to reach out and prod her in the ribs, but pulled his hand back at the last second. Even the thought of touching her made his fingertips prickle with awareness.
She was silent for a moment. “No. I couldn’t let your mother down. She’s been too good to me. She’s lonely, you know, since your father died. She misses him very much. And now, losing Vanu…” She rubbed her arm, as if soothing goose bumps.
“She’s lucky to have you, Lani.”
“She’s expecting us to find some flowers. We’d better get to work.” Her wry glance made heat flash in his core. Didn’t mean anything really. She was stunning—anyone would be attracted to her. Seductive, almond-shaped eyes fringed with dark lashes, her perfect small nose, her finely cut, sensual mouth… then all that sleek, golden brown hair falling about her slim shoulders. If she weren’t his sister-in-law he’d want to put her in a movie.
“I guess we’d better find some it’s okay to cut. You lead the way.”
He followed her across a wide lawn surrounded by yellow hibiscus in full bloom, then down a little hill toward the nearby beach. He could smell the ocean in the air, crisp and salty and slightly fishy.
“These are my favorites.” She pointed to white petunias, scattered like confetti at their feet where the jungle faded into the beach.
AJ glanced at the Rahiian ocean for the first time in years. Bright turquoise, it stretched forever, the horizon punctuated only by the nearby island of Naluua—an emerald dot fringed with white, floating in the clear blue bowl of sea and sky. “Damn.”
Lani glanced up. “What?”
“I forgot the power of the sea.”
Humor sparkled in her golden eyes. “They say the ocean in California is stunning.”
“Not like this.” He kicked off his shoes and strode out onto the fine white sand. The silky texture wrapped around his toes like a familiar embrace. “And ours is always warm.” The beach wasn’t wide. He reached the water in less than twenty strides, then stood while a small wave swept in sea foam to cover his toes. “Ahhh, now that feels good.”
Lani laughed. A sweet, high, golden sound. It echoed and thrilled somewhere deep in his chest. He glanced at her, and basked in the warmth of her smile. It felt good to see her look happy, even if only for a moment. “Come on in.” He extended his hand.
He regretted the gesture instantly. Touching her was definitely a bad idea. His skin tingled and the hairs on his arm stood on end even at the prospect.
It was likely she felt the same way, as she walked gingerly across the sand and dipped her toes into the water a good ten feet away. She sighed as the water swept around her delicate ankles. “I haven’t done this in a long time. You take the water for granted when you live here.”
“I guess you have to be gone a while to appreciate it.” The sun warmed his face while the water lapped over his toes and his heels sank deeper into the soft sand. “Vanu and I used to spend hours down here, hunting for different shells and insects. It certainly is a good place for a kid to grow up.”
Lani’s smile vanished. AJ frowned. He shouldn’t have mentioned Vanu. She obviously missed him. Maybe her Vanu was very different from the one he remembered? Brothers often had adversarial relationships.
He tried to ignore the recoil in his gut as he thought of her in Vanu’s arms. Which was insane, since she was Vanu’s wife. And how could he feel jealous over a woman he didn’t have or even want?
The wind whipped Lani’s hair to one side, revealing her striking profile. Okay, maybe he did want her. But not in any way that was appropriate under the circumstances. She wasn’t some bubbly production assistant looking for a spot on the casting couch, or a cheeky starlet hoping for a bit part as well as some action.
Maybe that was part of the appeal. At least with Lani he knew she had absolutely no interest in scoring a part in one of his movies. Lately he’d found himself suspecting even the most seemingly sensible women of having ulterior motives for dating him. That’s just how it was in L.A. Everyone seemed to have an agenda.
Then again, maybe Lani had an agenda, too, but he hadn’t sniffed it out yet.
Lani snuck a sideways look at AJ. Proud head tilted to the horizon, he looked every bit like one of the ancient Rahiian carvings of The Old Ones. Which was funny, because until now, she’d have described him as a classic Hollywood bad boy. With his slicked-back dark hair, mischievous grin and wide, highly kissable mouth, he must have women chasing him through Beverly Hills. But now, in the strong light of the sun reflected off the ocean, she could see nothing but the classic planes of his face and the powerful body of an ancient warrior-god.
She blew out a breath. Was this really a useful line of thought?
Perhaps it was, since Priia was counting on her to convince AJ to marry her. She might as well find him attractive in that case. Guilt rippled over her like the seawater at her feet. She was supposed to trick him into marrying her so she could pass off her baby as his. Could she even live with herself if she did that?
She remembered his comment about this being a good place for a kid to grow up. She tried to imagine Vanu as a child, but couldn’t. The innocence and curiosity of childhood seemed totally at odds with Vanu’s harsh cynicism.
“Why did you leave Rahiri?” The question was blunt, but she wanted to know.
AJ looked out at the horizon, frowning. “Too small for me.”
“You wanted to live somewhere with more going on?” She dug her toes into the sand. If he did somehow get suckered into marrying her, he’d be bored within a week.
“Yes. And where I could figure out what I really wanted to do. Here my whole life was mapped out already—brother to the future king. I wanted more.”
“And you found it.” His life in L.A. must be exciting, fun. Rahiri was pleasant, but it was a peaceful place. No doubt he found it dull.
“I did.” He turned to her, his expression oddly determined. “I went to college, discovered film and the rest is history.” A wry grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Okay, not exactly history, but cult film history, anyway. I enjoy my life.”
How could his mom expect him to give up the life he loved and move back here, where once again his life would be mapped out for him? Cold fear mingled with the guilt trickling through her. She didn’t want to be a party to spoiling AJ’s life.
“Was it hard to leave?”
“Not at all.” He turned a frank expression to her. “Vanu was the future king, and I was just the younger brother. I was a bit of a hell-raiser in my teens, too. I think everyone heaved a sigh of relief when I got on that plane to L.A.”
“I know your mom missed you.”
“And I missed her, but that doesn’t mean it would have been better for me to stay here. Aren’t we supposed to be finding flowers for her? “
“Yes.” Lani glanced back at the green growth at the edge of the beach. “We’re not doing a very good job. Honestly, I hate picking flowers. They look so much prettier and happier attached to their roots.”
“Then
