Loraine felt him stiffen around her and she knew he was beyond shocked. She just hoped he wouldn’t judge her; it was the reason she had never told her parents. She didn’t want to take the risk of being judged, especially by her grandparents. They would only blame it on her mother like they did everything else.“What did you say?” he whispered, a noticeable strain in his voice.“We met in the hotel lobby and started going out. It was great and I thought I was in love, my own romance novel come true. But I wouldn’t go to bed with him. I was still a virgin and I needed to be sure because that was one decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.” She shrugged. “I guess he got tired of waiting and you know the rest. That night he was a complete stranger to me, not the guy my young heart went pitter patter over.”His arms tightened around her, his breathing harsh as his chest heaved. He was furious with her.“I’m sorry.” She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her go.“No!” he barked, makin

Reno watched Loraine as she slammed her fist on her thigh, clearly angry. He wished he would have known sooner about her parents; he wouldn’t have invited them then. They were going to ruin everything! He just hoped they wouldn’t sway her decision to stay.“How much of a fuss are they causing?” he asked turning back to Allan.“They wanted to come on the yacht here with us and take Loraine away. But I kept them off and Ruiz is going to make sure they don’t get off the island. I wish you’d called and asked me about inviting them before you did it.”Reno took a deep swig of his beer. “Well it won’t matter. Loraine has made a commitment not only to me but also to Tyler. She won’t break it.”Allan chuckled. “It’s going to be interesting seeing how it all goes down. We should probably head back and handle it before tomorrow. Oh, the lawyer and the notary arrived just as we left.”Reno nodded. “Good. I’d like her to sign them and have them filed as soon as possible just in case Georgia decid

Reno watched as Loraine led her mother upstairs. He had been shocked when the woman spoke for the first time, though it had been only one word. When they’d met at the resort, she’d been polite but distant. The only emotion he’d seen in her was when she hugged her daughter, thankful that she was safe. It made him wonder why they thought she was safe with him until her father revealed they had no idea where she was. His invitation had solved that, and Reno wondered if Loraine had even wanted them to know where she was.Well, it couldn’t be helped at this point and with Robert Larson’s immediate attack, he’d had to delay his surprise. He was forced to push it to tomorrow, which maybe was better considering what he had planned then, if Jake and Gil got here in time.Reno looked at his watch. They were two hours late. On top of Loraine’s father, he couldn’t afford any more huddles. After her father’s reaction, it was a good thing he hadn’t invited her extended family. He couldn’t imagine w

“I know I haven’t done right by you and your mother for a long time and I’m trying to change that. It’s been a long time since I recognized not only myself but your mother too. I’ve made mistakes and I promise to right them…but right now isn’t the time for that honey.” Her father responded his excitement rolling off him in huge waves.She knew she should let it go, but that explanation wasn’t enough for her. There was too much disappointment to get over and she needed to be sure this wasn’t just an act. It would kill her if they were dangling her biggest fantasy in front of her eyes only to yank it away. If this were a set up…she wouldn’t be able to handle the fall.Loraine blinked away treacherous tears. She hadn’t cried in front of her parents over this and she wasn’t going to start now. “What was your incentive?”He signaled to Reno with a nod of his head. &ldquo

Riana nodded pushing him off the couch. “Now go back and finish getting Loraine dressed before my brother comes in here.”He sighed. “Okay, time to create another fairytale. I’m going to make you look like an angel, Loraine. Reno won’t know what hit him, just wait and see.”An hour later, Gil had done just that. Loraine stood in front of the full length mirror, completely dressed and tongue-tied. The gown was an umpire waist flowing chiffon gown with a sweetheart cut. She wore no jewelry except for the string of beads that hung over her forehead and disappeared into her hair, braided from both sides of her head and meeting at the bottom of her neck with just wisps of it hanging over her ears. She couldn’t remember the last time she wore so little make up. Usually, when she did wear makeup, it was in different shades of bold colors, but the natural look made her look almost virginal. But there was something missing.&ldqu