The Resilient One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Read online

  Captain Aaron called them back to the boat a few minutes later. The swim back felt refreshing instead of freezing. They cruised farther around the island and went to several different snorkeling spots, stopping for lunch next to some water-filled caves. Alyssa’s favorite snorkeling spot was a huge rock island that they swam around numerous times, staring at thousands of brightly-colored fish. Glancing at the wide expanse of ocean around her, she had the brief, and hopefully completely irrational, fear of a shark appearing.

  She should’ve never watched Soul Surfer. Wasn’t that filmed in Hawaii? She found herself wondering what island. Was it Kauai or Maui? Shaking her head, she concentrated on the picturesque ocean spread beneath her.

  She was kicking hard for another pass when she felt a tug on her arm. She turned to see Beck motioning and pulling her toward the boat. She lifted her head out of the water.

  “Shark,” he said, giving her a push toward the boat.

  “No!” she gargled through her mask. Darting a glance over her shoulder, she saw the fin about twenty yards away. Alyssa kicked as hard as she could toward the boat, expecting any second to feel the shark’s teeth tearing into her. Her right foot throbbed from trying to keep it in the flipper correctly, but she couldn’t quit. Her chest constricted and she cried out inside her mask. She couldn’t get enough air. Spitting the mouthpiece out, she wanted to look, but forced herself to stay focused on reaching the boat.

  Please, please, keep us all safe, she prayed over and over again.

  Something brushed against her leg. She screamed and jerked away, certain the shark was right next to her and would rip her apart. Turning, relief rushed through her when she realized it was Beck swimming next to her. He’d inserted his body between her and the shark. The fin was coming closer and Alyssa continued to pray for their protection.

  The ladder appeared and Captain Aaron’s hand. Beck pushed her up from behind and she scrambled into the boat, Beck right behind her. She wrapped up in the towel that Aaron’s assistant handed her.

  “Is everyone in?” Beck asked over her shoulder.

  “Stockton, Janie, and Bryant are on the other side of the island,” Aaron said, already putting the motor into motion and cruising around the rock.

  “Is that a great white?” Aaron’s assistant asked, sounding almost excited.

  “Yes,” Aaron replied, expertly spinning the wheel. “They travel here in the winter months.”

  Alyssa searched the water and saw the tell-tale fin moving parallel to them in the ocean. She thanked her father in heaven for her and Beck’s safety and continued praying hard that they could get to the little family before the shark decided to attack. Could they scare it away somehow? They rounded the island and the three snorkels were right there in the water.

  Someone screamed and Alyssa saw the shark’s speed had increased. Aaron positioned the boat between the shark and the family. Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief until she noticed the shark slowed and then veered around the boat.

  Bryant, Stockton’s dad, jerked his head out of the water.

  “Shark!” several people screamed. He shoved his wife toward the boat. She looked up, confused, but responded to Beck’s outstretched arm and was pulled quickly to safety. Cute little Stockton was completely oblivious to the approaching danger and had his head down. He’d been so intrigued by the fish and was probably focused on them. His dad reached for him, but wasn’t close enough. Alyssa cried out in panic as the shark sliced through the water toward the little boy. Beck picked up an oxygen tank and hurled it at the approaching shark. It bounced off the shark and barely missed Bryant.

  Stockton finally looked up from the water and screamed in surprise. The shark was temporarily thrown off course and Aaron had managed to get the boat close enough for Beck to lean over and pluck Stockton from the water. He ushered him into his mother’s waiting arms and turned around to help Bryant. Bryant started scrambling up the ladder with Beck yanking on him. The shark swam toward the boat.

  Alyssa panted for air. It was a scene out of a horror movie, and Bryant was about to become a real-life victim. Captain Aaron threw the motor into gear. Beck flew over the side of the boat and toward the waiting jaws of the shark. The screams and shouts of panic pressed in around Alyssa. She knew she was screaming louder than anyone, but she felt like everything was frozen except the boat and that horrible shark coming straight for Beck.

  Bryant darted back down the ladder and reached out a hand. Beck grabbed onto him and hung on. A sharp tug from Bryant and Beck was able to secure a leg around the ladder and pull himself up. The boat flew away from the shark as Beck clung onto the ladder next to Bryant. Bryant climbed the remaining steps and then helped Beck over the side.

  Alyssa hurried to Beck’s side, flinging herself at him. They sank down into the cushions at the back of the boat. She hugged him and couldn’t stop the tears racing down her face.

  “Oh, Beck, you’re okay.”

  Janie made her way to them with Stockton hanging on her. “You saved us,” she said. “Thank you.”

  Bryant nodded, offering his hand. “I owe you everything.”

  “You saved me too,” Beck said, shaking Bryant’s hand.

  “You’re both heroes in my book,” Captain Aaron added, turning around to give them both a salute. “Maybe the pretty lady can give you a reward for all of us.” He winked at Alyssa and Beck.

  Alyssa kissed Beck right in front of everybody. The boat exploded in cheers and she pulled away in embarrassment.

  “Mommy, I want ice cream for a reward for being brave, not a kiss from Lyssa,” Stockton said.

  Beck grinned at the little boy. “When we get back, buddy, I’ll buy you ice cream, and I’ll take all your kisses from Lyssa.”

  Alyssa enjoyed the salty taste of the ocean as Beck proceeded to kiss her again and her heart thumped in excitement that had nothing to do with sharks or near-death experiences.

  Beck escorted Alyssa off the boat and they took their time saying goodbye to the group. The shark attack had bonded everyone together. Stockton was still insistent that he didn’t want kisses, but he did accept a hug from Alyssa after Beck found an ice cream shop and bought them both an ice cream.

  “You sure you don’t want a lick?” Alyssa asked, her tongue drawing patterns in the chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream.

  Beck might’ve drooled a little bit. “A lick of what?”

  “The ice cream, you silly.” Her face reddened. “I look awful.” She tried to fluff her hair, but spending the day in the ocean had it plastered to her head.

  “You look great,” Beck reassured her and he meant it. He’d never seen his former girlfriend, Belle, without makeup so thick she must have applied it with a painter’s trowel. Alyssa didn’t need makeup to look beautiful. He hadn’t realized how much he’d dreamed of finding a woman who was not only beautiful but genuine. Alyssa didn’t have an agenda where he was concerned and she wasn’t selfish and manipulative.

  His phone rang. He checked the caller I.D. before saying to Alyssa, “Excuse me, I need to take this.”

  She nodded her understanding.

  “Hey, Linli. You doing okay without me?” Beck asked.

  “Of course.” Linli huffed and he knew he’d offended her. She could and did run the office without any help from him and it irritated her when he acted like he helped out. “But I have to tell you, Beck, I’m more certain than ever that somebody took your itinerary and I’m afraid it’s Belle.”

  “Belle?” His voice pitched up in surprise.

  Alyssa looked at him strangely and he tried to smile like nothing was wrong.

  “You don’t think she’d come here?” he asked more quietly.

  “I wouldn’t put it past her. The woman thinks she owns you.”

  “She knows we’re just friends.”

  Linli harrumphed and Alyssa’s eyebrows rose.

  “Okay. Thanks for the heads up, boss.”

  “You’d better remember who the boss is. Stay safe.
It might not be her. It could be anyone—gold diggers, photographers, or any other kind of horrible people like that.”

  “Photographers?”

  Alyssa took a step back, not licking her ice cream any more. Beck shook his head and smiled like his assistant was crazy.

  “You know how they are, trying to take pictures of you in your skivvies and disgusting stuff like that. Just be careful.”

  A chill ran through him at her warning. He looked at Alyssa. She was a photographer, but a beautiful and considerate kind of photographer. She’d never take unwanted pictures of someone for profit. Her talent was a gift to the world, not smutty pictures for the tabloids.

  “Thanks, Linli,” he said to his assistant.

  “It’s what I do.” Linli hung up before he could say goodbye.

  “Everything okay?” Alyssa asked.

  “Yeah. My assistant is a bit paranoid. She thinks someone stole my itinerary and is trying to exploit me.”

  Alyssa swallowed and stared at him. A chocolate drip ran over the back of her hand.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. There’s nothing the tabloid rags can do to me that they haven’t already done.” He thought of the pictures taken after his parents’ funeral. They’d twisted a situation with his sister, Anna, and made it look like he was restraining her and then she was hitting him, when in truth he’d been holding her as she sobbed and then she’d accidentally elbowed him when they both bent to pick up her son. To think that someone had intruded on their grief and made them fodder for gossip, that was completely untrue, still upset him sometimes.

  “Oh, um, okay.” A panicked look filled her eyes and the ice cream was still dripping down her hand.

  Beck smiled to reassure her then the realization occurred to him. “You’re worried they’re going to photograph us together.”

  “Oh, no, it’s fine.” She shook her head quickly, failing to convince him. She was famous in her own right. Of course she wouldn’t want some smart tabloid writer to piece together that A.A. was with Beckham Taylor and though he was thrilled to be with her, he didn’t want his private life on display, ever.

  “It’s not fine. We’ll watch out for them.” He wrapped an arm around her then took her napkin and wiped her hand off.

  Alyssa giggled, but she still sounded nervous. He’d better get her back to the bed and breakfast. It had been a long day and she was probably exhausted. He regretted saying anything to her about the photographers. A true artist like her would never understand those cockroaches who stooped to exploit others and sell hurtful pictures to the tabloids.

  “I have a clean report for one Beck-ham Taylor,” Maryn drawled out.

  Alyssa sank onto her bed. “Really?” Was her intuition finally on? Beck was a good guy and wouldn’t hurt her? Her heart raced as she thought of Beck’s exciting kisses in the boat today but then it dropped when she remembered the intense scorn he’d shown for the paparazzi. How could she ever tell him she’d been desperate enough to do that, and even worse, to take pictures of him and his family when they were grieving? She hadn’t known how far the tabloid would twist the pictures she’d taken, but still it made her physically sick.

  “Yep. He’s a good guy, my friend, committed to his family and helping children. Of course there were some pictures of him dating, but it was never smutty or anything.”

  “Maryn,” Alyssa all but wailed, “How am I going to tell him I took those pictures of him and his sister?”

  “I don’t know, sweets. Maybe give it a little more time. No reason to unload all the dirt on the second date.”

  “I feel like I’m hiding something from him.” Alyssa pressed her eyes closed. “I hate it.”

  “That’s because you’re so pure and good. Take your time and get to know him. When he sees how sweet you are, he’ll know my girl would never take advantage of anyone, and he won’t care what you’ve done in the past.”

  Alyssa sighed. “Thank you, friend, that means a lot to me.”

  “It’s true. So tell me… you got a scoop?”

  “You had better be kidding.” Alyssa hated the way Maryn had phrased that. She stretched out on her bed and pressed the phone to her ear. “No more scoops. I told you about the first day we spent together. You said nothing else was going to get printed in that stupid article and you promised no names.”

  “Of course, no more scoops, like that kind of scoops, unless we’re talking about ice cream.” Maryn laughed. “I just love hearing about your romance.”

  “Yeah, yeah, sadly I know you too well to believe that.” Beck had been so thoughtful to buy her and Stockton ice cream and the look in his eyes as he wiped it off her hand... Was Maryn right that he’d understand or was he going to hate her?

  “Hey, I’m offended by that calloused remark. This is all best buddy here, off the record. I already promised not to write any of this, but you have to give me some dirt. Any lip action happening yet?”

  Alyssa let out her breath on a whispered sigh. She pointed her toes and enjoyed being lazy and thinking about Beck’s kisses. Maryn was right, it was smarter to wait and get to know Beck better before she stressed over revealing all her secrets. “It was amazing.”

  “Now that’s more like it. I’m demanding best friend rights, describe, please.”

  “Which time?”

  “Oh, yeah! Loving that. First time then we can get all the grit later.”

  Alyssa laughed. “All I can say is he rescued me from some druggie, and then he completely took my breath away.”

  “Ah, that’s beautiful. So, you’re really liking this guy?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you really appreciate your best friend setting this all up?”

  “Yes.” Alyssa was wary again. “But you already owe me twenty favors so I’m not doing anything more for you.”

  “I’m hurt! I just wanted to hear your gratitude.”

  “I am grateful. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever met.”

  “See, that’s all I wanted. Now go find him and kiss him some more, and I expect you to name your first daughter after me.”

  Alyssa hung up the phone with a smile. Maryn was a cute name for a little girl. She laughed. She was getting more than a little ahead of herself. Alyssa was one of the few from their group of twelve who regretted making the Billionaire Bride Pact at twelve years old. As Maryn liked to tease her, Alyssa was the dark side of the pact. She really had no desire to marry a Richie. She smiled, but Beck was so much more than some rich guy. He didn’t act anything like her father or all the men her father had tried to push on her over the years.

  She opened her computer, to try and stop her daydreams and worries over Beck, and started sorting the pictures she’d taken of the village of Nahiku last week. A local had taken her there, otherwise she would’ve been met with hostility as a tourist. A popular tourist book recommended people explore the village, but the locals wanted their privacy. When tourists appeared, it was an awkward situation at best, sometimes even resulting in arguments or attacks on the tourists.

  The villagers had welcomed her with open arms, partially because of Jerry’s friend who took her, and partially because her dark coloring helped her to fit in. The beautiful village brought such a sense of another era of time. A simple life where children played in the streets without fear and laughed unabashedly because they were loved by family and neighbors alike. Alyssa had never experienced that feeling.

  She heard a rap on her door and her heartbeat immediately quickened, hoping it might be Beck. She swung the door open wide. Beck leaned against the frame. Her breath hitched at the warmth in his blue eyes and for the first time in longer than she could remember, she wasn’t afraid to have a man standing outside her room. She could invite him in and not worry that he would try to seduce or attack her. Though she might not mind if Beck tried to seduce her.

  “Do you want to go for a walk?”

  She glanced down at the sweats and raggedy T-shirt she’d thrown on after her shower. “I l
ook horrible.”

  He shook his head. “You look beautiful.”

  She blushed. “At least it’s dark outside.”

  He smiled and offered his arm. She quickly slipped on her tennis shoes and tied them, then grasped his elbow. They walked down the street to the beach and sauntered slowly along. Beck stopped by the rocks before Canoe Beach and turned to face her.

  “I hear there are turtles here in the mornings.”

  “There are. I see them on my runs all the time.”

  Alyssa’s breath came hard and fast. From the look in his eyes, he didn’t bring her here to talk about turtles. She was grateful he hadn’t bugged her about her decision to travel with him and photograph either. He was so respectful and kind, giving her time to sort things out. Now if she could just get brave enough to tell him about the photographs she’d taken. Despite Maryn’s reassurance, she was afraid that the longer she waited, the worse it was going to be.

  Beck smiled and brushed a lock of hair from her face. He slowly lowered his head, but paused and whispered, “Alyssa?” as if asking permission.

  She nodded and that must’ve been all the answer he needed. He took command of her lips with a passion that heated her all the way through. She relished each movement of his lips and the way his hands massaged her back in rhythm with the kiss. Every nerve tingled and her head filled up with only Beck.

  He broke contact and asked, “Was that a bit more romantic than the alley of a bathroom or a boat with a dozen people watching?”

  She laughed. “When you kiss me, I’m not even sure where I am, so I really don’t think the setting matters.”

  He grinned and lowered his head to hers again.

  Alyssa looked at the monstrous waves off the northwestern point of the island. Surfers were scattered throughout the water, working to catch a big wave. She secured her camera bag over her shoulder and swung back to face Beck as he eased the surfboard off the top of his rental car. “Do you have a death wish?”

  Beck laughed and gestured down to the water. “These are small waves.”