Colin looked from his mom to Harper, then back again, his stiff posture relaxing slightly as he exhaled. “Okay. I’ll get our bags out of the back of the car.”

  “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” another female voice said. Harper looked over to see a pretty blonde woman walking toward them from the house. In her perfect designer blouse and pants, she looked lethally elegant and made Harper feel like a slob in her shorts and plain white T-shirt. The woman looked to be about Colin’s age and was obviously related to him because there were those vivid blue eyes again. “About time you showed your face around here again, cuz.”

  “Hey, Jojo,” Colin said, hugging the woman and grinning. “Long time no see. Where’s Sara?”

  “Inside.”

  They pulled apart, and Colin slipped an arm around Harper’s waist. “Jojo, this is Harper Bell. Harper, this is my cousin, Josephine Parks.”

  “Nice to meet you, Josephine,” Harper said, shaking the woman’s hand.

  “Please, call me Jojo. Everyone does. And welcome to the family.”

  “Thanks,” Harper said, not missing the slightly wry edge to the other woman’s tone.

  “Well, now that that’s settled,” Colin’s mother said. “I need to get back in the kitchen and make sure everything’s moving along on dinner. I’ve had your old rooms made up, sweetie.”

  “Thank, Mom,” Colin said, paying the cab driver, then watching as the car drove off in the gathering twilight. From where she stood, the sunset over the water was brilliant.

  “Come on inside,” Jojo said, leading Harper toward the house while Colin grabbed the bags. “You don’t want to miss all the fun.”

  And there it was again, that wry tone. Mixed with the underlying tension Harper had felt in the air since they’d arrived. She could tell something was up here, she just wasn’t sure what. She stopped on the porch and turned to Jojo. “Is there something I should know before we go in?”

  Jojo looked at her a moment, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lowered her voice. “Colin’s warned you, right? That he doesn’t get along with his dad?” When Harper nodded, Jojo gave her a rueful smile. “Well, this is the first time they’ve been under the same roof in quite a while. It might be fine, or it might be…dramatic. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Harper flinched. “I feel bad,” she admitted. When Jojo gave her a curious look, she added, “Colin’s here because of me. I mean, because I wanted to meet his family!” she rushed to add, remembering their cover story. “Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed if things are as bad as all that.”

  Jojo squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. This match-up had to happen at some point. And it really shouldn’t get that bad. His parents love Colin, but they never really understood him. So, eventually, Colin stopped making an effort to understand them.” They stood on the threshold, and Jojo gave Harper some serious side-eye, her expression curious. “He must really like you, if he’s willing to come to a family reunion again.”

  Unsure how to respond, Harper stayed silent as she followed Jojo into the house and was bowled over once again by the beauty of the place. Lots of elegant, beautifully made furniture and a cool island theme that was at once both expensive-looking and inviting. Various people milled about, whom Harper assumed were Colin’s family. Introductions were made and she did her best to remember all the names. There was Cole, Colin’s father—an older, more austere version of his son. Patsy, Jojo’s mother. Sara, Jojo’s wife. Richard, Jojo’s father who was also Cole’s brother and Colin’s uncle. He mentioned something about being in real estate and investments. And Marigold, Jojo’s younger sister and Colin’s other cousin. She was sixteen and gorgeous. She had that whole “God, this is so boring” vibe that only a teenager can carry off. Emma, Marigold’s friend and not related to anyone. And Katie, Colin’s aunt and Cole and Richard’s younger sister. Finally, there were the grandparents—Amy and Eric.

  Whew. Harper hoped there wouldn’t be a test later because her brain basically felt like mush now after the travel and the worry over Serenity.

  “Colin,” his mother called from the kitchen. “Leave the bags, and someone will take them up to your rooms. Dinner’s ready. You guys can unpack after we eat.”

  Colin stood near the door and placed their stuff on the floor before hugging his relatives. Well, everyone except his dad. Those two stood across the room, glaring at each other like some weird western standoff. Yep. Jojo was correct. Definitely some drama there.

  “Dinner is served,” his mother called from the adjacent dining room.

  Harper took Colin’s hand as he passed, more for moral support than anything, and squeezed his fingers as she whispered, “Thanks again for doing this for me.”

  He grunted, then led her to the table where the rest of his family waited. “Let’s just get through this.”

  Two hours later, they were finally upstairs in what Harper could only describe as Colin’s private suite in one corner of the second floor. There was a bedroom with a huge king-sized bed. A connected master bath that was pretty much the same size as Harper’s entire apartment back home in Baltimore, plus a sitting area and a full wall of windows overlooking the ocean beyond. It was beautiful, just like the rest of the house.

  The bed had been turned down and sliding doors were open out onto the veranda, letting in the gentle rustling of the palm trees surrounding the house and the warm ocean breeze, scented with sand and salt.

  Harper wanted nothing more than to collapse on the bed and sleep for hours, but there was unpacking to do first and sleeping arrangements to consider, so she unzipped her wheeled suitcase and started transferring her stuff to her designated dresser drawers.

  “So, your family seems nice,” Harper said, hoping to get the ball rolling on a conversation. The silence was getting awkward again and Colin didn’t seem inclined to break it any time soon.

  He grunted, carrying his toiletries into the bathroom.

  So much for that, then.

  After Harper had finished putting her clothes away, she grabbed the purple velvet pouch she carried with her and pulled out her crystal, carefully setting it on the nightstand by the bed. She and Serenity both had matching ones. Amethyst Aura Clusters they were called. They were supposed to help with clearing mental blockages and encouraging creativity. Both things Harper could use right now.

  Colin finally quit futzing with his things and walked out onto the veranda to stare out at the horizon. “There’s only one bed, so I volunteer now to take the couch.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Harper stood and walked outside to stand next to him. It was lovely here. “The bed is huge. We’ll share. We’re both adults. I’m sure we can keep our hands to ourselves.”

  He looked over at her then and damn if those stupid tingles didn’t start again. She could feel the weight of his attention like a physical touch and it made her oddly warm inside. Then he glanced past her back into the room and frowned. “What’s that?”

  “What?” she asked, turning to look.

  “There on the nightstand,” he said, raising his chin in that direction. “Looks like a rainbow puppet threw up over there.”

  She scrunched her nose. “That’s my Amethyst Aura Crystal. I use it whenever I need a ‘gut check.’”

  He snorted. “Oh God. Don’t tell me you go in for all that new-agey crap. Good vibes and seeing the future and stuff.”

  “Hey!” She clasped the wooden railing, feeling defensive. She wanted to snap at him, but she stopped herself and took a deep breath. “I get that you’re on edge, being around your family again, but there’s no need to take it out on me,” she said quietly. “Yes, I like crystals, and yes, I like ‘new-agey crap.’ Right now, I’m going through something really tough, and if holding on to something familiar and meaningful to me helps me stay calm and focused, then that’s what I’m going to do. If it offends you so much, then you’re welcome to go sleep on the couch after all.”

  Colin looked like he wanted to respond, but then snapped his mouth shut and slumped back against the seat.

  Harper shook her head and stared out at the coastline. Waves crashed against the white sand shore and all she could think about was how her sister was out there somewhere. This place looked like paradise, but she couldn’t trust it. Not until she knew her sister was safe. She was going to find Serenity, no matter what. And no one, not even Colin Parks was going to distract her from doing it.

  4

  The next morning, Colin was up before dawn and got ready before Harper stirred. By the time she woke up, he was sitting on one of the sofas, drinking a cup of coffee from downstairs and reading the local newspaper, hoping to find some clues that might lead them to Serenity’s whereabouts.

  “What time is it?” she said groggily from the bed, raising up on one elbow to squint at him through the increasingly bright sunrise slanting through the windows. It was glorious here this time of day, Colin had to admit. What was even more glorious though, was Harper, all rumpled and adorable, one strap of her tank top hanging off her shoulder, the cotton stretched tight across her breasts, their size just perfect to fill his palms.

  Oh shit.

  He barely managed to keep from choking on his coffee. What the hell was wrong with him. He was working here. He and Harper had an agreement. He had no business noticing her body or anything else about her that wasn’t related to the case. Scowling, he stood and paced over to the windows, opening the sliding doors that lead out to the veranda. “It’s still early, but you should get up soon,” he said, gruffer than usual. “My mom will have breakfast downstairs in twenty minutes or so. But first I thought we could talk here and decide how to proceed today.”

  Yep. Keep the focus on the business. That’s the way to do it.

  “Uh, sure.” She yawned and stretched and he did his best to ignore her reflection in the windows, the way that tank top of hers rode up to expose a creamy swath of her abdomen. Dammit. He needed to get a grip. And get laid. That was his problem—he was sure of it. It had been a while since his last fling. Then Harper got up and padded across to the room to the bathroom and Colin felt a zing of awareness straight to his groin. The door closed and he seriously contemplated diving off the balcony and straight into the chilly swimming pool below. He’d actually done it once when he’d been young and stupid. Survived just fine then but given the downward trajectory of his luck since arriving on the island, he didn’t want to chance it today.

  Below, he saw Jojo and her wife Sara walk out into the backyard to use the pool. Beyond the gates of his parents’ home, other island dwellers were walking or jogging on the beach while some brave surfers paddled out into the ocean. The water was beautiful, but there could be strong riptides in this area if you weren’t careful.

  By the time Harper got ready and they finally sat down on the sofa opposite the one Colin had been sitting on, he’d gotten his errant arousal back under control. The fact she seemed determined to argue with him over every detail once they started discussing their activities for the day helped too.

  “Since we’re no longer guests at the resort, we don’t have a good excuse to be over there as a couple. But I’m the son of the owners and I haven’t seen the place in years, so no one will think it’s strange if I go over there and check things out, see how the place is running. I’ll head over by myself this morning and find out if Serenity is there. If she is, I’ll talk to her and confirm she’s okay. Or, if she’s not around, then I can search her room for any clues.”

  “No,” she said, after sipping a bottled water. “I want to go with you. I know Serenity better than anyone. If she’s there, I want to talk to her myself. She might give you the runaround about her situation, but she’ll be honest with me. And if she’s not there, I might be able to pick up on something that you’d miss from searching her room.”

  He took a deep breath. This was why he worked freelance. Life was so much easier when you could just do your own thing and not have to worry about getting anyone else on board. “It might not be safe, Harper. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet, and until we do, I don’t feel comfortable putting you at risk. Please. This is what I do for a living. Let me do it. Stay here at the house and relax. Spend time with my mom and Jojo. Go to the beach. I promise, as soon as I know anything, I’ll contact you.”

  Colin could tell that Harper was frustrated, but he wasn’t going to change his mind. He really could work better and faster alone. She looked like she wanted to argue with him further, but then she sat back and sighed. A soft breeze blew in off the ocean, carrying the sweet scent of plumeria from the gardens surrounding the estate.

  “Fine,” she said, staring out at the horizon. “But be careful. And promise me you’ll text as soon as you find something.”

  “Will do,” he said, then stood. “Should we go down to breakfast, then?”

  After another hour of fending off his family’s nosy questions about him and Harper, and ignoring his father’s glowers from the other end of the table, Colin finally headed off to Nirvana Resort, having borrowed the least ostentatious car he could find in his father’s ridiculous collection. Breakfast actually hadn’t been as painful as he’d feared. A lot of that was due to Harper taking some of the heat off of him just by being there. It also helped that she seemed to get along with everyone instantly. His family was going to be disappointed when his “relationship” with her ended after this trip was over.

  Once he got to Nirvana, he went inside and up to the enormous, semi-circular registration desk. The place was pretty much as he’d remembered—lots of pink marble and gold gilt and sparkling glass. The “lost city of Atlantis” motif done up to be as luxurious as possible. A stylish woman in her mid-forties stood behind the counter, smiling broadly as he approached. “Welcome to Nirvana Resort and Spa. How may I help you, sir?”

  “Hi, yes. My name’s Colin Parks III.”

  The woman’s jaw dropped. “The…the son of the owners?” she squeaked.

  “Yes, but there’s no need to worry,” Colin said, doing his best to project calm and friendliness, “I’m not here for anything bad. It’s just been a long time since I’ve been on the island, and I wanted to check in and see how things are going here, what’s changed. If you have a minute, would you mind talking to me about how you like your work here?”

  Fortunately, there were only a few people walking up for check-ins at the moment, and several other receptionists to help them, so Colin was able to take his time. The woman—Maria—was happy to talk to him about her experience working at the resort for the past three years. Colin listened with every appearance of attentiveness until he felt the moment was right to ask his real question. “Oh, and while I’m here, I was hoping to chat with an employee by the name of Serenity Bell. Could you tell me where I can find her?”

  Maria nodded and turned to her computer, typing a few things in before looking down at the screen with a frown. “It looks like she was staying in room 1105, but according to our records, she left a few days ago.”

  “Left? As in checked out? Or quit? Or what?”

  She shook her head, still frowning at the screen. “It doesn’t say. Though since she was a resort employee, the timing is a little strange since we’re in the middle of our busy season.” She looked up at him and shrugged. “Maybe there was some kind of personal emergency.”

  Damn.

  Colin thought about asking for a key to the room so he could check it himself, but just from talking to Maria for a few minutes, he could tell that that kind of request would be a red flag to her—and the whole point of this visit was to gather as much information as possible while avoiding drawing attention to the fact that he was searching for Serenity.

  He thanked Maria for her help and then walked away, taking the elevators up to the eleventh floor instead. Housekeeping was busy making their rounds, and he walked past several carts before swiping an all-access key card from one of them without anyone noticing. Then it was just a matter of making a few passes through the hotel before discreetly making his way back to the room. There was no answer when he knocked on the door, but that didn’t mean the room was empty. As Maria had said, it was the busy season. If Serenity had checked out days earlier, the room probably had new occupants.

  In his experience, there were two ways this could go. Either he’d walk in and find that whoever was staying there had already gone for the morning. Or he’d walk in and find them asleep or otherwise engaged. Then he’d have to make up some story about who he was and why he was there. Good thing working here had been his summer job until he’d graduated from high school. He knew enough to make it convincing.

  But his luck held, and the room was already empty. Well, there was enough stuff scattered around to make it clear that someone was staying there, but whoever it was had already left for the morning. Colin let himself in, hung the Do Not Disturb sign on the handle, then started searching the room. The trouble was, he didn’t know Serenity. There was just no way for him to be able to tell if anything he came across was hers or if it belonged to the people currently using the room. The nagging thought struck him that Harper might have had a point when she’d said she should come with him…but he pushed that idea aside. He worked better alone.

  He’d just cleared the bedroom and was going to start on the bathroom when the sound of someone else entering made him freeze in place.

  Fuck.

  Then the person crept into view and…

  Double fuck.

  “Harper? What the hell are you doing here?” he hissed. “How did you get here?”

  She shrugged. “I told your mother and Jojo I wanted to see the resort. Then I said I needed to use the bathroom and snuck away from them to follow you up here.”