Playboy in Paradise: The Complete Set

by S. L. Scott

My nerves kick in again at the thought of encountering his mother on my own, but feel I should probably be brave and try to do this to show Evan I’m making an effort. I also want to make an effort for my own sake. Trying not to think about the first time I met his mom, I answer, “Thanks, but I need to use the restroom anyway. I’ll get the drinks.”

  When I start walking, the party suddenly goes silent. I look back over my shoulder and five pairs of eyes watch me head for the door. “The show is over people. Carry on talking amongst yourselves.” I roll my eyes right before I enter the kitchen.

  “Hi, you must be Mallory,” A welcoming woman says, making her way around the marble counter to shake my hand.

  “Yes,” I nod, not knowing who this is.

  “I’m Gail—”

  “Ms. Chart, I’d like you to keep the formalities of the house with our guests, whether they’re welcome or not,” Evan’s mother says, curt in her tone. She walks toward me from a large sitting room that is impeccable and too formal in décor, considering we’re in Hawaii.

  My stomach flips inside out and I’m rendered speechless. She walks straight up to me, and says, “You’re Evan’s friend from the other night?”

  I nod, completely incapable of using my voice. From out of nowhere, Kate is behind me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Mother, this is Evan’s girlfriend, Mallory.”

  “Oh,” she responds, placing her hand on her chest as if in shock.

  Finally, remembering how to speak, I say, “I’m Mallory.” Gulp. “Wray. It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Ashford.”

  She tilts her head as if critiquing my every move. I watch her, waiting for her to say something else, anything else. I’m on guard, but know I need her approval and don’t want to be disrespectful.

  Kate walks around me, filling the awkward silence. “Would you like a Mai Tai, Mallory? Evan wants a beer. I’ll get the drinks and you can use the bathroom.”

  “Uh, yeah, that sounds good. Thank you.” She’ll never know how much I appreciate the chance to escape this uncomfortable situation.

  “Ms. Chart will show you the way. Kate, may I speak with you for a moment,” Mrs. Ashford calmly directs.

  Ms. Chart waves me over to follow. “Right this way, Mallory.” As soon as we turn the corner and enter a long corridor, she says, “It’s the third door down on the right.”

  I look at her a second, taking in her rounded features and kindness, and I smile. “Thank you.”

  Her smile is filled with warmth and makes me feel like we’re already family.

  When I finish in the restroom, I walk back down the corridor and notice the last door on the left is open.

  “Mallory, do you have a minute?” Ms. Chart is sitting on a bed welcoming me inside. I nod and walk in, sitting down next to her. Her words are soft, comforting as she speaks. “I just want you to know that I’m really glad to finally meet you. Evan has told me so many wonderful things about you.”

  “He’s talked about you also, but I had no idea he told anyone about me.”

  “You’re very special. Not only because he talks about you and he never talks about girls, but because, if I may be so blunt,” she lowers her voice, “you’ve brought my Evan back. The Evan he used to be. I hope you don’t mind me sharing this with you. I already feel close to you, like I know you. Evan would call me a sentimental fool.”

  “Well, there is nothing wrong with that and I feel the same about you.” I feel at ease considering I just met her. Even her calling Evan ‘My Evan’ doesn’t bother me because I know exactly what she means. “I like that you’re honest. I’ll be honest, too. It’s not been easy and meeting his family, well, other than Kate, is quite nerve-wracking.” I look down at my hands. “To say the least.”

  “I’m not Mrs. Ashford. She has this idea of who Evan’s supposed to be and it’s suffocating him. Please don’t let her scare you away though. She can be very kind and generous once you get to know her.” Ms. Chart places her hand lovingly on my forearm while airing a more serious tone. “It might not be easy. I won’t lie to you, but he needs you and I can tell he cares for you very much.” She leans over and hugs me. Her embrace is sincere and caring. “Thank you, Mallory.”

  “Don’t thank me. It’s all him. He’s special.”

  She smiles warmly, and in that smile I see why Evan seems to bond with her in such a familial way.

  Standing up, I thank her before walking back through the kitchen. I hear my friends laughing outside as I head for the door.

  “He’s not as good as you think he is. He has problems he hasn’t worked through yet.”

  I look over my shoulder and see Evan’s mother sitting in a pale yellow club chair in the breakfast room. Taking the doorknob in hand, I turn around. I want to ignore her poisonous words, but I also can’t hide my thoughts on the matter. “He’s also not as bad as you think he is.” Opening the door, I exit the house and join my friends.

  Evan is all smiles, and my heart soars just looking at him. This is right. We are right. I won’t let his mother ruin us.

  After taking a seat next to Evan, I look around and watch as everyone starts to couple off, getting lost in their own worlds. Murphy is tending the barbeque pit while Kate leans against his back supervising, as if she needs to. It’s obvious she just wants to be touching him.

  Sunny sits on Zach’s lap, whispering to him, making him giggle like they’re fifteen-year-olds. He rubs her arm, enchanted by her, which makes me smile.

  “Hey there,” my surfer whispers in my ear, his voice laced with possibility. “Are you hungry? I noticed a delicious looking fruit salad on the buffet.”

  I giggle at the insinuation, remembering how naughty he was with fruit on the beach just days earlier.

  Looking at him, at my Evan—maybe it’s the star-filled night or all that we’ve been through, maybe it’s that I feel in control after giving his mom a small piece of my mind, but I’m not hungry. I’m happy and satisfied and full of love for him. Leaning my body against his, I rest my head on his chest, right over his heart and wrap my arms around him. “I’m wonderful.”

  His arms gently work their way around me, and I snuggle even closer. “You sure? I’ll give you anything you want,” he says, both of us knowing he’s not talking about food. I nod not wanting to leave the warmth of his body. “Do you want to stay or would you rather leave? We can go to my place or for a walk on the beach?”

  “Let’s go for a walk.”

  We stroll a short distance in silence before he takes me in his arms again and kisses me—deep and meaningful, full of hope and a future.

  When I pull back from the only place I really want to be, I confide, “Evan, I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to lose you either.” My voice is a whisper in the wind, but loud enough for him to hear my plea.

  He runs his hands on either side of my face then pushes the blowing strands behind my ears. As he holds me, his eyes search mine. With a most confident grin, he says, “Just because you have to go back to school doesn’t mean you’ll lose me. I’m yours. You marked my heart as yours the day I met you. So relax in the knowledge that I’ll be here, soulless, heartless, less of a man altogether until I see you again.” He pulls me against him, burying me in his possessive embrace and kisses my head. “I’ll visit you as much as you’ll let me.”

  “How can I relax knowing you’re living life halfheartedly?” I laugh softly. “And I feel the same about you.”

  “Does that mean if you have my heart and soul and I have your heart and soul then we are whole?”

  “Yes, I feel complete knowing I’ll have a part of you with me.”

  He lightly chuckles. “You’ll have the only parts that matter.”

  With closed eyes, I press my ear against him and listen to the rhythm of my heart beating in his chest.

  Taking his hand in mine, I guide him back down the beach to the stone steps that lead up to the house. I stop on the first step so that I’m eye level with him and wrap my arms aro
und his neck, kissing the smooth skin behind his earlobe that always elicits a smile and laugh from my ticklish man. I whisper, “I love you. You don’t have to say it back. You’ve shown me time and time again how much you love me.”

  Cupping my face in his large hands, he presses his forehead against mine. I hear him gulp as he closes his eyes, the words stuck in an undercurrent of emotion.

  I close my eyes, shivering from the breeze that surrounds us and listening to the waves crashing nearby. “I meant what I said, Evan. This is enough.”

  “Mallory,” he says, and I look up into his dark, deep blues. “I … one day, I’ll be what you deserve. I’ll be everything you ever wanted.”

  “You’re everything I never knew I needed.”

  Our lips meet, and under a full Hawaiian moon, that kiss tells me we were always meant to be more than a fling in paradise.

  That summer, we became forever.

  Redeeming the Playboy

  31

  Mallory

  “You always look incredible, but more in a beach-laidback-natural-hottie kind of way,” Sunny says, smiling. My childhood friend has always been a great confidence booster. She pushes my long brown hair behind my shoulders, appraising and approving. “You’re going to knock your man’s flip flops off when he sees you all dressed up at the party tonight.”

  I love my friends but the attention, although lovely, makes me feel self-conscious. I turn toward the mirror and pat the blush pink mini-dress fabric down over my stomach, which is noticeably flatter and toner under this fitted material. There’s no hiding in something so tight, but this dress has a sweet charm of innocence about it as well. It’s appropriate for meeting the parents and impressing the boyfriend equally.

  Doing a turn to see the back of the dress, I realize I’ve been vacationing in paradise over a month now. Hawaii is more amazing than I expected and a bonus is that I’m much more active here than back at school, where I’m bogged down with schoolwork and part-time jobs. I’ve caught the Aloha spirit and I can already tell it’s going to be hard to board that plane back to Colorado in August.

  “You make that dress look amazing, Mallory.” Evan’s sister, Kate, stands behind me and our eyes connect in the mirror’s reflection.

  “No lie?” I say, needing to be reassured one more time.

  “No lie,” she responds softly and smiles. “Evan is gonna love it on you.”

  Feeling my cheeks heat, I look down, thinking of Evan. My boyfriend. My sexy surfer—the man I’ve fallen head over heels, hands, and common sense for since the moment I landed on the island. He’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen and all that’s sexy—his hard, chiseled body, his sun-lightened messy hair, his brilliant mind, and his smooth-talking lines—yep, all mine. Although I shouldn’t admit it, I’m in way too deep with him and too happy and in love to care. Looking into the mirror again, I smile. This time because Sunny and Kate are right. Evan is going to love this dress.

  “A toast is in order,” Kate says as she pours three glasses of champagne. “This is our only chance to look fancy in Hawaii.” She raises her glass into the air and we follow suit. “Here’s to Fourth of July parties, carefree summers, and our sexy men!”

  We clink glasses and drink, downing more than half the champagne. Liquid courage is needed for me to show off this dress like it deserves.

  As I put on my makeup, Kate sits next to me on the bed. Her bedroom at her parent’s Hawaiian mansion is where we decided to get ready for their annual Fourth of July party. Her room is spacious, spotless, and very feminine. Each of us sets up in a corner and we spread our stuff out. “You know, Evan’s told me how much he loves your eyes. He called them hopeful and infinite,” she says casually.

  After spending half my summer getting to know Evan’s stunning sister, I’ve come to realize that Kate never says anything casual. She’s smart as a whip and usually two steps ahead with a plan or two that she’s plotting. I don’t doubt her sincerity when it comes to our friendship. I know she likes me and has been a big supporter of my relationship with her brother, which she’s had to defend. Deep down I feel their mother hates me for winning her golden boy’s heart.

  “Really?” I ask, touched that Evan would confide in her like that.

  “Yes, he found some sea glass down on the beach yesterday and said it reminded him of your pretty green eyes.” She leans over for a closer look. “You do have pretty eyes.”

  “Thanks. You know, I always wanted blue like Evan’s when I was little.”

  “So did I.” She bats her lashes at me and smirks. “Instead, I got my father’s brown eyes.”

  I laugh and dig my mascara out of my bag. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, and please don’t feel pressured to tell me or anything, but I’ve been curious about Evan’s past.”

  She takes the mascara from me and says, “I’ll do your lashes. Look up at the ceiling for me.”

  Following her instructions, I look up as she coats my upper lashes, not sure if I really want to know about Evan’s mysterious past or not. Evan is amazing. I have no doubt that he loves me even though he hasn’t returned the verbal endearment yet. Something deep inside is keeping him from opening up the way I want, the way I’m ready for him to and I want to know what that is, so I prod. “Something happened to him and I think it’s why he had trouble at college.” I leave it at that to observe her reaction.

  She stops and looks up at the ceiling, pondering what I’ve said. “Evan hasn’t told you what happened four years ago?”

  “No,” I shake my head, my stomach twisting in anxiety.

  A smile appears, soft and understanding. “I promised him a long time ago that I wouldn’t tell anyone. But you should know that although what he went through was painful for me and my parents, it changed who he is. It changed us all. That’s all I feel I can share without breaking my promise to him.”

  I’m a bit disappointed, but not surprised by her words. My conversation with Ms. Chart the night I met her leads me to think the same. Whatever his secret is, he’s keeping it that way for a reason, but I can’t help my curiosity and hope he trusts me enough to tell me one day.

  An hour later, we’re ready with our hair styled, our party dresses on, and feeling bubbly like the two bottles of champagne we polished off. We walk through the breakfast room and out the open doors that lead to the pool. The deck area is beautifully decorated, his mother’s attention to detail on full display. The party has begun and I see the first few guests ordering cocktails from the bar. Looking around, I don’t see Evan, so I follow the girls to the bar.

  “Katie, you look beautiful.” I hear a male voice greet her from behind me.

  “Hi, Daddy,” Kate says with a bright smile, her eyes lighting up and arms going out for a hug. “Let me introduce you to my friends. Hugh Ashford, this is Sunny Ladell and this is Mallory Wray.” She winks at me then looks back at her father. “Mallory is Evan’s girlfriend.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you.” His eyes scan mine like he’s trying to understand something. It becomes obvious his wife has told him about me. He probably expected a three-headed monster after listening to her. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says, and it makes me wonder if he means from Evan or his mother, but I don’t dare ask. “You’re very lovely.”

  “Thank you,” I respond. “I’ve heard a lot about you too, Mr. Ashford.”

  “That can’t be good, but I’m not afraid of a little hard work to prove all those rumors wrong. And please call me Hugh.” We laugh politely, and then he says, “I hope you ladies have a nice time tonight and please try not to send my guests to the hospital.” He leans closer. “Three beautiful women, lots of old men with weak hearts, you could do a lot of damage at this party.” He winks at us, leaving us giggling as he walks away to greet other guests.

  He was not what I expected at all. How is he the husband of the Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side?

  “I’ll call and find out what’s holding up the guys,” Kate says. “Make your
selves at home. Food is over there. The bar is behind you.”

  “I should’ve used the bathroom before we came out. Want to come with me?” Sunny asks.

  “Nah, go ahead,” I reply, “I’ll be here.” Walking over the large deck to the edge of the grass, I look out at the sunset and think about Evan. The girls made me promise to spend the day with them to prepare, which meant a day away from him. With only a month left on the island, every minute feels precious. My heart speeds up in anticipation of seeing him soon, and I turn to scan the crowd once more. I’m left disappointed and a little anxious he’s not here yet.

  “Mallory, there you are.” Although I recognize this voice of evil, Evan’s mother doesn’t sound mean . She actually sounds… friendly. Maybe this is the turning point, and she has come to accept me. Or maybe I should brace myself. I’m undecided when I turn around.

  Claire Ashford is walking toward me with wide open arms and a smile on her face so big it could outshine a movie star’s. She takes my hands in hers and holds them out to the side to look me over. “You look nice.” She glances behind her then leans in closer, her expression darkens minutely as she says, “There’s someone I want you to meet—a friend of Evan’s.”

  Before she finishes her sentence, I see her and the name escapes me before I can stop it. “Kelly.” Stupid, pretty, blonde girl and goodbye kisses at the airport. My Evan. Jealousy and possessiveness grabs a hold of me as the memory comes back.

  “Oh!” Mrs. Ashford exclaims, surprised I know the girl’s name. “I wasn’t aware you already knew each other.”

  How could I forget it? The image of her, tears streaking down her tanned skin as she kissed Evan goodbye flashes through my mind. Even then I noticed that she is the opposite of me visually and that instantly turns my stomach inside out. She’s here for him, for my surfer, for my boyfriend, for my Evan. What if he prefers her? “Shit!” I say, the word blurting out uncontrolled as an ache in my heart overflows into my veins.