She chuckled. “I probably was at the airport, but you seem to be the accident-prone person now.”
“Me?” His voice lifted.
“Let’s see… first the elevator – although that really wasn’t your fault – then there was the dog sled when you fell off, and when we were skiing—”
“All right, I get the picture,” he quickly interrupted.
“But that’s okay. I don’t mind at all.” She held her breath, wondering why she’d spoken so softly just then.
He took her fingers still on his arm and lifted them to his mouth. Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he brushed soft kisses over her knuckles. She wanted to sigh aloud but didn’t dare. He was certainly acting like the perfect gentleman now.
He stopped kissing her knuckles just briefly and smiled. “What if I told you my clumsiness is due to the fact that I’m falling for you?”
The humor caught her off guard and she laughed. This was probably the wrong time for that emotion, but she loved his sense of humor. “If that’s what you think, then what was my excuse at the airport?”
One of his eyebrows arched higher than the other. “Maybe you had fallen for me first.”
Her heart leapt. Not that she had fallen for him, but she had thought he was one good-looking man. “I refuse to answer that one.”
His gaze lowered to her mouth. Excitement shot through her. He wanted to kiss her… and she wanted it to happen. They were close enough. He could lean in a little and she could tilt toward him as they met in the middle.
As he made his move, someone knocked on the door. She jumped in her seat, pulling away. Good grief! What had she been thinking? There was too much going on with the dinner and waiting for Rosetta to have a passionate moment with him.
He hurried to the door and opened it. Three restaurant servers pushed in carts of food. Steele pointed toward the table just as his cell phone buzzed. He glanced down at the text message. Ivy watched him to see if the message was happy or sad, and when his mouth twitched into a grin, she had received her answer. While the servers were setting up their dinner, Steele moved next to her at the table.
“Rosetta just sent me a text. It looks like she won’t be joining us for dinner. My father wants her to run another errand for him.”
Ivy’s breath caught in her throat. She and Steele were going to be alone? She could scarcely breathe due to the excitement bouncing through her like a kangaroo on steroids. “Oh, that’s… too bad. I was hoping she would have found our couple for the commercial.”
“If she found them, I’m sure we’ll hear soon.”
When the servers were finished, Steele slipped them some money and instructed them to return the extra plate of food to the kitchen. As they left, he closed the door behind them. Heading back to the table, Ivy noticed his mouth appeared as if he was trying really hard not to smile, but his gorgeous eyes twinkled with mirth.
He took his seat near her and they started eating. Nothing was really said while they ate – and occasional umm… or this is delicious – but that was all. Ivy tried not to rush her dinner even though she was starved for food. However, more than that, she was starved for a man’s gentle touch and loving kiss, and all the other wonderful emotions that accompanied the beginning of a relationship.
But was this a real relationship? Or was it something to fill their space between now and when the commercial was finished? She hoped she’d find out his true feelings tonight.
THIRTEEN
Steele waited for Ivy to finish her meal before taking her hand and walking her to the cozy loveseat near the fireplace. She looked as nervous as he felt, but at least he knew she wanted this. If the servers from the restaurant hadn’t interrupted them, he and Ivy would have shared their first kiss already. Sitting next to her this closely made him glad they hadn’t kissed yet. Here on the couch would be much cozier.
He shifted his upper body to face her and she copied his movements. When her gaze met with his, he didn’t want to look away. Ever. He enjoyed seeing her soft smile and the way she studied his face. He didn’t know what to say, but something had to be said. They couldn’t communicate with each other in silence… unless maybe through a kiss.
“You know,” Ivy said, breaking the silence, “I’m really disappointed that you don’t want your face in the commercial.” She reached up and grazed her fingers along his jaw. “You really have remarkable features.”
“Let’s say I agreed to be in the commercial, do you think more people would come to the island for their vacation?”
“I know marketing, and when you put a gorgeous man’s face on an ad or in a commercial, women are going to sit up and take notice. Just like there is a sexy woman in a car commercial. More men are going to take notice.”
“If I agree to be in our commercial, what woman will you pick for me to fall in love with?”
During her pause, he noticed her breathing had become ragged. “I don’t know, but she’ll have to be as perfect as you.”
He laughed. “Perfect? Sweetie, I’m far from perfect.”
“Why do you think that? Do you still think your nose is broken?”
“Well… I’m actually starting to doubt my mother’s doctor now. I think he just wanted another paying client.”
“Good, because your nose isn’t broken. There is nothing wrong with your face.”
He cupped the side of her head, scooting closer. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll promise to be the main guy in the commercial on one condition.”
“What’s that?” Her voice lowered slightly.
“If I agree to be the guy in your commercial, you have to be the woman.”
She chuckled. “Good try, but no. It won’t work like that. I have to be behind the camera.”
“Why?”
“Well… to make sure the scene is being shot correctly.”
“Ivy, are you going to be the only person shooting this commercial?”
“Of course not. Rosetta told me that your father would hire some people to help me.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “There you go. You can be in the commercial with me and after each scene, you can run through the video to make sure it’s being done correctly.”
“No, it just doesn’t work like that—”
“Are you afraid the others my dad will hire won’t know how to do what you want?”
“They’d better know what they’re doing.”
“Good.” He trailed his thumb down to her lips and lightly brushed the pad of his thumb across them. “Because you are the only woman I want playing that part so, if I’m going to be the main man, you’re going to be the main woman.”
“I… I…”
He loved how she’d suddenly become speechless. Then again, her gaze was riveted on his mouth and he hoped she was thinking the same thing he was. “Ivy, we’ll be perfect together.”
“I… guess.”
“But there’s just one thing I’m not sure about,” he said, trying not to break the mood by laughing with glee.
“What is that?” she whispered.
“I need to make sure that at the end of the commercial when the man and woman kiss – that we will be able to make viewers think we’re really falling in love.” He leaned closer, bringing his mouth until it was a breath away from hers. “What do you think? Should we see if that’s something we can accomplish?”
Her answer was to close her eyes and press her mouth against him, sighing headily. He slid his arms around her, pulling her closer. She relaxed in his arms as he kissed her passionately. His heart soared, especially when she ran her palm over his chest and up to his neck.
The sparks he’d been experiencing since they first met finally exploded into fireworks. He’d never felt this way about a woman, especially since only just meeting her a few days ago. He hoped she would feel the same about him, too. But if her deep kisses and heavy sighs had anything to do with how she felt, he was sure her thoughts were aligning perfectly with his.
The sudden knock up
on the door startled both of them, because she jumped as high as he did. He grumbled under his breath as their kiss broke. He should have hung a do not disturb sign on the door.
He stayed on the couch, slowly coming out of his state of bliss as he stared at her pink cheeks and swollen lips. She had the prettiest wistful eyes as if she’d just awaken from a wonderful dream, which was the way he felt right now. All he wanted to do was take her back into his arms and continue the kiss.
Someone knocked on the door again, completely snapping him back to reality. He clenched his jaw and stormed to the door, ready to tell the person to leave him alone. He opened the door, preparing his speech… but his older brother’s large frame took Steele off guard. He gasped and stepped back, not believing his eyes. This was a brother who had always been bossy when Steele was growing up, but he had finally mellowed. Of course, it helped when he found the perfect woman to give his heart to and settle down.
“Hey, bro,” Steele said with a grin. “What are you doing here?”
Dancer motioned over his shoulder at the five other men exiting the elevator carrying cameras, microphones, and lighting.
“Evelyn Reese mentioned you needed to borrow this from my television studio. I didn’t know where to place these things, which is why I’m here.”
“Uh, sure. I mean, you can keep them in my apartment for now.” Steele stepped aside, allowing the men to bring in the equipment.
Ivy rushed over to Steele, grasping his arm. Excitement danced in her intoxicating hazel eyes.
“Oh, thank you,” she said to Dancer. “This is perfect.”
Steele’s older brother ran his gaze up and down Ivy before giving him that big brother curious look. Steele chuckled. “Ivy, meet my brother—”
“Dancer,” she quickly inserted. “Yes, I recognize your face.”
Dancer’s eyes widened. “You do?”
She chuckled. “I have researched these islands, and your picture is on your website.”
“Oh, well…” He reached forth his right hand in greeting. “Nice to meet you, Ivy. You must be the woman our dear old dad hired to film the commercial.”
Her cheeks grew red. “Yes, that’s me.”
“Great, then here you are.” He motioned to the equipment now inside Steele’s front room. “I’m sure you know what you’re doing, right?”
She smiled wide. “Yes, I know, and I’ll take good care of it.”
“Just let Cupid know when you’re done, and he can call me to come back and get it.”
Steele seethed under his breath. All of his brothers knew how he didn’t like to be called Cupid. But knowing Dancer, that brother liked to tease. “Yes, I’ll definitely call you.”
Dancer stood quiet, moving his gaze between Steele and Ivy. Suddenly, he became very aware of how he must look. Ivy’s lips were slightly swollen and red, which meant he probably looked the same way. Steele would never hear the end of this now…
“Thanks again,” Steele said quickly, wanting his brother to leave. “I appreciate you coming all this way to deliver the equipment.”
Dancer shrugged. “It’s the least I could do for my kid brother.” He winked. “It was nice to meet you, Ivy. I hope to see more of you soon.”
“Yes, I’m sure you will,” she answered sweetly.
Once Dancer and his crew walked back to the elevator, Steele closed the door. Ivy moved away from him to inspect each camera, each light, and each microphone. The look of happiness on her face made his heart melt. Suddenly, he wanted to make her this happy. He wanted her to look at him this way because of something he did – not his brother.
“Oh, Steele. This is just so wonderful. We can get started on the commercial tomorrow.”
He moved closer to her, sliding his arm around her waist. Automatically, she turned toward him and placed her hand on his chest. He liked the way she snuggled up next to him, and he wanted more. “Your eyes are dancing with enthusiasm.”
“I get this way just thinking about starting a new project, and knowing you’ll be working beside me, makes it even better.”
She leaned up and kissed his lips, but before he could turn the moment more passionate, she moved out of his arms and to the door.
“I better go. I have a bunch of things to prepare before tomorrow. Thank you for dinner, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As she left, his heart sank. She had thanked him for dinner, but not the kiss? Perhaps he was making too much out of this, but dang it, he had felt something special with her. Was it wrong for him to hope she’d felt the same way?
FOURTEEN
The following twenty-four hours seemed like a fight against time. Steele had mentioned a snowstorm would be coming, and the bitter cold air and light wind were not making filming outdoors very comfortable, no matter how bundled she was in her coat and scarf. Unfortunately, she couldn’t wear gloves, but Steele stepped in often to help her warm her freezing fingers. He held them between his hands and rubbed briskly, and he had even stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her as she stuffed her hands into her coat pockets. Sadly, Ivy couldn’t stay like this all the time, and she had to move away to make sure the cameras were running smoothly.
Steele was so attentive, which made her heart skip a beat. It was like being in a relationship again… a real relationship. Yet, in the back of her mind, she kept reminding herself that this was only a winter fling. Soon, she would go her way and he would return to his old life.
Evelyn’s suggestions were very helpful. She seemed to know what to do behind the scenes, which surprised Ivy. The older woman also knew if the sun was too bright in one spot, or wasn’t enough light in the other. It was good to have someone who could read Ivy’s mind because if Steele was too close and holding her, the ideas in her head for the scene seemed to vanish and all she wanted to do was cuddle… and kiss, which hadn’t happened yet today.
Finally, they finished shooting the dog sled scene. She and Steele played the main couple in the commercial, and it thrilled her that he didn’t act uncomfortable having the cameras on his face. She had decided to play out the scene in the exact same way she and Steele had been doing the other day. It was definitely funnier the first time when it had happened, even though the crew laughed while they were practicing.
Ivy ended the day at eight-thirty in the evening. Because the it was the same light as earlier, she could have continued for several more hours, but she didn’t want to wear out the crew or the extra couples Rosetta had found to be in the commercial. Ivy told everyone that they’d start at ten o’clock in the morning unless it was snowing.
She entered her room, dragging her tired cold feet toward the bathroom to start her bathwater. A good soak in very warm bubbled water was exactly what she wanted. If she didn’t fall asleep in the tub, she would definitely zonk out when she climbed into bed.
Humming a Christmas song, she hurried to get her PJ’s ready along with her furry pink slippers for when she was finished with her bath. Just as she turned the knobs to stop the tub’s water, there was a knock at the suite’s door. She sighed with a frown. It was either Steele or Rosetta, and right now all Ivy wanted to do was relax.
She wiped her wet hands on her pants and hurried to the front door. Steele stood in front of her, holding a single red rose, smiling.
“Congratulations on your first day of shooting.”
She laughed and took the flower. As much as she wanted to let him in, the bath was calling to her. “Oh, Steele. This is so sweet.” She lifted the flower to her nose and inhaled its lovely fragrance.
“I hope I’m not bothering you.” He gently cupped her face. “But I’ve had to share you all day, and I’m in the mood for some alone time with my favorite girl.”
She sighed again, this time with an apologetic smile. “Actually, you are the one who is sweet.” She paused briefly, collecting her weary thoughts before speaking. “But I’m exhausted and all I want to do is take a nice hot bath and relax.”
His charming smile disapp
eared, and he leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, dropping his hand from her face. “I’m sorry. I should have figured you’d be tired after the first day.”
Feeling guilty for turning him down, she stepped closer and laid her hand on his chest, gazing up into his face. “Steele, as much as I want to spend more alone time with you, I’m afraid I might fall asleep.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind cuddling with you on the couch as you sleep on my chest.”
“Yes, that does sound tempting.”
He moved closer, sliding both arms around her waist. “I won’t disturb your sleep, I promise.”
As her mind tried to think of a nice way of turning him away, two resort employees walked off the elevators and moved toward them. From their uniforms, they appeared to work in the restaurant and could have even been the servers who’d brought up last night’s dinner. As soon as their gazes landed on Ivy and Steele, they grinned but tried to hide it.
Immediately, her curiosity grew. Was there gossip going around about Steele and Ivy? It wouldn’t surprise her. Places like this thrived on gossiping about their guests.
Steele glanced over his shoulder and looked at them before giving them a nod. “Good evening,” he said politely.
The taller man out of the two appeared to be the older one. He was probably in his early twenties. The two slowed their steps as they approached Steele and Ivy.
“Is there a problem?” Steele asked.
“No, sir.” The blonde man said, glancing at his shorter friend with curly blond hair. “We just wanted to see if it worked.”
The blond man chuckled but didn’t speak.
“Worked?” Steele asked. “What worked?”
“Last night when Rosetta planned on giving the two of you an evening of romance, Joel and I made a bet to see if it would work.” His laughter grew. “Joel didn’t think you’d fall for Rosetta’s trick, but I thought,” he puffed out his chest, “that Miss Kidman’s beauty and charm would capture you for sure.”
The shocking news had Ivy stiffening her body as she glared at the two servers. “Rosetta had planned not to come for dinner?”
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