One and Done (Island of Love Book 1)

by Melynda Price

  “Because he hasn’t asked me to stay. And believe me, he’s had plenty of opportunities. And last night, when he said we needed to talk, I could tell he didn’t really want to do it. This is my own fault, you know. We set ground rules, no emotional attachment, remember? It’s not his fault I changed the game.”

  “No, but maybe you’re playing for the same team and you just don’t know it. Pull up your big girl panties and talk to him. I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn.”

  “Because I’ve already had my heart broken once. Because it would never work between us. We live half a world apart. Bottom line, he can’t give me what I need, Summer.”

  “Because he told you he doesn’t believe in love? Have you ever considered the possibility you’ve changed his mind?”

  Had she? That was all she’d been able to think about. But there had been multiple opportunities for Balen to tell her he loved her. He could have asked her to stay and he hadn’t. Any of the many times he’d made love to her last night would have been a fine opportunity, and yet the words she’d been hoping to hear hadn’t come. As the hours to her departure drew closer, she had to face the realization that Balen might not feel the same way about her that she felt about him. One week wasn’t very long to undo years of heartache. It was probably unreasonable of her to expect so much from him this soon. Maybe if she’d had more time... All those things made sense in her head. It was her heart that wasn’t getting the memo.

  “I won’t put either one of us in that awkward situation.”

  “You’re stubborn and you’re a coward, you know that?”

  “Says the woman who’s never been in love.”

  “We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you. If you don’t tell him how you feel, you’re going to regret it. Besides, what do you have to lose? You’re getting on a plane in... twelve hours.”

  She had a good point. What did she have to lose? The worst that would happen was he’d tell her he didn’t feel the same way. At least then she’d go home with closure. “All right. You win. I’ll tell him. I gotta go. Balen’s going to be back soon. Say hi to my new neighbor for me.”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

  Balen rode the wave to shore and hopped off his board then disconnected the cord from his ankle. He’d hoped the waves would calm the anxiety that had robbed him of sleep, but not even the water could ease the foreboding sense of doom he felt as he made his way to the house. He couldn’t put this off any longer, and he held no false hope this was going to go well. Throughout the night, it hadn’t been easy, but he’d held onto the one card he planned to play when this all blew up in his face—his Hail-Mary. Before Autumn left his house, no matter now pissed off at him she was, he’d tell her he loved her.

  Yeah? And what are you going to do when that doesn’t work?

  Fuck if he knew, because God’s honest truth? He wasn’t sure how he was going to let her go.

  Balen stepped into the basin of water outside the patio door and rinsed the sand off his feet before quietly slipping into the house. He stopped outside his bedroom door and was about to turn the knob when he heard Autumn’s voice on the other side.

  “—because it would never work between us, we live half a world away. Because he can’t give me what I need.”

  Autumn words were like a dull knife thrust into his chest, and then maliciously turned with deadly precision. He can’t give me what I need… Well, it sure as hell felt like he was giving her what she needed last night—several times. Unless what she needed had nothing to do with the physical and everything to do with the financial. Was that what she was referring to? His lack of stability and income? Had he been wrong about her all this time? It sure as hell sounded that way. So…he was good enough to fuck, even satisfactory enough to have a fling with, but when the rubber met the road, he wasn’t good enough for her long-term. Was that it?

  Sea water dripped off his board shorts, leaving him standing in a puddle of water as the cold hard truth flayed him. Here he was, getting ready to come clean and put his heart on the goddamn line—something he’d vowed he’d never do again—and Autumn didn’t even believe they stood a chance. What stung worse was that she wasn’t even willing to try, because she thought he was too poor to give her what she needed. How ironic was that? If she only knew he could give her everything she’d ever wanted.

  Anger lashed though him, opening old wounds that had never fully healed. He released his grip on the door and headed into Connor’s room to shower and get dressed. He didn’t need to hear anymore. Autumn had said more than enough.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Autumn’s heart was beating wildly against her chest, anxiety curling in the pit of her stomach. Ever since she’d made the decision to tell Balen how she felt, doubts and insecurity consumed her. Maybe she was reading too much into this, imagining something that wasn’t there. Could she do it? Could she open herself up to him? Did she trust Balen with her heart? Did she trust him to always be honest and to stay true to her?

  As all these questions continued to assault her, there was one answer she was sure of… she would regret it if she didn’t at least take a chance on him and find out.

  After turning off the shower, she quickly dried and changed into her yoga pants and tank top. She glanced out the window as she combed through her hair and was surprised to find Balen gone. Maybe he was in the kitchen. At the thought, a smile tugged her lips. He’d make a breakfast-lover out of her yet.

  Setting the brush on the counter, she opened the bedroom door and stepped in a puddle of water. What the hell? And then she heard it, the shower running down the hall in another bedroom. Was Balen showering? Why hadn’t he come in and joined her?

  A niggle of unease rippled through her. His words on the beach last night returned to haunt her, feeding her insecurity. Autumn, we need to talk… Before her doubt and anxiety had a chance to fester, the doorbell rang.

  Autumn went to answer it, but before she could reach the door, the ringing turned into persistent knocking. She opened the door and was shocked to find a stunning redhead standing on the front step. The woman appeared equally surprised to see her, but that startled look quickly morphed into anger as she took in Autumn’s wet hair and braless state. She knew this looked bad, and what the woman must think. Crap. She didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.

  “Well…if it isn’t the woman of the hour. Or the minute, the second, whatever.”

  Ignoring the snarky greeting, Autumn painted on her warmest smile and held out her hand, introducing herself. “Hi, I’m Autumn. You must be looking for Connor. I’m sorry, but he isn’t here right now.”

  The last thing she wanted was to get Balen’s brother in hot water with his girlfriend. Maybe it was a leap to assume they were involved, but by the death glare this woman was giving her, she had “jealous girlfriend” written all over her beautiful face. A face that oddly bore a striking resemblance to her own. Strange…

  Autumn’s gut dropped as the woman’s eyes connected and locked on hers, the flicker of disbelief crossing her face made her wonder if she wasn’t having the same thoughts.

  Autumn’s extended hand went untouched.

  “Why would I be here to see Conner?” she snapped venomously.

  Wow, this woman was a raging bitch. Seriously. “Because this is his house…” Autumn replied, having a hard time not returning the sarcastic bite.

  A bark of laughter erupted from her that would have made the wicked witch envious. “No, it’s not. Who the hell told you that? This is Balen’s house.”

  What? Autumn’s heart stuttered inside her chest and then skidded to a stop as her mind raced to catch up with what this woman was saying.

  “He didn’t tell you?” The redhead’s caustic laugh was like barbs burrowing into Autumn’s flesh. Her face must have betrayed her confusion, because the laughter grew sharper, meaner.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Balen’s deep voice rang out behind Autumn, startling her
. She spun around in time to see him approaching; his determined stride eating up the marble floor. She’d never seen fury flashing in his amber eyes. Combined with the sheer size of him, Balen Kroft was an intimidating man when he was pissed off. But the woman in the doorway seemed completely unfazed by his anger.

  “My God, Balen, she looks just like me. Couldn’t you have at least changed it up a little bit? Think you can replace me that easily, huh? A new and improved version? Is that it?”

  “That’s enough, Monica,” Balen growled, visibly tensing.

  Monica? This is Monica? Balen’s Monica? She was going to be sick. Nausea churned in the pit of her stomach, bile burning the back of her throat.

  “So this is her? My replacement?”

  And she might as well have been. The similarities between them were eerie. Autumn’s hair was a shade or two darker, and she had a few more pounds on the statuesque woman. Her predecessor may have had some help of surgical enhancement, but all in all, measuring herself against the competition, Autumn felt like the Great Value version of the irate beauty.

  “You were supposed to be on a plane out of here two days ago. You need to leave, right now!”

  But his threat fell on deaf ears. Tears filled the woman’s eyes, and for a split second, Autumn thought she was going to cry. Then she swayed, her hand shooting out to steady herself on the doorframe. “Christ, Monica, you’re drunk…”

  “Are you taking her to Nationals?”

  Autumn had no idea what the woman was talking about. Again, Autumn’s confusion must have shone on her face, because through her tears, Monica’s smile widened to a malicious flash of straight, white teeth. “Look at her. She has no idea what I’m talking about. She doesn’t know who you are, does she? Holy shit, you haven’t told her? God, Balen, you’re such a fucking hypocrite, you know that?”

  Balen bolted past Autumn and out the front door, grabbing Monica’s arm. “That’s it. You’re leaving.”

  His low warning growl made the fine hairs on the back of Autumn’s neck tingle. Or maybe it was the words shot at her like poison darts as Balen manhandled Monica, marching her down the steps. She stumbled along, yelling over her shoulder, “He’s been lying to you, sweetheart! He doesn’t care about you! He’ll use you and toss you out like the trash you are! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

  “Where’s your car?” Balen snarled from the lawn as he dragged her toward the driveway.

  “I got a cab. Oww, Balen, you’re hurting my arm.”

  “Fuck!” he snarled, dragging her toward the Jeep. “You’re leaving if I have to put you on a goddamn plane myself.”

  He unceremoniously dumped the woman in the front passenger seat and marched around the front of the vehicle. He stopped before getting into the driver seat, as if just now remembering Autumn was standing in the doorway. When he turned to look at her, regret flashed in his eyes. “Wait for me here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  He didn’t give her time to respond. Instead, Balen climbed into the Jeep, fired up the engine, and tore out of the driveway. The tires squealed as he backed onto the road and then slammed on the brakes. The SUV lurched, the engine roared, and the tires once again protested the abuse. Seconds later, Autumn was still standing in the doorway. It took her several more before her brain finally engaged her feet, and a few more after that before her heart started beating again. The pain in her chest was crushing.

  Balen had lied to her and not just once. This was his house. Why had he let her believe he was an unemployed beach-bum? She felt like a fool. Monica’s mocking laughter echoed repeatedly in her mind. She doesn’t know who you are, does she…?

  No, she didn’t. But Autumn was about to find out. Slamming the door, she marched back to the bedroom and snagged her cell off the bed. Autumn’s hands were shaking as she opened her internet browser then typed Balen Kroft into the search engine. Page after page popped up, filling her screen with photos and articles. She opened the first one, a Wikipedia site.

  Balen Kroft, age 25, three-time National Champion of the World Surfing League, two-time champion in the Titans of Mavericks and official spokesman for Red Bull sports drink, V3 Rocket, and Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax…

  Net worth, thirteen million… Oh my God. Those were the only words her mind could form as she speed-read through the article. By the time she’d finished, shock had given way to fury. He lied to me.

  Autumn closed the page and opened the next one. It was a BuzzFeed article dated yesterday. The headline read: From Sex Tape to Sweetheart. Is Kroft for Real? Below the heading was a picture—of her! “Oh my God…” Autumn’s heart dropped into her stomach as she stared of the image of her and Balen having dinner. The picture was from the first night she’d gotten to the island. Who had taken this? Was it a setup? Nausea churned in her gut as she read on…

  Can Balen Kroft clean up his act and save his career? It’s no secret in the surfing community that Kroft is a bit of a wild child. But as recent allegations of a sex tape scandal hit the media, many fans and sponsors are left wondering, has he gone too far this time? Earlier this week, I sat down with Kroft’s agent, Bradford Billings, for a full-disclosure interview where he tackled this and many other tough questions.

  Through her blur of tears, she read the interview, learning more about Balen Kroft than she ever wanted to know. Her heart ached, the tightness in her chest growing so unbearable it was difficult to breathe. When the air finally left her lungs, it was a shuddering sob. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she discovered the things Balen had done, the trouble he’d gotten into with his sponsors as a result of countless indiscretions. It was all an act. As the realization hit her, Autumn’s stomach pitched. The effort he was making to clean up his image and save his contracts... This was it. This was the reason he’d been with her—to improve his image and save his career. God, it all made sense now. Why he’d lied to her about who he was. He knew she’d never go along with it. It never would have been believable. Swallowing past the emotion lodged in her throat, Autumn studied the pictures of her and Balen together. Photos he’d taken under the guise of helping her fill her scrapbook. He lied to me… He was using me this whole time!

  Oh God… She had to get out of here. Another sob broke from her throat as she frantically searched the room for her shoes. After finding one in the corner and one under the bed, she slipped them on and ran out of the room. She was headed down the hall when the front door slammed. Balen. She couldn’t see him now—not after what he did.

  “Hey, Bay! You home?”

  Autumn skidded to a stop in the hall and was about to race back into the bedroom to make her escape out the French doors when Balen’s brother came around the corner, catching her in the hall. He took one look at her tear-stained face and his hands flew up like he was under arrest. “Hey, whoa… Autumn, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, wiping at her cheeks.

  “What the hell’s going on? Are you all right? Where’s Balen?”

  No, she wasn’t all right. She needed to get out of here. Now. “I need…” her voice hitched in a hiccupping sob. Taking a deep breath to steady her ragged breathing, she tried again. “I need to leave. Can you…” Deep breath. “Can you please…take me…back to…my villa?”

  Connor’s gaze shot past her shoulder. “Where’s Balen?” he asked again, his tone cautiously laced with concern.

  “He had to leave. I need a ride or…the number for a cab…please. I can’t…stay here.”

  She knew Connor wanted a better explanation, but it was the only one she could manage without breaking down. Maybe he realized that too, because a moment later, he nodded his head toward the door. “Car’s in the driveway.”

  She followed Connor out and he pulled his cell from his pocket as he descended the steps, beating feet to the SUV parked in the driveway. The phone was to his ear as he opened the car door and climbed into the Hummer. Autumn had a little trouble boosting herself into the front passenger seat. When she finally got in, she heard Connor barki
ng into his cell, “I don’t know where the hell you are, or what you’re doing, but you had better call me back. Now.”

  He disconnected the call and tossed his cell into a cup holder. Connor started the engine, placed his hand on the gear-shift, but then stopped to look at her before putting the SUV into reverse. She prayed he wasn’t having second thoughts about taking her to the villa.

  “Look, I know it’s probably none of my business, and you don’t have to tell me what happened if you don’t want to, but I at least need to know that you’re okay before I take you somewhere and just leave you there. Are you hurt?”

  She wiped at the fresh wave of tears pouring down her cheeks and shook her head.

  Connor continued to watch her another moment or two, then, as if decided, nodded. “All right then.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “I don’t know where the hell you are, or what you’re doing, but you had better call me back. Now.” Connor’s message ended with an abrupt click.

  He didn’t have time for this shit. He had enough to deal with. Balen selected the next message, hoping it would be from Autumn. He’d gotten back to the house as quickly as he could, but it had taken a little time to get Monica to her friend Casey’s house. He’d given the woman five grand—two to purchase a first-class one-way ticket back to the United States, and three to make sure Monica’s ass was on that plane when it took off.

  He’d raced back home to find Autumn gone. He wasn’t surprised, not after the stunt Monica had pulled. Goddammit. He needed to find her and do some damage control before it was too late. She wasn’t answering her cell. All his calls rolled over to voicemail and none of his texts were coming up as seen.

  As pissed off as he was at overhearing Autumn tell her friend they’d never work because he couldn’t meet her needs, the thought of this being it for them made Balen feel like an invisible hand had reached into his chest and ripped his heart out. He at least needed to see her and try to explain. The look on her face when he’d hauled Monica away made him feel like a total douchebag. Where there had once been trust, confusion, suspicion and doubt resided. Fuck. With a few carelessly hurled accusations, his bitch of an ex had possibly destroyed the best thing that had ever happened to him. He knew Autumn well enough to bet that the first thing she’d done after he left was head to the internet to discover the truth for herself. All she’d have to do was type his name into a fucking Google search and she’d learn more about him than he’d ever wanted her to know.