Suzie sank back into her chair, her brow furrowed.
"It's after midnight. I'd only just got to sleep." Harrison yawned loudly.
"I'm in Fiji," said Nate. "Didn't check the time."
"Oh yeah, Laura's wedding, right? How did it go?"
"Good. I'm here with Suzie, Laura's sister. You remember her?"
"Of course. How is she?"
Nate glanced over at her. Her cheeks were tinged with red and she made frantic shushing motions. He grinned. "I want you to know I lied about her offering to sleep with me, back when we were at school."
Suzie groaned and sunk her head into her hands.
"No shit? I should have guessed." Harrison chuckled, sounding far more awake. "So you're there together? Something going on you want to tell me about?"
"No."
Suzie lifted her head and glared at him. "Jerk," she mouthed.
Nate felt his grin get wider. "I think she wants to say hello."
He handed his phone over, and Suzie took it reluctantly, glaring with enough heat to sear the flesh from his bones. Then she plastered on a fake smile. "Hey, Harrison. How are you?"
Nate took the dishes to the galley while Suzie and his brother talked. He could only hear her side of the conversation, but Harrison must have put her at ease because her tone quickly relaxed.
The two of them talked about their school days for a while, friends and teachers they'd had in common. Then Harrison must have said something about living in their old house because Suzie said, "Yes, I remember your place. Picket fence, right?" She laughed. "I can't believe you're still there. I live about an hour away now, but my mom's in the same house. Three streets over from you, painted yellow. A gnome guards the front steps and she keeps a crystal hanging in the window." Suzie paused. "No, she hasn't changed at all. I guess working in the store meant you knew just about everyone in the neighborhood? Do you remember … ?" And they were off again.
Nate washed the dishes, then sat down to watch Suzie talk. Her eyes were alight, her free hand gesticulating. She was magnificent.
"Yeah, I'd like that. Sounds great." A pause. "Okay, I'll grab your number and drop by next time I'm visiting Mom." She got up, still talking. "My phone's charging in the other room, but I can write it down. Hang on, Harrison." She got up and grabbed a pen and notepad from beside the marine radio. "I visit Mom every other week so you might see me quite soon." She laughed. "Yes, I promise. Okay, I've got a pen. Tell me."
As she wrote down his phone number, a warm feeling spread through Nate's chest. If Harrison wanted Suzie to visit, he must not be feeling too bad. He'd been shut away for far too long. Could this mean he was finally getting better?
"That would be fantastic. Hey, it was good to talk to you." She paused. "I definitely will. I'd love to catch up some more, so I'll see you soon, okay?"
When she hung up, she wrinkled her nose at Nate. "If you were trying to embarrass me, it didn't work because your brother's so nice. He wants me to come over, so we can talk about old times."
"Please do. Harrison doesn't leave the house much, and I don't get there as often as I'd like. It'd be good for him to be more social."
"Why? What's wrong with him?"
Nate shrugged. "He hasn't had an easy time. A visitor would do him good."
He wasn't about to tell her about Harrison's daughter and drag up the pain they'd both suffered. The grief and shock of Yasmina's death had left Harrison suicidal. Even if Nate didn't want to keep those wounds well covered, telling anyone about it would betray his brother's trust.
She gazed at him thoughtfully, as though she was trying to puzzle out the things he wasn't saying.
"Then I will," she said. "And while we're on the subject of clearing up past wrongs, I had no idea what Troy did to you. I didn't know about him robbing your store or hitting you with an iron bar."
He raised his eyebrows. "And the cigarettes?"
She blushed. "Oh, I smoked them. And I was an idiot not to ask where they'd come from. I suspected he was breaking the law, but I never thought he'd hurt anyone."
"Why did you go out with a guy like Troy?" He asked it casually, but it was something he'd wondered a lot back then. He'd dreamed about striding up to her to demand she ditch the loser and go out with him instead. And if he hadn't been a skinny fifteen-year-old with coke-bottle glasses, he might have done it.
"It's going to sound crazy, but I dated him for his reputation." She hesitated, toying with the stem of her wine glass. "Because of Laura, I guess. She was so perfect, and I was the disappointing sister. The one who didn't do well in school and never won any certificates. Laura papered her walls with awards, but no matter what I did, I couldn't measure up."
"So you rebelled?"
"Stupid, I know. It was a way to show I didn't care, and I never wanted to be like Laura anyway."
"That's not stupid. It's understandable."
"Except it backfired. If I'd been less of a rebel, the entire school might not have been so quick to believe your lie." She sighed. "I wanted everyone to think I was wild and crazy. But not that wild."
"I didn't realize the rumor had spread. My mother died right after that. Harrison and I were both off school for a while, before we moved to Florida."
"It doesn't matter now. That rumor's probably long forgotten by anyone who knew me."
Nate couldn't resist. "Did you want to go out with Harrison for the same reason as Troy? Because he had a shaved head and piercings?"
"That's the look I was into." Suzie nodded and drained what was left of her wine.
In that case, Nate was the opposite of the men she normally went for. Well, not quite the opposite. He lived in a rough pair of jeans and a T-shirt, even turning up for business meetings that way. But denim and stubble hardly made him her type.
Why should he care?
Nate tightened his jaw. Now they were settling their differences, he was enjoying their conversation more than he would have expected. He liked the way she challenged him, and the straightforward way she answered his questions. More than anything, he loved her smile. The way her eyes tilted, and that irresistible cupid's bow … she was stunning enough to suck the air from his lungs.
He wanted to do more than talk. And why not? Judging by last night's kiss, their chemistry was all kinds of explosive. Besides, they were about to go their separate ways – her to LA, him to New York – and they'd probably never see each other again.
Being able to spend only a single night together meant there'd be no chance of complications. Would she be interested in sharing a bed for the night with no strings attached?
He got up and went to the galley to get another beer. "More wine?" he asked.
"I feel a little bad drinking Dalton's supplies."
"Don't worry, I'm planning to restock the boat when we get to Denarau. And I'll get a professional to check the dashboard and replace all the circuits."
"Won't it be expensive?"
He shrugged, opening the bottle. "Don't worry about it."
"I could pay half." She bit her lip. "Well, I could if you give me a little time. If you don't mind covering the whole lot to start with, I'll pay you back in instalments-"
"No." He grabbed her glass and refilled it.
"No?"
"I didn't tell you about the way I'd rigged the steering, so being stuck here is my fault."
"You're admitting blame?" She gave him a suspicious frown. "You sure this isn't some macho thing? Can't stand to have a woman pay her share?"
"That's exactly what it is. And arguing won't change my mind, so don't bother trying."
She rolled her eyes, but a smile played around her lips. "Jerk."
"Guilty as charged." He gave her the full glass of wine, slid into the seat next to her, and held up his beer so they could clink the two drinks together.
Suzie took a sip and licked her lips. "I have to admit, this evening's turning out better than I expected."
"It could improve even more," said Nate. "If you like."
"What do you mean?"
He put his beer down, then leaned over and slid one hand behind her neck. For a moment he savored the moment of anticipation, staring into her wide eyes and knowing he was about to claim that cupid's bow for his own.
Then he kissed her.
Her mouth tasted of sweet wine and the feel of her lips made him instantly hard. He wanted to devour her, but kept it soft, giving her room to back away gracefully if she wanted.
Her mouth opened to his and there was a thump as the base of her glass hit the table. She melted into him and he had his answer.
If he could have fist-pumped and still kept his mouth on hers, he would have. Instead, he had to settle for closing his eyes and savoring a rush of adrenaline and pleasure. Kissing Suzie felt so good, Nate lost himself in the sensation. He wanted her body against his, but couldn't pull her close enough on the seat.