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Sand, Sun, . . . Seduction! Harlequin Books |
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE WRONG MAN THAT FEEL SO RIGHT? Enticed by Stephanie Bond PROPOSITIONED by Leslie Kelly FEVERED by Lori Wilde
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Excerpt from "Enticed"
(Kimber Karlton is on her way to meet her boyfriend on a remote desert island, where, she has learned, he plans to propose. But after a glitch at the office made Kimber miss her flight, she's playing catch up, hop-scotching all over to get there before he changes his mind! Little does she know, there are more travel delays ahead, and obstacles of the heart....)
“Please tell me something good,” Kimber begged her travel agent sister on the phone.
“The good news is I found you a flight to Maldives.”
Kimber squinted at Elaina's odd tone. “And the bad news?”
“It’s a private charter, so it’s a bit more expensive.”
“At this point, I don’t care. Where do I meet the plane?”
“The pilot is going to meet you in one hour outside customs.”
“How will I know him?”
“He’ll be wearing a green hat that reads ‘M Charters.’ His name is Finn Meyers.”
“He’s American?”
“Right. My agency has worked with him before, and he’s reliable. Kimber, just one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“People in that part of the world are more laid back than Westerners. You might need to…go with the flow.”
Kimber frowned. “I can flow.”
“Uh-huh,” her sister said, sounding doubtful. “Call me when you get to Maldives to let me know you arrived.”
“I will. Thanks, sis.” Kimber ended the call, then punched in Gil’s number with a stone in her stomach. He didn’t answer, so she left a message with details about her changed schedule and that she’d meet him in Maldives, at the bungalow they’d reserved. “I love you,” she murmured. “This is going to be a great trip. Really.”
After disconnecting the call, she stood in line at customs, heavy with fatigue and leaning on her suitcases. The Dubai airport was unexpectedly beautiful—even opulent—with the feeling of a combination atrium and shopping mall. She got glimpses in the distance of contemporary architecture, shiny retail stores, and towering palm trees planted indoors. The impressive, immaculate airport was obviously meant to be the gateway to a progressive city.
While she admired her surroundings, Kimber shifted foot to foot in discomfort. In hindsight, the high-heeled pumps hadn’t been the best choice for travel, although in her defense, she’d dressed for the roominess of a first class cabin. Her pale skirt suit looked a little worse for wear, too. She’d considered removing her pantyhose in the plane lavatory, but frankly, she hadn’t had the energy. Kimber repaired her chignon as best as she could without a mirror, but hoped she had time to visit a ladies’ room, freshen up, and change clothes before meeting the pilot.
But it was not to be.
Getting through customs took longer than she’d anticipated, so long, in fact, that much more than an hour had elapsed by the time she reached the other side. She stopped and dropped her luggage, whirling around to catch a glimpse of a green hat. Across the way, a man sat sprawled in a seat wearing cargo pants and a loud, flowered shirt, his arms crossed and his legs stretched out in front of him, with a green cap pulled down over his face.
Kimber stepped closer and squinted at the hat, relieved to see that it read “M Charters.” She cleared her throat several times, hoping to wake him, but he didn’t stir. She lightly tapped his arm and although a zing went through her fingers at the sensation of the firm muscle beneath the bronzed skin, he didn’t move. Irritated, she reached forward and lifted the bill of his cap.
His arm shot out and long, strong fingers circled her wrist. His brown-eyed gaze leveled on her. “What do you want?”
She gasped. “I’m sorry. I believe you’re my pilot.”
A sardonic smile lifted his mouth as he looked her up and down. “I’ll be anything you want me to be, lady.”
She frowned and yanked her hand back, straightening. “Mr. Meyers?”
“Finn,” he corrected.
“I believe you were hired to take me to Maldives?”
“Are you—” He pushed the cap back on his head of shaggy dark blond hair and reached into the pocket of his loud shirt to pull out a scrap of paper. “Kimber Karlton?”
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Bet you got that name in prep school.”
She frowned. “Can we be going, please? I’m in a hurry to meet my boyfriend.”
He made a rueful noise. “Boyfriend, huh? Too bad.”
She tingled with awareness as his gaze raked over her, then she bristled. “Mr. Meyers, I’m exhausted and I’m really not in the mood for your lame attempts to flirt.”
He sighed. “You’re right—that wasn’t my best line, but it’s pretty damn early in the morning and I haven’t been to bed yet.” Then he chuckled. “Well, not to sleep, anyway.”
Her eyes flew wide. “You’re going to fly a plane on no sleep?”
He gestured to the seat he occupied. “I caught a cat nap while I was waiting. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”
She blinked, then set her jaw. “May we get going?”
“We may,” he said, then pushed his long body to his feet and took off walking toward the exit.
“I have bags,” she called after him, gesturing to her luggage.
“I’m not a porter,” he said over his shoulder. “And you should never pack more than you can carry.”
Kimber gaped at his receding back. The man was rude beyond belief. Despite her sister’s endorsement, she was tempted to fire Finn Meyers and look for other arrangements. Then she reminded herself that the goal was to reach Maldives and get her marriage proposal. Suffering an ill-mannered pilot was a small sacrifice.
Resigned, she picked up her heavy suitcases and trudged after him.
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