“Son, come on.” Peter Shelton grabbed Trey’s arm and pulled him back. “I have a car waiting to take us to the hotel.”

Trey glanced back and forth between his father and Sophie. His gaze met hers and held and for a moment; he felt as though they were back on the island, all alone. He could read the confusion in her eyes and he wanted to explain. But not here and not with everyone watching.

Sophie gave him a little wave goodbye, then turned and walked inside the hangar. The moment she was gone, Trey felt an incredible loneliness set in. He knew things might be bad when they got back. But he’d never imagined this.

“Come on, darling,” Tania said. “Let’s get out of here. You need to change out of those awful clothes and have something decent to eat.” She turned to Trey’s father and gave him a blinding smile. “You don’t mind if I ride with you, do you?” She looped her arm through Trey’s and pulled him toward the waiting town car.

“By the way, who was the girl?” Tania murmured through clenched teeth as they wove back through the photographers.

“She was the pilot,” Trey said. “Her name is Sophie.” Tania had a jealous streak a mile long. It had been one of the things that had quickly put an end to their short relationship.

“I think you should sue,” she added in a clipped tone. “The girl is obviously incompetent. You could have been killed.”

Trey crawled in the backseat of the car, Tania getting in after him. His father brought up the rear, scowling as if he wasn’t pleased they had an extra passenger, either. But Trey couldn’t think about the politics of what was going on. All he could think about was getting back to Sophie.

They pulled away from the hangar and the reporters and photographers quickly gave chase, some in cars, some on motorcycles. Trey sank back into the soft leather seats, not listening to the incessant chatter coming from Tania. Sophie was always so careful with her words. She never wasted any and everything she said was endlessly interesting. Tania talked because she loved the sound of her own voice.

He’d get back to the hotel, get changed and then find a way to leave without the reporters following. He knew Sophie and her father lived on an outlying island, but maybe, without their plane, they’d be forced to stay in Tahiti for the day.

Or perhaps Gabe would take them home. If that was the case, then Trey would simply hire Gabe to fly him to Sophie. That part of his plan would be easy to accomplish. After Tania’s little stunt, convincing Sophie that they belonged together might be a bit more difficult.

Trey pushed up from his seat and crawled over Tania, squeezing in next to his father. “I have something I want to talk to you about,” he said. “An idea I have for a resort.”

“We can talk about business later,” his father said.

“No, I need to talk about this now,” Trey insisted. “My future depends on it. I don’t have time to waste.”

SOPHIE SAT DOWN AT the battered desk inside the hangar of Madigan Air. She’d been back for two hours and it hadn’t taken long for her life to return to exactly what it had been a few days ago.

Her father, Franc and Gabe had insisted she accompany them into town for a celebratory breakfast at their favorite patisserie. Sophie had begged off, wanting nothing more than to get home and back to her normal routine. But the three men had been up all night and wanted something to eat, so she’d stayed behind to make arrangements for a mechanic to fly to Suaneva the following morning.

The thought of going back to Suaneva without Trey was difficult to imagine. But the reception they got on arrival was enough to convince her they’d never be going back there together. Her thoughts wound back to the scene she’d witnessed.

One of the reporters had come over to ask her a few questions about the “incident,” as he had called it. She carefully explained what had happened and he seemed satisfied with her answers. But then, Sophie had risked a question of her own, asking about the woman who had greeted Trey so enthusiastically.

The reporter had looked at her as if she’d just asked him what that big bright ball of fire was in the sky. He’d quickly informed Sophie that Tania Richardson was both a famous British starlet and Trey Shelton’s fiancée.

Sophie had never heard of her, but then, she’d been stuck on an island in the middle of the South Pacific her whole life. And Tahiti wasn’t exactly a hotbed of celebrity activity, either.

As Sophie searched the desk for the phone book, anger bubbled up inside her. She cursed loudly first in French, and then in English for good measure. How could she have been so stupid as to trust him? The whole time they’d been on the island, he’d been playing her for a fool. When he’d said he was unattached, he’d lied. And everything after that was a lie, too.

Merde, she should have known. A man as handsome and charming as Trey Shelton was never single for long. Besides that, he was rich. But after observing his fiancée for no more than just a few minutes, Sophie had to wonder if she ever knew anything about Trey at all.

She and Tania Richardson had absolutely nothing in common. Tania was glamorous and aloof and probably rich, too. She wore expensive jewelry and designer clothes, she had a snooty accent and seemed a bit…ob-noxious.

If Trey was in love with Tania, what could he find remotely fascinating about Sophie Madigan? “I was convenient,” she finally said, throwing up her hands at the revelation. “He was horny and I was convenient. And easy. And more than willing to seduce him.”

Well, she’d gotten the lover she’d wanted. Sophie bit her bottom lip to stem a flood of emotion. Falling apart was not going to do her any good. She needed to accept that what they’d enjoyed had only been temporary. Before landing on the island, that would have been exactly what she needed. So what had really changed?

“Everything,” Sophie murmured. After only twenty-four hours, she’d imagined a whole future with Trey, an exciting life where she looked forward to every day-and every night. Unfortunately, his future was with someone else.

Sophie finally found the phone book and rifled through it, searching for the number of Trey’s hotel. Before he left the island, she intended to tell him exactly how she felt about his deception, if only to prove to herself she was strong enough to do it. Once that was accomplished, she could move on with her life.

But as she punched in the digits, Sophie realized her true motives for calling Trey. She wanted him to tell her it wasn’t true, that he didn’t love Tania Richardson and that he hadn’t lied to her. She wanted him to say he loved her.

Sophie dropped the phone back into the cradle and sighed. Maybe it was best to just get on with her life. If she got back to work, she’d forget all about Trey and what happened on the island. But why should she forget? He’d betrayed her and she deserved an apology.

His father had said they’d be holding a press conference at the Sofitel. Maybe she could get some answers to her questions there. She pushed away from the desk and crossed to the mirror hanging on the back of the office door. She was still dressed in the clothes she wore on the island.

Even after just a day of saltwater and sand, they looked a bit ragged. But she didn’t have time to buy something new. Maybe it was best to remind him of their time together. He’d worn her pareu and removed her T-shirt. If he saw her dressed in these clothes, he’d remember.

Sophie raked her hands through her hair. She’d lost the scarf she’d worn that day in the plane, but it didn’t matter. Staring at herself in the mirror, she gathered herself, calmed her emotions and thought about what she’d say to him.

“Sophie?”

She recognized the voice as soon as he said her name. Sophie closed her eyes and cursed softly because it wasn’t the voice she wanted to hear. Gabe stood outside the office door, his cap in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other.

“Hi,” Sophie murmured. Gabe held out the flowers and she took them. “What are these for?”

He shifted on his feet, twisting his cap back and forth in his hands. “When I found out your plane had gone down, I was very worried, Sophie. And sad. Very sad because it made me realize how much you mean to me. And how I never really told you this.”

Sophie held up her hand. “You don’t have to-”

“I know we said we would not see each other anymore, but I want you to know my feelings haven’t changed. I am still very fond of you, Sophie. And I thought, perhaps, we might go out some night and…talk. Or eat. Or both.”

Sophie opened her mouth, prepared to make some feeble excuse. Though Gabe was incredibly attractive, very available and one of the nicest people she’d ever met, there had never been a spark between them. Not like there had been with Trey.

But then, Trey wasn’t available. Was this how it was to be? Sophie wondered. Would she compare every man she met to Trey Shelton? Maybe it was time to open herself up to new possibilities. Though Trey had allowed her to trust again, she wasn’t about to let his behavior set her back. She was stronger than that.

Sophie held the flowers up to her nose and drew a deep breath. It was time to get out there and try again. Even if it was with a man who seemed more like a brother than a lover. “All right. But I’m going to be very busy this week trying to get the plane back from Suaneva. How about next week?”

Gabe nodded, a warm smile breaking across his face. “Sure,” he said. “And I can help you with the plane. I’ll fly you out there and take a look at it. We’ll get it back up in the air in no time.”

“Yes,” Sophie said, warmed by his thoughtful offer.

Gabe glanced around nervously. “Well, I promised your father I’d fly you both home. I’ll go pick him up from the patisserie and we’ll be on our way.”