Seduced - Book Three - Surrender Series (4 page)

“No.” If he denied the words his friend was saying, then he could make them untrue.

“I’m sorry, Rafe. I know how much you cared about her.”

Shane had warned Rafe not to get attached, warned him to keep a distance. These people led a different life than they did — had a harsher reality. They were often lost at young ages and in tragic circumstances.

“No.” He denied Shane’s words again.

“I’m sorry, Rafe. The baby died in her womb several days ago. Maria passed during the night from complications. Her husband found her this morning.”

Rafe jumped from the bed and threw on his clothes, needing to see Maria — needing to prove that Shane was wrong. She couldn’t be gone. He rushed to their new home. The home Rafe had worked nonstop to build so she could have her baby there.

Quietly walking inside, Rafe found Pablo on his knees by the bed, a bed Rafe had specially brought in for just them. Pablo looked up, tracks of tears on his face, but tears that had obviously dried hours ago. The broken man had no more left inside him.

“She left me,” Pablo whimpered, his hands repeatedly stroking his cold wife’s face. “She left me alone. Our baby and Maria are gone,” he choked out, his voice broken, his spirit gone.

“No,” Rafe whispered, seemingly unable to say anything else.

“I can’t live without her. She’s my world. She’s my everything. How can I go on?”

The man was looking to Rafe for an answer, and Rafe didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have an answer to give Pablo. Never before had Rafe witnessed someone so utterly broken — so lost — so completely alone.

“Please, Rafe. Give her back to me,” the man begged as if Rafe were capable of saving her. “Please,” Pablo groaned as he turned back toward his wife and laid his head on her still chest.

Rafe stood in the doorway, his own heart broken, unable to move, watching the man hold on to his dead wife. Eventually, the men from the village had to drag the bereaved husband away as he cried out in agony.

That night, Pablo took his own life, leaving a short note.
I will be with my wife and child for eternity
.

Rafe packed the few possessions he’d brought with him, and he went home. He wouldn’t allow himself to be that broken. He couldn’t. It was time to win back his other half, because he needed Ari. She made him whole.

He didn’t want to be on his hands and knees begging for her when she was forever gone to him. He didn’t want to waste another day. They’d been apart long enough, and he would win her back.

Lia

Peace at last!

Lia strolled along the shore as the water drifted slowly toward her feet before retreating like a thief escaping into the shadows. Shane was wearing her down, though she’d never admit it to him, or even herself.

He’d been there for two weeks, and he wasn’t giving her a single moment to breathe. The project was starting, materials were being boated in, and she could practically see the luxurious cabins, artfully created to look rustic, arising on the hills in the thick forest.

Paths would be cleared, and suptuous facilities built, and the land would still look untouched. She was proud to be a part of it all.

“Hey, Palazzo, we need to ride over to the mainland.”

Lia slowly turned to find Shane striding toward her in nothing but a pair of slacks that were riding low on his waist. Saliva pooled in her mouth at the sight of his muscular chest flexing in all its golden glory as he moved toward her.

If she hadn’t been so ridiculously attracted to him, none of this would have been difficult. Damned hormones!

“You’re on your own, Grayson. I have work to do,” she replied cooly, turning away, and irritated with herself at how difficult it was to do just that.

“Sorry. I need your help. We have some materials to pick out that you insisted on having final approval on. I can do it myself, though, if you just sign off. You like plaid, right?” he asked with an innocent air.

Her teeth gritting together, Lia glared at him. He knew she hated plaid, but she could easily see him decorating the luxury resort in stomach-wrenching color schemes just to spite her, not even caring that it would cost him millions to replace it all as soon as his point was made. So he would win this round, because she wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Fine. Give me a minute to change and I’ll meet you at the docks.” She’d forced those words through her teeth.

“No need to change. We won’t be that long.”

Shane gripped her arm and started leading her to the dock.

“I can make it there on my own, Shane. I don’t need you to guide me like I’m a child.” She yanked her arm free, the skin tingling where his fingers had wrapped around her.

“Touchy,” he said with a smile, then took a few steps to her right after seeing the fire in her eyes. He was smart to do so, because she was close to striking him.

“I really wish they had an airstrip here. These boat rides take forever,” she said as she followed behind him.

“Quit complaining. It doesn’t suit you. I prefer to travel by boat, anyway.”

“Well, then, I guess whatever you prefer is the way it has to be.” She knew she was acting petulant, but she couldn’t seem to keep the words from spilling from her mouth. His only response was laughter, which he quickly covered up by coughing.

She wasn’t fooled.

Lia decided to keep her mouth shut as they reached the dock and she approached his so-called
boat
. She wouldn’t exactly call the magnificent vessel a boat. It was a large, sleek gray yacht. At least she felt comfortable on it, since she’d traveled the waters many times with him before their short romance.

It wasn’t as large as her brother’s yacht, but it was Shane’s personal vessel, and he had no desire to do any business entertaining on it. Still, it had three bedrooms, plus the master suite, which was indecently large and luxurious. She also enjoyed the upper covered deck, where she had a full view of the ocean, but was still protected from the breeze created when it sped through the water.

“Are you going to gawk all day, or board?”

“Can you be any more rude, Shane?” she snapped as she accepted his hand. “Where’s the crew?”

“They’re off today. This won’t take long, so I’ll play captain.”

Lia didn’t like the idea of being all alone with him in the middle of the ocean. There were only so many temptations she was capable of resisting. At least the yacht was big enough that she could avoid him. Plus, he’d be busy piloting the thing. He wouldn’t have time to pursue her.

Lia followed Shane to the control area and then stood by as he checked everything before he began moving slowly away from the dock. Before she knew it, the island was becoming a small dot on the horizon, and Shane was in his element as he navigated the choppy waters.

“It seems a little windy out today,” she commented, looking around at the storm clouds threatening to move in. They were far enough away that Lia didn’t feel any real alarm.

“Yeah, just a small storm on the horizon. I haven’t heard anything, so it’s nothing to worry about,” he assured her.

“Well, I’m going to enjoy the sundeck. There’s no need for me to stay in here for the two hours it takes to get to the mainland. Maybe I’ll spot some dolphins,” she said. She moved to the top deck and got comfortable in one of the chairs.

They passed islands and she enjoyed the warm sun streaming through the window until one of the dark clouds covered it, casting her in shadows. Well, at least she wouldn’t get a burn, she thought; she closed her eyes and decided to nap.

* * * * *

Shane’s shoulders were tense as he navigated his beloved yacht through the aqua waters off the coast of Italy. Normally, he could spend hours on the sea without a single negative thought, but he’d been pursuing Lia for the better part of two weeks and not getting anywhere, and he was becoming a little desperate. Not that he’d ever give her such an advantage as telling her that.

She’d chased him for years, but once he’d accepted that they were going to be together, she started giving him the cold shoulder. Well, he wouldn’t allow that for long. Not anymore. Lia needed a strong, passionate man, and that was exactly what he was going to give her.

They were made for each other; they had so much in common. Plus, he didn’t want some simpering female. He wanted passion and fight. He wanted romance and love. He wanted what he’d never thought he’d have, and the only one he wanted it with was Lia.

When they got back to the island that night, he wasn’t letting her out of his sight until they had it out — they would work through this.

The farther out on the water they traveled, the more Shane relaxed. This was his element, where he belonged. The fresh sea air, the rolling waves of the ocean, and no one for miles around them. Maybe they should have their talk
before
arriving back to the island, where she could easily hide from him.

With that thought in mind, he steered off course, and drifted further out to sea, heading toward a group of private islands he was familiar with. Finally, he had Lia all to himself, and he wasn’t letting the opportunity escape him.

An hour passed and Shane started to become a bit worried as the sky darkened dangerously and the water began churning too much for his liking. Determination to get Lia alone kept him going, but he was certainly paying attention to his surroundings now.

When the waves starting acting up even further, he decided to find out how close the storm was. Maybe they should turn around. He wanted to keep Lia to himself for a while, but not at the risk of their getting trapped in a storm.

He glanced at his touchscreen navigation and switched over to the weather report. Crap! He’d been so intent on getting her alone, he hadn’t been paying attention. A wicked tropical storm was brewing and it was right behind them. He didn’t have time to steer back to Italy, or get back to their island. All he could do was move ahead and hope like hell that he outran the bad weather. If he had been thinking with anything other than his lower region, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

After another half-hour passed, things looked desperate. His radio crackled to life and the storm warning came over its line. He picked up the handset and tried to call in his position, but didn’t get a response.

“What the hell?” he muttered as he pushed the buttons, trying to get a signal. The thing went dead. That wasn’t a good sign — not a good sign at all. No, it would be OK. They were going to be fine.

Using every bit of concentration he had, he focused on trying to keep the boat steady as the waves picked up in height and ferocity. They were getting tossed around too much for his liking and he really wished that Lia would get back in the control room so he could keep an eye on her.

“Shane?” Lia was standing next to him, making him sigh in relief. Her skin was flushed and her hair messed as if she’d just climbed from bed. He couldn’t get them to safety while she looked like that. Tearing his eyes away, he focused on the emergency at hand and cleared his throat.

“You need to hold onto something, Lia. We’re right smack in the middle of two storm fronts, and they’re fighting each other to see who can sink us the fastest.”

She wasn’t a novice boater: she’d been on the water many times in her life. Though he tried to hide his rising panic, he knew that she was well aware of the danger.

“I was worried about the clouds,” Lia said. “How long until we hit the mainland? I fell asleep, but it must not have been for very long.” Her voice was slightly tense, but not overly so. After all, their whole trip was less than two hours.

“I…uh…had to take a detour.”

“A detour? Seriously, Shane? The clouds were building up when I fell asleep a bit ago. You had to have noticed!” she exclaimed.

“I did, but it wasn’t so bad,” he said, knowing he sounded ridiculous.

“You weren’t thinking at all, Shane! I can’t believe I fell for your stupid trick. Did you believe a nice, romantic boat ride would win my favor back?”

Well, yeah, actually
, he thought, but he stopped himself from saying so. “Look, Lia. It doesn’t matter. There’s a group of islands not far away now. We’ll take cover there, wait out the storm, and then reach the mainland before you know it.”

“You’re a pain in the ass, Shane! Do you have any idea what you have done?” she snapped, but he saw the way she was looking out at the rough seas. The ocean could turn from a thing of beauty to a dangerous place in the blink of an eye.

Yes, he knew what he’d done, and he wasn’t proud of himself. He’d just been trying to get some time alone with her, not put her in danger. Maybe she was the smarter of the two of them. Not that he was saying that out loud, either.

A hard wave knocked against the boat, flinging Lia against his side. Shane reached out and caught her before she went stumbling to the deck. Her face was inches from his as her curves pressed tightly against his body, and Shane felt himself sinking into her eyes.

“Don’t you dare even
think
about sex,” she said, but the husky quality of her tone gave him hope. He wouldn’t mind at all getting stuck with her overnight. The storm was now looking like a bit of a blessing — that was, if he could get to safety in time.

As the islands came into view, still too far away for Shane’s comfort, the airstream picked up, whipping through the control room. “Shut the windows,” he called above the screaming wind.

For once, Lia obeyed with no argument. As they came closer to the islands, the waves swelled larger, angry splashes of water rising high around them, as if on a mission to pull the large vessel deep into the ocean, to take another victim in her merciless grasp.

Just as Shane started to breathe easier, the boat lurched, then suddenly stalled, nearly knocking him off his feet. Gripping the wheel tightly, he looked out, horrified when he saw the hole in the side of his yacht. He must have hit a reef.

The boat was going down. “Lia, we have to abandon ship. Grab the emergency pack and we’ll get in the lifeboat.”

When she didn’t answer, Shane turned to find her on the floor, knocked unconscious. Letting go of the wheel, he rushed to her side, bending down and feeling her neck. He let out a sigh of relief when he found that she was breathing.

Not hesitating any longer, he lifted her into his arms and rushed through the yacht to where his emergency raft was holding on tight. Shane carefully laid her inside and dashed to the cupboard opposite so he could grab the emergency supply bag. He tossed it into the boat, following behind it quickly before he released the safety, dropping them into the surging waves of the ocean.

The waves had been frightening when they’d been in his giant vessel; they were deadly in the small emergency boat. Turning the engine on, he navigated the waters as best he could, grateful they were so close to one of the islands.

As they moved through the storm, he saw two giant walls of water on either side of him. The small craft was having a difficult time reaching their peaks and getting closer to safety, but she was doing it — just barely.

As they neared safety, he looked back, his heart nearly breaking as he watched the last of his yacht disappear beneath the heaving black sea. So many memories had just been sucked below to the cold ocean floor. But Shane had no more than a second to dwell on it, so he faced forward and aimed toward the safety of land.

Nearly there.

“Shane?”

This wasn’t the best time for her to wake up. “It’s OK, Lia. We’re almost to land.”

Shane spoke too soon. With a jolt, the boat was thrust forward as two waves converged on them, determined to not allow their escape.