Their gazes connected. He noticed how her eyes were more green than blue. It didn’t seem to matter what color they were. He found them captivating.
And then his gaze lowered to her lips. There was no lipstick on them. No gloss or any other makeup. It was just her pink flesh and he was taunted by the memory of her sweet kisses.
He swallowed hard. “Do you know how much I want to kiss you?”
When she didn’t say a word nor did she pull away, he took that to mean she wanted the same thing. He wondered if it could be as good as he remembered. He’d heard it said that you could make of your memories what you wanted. He’d been telling himself that he’d exaggerated the sweetness of her kiss because no kiss could be that good.
But when his lips pressed to hers, his heart pounded so loudly that it echoed in his ears. He’d never wanted something so much in his life. Her lips were soft and smooth. And in that moment, he regretted that they were seated on the couch. He wanted to pull her closer—much closer. He wanted every soft, curvy portion of her body pressed to his hard planes.
He slid closer until the length of his thigh was pressed to hers. The softest moan reached his ears as she opened her mouth to him. Their tongues danced together in the most provocative way. His hand moved until his fingers were combing through her silky hair.
His memory of their time together hadn’t been an exaggeration. In fact, it wasn’t as good as the real thing. Not even close.
And then there was the sound of a motor. He was certain it was someone passing by on the beach. He dismissed the distraction and turned his full attention to treasuring this moment with Lea. If anything was going to convince her that there were still unresolved issues between them, it was this—their undeniable chemistry. She had to feel it—
Thump. Thump.
Footsteps?
“Hello,” a female voice called out.
Lea flew out of his arms as though the lightning had struck them. He regretted that their moment had ended so quickly. For just a second, he considered reaching out and pulling Lea back to him, but he knew by the serious look on her face that she would resist his attempt.
Knock. Knock.
“Lea, are you here?”
Lea smoothed her fingers over her hair before tracing her fingertips over her lips as though to hide any evidence of what had just transpired between them. But she was wasting her time. Her lips were now berry-red and her cheeks were flushed. She’d been well kissed and it showed.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about her attempts to hide their kiss. He’d never been erased before. It didn’t feel good. He wanted Lea to be proud to be with him. Not hiding this—whatever you wanted to call their relationship—from the people in her life.
“Popi, I’m right here.” Lea started for the door.
Popi responded but Xander wasn’t able to make out the words.
When his gaze turned toward the door, he realized the storm had quickly passed over. The sun was once again shining, but in the wake of the storm the breeze had cooled—unlike him. But the kiss would have to be put on the back burner for now.
Lea rushed out onto the porch. “I got caught in the storm and thought this would be a good place to ride it out.”
Popi glanced inside. Xander remained on the couch. He waved at her. She raised a questioning brow before turning back to Lea.
“I see you had company.”
‘Um, yeah. Xander was working on the plumbing issue.”
Lea moved the conversation to business. As she spoke of the upcoming wedding that weekend, he wondered if she had so easily dismissed that stirring kiss, because he hadn’t been able to do that. Not even close.
But sitting here hoping she would return to him was pointless. He knew the moment had passed. And so he got to his feet and walked to the bathroom to gather his tools.
This thing between them wasn’t finished. In fact, he was certain that it was just getting started.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, Lea decided not to rush to the office. After all, what was the point of being the boss if you couldn’t give yourself permission to work from home. And so she quietly moved through the bungalow, trying not to wake up her houseguest.
She’d thought about having him stay elsewhere, but try as she might, the number of bungalows in good condition was quite limited and they had to be reserved for the incoming guests. She told herself that was the reason she kept Xander close by. She refused to acknowledge that she liked seeing him all the time.
As she settled at the kitchen island with her laptop, her thoughts strayed back to their time in the honeymoon bungalow. That kiss, it had stirred her to her very core. Her face warmed at the memory, even though she’d replayed that scene a million times by now.
She couldn’t believe she’d opened up to him about her childhood. She’d never told anyone that story—not even Popi. It wasn’t that it was a secret or anything, but rather she didn’t like recalling that level of fear—so scared that no sound had come from her mouth.
By reliving that memory, she’d reminded herself of one other thing—she missed her parents. This long silence between them was taking its toll on her. She’d always been close to her parents until she learned that they’d lied to her about her extended family.
To this day, she still didn’t understand their reason for keeping her from knowing her mother’s side of the family. From everything she’d unearthed while here on the island and from talking to the couples that routinely returned to the island to celebrate their anniversaries, she’d learned her aunt and grandparents were amazing people. She really wished she’d been given a chance to get to know them.
“What has you so deep in thought?”
She turned her head to find Xander standing a few feet away, wearing low-slung navy boxers and a bare chest. It was all she could do to keep her mouth from hitting the floor. His ripped abs were better than the ones splashed across the sizzling romances she liked to indulge in late at night.
Then realizing she was ogling him, she lifted her gaze. When their eyes met, she found a big grin on his face. The heat in her chest rushed up her neck and settled in her cheeks.
“Find something you like?” he asked with amusement dancing in his dark eyes.
She immediately turned her attention back to her laptop. She had absolutely no idea what she was about to type so she opened her email. She didn’t care what she did right now so long as she didn’t let her gaze stray back to his bare chest and those oh-so-tempting washboard abs. She stifled a groan.
“I thought I’d work at home this morning.” The truth was her stomach was feeling a bit iffy. Her morning sickness hadn’t been bad and had passed a few weeks ago. Could it be back? Or was it her nerves—between having Xander under the same roof and the dire straits of the island to worry about?
Regardless, she didn’t want to go to the office only to make a spectacle of herself by running to the bathroom. But perhaps staying home wasn’t her best move. “I’ll just gather my things and get out of your way.”
“No. Stay.” His voice was so close.
He sat down next to her. She swallowed hard. She willed her body to move, but she remained there next to Xander as though he had some sort of magnetic force.
He glanced over at her computer. “Already working?”
“I have a lot to do.”
“I see you have some emails about the island. I take it there’s lots of interest in buying it.”
Lea closed her laptop. “I’m still working on finding the right person to replace me.”
“Replace you?” Xander was wide awake now. “I don’t think that’s possible. Besides, when we met you said you’d never walk away from the island.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?” He paused. “You mean before me?”
She shrugged. “A lot has
changed since I met you. For one, I’m pregnant. For another, I’ve experienced just how much work this island needs and as you’re quickly proving, it’s more than I can do on my own.”
“So you’re just giving up? Walking away?”
“That’s not what I said.” But it felt like that was what she was doing. Her aunt had trusted her with their family’s legacy and she’d failed.
“You can say it in some other words, if it makes you feel better, but it amounts to the same thing in my book. This is your dream. You shouldn’t have to give up. There has to be another way.”
“Sometimes dreams change.” She thought of the baby. It was her priority now. Right or wrong, she had to do what she thought was best for the baby.
“I don’t think you’re going to be able to find anyone to take over the island and run it the way you do. You’re so passionate about it—about bringing two hearts together. And from what I’ve heard, you’re a terrific boss. Everyone on the island sings your praises.”
They did? Her cheeks warmed. She was immensely touched. “I try my best. Sometimes I wing it. It isn’t like this job comes with an instruction manual. But I’m sure there’s someone who can do it better than me. After all, look around. This place needs some help—if I was so great, it would be all upgraded and fully maintained.”
“You can’t blame yourself for the problems that you inherited. These problems have been building over time. Some were covered up and hidden. But that can only be done for so long.”
“It’s just—” She was just about to say too much, but she stopped herself in time. “It’s just time for me to move on.”
“And what do you plan to do next?”
In that moment, she knew what she needed to do. Take a step back and reevaluate her life. “I’m moving to...” She wasn’t sure where she wanted to move. “You know it really doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters. You and I, we’re family now.”
He stared at her for a moment. And she wondered what was going through his mind. Was he really worried that she’d disappear into the night? Or would he be relieved that she’d be gone—that he wouldn’t have to deal with an unplanned family?
She looked into his eyes. Her heart started to beat faster. There was something special about him. When he looked at her, it was as though he could see straight through her—read her every thought—know the way he could make her body respond without even touching her.
She wanted to glance away—to keep him from knowing too much. But her pride kept her sitting there—staring at him. She swallowed hard. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you know where we end up.” And then she decided to err on the side of caution. “If that’s what you want.”
“Of course, it’s what I want. You and I, we have to learn to trust each other. How else are we going to raise a baby together?”
He had a point. But the “raise a baby together” part sent alarm bells ringing in her head. “How together are you planning for this co-parenting to be?”
This time it was Xander who looked uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. At last, he said, “That’s what we’re trying to sort out, isn’t it?”
Suddenly she felt as though she were on display—as though he was here to see if she was good enough to fit into his world. That didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t do casting calls and she didn’t shrink herself to fit into someone else’s mold. If she did, she would still be on speaking terms with her parents. The thought made the breath hitch in her throat.
Her parents, they didn’t even know they were about to become grandparents. The thought of having a baby and not being able to share it with them made her sad. But how was she ever supposed to trust them again after they’d lied to her about something so monumental?
“How have your parents taken the news about the baby?” Xander’s voice stirred her from her thoughts.
She gave him a searching look. How had he known that she was thinking of her parents? Could he really read her mind? Then realizing how ridiculous the thought was, she dismissed it as quickly as it had come to her.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because if you’re leaving here, it seems likely that you’ll move close to your family.”
Perhaps she should have given her words more consideration before she dove into the subject of her moving. The memory of the angry words passed between her and her parents came flooding back. And so did the pain of loss when they’d told her she had to choose, them or the island.
Most people would think she was strange for feeling like she’d lost two of the most important people in her life even though they were still alive. But the people who had raised her—had loved her—had taught her to reach for the stars—well, they had disappeared somewhere along the way.
The parents she had now, she didn’t know them. She didn’t know these people that would lie to her time and time again. These people who stole her chance to get to know her extended family—her grandparents and aunt—they weren’t the parents she’d loved. They were strangers to her.
And the people who had given her an ultimatum between choosing them or choosing Infinity Island—her birthright—had left her no choice. She wasn’t going to choke down whatever lies they chose to tell her. She was going to learn about her family herself—
“Lea?” There was a note of concern in Xander’s voice. “What’s wrong?”
The backs of her eyes stung as the thought of all she’d lost came roaring back to her. She blinked away the tears. The last thing she wanted was for Xander to think she was weak.
She was strong—strong enough to raise this baby as a single mother. If he had any doubts about that, she would make sure to put them to rest before he left the island, which she hoped was soon.
She swallowed down her emotions. When she spoke, she hoped her voice didn’t betray her emotional state. “My parents don’t know about the baby.”
His brows rose. “Why didn’t you tell them?”
She glanced away. “Does it matter?”
His gaze narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, it’s something. Talk to me. Maybe I can help.”
She glanced at him. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because whether you want to believe it or not, I want to be your friend.”
“And not steal the island out from under me?” The hurt expression on his face made her regret her words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” Not really. “It’s just that everything in my life is changing at once and it has me uptight.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment as though considering her words. At last, he stuck out his hand. “How about we call a truce?”
She glanced down at his hand. The last thing she wanted to do in that moment was touch him. Every time their bodies connected, it was like her mind short-circuited. Still, he was trying to do the right thing. The least she could do was meet him halfway.
She reached out her hand and as their fingers and palms touched, a shiver of excitement coursed up her arm, settling in her chest. Was it just her imagination or did his fingers move ever so slowly over her palm? And there was this look in his eyes—the kind of look men gave her when she went onto the main island with Popi and they stopped in a taverna.
But then in a blink the look was gone, and after a quick shake, he withdrew his hand. Lea was left wondering if she was just seeing what she wanted to see or if Xander was actually still interested in her.
“There.” He smiled. “Now can we act like friends instead of adversaries?”
“I didn’t think I was being adversarial.”
He sighed. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
He smiled and shook his head. “So now that we’re officially friends, talk to me. Why haven’t you told your parents about th
e baby? Are they old-fashioned? Will they insist we get married?”
She leveled a serious stare at him. “You aren’t going to leave this alone, are you?”
He shook his head. “Not a chance. I told you I’m your friend. I’m here to help.”
Lea was surprised by how much she wanted to believe him. She’d been going it alone since she’d moved to Greece. She did have Popi, but ever since her friend had agreed to be a surrogate for her sister, Lea hadn’t felt right about sharing too much of her problems. Popi had a lot to deal with.
Lea was so proud of her friend for doing something so selfless. Lea knew what it was to have a baby grow inside her and she didn’t know if she could go through that very special relationship and then hand off the baby—even to a sibling. It took someone very strong, very loving and very special to be a surrogate.
Lea’s gaze met Xander’s. Sincerity and kindness reflected in his eyes. Maybe it was time she let go of the past and gave him a chance—a real chance. “My parents aren’t particularly old-fashioned. I think they’d be okay with me being a single parent.”
“Then what’s stopping you?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know much, let me rephrase, I don’t know anything about pregnant women, but I would think it’s a time when a woman would want her mother.”
She did want to talk to her mother and get her advice on different aspects of her pregnancy. Most of all she just wanted to share the joy.
“Under normal circumstances that would be the case,” Lea said.
“But these aren’t normal circumstances?”
Lea shook her head. She took a deep breath. If she was going to trust him, she had to continue opening up to him. “When I left Seattle and moved to Greece, there was a big blowup with my parents.” She paused. How much should she say? After all, he was just being nice. He wouldn’t want to hear the whole sordid story. “We haven’t spoken since.”
“I see.” His expression changed as though he were troubleshooting the situation. “Maybe the baby could be the bridge to bring you back together.”
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