Paradise Lost

  "Where have you been?" Kiran demanded. "Everyone was freaking out."

  "Even though I told them not to," Noelle added under her breath.

  "Oh, I just took a little sail over to St. Kitts," Paige said, waving a hand as she perched on the edge of her chair. She sat straight, her

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  legs crossed at the knee, showing off their long, lanky perfection. "I needed some time to be alone and decompress," she added, casting the briefest of glances in Upton's direction.

  "We're glad you're okay," he said, squeezing my hand under the table.

  "I'm so sorry I worried everyone," Poppy said, grinning and not looking the least bit sorry. "I actually got home last night, but I thought it would be more fun if I came here to see all of you in person. Have you eaten? Because I am famished."

  "Waiter!" Daniel shouted. He was standing directly behind Poppy's chair, and he turned around to look toward the kitchen. "Can we get a plate of strawberry crepes and an espresso over here?"

  "Oh, Daniel, that's so sweet! You remembered my favorite," Poppy said, reaching up to stroke his arm. "Thank you."

  Daniel smiled tightly and looked sort of smug. Like remembering the love of his life's preferred breakfast was some sort of accomplishment.

  "Anyway, I met the most fabulous group of people at St. Kitts," Poppy gushed, reaching for the juice carafe. "I told them they all had to come over to party with us on New Year's. You guys will love them. ..."

  As she prattled on about Jean-Marc from Belgium and Gorina from Portugal and their group of world-traveling friends, I watched her closely. She looked at every single person around the table except for me. Each time her eyes traveled from Upton to Noelle, it was as if there were nothing but air between them. Her story went on and on

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  with random details about snorkeling outings and skinny-dipping in some hidden cove, and I started to wonder... .

  Was any of it true? Had she just made all of it up with her "wacky" imagination? Had she really been here all along, following me, messing with me, trying to hurt me?

  Or were my friends right? Had I simply become way too paranoid for my own good?

  "What about the blood?" Sienna asked finally.

  Poppy stopped babbling, and everyone shifted uncomfortably. It was kind of a blunt question. Warranted, but blunt.

  "What blood?" Poppy asked.

  "The blood by your car," Paige clarified in a soothing tone. "That was part of the reason we were so worried."

  "Oh right!" Poppy said, blinking. "I didn't think it had bled that much." She lifted her arm to show us a white bandage taped just above her elbow. "I cut myself on a rusty bit of my car," she explained. "The sea air is really no good for those things. But no worries, I got a tetanus shot on St. Kitts and all's well."

  Everyone laughed, and Upton put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. I couldn't believe that no one was grilling her or admonishing her for not calling. These people had been worried sick, and now they all seemed not to care that she hadn't bothered to contact them and let them know she was okay.

  If I'd done that, Noelle would have bitch-slapped me into oblivion upon my return.

  "So! Everyone looking forward to Casino Night?" Poppy asked,

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  clasping her hands together. "We're all crashing at the hotel after, right? Like always?"

  Paige and Noelle looked at each other as the vibe at the table grew distinctly uncomfortable. Poppy had no clue about the rift in the group. Because, again, she hadn't bothered to check in with anyone for the past few days.

  "Sure," Paige said finally. "Wouldn't miss it."

  "Yeah," Noelle added. "We're there."

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as both Poppy's and my food arrived. It looked like a temporary truce had been called. Poppy really did have some kind of power with these people. Was she powerful enough that they couldn't see her for who she really was? Did she, in fact, have stalker potential?

  I so didn't want to find out.

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  CHAPTER 34 LET'S GAMBLE

  It was a perfectly warm, balmy night. Stars blanketed the sky above as a polite island breeze ruffled the palm trees but refused to disturb our carefully constructed updos. Floating in the water at the end of a long, red-carpeted dock was a gorgeous yacht, the deck decorated with thousands of tiny white twinkle lights. I could hear ragtime music playing inside, and a round of laughter made its way through the air. As Noelle and I walked down the dock behind her parents to join the line of people waiting to be admitted to the party, I felt a warm tingle of anticipation. The kind I always felt before the Legacy. Like anything could happen.

  But unlike the Legacy, where "anything" never turned out to be good, tonight was going to be incredible. I could practically taste it.

  "What are you grinning about, Glass-Licker?" Noelle asked, holding up the skirt on her gossamer gown. She had strayed from her

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  traditional black, as if she were making a fresh start. I just hoped my suspicions were correct and she was making that start with Dash. He hadn't shown up at brunch that day, so I'd never had the chance to spy on them. Later I had learned that he had been out on a fishing expedition with his father, who had just arrived on the island. Hopefully he'd returned in time for the party, because I could sense that Noelle was looking forward to seeing him. Not that she would ever say it out loud.

  "Just excited, that's all," I replied, lifting my shoulders.

  "Wow. Upton has really gotten under your skin," she teased. Her parents passed by the bouncers at the foot of the dock, who were checking everyone's very exclusive invitations. Noelle quickly removed ours from her purse.

  "No," I protested. "I'm just excited to kick the guys' butts at poker."

  "Uh-huh. And I'm excited to spend the rest of the week helping my mother with the seating chart for her charity event," Noelle replied sarcastically. She reached out and adjusted my necklace for me--a beautiful sapphire-and-diamond necklace she had lent me for the night.

  "Thanks again for this," I said, touching the priceless jewels with my fingertips. My heart felt full as I gazed at the beautiful lights along the shoreline and heard the hum of conversation and merriment coming from the party. "Thanks for everything. For inviting me down here, asking me back into Billings ..."

  "Oh, please, you mush," Noelle said, tucking her clutch under

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  her arm. "We are not having a Kleenex moment right now. Or ever."

  I laughed as she handed our invitations to the bouncer. He looked them over and gave them back. "Good luck tonight, ladies."

  There was a loud burst of laughter behind us and Noelle and I turned to find Poppy, Paige, Sienna, Kiran, Taylor, Tiffany, Daniel, and West all heading toward us in a big klatch of raucous merriment. Dash and Gage walked behind them, their heads bent in conversation, and Amberly brought up the rear, jogging to catch up in her poufy pink gown. I felt a flash of irritation at the sight of Poppy and her teeny flapper-style dress but just as quickly decided to let it go. Everyone was happy that she was back. Any tension or worry about her disappearance was completely gone. Tonight could be the best night we'd had since we'd arrived on the island, and I was not going to let anything stand in the way of that.

  Not even Poppy.

  Noelle stepped back to wait for the others and I was about to join her, but then I heard Upton call my name from above. I looked up and found him standing at the railing at the stern of the boat, looking all James Bond perfect in a tuxedo and black tie. His light-brown hair was perfectly mussed, and he leaned both hands on the rail as he smiled down at me.

  My heart stopped completely. If he was trying to charm me into saying I loved him back, he was headed in the right direction. I started up the gangplank toward him.

  "Reed, wait up," Noelle said in a scolding way.

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  "Sorry. I've got somewhere I need to be," I told her.

  Within five seconds I was standing
in front of Upton. He looked me up and down as he slowly approached, his eyes leaving a trail of tingling attraction all over my skin.

  "Wow. You .. . look. .. stunning," he said.

  "Back at you," I replied.

  He touched my chin and kissed me as if there weren't a couple dozen parents and friends and deckhands milling around us. It took me a second to open my eyes as he pulled back. I didn't want him to see how dazed I was.

  "Listen, I'm sorry if I scared you with all that serious talk this morning," he said, holding my hand. "What do you say we just have fun tonight?"

  My grin spread from ear to ear. "I am all about that idea."

  At that moment the rest of the gang arrived and crowded around us. Kiran looked gorgeous in the black lace gown from the runway, while Taylor absolutely glowed in the rose-colored dress. Tiffany had selected a deep violet sleeveless gown with a skirt that hugged her curves and tapered down toward her ankles. I saw Paige and Sienna, in beautiful yet slightly plain gowns, eyeing our couture with envy, but of course they said nothing. Just then Marquis appeared with a tray of half-filled champagne flutes, and Daniel and Paige quickly distributed them to the rest of us.

  "Good luck tonight, ladies and gentlemen," Marquis said with a grin before slipping away.

  "Are you all ready to lose your cash? " Daniel asked, lifting his glass.

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  Everyone cheered in response.

  Paige smirked. "Then let the games begin!"

  We all clinked glasses and downed our champagne in one collective gulp.

  "Gome on, gorgeous," Upton said, squeezing my hand. "Let's gamble."

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  CHAPTER 35 LUCKY REED

  Everyone held their breath as the dealer turned over the river card. Queen of spades. My breath caught, but I didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't react in the slightest. Graham grinned and leaned back, hooking his arms over the back of his chair. Not the most practiced poker face I'd ever seen. Gage kneaded Graham's shoulders from behind as the rest of the guys clinked glasses, looking every bit the high rollers in their tuxes and ties. Graham shoved his three piles of chips into the center of the table.

  "I'm all in," he said, giving me a wink.

  "Reed, you'd better have something good," Noelle warned.

  The boys vs. girls poker battle was down to me and Graham. Winner would take all the glory. The girls were gathered behind me, breathing down my neck. Even Paige, Poppy, and Sienna were rooting for me. Though somewhat reluctantly.

  "You can just fold, you know," Graham said with a smile, leaning

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  forward with his elbows on the table and looking at me like he was my private poker tutor. "Then I just get what's in the pot, and you can keep the rest of your chips there."

  I looked down at my carefully arranged stacks of chips and frowned in thought. All night I had been playing dumb--asking stupid questions to make it look like I didn't know what I was doing, pretending to be shocked when I won hands--as if it were all luck. And it had worked. Graham clearly thought I was just winging it. But he was in for a big surprise.

  "But if I want to go all in, too, I can?" I asked, glancing at the dealer warily.

  "Yes, miss," he said, all business.

  "Okay, then," I replied. I shoved forward all my chips. "Why not?"

  The guys groaned and laughed and high-fived. Clearly, they thought they had me. Even Upton shook his head like I was just too cute.

  "Okay, then, show your cards," the dealer said.

  Graham turned over his two hole cards. Both queens. With the two on the table already, he had four of a kind. The guys shouted, and Gage and West started jumping up and down like they' d just won the World Cup.

  "Four of a kind!" Daniel crowed. "She can't beat that!"

  "Wait a minute, wait a minute," I called out, standing up and raising my hands. The guys kept talking as they looked over at me, clearly confident. But the girls behind me leaned in a bit, sensing something big. "Doesn't a . .. straight flush beat that?"

  Dead silence. Jaws dropped on the other side of the table as I

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  turned over my cards, revealing the ten and jack of spades. On the table already were the eight, nine, and queen of spades, which had just been revealed on the last turn.

  "No!" Graham wailed, standing up so quickly that his chair fell over.

  "Yes!" Noelle cheered, throwing her arms up.

  "We won?" Amberly asked. She looked at Tiffany. "Does that mean we won?"

  "We won!" Tiffany confirmed.

  Suddenly all the girls were jumping up and down, hugging each other, hugging me. Even Paige threw her arms around me, so important was it to her that we beat the guys. I turned around and raked all my pretty chips across the table toward me.

  "Don't look so sickly, Graham," I said with a smirk. "I'll give you a chance to win it all back later. I promise."

  Graham blew out a sigh, watching as I took every last bit of his hard-won money. "I need a drink." He turned around and cut through the group of stunned boys, en route to the bar.

  Upton started around the table, all smiles, keeping his eyes on me as he maneuvered by a waiter and sidestepped Kiran, who was on her way to get us more champagne. My heart pounded a bit harder under his gaze, and I felt my palms start to sweat. Playing a long, heated game of poker did nothing to my body temperature, but Upton was another story.

  "Hey, Upton," Poppy said, sliding in front of him. She placed one hand on the leather edge of the table, blocking his progress.

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  "Want to hit the blackjack table? We made such a good team in Monte Carlo. ..."

  She reached up and ran her hand down his tie. I held my breath. But Upton never even glanced down at her. It was like she was nothing but vapor. His eyes never left mine.

  "I think that particular streak of luck has run its course," he said, stepping around her. "But thanks for the offer."

  Poppy's smile froze, and then turned into a grimace. Upton, meanwhile, walked right up to me and grabbed my hand.

  "Come here," he said, whirling me around.

  "Wait! Keep an eye on my chips!" I shouted back to Taylor.

  "On it," she replied.

  Upton positioned me in front of the roulette wheel, sat down on one of the chairs, and then pulled me into his lap. I laughed, taken off guard.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of white, one-hundred-dollar chips. "Testing a theory," he replied. He placed the entire stack on the eight and looped his arms around my waist. "Let it ride," he told the pit boss.

  "One thousand dollars on eight!" the guy crowed.

  "Upton! A thousand dollars is a lot of money," I said, my jaw dropping.

  "Yes, but you're my good luck charm," Upton replied, kissing my lips.

  Sawyer, the only other gambler at the table, silently placed chips

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  on five different numbers. When he was done, the pit boss waved his hand over the game board.

  "No more bets, please!"

  Alump of dread formed in my chest as the pit boss spun the wheel. I glanced over at Sawyer, who shot me a hopeful look before focusing strictly on the bouncing white ball. Soon a few people had gathered around the table. Daniel, West, Paige, Noelle, Dash, and Amberly were watching now too. I looked around for Poppy and saw her downing champagne at the edge of the bar, glancing over every once in a while with venom in her eyes. Didn't Upton know I was no good luck charm? Hurricane Reed, remember?

  The wheel started to slow. Upton held me a bit tighter. The ball bounced around, popped up once, and came to rest. . . right on the number eight.

  "We have a winner!"

  "I knew it!" Upton cried as everyone cheered. "This girl is lucky tonight!"

  He nuzzled my neck as I grinned, and Noelle handed me a flute of champagne. The pit boss swiped all of Sawyer's chips off the table, and then shoved two tall stacks of white chips toward Upton. Suddenly
, Gage's fist was thrust in my face. He uncurled his fingers to reveal a pair of green dice. "Here. Blow on these."

  "What?" I said.

  "Blow. You're such good luck, just blow," Gage demanded.

  I looked at Noelle, eyebrows raised. "I'm not even going to go to the obvious joke," she said.

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  Gage rolled his eyes. "Blow on the dice, and I'll give you ten percent."

  "I'll take that action," I said.

  I blew. Gage rolled a six and won five thousand dollars. An extra five hundred for me. I looked around and saw Sawyer getting up from the roulette table, about to slink off as always. I lurched forward and grabbed his arm.

  "Wait. Do you have any chips left?"

  He looked at me as if I were speaking Greek. "A few."

  "Good. Give them to me," I said.

  Sawyer looked around at the group, most of whom were watching curiously. He handed me five red chips, worth fifty dollars each. I kissed all of them, then handed the pile back to him.

  "Here. Bet on a number. Any number you want," I said.

  Sawyer hesitated. "That's two hundred and fifty dollars on one bet. Are you insane?"

  "If you lose, I'll pay you back," I said. "If you win, you keep it."

  "Wow. Look who's made of money all of a sudden," Noelle commented.

  "Shut up," I told her. Then I realized I'd probably pay for that one later. "Just do it," I said to Sawyer.