A Vow of Seduction

by Nana Malone

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. She could feel the heat of his body, take in his clean soapy smell and really see into his eyes. All the traces of humor were gone. He was studying her intensely again, his eyes sweeping across her in such away she wanted to cover herself up, hide from his inspection.

  She tried to yank herself away, but he wouldn’t let her. He pulled her even closer, so that her chest brushed his. She hated herself for it, but her nipples tightened and those stupid tingles rushed along her skin and down her spine. She was too aware of him, too attracted to him. Still. She had hoped time and hatred would dull it, but they hadn’t. She still felt the same way she had when she was seventeen and she first felt his body against her.

  “I know who you are, Willa Rose Arthur. Born in April. Scared of thunder and allergic to almonds. I know you very well.” His accent was back, just a hint of it, and she remembered that it got thicker whenever he felt a stronger emotion.

  “I guess I should be grateful that the super popular Marcus Simpson would remember a lowly nerd like me.” She pulled herself away, and this time he let her go. She turned away from him, continuing her walk up to the resort.

  If she wasn’t feeling so many things she might have taken the time to notice how beautiful her surroundings were. How the air felt different. How she was truly in a place that was magical, but all she could think of was Marc. How he was silently walking behind her. How she could still feel him on her skin and how his scent lingered in her nose. How she was so angry at him when she promised herself that if she ever saw him again she would be icy cool.

  She wasn’t sure if she could spend the next five days near her former high school boyfriend. She was still too damn hurt.

  But what could she do? Going home wasn’t an option. She was here for her friend, and her friend had no idea what had gone on between them all those years ago. She wished she had told Virginia, but she couldn’t at the time; her humiliation had been too deep.

  “Of course I remember you, Willa,” he said to her as the resort finally came into view. “It’s hard to forget the girl you lost your virginity to.”

  Chapter 2

  Willa came to a dead stop again like his admission shocked her. But she had to have known she was his first, just like he had known he had been hers. The awkward touches, those sweet, slow kisses, the closeness. He hadn’t forgotten her.

  How could he?

  She slowly turned to face him, her mouth open slightly, and for some reason it brought those sweet, slow kisses they had shared right to the front of his mind. He should have been focused on apologizing for how horrible he had been to her when they were still kids, or how he was going to survive the next week with a woman who clearly hated him. But he couldn’t think clearly. All he could do was stare at her. His little Willa had grown up. Those thick glasses she used to wear were gone, no longer hiding those big, pretty deep brown eyes he used to love looking into. She seemed to have grown taller, too, but he knew that was impossible, but she held herself differently, more confidently. Her body had always been delightfully curvy and soft to the touch, but only he had known that in their teenage days; now the world could see it, too. She wore a long green dress with a tropical print that looked damn good against her pretty brown skin. It skimmed her hips and clung slightly to her backside, and while he hated that she kept walking away from him, he didn’t mind watching her leave. The sway of her hips was almost hypnotic. But now she was standing before him in a cleavage-baring summer dress with her pouty lips parted, and his mind was totally blank of coherent thoughts.

  It brought him back to those days when all she had to do was smile at him to turn him on. He hadn’t expected that. He had expected to feel nothing for her except a little lingering guilt, maybe a little fondness for the girl who had made him a man.

  No, he hadn’t forgotten her. He never would.

  “Willa...”

  She shook her head, disgust clear on her face. “I don’t want to speak to you. I don’t want to look at you. I don’t even want to be in the same hemisphere as you.”

  “You can’t still be this mad over something that happened when we were teenagers,” he said, not knowing what else to say. He knew she was, though. He knew she had every right to be mad at him, because he was still mad at himself. He had hurt her.

  “Don’t tell me what I can or can’t be. I can be mad at you if I want! You’re not the boss of me.”

  What happened to his formerly super-quiet girl? Time had given her passion and heat. It made her downright pissed off. He wanted to smile at her outburst, but he knew better. She might knock him out if he did.

  “I think we need to talk.”

  “Why?” Instead of seeing anger, he saw genuine hurt flash in her eyes. It was only there for a moment, but it was hard to miss. “I think you said everything you had to say when you publicly humiliated me in front of all your friends.” She turned away from him, once again walking toward the resort.

  This had gone completely wrong, one of the rare missteps in life. He had always been so cool under pressure. He never let anybody see him sweat, never let anyone see him out of control. It was why he was so good at his job. He worked in public relations, making dirty politicians look squeaky-clean. He had a solution for every problem, yet he had no idea what to do about Willa.

  He followed her up the hill that led to the front door of the resort. He hated that he was feeling stupid, feeling unsure of himself. He was never unsure of himself. But now he felt the same as he did when he was fourteen and too tall and awkward for his age and body. He felt like he did when had just moved from South Carolina to New Jersey to live with his aunt and uncle. He shouldn’t, though. He was a man now, and all that childhood BS was done and over with. He had moved on from his humble beginnings.

  But you never moved on from Willa.

  He shouldn’t care that she was still mad at him. He had worked so hard to fit in in school, to be cool. To show the kids of that well-to-do town that he was more than that boy with the poor single mother and the slow accent who was good with a football and sometimes got angry for no reason. He had really thought he needed those guys then, that he needed his popularity. He was just a kid. She had to understand that. She knew him better than anybody else back in those days.

  She was the only one who really knew him.

  Shit.

  He had to fix this, to really truly apologize so that he could move on. He could fix everyone else’s mess. It was time to fix his own. And if she couldn’t forgive him, at least he could forgive himself. Then maybe he would stop feeling like an out-of-control kid again.

  He grabbed her arm, immediately feeling the little sizzle of heat when his hand connected with her smooth skin. Part of him wanted to take it away before he got burned. The other part of him wanted to put his other hand on her, to slide his fingers all over her tempting brown skin. Instead he spun her around so he could look into her eyes.

  “We need to talk. We’ve got to put this behind us.”

  “If you don’t stop grabbing me I’m going to kick you in your manhood.”

  Her threat tempted him to let go, but his hand had a hard time releasing her. “You know I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Not physically maybe, but your words are lethal enough.”

  “Willa? Marc, is that you?” They both looked up to see Virginia, her twin brother, Asa, and a man Marc had never seen before coming out of the lodge.

  “Smile,” he whispered in her ear, not letting her go. “This is her week. We shouldn’t let what we feel for each other interfere with her happiness.”

  She looked at him for a moment, anger still lingering in her eyes, but her face relaxed and she smiled brightly at her friend. “That’s the only thing you have said so far that’s worth listening to.”

  If he wasn’t holding on to her, her s
mile would have knocked him on his ass. It got him in the gut. He had wondered why it was her his teenage self had gotten it bad for, but now he remembered. It was that slightly lopsided, always-happy smile. On teenage Willa it had been inviting, but on adult Willa... Her whole face lit up and it made him remember that she was one of the few truly beautiful women he had ever met.

  “I’m so glad you both made it!” Virginia rushed toward them, grabbing Willa and hugging her tightly. “I’ve missed you too much, girl.”

  “I’ve missed you, too. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thank you for coming. I know Costa Rica is a lot to ask.”

  “You know I wouldn’t have missed this,” Willa said as Virginia pulled away. “This place is beautiful.”

  “Wait until you see the rest of it. I freaked out when Carlos brought me here the first time. I thought the man had gone crazy and was asking me to camp in the rain forest.”

  “I know you too well, baby,” the man Marc had never met said as he grinned down at her. “No electricity. No Virginia.”

  “Damn right.” She grinned back at him. “And you, Marc.” She hugged him. “You get better-looking every time I see you. How has life in DC been treating you since I saw you last year?”

  “It’s been all right.” He let her go and studied her. Virginia had been a lot like Willa growing up. Quiet. Driven. Too smart for her own good. But unlike Willa, Virginia had always been very artistic. A painter turned interior designer. “Love looks good on you.”

  “Thanks.” She beamed and she grabbed her fiancé’s hand. “I want you to meet Carlos. I’ve decorated his house multiple times. It took me a year. I thought he hated my taste.”

  “No.” Carlos wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. “I just didn’t want you to walk out of my life.”

  “You could have just asked me stay,” she said, laughing.

  “I had to make you fall in love with me first.”

  “You’re right.” She looked back to Willa, still grinning. “Isn’t he smooth?”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Carlos.” She shook his hand. “I never thought that when Virginia took the job decorating your house that you would become the love of her life.”

  “I’m a lucky man. And it’s very nice to meet you both.” He had one of those knee-weakening smiles. “I wish we could talk longer, but Virginia and I have to meet the planner at the reception site.”

  “Count me out,” said Asa, Virginia’s brother, speaking for the first time. “I’ve been stuck with these two for way too long. They act so sweet they make my damn stomach hurt. Come get a drink with me, Marcus. I’m glad you’re finally here.” He reached over and ruffled Willa’s hair. “You’re looking really good in that dress, Willa.” Asa’s eyes wandered over Willa’s body. Marc knew his friend; they were still close. He could see the interest there, and he didn’t like it. “I almost didn’t recognize you. Being a writer must agree with you. You still single?”

  “You still a big pain in the ass?” She smiled, but he could tell she was slightly embarrassed by Asa’s comment.

  “Yup.” He grinned at her. “Come get a drink with us.”

  “Rain check? I want to get cleaned up a little after my flight.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “Dinner then. A few of us are going to eat at the open-air restaurant tonight. You’ll come with us.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.” She hugged Virginia again. “I don’t want to keep you. We’ll catch up later.”

  “We will.” Virginia and Carlos said their goodbyes, leaving the three of them alone.

  “Wait until you see the bar they have by the lagoon.”

  “Maybe I should take a rain check, too, and meet you at dinner.” He looked at Willa, wanting to get her alone again before it would be too hard. “I should check in with work.”

  “No. You’re coming with me. You work too much.” Asa gripped Marc’s arm and pulled him away. “See you around, Willa.”

  She grinned widely and he could see the satisfaction in her face. She obviously wanted no part of being alone with him. “See you later, boys.”

  She walked away from him again, hips swaying hypnotically, and this time he knew he wasn’t the only one watching her go.

  Chapter 3

  Willa looked at herself one last time before she walked out of her room. She had decided to let her hair loose tonight. Literally. She hadn’t done much with it other than tie it back since she worked from home, but tonight she would let her natural curls spring free. She wanted to feel pretty tonight. She had noticed the way Marc’s eyes had wandered over her body. She felt them on her as she walked away from him, but she didn’t want to look good for him. She wanted to look good for herself. She wasn’t that same girl who got her heart broken so easily. She had since gotten her doctorate and written bestsellers. She was supporting herself doing something she was good at, that she loved. She wanted to prove to him that even though he hadn’t loved her, she loved herself. She wasn’t so insecure anymore.

  And she was going to make sure he knew that. So with one more fluff of her curls she slipped her key into her bag and walked out of her room. She shouldn’t call it a room; it was more like a bungalow. A small house in the middle of the jungle that was surrounded by vibrant gardens filled with colorful flowers and thick jungle trees. There was just as much outdoor living space as there was inside, a covered porch that held rocking chairs, a hammock and a dining room table. In the distance she could hear running water and the chirping of birds. This was the kind of place she could lose herself in her writing. There was no TV, no distractions, just tranquillity.

  She didn’t know how the resort did it, made the place feel so private when she knew there had to be at least a hundred people working and staying there. But she could only see one other bungalow next door. The main building and all the other bungalows were hidden by nature. She had never experienced anything like it, and she was infinitely glad that Virginia had decided to get married here, and that she looked so happy and beautiful and loved. Even Marc’s presence wouldn’t put a damper on this occasion.

  She came upon the open-air dining room, which was lit with flickering lights that resembled candles. There were plants everywhere, bright flowers that assaulted her eyes with beauty. She felt more like she was in a tropical garden than in a restaurant, and she had to stop for a moment at the entrance to take it all in.

  She could feel the romance here. This felt like a place where people came to fall in love.

  “Willa.” She heard her name and looked up to see Asa waving her over. She had never seen Asa as anything more than a brother. But she had to admit the paramedic looked incredibly handsome in his gray plaid sport coat and white button-down shirt, which revealed just a little bit of his muscular chest.

  “I didn’t get to hug you before,” he said, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m glad you came. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.”

  She had always liked Asa, even though he ran with the cool crowd in high school. She liked to think of him as the man with a thousand girlfriends, because as long as she had known him he had never been single. But he wasn’t a womanizer. He was just a man who loved women. And it was easy to see why women loved him.

  “I would see you more, but I don’t want your girlfriend trying to beat me up.”

  “No girlfriend.” He winked at her.

  “Really? You went through the entire state already?”

  “Something like that.” He flashed her a boyish grin. “You didn’t have any trouble finding this place, did you?” he asked as he pulled out the chair next to his, near the head of the table. “I got lost three times trying to get here. Those bungalows look nice, but I’m staying in the lodge on the other side of the resort where they have the regular old-fashioned hotel rooms with the big flat-screen TVs and
the nice carpet.”

  “Nature’s not your thing, Asa?”

  “No. I like nature just fine. I’m just not crazy about feeling like I’m sleeping in it. I live in Hell’s Kitchen. I like to hear garbage trucks and my neighbors fighting. I’m not used to hearing birds cawing and trees blowing in the wind. It’s creepy.”

  “You live in Hell’s Kitchen? I thought you were still in Hoboken.”

  “No, girl. I now work for the city of New York. Can’t live in Jersey anymore.”

  She knew a lot of people in New York, but knowing that she had a true friend living nearby made her happy. “I don’t live too far from Hell’s Kitchen. There’s some great restaurants there.”

  “I know.” He grinned at her. “Now that I’m all settled, I plan to take you to some of them.”

  “Hey.” She felt Marc behind her even before she heard his voice. His heavy, warm hand curved over her shoulder, and a rush of tingles slid down her back. She turned around to look at him, to see why he was touching her, only to have her cheek run into his lips. He kissed her there. Not like an old friend would kiss another, but softly, letting his lips linger a little longer than they should. “You’re beautiful tonight, Willa,” he said so softly only she could hear him.

  She didn’t know what to do at first. The urge to close her eyes and wrap his words around her like a blanket took over. His compliment caught her completely off guard. It sounded genuine. It felt genuine, too, because she did feel pretty tonight, but she couldn’t trust his words. He had lied to her so many times before. He was trying to charm her. A weaker woman would have let him, but there was no way she could forget what he said.

  There’s no way in hell I would be with her.

  She’s too weird.

  She may well have been, but she hadn’t deserved that. Especially when they had been seeing each other for a year at that point. It had been in secret, though. That should have been her first clue to stay away from him.