Sophie are already brainstorming ways to outdo this when they plan Rook and Viva’s wedding.”
Paula couldn’t help but smile over the news Linus shared. “When couples compete, their friends get caught in the middle.”
Linus grunted a laugh. “If the middle lands us here again, then I’m all for it.”
“Yeah.” Paula inhaled the pleasant air as she studied the sun making its way closer to the horizon.
“We should’ve been first.”
His words clipped her appreciation of the view. “What?” She shifted to face him, gasping when her gaze collided with his. It had been years since she’d looked so closely into it. His eyes were molten chocolate orbs that had a sensually jarring glint and sometimes reflected hints of amber. His gaze was seductively set beneath long, thick brows of sleek ebony. Stricken, Paula directed her glare toward his pant legs rolled clear of the water.
“You heard me.” Linus moved closer until he was taking Paula’s other hand. Her fist was clenched tight near her thigh. “We should’ve been first. You should be my wife, have a house full of my kids and another inside you—”
“Linus, stop.” She snatched her hand free and used it to cover her mouth. How long had it been since she’d spoken his name? “Don’t.” She hated the pleading quality she heard in her voice then.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
The determined tone of his voice had Paula looking up again. She couldn’t tell whether the apology spoke to their immediate conversation or to a situation long passed and best not revisited.
“It’s too late,” she said anyway. She couldn’t resist probing to see whether their past was on his mind too.
It was.
“Is it?” He left barely a sliver of space between them then.
“It’s a wedding, Linus. You’re just getting caught up in the moment,” Paula reasoned.
That was true. The moment was having its way with her as well. She wouldn’t be able to resist leaning into him if he stayed where he was for much longer. Her thoughts buzzed with memories of the way he used to feel—strong, safe, capable of pleasure she’d never found a match for—
“Ma’am?”
Snapping to, Paula turned to give a nod to the tall dark-suited man who’d interrupted. He said nothing further, only turned and left once she’d acknowledged him.
“Was that for my benefit?” Linus asked.
Again, Paula smiled at the laughter in his query.
“No.” She sighed. “I think we both know it’d take more than one member of my security team to have an effect on you. Anyway.” She glanced across her shoulder to find that they were alone again on the quiet stretch of beach. “There’s not much I can do without them, you know?”
Linus nodded. “One of the perks of being the district attorney,” he said, only cringing a little at her dig.
“And one of the few I’ll miss. He was just coming to let me know it’s time,” Paula explained before Linus could follow up his curious look with a question.
“That’s why I came to find you.” He nodded again, then said suddenly, as though remembering, “Sophie said you’re on your way back to Philly.”
“Yeah, um, they moved up the wedding date and threw me off schedule, so...” She shrugged. “Best I could do to make it work.”
“But you just got here last night.” A teasing light glimmered in his eyes. “Surely the DA can finagle a week off to celebrate her best friend’s wedding?”
“There’s a lot going on at the office.” Paula issued the response she’d gotten down pat with all Sophie’s begging for her to take more time as well. Truthfully speaking, it would’ve taken little more than her saying she’d be back when she got back if she’d wanted to “finagle” a week off or more.
She hadn’t wanted it, and the reason was standing right beside her.
“You know, I never got to tell you how proud I am of you,” Linus was saying, the pride he spoke of alive and well in his eyes. “You wanted DA and you got it.”
“Not bad for an opportunist, huh?”
“Paula—”
“But that’s not the word you used, was it?” She expected her words to have him stepping back.
Linus didn’t budge. “May I talk to you?”
“About what, Linus? The past? The fact that we should’ve been first and I should be spending my time having your babies? We aren’t them.” She threw a hand toward the general direction of the beachfront reception. “Love? Future? We already know what that turns into, don’t we?” She was the one stepping back then. “I already said my goodbyes.” She turned to leave.
He blocked her way. “Don’t you want to know why?”
“I did.” Paula swallowed past a rising sob and silently celebrated the accomplishment. “I did when I was that heartbroken little girl, confused and shattered by the guy I would’ve killed for if he’d asked me to.”
With a resigned shake of her head, she backed off a few more steps.
“I’m not the girl you knew, Linus. She’s gone. You saw to that.”
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Three Weeks Later
“Maxton says the place will inspire our creativity.” Elias Joss’s piercing blue-green stare held a mix of doubt and curiosity as he observed the eight-by-eleven glossy in hand. The square work table before him carried several more of the aerial prints.
“Creativity, huh?” Santigo Rodriguez’s gold-flecked dark gaze harbored similar doubt, which was laced with humor instead of curiosity. “Where’s this villa he mentioned?”
Frowning slightly, Eli leaned over the table and upended another of the gold-toned folders that carried an additional sheaf of glossy images. “Here we go,” he said.
Tig’s light honey-toned face brightened with approval of the villa displayed in full color. It was tucked away on its own island a few miles from Finley Cay in The Bahamas.
“Now this is more like it,” Tig breathed, as if awestruck. “Yeah... I could see myself getting very creative in there.”
“Damn right.” Eli’s voice carried the same awe-filled chord. He had reached for one of the glossies as well and studied the immortalized image with distinct appreciation. “You thinkin’ what I am?”
“I am, if you’re thinkin’ our work should be mixed with a few weeks of unadulterated playtime.” Satisfied, Tig reclined in the wide ladder-backed chair to shuffle through a few more of the prints.
“Then it looks like our thoughts are one, my friend.” Eli helped himself to a few prints from Tig’s stack.
“I even have my playmate in mind.” Tig’s murmured words carried across the room.
“So do I,” Eli murmured in return.
The snort that followed had both men looking toward the far end of the table.
“What?” Tig queried in reaction to the glare Linus sent his way.
“You’re serious here?” Linus’s expression reflected amused disbelief. “I could swear you just got back from two weeks of unadulterated playtime with your playmate.”
“We’re newlyweds, Line.” Tig sighed matter-of-factly while giving a lazy stretch. “It’s