As if the cap had seared her skin, Emily dropped her hand, hot tears blurring her vision. Backing away, she once again resisted the urge to flee. Run. So used to running from everything, the habit consumed her, but it faded as a slow smile curled her lips. She closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek, and allowed Gavin’s sweet, dimpled smile to wash over her. Allowed it to propel her into the unknown of what was to be of their future. If anything at all.

Emily felt a hand on her shoulder, and she swept away her tears, not wanting Olivia to see she’d been crying. Quickly, she turned around and made her way past Olivia.

“Are you okay?” Olivia asked, following her out into the aisle.

Slipping into one of the seats, Emily rested her head against the window. “I’m fine.”

Arms crossed, Olivia arched a skeptical brow. “You know, you’re really not a good liar.”

“Yeah. My mother used to tell me that,” Emily whispered, facing Olivia.

With a weary smile, Olivia leaned over the cream leather seat. She cupped Emily’s chin in her hand. “Right here, right now, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Everything’s going to be fine. I know you don’t believe me, but I think I have some kind of psychic thing going on. It’s going to be bucketloads of babies in a nasty green minivan with Mr. Gavin Fuckable Blake. You’ll see.” Olivia popped a kiss on top of Emily’s head, straightened, and walked away. “Text me the second you land!” she called out as she exited the jet.

After declining a beverage and a snack from the flight attendant, Emily closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on that baby-filled minivan. Gavin’s face flashed through her thoughts, bringing with it a flutter of anxiety and hope as she felt the jet rolling forward. The sound of her rapid heartbeat was devoured by the screaming engines. She calculated the flight from New York to Playa del Carmen at four hours and fifteen minutes, after which she knew her life would be forever changed, more so than it already had. Gripping the sides of the seat, palms sweaty, Emily Cooper found herself in a very different situation than the last time she was en route to a new destination, a new beginning. Sighing, she watched the city’s steel giants disappear beneath the blanket of clouds. Her heart sank as she inwardly prayed that what she was doing would indeed change her life.

This time for the better…

This time no longer afraid…

This time fighting for the man fate slated her to be with…

After an hour of standing in line to clear customs, Emily made her way through the crowded airport, her black suitcase rolling behind her. She weaved through a mixed array of tourists of every ethnic background as her nerves steadily built with each step. This was it. She was here, and there was no turning back. She only prayed that when she left, she’d have Gavin at her side.

However, it wasn’t something she was expecting.

Upon emerging from the packed building, her flesh hit with heat, she squinted in the bright sun. She searched for the driver Colton’s secretary told her would be waiting. Through the mass confusion of vendors peddling handmade blankets, dolls, and T-shirts, Emily’s gaze landed on a short, dark-haired man holding a sign with her last name on it.

Approaching him, she smiled and flashed her passport. “Hello, I’m Emily Cooper.”

“Yes. Yes. Hello, Señorita Cooper.” Reaching for Emily’s luggage, the man returned the smile and led her toward a black limousine parked among several collectivos in the busy streets. “Is this your first time in Playa del Carmen?” He opened the door for her.

Emily slid in, welcoming the air-conditioning. “Thank you. Yes, it is.”

After closing her door, he placed her belongings in the trunk, rounded the vehicle, and settled into the driver’s seat. Twisting the mirror slightly, he stared into it as he spoke. “Well, welcome. Our town is beautiful. My name is Javier. I make sure to give you nice tour on the way to your hotel. Si?”

“Oh. Actually, I wasn’t planning on going to the hotel right away.” Emily dug in her purse and pulled out the paper with Gavin’s address. Not wanting to let another minute pass without seeing him, she slid across the bench and showed it to Javier. “I’d like to stop here first if I can, please?”

Nodding, Javier pulled away from the curb and smiled, his warm brown eyes twinkling in the reflection. “Absolutely, Señorita Cooper. Wherever you like. I have you to your destination very soon.”

“Thank you, Javier.”

Emily sat back and tried to process every emotion working through her mind. The innate need for Gavin hit her again, intensified beyond anything she’d ever felt. Anxiety coiled in ribbons around her body. She shifted restlessly, each breath a struggle as she watched tour buses, mopeds, and Fifa, the Mexican police, fly by. Though the ride into the heart of Playa del Carmen took less than twenty minutes, the wait felt like forever. With edgy nervousness pumping though her veins, Emily found it hard to concentrate as the limousine turned onto a desolate, narrow road lined with a few mansions.

When the vehicle rolled to a stop in front of Gavin’s home, she drew in a deep breath and swallowed down every instinct telling her Gavin wasn’t taking her back. Emily opened the door before Javier had a chance to exit the limo. She stepped out and took in the mammoth structure. Classic Mexican terracotta shingles crowned the white-stucco jewel sitting on a hill overlooking the pristine Caribbean waters. Brushing her windblown auburn hair away from her face, Emily found her mind frozen, yet her body ignored its plea to not move. Her body, nauseous with anxiety, felt Gavin’s pull, that deep, familiar pull she’d felt from the first time she saw him. Before she knew it, she was slowly walking up to his home. Javier called out from behind her, but she held up a hand, signaling him to wait.

Standing before the dark mahogany and beveled, etched glass door towering over her tiny frame, Emily fought back tears, lifted a trembling hand, and rang the doorbell. Her heart sped, its thumping rushing through her ears, as a blurred figure made its way over to answer. Body taut with fear, a fear she’d brought on herself by doing this to her and Gavin, Emily closed her eyes and tried to grasp some minuscule hope that she wasn’t about to face the disaster her head was telling her was coming. Before the door swung open, flashes of Gavin’s blue eyes crept into Emily’s thoughts, however when it opened, those weren’t the eyes staring back at her.

Raven-colored hair twisted into a tight bun and wearing a maid’s uniform, the lanky woman smiled. “Puedo ayudarle?”

“Umm, yes. Is Gavin here?” Emily asked, tying to quell the shakiness in her voice.

“No. El Sr. Blake no está aquí. Se fue a beber a Akumal.”

Emily shook her head. “I’m sorry. I only speak English.”

“No entiendo lo que esta diciendo. El Señor Blake no está aquí.”

Emily turned around and waved at Javier where he was waiting in the driveway with her luggage.

“Si, Señorita Cooper,” he said, climbing the steps to the covered porch. “I bring your bags in for you. Good?”

“No, thank you for that, Javier. I don’t need my belongings brought in. I think Mr. Blake’s not home, and this woman’s trying to explain to me where he is. Can you translate for me, please?”

“Ahh, of course.” Smiling, Javier swung his attention to the woman. “Juanita, buenas tardes.”

The woman nodded. “Buenas tardes.”

“Colton me envió al aeropuerto a recoger a esta joven y traerla de vuelta a ver Gavin. Está en casa?”

Emily waited as patiently as possible while they spoke. When they were done, the woman nodded before closing the door.