5

      AND TO THINK he hadn’t wanted to come on this cruise.

      Joe stepped out of the taxi and scanned the scene before him. Whoa. No wonder the magazine had gone to so much trouble to get them to North Caicos Island. From Grand Turk they’d had to take a chartered plane to Providenciales and from there they’d had to hire half a dozen taxis to drive to this island.

      But Joe had to admit it was worth it. This was paradise. They were on a high bluff overlooking a deserted beach. The palm trees and foliage lining the crescent-shaped beach looked like CGI for a movie. Turquoise water, gentle waves and smooth white sand. Give him a cold beer and he’d be in heaven.

      Then Joe saw Carly emerge from a taxi pulling up behind his and revised that thought. Carly in his arms again would be his version of heaven.

      She was wearing white capris and a brightly colored shirt cinched by a wide white belt. She wore strappy heels, of course, and all the perfect accessories. Her hair was up, with wispy tendrils falling loose around her face and down her neck. She should be posing for the magazine herself, she was always so perfectly put together.

      Well, not always. Joe smiled, remembering her, just a few hours earlier, lying beside him gloriously naked, her arm bent holding her head in one hand, her knee bent in a provocative pose. Her skin had been damp with perspiration, her lips red and swollen from his kisses, and her eyes half-lidded in satisfaction. And despite the sated laziness his body had felt, he could’ve kept going if they hadn’t had to be ready to disembark in less than an hour.

      But there was always tonight.

      He grinned as he caught her eye. So much for getting a good night’s sleep, right? And if he had shown up “unkempt,” whose fault was that?

      Carly didn’t return his smile. Her lips thinned and she spun to direct the lighting and camera crews to set up in front of the ruins of the main house up the path. Joe chuckled. She could pretend icy indifference all she wanted. He knew there was a fire burning in that woman that could scorch a guy if he didn’t know how to handle the flames. Luckily, he was a trained professional. Although maybe with Carly, he’d need some extra practice....

      “This heat is unbearable.” Joe turned to see Piper stumble awkwardly from another taxi. She wore dark shades and a large floppy hat, and she started swatting madly at the mosquitoes buzzing about. “If I get bitten I’m going to sue someone.”

      Carly had warned everyone on the plane about the mosquitoes and handed out a supply of bug repellant. Piper ordered her makeup assistant to apply it on her while she’d been waiting for the taxis. “Oh, this heat is intolerable!” Piper fanned herself with her hand. “Where are we? It looks like the middle of nowhere. Where’s the hotel? Is there not even a restroom? You!” She snapped her fingers at a poor assistant carrying cables and tripods down a dirt path. “Direct me to the nearest facilities.”

      “Uh...” The unlucky gofer looked at Joe with pleading eyes.

      Joe sighed. “Maybe you can think of this as an adventure.” He reached out to take her arm and lead her down the path. “The intrepid supermodel braving a primitive environment.”

      “What rubbish.” Piper’s scowl remained as she snatched her sunglasses off and gazed around her. For the first time, he really examined the woman. Or girl, really. She couldn’t be more than twenty-two, twenty-three. She wore red short-shorts with a hot pink halter top. Her body was perfection. Full breasts and tiny waist, thin to the point of skeletal, taller than Carly. Her caramel skin and thick, straight black hair hinted at her exotic heritage.

      “Piper. Joe.” Carly strode toward them, a pile of clothes draped over one arm. “These are your outfits for the shoot.” She led them down a worn path through dense foliage to a cornerstone with a two-story-tall chimney still standing. “There’s a mostly intact stone building this way where you can change, Piper.” She gestured to the right for Piper, and Joe to the left. “And another building this way for you, Joe.”

      Joe took the clothes she handed him and winced. Tall black boots. Tight black jeans. And a crisp white shirt with gold cuff links. All with famous labels.

      What was he supposed to be? A designer-wearing pirate? All he needed was the eye patch and parrot. He gritted his teeth and remembered his agreement. Mumbling a curse under his breath he yanked his T-shirt off and began unbuttoning his shorts. Just get this over with.

      When he’d finished dressing he headed for the sound of Carly’s voice directing the crew. She’d set up the shoot at a half wall with the beach behind it. The stunning view behind these old ruins made for a great location. Carly really knew what she was doing. Joe paused to admire her.

      Directing the cameraman and lighting crew, she wiped her temple with the back of her hand. She wasn’t complaining about the heat or the bugs. She had ambition and wasn’t afraid to work hard to get what she wanted.

      He made his way to her side. “Where do you want me?” Though he’d meant the double entendre, he hadn’t meant to startle her.

      She jumped and swiveled to face him, glaring. Then her gaze lowered down his body, slowly. She made a funny little sound, not quite a whimper, and swallowed as her gaze traveled back up and stopped at his chest. She licked her lips and then reached up and began unbuttoning the shirt. All the way down to the waistband of the jeans. “There.” Her voice was barely a whisper. She licked her lips and finally met his eyes. “Women are going to go crazy for this one.”

      Disappointment thudded in his chest. Was that all he was to her? A commodity to sell magazines? Wait. Of course he was. Why had he begun to think otherwise? Just because he’d felt a connection with her last night? She was tough, but feminine. Assertive, disciplined, goal-oriented. And he wanted to get to know her better. She obviously didn’t share the sentiment. Hadn’t he learned anything from the break up with Lydia?

      “Where’s Piper?” Carly sidestepped past him, heading in the direction of the ruins where she’d sent Piper to change. “Joe, go to Christoph for a little makeup, please?” she called over her shoulder.

      Makeup. Great. But, hey. It beat having to deal with the diva. Joe didn’t envy Carly tha—

      “Joe!” Carly’s terrified shriek had him racing toward her before he knew exactly where he was going. Was it a snake? Had she fallen down the cliff? His heart pounded double time picturing her injured, scared. He followed the path, rounded a corner and found her hunched over Piper, who was curled up in the corner of two crumbling walls, shaking, gasping for breath.

      “She says she can’t breathe,” Carly offered.

      He squatted and checked Piper’s pulse. Rapid, erratic. Her pupils were dilated. Not good.

      “Any other symptoms?”

      Carly shook her head, shrugging.

      Joe cupped Piper’s face in his hands and spoke firmly. “Piper, look at me.”

      The girl flinched, but her eyes met his.

      “Does anything hurt?”

      “M-my chest hurts.”

      “Are you dizzy? Nauseated?”

      She nodded.

      “Were you bitten by anything?”

      She shook her head. “I...don’t know. Don’t think so.”

      “Have you eaten today? Taken any drugs?”

      She turned her head, closed her eyes.

      He