As Hot As It Gets (14 page)

Maybe not. Maybe she'd just let the constant afterglow of sex cloud her thinking. Maybe the giddy emotion she was feeling wasn't love so much as it was the joy of being well-pleasured. Now
that
was a joy she hadn't been experiencing lately.

Not with all her fantasies about Mason preoccupying her and driving her nearly insane.

Claire's eyes shot open in the darkness as the truth came to her. She stared at the shadows on the ceiling cast by moonlight through the window, and she understood the truth.

What she'd been feeling wasn't love. It was simply the side effect of having her fantasies fulfilled.

After all, it wasn't very often that happened to a woman, and it was a heady experience when it did happen. Surely she'd just gotten a little befuddled by all the great sex and fantasy-fulfillment going on.

Claire shifted under the weight of Mason's arm, testing how easily she might be able to slip out of bed undetected. In her limited experience, he seemed to be a pretty heavy sleeper, so she could probably make a clean break.

She'd promised tonight would be their last night together, and he clearly wanted her off his island sooner rather than later. If she could leave now and
avoid any awkward goodbyes, he'd probably be thankful in the morning.

What to do with the fact that she was nowhere near being cured of Mason, she had no idea.

Maybe distance would give her some perspective…. Although a week ago they'd had an entire continent between them and it hadn't done much in the way of giving her perspective.

Quite the opposite, actually.

She'd thought proximity—extreme proximity—would be the cure, and yet here she was as proximate as she could be and completely uncured.

Proximity had not only proven her fantasies correct but had shown her Mason wasn't nearly as annoying once she got to know him a little.

The only thing that hadn't changed from her very first encounter with Mason was the spark in their relationship, both in and out of bed—a spark that could ignite a firestorm if handled improperly.

If handled improperly…

Did the answer to her dilemma lie in the very spark between them? Could it be that she could rid herself of her out-of-control desire for Mason by simply tossing the right kind of kindling into their fire?

They'd had their share of arguments, but recent ones had been mostly in fun, fueled by their mutual love of debate. Perhaps the problem was that Claire had been holding back, being too much of a nice girl to get what she wanted—namely, to be in bed with Mason.

Now that she wanted out of his bed, maybe she just needed to be more herself. Or maybe a slightly exaggerated version of herself…

She'd driven away her share of men, a few of them purely by accident, just by being herself. Men were unusually intimidated by women who were too out-spoken, too strong, too independent. She wasn't the kind of girl a guy could imagine himself protecting from the beasts with his club. She was the kind of girl who'd pick up a club and help chase the beasts away.

And that's just what she needed to do now.

She couldn't deal with another guy walking out on her for not being sweet enough, or compliant enough, or boring enough.

She squirmed and tried to get up, untangling her legs from Mason's and pushing his arm off of her waist, doing her best to wake him up in the process.

He stirred, emitting a low moan, and she nudged his leg with her foot until his eyes opened.

“Hey,” he said smiling, his voice gravelly.

“I'm getting out of here.”

“I thought you'd stick around for breakfast, at least.”

“Sorry, I think we've both gotten what we wanted out of this relationship, wouldn't you say?”

She tried to stand up, but he caught her wrist.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

“No, of course not.”

“Then why the rush to leave?”

“I told you I'd get out of your hair once I'd had enough of you.”

“So it worked this time?”

“Definitely,” she lied.

He pushed himself up in bed and regarded her seriously. “Well then, I guess this is goodbye.”

“Don't sound so sad. This is what you want, remember?”

“Don't assume you know what I want.”

His words stung for reasons Claire couldn't quite imagine. She needed to make this a smooth, easy break, so that neither of them would have regrets.

Not that Mason would, anyway, but still…

“Listen, thanks for the laughs and all, but don't bother keeping in touch. I'll leave the resort on the next flight I can get out of here.”

“No need to rush. Stick around a while longer if you want. Don't leave on account of being cured of me.”

Claire wriggled out of his grasp and stood, then started dressing in the ridiculous showgirl costume, the only thing she had to wear. “No offense, but this isn't exactly my idea of a perfect vacation, being trapped here on your crappy little island.”

She'd said it just to get an argument started, to ensure their clean break.

“Where's that coming from? Are you trying to start a fight with me?”

For the first time since they'd met, they were actually having trouble arguing.

Amazing.

“Mason, I just don't want us having any regrets after I leave. I know the score with you. I know you don't want a long-term thing, and neither do I.”

He slid over to her side of the bed and tried to pull her closer. She stepped away.

“You sure about that?” he asked.

“Don't let your giant ego get in the way, Mason. You just can't stand the thought of a woman walking out on you, is that it?”

“My giant ego? Is this some kind of joke?”

She'd insulted his ego, and he still wasn't getting pissed. This was a lot harder than she'd thought it would be.

“No joke, Mason. You have to know I've never liked you. Not from the first time we met in Arizona. I thought you were an overbearing, controlling bore of a man,” she lied.

His eyebrows shot up.

“And I'm glad I stole your Porsche and left you in the desert.”

It wasn't true at all. The car “theft” had been a stupid, impulsive decision she'd regretted for months, and she'd been wildly attracted to Mason on their first date.

Back then she'd thought that it was too bad he was such an asshole, and she'd been seriously disturbed that he was the first man she'd ever had such a strong animal reaction to.

Claire distinctly remembered how off-kilter and upset she'd been after her first encounter with Mason. She'd eaten fudge-brownie sundaes for days and had had to spend countless hours at the gym atoning for her dietary transgressions.

No doubt, they were two people who were never meant to be, who probably should have never even met.

“Well, I'm surprised you feel that way,” he said, still not as pissed as she'd hoped he would be.

“And for the record, Mason. You've got a small penis.”

That was the lie of the century.

He laughed.

“I'm not joking.”

His gaze turned incredulous in the shadowy room. “Oh yeah? Well, you hog the covers, and you snore like a truck driver.”

“I do not!”

“Is that even your real hair color?” he asked, and Claire knew she'd finally succeeded.

“Screw you.” She turned and started to leave.

He followed. “I already did, too many times. And you're right, I don't want a serious relationship with a woman like you.”

A woman like her? What the hell did that mean? She was afraid to ask.

Because she knew.

He didn't want a woman as strong as her, as out-spoken, as bristly and unapologetic. He wanted a
sweet little thing who'd affirm all his opinions and tell him what a great guy he was.

That's what every guy wanted.

The opposite of Claire.

She turned as she was about to walk out the door. “I'm glad we've got that settled then. Don't call me, and I won't call you.”

She stepped out and slammed the door, her stomach clenching as she did it.

Okay, this was how she'd wanted it to end, right? With a good, nasty fight?

Now they could part ways with no regrets, no glancing back over shoulders and wondering what might have been?

Yes, that was what she wanted.

Then why did it feel like the most awful thing she'd ever done?

She wandered back to her room feeling a sense of loss but going on autopilot. Somehow she made it there without getting lost, as her thoughts dwelled on Mason.

He'd felt so good to her at times, so perfect, so right. He'd been better than she could have imagined. He'd been her fantasies come to life.

And knowing for sure now that fantasies were just that—something that never panned out in real life—felt like a crushing blow at the moment, like a reason to fall on the floor and cry.

But she'd known all along, hadn't she? Hadn't
she always known that fantasies weren't real? Hadn't that been why she'd come here in the first place?

Of course. Yet having her fantasies dashed so thoroughly was far from her idea of the perfect way to end a vacation.

M
ASON HEARD A KNOCK
on his door and immediately thought of Claire. She'd come back.

But why?

Had she changed her mind? Decided to stay another night? Come back to apologize?

None of it sounded likely, but his heart raced as he walked toward the door. In his head he rehearsed his reaction when he opened the door and saw her.

Oh, hi. What's up?

Or…

Did you forget something?

Or… A glimpse through the peephole settled the matter. It was just Carter.

Mason opened the door, feeling crestfallen for reasons he didn't care to examine. “Hey, Carter.”

“Hey. Can I come in?”

Mason stepped aside and motioned him in, suddenly feeling too weary to talk.

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all. What's going on?”

“Just thought I'd stop by and fill you in on what I've found out about the girls who were working for Mike D'Amato.”

Business problems were the furthest thing from his mind, but maybe they were the distraction he needed. “Okay, shoot.” He motioned for Carter to have a seat on the sofa, and he took a seat in the chair across from him.

“Looks like there are probably four girls involved, all reporting directly to Mike. Since you removed him, the business has come to a halt.”

“Where'd you get this information?”

Carter flashed a sheepish grin. “Pillow talk, man. I can't reveal my source, but she's a friend of one of the girls. I gave her a go in bed, and she gave me the info I need. I've got names.”

“Turn them over to resort security, and thanks for your help,” Mason said, too tired to point out that he didn't agree with Carter's investigative methods.

Carter crossed his arms over his chest and gave Mason a speculative look. “What happened with you and the redhead?”

“Claire? Why do you ask?”

“Just curious. I saw her in the lobby a little while ago looking upset. When I asked her how you and she were doing, she said you were finished.”

“How can we be finished when we never got started?”

Carter shrugged. “So there's nothing between you two?”

“Not a thing,” Mason lied.

Why he felt compelled to lie, he didn't know. He wasn't even sure he'd told an actual lie…more like a shade of the truth.

“Then you wouldn't mind if I asked her out?”

His question hit Mason like a punch in the gut.

Hell yeah, he'd mind.

But he shouldn't. If he wanted there to be nothing between himself and Claire, then one sure way to make it happen was to give Carter his blessing.

“I think she's planning on leaving, but if you can track her down before she goes, be my guest. Don't say I didn't warn you though—she's nothing but trouble.”

Carter smiled. “Looks like a pretty hot kind of trouble to me.”

Mason shrugged. “Whatever man. Just watch out.”

He resisted the urge to say any more. Part of him wanted to list all of Claire's flaws, make her sound like more hassle than she was worth, when he knew his motive wasn't to protect his friend so much as it was to keep another man away from Claire.

“You sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” Mason said and forced a smile.

“All right, then. I'd better go, I've got some work to take care of.”

Carter left, leaving Mason standing in the middle of his living room feeling like an ass. What did he
care if Carter and Claire hit it off? It wasn't any of his business now, was it?

No, it wasn't.

What he needed was a distraction from Claire.

He stalked over to his desk and flipped open his laptop, then sat down and tried to read the latest headline news on the Internet. But it was all gibberish.

Damn it, Judd was right, he had to get off this island soon. Maybe take a trip to the Fantasy Ranch and oversee its operation for a while, make sure all was running smoothly there. But the thought of being in the same state as Claire unsettled him.

Maybe what he needed was a real vacation, something he hadn't bothered with in years. He'd always wanted to see Paris, Rome, Vienna—this could be his chance to do a great-cities-of-Europe tour. Except the thought of doing it alone didn't thrill him.

He closed his laptop again and stalked over to the patio doors and opened them. A tropical breeze rustled his hair, but for the first time he could remember, he wanted to be anywhere but on his island, at his dream resort.

He should have known Claire Elliot would ruin it all for him sooner or later.

 

C
LAIRE KNOCKED
on the door of Lucy and Judd's suite, her heart thudding morosely in her chest for reasons she didn't want to examine.

Lucy opened the door. “Hey, come on in.”

Claire nodded to her suitcase. “I'm just stopping to say bye and ask if I can leave my luggage in your room for a little while.”

“Bye? You're leaving?”

Claire came inside, dragging her suitcase behind her. “Yeah, long story.”

“Of course you can leave your bags here, but what's going on?” She was wearing her worried-friend look now, the one that always assured Claire she had one person in the world who would truly look out for her, no matter what.

“I've just had enough of Mason, that's all. Where's Judd?” She glanced around, not wanting to get into a discussion of Mason's many shortcomings with his brother around.

“He went out to find a newspaper and some portable lunch we can eat here in the room.”

“Oh, sorry, am I interrupting your romantic day alone together?” She noticed Lucy's outfit for the first time, a crocheted string-bikini top and a pair of short cutoff jean shorts that left little to the imagination, definitely not Lucy's usual conservative style.

“Not at all.” She caught Claire staring. “Oh, this outfit? I thought I'd go a little wild, for old times' sake.”

Claire smiled at the memory of Lucy's week of being wild at the Fantasy Ranch. “Wild suits you well, my dear.”

“Now tell me what's going on? Why the sudden departure?”

“Like I said—”

“No, I want the whole story. Not your vague excuses.”

“I know you had high hopes for Mason and me, but it's just not going to happen. Neither of us want a relationship.”

Lucy looked unconvinced. “You really expect me to buy that? Do you have any idea what makes you happy?”

Claire took a step back, surprised by her friend's tone. “Of course I do. Not having jerk-offs in my life makes me happy.”

“Do you realize that I've seen you smiling more in the past few days than I have in the past six months?”

Was that true? It couldn't be.

“It's just being on vacation,” she explained. “I needed the break.”

“Right, even though you went to Bermuda three months ago?”

“That was a work trip.”

“Claire, don't you think you might be smiling so much because you've been with a guy who makes you happy?”

“He makes me crazy! That's a lot different than happy.”

“I think you like crazy. I think you're happiest when you have someone in your life who challenges you.”

Sort of like Lucy did…. The two were so differ
ent, it was a wonder to outsiders that they were so close, but it made perfect sense to Claire. She loved debating with Lucy, loved her friend's different point of view that stretched her and made her think about what she believed.

But Mason was nothing like that. “Mason doesn't challenge me. He makes me want to punch holes in walls.”

“You say that, but I haven't seen you punching anything. What I've seen is you happy, relaxed, having the time of your life.”

“Let's just agree to disagree, okay?”

“Claire, you're always dating guys who are totally wrong for you because you know you won't get hurt that way.”

“That's ridiculous,” Claire said, a sick feeling settling in her belly.

“I just want you to take a risk in your personal life so that you can be happy.”

“I am happy!”

Was she? Aside from the uncontrollable fantasies, sure she was.

But… Well, okay. She had felt happier this week at the resort than she had in a long time, but really it had to have been the beautiful setting and the great sex. What girl wouldn't be happy with that?

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe you're not supposed to boss your boyfriends around and expect them to behave like your hired servants?”

“I don't do that.”

“Claire, you absolutely do! You treat guys like dirt knowing they'll either walk away or stick around for a while until you get bored with them because they're not a challenge for you. And then you're free to move on without getting hurt. That's your MO.”

MO? Ever since she'd married a private investigator, Lucy's language had become peppered with stuff like that.

“I didn't realize I had an MO,” Claire said, half wanting to protest and half accepting that Lucy was right.

“I'm sorry if I sound a little harsh. I just want to see you as happy as you've been this week all the time.”

“It can't be with Mason, Luc. He's wanted me to leave ever since I got here, and I'm overwhelmed with relief to finally be going.”

“Because you're afraid.”

“Okay, maybe in the past I've made some rather shallow choices in men. Maybe I've deliberately chosen guys I knew I wouldn't get attached to, but this time, I'm walking away from a guy I can't get attached to.”

Lucy's jaw was set. She'd decided long ago that Mason was the guy for Claire, and no amount of proof was going to change her normally levelheaded friend's mind.

“Face it, Luc. Even you have to be wrong every once in a while.”

“Have you at least let Mason know you're leaving and given him a chance to stop you?”

“Absolutely. I told him late last night, and he certainly didn't beg me to stay.”

Lucy sighed. “You two drive me crazy.”

“That's my job,” Claire said with a little smile she didn't really feel.

Lucy hugged Claire and then smiled. “I hope you have a safe trip home. I'll see you back there next week, okay?”

“Have fun with that husband of yours. I'm off to grab a drink while I wait for my flight this evening. I leave at five.”

They said their goodbyes, and Claire told Lucy she'd be back around four to get her bag. She wandered outside, her thoughts confused after having talked to Lucy.

Had she really been sabotaging her love life? Claire would be the first to admit she didn't like long-term relationships. She wasn't interested in getting too cozy with any one guy. After all, life was short, and she wanted to see and do it all. She couldn't very well do that if she settled down.

And besides, she had a plan. When she was thirty-five, she'd settle down a little bit and let herself be more open to the idea of a permanent guy in her life. Until then though, she was a free agent, and she liked it that way.

Claire made her way to the Cabana Club, where she knew she could get an unequaled martini. She
found a seat at the bar and placed her order, then glanced around to see who else was present. The resort's entertainment director, Carter somebody-or-other, was standing at the end of the bar, and when he saw her, he smiled and headed toward her.

She'd bumped into him in the lobby earlier and thought he was cute, though she didn't usually go for blondes.

“Hey, I've been looking all over for you,” he said, sitting down beside her.

“For
me?
”

His smile grew playful. “Yeah, you. I noticed you the first time I saw you here.”

Claire sipped her drink and smiled. “I see. And why were you just looking for me?”

Carter was clearly into his own looks. His sun-streaked hair was styled just so, and his perfectly tanned skin and sculpted muscles looked more acquired by tanning beds and weightlifting than hours spent outdoors on a sports field.

“A little bird told me you and Mason are no longer an item, and I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner.”

“Actually, I'm flying back to Arizona tonight.”

“I was hoping to convince you not to. I noticed your reservation actually goes through Sunday.”

Claire blinked. This was certainly an interesting turn of events. There might not be any better way to forget a guy than to have some fun with another one….

“I really should go. Mason's not going to be happy if I stick around.”

Carter waved away her statement. “Don't worry about him. I already talked to him and told him I wanted to ask you out. He gave his blessing, if it makes any difference to you.”

Claire blinked, trying not to look offended. “It's really not his place to be giving blessings on who I do or don't go out with.”

“Does that mean you'll have dinner with me?”

His offer was tempting.

She smiled. “I don't know. Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you in a little while. I'd have to make some arrangements, change my flights around again….”

“Sure,” he said. “How about we get a table and have a drink while you're thinking about it?”

The man was nothing if not persistent. She hated drinking alone, so she nodded. “Okay, one drink.”

With any luck, Mason would wander into the bar and spot them together. If he wanted to sleep alone for the rest of his life, if he was willing to let her walk away without a protest, all the better for her. But Claire didn't see any reason why she couldn't make sure he knew that even if he didn't want her, there were plenty of guys who did.

Even guys he knew and considered his friends.

Okay, so maybe she was being petty, but she'd nearly allowed herself to fall in love with Mason, and
all she'd gotten in return was his company in bed. A pretty good prize, but still. She didn't dare give her heart to just anyone.