Page 5 of Tropical Inferno

“Everything can go on mine,” Garrett interrupted quietly.

* * *

They were quickly checked in and Hawk immediately started heading for the administrative offices where he would find Jim. He was moving at a fast clip but slowed down when he heard her hurrying after him. His gesture of kindness had just turned into his worst nightmare. Her last name was Teller?! What were the chances? So much for trying to be a good guy—this was going to go south faster than geese in a snowstorm. He needed to get away from her and think. Except he’d just invited her to stay with him and now she was staring at him with those big brown eyes. What the hell was he supposed to do when she looked at him like that?

“Wait up!” Her voice was filled with misgiving.

He took a deep breath before returning her gaze.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, frowning at him.

“No.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I just remembered something I have to do and it’s important. Why don’t you go on to the room and settle in?”

She nodded slowly. “Um, okay. Are you sure you’re not mad?”

“I am, but not at you.” He forced a smile. “Promise. Just have something to take care of. Go on—make yourself at home and I’ll be there in a bit.”

The look on her face made it obvious she didn’t believe him, but he hadn’t left her with much choice. “Okay. Um, thanks. I’ll…see you in a little bit?”

“Half hour, tops.” He watched the uncertainty play across her features again as she turned away and felt like a jerk. He hadn’t meant for this to happen, but how could he have known he would meet this particular woman at a miserable little hotel off the beaten path in Honolulu? If Maddie found out his full name, this would go bad quickly. First, though, he had to find out exactly who she was; if she was who he thought she was, he didn’t know how he would get out of this.

* * *

Maddie put a few things in the bathroom and tossed her dirty clothes in the bag hanging in the closet. Since she wasn’t paying for a room, she could afford to have a few things washed. Hopefully, her suitcase would arrive tonight as promised. If not, maybe she could find a T-shirt to sleep in at one of the shops she’d passed in the hotel. Otherwise she’d be sleeping in the shirt she’d been wearing all day.

She decided to explore the guest house before Garrett got back. He was in a bad mood all of a sudden and she hoped it wasn’t because of her. This place was so beautiful, and now that she’d finally convinced herself she could actually have the vacation she’d been planning, she wasn’t going to let him ruin it for her. Her life the last nine months or so had been stressful to say the least. Her older brother, Jamie, had almost died back in January after a violent beating by a group of skinheads who didn’t approve of the fact that Jamie was bisexual. Though he was on the mend now, the emotional scars were still impacting their entire family and she was seeing a therapist about the nightmares she’d been having for months; the memory of his broken body on that hospital bed continued to haunt her.

Her therapist had been the one to suggest she find a relaxing place to vacation. She and Monique had been talking about a girls’ trip for a year but Maddie had been the one to get the ball rolling. Once she’d discovered the Blue Dolphin Resort online about six months ago, she’d convinced her this was the place they needed to stay. Pictures of the Tuscan-themed building, beautiful guest houses, and picture-perfect beaches were exactly the escape she’d envisioned after months of stress, worry and unwanted media attention. For a while, she hadn’t been able to go anywhere in Toronto without being recognized as the sister of the victim of the biggest hate crime Canadians had seen in years. Reporters had finally moved on to other news, but the whole ordeal had left her anxious, underweight and having nightmares. Maybe now that she was here in such a beautiful place, with a guy who’d inadvertently become her protector, she would find some much-needed peace.

The guest house was big, spacious and had a private pool. The pool and patio faced the Pacific Ocean and for a moment she could only stare, taking in the cerulean waters and vast expanse of sandy beach. She couldn’t wait to dig her toes in it, but there was still a lot of the guest house to see. So far, she’d found everything she would need and the fact that there was a kitchen meant she could buy yogurt and fresh fruit to keep on hand. Though she’d lost a lot of weight worrying about Jamie, she was working out now and trying to find a better balance of food and exercise.

A knock on the door startled her and she wondered if Garrett had lost his key. She hurried to open it and found herself staring at a smiling woman whose name tag said “Irene.”

“Hello! Mrs. Roarke sent this, compliments of the resort.” Irene handed her a shopping bag with a big blue bow on it.

“I, uh, thank you. Hang on, let me get you—”

“No need.” Irene nodded and backed away. “It’s taken care of. Have a wonderful stay.”

She disappeared and Maddie took the large shopping bag into her room. Inside she found a Blue Dolphin Resort T-shirt, sunscreen, a Waikiki baseball cap, an entire plastic bag of travel-sized toiletry items that weren’t already in the bathroom, and a simple, one-piece black bathing suit. When she unfolded it to check the size, a note fell out:

Hoping your vacation gets better from here. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything at all we can do to help.

Blue Dolphin Resort Staff

* * *

P.S. If the bathing suit and/or T-shirt don’t fit, please swing by the concierge desk for a replacement.

* * *

Maddie frowned but couldn’t help the excitement suddenly building in her chest. There was a gorgeous pool out back and it was calling her name. It was almost 3:00, the hottest part of the day, but she didn’t care. This thoughtful gift meant she could start her vacation and Operation Relaxation immediately.

Within five minutes she had the bathing suit on, sunscreen applied and her hair up in a ponytail. She grabbed a towel and walked outside. For the first time since she’d left Toronto, peace washed over her. Vacation. She was actually on vacation. She forgot about the long flight, her lost luggage, the terrible hotel, getting shot at and even her brother’s horrible attack. Nope, all she was going to think about right now was the sun and the refreshing blue water. She’d deal with Mr. Sexy-But-Cranky when he got back.

* * *

It was an hour and a half before Hawk got back. He and Jim had talked and he’d made it clear no one was to use his real name. Somehow, some way, he had to get through five days without Madison Teller finding out who he was. He was pretty sure he could keep her occupied. There was plenty to do here at the resort, from golf to tennis, snorkeling to jet-skiing and much more. If nothing else, he could rent a private cabana for them on the beach, where no one would bother them, and he could keep her away from TVs, radios and anything sports-related.

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