The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance (15 page)

Alyssa nodded against his hand, pretending she would cooperate while she scrambled for any idea to escape.

He smirked. “Don’t think I’m stupid, little girl. I can see in your eyes that you like to fight.”

She sunk her teeth into the disgusting flesh of his hand. He howled and yanked it away. Alyssa screamed for all she was worth and jabbed her fist into his gut. He leaned forward and she felt a surge of pride. That was a strong punch. Stomping on his foot, she pushed around him and scurried toward the door.

His hand wrapped around her arm, jerking her to a halt.

“Help, please help!” Alyssa hollered at the top of her lungs. She clawed at his hand with her fingernails.

“You little wench,” he panted. “I am not getting paid enough to put up with this.”

The door burst open behind her. Beck’s wide shoulders blocked out the sun, but the scowl on his face was easily readable.

The guy released Alyssa and she fell. Beck caught her, holding her against his side with one strong arm. The guy was the one backing up now.

“Hey. I wasn’t going to hurt her,” he said, holding up both palms.

Beck ushered Alyssa behind him and advanced on the guy. Alyssa was glad he was on her side. “You’ll regret even looking at her,” Beck said.

“No, it isn’t like that. Some stiff paid me to scare her.”

“Who paid you?” he growled.

“I don’t know. Some old guy in a sweet Lexus.”

A Lexus. Alyssa covered her mouth with her hand. No. It couldn’t be. She thought she’d seen someone who looked like her dad the first time this guy attacked her. Did her dad follow her to Hawaii? He hadn’t protected her when she’d been attacked by Hugh, but would he really stoop so low as to pay someone to hurt her? Everything was about financial gain with her father. The question was, if he was involved, how could this help him make a profit? It didn’t make sense.

Beck withdrew his phone from his pocket and handed it to Alyssa. “Call the police.”

The guy jumped and tried to scurry around them. Beck grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall like they were in a hockey game. “Don’t move,” he demanded.

Alyssa quickly dialed 911 and after a short conversation was reassured that officers would be there momentarily. Moments seemed to drag as the guy squirmed, swore, begged, and threatened while Beck held him in place. The police finally came and took their statements then hauled the guy away. She didn’t mention her father to anyone and prayed it was all an awful coincidence.

Finally it was just her and Beck. He gently escorted her to the courtyard. Two fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She’d felt numb as the police had questioned her, but now the fear was all rushing back. Beck wrapped her up in his arms and simply held her.

“You did great,” he murmured against her hair. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

Alyssa melted against him, so grateful he was here, that he’d come for her. She shut out the fact he was going to dinner with Belle tonight. For this moment, it was enough to just be in his arms.

Beck met Belle at Roy’s, the exclusive restaurant on the Ka’anapali Golf Course. He wished she’d worn taller heels so he couldn’t see straight down her cleavage line, but maybe they didn’t make heels taller than four inches. She reached up to kiss him the moment he walked in, but he turned his head so she only brushed his cheek. He was not having a repeat of her pressing her hard lips to his like she had this morning.

He kept his practiced smile on and prayed he could get through the night without offending her and losing her dad, Joseph’s, support. Joseph was a good guy overall and had been on the board of Jordan’s Buds since its conception. The money he donated made a difference to thousands of children. When Beck had refused to give into both of their father’s wishes and ask Belle to marry him five years ago, he was afraid he’d lost her dad too. Joseph had surprised him. He’d assured Beck as long as he was respectful to his girl he would still support him and Jordan’s Buds.

Beck hid a sigh as Belle prattled on about some trip to Greece. The woman spent more money on shopping in exotic locations than most countries did on defense. He just had to get through dinner and then he could hopefully find Alyssa. Things had been awkward at lunch today, but after he protected her from that idiot she’d all but melted in his arms.

He hated to leave her tonight after what she’d been through this afternoon. She kept insisting she would be fine, but he had a hard time believing her. He couldn’t imagine the terror she must be feeling, being attacked by that same guy and finding out someone had paid him to do it. Maybe Beck could take her out for dessert to bring her smile back. His smile at Belle actually became real as he thought about Alyssa and how she tasted better than any dessert he could recall. He wondered what Granny Ellie would do if he called her granddaughter dessert. He almost laughed then. Ellie would probably tell him to savor it.

“Park right there,” Granny screeched.

Alyssa stared at the red paint on the curb. “That’s not a spot. They’ll tow my car.”

“I’ll pay if you get a ticket. Now park.”

Alyssa shook her head, but obeyed. There was no use arguing when Granny was in a mood.

“If we don’t hurry, we’re going to miss him.”

Granny sprung from the car and took off across the golf course. Alyssa looked around, hoping they wouldn’t get beaned in the head with a golf ball. This was nuts. She followed Granny across two open green spaces and though they didn’t get hit or stopped, they did get some strange looks.

Granny tugged on Alyssa’s hand as they rounded a putting green and saw the restaurant a hundred yards away.

“We’re going to get kicked out of here,” Alyssa muttered. She had no idea how she’d allowed Granny to talk her into spying on Beck and Belle. She had no desire to see them together. Talk about the stuff of nightmares. Sadly, she never told Granny no.

“You shush. We’ll be fine. I’ve been a spy so many times someone should pay me.”

Alyssa laughed, glancing over at her Granny decked out in a black hat, long-sleeved shirt, and pants. Luckily she’d decided the black face paint was a pain, sharing lengthy stories of several excursions with her best friend Ruby where the paint had flaked off.

It wasn’t quite dark yet, but at least most of the golfers were gone. Tiki torches lit the patio of Roy’s Restaurant. Alyssa and Granny covered the last fifty yards and Alyssa immediately picked out Beck. She swallowed. He looked fabulous in a short-sleeved button-down shirt, open at the collar. He smiled at Belle. It looked practiced at first then it became genuine and Alyssa felt like she’d been punched in the gut. He obviously liked Belle to share a smile like that with her.

She tried not to look at Belle, but it was impossible not to notice the low-cut and ultra-short red dress. Belle crossed her legs and Alyssa wondered if the woman knew what underwear was. This was the second time she’d seen Belle and she was pretty sure she’d seen more of her than she ever wanted to see of another woman.

“Holy crap, what a hooker,” Granny said.

“Shh.” Alyssa pulled her behind a huge banyan tree. “We’ve seen them, now let’s get out of here.”

Granny peeked around to take a look at the couple once more. “Just a minute. We’ve worked too hard to find out what’s going on here. I’m not leaving until I have some reassurance that my boy is just being a gentleman with an old friend.” She studied the couple as Alyssa picked at a hangnail and focused on the setting sun over the ocean. This was a beautiful view. If only she could enjoy it.

“Oh,” Granny said. “Oh, my. Oh, no.”

Alyssa couldn’t stand it. She peeked around the tree and saw Belle’s full chest pressed against Beck’s arm as he held the menu and ordered his food. Alyssa glanced down at her much smaller bosom and knew she couldn’t compete physically with a surgically constructed woman like Belle. Turning back to the ocean, she took long, slow inhalations.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Granny muttered. “Be strong, Beck.”

Alyssa wished she could be strong too, but of course she glanced again. Belle dropped her napkin and leaned all the way over to pick it up. Alyssa was certain the girl did not hold stock in Victoria’s Secret. I mean, come on. A bra would at least rein those puppies in. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Beck and see the admiration or lust or whatever men had on their faces at such a moment.

Granny blew out a breath and said, “Well, this spy mission sucked.” She turned to Alyssa. Her blue eyes soft with sympathy. “Forget Miso Phat. Ice cream for dinner?”

Alyssa forced a smile. “Maybe that would help.”

Granny wrapped an arm around Alyssa’s waist and they trudged back the way they’d come. It was sad when even Granny realized there was no purpose in spying any more. Belle was gorgeous and Beck was obviously having a great time, touching, looking at, and whatever else he was going to do with her. Alyssa hated herself for falling for Beck so quickly. He’d seemed so different, but apparently was ruled by lust like every other guy she’d dated.

“I should’ve known,” she muttered.

“What was that?” Granny asked over her shoulder.

“Men suck,” Alyssa said louder.

Granny fell into step with Alyssa and wrapped an arm around her waist. “They do sometimes, but I can’t help loving them for their bodies.”

Alyssa laughed uneasily, but didn’t agree. Belle could keep Beck’s gorgeous body. Alyssa was done competing. Sadness ripped through her. She’d given Beck up voluntarily. Why did it have to hurt so much?

The next morning Alyssa ran some trails above the bed and breakfast. She didn’t usually run alone on trails, but she had her can of pepper spray and she was having a really hard time caring about much of anything today. She was miserable. All she could picture was how gorgeous Belle had looked at dinner in her tight, low-cut dress and how Beck had seemed completely focused on her. Would Alyssa hear from him again? If she did, what would she say?
I’m not mature enough to travel with you and help the children unless you promise to only look at me in that special way?
Aarggh. She thought she’d written men off and now she was a jealous mess over the first one she fell for.

Her foot throbbed. Uneven paths tended to do that, but she forced herself to keep pounding out the steps. Eventually, the physical exertion would become all-consuming and she’d forget the ache in her foot and the ache over losing Beck. At least that was the theory.

Footsteps thudded from behind and Alyssa picked up her pace. She didn’t like seeing other runners when she was in an isolated spot. Paranoia was protection sometimes. But the runner kept coming and coming and then she heard her name, “Alyssa! Please… wait.”

Alyssa turned as Beck sprinted up to her. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved it was him or not.

“Hey,” he gasped out, resting his hands on his thighs.

“Hey.” She glanced over the well-defined muscles of his upper body, too evident in the tight neoprene shirt he wore. She forced herself not to remember how good it felt to be cuddled into that chest and folded her arms across her midsection.