He had a sensational body. She’d seen him swimming in the lagoon one morning while she was on her way to breakfast. Her heart had almost stopped beating at the sight of his broad shoulders gleaming in the morning sun while water licked over his sturdy, bronzed physique.
Desire rose inside her, trickling up from her core. She could do this. And enjoy it.
AJ’s hands reached for the sash at her waist and pulled carefully at the elaborate knot. She helped him get it undone and the thick strip of silk fell to the floor at her feet. He stroked her back, then put his hands on either side of her waist, caressing her through her dress.
Her breath caught. What if he felt her belly and noticed it was no longer flat? It wasn’t very round, but in the last couple of days there was a noticeable bump.
Guilt forked through her and she plucked at the buttons of his shirt. Better to get on with things and get him so wrapped up in the act that he didn’t notice anything strange about her body.
And he thought she was so nice.
Her heart hammered wildly as she pulled his black tunic away from his skin, revealing his smooth, strong chest. Her nipples tightened, straining against her bra, and her insides seemed to twist into a knot. Was this excitement okay for the baby? She knew sex was supposed to be fine during pregnancy, but somehow it seemed wrong to feel pleasure under the circumstances.
AJ’s dark eyes met hers as she glanced up at his face. He smiled. “I think I might be the luckiest man alive.”
Lani swallowed. No, the luckiest man alive would have a wife who was honest and open, not one who needed to have sex with him as soon as possible so it would look like her child was his.
She dropped her gaze to the button on his pants, and worked at it. Her fingers sprang away as if stung when she noticed the thick, hard arousal hiding beneath the zipper.
AJ laughed. “As you can see, I’m quite attracted to you.”
She managed to smile. “And I to you.” An understatement. Her insides pulsed with arousal and somewhere deep inside her ached in a way she’d never felt before.
AJ unfastened her dress—a single hook held the whole thing together—and pulled it carefully away from her skin.
The warm night air caressed her, but as she stood there, naked before him, an ache of longing opened inside her. A deep, cold loneliness that craved something—sex, love, companionship—all the things that had never come together in her life before.
Now this kind and handsome man offered her all those things and more.
Tears sprang to her eyes and a sob tore from her throat.
“What’s the matter?” AJ moved his hands from her waist to her shoulders, where he held her steady. He frowned, no doubt getting irritated by her hot-and-cold behavior. “Is being my wife such an awful fate?”
Another sob shook her from head to toe. “I can’t do this.” Tears fell from her cheeks and dripped onto her bare breasts.
“Then you won’t. We’ll get dressed. I’m not going to push you into anything.”
Lani froze. “But we have to.” The shrill sound of her own voice startled her.
AJ frowned and shoved a hand through his hair.
“Why?”
“Because I’m already pregnant.”
Her words rang in the air like the clash of a ceremonial gong. AJ frowned, trying to process the information. “You’re carrying Vanu’s baby.” His gaze dropped to her stomach, then her hands flew to cover it.
She nodded, eyes filled with tears.
A horrible, cold sensation settled over AJ. Just when he’d finally committed himself to this new life, when he’d chosen to marry Lani, and was looking forward to sharing his life with her… his brother’s long, strong and deadly arm reached out to him from beyond the grave.
“Why didn’t you say anything before?”
Lani shuddered. “I didn’t know until a few days ago. Then I took a test, and…” She looked down, apparently unable to meet his gaze.
AJ stared at her. He couldn’t understand the secrecy. His mom was so anxious for them to marry, to keep the family together in the traditional way. Maybe they’d decided he’d be less likely to marry her if he knew she was carrying Vanu’s baby.
“So you thought you’d marry me and pretend the child is mine?”
“I didn’t want to…” She swallowed. Lani looked like she wanted to say more, but couldn’t.
“But my mom put you up to it.”
She nodded. “She said it would be better because then you would be the next in line to the throne, and not the baby.”
AJ spun away and blew out a curse. “I can’t believe you women cooked this up. I’ve never been hungry for the throne. I’d have been quite happy to leave and let your child rule Rahiri.”
“I think that’s what your mom was afraid of. She wants you here.”
He knew. Her obvious happiness at having him back home had been a source of guilt and torment to him—until he’d decided to stay.
“What about you?” He peered at her through narrowed eyes. “You don’t need to marry me. Either way your child will inherit the throne.”
“My child’s not even born yet.”
“Your child’s not even showing yet.” AJ’s eyes raked over her belly. “And at this point I’m not even sure whether to believe you now. Get dressed.”
The command startled her into action and she picked her dress up off the floor and pulled it back on. AJ buttoned his pants and turned away. If she really was pregnant and wanted to pretend it was his, no wonder she’d been so anxious to have sex right away. Desire had nothing to do with it.
Revulsion and anger flashed through him. She’d seemed so sweet and innocent—now he knew she was anything but. Lovely Lani had schemed to lure him into a lifetime of deception.
He’d never wanted to come back here. His gut instincts had told him to leave as soon as possible. If anything the instinct had become even stronger after his explosive kiss with Lani. He should have known her pretty facade hid a dangerous and deceptive core. What kind of woman would kiss another man when her husband was barely gone?
He peered at her, hating her beauty and the mix of fear and alarm in her wide, golden eyes.
He turned from her and strode across the room. He should never have promised to stay. It went against everything he wanted from his own life. He loved his film career and his group of friends in L.A. He had no interest in getting married and settling down into some routine existence.
But the ancient ceremonial drumbeats had stirred something lying dormant in his blood. They’d kicked his heart into a primal rhythm and drawn him back into the mysterious and powerful pull these islands exerted over anyone who’d lived here. The magic of the lush jungle and the bright, clear ocean formed a paradise of beauty that could entice any man, much like a stunning woman.
Seductive—and dangerous, in that you never knew what hit you until it was too late. Until you were trapped, bound by tradition and the expectations of people you didn’t even know.
Well, no more. He’d weakened for a moment and taken up the mantle they all wanted to thrust on him, but he could throw it off just as easily.
He turned to Lani, who stood just to the side of the wide bed, already rumpled by their almost-lovemaking. She’d said she was so happy, that she wanted to climb in that bed with him.
All lies.
“You disgust me.”
She flinched slightly, as if