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come with me and be on your best behavior. How about it?”
    The
idea tempted Celeste. “What about sleeping arrangements?”
    “You
want to sleep in my bed?” Derrick asked with a sly smile. Even though they had
a platonic relationship, he was prone to flirting from time to time.
    “ No ,”
Celeste responded.
    He
shrugged, as if he couldn’t resist asking. “You’ll have your own room.” His
mouth twisted into a remorseful smile. “The older folks don’t approve of us
younger folks sleeping in the same room unless we’re married.”
    Celeste
propped her chin on her fist. “Okay, assuming I agree to this crazy plan,
you’re saying I don’t have to come out the pocket for anything? Just show up?”
    Derrick
nodded. “Just show up.”
    “Are
we taking the private plane?”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh,
goodie! I’ve never been in a private plane before.”
    “Yeah,
it’s convenient, and there are perks to having one.”
    “I
bet,” Celeste said dryly. She rose from the seat. “If Phineas found out what
you do with his plane . . .” She shook her head. Phineas Hoffman was Derrick’s
stepfather and the only father he’d known since the age of four. The one or two
times he’d mentioned his biological father, he always called him The Sperm
Donor.
    “Is
it my fault so many ladies want to be inducted into the Mile High Club?” He
grinned, not even bothering to try to look innocent.
    “You’re
a mess.” Celeste pulled out her pad and pen. “You want the usual, or are you
going to try something different on the menu this time?”
    “The
usual,” he replied. “So we’re on for next weekend?”
    “Yes,
sounds like fun. I could use a vacation. Thanks, Derrick.”
    They
discussed the specifics before Celeste returned to the beverage stand to punch
in the order.
    In
front of the computer, her thoughts drifted to Roarke and the hotel room. She
inhaled a shaky breath. The man was sexy, no doubt about it, and he knew his
way around a woman’s body. He must have made all A’s in anatomy. She smiled to
herself at the silly thought.
    There
was no point in thinking about Roarke. Professor Hawthorne would go back to
Athens and academic life and forget all about her. She’d still be pining away
for him, as if something more special than great sex had taken place. Sure, he
made her feel beautiful and more special than she had in a long time, but so
what? And so what if she felt comfortable in his company and enjoyed talking to
him? More than likely, he was a charmer, like her ex. He’d driven into Atlanta
to have a good time, and he’d found it with her.
    She
should be ashamed of her behavior, but she wasn’t. Her fingers shook slightly
as she punched in the order, her mind wandering back to the way Roarke had
kissed his way down her stomach and the sensation created by the short hairs on
his face as his lips traversed the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen.
    She
would never forget him or last night.
    She
let her gaze rest on Derrick. She wasn’t completely at ease with the idea of
pretending to be his girlfriend, but it would be nice to get away for a few
days. She couldn’t remember the last time she took a vacation, and it wasn’t as
if she could afford one on her own. Derrick’s offer appealed to her, although
she had concerns about navigating the minefield of problems she suspected
existed between him and his siblings.
    Someone
sat down in her section. Taking a deep breath, she brushed aside her
reservations and went to greet him.
    Enough
with the negative thoughts. What could possibly go wrong?
     

Chapter
Five
     
    Roarke
pulled up outside his family’s two-story house on St. Simons Island, the
largest of the four Golden Isles that stretched along the state of Georgia’s
southern coast. Not too far away he could hear the roar of the ocean.
    A
manicured lawn and moss-covered trees surrounded the yellow house with green
shutters, in his family for generations. As the story went, his paternal