Tempted By Her Island Millionaire. Nina Singh
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in ways that seemed to defy anatomical possibility. The dancers then formed a circle around the tables. Lizzie and Jonathon sat at the table next to them. The woman onstage spoke into her microphone. “I understand there are a bride and groom here celebrating with us.”
One of the dancers extended a hand to Lizzie, who took it and then stood from the table. Jonathon stood as well with another dancer leading him by the elbow. All four started making their way toward the stage. Various other couples in the dining area were similarly led.
“Please come participate with us in a traditional celebratory dance,” the woman said into the mic.
On her way to the stage, Lizzie suddenly stopped behind him. “Come on, big brother. I don’t want you to miss out on this.” She grabbed him by the crook of the elbow and pulled.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I am not a dancer.”
“Tonight you are.” She tugged on his arm until he had no choice but to stand.
His sister wanted him to dance. Onstage. A traditional Hawaiian hula. Well, he wasn’t going down alone.
“Rita? Care to join us?”
Her jaw fell. “Uh... I’ll sit this one out.”
“Come on. Don’t make me suffer this alone.” Before he could finish the sentence, the female dancer behind him took Rita by the hand and made her stand. Essentially making the decision for her. Clint decided he’d be forever indebted to the woman. They made their way toward the stage.
Once there, he found himself thrust in Rita’s direction as everyone coupled up to dance, the women in front of the men. A dancer in the front led them, instructing how to move the hips just so. Rita did as instructed. And she seemed to have quite a knack for it. Her hips moved in swift circles in front of him and he thought perhaps his lungs would stop functioning.
Sweet heavens, perhaps he shouldn’t have had any of the poi. Not that it would have made any kind of difference.
* * *
The early-morning jog along the beach was supposed to clear his head. But images from the previous evening kept invading Clint’s mind as he ran at a punishing pace along the water. Rita’s smile as she was teasing him about the local delicacy. The way she’d tried to avoid looking at the main dish.
How her hips had moved as she danced in front of him.
So he thought he must have been imaging it when he looked toward the horizon and saw her in the water climbing onto a surfboard, assisted by a tan, blond man. She appeared to be taking a surfing lesson. The man grabbed her about the waist as he held her steady on the waves.
How many times last night had his fingers itched to do the same thing? He couldn’t count the number of times he’d awoken after midnight from a dream that prominently featured a dark-haired beauty with a flower lei adorning her head.
He watched her laugh as she toppled off the board and splashed in the water once more. The instructor immediately grabbed her and assisted her back on. Clint suddenly felt an irrationally intense dislike for the man.
This had to stop. He couldn’t be having these thoughts. About her or anyone else. He didn’t need any kind of disruption in his life right now. Didn’t have time for it. He certainly didn’t have the time or the inclination for a serious relationship with anyone, let alone a woman like Rita. She deserved nothing less than total commitment. Something he wasn’t sure he’d ever be willing to give.
Good thing there were no group activities planned for today. He could use the time to clear his head. The next outing on the agenda wasn’t until after midnight tonight, when they’d be picked up to go to Haleakala to see the sunrise atop the volcanic crater. He’d be sure to steer clear of her then.
You Fallon men have no idea how to fall in love without completely sacrificing your souls.
His grandmother was right. Not that he had any kind of notion that he was falling for Rita. It was simply the romantic mood of this wedding and the sensuous setting of the tropical island. Still, he would have to make sure not to let silly whims get the better of him from now on. Asking Rita to pretend they were interested in getting to know each other better had been a mistake. He would have been better off just dodging Tessa’s advances.
Much better off than what he was feeling now.
IF HER TEETH chattered any harder, Rita was sure to crack a molar. Given that they were supposed to be in one of the warmest climes on the planet, she hadn’t expected it to be this chilly at any point during this trip. But being on top of one of the world’s tallest volcanos, it made sense if one thought about it. Especially at about four thirty in the morning. Well, that particular bit of wisdom wasn’t doing her any good at the moment.
Their tour bus driver said they had to get here this early or all the viewing spots would completely fill up. If she’d known about the biting chill, she might have argued to take the risk. People around her were bundled up in coats and scarves. A few had thick, plush blankets. Even members of the wedding party had somehow come prepared. Had they received some kind of memo she hadn’t?
Probably not, Rita thought and hugged her sweatshirt tighter around herself. They had just somehow planned better than she had. Story of her life. It wasn’t even a terribly thick sweatshirt.
She heard a shuffling behind her and turned to find Clint approaching. She knew it was him, though it was somewhat hard to see in the predawn darkness. He had a thick leather jacket on. Yet another person better prepared than she.
“You’re shivering,” he stated, noting the obvious.
“Ye-e-es. I—I a-a-am.” Okay, so the stutter was a bit exaggerated. But not by much. Her lips were practically flapping together from the cold.
He started shrugging off his coat. “Here, take this.”
She stopped him with a hand to his chest. “No way. I am not that s-selfish.” The cold stutter made the word sound like she’d said shellfish and she had to stifle a laugh.
“I don’t know you very well, but that’s the last term I would use to describe you.”
The words took her aback. In fact, she’d heard herself described that way countless times over the last several months. By people she cared for the most. When all she’d wanted to do was find her own way and discover what made her happy. Correction, she’d wanted to discover what made her feel.
Though she didn’t want to examine exactly what it was she was feeling right now. Neither did she want to admit that she’d been hoping Clint would find her at some point on top of this mountain.
“I can’t take your coat,” she insisted through the chattering.
“Well, I can’t take watching you succumb to frostbite.”
Before she knew what he was up to, he’d stepped behind her and enveloped her in his embrace, the coat wrapped around them both. “Here. In the interest of compromise.”
A cocoon of heat suddenly surrounded her, along with his woodsy masculine scent. In her desire for warmth, she didn’t bother to stop him or step away. Right. Like that was the only desire driving her at the moment.
“This is supposed to be one of the most spectacular sunrises on the earth. You don’t want to turn into a frozen popsicle before you get to see it, do you?”
“I suppose not.” She resisted the urge to snuggle her back closer to his chest. “Thank you.”
He shrugged against her. “It’s the least I can do. After the way you helped me the other night.”
“Ah, you mean your evasion mission.”
“It seems to have worked. Ms. Campbell seems to be wrapped around one