CHAPTER 10
LOVE.
Alone in her cabana, the word taunted her, keeping her from sleep. Could she really be in love with Tony? Her head screamed no, but her heart whispered yes.
The rest of her was just confused.
Sighing, she flopped back on the bed and pulled the pillow over her head.
She was having the time of her life, but with two different men, and it was making her a little nuts. What she wished more than anything was that the man she loved during the day was the same man who she made love with at night.
That word! There it was again. No matter how much she wanted to hide from the truth it kept finding her—she loved Tony.
The knowledge made her giddy, and she actually giggled. She’d never been in love before, not really, and it felt wonderful. Even if it couldn’t last, even if it was only fleeting, when she was old and feeble she could look back on her life and remember that she’d been in love. Really and truly in love.
She loved the way he laughed. The way he’d madeher feel comfortable. The way they seemed to fit together, to feed off each other’s thoughts. The rhythm on the boat, the buddy breathing—heck, just hanging out on the beach.
She hugged the pillow tighter. She’d been so worried about avoiding strings with Michael that she’d forgotten to worry about the kind of tie that was stronger than sex. Intimacy. And the only man who’d really gotten that close to her was Tony.
Michael was sweet and wonderful and she’d shared some amazing things with him, but in the final analysis, their relationship was lacking. But with Tony…well, that went a lot deeper. He grounded her, made her feel safe and special. Oh Lord, she loved him. So help her, she did.
And that created a little bit of a problem. She certainly couldn’t keep sleeping with Michael now that she realized she was in love with Tony.
She sat bolt upright as an even more disturbing problem occurred to her: How on earth could she marry one man if she was in love with another?
A tricky question, true, but she had the answer. The same answer she’d had all her life—family obligations, responsibilities, plans.
She blinked back tears. She’d marry Harold because she had to. She’d hold on to Tony’s memory because she wanted to.
Isn’t that why she came to Fantasies, Inc. in the first place?
Outside her window, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in a fabulous array of oranges and purples. She watched the spectacle until one sharp knock at the door interrupted.
She pulled open the door, then fought back a gasp.Michael. An unexpected wave of disappointment flowed through her. She’d had no reason to expect Tony, none at all, and yet somehow that had gotten in her head. Certainly he’d gotten in her blood, and the thought of being with Michael now simply depressed her—no matter how much the touch of his hands made her body sing. She felt her eyes well up.
In one fluid movement, he kicked the door shut and gathered her in his arms. “Hey, baby, shhhh. What’s the matter?”
Feeling foolish and silly but unable to stop, she let the tears come. She kept her face pressed against his shoulder, breathing in the now-familiar smell of his cologne. He stroked her hair and she relaxed in his embrace, letting herself take some comfort from him as she gathered her courage.
His hands closed on her shoulders and he gently pushed her away. His face was firm, studying hers. “Kyra? What’s wrong?”
Everything. Everything and nothing.
“I…I don’t think we can do this anymore.”
His grin was lighthearted, but she could see the undercurrent of concern. “This?”
She stepped back, breaking the contact betweenthem, and swept her arm out to encompass the room. “Yes.This. All of this. You and me. I can’t do it anymore.” A tear trickled down her face, and she wiped it away.
“Sweetheart, I—”
She put a finger over his lips. “No. Please. I’m sorry. You do things to me. Truly amazing things.” She closed her eyes, gathering her courage even as she remembered how wonderful he made her feel. “But I can’t do it anymore.” She looked him straight in the eye. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
She took a deep breath. “I realized that I’m in love.” It felt good to say it, as if saying the words aloud made her stronger. As if Tony was right there beside her spoon-feeding her courage.
Michael stiffened. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
