The Engagement Game Read online

  “Thanks, Timmy.” She managed to force a smile. “I guess we really wanted the mystery prize. And of course, we knew Sally and Sam would be tricky to beat so we decided to go in hard and overwhelm them right away. Wham, bam, and they went down. Simple as that.” She was babbling. Time to wrap it up. “Anyway, it must be time to find out what the prize is now, right?”

  Timmy looked at Bozier, who nodded. “We’ll do the award ceremony on the beach.”

  Carin dragged in a breath, relieved when the boat the director and crew were in moved toward shore. She followed Jake to the beach. His strides were faster than hers, but he waited for her on the sand, his jaw tight and his light grey eyes unreadable.

  Wading through the shallows, her gaze met his. There was no doubt her best friend was a heart-breaker. All he wore was a pair of board shorts, and she could have used his abs to grate cheese. With his square jaw and the way his dark lashes framed his pale eyes, there was no mystery as to why so many women had fallen for him over the years. The only mystery was why he’d kept them all at arm’s length.

  Whatever the reason, she meant to find out. To hell with his closed-off look and the way he refused to discuss his feelings. There was no way a man who kissed like he did was as passionless as he pretended to be. Time for him to come clean about what was going on behind those shuttered eyes.

  “We need to talk,” she said when she reached him.

  “Carin, don’t—” He swallowed whatever he’d been going to say and she followed his gaze to the man approaching across the sand.

  Her heart sank. Great, it was the sound guy with their microphones. They should have grabbed their chance to talk privately in the water before they had to get wired up again.

  Jake pulled on a shirt and the man attached their mics and tested the sound. Then it was time to assemble on the beach to find out what their prize would be.

  Although Carin needed to be on her A game for the cameras, she couldn’t concentrate on what Timmy was saying. Somehow she managed to smile, but most of her brain was busy churning over what was happening between her and Jake. And it didn’t help that her libido was still on high alert. Every time she glanced his way, she felt her nipples harden and her breath catch in her throat. It was a damn good thing her bikini bottom was supposed to be wet.

  “Jake and Carin, it’s time to find out what your mystery prize will be.” Timmy paused to smile at them. With an effort, Carin dragged her mind back to the shoot, arranging her features into an expression of anticipation.

  “After the discomforts of the last few weeks, you deserve a taste of luxury.”

  “Cut,” interrupted Bozier. “They’ve been here days, not weeks.” He shot a stern look at Carin and she felt her smile slip. Whoops. They weren’t supposed to be doing so well. But they’d lost the raft challenge, so it wasn’t like they had a chance of winning the whole competition.

  “After the discomforts of the last few days, you deserve a taste of luxury,” said Timmy when they were rolling again. “You’ve won three precious hours away from the beach. You’ll spend that time at the luxurious Lantana Island Resort, where you’ll be welcomed by a massage therapist. You’ll enjoy a lesson on how to give each other an erotic massage, then share a sensual bath for two.”

  The drum in Carin’s chest stopped pounding. “What?” She didn’t realize she’d squeaked the word out loud until everyone looked at her.

  “That’s not fair,” grumbled Treadmill. “They’ve barely arrived, and they get a hot bath? I haven’t showered in weeks.”

  The other contestants were glaring daggers at them too. Carin glanced at Jake. He was opening his mouth to say something and she knew full well he was about to turn down their prize. Or maybe he’d offer it to Sally and Sam instead. How would that look?

  She elbowed him in the ribs and whatever he was going to say turned into a grunt. “A bath sounds great,” she said quickly. Then she lowered her voice, hoping the microphones wouldn’t catch a low murmur. “And we’ll get some privacy to talk, Jake. We need that now, more than ever. Don’t you agree?”

  He turned expressionless eyes onto her and her mouth tightened. Of course he didn’t want to talk. This was Jake. He never wanted to talk. But this time, she wouldn’t let him shut down.

  This time, he’d have no choice. She’d make him open up to her if it was the last thing she did.

  19

  How did Jake get here?

  He stared at the massage therapist silently, his thoughts in turmoil. All these years of keeping control, of keeping Carin safe. And now this.

  “Jake?” repeated the massage therapist. “Did you hear me?”

  “He heard you.” Carin’s voice was cheerful. “Just ignore him. He gets like this sometimes.”

  “Okay,” the therapist said doubtfully. “Well, as I was saying, I’d like you to change into these robes.” She motioned to the bathrobes laid out on the king-sized bed in the bure’s master bedroom. A massage table was set up beside the bed. “Once you’ve changed, I’ll pop back in and give you some pointers.”

  When she bustled out and shut the door behind her, Jake turned to Carin. “I’m not doing this—” His voice died in his throat as she lifted her T-shirt, preparing to tug it off.

  “Turn around,” she said.

  “This isn’t a good idea.”

  “Why not? At least we’ll get some time to ourselves so we can talk.” She wriggled her shoulders. “And after you made me carry all that wood along the beach, my muscles could do with a rub.”

  “Skeeter—”

  “Turn around.”

  He clenched his jaw, but turned so she could put on the robe.

  “Now you,” she said after a minute.

  “Skeeter—”

  “Come on, Jake. What’s up with you? Let’s go along with it, or they might get suspicious and realize we’re not really a couple.”

  He let out his breath and reluctantly tugged off his shirt. Dammit, why had he ever signed up for this?

  When the therapist came back, she motioned Carin onto the table. “Why don’t you go first, Carin? Just slip your robe down and lie on your front. That’s it. I’m going to put this towel across your lower half, to cover your modesty while I’m in the room. It’s up to you whether you remove it once I’m gone.” She handed Jake a small bottle. “Here’s some sensual oil. It smells good and arouses the senses. Spread it on your hands, then start with long strokes down Carin’s back. Keep it gentle and playful.”

  She stepped back, clearly expecting him to start. Reluctantly, he squirted oil on his hands, then ran his hands down Carin’s naked back.

  “That’s it. Just stick to long strokes and a light touch. You don’t want to hurt her.”

  Exactly the point. He’d do anything not to hurt her.

  “The aim is to explore each other’s bodies in a safe environment,” the therapist continued. “Sometimes married couples complain that their partner isn’t affectionate unless they’re initiating sex. This is a safe way to touch, knowing it can’t lead any further, at least not for now.” She winked at Jake. “I’ll be right outside. If you have any questions, just call and I’ll hear you. In twenty minutes you can switch positions. Then it’ll be Carin’s turn to massage you. Okay? Any questions?”

  Jake stared at Carin, face down on the massage table, and apart from a small towel hiding her buttocks, completely naked. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

  “Good,” said the therapist, heading to the door that led to the bure’s living room. “Don’t be shy about asking questions, okay?”

  The door shut behind her.

  Carin raised her head. “My muscles really are sore,” she murmured. “What you were doing felt good.”

  “You seriously want me to massage you?” But his hands were already moving of their own accord, sloshing out oil and smoothing it over Carin’s back.

  He’d rubbed Carin’s shoulders before, when they’d both been fully clothed and she’d had a sore muscle.
He’d also given plenty of sensual back rubs to women who weren’t Carin.

  This was entirely different.

  He ran his hands down to her lower back and back up again. Then he kneaded her shoulders while Carin let out a sigh. He was barely holding himself in check. After deliberately suppressing his feelings all these years, having her naked back under his hands was pure agony. Spies should use this technique to get information out of enemy soldiers. It was worse than any torture dreamed up by a James Bond villain. Fancy lasers? Shark pits? Forget it, Goldfinger. A slurp of massage oil and Carin’s naked body beat it all hands down.

  The therapist’s voice floated through the closed door. “Everything okay in there? Ten more minutes, then you can switch.”

  Music to his ears. Jake’s balls were already big enough to go bowling with. He was so hard he was throbbing.

  “I don’t want to talk if she can hear us,” murmured Carin. “I thought she’d leave us alone, not wait outside the door.”

  Jake didn’t answer. The last thing he wanted to talk about was what had happened in the water. What was he supposed to say? That he was a different man now, and not the seventeen-year-old boy who’d kissed Marianne Marple and thought he’d killed his best friend?

  Perhaps he was a different man. Maybe. But had she changed? Since that first panic attack, she’d had two other serious episodes and been rushed to hospital each time. What if he did that to her again? Her suspicions about Sally had driven home how easily it could happen. Though he hadn’t done anything wrong, did that really matter when he had the ability to hurt Carin so badly?

  A soft knock interrupted his thoughts and the therapist bustled in. “Time to switch. Carin, I’ll show you how I want you to rub Jake. Long slow strokes.”

  As soon as Jake took Carin’s place on the table, he discovered he’d been wrong. Massaging Carin wasn’t the worst torture he could be made to suffer through. This was.

  Carin’s sure, deft hands ran over his back, smoothing oil to where the towel was slung over his butt. His erection dug into the massage table. Any faint hope that the discomfort would help it go down was gone.

  “Feel nice?” Carin asked.

  He didn’t respond. His throat wasn’t capable of producing a sound any more coherent than a groan. Besides, the word nice didn’t cover it, not by a long shot. Not when this massage had no chance of a happy ending.

  It felt like forever until the therapist called out that his time on the table was up. He heard the door open and the woman’s heels on the floor, but didn’t lift his head to look. His face would either be contorted in ecstasy or agony, he wasn’t sure which.

  “Time for your bath,” said the therapist cheerfully. “It’s ready for you.”

  “Great,” said Carin.

  Jake didn’t move or try to protest. With all the blood in his body now residing in his cock, he had only a tiny amount left in his brain. Not enough to be able to think up a sensible objection.

  “Come this way.” The therapist moved to the door, then hesitated. “Jake?”

  “In a minute.”

  “I’ll give you some privacy to put your robe back on,” she said. “Carin, you may as well get in the bath and Jake can join you when he’s ready. It’s through here, off the living room. Oh, and your suitcases are in the wardrobe, so you can change into clean clothes afterward. You have an hour before you’ll need to head back to the beach.”

  As the two women left the room, Jake let out a long breath. With Carin gone, he could get himself under control. He sat up slowly and pulled on the bathrobe. After a few minutes of concentration, it didn’t even stick out at the front. Much.

  “You ready, Jake?” The therapist was relentless. Reluctantly, he opened the door and she beamed at him from the couch in the living room. “Oh good. The bathroom’s through here.” She indicated a closed door. “You go in, then I’ll give you both some privacy.”

  Jake braced himself before opening the bathroom door. Carin was lying in an enormous bath, obviously designed for two people. She was presumably naked, but with foamy bubbles covering the surface of the water, he couldn’t see more than her bare shoulders. Lit candles had been placed around the bath and flower petals were scattered across the floor. Jake’s heart sank as he stared at the scene. More torture.

  At least he could close the door and shut the therapist out.

  “Get in with me,” said Carin. “I thought it was too hot for a bath, but it actually feels good.” She lifted a dripping hand from the water and put it over her eyes. “I won’t look.”

  No sense in standing there staring at her. Jake dropped his bathrobe and got in facing her. Although the tub was roomy, the side of her leg pressed against his hip and his toes were against her ribs. The warm water did feel good. But he still felt ridiculous. His erection was back with a vengeance, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

  He dragged in a deep breath. This torture had to end. At least Carin had already gotten plenty of screen time so it shouldn’t matter if he walked out on the show and went home. He could fly straight to the Northern Territory and get a head start on his big development. Immerse himself in work until he didn’t have time to think about how he’d come close to ruining Carin’s life.

  “She’s not standing outside, is she?” Carin asked softly. “I want to talk about that kiss now.”

  “We’ve already talked. We agreed not to complicate our friendship.” He nodded to a fancy bar sitting on the rim of the bath by her head. “Pass the soap.”

  “So you’re shutting down,” she muttered, handing him the soap. “There’s no chance of me getting a straight answer, is there?”

  “You haven’t asked a question.” He lathered up the bar. Damn thing had bits of rose petal in it.

  “Okay, then here’s a question. What do you want us to be to each other? Because I don’t know about you, but thanks to that kiss and the massage session, this is the most sexually frustrated I’ve been in my entire life. I’m so horny I’m practically cross-eyed. So the way I see it, we have a couple of choices. Either we do what we promised and keep kissing out of our friendship.” She took a deep breath, her cheeks a little flushed. “Or, well, I can’t quite believe I’m suggesting an alternative. No offence, but when it comes to your history, my eyes are wide open.”

  He pressed his lips together, fighting with himself. It took a long time, but finally he managed to force out words. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was a mistake.”

  She let out a desperate-sounding laugh. “Really? One toe-curling kiss we could write off as a mistake. But two?”

  He soaped his arms, mulling over what he could say to make her understand.

  “Don’t shut down, Jake.” She caught his hand to stop him from soaping. “Talk to me. Please.”

  “Skeeter…” He hesitated. He’d hidden what he felt for a very long time. If they talked now, like this, she might finally see it all. And once that cat was out of the bag, there’d be no putting it back. Revealing his true feelings for her would change their friendship forever. Was he ready for that?

  “Yes, Jake?”

  Shit.

  He dragged in a breath. “You know our friendship means a lot. You mean a lot. And the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

  “So, don’t.”

  “It’s not as simple as that. You know what happened last time we tried to be more than friends.”

  Carin leaned back in the bath so the bubbles came up to her neck. Her hair was in a messy pile on top of her head, with a few wet strands floating. The bathroom was dim and cool, and though it wasn’t really dark enough for the candles, the reflected light made her skin glow. The fact that she looked like she’d stepped straight out of one of his many fantasies wasn’t helping. Neither was the knowledge she was definitely naked. Or the feel of her bare, silky skin against the side of his foot.

  “That was a long time ago, Jake. And I’ve loved that our friendship has been so easy. All these years I’ve been
glad that neither of us thought of the other in that way. But I’m not sure I can do that anymore. We’ve always been honest with each other, so I’m not going to lie about how I’m feeling.”

  “You know what my father’s like. How much my mother suffered. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, least of all you.”

  “You don’t have to be like your father. You said it yourself.”

  Jake shook his head. “I need to keep you safe.”

  “Safe from what?”

  He frowned. Wasn’t it obvious? “Safe from me.”

  “You think you’re that dangerous? Come on, you’re not that bad.”

  “Aren’t I? I almost killed you.”

  “I wasn’t dying. It just felt like it.”

  “Like you said, I have history. I can’t be trusted. And hurting you could mean you end up back in hospital.”

  She sat up a little, bubbles running off her shoulders, drawing his eyes down to the cascading streams of water. Her breasts were still mostly hidden by the bubbles, but the extra inch of skin he could see was enough to make his throat dry.

  “Maybe we’ll have to take that chance,” she said.

  “No, we don’t.” He forced his eyes away, staring at the door. Better to make a run for it now, before he lost control. He could get on this afternoon’s ferry back to the mainland.

  She tilted her head and he could feel her eyes on his face, studying him. “Do you want me?” She asked the question in a soft voice, with no trace of her normal, joking tone.

  He jerked his face to her. It was a trick question. If he said No, she’d be insulted. But if he said Yes…

  She squirmed forward, putting her hands on his arms and bringing her face close. “Do you?”

  “Yes.” His voice was hoarse.

  “I want you too.”

  The sincere way she uttered the statement, the truth he heard in it, made his heart release like a balloon with its string cut. His hands moved on their own, before he could stop them. He pulled her closer and bent his head so he could kiss her. Her lips felt so achingly soft under his, he made a sound in the back of his throat, half a growl and half a groan. He slid his arms around her naked back, needing to pull her closer.