by Nina Singh
* * *
Celeste certainly cleaned up well.
Reid watched as she found him at the wooden table where they’d be eating an authentic Jamaican lunch. She wore leather sandals, lace-covered shorts that showed off her long shapely legs and a thin-strapped tank top. She hadn’t bothered to dry her hair and wore it in a loose pile atop her head.
She was a breathtakingly stunning woman.
It wasn’t easy, but Reid was trying hard to ignore the sudden awkwardness that had developed between them. He could pinpoint exactly when it had happened. That darned couple with the passionate kiss atop the waterfall. Usually, the PDA of other people didn’t bother him or so much as give him pause. He worked at a tropical resort that hosted numbers of couples, after all. But watching that kiss made him realize how badly he wanted to kiss Celeste.
That was unacceptable.
She was essentially working for him. After she left the resort, their paths may never cross again.
Oh, and there was also that whole other part where she’d been engaged to one of his closest friends. All that, on top of where he was in his life right now, Reid knew better than to acknowledge his growing attraction to a woman so clearly off-limits.
He cursed under his breath as she reached the table and sat down across from him. The smile she flashed him seemed forced and uncertain. She was aware of the awkwardness between them also.
Damn.
They still had a whole afternoon together. Not to mention all the activities scheduled for tomorrow. And the day after.
Maybe this whole thing hadn’t been such a good idea. There was something developing between them that he hadn’t expected or been prepared for.
Maybe he was deluding himself, but he was certain whatever was happening between them was mutual. That fact only made it all the worse.
He had a company to run, a devastated mother to look after, and he had to protect the family business from his reckless and disloyal father.
Nowhere in the scenario was there room to pursue any kind of relationship, let alone with a woman who’d once been engaged to one of his best friends.
“You look none worse for the wear,” he said in a rather lame attempt at conversation.
Lord, he could use some of the rum punch this place was known for. Unfortunately, the next leg of this particular package happened to involve driving an ATV.
The waitress appeared with two loaded plates and a couple bottles of water before Celeste had a chance to respond.
“Hope you like hot and spicy.”
She shrugged. “Depends on the heat level. Too much makes me uncomfortable.”
He really couldn’t read anything into that statement. Though he was sorely tempted to ask her if they were still speaking about the jerk chicken.
“I’ll have a write-up ready for you before the morning. I made sure to dictate some notes into my phone before showering just now,” she said.
She had turned all business.
Probably for the best anyway. But he found he’d lost some of his appetite. For her part, Celeste was barely picking at her own plate.
Reid took another bite and relished the punishing heat of the scotch bonnet pepper on his tongue. The silence between them grew. Finally, he threw his napkin down on his plate. Shameful waste of authentic jerk chicken but he didn’t want any more.
“Something the matter?” Celeste asked.
This was ridiculous. They were both mature adults. Maybe it was time to address the proverbial elephant in the room. Yet another one.
“Yeah, I happen to have something on my mind,” he admitted.
She raised an eyebrow in question.
“About what happened back there,” he continued. “After we were done climbing.”
Her eyes grew wide.
“Maybe we should talk about it,” he added.
“Maybe we should. What would you like to say?” Her question sounded like a dare.
Well, he could play the game as well anyone. “I think we got caught up in an exciting moment. What about you?”
Her lips tightened into a thin line before she answered him. “I see. That’s the conclusion you came to then?”
He nodded. “I’m interested in your opinion, however.”
A glimmer sparked in her eyes before she leaned in closer to him over the table. “By that you mean you’d like me to confirm your convenient take on the matter so that you can rest easy.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry, Reid. We can forget the moment even happened. And ignore everything else too, for that matter. We’ll play our roles as contract employee and boss man. That’s the way you want things, isn’t it?”
“Yes!” he said without taking the time to think. “I mean, no,” he then corrected after a beat. “I mean, I don’t know.”
They were starting to attract the attention of the other diners.
The waitress approached, a look of concern as she eyed their still-full plates. “Is the food not to your liking, sir? Madam?”
“It’s very good,” he answered, not taking his eyes off the woman who had him so vexed at the moment.
“It’s delicious, thank you,” Celeste answered, somehow summoning a smile.
He’d been wrong. This was not the time or place to try to have this conversation. What did she want him to say anyway? It wasn’t as if he could admit there was some kind of attraction there.
What good would that do either of them?
“Unfortunately, we’re short on time,” he explained to the waitress who didn’t look any less concerned after their exchange. “If we could settle the bill. We’ll be sure to come back another time,” he lied. The chances of him coming back here with Celeste seemed slim to none right about now.
In fact, he’d be lucky if she didn’t ditch the whole idea of his proposal and leave him to his own devices. That thought settled like a brick of disappointment in his chest. And though he was loath to admit it, the feeling had nothing to do with his professional goals.
* * *
At least the next activity would be on dry land.
Celeste followed Reid through the tree line down the dirt path where they were to meet their ATV driving guide. At least out of the water she wouldn’t be tempted to look at Reid’s chiseled chest and tanned, muscular arms. And she wouldn’t notice how strikingly dark his sandy blond hair turned when it was wet. Nor the way his tanned skin glistened when wet.
He’d almost kissed her.
But he’d made himself stop, as if he’d immediately regretted the near lapse. She didn’t want to acknowledge just how much that wounded her. Or why.
For then she’d have to admit what a glutton for punishment she was. She’d gone down this route before. Men like Reid and Jack knew exactly how to shut down their attraction or even affection for a woman when they realized she wasn’t good enough for them.
She’d let her guard down and fooled herself into thinking that Reid might be different from Jack. Would she ever learn?
Finally, they reached a convoy of parked all-terrain vehicles, some of them were caked over almost completely with mud. Clearly, she’d overdressed for the occasion. By contrast, Reid had changed into dark green camouflage canvas shorts and a black T-shirt. His attire seemed much more appropriate. Looked like she should have gone over the details more carefully.
A guide came out of one of the banana-leaf roofed huts and the two men shook hands. After another safety lecture and being fitted with helmets, they climbed into one of the vehicles.
“You sure you don’t want to drive one yourself?” Reid asked her, though they’d gone over this on the charter boat this morning.
“I’m sure. I have no desire to race down muddy embankments and treacherous curves in an open-top vehicle barely larger than a golf cart.” She knew she sounded overly critical but she
wasn’t in the best of moods currently. This definitely wasn’t an activity she would choose for herself when picking out an itinerary. In fact, she wasn’t sure how to write about it in a way that might make it sound enticing.
“Let’s go then.”
With that, Reid revved the engine and peeled out into the wooded terrain. Celeste gritted her teeth. She’d been on smoother roller coasters. Reid was pushing the vehicle to the top edge of the speedometer. Trees and bushes zipped past her line of vision, her whole body jostled and bounced in the seat. He was driving perilously close to the edge of the cliff and she had to focus on her breathing as if in meditation to avoid a full-fledged panic attack. She thought for sure he’d slow down as they approached a hairpin turn, but if anything, he seemed to accelerate. Celeste could have sworn they were riding on only the two side wheels for a brief moment.
Without warning, he suddenly veered into a more densely wooded area. Branches and brush whipped at the face mask of her helmet. Her panic grew by several notches.
The petrifying drive seemed to be having an opposite effect on Reid. Laughing and completely at ease, he was fully enjoying this. The next bump lifted her clear off the seat despite the tight seat belt. She landed back down with a thud that rattled her spine. Good thing she hadn’t eaten much of the lunch earlier. No doubt it would have come up and lodged in her throat. Or worse.
An eternity seemed to go by before they turned back onto the beaten path. Reid started to slow the car and eventually came to a blessed stop. Reid let out another excited whoop and put the car in gear at the end of the line of the others.
Celeste uttered a small prayer of thanks to whichever deity was listening then wasted no time removing her helmet and jumping out of the car. Running to the nearest tree, she braced herself against the trunk and sucked in some much-needed air.
It wasn’t long before she heard his footsteps behind her. “Uh...are you all right?”
Celeste summoned all the effort she could in order to try to keep her voice steady. She failed. “Did you have to go quite so fast? And you left the path. In fact, you ignored it altogether!” she blurted out, all too aware of the accusatory tone of her voice.
“Going fast is sort of the point,” he countered. “And the guide said the path was a recommendation only. That more experienced drivers could use their best judgment.”
“You consider yourself experienced, then, do you?” She hated the high pitch of her voice. But, rational or not, she’d really been scared back there.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I do, as a matter of fact. I grew up riding such vehicles. As well as snowmobiles.”
Of course he had. Was there nothing he wasn’t good at? Or didn’t have experience with? Whereas this was the first time she’d so much as sat on an ATV. The closest she’d come was the subway. Yet another example of how different they were, how their worlds had nothing in common. History repeating itself.
“Well, did you think about what might have happened if you’d lost control, even for a split second? I have a mother, a sister and a niece who need me alive to provide for them!” she almost shouted, then forced herself to calm down and take a breath. “I just need a minute to regain some balance here,” she told him unevenly.
Reid took a step closer to her and frowned. “Take your time. You do look a little pale.”
“I’ll be fine.” Once her pulse finally settled. Only that didn’t seem like it was going to be anytime soon.
Just breathe.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” he wanted to know.
Celeste didn’t bother to answer. The fact was, she’d wanted to. But she hated that she’d gotten so panicky, that she’d felt so weak. She hated the idea of having to admit it to him. She’d just prayed that he’d eventually slow the cursed vehicle down. Only he hadn’t.
As if reading her thoughts, Reid continued, “Look, I’m sorry if you were nervous or scared during the ride. And I’m even more sorry that I didn’t notice. But I assure you that you were never in any danger. I knew exactly what I was doing.”
That made one of them, Celeste thought.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE FOLLOWING MORNING Celeste decided she was going to do absolutely nothing that day. Reid didn’t have anything booked for them until tomorrow. Thank heavens for that small mercy. She punched her fluffy pillow and turned over in bed to stare at the ceiling.
So why did she miss seeing him so much already? Why had last night seemed so empty and boring? Barely twelve hours had passed since she’d seen him last and it wasn’t as if they’d parted on the most positive note. Even after the awkward boat ride back to the resort where neither one had so much as spoken a word to the other, she wondered if that strained silence would have been preferable to the solitary dinner she’d had on her balcony before retiring early.
She’d somehow grown used to his company. That did not bode well at all.
Her phone screen lit up with a text on the bedside table next to her. She didn’t need to look to know that it was Tara. She and her mother had been trying to get a hold of her all day yesterday. Celeste had no intention of returning the call just yet. Whatever it was could wait. She needed some downtime to process everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. The last thing that would allow her to do that would be to have any kind of toxic conversation with her family. If it was a true emergency, she knew they’d move all manner of heaven and earth to contact her.
No. Today she was going to linger in bed, then quietly meditate. Maybe afterward she’d take one of the yoga classes offered at the resort gym. Then she may or may not spend the afternoon in a lounge chair by the pool. Or back in her room with the gripping book she’d been neglecting.
Her idea of utopia. Usually, anyway.
Though she’d be alone the whole time. Normally, that would not have given her pause. In fact, it was the way she preferred to spend time on vacation.
She uttered a curse under her breath. The only reason she was questioning that now was because of one sandy blond masculine CEO with eyes the color of the deep ocean at sunrise and a dark beard. Celeste had never even liked facial hair before this. But on Reid, all she could think about was running her fingers through it. Or how it might feel against her skin.
She bolted upright before that thread of thought could go any further. Maybe her wayward thoughts about him were simply a result of her self-imposed celibacy these past few years. Maybe she’d do well to find a random single man on the beach and invite him back to her room for a no-strings-attached fun-filled afternoon.
Tara would be delighted for her.
Ha! As if she’d manage to let go of her inhibitions to ever allow that. As if she’d ever be so carefree. No. That was more her sister’s style. That would take a level of lightheartedness Celeste had never achieved in her life. Plus, she didn’t think it would do any good toward ridding her brain of Reid Evanson imaginings.
The ring of her room landline jarred her out of her musings. Now she was concerned. Maybe there was some kind of emergency back home if her mother and Tara were trying to reach her through the hotel phone service. She grabbed the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Frajedi. Good morning. This is Prita at the front desk.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Absolutely,” Prita answered cheerfully with the slightest creole accent.
A wave of relief washed over her at the announcement.
“I’m just calling to let you know that you have a spa package waiting for you. You can come in anytime today.”
“The spa? I didn’t book anything at the spa.”
“This is complimentary, Ms. Frajedi.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It was booked at the direction of Mr. Evanson.”
“I see.”
“The package includes a full massage, facia
l, followed by a manicure and pedicure. It will take a few hours if you’d like to decide on a time.”
“Thank you, Prita. I’d like to think about it and get back to you.”
“Certainly, Ms. Frajedi. I’ll give you the line to the spa and you can contact them directly.”
Celeste made note of the number and disconnected the call. Reid had set her up with a day of luxurious pampering. She’d be a fool to turn it down.
Why had he done it?
Was this some manner of apology for the way things had turned out yesterday? Or was she to approach it as his employee and give him feedback on her spa experience? Perhaps he’d simply wanted to do something nice for her?
The latter was the least likely possibility.
So many lines were blurred between them now. They were former enemies but now she was technically working for him. She’d been engaged to one of his good friends.
She couldn’t get the thought of kissing him out of her head. Or the way his touch had warmed her skin every time he’d caught her while climbing the falls. How it had felt to be embraced in his arms when he’d congratulated her afterward.
Enough already! What a pointless waste of brain cells to go over all of it repeatedly in her head. What was the use?
So much for staying in bed all day. Suddenly, she was too restless and wired up to just lay there. A day at the spa wasn’t such a bad idea.
With a deep sigh, Celeste got up and made her way to the shower. She had some pampering to prepare herself for.
Thanks to Reid.
* * *
Reid’s focus was completely shot. For what had to be the umpteenth time during their morning meeting, he tried to lure his concentration back to what Alex was saying. Instead, his mind kept wandering to thinking about what Celeste might be doing at this very moment. Had she taken him up yet on the spa offer? Was she there even now, lying on a massage table having some of the tension kneaded out of her muscles?
Would she accept his overture as the apology that it was intended to be?
