Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth (web ebook reader .TXT) 📕

her face. Her beauty really was arresting. Riley hadn’t noticed until this moment just how beautiful Laine Fulton was.

Laine walked up next to her and pulled out a stool. “Are the others here yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Good, because I wanted to give you a heads-up. I think you need to watch yourself with that Mia girl. There’s something about her that I wouldn’t trust.” She turned her head to the bartender and ordered a club soda.

“Excuse me? I’m not sure that reading people is your primary gift.” Riley couldn’t hide the sarcasm.

She signed her receipt and turned back to Riley. “Touché, and honestly, I wanted to—”

“Good evening, ladies,” Winnie said as she came up beside them. “I don’t know if any of you checked out our pictures after our little excursion today, but if one of you so much as thinks about buying one of me in a wet suit, well, let’s just say the next book being written won’t be Laine Fulton’s. It will be a murder mystery written by yours truly.”

“Don’t pay her any attention,” Tamyra chided. “In fact, she even said it was slimming.”

“I said it was vacuum-sealing. I said nothing about slimming.”

They couldn’t help but laugh as they made their way to the table. “A little piece of Tuscany in the Carribbean,” Laine noted as they walked to their seat. The stucco walls and hand-painted ceiling gave all the diners a little visual Italian flavor. The intimate setting, delicious food, and expansive wine collection provided a flawless evening for anyone wanting a good meal and an inviting atmosphere.

Riley watched Laine all night. She was acting odd. Lighter, more amusing, kinder even. She was a sociopath for sure. Riley knew that was exactly how sociopaths acted before they went in for the kill. She may have fooled Max, but she hadn’t fooled Riley one bit. Laine Fulton was undeniably crazy; she was certain of it. As they finished up the final bites of their tiramisu, Riley felt someone approach behind her.

“Good evening, ladies. It looks like you are getting a taste of some of that Mediterranean fare that I love so much.”

Riley looked up. Christian stood over her looking like an angel with his white button-down hanging loosely over white linen slacks. With his black wavy hair, he simply took her breath away. “Oh, hey. How are you?”

“It’s been a long day, but this is a wonderful way to end it. Looks like you ladies had the same great idea.”

“Uh-huh.” Winnie cleared her throat.

Riley stood. “Oh, yes, Christian, let me introduce you. This is Ms. Tamyra Larsen, Mrs. Winnie Harris, and Ms. Laine Fulton.”

Christian went around the table and shook each woman’s hand. Riley could tell by their expressions that each of them were enjoying the new landscape. As Winnie chatted him up one side and down the other, Christian smiled warmly and finally excused himself. As he did, he caught Riley’s elbow, causing the soft terra-cotta leather of her jacket to rub against her skin. Its three-quarter sleeve grazed her elbow.

“I’m thinking breakfast would be good,” he whispered.

She laughed. “I can’t. But soon.”

“I’m holding you to that,” he said, then turned back to the other women. “Wonderful to meet each of you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here at the beautiful Atlantis resort.”

Tamyra let out a soft sigh and nodded like an obedient puppy. Laine leaned back in her chair with a weird smirk on her face. And Winnie simply got up and gave him a hug as if he were one of her sons who had finally come home.

He obviously loved every minute of it.

Riley sat down and tugged at the bottom of her navy tank, then wiped her hands down her dark denim Seven jeans.

“He is completely crazy about you,” Laine blurted out.

“Smitten,” Winnie added.

“Gorgeous,” Tamyra interjected.

Riley cocked her head. She grabbed her water and took three large gulps before she set it down. “Well, thank you for your evaluation on Christian, but we are nothing more than good friends.”

“You’re crazy; he is beautiful. And he’s crazy about you. And you’re completely crazy about him,” Laine said. “So what are you so afraid of? Have breakfast with him tomorrow.”

Riley looked at Laine and raised her right eyebrow. “I assumed I would be having breakfast with you.”

“I don’t need you tomorrow. And I would leave me for a man who was that crazy about me.”

Winnie spoke up. “You can tell he is really taken with you, Riley, and he is completely charming. Seems like a precious young man.”

Tamyra came out of her trance. “That is one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen. And if I had someone look at me the way he looks at you, with such kindness and admiration, well, girl, I can tell you this: I would tell Laine Fulton over there to fetch her own breakfast.”

They all laughed. Riley got up from the table to make it clear that the conversation was over. When they walked outside, as in previous evenings, Tamyra and Winnie headed up to their rooms and Riley waited for Laine’s personality shift and her demands for the day to come.

“You should really meet him for breakfast tomorrow.” Her tone and her words were nothing like Riley expected. “What are you afraid of?”

Riley stood there staring at her. “Who do you think you are, really?” She crossed her hands awkwardly and finally put them on her hips. Two times in one day wasn’t going to win her friends or influence people. “First, you don’t even acknowledge our conversation this morning . . .”

“Well, in all honesty, this morning wasn’t a conversation.”

Riley looked at her incredulously. “Whatever you want to call it, you didn’t acknowledge it, or the fact that I revealed to you this morning some of the most private parts of myself. Then you tell me to watch out for Mia, a really nice girl who took time today to listen to me have an emotional breakdown because of you. And since we know how good