Don’t do it. You’ll get hurt again. Maybe, but at least this time she knew he would be back when the Hedonna returned to port. If she was lucky, they could maintain a friends-with-benefits relationship when he was home. It wouldn’t be the same as having someone to come home to every night, but it was better than the alternative.
“Will you look me up when you come back from Hawaii?”
His gaze traveled the length of her body and he licked his lips. “Bet that sweet ass of yours, I will. You’ll be lucky if I take a shower first.” With a small grunt he rolled to his side and sat up. “Speaking of your sweet ass and showers, you have exactly five seconds to meet me in the bathroom.”
She lifted an eyebrow in defiance. “Or?”
He shot her a wicked grin. “No morning sex.”
“You fiend!”
His only response was a dark chuckle before rising and disappearing into the bathroom.
Charity remained sprawled across the bed for a moment before sitting up and scrubbing her face with the palms of her trembling hands. Her mind whirled at breakneck speed and she drew in several slow breaths in hopes of sorting them all out.
All things considered, Scott had taken her declaration rather well. She’d fully expected him to bolt, especially when he called her bluff about being caught up in the moment. He hadn’t. Instead, he’d admitted to having feelings for her as well. This intrigued her. Intrigued and thrilled her. Perhaps there was something to his theory of fate and second chances after all.
Pushing these thoughts aside for the moment, she headed for the bathroom. It was time to make her own destiny—one that she hoped wouldn’t end in heartache.
After a leisurely shower in the decadent space, Charity stood in front of the vanity and attempted to fix her make-up. No luck since her kit was back on the ship. Fine. This gave her the opportunity to watch Scott move about the room in the steam-fogged mirror. She admired the contrast of the white towel fastened around his hips against the sun-bronzed color of his back muscles and broad shoulders. Mmm, those shoulders. Corded and well-defined, they seemed to scream for a woman’s nails to rake over them at the peak of orgasm.
Just like I did. She removed the towel from her hair with a sly smile. There were no words to fully describe the encounter they’d shared. Liberating, frantic, sensual—meaningful. She couldn’t erase the possessive look in Scott’s eyes from her memory, nor did she want to. No one had ever looked at her that way before. It wasn’t that she didn’t think she could elicit the same reaction from other men—the cruise was proof that she could—it was that she didn’t want anyone to. He didn’t know it, but Scott had made her innermost fantasy come alive and she didn’t want it tainted.
“That’s quite a sinister smile,” Scott’s voice slid in her ear when his arms enveloped her from behind. “Should I be afraid?”
His warm breath made her shiver, but she didn’t turn to look at him. Instead, she admired their reflection in the mirror. Had anyone told her ten years ago that she would be standing here like this, she would have called them crazy. Now, their foggy image seemed surreal, as if the last couple of days had been one fantastic dream she didn’t want to wake from.
She laughed when he rested his chin on top of her head. “It’s rather difficult to conjure up evil plots with you doing that.” She tilted her head up. “So, I suppose the answer to your question is ‘no’.”
Scott kissed the tip of her nose before turning her around. His eyes never left hers as he tugged at the knot of her bathrobe. The ultra-soft fabric fell open and she held her breath while he pushed the garment from her shoulders. It slid to the tiled floor in a quiet whoosh, and he spanned his palms across her hips before pulling them flush against his own.
“Good,” he said. “You’re not the evil kind, Cherry.”
She started to protest when he silenced her with a kiss that sent her thoughts scattering. Okay, so maybe she was a goody-two-shoes. If this was her reward, then fine by her. She teased the outline of his mouth with her tongue before exploring its depths in more detail. His low groan reignited the smoldering embers of her spent desire and she wriggled against his growing erection while looping her arms around his neck.
His fingers dug into her soft flesh and he lifted his head a few inches. “As much as I love what you’re doing, if we keep this up I’m not going to let you leave this room.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“It’s not, but since this is your first trip to Pleasure Island, I don’t want you missing out.” When she pouted, he took her hands from behind his neck and led her into the bedroom with a grin. “Once you see what the island has to offer, you’ll be glad I made you wait.”
She doubted it, but she didn’t argue the fact. Instead, she pondered his comment. He’d said this was to be her first trip to the island—which it would be—but did that mean he wanted her to take more cruises? With the exception of that afternoon’s incident at the pool, her hydrophobia hadn’t been much of an issue. Not enough to keep her from taking another one if he wanted her to.
“First trip?” She lifted an eyebrow when he nodded. “You mean there’ll be more?”
“I’d like there to be.” Scott retrieved her fallen dress and turned to her. “You get vacation time, don’t you?”
She took the garment from him and stepped into it. “Well, yes. I get three weeks a year, but I don’t see—”
He came around behind her and raised the zipper before placing a small kiss on the side of her neck. “I’m gone almost six months out of the year. While I plan to see you every chance I get, I’d like to know you’ll do the same by coming to see me.”
A warm blanket of emotion enveloped Charity, causing a lump to form in her throat. A dream. This is all a dream. Any minute, Merlin in the Morning is going to tell me and the rest of San Diego County to get our butts out of bed. Nothing this good or this perfect ever happened to her—not without a catch anyway. There had to be a catch, right?
Or maybe, just this once, there wasn’t a catch. What if all she needed to do was simply trust herself? She deserved this as much as he did.
When she didn’t reply, a flicker of disappointment crossed Scott’s eyes. “It was just a thought. Forget I said anything.”
She shook the thoughts from her head and grabbed his hand. “Valentine’s Day,” she blurted. “I’ve always hated Valentine’s Day. All that lovey-dovey, hearts and flowers bullshit is just a way to make lonely people feel worse about themselves than they already do. Quite frankly, I’d like to see if you can change my mind.”
His expression softened and he tucked a strand of her damp hair behind her ear. “Are you daring me?”
“No, I’m double dog daring you. You game?”
“You’re on, baby girl.”
****
“Wow. This place is beautiful. How did you find it?”
Scott took in Charity’s awestruck expression and then glanced at the canopy of flowers the plumeria and rainbow-shower trees offered. With the late day sun playing a teasing game of peek-a-boo through the flowering branches and the perfumed scents lingering in the warm breeze, this untouched portion of the island was his idea of paradise. Safe from the commercialism of Fantasy Cruises, the secluded area had always been Scott’s safe haven when in port.
“Evallanni told me about it.” He linked his fingers through hers and gestured with his free hand to the path they’d been following. “She said I was getting on her nerves, so she told me to take the trail behind the resort and see where it led me. I ended up here.”
Charity bent down to retrieve one of the fallen plumeria flowers and held the pink and yellow flower to her nose. “It’s gorgeous. I bet you’ve impressed many ladies with this spot.” She squeezed his hand when he opened his mouth to protest. “That’s not a shot at your past. I can’t think of any place more perfect than this.”
“Truthfully,” he said, while taking the flower from her and tucking it behind her left ear. “You’re the first woman I’ve bro
ught here. I wanted to keep this spot free of tourists.”
A whimsical smile turned the corners of her lips and she looked at their entwined fingers. “I don’t blame you. Fantasy Cruises has the rest of the island to exploit, so I can see why you would want to preserve a little of its natural beauty.” She lifted her eyes and winked. “Plus it’s always nice to have a place to escape to. I have one of those, too.”
His eyebrows rose. “You mean there’s actually somewhere in San Rico that no one else knows about? I find that hard to believe.”
She released his hand and wandered over to a cluster of flowering shrubs. She ran her fingertips over the delicate purple petals before peering at him from over her shoulder.
“I never said it was undiscovered. I said it’s where I go when I want refuge from the world.” She shrugged, a sad note entering her voice. “At least I used to. Now that Jack has put the Sand Bar on the market, I’m sure the cabanas will go away when the new owners take over.”
Scott stood rooted in place. The Sand Bar was up for sale? The beachfront club had been a landmark in San Rico for as long as he could remember. From the day it opened, the Sand Bar had been the gathering place. Through it all, Jack Dauber had made his club a welcoming place for anyone who came through those swinging doors.
Hell, he could still remember when Jack unofficially made the hours between three and five “Happy Hour” for the local teenagers. Sure, they’d been forbidden to go near the bar and they had to be out of there by the time the general working population started coming in, but all of them had been treated to free sodas and all the nachos they could eat every afternoon.
“Jack’s selling the club?”
She nodded with a sigh.
“Why? It’s been there forever.”
Charity released a small laugh. “Scott, the man is almost seventy-five years old. His kids are scattered around the country and his wife died six years ago. He can’t handle it anymore. The upkeep alone is more than a man his age would find worthwhile. I don’t like it either, but I understand why he’s doing it.”
No. San Rico was a tight knit community—at least it used to be—and he refused to believe no one was willing to help keep the old club alive for future generations to enjoy.
“Can’t he hire help? People who can take over the day-to-day stuff while he oversees things?” He took a deep breath when he saw the startled look on her face. “Sorry. I guess the club was one of the few things I missed while I was gone.”
She closed the space between them and slipped her hands behind his neck. “I would imagine he’s thought of that.” Rising to her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “If it makes you feel better, he hasn’t had any offers he’s willing to consider, so he’ll still be there when you take your vacation.”
It didn’t make him feel better but, rather than tell her this, he settled for returning her kiss. There was still time to fix Jack’s situation. He would figure something out once he was back in San Rico, but for now he needed to concentrate on making things right with Charity.
“Come with me. I have something else to show you.”
Taking her hand, he led her deeper into the tropical undergrowth until the sound of rushing water met his ears. He couldn’t remember the last time he truly listened to the waterfall. Closing his eyes, he linked his fingers though hers and drew to a halt.
“Listen. Tell me what you hear.”
“Water,” she said in a tentative voice. “I—I don’t think this a good idea. I’m sure it’s lovely and all…”
He opened his eyes and tightened his grasp around her fingers. “We’re not going in. I want you to learn to appreciate all of nature’s beauty without fear.”
She arched an eyebrow at him before following him into the clearing. A gasp escaped her lips and her hand tightened around his. She gestured to the split waterfall cascading into the lagoon with her other hand. The sunlight reflecting off the mist allowed a rainbow to arch from the base of the pool to the center of the falls.
“Paradise.” As if coming out of a daze, she turned to him with excitement brimming in her eyes. “Scott, this is amazing. You’ve never told anyone about this place?”
“Not a soul.” He shook his head and slipped his arms around her waist. “And neither will you.”
Charity withdrew and stared at him in disbelief. “Wow. A little early for cheap shots, don’t you think?”
Damn. Scott knew the instant the words escaped his lips, they had come out wrong. He hadn’t been taking a cheap shot, nor would he. What kind of man did that to the woman he cared about? Hell, he hadn’t even been thinking of her stupid story when he said it.
“I didn’t mean—”
“No, I know what you meant. I was hoping you’d let me show you the finished article before you started calling me a liar.”
He caught the slight tremble in her lip and his gut twisted. Was that how she viewed their situation—that he thought her a liar? If that were the case, he wouldn’t have looked past the incident. He would have thanked her for the good time and pointed her in the direction of the ship’s closest recreational facility.
Ignoring her protest, Scott yanked her to him and pressed his lips to her ear. “Listen to me, you stubborn female. What I meant was that I would like for this place to stay private. If you tell your friends and family about it, they may tell their friends, who may tell their friends. I wasn’t referring to that god-forsaken story of yours. In fact, if you never mention it again, I will die a happy man. Understand?”
“I understand. Scott?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re crushing me.” When he released her, she drew in a deep breath and peered at the lagoon. “How deep is the water?”
He followed her gaze and shrugged. “Depends. At the deepest, I’d say fifteen or eighteen feet. Thinking of taking the plunge?”
Charity’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes and his expression sobered.
“I was kidding.”
She nodded absently, her gaze riveted to the blue-green water. “I know.”
Her sudden faraway stare made him uneasy. What was she thinking? Better yet, did he want to know? Moments before they’d been arguing and now…hell, he didn’t know what she was doing.
She dropped her bag from her shoulder and kicked off her flip-flops. “I’m either incredibly brave or unbelievably stupid.”
What the hell? Scott realized what she planned and his stomach plummeted to his feet. He darted a startled glance at the lagoon and then at Charity in time to see her pulling her dress over her head. He didn’t have time to admire the glory of her naked body. Instead, he hurried to get out of his shoes and shirt to go after her before she did something stupid—like get herself killed.
“Cherry! What the hell are you doing?”
“Conquering my fear,” she called over her shoulder while running toward the boulders lining the edge. “At least I think I am. We’ll soon find out.”
Great. The one woman that makes my life complete and she’s a fucking lunatic. Scott reached the boulders just as Cherry scrambled to the top of one the larger ones. What are the odds she’ll wait for me?
Slim, but he had to chance it. Even when she hadn’t been afraid of water, Charity had never been a strong swimmer. The water wasn’t especially deep, but he couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her.
“What happened to baby steps?” he shouted. It was worth a shot. “Baby steps don’t involve me jumping in after you. If I recall, we end up sweaty and screaming each other’s name.”
A hand reached down from above and he looked up to find Charity grinning at him. “Actually, I do most of the screaming.”
He took her hand and allowed her to help him up. Once safely atop the rock, she tilted her head to the side to study him. “Did you honestly think I would do something this asinine without you?”
He gaped at her in amazement. “The thought crossed my mind, yes. While I applaud you for wanting to
face your fear, don’t you think this is a little extreme even for you?”
She nodded. “Probably, but what if you found the perfect way to conquer your claustrophobia? Wouldn’t you take the chance, even if it seemed crazy to everyone except to you?”
Truth be known, he’d done just that. Making love to Charity in the shower had shaken free some of the deep-seated fear he’d harbored since childhood. Thinking of her question objectively, he had to admit that his actions the other night might seem bizarre to someone who didn’t know him.
He linked his fingers through hers and gave them a squeeze. “I like it when you scream my name. It means I’m doing something right.” He paused. “At least, I think it does. You did confess to thinking of reruns while calling out your ex’s name.”
Charity laughed before drawing his fingers up to her lips to kiss. “You’ll just have to believe me when I say you’re doing something right.” She took a deep breath. “Ready?”
Would she change her mind if he said no? He peered at her from the corner of his eye and grinned. Sure, this was absolutely insane and she was terrified, but he could see the determination in the set of her jaw and the furrow of her brow.
“Whenever you’re—”
Before Scott could even finish his sentence, Charity released a whoop and he felt himself being yanked off the boulder. He barely had enough time to take a breath before they hit the water, the impact forcing them apart. A moment of fear seized him when Charity’s fingers slipped from his as he sank to the bottom. A horrifying image of her panicking sprang behind his closed lids followed by the memory of her disappearing beneath the water’s surface at Majesty Lake. He pushed himself off the sandy floor, his heart thundering in his chest.
What was I thinking? I should have stopped her. Emerging, he wiped the water from his face and darted a look around.
“Cherry!”
From behind him, the sound of Charity gasping replaced the pounding in his ears. He twisted around and swam toward her, relief flooding through him. Thank God, she hadn’t panicked. In fact, with the exception of being shaken she seemed fine and…swimming.
Heartbreaker Page 17
