She slapped my arm and tried to pull away, but I wouldn't let her. I liked her close like this.

"Fine. Do you have any deep dark secrets you want to tell a complete stranger?"

I could see now I'd opened Pandora's box. I'd have to maneuver this one carefully. I gave her my best innocent face. "No secrets here. I'm an open book."

"That's not fair. You need to tell me something." She trailed her fingertips over my forearms.

I leaned down, whispering in her ear, "I've got a weakness for redheads."

"That does not count."

"Sorry, red. I've got nothing. Nothing that can beat sleeping with a teddy bear anyway."

She was quiet, but I knew she wasn't mad anymore.

"I'll kiss you," she threatened.

"I dare you to."

"I will. Two can play this game, you know."

Her eyebrows went high, but I knew I could beat this girl at poker any night of the week.

"Then do it." The taunt left me, but I'd decided that second I wasn't going to wait for her to follow through on that empty threat. Her hands, once soft against my shoulders, tightened. If I could get her alone, I'd be making her tight everywhere. I groaned at the thought, and all my better judgment flew out the window. I sifted my fingers through her hair and angled her for a kiss she'd never forget, so close I could smell the coconut on her breath.

"Darren! Buddy!"

I cursed and tore myself away from Vanessa's half-lidded gaze. One of Cameron's military friends was trudging through the sand and coming our way. Clearly, he couldn't recognize that I was far too busy for a reunion.

"Darren!"

Jeffrey's voice was like a fucking megaphone. He must have had hearing loss from all the gunfire when he was overseas with Cameron. "Man, I haven't seen you in ages. What the hell have you been up to?"

"I'll let you two catch up." Vanessa's voice was quiet as she stepped away.

"No, stay."

I reached for her, but Jeffrey slapped his hand into mine and then slapped me hard on the back at the same time.

Before I could argue, she was backing away. Lifting her fingers to her lips, she blew me a kiss.

VANESSA.

I shouldn't have done that. Blowing Darren a kiss was stupid because now it hung in the air between us like an IOU, and I had a feeling Darren wouldn't be forgiving the debt. With him, a kiss wasn't a kiss. It was a gateway drug into sleeping with him, and already I couldn't get the possibility out of my head. He'd crept into my dreams again, and suddenly I was wound tighter than I'd been in months, maybe years. I had several more days on the island, and chances were good that, at this rate, I'd end up in his bed.

Was that such a terrible thing? If his bed was anything like mine, it was soft and luxurious and smelled like the tropical flowers they put in our rooms every afternoon. Add the scent of Darren, and I was a goner. I might never leave.

Hooking up with Darren wasn't the problem. What worried me more were the stirrings I was already feeling around him-feelings that made me long for more, something that maybe had been missing from my life for too long.

But Darren wasn't on the market for more, and nothing with him would last for long. Didn't change the fact that one look at him made my ovaries hurt. Every time he shot me that perfect smile of his, the small-town girl in me wanted to cook him dinner and press his shirts for the rest of my life. For the first time in a very long time, that insane thought almost seemed worth considering. Except that domestic fantasy wasn't what he wanted, and that definitely wasn't what I moved seven hundred miles from home to do.

In a private room off the main dining area, our group of guests had gathered for a late breakfast. I scanned the long tables set with colorful juices, fresh flower arrangements, and clean white tablecloths. I found Eli and Maya and quickly placed myself between them.

A server poured me a steaming cup of coffee, and I knew the instant Darren had joined the party. He paused at the entryway when I met his gaze. I could feel his eyes on me like a sunray. Warm, and not entirely unwelcome. Still, I shifted my focus back to small talk with Eli, forcing myself to think about planning our day with Maya. Darren had overrun my thoughts, but I had a long day planned and I hadn't penciled him in anywhere. Spa activities with Maya and the girls and Eli, and the guys were going fishing or something. Maybe a good activity-filled day away from him would cool down this raging attraction I felt for the man.

After breakfast, I wandered to the balcony to admire the view. Turquoise waters lapped up on the soft sandy beach dotted with blue-and-white beach chairs. Paradise. The object of a lot of daydreaming lately, and here I was, a distracted mess. Every peaceful moment was shaken up with thoughts of Darren.

As much as my brain shouted at me to be careful, I'd wanted Darren to kiss me last night. Hell, I wanted him to stop talking to his cousins and come kiss me right now. I wanted to be back in his arms, a place that gave me more comfort than I'd ever expected.

We barely knew each other, but being near him felt right. And for some inexplicable reason, he was trying to get to know me. Maybe it was all an act, a good play by a master player. A warm breeze kissed my bare shoulders, and I closed my eyes, caring less and less.

Cameron came by my side. He was tall and thickly built, the same as Darren. They shared some features, but they were so different. Cameron was so serious. The only times I'd seen him smile were with Maya. They lit up near each other, like two halves that needed each other to become whole.

"How are you doing?"

I lifted my mimosa and gestured toward the gorgeous view. "Could be worse. This place is amazing. Great choice."

He leaned down and rested his forearms on the railing. "We thought so too. It's very tranquil here, this little spot." He was quiet a moment.

"How about you? Cold feet?"

He didn't appear to be in a joking mood. He barely cracked a smile. "Not a chance."

"Figured as much."

"Have you been able to talk with Maya much lately?"

"Not a lot, I guess. Eli, Olivia...you know, there's always someone around. Why, what's up?"

He straightened, and the seriousness of his expression had me concerned.

"I was wondering... Can you try to talk to her today? She's close to you."

"She's closer to you."

"Something is off. I don't know what it is, and every time I try to bring it up, she brushes me off and changes the subject to something about the wedding. I don't know if it's nerves or what, but I'm worried about her."

"I'm sure there's nothing to be concerned about, but I'll talk to her. Probably just pre-wedding jitters, you know."

"I hope that's all it is. I want tomorrow to be perfect for her. She deserves it. If there's something else bothering her, I want to address it now. I don't want anything getting in the way of giving her the perfect day. God knows she deserves this one day to go right."

I nodded and touched his shoulder. "I'll talk to her. In the meantime, try not to worry. Today's your last day as a bachelor. Enjoy it."

"I'll guarantee he does."

I sensed Darren's warmth behind me before his voice broke into my conversation with Cameron. We both turned toward him. Cameron's intensity seemed to soften in Darren's presence. He was so carefree. I envied that, and I wanted to be near it. Like a moth to a flame, his energy drew me in every time. Even knowing the feeling couldn't last forever, I felt that little bubble of giddiness rising inside me again.

Cameron eyed him steadily. "You better not have anything crazy planned for today."

"How crazy can things get on a fishing charter?" Darren winked at me. "How about you, red? Have any strippers lined up for this afternoon?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Not Maya's style at all. Not to mention the fact that we'd be hard-pressed to find strippers whose hotness rivaled Cameron's and Darren's. "I'm afraid not. Manicures and massages are about as wild as we're getting today."

"Glad to hear it," Cameron grumbled.

Darren's beautiful eyes scorched my skin, and the air around us grew warm. The way he looked at me seemed too intimate for present company.

"Me too. Wouldn't want you getting too distracted."

"He's not bothering you, is he?"

A deep frown marred Darren's brow as he shifted to glaring at his brother. Cameron met his glare and then looked back to me.

Was Darren bothering me? Well, yes. But I'd sooner throw myself into traffic than ask someone to stop his advances.

"Of course not," I said. I straightened out the collar of Darren's shirt. "You know Darren. He's the perfect gentleman."

That got Cameron to crack a smile, but the tension between them lingered. I caught a glimpse of Maya chatting with Diane and Olivia again, so I figured I'd get on my way.

"You two have fun today. Hope you catch lots of fish. Don't fall off the boat, okay?"

Darren's jaw was still tight, but he'd relaxed a little. "Give me a little credit," he murmured, gently grasping my arm as I passed.

I glanced up into his eyes. That quickly I was at risk of losing any semblance of control being this close to him. Close enough to feel his energy. An invisible current pulsed between us. I felt it in places I wished I didn't.

"You'll have to earn it," I whispered, leaving him before my legs failed me.

DARREN.

"What the fuck was that?"

Cameron pivoted away. "Stop taking yourself so seriously. It doesn't suit you."

I leaned in. "You think because you're getting married tomorrow that I won't bust your nose for being an asshole? Think again, Cam."

Cameron smirked and nudged me back a step. "Someone needs to say it. You going after someone like her is like watching a lion go after a gazelle on National Geographic. You know as well as I do she doesn't have a chance."

I couldn't rightly argue with him. I'd set my sights on Vanessa, and I had every intention of having her. All the signs pointed to success. The physical attraction was real, and the more time we spent together, the stronger it grew. I'd never once considered that we wouldn't sleep together on this trip. Before long, unless I did something really fucked up and unforgivable, she'd give in to me.

What business that was of my brother's was another matter.

"Why the hell would you care?"

"Because she's Maya's best friend. I told you to back off before. I didn't expect to have to remind you again."

"Listen, I was good." I jabbed my finger into his chest. "I played nice like you asked. Time's up."

"Not enough pretty girls on this island? You have to go for her again?"

"She's a fucking ten, and I want her."

He shook his head, glanced over to Maya, and back to the expansive ocean horizon. "You ever ask yourself why? Why does this one mean so much that you need to bed her and leave her more than all the others? Haven't you played this routine out enough?"

I ground my teeth down. "I know you love Maya and want to settle down and have a million babies, but fuck, what's with the judgment? This is my life."

He was silent. I wanted him to say more, argue with me some more. But he didn't give me anything else to work with.

"I... Listen, I want to be..." I shoved a hand through my hair and closed my eyes. Vanessa was there in my mind, smiling at me with those luscious lips. She was vibrant, a goddamn wet dream for any man. Why wouldn't I want her? The fact that some guy hadn't already stolen her heart and walked her down the aisle was a goddamn miracle. The mere thought of someone else claiming her for his own spurred something primal in me, an inexplicable need to make her mine.

"You want to be what?" Cameron was leaning against the balcony rail, his arms crossed.

I straightened slowly. "She knows my number, all right? If anything happens between us, she's going into it knowing I'm a bad fucking bet. And, maybe because of that, I want to show her I'm worth the risk."

"You mean she's more of a challenge now that you're working with a handicap. Nice."

"No!" I growled. I could have sucker-punched him.

Cameron snorted air through his nose and stared at me in silent challenge.

"I just want to see where things go. We're getting to know each other. That's not something I usually make time for. So who knows? Maybe there's a chance we'll see more of each other after this trip."

He shook his head with a sigh. "Whatever. She's an adult, so I guess she can make her own choices. I'd just like to see you not be so selfish with a woman for a change. If you're intent on getting Vanessa into bed, I'd like to see her be the one you give a fighting chance. That's all I'm going to say about it."

"Fine. You've made your point. Can we get drunk and go fishing now?"

"Sure."

"Prick," I muttered.

Chapter Five.

VANESSA.

After a lengthy massage, a French manicure, and more champagne than I needed in my already relaxed state, I found a spot beside Maya. She was lounging under an umbrella by one of the resort's pools. I hadn't had a chance to catch her alone all afternoon, and even now I hesitated to pry at Cameron's bidding.

"Come sit." Maya motioned to the lounge chair beside her.

I took the invitation and made myself comfortable. My muscles went lax. "That massage was killer."

"Agreed. The staff here is amazing."