“Hey, you made it,” he said, shifting in his chair. “Sit down. Let me get you a glass of wine.”

  “Thanks,” she said, claiming the seat beside him.

  “How was your run?” He handed her a glass.

  “It was great, thanks.”

  Their hands brushed as she accepted the glass, and he felt the brief contact all the way up his forearm. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “No, I had a few almonds and some yogurt when I went home to shower and change.”

  “You look great.” His eyes drifted over the simple eyelet dress. No other woman could have made virginal innocence look as enticing.

  “Thanks.” She twisted the stem of the glass between her fingers as she tipped her head back and closed her eyes. “I love it here, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, it’s great.”

  Justin came to the island to escape the people demanding to know when he would return to the circuit. He wasn’t ready, and he honestly didn’t know when or if he ever would be. Unfortunately, racing was in his blood, and without that, he didn’t know who or what he was.

  “Could you ever see yourself living here full-time?” he asked, claiming the lounge chair beside her.

  “I don’t think so,” she said, a sigh of contentment slipping past her lips. “It’s a great place to rest and recharge, but it’s a little too remote for my taste.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  The island was once owned by a wealthy developer who’d divided the ten acres into two parcels of land and built two homes. One was a large two-storey, which Justin had bought last year, and the other was a smaller bungalow, which Ty McCall had bought several years before. There was also a small caretaker’s cottage tucked away in the forest. The caretaker tended to the needs of the vacationers and traveled into town once or twice a week to bring back supplies. Other than that, he made himself scarce, respecting their desire for privacy.

  “Where do you live?” she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

  “I live in North Carolina now, Charlotte. But I was born in New York. My family got into racing when I was just a kid, so it seemed like the logical place to be.”

  “Have you always loved racing, or did you feel pressure to get into it because of your family?”

  “My family has a lot of interests: horse racing and breeding, car racing, publishing, philanthropy… They would have supported anything I chose, but cars have always been my passion.”

  “You must miss racing then?”

  “I do.” He hadn’t been behind the wheel of his race car since the accident. It had been rebuilt and was in pristine condition, awaiting his return, but he couldn’t even think about sliding in without thinking about Todd.

  “So, when are you going to go back?” she asked. She set her glass down on the table between them.

  “I don’t know.” He sighed. “This season will be winding down in November. The next season starts up in February. I’m thinking maybe next season… I hope.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem too sure of yourself.”

  He rolled onto his side and propped his arm behind his head. “I’m not sure of anything right now. I came here hoping to forget for a while, but I know I can’t escape my problems.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

  He never would have thought about confiding in anyone other than Mitch, but something about Anna made him want to confess his fears. “That day on the track, I was so focused on winning. It was the only thing on my mind.”

  “That’s kind of the goal when you’re out there, isn’t it?” she asked, shifting to face him.

  “Something about that day was different. I can’t describe it. I was just hungrier, ya know?”

  She smiled. “I can’t say that I do.”

  “I guess you’d have to be one of us to understand what that’s like,” he said, his mouth tilting up in a half smile. “You see the finish line…. the checkered flag… you hear the roar of the crowd and the champagne corks…” He drew a deep breath. “It’s like that’s all you can see and hear. Suddenly, coming in second isn’t an option. You have to win at all costs.” He closed his eyes, reliving the worst day of his life. “I sure as hell never meant to cost Todd his life in my bid to be the best, though.”

  She reached for his hand. “I love this song. Will you dance with me?”

  Justin took a minute to pull himself out of his thoughts. “Sure, I’d love to,” he said, accepting her outstretched hand. Any excuse to hold her was okay with him, even if he suspected the dance was a ruse to offer him comfort and distract him from his flashbacks.

  Pulling her into his arms, he smiled when she settled her head on his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at peace. “Thank you,” he whispered, brushing his lips against her hair.

  “For what?”

  “Making me forget.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said, squeezing the hand resting against his chest. “We all have our regrets, Justin.”

  “Even you?” Suddenly, he wanted to know everything about the little enigma with the power to make him forget that life as he knew it was still up for grabs.

  “Of course.”

  “Tell me about them.”

  She tilted her head back to look at him and smiled. “I regret pinning my hopes and dreams for the future on a man who--”

  “Your fiancé?” Justin felt the tension stiffening his body. On their last trip, Ty McCall had told him that his baby girl was busy planning her wedding, and he had to plan his tour dates around the big day. Her family was excited about her impending nuptials and the doctor she’d chosen to be her husband.

  “Yes.”

  Anna had never told him she was available to pursue a relationship with him or invited his advances. The attraction could be entirely one-sided. Perhaps she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring because she just wanted one last fling before she took her vows. “Where is he now?”

  “He accepted a job offer in California.”

  “Oh…” He held his breath, hoping she would continue. When she said nothing, he asked, “Do you plan to join him?”

  “He wanted me to, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Nashville is my home.”

  His grip on her waist tightened. Knowing she didn’t belong to another man put his mind at ease. She still may not welcome his advances, but she wasn’t pushing him away either. “Seems to me a woman would go anywhere to be with the love of her life, and vice versa.”

  “You might be right.” She set her head back on his chest. “Could be he wasn’t the one for me.”

  Justin knew she could probably hear the steady beat of his heart. Something about Anna made him want to open up and encourage her to do the same. He wanted to know what mistakes her former lover had made so he wouldn’t repeat them.

  “Tell me about him,” he said quietly. He didn’t want her to think about her ex while she was in his arms, but he didn’t want to be her rebound guy either. If she had reservations about ending her engagement, he wanted to know before they went any further.

  “He’s a good man. Kind and decent, loyal and loving. I still care about him a great deal.”

  Justin knew any man in his right mind would walk away when the woman he was attracted to sang her ex’s praises, but he couldn’t. “If he was so great, why didn’t you go with him?”

  “I guess I didn’t love him as much as I thought I did.”

  He didn’t let her see his smile of satisfaction as one song ended and a Ty McCall ballad began. “You think your daddy would be worried if he knew you were all alone on this island with me?”

  Anna laughed. “I don’t think so. My dad and my brother like you a lot. Of course, they’re both huge racing fans, so that may have something to do with it.”

  “So, they’ve spoken to you about me?” Justin was still trying to figure out whether Anna was as interested in him as he was in her, but she wasn’t making it easy.

  “Yeah, a time or two. Something along the lines of, ‘Hey, guess who bought the place beside ours? Justin - freakin’- Hunt! Can you believe that?’”

  Justin laughed at her accurate impression of her brother, Nick. They’d had beers together a few times when both of them were on the island. They’d talked racing, sports, and women. Suddenly Justin wracked his brain trying to remember whether he may have said something that gave Nick the impression he wasn’t worthy of his sister.

  “How is Nick?”

  “Good. Busy with the ranch.”

  “I like your brother. He’s a cool guy.”

  “I think so.”

  Justin liked Anna’s family, and he suspected the feeling was mutual. Should they ever become a couple, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about overcoming that obstacle. “So, what’s the plan while you’re here? Why’d you feel the need to hide out so far away from civilization this summer?”

  “Did I say I was hiding out?” she asked tentatively.

  “You didn’t have to. Why else would someone come here?”

  She sighed. “I needed a little time by myself to figure things out.”

  He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he still felt compelled to ask. “You mean things with your ex?”

  “Tom still wants us to find a way to work things out.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  She turned her head to face the ocean. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’m confused.”

  As much as he loved holding her, Justin wanted to read the expression on her face when she spoke about her ex. He took her hand and led her into his living room. “Tell me what’s confusing you.” He sat on the sofa before tugging on her hand, coaxing her to join him.

  “Tom and I were together for a long time,” she said, pushing her hair off her forehead. “Like I said, he’s a good man, but…”

  Justin was pleased to hear the hesitation in her voice. “But?”

  “I always felt like something was missing.” She sighed as she folded her legs beneath her. “At first, I told myself I was being too picky. We were compatible, we liked and respected each other, and I thought that was enough to build a relationship on.”

  “You don’t think so anymore?” he asked, resting his hand on her leg.

  “I wanted passion.” She looked at his hand. “At first I thought it was just a myth I read about in novels, but then I saw my friends and family finding their soul mates, and I began to realize it really does exist.”

  His eyes rested on her lips as he propped his other arm on the couch behind her head. “Have you ever experienced that kind of connection with anyone?”

  “I… uh…” She licked her lips. “Don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do.” He leaned in closer, knowing he could be taking a big risk by forcing her to acknowledge their obvious chemistry. “You feel it too.”

  “Justin,” she said quietly, “I don’t know if this is a good idea.” Her eyes sketched his face. “I like you, but maybe we shouldn’t complicate things with…”

  “Sex?” He brushed a fingertip over the slope of her shoulder and watched the thrill bumps rise on her soft skin. “We’re both single, consenting adults. What we do while we’re here is our business, no one else’s.”

  “Is that why you asked your friends to leave? Because you wanted to be alone with me?”

  He could deny it to salvage his pride if she rejected him, but it was time to go all in. “Yes.”

  She drew a shaky breath. “I see.”

  “How do you feel about that?” he asked, running his fingers over her cheek.

  “I don’t know.” Her voice sounded shaky and breathless. “I don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. Tom was… uh… my only lover.”

  He inched closer, bending his head so he could skim her shoulder with his lips. “That’s okay; we can take all the time you need. I just want to spend time with you, Anna. I want to get to know you better.” He nestled his head in the crook of her neck, kissing the hollow at the base of her throat until she shivered. “I’m not suggesting we make love tonight.” Although his body told him that was a stellar idea. “We have the rest of the summer to decide whether we want to take that step.”

  She enclosed his head with her hands. “I’m attracted to you. I’m just not ready to…”

  “It’s okay,” he said, brushing his lips over hers.

  “You would really be okay with waiting?”

  “As long as it takes.” Just knowing she was interested in pursuing their growing attraction was enough to satisfy him for a little while.

  Chapter Four

  Anna was engrossed in her painting the following morning when a soft tap on her door drew her attention. “Come in.”

  “Hey,” Justin said as he walked in. “I was just about to go for a swim-” He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw what she was working on. “Wow, that’s incredible.”

  “Thanks,” she said, blushing. She didn’t share her art with many people. It was a deeply personal expression of herself. She felt it conveyed her vision of the world around her in a way mere words never could.

  “I had no idea you painted.” He sat down on a stool at the breakfast bar to watch her.

  “I’ve been toying around with different mediums for a while now,” she said. “I just got into oils last year, but it’s been fun. To tell you the truth, my first love is…” She knew if she told him about her illustrations, he would ask to see them. She wasn’t sure she was ready to share that part of herself with a man she’d only known a short time.

  “Your first love is what?”

  Anna reached for the leather portfolio beside her. “I’ve had this idea in mind for a while now.” She carefully unzipped the case. “I’m not sure it will go anywhere, but I’ve been thinking about maybe…” She didn’t know why she was so nervous. The worst that could happen was he would smile politely, and she would know he was unimpressed with the crude quality of her illustrations. “Submitting it to a publisher.”

  He reached for her portfolio. Their eyes met, and she knew he understood she was trusting him with a cherished part of herself.

  Justin didn’t say anything at first. He spent several minutes reading and even longer studying the illustrations that accompanied her story.

  Tom had never given her work more than a cursory glance before dismissing it, so she was honored that Justin seemed to think it was worth his time and attention. “What do you think?” she asked, clearing her throat delicately. When he didn’t respond, her stomach clenched. “I know I have a lot to learn, but…”

  He looked up, his eyes locking with hers. “I’m no expert, but this is good, Anna. I mean, really good.”

  “You think so?” she asked. She wiped her damp palms on her clean apron.

  “Like I said, I’m no expert, but I know someone who is.”

  “You do?”

  “My mother owns a small publishing company.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded as he passed her portfolio back and braced his elbows on the counter behind him. “She deals in non-fiction mostly. It started with her passion for horses. She wasn’t able to find the kinds of books she wanted to read about showing, breeding, that kind of thing. With her connections, she knew all of the experts, so she went to them to pick their brains. It was a niche market, so they weren’t likely to attract the attention of a major publisher. She decided she would start her own publishing company.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty ambitious,” Anna said, trying to imagine what kind of woman his mother must be to take on such a challenge.

  “I guess.” He shrugged. “She never expected it to evolve into what it is today. Both of my sisters are involved in the business as well. They’re still a niche publisher, but they’ve recently ventured out into fiction, including children’s books, if I’m not mistaken.”

  “That’s interesting,” she said, tucking her portfolio away. She didn’t believe in calling in favors, which was why she’d never used her last name or her father’s celebrity status to help her get ahead.

  “My parents said they may come out here for a visit this summer. Why don’t I invite my sisters, too? They could have a look at your work and see if it might be something they would be interested in.” He shrugged. “I can’t say they would be for sure, but it wouldn’t hurt to have them look at it, right?”

  Anna couldn’t deny she was interested in hearing their professional opinion. She didn’t want to cash in on her friendship with Justin, but they may be willing to give her an unbiased opinion about her work. “Perhaps,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”

  He smiled. “Why do I sense some reluctance?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, lifting one shoulder. “Tom always thought I was wasting my time. It’s just a hobby. I never really thought I could make a living at it or anything.”

  “Why not? I’m sure thousands of people make a living writing and illustrating children’s books. Why not you?”

  “I’m a teacher,” she said quietly.

  “Tell me about that,” he said, wrapping his hands around his knee as he hooked his running shoe on the bottom rung of the stool.

  “Well,” she said, thinking about the excited little faces that lit up her world on a daily basis, “I love my kids.”

  He grinned. “Somehow I knew you would say that.”

  She laughed. “You don’t get into teaching for the money or praise, that’s for sure. You do it because you love the kids and you hope to make a difference in their lives.”

  “I love that.”

  She was a little embarrassed, but she continued. “I always wanted to be a teacher, and I love what I do…” She dipped her head and looked at him from beneath the veil of her lashes.

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to the story?”

  She couldn’t tell him about her desire to get married and have a few children of her own. Their relationship would end before it even started if he thought she was just looking to settle down. She stood up and walked into the adjoining kitchen. “It’s nothing. Have you eaten? I was about to make some French toast. Would you like to join me?”