A Man to Remember

by Engels, Mary Tate

  Steaming over the frustration of having to wait for the ordered water pump to arrive, which could take days, Jake followed Alyse to the Skye Command and helped stow the supplies.

  "What about a cup of coffee?" she asked.

  "I'll take a beer," he answered.

  She set a bottle out for him, fixed a cup of coffee for herself, and joined him at the table. "You know, we could make the best of this."

  He ran a hand roughly over his face. "Yeah? How? Fly out? Any suggestions on how I could slip through the airport with my possessions?"

  "Do your possessions have to go with us?"

  "Yes. They're crucial. I can't leave without them."

  "I figured as much. Actually I was going to suggest playing the role you originally suggested, that of lovers on a holiday."

  His face grew tight. "That idea fell flat rather quickly, didn't it? We have to pretend we like each other."

  "Well, no one knows what goes on inside the cabin. But real lovers would take advantage of the extra time. They'd go out eating and shopping and snorkeling. They'd have fun."

  "You think we could have fun together, Alyse?"

  She shrugged and admitted, "We did before."

  He sighed. "You willing?"

  "Only if you are."

  His nod was barely discernible and accompanied by a low grunt. Maybe she was right. If anyone was following them, they might be fooled by a tourist act. Or he could be the fool.

  "Is that a 'yes' I hear? My, my, you are enthusiastic, aren't you?"

  "Well, what do you expect me to do, burst into song? I'm trying to escape this place and, at the very least, keep a low profile. But what happens? You go running to a priest, who immediately suggests the solution to our problem is a quickie wedding. Then the man who provides fuel in San Jose doesn't come to work until noon. And at the next port things aren't much speedier. And to top it off, our damned water pump breaks!"

  "You take disappointment so well, Jake. I must say, I admire your patience. You have the flexibility of a steel pipe!"

  He heaved a sigh and turned away to stare in disgust out the porthole. She didn't – couldn't – understand his predicament. Twilight was turning to evening, and lights were flickering over the little town. "All I want to do is get out of here safely." And get you out safely, he added silently.

  "And we will, Jake. I'm sure of it. In the meantime, would you do me a favor and relax just a little? Do you know how to have fun?"

  He gulped the beer and glared at her, brown eyes beaming hard.

  She glared back, blue eyes cold as ice.

  Slowly, ever so slowly his expression changed. The sharpness of his eyes softened then it spread over his whole face. The tight muscles of his cheeks fell slack. And he smiled, slightly, but a smile nonetheless.

  "Oh, hell," he mumbled. "You're right. I guess we could start by going out to eat tonight."

  Alyse smiled back. She couldn't help herself. She wanted to pretend she was Jake's lover. She still cared. As long as they were in port, it couldn't be too bad, could it? Anyway, what she wanted was a chance to spend more time with Jake. More time to get to know him and what made him tick—and especially why he was running. "I'd love to go out to eat. Wonder what kind of red snapper they have?"

  "Let's find out." Jake smiled genuinely this time. "You sound like a lady who knows how to have fun. Maybe it was worth all this trouble to have you along."

  "Oh, you!" Playfully she pulled the yellow visor down over his eyes.

  Instinctively he grabbed at her, hooking his arms around her. The warmth of his grip radiated through her instantly, powerfully, and she looked up at him. If he had decided to pull her down onto the bed at that moment, she wouldn't, couldn't have resisted.

  But he didn't. He just looked at her with that dark-eyed, desire-filled expression. With a low sigh he released her.

  "I'm sorry for dragging you into my mess, Alyse."

  "We'll make the best of it, Jake. It'll be all right." She wished she could let him know what his touch did to her. Yet the conflict raging within her was astounding. How could she be so attracted to a man who was mixed up in something mysterious, perhaps illegal?

  "The marina has a public bathhouse we can use for showers. Get ready, and I'll walk over with you."

  She nodded and stumbled in her rush to get her makeup case. That night they enjoyed what Alyse called the "best ever Red Snapper" and too many margaritas.

  Later, under strained conditions, they slept again in separate berths.

  Jake lay awake thinking about her shapely form next to his and her long, sensual legs wound around his.

  Alyse fell asleep dreaming of being in Jake's arms, feeling him warm and hard against her. Yet neither would admit those desires still smoldered.

  Dawn came noisily with outgoing fishing boats and an incoming sailing regatta. Jake woke first and slipped outside to the aft cockpit to watch the harbor sights. And think about his situation.

  Cabo San Lucas, long a favorite of fishermen and yachtsmen the world over, supported a strange sort of beauty. Cactus-covered desert landscape sloped right to the seashore. Barren cliffs rose majestically above the pristine sand. The languid pace was appealing to those lured there to sport fishing or sailing or simply lie in the sun and drink tequila. But Jake Bronson had no interest in any of that. He had one thing on his mind: leaving Mexico as soon as possible with his cargo.

  Alyse joined him with a sleepy smile. "Want some coffee?"

  He nodded, and she disappeared for a few minutes, then returned with two steaming cups.

  "Thanks." He took a cup of coffee. "You'd think, with all this harbor activity, the enterprising shopkeeper would keep a supply of water pumps." Jake complained as he lounged on a bench and leaned back on the cockpit rail. "I know I would if I owned a shop here."

  "The key word there is 'enterprising,' " Alyse said as she sipped the coffee. "Maybe he figures there's more money to be made keeping boats harbored here one more day or another week."

  He chuckled softly. "Yeah, maybe you're right. We're stuck here, to buy another meal and spend more money."

  "Lots of people would be delighted to be stuck in a beautiful place like this. Can't you relax?"

  "Uh-huh. I hate doing nothing. Like now. I hate just sitting here, helpless, at the whim of others."

  "I think you hate being at the whim of others most of all. You want to be in charge," she said.

  "You're right." His brown eyes narrowed slightly. "I want to be running the show."

  She took a sip of hot coffee. "How lucky I am to be stuck with you as my pilot."

  "Copilot."

  "You know, Jake, this is almost paradise. Perfect weather. The ocean is wonderful this time of year. Diving is fantastic. Fishing is great. Winter spawning home of the great gray whales; playground of the rich and famous with their colorful spinnakers billowing against the sky."

  "You sound as though you'd like to stay."

  She lifted her face to the breeze. "I could stay forever."

  "It's hot as hell here in the summer. And I expect to be gone by tomorrow." Jake showed no enthusiasm for any of it.

  They changed clothes in the forward cabin, then walked up the pier to the small shop where they hoped to obtain a water pump before the day was out. But the shopkeeper was lethargic. He made a few calls. There was nothing in San Jose.

  Jake flung money down on the counter. "Then get it from La Paz."

  His tone was commanding, and Alyse was embarrassed by it. She urged him to go with her for breakfast and then check back later. But later was no better.

  "I'm sorry, señor."

  Jake's face grew livid. "Hell, I could have walked to La Paz for the damned pump by now!"

  "Yes, señor. But it would be a long, hot walk for nothing."

  "You mean, in the whole town of La Paz there is no water pump?" He leaned broad arms on the counter and glared down at the humble shopkeeper. "I don't believe it!"

  "They had some, but
not your size. Not to fit your boat."

  "Oh, great! Then what do we do?"

  "I will order one from Guaymas for you, señor. It should be here in a week."

  "A week?" Jake sputtered and threw up his hands. He turned to Alyse, frustration written in every line on his face. "We could swim home by then."

  Alyse drew on her inner resources and smilingly took Jake's arm. "That's okay, darling. It just means we have a few extra days to go shopping. I saw some leather huaraches I wanted to buy. Now we'll have plenty of time to go back and get them." She led him out of the crowded shop.

  Jake acquiesced and let her pull him along. She was right, and he knew it. There was nothing they could do about the situation except wait. And the more quietly they did that, the better off they'd be.

  Alyse clung to his arm, playing the part to perfection. To anyone watching, they were two lovers, stranded on the Baja. Jake looked down at her and forced a smile. Perhaps even they were starting to believe it.

  They went back to the Skye Command, where Alyse started gathering her clothes. "This is ridiculous. I'm not staying here another night with no running water. If we have a week to wait, I'm going to make it as pleasant as possible. Come on, Jake. We're going to a hotel. I want running water and a hot shower in my room. Don't you? All we have to do is walk up there to one of those hotels on the beach. I have a credit card to pay for the rooms. Believe me, it's no big deal."

  He shrugged and gave her a sidewise grin. "First time I've ever been accused of abducting a woman and had her offer to pay for the hotel room. The offer sounds too good to be true."

  Alyse closed the lid to her cosmetic case. "Okay, ready?"

  "Almost," he said, crawling onto the forward berth and lifting the mattress corner.

  Nothing there!

  Jake whirled on Alyse, his brown eyes suddenly seething. "Okay, Alyse! Where is it?"

  "What?" Her blue eyes grew innocently round.

  "You know exactly what I'm talking about! The box, dammit! Where's the box?"

  "It's safe," she told him. "Safer than under a mattress."

  "Well, where?" He gripped her shoulders and almost lifted her off the floor.

  "Why don't we just leave it hidden here?"

  "I don't go anywhere without it. Get it now, dammit, Alyse!"

  "Okay. Take it easy, Jake. I'll get it. You don't have to be so rough."

  She rubbed her shoulders when he released her arms. He watched closely as she went to the head and withdrew it from a hidden niche behind the toilet. "See? You could have torn this place apart and still not found it." She gave him a maddeningly smug look.

  He jerked it from her hands and fumbled with a key in his pocket.

  "Oh it's all there," she muttered disgustedly. "Don't worry about it, Jake."

  He ignored her and opened the box. Satisfied with his assessment, he tucked it inside his shirt and motioned with an impatient hand. "Let's get going."

  "You could thank me, you know."

  "Don't touch it again, Alyse."

  "You'd better watch it, buster, or you'll have to pay your own way."

  "This was all your idea. Lead on. And we're staying together. I can't let you out of my sight."

  "Together? No way!"

  He grabbed her arm. "That's the only way. My darling."

  She jerked free and marched ahead of him, disgusted with his stubborn and strange behavior. By the time they trooped to the third hotel, they were almost desperate for a room.

  "We'll take a suite, please," Alyse requested in perfect Spanish.

  "Sorry, we have no suites available."

  "Adjoining rooms then."

  "Sorry, señorita. Only one room has not been reserved. At the far end of the hotel. It has a nice view."

  "Señora." Alyse corrected the receptionist quickly. "Only one room? We'll take it. Mr. and Mrs. Skye." She slid a credit card across the counter.

  Jake smiled at her quickness and handed then-meager luggage to the bellhop. Not a bad arrangement actually. Who would think to look for him in a resort hotel? Using the name of Mr. and Mrs. Skye was a great ruse. He slid his arm around Alyse's waist, and they followed the bellhop to the room.

  Immediately the pleasures of resort living were at their fingertips. They spent the afternoon beside the crystalline pool. After a sumptuous dinner they danced to a live band playing on the pavilion. It was lovely and under other circumstances could have been quite romantic.

  But neither Jake nor Alyse admitted to any romantic notions.

  However, the ultimate test of their steel-plated emotions would be going to the single room with one giant bed. Alyse emerged from the bathroom ready for bed in a lacy nightshirt. She slid quickly beneath the sheets and pulled them up to her chin.

  Jake exited the bathroom smelling faintly of clean sea spray and dressed in his beige shorts. He flipped the lights off and stripped to his comfort level: nothing.

  Alyse squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to think of him lying nude in the bed next to her. Tried not to think of him at all. But it was impossible. She could hear him breathing and found it erotic and exciting. Finally her voice was soft in the black velvet night. "Jake? You asleep?"

  "No. Just thinking."

  "About leaving?"

  "Yeah. And . . . other things."

  "What?"

  "Tomorrow is Riana's birthday, and I completely forgot about it. Didn't send her a thing. Hope she won't be too disappointed."

  "She will be. No gift from Daddy?"

  "What? How do you know about my children?"

  "I just know that kids, little girls especially, crave hearing from their fathers. And I'll bet Riana would love to get something from her father on her birthday."

  "What do you suggest?" His voice grated wearily. "In case you've forgotten, we're on the tip of the continent in a place where we can't even buy a damned water pump."

  "But I'll bet we could send her a message. What would be more exciting than to receive a message from Daddy in Mexico saying, 'Happy Birthday to my darling daughter'?"

  "Maybe you're right, Alyse. First thing tomorrow."

  "Then we'll go shopping for your kids. Christmas is right around the corner, and we could get them some unique gifts from the Baja. How about a piñata filled with toys and candy? All kids love that sort of thing."

  "Why are you doing this, Alyse?"

  "It'll help you improve your relationship with them."

  His voice stiffened. "Who said I needed to? Or wanted to?"

  "You did. Night before last when you talked about them. Not in so many words, but in the way you sounded when you mentioned them. I could tell you wanted to see them. And make them happy. Believe me Jake, no amount of money in the world can substitute for your personal relationship with your children. For your love."

  "You sound as though you know about that."

  "I've had some experience with it. There were plenty of times I'd have given anything for a hug and kiss from my father. And he sent me on an all-expense-paid ski vacation instead." She halted, and the night grew quiet. Then she continued in a low voice. "If you give your kids personal attention and love now, when they are old enough, they'll make their own judgment of you, regardless of what their mother tells them. Don't you make your own judgments of people, even though someone may tell you they're rotten?"

  "Of course. But I'm mature."

  "Your kids will make mature judgments, too, Jake. They'll remember the little stuff, the fun and time you give them. And the love."

  He was silent a while. "I suppose you're right that the kids would love something from Mexico. But I wouldn't know where to begin. I don't even know what kinds of gifts they like."

  "I'll help," Alyse said. "It'll be fun." She smiled happily in the darkness. It would give her and Jake a project tomorrow in case the water pump didn't arrive. Secretly she hoped it wouldn't. Not yet anyway.

  They lay there in the darkness for a long time, each wishing they could be together. But saying
nothing.

  Finally Jake's voice rumbled through the black velvet of the night. "Alyse, we're going to have to stop meeting like this. You must know it's driving me crazy, thinking of you lying there. Wanting you."

  She didn't answer, and he assumed she was asleep. But he was wrong.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Morning came seductively. Kitten-like kisses on closed eyelids, fluttering kisses on paper-thin skin, light brushes on silky smooth cheeks, fanned by the gentle moss of a beard, lips to lips, not firm but pliant little sips. A flickering tongue touched, dipped between, then edged and savored cherry-colored heart shapes. The lips combined, meshed two on two, pressing open to sup fruity wine.

  The kitten-kissed lips smiled, enjoying the tranquil seduction, flicking a pink tongue between the two to taste the seductive flavor again.

  The morning sun eased above the windowsill, warming the two figures lying together on the bed, bringing them to life. Awaking their senses.

  Alyse drifted awake, floating languidly in and out of consciousness, as if reviving from a hypnotic trance. It was a trance she didn't want to leave, but she was drawn to a marvelous feeling of awareness. She relished the renewed sensations, wanted to feel more. She smiled through the fog, and tantalizing lips covered hers again, then traveled to the slant of her cheek, over the hill of her prominent cheekbones, slightly flushed with pink.

  His tongue traced across her soft mauve eyelids, savoring their delicateness. He knew the touch had to be light on such a sensitive area or she would awake alarmed at the abruptness of it. And he wanted her subconscious to record the erotic fantasy of his tongue on her skin and its ultimate pleasure. He would show her gentleness as well as urgency. Then, when she became conscious, she would participate fully and explore the possibilities and enjoy everything fully.

  His kisses roamed her face, and he buried his face in the tousled array of chestnut hair spread across the white-cased pillow. His lips moved along her jaw line and playfully pulled on her earlobe. His tongue traced maddening circles on her sensitive skin, and she responded with a soft mewing sound. She was coming awake, and he lifted his eyes to watch.