“Friends with benefits.”
“Exactly. Let’s just leave it there for now.” She pulled the sheet over her breasts, relieved to not be so bare for this conversation.
“And if I want to renegotiate this benefit package?”
Her heart stilled and dizziness held her in place. She swallowed over the knot in her throat. “You don’t want to be more than friends.”
“Yes, I do. We already are.” The confusion on his face tugged at her soul.
“Have you even thought about what that would mean? I’m already the longest relationship you’ve had in a decade. Plus, I live in New York.”
He shrugged. “You’re moving here.”
“Not really. We’re basing the business here for tax purposes. I’ll still spend most of my time in New York, and travelling. When the high-end line takes hold there will be runway shows at all the major fashion weeks. My career will only get more demanding. And I don’t share, Harm. All that time alone on an island with a continual stream of willing women, you’re bound to take what’s on offer. Plus, you hate my best friend. That doesn’t make me good girlfriend material.”
“I don’t hate Sassy. I want her to be a better person. And I’m not hung up on where you live or how much you work. I have a plane. I can come see you whenever I want.”
“Of course, you have your own plane.” She stood, clutching the sheet to keep it from slipping away. “We’re not going to decide anything in a post-coital haze. What was it you told Joe? He was obsessed with Saskia because of the magic-pussy phenomenon? Maybe you’re just having some kind of weird reaction to getting laid.”
“My brother has a big mouth.” His devilish grin had her wanting to back up as he rose from the bed and made his way towards her. He stopped right in front of her, deep within her personal space. She felt the heat of him through the thin sheet.
She held up her hands to keep him from getting too close, but her traitorous palms slid right over the sparse hair defining his powerful chest. Even after a night of exploring, she couldn’t get enough of his body. She refused to blame herself for it. The man was an Adonis. Surely that forgave some of her brazen behavior.
Harm lowered his head, speaking in a whisper though there was no one to overhear. “You cast a spell on me the first time you kissed me,
schatje
. I can’t get enough of you. Even having you only makes me want more.”
Damn, he was good
. She squeezed her thighs together and closed her eyes. He wrapped his hands around her waist and slid his smooth cheek against hers.
“You’ll see it my way eventually, sweetheart.” He pressed his lips to her earlobe and gave a slow pull, the delicate touch rekindling the flame left burning from the night before.
She sucked in a breath meant to cool her desire, but instead she pulled Harm’s masculine scent into her lungs, imprinting it there forever. She needed distance—emotional and physical. She’d just had several rounds of the best sex of her life. She couldn’t possibly make any life decisions now. Because the best options would all include sharing a bed and a laugh with the man she’d come to care about, despite an island full of warnings.
“I have to get to the crew and see if they’d be on board with working with unknown models.”
It was his turn to sigh. “Once the shoot wraps and we put the crew on a boat for the airport in St. Maarten, we’re having this conversation.”
“A man who wants to talk, you are just full of surprises, Prinsen.”
He stepped back and shook his head. “We’ll start with why you are stealing my sheet.”
“It won’t leave the premises, I promise.”
“I don’t think it should leave this room.” He reached two fingers under the edge, right between her breasts. One quick tug and the material pooled at her feet.
She fought the instinct to cover herself. His desire for her had tripled her confidence, just as she’d hoped. She winked and did her best catwalk impression as she headed for the stairs.
Chapter Sixteen
It had taken all week, but the photographer had finally let go of his all-black New York look and found a pair of shorts. Holly thought the guy was great, but Harm had to question the sanity of anyone who refused to soak up the glory of the Caribbean sunshine. Or work in shoes when the beach had soft, white sand.
Holly had spent the week in dresses, but today she’d donned a Sassy V creation, a deep ocean-blue number that reminded him of lingerie, not swimwear. The crochet looked like lace and her golden skin showed off every detail.
The entire morning had been more relaxed than the other days of shooting. Holly looked breathtaking in her element, smiling and laughing as the visions in her head became photographs. He’d stood by and listened as she explained the colors and mood she wanted, her ideas making him see the swaying palms and breaking waves from a new perspective.
Find what you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s what his godfather, Dutch, always told him. Holly had managed to find at twenty-six what had taken him until thirty-five to figure out. She enjoyed her fashion line as much as he and Joe liked taking damaged houses and making them high-end homes. Yes, rental properties had a better return-on-investment than any commercial deal he’d ever arranged, but he did it for the before-and-after pictures. The sense of accomplishment in leaving something better than he’d found it.
Meeting Holly had been that way. He’d expected so little of her and she’d shared so much with him. But he wanted more. Like some kind of acknowledgement she wasn’t trying him out as if he were an Anguillan tourist attraction. He’d told her what he expected, and she’d thrown up a smokescreen of excuses, then tried to run from him like a scared little rabbit.
He couldn’t blame her. Falling for her hadn’t been on his agenda either. Fear crept around his heart, squeezing in his chest. He had to convince her to stay on Anguilla, to play this thing out rather than writing it off because of some misguided idea about his reputation. He couldn’t deny that he’d enjoyed more than his share of women, but he’d never been a womanizer. Never used any of them. There had to be a way to make her see that, to get her to trust what she felt for him. He knew she wanted him as bad as he did her.
“Your turn, Holls.” The photographer called out to her, smiling when she shot him a not-in-this-lifetime glare. “Come on, just a few of you in this blue one and then you should change into the white like everyone else.”
“Jason, I put on this suit because I wasn’t sure the models would work out. But they’re gorgeous. We could not have cast it better.” She turned away from the surf, pressing her floppy hat firmer on her head. Jason captured the pose. “If I find out you put that on a dart board, we cannot be friends.”
“What are you afraid of, Holly?” Harm asked, enjoying every moment as she took in his double meaning.
“I’m not scared. I arrived this morning prepared to try my hand at modeling, but luckily someone called in the professionals.” She gave him a million-dollar grin, her long hair dancing on the breeze.
“Prove it. Let Jason take his shots. Arguing about it is just wasting time.”
Jason cleared his throat. “Listen to him, Holls. I promise to make you look good.”
“Fine, make it quick. Should I say cheese?” She shrugged and held up her hands. The breeze kicked up, whipping the floppy hat off her head and onto the sand.
Harm jogged toward it and snatched it up as he closed the distance to Holly.
“You just wanted to be in the picture.” She took the hat from his hand and held it behind her back as she faced him. “Is that why you shaved? You wanted me to ask you to model?”
“You know why I shaved.” He moved closer and pressed his body to hers as he ran his fingers over the intricate details of her bikini bottom. No wonder these suits were such a hit. They curved to her body as tightly as his hands, ties at the side and back allowing for individual adjustments. Or easy access.
Holly stood on tiptoe, her smile wide as she set her floppy white hat on his head. She threw her head back and laughed, the musical sound he loved so much. He gripped her hips and leaned in to capture her laugh with a kiss.
She snagged the hat and held it beside their faces. Probably a good thing, because the way she kissed him back belonged in his bed, not a public beach. But he couldn’t stop. She tasted of sweet hope and deep desire. He pressed closer to her, showing her how she affected him with just a kiss.
“What are you doing?” Saskia’s shrill voice lanced through the air. “Harm, get your hands off her.”
Holly froze in his arms, biting his lip and not in the fun way. She tried to step away but he shook his head. Separating now was only going to make matters worse. The sun glinted off the golden flecks in her eyes and she took a deep breath before lowering the hat and stepping in front of him.
“Holly, what did he do to you?” Sassy jogged down from the bungalows and across the beach. “Are you okay?”
“Honey, it’s not what you think. Did you notice Jason taking pictures?” She motioned to the photographer who held up his camera.
Harm’s stomach pitched and he clutched Holly’s hip, pressing his possessive fingers into the soft curve of flesh.
She didn’t react at all. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to see your mom in Miami?”
Sassy gulped down air, eyeing him with veiled annoyance. “We met her for breakfast then came here. I thought I could wear a few of the designs so we had something for the website. But it looks like you were able to work some kind of magic with the local modeling agency.”
“That was Harm. He called in some favors for us.”
“Why?” Sassy narrowed her blue eyes and put her hands on her skinny hips.
“You needed the help, brat. That’s why,” he said and Holly stiffened under his grasp. “The proper response is thank you.”
“Okay, you two. We’re not on a playground.” She pulled off his hand and walked up the beach. “You want to fight like children, you get off my set.”
“Holly,” they said in stereo, casting each other annoyed looks.
“Work it out on your own time.” Holly never turned around, just marched up to the bungalows and made her way inside.
Harm swallowed over the anger choking him. Sassy had ruined every hookup she’d ever witnessed. But he wasn’t about to let her interfere with Holly.
“What have you done?” Sassy scrunched up her freckled face. “If you touched my friend I swear–”
“Listen up, little girl. She’s worked herself to exhaustion every day to make this photo shoot happen while you were doing interviews and playing tourist with my brother. You are not going to come here and act as if she has wronged you in any way. You tell her thank you, tell her how much you appreciate her, how fabulous she looks in the bikini she did not want to put on. In fact, you should run to that bungalow and find something to wear and be part of this shot she wants of all the models together. Support her, or we’re going to have a problem.”
The brat had the nerve to roll her eyes. “The first problem we have is with you telling me what to do. I’m not a child anymore.”
“Then act like an adult. For Joe’s sake, and Holly’s, we have to get along. But when you act like a spoiled brat, you make it impossible. You don’t walk onto a set and start throwing accusations around. Holly deserves better than that.”
“She deserves better than you. She may have let you flirt with her, but she’s never going to be one of your conquests.”
He gave into the laugh. If anything, he was hers. “Go find something to wear for the picture, brat. And tell her thank you.”
Sassy shook her head, red hair framing her face. “You need to stop talking to me like I’m a twelve-year-old idiot. I know what to do to help this photo shoot. Holly and I built this business together. I won’t tell you what real estate to invest in and you keep your opinions about my fashion line to yourself. That will help us get along much better.”
She spun on her heel and ran for the bungalow. With her gone the burn of anger waned, the chill of Holly’s actions seized him. She’d acted as if their pose was only for the camera. She’d begun their relationship with a ridiculous game. Had she just been playing with him all along?
Chapter Seventeen
Holly tucked her knees under her and leaned back on the white chaise, the conversation and laughter of the party blending with the Spanish guitar being played by one of the guys who’d modeled today. After the shoot wrapped, everyone had gathered on Harm’s patio. There hadn’t been an agenda, just friends enjoying one another’s company and talking about the day.
It reminded her of home. Odd how such different places could harbor the same sense of community. People pitched in wherever needed because it was the right thing to do. Just to be neighborly. She’d forgotten how comforting a support system like that could be after all the years in Miami and New York.
She felt Harm’s presence even before he sat beside her on the chaise. He handed her a glass and took a sip of his own.
“Does mine have vodka?” She liked soda and lime, but she’d earned a drink and had seen others drinking Anguillan punch. There had to be alcohol in that.
He winked at her. “You can even keep a bottle in the wet bar if you want.”
She ignored the innuendo of that remark. With the way he’d been so grabby and possessive as soon as Saskia had arrived, Holly had a sinking suspicion he’d played her to hurt Sass. “Do you not drink at all?”