* * *
FINN WATCHED KIMBER with a sense of growing dread. Fancy Pants was good and drunk, and she would feel like hell tomorrow. And while it was nice to see that the woman had a wild side, that she could forget herself and simply enjoy the moment, he knew himself well enough to know the desire growing in his belly was dangerous—to himself.
He had a job to do, and developing feelings for her was a distraction he didn’t need. Thank goodness she’d had the good sense to stop that kiss earlier. He would have to be stronger from here on out. The fact that public displays of affection was culturally frowned upon in Sri Lanka worked in his favor because right now he wanted to touch her so badly his hands shook.
She came running up to him, her eyes bright and her smile wide. “Finn! Come on, dance with me!”
He allowed her to pull him out into the crowd, telling himself he needed to keep an eye on her because many admiring eyes had turned her way. Kimber was a glorious sight, laughing and gyrating her lithe body to the music, her long, dark hair swirling around her shoulders. She was so far from the prim, prickly woman he’d picked up at the airport he could scarcely believe she was the same person. When the dance ended, Kimber clapped wildly, then fell into him. “Finn, I’ve never had so much fun in my life!”
“I’m glad, Fancy Pants,” he said, supporting her weight. “I think it’s time to leave. The walk back to the apartment might help you sober up.”
She agreed cheerfully, but chattered and skipped like a child all the way back. She made him laugh, and he wondered how much she’d remember tomorrow morning. When he unlocked the door and helped her inside, she turned in his arms and pulled his head down to hers for a fervent kiss. Her mouth was ripe and sweet, her tongue insistent. She felt like the answer to every question he’d ever asked.
Warning bells sounded in Finn’s head to stop, but when Kimber moaned into his mouth, he was lost.
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHEN KIMBER OPENED her eyes she felt as if she’d been hit by a bus.
Or maybe getting hit by a bus would hurt less, she decided with a groan. She turned her head to see a pair of big, bare feet lying next to her in the bed and jerked herself upright.
A mistake. The movement sent pain detonating through her head. “Ow, ow, ow!”
The feet moved, then under the covers, legs, and hips moved. At the foot of the bed, Finn raised his head. His hair stuck up at all angles. “Good morning to you, too.”
Kimber pulled back against the headboard. “Omigod, omigod, omigod. What did we do?”
He frowned, then rubbed his eyes. “We didn’t do anything, although, for the record, you wanted to.”
“What? That’s ridiculous!”
“You mean, ridiculous that someone like you would want to sleep with someone like me?”
She frowned. “I didn’t say that.”
“But you were thinking it,” he said, pushing himself out of the bed. He wore white boxers, and although she’d already gotten a good look at the top half of his body, the bottom half seemed to be holding up its end of the bargain, too. When her gaze fell on his erection straining the front of his shorts, she gasped and looked away.
“Didn’t mean to offend your sensibilities,” he muttered, limping toward the bathroom. “There’s aspirin on the kitchen counter. Drink plenty of water. I wouldn’t want you to be hung over when I deliver you to your boyfriend today.”
The bathroom door closed and Kimber stuck out her tongue. But the effort only sent thunder rolling through her head. She winced and gingerly climbed from the bed, relieved to see that she was still wearing panties and the top that went under the sari, but rattled to find the sari itself neatly folded and lying on a chest. Along with the flower necklace the children had made for her, now slightly wilted. Since she didn’t remember coming home last night, she doubted if she would’ve had the presence of mind to so neatly fold the garment, which meant that Finn had undressed her.
And she did have a dim memory of kissing him, which meant he could’ve taken liberties if he’d wanted to.
Apparently he hadn’t wanted to.
Kimber bit her lip, torn. Sure, she was relieved that the man hadn’t taken advantage of her diminished condition, but what did it say about her that a hound dog like Finn Meyers wasn’t interested?
Realizing she wasn’t making sense, she pulled a sheet off the bed, wrapped it around herself and trudged to the kitchen. She downed three aspirin, drank a bottle of water and felt marginally improved. But disturbing flashes from last night kept coming back to her—dancing like a nymph, hanging on to Finn, throwing herself at him. He must be laughing at her.
But at least he was ready to be rid of her. She checked the time—8:00 a.m. The flight to Maldives would take less than two hours, so with any luck, she’d be having lunch with Gil today in their private bungalow on their private beach. And they’d still have three days together in paradise. She checked her cell phone and was glad to see it had charged. She’d wait to call Gil just before they took off in case he was sleeping in or their plans changed.
Then she gave a little laugh—what were the chances of the latter?
When Finn emerged from the shower a few minutes later, she passed him without speaking. Buoyed by the thought that she would finally get to the Maldives today, she showered and dressed quickly, donning the linen pants and shirt from yesterday. She’d have to buy more clothes when she arrived. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and tied it with the scarf. If she looked her best when Gil saw her, it might help to alleviate some of his irritation.
“I’m ready,” she announced, carrying her suitcase into the living area.
Finn sat in a chair watching TV, his face set in a scowl. “We have a problem.”
Her heart blipped. “What?”
He gestured to the screen where black storm clouds and pelting rain were being shown. She didn’t understand the language the newscasters were speaking. “Where is that?”
“It’s heading our way, unfortunately.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we can’t fly to Maldives today.”
Her jaw dropped. “What? Why not?”
“Because a metal plane and electrical storms don’t make good bedfellows.” He didn’t add “just like us,” but it hung in the air between them.
Kimber counted to ten, then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay—there has to be another way for me to get there. A train, maybe, or a bus?”
“We’re surrounded by water, Fancy Pants, and there’s no bridge.”
“Okay, what about a ferry?”
“Not at this distance. There are some chartered trips to the Maldive Islands, but they won’t go out in bad weather.”
“Can you drive a boat?”
“Technically, a person steers a boat, but yeah.”
“Can we get our own boat, then?”
He looked dubious. “It would be a rough ride.”
“Fine by me.”
“And it might be a little pricey.”
“You can put it on my tab. How soon could we get there?”
He scratched his jaw, now dark with beard stubble. “Depending on how long it takes to find a boat, and if we can skirt the weather…I could probably have you there by tomorrow morning.”
Her shoulders fell in dismay. “Tomorrow? Another day’s delay?”
He shrugged. “Sorry, that’s the best I can do. Maybe Elaina can find you something with her connections.”
Kimber brightened. “That’s the best idea you’ve had since I met you, Finn Meyers.” She pulled out her phone and punched in Elaina’s number, doing the math of the time difference in her head—Sri Lanka was a half day ahead, so it would be yesterday evening in Atlanta.
“Tinsel Travel, this is Elaina.”
“Sis, it’s me.”
“Oh, hi! You must be in Maldives.”
“Uh, no. Grounded in Sri Lanka by an electrical storm. Finn can rent a boat and take me there, but we wou
ldn’t arrive until tomorrow morning. I was hoping you could find something better.”
Elaina made a rueful noise. “Give me a minute and let me check a couple of things online.”
Kimber turned her back to Finn and lowered her voice. “Please, sis, you have to find something. If I have to call Gil and tell him I’m going to be delayed another day, I don’t know what he’ll do.”
Elaina scoffed. “Are you afraid if you piss off Mr. Perfect that he won’t propose, after all?”
“No,” Kimber said, but it came out sounding less certain than she felt. “But this is supposed to be our vacation.”
“You haven’t been enjoying yourself?”
“Well…yes,” Kimber admitted. “But this isn’t what I planned.”
“Some of the best things in life are unplanned,” Elaina said in her older-sister voice.
Kimber frowned. “Can you find me a way off this island or not?”
“Uh, no. Sorry.”
“That was quick—are you sure you checked everything?”
“Your best bet is to go with Mr. Meyers.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “How am I going to break it to Gil?”
“You’ll think of something. I hope this is the worst thing you’ll have to deal with in your relationship with Gil.”
The comment sounded more like a warning than advice, but Kimber chalked it up to her headache. “Okay, thanks for trying.”
“Cheer up—crossing the Indian Ocean in a boat with your own personal guide isn’t such a bad thing. Try to have fun.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Kimber said. “I have to go.” She ended the call and massaged her aching temples.
Behind her, she heard a drumming noise that needled her headache. She turned to find Finn drumming his fingers on the table and wearing a cocky expression.
“What’s the verdict, Fancy Pants?”
“Stop.” She held up her hand, took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “If you call me that one more time, I will throw you overboard.”
He smiled. “Just call me Captain Finn.”
She lifted her chin in the air. “I’ll be waiting outside.”
* * *
FINN’S SMILE FADED when the door closed behind Kimber. He sat back in the chair and expelled a loud breath, then lifted the remote and turned off the TV coverage of an electrical storm raging in South America. Thank goodness Kimber didn’t speak Tamil, or she would’ve realized the storms in the news footage were far, far from Sri Lanka.
He rummaged in his pocket for the printout of the e-mail he’d been carrying, and read it for the umpteenth time.
Dear Finn,
My sister Kimber is on her way to Maldives for a marriage proposal from a man I’m convinced is wrong for her, and I want her to have time to think about it. Please do whatever you can to stall her arrival. Kimber has never had any fun, and that’s my fault. She saw the grief I gave our mother, so she turned into the perfect child, wanting to please everyone. This is my gift to her, and I’d consider it a personal favor if you would help me. I know I’m asking a lot, but Mike says you’re the right man for the job. I’ll cover all your expenses. Just keep Kimber away from Maldives for as long as you can. Then no matter the outcome, I’ll be content knowing she didn’t rush into anything.
Best,
Elaina Karlton
Finn wiped his hand over his mouth, then refolded the note. He hoped to hell Elaina knew what she was doing. She’d certainly made one miscalculation by believing him to be the right man for the job, because he was pretty damn sure he wasn’t supposed to develop feelings for Kimber.
Racked with self-condemnation, Finn pushed to his feet and stuffed the note in his pocket. He’d planned for them to arrive at a different port than Male—the main port in the Maldives—and blame the weather or navigation charts, thereby delaying her arrival by yet another day. But at this point, the best thing for Kimber was to get her to her boyfriend…and away from him.
CHAPTER NINE
KIMBER STARED UP from where she stood on the dock. “This is the best boat you could find?”
Finn nodded, grinning. “She’s a classic.” As he slapped the side of the big, ugly wooden vessel that was supposed to take them to the Maldive Islands, a chunk of white paint fell off and splashed into the water below.
“If this is the boat from Gilligan’s Island,” she said, “I’m not getting on.”
He extended his hand. “It’s called coming aboard. Watch your step.”
She handed Finn her suitcase, then put her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up onto the deck of the cracking, peeling wooden boat. “Are you sure she’s seaworthy?”
“Guess we’ll find out,” he said with a grin. “Did you call Phil?”
She frowned. “Gil. And no, I haven’t called yet.”
“Not too many cell towers in the Indian Ocean,” he offered.
Kimber sighed. “I guess I’m dreading it. I know he’s going to be upset.”
“Can’t blame him there,” Finn said. Then his expression turned almost serious. “It’ll be okay. Tell him I’ll have you there in time for breakfast tomorrow, I promise.”
She smiled. “Okay, thanks.” She punched in Gil’s number and waited nervously while it rang.
“Hello? Kimber?”
“Yes, it’s me, Gil.”
“Are you on the island already? Shall I send a water taxi to the marina?”
“Uh…no. Actually, there’s been another delay.”
“What?”
“An electrical storm—all planes are grounded.” At the sound of an engine overhead, she looked up to see a small plane fly over. Kimber frowned and looked at Finn, who was on the dock untying ropes that kept the boat moored.
“So what does that mean?” Gil practically shouted.
“I’m coming by boat,” she said cheerfully. “I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow? Tomorrow?”
Kimber exhaled. “Sweetie, it’s the best I can do.”
A strangled noise came over the line. “This is unacceptable!”
Kimber almost laughed because she remembered saying the same thing to Finn when he told her about the side trip to Sri Lanka. And she remembered what he’d said. “Sorry…that’s the deal.”
“That’s all you have to say?” he asked.
“Yes. Goodbye, Gil. I’ll see you when I see you.” She disconnected the call and turned off her phone.
And felt better than she had in ages. Like Elaina had suggested, she intended to enjoy this adventure.
She looked up just as Finn jumped from the dock to the boat deck. “How’d it go?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said with a nod. “Finn…I saw a plane fly over just now. I thought a storm was coming in.”
“Uh, it must be going in the other direction.”
She looked up and turned in a slow circle. “The sky looks clear as a bell.”
“Storms in this part of the world blow in fast—I think it has to do with the equator.” He clapped his hands together. “How about a tour of the boat?”
“Okay.” She followed him down a short staircase into the bowels of the boat.
“Galley kitchen, fold-out couch and head,” he said, pointing.
“Head?”
“Bathroom. With a shower. This baby was really ahead of its time, design-wise.”
As happy as she was to hear about the shower, she was most concerned about the fold-out couch and the sleeping arrangements.
He followed her line of sight and must have read her mind. “I’ll be in the cockpit most of the night. The bed’s all yours.”
“Good,” she chirped.
“Ready to shove off?”
“I guess so,” she said, following him back to the top deck. “Can I help?”
“Watch starboard and make sure I don’t get too close to that boat when I back out.”
“Starboard?”
“Right side,” he said with a wink. “I’ll
take port.”
“That’s the left side?”
“You catch on quick.” Finn ducked behind the cockpit and turned the ignition key. The engine sputtered, coughed, then caught, spewing black smoke from the exhaust.
Kimber squinted. “Are you sure this tub will get us to Maldives?”
“If we sink, I’ll swim you there on my back.”
She smiled, but squashed a little pang—Finn was obviously eager to be rid of her. And who could blame him? She’d done nothing but complain every step of the way. She scrambled to make sure the floats between the boats kept them from touching as he backed the boat out of the slip and into open water. They turned around as gracefully as a washtub, but once they were headed out to sea, Finn slowly increased their speed. Soon they were clipping through the dark blue water at a good pace, leaving a frothy wake.
She stood at the rail in front of the boat, sticking out her tongue to taste the salt spray and watching birds swoop around them. The sun was a big, apricot-colored orb, bathing everything with the most incredible light. She took several pictures, then smiled up at the sky. There were still no signs of storms, but she was mindful of Finn’s warning that bad weather could roll in quickly. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the wind on her face for the longest time, freckles be damned. She felt alive.
She turned to take a picture of Finn at the cockpit, but when she found him in the frame, her heart caught unexpectedly. He’d turned his green hat backward so it wouldn’t blow off and moved his sunglasses up to the hat so he could study a map. He held a radio in one hand, probably communicating their position or destination. She watched emotions play over his face as he concentrated and alternately glanced up to the horizon and down at his radio to check and relay information. He looked over at her and flashed a grin.
Kimber inhaled sharply. How was it possible that his face had become so important to her in such a short time?
Sand, Sun...Seduction! Page 6
