Full Circle (18 page)

He thought about his list then shook his
head. “No.”

Now wasn’t the time to discuss the remaining
items he hadn’t yet shared with her. That wasn’t why he’d brought
her to the beach, and he didn’t want anything else stealing the
spotlight from his purpose. He could tell her about the other
things later.

He directed her away from the surf and pulled
her down with him as he sat on the sand. She sat between his bent
legs, both of them facing the sea.

He pressed his nose into her hair. She
smelled of the ocean and strawberry shampoo.

“I can see why this is your favorite place in
the world.” She leaned back into the cradle of his body. “We
definitely have to come here again.”

He dug the ring from his pocket and concealed
it inside his fist as he wrapped his arms around her. “Maybe we
can.” He took her left hand in his then slid the ring on her
finger. “Perhaps we should come back on our honeymoon.”

* * *

Karma was so caught up in the view, the warmth of
the sun on her face, the surf ebbing and flowing, and the
refreshing breeze, it took her a second to realize what he’d
said.

Honeymoon?

What?

Then she realized he was holding her left
hand, and he was sliding something onto her ring finger. She looked
down and sucked in her breath.

“Oh my God.” A stunning round diamond
glittered up at her. “Mark?” She turned to face him.

He was smiling, his eyes hopeful. “I searched
a long time to find you, Karma. A very long time. Even when I
didn’t know I was searching. And when I found you, I almost blew
it. I almost lost you.” He pressed his lips together in a tight
smile. Then he glanced down at her hand. “Now that I’ve found you
again, I can’t imagine my life without you.” He met her gaze as he
squeezed her hand. “So . . . Karma Mason, will you
marry me? Will you be my wife and guarantee I never lose you
again?”

Speechless, she glanced back at the ring that
looked like it had cost a small fortune then turned to face him
again.

How had he kept this a secret their entire
trip? She hadn’t even suspected.

The insecurities she’d shared with Lisa last
Friday evaporated in an instant. She’d been worried that maybe once
they got to know one another they would find they really didn’t
work as a couple. That the excitement of them would be based on
just the sexual chemistry and nothing more. That his fear of
commitment would return and be too great for them to overcome. But
for him to propose and show he was ready—
really ready
—to
commit felt like a reassurance that her worries were unfounded.
This was real.

He’d shared the dark secrets of his past, and
she’d accepted them. The worst was over, and now she and Mark could
move forward together, with nothing else holding them back.

“Yes.” She threw her arms around his
shoulders and kissed him as he pulled her down on top of him in the
sand.

She had known the night he showed up at her
apartment three days before Thanksgiving this day would
come . . . that he would propose. He’d made it clear
that’s what he wanted. A life with her.

But she hadn’t trusted that feeling and had
let fear briefly tease her into thinking their relationship could
still fall apart.

Well, no more. They were finally
official.

Still, she hadn’t expected him to propose so
soon. Once more, just as he’d done during their four-month affair
two summers ago, Mark had surprised her. Like an ever-changing
kaleidoscope, he’d transformed into something else just when she’d
gotten used to the image in front of her.

“Is a kidnappee supposed to fall in love with
her kidnapper?”

He grinned. “It’s been known to happen.”

Happiness shone from his gaze, a kind of joy
she’d only ever seen in the eyes of children. It was a gleefulness
she had never associated with Mark, but seeing it now made her
heart beat a little harder. This was real. Maybe he was finally
putting his past behind him, ready to try again and embrace his
future.

She lifted her hand and stared at the
twinkling diamond. “Then consider me fallen.”

What had begun as a casual affair a year and
eight months ago had finally culminated in the most important
relationship of her life. And this time, she was ready. Mark would
be her husband. She’d called off her engagement to Brad, but she
would never call off this one. Mark was hers. She was his.

End of story.

She was ready for another adventure with her
Prince Charming. One that would last the rest of their lives.

Part II

Chapter 11

Me? Jealous? Hahahahahahaha! Yes.

-Author Unknown

Karma lightly rapped her knuckles on Lisa’s office
door.

Lisa looked up from her computer and burst
into a smile. “Hey, girl! What are you doing here?”

“Mark and I are viewing a house today. I’m
meeting him here, but I’m a little early.” She checked her watch,
catching a glimpse of her engagement ring as she did.

It had been almost a month since they’d
returned from Saint Lucia. Paradise. Where every day had seemed
like a dream. Now they were back in the real world, and tropical
beaches and day cruises on luxury yachts where she pretended to be
a kidnap victim were a million miles away.

Mark had fallen behind from taking a week off
for their vacation and had spent most of the last four weeks
playing catch-up. Between that and her starting her new job, they
hadn’t seen much of each other except in passing, so she was beyond
ready for them to move in together. At least then she would see him
more than a couple nights a week.

To make things even tougher, she was
preparing for what she’d been warned was a labor-intensive online
editing course that would last a year. But after she completed it,
she would possess all the skills and knowledge necessary for her
first promotion. Until then, she would work under a senior
editor.

Lisa waved her into her office. “Come in.
Grab a seat and talk to me. How’s the house hunting going?”

She sat in the gray-and-burgundy armchair
across from Lisa and set her purse on the floor beside her. “Really
good. I think the house we’re viewing tonight is the one. We’ve
already seen it once, but there’s one other on our short list. But
I really like this one. It’s my favorite.”

“Does your dad know you’re moving in
together, yet?”

Just the reminder of her dad was enough to
make Karma bristle. “He still doesn’t even know we’re engaged.”

“You haven’t told him? What about your
mom?”

“No. I’ve been busy. Mark’s been busy. Plus,
this isn’t something either of us wants to say over the phone or in
an e-mail, and since my dad doesn’t want Mark in his house, and I
don’t want to share the news without him, we’re at a
stalemate.”

“Sooner or later you need to tell him, even
if you have to force the issue or compromise on the how. I mean,
Karma, he kind of has to walk you down the aisle and give you away.
So, the sooner you tell him, the better.”

“Mark and I haven’t even set a date,
yet.”

“What’s the holdup?”

“Like I said, we’ve been busy.”

“Too busy to take five minutes and pick a
date?” Lisa’s e-mail chimed. She briefly glanced at her monitor
before dismissing whatever message she’d received and turned back
to Karma. “Seriously, Karma. If you want a June wedding, you might
have already missed the window.” She cocked her head. “I thought
you were excited about this.”

“I am.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

Karma shrugged. “Mark suggested we wait until
after things calm down. We’re both crazy busy right now, Leese. I
start classes next week, I just got my first editing assignment,
we’re buying a house, we’ve got to pack, change all our mailing
information, move, buy furniture. There’s a lot to do.”

“Okay, but don’t wait too long. There’s a lot
of planning that goes into a wedding, and you want to get
moving.”

“You’re right. There
is
a lot of
planning, which is why we’re waiting until things settle down.” She
relaxed into the chair, smiling to herself. “God, Lisa. Is this
really happening?”

“What? That you’re buying a house with Mr.
Hotness? Or that you’re marrying the guy?”

She laughed. “No . . .
just . . . well, yeah. All of it.” She sat forward
and scooted to the edge of the chair, suddenly anxious. “I mean,
Lisa, he has money. More money than I ever thought the man I’d
marry would have.”

Lisa’s eyebrows scrunched over her nose as
she angled her head curiously. “And this is a problem how?”

Karma rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.
He’s rich, Lisa.” She’d already revealed to Lisa what Mark had told
her about the state of his finances. “And this house is huge. I’m
not used to living that way.”

“And what way is that? Comfortably?”

She exhaled gruffly. “No, silly. Like I’ll
need a team of maids just to keep the place clean.”

“Well, I think Mark can afford it.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what
is
the point? What’s wrong
with marrying a guy who has money?”

“What if I don’t fit into his world?”

Lisa frowned as if she’d never heard anything
so ridiculous. “Trust me. You fit.”

Karma sighed. “I don’t know. This is all so
strange and new and . . . I feel like I’m in a
whirlwind.”

“Which you will come out of once you settle
down and get used to things. Just relax, Karma. Count your
blessings. You’re one of the lucky ones.”

“How so?”

“You’re in love with a man who loves you. A
man who’s not just in love with you but
crazy
in love with
you. Who just happens to be a multimillionaire and a brilliant
businessman. A man who has professional aspirations and doesn’t
just want to live off his inheritance. Who’s got his shit together
and sweeps you away on a private jet to a tropical island on a
whim. So, let yourself enjoy the moment, girl.”

She sighed and pushed herself back in her
chair. “Yeah, okay. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I—”

A knock on the door interrupted Karma, and
she turned to see an attractive blonde she didn’t recognize
standing in the doorway. The woman appeared to be in her late
twenties or early thirties, with large, doe-like eyes. She was
dressed impeccably in a stylish, magenta suit. Her skirt hit just
above the knee, revealing slender, toned calves. She wore beige
peep-toe platform pumps.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” The woman glanced toward
Karma and smiled apologetically as she took a step back. “I didn’t
mean to interrupt.”

Lisa shook her head. “No, that’s okay, Kit.
Come on in.”

This
was
Kit
? Jesus! Karma
swallowed her shock but turned incredulous eyes on Lisa. Why hadn’t
Lisa told her Kit was a walking Victoria’s Secret model?

“Kit, this is Karma Mason, Mark’s fiancée.”
Lisa gestured toward her.

“You’re Karma?” Kit practically gushed like a
fan meeting her rock idol. “I’ve heard so much about you. Mark goes
on and on about how you used to be his assistant.” She giggled, and
the sound was like tiny silver wind chimes tinkling in the breeze,
charming and perfect. “Sometimes I fear I’ll never live up to your
legacy.” She waved her perfectly manicured hand and stepped
forward. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”

Mark goes on and on about how you
used
to be his assistant
.

The statement felt like a knife to the gut.
Even now, after two months, Karma still missed working with him.
Still felt the loss like it was a personal injury.

She forced a smile and stood. “It’s good to
finally meet you, too.”

She’d almost forgotten that Lisa had told her
about Kit during their conversation before Mark whisked her away.
She’d said Mark had been struggling to find a new assistant but
that maybe Kit would work out. That had been the last Karma heard
about the woman, and now, here she was. Looked like she’d worked
out all right.

“So, Kit, what’s up?” Lisa said.

The impressive blonde handed a file over to
Lisa. “That candidate Mark just interviewed?”

Lisa snagged the file and opened it.
“Yes?”

“It’s a no.”

Lisa groaned. “Damn.” She wrote the word “No”
in red ink along the top margin of the applicant’s résumé then
closed the manila flap with a smack. “That man is going to be the
death of me.” Lisa pointed toward Karma. “You’d better warn him
that I’m about to do something that could cause him severe bodily
harm.”

Karma held up her hands. “Hey, I just sleep
with the guy.”

Okay, where had that stupid remark come from?
Marking her territory, perhaps?

Lisa’s eyes narrowed knowingly then she
turned back toward Kit. “Thank you, Kit. And could you let Mark
know Karma’s in my office?”

“Absolutely.” Kit smiled at her. Her teeth
resembled pristine white marble. Bright and perfectly straight.
Bleach much? “Nice to meet you, Karma.”

“Same here.” She gave a little wave and
watched Kit exit and disappear down the hall.

She hooked her thumb toward the door. “Do you
think those are her real teeth?”

“Really, Karma? Could you be any more
obvious?”

“What?”

“You’re jealous.”

“I am not.”

“‘I just sleep with the guy’? Really?”

“Well, I do.”

Lisa shook her head, eyes flashing upward. “I
can’t believe you’re jealous of her when you’re wearing that
iceberg on your finger.” She gestured toward Karma’s engagement
ring.