Breaking the Rules (3 page)

“And if you don’t have any candles or a flashlight?”

“Then we’ll stay put until the electricity comes on or the sun comes up.”

“But the current might wash my bag away.” She stepped back, though he kept a grip on her arm. “I get your point, Mitch. But if you won’t help me, I’ll go alone. It’s been nice knowing you. Somewhat bizarre, but nice nonetheless. Thanks for getting me this far.”

Mitch’s sigh seemed a mixture of exasperation and reluctant amusement. “Okay, Aphrodite, you win. You’re probably the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. Whatever’s under that palm tree must be pretty damn important.”

Despite her predicament, Claire grinned. “You have no idea.”

Chapter Three

Mitch turned toward the water as the woman’s hands settled at either side of his waist. When he’d found her cowering in the sand, she’d seemed sweet…fragile.
So much for first impressions.

The blackness felt like a blanket over his head. Extending both arms, he took a few hesitant steps. When his toe hit something solid, he stopped short. “Dammit!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I kicked a rock.”

“Are you okay?”

Balancing on one leg, he lifted the opposite foot and touched his toe. Nothing oozed. He lowered his foot to the sand, wishing he’d been smart and kept his shoes on. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just dandy. Next time I might not be so lucky, though. This is crazy, and I’m crazy for letting you talk me into it. We could get toasted by lightning or sucked out to sea by a wave.”

What had started off as a fun and sexy game had begun to lose any appeal for him. Her stubborn streak didn’t seem quite as cute now, either. He really didn’t give a rat’s ass if she was naked or not. They needed to get off of this beach and into his cabana. Pronto. He only had nine toes left, and at this rate they wouldn’t last long.

“I’m not forcing you to help me, Mr. Talbott,” she said, as if reading his mind. “You can retreat to your cozy little cabana and curl up safe and sound until the blackout is over. That’s okay with me; I’m not afraid of the dark.”

Yeah, right.
Her words might be brave, but her voice wasn’t. “Neither am I. And I wish you’d call me Mitch. I told you I’d help, and I will.” Never mind that the good sense he’d ignored before, with toe-throbbing results, told him to run far and fast from Aphrodite O’Malley. Never mind that the woman was willful and certifiably nuts.

“Let’s get this over with,” Mitch huffed. He waved his arms out in front of him, found no resistance, then crept toward the roar of the ocean. “So what made you decide to try out for a spot on
Eden
?”

She was quiet for several seconds, then finally said, “A…um…
friend
talked me into it.”

“What kind of friend would want you to go on a nationally televised game show to try to hook a husband? Sorry, but I can’t imagine anyone being that desperate.”

“I don’t need to
hook
a husband. I wanted to have some fun, that’s all. If, in the process, I win a lot of money or a vacation, or even fall in love, well, so much the better.”

“Why is it that every woman I meet is in such a rush to get married? Happily ever after is highly overrated.”

“I see,” she said, her tone curious and defensive. “If you’re so down on marriage, then why are you working on a program that promotes it?”

“Don’t tell me you really believe that?
Eden
isn’t about love or marriage. It’s about titillation for the nation’s viewing pleasure.”

She didn’t respond, which was fine with Mitch. He was alone in the dark with a woman wearing nothing but skin. The last thing he wanted to talk about was marriage. Titillation, on the other hand, had definite possibilities.

When his left palm hit a rough, solid surface, he stopped. “Here’s a tree. Let’s hope it’s the one where you left your…
bag.”
He stooped to feel in the sand for her suit.

The woman grabbed hold of his arm. “Wait! I’ll do it.”

He heard the urgency in her voice, the ring of panic, and grinned. “Of course.” She didn’t want
him
to find her suit and ruin her little charade. “Go for it, goddess.”

Her hand slid down his arm until their fingers connected. Mitch hadn’t considered holding hands to be a big deal since junior high school. But now, with a naked woman he couldn’t see, a warm night breeze, and ocean waves crashing around them, he found it oddly seductive.

Their fingers remained linked as she stooped to pat the ground. “Well?” he asked.

“Nothing here.” She stood. “Wrong tree.”

“Ready to give up?”

“No.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Mitch guided her hand to his waist and smirked. She was in a no-win situation. If the blackout continued, they’d have a hell of a time finding her suit. But if the electricity suddenly came on again, she’d be exposed…literally. “Let’s see what we can stumble onto in this direction.” He inched forward.

“Owww…!”

Mitch stopped. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” she said, her voice pinched.

“You sure?”

“I said it’s nothing.”

“Fine.” He took another two steps. Though he couldn’t be sure, it felt as if she hopped behind him. She moved so slowly, she practically dragged him backward.

Mitch paused again. The situation had gone from funny to ridiculous. If she didn’t confess in a second, he’d just have to admit he knew about her dilemma.

Sure, she’d be embarrassed. But if the power came back now, she’d not only be embarrassed, he’d get to see her blush. All over. “Hey…if I’m going to help you, you’re going to have to be straight with me. What’s the problem?”

“I stepped on something. I think my heel’s bleeding.”

“Great.”

“If you want to say ‘I told you so’, go right ahead,” she snapped. “Say it. I can tell you’re just dying to.”

He was. “Can you walk on it?” he asked instead.

“I don’t think so. It really hurts.”

“Probably not good to get sand in the wound anyway. We should give up the search and go to my place. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” she answered, sounding resigned.

Unable to resist a little good-natured torture, Mitch bit back a chuckle and said, “I’ll carry you.”

“No! I can hop along behind you. I’ll make it okay.”

“At least put an arm around my neck. It’ll be easier.”

“I prefer to hop.”

He imagined the persistent lift of her chin, the set of her jaw. His amusement shifted to exasperation again. “Have it your way. If you develop gangrene and lose your leg, it won’t be my fault.”

“It’s just a cut.”

Mitch started walking again.
Time to tell her the truth.
Then they could both quit playing games. What did she think he’d do, anyway? Lose control of himself? Turn into a sex-crazed beast? Or was she just too proud to admit the predicament she’d placed herself in? He’d bet on the latter. She was stubborn, that was for sure. The type of woman bound and determined not to listen to a man come hell or high water. Or, in this case, blackouts. Never mind that he made clear common sense and she didn’t. Not only was she stubborn; she was reckless. And careless, too. Aphrodite O’Malley, goddess of the sea, obviously thrived on chaos.

Mitch opened his mouth to confess, then reconsidered. If she wanted to flirt with disaster, why should he care? He’d let her keep her dignity intact for a little while longer by playing along with her silly game of pretense.

After a few seconds of her struggling to keep pace, Mitch heard what he interpreted as an acquiescent sigh.

“Mr. Talbott—”

“Mitch.”

“Mitch…stop.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re an independent woman. You don’t need advice from anyone. I respect that.” Another step. Her fingers dug into his waist.

“Stop!”

“Why would I want to do that?” He took another step.

“I won’t let you carry me because I’m—”

Mitch’s shin hit something hard. He twisted and tumbled over it.
A lounge chair.
There was a clatter, a whoosh of air from his lungs, a startled exclamation, a thud.

Mitch fell onto his back in the sand, his legs sprawled over the chair. Aphrodite landed facedown on top of him, her breasts pressed against his bare chest where his unbuttoned shirt fell open. On reflex, his arms went around her, both palms settling on her rump.

“I’m naked!” She gasped.

“I noticed.”

“Let go of me!” Claire’s heart pounded as she scrambled up, favoring her injured left foot.

“Let me remind you, lady, it wasn’t my idea to stumble around in the dark. I warned you this might happen.” He paused a moment, and when he spoke again, she detected a hint of humor in his tone. “Though at the time I warned you, I had no idea how much fun it would be.”

“You
knew,
didn’t you? You knew I was naked.”

“What if I did?”

She hugged herself to cover her breasts. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

“And you think this didn’t?”

“Hey, it also wasn’t my idea to stroll around stark naked on the beach.”

“Very funny. For your information, I wasn’t strolling; I was swimming. And if you think for one minute I believe you were trying not to embarrass me by keeping your mouth shut, then you can think again. You enjoyed making me look like a fool.”

“If you would’ve just admitted you were naked, I would’ve offered my shirt. End of problem.”

“How was I supposed to know you’re not some weirdo who’d take advantage of the situation?”

“After that fall, the thought crossed my mind. But no need to worry. I’m a gentleman. Not that it’s ever gotten me anywhere.”

An awkward silence ensued. Finally Claire huffed a sigh. “You filmed me, didn’t you?”

“It’s my job.”

“How much did you see?”

“Not as much as I would’ve liked.”

Claire closed her eyes. “Oh, God. You know what I look like. If I left you right now, tomorrow you’d see me and know who I am.”

“Not unless you’re walking around in the buff.”

“But you saw me.”

“I wasn’t looking at your face.”

She hugged herself tighter. “Very funny. So you don’t know what my face looks like?”

“You can rest easy. I didn’t follow you. I just happened to stumble upon you right at the start of your very intriguing striptease. I tried to see your face, but it was too dark and I was too far away.” He whistled a tune beneath his breath. “By the way, you have talent. If you’re ever in need of a job, there’s a little club back in LA—”

“You are so amusing.” Claire tapped her uninjured toe in the sand. She was cold…and still in a precarious situation should the lights come on. “Does the offer of your shirt still stand?”

“I’m taking it off now. Here.”

She groped the air until she came in contact with the garment in Mitch’s outstretched hand. “Thanks.”

Instinctively she turned her back to him, slipped it on, and began to button up. The crisp cotton felt stiff, almost scratchy, against her bare skin. “When did it die?”

“When did what die?”

“Your shirt. Must’ve been a while back. Rigor mortis has already set in.”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to complain.”

She couldn’t argue with that.

A single raindrop drenched the end of Claire’s nose. Another plopped onto the nape of her neck. Lightning bursts provided a moment of vision. Claire looked over her shoulder, but before she caught a glimpse of Mitch, the world went black again. Exasperated, she listened to the grumbling thunder and finished buttoning his shirt.

“My place is behind us,” Mitch said. “I saw it again in that flash of lightning. Are you decent?”

“Depends on who you ask.”

Mitch laughed. “What I meant was, are you dressed yet?”

“Yes.” This time she didn’t flinch when his arm found her waist and encircled it. Leaning into him, Claire placed an arm around his waist, too. Careful to walk on only the ball of her wounded foot, she moved guardedly alongside him.

“How’s that heel?” he asked.

“It hurts like crazy.”

“Sure you don’t want me to try carrying you now that you’re dressed? I don’t mind.”

“I’m not
that
dressed.”

“Have it your way. We’ll take it one step at a time.”

It seemed his previous irritation with her had eased a bit. Realizing how other men might’ve treated a woman in this situation, she found herself believing Mitch Talbott might actually be a gentleman, after all, not the madman she’d first thought him to be.

A steady, gentle rain began to fall as they inched toward his cabana. Overhead, palm trees swished with a sudden rise of the wind. Mitch stopped. “Here’s the porch. Two short steps up. Careful.”

They took the steps slowly. Upon reaching the top, they were shielded from the weather. Raindrops hammered overhead on what Claire guessed must be an extended tin roof. She heard a rattle, then a squeak as Mitch opened the door.