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about our late rising, which he neither confirmed nor denied. My new husband merely smiled and draped an arm possessively around my shoulders.
    We were married in the eyes of the world, even if we had yet to consummate our union. No one around us would have been any the wiser with his attentive, affectionate behavior. We sailed around the island in Troy’s luxury yacht, named Paradise Lost , proudly boasting its very own Cayman Islands flag. I concealed my smirk as I thought about the lessons I could teach young Master Jonathan about the Cayman Islands, and the kind of people who might keep their money there. I was certainly right in their midst as they drank bottle after bottle of champagne, while I chugged ginger ale like it was the elixir of life.
    I was up on deck getting some fresh air when our fine host, Troy De Havilland found me. “Are you all right?” he asked as he inspected my pale complexion.
    “I probably should have stayed on solid ground,” I offered with a grimace.
    He joined me on the bench where I sat. “Ah, but then it wouldn’t have been as much fun,” he crooned with that charming smile that had won him election after election. “You are like a ray of sunshine, Rachel. It pleases me greatly that you are now part of our family.” He glanced out at the ocean. “That is who Drew is to us, you understand. He takes care of us and we take care of him. It’s a very elite club and we don’t let just anyone in.” He patted my hand. “I knew from the moment we met you would polish his rough edges.” His touch lingered. “You’re a woman who is unafraid to be soft. And that is a beautiful thing.”
    I pulled my hand back. “Thank you,” was all I could offer.
    He regarded the gesture thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t point out how cruel our world can be. It’s important to make the right kind of friends because we look out for each other. And we reward loyalty handsomely.”
    My eyebrow arched. “And for those who don’t?”
    He chuckled deep in his throat, and those picture-perfect blue eyes turned icy. “I’m sure you won’t have to worry about that, my dear. You are a smart woman, after all.”
    “Am I?” I mused as I took another drink from the crystal flute of ginger ale I nursed.
    “Obviously,” he drawled easily. “In just two years, you’ve gone from a childless, middle-class teacher to one of the most important people in the Fullerton family. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
    I glared at him as I straightened my spine. “What exactly are you implying?”
    He chuckled again as he patted my hand with a firmer touch. “No offense intended, of course. I certainly never bought into the gold-digging rumors, persistent though they were.” I tried to pull my hand back but he held my fingers in a firm grip. “In my line of work, reputation is everything. I’ve personally seen it make and break careers for almost two decades.” He allowed my hand to slip from his fingers. “Your husband is poised to begin a new and exciting phase in his life. I just would like to be sure that as his wife, you are committed to supporting him as he does what is necessary to fulfill his family’s long-term goals.”
    I straighte ned my shoulders. “Rest assured that I will do whatever it takes to protect my family.”
    Our eyes met and held as he processed the meaning of my words. There was no love lost and he had to know that, even if he was on his best behavior the rest of the evening. Their stay on the island was coming to an end the following day, which was a huge relief. I hated the pretense and the subtle innuendo that drove most conversations we had. There was a familiarity there that discomforted me, as though by marrying Drew I had been unknowingly inducted into their little club with its undefined ownership privileges.
    When we all danced in the sand that night, and I was forced to share more than one aggravatingly close embrace with the good senator, I couldn’t