Forbidden Lust

“Do you know him?”

“I do. He’s a great guy. It’s always nice to see him.” Allison couldn’t ignore the way her voice had suddenly pitched to a higher octave. “Nice to see him” didn’t begin to cover it.

But there’d always been a massive obstacle with Zane—Scott. The only time she’d had any real physical contact with Zane was three weeks ago, when they were at her brother’s house for his birthday dinner. This was right after Allison had first found out Neil was cheating. Feeling hurt, reckless and pleasantly tipsy, she’d spent most of the evening testing the waters of flirtation with Zane. She knocked her knee into his under the table, brushed his hand with her fingertips when reaching for the butter and made a point of making eye contact when she laughed at his jokes. There was a palpable connection between them, a very real spark, and she could only play with fire for so long before jumping in headfirst. So as soon as Scott and his wife left the table to put their kids to bed, Allison had grabbed her chance. She gripped Zane’s muscled forearm, leaned in and kissed him. For a blissful instant, Zane was into it.

So into it.

He’d cupped her jaw with his hand like he was drinking her in. The years of wanting him day after day had been building for that moment, and she was overwhelmed by a deluge of heat and a rush of something she hadn’t experienced in too long—pure hope. She arched into him, and he followed her cue, wrapping his arm around her and pressing his chest against hers. It was really happening, and her mind had leaped ahead to what came next…a quick escape, a race back to his place, clothes coming off before they were even inside, lips and hands exploring the landscape of each other’s bodies until they were both exhausted. It was going to happen. Finally.

Then he froze. And everything else became a blur. He pushed her away, ashamed to look her in the eye. He blurted something about betraying Scott. He said he was sorry. He shook his head and muttered that it had been a mistake. He pushed back from the table and rushed out the door, leaving Allison shell-shocked. How could she have been so close and have it all taken away? It felt like a cruel joke life was playing on her. It hurt like hell.

For weeks, that painful scene played in her head. But once she got beyond the hurt, she realized that the real problem had been Scott. If they’d been truly alone that night, her fantasies would’ve come true. She and Zane would’ve been naked and sweaty in no time.

But hopefully, Zane wouldn’t be so worried about her hyperprotective brother if he was a thousand miles away. With close proximity to Zane and some privacy, she could finally go for what she’d always wanted—a night of pure abandon with Zane. She knew better than to hope for more than that. He was the ultimate ladies’ man, and she was okay with that. He was who he was, and she still wanted him more than any man she’d ever laid eyes on. If she played her cards right, she’d at least get to fulfill this fantasy, even if it was only a onetime thing.

“Do you want me to tell him you’re coming?”

If Allison had been talking to Kianna, she might have made a joke about orgasms, but that was not appropriate with her aunt. “No. Don’t. I’ll surprise him.”

“I’m so happy you’re coming to stay, Alli. It’s been too long.”

“I’m excited to spend some time unwinding.”

“Text me your flight details. I’ll have someone pick you up at the marina.”

“Sounds perfect. See you tomorrow.”

Allison gathered her things, closed up her office, said goodbye to Kianna and hurried out to the parking lot, feeling a new purpose in every step. She hopped into her Mercedes, cranked the stereo and headed toward her new apartment, where the guys from Hunks with Trucks would soon be waiting to move her into her new place. She wasn’t even going to bother to unpack. She was going to let them in to do their work while she turned around to go shopping for a hat, a sarong and the skimpiest bikini she could find. Then she was going to get a good night’s beauty sleep and get her butt on a plane tomorrow morning.

Next stop, paradise. Next stop, Zane.

Two

The flight from Miami to Eleuthera Island was not for the faint of heart. Scott’s aunt and uncle Angelique and Hubert had booked a charter for Zane on the tiniest of Learjets. Still, Zane loved the freedom of hanging by an invisible thread over the jaw-dropping blue of the Atlantic.

Zane’s pulse skipped a beat as the aircraft floated down to the tiny landing strip and bounced its way to an abrupt stop. Another five hundred yards and they would’ve been in the ocean. Engines whirring, the plane taxied around to a modest outbuilding—yellow with a rust-red roof. The crew quickly opened the cabin door, and Zane whipped off his seat belt, sucking in his first sweet breath of Bahamian air. Sunglasses on, he surveyed the landscape from his vantage point at the top of the plane stairs. Palm trees rustled in the wind, and gauzy white clouds rolled across the seemingly endless stretch of azure sky. This was exactly what he’d needed. He knew it already.

A driver from Rose Cove, the boutique resort owned by Scott’s aunt and uncle, met him outside the airport building, and after a quick zip through customs, Zane was on his way to the marina in a golf cart. From there, a speedboat captain named Marcus took Zane for the two-mile trip to Rose Cove Island, off the southernmost tip of Eleuthera. The water was tranquil and clear, the wind buzzing through Zane’s ears as the boat sliced through the water and the sun blanketed him in warmth. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and powered it down. He had zero plans to look at it while he was in paradise. He not only needed to unwind, he wanted to disappear. Falling Brook, the Lowell family and Black Crescent weren’t even a distant thought—they’d evaporated from his mind.

Pulling up to the dock at Rose Cove, Zane was struck by the beauty of the pink sand beaches from which the tiny private island got its name. Marcus directed him down a crushed-seashell path through a tropical forest so shaded by palm trees that it was a good ten degrees cooler. Colorful birds chirped and flitted from tree to tree, while the occasional lizard skittered across the sandy ground to hide behind a rock. He eventually reached a clearing with a white single-story building of colonial architecture, with a porch that wrapped around the entire structure. Inside, Zane finally got to meet Scott’s aunt Angelique.

“Welcome to Rose Cove!” she exclaimed, rushing out from behind the check-in desk, wearing a beautiful turquoise sundress, flat sandals and her braided hair pulled up in a twist. Despite her enthusiasm, Angelique’s peaceful voice suggested that she lived her life at a pace far different from the rest of the world’s. “My nephew has told me so much about you.” She gave him a hug, showing the same warmth Zane had found in Scott’s entire family. He already felt at home here. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave.

“You can’t believe everything Scott says,” Zane joked.

Angelique smiled wide. “He had nothing but great things to say.” She bustled back behind the counter and unfolded what appeared to be a map. “Here’s all you need to know about the island. This is the main building, where my husband, Hubert, and I live.” She circled a picture of the building where they were. “The ten cottages spoke out from here and are a good distance from each other for privacy. You’re in cottage number eight. You have a quiet stretch of beach, a hammock and a private plunge pool. There’s a beautiful king-size bed, a luxury bath and a fully stocked kitchen. Or our staff will bring you breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Simply fill out the card waiting for you in your room. Until then, I invite you to relax and enjoy the island. Perhaps say hello to your neighbor in cottage nine. She’s been waiting for you to arrive.”

“A neighbor?” A she, no less? Perhaps this was Zane’s lucky day, although there was a part of him that knew his tendency to get lost in women was not his best trait. Really, he should be focusing on fishing and swimming while detoxing from social media and the internet.

“My niece, Allison. She arrived a few hours ago.”

Zane’s jaw dropped so far he had to make a conscious decision to close his mouth. He was flabbergasted. What were the chances that he and Allison would end up on the island at the same time? “Allison is here. On this island. Right now.”

“Is there a problem?”

He shook his head so fast he nearly lost his sunglasses, which were resting on top of his head. “Absolutely not. I love Allison. I’m just surprised. I’ll have to stop over and say hi.” He hadn’t seen Allison much in the years since he graduated from high school. He’d gone to college in North Carolina on a basketball scholarship, and when he returned to Falling Brook after four years, she was off to school in Los Angeles, where she stayed to start a business. She returned every Christmas, but Zane always seemed to be visiting his mom in Boston at the same time. But three weeks ago Scott’s wife, Brittney, invited both Allison and Zane to a surprise birthday dinner she was having for Scott. Allison flew in for the weekend. The instant Zane saw her, he knew exactly how good the years had been to Allison—almost too good. She’d taken a straight line from cute to drop-dead gorgeous. Her long and wavy black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, showing off the incredible depth and warmth of her brown eyes. The chemistry of the entire room shifted when she smiled or laughed. He’d always found her interesting and a bit otherworldly, with a style and vibe all her own, but that night he was transfixed.

She’d surprised him many times when they were younger, like the day she got her nose pierced, but she’d flat-out shocked him that night at Scott’s house. She kissed him—soft and sensuous and so packed with sexy intent that he’d felt the earth shift beneath him. He was so conditioned to think of Allison only as his best friend’s little sister that he’d been wholly unprepared for Allison, the fully formed woman. And with Scott in the other room, a man to whom there would be no explaining, Zane had done the unthinkable that night. He’d pushed beautiful, beguiling Allison away.

“Well, she has the cottage next to yours, so I’m sure you’ll see her,” Angelique said.

Now Zane was wondering how in the hell he was going to navigate these difficult waters. He didn’t want to relive the awkward aftermath of that kiss. Their conversation from that night was permanently emblazoned on his psyche.

This is wrong, Allison. Your brother.

Don’t talk about Scott.

But he’s right in the other room. He will never forgive me.

Women had been Zane’s escape many times, but not like that. Never before had he risked one of the most important things in his life for a kiss.

It had been such a blur, Zane had left without saying so much as goodbye to Scott, asking Allison to tell him that he had a headache. She told him he was getting freaked out for nothing, but Zane knew his weakness when it came to women, and Allison was the one woman he absolutely could never have.

“Mr. Patterson? Are you sure everything is okay? Scott mentioned that you’ve been under a lot of stress.” Angelique looked at him quizzically, knocking her head to one side.

“Oh, yes. Sorry.” He shook his head in an effort to get it straight. He needed to get a grip. He and Allison had shared a kiss. It was no big deal. Scott would never know about it, and it would never happen again—end of story.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“My room key, I guess.”

“There are no keys on Rose Cove. You will enjoy more seclusion and privacy than you ever imagined. But I’m happy to have someone show you to your cottage.”

Zane picked up the map from the registration counter. “Not necessary. I think I’ve got it from here.”

“You can’t get too lost. Just stop when you reach the ocean.” Angelique winked and grinned, then waved goodbye.

Zane followed the path and the small wood signs to cottages eight and nine. As he walked under the canopy of trees, he had to remind himself that Allison was not fair game. He would be friendly and cordial. He might even spend a small bit of time with her while they were both there, but there would be no replay of that kiss. Scott was too important to him. He would not betray the bro code. Never.

Ahead, Zane could see the water and two cottages set several hundred yards away from each other, one a shade of sky blue and the other pure turquoise, each with painted white trim and a bright red roof. All around them, the powdery pink sand was a bright and summery accent, while the sun glinted off the calm crystalline sea. It could not have been a more stunning setting, and despite his worries over how he would handle the situation with Allison, Zane could feel himself unwinding, his spine loosening and his shoulders relaxing.

He opened the door to his cottage and stepped inside, his eyes immediately drawn to the stunning vista of ocean at the far end of the house. He set down the map and strolled through the open living room, which had a vaulted wood-beamed ceiling and entire wall of windows, all open and letting in the sea breezes. At center was a set of oversize French doors, which led out to Zane’s patio, covered in terra-cotta tile with an arbor above it for shade. Beyond that was his private plunge pool, surrounded by lush tropical plantings.

Not wanting to wait another minute for his vacation to start, Zane found the bedroom, which, as advertised, had an intricately carved wood bed with another beautiful view of the sea. His suitcase had been delivered by staff, and he wasted no time getting into his swim trunks, grabbing a towel from the beautifully appointed bathroom and making one more stop in the kitchen to grab a beer. He poured it into a shatterproof tumbler, and, sunglasses on, he strolled out onto the terrace and jumped into the pool.

The water was cool and exhilarating, the perfect counterpoint to the strong Bahamian sun. He slicked his hair back from his face and swam over to the edge of the pool, folding his arms up on the edge and drinking in the beautiful ocean view. As difficult as the last few weeks had been—hell, the last several years—Zane could feel that all fading away. Scott had been so right. Maybe he just needed some time to clear his head and stop thinking about Josh Lowell and Black Crescent.

Zane dropped his chin down onto the back of his hand and something caught his eye. More specifically, someone—a woman sauntering down to the water in front of the other cabin. Allison. It had to be her. She was turned away from him, but he’d have to be dead to not admire the view—her hair down the middle of her back, tawny skin set against a colorful sarong, lithe legs and bare feet. She stopped where the pink sand met the water and turned, ambling in his direction while gently swishing her feet in beautiful blue.

He wasn’t sure what to do. Call out to her? Submerge himself in icy water and try to hide for the next five days? This never, ever would have been a question if she hadn’t kissed him on Scott’s birthday. She was permanently off-limits, fruit so forbidden that he would be blowing up his entire life if he dared to go there.

Before he had a chance to formulate any sort of plan, Allison looked up and spotted him. His heart instantly began pulsing, jumping to double time when she raised her sunglasses up onto her forehead for a moment, smiled and waved. Good God, she was unfairly beautiful. And she was coming his way. He had no means of stopping this. He had to go with it and try to have a casual conversation with the sister of his best friend.

So he did what he would have done if they’d never kissed—he waved back and called her name. “Allison!”

As Allison walked up the beach toward Zane’s cottage, she could hardly believe this was really happening. How many times had she concocted some dream scenario in her head where she and Zane were alone? Too many to count. And what was unfolding before her was exactly the kind of fantasy she loved to weave—a perfect sunny day, not another human in sight, the breeze brushing her skin and the air so sweet.

Her pulse raced. Every nerve ending in her body was firing. Her breaths were deep, and yet she still felt as though she couldn’t get enough oxygen. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to hyperventilate or pass out. This was Zane’s effect on her. It was as if the real Allison was no longer in control and some other version of her was pulling the strings. It had been like this since she was thirteen and he was sixteen.

But Zane wasn’t a teenager anymore. And she wasn’t, either. She was twenty-eight years old, and she knew what she wanted. She also knew that the world didn’t go around handing out opportunities. Life didn’t work like that. You had to take what was yours when you had the chance. And as she got closer to Zane’s cottage and watched him climb out of his plunge pool, water dripping from his magnificent, lean and athletic form, she didn’t even have to ask herself what her goal was—she knew it in her heart and in her gut. She wanted Zane’s naked body pressed against hers. She needed his mouth on every inch of her. She had to have him, if only for a few days in paradise. Zane was not “for keeps,” but he could absolutely be “for right now.”

“Hey there,” she said, stepping up onto his patio. She studied him as he toweled off his chest. She’d only seen him with this shirt off a few times, but his shoulders were just as amazing as she’d remembered. Firm and contoured from thousands of hours playing basketball. His chest was even more glorious, with a tiny patch of dark hair right at the center. She wanted to tangle her fingers in that hair. She wanted to kiss him there. She hungered to skim her lips over every inch of his pecs, rake her fingernails across the warm skin of his abs and tease open the drawstring of his swim trunks.

“How weird is this?” Zane rattled her back to the present with the question. In her fantasies, he would have opened with something far more seductive. Maybe something like, Hello, beautiful. Can I help you with your sarong? “We live on opposite ends of the country but we both end up at your aunt and uncle’s resort at the same time?”

“What are the chances, huh? Small world, I suppose.” She couldn’t help but notice his body language—shoulders tight and hands clutching the towel to his chest, as if he was hiding from her. This was all wrong, and she was desperate to change the dynamic. “Can I have a hug?”

“Uh, sure. Of course.” He grabbed his T-shirt from one of the chaise longues by the pool and put it on. He was definitely trying to keep his distance. She might need to take things slow. She didn’t want to scare him off or freak him out. The last thing her already-bruised ego needed was another interaction like the one at Scott’s birthday party. She couldn’t endure it if he pushed her away again. She spread out her arms and gave him the sort of embrace only friends exchange. It was quick and to the point, and not at all what she wanted. Just that one little taste of his body heat left her longing. Her chest ached for more.

“So what are you doing here?” he asked.

“I needed a break, and my aunt is always begging me to visit.”

“Things stressful at work?”

She looked around for a place to sit. “Do you mind?” She gestured to one of two chaises under an umbrella.

“Yeah. Of course. Do you want a beer?”

“I’m good for now, but thanks.” She did want one, but she wasn’t sure it was a good idea. She needed to keep her wits about her while she was trying to suss out where his head was at. They hadn’t talked once since the kiss a few weeks ago. For all she knew, he thought she was a lunatic. “I just broke up with my boyfriend. We were living together, so it was a pretty big ordeal, moving out and all of that.”

Zane sat in the chair next to her and reclined, crossing his legs at the ankle. He had incredibly sexy legs, a mile long but still pure muscle, with just the right amount of dark hair. “I’m sorry to hear that. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m a pretty good listener. Plus, I figure I’m forever in debt to the Randall family.”

“For what?”

“Where do I start? Turning around my entire life when I was at my lowest point?”

Allison waved it off. He still clung to a debt of gratitude for her family, but the truth was that Zane had given them a lot, too. He’d never been anything less than a positive presence. For Scott and Allison, who’d had a mostly stable childhood, watching Zane battle through his family’s reversal of fortune had taught them a lot about humility. “Are you kidding me? My parents love you. And obviously Scott is obsessed with you.” Her phone, which she had tucked into her bathing suit top, rang. Things at work were so tenuous right now that she couldn’t afford to turn off her ringer, as much as she wanted uninterrupted time with Zane. “I’m sorry. I should look to see who it is.” She glanced at the caller ID. It was Scott. Did he have some sort of psychic ability to interrupt her at the most inopportune time? For an instant, she considered sending the call to voice mail, but she knew that he would just keep calling her back.

“Speak of the devil,” she said to Zane. “It’s my brother.”

“Oh. Wow.”

“I know.” She answered the call to speak to Scott. “Were your ears ringing? We were just talking about you.”

“What the hell, Allison? You’re down at Rose Cove by yourself and Zane is there, too?”

Of course he’s not only calling, he’s taken issue with the fact that I’m with Zane. “Yes. I’m doing this thing where you travel to a place where you don’t live and you relax. It’s called vacation. You should try it.” She glanced over at Zane, who she hoped would at least be smiling after her wisecrack at her brother. But no. Zane’s handsome face was painted with entirely too much concern. She’d seen that look before, and she didn’t like it.

“Is there something funny going on between you two?” Scott asked. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how weird you were being at my party.”

Being under Scott’s thumb had grown so tiresome. In many ways, Allison felt as though she’d been born under it. “We’re hanging out. He’s my friend, too.”

Zane cleared his throat. “Hand me the phone.”

Allison shook her head and held the receiver to her chest. “No. I’ve got this. He’s being ridiculous, and you and I are sitting by the pool, talking. He needs to get over himself.” She raised the phone back to her ear. “Unless you have something nice to say to me, I’m going to say goodbye now and get back to my vacation.”

“He went on this trip to hook up with women,” Scott blurted. “He told me as much. And I do not want you to fall for his charms. Nothing good comes of it, and you just came off a bad breakup.”

Allison grumbled under her breath. As if she needed another reminder that Zane had a zillion other women waiting in the wings. Her brother was ruining her fantasy, and she wasn’t going to sit around for any more of it. “Okay. Sounds great.”

“You aren’t listening to me. You’re just saying that so Zane won’t know what I’m saying about him.”

“Yep. You’re right. Anything else? I need to get going.”

“Are you watching the forecast? There’s a system forming in the Atlantic. The weather channel says it could dip down into the Caribbean. It could be upgraded to a tropical storm by late today. It could easily become a hurricane.”

Allison looked overhead. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. “You are such a weather nerd. I’m not worried about something an ocean away, okay? Plus, it’s June. The hurricane season just started. I’m sure Angelique and Hubert will let us know if it’s anything of concern. Now, go back to your life so I can try to unwind. Kiss the kids for me.”

“I’m calling you tomorrow. And just punch Zane if he tries anything. Or remind him I will kill him if he touches you.”