Up In Flames (7 page)

“Be quiet, Mel.” He gently, inexorably pushed himself into her, his groan mingling with hers, their gazes locked.

Melanie waited until he was completely buried inside her, then whispered, “Adam, I’ve made up my mind. I’m buying the resort. From what you’ve said, it’s a good deal, so—”

“Damn it.” He began to thrust, and she held on tight, her fingertips digging deep into his shoulders. He wanted to drown out her words, the fact that she could do what he couldn’t, that she had enough money and he still didn’t. It proved her right; nothing and neither of them had really changed, after all. They were each older and wiser, but their placement in the world was the same; they were still at opposite ends of the scale.

All his life, he’d fought hard against a society that said if you were born with money, life was easy, but if you had to earn it, there was a whole new set of rules. He’d learned early on what the main rule was: those with money did as they pleased. Melanie included. She really didn’t care what he wanted, she was just appeasing her ridiculous guilt.

Right now what he wanted most was for Melanie to give in to him, to be female to his male. At least in this he had the upper hand.

She quickened beneath him, and her teeth bit into the muscle on his shoulder. He flinched, and at the same time his touted control broke. He was a wild man—primal, complete.

Afterward, he didn’t wait for his breathing to calm, for his heartbeat to slow. He came jerkily to his feet and stood looking down at her. So damn beautiful. So damn rich. Tears shone on her long black lashes, making her blue eyes liquid and bright. Her breasts shimmered with her gasping, ragged breaths.

He walked away, straight into the ocean until he stood waist deep. The water was cool, and with clouds covering the sun, he should have felt comfortable. Instead, he was stricken by the flash heat of anger and despair. He wanted to rail against the world. He hadn’t used a condom that last time. And he wouldn’t touch her again.

He thought of her, not more than two yards away, looking earthy, warm, satisfied, everything a woman—his woman—should be. He ground his teeth and reminded himself it wouldn’t be for long. Surely they’d be missed soon and then someone would come for them. Someone had to rescue him, before he lost
everything
—his head, his heart, and his self-respect.

* * *

“She’s such a damn tease,” Adam accused.

Silence and a bold stare were the only reply from his feathered companion.

“Just look at her. She knows damn good and well I’m trying to be noble, trying to leave her alone, so what does she do? She starts flaunting, that’s what!”

The bird waddled closer, as if enthralled by what Adam had to say. Adam shook his head. Leave it to Mel to befriend a big ugly bird. A bird who had stolen her panties.

She’d begun bribing the pelican two days ago, the same morning he’d sworn not to touch her again, by offering up a few colorful shells she’d found in the cove. Aladdin, named after the king of thieves, had swiped the shells and flown off, then returned later that day to steal again. He’d taken Adam’s makeshift bandage when he’d pulled it off to dunk his head in the ocean, trying to cool down from the heat Mel generated, and the frustration of resisting her. He’d also stolen Adam’s tie—and anything else he could get hold of.

Adam never complained to Melanie when she laughed at Aladdin’s antics. He couldn’t trust himself to talk to her much at all since deciding to leave her alone. Sleeping next to her for two nights without making love to her was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

He still held her; he’d done his best to comfort her and make her feel safe. Not that it had been necessary. She’d adapted better than he’d ever thought possible. Not once did she complain about the heat, or the lack of privacy, or sleeping in the open either on the sandy beach, or when it rained, in the ramshackle shack. She looked more enticing than ever with the touch of sun on her cheeks, and she never hesitated to give him hell when she thought he deserved it, which was most of the time. He admired her spunk and her capability.

He told himself it wouldn’t be fair to make love to her now that he knew how innocent she was. She’d obviously been waiting for that one special man, and in spite of all the ways he’d improved his life, he was still leagues away from being Mr. Right.

Making love to her wouldn’t be fair to him, either. Hell, given half a chance, he’d fall in love with her all over again, and then where would he be?

She had her heart set on buying the resort, on giving him back what he’d lost. She didn’t doubt that she would succeed, which only proved again the differences between them. Mel knew her money would buy her whatever she wanted. It always had.

The pelican shuffled closer, keeping a watchful eye on Adam, who was keeping a watchful eye on Melanie. The rain, coming down in a fresh, warm shower, insulated them in the quiet eroticism of the island. Palms swayed under the gentle wind, the ocean looked agitated with its rippling surface, and Melanie, God love her free-spirited nature, reveled in it all. Little by little, she’d blossomed on the island, giving in to its erotic lure.

She’d taken his soap and shampoo and dashed into the rain, then proceeded to bathe, slowly, unselfconscious, fully aware that he sat in the doorway of the shack utterly spellbound. The first time she’d retreated down the beach to wash, but now she seemed determined to drive him insane. And she succeeded admirably.

Mel could sit on a rock to watch the sunset and he’d go crazy with lust. His need was so powerful, he hurt, but Adam wouldn’t have looked away from her for all the resorts in Florida.

“Aw, hell,” he blurted, making Aladdin jump warily. “Who am I fooling? I love her already. I never stopped loving her. Doubt I ever will. I’m fighting a losing battle here and I know it.”

The pelican gave him a vague look of sympathy, then opened his wings wide...and snatched a sock from Adam’s bag before soaring away.

Outraged, Adam stood and shook his fist at the bird. “I’m going to find a rock yet, you feathered bag of bones!”

On the beach, Melanie crossed her arms over her middle and laughed out loud. Her midnight hair hung in sodden ringlets around her face. And her body...damn, she’d finally slipped off her clothes. The bird was instantly forgotten. Nobility couldn’t be expected to stand up to such provocation, could it?

With renewed purpose, Adam leapt off the stoop and headed in her direction. His fate was sealed, but fate had allotted him this special time with Melanie, and from now on he’d take advantage of every moment.

Melanie, aptly reading his intent, squealed and turned to run. Her long legs ate up the distance across the wet sand. The view from behind her was the stuff dreams were made of, so Adam let her stay two yards ahead of him.

Darting behind a squat palm tree, she playfully yelled, “What do you want, Stone?”

He paused several feet away, enjoying her antics. Anticipation would only make the conquest that much sweeter. After two days of deprivation, his body vibrated with lust, and the look he sent her was hot with need. “Come here, sweetheart.”

“What’s that?” she called, her eyes lit with laughter. “You want me to fix us some lunch?”

She could be such an imp. He’d never imagined this playful side to her. She’d always been so shy, so withdrawn. Of course, he’d never imagined she’d thrive so well on the bare existence of a deserted island, either.

Or that she’d willingly accept him as a lover.

He shook his head, watching her closely. “Yeah, I’m hungry, all right.” Hooking his hands in his shorts, he began shoving the wet material down his hips.

She peeked around the tree at him and yelped. “Shall...shall I fix another fruit salad?”

Rain dribbled down her belly, caught in her feminine curls, then trailed down her thighs. He swallowed hard. “You can fix yourself right here.” He pointed to the sand in front of him. “I’ll take it from there.”

“No strawberries? No coconut?”

As she spoke, she tried to inch away from the tree, preparing to run. Adam leapt out and caught her, hauling her close to his naked chest. With a startled squeal, she almost slipped away, then laughed hilariously when Adam hooked his leg behind hers and they both fell to the ground. Rain ran from his shoulders to her breasts. He stared hungrily at one stiff nipple. “I’m sick to death of fruit,” he muttered, then drew her deep into the heat of his mouth.

Mel’s fingers gripped his head, and she tugged until he lifted it enough to look at her. “I thought... I thought maybe you were sick of me.”

“No!” He could see the confusion in her eyes, the vulnerability. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. “I could never get my fill of you, Mel. I want you too much.” He touched her mouth with his fingertips, then gruffly admitted, “Sometimes, when things were rough, dreaming of you like this was the only thing that got me through.”

Even in the pouring rain, he could see her eyes fill with tears. “You don’t want all of me.”

They were both drenched, their skin slick. He moved silkily against her. “Yeah, I do. Every damn inch of you.”

“No.” He started to pull back, but her fingers gripped his hair and held him close. She gave him a swift, hard kiss. “You want my body, Adam, but not me, not who I am.”

“You’re not making any sense, Mel.” But he was afraid he understood completely.

“You don’t want my money. No, just listen!” She wrapped her slender thighs around his waist, holding him securely. “You resent who and what I am. If I even mention my money, you clam up and refuse to share yourself.”

“Because I don’t need your damn money!”

“Why?” she asked quietly. “Because it’s mine? If I was a bank offering a low-interest loan, you wouldn’t hesitate, would you? But my money is somehow considered tainted.”

“Damn it, Melanie...”

“You’re hanging onto the differences in our backgrounds, even though we’ve both changed.”

“Don’t you see, honey? Nothing’s changed, not really. If we hadn’t landed on this damn island, you’d never have given me the time of day.”

“Adam.” She said his name like a chastisement. “I know your life wasn’t easy, but
I
didn’t make it hard. In many ways, mine was difficult, too.”

“Because of me.”

“It doesn’t matter now. If it wasn’t for you, I would have drowned. Even if I’d made it to shore on my own, which is doubtful, the thought of being here alone terrifies me. But you’ve made it seem like an adventure. That’s the way you are, Adam. You’ve been working all your life to save your mother and Kyle, and you
did
save me. You can deny it all you like, but you’re still a hero. My hero. You saved me, and I owe you.”

He hardened his heart against the plea in her eyes. When they got off the island and she was once again surrounded by her family and elite friends, she’d come to her senses. More likely than not, she’d be embarrassed over their shared intimacy, over her lack of inhibition with him.

Just thinking about it made his blood burn, and he stared at her. “All right, so I saved you. But you can forget the resort. I already consider myself fully and adequately paid.” To emphasize his meaning, he thrust himself against her—and watched her expression crumble.

Adam rolled to his side, letting the rain lash his face and cool his shame while Melanie scrambled to her feet.

He heard her panting breaths over the downpour, could feel her tension. Her words were choked with tears when she shouted, “You’re a mean, miserable bastard, Adam Stone!”

Adam flinched, but otherwise didn’t move. What could he say? That she was right? There would be no explanations, no words to appease her. How could he explain what he didn’t understand himself? He only knew he couldn’t let himself get drawn in, because eventually, she’d realize the truth—that he was just a man, still working to get ahead and often failing.

He scrubbed at his face and silently accepted that the dream had ended.

Two seconds later Melanie let out a small screech and snatched up her shorts and halter. She darted behind a mangrove tree and frantically began to dress.

Alarmed, Adam jumped to his feet, expecting to see the wild boar he’d relentlessly teased her about.

What he saw instead was almost worse: a small fishing boat headed their way. At the helm, a hard-looking man who seemed impervious to the rain, stared toward them in disbelief. Though he was too far out to see them clearly, possessive rage washed through Adam. If the boat had shown up minutes earlier, its captain might have seen Mel naked.

The boat slowed and began idling toward the beach. Adam pulled on his sand-covered shorts and walked into the ocean to meet their rescuer.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“So you haven’t spoken to her since this Flynn Ryder guy showed up, right?”

Adam gave a sigh of disgust as he and his younger brother, Kyle, rounded the corner of a heavily flowered courtyard and headed around the quaint building to the beach behind it. Tourists abounded at the newly opened resort, making Adam’s temper burn. The resort should have been his. But the little witch had bought it back. For him.

Damn her.

He’d gone over the whole story a dozen times, but Kyle still hadn’t run out of questions. “There was nothing to say after that. We both felt damn foolish for getting stranded in the first place. The shoaling around the island makes it dangerous for boats to get too close, so people don’t visit it often. If it hadn’t been for Flynn, who knows how long we might have been there? The idiots that lost us didn’t even know we were missing, so nothing had been reported.”

“Eventually I’d have figured things out and sent the cavalry,” Kyle assured him. “But you never did say what Flynn was doing there.”

No, he hadn’t. Flynn Ryder evidently owned his own resort on a neighboring island, but it was Aladdin leaving a trail of clothing around the area—specifically Melanie’s panties—that had caused Flynn to investigate the smaller island. The minute Adam had explained they were both from Ohio, Flynn had nodded understanding and taken them to civilization.

Adam had felt like a complete fool over the whole thing, especially when Melanie told Flynn that Adam had saved her. Flynn had given him a skeptical look but hadn’t bothered to comment. In fact, he’d said very little to Adam. But he’d talked up a storm with Melanie. Not that he had much choice. Melanie, deliberately provoking Adam, he was sure, had asked Flynn dozens of questions on the daily operations of owning a resort. Adam had considered throwing her overboard again. In the end, he’d simply ignored her.

Adam and Kyle stopped in a crowd of bikini-clad guests and looked around for a familiar dark head. The desk clerk had claimed she was out here—waiting.

“You’re leaving something out, Adam.”

Damn, sometimes his brother was too astute. Hedging, he asked, “Why do you think so?”

Kyle tapped the papers Adam clutched in one fist. “She bought you a resort. You’re pissed off about it. She insisted on seeing you in person, and you’re giving in. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.”

“Does it take a genius to figure out it’s none of your business?”

“Why did you drag me along, then?”

Because he hadn’t wanted to tempt fate by seeing her alone again. He felt terrible for the things he’d said, the way he’d treated her that last day. Once they’d reached a hotel and been given separate rooms, Adam had tried to contact her, to apologize and do the old see-ya-later routine. He hadn’t wanted to part with hurt feelings, not when she meant so much to him. And he’d wanted her to know how to reach him, just in case his forgetfulness with the condom became an issue. But she’d already checked out. And he’d been feeling sick ever since.

Then a week ago he’d gotten her damn letter saying she’d bought the resort back for him, just as she’d promised to do. She had to have paid considerably more than he would have, just to get the new owner to sell. And looking around, he could easily see all the extra money she’d invested already. In just over a month she’d made the place look stunning, much as he’d always envisioned it.

She’d done it all, and put his damn name on the deed.

The papers crumpled in his fist when he finally spotted her sitting at an outdoor bar situated ideally beneath a cluster of ripe palms. Her shapely bottom was perched on a bar stool, her long legs and smooth shoulders mostly bare. The dress she wore was tiny, snug, and matched the floral decor of the many patio tables and open umbrellas.

Where the hell had she gotten that getup? And since when did she flaunt herself for the masses, rather than for his private pleasure?

Kyle evidently followed his gaze, for he let loose with a long, low, admiring whistle. “Holy cow. That’s Melanie Tucker, isn’t it?”

Adam snapped his head around to stare at his brother. “You remember her?”

“I was only a couple grades behind her in school. And being the richest kid in town, she really stood out.”

Adam thought it was more her eyes that made her noticeable, and when he looked at her, he saw those eyes staring directly at him. Slowly, she slid off the stool and started in his direction. She was barefoot, lightly tanned, her blue eyes looking bluer than ever.

His heart lodged in his throat, and he had to swallow hard twice to regain his composure. Every muscle in his body twitched, and he struggled to relax. Which did nothing about the erection making his appreciation of her rather apparent. In his worn jeans, there was no way to hide it. He’d missed her so damn much.

“Adam.” She stopped just a few inches from him and simply stood there, waiting.

Kyle stepped forward and extended his hand. “Miss Tucker. Nice to see you again.”

She drew her gaze from Adam with an effort. “You’re Kyle, Adam’s younger brother, right?”

Adam listened with half an ear as the introductions commenced. She looked so good, and he’d been sick with missing her ever since he’d realized she was gone forever. Then he’d gotten the damn letter....

He came back to his senses in a flash and thrust the deed toward her. “I don’t want this.”

She smiled, lifting her chin high. “Tough. It’s yours.”

“Then I’ll sell it and mail you back your check.”

“You can’t. We’re co-owners. You might not have noticed or read all the small print given your...rather quick temper, but we have equal control of the resort.”

“That’s impossible.”

“No, it’s a fact. I told you, I have a knack for real estate, so I know what I’m doing. Everything’s perfectly legal. And you were right, this place is wonderful. Much too good to pass up.”

Kyle laughed, earning a glare from Adam. “Now, Adam, come on. I still don’t understand why you’re being so pigheaded about this.”

Adam turned on his brother, deciding he was a safer target than Mel. He didn’t have to fight the urge to kiss his brother. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, “We make our own way now, Kyle.”

“No,
you
make our way. I haven’t had a hell of a lot to do with it.”

Adam drew back a step, scowling fiercely. “That’s ridiculous. I’m your brother. Besides, you’ve been going to college.”

Kyle turned to smile at Melanie. “Did you know he mostly paid my way through college? With what I made working part-time, it would have taken me years to pay back student loans. He also bought my mother a house. That’s part of the reason he had to do some fancy financing to get the money together for this resort. If he didn’t feel so responsible for us, he’d be rolling in dough.”

“Kyle...”

Adam’s warning went unheeded. “We’re damn proud of him and all he’s done. Even before Dad died, Adam’s always been my hero.”

There was that word again, making him edgy. He scowled at Kyle. “We’re family. You’ve done plenty for me, too.”

Kyle clapped Adam on the back. “He’s always been one hell of a big brother. I was really looking forward to settling down here, soaking up some sun, using my degree in business to help get things going. But if he won’t accept it...”

Mel’s smile turned gentle and sweet. “I didn’t know all that about Adam. But it doesn’t surprise me. I think of him as a hero, too. After he rescued me from drowning, I knew he could do anything he set his mind to—which is why I didn’t want him to miss this opportunity just because he likes to wallow in stubborn, misplaced pride.”

Adam felt smothered in their collective praise. “For the last damn time, Mel, I
fell
in. I did not jump in after you!”

Very quietly, and with supreme confidence, she whispered, “But you would have.”

How the hell was he supposed to argue with that? It was the truth, and he could see there was no point in denying it. They stared at each other, both oblivious to the tourists milling around them. Kyle cleared his throat and said, “I think I’ll just go look around a little.”

Adam hadn’t wanted to be left alone with Mel. Not that standing on a crowded beach was alone, but he felt totally apart from the others, as if only the two of them existed. He touched her cheek. “I’m sorry, babe. I know you mean well, but I can’t accept.”

“You gave me so much, Adam.”

He smiled. “What? I let you use my shampoo and shared my toothbrush. It’s hardly the same as a costly resort.”

Melanie shook her head, and sunlight glinted off her dark hair. “No, don’t you understand? You gave me your strength and self-confidence. All my life I’ve been sheltered and pampered, and men treated me like a glass doll. But you...you treat me like a woman.” She nervously licked her lips. “You make me feel sexy.”

“Aw, babe...”

“I might have shared my money, Adam, but that money hadn’t made me happy. Knowing you wanted me, making love with you, even arguing with you, makes me happier than I thought possible. The best time I’ve ever had was being stranded with you.”

“Honey, you were always sexy. Almost too much so.”

She treated him to a crooked grin. “Since I walked out here this morning to wait for you, I’ve been hit on a dozen times.”

Adam scowled, his gaze scanning the crowds. “Who hit on you?”

“It’s not important. My point is—”

“The point is that you need more clothes on!”

“Adam, I’m covered far more than the women in their bathing suits. And besides, I like the way you looked at me when you saw me in this outfit.”

Adam stepped closer and gave in to the urge to hold her, bringing her against his chest. “It’s not the outfit, Mel, it’s you. Even when you wore schoolgirl jumpers and penny loafers back in high school, you made me hard.”

She blushed, but she also smiled. “You see? That’s the most precious compliment I’ve ever gotten.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Your fiancé was an idiot.”

“No.” She licked her lips, and the vulnerability that sometimes clouded her eyes bit into his soul. “He wasn’t an idiot, Adam. He just wasn’t you.”

It felt like she’d ripped his heart out. “Mel.”

“And he didn’t...love me.”

The question was there in her beautiful blue eyes. Adam knew he owed it to her to tell her. What difference did her money make if he’d be miserable without her? In fact, he’d never felt so damn poor, so lacking in true wealth as he did when she’d left him without saying goodbye. He’d been an unhappy bastard ever since.

Before he could say anything, Kyle showed up, and he was grinning from ear to ear. “Adam, the place is perfect. Almost everything we would have done, she’s taken care of. But there’s still some things—”

Melanie spoke quickly. “—that could be improved on, only I’ve used up my savings. I need a partner to help me finish fixing things up.” She drew a deep breath and clutched her hands together in front of her. “I know about buying property and what a good investment is. But I don’t know much beyond that. I’ve got faith in this place, and I’ve done some cosmetic work, but there’s still so much that has to be done. I can’t...don’t want to do it alone. So if you truly don’t want to be partners with me, I’ll sell you my shares of the resort. You can reimburse me over a period of time. I’ll even make the interest rates fair, but I’d much rather—”

Very softly, Adam said, “I’d much rather marry you.”

She let out her breath in a whoosh. “Marry me?”

Kyle grinned. “I knew it! She’s the one you’ve always talked about. I could tell the minute you looked at her.”

Adam nodded slowly, his gaze still locked with Melanie’s. Melanie looked uncertain.

“Mom would harass him,” Kyle explained, “about settling down, about giving her grandkids, but Adam always said he couldn’t because he’d already met the most incredible woman, an icon that other women couldn’t possibly measure up to.”

“He said that...about me?”

Adam just smiled, watching his brother work. Kyle was smooth, much more so than Adam ever hoped to be. He could charm the socks off anyone, and though their mother didn’t realize it, he was the real hound dog in the family. But Kyle was subtle, so the ladies usually didn’t realize it until it was too late.

“Yeah. Adam always said you were an aristocrat and a little stuck up—”

“Hey!” Adam considered throwing his brother out to sea.

“But he made it sound real sexy.” Kyle’s eyes were bright with laughter.

“He did, huh?” Melanie looked unconvinced but open to suggestion.

“You betcha. So what do you think? You going to marry him so we can get this business settled?”

Melanie stared at Adam’s chest. “Do you love me, Adam?”

He cupped her chin and tilted her face up. “Since I’ve been old enough to know what love is, you’ve been the one for me.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Me, too, though I didn’t realize it. I just knew I watched for you and felt alive around you and that—”

“What?”

Mindful of Kyle’s rapt attention, she tiptoed to whisper in his ear. “That I wanted you.” She kissed his throat and wrapped her arms around him. “I knew I couldn’t marry anyone else, not when all I could think of was you.”

Adam dropped the deed so he could fill his hands with her. “I love you, Mel. I always have.” He kissed her and vaguely heard the stirring of interest from the crowds watching them. His brother made the announcement that they were newly engaged, which earned a round of applause.

It was difficult, but Adam finally managed to pull his mouth away from hers. “Are there empty rooms inside?”

“Too many to count. I expect we need to work on that.”

“I know one room we can fill right now.”

She smiled at his deep, suggestive tone, and her cheeks turned pink. “I have one reserved just for us.”

Adam felt like shouting, he was so happy. “So you’ll marry me and put up with Kyle and welcome my mother?”

She grinned, trying for a look of indecision when her expressive eyes already showed how happy she felt. “Well, I suppose so, as long as you know my parents are rather curious about you, too. They’ll want a big wedding, but they love me, so it shouldn’t be too bad.”