Mission: Seduction

by Candace Havens

  Rafe helped her to stand up.

  She smiled and brushed the sand off her backside. Picking up her board, she began to walk back to the main house.

  “Attendre, c’est mauvais.” Adrien stopped her and lightly ran his fingertips along her scalp. When he showed his hand to her and Rafe, there was blood.

  She sighed. It’d be another day or two before she could surf again. And it meant Adrien would be checking on her every few hours like a cautious mother hen.

  His eyebrows rose, and he looked up at Rafe. “Elle devrait prendre facile.”

  “Nous sommes d’accord là-dessus.” Rafe agreed with Adrien’s diagnosis that she should rest.

  She laughed. “Why does it feel like you guys are ganging up on me?” And she realized it had been a long time since a guy, other than a friend, had genuinely cared about her well-being.

  The past few years, most of the men in her life had wanted something from her. Her manager wanted her safe because she made him money. A lot of the men she’d dated had wanted to meet the celebrities she hung out with while surfing. Now she assumed if someone asked her out, it had absolutely nothing to do with her as a person.

  Except for Adrien and, now, Rafe. He’d been out of his mind the night before when he’d admitted he liked her. If he’d been the least bit clearheaded she wouldn’t have been able to keep her hands off him.

  “Why are the waves so big this morning?” Rafe asked as he sat on a stool in the kitchen and watched Adrien clean the small wound on her head.

  “There’s a tropical storm a few hundred miles away,” Kelly answered. “Will probably hit landfall in the next forty-eight hours or so. And Adrien, if you think I’m staying out of the water tomorrow, you’re nuts. I don’t get to practice that much and I’m not going to miss out on a chance like this.”

  The chef gave her an evil eye.

  “Hey, I forgot to ask. How is your leg doing?”

  “About a hundred times better than it was yesterday, thanks to you. Sorry for passing out last night.”

  “That was all part of my evil plan,” she said, “so I say it worked out just fine.”

  Adrien pronounced her ready to go.

  “What classes do you have to teach today?” Rafe asked.

  “The guests have left, so we won’t have any classes for a couple of days.” She scooted off the bar stool she’d been sitting on. “I let you sleep this morning, but I thought maybe a Pilates workout for you.”

  She grinned when he flinched. “It’s not that bad, although we could do something really fun instead. If your leg is up to it, there’s somewhere I’d like to take you. It’s a short hike, and a pretty easy one. But if you are in pain at all, we can do it another day.”

  Rafe pushed a damp curl off her forehead. The intimate gesture sent a frisson of heat through her body. “I’m up for whatever you want to do, Kelly.” His voice was soft and seductive.

  Excuse me while I melt here.

  Kelly cleared her throat.

  “You’re in Fiji so you have to visit Colo-I-Suva park. It’s a rain forest with beautiful pools and waterfalls. The wildlife is pretty spectacular.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll get cleaned up. What time do you want to leave?”

  Though the park had been her suggestion, she was a bit disappointed. They could have just hung out on the beach all day, especially if his leg was sore. Still, she reminded herself of the main reason for this expedition. They would be in the middle of the forest when she told him about her deception—they’d at least have to share a ride home while she begged him to forgive her.

  Rafe was a sweet guy. He’d understand.

  She hoped.

  9

  “THIS IS PARADISE, Kelly.” Rafe tried to take in everything before him. A waterfall with some of the clearest water he’d ever seen poured into the pool next to where they stood. Surrounded by lush vegetation and a spectacular array of colorful birds and other sights and sounds, it was like something straight out of a movie.

  She smiled knowingly. “I thought you might like it.” Dressed in a powder-blue bikini with her blond curls framing her face, she appeared to be a forest nymph prepared to do magic.

  In truth, she had worked magic on Rafe in a mere few days. The muscles in his leg were improved and his depression had eased. He wanted to get out and move, which had been a real problem the past few months. The doctors said he had PTSD, but he hadn’t believed them—at first. He did now. While he was in the hospital, his anger had become hard to control at times, and he wasn’t himself. The nightmares that continued to plague him were proof that he’d been far from over his ordeal.

  Yet, since he’d met Kelly, his nightmares had gone from causing him to jump up in the middle of the night to seeing the nightmares but only from a safe distance. He wasn’t actively involved in them any longer. He bet his shrink at the hospital would have a field day with that one.

  But Rafe was here. And he was with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, in a place that a postcard couldn’t do justice to. The greenery that surrounded the fast-running falls and pool they were now in was breathtaking.

  “There are some who believe that this water has healing powers because of the minerals that make up the riverbed,” Kelly explained. “That being said, be careful not to swallow the water. I’m sort of paranoid about bacteria after getting really sick off Dungeons in South Africa.”

  “Yep, in the Marines we talk about that a lot. Always clean your water. I won’t lie, I’m surprised by how soft and clear the water is. You’d think with the runoff that the pool would be a little hazy but it isn’t.”

  “One of the many miracles of this place.” Her expression changed dramatically. “Oh, um, maybe you should stay very still,” she whispered.

  Rafe did as she asked, wondering what was behind him. He’d read that there wasn’t much in the way of mammals on the island. Fruit bats were about it. Although there were all types of spiders and snakes.

  “Boa to your right,” she murmured. “They’re usually frightened of humans and head the other way. But this one seems to be curious about you. Can’t say I blame it—you are kind of delectable.”

  While Rafe appreciated the compliment, he hated snakes. In fact, he’d rather face enemy fire than any reptile. When he was young, he’d been fascinated by the Discovery Channel. His mom and dad had worked two jobs each back then to keep food on the table, and Kerr, his brother, had been in charge when they were gone, even though Kerr was only two years older than Rafe.

  One day during summer vacation when he and Kerr were home alone, Kerr thought it would be hilarious to tease Rafe unmercifully with a grass snake. Later that night, Kerr found a rattle, which sounded like the tail of a rattlesnake. Rafe ran and locked himself in the bathroom and slept in the tub. He figured he was safe there until he saw a show where snakes came up through the toilet. It was years before he stopped checking to make sure he didn’t see any in the bowl.

  “Rafe, you’re going white. Are you in pain?”

  Get it together, man. That thing might go after her.

  As a marine it was his job to protect her.

  “I’m fine. Not supercrazy about snakes,” he admitted. “Where is it now?”

  She chewed on her lip. “Really close to your left side,” she said quietly.

  Rafe kept his body still and craned his head around to see it.

  Crap. He wished he hadn’t done that. From what he could see, the thing was about ten feet long and huge. He’d seen them squeeze prey so tightly that they cut off their air supply, and then ate them whole.

  “I’d rather deal with these guys than sharks,” she whispered. “We have a lot of reef sharks who feed around the coral, and they are aggressive beasts.”

  She made a strange face.

  “What is
it?” Rafe asked through gritted teeth. Why hadn’t he brought his knife? And why was it that beauty always had some kind of catch? He was in a gorgeous place with an amazing woman, and facing down one of the creatures he hated most.

  Damn snakes. It took everything he had, every piece of the marine that he was, to keep from screaming like a girl and running from the jungle.

  If his buddies could see him now, they’d be laughing their asses off. Except for his friend Will, who was the only man who hated snakes more than Rafe.

  “There’s another one,” she said as she motioned for him to move slowly to his right. “I’m afraid we may be interrupting some kind of mating ritual. As fascinating as that might be to some people, I think it would be a good idea for us to get out of here,” she said, increasing her pace a little.

  He took her hand and they moved through the water away from the reptiles. But Rafe managed to keep an eye on the snakes, and he wasn’t happy when one of them took notice of them. “How close are we to dry land?” he asked.

  “About twenty feet,” she replied.

  “Close enough,” he said as he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder, running like he had enemy fire on his tail. When they reached the sandy bank, he didn’t stop. Those snakes were just as fast on land.

  “I’ll grab our stuff,” he said as they made it to the tree line.

  “You can put me down, Rafe. You’re going to kill your leg again.” Before he could do so, she squeaked like a mouse being chased by a cat. “Uh, scratch that. Run as fast as you can. The biggest one is headed our way. Stupid snake, go away.” She made shushing noises. “It’s probably trying to protect its territory.”

  Adrenaline coursed through Rafe as he fast-jogged down the path to the Jeep and tossed her in along with their things. He didn’t see the snake when he turned around, but he wasn’t about to wait for it to show up.

  Tires squealing, they sped down the trail.

  They’d gotten more than half a mile away when Rafe let up on the gas.

  Kelly’s shoulders shook.

  He touched her arm and she shifted toward him, laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes.

  Rafe couldn’t help but chuckle, too.

  “Next time,” she said as she worked to catch her breath, “you plan the seduction. So far I’m zero for two. Or maybe we should simply stay out of the water. I mean, is it me? Or did the snakes coming after us almost seem biblical in a way?”

  Rafe laughed until his stomach hurt.

  “I don’t know about biblical, but I do know I’ll never go back to that place no matter how beautiful it is.”

  He stopped himself from shuddering. Friggin’ snakes. At least he hadn’t screamed like a girl. Talk about a mood killer.

  “I’ve been there hundreds of times and I swear I’ve never even seen a snake,” she promised. “An occasional spider or lizard, but never a snake.”

  “Nice to know they came out just for me,” he joked. “So, you were going to seduce me?” Rafe changed the subject from reptiles.

  “I keep trying, but I don’t think I’m very good at it.”

  Rafe held her hands and faced her. “Kelly, you seduce me every time I look at you.”

  Her tanned cheeks burned pink. “Rafe, you can’t say stuff like that.”

  “Why not? It’s true.”

  She shook her head. “Because it makes it hard for me to keep my hands off you.”

  “Really?” He was intrigued.

  “Yes, and wanting your hands all over me. It makes me... I need— Oh, you know.” Seemingly embarrassed, she smiled.

  “I think I may have a way to satisfy that need.” He smiled back.

  Yes, he knew exactly how to help her.

  10

  KELLY WAS HOT for Rafe in the worst kind of way. The island was small, but the drive back to the resort seemed to be taking hours rather than minutes. His promise to satisfy her need had turned her inside out.

  Rafe pulled the Jeep into the circular driveway and stopped.

  Kelly shivered with anticipation.

  And then she nearly tripped over her feet at the sexy smile he gave her as he helped her out of the car.

  Pulling her into his arms, Rafe cradled the back of her neck with his hand. She didn’t wait for him to take control. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him.

  Using her tongue, she ran it across his lips. His mouth opened with a groan, and power surged through her.

  He wanted her every bit as much as she did him.

  Tugging his hand, she led him up the front steps. And she kept walking backward until her butt hit the door. Their lips never separated, instead their kiss deepened.

  When the door opened suddenly they jumped apart. “Oh, darling, it’s you! I thought I heard something,” her mother’s sweeping voice said from the foyer.

  What is she doing in Fiji? In my house!

  Kelly stared, stunned. Rafe had to hold on to her shoulders so that she didn’t almost fall over.

  “She’s always been a bit of a klutz away from her surfboard,” her mother noted in her most pleasant voice.

  “I think she’s incredible,” Rafe said. His declaration held a soft warning for her mother to back off. Not many men acted that way toward her mother, who had an ethereal beauty and a strange kind of power that drew people, especially men, to her.

  Chalk one up for the marine. Kelly loved his protectiveness. It would be nice for once to have someone on her side.

  “Mom, what are you doing here?” Kelly asked as she motioned for her mother to back up so they could enter the mansion.

  “I took your advice, Kels. I’m on vacation. I didn’t even tell the housekeeper where I was headed. And you’ll be proud. I packed my own bag, and I only brought one. Though, I’m probably going to have to buy a few things while I’m here.”

  Her mother followed them into the main living area.

  “When I said that about getting away, I meant for you to take your girlfriends and go to a spa in Northern California or something.”

  Why did her mother have to be here? Now? Talk about a cold shower without the water.

  “You’re Kelly’s mother?” Rafe asked.

  “Yes,” her mother said, looking skeptically at Rafe. “And I suppose you’re the marine she’s been telling me about.”

  “I better be the marine,” Rafe teased. “She’s so beautiful that I’ve had to beat the men off with a stick just to get a few minutes alone with her. I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I’m a bit protective of—of my friends.”

  He cleared his throat.

  “Well, isn’t Kelly a lucky lady to have such a wonderful—friend.” Her mother smiled knowingly.

  Kelly grinned.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” Rafe held out his hand while keeping Kelly tucked under his other arm.

  Her mother shook his hand and then turned her attention back to her daughter. “I’ve been to every spa in California, darling. I decided that Fiji would be a nice change. And I doubt your father will think to look for me here.”

  That was a lie. When her dad got home, he’d call Kelly and Mimi to find out if they knew where their mother was. He knew his daughters were terrible liars. Okay, Kelly usually was. But lying to Rafe was killing her—every time she tried to tell him, something or someone intervened.

  Part of her wondered if these were signs that she was to wait a little longer before admitting the truth.

  “How did you two meet?” her mother asked.

  Kelly scoffed and tried to wave away the question. The last thing she needed was for Rafe to mention Mimi.

  Catching Rafe’s attention, she drew him to one of the overstuffed sectionals. “There’s a party tonight at the Bay Breeze. Adrien’s band is playing, and th
ey’re actually pretty good. I promised him I’d be there. Would you like to go?” she asked. “With me?” she quickly added, as if he didn’t know.

  “I’m always up for a good band.” Rafe leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’ll let you two catch up. I will see you this evening, Kelly.”

  As much as she hated to see him go, she was almost giddy with relief that her mother hadn’t ruined everything. The door closed behind him and she blew out a breath against her teeth.

  Focusing her attention back to the matter at hand, she leveled a gaze at the woman across the room. “Mom, we have one rule. You call before you show up. It’s the only rule you and I have, unlike the seven thousand, six hundred and seventy that you have with Mimi.”

  “Darling, I arrived at the airport and walked up to the first counter I saw. They had two flights taking off within the hour. One was coming here and the other to someplace in the Middle East. I thought this might be safer.”

  Ha! What a tall tale that was. Her mother could survive anywhere. People always went out of their way to help her. In spite of her modeling days being over, her fashion and makeup lines were extremely popular and meant she was still recognized around the world.

  As much as she loved her mother and really didn’t mind the drama that came with her, Kelly really didn’t want her screwing things up with her marine.

  “Mom, this thing with Rafe is very new, and if you wreck it for me, I will never forgive you,” she told her honestly. “I know you’re peeved at Dad, but you have to lay low while you’re here. No twenty questions or mind games. Rafe doesn’t like that sort of thing.” Or in her mother’s case, five hundred questions.

  “Lovely daughter of mine, you are beginning to make me feel unwanted.” Her mother poured herself a fruit-juicy-looking drink, probably a mimosa given the time of day. Her mother always combined her liquor with fruit, believing the antioxidants in the fruit counteracted the potentially disastrous effects of the alcohol. It must work because her mother drank like a fish and yet looked fabulous.