The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance (12 page)

Alyssa giggled, but she still sounded nervous. He’d better get her back to the bed and breakfast. It had been a long day and she was probably exhausted. He regretted saying anything to her about the photographers. A true artist like her would never understand those cockroaches who stooped to exploit others and sell hurtful pictures to the tabloids.

“I have a clean report for one Beck-ham Taylor,” Maryn drawled out.

Alyssa sank onto her bed. “Really?” Was her intuition finally on? Beck was a good guy and wouldn’t hurt her? Her heart raced as she thought of Beck’s exciting kisses in the boat today but then it dropped when she remembered the intense scorn he’d shown for the paparazzi. How could she ever tell him she’d been desperate enough to do that, and even worse, to take pictures of him and his family when they were grieving? She hadn’t known how far the tabloid would twist the pictures she’d taken, but still it made her physically sick.

“Yep. He’s a good guy, my friend, committed to his family and helping children. Of course there were some pictures of him dating, but it was never smutty or anything.”

“Maryn,” Alyssa all but wailed, “How am I going to tell him I took those pictures of him and his sister?”

“I don’t know, sweets. Maybe give it a little more time. No reason to unload all the dirt on the second date.”

“I feel like I’m hiding something from him.” Alyssa pressed her eyes closed. “I hate it.”

“That’s because you’re so pure and good. Take your time and get to know him. When he sees how sweet you are, he’ll know my girl would never take advantage of anyone, and he won’t care what you’ve done in the past.”

Alyssa sighed. “Thank you, friend, that means a lot to me.”

“It’s true. So tell me… you got a scoop?”

“You had better be kidding.” Alyssa hated the way Maryn had phrased that. She stretched out on her bed and pressed the phone to her ear. “No more scoops. I told you about the first day we spent together. You said nothing else was going to get printed in that stupid article and you promised no names.”

“Of course, no more scoops, like that kind of scoops, unless we’re talking about ice cream.” Maryn laughed. “I just love hearing about your romance.”

“Yeah, yeah, sadly I know you too well to believe that.” Beck had been so thoughtful to buy her and Stockton ice cream and the look in his eyes as he wiped it off her hand... Was Maryn right that he’d understand or was he going to hate her?

“Hey, I’m offended by that calloused remark. This is all best buddy here, off the record. I already promised not to write any of this, but you have to give me some dirt. Any lip action happening yet?”

Alyssa let out her breath on a whispered sigh. She pointed her toes and enjoyed being lazy and thinking about Beck’s kisses. Maryn was right, it was smarter to wait and get to know Beck better before she stressed over revealing all her secrets. “It was amazing.”

“Now that’s more like it. I’m demanding best friend rights, describe, please.”

“Which time?”

“Oh, yeah! Loving that. First time then we can get all the grit later.”

Alyssa laughed. “All I can say is he rescued me from some druggie, and then he completely took my breath away.”

“Ah, that’s beautiful. So, you’re really liking this guy?”

“Yes.”

“And you really appreciate your best friend setting this all up?”

“Yes.” Alyssa was wary again. “But you already owe me twenty favors so I’m not doing anything more for you.”

“I’m hurt! I just wanted to hear your gratitude.”

“I am grateful. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever met.”

“See, that’s all I wanted. Now go find him and kiss him some more, and I expect you to name your first daughter after me.”

Alyssa hung up the phone with a smile. Maryn
was
a cute name for a little girl. She laughed. She was getting more than a little ahead of herself. Alyssa was one of the few from their group of twelve who regretted making the Billionaire Bride Pact at twelve years old. As Maryn liked to tease her, Alyssa was the dark side of the pact. She really had no desire to marry a Richie. She smiled, but Beck was so much more than some rich guy. He didn’t act anything like her father or all the men her father had tried to push on her over the years.

She opened her computer, to try and stop her daydreams and worries over Beck, and started sorting the pictures she’d taken of the village of Nahiku last week. A local had taken her there, otherwise she would’ve been met with hostility as a tourist. A popular tourist book recommended people explore the village, but the locals wanted their privacy. When tourists appeared, it was an awkward situation at best, sometimes even resulting in arguments or attacks on the tourists.

The villagers had welcomed her with open arms, partially because of Jerry’s friend who took her, and partially because her dark coloring helped her to fit in. The beautiful village brought such a sense of another era of time. A simple life where children played in the streets without fear and laughed unabashedly because they were loved by family and neighbors alike. Alyssa had never experienced that feeling.

She heard a rap on her door and her heartbeat immediately quickened, hoping it might be Beck. She swung the door open wide. Beck leaned against the frame. Her breath hitched at the warmth in his blue eyes and for the first time in longer than she could remember, she wasn’t afraid to have a man standing outside her room. She could invite him in and not worry that he would try to seduce or attack her. Though she might not mind if Beck tried to seduce her.

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

She glanced down at the sweats and raggedy T-shirt she’d thrown on after her shower. “I look horrible.”

He shook his head. “You look beautiful.”

She blushed. “At least it’s dark outside.”

He smiled and offered his arm. She quickly slipped on her tennis shoes and tied them, then grasped his elbow. They walked down the street to the beach and sauntered slowly along. Beck stopped by the rocks before Canoe Beach and turned to face her.

“I hear there are turtles here in the mornings.”

“There are. I see them on my runs all the time.”

Alyssa’s breath came hard and fast. From the look in his eyes, he didn’t bring her here to talk about turtles. She was grateful he hadn’t bugged her about her decision to travel with him and photograph either. He was so respectful and kind, giving her time to sort things out. Now if she could just get brave enough to tell him about the photographs she’d taken. Despite Maryn’s reassurance, she was afraid that the longer she waited, the worse it was going to be.

Beck smiled and brushed a lock of hair from her face. He slowly lowered his head, but paused and whispered, “Alyssa?” as if asking permission.

She nodded and that must’ve been all the answer he needed. He took command of her lips with a passion that heated her all the way through. She relished each movement of his lips and the way his hands massaged her back in rhythm with the kiss. Every nerve tingled and her head filled up with only Beck.

He broke contact and asked, “Was that a bit more romantic than the alley of a bathroom or a boat with a dozen people watching?”

She laughed. “When you kiss me, I’m not even sure where I am, so I really don’t think the setting matters.”

He grinned and lowered his head to hers again.

Alyssa looked at the monstrous waves off the northwestern point of the island. Surfers were scattered throughout the water, working to catch a big wave. She secured her camera bag over her shoulder and swung back to face Beck as he eased the surfboard off the top of his rental car. “Do you have a death wish?”

Beck laughed and gestured down to the water. “These are small waves.”

“Suicidal,” Alyssa muttered, the shark attack still fresh in her mind. It would be a few days before she got back in the water.

“I promise I’ll be safe.”

Beck rested the surfboard against the car and pulled his T-shirt off. Alyssa lost the ability to disagree with him as she studied the well-defined lines of his chest. The scars saddened her as she hated to think of Beck being in pain, but they added to his appeal. He was a fierce warrior who had been through battle and could protect her from anything. He worked his wetsuit up his legs and she almost gasped at the beauty of the muscles in his shoulders and arms. Finally, he pulled his wetsuit over his torso and shoulders and she found she could breathe again.

“Thanks for coming to watch me,” Beck said, grinning at her as he grabbed his board.

“Sure. I love watching warriors face certain death.”

He arched an eyebrow at her and she blushed. Could he read between the lines and sense her imagination in overdrive with visions of him and his bare chest?

He unlatched the trunk of his car and pulled out a beach chair. “There’s a great place to watch over here and it should be good for photos.”

“This is my island, remember?”

He laughed and gestured for her to walk in front. She reached for the chair, but he held onto it. “What kind of warrior would allow his lady to carry her own chair?”

“Okay, I deserved that.” The awkward rhythm of her walk had color creeping up her face. Beck didn’t seem to be bothered by it, but she still didn’t want to be walking in front of him and having him be reminded that she wasn’t perfect.

Beck set up her chair on a nice spot at the edge of the point then started picking his way down the steep hillside path to the rocks where surfers were entering the water.

“They’re all nuts,” Alyssa muttered. “Beck?” she called out.

He turned back and smiled at her. The sun glinted off his dark hair and his smile lit his bright blue eyes. She was lucky to be sitting down.

“Please be careful.”

“Anything for you, my lady.” He gave a sweeping bow and a wink.

Alyssa sent up a little prayer as he disappeared from her sight and then reappeared at the base of the hill on a huge boulder. He studied the waves crashing on the lower boulders around him, then dove into a swell that was receding from the boulders and let it carry him and his board forward for a minute. A new wave rushed toward him, but Beck simply dove under it and swam with strong strokes toward a group of surfers waiting for the ideal wave.

Other surfers picked a wave and stroked in front of it until the perfect moment when they popped up, riding proficiently. Some got tumbled pretty hard but seemed to come out of it okay. Thank heavens there were no fins visible in the water. Alyssa readied her camera quickly and snapped a lot of shots of the surfers, the ocean, and even some of the spectators around her.

She always kept one eye on Beck, gripping her camera more tightly and hoping he would be smart and safe. She had that strange sensation that someone was staring at her. She turned quickly and saw a beautiful blonde lady standing next to a sign on the hill. Alyssa gave her an uncertain smile. The lady averted her eyes and focused on the surfers. Alyssa wondered why the obviously wealthy and, in Alyssa’s opinion, prissy woman would be watching her. She looked to be in her late twenties and wore a skin tight dress that definitely didn’t fit with the sand, surfing, and ocean.

Alyssa turned back to watch Beck, but she was certain the blonde was looking at her again. A monstrous wave rolled toward Beck’s group. He angled his board and swam quickly with the wave until the crest was almost upon him. Alyssa set her camera down, afraid she would drop it. She leaned forward, squeezing her hands tightly together, and barely able to keep from closing her eyes, like a child watching a scary movie who just wants the terrifying part to be over.

Beck jumped onto his board and skimmed along the wave. Riding into the tunnel, he twisted and turned until he reached the end and the wave petered out. He flipped into the water and then grabbed his board and started stroking back out.

Alyssa jabbed both arms into the air. “He did it!”

An older couple seated a few feet away from her laughed. She swung her gaze up the hill again. The woman gave her an imperious glare then turned and walked toward the parking lot. Alyssa smiled at the older couple and focused in on Beck again. He was too far away for her to see his features clearly, but she waved like a crazy woman at him. He lifted one hand and then went back to paddling.