But she’d white-knuckled it through, sucking in all her heartache, and keeping her desire for him locked up where he couldn’t see. The speedboat might have been the toughest part. With him so near to her like that, and the wind whipping past them over the aqua water, she could smell him. Delicious, alluring, and all man.

At least they were succeeding on the surface, though, in returning to what they were before—friends. Funny how they’d gone from friends-to-lovers together, and now she was reverse engineering that path all on her own, from lovers back to friends.

The tropical breeze beckoned to her, so she strolled onto the gorgeous hardwood deck that led to a private infinity pool, perched at the edge of the ocean. The sun began to dip overhead, the pink fingertips of the pending sunset tugging it to the horizon. This resort was as far away as possible from the sights, sounds and smells of New York—that city cacophony of sensory overload that fed her drive everyday to do, do, do. But here, the lure of relaxation wafted over her in mere minutes. This resort was the opposite of Manhattan in every way—quiet, tranquil, and incredibly calm. Tilting her face to the sun, she let the rays warm her. Maybe this break from the hustle and bustle of work, maybe the bliss of the island breeze, maybe the palm trees gently swaying would cure her of this heartbreak.

As she drank in the intoxicating beauty—the wide, open sea, the endless sky, the succulent air that kissed her bare skin—she made a wish that someday she would have this with someone.

She turned around, the ebb and flow of the ocean flitting past her ears, and flopped face down on the crisp white sheets of the king-sized bed.

A bed for lovers.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to eradicate him from her tired brain. The last thing she needed was to dream of him, a task that was infinitely harder here in a hotel outfitted not only for romance, but for the private bliss of those in love.

Soon, she succumbed to sleep, jet-lag doing its trick in erasing Nate momentarily from her mind.

27

The Maldives, morning . . .

She spent the next morning having breakfast with Jack and Michelle and the two sets of Sullivan parents. Casey hadn’t seen her mom or her dad in a year, and she didn’t have fond memories of the coldness between the two of them back when she was growing up. But at least her parents were happy now, and happily remarried.

Then the women spent the afternoon at the spa, a gift from Michelle to her wedding guests. Afternoon rolled into evening and it was time for the rehearsal dinner, held in the restaurant on the property that overlooked the turquoise waters. Casey showered, dressed and clipped her hair in a twist on top of her head, loose tendrils falling by her face. She zipped up the light-blue Herve Leger dress that she’d purchased at Harrod’s. She shoved away the sexy memories of those fevered moments in the dressing room. A dress was a dress was a dress.