Tempted By Her Island Millionaire. Nina Singh
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doubt.”
“She wasn’t terribly happy with me that night after the luau when she came in,” she told him, remembering the slamming of the suite door as she was brushing her teeth. Rita had felt somewhat guilty. She had nothing against Tessa; they’d actually been study partners for some core subjects back in school. “I got a bit of the silent treatment before we both retired for the night.”
“I think she may forgive you pretty soon. If she hasn’t already. Judging by how she’s moved on and all.”
“I hope so. She did say one thing that night though.”
She felt his warm breath against her cheek when he responded. “What’s that?”
“She mentioned being surprised you were alone to begin with.”
“So you guys were talking about me.”
Uh-oh. “I won’t deny it. Tessa said there had to be a story to explain why you were here stag at your own sister’s wedding.”
“Not really. Just one argument too many. Considering it wasn’t a serious relationship, this seemed as good a time as any to end things. Rather than pretend during an island wedding full of activities. Some things simply aren’t meant to be.”
“I see. So it was mutual?” Rita wanted to bite her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth. She was giving Clint every indication that she was interested in his personal life. When she had absolutely no reason to be. No logical reason. She had to be careful. It would behoove her to be more guarded about such things, now that she was single again. “I’m sorry. It’s not really any of my concern.”
He remained silent at that. A strong gust of wind suddenly whipped through the air and she reflexively nestled closer against him.
Mistake.
A current of electricity shot through her core. She was no prude; she’d been a married woman for heaven’s sake. But being in Clint’s arms was triggering a reaction she hadn’t been expecting. One she couldn’t relate to anything else.
She’d loved Jay. She really had. But she couldn’t recall feeling an electric jolt in the pit of her stomach when he held her. Not like she was feeling this very moment.
“What about you?” Clint surprised her by asking.
“Me?”
“If I recall, Lizzie mentioned a couple of years back attending a traditional Indian wedding. I believe you were the bride.”
“You would be correct.”
“But you’re here alone.”
“It’s like you said, some things simply aren’t meant to be.”
He was silent for a moment, then she heard him take a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
She felt his arms tighten around her. Sympathy? She certainly hoped not. “It’s one thing when a short-term, frivolous relationship ends. A marriage failing is a bit more life altering.”
He had no idea. The end of her marriage was only part of it. Someone like Clint would never understand. He could never grasp how someone like her had never truly felt untethered. She was a daughter first. Then a wife. Her identity had always been tied to someone else.
She’d never felt like just Rita. Just herself.
No, she wouldn’t even bother to explain. There would be no point.
“Was it one particular thing?” he asked above her head. “That led to your split, I mean.”
His question wasn’t as simple as it appeared on the surface. There were so many particular smaller issues. And one major underlying one. “Yes. And no.” It was the most honest answer she could give.
“So you’re saying it’s complicated.”
She could repeat her answer and be correct once again. “Only in that we wanted different things.” Things she was in no way ready for. While Jay wanted them more than anything. Things like a family, children, a house. Things she wouldn’t be able to walk away from and then it would be too late, making her stay for all the wrong reasons. “So yes, in that way it was complicated.”
She couldn’t get into any more than that, despite Clint’s charm and the effect he was having on her when he held her this way. How could she explain something that she hadn’t fully grasped herself yet?
And what about him? What exactly was his story? The way he’d talked earlier about his relationships sounded as if he expected them all to come with predetermined expiration dates.
She was trying to come up with a way to ask when a small sliver of reddish-orange light broke through the surface of the clouds in the distance. The sun was finally beginning to rise. A collective hush suddenly fell over the murmuring crowd. In slow motion they all watched as more and more streaks of breathtaking hues of red broke over the sky.
The scene took her breath away. Any hint of her earlier cold or discomfort was completely forgotten. This view, this image would stay with her forever.
As would the thought that she was unexplainably happy that she’d been able to share it with Clint. While he held her in his arms.
* * *
The woman pulled at him like a magnet. Clint had fully intended to stay away from her on this trip. He really had. But then he’d seen her shivering in the dark with nothing but a flimsy, hooded sweatshirt and some type of thin fleece headband. The windchill up here had to be below freezing at the least. How was he supposed to walk away?
He wasn’t made of stone after all.
Now he was beyond happy that he’d ignored the warnings in his head and gone to her. He couldn’t imagine taking in this scene any other way. Tomorrow he might think differently. But right now, watching the brilliant colors slowly explode across the dawn sky above the crater, he was more content than he could ever remember.
Spiritual. It was the one word that came to mind. The most spiritual thing he’d experienced in all his years. And he had the pleasure of doing so with the extraordinary woman who happened to be in his arms.
A few feet away, an elderly gentleman with long white hair dressed in traditional native garb began chanting.
“It’s a prayer and salutation to the sun,” Rita whispered below his ear. The chanter’s deep, rich voice added yet another magical element to the extraordinary moment. Clint allowed himself to simply relax, to simply take in the majesty surrounding him. Rita was breathing steadily and deeply against his chest.
They remained that way several moments even after the sacred chant ended.
“That was amazing.” Rita finally broke the silence but made no effort to move out of his embrace. And he couldn’t remember when he’d ever felt so at peace, so serene.
The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them made them both jump. Clint turned to see his sister and her groom both staring with their mouths agape. Reluctantly, he pulled his arms away and let Rita go.
“I was really cold,” Rita offered by way of explanation.
Lizzie blinked, then focused her intense gaze on her brother’s face.
“She was shivering.”
“Right” was Lizzie’s only response but she dragged out the word so long it was almost comical. His soon-to-be brother-in-law made a dramatic gesture of coughing into his hand in order to hide his laugh.
Rita adjusted her top and stepped away. “That was quite an amazing sight to behold.”
Clint had to tighten his fists to keep from reaching for her again. As silly as that notion was under their current circumstances. But he couldn’t deny that his fingers itched to do that very thing.
“Uh-huh. Sure