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Stranded(7)

By:Eve Vaughn


India made her way to the restroom and walked to the sink. She splashed water on her face. “Guess you needed this vacation more than you thought,” she said to her reflection.

It was almost like looking at a stranger. The dark, shoulder length hair she once sported was now a chin-length bob, tucked behind her ears. Her new hairstyle made her dark brown eyes look huge. Her mocha-colored skin had a grayish tint. It was probably from the stress she’d been under the past couple of weeks. She certainly didn’t feel like the beautiful woman Rafe claimed she was.

A late bloomer, India had once been skinny and awkward with a bad complexion, something else her parents had disparaged over. It was only in her late teens that her body gained the womanly curves she now sported, and her skin cleared up. Braces corrected her teeth and she’d grown more comfortable in her body, however her improved looks had once again become an issue.

Instead of being the butt of cruel jokes, men were acting like idiots around her. India had never quite shaken off the stigma of being an ugly duckling. It was probably why Steven wanted her. She had the right look—the perfect arm piece for his ambitions. And he’d probably recognized her insecurities and used them to manipulate her.

Now that the blinders were off, India was determined to live her life according to her own rules. No longer would she give in to the demands of her parents or allow a man to swallow her identity. It was finally her turn to live, starting with this vacation. Why run away from Rafe and Grant?





“What did you think of her?” Rafe asked between bites of his sandwich.

Grant didn’t answer right away. A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “Gorgeous, but…”

“Not your type?” Rafe held his breath in anticipation of his friend’s answer. He knew Grant gravitated toward willowy redheads, but the way he had stared at India told Rafe there may be some interest there.

“It’s not that. I’d imagine she’s every man’s type. I was watching you two talk for a few good minutes before I approached. I couldn’t stop staring at her—those lips and eyes…she’s a stunner.”

“So what’s the problem?”

Grant shrugged. “Come on, Rafe, need you ask? Women fall over their feet to get near you. Me on the other hand—they seem to lose interest when you enter the picture. I definitely think India is way out of my league. Besides, she may not be into white guys. You saw how she bolted when I joined the two of you.”

Rafe shook his head. “I didn’t get the impression she cared about something so trivial. Anyway, aren’t we all black when the lights are out?”

That comment brought a slow smile to Grant’s face. “I suppose we are, but it doesn’t mean she’d be interested in me. The last woman I really cared about…well, we both know how that ended.”

Yeah. Rafe ended up marrying her. Guilt pierced his conscience. Since he and Grant had hit puberty and discovered girls, there was a friendly competition between the two of them where the fairer sex was concerned.

No matter whom the victor had been, neither let a female come between them. Most of their twenties had been spent in school and building their accounting firm. There hadn’t been much time for women until they’d become successes, but when they did, their skirt chasing grew more intense.

Angie had done a number on the both of them, almost destroying their friendship in the process, until her machinations finally backfired. Rafe should have known Angie was trouble when she’d come for financial advice. She had, after all, been looking to invest a small inheritance from her deceased husband, who Rafe later learned had been eighty-eight years old. He’d found that little tidbit out too late.

Had he known that, he never would have gotten involved with her outside of their business meetings, but the little head had taken over the big one. A platinum blonde with a body that didn’t quit, she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but Angie definitely knew how to work what she had—and boy did she! They began dating almost immediately. So caught up in the whirlwind of their romance, Rafe didn’t realize the subtle things she did to keep him from spending time with Grant.

She’d made it plain from the beginning of their relationship that she wouldn’t tolerate him giving anyone other than her his attention. Looking back, Rafe should have known how things would be, but instead he’d become more deeply involved with her

It wasn’t long before she brought the subject of marriage up, but Rafe had not been ready. Out of spite, she went after Grant, who Rafe then discovered had secretly had a crush on her all along. For the first time since they’d become friends, there was tension between them. She pitted them against each other until finally Rafe believed he couldn’t live without her. He broke down and asked her to marry him—what she’d been angling for all along.