on the soft white sand as the ocean roared gently in the distance. She had stormed out after their mind-altering kiss, leaving him wanting more. Much, much more. He finally spotted her near a clump of coconut palms. Her hair whipped around her face and the full moon cast its ethereal glow on her. The breeze wrapped her dress tightly around her delicious curves. She looked like a sexy goddess who had emerged from the depths of the ocean. Desire rampaged through him.
She walked towards him and challenged him, ‘Do you mind telling me what that was all about?’
She looked super-hot when she was angry was the unbidden thought that leaped into his mind. His emotions were way beyond control as he struggled not totake her in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. ‘You really have a short memory, don’t you? Remember, you were upset when I refused—’
‘Exactly! You
refused
to be my fake fiancé.’
‘So, I changed my mind.’ He shrugged. ‘Is that a crime?’
She spluttered, ‘You changed your mind… But why?’
‘I had my reasons.’
‘Stop talking in riddles, will you?’
‘O-o-o-K,’ he said as if talking to a child. ‘Here’s the chain of events. One. There’s a blast from the past—your words, remember? Two. You ask me to be your fiancé. Three. You bump into a guy and have a huge row with him. Four. Turns out the guy is your ex and he is planning to go public about your break-up. Five. The thought of a scandal scares the hell out of you. Doesn’t take much to connect the dots.’
‘Connect the dots?’ she said, crossing her arms across her chest.
Why the heck was she repeating his words like a parrot?
‘Now let’s get some things straight. One. You’re right—I could happily slit Sid’s throat, but not for the reasons you think. Two. I don’t need you to do me any favours. Three. Scandal scares me—who gave you that stupid idea? Do me a favour and stop connecting dots or squares or whatever!’
‘Hmm…then why exactly did you want us to pretend to be in a fake relationship if not to keep the sordid details of your break-up a secret?’
Sordid!
‘You—you have just managed to complicate my life even more. Not only do I have to come clean about my so-called “sordid break-up,” but, guess what, I also have to cook up a story about how I found myself a spanking-new fiancé in double-quick time. Oh, andsince you are into doing favours, would you know if I can buy a card here that says “Thank you for making me out to be a two-timing harlot”? I need to send it to one interfering soul.’
‘Whoa! Whoa!’ His eyes twinkled with amusement though his mouth barely tilted at the corners.
She was so
mad
she would happily stuff some sand down his sexy throat if he so much as cracked a smile!
‘Now will you calm down and hear me out?’
She pursed her lips, holding back the words with difficulty.
Calm…sure, she could do calm!
‘By the time your break-up makes it to breaking news on national TV, you should be able to deny it completely,’ he reasoned with a touch of sarcasm. ‘You could brush it off as malicious gossip since you and I have already been in a relationship for the past three months. And we have now decided to take it to…how do you say it…yeah, right, the next level. Sound good?’
Her jaw dropped open. ‘And…what if Sid decides to call our bluff?’
‘He won’t. He has bigger fish to fry.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Right now, he’s more interested in not screwing up whatever deal he has going with what’s-her-name—’
‘Karisma. What deal?’
‘Apparently, he is going to be directing a movie for her new production company.’
Ah!
Karisma and Sid were going to forge a new career and relationship and, as a result, she would be trampled all over in the gossip rags. Who knew she would be at the receiving end of Sid’s there-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity philosophy?
‘And what happens later? After Chris and Milee’swedding is over…how do I
She walked towards him and challenged him, ‘Do you mind telling me what that was all about?’
She looked super-hot when she was angry was the unbidden thought that leaped into his mind. His emotions were way beyond control as he struggled not totake her in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. ‘You really have a short memory, don’t you? Remember, you were upset when I refused—’
‘Exactly! You
refused
to be my fake fiancé.’
‘So, I changed my mind.’ He shrugged. ‘Is that a crime?’
She spluttered, ‘You changed your mind… But why?’
‘I had my reasons.’
‘Stop talking in riddles, will you?’
‘O-o-o-K,’ he said as if talking to a child. ‘Here’s the chain of events. One. There’s a blast from the past—your words, remember? Two. You ask me to be your fiancé. Three. You bump into a guy and have a huge row with him. Four. Turns out the guy is your ex and he is planning to go public about your break-up. Five. The thought of a scandal scares the hell out of you. Doesn’t take much to connect the dots.’
‘Connect the dots?’ she said, crossing her arms across her chest.
Why the heck was she repeating his words like a parrot?
‘Now let’s get some things straight. One. You’re right—I could happily slit Sid’s throat, but not for the reasons you think. Two. I don’t need you to do me any favours. Three. Scandal scares me—who gave you that stupid idea? Do me a favour and stop connecting dots or squares or whatever!’
‘Hmm…then why exactly did you want us to pretend to be in a fake relationship if not to keep the sordid details of your break-up a secret?’
Sordid!
‘You—you have just managed to complicate my life even more. Not only do I have to come clean about my so-called “sordid break-up,” but, guess what, I also have to cook up a story about how I found myself a spanking-new fiancé in double-quick time. Oh, andsince you are into doing favours, would you know if I can buy a card here that says “Thank you for making me out to be a two-timing harlot”? I need to send it to one interfering soul.’
‘Whoa! Whoa!’ His eyes twinkled with amusement though his mouth barely tilted at the corners.
She was so
mad
she would happily stuff some sand down his sexy throat if he so much as cracked a smile!
‘Now will you calm down and hear me out?’
She pursed her lips, holding back the words with difficulty.
Calm…sure, she could do calm!
‘By the time your break-up makes it to breaking news on national TV, you should be able to deny it completely,’ he reasoned with a touch of sarcasm. ‘You could brush it off as malicious gossip since you and I have already been in a relationship for the past three months. And we have now decided to take it to…how do you say it…yeah, right, the next level. Sound good?’
Her jaw dropped open. ‘And…what if Sid decides to call our bluff?’
‘He won’t. He has bigger fish to fry.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Right now, he’s more interested in not screwing up whatever deal he has going with what’s-her-name—’
‘Karisma. What deal?’
‘Apparently, he is going to be directing a movie for her new production company.’
Ah!
Karisma and Sid were going to forge a new career and relationship and, as a result, she would be trampled all over in the gossip rags. Who knew she would be at the receiving end of Sid’s there-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity philosophy?
‘And what happens later? After Chris and Milee’swedding is over…how do I
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