Chapter 1

“ What do you mean, legal action is pending? ” Carter Stratton glared at his broker over the

rims of his aviator sunglasses deflecting the Miami sunset.

“Keep your voice down,” Neville hissed.
Patrons standing on the Vice Lounge’s VIP-only deck paused to stare, then returned to their

martinis, cigarettes and conversations when the two of them moved to the deck’s lower level.

Strain creased Neville’s forehead like an accordion. “I said might .”
“I want answers.” Brisk wind riding in off the ocean did nothing to cool Carter’s temper.

“You have five seconds before I call my lawyer.”

“No!” Neville cleared his throat. “That won’t be necessary. It’s the Pierce acquisition—

there’s a petition to scrap the project.”

Carter reeled with shock. “On what grounds?”
“Environmental activists determined your future hotel goes two-hundred yards into a wildlife

reserve. And there’s a mandatory three-hundred-yard distance between commercial property and the
protected land.”

Yanking off his sunglasses, Carter stated, “I’m out five hundred yards of prime beachfront

property I’ve staked fifty million on, because you didn’t do your research?”

At the mention of his cash flow, two emaciated blondes in miniskirts who’d been eyeing him

all night reasserted themselves in his personal space.

Carter turned away, heading to the edge of patio. Late fall wind streamed through his hair. The

sun sank into the watery horizon, dragging with it dreams of his most high-profile real estate
transaction since he went into business for himself.

Neville sidled up to him. “There’s still a chance—”
Carter shook his head. “I’m out.”
“It’s not that easy.”
Brows lowering, Carter warned, “If you signed anything without my knowledge...”
“I put up collateral. That’s what you told me to do.”
“Before I knew the property had major setbacks.” He shook his head. “When things sound too

good to be true, they are.” He used to have a nose for rotten deals. He should’ve handled this himself,
staked the grounds personally, calculating exact measurements, weighing benefits against risks.

Gripping the wooden railing, he looked down at neon bar lights glinting off the waves. Had he

lost his Midas touch?

He’d never been this careless when so much was at stake. Admittedly, he’d grown lax about

his investments, stepping back the way Amanda had hounded him to do for months, letting other
people take care of the details.

“Never again,” he swore to himself. He turned to Neville. “I should fire you on the spot.

Except—”

“I’m the only person who can get your money back,” Neville completed his sentence.

“I’m all for saving the planet. Can’t this be resolved behind the scenes?”
“Not when the father of your recent ex-girlfriend is an official at the Florida Environmental

Protection League.”

Great . He couldn’t win for losing. “How much was the collateral?”
“Five million.”
Carter slammed the heels of his hands against the railing. “Unbelievable.”
“Here’s the deal. If you walk away now, your name is in the clear. Let me work my magic. I’ll

protect your status in the beachfront real estate industry.”

“In the meantime, my funds are tied up in this mess.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Yeah, well I’ve already shaken hands with the devil. I won’t get burned twice.” Despite the

mild southern climate this late in the year, he felt a chill creep through him he couldn’t shake. “You
have five business days to resolve this, starting Monday.”

“It takes time—”
“Five days.”
Carter reached into his leather coat pocket for the three-week-old newsprint he’d torn out of

Elite Southern Properties Magazine :

There in black and white was a small advertisement printed in bold letters.

For Sale : Elegant hotel on El Dorado Island, beachfront property, historically
significant, unmatched charm. Repairs assumed by buyer. Auction commences
November 31. Call with inquiries.

It listed a phone number still stamped on his brain despite twelve years passing since he

dialed it. Ellie’s number .

“My advice,” his broker continued, “is to lay low. You don’t need to be sucked into a legal

battle just because your relationship took a swan-dive like all the others.”

“Motivational speaker—that’s your calling, Neville.”
“You’ll have your money. I swear on my second home.”
Carter’s jaw tightened. “You can’t drop once you’ve hit bottom.”
Neville’s expression revealed a mix of hurt and determination. “I won’t let you down.”
“I’m retaking control of all my investments. From now on, nothing happens without my verbal

and written approval.”

Neville held up his palms. “You’ve made yourself clear.”
“I need to take care of some unfinished business. When I get back to Miami Friday night, I

want my name spotless and five million back in my bank account. Are we understood?”

Neville nodded vigorously.
“I’ll be in touch.” Carter pushed through the Saturday night crowd that bobbed to the thumping

beat of D.J. Tiesto, on his way to the valet. When they pulled his car up, he slid into his pewter
Porsche Boxster, slammed it into gear and peeled out of Miami’s Gold Coast as fast as he could. He
headed for the small airport where his private jet waited.

Something else awaited him, too. Not just reprieve from the Pierce acquisition, but something

far more personal and satisfying.

Despite the grim scenario here, his need to leave town gave him a chance to settle a score

with someone whose memory had never left him alone. The only woman who’d slipped under his
defenses and put a crack in his heart he’d never been able to fill.

That jagged fissure festered inside him, and became the grounds for every one of his failed

relationships since then. That’s what people kept telling him, anyway. After Amanda, he was finally
inclined to believe them.

Amanda Estelle—model, activist, sophisticate, intelligent, everything he should want in a

woman...but didn’t.

The wheels of his Porsche squealed as he took a curve too sharply. City lights whipped past

in a blur.

Maybe he couldn’t mend things with his now-ex-girlfriend and her connections. He needed to

let that go, something he’d never been good at doing.

But in the tangled web of another dream he secretly harbored, he could tear down a few rusty

barbed-wire fences from his past. Finally achieve the satisfaction he’d craved since he left El Dorado
Island at twenty-two, twelve years ago.

Revenge .
Suddenly nothing seemed more compelling than arriving unannounced when Ellie Montgomery

needed him most. He had looked into her hotel property three weeks ago when he’d first seen the ad
and hadn’t believed the price. Now he understood why the property was so cheap. The Montgomery
Hotel was falling apart, a shadow of its former nineteenth-century glory. Few investors would go
near it. Unless they had an agenda.

He’d fly in with an offer and become Ellie’s savior. Right up until she admitted she needed

him, body, heart and soul. Then he’d take her to his bed and keep her there for days. Making love to
her until she begged him to stop, and then begged him for more. After he had his fill and sealed the
fracture inside him, he’d leave her behind. Like she’d done to him, without telling him why—just the
attitude of, “Hey, it’s been fun, but I’m done with you, so have a nice life.”

This reunion had been a long time coming.
Gloved hands gripping the steering wheel, the real estate ad in his jacket pocket, Carter pulled

onto the tarmac where his plane waited. The Porsche’s wheels spun rubber as he hit the breaks,
leaving black streaks across the hangar. He got out and tossed his keys to the man in the guard booth.

Climbing the steps that were lowered for him, Carter entered his jet’s cabin. “Captain

Bromstead,” he addressed his pilot. “Destination: El Dorado Island. Due southeast of Hilton Head,
South Carolina.”

After punching in the coordinates, Bromstead cocked his head and touched his earpiece. “Sir,

they don’t allow jets on the island. You’ll have to take a hopper from the mainland.”

Carter checked his watch. Nine-thirty. That should put him there by midnight. “Tell the hopper

to be ready when we land.”

*

Consumed with worry, Ellie Montgomery ran down her list of VIP accommodations with the

woman who knew the Montgomery Hotel almost as well as she did.

“Did you make the bed with monogrammed sheets?” she asked. They showed less wear than

the ones they used for regular guests.

“Check,” Matilda said triumphantly. Her graying curls and thick chin bobbed with a nod.
“What about his wakeup call?”
“Check.”
“Breakfast cart?”
“Of course, but—”
Ellie didn’t have time for second-guessing. She’d received only a few hours notice that a new

investor had suddenly taken interest in the hotel. He’d arrived late last night.

Her heels clicked on imported marble flooring as she continued her rapid stride toward the

first floor colonial State Room. “Fresh flowers?”

“Umm, about that...”
Ellie drew up sharply. The housekeeper almost bumped into her. Matilda refused to meet her

eyes, wiping her palms on her apron. Ellie frowned. “What about that ?”

Matilda scrunched her apron in her fists. “See, it’s like this.” She hesitated, then the words

poured out in a rush. “Well, when I went to Sam’s Flower Shop, Sam gave me the scolding look. You
know that look he gets. So, well, he...” She glanced pleadingly at Ellie. “He says our credit isn’t
good there anymore.”

Panic flooded Ellie’s veins. This was the last thing she needed. Every touch had to be perfect

for the investor in Suite 1A. Her eyebrows pulled together. “No flowers?”

“There are flowers,” Matilda confirmed. “I paid for them myself. Miss Montgomery, I didn’t

know what else to do—”

“Sam should know better.” But Ellie suspected the day would come when a promise from the

Montgomery Hotel made people turn away. On a small island like El Dorado, locals depended on
revenue from the only luxury hotel. They had suffered financially in the past three years, as much as
Ellie had emotionally since the death of her father. The hotel had to remain intact. Or dozens of lives
and livelihoods—including her own—would be swept away with the Atlantic tide.

Ellie sighed. “I’m sorry you had to be in that position.” Her throat tightened. “At this time, I

can’t offer to...”

“I know.” Matilda straightened proudly. “I bought them because I know how much this place

means to you. To all of us.”

Ellie suppressed the tears that stung the backs of her eyes. “I promise you,” she said, touching

the housekeeper’s shoulder, “I will make it up to you. No matter what I have to do.” Even if it means
subjecting my future to Arnoff Applestone . She shuddered at the thought of the first—so far the only
—investor, king of bad comb-overs and sleazy hotel casinos. She swallowed hard. “I will take over
your duties for the afternoon.”

“Oh! No, I’d never expect that.”
“It’s the least I can do. I’m sorry for your trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Matilda’s eagerness drove a knife through Ellie’s heart.
The housekeeper knew Ellie forfeited any income to keep a skeleton crew on staff. All Ellie

had was credit backed by the word of four generations of Montgomery’s. And the singular hope of
landing an investor who’d buy the 135-year-old hotel in “as-is” condition. In the current dismal real
estate market, her chances were bleak.

“It’s all right, Ellie.” The housekeeper sent her a look of sympathy. While Ellie appreciated

the gesture, nothing about their dire straights was all right with her.

“No, it’s not alright. But I will make it better.” No matter what it takes .
At that moment Matilda’s husband, James, rushed up to them. He mopped his forehead with a

handkerchief. “Madam, I regret to inform you, the gentleman in Suite 1A has not responded to our
wakeup calls. And his breakfast tray is cold to the touch.”

The blood drained from her face. “Didn’t he check in last night?”
“The guest sheet has initials scratched there, but it’s indecipherable.” James shrugged.
“No one has seen him?” When James and Matilda shook their heads, Ellie experienced a rush

of humiliation. “If we went to all this trouble and expense for nothing...” She set off toward the suite.

She would not let this place be run into the ground—financially through foreclosure, or

morally through Arnoff Applestone. Something had to come through. They were practically giving the
hotel away. She’d be left with nothing in the end, but hopefully she could keep her job as hotel
manager and earn a paycheck.

The problem was she had few other work skills to offer. Plus she’d be competing for work in

this depressed island economy against the very people she’d grown up with, but apart from. Everyone
who had watched her once-wealthy father, and then Ellie, fall from grace. That notion became a bitter
pill that lodged in her digestive tract, slowly churning into an ulcer of constant anxiety.

Compounding this was her refusal to leave the island. She would not become another casualty,

like the rest of her family, punished by the curse that afflicted the Montgomery’s when they left this
small sanctuary. The only place Ellie had ever called home.

Her fate would be played out here.
And right now the investor in Suite 1A could make a difference in the course of her life. She

marched up to the door of that “someone’s” room. She knocked. After thirty seconds, she knocked
again.

“Hello? Sir?”
Her knuckles ached with the third and fourth knocks, which were loud enough to echo through

the hall and disturb the sconces flanking the door.

“Hello! Is anyone in there?”
No answer.
Against policy, she swiped her all-access card. When the light flashed green, she pushed the

door open and entered cautiously.

“Sir? This is management,” she called out.
The only response came from pipes overhead, clanking and rattling as water rushed through

the antiquated plumbing. She winced, recalling the pipe that burst last winter, almost a year ago. The
hotel had shut down for two weeks. The leak was repaired, but their finances never recovered.

“Are you here?” Please be here .
No reply.
She ventured further into the impressive main room of the suite, which maintained its French-

Colonial décor from the hotel’s history. Moving past the velvet chaise lounge, Ellie nudged open the
closet door. No clothes hanging, no luggage thrown open on the luggage rack. Hopes fading, she
entered the master bedroom suite.

There, she froze.
The door to the master bath stood wide open. A cloud of steam hovered in the air, raising

goose bumps on her arms. The clean scent of warm towels and tea tree soap preceded the image of
male perfection that appeared before her.

Her mouth parted, but no sound followed. She shamelessly stared at the man’s immaculate

body. His thick biceps expanded and contracted as he towel-dried his hair. The way his eight-pack
abs flexed as he moved. His chiseled muscular chest.

Fingers trembling, she restrained her desire to run her hands along that hard expanse. She

melted a little imagining how it would feel to be held by those arms, close to his strength, sheltered
from her fears of the future and the pain of the past, his damp naked skin gliding against hers.

Her eyes followed droplets of water that cascaded down his torso, wet trails she envisioned

following with her lips. Her attention slid below his waist. She blinked. Her mouth fell open.

Suddenly, every refined muscle in his body went rigid.

Ellie’s gaze snapped up, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. In the next moment, her

blood turned to ice.

Piercing gray eyes took her breath away. Turbulent, fierce and compelling, like the ocean

during a storm. Like Carter Stratton .

A strangled word wheezed out. “How...?”
The angles of his face softened slightly, but those eyes remained sharp, calculating, like a

hawk targeting its prey. Ever so slowly, he slid the towel down from his ruffled hair, drew it along
his chest, finally tucking it around his waist. An obnoxiously confident smirk lifted one corner of his
mouth.

Was he taunting her?
Ellie didn’t feel mocked, she felt intimidated. He had changed. “Carter, what are you doing

here?”

Ignoring the question, he asked, “Is this the new wakeup call?” He stepped toward her,

droplets clinging to the spiked ends of his hair. “I think I like it.”

The closer he came, the further she retreated. “This isn’t—I’m not here to—”
“I think you are.”
Her shoulder blades hit the wall.
He didn’t stop until his hands were flattened on either side of her head. “You’re here to pick

up where we left off.”

“I didn’t even know you were coming!”
Eyelids lowering, he murmured, “Not yet, but we can work on that.”
“Carter,” she hissed.
He grabbed her chin, angling her mouth up to him. God help her, she wanted him to kiss her.

So badly she ached from head to toe. It seemed like ages since she’d felt such a strong sexual
response to a man.

Her lips trembled. “I—”
“Why the hesitation? You knew this day would arrive.” His body came up solidly against

hers. Ellie stifled a moan. “Remember what I told you twelve years ago?”

She nodded shakily.
“I always keep my promises.”
The instincts of terror and surrender collided inside her. “I know,” she whispered.
“Still, you’re surprised to see me.” His unshaven jaw scraped along her cheek. His breath

was warm and tantalizing against her ear. “Why is that, Eleanor Grace Montgomery?”

Ellie cringed at the use of her full name, a burden of expectation few people understood.
Carter pulled back, perhaps interpreting her response as rejection—the way he’d

misinterpreted her actions years ago. He thought she’d abandoned him when she told him goodbye. In
truth, she was protecting him.

Regardless, his eyes didn’t waver from their target. He didn’t even blink. She shivered.
Chill warning resonated in his voice. “I’m back to take what was denied me.” His grip

tightened on her chin. Their lips nearly touched. “Including you.”

After they’d parted on miserable terms, she swore she’d never be that vulnerable to a man

again. But her frozen limbs and speechlessness betrayed her.

Did he know? Did he have any idea how painful this was for her?
She tilted her face up to him. His gaze flicked to her lips. Without thinking, she closed her

eyes and waited for the press of his mouth.

Suddenly, he released her. Her eyes flew open and she watched him saunter back into the

master bath. He slammed the door.

Ellie recoiled as if she’d been slapped. In the span of five minutes, an old scar had ripped

open inside her.

Heart throbbing, she exited the suite. As she traveled the hallway toward her uncle’s office,

the floor felt uneven beneath her feet.

She had no idea what was going to happen now. However, she recognized one certainty—

whatever transpired in the next five days, Carter Stratton would be at the center of it. For better...or
worse.

*

Carter opened the bathroom door two minutes later. Ellie was gone.

Something strange happened in his chest, a pinching sensation he didn’t like. He brushed it off.

Now that he was back on the island, he could sever the final thread tying him to this woman.

Swiping his cell phone off the bedside table, he hit number one on his speed dial. The island’s

remoteness delayed call connection for a full minute. When it did connect, the line sounded scratchy.

Yet no amount of static subdued the voice on the other end that picked up. “Stratton, where in

the hell are you?”

Carter shoved the phone to arm’s length to avoid bursting an eardrum. He set it on the

countertop and pressed speaker phone. “Neville, I want a progress report.”

“When I told you to lay low, I didn’t mean fall off the face of the earth.”
Carter smoothed a dollop of gel through his hair, styling the dark blond strands. “I said I’d be

in touch.”

Neville sounded like he was choking. “Haven’t you bothered to check your account? Voice

mail? Email?”
“Nope.” Carter pulled on a pair boxer briefs. “Enlighten me on your progress.”

“The funds are still tied up.”
“And?” Carter lathered shaving cream in foam circles across his day-old beard growth.

“What are your plans?”

“It’s Sunday. Nothing can move until tomorrow.” The phone echoed with the weak

connection. “Last night my friends mentioned they may buy off the environmentalists.”

“Forget it.” Carter scraped his razor under his cheekbones, along his jaw, up the arc of his

neck. “I don’t want to be associated with your ‘friends.’”

“But think of it, Carter. Fifty-million .”
“And my reputation will be worthless.”
“We’ve worked on this for six months!”
“I don’t pay people off to get what I want—I make the right decision the first time.” Carter

finished shaving and tapped his razor on the edge of the sink.

“So that’s it. You’re scrapping six months of effort. For what?”
“Another hotel.”
“ What? ” Neville roared. “Please don’t tell me you’re on El Dorado Island.”
Carter rinsed his face, patting it dry with a towel.
Neville took his silence as guilt by omission. “Are you an idiot?”
“Only when I listen to you, and ignore my instincts.”
Unfazed, Neville reminded, “You’ve never put pleasure before business.”
“I have the chance to accomplish something no amount of money can compensate. I’m taking

it.” Carter dunked Armani Code cologne on his hands and slapped it along his neck. The scent of
almonds and cinnamon mingled with woodsy undertones. He swept it down his pecs and torso,
following the thin line of hair that drifted from his navel to below his waistline. “The Montgomery
Hotel is better than Pierce.”

“The place is a dump! Only naïve investors would consider it. You’re better than that.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Why in the world would you—?” Neville paused then let out a maniacal laugh. “It’s about

that girl, isn’t it?”

Carter ground his teeth. “What about her?”
“Fine, get her out of your system. Enjoy your make-up sex. Maybe then you’ll concentrate on

real prospects.”

Carter grabbed the phone. “Don’t tell me how to run my life. Handle my money and do your

job.”

He ended the call, tossing his cell onto the marble sink counter to avoid throwing it across the

room. He didn’t need advice. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Pulling on a pair of Michael Kors jeans, he zipped the fly. His mind went to his encounter

with Ellie. He’d nearly lost himself in the way her body had felt pressed against his. Then she’d lifted
her lips to him, and he wanted to take her right there against the wall. He’d almost given in again to
that electric obsession he’d always had for her.

“Damn.” He gripped the counter.
He forced himself to tame the primal response. Locating a Calvin Klein shirt, he shoved his

arms into the white oxford and fastened the buttons down his chest.

For now, he had to portray his presence on the island as a business venture. Independent of his

personal plans.

Before his purchase went through, he’d bring Ellie to her knees. And afterward, he’d leave

her stranded the way she’d left him. Desperate. Shaken. Bitter. Empty inside.

Five more days.
The seductive power of revenge filled him with determination. He tucked his shirt into his

jeans, fastened his belt, grabbed his leather jacket off the back of a chair and set out to find the object
of his discontent.

Chapter 2

Ellie spent the rest of that afternoon making beds, cleaning bathrooms and avoiding Carter

Stratton. She threw her angst and sexual frustration over the encounter with Carter into making every
room on the second floor spotless, and also to reimburse Matilda for the flowers she’d bought on
Ellie’s behalf.

She was on her knees, scrubbing the bathroom floor in Suite 223, when the door swung open.

She froze as her uncle stepped into the room—with Carter behind him.

Oh, no .
They stopped and stared at her. Her uncle, bewildered. Carter, amused, his eyes glued to her

backside.

Blushing profusely, Ellie struggled to her feet, dusted off her yoga pants and ignored the quirk

of Carter’s lips. He used to wear that expression when they were in a crowd, separated by necessity
so her father wouldn’t find out about them, yet one of Carter’s sizzling looks told her how close
they’d be once he got her alone.

Carter’s grin widened as he remarked, “Personal wakeup calls and stunning views.” He

nudged her uncle, who coughed uncomfortably. “I like what you’ve done with the place. A guy could
get used to this.”

Uncle Russert addressed her with a hard stare over his rimless glasses. “Eleanor, what are

you doing?”

She stammered, “It’s...I’m—Matilda needed time off.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Carter said, his gaze trailing up and down her body, taking stock

of her disheveled state. Her hair thrown back in a careless ponytail, her breasts visible under a thin
white t-shirt. Embarrassment flooded her when she realized her nipples were showing through her
sports bra.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Is there something you need?”
“Do you really want my answer to that?” Carter murmured with sexual undertones.
Her uncle must not have heard him. “Eleanor, why do you do this to me? Every time I need to

impress an investor, you find some way to embarrass me.”

“Hold on,” Carter interrupted. “It’s not a big deal.”
Russert whirled on him. “Wait in the hall, please. I need to have words with my niece.”
Carter hesitated, glanced at Ellie, then shrugged and walked out. Ellie wished Carter had

stayed to play mediator between her and her condescending uncle. Once, Carter would’ve put himself
between her and any threat. She braced herself for Russert’s temper.

When the door clicked shut, Russert’s face contorted with wrath. “Do you want to lose

everything? Do you want your father’s dreams to rot in a foreclosed ruin because you couldn’t bother
to make sacrifices?”

Ellie’s set her hands on her hips. “All I’ve made is sacrifices since you came to handle

Daddy’s estate.”

“Use your head, Eleanor!” He loosened his tie, easing the blistering pressure that reddened

his face. “Act like a woman who needs the mercy of a man with money. Not the princess my brother
made you into.”

Although his words chafed her pride, she notched up her chin up. “You’ve lowered yourself

to insults to make people do what you want?”

“It’s not me who refuses to leave this island.”
Ellie bit her tongue. He was right. Maybe there were other opportunities beyond the shore of

this island, but she was too terrified to make that leap. Especially when both her parents had died
while crossing its oceanic mote.

“You’re not living in a protected bubble anymore. You’re like anyone else about to lose her

job, her home, and her last chance to walk away with a little cash to start over.”

She spread her arms to indicate the sparkling bathroom. “Why do you think I’m working so

hard?”

Considering his glare, he believed she could do better than menial labor. “Then get used to

scrubbing toilets.”

S h e stared in disbelief. “What do you want me to do? Prostitute myself to Arnoff

Applestone?”

Russert pinned her with his icy black gaze, so unlike her father’s warm brown eyes. “I’m

telling you to do whatever it takes.”

“Don’t I get a say in who buys my father’s legacy?” Her shoulders bowed. “Why would you

let it go to waste as a sleazy casino?”

“Sleaze sells. And right now, I don’t care who is buying.” Calmer now, he straightened his

tie. “You have until the auction Friday. Use the same assets your mother used on my brother, and you
might have a decent future.”

Ellie gasped. “How dare you?”
“Your mother is the reason I hadn’t spoken to my brother in thirty years.” Russert swallowed.

“I didn’t even get to tell him goodbye.”

Finally, a little light shed on the history between the two estranged siblings. “I’m sorry. I

didn’t realize.”

“It’s in the past.” He brushed off her compassion. “I’ve tried to honor Frank’s memory by

setting you up with some kind of inheritance out of the financial shambles he left. But you need to
make some decisions, Eleanor. Because when I leave this island on Saturday, you’re on your own.”

“I know that.” Her chin trembled.
“No one is going to buy this hotel out of pity.”
“ I know .” Angry tears stung her eyes.
“Then help me get it sold.” Russert strode away and closed the door quietly behind him. As if

he hadn’t just verbally torn her to shreds. One of New York City’s top corporate attorneys, Russert
Montgomery played hardball and didn’t care who he hurt in the process, as long as he won.

Ellie slumped against the bathroom door, feeling defeated. The worst part was she couldn’t

counter his attacks. Despite the crushing delivery, every accusation he made was true. She had
nothing to go on but her skill as a hotel manager.

And my looks , as Russert dubiously pointed out.
Is this what her fate had come down to? Offering her body and selling her soul, so she

wouldn’t have to leave the only home she’d ever known?

Throwing the rag into the trash can, she left the suite before she succumbed to tears. As she

descended the staircase, she ran into Carter on the middle landing.

His troubled expression opposed his previous careless attitude. He stepped toward her.

“Listen, Ellie, if I knew he’d come down on you that hard, I would’ve dealt with things differently.”

“You heard us?”
When he nodded, she withered inside, realizing how vulnerable that made her. She hid her

mortification behind toughness. “I handled it.”

“That’s not the point—”
“I appreciate your concern, but we’re all under a lot of stress. It was no big deal.”
As she turned to go, he caught her arm. “If you want, I’ll say something to him about it.”
If she stayed here another minute in the warmth of his attentiveness, she’d start sobbing.

“Don’t. Just...don’t.”

“Fine.” Prickly attitude infused his tone. “Sorry I asked.”
This time he let her leave. She kept her gaze on the ground, watching the marble tiles blur as

dampness clung to her lashes.

Approaching her room at the end of hall on the first floor, she fumbled with her key. Finally

her fingers steadied enough to unlock her door. She rushed into the cool darkness, closed the door and
leaned back against it. She shut her eyes, fighting the rush of fear that overcame her and the swell of
tears that followed.

She just needed to be alone, to think. To make a decision that would change the rest of her

life.

*

Carter stood in the cemetery behind the small stone church. Late-day sunlight slanted through

its stained glass windows, illuminating the geometric patterns of color.

Spanish moss dripped from a Live Oak tree, its branches spread in a canopy above him. He’d

chosen this spot because of the tree, which stood like a sentinel guarding his mother’s grave.

Kneeling, he brushed crisp fall leaves away from her headstone that glittered with flecks of

pink quartz. His fingers caressed the engraved letters. Rose Stratton . A name that encompassed
sweetness and sacrifice, and the proud woman she was.

Twelve letters. Back then that was all he could afford to put on her grave.
He placed a dozen pink roses beneath her name. “Sorry it’s been so long.”
In the years since she’d passed away, and he’d made a fortune ten times over, he considered

trading the headstone for something more impressive, with an engraved passage from her favorite
poet, Emily Dickenson.

In the end he chose to keep her simple headstone with only her name to remind him of his

roots, and the sacrifices they’d both made so he could become the man he was. While he admired his
mother’s determination to raise him on her own, Carter was done making sacrifices.

“I wish you could see...”
How far I’ve come .
The last part didn’t quite make it.
Taking a deep breath, Carter stood up. Silent within, feeling a sense of stillness all around

him, he bowed his head. “I miss your smile,” he whispered.

The beautiful vision of her face haunted his memory as he exited the cemetery. After closing

the gate he headed toward town. He descended the old stone steps wedged into the hillside and his
shadow spread before him with the setting sun.

Guilt drenched him for not visiting her grave sooner. Were she still alive, she wouldn’t agree

with his purpose for returning to the island. She’d tell him to cut the line and let the big fish he had to
fry swim away into the deep waters of the past. But he hadn’t made it this far in life to let such a
perfect opportunity slip by.

Whenever he and his mother had walked the beaches when he was young, she would pause

and gaze at the Montgomery Hotel like a small-town actress dreaming of Hollywood fame.

Since he couldn’t make her wish come true then, he would buy the Montgomery Hotel in her

honor. And for his own damn satisfaction.

In less than a week he would own the ruins of a rich man’s former passion. Then, Carter

would redesign the hotel according to his personal tastes. At last he would achieve a level of success
internally that matched his external accomplishments. Frank Montgomery would turn over in his grave
if he knew Carter’s intentions. The thought made him smile.

Approaching the ritzy café that used to be a family restaurant when his mother worked there as

a waitress, he looked forward to a low-key evening of dinner and a few glasses of scotch. No
relationship problems. No business issues. Plenty of time to appreciate the luxuries he’d only
fantasized about while growing up here.

When he walked through the door, the cute redheaded bartender flashed him a smile. The night

was looking better already.

“What can I do for you?” the girl asked when he approached the counter.
“Give me a double Johnny Walker on the rocks. Blue Label, if you’ve got it.” She raised her

auburn eyebrows at his expensive request. “And your phone number, so I can call you when you finish
your shift.”

Her green eyes glittered at the proposition. “How long are you planning to stay on the island?”

She made small talk, leaning over the bar to give him a nice view of her cleavage.

“Long enough.” He winked.
A snort interrupted their flirting.
Carter turned to the source. Ellie sat at a corner table pretending to ignore him. Her dark hair

was still swept back in a ponytail, a few loose strands framing her face. The red cashmere sweater
she wore contrasted with the pale orange sunset beyond the window, defining her silhouette. She
flipped through a hospitality magazine, sipping a glass of white wine.

“Put her on my tab.” When pointed at Ellie, the redhead frowned. Once she finished pouring

his drink, Carter said, “Keep ‘em coming.” He exhaled a longsuffering sigh. “Depending how this
goes, I might need as much alcohol as I can get.”

The bartender giggled. Carter set his black American Express card on the counter.
When she reached for it, he slid his fingertips across the back of her hand. “I’ll make tonight

worth your while.” The bartender’s smile brightened. Clearing his throat, Carter stepped away and
approached Ellie’s table. “Care for some company?”

“Not really.”
“Great. I’ll pull up a chair.”
As he sat down Ellie rolled her eyes. She angled her seat to face the windows instead of him.
“What brings you out of your comfort zone?” He took a sip of his scotch. The liquid slid down

his throat, leaving a satisfying tingle in its wake.

“I do have a life beyond the hotel.” She flipped a page in her magazine.
He glanced around at the empty chairs. “I see.”
“I came here to be alone.”
“Me, too.” He swirled the ice in his glass and leaned closer, peering at the ads on the page.

“Checking out career opportunities?”

She slapped the magazine shut. “I have a job.”
“For now.”
Her eyes sparked. “What does that mean?”
Shrugging, he pointed out, “It all depends on who buys the hotel.”

Her cheeks turned as red as her sweater. She stared mutely at the napkin holder on the table.
An unpleasant twinge of compassion afflicted him, like that afternoon when Russert had come

down hard on her. “Look, you have a lot to offer the industry. No matter what happens you’ve got the
experience to make a new start.”

“That’s what my uncle keeps telling me.” She sipped her wine. “But I can’t leave the island.”
“I may not agree with your uncle’s approach, but he’s right.” Carter gestured toward the view

through the window. “There are bigger opportunities out there. You should be managing a hotel chain.
Your talents are wasted on this place.”

“I can’t leave the island,” she said more forcefully. “There’s a—” She cut herself off.
He supplied, “A life beyond El Dorado Island?”
Eyes narrowing to slits, she stated, “It may sound idiotic to you, but I believe there’s a curse.

Any time someone I love tries to leave the island, there are deadly consequences.”

Carter used to wonder himself if the island was cursed, but for different reasons. Ridiculous,

he knew. “Sounds like a problem.”

“Uncle Russert was never attached to the hotel, so he doesn’t understand. He thinks I can pick

up and take off on a whim.”

“Sure.”
“It’s not that simple. My life has never been simple—despite what people assume. There are

expectations my father had, and I have to live up to them. To honor him.”

That hit a little too close to home. He shifted in his seat. “Honoring the dead is a complicated

thing.”

“I don’t know why Daddy thought Steven Jacquard would make all our problems disappear.”
Carter folded his arms. Who the hell is Steve?
“But that’s who Daddy wanted me to marry.”
She got married? A surge of territorial instinct spiked his veins.
“Steven owned an advertising agency. He was brilliant at sales, a failure at morals. I knew he

was sketchy. He kept putting off our wedding, promising the world. Daddy poured all his money into
Steven’s schemes. Four years ago the guy disappeared with my father’s last nickel, and I threw my
engagement ring off the boat docks.” She sniffed. “Which was stupid. I could use the money from that
diamond right about now.”

So she wasn’t married . His shoulders relaxed.
Morbidly curious what else she’d reveal, he sat back and let her vent.
“We were never as rich as people thought, but that didn’t stop them from wanting money or

favors. You never knew who to trust.” She gripped the stem of her glass. “Now my father is gone, I
have no close friends, I can’t leave the island, my family heritage is up for auction, and a mountain of
debt will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
She polished off her wine.

A tide of irritation rose up inside him.
First, she never expressed her fears and loneliness to him when they were together. Second,

he’d experienced a parallel reality growing up even though their lives had been totally different.
Third, when she talked about Steven Jackass, Carter felt...something. Deep down. And he couldn’t
identify it. Like an infected splinter lodged under a fingernail where he couldn’t reach.

When it came to Ellie, he didn’t want to feel anything except the satisfaction of vengeance.

Instead of investigating his frustration or giving into her sob story, he pretended to yawn. “I know.
Life’s rough.”

Her fury sizzled in the air between them. “Why are you here, Carter?”
“Just enjoying happy hour.”
She shook her head. “Why did you come back to the island?”
He had to play this carefully. “Why do you think?”
“To make my life hell.”
“That’s right. It’s all about you, Ellie.”
She stiffened. “Go back to your beachfront hotels, and leave us alone.”
“What fun would that be?”
“It figures. You’re not happy unless someone is ripping me apart. I’ve gone a whole three

hours without criticism. Thanks for doing the honors.”

Ellie scraped her chair back from the table and left the restaurant. Carter wasn’t far behind.

He paid the tab, ignored the bartender’s advances, and headed back to his room alone.

Distractions weren’t going to give him what he wanted. He needed to narrow his focus on

luring Ellie to him, while maintaining the detachment he’d perfected.

He noticed a blotch of red a few hundred yards away, the color of Ellie’s sweater. She moved

quickly over the cobblestone path through a cluster of trees. Running away from the big bad wolf,
are we?

Wearing a smug grin, he slowed his pace. “You can run but you can’t hide.”
You will be mine again .

Chapter 3

The following morning, Carter surfaced from forty-five minutes of laps in the Montgomery

Hotel’s indoor pool. He shook his head to flick off the water. It might’ve been the chlorine messing
with his eyes, but he swore he saw Ellie standing mostly naked on the other side of the pool room.

He shook his head again. The vision was real.
Ellie stood in a skimpy swimsuit, setting her robe and towel down on a plastic pool chair.

The strapless bikini top cradled her breasts. Her sleek stomach curved like an hourglass to her hips.
And those legs...

He imagined tracing her legs with the tip of his tongue, up her thighs to her juncture. His hands

clenched water. After he finished tasting her there, he’d wrap those legs around his waist and slide
inside her, taking her hard and fast.

His muscles contracted.
Ellie looked just like she did the first time he saw her at the beach, lying in the sun—gorgeous

long legs, smooth tanned skin, a mane of brown hair streaked with golden highlights. And those
intoxicating light-brown eyes, the color of warm whisky.

He’d seen a lot of beautiful women on El Dorado’s beaches, and had sampled his fair share

by the age of nineteen. As a lifeguard, he had the best views on the island and sex appeal to spare. But
nothing compared to the moment Ellie had looked at him—really saw him—over the sea of people.
Their gazes had locked. She’d smiled softly. His insides had melted like the sun had cranked the heat
up fifty degrees.

Their interaction had gotten a lot more personal that day. If he hadn’t been obsessed with

watching her, he might not have seen her disappear under the waves. Or notice that she hadn’t
resurfaced. He’d blown his whistle, had leaped from the platform and dove into the surf. He retrieved
her just as the tide was turning, right before she would’ve been swept out to sea. From there, they
spent two years secretly exploring all the ways to perform mouth-to-mouth.

The memory of the silken glide of her tongue, the sounds of pleasure she’d made and the sweet

breath she’d exhaled, suddenly caused him to shiver as the pool water grew chill around him. His
chest tightened and his desire magnified. There had always been something about her.

“Carter!”
His head snapped up. “Huh?”
“What are you doing?” Ellie grabbed her towel and clutched it in front of her. As if that would

shield her from his intimate sexual knowledge of every inch of her body.

“Swimming. That’s what you do in a pool.”
“I didn’t even see you.”
“I’ve seen a whole lot of you.” He grinned.
“Stop it.”
“What? I’m standing here minding my own business.”
“Well, just...look somewhere else.”
“Why?” He smiled indulgently. “It’s a great view. Always was.”
She snorted. “I doubt that.”
If you knew how much I want you naked and under me right now, you’d have no doubt

whatsoever . He shrugged innocently. “I can erase those doubts for you.”

She scoffed. But he saw a spark of pleasure in her eyes at his flirtatious comments. The

expectation of being in the cool water with her warm body nearby sent his pulse soaring.

He spread his arms. “There’s plenty of water here for the both of us.”
“It’s a two-lap-lane pool.”
“And?”
She approached warily, as if nearing a wolf’s lair.
“I don’t bite. Much,” he added softly.
She stamped her foot on the concrete. “Can you leave me alone to swim a few laps in peace?”
As if he owed her some huge favor. “I thought you hated water.”
“Yes, if I can’t see the bottom of it. Pools are fine. It’s the ocean that terrifies me.” Her

expression revealed shock that she’d admitted her fear to him.

“So that’s why you refuse to leave the island?”
To counter the connection he’d made, she dropped her towel and dove into the deep end.
When she surfaced, Carter waded toward her and pressed her further. “Is it because of the day

you almost drowned, when I rescued you?”

She squared her shoulders. “I know how to swim,” she said, treading water. “It wasn’t a big

deal.”

“Ellie, the strength of the tide would’ve sucked you out to sea.”
“You always had to be the hero. Do you believe you saved me?”
Yes, damn it. Admit you needed me then—and you still need me now .
The clarity of that desire startled him. “We can try it again just to see. I’ll hang out on the

beach while the tide washes you away.”

Terror blazed in her eyes. “I knew this was a bad idea.”
Swimming toward the steel ladder in the shallow end, she lifted herself onto the first rung. He

was there in seconds, catching her waist in his hands.

“You can’t out-swim a lifeguard.” He turned her to face him as water sheeted off her body.

Even on the first rung, she was still an inch shorter than him. “You never answered my question last
night. What will you do when the hotel sells?”

“I’m staying.”
“What if the new owner doesn’t want you here?”
Drops of water clung to her lashes. “I’ll convince him it’s better to keep me on.”
Her plan was absurd. “How?”
“I’m resourceful.” She went to climb the next rung.
He pulled her back, held her in his arms while her feet dangled in the water. He stared at her

lips. “How much do you want it?”

“What?”
“To stay here.”
She pulled in a breath when his body went hard. He held her tighter until her breasts pressed

against his chest. His arms wrapped around her waist. “How far are you willing to go?”

He lowered his head, their mouths on a collision course.
With shocking strength, Ellie shoved him away. “Not this far.”
He blinked and released her.
Ellie shot out of the pool. She raced to the chair, scooped up her things and exited the pool

room. Carter stood in the water, tiny waves ricocheting against his hips and lower back.

Layers of frustration mounted inside him. He’d pushed her too far, too fast.
Angry with himself, he slapped the surface of the water, his gaze locked on her retreating

form.

He was tired of watching her run away.
If he wanted her back in his bed, this wasn’t the way to go about it. He needed to find a way to

contain his lust.

Not easy , he admitted.
He wanted her beneath him, beside him, on top of him. He wanted to wake up in the middle of

the night, reach for her, and find her warm body curled against him. He wanted to roll over, kiss her
awake and have sex until dawn.

Carter got out of the pool, toweled off and made a few mental adjustments as he went to his

room, showered and dressed.

From now on he’d give her hints, engage her sharp mind, lure her trust, and spark her sensual

nature he knew simmered inside her. Then he’d let her give the invitation to seduction.

Until he had her right where he wanted her.

*

Back in her room Ellie changed out of her suit and threw on a robe. She brewed a cup of

coffee, sipping it as she stared out the window at the gray November sky.

Her attraction for Carter hadn’t lessened over the years. Still, she couldn’t convince herself to

reignite the flame, no matter how brightly it still burned.

Obviously, he was here to investigate the hotel, perhaps to buy it. He also seemed determined

to dismantle her emotional shields, as if half a lifetime hadn’t gone by since they’d been lovers. If he
bought the hotel, would he let her stay? If he didn’t want her to stay, could she convince him
otherwise by giving into him sexually?

Either way she felt trapped and miserable.
Worse, the thought of sacrificing her body and her pride to Arnoff Applestone, to secure her

place in his grand designs of a floating Sin City, made her sick to her stomach.

Why did she have to give up pieces of herself in order to hold on to her dreams?
Four days.
So much could happen in four days.
A hard knock rattled her door. Ellie jumped up, spilling coffee on her white robe.
“Shoot.” Grabbing a wash cloth from the bathroom, she blotted the stains on the way to the

door. She swung it open. “Yes?”

Carter stood before her in jeans and a Dolce & Gabbana knit pullover, smelling of sexy

cologne and guest shampoo. A vision of pure, uncomplicated confidence. How she envied him.

She crossed her arms. “What?”
“I need you,” he stated.
She took a step back. “Um—”
Animated, he went on. “Remember the original building plans we found? The night we snuck

up to the attic to be together, during that bad storm?”

He remembered that? “I guess.”
“I want to see those plans.”
“Right now?”
His eyes lit up. “I think I found something, hidden inside this hotel. Meet me for breakfast in

the dining room, and I’ll show you.”

He left as abruptly as he’d arrived. She shut the door, determined not to let his “discovery”

intrigue her.

What could he possibly have learned about the hotel that she didn’t already know?

Eventually, her coffee grew cold and curiosity won out over caution.

Ellie showered, blow-dried her hair, dressed in hip-hugger jeans, kitten heels, a cropped

beige jacket she’d ordered online from The Gap, and met Carter in the dining hall. At one of the café
tables in the breakfast nook, he pored over The Wall Street Journal , shoveling scrambled eggs into
his mouth.

He dropped his fork and the paper when he saw her. He wiped his mouth with his cloth

napkin. “Ready?”

She shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”
“Up for new adventures. I always adored that about you.” He winked, kissed her on the

forehead as he passed, and headed for the central staircase.

Adored? Ellie swallowed. The open enthusiasm he expressed put her on guard. Yet he

seemed relaxed, genuinely interested in her company, instead of pawing at her or playing on her
emotions. He probably didn’t mean he adored her . He was just excited about something, and the
endearment slipped out accidentally.

Intrigue compelled her to follow him. They took the central staircase up to the second floor.
He stopped at the utility room near the elevator. “Keys?”
“What for?”
His lids lowered halfway. “Don’t you trust me?”
“No.”
“C’mon, work with me, baby. I won’t let you down.”
She pulled out her master keys and unlocked the door. He swept his arm gallantly before him.

“After you.”

That’s what he said the night we were up here together . With the same indulgent grin, the

same spark in his eyes, the same tone that said, I can’t wait to be alone with you.

Old feelings overflowed the dam she’d built around her heart, washing through her,

strengthening her emotional and sexual attraction to him.

“I can’t wait to see if it’s true.” Carter took her elbow and led her inside.
Together they approached the rungs of a rusty iron ladder. She paused, staring up at the panel

that sealed off the attic. “You’re sure you want to go up there? No one has there since...well, since we
—”

“No time like the present.” His sly smile told her he knew exactly who’d been up there last.

And exactly what they’d done, while the wind howled and rain pelted the roof, drowning out the
erotic sounds of their lovemaking.

Eager to get her mind off those inconvenient thoughts, Ellie forced herself to climb. When she

reached the panel, she unlatched it and pushed. The thing didn’t budge.

“Let me.” Carter stood on the rung below, his body surrounding her as he wedged the heels of

his hands against the aged wood.

She melted into him, just a little. When they were together before, they couldn’t keep their

hands off each other. They would’ve made out twice on the ladder by now. Touching, feeling,
exploring each other. Tearing off clothes. Never able to get close enough, feel deeply enough, until he
slid inside her. She’d never wanted it to end. If only her father hadn’t asked the impossible. If only he
hadn’t made her choose between Carter and inheriting the hotel.

Carter popped all four corners of the panel and lifted it with ease. “Ready?”
“Not exactly.”

“Want me to go first?”
“Definitely.”
A private smile touched her lips. He still knew her hesitations, her apprehensions, her fears of

the unknown.

She stepped aside and he scaled the iron rungs, until he blended into the blackness.
“Uh-oh.”
“What?” Her heart pounded.
“They never got rid of the bodies. It’s murder and mayhem up here.”
“Oh, stop.” She shoved his calf, which quickly disappeared above her.
Then his head hovered in her view. “Sure you want to risk it? We could be caught in a

breaking news story.” He blocked the headline letters out with his hand. “Couple Finds Mass Grave
in Attic.”

Couple? Her i nsides pitched at the word. “At least we could defend each other’s statements

in court—‘honestly, Judge, we’re innocent.’”

“I’ll always fight for you.” He smiled.
Ellie’s heart skipped a beat.
His smile widened, and he stuck his hand out. She caught it, and he lifted her up into the

gloom. “You know what happens to bodies that go unclaimed for too long.”

“Will you quit talking about dead things?”
“Seriously.”
“I don’t know. They become ghosts?” Suddenly, Ellie didn’t want to let go of his hand. The

fear of the Montgomery curse made her hair stand on end.

“Worse.”
She edged closer to him. “What?”
He seized her. “ Zombies! ”
“Sheesh!” she shrieked and cuffed him on the arm. “Don’t do that. I hate being caught off

guard.”

“You mean like this?” He cupped her jaw.
A second later his lips captured hers.
Carter consumed her mouth as if starved for her taste. He sucked on her lips, feeding her kiss

after kiss. Her mind went blank with surprise. Then, to her mortification, a sigh of bliss escaped her.

The moment her lips parted to take in a breath, his tongue dove inside, sweeping through her

mouth, curling, pulsing. Probing and searching for the secret longing she’d tucked away for so many
years.

When she answered his continuous beckoning, he inhaled sharply. He angled her face, kissing

her deeply. Their tongues danced together, a rhythm so familiar, so exquisite, she grasped his wrists
to keep him right where he was.

Ellie moaned in rapture. She tasted the secrets they’d shared, the dreams they’d spun, the love

they’d made. She trembled, shaken by the power of their connection.

God, she’d missed kissing this man. Things were still so easy between them—but far from

simple. Those sweet secrets had become lies, lies became weapons, and weapons had wounded their
hearts irreparably.

You can’t do this . The words sounded weak in her mind.
He pulled her tight against him. She felt heat and desire pouring off him in waves.
She knew what would happen if they gave into this pounding lust, driving them closer to the

moment when he’d lay her down, taste her body, seduce her soul. And satisfy the craving she didn’t
want to deny.

Chapter 4

Carter’s blood sizzled in his veins. He wanted Ellie with a powerful lust he hadn’t known

since the last time he held her in his arms.

He stroked his hand down her back to her hips, nudging her closer. His tongue claimed her

mouth, relentless thrusts that weakened her resistance. When her hands slid up his chest and circled
his neck, he wanted to peel off his shirt so he’d feel her fingertips against his skin.

“Yes,” he groaned.
Every nerve-ending on fire, he couldn’t catch his breath. He knew what would happen next.
But she wasn’t ready to give him what he wanted. She might succumb to his seduction, but she

hadn’t reached the point of abandon. He wanted her to burn for him, with need so excruciating it
transcended sexual passion and entered the realm of consuming obsession.

Then he’d lay her down, touch and taste every inch of her. Remind her of what she’d given up

when she forced him out of her life. He’d bring her to ecstasy over and over until she finally
surrendered her unattainable heart.

Soon .
Knowing that, he scraped up the will to release her. His tongue retreated, and he slowly

pulled his lips from hers.

Light from the utility closet beneath them outlined the edge of her face, revealing a dazed

sparkle in her eyes. She pressed her fingers to his mouth, as if she could recapture the kisses he
withdrew.

“Carter,” she whispered.
The sound of his name on her lips filled him with anticipation, nearly shattering his resolve.

Somehow, he managed to let her go and step away.

Instantly her chilly reserve returned. “I-I can’t remember where the blueprints are,” she said,

icing her tone with indifference.

Her attempt at detachment told him how far he’d gotten under her skin with his kiss.

“Shouldn’t be that hard to find. It’s not like there’s tons of old junk to dig through,” he said wryly. The
place was packed to the dormers with furniture and boxes.

After three steps, Ellie tripped over a lamp. The antique piece crashed into the darkness and

something shattered. “Crap!”

Carter caught her and laced his fingers through hers. “Careful.”
“It could be valuable.” She tried to tug her hand free, aiming to go after the demolished

fixture.

“Easy, sweetheart. I don’t want you ending up with shattered glass in your hands, bleeding all

over the place.”

By the sound of her exhale, she wasn’t amused. “You know what? I think I’ll wait for you in

the utility room.”

“And miss the adventure? Not a chance.” He tightened his grip so she couldn’t get away. They

edged through the dusty space, avoiding furniture and miscellany that probably dated back to the Civil
War.

Carter bent down in places where the roof sagged with age and stepped over missing

floorboards, guiding Ellie carefully. They made their way through the shadows toward an eve that
sliced diagonally through the center of the long room.

“If there are zombies up here, this is where they’ll be. Lurking in the blackest corners.” His

voice dipped low and spooky. “Foul beasts in the night. Starved for our souls. Waiting for us to get
caught in their trap, never to be heard from again.”

“Quit it!” She jabbed his ribs. “I hate creepy places—you’re not helping.”
Grinning devilishly, he let out a demonic laugh.
She snorted. “Okay, that sounded more like The Count from Sesame Street .”
He hung his head in shame. “So much for my aspirations of terror and mayhem.”
“Yeah, you’re really not cut out for the dark side.”
You think that now, sweetheart. But when I get you naked, I’ll do things to you that’ll keep

you up in the middle of the night, waiting for me to visit you in darkness .

To Ellie, he lamented aloud, “Go ahead, crush my dreams. That’s fine. Really, I’ll live.”
She giggled. “You have many impressive qualities. Humility isn’t one of them.”
He halted. When Ellie bumped into him, he caught her and murmured, “I can show you what

I’m good at.”

Pressing his lips to her neck, he felt her pulse racing. She cleared her throat. “I think we’d

better find those blueprints and get out of here.”

“You ruin all my fun,” he teased, nuzzling the side of her neck before he released her.
“I wouldn’t put this on my top ten list of fun times, sorry.” She sounded irritated, losing

patience with him.

Carter took the hint. “What do you say we shine some light on these dust motes?”
He ducked under the eve, cleared a path and felt along the back wall until he found panes of

glass. Swiping his hand down the small, circular window, he removed enough filth to let in a few
glimmers of midmorning sunlight.

He dusted off his hands. “Look, no zombies.”
“What a relief,” she deadpanned.
“But, I think if you look near your left heel, you’ll find something much more interesting.”
Rays of the sun slanted through the panes, falling on Ellie’s black kitten-heels. She looked

down where he pointed. “Carter, you were right!”

“Can I tape record that statement?”
She rolled her eyes, bent down and scooped up the plans. When she straightened, a glitter of

awe shone in her eyes. Damn, she looked beautiful.

The center of his chest ached for a moment. “Let’s head downstairs and take a look.”
Pausing, she peered at him. “What is it you think you’ve found?”
He dipped his chin coyly. “You’ll have to stick around and find out.”

*

Lightheaded with excitement—and not because of Carter’s amazing kiss, she insisted to

herself—Ellie flew down the iron rungs, glad to leave the musty attic filled with relics of the past and
memories better off undisturbed.

They descended to the first floor Senate Room. In the corner stood a mammoth mahogany desk

that remembered times when men signed life-altering documents with quills on parchment.

“Spread it out here,” she directed.
Enthusiastically Carter unfurled the crackling blueprints and spread them across the desk.

They investigated the layers of prints together, his hands planted on either side of her, staring at them
over her shoulder.

“So, where is it?” she asked

“Where’s what?”
“Stop being dense.”
He shrugged. “I’m a guy, not a mind-reader.”
“Point taken.”
“There,” he remarked almost breathlessly. His finger landed on a spot that, to her knowledge,

didn’t exist.

“Where? What?”
“I’ll show you.” His whole demeanor changed from slick Miami multi-millionaire to reveal

adorable boyish charm. Once, he’d been open with his emotions like this all the time. Excited about
life and the next adventure waiting around the bend.

Carter swiped up the top layer of plans and veered toward the hallway.
Ellie followed at his heels. In the hall he checked the plans again, before his eyes scanned the

hotel’s walls as if he could see right through them. Bricks, buttresses, plaster, support beams all
seemed to coalesce for him. He always had a good eye for architecture, and was lightening-fast at
geometry and physics. No wonder he’d gone into real estate.

“This way.” He breezed through the door of the library. He scanned the space again with his

three-dimensional vision. His eyes stopped at a bookshelf.

“That’s it?” Her shoulders bowed. So much for excitement .
He peered at her. “Haven’t you realized by now that things usually aren’t what they seem?”
Ellie had never dealt with that kind of reality until her father had passed, when she was left to

pick up the pieces of his shattered life. “I’m learning,” she admitted.

“Sometimes you need to look harder to figure it out. But there are moments when that insight

comes right to you, as if you’ve known it all along.”

Feeling the weight of his stare, she sensed a deeper significance in his words. Still, she

couldn’t puzzle out his meaning. “I trust you,” was all she could think to say.

A smile crept onto his face. “It’s about time.”
He dropped the plans and went straight for the bookshelf. Before they hit the floor, Ellie

caught and cradled the precious documents, the entire history of every renovation of The Montgomery
Hotel. “What’s the matter with you?” she hissed.

“The plans aren’t important. It’s what they aren’t telling us that matters.”
Ellie rolled the layer of blueprints and set them on a table beside an old globe of the earth

mapping out Marco Polo’s routes, then went to his side. “Can you stop talking in Sherlock Holmes
speak?”

“Watch.” With certainty, he felt along the bookshelves. “It should be obvious. Like there. See

the empty space? In this entire shelf, there’s only one book missing.”

“Oh.” She’d never noticed that.
Carter reached into the space, felt around. But nothing happened.
Retracting his hand, he stood perplexed for a moment. His fingers drifted along book linings

that smelled like pipe smoke and aged leather.

Suddenly he turned to her. “Of course! They wouldn’t make it that easy.”
Ellie stared, at a loss. Carter spent the next few minutes observing every nuance of the library.

She took a moment to scan the space as well. She’d always loved this room, with its rich royal hues,
high ceilings, crown molding, and air of splendor. She remembered finding her father here most
evenings, smoking sweet-smelling tobacco in his pipe, staring into the fire. He usually sat in one of
the stately leather chairs that flanked the stone fireplace.

When she was younger, she’d find The Great Gatsby splayed open, face-down on the elegant

the side table that some French artist had carved. The book had been abandoned for a moment of
private thought, but never forgotten. After her mother died when Ellie was twelve, she’d find volumes
of Poe’s works stacked on the gleaming tabletop beside him, along with a crystal dram of whisky.
Those were the nights she’d knelt at his feet in her nightgown when she couldn’t sleep, and rested her
head against his knee. He would pat her hair, tell her how he would always take care of her, how
smart and lovely she was, just like her mother. The shared silence that followed expressed more than
words could communicate. They’d both missed her. There was nothing more to say.

After her father went to bed, Ellie picked up where he left off. She read the mournful epithets

by the glow of red embers dying in the grate. She didn’t understand it then, but as time passed and she
lost more people precious to her, Poe’s dark melodrama evoked a Gothic rendering of emotion that
touched a chord and resonated within her.

“Ellie, I found it.”
Startled back to the present, she nearly dropped the weight in her hands. Staring at the book in

her grasp, she was surprised to find a volume of Edgar Allen Poe opened to the poem, “Nevermore.”

Quickly she shoved the book onto the nearest shelf and ventured over to Carter. “What is it?”
“Check out this old bell-pull.”
“So?”
“Mansions like this had bell-pulls for servants in the eighteen-hundreds. I found it dangling

next to this bookshelf. Listen.” He gave the leather cord a tug. A bell rang distantly.

Something clicked. Like a handle unlatching.
“What was that?”
“If it’s what I think...” He pushed against the edge of the bookshelf where the bell had echoed.
The shelf swung inward, revealing a staircase that spiraled downward.
Ellie’s jaw dropped. “No way.”
“Want to find out where it goes?”
“Heck yeah.” She pushed away hesitation and entered the stone-walled secret staircase. “This

is amazing.” Her voice echoed.

She scanned the passage’s brick walls along their descent as if crude drawings might appear

to illuminate the inexplicable. A door came into view at the bottom of the staircase.

She tried the handle. “It’s stuck.”
“Let me try.”
Carter felt around in the entryway, apparently looking for something. He shoved a lever above

the door. A slot opened, just large enough for two eyes to peer out.

“Too bad no one’s on the other side to let us in.” He pounded on the door twice.
It gave an inch. Rust drifted from the hinges. He shoved again.
This time the heavy steel door creaked open. Carter pulled a keychain flashlight from his

pocket and ventured inside. Close behind him, Ellie squeezed her hands together wondering what
they’d find.

Carter held up the flashlight and stopped a few paces in. He let out a low whistle. “I never

expected this.”

Greeting her were the smells of aged liquor, moldy newspapers, and wood saturated with

stale cigarette smoke.

Ellie stepped out from behind him. “This is incredible.” Excitement bubbled up inside her.

“It’s like a speakeasy out of the nineteen-twenties. I’ll bet Eliot Ness and his crew never found this

bootlegger hideaway.”

“Neither has anyone else in almost a century.”
“This would be the perfect attraction to play up for an island hotel,” she mused aloud.
Carter said nothing.
“Look at this bar,” she admired, running her hand along the scarred antique surface. “And the

mirrors behind the old bottles back there.” She glanced up. “And the chandelier. Can you imagine the
parties they had here? Women wearing empire-waist gowns, men in pinstripe suits and fedoras.
Smoking and lounging at the bar, or swinging to the Charleston. I can almost see it!”

Ellie turned a circle, envisioning parties like the ones Jay Gatsby held for the wealthy on Long

Island, all the while pining for Daisy who lived a separate life across the channel. She could almost
hear an eight-piece swing band wailing tunes.

“Isn’t this perfect?” She jumped up and down. “This is just what the hotel needs to attract the

kind of patrons it used to back in the day.”

“Ellie, I think you’re missing the best feature.” Carter strode past her toward the far wall.
“What could be better than this room’s history?” she asked, still dazzled by the possibilities

of how much tourism this could draw.

“Liquid gold, baby.” Using his flashlight he scanned the circle of light over stacks of wooden

crates and barrels piled up to the ceiling.

Pulling one crate from a lower stack, Carter set it on the floor and pried off the weathered lid.

The contents revealed tightly packed bottles.

His eyebrows shot up. “Now this is something.” He smeared caked-on grime from the bottle’s

label. “Vintage, bootlegged rum.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe they left this here.”

“Do you think they were raided?” Ellie suggested.
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “The fact is we’re sitting on dozens of cases of nearly century-old

liquor and wine. That, sweetheart, will draw tourists with deep pockets from all over the world. You
could sell the entire collection for a mint.”

With a grunt he popped the top off the bottle he held. “We should drink—to old times.”
Ellie smiled at his double-entendre. She slipped behind the bar and rummaged around until

she knocked into a row of glasses. Holding one up, she wrinkled her nose. “I think I’ll take my rum
extra-dry, without a twist of mildew.”

Carter nodded. “Let’s bring it topside.”
They hurried up the secret staircase, sharing grand visions of the speakeasy’s rehab and

laughing about their find. Entering the Great Room, Carter went behind the empty hotel bar and helped
himself to two glasses. Lifting the lid of the cooler, he scooped ice cubes into their cut-glass
challises. Light golden liquid splashed over the ice.

“Drink it straight?” he asked.
She nodded. “Why ruin a good thing?”
Carter reached over the bar and pulled her lips to his, sucking and tasting her, nibbling on her

lower lip. “You are more than any man could ask for.”

Ellie’s stomach flipped. She licked her lips then held up her glass. “To old times.”
“To old times,” he echoed. He sent her a sultry stare over the rim of his glass as he drank,

draining the entire thing in one gulp.

Ellie didn’t fare so well. She managed two swigs before she choked and coughed. A trail of

fire went from her throat to her gut. She made a horrible face and spat the remainder back into her
glass. “I think I’ll take some cola with my rum,” she wheezed.

“Good call.” He picked up the beverage gun and splashed dark soda into her glass, adding a

dash to his own. Then he came out from behind the bar and pulled a stool right next to hers. He set his
foot on her stool’s bottom rung, enclosing her between his muscular leg and the gleaming oak bar. “So
what do you plan to do with your new-found loot?”

She drew her lips to one side, considering the possibilities. “Well, it would be a great way to

attract tourists, like you mentioned,” she said brightly.

He peered at her. “You can do a lot more than that.”
“Like what?”
“Sell it, would be my recommendation.”
“All of it?”
“Keep the hotel stocked with a six-month supply, to get people’s attention. But with a stash

like that, you’re better off auctioning it to the highest bidder.”

Running a hand through her hair, she admitted, “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Carter dug out his wallet. “I know this broker who might be able to help you. At least he’d be

helping somebody,” he muttered like an afterthought.

Withdrawing a stack of cards that could rival a Fortune 500 CEO’s rolodex, he sifted through

them. Ellie noted the discard pile contained plenty of high-profile people in the hotel industry. “Don’t
you have someone to keep track of your communications?”

He continued sorting. “Sure, Mirella is great handling my day-to-day contacts and phone calls.

But I’m a hands-on kind of guy.”

Mirella? How many women did he interact with on a daily basis? She watched him discard

several other business cards that had phone numbers scribbled on them, undeniably in female
handwriting. How many girls passed him their numbers every night? How many women was he
dating?

Ellie exhaled, appalled with herself. What did it matter? She wasn’t his keeper. He could talk

to any woman he wanted.

“Here we go.” Carter slid a business card across the bar, pocketing the rest. “Call Neville.

He’ll get the connection to big-name auction houses like Sotheby’s or Christie’s.” He sipped his
drink, while she accepted the broker’s business card. “Tell him you won’t accept less than one
million.”

“Dollars?” Ellie nearly choked. That amount covered all her father’s debts and back-taxes,

putting the hotel in the clear. But it wouldn’t include the renovations necessary to bring to hotel back
to half of its former glory. “You really think the liquor and wine is worth that much?”

“Collectors can be rabid when it comes to their obsession. The stash could go for even more.”
She took a sip of her rum, this one more palatable than the first, and wondered, “Carter, how

did you know the secret room was there?”

“I went down to the basement earlier to inspect the pipes and boilers. At one point I was

following this series of pipes along the ceiling when I noticed one pipe separated from the others and
disappeared overhead. I didn’t remember a room there. Curious, I dug a space around the pipe since
the wood was damp and rotting. I reached up until I hit polished wood floorboards. I figured there
had to be a room there.”

She strove for a nonchalant tone. “You were in the basement?”
“I poked around for a few hours early this morning, checking the boiler pressure, the condition

of the pipes, looking for any leakage.” He frowned.

Seeing his look of concern, Ellie’s throat tightened. The last time she went down to the

basement was with the town’s plumber who’d shared unfortunate news. Tree roots had penetrated the
plumbing system. An entire section of piping had to be ripped out and replaced with PVC pipes
before a buyer would even take a second glance.

The pipes hadn’t been replaced. There was no money. And as of now, there was no buyer.
Unless she convinced Carter that their booze-stocked secret room made it worth buying and

renovating the hotel—basement to attic—no one else would see their fun discovery before the
structure was condemned. Except Arnoff Applestone.

She cleared her throat. “I had someone take a look at the plumbing. Everything is supposed to

be okay,” she lied.

Carter set his glass down. “Ellie, everything’s not okay.”
“That’s ridiculous.” She took a deep swig of her drink.
“The pipes I followed to that old room were slick, dripping with condensation. It’s the end of

November, and while this has been a warmer season for South Carolina, pipes don’t do that in
winter.”

“How do you know?” she asked into her glass, downing another gulp.
“Growing up with a single mom, I handled a lot of things most kids that have dads don’t deal

with. That includes fixing things that are broken.”

Carter always had a knack for fixing the irreparable. Had she been the broken thing he’d

tried to fix? Was she just another one of his projects?

When they first met he’d rescued her. In some ways she was still adrift—in need of his rescue

now more than ever. A thought stabbed at her mind. Had he seen this as an opportunity to play hero?
To manipulate her emotions until she was desperate, begging, while he dangled his millions in front
of her face?

Emotions riled, she plunked down her glass. “I’m not as broken as I seem, Carter. I’m not

desperate for your money. I don’t need saving.”

He said evenly, “Don’t you?”
She met his steady gaze. “You’re here to prove I do.”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
The smoky look in his eyes spoke of seduction, and he answered softly, “You.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks. “You’re just like the other investor. Here with an agenda.” She

downed her drink and scooted her stool back. “While I have to stand by and accept it.”

Grabbing her elbow, he demanded, “What other investor?”
She glared at him. “Arnoff Applestone.”
“The casino owner from Atlanta?” He looked appalled.
“What does it matter? You’re acting just like him, a rich guy who thinks he’s superior to

everybody else and can buy people like commodities. Forget it, Carter. You can go sell that crap
somewhere else.”

Wrenching from his grasp, she stormed away.
“Ellie.”
He called her twice more. She ignored him all three times. She wasn’t like the women who

worked for him—or any of his women, for that matter—a slave to his commands.

Steaming mad, she went to her room, threw on a pair of Nike’s, and struck out toward the

beach. She needed to walk, to cool her temper. To figure out how far she was willing to go to save
her hotel.

Only this time, she had to make up her mind. Tomorrow was Wednesday. By Friday, she’d

know her fate.

Even if she sold the 1920’s bootlegged treasure, she severely doubted it would go for the

value Carter claimed. Still, there was only one way to find out. She retrieved her cell phone, praying
it got reception.

Late fall wind made the air crisp. She could see her breath fog as she spoke to the man who

picked up the other end. “Hello,” she said, “is this Neville? Hi, my name is Ellie Montgomery. I got
your number from...a friend.”

“You own the hotel on El Dorado Island,” the man stated, as if he knew her life’s intimate

details.

She hesitated. “Yes, why?”
Stammering for a few seconds, he finally said, “You know Carter.”
“What about him?”
Silence followed. She thought she lost the call. Then he replied in a clipped voice, “What can

I do for you, Miss Montgomery?”

“I have something I need to sell—at auction. Carter said you could help me.”
“What kind of ‘something’?”
“Liquor and wine. Dozens of crates and barrels.” She felt a rush of heat fill her cheeks,

hearing how inane she sounded. Who calls someone to sell off booze? “The collection dates back to
the prohibition era,” she added weakly, prepared to be hung up on.

“Is that right?” Interest rang in his voice. “Now I know why Carter referred you. Tell me

more.”

Once she explained, Neville seemed eager to go to auction with her discovery. She wondered,

“How much do you think it will go for?”

He paused. “I’d have to do some research. Off the top of my head, I’d guess five-hundred

thousand.”

“Oh.” Her hopes deflated. Although that was a lot of money, the sale proceeds alone wouldn’t

clear the hotel’s debts. “Well, something’s better than nothing. Would you be interested?”

Neville agreed, said he’d be in touch after she shipped the stock to him. She hoped her faith

wasn’t misplaced. The last thing she needed was some stranger making off with her last source of
income. But did she have any other choice?

Furious that things had degraded to this point, she paced the jagged line where the ocean

caressed the sand. Wasn’t anything easy or simple? Why did her dearest wishes have to come at a
price?

Miscalculating the currents, she side-stepped too late. A fresh wave rolled over her tennis

shoes. Cursing, she moved higher on the beach. Clumps of wheat-colored grasses whipped back and
forth in the wind. The moon hid behind a patch of clouds. A lone loon called its haunting tune into the
night.

“Thanks, I needed that,” she muttered, scowling in the loon’s direction.
Miserable, with cold water squishing through her toes, she wondered if maybe she’d

miscalculated her life in many ways. She looked up at the moon rising above the inky waves as the
clouds dispersed. The sphere looked close enough to touch, as if she could walk ten feet out onto the
water and catch the radiant orb that hung just beyond her reach.

Present circumstances were not what she’d pictured for herself, but perhaps the time had

come to release her dreams into the shadows and accept reality. The reality that some things were

simply beyond her control.

Silver wisps of moonlight sparkled on the crests of waves. Every wave contained beneath its

surface secrets she would never know, secrets she hadn’t formed the courage to face.

But on one thing she did not waver. She’d never leave the island. It was no longer a question

of why, but when—and how—she would play mistress to Carter’s millions.

Chapter 5

You’re not a quitter , Ellie told herself, rationalizing what she was about to do. This is for a

higher cause. You have no other choice .

Tugging on the short hem of her pink-pinstriped skirt, she wheeled a breakfast cart toward

Carter’s room. The hotel’s chef, the highest-paid worker on their meager payroll, had outdone
himself.

She knew this elegant breakfast was a precursor for later that night. Ellie and Uncle Russert

were hosting a dinner party for the town’s mayor, councilman and District Attorney, possibly the
police chief—if she were so unlucky.

The chef, Pierre, had planned the entire five-course meal a month ago, and had been preparing

it for the past seventy-two hours. The dinner must be exquisite, because over the span of the evening
the Montgomery family would plead for the high-profile men to abstain from slapping hefty fines on
them for not repaying the County Re-Development Act loans the hotel owed to the island’s city
council coffers for lending her father money to improve the hotel. Which Ellie still couldn’t afford.

Positioning the cart in front of Carter’s door, she knocked. “Carter, breakfast is here.”
Early this morning Matilda revealed that her uncle invited Carter to the dinner. Why Russert

wanted a potential investor to overhear potentially incriminating political innuendos, she couldn’t
fathom. However, Carter’s astute mind would likely deduce the information whether he was present
or not. Maybe the more inglorious part of the negotiations would take place behind closed doors,
after lots of martinis.

“Carter?” She knocked again, waited.
He didn’t answer.
Ellie bit her lip, unsure if she should wheel the cart back to Pierre’s kitchen and endure his

Iron Chef explosive mood swings. Or remain to see if Carter had overslept. She checked her watch.
It was only fifteen minutes after the wakeup call Carter requested.

Anxiously tapping her nails on the cart’s handle, she knew Pierre would have a fit if she

didn’t deliver the hot smorgasbord beneath the lids of these silver platters. She needed the cranky
kitchen commando to stay serene so dinner prep would go smoothly.

Nothing will ruin tonight, Eleanor. Not even you . Her uncle’s words resounded in her mind

like cymbals crashing in an echo chamber.

“Where is Carter?” She raised her fist to knock again.
Suddenly two hands cinched her waist from behind. Carter’s low, sensual voice rumbled in

her ear. “Bringing me breakfast in bed?”

Flushing, she whirled around. “What are you doing up?”
“Went for a jog.” He looked delectable all disheveled, his damp sleeveless shirt revealing

mounds of sexy arm muscles, his forehead beaded with sweat, blondish hair tousled like the morning
after an erotic all-nighter.

“I see.”
“Good timing. I’m starved.” He wiped his forehead with the towel around his neck then slid

his key card into the door.

Ellie pushed the breakfast cart in behind him. “I’m surprised to see you awake this early.”
He shrugged. “Pretty normal for me. When you caught me in the shower Sunday,” he

reminded, a grin sliding onto his lips, “I’d been up late Saturday night dealing with my personal life

before I hopped the jet to get here. Sundays are my day to sleep in.”

“Dealing with?” she repeated, as she set the cart beside the dining table.
“Women issues,” he said absently, lifting the lid off one of the platters. “God, this smells

good.” Aromatic spices filled the air. Fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme from the omelets and
sausages mingled with the syrupy sweetness of buckwheat pancakes and strawberry-filled crepes.

For some reason the hint to his personal—and sexual—life made Ellie’s skin blaze. He’d said

women . Did that mean he was seeing more than one?

Tumultuous emotion crept up on her like a storm on a clear day, suddenly shocking her with

lightning-bright jealousy. She swayed under the jolt of it. Just like she had when Carter was still a
lifeguard and women draped themselves all over him, right in front of her.

To be fair, they didn’t know she and Carter were crazy in love. No one did. They hid their

relationship so her father wouldn’t find out. That didn’t mean watching other girls fawn over his
sexiness was less excruciating. They got into plenty of fights because of it, but Ellie always knew one
thing for sure—Carter was as smitten and devoted to her as any man alive.

And I gave that up...for what? A ruined hotel, tons of debt, and a heart full of regret?
“Earth to Ellie. Are you with us?”
She pulled herself into the present. “Sorry, I guess I spaced out for a second.”
“You look pale.”
“I’m fine.” She loosened her grip on the china plate in her hand as she dished out spinach

soufflé.

The plate was barely in front of him before he stabbed his fork into the fluffy texture. His eyes

rolled back in his head. “This is heaven.”

What did she have to be jealous about anyway? She added rosemary-spiced pork sausage

patties to Carter’s dish.

After all, she was the one who got engaged a year after he left. To the man her father had

approved of. The man who managed to shred one-hundred years of the hotel’s thriving glory into a
heap of bad advertising investments. All for greed.

“Please,” Carter said, gesturing to the chair next to him, “share breakfast with me.”
As she hovered over the morning meal, she thought of Steven Jacquard. How could she have

ever believed Steven would replace Carter? He’d used her to get to her father’s wealth. Only he
found out Daddy was already deep in debt, so Steven wouldn’t marry into the millions he’d expected.

“Ellie,” Carter said, raising an eyebrow, “it’s rude to ignore an invitation.”
“Right.” She sank onto the chair cushion as despair washed over her.
“Where has that beautiful mind escaped to?” he asked, sweeping a lock of hair behind her ear.
Forcing a laugh, she assured, “Nowhere important.”
His fingers slid down to cup her chin. “You think after all the time I loved you, I don’t know

when you’re upset?”

Involuntarily, she pressed her hand against his. Their fingers separated, making room for the

other’s grasp, and closed together in perfect synchronicity. “Why do you have to do that?”

“What?”
“Keep referring to our past.” Her lashes lowered. “I feel torn right every time you do.”
Expression indecipherable, he squeezed her fingers. “You’re in good company. Biscuit?”
With a quick laugh, she nodded. He released the tongs and the pastry dropped onto her plate.

She couldn’t help thinking their simple exchange was the most honest they’d been with each other in
almost thirteen years. It felt right, deep down in the place where she privately believed she and Carter

had always been meant for each other.

But that was a dream she’d forsaken long ago, the night she left him standing on the dock in the

rain without explanation. Only telling him that they were over. She was moving on. So should he. All
so that she could keep the hotel she loved, caving to her father’s threat that he’d disown her, rejecting
her forever if she continued dating Carter. That, and Daddy’s vow to ruin Carter’s future if she
interfered on her lover’s behalf.

An awkward silence fell between them as Carter ate voraciously and Ellie picked at her food.
Reaching for the remote, Carter flipped on the flat-screen TV and channel surfed. “Still don’t

get great reception out here.” He left it on the local weather, which came in crystal clear. “My cell
phone barely has two bars. I guess there’s no reliable Internet.”

“On a clear day.”
Carter rolled his eyes.
The TV flashed, followed by several piercing beeps. An anchorwoman came on. “We

interrupt this program for some breaking news. The tropical storm that formed in the Atlantic Ocean
over the weekend has gathered force in the past twelve hours.”

Ellie tensed.
“Named Hurricane Edgar, the category two hurricane is heading toward the Gulf of Mexico.”
“Whew,” Ellie exhaled.
“Great,” Carter muttered. “I need to leave Friday night. This storm better not mess with my

flight.”

Ellie stiffened. “Friday? How will that give you time to set things in motion when you buy the

hotel?”

Sighing, Carter stared at her steadily. “I’m not yet convinced it’s a good investment. I

expressed that last night.”

“Things could...change,” she said evasively.
His lids lowered halfway and his gaze turned sizzling. “They could.”
A thrill zipped up Ellie’s spine. “I want to show you more of the hotel. There are so many

things you haven’t seen yet.”

“Ellie—”
“Before your mind is made up, you should see how far this place has come.”
“Up to now, all I’ve seen is how far it hasn’t.”
The cutting remark nicked her pride. “Then come with me, and I’ll change your mind.”
“Hell yes I’ll come with you.” He shot to his feet. “The bed is ready—fresh sheets and all.”
Ellie arched a pert eyebrow.
“I could spend all day in bed with you. Remember when we used to do that?”
At the prompt, Ellie envisioned herself naked with Carter, their legs entwined, bodies

writhing together. Perspiration soaking the sheets from hour after hour of sexual exploration, wave
after wave of bliss.

Sensual heat spiraled through her, funneling down between her thighs where she ached for his

touch, his kiss, his—

She crossed her legs. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Choose your words carefully, sweetheart. I can read into anything.”
“Are your perceptions usually right?”
He nodded. “Pretty much.”
This time Ellie responded to his sexual innuendo with a dash of her own spice. “Maybe

you’re right again.”

She stood up from the table and moved toward the door. “Meet me on the veranda when

you’re done showering.”

“The second after?” He scratched his ear. “What would the neighbors think? Me parading

around in nothing but a towel.”

On her way out, she lifted a shoulder. “Then don’t wear anything.”

*

“What the...?” Dumbstruck, Carter stared at the door as if it held encrypted code to explain

Ellie’s sudden turnaround.

Did she just agree to have sex with him?
He was about to run after her, scoop her up, take her to his bed and do things he’d fantasized

about since he found her in his room Sunday morning.

One thought stopped him.
Was this a game she played with every investor who came knocking? Because it’s working .
Another thought came to mind that curled his hands into fists. Last night Ellie mentioned

another investor. Had she played the same cards with that guy—with her aloof poker face and hard-
to-get attitude? Only to turn sassy and irresistible?

Carter ran a hand through his hair, still damp from his run. The pent-up sexual aggression he’d

released as his shoes pounded the sand suddenly returned with triple force. This time spiked with
jealousy.

“Cold shower, here I come.” He shed his clothes, did his morning routine and met Ellie on the

palatial front porch of the hotel.

With a notepad and pen in hand, she paced the veranda in a hot little skirt and black high-heels

heels. At a pillar, she stopped and leaned against it deep in thought, tapping the pen against her lips,
biting the tip.

Carter stifled a groan. “Can we get on with this?”
When she glanced up, a dazzling smile lit her face. “Absolutely.”
Could she look more kissable? “What are you writing?”
“A list of things I need to have in place for the dinner tonight. We’re having guests—”
“The mayor and councilman. I heard.”
“Will you join us?”
Will there be powerful, wealthy men there eyeing her sexily? “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“Great!” She made a check mark on her notepad, flipped it closed and slid it in her suit coat

pocket. “Today I want to show you the stables.”

Carter’s expectations plummeted. “Don’t bother.”
“What do you mean?” She paused halfway down the stone steps.
“No investor’s going to keep the stables.”
Her amber eyes flashed. “Excuse me?”
At her show of feistiness, his attraction to her caught flame. He wanted to unleash this fiery

passion more than anything. Instead he shrugged. “Any kind of expensive upkeep beyond the building
itself is out of the question.”

“Have you even been horseback riding?”
“A long time ago. What I’m saying is—”
“You need a refresher course in the equestrian pastime.” She must have seen his next

dismissal coming because she made an offer he couldn’t refuse. “We’ll ride together. Same horse,

same view. I guarantee I can change your mind.”

The picture of them riding a horse together, him grinding against her backside as they galloped

across the island, invoked endless naughty scenarios he’d like to fulfill with her. “Now all the sudden
you want to get romantic and cozy?”

“Who said it was sudden?” The tiniest hint of a smile touched her lips.
“You’re on.” He strode toward her, arms stretched out to pull her to him.
But she slipped past him. “I need to change for this.”
His glance took in her mini skirt, light suit jacket, sexy high heels and silk camisole that barely

hid her nipples from his view. “You look perfect to me.”

Undeterred, she rushed into the hotel. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be right here,” he muttered.
Every nerve in his body drew tight, tingling with the need to have her. A hurricane couldn’t

move him from that spot with the anticipation of being alone with Ellie riding a horse across the
island. At any point he could lift her from the animal, pull her to the ground and act on the raging
fantasies plaguing him.

Don’t . His mind threw up a red flag. This isn’t how it’s supposed to play out .
Well, damn his best-laid plans. He wanted Ellie with ferocious desire that threatened his

sanity. And his health, he argued, since his heart raced painfully in his chest every time she came near
him.

Logic battled back. W ill this make her need you again? Or will you end up needing her?
“Shit,” he cursed under his breath.
Carter would try desperately to hold off making love to Ellie. But his resistance was

obscenely thin.

If she made a move on him, he knew he’d take it to the next level in a heartbeat. That didn’t

mean he needed her. He just wanted her. So badly he could barely see straight.

“Ready,” her cheerful voice said behind him.
“Great,” he replied without enthusiasm. Let’s get the agony over with .
She patted his shoulder as she struck out toward the stables. “It won’t be that bad. I promise.”
The logistics of two riders taking the same horse took a few minutes to figure out. They settled

on an extra-large saddle, one set of stirrups and the largest horse in the stables.

Ellie rubbed and kissed the downy nose of their chosen ride. “Bunny will do the job, right old

girl?”

“Bunny.” Carter dropped the reins. “I’m riding a horse named Bunny. That runs completely

against my manhood.”

She grinned. “Just kidding. It’s Buck. Bunny is his sister, but she’s pregnant and I don’t want

to tax her.”

“You keep two horses in the stable?” That wasn’t so bad.
“Fourteen,” she corrected.
Carter nearly choked. The expense had to be astronomical. “If you’re cleaning bathrooms in

your own hotel, how can you afford to keep fifteen horses?”

She slanted him a look. “Most of them belong to the wealthy islanders with summer homes on

El Dorado Island. They pay us to tend to them.”

The deal was sweetening. “Where are the rest?”
“As I’ll show you, horseback riding is a huge attraction for our guests. Of the six that belong

to us, four horses are being ridden as we speak. Two couples staying at The Montgomery are out

gallivanting along the countryside.”

“How much do you charge?”
“Enough to pay for the horses’ upkeep.”
He crossed his arms. “But no profit.”
“No,” she admitted defensively, “but it’s part of the island experience. Without them, we’d

—”

“Have enough to pay a maid.” He returned Ellie’s sharp gaze. “Let’s get on with this tour.”
In one swift move he hoisted her onto the saddle then joined her. The saddle’s design allowed

no room between them. Her backside settled against his groin. He grunted. They both held the reins as
they guided the horse out of the stables and onto a nearby path.

Buck trotted at a gentle pace causing their bodies to rub together far too intimately. He fought

to concentrate on her description of the island’s history, such as the orchard they trotted through that
belonged to The Montgomery’s original owner when it was the homestead for a mini plantation. Much
of the history he knew, other information was a surprise.

They cruised through the marshy wetlands to the southwest, and he strove to focus on her

explanation of the unique birds of that area. A well-camouflaged Blue Heron suddenly took flight
from the reeds beside them. The movement distracted him, offering a momentary reprieve from the
constant torture of sexual repression.

“Did you ever notice Herons nest in trees?” she asked. “You wouldn’t think,” she continued,

“considering their long legs and the amount of time they spend in the water hunting.”

She pointed to a copse of Live Oaks with Spanish moss draping from their branches, swaying

lazily in the breeze. Home of the Heron. Great .

They exited the marshes, passed the hopper landing strip, and neared the eastern beachfront

overlooking the vast Atlantic Ocean. Waves mimicked the rhythm he and Ellie made horseback
riding, the ebb and flow much like making love. His hard length slid against her jeans, then retreated.
Sliding, retreating. He was about to go out of his mind.

Suddenly Ellie grabbed his hand. “Look over there!” He followed where her other hand

pointed. “A pair of Loggerhead Turtles. I’ve only seen a few here and there—never a mated pair. Do
you know how amazing that is?”

At the word mated, Carter clenched his teeth. What he found amazing was own his restraint.
After ten more minutes of pretending to focus on her guided tour, most of which he already

knew, he’d reached his limit. “Ellie.”

She tipped her head back, her lips lush and tempting and begging to be kissed. “What’s up?”
You can’t tell? His stiff cock throbbed against her backside. “We need to stop.”
She frowned. “So soon?”
“Trust me. I need to walk for a minute.”
“Motion sickness?”
I wish . He pulled up on the reins and the horse slowed. “I’ve reached my limit. In more ways

than one,” he added, grimacing.

Her lips parted in a precocious smile, her white teeth sparkling. “That’s part of the fantasy,

the allure of horseback riding. No boundaries.”

I’m about to make that a reality . His hands tightened on the reins to keep himself in check.

“It’s not the horse, honey.”

“Just ahead there’s a lighthouse.”
“Is that a stop on the tour?”

“Hang in there a few more minutes, and I’ll give you a personal tour of the building. The view

from the top is mesmerizing.”

Body aching with need, muscles on fire, his lust hit unbearable heights. “Make it fast.”
With a flick the reins, Ellie spurred Buck into a canter. Her tight ass slapped against his lap.

Much more of this, and he’d explode.

“Now, Ellie,” he growled, tightening his arm around her waist.
She brought the horse to a halt beside the stone fence surrounding the lighthouse. “This is the

best part of the tour.”

His skin itched. His cock throbbed. And his mind blistered under the heat of consuming

passion.

The brisk November wind off the Atlantic did nothing to soothe his scorching need to be

inside her. Carter concentrated on one thing—getting Ellie out of her clothes as soon as possible.

They dismounted and approached the lighthouse. After what felt like an eternity, Ellie found

the right key on her loaded key ring and unlocked the lighthouse door. “You’ll love this.”

“Don’t I know,” he agreed under his breath.
The second she stepped inside, Carter caught her in his arms. He kicked the door shut, took

her face in her hands and devoured her mouth.

“I want you,” he said against her lips. “Now.”

Chapter 6

Carter came on to her fast and hard. Ellie lost her bearings under his physical intensity. The

base of the spiral staircase came up quickly behind her as he backed her into the lighthouse.

“Mmph!” she tried to warn. Shutting her eyes tight, she clung to him, awaiting impact against

the thick metal post.

But Carter’s hands and arms cradled her, and when they hit the beam, he cushioned the impact.

Their bodies collided, molding together.

She hadn’t expected such a raw, aggressive response to her flirtations. Yet she welcomed it,

wanted it as fiercely as he claimed her.

And claim her, he did.
The movement of his mouth against hers, possessive and consuming, called to her deepest

instincts. She scraped her nails along his scalp, neck, shoulders. Her hips beckoned the hard length
grinding against her.

“Upstairs,” she said.
He shook his head. “Here. Now.”
Between his torrents of kisses down her neck toward her cleavage, she insisted, “I want to do

this with a lighthouse view.”

A curse seethed between his teeth. “If I catch you on the way up, you’re mine. I’ll take you on

the stairs if I have to.”

“I’ll be quick.”
“You better hope.”
Pulling away from his strong grasp, she dashed up the rickety spiral stairs. The structure

vibrated as she advanced to the lighthouse tower.

“I’m coming for you.” His tone held a predatory warning.
To tantalize him, she shed an article of clothing every few feet as she lunged up the steps,

enjoying his sexual pursuit. “Almost there.”

His shoes pounded the steps. “You think I’d let you get away from me again?”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” she goaded.
“Believe it, baby. You’re mine.”
A shiver coursed through her at the fierceness of his claim. How long had she fantasized about

Carter returning to the island, sweeping her off her feet, making love her like no other man had?

“It looks like,” he said as he reached the landing and catching his breath, “you have nowhere

left to run.”

Arching a provocative eyebrow, Ellie backed toward the control panel. The windows let in

three-hundred-and-sixty degrees of light. She felt exposed, yet daring. “Who said I was running?”

He stalked toward her. “You’ll pay for this torment.”
“I can’t wait,” she breathed, right before his mouth crashed down on hers.
This reminded her of the other morning she came into his room and found him stepping out of

the shower. She’d been too shell-shocked, unable to admit she wanted him to touch her, kiss her,
make love to her right then. She wanted everything she missed in this man, the love of her life.

“Carter,” she pleaded as his teeth nipped her neck, “make this real.”
“You think it never was?”
“I’ve missed you.”

“Same.”
The whispered omission made her heart soar. Could they regain their passion, their

connection, in an act that signified everything they once meant to each other?

“Let me...” His hand slid to her back, unfastening her bra.
When the garment fell away, she shifted his palm to cup one of her bare breasts.
Growling, he dove into her cleavage like a starved man who’d stumbled on a feast. He

dragged his cheek along the outer curve of one breast, the heat from his mouth coating her skin with a
veil of steam. He sucked the plump underside, before seizing her nipple between his teeth. He tugged.
Ellie moaned at the acute sensation. Then his tongue swirled to sooth the sting.

Her hips moved rhythmically against his pelvis, her body aching for his. “Take me, Carter.

Just like this.”

He paused, staring down at her with a feral gleam in his eyes. “This is my fantasy, my tour.

I’ll take you however I want.” Carter spun her around to face the glass windows circling the tower.
The scent of sea salt mingled with their erotic aroma. He unfastened her jeans and shucked them down
to her ankles. “Think you can handle it?”

She gripped the slim metal bar that cordoned off the control panel. “Give it to me.”
“That’s my girl.” His hands perused her naked skin from behind, as if he’d never get enough

of the feel of her against his palms. He sent her a sultry stare in the reflection of the windows.
Flicking her ear with his tongue, he growled, “I can’t wait to taste you.”

She tossed her head back, closed her eyes, and held on for dear life. His hints made electric

pulses arc through her in anticipation.

His mouth traced her shoulders, traveling down her spine, his tongue trailing the arch in her

lower back. She shivered at the delicious descent, the nerve endings in her back scorched by each
pass of his open mouth on her naked skin.

She gasped his name.
“I know how much you like that.”
She sighed knowing the bliss awaiting her. “Don’t stop.”
“Not a chance.” He dipped his tongue into the two shallow depressions at the base of her

spine.

“Oh, God.” She arched.
Growling softly, he grazed his teeth along her backside. When she stepped out of her jeans, he

stood suddenly. He nudged her legs apart, gripping her hip bones, lifting her up to the perfect angle.

The second his finger dipped down between her thighs, caressing the tight bead of flesh that

ached for him, she gasped. Breathy whimpers of pleasure echoed in the lighthouse. His middle finger
swirled against her clit.

Her cries turned to wild moans.
She rode his hand, wishing this would never stop. She hadn’t felt this excited, this sensual

since the last time they’d been together.

Then he slipped his finger inside her, stroking into her heated core, the heel of his hand

grinding against her ultra-sensitive tip. Tingling tightness seized her body. She dug her nails into her
palms as a flood of pleasure funneled through her, radiating out from between her legs. Building,
advancing, heightening toward the perfect moment when—

“Ah, yes!” She arched. His fingers made quick, light passes against her flesh.
A second later, white-hot pleasure burst through her. She shook in his arms. Her pleasure

center ached and throbbed with bliss. “So good,” she murmured weakly.

Slave to his talented fingers, she let him coax every ripple of pleasure from her body, until she

slumped back against his chest. He gave one last flick, and she shuddered at the sensation.

He held her tight against him. She felt like a puppet on a string, only able to stand with his

support. He lifted her chin, so their eyes met in the window’s reflection.

His nostrils flared. “I’m not done with you yet. Not even close.”
Ellie could barely catch her breath.
“Now I’m going to take you from behind.”
“I—”
Carter dropped his pants and entered her in one slick move.
“Oh!” She tensed, unused to such length and girth. He pulled out halfway then plunged into her

to the hilt. She inhaled sharply. It had been so long.

“Relax, Ellie. I’m with you.”
Their eyes met in their reflection. Ellie recognized that look. One she’d never forget. The

expression of passion, true devotion, the way he’d looked at her the night he made love to her for the
first time—her first time. And it had been so beautiful.

Dampness seeped into her eyes. Her body slackened, releasing all tension. Her hands relaxed

their vice-grip on the metal bar in front of her.

As she splayed her hands, his fingers threaded through hers intertwining around the bar.

“That’s it. Slow. Easy.” He began a gentle rhythm inside her. “Remember...”

Always .
Ellie fought a surge of emotion. She wanted to reveal everything, as they shared their bodies

for pleasure, for release, for a bliss she hadn’t found since their relationship dissolved.

But she didn’t want memories to remove her from this moment. She wanted to be here . Right

now. With him. The best of their past remembered, the worst forgotten.

“Carter, I want to face you. Watch you.”
He said through clenched teeth, “I can’t stop now.”
“I want to touch you, feel you.”
“Oh, you will.” He lifted her leg, setting her foot on the bottom steel rung. His thrusts

deepened.

Then he angled his motion just right, gliding against the pleasure center inside her. Ellie’s

mind went blank. Sensuality saturated her being. She eagerly moved her hips to meet his thrusts.

“Better?”
“Mmm...”
Their skin slapped as he drove into her. Their panting breaths filled the air. He released her

hands and let his fingers roam over her body, massaging her breasts, tweaking her nipples, gliding his
touch over every part of her, turning her on even more.

A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead, rolling down her spine, an erotic splash of

sensation. “So good,” she moaned.

Then his hand slid down her waist, across her stomach, and his fingertip trailed lower until he

found the spot that still throbbed from his earlier attention. His fingertip made slow, luscious circles.

“Yes, just like that.” She leaned her head back against his shoulder.
Carter buried his other hand in her thick tresses, tilting her head upright again. “I want to see

your face when I make you come.”

The reflection of their bodies turned hazy in the steam-coated glass. Watching as Carter took

her from behind was incredibly intense.

A damp lock of hair draped over his forehead. His lips were slighted parted. A sheen of

perspiration shimmered across his tan chest. And his huge arms bulged with muscle as he strove to
give her absolute pleasure.

A surge of heat swelled in her abdomen. He rode her toward the edge of ecstasy.
“Carter,” she breathed. All sensation heightened, intensifying until she felt the unbearable

need for release. “Carter!”

Heat burst through her like fireworks. Dazzling sparks that shot out and touched off every

nerve ending, scattering pleasure through her entire body.

She moaned, the bliss of satisfaction rolling through her. His rhythm turned frantic.
Jaw clenched, he wrapped one thick arm around her waist, cupping her chin with his free

hand. When her lashes fluttered open, she met his bold gaze in their reflection. His fingertips dug into
her hip as he approached climax.

The cords of muscle in his neck strained as he broke eye contact and threw his head back.

Carter’s body went rock-hard. His shout echoed through the lighthouse as he spilled himself inside
her.

The invisible embrace of their life-long bond wrapped their bodies in soft afterglow. He held

her for a few more moments as he regained his breath.

Then Carter gently pulled out, eliciting a shiver from her. As he released her and moved

around the space retrieving their clothes, the fever of passion dissipated. She shivered as a cold wisp
of air blew through the aged glass panes.

Ellie knew adding emotional significance into their act of passion would be a mistake. Carter

confirmed it when he dangled her bra from one finger, his expression remote.

She took her bra from him. “Thanks.”
“No, honey, thank you .” He treated her to a flirtatious smile designed to charm, but it didn’t

reach his eyes. And she’d never been the type to dazzle easily.

She faced away so he wouldn’t catch the disappointment on her face. Or recognize the

emptiness she suddenly felt inside her, all around her. As though she’d entered a cabin in winter
seeking the warmth of a fire, but all that remained were dying embers on the grate.

They dressed in silence.
As she pulled on her jeans, she reminded herself that her own prompts gave him the green

light to expend the sexual synergy building between them since he arrived.

After all, if she planned to court his, who was the real winner—or victim—in this sordid

circumstance?

“Time will tell,” she murmured to herself.
Carter checked his Moldovo watch, the quartz accents and titanium band glinting in the

sunlight. “It’s eleven-thirty.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Trust me, I’d give anything to stay here
with you for the next twenty-four hours. But your uncle said there’s a lot to do before the VIPs arrive
for dinner.” His lips curved with a sly grin. “I’m sure our excuse would go over well, ‘we were
sidetracked fucking all day in the lighthouse.’”

“True.” She contained her disappointment. “Though our male guests might appreciate the

visual,” she tossed back, forcing herself to reclaim the role of seductive siren.

Carter frowned, grumbling a response. At the sign of his jealousy, a bubble of pleasure lifted

her spirits.

Two can play this game, Carter. Only I have more at stake.
Feistiness spiked her blood, diluting her emotional vulnerability. “Think anyone saw us up

here?”

“Don’t know, but it sounds hot.” His lips quirked as the two of them descended the stairs.

“Since when are you an exhibitionist?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
His arm hooked around her waist, and he whispered in her ear, “When can I find out?”
“Depends.”
“On...” he encouraged.
She locked up the lighthouse and they mounted the horse. “That depends on what you can do

for me.”

He swept her hair to the side and nibbled her neck. “I can do a lot of things to you.” His mouth

drew on her strongly. “The lighthouse was just a taste.” His teeth grazed her skin. “Now, I want to
savor the bite.”

Instantly, he went hard against her. He gave sexy descriptions of what lay in store tonight as

the horse galloped toward the stables. Her thighs went damp as he worked her up. Their attraction
was insane, like it always had been, never in reprieve when they were within touching distance.

“You’d better behave tonight,” she warned. The horse slowed and entered the stables. “We

have to make a good impression on the bigwigs.”

“Can I make an impression on you in the shower?” He dismounted and helped her down. Then

he pulled her against him. “Or in the stables. The scent of hay gets me riled up.”

“I think when the wind blows you get excited.”
He feigned a wounded expression. “You think I’m this way all the time?”
“It’s all I’ve ever seen.”
“I wish I could be like this with someone else—would’ve made the past twelve years easier.”

An indefinable mix of emotions clouded his gray eyes.

Then he kissed her, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth possessively. She ran her hands

through his hair. How could she want him again, so much, so soon?

His scent washed over her, spiking her pulse. He smelled like ocean wind, fall leaves, the

musky scent of sex, and the heat of a winter fire...

Is that smoke? Ellie untangled herself from his grasp. “Do you smell that?”
“I smell you.” He buried his face against her neck, kissing downward to the tops of her

breasts.

She shoved at him. “Carter, I’m serious. It smells like smoke. Like something’s burning.”
Looking past her shoulder, his eyes went wide. “Yep, that’s smoke.”
Ellie whipped around, following his gaze to the billows of smoke pluming from the kitchen

windows. “Oh, no.”

Without thinking, she took off across the meadow, racing toward the inferno.
“Ellie, wait!”
Blood pounding in her ears, she barely heard him.
The hotel was on fire.

*

Carter ran after her, advancing on her stride.
Only a fool would run toward a burning building. But there was no stopping her. Billows of

black smoke engulfed her until she disappeared from sight.

He heard screams, doors slamming, glass breaking.
Ellie’s voice cried out.

Carter hissed an expletive and darted into the hotel after her. “Ellie!”
Kitchen staff holding aprons over their mouths raced past him, knocking him back out the

emergency exit. Carter plunged forward again.

The smoke roiled like an erupting volcano. He found a damp dishrag and held it over his nose

and mouth.

Silverware was strewn over the floor. Pots and pans and colanders were scattered

everywhere. Water overflowed from a sink. Disaster central .

“Ellie,” he called.
Determined to find her and haul her out of there, Carter waved smoke from his path, ducked

down to avoid the worst of the fumes, and pursued the source of the calamity.

“What do we do?” a panicked voice shrieked a few feet away.
“Ellie.”
“Carter?” She pushed him toward the exit, but the effort incited a coughing fit. “Get out of

here before you’re hurt,” she wheezed.

“My thought exactly.” He scooped her up with one arm and retraced his steps.
“Let go,” she seethed. Despite his hard grip, she wriggled free when he lost his footing,

skidding across the wet floor. “I need to put out the fire!”

“And I need you safe.” He grabbed her shirt, prepared to haul her out by the scruff of her neck

if he had to.

“Oh, no,” she gasped. “Not tonight’s dinner!”
She switched on the overhead ventilation shaft. The heavy smoke lifted, and the air became

breathable.

That’s when he saw the extent of the damage.
The fire had started on the gas stove—judging by the black soot smeared up the wall behind it

—and had spread to the surrounding surfaces. Every spot touched by oil ignited like flame-red
dominos, scattering across the galley sinks, chopping blocks, countertops, finally reaching the banquet
platters.

The starched tablecloths were slower to catch flame. That gave Carter an opening. “Ellie, we

need baking soda. Tons of it.”

“In here.” She rushed to towering shelves of supplies, returning with three-pound boxes

balanced in her arms. “How many do you need?”

“Keep ‘em coming.”
They were running out of time. With gas fires, explosions were inevitable. At any moment the

entire place could blow up and everything would be toast—including them.

Edging toward the flame-engulfed stove, he tore open the packages. He emptied box after box

of baking soda, tossing the contents on the flames. White particles flew through the air, landing in
ashen heaps, suppressing the fire. The after-effects reminded him of a nuclear winter.

“Ellie,” he commanded, “use the dishwasher’s sprayer. Aim it at the tables.”
Hurrying to the industrial-grade dishwashing cubical, she grabbed the dangling hose. She

pushed the lever, releasing a powerful jet stream that drenched everything in sight. It blasted off the
tops serving dishes, spattered delicacies against the back wall, overflowed soup kettles, and made
one giant mess.

But it worked.
In under a minute, they’d sidestepped catastrophe. In less than two minutes, their efforts wiped

out the fire completely.

Ellie released the sprayer and stumbled back.
Carter was there to catch her.
She exhaled. “We did it.”
“Barely.”
She turned in his arms. “Thank you.” Her voice sounded hoarse from smoke inhalation. “I

don’t know what I would’ve done.”

“Fried yourself to a crisp. Don’t do that. Ever. Again.” He pushed wet hair back from her

face, tipping her chin up and touching his lips to hers.

Steps thundered through the back hall. Carter abruptly ended the kiss when Russert

Montgomery appeared in the doorway.

The man’s black suit and glossy oxford shoes made an amusing contrast to the backdrop of

mayhem, Carter thought.

Russert didn’t look so amused. “For the love of—what happened?”
Ellie stepped out of Carter’s arms, wobbled, then grabbed the charred countertop for support.

“Fire. Terrible. Everything was...Carter and I, we...”

Recognizing symptoms of shock setting in, Carter placed his hand at her waist. “Kitchen fire,”

he explained. “The entire hotel almost went up in flames.”

Russert speared them with a glare. “And this seemed like a good time to suck face?” He shook

his head at Ellie. “The way you deal with your problems is appalling.”

Carter’s hackles went up. “Where were you, while we were risking our lives?”
The man’s shoulders rolled forward like a bulldog ready to strike. “Preparing my talking

points to deliver at tonight’s dinner.” His gaze darted around the scene, settling on the sopping buffet
table, where weeks of preparation lay in ruins. “Seems I wasted my time.”

Right then, the hotel’s chef waddled in. His white hat drooped cockeyed on his bald head. A

burn mark on his forearm glowed an angry red. Soot streaked his pudgy face.

With a stunning display of histrionics, the man spouted off in French-accented English. “My

masterpiece—destroyed! Hours, I slaved—for nothing. Nothing! The devil is in this hotel. I swear it.”

“I’m sorry, Pierre.” Ellie’s expression underscored her sincerity. “But there’s still time, we

can pull something together.”

“Time?” The man waved his arms at the heavens, jowls jiggling. “ All the time I work for this

place. For pittance,” he spat. He tore his hat off, dragged his apron over his head, and threw the
garments on the ground. “I tell you for months—months!—that I need a new stove. The gas line is
weak, or leaking, something is wrong. Did you listen to Pierre? No, no. Nobody listens to me. I’m
finished with this cursed place.”

Ellie’s eyes widened with panic. “Pierre, wait—”
“Through. Through! I am on the first boat to shore.” He stormed out.
“This is not happening.” Ellie cupped her forehead, looking on the verge of a breakdown.
“I suggest you find a way to deal with this mess,” Russert informed her. “I don’t care if you

have to paddle a canoe to the mainland and pick up food from a restaurant. Just make something
happen. Our guests tonight have the power to determine your future. You could face serious fines—
and jail time—for tax evasion, Ellie.”

“How am I supposed to pay for a five course meal?”
Russert shrugged. And walked away.
Leaving Ellie to deal with the fallout.
Carter felt the overwhelming urge to hit something. Hard. Russert’s face came to mind.

“Bastard.”

Expression vacant, Ellie sank to the wet floor. She reached blindly for a sponge and started to

clean.

“Baby, forget about dinner. I’ll take care of it.”
She nodded, but he doubted she’d actually heard him—or if she had, she didn’t believe him.
“I’ll find Matilda to clean this up.”
Ellie shook her head. “She takes afternoons off. Unpaid.”
“So there’s no one else in the godforsaken hotel to do anything?”
“Just me.” She said it as if she’d resigned herself to that fact long ago.
Indignant anger infused him. “You shouldn’t have to pay for your father’s mistakes.”
“What else am I supposed to do?” she murmured. “In three days, it’ll be over.”
“Ellie, I’m not letting you go to prison for something that’s not your fault.”
“You haven’t bought the hotel.” An icy thread laced her words. “You have no say in what

goes on here. Or what happens to me personally.”

Like hell I don’t .
Carter left to make arrangements on his own. Before he reached the middle of the hallway, he

had his cell phone out and hit number five on his speed dial.

“Hey, it’s Carter,” he said to the man on the other end. “I need you to do something for me.”

Chapter 7

Six hours after the kitchen caught fire, Ellie sank onto a stool at the hotel bar. Behind the

counter, James wiped down a pair of glasses until they squeaked.

“Evening,” he greeted naturally.
Like a wise grandfather-figure, James never wasted words. Although Ellie felt sheepish and

defeated, he acted as if nothing were out of the ordinary. She adored him for his silent understanding.
No words needed.

So much like her relationship with her father.
Somehow Frank Montgomery would’ve saved the day, with a joke and a smile to put

everyone at ease. She wished she had more of his personality. More of that brilliant magnetism that
made people believe everything would turn out all right.

She needed that now more than ever.
I miss you, Daddy .
James sent her a look of heartwarming compassion that made her want to lay her head on his

shoulder and cry. “I heard you had a rough day.”

Steeped in exhaustion, she nodded. She’d scrubbed the entire kitchen. Twice. The repairman

arrived to inform her that the stove had two of eight burners still working. He fixed the gas leak. Re-
lit the pilot. And left a bill for two-hundred dollars she didn’t have to pay him. Afterward, she locked
herself in her room and stood under a hot shower for forty-five minutes until her numbness subsided.
But the fire had ravaged her pride. Her hopeful spirit lay in a charred heap in her chest, and a
depressing listlessness filled her. Yet she still had to solve the enormous problem of dinner.

“The usual?” James winked.
“Make it a double. No, a triple.”
“I don’t think they make wine glasses that large, and we’re fresh out of fishbowls, love.”
“Then hand me the bottle.”
Chuckling, James reached into the wine racks and brought out a bottle she’d never seen

before. He slid a wine glass off the shelf, set it down and uncorked the wine. A hearty splash hit the
glass’s basin, sloshed up the sides and settled in a luxurious ruby-red pool. “I have something special
for you.”

She read the label. “Sterling Hills Vintner’s Reserve, Pinot Noir. Sounds impressive.”
“The best.” He swirled it in the glass and handed it to her. “Give it a try.”
Ellie sipped the beverage. The wine slid down her throat like nectar of the gods, leaving a

richly-hued aftertaste. “Dionysus called, James. He wants his wine back.”

His blue eyes twinkled. “I thought you’d like it.”
“It’s heavenly.” He poured her a full glass, and she savored every sip. “Where did you get

this?”

“A little place I know on the mainland. I asked for something truly special.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Your success.”
Ellie nearly choked. “Let’s not cheers to that yet.”
“We will.” He sent her a perceptive smile. “I have another bottle. You’ll know when it’s time

to use it.”

“But the expense—”

James responded by whistling a cheerful tune. He had a great whistle, the kind that echoes

down hallways, spreading contagious joy in every direction.

“All right, James. What do you know that I don’t?” She took another sip of the wine and

appreciated its complex taste.

His whistle grew louder.
“Fine, keep your secrets. No wonder you’re a bartender by trade.” Ellie tamped down her

annoyance.

A female voice interrupted their quiet conversation. “Mr. Stratton!”
Ellie turned to see Carter strutting into the dining room. The woman who called his name

beckoned him to her table. Ellie recognized the woman and her husband as the couple staying in the
Dwight Eisenhower room on the fourth floor.

“Mr. Stratton,” the woman implored, beaming up at Carter as he approached their table where

a candle glowed softly in the center. “This meal is superb. I’ve never tasted fish this well-prepared.
The sauce is divine!”

Her husband agreed, stretching out his hand to shake Carter’s. “My wife knows her Chilean

sea bass. Where does your chef get his recipes?”

Ellie blinked. Chef?
Casually sliding his hands into his suit pants pockets, Carter smiled. “Andre writes his

recipes by hand in Swedish and keeps them in a lock-box. I’m afraid his genius will remain a
mystery.”

The woman batted her lashes, her smile a little too wide. “We’ll plan to vacation at the

Montgomery Hotel more often. Now we have something to really look forward to.”

Ellie frowned. It seemed the woman was more interested in visiting for Carter than for the

food.

“Enjoy,” Carter said.
The aging beauty watched Carter’s every move as he walked away from their table toward the

bar. Ellie felt a knot tighten in her stomach.

Carter’s head tilted as he peered at her. “You don’t look dressed for a formal dinner party.”
She swirled her wine in her glass. “The problem with dinner parties is that you have to feed

people. That’s not an option at the moment.”

“Then you haven’t met Andre?”
Carter waved toward the kitchen. A moment later, the tallest, blondest man she’d ever seen

came through the swinging doors.

“Let me introduce you to my Teutonic master chef, Andre Svensson.”
“How do you do?” the man asked. Then he said to Carter, “She is more beautiful than you

described.”

Ellie straightened. “Very nice to meet you.” She glanced at Carter as Andre lifted her hand to

his lips.

“Some things are beyond description.” Carter winked at her.
“I agree.” Andre made a slight bow and returned to the kitchen.
Carter shrugged. “Not the most conversational guy, but he makes a killer smoked brisket.”
Bewildered, she asked, “Where did he come from?”
“Originally?” Carter rubbed his jaw. “Some small town north of Stockholm in the archipelago

islands. He opened a restaurant in Aspen, Colorado a few years back, and the first time I ate dinner
there I knew I wanted this man as my personal chef.”

Ellie coughed. “You have a personal chef?”
“Makes life convenient.”
“Where did he get all the food?”
“Brought it with him.”
“How did he get here?”
“My private jet.”
Her jaw dropped. “You have a jet ?”
“Sure.”
She saw pride fill his eyes as he rattled off his list of mega-million-dollar amenities. “Must

be nice,” she said in clipped tones.

“If it helps keep innocent women out of jail, then it’s all worth it.” He grinned.
An uncomfortable suspicion prickled up her spine. The notion had occurred to her in the

shower and had gained momentum. She eyed him warily. “You don’t get it, do you?”

His look of puzzlement grated on her. “What’s your issue? I thought you’d be thankful.”
That was the crux of the problem. She set her glass down on the bar. “Carter, you’ve spent

more money in the past four hours on food, travel and staff, for one dinner, than the repairs cost on
this entire hotel.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Not likely.”
“My point is, all the things you’ve done since you got here—they only delay the inevitable.”
His gaze cooled. “My generosity insults you.”
“Your generosity has been amazing. But for what?” Finally she voiced the question digging at

her. “You’ve been here three days, yet you haven’t met with my uncle once to discuss a purchase
agreement or draw up a contract.” She wondered, “Do you have any intention of buying the
Montgomery Hotel?”

His expression was inscrutable. “One piece has to fall into place before I decide.”
“I disagree,” she countered, as the weight of her suspicion grew. “I think you know exactly

what you were after when you came back to the island.” She scraped her stool away from the bar,
away from him. “Until you tell me what your intentions are, I’d appreciate if you didn’t act like you
own the place and take matters into your own hands.”

Cockiness rang in his voice. “Too late now, sweetheart.”
He turned away and went back to talk to the couple who complimented his chef. The woman

was more than happy to see him return.

Appalled by his attitude, she left the dining room.
Doubts and uncertainties about Carter’s true intentions swirled through her mind as she

entered her room. She took her time slipping on a silky black gown, burgundy Giani Bini heels, and
preparing herself for the night ahead. She felt edgy, distracted, wondering what scheme Carter was
pulling—and how she fit into that diabolical equation.

If he thought he could waltz back into her life for one week and sweep her off her feet and into

his bed...well, he pretty much had.

Damn him .
On top of which he’d saved her from possibly being burned alive, and had gone to enormous

lengths to ensure tonight’s success. So that she wouldn’t be taken into custody for her father’s poor
investment choices.

So far, he’d been her savior. Which made her wonder. What exactly did he expect from her in

return?

Carter wasn’t a man who made decisions lightly. He was calculating, cunning, intuitive, and

incredibly smart. All the things that made him a real estate genius and brought him such enormous
wealth and success.

He said he was waiting for one piece to fall into place. Did he mean her?
Forcing herself to be honest, she admitted she did want Carter to buy the Montgomery Hotel.

She wanted him back in her life.

Her heart ached with that desire, and so did her body as she recalled how Carter had taken

her, fast and furious, in the lighthouse. She tingled with yearning to be back in his arms.

Using brisk strokes, she brushed out her hair while the curling iron heated. The problem is I

have nothing to lose, and he has nothing to gain.

That imbalance made his reentrance into her life at this crucial time intriguing.
So what is he after?
Tonight, she intended to find out.
She curled her hair, pinning it half-up so the gold-tinted brown locks fell in swirling cascades

down her back. She inserted simple diamond-post earrings into each ear.

You’re not as impenetrable as you think, Carter Stratton .
She swept blush along her cheekbones, then applied variegated eye shadows, black liquid

liner and mascara, the smoky effect striking against her sun-bright irises.

Slicking on berry-red lipstick that matched her shoes, she took one last look in the mirror,

satisfied that she could capture his attention and hold it there long enough to get some answers.

Then, she returned to the dining room.
She forced a confident smile, ready to schmooze and entertain, and charm the secrets out of

her enigmatic lover.

#

And now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for , Carter thought sarcastically. Carter had

tried to brace himself for a grueling encounter with the man who just walked through the door.

The island chief of police, who Carter shared an unfortunate history with, strolled into the

dining hall, a cigar clamped between his teeth. The noise of his cowboy boots echoed in the vast
room. His eyes held the deadened look of a sniper.

And those steely eyes were trained on Carter the instant William Marquell set foot on the

parquet floor.

The others had already arrived and were mingling amicably. Mayor Flemming in his standard

“public figure” gray suit. Councilman Ward, the island’s District Attorney, with his sharp blue eyes
and endless conspiracy theories. And Judge Avery, the infamous philanderer who didn’t know he had
long-passed his prime. Carter and these important men had been exchanging small talk at the bar for
the past half-hour. A group of heavy hitters, all here for their piece of the Montgomery Hotel pie.

At the police chief’s entrance, all discussion ceased. The man approached the bar with a

bigger chip on his shoulder than Dirty Harry.

The prominent guests greeted him warily, despite sitting several rungs above Marquell on the

political ladder. Not even the most powerful crossed him.

Except Carter, when he’d been about fifteen, a typical teenager with a big attitude, in the top

one-percent in height and weight for his age bracket at the time. The night he’d crossed the line with
Marquell, the man had treated him as an adult. Carter never forgot that encounter. He relived it every
time he looked in the mirror and saw the scars.

Determined to be a civil for Ellie’s sake, Carter tamped down his seething hatred for the

man. Forcing a smile, he stuck out his hand to shake with the police chief. “It’s been a long time.”

Marquell walked right past him and took a seat at the other end of the bar. The braided rope

that looped through his Texas tie was held together by an obsidian stone, cold and black as his eyes.

With unconcealed sarcasm, Carter intoned, “A pleasure as always.”
“What did you say?” Marquell’s gravel-harsh voice made most men cower.
Carter shrugged. “Nothing I haven’t said to you before.”
“I could haul you in for that, boy.”
Carter took a sip of his scotch. “You could try.”
Chewing harder on his cigar, Marquell asked, “Is that a challenge?”
“If you make it one.”
Even the classical music playing in the background seemed to stop suddenly. Tension sizzled

in the room. Judge Avery wrung his hands, looking like he wanted to step in but didn’t have the guts.
None of them did. Carter was on his own.

Marquell flattened his palms on the counter. “Want to test me?”
“All I need is one more reason to sue your ass for what you did to me.” A muscle worked in

Carter’s jaw. “Because now I have the cash to haul you into court.”

“Heh, heh, heh.” Marquell chuckled like a serial killer who’d just buried a body and

destroyed all evidence. “Statute of limitation. Isn’t that right, Avery?”

Prevaricating, Judge Avery replied, “Well, of course, you know it all depends...”
Carter talked over the judge. “I’ve got enough time, funds and resentment to tie you up in legal

battles for the next decade, Marquell. I’ll make sure your badge is suspended the entire time. So you
won’t have the authority to intimidate everyone you think is beneath you.”

In unison, the other three guests stepped back, anticipating the fallout.
“You can try,” Marquell parroted Carter’s phrase. “But your pretty little girlfriend still has to

pay up.”

“Leave Ellie out of this.”
Marquell laced his fingers behind his head. “I’m not here to waste my time with you, son. I’m

here to carry out the order.”

Carter tensed. “What order?”
“Nothing’s been decided yet,” Mayor Flemming inserted calmly. “There’s plenty of time to

discuss things over dinner.”

Marquell grunted. He busied himself with tapping the ash from his cigar into an ashtray. Read:

conversation over.

The sexy sound of high heels on a bare floor met his ears. Carter turned.
He nearly fell off his stool.
Two words described Ellie. Smoking. Hot.
The slit up the side of her black dress flashed a peek at her long legs. Legs he envisioned

tangled in sheets and entwined with his as plunged inside her. His pulse spiked.

Overheated and aroused, he fought the urge to throw every man out of the room. Because after

he got her alone, he’d carry her to the long table, tear off the tablecloth and let everything fall to the
floor. He’d lay her down and consume her like a feast spread before him. Then he’d make love to her
with the untamable force swelling inside him.

All night, baby. You’re so mine .
When Ellie’s gorgeous amber-colored eyes met his, he forgot to breathe. Until his chest

started searing. Something in her step, in the way she held herself with poise and self-assurance, told

him she was on a mission. And that mission was him .

Carter sighed. He was in for a long night.
Because what he wanted right now had nothing to do with sound investment decisions, or

revenge, or her surrender—and everything to do with his craving for this woman. Mind, body and
soul.

That was a problem. It meant he was losing sight of his purpose.
Exiled from the daily grind of financial reports, property inspections, building codes and the

art of the sale, he could find plenty of reasons to stick around on the island. He wanted to reclaim
Ellie. She would be his to possess.

As his mind shifted into territorial realms, Carter recognized the last piece of his plan had just

fallen into place.

Tonight he’d issue his ultimatum to her.
Instinct told him it was time to reap the rewards the Montgomery family had denied him, back

when he was underprivileged and unimpressive. The time had come to seal the deal and enjoy his
revenge.

As she drew closer to the bar where he and the other male guests loitered, he noticed a

diamond-shaped cutout in her dress, positioned at her cleavage, leaving little to the imagination.

Running a hand through his hair, he exhaled slowly. Oh yeah, this should get interesting .
“Gentlemen,” Ellie greeted.
Judge Avery raked a lecherous gaze up and down her form, surreptitiously removing his

wedding band and sliding it into his suit pocket. “Miss Montgomery, you look beautiful this evening.
What can I get you to drink?” Then, to James, he said, “She’s on my tab.” James nodded.

Unfaithful prick . Carter took a long taste of his scotch on the rocks.
“Something decadent,” Ellie replied, berry lips spread in a stunning smile.
“Espresso martini?” the judge suggested.
“Perfect.” She laughed, her head thrown back to reveal the lovely arc of her neck.
Carter fought the urge to kiss up and down its swan-like curve, right there in front of everyone.

And leave marks from his five-o’clock shadow that told them she was already taken.

“I’ll have another,” Carter told James.
The only reason Avery had his position as judge was because, like the mayor and councilman,

he possessed old money that came with old favors. None of them earned it or did a damn thing to
deserve it. Carter tasted disgust at the back of his throat.

“Make it neat,” Carter told James, who poured his drink without ice.
Avery slid closer to Ellie and cupped her elbow. “We never see you at the Tavern Inn beside

the courthouse. Lovely girl like you needs to get out more.”

“Is that an invitation?” she asked.
“It is now.” He was feeding out of her hand.
Ellie kept him guessing. “I’ll have to see when I’m available.”
Avery grinned like a gambler who’d hit the jackpot. “I’ll reserve a table for this Saturday.”
Rolling his eyes, Carter turned his back to them. He shrugged in the stiff fabric of his suit that

felt unaccountably tight against his shoulders.

“Another,” he flagged James.
“Where’s our invitation?” Councilman Ward quipped on behalf of himself and the mayor.
“Sorry, boys. She’s mine this Saturday. You’ll have to get in line.” From there, they each

jockeyed for position to land a spot on her calendar.

Pathetic . Carter removed his suit jacket and tossed it on the bar. None of them cared to get to

know her. They just wanted a night between her thighs.

They’ll have to get past me first .
A moment later Russert Montgomery entered, drawing everyone’s attention. He pasted a smile

on his face. “My good friends. Welcome to an evening at the Montgomery Hotel. Let us know how we
can accommodate you in any way.”

Judge Avery wiggled his eyebrows at Ellie. Carter’s hands curled into fists.
“As your hosts, Eleanor and I open our home and our hearts to you. All we want in return is

for you to enjoy yourselves.”

If Russert were anymore plastic he’d melt under the chandeliers. However, this was the one

man Carter counted on his side. “James, please pour our host a glass of the finest scotch in the house.
On my bill.”

“Indeed, sir.” James nodded his approval at Carter’s gesture.
The other three men looked disgruntled they hadn’t thought of it. Anyone can hit on a beautiful

woman, but those who played to win always bet on the house.

Then Andre signaled that dinner was ready. Carter acknowledged the cue. He cleared his

throat. “Gentlemen, and lady, my chef has prepared a memorable dinner. When everyone has taken
their seats he’ll bring out the first course.”

The men gathered around the large circular dining table set for the occasion. Three of the four

guests of honor shuffled their seats hoping Ellie would sit by them. Carter didn’t bother. He chose his
chair. Ellie hurried to snag the seat beside him. Carter’s pleasure soured when Marquell took the
chair directly across from him.

“Regarding your chef,” remarked the mayor, “I’ve heard great things about his cuisine.”
Carter dipped his chin in a humble nod, well-acquainted with Andre’s expertise. “I only hire

the best.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Ellie said. “This will be a new experience.”
Pulling out her chair, Carter waited for her sit down. Then he seated himself.
The mayor directed the conversation to Ellie. “This is your hotel. Are you saying you’ve

never had the privilege of this chef’s cuisine?”

“Special circumstances.” She winked at the mayor.
Every man at the table beamed as though this special occasion was for his benefit.
“We’re pleased to join you,” said Councilman Ward, lifting his glass. “Here’s to fine food

and excellent company.”

They all raised their glasses to his toast.
As expected, Andre did not disappoint. Despite the extremely last-minute request, he served

up a four-course dining experience worthy of the British Crown.

During dinner, Carter watched Ellie out of the corner of his eye. She was exquisite. Every

mannerism faultless, every witticism drawing a laugh or nod of appreciation.

After tonight, he wouldn’t have to steal glances—or keep his hands to himself. The notion

soothed his growing possessiveness.

Once James and Matilda had cleared away the dinner plates, the recessed lights dimmed. The

mood thickened. Candlelight and chandeliers cast uncertain shadows over the table.

Russert leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “As most of us know, the Montgomery Hotel

has fallen on hard times. The economic distress swallowing the country doubles its devastation on
more insular places such as El Dorado Island.”

The group nodded gravely. Marquell flicked his toothpick back and forth between stern lips.
“With this in mind, I speak on behalf of my niece and late brother requesting an extension for

the monetary provisions we’re here to discuss tonight.”

Glances were exchanged. As the silence lengthened, Ellie twisted her hands in her lap.
“I understand the hotel is up for sale,” Ward remarked.
“That’s true,” Ellie said, turning to Carter. “Isn’t that why you’re here, Mr. Stratton?”
Carter nodded. “I saw the post in Elite Southern Properties magazine. An irresistible

opportunity.”

“Isn’t that wonderful?” Ellie said a little too brightly. “When will your purchase go through?”
“No one can make an offer yet, as your uncle explained to me. There’s an auction Friday.

Highest bidder walks away with the prize.” He draped his arm across the back of Ellie’s chair.

“I see.” Biting her lip, she stared at the center of the table where a large candle flickered in a

crystal globe.

The soft glow reflected in her dewy eyes, drawing elegant shadows across her face. He fought

the urge to kiss the frown tugging the corners of her mouth. Then take her back to his room, pull her
into his arms, and make love to her until her doubts fell away.

Along with Carter’s pending ultimatum to her, his offer came with his protection, physically

and financially. She’d never have to worry about money, or pleasing another man, ever again.

Mayor Flemming and Councilman Ward exchanged dark looks. Then the mayor spoke. “We

had the property evaluated by a third party. We’re not convinced you can raise the capital necessary
to repay the loans and fees you owe the Revitalization Committee with the sale of this hotel.”

Councilman Ward leaned in. “What, exactly, is your starting bid?”
Unperturbed, Russert explained, “The bid starts at the value our financiers determine. To find

out this information, you must be in attendance Friday afternoon at three o’clock, when the auction
commences.”

Marquell spoke up. “There’s one person who won’t be in attendance.”
Ellie must’ve realized the police chief was staring her down. She blinked rapidly and her

cheeks blazed crimson.

Carter cupped her shoulder, his thumb tracing soothing circles along the base of her neck.

“What does that mean?” he demanded on her behalf.

Marquell ignored him and looked straight at Russert. “The time for concessions has come and

gone.” The police chief withdrew a tri-folded paper from his inner coat pocket, tossing it on the table.
“I have a warrant.”

Russert shot to his feet. “This is outrageous.” He gestured to Judge Avery. “Did you sign this

order?”

Avery squirmed in his seat. “It’s not exactly how it seems...”
“Then how is it?” Ellie demanded, her eyes blazing like the sun. “This is my life you’re

debating.”

The table went silent.
Shoulders squared, she addressed the men. “Did you gather tonight to watch the show? To

break us down further, because our backs are against the wall, and you enjoy kicking people when
they’re down?” Her voice trembled, but she recovered. “We’re already as low as we can go without
signing the entire hotel over to you, to pay for the loans my father accepted.”

Russert inhaled sharply through his nose. Carter rubbed a hand over his eyes, knowing she’d

unintentionally invited trouble.

Marquell grinned malevolently. “That’ll work.”
Ellie softened her tone. “Please, two more days. That’s all I’m asking. When the sale is

complete, you will have the money and interest on your Revitalization Loan.”

Marquell made a great show of unfolding the warrant. “You’ve had a long reprieve, Miss

Montgomery. This warrant was signed back in—” He peered at the date, drawing out the suspense.
“September. These good folks have given you two months to pay up. Now, you’re going to have to
come with me.”

Chapter 8

Oh, my God, I’m going to jail .
Perspiration broke out across Ellie’s forehead. Her skin prickled as if she’d fallen face first

onto a cactus. Her mouth went bone dry. She tried to swallow, but her throat rebelled like she’d
gulped a bucket of sand.

Panicking, she flicked her glance from Carter to her uncle. Russert looked furious. Carter

tapped his shoe under the table as if he could barely restrain his aggression.
Jaw clenched, eyes flashing a dangerous gunmetal gray, he appeared ready to kill someone. Though
his hands rested flat on the table, Ellie believed if Bill Marquell made a move, Carter would wrap
his fingers around the police chief’s throat.

Her stomach pitched with fear.
What am I going to do?
To her mortification, Andre’s marvelous dinner was about to make a second appearance. She

swallowed hard, trying not to vomit. Lashes fluttering, she parted her lips to speak. No words came.
What could she possibly say?

She scooted her chair back, wishing she could stop shaking. She prepared herself to go into

custody.

Then James appeared. “At Mr. Stratton’s request, I’ve brought up something rare from the

cellar.” Holding the antique green bottle with a serving cloth, James tipped the faded label for
everyone to see.

Judge Avery tore his gaze away from Ellie’s breasts to retrieve his reading glasses. “My

word...”

Councilman Ward’s expression registered shock. “Is this what I think?
Carter explained. “We’ve made arrangements to provide each of you with a case of genuine

bootlegged Jamaican rum and Italian wine—aged for over ninety years.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” The police chief drained his whisky and slammed down his glass.
James uncorked the bottle of rum and poured.
At the first sip, Mr. Marquell’s eyes bugged out. “This,” he rasped, “would pickle a pig’s

liver. Where in the name of Ben Franklin did you get it?”

“The Montgomery Hotel holds many treasures.” Carter nodded at the bottle. “I recently

discovered one of them.”

Marquell eyed him. “A case of this would sell for a fortune.”
“It’s yours. Do with it what you like.”
The priceless cases were distributed promptly. “This is unbelievable,” the mayor remarked.

“Was El Dorado Island used for rum-running during Prohibition?”

Carter nodded. “Looks that way.”
Astonished, Ellie watched as the hostilities started to fade. She stared at Carter. He grinned

and winked at her. She was glad she’d scheduled the shipment of cases for pick-up tomorrow
morning, instead of earlier this afternoon. Otherwise they wouldn’t have had three cases to offer. She
bit her lip, eyeing the cases that were bartered for her future. That would mean less to put up for
auction, and less money in her pocket in the end. But hopefully the broker, Neville, would work his
magic, securing some sort of value for the collection.

Uncle Russert capitalized on the opportunity Carter had afforded them. “I hope this gesture of

good faith will serve as a reminder that the Montgomery family history goes back generations on this
island. We will always repay our debts. Now, we move into the future on the foundation we have
always stood upon—integrity and solidarity.”

As sugar-coated as his words sounded, everyone seemed mollified.
Except Bill Marquell. As the police chief reached for the warrant, Carter snatched it, his

expressive gray eyes scanning the document. When he finished, he promptly tore it in half.

Marquell slammed his fists on the table and rose menacingly. “You think you’re special, boy?

That you can disrespect the law and not deal with the consequences?”

“What consequences?” Carter stifled a yawn. “The warrant expired last week.”
Fuming, Marquell snatched it back, read the dates. “Son of a—” He glowered at Judge Avery.
The judge shrugged. He treated Ellie to a sublime smile. “As I said before, it’s not exactly as

it seems.”

The police chief glanced around like a cornered animal braced to attack.
Carter said, “I think you can show yourself out now, Bill.”
The use of his first name pushed the chief past the breaking point. Ellie sat back, prepared to

duck.

Face glowing like a red light bulb, Marquell grabbed his cowboy hat, shoved a cigar in his

mouth and headed for the exit.

Before leaving, he turned and pointed at Ellie and Carter. “I’m not through with you yet.” He

stormed out.

Carter slid his hand over hers. “I know your freedom came at a high price, Ellie. And I know

you hoped to sell those at auction. But I think for now your problems are solved.”

“At least this one is. Thank you,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t have thought to use the liquor to

buy them off.”

“It worked. That’s what counts.” Smiling, he released her hand.
When Ellie didn’t let go, he adjusted his grip and laced his fingers through hers. Their mated

hands rested on her lap, relaxed, secure. If only the rest of her future felt this safe. Despite their easy
slide into relationship mode, nothing about their renewed connection was simple.

Would Carter buy the hotel? Did he plan to stay? How would this affair end?
At the thought of him leaving, a sickening sensation swam through her body. That’s when she

knew.

Ellie was falling for Carter. All over again.
She let go of his hand, folding her arms tight across her stomach. Her mind condemned the

realization, counting her a fool. Unfortunately, her heart wasn’t listening.

At midnight their guests indicated it was time to leave. She and Carter walked them to the

door, helping them with their cases from the collection.

They said their goodbyes. Uncle Russert commended Carter for his quick thinking, then bid

them goodnight, leaving her and Carter standing alone in the foyer.

His expression changed from remote to sultry. “Did you wear that dress on purpose, to drive

me insane all night?”

“I wanted to get your attention.”
“You have it.”
He crossed the space between them in two strides. Hauling her against him, he captured her

mouth with a heated kiss.

Her insides quivered with desire. She wanted to give in to his urgency, let him whisk her

away and make love to her for hours.

But she needed answers.
After several attempts, she finally convinced Carter to stop kissing her and let her speak. “I

want to know what your intentions are,” she said firmly.

“I’m taking you back to my room, getting you out of that dress, and tossing you into my bed.”

He bent forward to taste her again.

She placed a finger over his lips. “I mean in the future. Where is this leading, Carter?”
“If you’re asking me what I want, I think that’s obvious.”
“What do you want from me ?” she clarified.
“You are what I want.” His eyes blazed with fierce possessiveness.
“What about the hotel?”
He kissed her skin through the diamond cut-out of her dress, swirling his tongue along her

cleavage. “That, too.”

“But what are your intentions,” she demanded.
When he pulled back, the angles in his face were sharp and foreboding, his expression

unyielding. “You want it spelled out?”

Finally, she was getting somewhere. “Yes, I need to know before this goes any further.”
“I think you crossed that line in the lighthouse, sweetheart. And when you held my hand

tonight. And how you’ve turned to me every time there’s a problem you can’t solve.” His odd tone
sent a shiver of warning through her. “You need protection, and you want stay with the hotel as the
manager.”

She nodded warily.
“And I want you in my bed. I want your body. I want your soul. When I buy this hotel, you will

belong to me.”

Shocked, she felt a tide of indignation rush through her. “I’m not a thing you can possess.”
“That’s my offer, Ellie. Why I came back to El Dorado Island.” His gaze turned cool,

calculating. “Did you think I planned to buy the hotel out of charity?”

“I knew you had ulterior motives. I saw signs, the way you looked at me, the way you seduced

me—”

“Wait, whose idea was it to cross the line from rivals to lovers? Because everything that’s

happened between us since I showed up tells me you want me. You need me.”

A horrible sense of betrayal crawled through her veins. “On terms you get to decide? Where

does that leave me?”

“Think about.” Ruthlessness pinched the corners of his eyes, and she felt as if he’d suddenly

become a complete stranger, a man bent on possession, and revenge. “I’ll keep you here, Ellie, under
my protection. You’ll never have to worry about money again. You’ll never have to worry about your
position here. You’ll never suffer the advances of other men. You are mine. In exchange, you agree to
my demands.”

“You can’t command me! I will not be some sexual servant at your beck and call.”
He shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”
The enormity of what he suggested left her raw and bleeding inside. “Why?” she choked out.
“You and your family treated me like shit.”
Hurt, she shot back, “That’s not true—”
“I came from poverty, raised by a single mom who sacrificed everything so I could be here

today.” His nostrils flared. “You had it all, the shiny name, the mansion, a rich daddy who gave you

whatever you wanted.” Raising his voice, he continued fiercely, “I gave you everything I had to give,
but it still wasn’t enough. I didn’t have the credentials your father demanded so I could ‘deserve’ you.
Now I do.”

Tears stung her eyes. “I didn’t care about those things.”
“You dumped me and got engaged to a man your father chose for you.” His gaze burned with

rage. “I was nothing to you.”

“That’s not the way it happened—”
He cut her off. “All I needed was the chance to prove myself. But you wouldn’t wait. I’ve

come back to the island to claim what was denied me.”

“My father was looking out for my best interests,” she defended.
Carter’s arm shot out to indicate the deteriorating state of the hotel. “Great job he did, too.”
She smacked him across the face. “Don’t you dare disrespect him.”
Recovering from her slap, he slowly turned his head so they were face to face again.

Animosity sizzled between them.

“I’m the only person who will save you from Frank’s mistakes. I suggest you take my offer,”

he stated, his expression stone, his voice devoid of emotion. “You bowed to your father’s wishes.
Now you will bow to mine.”

“That includes denying me a choice?”
He shrugged. “You have a choice. Take it or leave it.”
“That’s not a choice! It’s an ultimatum.”
“I don’t care what you call it. I can walk away right now and leave you to your own devices.”
At the thought, terror struck her heart. Without him as the buyer, she didn’t have many options.

She didn’t have any options. The truth shriveled her pride, her future fading before her eyes.

“Or,” he continued, “I can take you to my bed and shelter you from the consequences of your

family’s failings.”

“I can’t be bought.” The sentiment sounded hollow, even to herself. She’d known the potential

consequences of becoming his lover, yet she’d hoped to regain his love and respect in the process.
“How can you be so callous toward me?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve set up for yourself? You won’t leave the island. You’re not qualified

for any other career. Am I wrong so far?”

She shook her head, fighting to keep tears at bay.
“You’ve put yourself at the mercy of the next owner of the Montgomery Hotel.”
As he confronted her with the reality of her situation, her blood thinned. He’d backed her into

a corner, one she’d constructed for herself. She didn’t see any escape.

“I’m the only thing standing between you and the future you want. You need me. Take my

offer,” he said coaxed as sensual warmth returned to his tone.

“Please,” she whispered, desperation scraping her insides. “Don’t make me do this.”
“What will it be, Ellie?”
Frozen, her heart crushed by his conquest, she felt the walls closing in around her. Her eyes

slid shut.

“Tell me you don’t want this.” His lips pressed against her neck.
He dragged his hot mouth over her skin. Sipping, tasting, fraying her determination and

resistance.

“Tell me you don’t miss what we had.”
The stiffness in her limbs eased as his mouth seduced her body. She didn’t want to give him

what he wanted, at the cost of what she needed. The price was too high.

“I can give you what you want, what you need,” he said. “All you have to do is say yes.”
One word. So simple, yet so impossible. She shook her head again, even as she felt desire

winning the battle over her struggle for self-reliance.

“Give in to me. I’ll take care of you.” His lips trailed up her neck, along her jaw, a fiery path

promising pure ecstasy. His warm breath stirred the hair by her ear. His tongue flicked over the rim,
probing the canal.

Ellie inhaled sharply. How easy he made the offer sound…
No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she needed him. Despite his devil’s bargain.

Temptation battered her judgment. Confusion and carnal need tangled inside her.

“Let me take you.” His teeth tugged at her earlobe, while his hands hand cupped her bottom,

revealing his taut desire. “I can give you everything you desire.”

She moaned in surrender.
“Tell me you want me.”
“I—”
“Say it.”
She wanted to lose herself in their sexual synergy. She wanted pleasure to overcome her

fears. “Yes,” she whispered faintly.

“Say it again.”
“Yes, I want you.”
“That’s my girl.” He scooped her into his arms and carried her to his suite.
There, he laid her down on the silky sheets. He stood over her as he undressed. The vision of

his naked body, muscular and hard and perfect, dissolved her troubled thoughts.

At this moment, he belonged to her as much as she belonged to him. For this brief time, they

were equals.

Pulling back the sheets, he joined her. Ellie traced her fingertips along ridges of his flat

stomach as he undressed her. He released a sound of encouragement, and she felt emboldened to
touch him everywhere, sliding her palms across the smooth expanse of his skin, excited by the way
his arms flexed as he unzipped her gown and slid it off her body. Her hands curved around his broad
shoulders, embracing the incredible sensuality he delivered, offering the emotional investment that
had been missing at the lighthouse.

Within minutes his skin was scalding to the touch. He raised himself over her and settled

between her thighs. “I’ve wanted you in my bed for so long. I’ll be good to you, baby.” His words
came in hot puffs against her breasts. “You’ll never have to worry about anything again.”

That vow alone held tremendous appeal. No one had taken care of her or looked out for her

best interest in years. Surrounded by self-centered and self-destructive men since Carter left, she
desperately missed that sense of security, of effortlessness, that he dangled in front of her.

His mouth closed on one nipple, his tongue flicking, teasing. She sighed, sliding her hands into

his hair. He tended to her breasts one at a time, licking and sucking, driving her mad with desire. His
mouth traced the underside of her breasts.

Then he traveled down her stomach, his tongue dipping into her navel. Descending further, his

teeth scraped her hipbones. Her hips rolled forward, begging for more.

With a low laugh, he murmured, “Soon.”
His mouth explored her legs. He nibbled her ankles, kissed the arches of her feet, swirled his

tongue along the backs of her knees. He tended to her exclusively, making her feel precious,

cherished.

“Please,” she begged, spreading her legs.
She felt him smile against her inner thighs. “Your wish is my command.”
Then his mouth was there. Licking, tasting, and sucking on her, driving her toward abandon.

She squirmed under his exquisite attention.

He held her down.
She moaned. “Don’t stop...oh, God.”
Tremors trickled through her. He cupped her backside, held her against his face, and didn’t

stop until a piercing burst wracked her body with delicious spasms.

Ellie whimpered. Still, he didn’t stop until she couldn’t take anymore. Arching and writhing,

she wanted to feel him inside her. “I need you, Carter.”

In the light of the moon, his silver eyes gleamed with triumph. “It’s about damn time you

admitted it.”

Carter lifted himself above her. Arms outstretched, hands flat on the mattress, he settled his

weight in the cradle of her thighs.

With a searing thrust he entered her to the hilt. Ellie cried out as he filled her completely.
Carter lowered his arms to curve around her. One hand cupped her neck. The other pressed

against her lower back.

And he made slow, sensual love to her.
It felt so right being with him, her hips rolling to meet his thrusts. No man had ever reached

her the way Carter did. He wrapped around her soul and refused to let go.

Moonlight illuminated his smooth skin. She marveled at his muscular silhouette, the way his

body moved with hers. “I’ve missed you,” she admitted in the heat of passion. “I’ve wanted you back
since the day you left the island.”

“You have no idea...” His thrusts deepened.
Her body reveled in their mutual surrender. He rocked with her. Seconds, minutes, hours

passed as he drove her to the peak again and again.

For the fourth time, Ellie felt the culmination building inside. “Carter,” she begged, unsure if

she could handle more of this devastating pleasure. She reached another soaring climax. Coming
down from the high, she drifted in peaceful waves of bliss. She wanted him to experience the same
unbelievable fulfillment he’d given her over the past several hours. She wrapped her legs around his
waist.

That seemed to send him over the edge. His drives became faster, more powerful. His body

tensed. Breath coming in ragged bursts, he squeezed her tight. With a powerful roar, he hit climax. He
pulsed and throbbed inside her until he went still, absorbed in their mutual satisfaction.

Perspiration coated them. Sheets tangled around them. With a final groan, Carter collapsed in

ecstasy.

After a few minutes of resting his head between her breasts, he pulled out, rolled onto his side

and gathered her against him.

“You’re mine.” His statement hung in the air as they succumbed to sleep.
Twice more he reached for her in the night, woke her with kisses, and made love to her.

Incredible , she thought, warm and safe in his embrace, wishing they had never parted. But when rays
from the sunrise slanted through the blinds and struck her face the next morning, Ellie shot up in bed.

Carter slept soundly. He looked magnificent, his muscular physique and tanned skin glowing

in the sunlight.

A sleeping lion .
The fact that he posed the greatest threat to her dreams—yet was the only one who could make

them come true—hit her hard.

Untangling herself from the sheets, she slipped out of his bed. Dressing quickly, she gathered

her things. Then she glanced once more at Carter.

The attraction that brought them together the first time, when they were young and naïve, had

been based on respect and love. What he was asking of her now defiled everything he’d ever meant to
her. And he’d meant so much...

But this was not the young man she fell in love with years ago. The new version of Carter was

bitter, angry, vengeful.

Anger and frustration consumed her.
I will not be used as a means to your end .
Heart aching, she left his room. If he wanted her so badly, he would ask for her surrender—

not demand it.

She raced back to her room before anyone caught her exiting his suite. Weary, aching in

intimate places, she pushed aside memories of their night together. She glanced at the events on her
calendar for that day.

The liquor and wine collection would be shipped to Neville in the next hour. A bubble of

excitement rose in her chest, bringing with it a glimmer of hope.

When she saw what else awaited her, she groaned.
Arnoff Applestone would also arrive within hour. This was the last thing she needed

complicating her life. Yet her uncle insisted she cater to each investor, in the hopes of winning a bid
on the hotel that would erase her debt and secure her future.

Carter’s proposition, while achieving both aims, would not allow her any sort of freedom.

She would be beholden to him, every move she made directed by him, scrutinized and judged. And
what happened when Carter grew tired of their long-distance affair? What if he took up with another
mistress, and decided to sell the hotel later on? The notion burned through her stomach like acid.

Would Arnoff be different? Would he allow her to keep her dreams and her freedom, with

fewer strings attached?

Releasing a tense sigh, Ellie realized she was about to find out.

*

As Carter roused from slumber, he instinctively reached for Ellie. All he found were cold

sheets. He sat up, scrubbing a hand down his face, and stared at the empty place beside him in bed.
His hands fisted.

“This was not part of the deal,” he seethed.
Uncontrollable fury ignited in him. Did she think he’d let her slip away, after she gave him her

word?

She thought wrong .
Exhausted from their amazing night of sex, but fired up by her absence, Carter levered himself

out of bed. He threw on jeans and a t-shirt, without bothering to shower or check himself in the
mirror. He was in no mood to care.

Finger-combing his hair as he stalked down the hallway, he approached her room and

knocked with his fist. “Ellie, if you’re in there, open up.”

No response.
“Don’t mess with me, little girl. You won’t like the way I play.”

Someone moved toward him in the hall. He turned to find Matilda. She assessed him coolly.

“Miss Montgomery is not in her room, sir. You’d do better to look in the dining area. Last I saw, she
was having breakfast.”

“Thank you.”
She gave a curt nodded.
Carter took off in the direction of the dining hall, his blood boiling. If she had waited, he

would’ve ordered breakfast in bed. And lunch. And dinner. Andre would’ve delivered the meals
personally, so they never had to leave the room. Carter wanted her right there beside him, or under
him, always within reach.

One night wasn’t enough. Not nearly. It’ll take a lifetime to get my fill .
Carter was too pissed off to give that thought much consideration. Bottom line—she was his.

And he wanted her back in his bed. Now.

Disheveled and not giving a damn, he paused in the dining area’s open doors until he spotted

Ellie. She sat with her back to him, and across the table from her was one of the ugliest guys Carter
had ever seen. His teeth were yellow and crooked—Carter could tell when the guy smiled at Ellie.
Thready strands of hair swept over his bald head from a steep side part. His eyes were slightly
bugged out, his nose flat and wide. He looked like a genetic experiment gone wrong.

How dare he sit at the same table with Ellie? That spot was reserved for Carter alone.
Prepared to stake his claim, he advanced on them. He heard Ellie speaking to the man

cheerfully, in a careless ramble, as if she hadn’t just signed herself over to Carter, body and soul. As
if they hadn’t spent the entire night making love and fulfilling each other’s every desire.

Carter stopped in front of them, pinning Ellie with a hard stare. “Did you think it would be

that easy?”

Ellie’s teacup clattered to its saucer.
“You should know me better by now, sweetheart.” He held out his hand for her to accept.

“You have an appointment. With me.”

She ignored his gesture. “Arnoff Applestone, I’d like you to meet Carter Stratton, the other

investor interested in buying the Montgomery Hotel.”

Carter pointed at Arnoff. “This guy?”
Primly, she folded her hands on the table and explained. “You will be bidding against each

other on Friday. I hope in the meantime we can leave our egos at the door and save the competitive
spirit for the auction.”

“He is my competition,” Carter deadpanned. Yeah, right . “Come with me, Ellie. We need to

finish nailing more details of our negotiation,” he said tongue-in-cheek.

Arnoff spoke. “The lady seems quite content in my company.”
“Who the hell are you to say what she does or doesn’t feel?”
“Carter, don’t make a scene,” Ellie hissed. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Then talk to me out there.” He pointed to the hallway.
Ellie offered a pained smile as she said, “Arnoff, please excuse us a moment.”
With a smarmy grin, he replied, “I’ll be here waiting, dear.”
Dear? Territorial instinct kicked Carter in the gut. He whipped back around to set this idiot

straight.

Ellie grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the exit. “Carter,” she said in a warning tone, “if

you want to talk, let’s talk.”

When they reached the hallway, Carter switched their roles, leading Ellie into a shadowed

nook beneath the curving staircase.

His hands flattened above her head, his body trapping her against the wall. “You think I came

all this way for one night?”

“I don’t care what you came for. That’s all you’ll get from me.”
He chuckled low. “I don’t think so, honey. You agreed to my terms last night. You belong to

me.”

“I agreed because I felt trapped. Now there may be an alternative.”
He stared incredulously. “The dude that looks like a toad? You’ve got to be joking.”
Eyes slitted, she notched up her chin. “If I’m going to subject myself to someone’s mercy, I

want to explore my options.”

Dragging his thumb across her pink lips, he smeared her lipstick. “Did you wear this for

him?”

He didn’t give her time to reply. He sucked her bottom lip, then her top lip, removing all

traces of lipstick before he swirled his tongue into her mouth.

Ellie’s breathing turned rapid. Her hands went to his chest, but her shove turned into a caress

as he kissed her more deeply.

Then his cell phone rang.
Cursing, he grabbed his cell and checked the caller ID. Neville . “I need to take this.” His

eyes narrowed on her. “Don’t go far.”

The second she saw an opening, Ellie bolted. She shut herself in the women’s bathroom

across from the dining hall.

“Neville,” Carter answered. He went upstairs for privacy. “Anyone ever tell you, you have

the worst timing?”

“I have even worse news.”
Carter tensed. “Spill it.”
“The guys invested in the Pierce acquisition won’t release your funds until you meet them in

person.”

“Excuse me?”
“I believe they’re going to resort to extortion.”
“That’s not an option.” Carter paced the second-floor landing. “I need that investment liquid

by Friday.”

“It’s not going to happen. I’ve done everything humanly possible.”
“Who are these people you’re dealing with?”
Neville sounded weary and depressed. “I’ve come to learn over the past few days that the

Mafia is alive and well. Thriving, actually.”

Carter felt like he’d taken a punch. “I’m never going to see that money.”
“Not likely,” Neville admitted in a small voice.
Until now, Carter never heard what a grown man sounded like on the verge of tears. “Then

clear your calendar for the next two days. You’re going to be busy.”

“I’ve done all I can!”
“Now you can start leveraging my other assets. We need at least two-million. I’ll meet you at

my hotel in Hilton Head in three hours.”

Chapter 9

Just when Ellie thought Arnoff might be a better alternative to Carter, everything changed the

day before the auction.

It was Thursday afternoon. Already , she thought, staring down at the water from the top tier of

Arnoff’s ostentatious yacht. The gray skies and murky waves reflected her dismal mood.

At first, Arnoff seemed like a gentleman, if a bit socially awkward in his mannerisms and

appearance. But as of that morning, when Carter was nowhere to be found for the second day in a
row, Arnoff made a complete reversal. He turned into the demeaning, self-centered, arrogant jerk
he’d been the first time he visited the island to assess the hotel’s potential.

Ellie should’ve refused his invitation to go sailing on his yacht. Against her instincts, she’d

accepted, although she’d made the captain promise not to stray more than a mile from El Dorado’s
shoreline. Now she was regretting that choice more and more as the minutes stretched into hours, and
their “little jaunt” became an all-day event. She felt jittery, tense, her fears of being on the water
amassing into a knot of constant anxiety.

“Did you see the dolphins yet, sweet cheeks?” Arnoff came up behind her and patted her

backside.

Ellie moved a few feet away. “I’ve lived on El Dorado Island my entire life—yes, I’ve seen

dolphins.”

He opened a fresh pack of sardines. Ellie experienced a wave of nausea.
“Here.” He waved them in front of her face. “I found another batch. This should get the fish’s

attention.”

“Dolphins are mammals, not fish.”
“Whatever. Throw them a few. See if they come closer this time.”
“This isn’t Sea World.” Grossed out, she forced herself to take a sardine from the can with

two fingertips, holding it as far away as possible. She tossed the stinky thing overboard. “There it
goes.”

The waves buried the tiny silver flash instantly. “No dolphins. Oh, well.” She checked her

watch. “I think it’s time to head back.”

“It feels like we just got here.” Arnoff sidled up next to her, smearing his fish-greased hands

over her white sundress.

“I’m not feeling well.”
He nodded. “It’s the waves. There’s a storm brewing out there. A hurricane, they predict,” he

said with a shrug. “You’ll have to get used to being on my yacht, though. I take it everywhere I go up
and down the east coast.”

“So?”
“You’ll come with me. I’m bringing you along when I travel.”
Oh, no you’re not .
“I want to show you the yacht’s master suite. Now that’s real luxury.” He pulled her against

him, his crooked teeth visible through his sneer. She’d think with all his money he’d get them fixed.
Dentures would be an improvement. “Let’s go see what kind of action we can find in my bedroom.”

“No!” She tried to calm down. “I’d rather stay out here in the fresh air.” She put her hand on

her stomach, reminding him she wasn’t feeling well.

“You’ll get used to it—you know, the sickness. I want five, maybe six kids.

Gross! Ellie was tempted to dive overboard, even face her worst fear, anything to get away

from him.

“You’ll look okay pregnant, even with the weight gain. Just make sure you lose it right after. I

want you looking good, your hot, tight little body beside me.” He gazed at her with condescending
ownership. “You’re great arm candy. The perfect woman to show off my success.”

Instead of dignifying his statement with a response, she angled away from him.
Every conversation they had since last night ended with her sidestepping his sexual innuendos,

and him believing she’d come around.

She wasn’t sure how he would respond to an outright rejection. Better to wait until they got

back to shore before she hit him with the news.

No, I won’t be your barefoot, pregnant little wife. No, I don’t want to have your children. I

would rather be stranded in the middle of the ocean—during a hurricane—than see you naked or
feel you touching touch me.

Shaking her head, she wondered how on earth she’d landed in this mess. Two investors. Two

different plans for the hotel. Yet the same intentions for her once they took over. She gripped the brass
railing as aggravation consumed her. She wanted a choice in her own destiny. However, that wasn’t
an option either of them were offering.

A niggling worry circled her mind like a vulture. When would Carter be back? Was Carter

coming back?

Would he still bid on the hotel, even though she’d refused his proposition?
Yesterday morning he’d left without a word to anyone, and hadn’t returned. The auction was

still set for tomorrow.

While Arnoff babbled incessantly about his “grand plans” for her hotel, with her as his “arm

candy,” she looked off in the distance toward the mainland, a blue-green sliver on the western
horizon.

She let herself imagine—what if she left El Dorado Island?
Could she make it in the big league hotel chains? Would the Montgomery curse hunt her

down?

She tried to picture an existence she could barely fathom, on that blue-green coast where life

raced by. Where no one knew her name or face. Where she could start over, begin a whole new life
that belonged to her alone.

But where would she go? She had no money, no means of survival until after the hotel sold

and the funds transferred, which would take seven business days. She wouldn’t even know where to
begin. All those people, so many strangers, so many choices—too many.

How did they do it? How do you choose which man to love, which house to live in, which

people are trustworthy and which ones are just out to get something from you?

Ellie was coming to realize how living on the secluded island had crippled her ability to

become her own woman on her own terms. She was terrified to leave, yet too proud to accept a life
chosen for her by someone else.

A jittery feeling overwhelmed her. Panic set in. She felt out of breath and lightheaded, her

chest tight and her vision blurry.

“We have to go back,” she insisted to Arnoff.
“Why? What’s the rush?” He looked out in the direction of her stare.
“Please, I’m really not feeling well.”
“Oh, look—dolphins!” He squeezed her shoulder, his fingertips grazing her breast. He snorted

with pleasure. “I have that kind of luck,” he stated. “Stick with a casino owner, hot lips, because luck
always favors the house.”

When she recognized what he saw in the water, a trickle of fear slid down her spine. She

shook off his grasp. “Those aren’t dolphins. They’re sharks. Really big sharks.”

Their gray dorsal fins patrolled the waves between the mainland and the island, like a man-

eating barrier that warned her not to stray into unfamiliar waters.

“Sharks?” Arnoff looked a little pale. “That’s inconvenient. I bought you a bikini and

everything.”

Cold terror plunged through her veins. “You actually think I’d get into the water?”
“I want to see you wet,” he said, suggestiveness laced through his tone.
“Not happening,” she replied flatly.
“In the ocean or in a Jacuzzi, I want you drenched, dripping, soaking, before we hit the sheets.

Wet female flesh is so sexy—drops rolling from your body onto mine—does me in every time.”

Ellie scoffed. “I am so done with this day.” So done with you .
“Sit tight, there, hot sauce. Because I ain’t done with you at all.”
Disgusted, she demanded, “Tell the captain to go back. I want off this boat.”
“What’s wrong with my yacht?” He glared as though highly offended.
“It’s too big, too useless, too ostentatious—and it implies you’re overcompensating for

something.”

“Hey, I get tail anytime I want. My casino girls are always up for a quick bang in the office.

I’m not compensating,” he growled.

“And I’m not interested in being part of your sordid sexual adventures.”
He clamped a meaty hand around her wrist, twisting. “You’ll take what I give you and like it.”
“Ouch! Let go. Now ,” she said through her teeth.
The boat’s captain came over the speakers. “We need to dock soon, Mr. Applestone. We’re

almost out of fuel, and it looks like a nasty storm is heading our way.”

Back at the hotel, Arnoff said, “We have another hour before dinner. Come to my room. I want

to show you what you’re missing.”

“I’d rather get some ginger ale from the bar.” Please be here, James. Matilda. Somebody.
“No, we’re going to my suite now, sugar cube.” He patted her butt again. “Before I buy this

place, I want to know you and I are...compatible.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she muttered.
At the bar, she hit the ginger ale button on the beverage gun. She poured Arnoff vodka on the

rocks, the cheap stuff. He didn’t notice.

After another hour of enduring his constant self-aggrandizement, she reconsidered swimming

with sharks as a more pleasant alternative to him. He ate olives and cherries by the handful, straight
out of the condiment containers on the bar. Then he grossed her out by putting his gooey paws all over
her. And he got a piece of maraschino cherry stuck in his teeth, so every time he laughed about a story
he recounted of his sexual conquests—two-somes, three-somes, and every which way in between—
that piece of cherry stood out like a neon sign telling her, “Stop! Run far, far away from this creep!”
He was a complete moron.

Finally, after the grueling hour when she didn’t see a soul, she couldn’t take Arnoff anymore.

Through gritted teeth, she informed him as politely as possible, “Arnoff, I appreciate your interest in
me, and my hotel. While I’d like to stay on as the manager, I can’t be with you on a personal level.”

His beady eyes blinked then narrowed. “Of course you will,” he countered, blithely moving

on from the empty olive bin to the mini pearl onions beside it.

Ellie shuddered. “I apologize if you feel I’ve led you on.” Sick pig .
“You didn’t lead me on, love lumps. I came willingly. So will you.” This time he patted one

of her breasts.

That was the final straw. She stood up and moved several paces away from him. “I don’t think

you understand my point—”

“I know,” he countered. “All the girls are like this at first. Then they see how well I treat

them. The girls at my casinos know the deal—they get whatever they want from me and my
customers’ money, and me and the guys get whatever we want from them. It’s a really generous offer,
and they take it gladly.”

“Sure, if they’re hookers.”
“I give them a chance to turn their lives around.”
Ellie was so appalled she laughed. “You’re not serious.”
“It’s much better to be a kept woman for one man, than to take on multiple men a night, and

still split your earnings with a pimp.”

Massaging her temples with her fingertips, Ellie shook her head in awe. This guy was a piece

of work! “Let me make myself clear. I am not going to be your ‘kept’ woman.”

“You will when I’m finished with you.” He flashed a murky grin.
“I’m not like the...girls you’re used to. I’m not a whore.”
“You slept with the other investor,” he accused.
She held up a hand to stop him right there. “That’s different. Carter and I have known each

other for years. It’s none of your business,” she seethed. Then she demanded, “How did you know
about that?”

He tapped the side of his frog-like nose. “I know a lot of ways to find out what really goes on

in a hotel behind the scenes. A bribe here, a favor there. An accidentally overheard conversation.
Nothing gets by me.”

She crossed her arms. “Well, it’s none of your business.”
“I disagree. This hotel is about to become my business and the center of my attention.” He

looked at his dirty fingernails and picked sardine gunk out of them as he spoke. “Speaking of
overheard conversations. It’s a shame about your lover’s finances.”

“Carter is not my lover.” She glared at him. “What about his finances?”
“All tied up. Overheard him on the phone with his money man. He can’t get access to the cash

he needs to buy the hotel. He left Wednesday morning. Doesn’t look like he’s coming back.”

Staggered by the news, she swallowed hard. “Are you sure?”
“There’s no one left but me, sweet spot. So, in fact, you are very much my business.”
Ellie wasn’t paying attention to him. Her thoughts swirled around Carter. “He wouldn’t. I

know he wouldn’t just leave without...” saying goodbye .

Maybe that was his revenge. He’d made her think he was planning to buy the hotel. He’d

seduced her. Tore down her defenses. Forced her to admit that she needed him, and then
simply...walked away.

The room started spinning. Unsteady on her feet, she walked away from the bar in a daze. “I

have to talk to my uncle.”

Regaining her bearings by the time she reached Russert’s office, she threw open the door

without knocking and confronted her uncle. “Why didn’t you tell me Carter was leaving?”

He looked up from behind a pile of documents on his desk. “Beg your pardon?”

“Carter is gone.”
Russert came to his feet. “I knew he went back to the mainland to pull together some

investments. He said he’d be back this afternoon.”

“He’s not. I checked the guest list up front. He signed out, but he never signed in again.”
Russert spread his arms. “I’m not sure what to tell you, Eleanor.”
“He has to come back,” she said, her voice trembling. “He didn’t tell me he was leaving.”
Russert drew his lips to one side, as though considering how to tactfully state something. “I,

uh-hrm.” He coughed. “I gathered you two were having some sort of... difficulty seeing eye to eye.”

Ellie set her hands on her hips. “Does everyone know about my personal life?”
“The hotel was very quiet last night. Except for—well, you get the idea.”
“Okay, that’s humiliating.” Shoulders drooping, she her hand over her eyes. “I’m sorry, uncle.

I didn’t mean draw anyone else into this mess.”

“It got me thinking.” Russert came out from behind his desk, linking his hands behind his back.

“Would you prefer one investor over the other?”

“No—yes.” She exhaled. “I know it’s insane to expect that someone might actually ask me

what I wanted.”

“I just did.”
She sighed and leaned against the door frame. “It’s a no-win situation.”
“I recognize that.” He adjusted his glasses. “But last night, let’s just say I saw things from a

different perspective. I recognized what a difficult position you are in, and while I can’t withdraw the
auction, I may be able to stack the deck, if you wish.”

Thinking about it for a few moments, she slowly shook her head. “I don’t know if I want to

stay here—I don’t know if I can , not with two investors trying to purchase me along with the hotel. I
might decide to leave.”

The lamps in his office suddenly dimmed, flickered, then brightened to full light. “That was

strange,” she said, looking around, feeling like someone had walked over her grave.

Russert shrugged. “Probably some disturbances in the power companies south of us. The

hurricane is heading toward the Gulf, but I’m sure we’ll feel its effects.”

Ellie paled. “I thought yesterday it had died down to a tropical storm.”
“This morning it was changed back to a category two hurricane. We should be fine. Still, I

decided to push up the auction to ten in the morning. Should people need to evacuate for any reason,
an earlier start time will give them the opportunity to get back to the mainland quickly.”

Russert sighed. “Anyway, enough of that. Is there something you needed, Eleanor? Oh, you

were talking about perhaps leaving the island. I support that idea. I think it’s the best one you’ve come
up with yet.”

“Thanks,” she said dully, as her thoughts dragged a slew of fearful warnings through her mind.
First, the sharks barricading the island waters. The lights dimming just now when she talked

about leaving. The storm approaching.

The curse .
“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she murmured. “It was just a thought.”
He nodded. “You look tired, Eleanor. Try to get some sleep and forget about tomorrow. I

realize now that it escaped me how hard this week must be for you. Unlike you and Frank, I never had
an attachment to this place.” He glanced around the room. “Strange, but I always felt uncomfortable
here growing up, as though the hotel wanted me out of from under its roof as much as I wanted to
leave. It seems to choose its master.” Then he shook his head. “Bah, don’t listen to me. Just a middle-

aged man with a touch of nostalgia. Go on to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, uncle.”
The hallway was dark when she left his office. Shadows shifted outside as the wind blew

vigorously. It surprised her how short the days were becoming. Dark clouds snuffed out any light from
the full moon.

Despite her uncle’s suggestion, and no matter how tired she felt, she knew if she went to bed

she wouldn’t fall asleep. Instead, she headed into the library. She lit the gas fireplace and it roared to
life, spreading a warm glow through the room. She went to her father’s favorite chair and curled up in
its massive leather embrace.

The fire reflected something, a silver flash to her right. She glanced at the table beside her.

There on the glossy surface, as if her father had just been sitting there and set it down, lay the worn
hardcover volume of Poe’s poems and short stories. The silver engraved letters had caught the
firelight.

She picked it up, the aging cover smooth beneath her fingers. She opened the book the way she

might pick up the phone to call an old friend.

The pages opened directly to The Fall of the House of Usher . Trying to remember the story,

she came up with images of a dilapidated home on the brink of ruin, amidst a boggy island landscape,
and a man who barely escapes with his life after the house and its inhabitants deteriorate before his
eyes.

“Okay, on to something that doesn’t remind me of my life.” She flipped the pages.
The next place she stopped, she read the title Nevermore . “There came a tap-tap-tapping as

of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door...” Quothe the Raven, “Nevermore.”

Shadows in the room seemed to lengthen, darkening around her. She shut the book and set it on

the table.

Then it dawned on her. I thought I put the book on the shelf, when Carter and I found the

secret room . A chill wracked her body. Suddenly she smelled the cherry-tobacco scent of pipe
smoke.

“Daddy?” Ellie bolted from the chair. Then she scoffed at herself. “Don’t be absurd.”
While she may believe in the family curse, she didn’t believe in ghosts.
Besides, the scent was too strong to be the wisp of a memory or a figment of her imagination.

She heard a noise, shuffling, bottles clinking. It all came from the behind the bookshelf that led to the
abandoned speakeasy.

Could it be Carter?
Maybe he’d come back. He might be taking stock of the remaining cases and barrels down

below. Perhaps even using his architectural gifts to plan a refurbishment of the fascinating space.
After all, no one knew about the cellar except herself, Carter, James and her uncle.

“It has to be him.”
She ventured closer to the secret door and saw a five-inch gap between the bookshelf and the

wall. A tide of relief washed through her, hoping Carter had returned.

Carefully descending the steps in the dark, she rounded the downward spiral staircase toward

the large metal door. It stood wide open. Faint light glowed on the stone walls of the stairwell.

“Hello,” she called out.
The shuffling went still.
Followed by silence.
She ventured into the room. An old kerosene-fueled lantern rested on the bar, emitting dim

light that cast thick shadows. One of the few cases she’d kept for clients had been moved and opened.
Two empty bottles lay on the floor.

“Is someone here?”
A shadow leaped into her vision.
“Oh!” It was Arnoff. “Geez, you startled me. I heard noises coming from down here.”
“I heard about this cellar.” He slurred his words.
“Arnoff, do you know what’s in those bottles?”
“Rum. Good , rum.” He weaved as he walked toward her. “Like the color of your eyes.

You’re a beautiful creature.”

A smelly fingertip traced her face from her cheek to her chin. She nudged his hand away. He

hiccupped.

“That’s no ordinary rum.” She was irritated he’d helped himself, especially since this was the

last of the stock. “It’s been aging for ninety years. It’s highly concentrated, probably two-hundred-
proof by now. And it’s worth a fortune.”

“So are you.” He swayed on his feet, standing between her and the door. “Name your price,

my little seductress.”

“There isn’t enough money in the world.” A wave of claustrophobia smacked her. Moving

closer to the door, closer to him, she sniffed the air. “Were you smoking a pipe down here?”

He shook his head. “Cigarillos. Want a taste?”
“No, I don’t smoke.”
“You can still have a taste. When I put my tongue in your mouth.”
“Don’t you get it?” She fumed. “I’m not yours, I’ll never be yours. Neither will the hotel.

Forget the bid—I want you to leave.”

His eyes snapped with violence. “If I can’t have you and this hotel, then no one can.”
Then he lunged for her. Ellie shrieked and dodged him. He caught her leg and they both

crashed to the floor.

Dust and grit settled in her mouth. She coughed and spat, kicking against Arnoff’s vice grip on

her ankle. He dragged her toward him across the floor.

“Let go!” She kicked furiously, but he must’ve tapped the inhuman strength that alcohol

induces. Her legs scraped across the ground as he hauled her to him. “Stop it.” She kicked him
harder. “Get off of me!”

“Give me the hotel.”
“No.” Screaming, kicking, fighting with all her might she dodged two of his attempts to grab

her throat.

“Help! Somebody help!”
Then he knocked her head against the floor causing her to black out. When she came to, Arnoff

had wrangled himself into position above her, choking the air from her lungs. “Are you with me or
against me?” he demanded.

Pooling every ounce of strength she reached for an empty bottle and bashed it upside his head.
Arnoff pitched and rolled onto his side gripping his skull. He pulled his hands away and

stared down at the blood coating his fingers. “I’m bleeding.” Then he threw her a glare that promised
retaliation. “You bitch!”

“At least I won’t be your bitch,” she spat. Tears spilled over her lashes. She kicked off her

high heels and ran up the stone steps, away from her attacker.

She smacked into Russert in the darkened main corridor. “Eleanor, what’s going on? Did I

hear you scream?”

“He attacked me,” she panted. She grabbed her uncle’s suit caot in her fists. “Please make him

leave.”

“Eleanor, calm down. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” He held her arms in a secure

grasp, the closest thing to a hug Russert had ever given her. “I tried to find you to tell you Carter
returned. You weren’t in your room and I looked for you everywhere. What happened to you?”

Chin wobbling, she shook her head. “Arnoff, he—” She swallowed against her dry scratchy

throat. “He tried to...”

“Oh—no. No.” He cupped her cheeks gently. “I never suspected he was unstable.” She felt

him stiffen with resolve. “I’ll call the police.”

Ellie stopped him, believing Bill Marquell would love nothing more than to take Arnoff’s

side against her. “Just make him go away. Please. If the police get involved, the auction won’t
happen.”

Russert nodded at her reasoning. “I’ll have words with the man. He can’t hurt a Montgomery

and get away with it.”

Although her uncle’s intentions were noble he was the same size as Arnoff in height and build.

He’d be no match for the drunk, vicious man.

Carter . He was the only person she trusted. She ran to his room.
“Carter!” She pounded his door with her palm—her knuckles were too bruised to knock.

“Please, open up. I need you,” she pleaded, leaning her forehead against the door, fear knotting her
nerves, and tears streaming down her face. “I need you.”

Chapter 10

Carter turned the water off in his suite’s master bath. He swore he heard Ellie calling him.

She’d used the words he’d been waiting to hear since he planned his return to the island.

I need you .
“Carter!” Slap, slap, slap on the door. “Are you here?”
He sprinted to the entrance and opened it to find Ellie hugging her chest, her face dripping

with mascara and tears.

Concern knifed through him. “Ellie, what’s wrong?”
“Please let me in.” She looked up with pure terror in her eyes. His protective instincts kicked

in full force.

“Yeah, of course.” He guided her inside.
“Lock the door!”
Taken back by her vehemence, he did as she asked. “Ellie, what’s going on?”
When she came further into his room, his bedside lamp revealed her physical state. “Christ.

What the hell happened to you?”

“Arnoff.” Again, she turned a haunted gaze on him. “He...” Her chin trembled. Fresh tears

coated her cheeks.

“Okay. Shh, it’s okay.” He helped her to the bathroom. “Sit down, honey.” He pointed to the

ledge of the bathtub, the only seat available other than the toilet. “I’m going to clean you up while you
tell me what happened.”

Man, he’d only been away for a day and a half. What could’ve gone wrong in such a short

time?

He brushed her tangled hair from her face. “Everything’s going to be all right, baby.”
Taking her hands in his he felt them shake uncontrollably in his firm grasp. He scanned the dirt

and scratches on her body with clinical precision. If he let himself register the injuries marring her
flawless skin he’d fly into a rage and tear the place apart looking for the person responsible.

That’s the last thing Ellie needed right now. “Sit tight, honey.” Opening the cupboards under

the sink he found a first-aid kit and pulled it out. Grabbing a washcloth he dunked hydrogen peroxide
on it and dabbed the angry red scratches on her neck and arms. “Talk to me,” he encouraged.

She hissed when the liquid sizzled in the open wound on her chin.
He said in soft tones, “I know it stings a little. It’ll hurt less if you talk while I do this.”
“Arnoff, he...” The words caught in her throat. She took a quivering breath and started again.

“I thought he was fine. Weird, awkward, but I never thought he was capable of violence.”

Jaw clenched, Carter murmured, “Keep going.”
“We had dinner last night. Went out on his yacht today. I learned what a sleazebag he is. You

wouldn’t believe how he runs his casino operations, Carter. It’s disgusting.”

If this is any indication . “What makes you say that?”
“I was shocked.” She spread her palms. “The women who work in his casinos? He takes them

off the street—literally. They’re hookers. He doesn’t make them pay anything to him and they think
they’ve got it good. They trade his safety he provides in exchange for sexual favors.”

His lip curled. “That’s revolting.”
He rinsed the washcloth watching dirt and trickles of blood cloud the sink’s basin. She

needed a shower as much as medical attention, but after seeing enough late-night episodes of CSI:

Las Vegas on Spike TV , he wondered if they may need evidence of the assault.

“Isn’t that horrible? I couldn’t believe it when he told me.”
Carter could guess where this was going and it tore him to shreds. Getting a fresh washcloth,

he drenched it with peroxide and held it against the wounds on her knees. “Ouch!”

“I know,” he soothed, “but I want you safe and healthy, no infections. Okay? It’s almost over.”
She breathed a sigh. The sentiment of trust that came with the sound squeezed his chest.
“Keep talking, sweetheart. I need to know what happened. Every detail.” She was still

shaking. He wanted her to tell him everything before her adrenaline diminished, taking with it her
most acute memories.

“I thought it was you.” She touched his face with tenderness that made his heart ache. “I was

so happy you’d come back and I went down to the cellar to see you. But it wasn’t you.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” He focused on tending to her wounds, and not clutching her

against his chest, promising that he’d keep her safe, that he’d protect her from the bastard—from
everyone and everything that tried to hurt her.

Ellie went on to relay the violent events. It took every ounce of strength not to leave her, not to

hunt down Arnoff Applestone and rip his head off.

After she finished, her face crumpled with tears. He wiped the wet trails from her cheeks. He

clasped her cold hands between his and kissed her fingertips. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

“No!” Her eyes flashed wildly. “It’s just a few scratches and bruises. I’ll be okay.”
“I want to make sure.”
She shook her head. “I told Uncle Russert not to call the police.” She gulped. “If there’s an

investigation here there’s no hope of an auction.”

“Don’t worry about that right now. I’ve got it covered.”
“But the hotel will be foreclosed on by five o’clock tomorrow. And I know the police chief.

He’d use this and turn the attack against me. ” Fresh tears welled in her eyes.

He sank to his knees before her. “I know you’re scared, but we can do this. Together. You

have to let the hospital do a rape kit.”

She shook her head adamantly. “He didn’t...”
“I have a hard time believing—”
“He didn’t, he just roughed me up. I want the whole thing to go away.” She sniffed.
“Okay. Okay, shh.” He tucked her head against his shoulder. Her tears seeped through the

cotton of his shirt.

No matter what wrongs Ellie or her family had committed against him, this moment broke his

heart into pieces. No woman deserved to be struck, her trust in men pummeled—the way his mother’s
had. Even more repulsive, he recognized a slight reflection of himself in Arnoff, the similarities
staring him in the face. He’d bartered his protection in exchange for Ellie’s reliance on him,
physically, emotionally and financially, for something as shallow as revenge.

Carter shuddered. He had to make this up to her, to right his wrongs. “Are you positive he

didn’t violate you in any way?”

She shook her head against his neck, her forehead hot and damp. “I just want to feel safe

again.”

“I know, baby.” He stroked her hair. “I want to make you feel safe.”
“Please,” she whispered, her face white with fear, “don’t let him find me. Make him go

away.”

He lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bed. “You’re safe. I’m right here.”

She nodded, a gesture so full of trust and unconditional faith. Carter wouldn’t fail her.
A few minutes after he laid her down, stroking her hair, he heard her breathe more deeply. He

tried to move away from the bed.

“No! Stay with me,” she pleaded. “Don’t leave me.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Ever again , he vowed.
“I’ll do what you want, I’ll stay here with you. I’ll take whatever demands you make.

Just...please don’t leave.”

“I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
“Promise?” she whispered, drifting into dreams.
“You’re safe. Go to sleep, Ellie.”
Holding her tight until exhaustion overcame her fear, Carter rose up to sitting. She grabbed for

him and he stroked her cheeks. Soon her arms fell limp against the mattress.

He gently traced her eyebrows, the beautiful outline of her face, her adorable nose, her

incredible lips. He wondered how anyone could hurt such a fragile being. The notion provoked a
violent streak that roared to life inside him, his own internal version of Mr. Hyde.

When he was assured she’d stay asleep, he tucked the covers around her. Then he slid

carefully out of the bed without disturbing her.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered, stroking her cheek with his thumb as he kissed her

forehead. “There’s something I need to take care of before you wake up.”

Carter slipped from his room making sure the door locked behind him. He stalked down the

dark hallway. He’d felt the burning need for revenge before, but this uncontrollable urge for blood
and retribution blasted through him like an inferno.

As he moved through the hotel he didn’t notice the contrasts of ambient light and shadows. He

saw red through the film of pure hatred. His muscles rippled and seethed beneath his skin. The hot,
pulsing need for vengeance scorched his veins.

The secret room .
How dare the bastard brutalize his beautiful Ellie in their room? Animalistic urges shot up his

spine raising his hackles. Instincts alert, his shoulders expanded and his fingers flared. His body
tensed, prepared for attack.

Stalking through the library, he descended into the cellar. A pain-filled cry met his ears. He

leaped down the last few steps and landed in the room. Just in time to see Ellie’s uncle soaring
through the air and landing with a hard thump against the speakeasy bar. Russert held his jaw and
moaned.

Carter zeroed in on the source of Ellie’s fear. He pointed at Arnoff, his chest heaving. “You.

Out. Now.

“This is my hotel!” the man wailed, slurring his words.
“We’ll see about that.”
Carter advanced.
When Arnoff looked into Carter’s eyes, the man’s drunken rage melted into alarm. He lashed

out, scratching Carter’s cheek with his fingernails, knocking him back a few paces. Carter recovered
quickly.

Reinforcing his strength, Carter widened his stance. “Don’t make me do this the hard way.”
“I’ll ruin you!” Arnoff threatened.
Carter scoffed. “It’s been done.” Ellie’s father had tried that. “Can’t you come up with

something more interesting?”

“I know people.”
“Yeah, and so do I.”
“I’ll have a hit put out on you,” Arnoff vowed.
“Been there done that, too.” Carter would find a way to get his money back from the gangsters

Neville invested with. He’d dodged their retaliation this long. “Bring it.”

“They’ll make you sleep with the fishes.”
“I’ll make sure you sleep behind bars. For the rest of your life.” Carter had grown up with a

guy on the island who’d become a cop in Atlantic City. Which would come in handy when called his
buddy, Mac, and had Arnoff’s casino busted for prostitution. “Difference is, my people are on the
right side of the law. You’re going down—for your prostitutes and for what you did to Ellie.”

Arnoff’s eyes flickered like a wild animal in the oily kerosene light. The second the man tried

to rush past him, Carter hit him in his windpipe with a hard thwack. Arnoff sputtered and choked,
trying to regain his breath.

That wasn’t going to happen on Carter’s watch. He picked Arnoff up by the neck and held him

against the wall, legs dangling.

“Get. Out.”
Arnoff’s eyes bugged out. He spluttered and attempted to fight back.
“Not convinced? Fine, I can do this my way. Looking forward to it, actually.”
Carter dragged him up the stairs, then through the main hallway and foyer. He opened the front

door of the hotel, clutching the man’s throat.

“Don’t come back. And don’t even think about Ellie. If you come sniffing around at

tomorrow’s auction, I’ll finish this.”

With a violent thrust he flung Arnoff between the front porch pillars. The man landed on his

side on the steps, rolled a few feet and crouched in the fetal position, rocking, whimpering. Then all
was silent.

Carter returned inside and kicked the door shut. Then he made sure the entrance’s lock and

deadbolt were secure before he walked away.

Inhaling rapid breaths he filed his hands through his hair. He wanted to see blood dripping

from the man’s pores. But there had been enough bloodshed tonight.

Russert emerged from the dark hallway. “Is he gone?” he wheezed, holding the side of his

head where a trickle of red ran down his temple.

Carter nodded. “If he wants to live past tomorrow, he won’t come back.”
Concern flooded Russert’s expression. “Is Ellie okay? I feel terrible she was left alone to

fend for herself.”

Ellie . “Man, I hope so. She’s asleep in my room. I’ll make sure she’s safe. You have my

word.”

When Russert nodded, Carter raced back to his room. Outside his door he paused to collect

himself. Then he entered quietly hoping not to disturb her.

The bedside lamp shed soft light over her sleeping form. She looked so beautiful, so fragile.

He ached to hold her.

When he took a step toward her the floor creaked. Ellie shot up in bed wild-eyed. She threw

off the sheets and darted from the mattress in flight mode. “Don’t come near me,” she screeched.

“Ellie, it’s me. Carter.”
The words took a moment to register. Still her eyes were wide, fear-filled. “Is he here?”
“No, baby. I took care of him. He won’t come near you ever again.”

Her shoulders slumped, arms dangling at her sides. “I can’t believe what happened. I didn’t

know he was capable of...”

“Neither did I, but it’s over now.”
She began to tremble. “I should’ve been more cautious. Why did I think I could handle him?”
“Hey, stop right there.” He moved toward her with measured strides and embraced her,

concerned how cold her skin felt. “His attack is not your fault.”

“But if I’d listened to my instincts—”
“You did nothing wrong. So get that out of your head right now.” He cupped her face tilting

her chin up until she met his gaze. “Arnoff is the problem, not you. Do you hear me?”

Her eyes welled with tears. “Then, why?”
“Ellie, honey,” he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Let it go. If you keeping

questioning it, you’ll replay the night over and over in your mind. There is no excuse for his attack.
That’s all you need to know.”

The tears overflowed. She started shaking all over. “What could erase that memory?”
Carter grazed his lips over hers. Soft, tender passes meant to soothe. “You’re so beautiful. So

strong, Ellie. You amaze me.” He kept his kisses light coaxing her gently back into a sense of security,
reestablishing trust.

She parted her lips for him. His tongue glided against hers. She released a trembling sigh.
“I’ll always protect you, sweetheart.”
She melted into his embrace.
Arms securely around her, Carter continued to whisper words of comfort. “Hear the ocean?

The tide is steady, peaceful, flowing in and out…”

“I love that sound.” She curved her arms around his neck and whispered, “I love you, Carter.”
Nodding, he hugged her tightly. Whether the admission was the result of her trauma or if she

truly meant the words, all he knew was the sudden sense of belonging wrapping around him in this
moment.

He belonged with her. She belonged with him.
The sweetest yearning filled her voice as she whispered, “Make love to me.”
Carter shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I want to feel better, the way I feel when you hold me, when you’re inside me. It’s so right,

so perfect.”

“I’ll hold you. All night long. I’m not going anywhere.” Carter wrapped her in his arms,

bringing her close, closer than he’d been with any woman. He let everything drift away—his hatred of
the man who attacked her, his apprehension over whether his finances would come through by
tomorrow, his ideas about the future that seemed to shift before his eyes. “Go to sleep, Ellie.”

She nodded against his shoulder, resting her arm across his chest as he cradled her in bed.

Eventually her breathing deepened. Her breasts rose and fell evenly against him as she succumbed to
sleep.

Everything seemed so right in this moment. This was what he’d searched for since he left El

Dorado. It had been waiting here for him all along.

Carter tucked a hand behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn’t make his heart

of stone agree with his one-track mind anymore. Neither was cooperating with his original plans. His
body was the most traitorous of all. Physically, he wanted this woman with a craving beyond logic,
beyond obsession.

He needed Ellie. Plain and simple. Denial was a wasted fight.

Everything had turned out completely different from what he’d intended. It wasn’t supposed to

be like this. It wasn’t supposed to feel this good, this right.

I love you, Carter .
The echo of her words twisted him up inside, wrenching in their beauty and sincerity. Despite

his original pursuit somewhere along the way he’d earned her trust.

She’d given him her body, and now her heart. The most precious gift she had to offer—

especially to him, considering their past and present.

And he didn’t even have to take it from her. She gave all of herself willingly, freely.
Unlike him, with his demands and ultimatums. Guilt clawed through his gut until he felt raw

with anguish.

The idea of keeping her as his mistress disgusted him now, and insulted the powerful bond

that they’d re-forged. Revenge hung like a faded, tattered flag, unrecognizable compared to the bright
beacon it had been, symbolizing his ultimate conquest. His initial impetus was a shallow, malicious
pursuit.

Carter was above that. And so was Ellie.
“Damn, sweetheart. What have you done to me?”
Moving to lie on his side, he stroked her hair, her soft tresses slipping through his fingers. His

mind filled with the ramifications of pursuing a real relationship with Ellie.

She wouldn’t leave the island—that much he knew. But his life existed in the states, traveling

for weeks or months at a time, researching and investigating new properties. His workload would
more than double now that he’d resumed authority over all his assets again. He had hundreds of
employees who counted on him. There was no way he could run a business from here, with spotty
Internet access and unreliable cell phone service.

Honestly, he couldn’t see how it would work between them.
But there was something he needed to do. Right now.
He needed to give Ellie her choice and her freedom back. He reached toward his nightstand

and found his phone.

He called Neville. “Hey, got a minute?” he whispered, not wanting Ellie wake up, or to know

what he was about to do.

Neville said in a groggy voice, “Do you know what time it is?”
“No idea. Listen, I’ve changed my mind.”
Neville sighed wearily. “For God’s sake, what now?”
“The two-million we liquidated? I want to buy the entire collection Ellie put up for auction.”
Neville coughed. “You’re going to pay two-million dollars for some booze? Now I know

you’ve lost your mind.”

Reaching out to stroke Ellie’s cheek, he said, “Love does that to you.”
“Sorry, I think I misheard. Did you actually say the word love ?”
“Don’t give me grief. Just wire the money to the account you set up for her. Tell her it was an

anonymous buyer.”

“What about the Montgomery Hotel?”
Carter shrugged. “I have other things to concentrate on.”
“Now you’re finally making sense.”
Rolling his eyes Carter informed him, “I’m leaving tomorrow night for Miami. I plan to get my

money back from these thugs who ruined the Pierce project. I’ll let you know my plans from there.”

“Will your lady be joining you?”

A lengthy pause followed the question. Carter answered honestly, “I don’t know.”
They hammered out a few details, then Carter hung up so Neville could get a decent night’s

sleep. One of them should. It wouldn’t be Carter.

He slid back under the covers beside Ellie. She snuggled up beside him. “I’m doing right by

you, Ellie.” A warm glow surrounded his heart. “You’ll be free to choose the life you want.”

She mumbled an unintelligible response, caught in the throes of a dream that touched a smile

to her lips. He kissed her gently.

Smoothing a hand along her spine as she snuggled close to him, Carter felt his chest tighten

with uncertainty. Would she choose to start a life with him in Miami, giving up the hotel she’d soon
have the funds to support? Or would she remain on the island, like she had twelve years ago, and give
up a second chance at this?

Although it plagued him to admit it, they’d never last as a long-distance couple. After

everything they’d shared and had been through, there was no way either of them would be happy with
half a relationship, dropping in and out of each other’s lives at random. They would both have to
make serious sacrifices to make it work.

It had to be all or nothing.
From where he stood, neither one of them seemed to be in at a point in their lives where they

could simply change course midway. And if they parted again, no matter how cordial, there’d be no
going back. This was their chance to reclaim the love they’d lost, the kind of passion that would last
forever, but their troubled past still haunted them.

Would a second chance be enough for her to leave everything she wanted behind, in order to

have him?

With a bleak sigh, Carter believed he knew the answer. He held Ellie tight, knowing it could

be for the last time.

Chapter 11

“Ellie, wake up.”
Lost in hazy dreams of sunlight, footprints side-by-side on the beach, while her shadow

mingled with Carter’s and spread out before them into the future, Ellie was unwilling to break from
the heartwarming fantasy. “No,” she mumbled.

She felt a nudge. “I need you to wake up.”
Pleasing pressure stroked her lips, a loving touch filled with meaning and emotion. But the

lips pulled away from hers. When she looked across the beach in her dream, Carter had disappeared.

“Sweetheart, I have to leave now.”
The sun went behind the clouds. Then blackness stretched across the horizon. The water

turned dark, churning. Lightening streaked across the sky.

Suddenly she was floating in the middle of the ocean, the island far away, the mainland

equally as distant. Rain beat down like a thousand needles pounding her skin. Waves crashed over
her. She strove to stay abreast, but the storm was too strong. The currents pulled her under.

Somehow she could breathe underwater but she couldn’t float, couldn’t swim, as if an anchor

was strapped to her legs. A distant pool of light appeared above her. Carter’s face reflected in the
waves. His hand plunged into the depths reaching toward her. She strained to meet him, to touch his
fingertips.

Carter! Don’t let me go... Still, she sank further and further, until the vision of him was

swallowed by darkness.

“No!”
Ellie sat up in bed, gasping. The sheets were tangled around her legs. She kicked them off as

if they possessed the power to restrain her.

The room was quiet, still, as she glanced around trying to gain her bearings. In the near-

distance, waves crashed powerfully against the beaches. Rain pelted the rooftop and blurred the
windows, while trees thrashed in the wind.

The clock on the bedside table blinked 10:10.
The power must’ve gone out .
The scent of aftershave hung in the air. Two navy suitcases with gold trim were stacked by the

door. Carter’s room .

Where was Carter?
Ellie dragged herself out of bed. A second later she nearly collapsed, before she forced

herself to sit on the edge of the mattress. Her legs were stiff. Her head ached behind her eyes, and her
body throbbed painfully.

Shaking, she held her hands out in front of her and noted two torn fingernails, a gouge on her

palm, and scratches on her arms.

Visions flashed of the night before. The library. Poe’s book on the table. The scent of cherry

tobacco. Light shining in the secret room. Empty bottles. Arnoff Applestone. Struggling on the ground
beneath him. Fighting him. Tasting the filthy sweat of his hand over her mouth. Pleading for help.
Finally, the burst of power from within, knocking her attacker away, running...to Carter.

Her breathing came in shuddering spurts as though she’d endured Arnoff’s attack all over

again.

Then the smell of Carter’s cologne seeped into her senses. A protective essence curled around

her. He’d been there for her, sheltering her and holding her tight.

I love you, Carter .
“Oh, no.” Ellie rubbed her eyes. What had prompted her to admit that? The only answer came

from a place deep in the center of her chest, a strong and sure pulse that made the words ring true.
“Oh, my God. I love him.” Panic flooded her. “This is not good. So not good.”

How would she remain detached now, if he bought the hotel and kept true to his plans? In that

future, she’d spend her days wondering where he was, what he was doing and with whom, while he
“kept” her there. She’d be stuck on the island, trapped in a future of his making and her agreement.
She’d be his lover when he returned, doomed to heartbreak when he left.

“I can’t live like that.”
Prepared to find another way, even if it meant scrubbing toilets at the vacation mansions on

the island, she’d do whatever it took. Because of all the subtle, and not so subtle, warnings she’d
received in the past twenty-four hours, she believed the curse would never allow her to leave the
island.

One thing she knew for certain. She refused to love a man who regarded her as his possession.

She wanted Carter’s devotion, his whole heart, or nothing at all.

Looking at the clock again, it blinked 10:12. If the power went out last night, there was no

telling what time it was.

Russert’s words suddenly echoed in her mind. The auction has been moved up to ten o’clock

.

“Crap!”
Scrambling to her feet, Ellie ignored the aches in her body, threw on one of Carter’s shirts and

ran down the hall to her room. She checked the clock and exhaled relief. It was nine-thirty. A hot
shower felt good on her cuts and bruises, but she couldn’t linger. Cold air caught her breath as she
stepped out of the steam. She threw her damp hair up in a twist, pulled on a black turtleneck to hide
her scrapes, a black wool jacket on top of that, a pair of white pants, black ballet flats, and she was
out the door.

Despite her hurry to get to the auction, part of her feared running into Arnoff. Her stomach

twisted in knots, but she forced herself continue to the conference room.

When she entered the main common area, Matilda looked up from some notes on the front

desk. “Ellie, I’ve been looking all over for you. I have the most wonderful news!”

Ellie paused. “Is everything okay?”
Matilda stammered, “Ok-Okay? It’s more than okay , it’s a miracle!”
“What happened?”
Waving a piece of paper in front of her, Matilda rattled on. “I took the call early this morning.

The cases of wine and rum sold at auction. Your broker, Neville, left the message with me.”

Elation and apprehension tangled inside Ellie. She worried the value wouldn’t be enough.

“How much did it go for?”

“Two million!” Matilda shrieked.
Ellie felt light-headed. “What?”
“It’s true! He faxed over the contract details. Here, look.”
Dazed, Ellie scanned the document Matilda handed her. “The buyer is anonymous,” she read

aloud, somewhat saddened she couldn’t thank the person for his or her timely generosity. Although,
she noted the money was wired from a business called Beachfront Properties, Inc. She read further.
“It says the funds have already been transferred to my account. Oh, my God.” She stared at Matilda. “

Oh, my God! ”

They squealed and hugged each other. “This means you can save the hotel,” Matilda said with

a triumphant smile.

“This is crazy,” Ellie laughed. “Now I have the money to cover all my debts and loans and

taxes—and refurbish the hotel. This is a miracle.”

Matilda nodded. “In the eleventh hour.”
Ellie checked her watch. “Speaking of the eleventh hour, I need to get to the conference room

before the auction starts.”

“You have seven minutes. Run for it, Ellie.” Matilda grinned and nudged her forward.
After hugging the woman once more, Ellie raced down the hall. Her nerves rattled around

inside her. She couldn’t wait to share the news. But she paused outside the door, wondering who—or
what—awaited her inside. Would Arnoff be there? Was she too late to halt the auction?

The handle grew warm and slick in her palm. Better late than never.
Squaring her shoulders, she pulled open the door and stepped inside. She walked into a wall

of noise. A blast of shouting was followed by heated arguing. Accusations flung around the room.

The mayor and councilman huddled at the far end of the table watching the argument go back

and forth like a tennis match. Uncle Russert looked beside himself, red in the face, trying to play
mediator and failing.

Carter stood with his back to her. His muscles were strained, bulging under his white cotton

shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his stance wide and intimidating. In front of him, Bill
Marquell stood like a human barrier, his cowboy hat drawn low, arms crossed over his protruding
stomach. She glanced past Marquell’s shoulder and met the beady black eyes of Arnoff Applestone.

Ellie froze. Horror crawled over her scalp and down her spine. As she stood there in shock,

she assessed him. His body looked cockeyed, shoulders slumped over, face bruised and battered. He
hugged his ribs with his arm in a cast.

Gradually her terror faded. He was no more than a pathetic broken mess. He couldn’t hurt her

now. Or ever again.

From this point forward no man would tell her what to do. She was in control of her life, the

hotel and her future.

Carter threatened, “That man better get off this property, or I’ll throw him out again, and have

him arrested for battery.”

Marquell replied in his deep surly tone, “Wouldn’t do that, if I were you. Mr. Applestone,

here, told me his side of the story. It’s his word against yours. Considering his physical condition I
think he should file charges against you, boy.”

Ellie cleared her throat. “Is there a problem?”
The verbal lashing paused. Carter whipped around to face her. “I won’t let Arnoff near you,”

he vowed, chest heaving.

“It doesn’t matter now.” Calmly Ellie turned to Russert. “Has the auction started yet?”
Releasing a woeful sigh, he said, “I tried, my dear, but these folks aren’t exactly cooperating.”
“Good. Everyone can leave now—because there won’t be an auction.”
Marquell glared at her. “It’s a sheriff’s auction, and being that I’m the sheriff, I say it’s on.”
“Not if I rescind the offer. As of right now, the hotel is no longer up for sale.”
“What?” Arnoff wheezed. “I’m here to buy this hotel and nothing’s gonna stop me.”
“There’s nothing to buy,” she shot back. “It’s off the market.” She narrowed her eyes at him,

tone dripping with sarcasm. “Sorry for your trouble.”

Uncle Russert came to her side, adjusting his glasses. “Eleanor, you can’t afford to do this—”
“I can now.” She whipped the faxed copy of the signed, dated agreement and proof of funds

transferred. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming to the auction, but at this time the deal is closed.”

Uncle Russert breathed a tremendous sigh of relief.
Ellie slid her glance to Carter. He’d reined in his aggression. A ghost of a smile played on his

lips, and his gray eyes sparkled.

Then the shouting ensued again, this time the mayor and councilman adding their grievances.

This time Carter remained surprisingly silent.

Despite the wrath spewing, Ellie turned around and walked out. There was nothing more to

say. A huge grin spread across her face. For the first time she felt powerful, confident, and totally in
control of her own life.

“Ellie.”
She turned to find Carter strolling down the hall toward her. She tilted her head, gazing at him,

trying not to let the love she felt rise to the surface. “Hey.”

He jogged the remaining distance that separated them. When he reached her side, he shoved

his hands in his pockets and they walked together to the common area. “Congratulations,” he said,
sounding genuinely pleased for her.

“Thanks. The timing working out perfectly. Neville sold my entire liquor collection to a single

bidder. Now the hotel can stay in the Montgomery family legacy.”

“That’s great.” No trace of resentment or wounded pride lingered in his tone.
She was surprised by his relaxed attitude. “I think so.”
“Feeling better after last night?”
“Much.”
Their stilted conversation bothered her. This wasn’t the reaction she’d expected from Carter.

Actually, she didn’t know what she’d expected but she wanted to know why he was acting like a guy
walking down the school hallway with his crush.

“I’m glad,” he replied. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something further. “Look, Ellie

—”

“Carter, I—”
They stopped in the archway where the hall opened up into the front desk and reception area.

They exchanged awkward grins in silence, like they had back when they were teenagers and madly in
love. It seemed the difficulties and distance separating them since his return had lessened. Emotion
sizzled around them like an electric fence blocking out all distractions from the present and the past.

Carter ran a hand through his hair. “The hotel is yours now. I think we should celebrate.”
“Good idea, because I was about to ask you if you wanted to join me at the bar.”
“Invitation accepted.”
Neither of them moved. Ellie sensed something had changed within Carter. She read the

difference in his posture, the way he leaned toward her, how he gazed at her. He hung on her every
word as if everything she said was intensely fascinating. The signs were there.

Had Carter fallen for her again, too?
Unsure what to think, she told him, “Thank you for recommending I sell the crates from the

cellar. I guess, in a way, you made all this possible.”

He lifted his hand to stroke his index finger down her cheek. “Being here with you again made

me realize how much I want you to be happy, regardless of my personal interests.”

“Then, you’re not upset about the hotel?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged. “Hey, fate has its own idea of how things should

be. Who am I to interfere?”

“That’s...noble.”
“It’s the right thing to do.”
A nagging thought hovered in her mind. “If neither of us owes the other anything, then where

do we stand?”

“Good question.” His eyes darkened with emotion. “I guess I should start by asking you what

you want.”

“You’re actually brave enough to ask a woman that? I’m impressed,” she teased.
Reaching out he set his hands on her waist and pulled her to him. Their noses touched before

he lifted his head. “Are you going to leave me hanging?”

Feelings welled up inside her. She was torn between caution and surrender. “I want to be

with you, Carter. I want to give this another try. What we had...I’m starting to believe it only comes
around once in a lifetime. Here we are again.” She sighed, wary as she asked, “Do you think we can
make it work?”

“I’ve been thinking about nothing else for the past twelve hours.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “What changed in twelve hours?”
Burying his fingers in her hair, he cupped her jaw and lifted her mouth to his. “This.”
The kiss he delivered made fireworks go off inside her. Sparks, color, excitement, wonder.

He parted her lips and dipped inside her mouth, feeding her his taste. He smelled like the beach and
the sea breeze, sunlight and eternity.

He dug his hands deeper into her hair as their affection intensified. Her twist came undone, the

clip clattering to the floor, and her hair flowed down her back like a curtain over his fingers. He
moaned, angling his mouth steeply over hers.

Their moment together seemed to transcend space and time, even when distracting noise tried

to pierce their bond. The people talking and shuffling around them sounded as if they were at the other
end of a tunnel.

Ellie vaguely heard Arnoff gasp and whine, “That should be my kiss. I saw her first!”
Russert replied sternly, “Leave my niece alone. She deserves happiness wherever she finds

it.”

“Move it, Applebaum,” Bill Marquell said, followed by what sounded like a shove.
“It’s Applestone.” Arnoff sulked as Bill escorted him away from Ellie and out the hotel’s

front door. The mayor and councilman mumbled low conversations to each other. Ellie couldn’t hear
and didn’t care what they were saying.

Carter wrapped his forearm around her waist, leaning deeper into the kiss. She rose up on

tiptoe, circling her arms around his neck. Nothing could break their connection. Even when she heard
footsteps approach and her uncle coughed. “Ah-hrm, could you take this somewhere more private?”

Neither she nor Carter budged. They’d waited too long for this moment, for this chance to

reclaim what they’d lost and found again. Footsteps faded away, until all fell silent around them
except for the wind and rain pounding against the roof, rivaling the sound of her heart hammering in
her chest.

The emotion Carter poured into the kiss made her tingle from head to toe. Her heart ached

with joy. She felt his devotion surrounding her, swirling inside her, filling her soul. She met his
intensity, kissing him back with everything she had in her heart to give.

But despite the depth of intimacy, Ellie sensed a shadow of hesitation from Carter. The same

doubt lurked in the back of her mind, too.

Eventually, he broke the kiss. He grinned, grabbed her hand and pulled her into the dining

hall. “I bought something to celebrate your success.”

When they reached the bar he pulled out a stool for her. Taking a seat she wondered why the

tribute was singular. She gazed at him curiously. “My success?”

“Sure, isn’t that worth celebrating?” He reached over the bar, pulled out a bottle of

champagne that had been sitting over ice, and grabbed the two long-stemmed glasses beside it. As
though he’d already prepared for this outcome.

“What about our success? We’ve been through hell and back to get to a good place with each

other.”

“I think that’ll work itself out.” The hint of a frown settled between his eyebrows, but the

crease smoothed away when he smiled. “This is a huge moment for you, Ellie.” He popped the cork.
White foam frothed down the neck of the bottle. He filled their glasses half-way. “You have your
dreams, everything you wanted. Cheers to you, baby.”

She sent him a meaningful smile. “Well, not quite everything…but cheers.”
At her response he looked away and took a sip of champagne. A shadow of disappointment

passed over his features. She peered at him above the rim of her glass as she drank to their toast.

No, it wasn’t disappointment, she thought. It was hesitation. Was there something he wasn’t

telling her? Whatever it was, something didn’t feel right. She couldn’t pinpoint the source of her
wariness, but her instincts triggered warning bells in her mind.

Champagne bubbles tickled her nose and the carbonation made her eyes water as the liquid

slid down her throat. She set her glass down. “Carter—”

His cell phone buzzed. “Hang on a sec.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up.

“My broker. Probably telling me the funds transferred.”

As he thumb-typed a text in reply, her shoulders sank with the recognition that Carter had gone

to so much trouble to pull his bid together at the last minute. All for nothing.

True, he was toasting to her win, but if she knew anything about Carter, he was not the type to

accept second place. When he pressed send, his phone went back to its home display. The screen had
a blue background, and written across the center in bright yellow letters read, Beachfront Properties,
Inc.

Ellie sat up straight. Where had she seen that name before?
Carter hit the lock button. The screen went black. He shoved his phone back in his pocket and

reached for his champagne.

Suddenly, the truth smacked her upside the head. Oh, my God. The fax from Neville, her

broker—the funds had transferred from an account belonging to Beachfront Properties, Inc.

Reeling, she set her glass down in disbelief. “Carter, that’s your company. Beachfront

Properties.”

He nodded. “For the past ten years.”
As the connections started falling into place she experienced a whirlwind of emotional fallout

that left her disoriented, baffled. “That’s where my funds transferred from. Neville faxed me the
confirmation this morning, and your company’s name was at the bottom.”

Carter froze with the glass halfway to his mouth. His pupils dilated a fraction. “Must be a

mistake.”

Ellie scooted her stool back and stood. “A mistake? That’s a load of crap, Carter, and you

know it. You were behind this,” she hissed, emotions writhing inside her.

“Honey, take a step back for a minute—”
“You manipulated everything from the start.”
Gripping the edge of the bar he pivoted to face her. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t

plan for things to go down like this.”

“I’m right.” Disgust built at the back of her throat. “You had an agenda the second you set foot

on the island. You still do, despite everything we’ve been through this week.”

A muscle rippled in his jaw. “And you didn’t have an agenda when we were screwing each

other’s brains out in the lighthouse? You went from frigid to on-fire in less than a day. You’re saying
you were innocent that whole time?”

“I was acting out of self-preservation. You were motivated by...what, Carter?” She ticked off

his sins on her fingers. “Lust? Revenge? Getting me back for how I shut you out years ago?”

“Something like that,” he retorted. Then, rubbing his forehead, he lightened his tone. “Look,

maybe I didn’t have the best of intentions at first. I admit that. I’m sorry, Ellie. Okay? I realized my
mistake and I tried to make it right.”

“By treating me like a possession you wanted to own? And then handing me money secretly

like some pathetic charity case?”

He reached for her arm. “Ellie, calm down.”
“I have every right to be furious!” She knocked his hand from her shoulder. “I’m sick of you—

and every other man I’ve known—thinking you can bulldoze through my life. You tear down whatever
stands in your way and then leave me to deal with the wreckage.”

He vowed, “I want to make it right.”
“How?” Her cheeks burned with rage. “How did you think you could make all your

manipulations disappear? I would’ve found out, Carter. Sooner or later.”

Anger glittered in his gaze. “At least I came back. That’s more than you ever did for me.”
“Now we’re stuck in the past again.” Her hands flew to her hips. “What you didn’t know,

back then, was that my father threatened to revoke my inheritance if I went with you.”

“Would that have been the worst thing in the world? Obviously, I succeeded. Here I am,

handing you millionaires. But you didn’t trust me to take care of you.”

“That’s not true.” Her voice trembled with sincerity. “I wanted to be with you, I trusted you.

But Daddy threatened to ruin you, swearing he’d destroy any career you pursued if I left with you that
night. I told you what you needed to hear to protect you, Carter.”

His cheeks hollowed against his tight jaw. “So you’re the hero in all this. Is that what you’re

trying to sell me?” He crossed his arms. “Not buying it, sweetheart. You’ve stayed on your small
island, in your small life, devoted to small dreams because you’ve never taken a chance on anything
bigger.”

Her eyes flashed. “How dare you judge the worth of my dreams?”
He spread his arms to encompass the room. “Is this really your dream? To own this crumbling

heap that’s become your obsession? Can you separate yourself from it, Ellie? Do you even recognize
that this hotel is not you ?”

“It’s a part of me,” she defended.
“Sorry, but I can’t love a hotel. I can’t build a relationship or create a future with a building

as haunted as this one.” He stood looking ready to bolt.

“Leaving so soon?” she huffed. “I’m not surprised. When the going gets tough, you take off.”
“Then come with me, Ellie. This is my final invitation.”
“You’re so damn good at ultimatums, aren’t you? No compromise. No discussion. You call

the shots and expect me to follow.” She shook her head, hurt and frustrated. “It seems some things
never change.”

“And once again, you reject my offer.” He turned his back, shoved his hands in his pockets

and walked away. “You’re right, Ellie. Some things never change.”

Body humming with adrenaline from their fight, and with plenty more to say, she demanded,

“Where are you going?”

“To finish packing,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Before your

hotel and your curse drag me down with you.”

The double-doors slammed behind him. Ellie winced, feeling the impact in her bones. That

only made her more determined to shut him out of her life, her memories, and her soul.

“I hope I never see you again!” Her voice bounced off the exposed beams high above.
Then the reality of that statement set in. I’ll never see Carter again .
Every second they’d shared swamped her mind like a muddy deluge sucking her in and

holding her captive. Moments of time trickled through the hourglass of her mind. The day he rescued
her from the ocean, their first kiss, the night they weathered the storm in the attic and made love until
dawn. The day her father warned her about Carter, Daddy’s vicious threats, and how he cruelly used
her mother’s memory to bring her to her knees. Then later that night on the dock, the boat ready in the
water, Carter on the weathered planks waiting for her. The way the rain soaked them through. The
way her heart broke as she strung together fabrications, convincing Carter that he meant nothing to
her, while she died a little more inside with each lie. Watching the love of her life jet away in the
speedboat, while she shook and sobbed alone, believing she’d never see him again.

Then, suddenly, the unexpected. Carter had returned—was it only six days ago?—revenge

blazing in his eyes. That fire had turned to passion with her in the lighthouse, and Carter had followed
her into a burning building to save her life. He’d stood up to Marquell to ensure her freedom. He’d
made an anonymous bid to save her dream. And he’d admitted to the trail of manipulation that had
guided his actions at the beginning.

Irreconcilable thoughts and feelings smashed together, crumbling into a giant heap inside her.

The full weight of the present crashed down. Every cell in her body registered Carter’s absence, her
aloneness. She sucked in a wispy breath. Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

But her anger over his lies, his complete betrayal, quickly filled the raw emptiness that

threatened to consume her. She swiped at the dampness on her face, unwilling to acknowledge the
repercussions of her actions.

He was the one who should apologize, not her. He should be begging for her forgiveness,

instead of throwing out ultimatums the way he always had.

Partnership meant compromise—for both people. Clearly, Carter wasn’t willing to accept his

share of concessions necessary to make their relationship work. They didn’t stand a chance together.

Apparently, they never had.
“Why didn’t you just stay out of my life?” Her voice shook with resentment and desperation.

“Do I have to wait another twelve years for you to fade away again?”

Excruciating pain lanced through her. Her heart felt like a chopping block that Carter had

scraped one too many times with the serrated edge of his carelessness.

As the heat of their fight faded to the agony of aftermath, she went numb with cold. Shivers

wracked her body. The dining hall was a vast, empty shell of space darkened by the oncoming storm.
She drifted across the room toward the doors like a ghost in fog, stricken and haunted, wandering
between worlds, shut out of the past but unable to face the realities of the future.

“I’m better off without him,” she stated, as if the spoken words could convince her heart they

were true.

For some reason the hotel looked different, felt different. Now the place was hers . No more

fighting. No more juggling or scraping to keep everything together. No more hanging on to the final
thread of hope that had pulled her through all these years, the lure of ownership that had dazzled her
in the distant horizon.

Ownership had arrived.
Why don’t I feel happy? Why was there nothing inside her but exhaustion and emptiness?
“It’s just shock,” she told herself, reaching for the handles of the double-doors. “So much has

happened. So much has changed—everything’s changed.”

Not the least of which included the fact that her windfall of two-million dollars didn’t feel

like it belonged to her. She doubted the collection would’ve sold for that much if Carter hadn’t put in
his exorbitant bid. Without him, she wouldn’t be here trying to revel in her debt-free homeowner
status, trying to override her conscience that was telling her she hasn’t earned the right to possess her
dream.

But I have earned this . All those ye ars of loneliness and sacrifice and barely making ends

meet had brought her to this point. She had no reason to feel self-conscious. Just take the money and
the hotel and don’t look back. Carter won’t. Neither should you .

The sound of breaking glass shattered her introspection.
The noise was followed by screams, a deafening crash and a thud that shook the hotel’s

foundation. “Oh, my God.”

Then the lights went out. She felt the cut in the power as if she’d knocked into an electrical

field. Heart thumping against her ribs she flung open the doors and ran into the darkened main
corridor.

She saw the silhouette of someone moving toward her. “What just happened?” she asked into

the semi-darkness.

“Ellie, was that you? Are you okay?” The voice and figure belonged to Carter. Heart-melting

concern laced his tone.

Ellie replied, “I’m okay. I don’t know who screamed.”
“I’m about to find out.” He dropped his suitcases and raced toward the source of the cries.

Ellie was two paces behind him.

A piercing wail traveled down the hallway. They followed the sound to the Great Room. The

smell of smoke from the extinguished fireplace hung in the air. The room felt cold and damp, and
Ellie shivered as she moved further into the space. The rain sounded like baseball-sized hail
pounding overhead. What she could see of the sky through the windows looked like a giant bruise
smeared across the heavens. Sinister clouds rode low on sixty-mile-an-hour winds and debris
whipped by. A ripple of fear coursed through her.

El Dorado hadn’t weathered a storm this intense since she was eleven years old. When her

mother died trying to flee the island. Against Daddy’s insistence that it was too dangerous to risk
travel, she’d wanted to ferry Ellie to safety. Her father had refused to allow her departure. So she’d
left alone and her boat had capsized in the treacherous waves.

Ellie shook off the painful memory. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she gasped, “Carter,

look over there, by the fireplace.”

An enormous tree branch the size of a Grecian pillar had crashed through the far left window

and toppled a bookshelf with its force. The last of its fall leaves rattled like dry bones as wind sailed

through the broken window and rain sheeted inside. Books were strewn everywhere, torn pages
flying. She tripped over wet leather book bindings, trying to gain her footing and determine the extent
of the damage.

“Help,” came a whimper beneath the rubble.
“Matilda?” Ellie scrambled toward the woman’s weak voice. Without decent light she

stabbed herself on twigs. Muddy leaves smeared over her skin and branches gouged her arms.

Ellie tore through the debris. “Matilda, where are you?”
“Here…”
Ellie wrenched back the tangle of branches until she saw two glittering blue orbs staring up at

her. “Hold on—I’ll get you out of there.”

“You can’t lift it yourself,” Carter said opposite her. “Here, we’ll do it together. You push,

I’ll pull.”

“Okay.”
“Ready? One, two, three .”
The thick trunk lifted several feet, allowing Ellie to grasp Matilda’s arm. She untangled the

woman from the pile of fallen debris, pulling her to safety. The trunk fell with a thud.

Raindrops spattered Ellie’s face. She shoved her hair back and threw her arms around the

housekeeper. “Are you okay?”

“My leg isn’t too happy right now,” Matilda said sounding out of breath. This was the first

time Ellie had ever heard the woman admit weakness.

The damage must be bad , Ellie thought, her mind racing. “Carter, there’s a kerosene lantern

in the speakeasy cellar,” she recalled from her run-in with Arnoff. “Could you grab—”

“I’m one step ahead of you, sweetheart.” The lamp flickered to life. When he held it up, the

glow shed enough light to see within a four-foot radius.

“Oh, Matilda,” Ellie gasped.
The woman’s ankle twisted at a horrible angle, swollen three times its normal size. “That’s

what I get for trying to close the chimney flue and shutter the windows before the hurricane hit,” she
admitted trying to sound upbeat despite the excruciating pain she must’ve been experiencing.

“You should be concerned about your safety,” Ellie chided, “not saving the hotel.”
“This is where my heart is, Ellie.” Matilda sniffed. “I don’t know what I’d do without this

place.”

“I know.” She hugged the woman. “I know. I’ll finish battening down the hatches. Don’t worry

about a thing.”

“Ellie,” Carter cut in, “we need to get Matilda to the hospital. My pilot is waiting outside

with a helicopter. Grab a pack of ice and some blankets, and I’ll carry Matilda to the chopper.”

Nodding, Ellie dashed to the kitchen for ice. She packed the cubes in a plastic bag, grabbed

some blankets out of an old luggage trunk, and met Carter at the front door. “You’ll make sure she’s
safe?”

“That’s what I do,” he said with a reassuring smile, but the curve dipped to a frown. “You can

still come with us, Ellie.”

Biting her lip, she felt her heart throb painfully. He’d said there would be no more chances yet

he’d offered her one last opportunity to choose him over the hotel. “But who’ll close the shutters and
nail down the pantry?”

“Count me in,” said a voice behind her.
“James!” Matilda’s voice wobbled.

“Love,” James said to his wife, “I want to be by your side. But Ellie needs me here.”
Matilda sent him a wistful look. “I understand.” The two shared a tender embrace. “Stay with

Ellie. I’ll be back to the island soon, all patched up. Be careful, James.”

“I will, darling.”
A lump formed in Ellie’s throat observing the flame these two had carried for each other over

a lifetime. When Ellie looked up Carter was staring at her with the oddest expression, a cross
between stubbornness, frustration and longing.

Then his glance flicked away. “James,” he said to the elder man, “you should head to the

mainland with your wife. If this damage is only the beginning then the hurricane has reached category
two status, even category three. If that happens, the hotel will be under water and no amount of
shutters or nails or good intentions will save it.”

“But, sir—”
“Take her.” Carter handed Matilda to James. “I’ll help you get her to the helicopter. I just

need to grab my suitcases.”

Then Carter turned to Ellie. “For once in your life, would you forget this hotel and be with the

people who matter most?”

Her chin trembled. “I can’t.”
“Why?” His expression, illuminated by flashes of lightening, looked stricken with grief.
When James opened the front door the elements blasted inside. The combination of spinning

helicopter blades and treacherous winds hurled leaves and sticks and rain into the foyer. Ellie threw
up her arm to shield her face. She backed away to remove herself from the path of the wind. Carter
followed her.

“I can’t,” she reiterated, staring out at the blustery, frightening scene. Tears gathered along her

lower lashes. “My mother tried to leave once, before a storm like this hit the island. But she…” Ellie
pulled in a quivering breath. “She didn’t make it.”

Carter’s gaze held anguish. “I know you’re scared, Ellie. I told you before I won’t let anything

happen to you. Trust me, for once. Come with us to the mainland.”

Anxiety tied her nerves into knots that festered within. “I can’t. I can’t…”
“Yes, you can. But you won’t.” He shook his head, his expression hard as stone. “Good luck.

Have a nice life, Ellie.” His gaze pinned her to the wall as he backed away.

Guilt, shame and sadness rained down on her. He turned away, and Ellie felt the truth in the

marrow of her bones—this was the last time they would see each other. Carter helped James get
Matilda onto the front porch, and then he slammed the front door shut.

The breeze died abruptly leaving Ellie limp, wet and deserted in the dark foyer. A shudder of

isolation shook her to her core. She felt more alone than she ever had in her life.

Chapter 12

The hotel needs you—don’t stand here paralyzed like you just lost everything . Ellie’s

fierce pride kicked into gear. Embracing a burst of energy from within, she flew into action.

She ran to the butler’s pantry, grabbed a hammer and box of nails, and went to work. She

nailed shut as many cupboards as she could to protect the dishes, china and silverware from
shattering. Then she moved on to the shutters on the first floor, slapping them closed and driving a
nail over the latch.

The rush of activity and adrenaline charging through her veins lasted about ten minutes. As she

reached the Senate Room her gaze fell to gigantic old desk where she and Carter had unfurled the
blueprints that led them to their speakeasy discovery. An image flashed in her mind of Carter standing
behind her at the desk, palms spread on the crinkled pages, excitement rippling from him.

Ellie hadn’t experienced that depth of connection or companionship since Carter left twelve

years ago. He was adventurous, daring, filled with passion over life’s small wonders as equally as he
embraced grand moments of possibility. He accepted every tide of opportunity with his arms open
wide, ready to take on the world. He challenged her, excited her, drove her crazy on every level. Yet
he caught her every time she was about to fall into a tough situation. He consistently anticipated her
needs, and pushed her beyond her anxiety and fears, so she’d gain confidence in herself to face
whatever the future held.

She’d desperately missed his protectiveness, as much as his adventurous spirit, his sharp

mind, and the way he could puzzle out anything with patience and perseverance. He stuck with his
ideas and strategies, no matter how far-fetched or unlikely, and embraced every challenge as an
opportunity. And always, he was a man of his word. The strength of his character shone in all his
accomplishments. He’d achieved all he vowed to obtain, and became a very wealthy man in the
process, defying his difficult past to claim a future of unlimited success.

Carter embodied everything a man ought to be—everything her father had once been before he

succumbed to the depths of depression and desperation. Then Carter stole her heart a second time
when he returned to the island this week. She hadn’t even been looking for love. But, as always, he
opened her eyes and her heart to accept the unexpected.

Would she— could she —ever find all that he encompassed in anyone else?
No , her heart told her, pounding hard against her ribs.
And she’d let him go. Let him walk right out of her life again. After he’d given her more than

enough chances to take stock of reality, take a second chance on love, and accept all that he had to
offer her.

A heavy shroud of remorse, of missed opportunity, smothered her until she couldn’t breathe.

Her fingers shook. She dropped the box, and hundreds of nails clattered across the wooden floor. She
stared at the hammer in her hand, then out the window at the storm, feeling an overwhelming sense of
futility. Like she’d brought a bucket of water to battle a forest fire.

A reckless thought entered her mind.
What if I lost everything?
The last time a hurricane swept up the east coast, the island was without power for weeks.

The Montgomery Hotel had required months of repairs for the extensive damage. Would the aging
structure withstand a category three or four hurricane?

Doubt dropped into the pit of her stomach like a lead ball.

What would she do if the entire hotel was swept away? What would she have left? Who

would be standing by her side when all she’d lived for was gone?

What was the worst that could happen?
If the walls around her disappeared tomorrow, she would still be standing here. The hotel,

and the heritage it represented, was only a sentiment.

Ellie could no longer escape the facts.
Carter was right. The hotel couldn’t love her back, couldn’t comfort her during tragedy,

couldn’t give her companionship, couldn’t hold her through the night or fulfill her emotional needs.

She finally understood.
The hotel didn’t define her. Only she could define herself.
The hurricane could rip the place to shreds, but if she still had Carter, she knew her life, her

future, would go on.

That’s what made life so precious—the people she shared it with. Not the things she

possessed. No matter how meaningful. She would always have her memories. But she wouldn’t
always have Carter.

Alarm whipped through her. She’d let the most important person in her life slip away.
Leaping to her feet, Ellie tossed away the hammer. She ran to the front door, dragged it open

and dashed out onto the porch. She ignored the deluge of rain and debris, shielding the wind from her
eyes as she scanned the landscape searching for the helicopter.

Forty feet away, the rails of the chopper were just lifting off the ground. Without pausing to

think, she raced across the path toward the air-born vehicle.

“Wait! Carter, wait—I’m coming with you!”
But the wind snatched her words as they left her lips. Her voice dissolved in the pouring rain

and deafening whoosh of helicopter blades. The wind from the blades and the storm fought her
progress at every step. She leaned into the strong winds and sloshed through ankle-deep puddles,
sprinting to reach the love of her life before she lost him forever.

The chopper rose ten feet off the ground, hovering there a few seconds. A spark of hope

ignited her determination.

Trudging forth, her movements picked up speed. When she was less than ten feet from her last

opportunity, the helicopter dipped its nose and steered its course away from the island.

“No! Carter, I love you. I want to be with you. The hotel doesn’t matter anymore.” She ran

faster. “Wait—wait!” she screamed.

But the chopper sped forward on a steady course toward the mainland.
“Please, no. This can’t be happening.”
Despite the imminent dangers, she ran after the helicopter. She plunged into the murky water

that flooded the street. The rapids fought her every move, gaining force as the water level climbed
above her knees.

She was losing her footing, as rocks and sand washed away beneath her feet. It was a matter

of moments before she’d be unable to maintain her stance against the torrents. She glanced upstream
and inhaled sharply.

A huge tree branch was headed right for her, its ragged point careening through the water like

a weapon bent on death. Ellie shrieked, dodging it just in time. The weight and speed of the branch
would’ve torn her to shreds. She grabbed onto the branch as it passed, letting it buoy her while she
traveled the currents toward the opposite side of the road.

Suddenly the branch spiraled, plunging her into the rapids. She coughed and spluttered,

pulling herself back up onto the makeshift floating device. She advanced quickly toward the mound of
earth on the other side.

“You can do this,” she repeated several times, forcing herself to believe it.
At the last second, she let go and leaped up onto the marshy ground, clinging to tree roots and

cattail reeds. Gasping for breath, she watched the branch tumble through the rapids, submerge, then
reemerge just in time to collide with a stone wall. The branch splintered into a hundred pieces, and
the entire wreckage was washed away.

Cold and drenched, Ellie dragged herself up to standing. The slight incline gave her a clearer

view. She watched the helicopter that carried her dreams speed off toward the shoreline.

Teeth chattering, she forced herself to keep moving. Her soaked clothes made her descent to

the beach an exhausting ambition. She ducked as a metal road sign flew over her head, nearly
decapitating her.

“You can make it,” she urged her fatigued body. “You have to reach the dock.” There, she’d

be more visible, if anyone looked back and saw her waving.

A jolt of strength welled up inside her. She raced through the storm to the beach. Waves

crashed against the shore with ferocity that terrified her. But she stayed focused, even as the sand
gave way beneath her shoes.

Just a few more yards. Hurry!
Her rush of adrenaline was fading fast. Exhaustion nearly overcame her, as she lunged up the

steps to the dock. The wooden structure dipped and swayed, fighting to hold out against the crushing
waves.

She raced toward the end of the pier, waving her arms, praying Carter might look back one

last time and see her flagging him down.

“Carter, wait!” she cried. “I want to come with you. I want to spend my life with you.” Her

voice faded to a futile whisper. “I love you.”

Her arms fell to her sides as the helicopter kept moving out over the ocean, becoming a speck

in the gray-green sky. Then it disappeared.

Chin trembling, Ellie choked back tears.
“I’m sorry, Carter,” she said, unable to hold back a sob. “I’m so sorry, I realized too late…”
Everything you mean to me .
Hugging herself, shivering in the cold rain, she felt desolate. She’d lost her last chance to

make things right. Now she’d never see him again.

Her heart shattered into pieces. The shards seemed to fling out from the center of her chest,

tearing through her, shredding her insides. Tears and rain stung her eyes. The sky opened up and the
rain pounded harder, as though mirroring the depths of her pain.

Suddenly, a gigantic wave came barreling toward the pier. Ellie’s eyes flew wide as the

menacing wall of water rose higher, higher, a deluge great enough to knock her into the ocean and
drag her down into its frightening depths.

Horror clawed through her. She stumbled back, barely escaping the water that crashed onto

the pier. She needed to head for cover. Her instincts screamed for her to run back to the hotel.

But something about being there, facing the vastness she’d always feared, while she stood

strong against the raging sea, filled her with strength. She’d braved an oncoming hurricane to get to
Carter. She’d faced down her most paralyzing fears.

And she was alive. She felt more alive than she had in years.
She stood there one moment more, empowered as she watched the ocean’s violent retaliation

against her inner strength and determination to no longer live a life ruled by fear.

A weight lifted off her chest as she came to recognize that there was no curse on her, or her

family. There were only choices. She’d made some terrible ones in the past twenty-four hours. She’d
forsaken the love of her life, but she could still take control of her fate.

And she could guarantee that her fears never again clouded the knowing in her heart.
Ellie turned away from the ocean and headed back toward the beach. The winds were dying

down. Gray skies lifted. An eerie calm settled over the windblown landscape.

“Must be the eye of the hurricane,” she assumed.
The sun broke through the clouds, blinding in its brilliance, comforting in its warmth. This

moment seemed to her as if Mother Nature was rewarding her for her perseverance, for battling her
fears in the name of love, for taking chances for the sake of her heart. Instead of using the past as an
excuse to run from the unknown.

Sunlight glittered on raindrops that sparkled like tiny stars descending from the sky.

Breathtaking .

An inner prompting told her to look up.
There, at the entrance to the pier, stood a dark figure. As she drew closer, she recognized his

jeans, leather jacket and incredible silver eyes.

Her heart stopped. “Carter?”
The hint of a smile spread on his lips.
“Oh, thank God.” Ellie picked up her pace, running to him. Before she reached the steps, she

paused. Shock and turmoil twined with elation. Her voice cracked as she whispered, “What are you
doing here?”

“Enjoying the lovely weather we’re having.” He shrugged with a teasing glint in his eyes.
She stammered, “B-but you left…”
He spread his arms. “Obviously not.”
“I thought you went to the mainland with the chopper, with Matilda and James.”
“Couldn’t do it.”
“I’m so glad.” The pressure of intense emotion made her catch her breath. “I’m sorry, Carter. I

was stupid to let you go. You mean more to me than this hotel ever could. I ran after you, hoping
you’d see me, hoping you’d turn around. One last time. Even if I didn’t deserve it…” A swell of
unspeakable feeling clogged her throat.

Similar emotion swam in his eyes. “I never left, Ellie. Because when you love a woman, you

stand by her side through anything. Even a hurricane.”

Her body trembled. “Did you just say you love me?”
His smile rivaled the sun. “I can make it more obvious, if you want.” He opened his arms

welcomingly. “I love you, Ellie.”

Ellie leaped into his embrace, nearly knocking him over. He laughed and squeezed her tight.

Rainwater dripped from their clothes. Then he lifted her chin and sealed her lips with his. Their
mouths explored their confessions of love, as if they’d said the words for the first time.

“I’ve always loved you, Carter,” she murmured against his lips. “Thank you for coming back

to the island. For standing beside me, and for believing in us.”

“Well, you’re pretty much stuck with me, because I’m not going anywhere,” he affirmed. “For

better or worse, through anything this world can throw at us, you’re mine, Ellie. I’m going to marry
you, have my children with you, and spend the rest of my life loving you—and I’m not taking no for an
answer.”

Tears of joy shimmered in her eyes. “I accept.”
His expression turned serious. “I don’t have a ring to make this official. Hell, I don’t even

have clean clothes to wear—my bags are on the chopper. But I promise you’ll be wearing a rock the
size of Gibraltar as soon as I can get you one, and propose to you the right way.”

She smiled up at him. “You’re here. That’s all the proof I need.” Pulling him down to her

again, their mouths joined for another impassioned kiss.

Then a thought came to her. She slid her hands down his leather jacket, pressing gently on his

chest until he released her lips. “Carter, I still don’t think it’s right that the hotel is entirely mine. You
should own it, too. It’s your money that made this possible.”

“It was a gift, Ellie. Not charity, like you thought.”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “I know. And I’m honored by your intentions, But I just don’t

feel right about it. When the storm blows over, I’m going to call a lawyer and have your name put on
the deed. It belongs to both of us—and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“You’re too stubborn for your own good, you know that?”
Grinning, she shot back, “No more stubborn than you.”
He feigned an aggrieved sigh. “Looks like we’re meant to be.” He lowered her until her feet

touched the sand. “But we won’t have time to appreciate the moment if we’re stuck out here when the
eye of the hurricane passes and the inner wall hits.”

Ellie glanced out over the ocean. A huge funnel of black clouds headed their way moving at

deadly speeds. She swallowed. “Good idea.”

Carter straightened and held out his hand. “Let’s go home.”
Perfection filled the moment as she slid her hand into his warm, strong grasp. Together they

headed back to their hotel, back to where it all began, with the renewed commitment to a lifetime of
love she would treasure forever.

*

Four months later…

Carter stood on the beach in a tuxedo, barefoot, anxiously awaiting his bride.
The weather had cooperated this spring, with April providing the perfect temperatures and

atmosphere for new beginnings. The start of the rest of his life with the woman he’d never stopped
loving.

The sun sank low in the sky, and the hint of a cooler night blew in with the ocean breeze. But

the day’s warmth still lingered in the grains of sand beneath his toes.

Everything was perfect. Except…where was Ellie?
He glanced at the angle of the sun again, as its rays mingled with the clouds, spreading

magenta and orange striations across the heavens. A sailboat’s silhouette coasted in front of the bright
orange orb sinking into the water, reflecting a path of gold from the horizon to the shore. Musicians on
the violin, base and cello provided the musical backdrop, and the strings’ harmonies soothed his taut
nerves.

Why was he so nervous?
This was the day he’d been waiting for since the second he and Ellie locked eyes on the beach

for the first time, now thirteen years ago. She’d been the only woman in his heart ever since.

He flicked a glance toward Matilda and James, their witnesses to their vows. They were

gazing at each other, their age-spotted hands clinging tightly together. The epitome of life-fulfilling,
enduring love. Warmth filled Carter’s heart. This would be him and Ellie in forty years. The notion
filled him with a rush of love and gratitude.

The music paused.
Then the cello’s first strain of the Wedding March rang out, the notes sending tingles down his

arms, reverberating through his soul. He looked down the white silk carpet that had been laid across
the sand for Ellie’s walkway, scattered with pink rose petals in honor of his mother’s memory.

The moment he locked eyes with Ellie took his breath away. It was unexpected, but he

couldn’t keep dampness from pooling along his lower lashes. Her amber eyes sparkled, and her smile
lit up his world.

Biting his lower lip to keep the surge of emotion at bay, he watched her walk barefoot toward

him, so graceful, a glowing angel in ivory, lace and silk.

So beautiful.
As she approached him, he held out his hand to her. When she accepted, he tucked her hand

into the crook of his arm and turned to the clergyman.

Pride and devotion filled his heart until he thought it might burst.
Despite his strongest efforts, more stupid tears crept into his eyes as he gazed at her. Her

profile was bathed in ambient light from the setting sun, her eyes shining brighter than the purest gold,
her dark hair threaded with copper highlights, pulled halfback from her face, then falling in waves
that framed her features perfectly.

The pastor began, “Dearly beloveds, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of

these two souls in the bonds of matrimony…”

Matilda and James smiled at them knowingly, as if the eternal bonds of love had somehow

transferred to them, a rite of passage. A continuation of all the love that came before and was now his
and Ellie’s responsibility to pass on, the eternal continuum that spread into forever.

Carter’s sigh held reverence and relief. Every fiber of his being told him this was right. And

that it was about damned time.

Some guys were dragged to the altar. Others were forced there because of circumstances

beyond their control. Others did this out of obligation to things they may or may not believe in. But, in
all the stories Carter’s male friends relayed, none of them talked about the rush of total adoration he
felt for Ellie in this moment, so complete he could barely catch his breath when the pastor asked him
to recite their vows.

“Ellie,” Carter said, his voice hoarse as he looked into her eyes and saw forever unfold

before him, “I take you to be my lawfully wedding wife…to have and to hold…in sickness and in
health…for richer for poorer…until death do us part…”

The look on her face, as she seemed to stare into his soul and recite her vows, ensured the

wetness in his eyes wouldn’t go away. As she finished, Carter rubbed the edge of his white shirt-cuff
against the outer corner of one eye. The motion seemed to undo Ellie’s composure.

Two tears dripped down her cheeks. When the pastor pronounced them man and wife, Carter

reached up to cup her face. With his thumbs he brushed her tears away, and with a fingertip she
touched the damp spot at the corner of his eye.

“I love you, Carter. I always have. I always will.”
“Couldn’t have said it better.” He stood before her, incredulous yet deeply grateful for the

rightness of this moment.

As he pulled her into his arms, the sun made one final brilliant flash before it descended into

the waves like a woman melting into her lover’s awaiting embrace.

And by the glow of nature’s perfection, Carter kissed his bride.
Then, by the glow of candlelight, an hour later he laid her down amidst the plush fabrics of the

bed in the hotel’s most exquisite suite. He spread her over the finest luxury satin bedding that he’d
sprinkled with red rose petals before the ceremony. Champagne sat chilling on the bedside table, next
to her red-rose bouquet.

He gazed down at Ellie, completely enraptured. But something troubled him, and he wanted to

know how she truly felt. “Do you still think this was a good idea?”

Startled, she blinked at him. “Marrying you? Of course!”
“I mean leaving the island to get married and honeymoon at my Bahamas resort. We didn’t get

married on El Dorado, like you’d expected.”

Taking his hand, she said, “Carter, the best thing I ever did was proving to myself that I could

leave the island. This resort is beautiful, the stuff of fairy tales. The pictures from our wedding will
be worthy of magazines.”

“I can probably arrange that.”
She held up her hands. “Not necessary, I assure you.” Her expression reflected his own

exquisite happiness. “If not for you returning to the island, I never would’ve recognized how perfect
we are for each other. I don’t regret anything. I love you, Carter.”

As he sat on the bed beside her, he stroked her face with reverence. “How do you feel,

otherwise?”

“Amazing,” she said with a smile that dipped into a frown a few seconds later, her elation

touched by a shadow of sadness. “I wish my father could’ve walked me down the aisle,” she
murmured, wet droplets clinging to her lashes.

“Because it would’ve meant so much to you, I wish that, too.” Carter gently removed the

pearl-beaded veil from her hair, setting it on the nightstand. “But I’m not sure he would’ve shared out
sentiments.”

She gave a watery laugh. “You’re probably right. But if he knew then how much I loved you—

how much I still love you and always will—he might have reconsidered.”

Carter poured the champagne into the long-stemmed glasses provided by room service, then

dropped two plump strawberries into each one. “We can’t recreate the past in the present,” he
conceded, “and I don’t know why things happen the way they do. But I believe everything we’ve ever
said or done brings us to this exact moment—and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

“Agreed,” she said, the lovely glow returning to her face.
“I suspect they know,” he affirmed to ease her wistfulness. “Those we’ve lost. I think their

love stays with us, in our memories.”

Ellie glanced at the locket necklace spiraling around the stems of her bouquet. “I believe that,

it’s just…I miss my parents so much.”

“Who’s to say they weren’t here today? Looking down on us, sharing the moment. I think that’s

possible, don’t you?”

“I think so,” she whispered.
He passed her one of the glasses, even though he knew she wouldn’t drink it, then took his and

held it up to her in a toast. “Cheers to those who came before, and to our children, who’ll know our
best memories.”

Ellie smoothed her hand over abdomen. “Do you think our baby girl will want to know about

her grandparents?”

“I know she will.” Carter leaned forward and kissed Ellie’s eyebrows, her temples, her

cheeks, her nose, her chin. They’d found out two days ago they were going to be the proud parents of
a baby girl—and Carter had never experienced a more profound joy than to know Ellie was pregnant

with his child. He dipped his head and brushed his lips reverently over Ellie’s. “But if our little
princess thinks she’s going to run off with some no-name scoundrel from El Dorado Island, she’s got
another thing coming.”

Ellie scoffed at him. “Hey, she can grow up to love whoever she wants.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.”
“And so it comes full circle,” she murmured, her eyes shining with laughter at the irony.
He released a sigh that came from the bottom of his heart. “I’m so happy you’re my wife. And

I’m proud of you for agreeing to live with me in Miami. I think the hotel will be in fine hands, with
Matilda and James running the place.”

“Summer vacations on the island will be wonderful. Still, I don’t want our children to grow

up in the same prison I did. They should explore this world the way I never could.”

“Our first stop, the Grecian Islands.”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “You expect me to fly for twelve hours and then travel around the

Mediterranean?”

He glanced at his watch. “Okay, I’ll give you another twenty-four hours to acclimate yourself

to life beyond the island. Then, we’re hitting the road, baby. There’s too much you’ve missed out on. I
want to show you everything.”

She blew out a breath. “Well, I couldn’t ask for a better traveling companion.”
He grinned. “That’s my girl. Always up for new adventures.”
“I remember you saying the same thing when we found the blueprints of the hotel. I wasn’t

feeling very adventurous back then.”

“I think you’ll be up for plenty of them in the future. You’re the strongest, bravest woman I’ve

ever known. Besides my mom, of course.”

“Of course. I’m honored to be in her league.”
He pressed his lips to her palm. “Our parents made a lot of sacrifices for us. Probably more

than we’ll ever know.”

Ellie nodded. “Although if we’d ignored their ‘better judgment’ and listened to our hearts

from the start, we would’ve been just fine.”

“Your heart wasn’t ready to hear what I had to say.”
“It is now,” she whispered. The glitter of passion illuminated her amber eyes.
Responding to her unspoken request, Carter eased her down to the mattress. Leisurely,

seductively, he unwrapped her from her wedding dress, kissing each new body part he exposed—her
wrists, her forearms, her elbows, her collarbones…

He took his time, enjoying the way she arched as he nibbled and sucked each breast, as he

kissed his way down her abdomen, as he inhaled her erotic scent and tasted her with hungry laps of
his tongue. Even after she reached climax, he refused to stop until she begged him to make love to her.

Then he removed the rest of his tuxedo, climbed in beside her and pulled the soft sheets

around them like a satin cocoon. Their lips never separated as he eased inside her and slowly,
tenderly made love to her. Their unhurried, indulgent sensual rhythm made her sigh, smile, arch with
pleasure.

“More,” she coaxed, lightly scraping her nails down his back.
Their noses touched as he shook his head. “Easy, baby. Just lay back and relax.”
They rocked together, and when she reached her peak, tears leaked from the corners of her

eyes. He kissed them, then kissed her lips and reached his own climax.

Enjoying their mutual ecstasy, he remained inside her, until he grew hard again. Ellie bit her

lip. “Again?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you. My beautiful wife.”
They made love once more. Every time with her felt like the first. Passionate, mind-blowing,

unforgettable. He never thought he’d find this again, this perpetual bliss that still left him craving
more.

Carter rolled onto his back, tucking her against his side, holding her tightly against his heart.

He had no words to describe what he felt.

Well, maybe three. “I love you.”
He urged her chin up and kissed her. At a loss to explain the depth of his feelings, he admitted,

“I wish we were like the French, who have as many as twenty ways to describe the word love. If I
knew them all, I’d say them to you every day.”

The most beautiful glow lit her face as she released a sigh of pure contentment. “Then we’ll

have to make Paris a stopping point on our trip to Greece.”

Propping himself up on an elbow, he stroked her skin, reveling in her softness, her serenity.

“My business may take me around the world, but there is only one place I will ever call home.” He
settled his hand over her heart.

She seemed to understand. “I feel the same way when I’m in your arms. On El Dorado Island,

or here in the Bahamas, or Miami or France or Greece—wherever we are, when I’m with you, I
know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Then she kissed him with an intensity that took his breath away and made him the happiest

man alive.

He couldn’t wait to begin the rest of their journey, the rest of their lives together. The way

they were always meant to be.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12