Mission: Seduction Read Free Page B

in nature. There’s no one to report to, and you don’t have to constantly watch your back.”
    That was true. After his last assignment, he’d begun to reevaluate what was important to him. Unlike Kelly, he had no idea what might be next. He had invested in his friend Will’s private security company so he would always have a job there. That was his safety net.
    But Rafe seldom took the safe path. His beat-up leg and shoulder were proof of that.
    â€œHow did you end up here? Seems like a lot to take on for one person.”
    She shrugged. “I’d been coming here for years during my off time because the waves are great for most of the year. A friend of mine owned it. One day he said he wanted to sell it, and everything fell into place so easily that I knew it was the right decision. It is a lot of work, but manageable. For the most part, it can run itself as long as there’s someone to oversee the accounting and business stuff. Everyone who works here has been here for years, so that also helps.”
    Rafe studied her. Kelly was proud of what she’d accomplished, and she should be. From what he’d seen so far, this was about as close to paradise as one could get.
    â€œSo what time did you say dinner was?”
    â€œOh, thanks for the reminder. I need to get back there. It’s at seven, and it’s casual. Very casual. Shorts are fine. Well, see ya tonight.” She grabbed her board and swung away with a jaunty lift to her step.
    Rafe couldn’t take his eyes off her bikini-clad body striding up the beach. The woman was insanely beautiful. It wasn’t fair.
    He laughed.
    What was paradise without a little temptation?

3
    R AFE SPOTTED K ELLY from the open glass doors of his cabana. She was dressed in a white T-shirt and dark shorts. A pair of pink flip-flops graced her feet.
    Yep. She was as hot as he remembered.
    Hell.
    What was he going to do? Rafe lived by the code of the corps, but he had his own code, as well. Before he’d ever thought about the Marines, his mother had instilled in him a profound respect for women. His father was strict when it came to treating others as equals. Rafe had grown up in the melting pot that was New York, and on his block everyone knew everyone else’s business. There was no chance of getting away with treating a girl he dated any less than was expected.
    Kelly leaned over to hand someone a drink, and he couldn’t avoid it—the way her shorts stretched over her butt nearly sent him back to the showers for a cold one. As he approached the group of other guests, he noticed the man she’d given the drink to follow her with his eyes. The appreciation on his face didn’t sit well with Rafe.
    Hey, weren’t you doing the same thing?
    Shut up.
    There were several people gathered in the mansion’s central room. A big flat-screen was on in one corner where some of the men watched a soccer match. An older couple admired the fish in the aquarium that separated the room from the dining area. Rafe wondered how they kept the tank clean. It was enormous.
    â€œRafe, I’m so glad you’re here,” Kelly said as if she were surprised to see him.
    The confusion must have shown on his face.
    â€œAfter so many hours on the plane and the swim you took earlier, I thought maybe jet lag might have taken over.”
    He returned her smile. “It did—I passed out for a while, which is why I’m late. Sorry about that.” In truth, it had taken everything he had to push himself out of bed and into the shower. Only the curiosity of wanting to see Kelly again had kept him going.
    Careful there.
    â€œCan I get you a drink?” she asked.
    Rafe shook his head. He’d taken two pain pills so that he could make the walk over, and the doctors had warned him not to mix them with liquor.
    â€œNah, I’m good. Maybe some water?”
    â€œKelly, the dinner is ready,” announced a lithe teen with