored with them.

She was just glad she’d kept things between them casual, a harmless flirtation. She didn’t need to be another one of his easy conquests.

“Isn’t that Pete?” Amber approached Roxie from behind, peering over her shoulder.

Roxie shrugged, acting as if she didn’t care. “So what if it is?”

“Sorry. I’m just stating the obvious.” Amber moved to stand next to Roxie. “Did you see who arrived with him?” She motioned with her head.

Roxie turned her head slightly, not terribly surprised to see that Nick had come in behind Pete. The woman was clinging to Pete as if she might lose him forever if she let go. Just two weeks ago, Roxie had been the one who’d had his complete attention.

Well, good for him.

Amber spoke again. “Uh-oh. Bree just saw Nick and she doesn’t look pleased.”

Roxie narrowed her eyes at Amber. “Do you think something happened between those two?”

Amber shrugged. “Not that I know of, but she doesn’t look happy with him. And not a casual-friends kind of unhappy, either.”

“You’re right about that. She practically has steam coming out of her ears.”

Amber grabbed Roxie’s elbow and pulled her toward Bree, who was headed in Nick and Pete’s direction. “Let’s get closer so we can find out what’s going on.”

Roxie went willingly, wondering why Bree and Nick hadn’t connected before now if something had gone down between them. They’d been home from their vacations for two weeks. And it had also been plenty of time for Bree to mention to her best friends if something had happened between Nick and her.

Amber stopped several feet away from the pair, causing Roxie to almost run into her. “Stay right here,” Amber instructed. “We don’t want to be too obvious.”

There were too many other people around for them to hear the conversation. “We need to move closer,” Roxie said. “I can’t tell what they’re saying.”

“Watch their mouths,” Amber said. “They’re so focused on their conversation that they don’t even know anyone else is around. Intense.” Amber squinted and spoke out of the side of her mouth. “Nick is saying ‘I wasn’t lying to you.’ Now Bree says, ‘You lied by omission.’” Amber turned to Roxie. “What do you suppose that means?”

Roxie shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe he’s married and he forgot to tell her?” She used finger quotes to make her point.

Out of the corner of her eye, Roxie saw Pete with his chick du jour. She was determined to act nonchalant, no matter how much she wanted to walk over to him and demand an explanation for why he hadn’t contacted her. But when it came right down to it, he had nothing to explain. He was free to do whatever he pleased.

And so was she.

Amber was reading lips again. “Something about living in DC and she’s shaking her head.” Amber looked at Roxie. “Did they talk at all back on the island?”

Roxie had had enough. She grabbed Amber’s elbow and pulled her away. “This is crazy. All we have to do is ask Bree what’s going on. I’m sure she’ll tell us.”

Amber gave her a look that said she was definitely unconvinced. “Just like how she told us what happened between them on the island? Because you don’t argue with a guy like that unless there’s something more than just a casual friendship going on.”

* * *

NICK WATCHED AS Bree spun around and walked away from him, her anger evident from not only her words and attitude but her abrupt end to the conversation, not letting him explain.

“Wait a minute.” He took a few steps forward to follow her. “Wait a minute!” he repeated, and his command had her turning to face him.

“What?” Her question dripped with insolence.

“That’s it? You find out we live within twenty minutes of each other and you get mad and walk away?”

“What am I supposed to say? You lied to me.” She lowered her voice. “And now I understand why.”

What did she understand that he didn’t? They’d never talked about where they lived. He only knew she lived here because Pete had checked out her company online. “Go ahead, tell me why you think I lied, even if I didn’t.”

She kept her voice quiet. “You figured if I didn’t know where you lived, then after we slept together I wouldn’t expect anything from you. DC is a big place. What were the odds that we’d run into each other?”

“You couldn’t be further from the truth,” he told her. “You never asked me where I lived and I only knew you lived outside of DC because one of your friends mentioned your company’s name to Pete. Besides, back on the island, you acted like you never wanted to see me again. So what difference does it make where I live? We had never run into each other before the island, so I assumed we’d never run into each other in the future.”

Her eyes widened. “Assumed?” Her loud exclamation had heads turning their way. “Assumed?” she repeated softly. “You’ve got to be kidding.” With that, she spun around again and walked away.

Damn, if she didn’t look good enough to eat, wearing that emerald-green formfitting dress. Even angry, she was hot.

He shook his head to clear it of thoughts he shouldn’t be having.

How exactly had they ended up at the same place tonight? What were the odds? He glanced around, considering those people in the restaurant who might have arranged their accidental meeting.

His mother was speaking with the chef—Pinar, he believed was her name. His mother had given him the ticket, supposedly a friendly gesture from Pinar. And as far as he knew, his mother had never met Bree. Besides, she had insinuated that she was inviting Pete to introduce him to Pinar. As if Nick had been more of an afterthought in the invitation.

At least, that was what he’d thought until right this moment. Pete hadn’t seemed especially excited about coming tonight, but maybe he was just acting his part. Had Pete planned this reunion with Bree all along so Nick could ask her for financial help? His mother could have just been a pawn in Pete’s plan.

The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that he’d been tricked into coming. He ought to leave right now, if not for the fact that he was starving. He also liked to keep up with local food trends. Not to mention that he didn’t want to leave things so badly with Bree.

“Hi, Nick.”

A hand touched his arm and he turned to see a familiar petite blonde looking up at him. “Hey, Hannah. How are you?” He hoped he’d gotten her name right. For some reason he had trouble keeping Bree’s friends’ names straight.

She smiled at him. “I’m fine. Just surprised to see you.”

He forced a smile. “Not as surprised as I am to see all of you.” He nodded in Bree’s direction. “So how did you end up here?”

“The chef, Pinar Garcia, is our client. We’re here to decide whether we should help finance her new restaurant.”

That made perfect sense. Maybe this meeting between Bree and him had been accidental all along.

“So how did you hear about the pop-up?” she asked. “Do you know Pinar?”

He shook his head. “No, we’ve never met. But, apparently, she takes the same yoga class as my mother. Pinar gave her some tickets for tonight.”

“Ah, I see. And your mom coerced you into coming,” she surmised with a grin.

“That about sums it up. When she came into my restaurant today she admitted to having an ulterior motive.”

“An ulterior motive?” Hannah cocked her head to one side.

He nodded. “She’s become a matchmaker, hoping for grandchildren. Right now, she’s got Pete and Pinar in her sights.”

Hannah laughed. “Good for her.” She glanced around the room and then back at Nick. “You said your restaurant? Are you a chef or the owner?”

“Both.”

Hannah nodded. “Where is it?”

He swallowed the last sip of his watered-down soda now that the ice had nearly melted. “It’s called The Fresh Pantry and it’s in Old Town. We serve American classics with a twist, using fresh, local ingredients. Meat loaf, steaks, fried chicken, pastas. Then we have things like spaghetti and tacos that have become Americanized.” He shrugged. “You get the picture.”

“Sounds great. We’ll have to come by.”

He took a business card from his wallet and held it out to her. “When you call for a reservation, make sure you mention that you’re a friend of the owner.” He smiled, wondering if she’d bring her friends, including Bree, with her. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that after tonight’s run-in. “How’s the food here?” he asked, instead. “I haven’t had any yet.”

“Delicious.” She took his arm. “Come on, let’s get you some.”

He allowed himself to be led, but abruptly stopped when the crowd separated and he came within a few feet of Bree. Roxie and Amber stood with her. From the concerned expressions on their faces, he inferred that something was wrong with Bree.

“Do you need some air?” Roxie was asking her. That’s when Nick noticed how pale Bree was.

She didn’t answer as her eyelids fluttered closed. She began to crumple to the floor and would have injured herself on the hardwood if Nick hadn’t stepped forward quickly to catch her.

CHAPTER FIVE

BREE BLINKED A few times. Nick’s face was right in front of her. “What happened?” She turned away from him to glance at the people surrounding her. Roxie, Hannah, Amber. Behind them was a different backdrop—not the restaurant she’d been expecting. An office, judging by the desk and computer over Nick’s shoulder. She was pretty sure he’d carried her to wherever she was now because he still held her in his arms. “Where am I?” She avoided turning toward Nick again because that would put their faces only inches apart.

Hannah took a step closer and put a hand on Bree’s forearm. “You passed out, Bree.” She glanced at Nick and then back at Bree. “If not for Nick catching you—”

Bree turned her head in Nick’s direction without thinking. “You caught me?” She blinked, wishing he would stop gazing at her with those intense brown eyes. This close to him she could see tiny flecks of gold. They triggered memories she preferred to keep filed away. “How?” She paused. “How could you have caught...? Weren’t you on the other side of the room?” She realized too late that her comment might be construed to mean that she’d been keeping an eye on him.

Which, unfortunately, had been true. She’d had an innate urge to keep track of his movements.

Nick’s mouth was moving now, but she had trouble understanding his words because she was so enamored with the way his lips moved. He was saying something about seeing her legs begin to fold.

Hannah spoke up again. “Thank you so much, Nick. Bree could have really been hurt if she’d hit the floor.”

“Yes, thank you, Nick,” Bree echoed, without putting much feeling into it. “This is the second time you’ve been there to catch me before I fell.”

“The second time?” Hannah asked.

Bree made the mistake of glancing at Nick again and this time they locked gazes. She cleared her throat, unable to look away. “Yes, the first time was on the island. Remember—I told you guys—that’s how we met.”

Nick nodded slightly and his lips twitched.

Jerk. She knew where his mind had just gone. And now she was thinking about them in bed again, too.

“Would you please put me down now?” As much as she enjoyed being held by him, she needed to remember that he’d been deceitful by not telling her he lived near her, and just a few minutes before she’d been telling him exactly what she thought of him.

He carefully set her down in an office chair that someone had rolled in front of him. “She could probably use some water and a cool compress,” he said to the room at large.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, but was glad she was seated.

Amber handed her a glass of water, and she sipped it.

“Thank you all for your help.” She kept her tone businesslike and turned away from Nick to address Hannah. “How do I get back to the dining room?” She was beginning to feel the small office’s walls close in. She stood up slowly, not wanting to further embarrass herself. It took a few seconds to right herself, especially since she was wearing four-inch heels.

Hannah gripped her elbow. “I’ll show you the way. Why don’t I get an Uber to take you home?”

Bree shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t want to go home.” That wasn’t completely true, since she still felt a little light-headed, but she blamed that on having too little to eat. “I’ll get some food and then I’ll be okay.”

When they reached the dining room doorway, a mature, petite woman with blond hair came rushing toward them. “I wondered where you were.” The woman was speaking to someone behind Bree, and that was when she realized Nick was trailing behind her.

“Hi, Mom,” Nick greeted the woman.

Mom? His mother was here?

Nick put an arm around the woman’s shoulders and guided her away from Bree, who could still hear the woman’s questions as they kept walking. “She passed out? And you caught her? Who is she? Do you know her?”

Bree couldn’t hear his answers, because he was speaking much quieter than his mom.

“Bree?” Roxie sounded as if it wasn’t the first time she’d addressed her. Bree hadn’t even seen her approach.

“What?” Bree answered.

“I think you should go home.”

This overblown concern needed to end now. “And I think you’re all worried about nothing. I got a little dizzy because I haven’t had enough to eat today and it’s warm in here. That’s it. Period. The end.” She paused for effect. “Now I’m going to get a plate of food. Anyone else?”

Only Hannah came with her, leaving Amber and Roxie alone, probably to discuss how to convince Bree to leave. Well, she’d show them. She grabbed a plate and added one of everything to it. Like before, the smell of the food didn’t sit well with her, but she was determined to get something into her stomach.

“There are a few chairs over there if you’d like to sit,” Hannah offered.

“Lead the way,” Bree said.

As soon as they sat down, Bree contemplated her plate. Maybe it was the mixture of smells that caused her stomach to flip-flop. She obstinately picked up an empanada and took a large bite. The taste was delicious as long as she didn’t inhale. She put the rest of the savory turnover back onto her plate, thinking she’d try something else next. She chose a stuffed olive and that was a huge mistake. Before she could even take a bite she had to swallow, carefully controlling her gag reflex. She dropped the olive back onto her plate and stood up. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

Hannah pointed to the hallway where they’d just been. “On the right. Want me to come with you?”

Bree didn’t have time to speak—she just shook her head and took off before she embarrassed herself again. This time it would have been by throwing up in the middle of the restaurant.

* * *

NICK HAD BEEN keeping an eye on Bree from across the room. And not just because something was obviously wrong with her, though he would never admit that if asked. She’d made it clear on the island that she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with him. Which made her anger over them living in the same city even more perplexing.

But people didn’t faint for no reason. Now, as she hurried back down the hallway to the restroom, he had a hunch—from her greenish complexion and her hand over her mouth—that she was about to puke her guts out.

He leaned down to whisper in his mom’s ear. “Mom, would you do me a favor and go into the ladies’ room to check on Bree? I don’t think she’s feeling well.” His mom had stayed by his side while they’d sampled the food.

She handed him her nearly empty plate. “Of course.” She gave him a questioning look. “You never answered me before. This woman is someone you know?”

He could hear her matchmaking gears turning. “She’s someone I met recently. I’m just concerned, that’s all.”

His mother nodded and left to check on Bree. She’d continue the interrogation later, he was sure.

“Hey, hero.” His cousin nudged him as he came to stand next to Nick.

He rolled his eyes at Pete’s teasing. “Knock it off.” He noticed Pete was alone. “Where’s your date?”

“She’s around.” Pete shrugged. “She’s just someone I met in line for coffee yesterday.”

Nick slowly shook his head. “You’re such a player.”

Pete chuckled. “Speak for yourself. Hey, I gotta say, that was a great way to get close to Bree. Sweep her off her feet.”

“She passed out, knucklehead.”

“Sure, sure. But now you’ve got an in. She owes you. Play on that when you ask for financial help.”

“Shh!” Nick looked around to see if anyone might have overheard Pete. “Keep your voice down.”

“But you’re gonna do it, right? You need help right away, so running into her tonight must be fate.” Pete urged, “Don’t wait too long. The restaurant’s in real trouble, you know.”

Nick knew it, but he didn’t want to ask Bree for help, period. Nick spoke quietly. “I told you, I have other ideas that I’m working on to bring in more money.”

“Maybe I should ask Bree,” Pete suggested. “You’re obviously too chicken to bring up the subject. Or maybe you’re too tongue-tied when she’s around.” He switched to a singsong tone. “You like her!”

“No!” The word came out louder than Nick had anticipated. He lowered his voice. “No, don’t ask her. I’ll handle it.” Which wouldn’t mean asking Bree for a loan, even if Pete took it that way.

Man, he had enough to worry about with the restaurant, and now his cousin wouldn’t give him a break on this loan idea.

Pete finally left Nick when Pete’s date came to drag him off to show him something. Nick stood by himself for a few minutes until his mom and Bree returned to the dining room. His mom gave him a look that said he’d been right about having her check on Bree, who had lost the green tinge to her complexion but now was beyond pale.

His mom turned Bree over to her friends, who had stepped forward en masse to help. They must not have seen how sickly she’d looked as she’d hurried out of the dining room.

“She’s probably got some kind of stomach bug,” his mother said to him when she returned to his side and retrieved her plate. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t all come down with it, too.”

“Are you blaming her for coming tonight?” That wasn’t like her.

“No, no,” she said as she swallowed her bite of food. “It’s not her fault. She said she was fine before she came, just tired. Smelling the food was what did it to her.” She took another bite of food. “You know, it reminds me of when I was pregnant with you.”

Nick stared at her, his heart suddenly beating at an alarming rate. “What do you mean?”

Mom shrugged. “I don’t know her situation, but with the fainting, nausea and actually losing her lunch, she could be pregnant. She has all the symptoms. I guess I should have asked her, but it’s a pretty personal question to ask a stranger.”

Nick couldn’t speak. His ears were ringing, and his own stomach had started doing somersaults.

Lucky for him, his mom was oblivious to his discomfort. She continued talking. “If she really doesn’t have a stomach bug, I hope it’s not food poisoning because we all might be the next victims. Then again, if she’s pregnant and doesn’t know it, then I hope it’s a nice surprise for her.”

* * *

“THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG with Bree,” Roxie told Amber and Hannah after they practically forced Bree into an Uber to get her home. Trying to get her to agree to one of them accompanying her had been impossible.

They stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant watching the car drive away. The cold rain had stopped, but everything was wet, and there was a chill in the air.

Hannah nodded, her expression serious as she rubbed her hands on her upper arms. “I know. She hasn’t been right since we got back from vacation.” She cocked her head. “Do you think she might have picked up a tropical virus or something?”

Amber scowled. “I don’t know. I guess that’s possible.”

“We should probably get her to see a doctor,” Hannah added.

Roxie frowned. “Like she’d ever take our advice.”

“True,” Amber agreed.

“But we should still try.” Hannah’s empathetic side was showing. “This has been going on for too long. I’m worried about her.”

“Me, too,” Amber and Roxie said at the same time.

“What if it’s a parasite?” Hannah shivered.

“Ew!” Amber scrunched her face while Roxie shuddered at the idea.

“Let’s go back inside,” Roxie said, feeling the chill through the thin sleeves of her dress. “Bree will want a full rundown of the event later.”

“You’re right,” Amber said as she took a few steps and reached for the door handle.

As Amber was opening it, she saw Nick heading to the exit. Roxie had to admit that he was one fine male specimen. Not that Roxie was interested, but he was perfect for Bree. If only she would stop working so hard and give herself a chance for fun.

“Where’s Bree?” Nick exited the restaurant, and Amber closed the door when none of the women moved to go back inside.

“She went home,” Hannah told him. “She wasn’t feeling well.”

He nodded. “I know. I was there.” His demeanor was no longer calm and confident. “You let her drive herself?”

“No,” Roxie said, annoyed that he’d think they’d allow Bree to do that after she’d fainted. “She went by Uber. I’ll drive her car home.”

“I need to speak with her,” Nick said. He pulled out his phone. “What’s her address?”

“Whoa!” Amber stepped forward when she heard his request. “We don’t give out personal information.”

Nick nodded slowly. “I understand. But this is important. I need to ask her something.”

“Whatever you need to ask her will have to wait until she’s back in the office.” Roxie narrowed her eyes. “Unless you have her cell phone number?”

“No.”

Roxie shrugged, not surprised that Bree hadn’t given him her number. She was adamant about never allowing herself to be distracted by romantic relationships. “I guess you’re out of luck, then. Try her at work.” She pulled a business card from her purse. “Call the main number and ask for Bree.”

Nick didn’t seem happy with his limited choices, but Roxie couldn’t help him any more than she already had. She had a sudden idea, of which the benefits might be twofold. BeeTee was looking for a venue and it might help push Nick and Bree together. “You have a restaurant, correct?”

“Yes,” Nick said slowly with a definite hint of suspicion. “Why?”

“It has a full bar?”

He nodded.

“Great. We’re looking for a place to hold bartending classes. Would you be interested in us ‘borrowing’ your bar?” She paused. “We’d pay you, of course.”

Nick seemed to consider the idea. “It would have to be on Mondays when the restaurant is closed.”

“That’s perfect!” She was excited about moving forward with Bree’s idea from vacation. “Can I come by to check it out, maybe during the midafternoon lull on Saturday or Sunday? Then we can figure out the details and I’ll have a contract drawn up.”

“Sounds great.”

“Hey, what’s going on out here?” Pete exited the restaurant and joined the group, his flavor of the week clinging to his arm. “I wondered where you got to,” he said to Nick. Pete looked directly at Roxie and said, “Hey, Rox. How’s it goin’?” He had the nerve to punctuate his question with a wink.

“Peachy,” she said.

“Okay, then.” He looked at the woman on his arm who, on closer inspection, appeared to be even younger than Roxie had first thought. “Ready to go?”

The girl bobbed her head, and Pete tipped an imaginary hat to Roxie before he and his date headed in the direction of the nearest parking garage, where he’d probably left his car.

The three women looked at Nick when he said, “Please, are you sure you can’t get in touch with Bree for me tonight?”

“She needs to rest,” Hannah told him.

“But tomorrow’s Saturday. She won’t be in the office, will she?”

Roxie chuckled. “She will be unless she’s tied down or she’s too sick. She tends to work seven days a week if no one stops her. That’s why we insisted on a working vacation on the island.”

Nick rubbed his bearded cheek as if considering his options. “Okay. I guess I’ll try her at the office in the morning.” Nick said goodbye and went on his way.

He sounded resigned, but Roxie didn’t honestly think that would be the end of it.

* * *

NICK WALKED TO his car in the parking garage several blocks away. He’d wanted to speak with Bree’s friends about her possible pregnancy, but how did you bring that up?

Did you just come out with it? Hey, so is Bree pregnant or what? Yeah, that would have gone over well. And what if she wasn’t? He’d have sounded downright stupid. He didn’t even know how much they knew about what had happened between Bree and him.

He got into his car, wishing he had some way to contact Bree.

At least now, with Roxie’s proposal to use his bar for teaching, he not only had an extra source of income but he might even run into Bree once in a while.

* * *

NO SOONER HAD Bree exited the Uber car, entered her building and pushed the elevator button for the seventh floor, than she began receiving text messages from her girlfriends.

Make it home okay? came from Roxie.

Do you need anything? was Amber’s text.

And then Hannah, Feel better. Call if you need me.

Bree would have been annoyed at their concern if she didn’t love them so much and know they were merely worried about her.

Privately, she was becoming a little concerned herself. She’d never fainted before. Ever. She didn’t count what had happened when she got her foot stitched. She hated needles with a passion. She shivered involuntarily.

But this hadn’t just been a little dizziness. It had been full-out, almost-drop-to-the-floor—if not for Nick—passing out. Followed by throwing up the few morsels she’d been able to eat.

She must have some kind of bug. There was no other explanation. Maybe something she’d picked up while on their island vacation. Although none of the others had come down with any type of illness.

Bree sent a group message to her friends saying she was fine and that she was going to bed early. By the time she’d stripped off her dress and heels, slipped on a nightshirt, brushed her teeth and washed her face, she realized it wasn’t even eight o’clock. But her body felt like it was midnight.

She crawled into bed, glad her stomach had finally settled down. She was positive she’d be awake before the sun came up, so she didn’t set her alarm. Even though tomorrow was Saturday, she wanted to get into the office bright and early to get some work done with few interruptions.

The next morning, Bree awoke to the sun shining into her bedroom. She sat up, trying to remember what day it was and why she’d been sleeping during the day. Then she remembered going to bed very early last night. She must have been really tired if the sun was up before her.

She turned her alarm clock toward her. “Eleven o’clock!” She felt her eyes nearly bug out. “This must be a joke.” She grabbed her cell phone from her nightstand and checked the time. Exactly the same. She’d slept for fifteen hours.

“How could that be?” she said aloud as she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She was normally lucky to get six hours a night. That was all she needed to function. She couldn’t even remember sleeping longer than seven hours while in college.

She showered and dressed in jeans and a sweater since there would be no meetings with clients. She needed to catch up with her never-ending email and review the financial statement she’d been avoiding.

No matter the weather, she preferred to walk to her office, stopping at the coffee shop on her way. Today was no different although, since she’d returned from vacation, the smell of coffee had gone from soothing to distressing. She ordered her usual yogurt parfait with chai tea instead of the espresso she used to order.

She was about to walk out of the coffee shop with her combination breakfast and lunch to go when a woman about Bree’s age suddenly doubled over in what appeared to be pain.

“Are you okay?” Bree asked her, setting her things down on a nearby table so her hands were free. Except for a man at a back table with his nose in his computer, she and the woman and the two employees were the only ones in the coffee shop.

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