long enough to lean forward to taste his soup. Closing her eyes, she savored the brothâs spicy flavors against her tongue. Adrien never made a mistake with a meal.
âWhy do you always have to do everything so well? Men! I swear. Youâre all soâargh.â
Adrienâs eyebrow lifted.
She squinted at him and stuck out her tongue.
He smiled triumphantly and went back to his soup.
During her rant, sheâd accidentally smashed the uneaten muffin onto the counter. She felt guilty about that, too. She hated to waste food.
Nearby, she could hear some guests returning from a catamaran outing. Time for Kelly to get a hold of herself. It wouldnât do for the guests to see her in the middle of a nervous breakdown.
After dumping the muffin in the trash, she went to her suite to wash her hands. Her rooms were the only private bedroom and sitting room on the first floor and possessed the best sea views. Outfitted in colors of soft ivory and chocolate-brown, her suite could have been in any exclusive hotel in the world. Sheâd been lucky. When she bought Last Resort, it had been made over only a few months before. However, a high-end destination like this needed constant maintenance. There was always something that needed to be fixed, replaced or updated. The staff, most of whom sheâd inherited with the buy, kept the place running smoothly. Some of them had been doing the same jobs since before she was born, so she left them to it.
After washing her hands, she sat down on the edge of her bed. Staring at her cell phone, she contemplated her next move. Mimi had to be told. Maybe she could convince her sister to temporarily go along with the ruse until Rafe was feeling better. She remembered the way his face fell when he found out Mimi wasnât there. Kelly winced. There was no way Rafe would be interested in her if Mimi was around.
She lay back on the bed. âItâs not supposed to be about that,â she chastised herself. âItâs about helping him to get better.â
Initially, when Kelly had invited Rafe, her sole intention had been to help him. He never whined or complained, but she could always tell that he had seen things heâd rather forget. After several letters prodding him about his injuries, heâd finally told her everything. That heâd nearly died sent her heart reeling. That was when she knew she cared much more than she should.
In her mind and in her heart, she knew she could make a positive difference in his life.
She turned onto her side.
Rafe was even more than she had expected. His inner strength only intensified his attractiveness. She thought of his taut muscles and the way his jeans fit against hisâ
âStop it,â she moaned. Even before sheâd seen him, he had been a late-night fantasy. Heâd often kept her awake as she wondered what it would be like if he touched her. Or better yet, kissed her.
Kelly quickly got out her cell phone and called her sister. She had to tell someone the truth, or she would die from guilt.
âThis is Mimi, you know what to do,â the recorded voice said.
For a second Kelly thought about leaving the whole twisted story in a message. It would be so much easier, but she wouldnât stoop that low.
âCall me,â she said before hitting the end call button.
âIâm not a bad person,â she whispered to her pillows. âThis all began so innocently. Can I help it if his letters made me fall for him? Is it my fault that I want him all to myself?â
A little voice in the back of her mind spoke up. âOh, be quiet, conscience.â
She needed something to do so she would stop obsessing. There was always paperwork, but she couldnât concentrate.
Jumping up from the bed, she slipped off her shorts, revealing the rest of her bikini. She then reached for the latch and opened the sliding glass door.
Outside, her board stood waiting for her. She grabbed it and ran