Captivated in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

  Ixazaluoh “Zal” Chel, Lilly’s cousin, best friend, and running mate most childhood summers spent in Mexico, had painted the pastel block homes surrounded by ancient green trees and all the blues and greens of water as their wedding gift. She had tremendous talent, especially when it came to the colors of the Caribbean Sea. Appropriate since Zal had been named for the Mayan goddess of water.

  The depiction of Isla Mujeres from the ocean was spectacular, especially since it was of their childhood. Today, multistoried hotels filled the island, especially the north end where the beaches were sandy and gently sloped into crystal-clear, turquois water.

  Zal had captured the island as it was before it had been ravaged by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. The storm destroyed almost all of the temple to the Mayan goddesses, a sacred place to all Mayans. Nonetheless, the girls had played amongst the ruins for hours. As teens they had the run of the island: the name Chel gave them all the permission they needed to go anywhere, knowing they were safe. The island was also where Gramps had taught them to scuba dive.

  Staring at the picture, Lilly’s mind sank to the depths of the sea, thirty feet below the palette of blues.

  A whale shark the size of a Greyhound bus speeding toward her.

  Its head was broader than the oversized couch in front of her.

  Gigantic mouth.

  Open.

  In the quiet security of her bedroom, Lilly’s heart pounded so hard she could hear every beat like a kettle drum on roll up.

  The breath through the scuba regulator in her mouth had stopped.

  She couldn’t scream.

  She couldn’t breathe.

  Longing for the fresh air found only at the surface above her, she kicked as hard and fast as she could.

  The shark’s powerful body created its own current as it passed under her, catching her in the backwash of the ten-foot tail, summersaulting her at a dizzying speed.

  Confused. Desperately needing oxygen, she forgot the number one rule of diving...breathe through your mouth. Only. She snorted the teaspoon of water that resided inside her mask.

  Choking, Lilly had panicked.

  She swam straight to the surface without stopping and threw off her mask.

  Gasping, she sucked in much-needed air. The short choppy waves slapped her open mouth and she swallowed salty seawater.

  The shark was after her...or so she thought.

  She swam as fast as she could to the boat, hiccupping in snips of air and wheezing it out.

  Jack and her dad lifted her straight onto the deck and stripped her of her dive gear as tears of fear streamed down her face. Coughing and sputtering, she ignored the commands of her father to breathe and calm down.

  She coughed up red-tinged foam...and fainted.

  Caught in reliving the most frightening moments of her life, Lilly couldn’t breathe. She knew she was safe. Outwardly she was aware that she stood in her bedroom. On dry land. Hundreds of feet from the ocean and all it threatened.

  Her father’s demanding voice became that of her yogi’s instructions. She closed her eyes and the door to the frightening past.

  Breathe in to the rhythm of the ocean. Breathe out the negativity.

  Within two minutes, she’d calmed her heart rate and her mind.

  Two more minutes, and she opened her eyes to look upon the beauty of her cousin’s art.

  One more minute to appreciate life.

  She was alive and living her way. Well, she was working on it anyway. She’d never bow to a man’s every wish, nor allow him to change her ever again.

  Reinvigorated, and starving, Lilly shoved the dark green drapes all the way across the wall of glass and took in the mayhem in the quad.

  She burst out laughing, freeing the joy within her to flow.

  God, how she loved her boys. Even the grown ones.

  The pool was filled with splashing, giggling children and teasing grown men. Surprisingly, staunch Levi was smiling as he tossed Greyson to their brother Jack, who pretend-dropped the boy into the water, barely dunking him. The usually reserved Preston showed his age–all seven years–as he splashed his uncles, and they chased him around the pool. And who was swinging three-year-old Addison around?

  Powerful biceps rippled underneath white skin that hadn’t seen much sun lately, but would tan quickly in the Caribbean. A sprinkling of silver at the temples of his very short hair and across his broad chest suggested he was a few years older than her brother Levi who looked a little paunchy compared to the tight six-pack abs and lack of love-handles of the other man.

  Lilly had interrupted her older brother several times as he walked on the treadmill in his executive corner office while he wheeled-and-dealed through a headset after an hour-long weightlifting session with his trainer. Her brother refused to follow their father’s path. Dad had his first heart attack in his late forties—and the subsequent one that took his life at fifty-four. Levi, thanks to this determination, was in good shape for thirty-six.

  The other man looked fantastic. Lilly’s repressed libido kick-started.

  The Girard’s housekeeper marched over poolside and planted her fists on her hips. “You boys no hear me? You better dry off in a hurry,” Calita warned. “Mateo on his way down with rest of food. Big hot breakfast this morning.”

  A chorus of deep voices harmonized with the children’s high ones in a, “Yes, ma’am.”

  Grinning inwardly, Lilly marveled at the small woman. Catila couldn’t stand five feet tall yet ran roughshod over grown men, and had since Lilly was in diapers.

  Lilly stepped out of her room and stopped. Her brother’s friend, Josh, followed last up the broad steps at the shallow end of the pool. The water tugged his trunks until they rested low on narrow hips. Very low. Distinct hip indentations created a V that pointed to the same spot where a straight line of dark hair disappeared. Talk about an arrow pointing the way.

  Lilly let out a slow breath and leaned back on the sliding door jamb to take in the rest. Ho-ly shit. The man was built. She had been surrounded by Jack’s crew for the past several years and they all had rock hard bodies, but she considered them in the same category as Jack...little brothers. They were several years younger, and she was no cougar. Plus, they were all horn dogs. A different woman every night if they wished. And sometimes two. At once.

  Lilly could never go there. She couldn’t make one man happy at a time in her bed. And it had been a long time since any man had warmed the sheets next to her. Or heated her body. Too long.

  Although, this man dripping water on the tan bricks made her blood heat. He had to be six or seven years older than her and yet, had a physique to match any of Jack’s crew. Her gaze traveled up his perfect abs to the dark hair sprinkled across his impressive pecs. He had swimmer’s shoulders, firm and wide.

  She had held those shoulders last night. That had been nice.

  Her gaze shot up to a scruff-covered chin that nearly filled in his slight cleft with more salt than pepper. Full lips lay under darker hair that could grow an impressive moustache in just a few days if his morning beard was any indication. He’d been smooth-shaven less than twelve hours ago. Lilly unconsciously touched her ear where those lips had brushed moist heat when he’d apologized for taking a call...from his wife. Something about his kids.

  She quickly looked at his bare left hand. No ring, but lots of men don’t wear wedding rings these days so that meant nothing.

  The way he’d looked at her last night, she’d gotten those single vibes from him. On the other hand, she’d also read those same sensations from the family physician who she’d slept with at Christmastime only to meet his pregnant fiancée at her own New Year’s party. She needed to hone her availability radar if she was going to date again.

  She wasn’t looking for anything permanent, just a fling. Something to scratch the growing itch that built in her body as she watched Josh Madden towel off and saunter toward the outdoor dining area.

  She noticed several scars on his body, but L
illy was too far away to tell the extent of his injuries. In battle. Well, he’d been a SEAL, then rose up the chain of command until he was in charge of nearly a thousand men trained exactly like him, who risked their lives in the name of the United States of America.

  Her heart clenched for what this man must have endured. She’d seen scars on Jack’s men, but for some reason it hadn’t hit her the way the lines on Josh’s body pained her chest.

  Mateo’s rich, low voice broke into Lilly’s thoughts as he passed, arms filled with bowls. “You look at our new guest as though you’d like to eat him for breakfast rather than my food. You need my food, querida. You are too thin. Now come eat.” She loved their cook’s quiet endearment, calling her darling.

  All the men pounced on the food as soon as Mateo set the last of the dishes on the buffet. Levi helped Greyson fill his plate while Preston managed on his own. Jack expertly balanced Addison on one hip and heaped enough food for both of them on his plate.

  Lilly was ravenous, but the man who had held her last night in the darkness of the dance floor was seated at her family’s table. In her spot. Next to her boys. Pouring them milk.

  His paternal ease pricked at her stubborn belief that she didn’t need a man, and neither did her boys. They had a father who would take that role in their young lives. Although lately, he who-would-still-not-be-named was slacking in his parental duties.

  The protective mother within her rose. She didn’t know this man and certainly didn’t want him interacting with her children without her being there to supervise. Lilly strode to the shaded corner with the long glass table set for breakfast adjacent to the outdoor kitchen. She paid more attention to the men’s interaction with the children than the food she placed on her plate.

  There was an empty chair next to Josh. That was just too cozy for her comfort and too far away from her boys. The one at the end of the table was where her mother would sit, so she planted herself across from her boys, between Levi and where Jack had left his plate.

  Jillian wandered out of the pool house in her work clothes of khaki slacks and a National Museum of Anthropology polo shirt. She placed a kiss on Addison’s round cheek. “Morning, baby girl.” She ran her fingers through the toddler’s dripping blonde curls just before Jack slid Addison into the high chair.

  Before Jillian could take a step toward the buffet, Jack grabbed her around the waist. “Where’s my good morning kiss?” He started to pull her in but she jumped back.

  “You’re all wet, and I have a meeting at the museum this morning.” Jillian’s eyes dropped over Jack’s bare chest, then lower. The edges of her mouth kicked up and her eyes heated before she leaned forward, touching only her lips to his. Jack reached out and rested his hands on her hips, then clenched them as he deepened the kiss.

  Jillian moaned as the kiss continued. They were so much in love. Lilly was glad her younger brother finally settled on one woman and Jillian had captured his heart. She really liked her sister-in-law, who by a quirk of fate, would be her sister-in-law once again the end of the week.

  Damn, Lilly missed that connection that only a man can give a woman. What she needed was a really good orgasm that involved someone other than herself and her favorite toys. Not that she’d ever judge, and honestly, was there such a thing as a bad orgasm? But there was a significant difference between one that involved an experienced man and BOB, her battery operated boyfriend. The latter just didn’t kiss the way she liked, tangling tongues as they tasted each other. BOB couldn’t caress her breasts and suck her nipples deep as a man could. She felt them harden and peak as she inhaled a shaky breath. Only a man could run his warm hands over her body, parting her wet folds to pluck at her—

  “Mom.” The exaggerated single syllable from her youngest son told her it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.

  Her gaze flew across the table. “Yes, Greyson.”

  His request was simple. “Please pass Josh the salt.”

  When her gaze met Josh’s sapphire blue eyes, heat flashed through them, as though he’d been listening to her thoughts. She wondered if they would turn even darker with passion. Crinkles appeared at the edges as the corners of his mouth kicked up.

  He glanced down at the table beside her plate. “The salt. Please.” His gaze skimmed her breasts before he turned his attention to his eggs.

  As though he’d touched her with his hands, her breasts tingled and sent the message to her brain and clit at the same time. He was interested in her. At least he was interested in her breasts.

  As she reached for the salt and pepper, something in her peripheral vision nagged at her, but Josh had her too flustered to question anything right then. She forced a smile as she extended the shakers across the table. He barely looked her way but brushed his fingers over hers as he took the spices. The heated caress shot to her already aroused clit. He couldn’t know what she’d been thinking. No way.

  “Lilly, I’ve been thinking about the cruise line deal, and I don’t like the employee clause.” Levi’s leap to the family business snapped Lilly out of her salacious thoughts. Her brother opened his laptop and pulled up a spreadsheet. “Steve Crane called this morning. The numbers aren’t balancing. The problem is in the benefits side. Jessica in human resources is also concerned that there are employees from sixty-seven countries between the two ships. That’s a lot of international human resources law she has to learn and track. She brought up the point that most have only four to six month contracts so there’s an extremely high turnover. She’s already deep into recruiting for every position since we won’t know how short we are until we get the personnel files.”

  “It’s never good business when our CFO and HR director have red flags waving.” Lilly had a few of her own.

  Jack jumped in, “I agree with you, Levi. When I saw how many employees were from the Middle East and eastern Asia on that list, I started to worry. Our ships will only be going from Miami to the Caribbean and most of our guests will be Americans. I’d rather give those jobs to U.S. veterans who we can trust and U.S. citizens who need jobs.”

  “Okay.” Lilly nodded. “We’ll counter on the six month no firing of employees except for standard causes. What are we willing to give up in the negotiation?”

  “Nothing,” Levi snapped. “We don’t have to. They need our money so bad they aren’t going to balk over employees they are losing anyway. We already know they’ll transfer all their best workers to the ships they’re keeping and leave us with the slackers and troublemakers.”

  Josh and Jack exchanged a completely silent conversation right in front of Lilly before they both looked at Levi. “As a director at Homeland Security, I’d appreciate if you’d share your final personnel list with me so we can run the names through our system.”

  “Thanks, Josh.” Levi relaxed a fraction as he finished his second cup of coffee and poured a third. “Have we decided how many shares we’re going to offer the members of Jack’s new Caribbean Excursion Consortium?”

  While Levi had visited every port in the Caribbean deep enough for a cruise ship to find the best deals for their fledgling American Caribbean Cruise Line, Jack had been talking with other businesses arranging excursions. In the process, the small companies had formed an alliance to promote their businesses and help fight the gouging of profits by the huge international cruise lines.

  “Do we really need them involved?” Mother Girard asked the table in general. “The last business partnership we had was a disaster. Your father vowed never to allow that again.”

  “We can purchase the two ships without any problem,” Levi noted, “but we need the excursion companies in each port to offer off-ship entertainment. If guests are out snorkeling or diving, they aren’t on the ship stuffing themselves at the buffet, throwing half of it away, or trying to drink every penny’s worth of their alcohol package. Tours actually save us money, and we make a small profit from each ticket sale.”

  Jack turned to face his mother. “If the memb
ers of CEC own part of our cruise line, they’ll promote our ships over the dozens of others that come into port every day. When the big lines started buying their own islands, stopping there for an entire day, it took money out of the local economies. Some of the smaller island countries depend primarily on tourism. Yesterday, I got a letter from Royal Caribbean announcing they were increasing their percentage of all excursions and if I wanted BACats to continue to be a featured on their ships, I’d sign the new contract. But they didn’t want me to raise the prices because they thought we were already competitive.”

  Jack shook his head. “With the increase in gas prices, I’m already operating in the gray margin and was going to increase prices.”

  “What I’m trying to say is that tiny bit of ownership reassures the CEC that we’re not going to fu—” Jack glanced down at the little girl who would soon become his daughter. “Screw them over.”

  Bringing them back to the original point, Lilly interjected, “We need to decide what percentage of stock we are willing to sell. I’ll write into the purchase agreement that we get first right of refusal when they decide to sell and that the stock immediately reverts back to us if the company goes under.” She glanced at each brother then to her mother. “I suggest we sell no more than thirty percent.”

  “I was thinking more like twenty percent,” Levi pounced. “Ten would be even better.”

  While her brothers and mother discussed numbers, Lilly poured a cup of coffee. She’d already given them her maximum and knew whatever they decided would be under that, so she settled her gaze on her sons. “Did you have fun in the pool this morning?”

  Around a mouthful of pancake, Greyson replied, “It was awesome. I’m so glad Uncle Jack is getting married, and we don’t have to go school this week.”

  Preston swallowed the small bite of fruit then scowled at his little brother. “You don’t go to school.”

  “Do too. I’m in Pre-K. We have homework and everything.”