The Unexpected Honeymoon

by Barbara Wallace

  Was it really no big deal? While the young woman certainly looked fine, the way she suddenly focused on her plate made Larissa wonder. It would be a shame if, after so much effort, Linda got sick and couldn’t enjoy her recommitment ceremony. It would explain why the young woman was downplaying yesterday’s emergency.

  “Anyway,” she said, taking a bite of pineapple, “I figured he should mellow out a little before our parents arrive.”

  “You must be getting excited.”

  “You have no idea.” The woman’s eyes sparkled. “I found the perfect dress while in town yesterday. White with flowers hand-stitched around the neckline. It fits, too. I was so afraid I’d end up looking like I was wearing an oversize sack.”

  Larissa understood. Growing up, she’d heard customers uttering the same lament too many times to count, and given Linda’s obscenely thin figure, she could imagine the challenge.

  “I feel a little bad about how much it cost,” Linda was saying, “but Paul told me not to worry.”

  “Listen to your husband. He clearly wants you to be happy.”

  “Yeah, Paul’s great that way. He keeps telling me he wants me to have the wedding of my dreams this time around. I’m so lucky to have him,” she said, eyes growing damp.

  The Stevases’ devotion to one another was enviable. Too bad Carlos wasn’t here to see the love on Linda’s face. Maybe it might change his cynical view to see two happy people.

  “I bet if I ask, he’ll say he’s lucky to have you, as well.”

  “I hope so. I hated to think he’s doing all this simply out of... Never mind.” The young woman shook off whatever she was about to say. “Tomorrow is going to be absolutely perfect. You’re still coming, right?”

  “Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m kind of excited to see what the shaman will do.” After a bit of negotiation, Carlos convinced the man to compromise on his cleansing ritual, enabling the Stevas› to have the full traditional ceremony. And the man claimed he wasn’t romantic.

  “Me, too,” Linda replied. She started to take a bite of food, only to drop the fork and rush to the other side of the table. “I’m sorry,” she said, pulling Larissa into a hug. “I’m so happy, I can’t help myself. You and Señor Chavez have no idea how much this ceremony means to both Paul and me.”

  “No, but I think I can guess,” Larissa said, patting her back. Hard not to want to help the couple, what with the way they seemed so in love.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting a female bonding session?”

  Carlos? Larissa entangled herself from the embrace to see him striding toward their table. His black suit crisp as ever, his hair perfectly in place, he looked nothing like the lover who kept her up all night. That is, until his eyes dropped to her lips, and the flash of familiar possessive hunger she saw sent heat curling around the base of her spine.

  He might as well have kissed her consider the onslaught of shyness attacking her. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she turned away with a smile. “I thought you made your morning rounds this hour.”

  “Actually I was on my way to call Señora Stevas’s room when I spotted her on the terrace.”

  “You were looking for me?”

  Larissa’s heart started to sink, and she kicked herself. She had absolutely no reason to feel disappointed. Did she think he was the only guest at the resort Carlos thought about?

  No, just the only one he was sleeping with.

  “I wanted to let you know we were able to book a moonlight lagoon cruise for you and your husband Friday night.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. And I’ve directed the launch driver to take you to the outmost point of the lagoon so your anniversary can be celebrated in private. The chef will call you later today regarding the menu.”

  “Oh, my gosh, I’m so excited. I’m going up to the room and see if Paul’s back from his run. He’s going to be so excited.” Jumping up from the table, the young woman drew Carlos into a hug, which, Larissa noted with a smile, he awkwardly returned.

  “She’s very...exuberant,” he remarked after Linda had bustled off.

  “Can you blame her?” Larissa asked. “You know, for a man who claims to detest romance, you went out of your way to create a very romantic evening. Directing the launch operator to sail to a remote location?”

  “We direct all the operators to sail to remote locations,” he replied, taking the seat Linda vacated. “Telling the guests lets them feel special. Those special touches are what lead to good reviews.”

  And goodness knows reviews were important to him. “Well, I’m sure Paul and Linda will sing the resort’s praises to everyone under the sun.”

  “Let us hope so.”

  Judging from Linda’s enthusiasm, Larissa was pretty sure she could guarantee it. She smiled over the rim of her coffee. “You look tired this morning.” Dark smudges marked his bronze skin.

  “I’m afraid I didn’t get much sleep last night. Seems there was a rather high-maintenance guest who required my attention.”

  “Is that so? What a shame. Perhaps she’ll be less demanding tonight so you can sleep.”

  A gleam appeared in his eye. “I certainly hope not. Her ‘demands’ have been the best part of my week.”

  Larissa flushed from head to toe. He’d purposely dropped his voice to a husky timbre, making her mouth run dry. “Then she’ll definitely demand more.”

  “Good.” The air stilled around them. Feeling bold, Larissa slid her leg forward until the inside of her sandal pressed against his wingtip. To anyone walking by, the position looked benign, but for them, the touch held unspoken promise. To Larissa’s pleasure, Carlos actually smiled.

  “Señora Stevas wasn’t the only person I was heading to see,” he said.

  “Really?” Her stomach gave another one of those flutters. “Did you want something?”

  “It appears one of our guests canceled their dinner cruise reservation for this evening. I was wondering if you would be interested in joining me.”

  “You want to take me on a moonlight cruise?”

  He shrugged, as though the offer was no big deal. “I remembered you mentioning to the Stevases how much you’d been looking forward to going, and how disappointed you were to have to cancel your own. I thought I’d offer you the opportunity to indulge in another one of your itinerary items. But if you don’t wish to—”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested.”

  Next to the wedding ceremony, the moonlight lagoon cruise had been the one item she’d most looked forward to. So much so, she actually contemplated having the dinner by herself. Having dinner with Carlos, however, sounded much more inviting.

  He arched his brow. “But?”

  “But...” She paused, wondering how to phrase her question. Going on a dinner cruise, was very much like a public date. “Your staff will see us together.”

  “You have a problem with them seeing us together?”

  “I don’t.” But a man who made a point of hightailing it from her room at dawn might. “I assumed when it came to your personal life, you preferred to maintain a low profile around your staff.”

  “You forget, querida,” he said, leaning forward. “My staff knows how to be discreet. So are you interested?”

  “Very.”

  “Good. The launch will be in front of your dock at seven o’clock.”

  Just in time to enjoy the sunset. If she said something, he’d probably tell her the boats always departed at sunset to increase the ambiance. She preferred not to know. “I’ll be there.”

  “So will I.” He reached over and ran a finger along the inside of her wrist, trumping her foot move by spades. “’Til tonight, querida.”

  Watching him walk away, Larissa rubbed the spot on her skin where his finger made contact,
and tried not to think about how he completely dodged her comment about being public.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “HOLA, CHICA! QUE PASA?”

  Chloe’s voice burst over the receiver. Hearing her friend caused a ripple of homesickness. Back home, they barely went a day without chatting. “Just having breakfast overlooking the ocean,” Larissa replied. After Carlos went back to his office, she remained, using the view to distract her from thinking too hard. “What about you? Aren’t you supposed to be working? Or have you finally decided to quit and help your boyfriend run his coffee empire?”

  “Nah, I’m saving those kinds of life-changing decisions for when you get back.”

  “We’re on speakerphone in Simon’s office,” a second voice, Delilah’s, chimed in. “We told him we needed to check on you. We were worried because you didn’t return our phone call the other day.”

  She’d completely forgotten they called while she was getting sick. “I’m so sorry, you guys, I meant to.”

  “Relax,” Chole replied. “We’re only teasing. We didn’t expect you to call back. International cell calls are expensive.”

  “Plus, you should be out enjoying your vacation,” Delilah added. “How is Mexico?”

  “Wonderful, now that I’ve recovered from your welcome present. I’m never drinking champagne again. Oh, and then there was the tarantula.” Briefly, she told them about her encounter with Hairy.

  True to form, Delilah expressed the proper sympathy, while Chloe giggled. “Poor La-Roo,” she said. “So far paradise hasn’t been very nice to you.”

  “It hasn’t been all bad.” In fact, she added silently as Carlos’s midnight smile flashed before her, some of Mexico had been very, very good. “I went swimming in an underground cave the other day. And, tonight I’m taking a moonlight cruise on the lagoon.”

  “How lovely,” Delilah said, only to pause shortly after. “Wait, I thought those lagoon cruises were a private, couples-only thing. Who are you going with? Don’t tell me you’re taking one by yourself.”

  Larissa bit her lip. Should she tell them about Carlos? Normally, the three of them shared everything, but she didn’t feel like talking about her time with Carlos. Not yet anyway. She was having a hard enough time examining the circumstances in the harsh light of day; talking would only expose the flaws and bring her bubble closer to bursting.

  Unfortunately, in a huge tactical error, she forgot how her friends could read between the lines, especially the lines of a prolonged silence.

  “Something’s up,” Chloe said. “You have a date, don’t you?”

  “I—”

  “You do!” Delilah squealed. “With who?”

  “The general manager and it’s not a date.” This was why she didn’t want to talk. Because Chloe and Delilah would force her to face reality. “Have the two of you forgotten that I’m here on my honeymoon?”

  “Without your groom,” Chloe shot back.

  “Thank you for reminding me.” Immediately, Larissa regretted snapping. Since Carlos appeared on her walkway two nights ago, she’d hadn’t thought of Tom once, and she’d barely thought of him before that.

  “All I meant was that you shouldn’t feel bad if you want to have a little fun while you’re south of the border.”

  “Who said I feel bad?” she asked. If anything, she’d felt way too good the past few days.

  “So long as you don’t let all those romantic sunsets go to your head.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She didn’t like the way Delilah’s comment made the hair on her neck stand up.

  “It means don’t get too carried away. You know what a sucker you are when it comes to romance.”

  “For goodness’ sake, Delilah, I just broke my engagement. I’m not looking for a deep relationship.” Even as she said the words, however, she could hear the distant warning bells. Suggesting she might remind herself of her resolve a little more frequently.

  “Give the woman a break, wouldn’t you, Del? She’s going to dinner, not running away with the guy. Don’t listen to her, La-Roo. The only advice you need is to not do anything we wouldn’t do.”

  Talk about loose guidance. When it came to caution, the two women were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. “Pretty wide berth, don’t you think?”

  “Plenty of wiggle room for a good time,” her friend replied.

  “Good Lord, there’s going to be a chef and a launch operator with us. How much wiggling do you think there’s going to be?”

  “Depends on how creative a thinker you are. You’d be amazed what you can do when you think outside the box.”

  “Very amusing.” She wondered if Chloe would give the same advice if she knew how much wiggling she and Carlos had done already.

  After a few more minutes of conversation, mostly about the hotel and her room, and one last warning from Delilah to keep her head, Larissa hung up. Immediately, a server showed up to top off her coffee. Invisible, discreet service. Carlos would be pleased to see his dictate being carried out with such efficiency.

  Mug cradled in her hands, she let it hover below her lips while she stared at the horizon. The sky and water met with perfect complimentary colors. Dark navy abutting cerulean. So much of Mexico’s colors seemed plucked from a box of crayons. Bright, bold, beautiful.

  Romantic as sin.

  Delilah’s remark about Mexican sunsets nagged. Everyone always teased her about being overly romantic. Addicted to romance, Chloe liked to say. All those years helping your grandmother gave you tulle on the brain.

  Was it possible she was letting her surroundings color her emotions? Would Carlos’s kisses be as intoxicating if they took place somewhere like the corner of Fifty-ninth and Madison? Did it even matter? In a few days, she’d be back on Madison Avenue, while Carlos stayed here. Was it really important for her to know the answer?

  Wow, she thought, setting her coffee down. For a woman whose ex-fiancé accused her of not having deep thoughts, she was certainly thinking herself into a corner, wasn’t she?

  * * *

  “I heard you booked the open moonlight cruise.”

  Carlos looked from his paperwork to see his cousin who stood in the doorway. “That’s right, I did. For Señorita Boyd.”

  “And for you, as well.”

  “She mentioned the cruise had been a highly anticipated part of her old itinerary. I thought taking advantage of the cancellation would be a nice way to show our appreciation for her help.”

  “Interesting. I would have thought visiting her room the past two nights would be message enough.”

  Carlos washed his hands over his face. He’d been wondering how long before Jorge said something. His staff might be discreet, but they weren’t blind. Nor had he been overly secretive about his rendezvous. Sighing, he got up and went to shut the door. “You could at least keep your voice down.”

  “Little late to be worried about discretion now, don’t you think? The time to worry was before you decided to mix business with pleasure.”

  Carlos winced.

  “Regardless, I’d prefer to at least try and protect the señorita’s reputation.”

  “Relax, primo, I made sure we were alone before I said anything. I don’t want to encourage gossip any more than you do.”

  “Gracias.”

  “No need to thank me. I’m happy to see you finally moving on.”

  “I’m not moving on.” The response was reflexive.

  “Then what are you doing?”

  “I...” Carlos wasn’t sure. He certainly didn’t set out to become Larissa’s lover. Quite the opposite. The other afternoon, he’d decided to take a drive precisely because he wanted to clear his head of the notion. Until he saw her sitting on the curb. From that moment on, kissing her had been inevitable, and aft
er kissing...well, there was no turning back. He could no more stop himself from going to her room than he could stop breathing. His actions were no longer his own.

  Jorge, if he heard such an explanation, would never let it go, so Carlos settled for a half-truth instead. “We’re two people enjoying each other’s company, that is all.”

  “Well, I have to say, you’ve got good taste. She is a beautiful woman. She must be very special, too, to get your attention after all these years.”

  You don’t know by half. Leaving Larissa each morning proved increasingly difficult. She was sweet, smart and had an uncanny ability for making him feel lighter. By the end with Mirabelle, he’d had a persistent weight pressing down on him. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel the pressure.

  “Don’t read too much into the situation,” he told Jorge. Or was he telling himself? “She’s only here for a few more days.”

  “If I remember correctly, you courted, proposed and married Mirabelle in the same amount of time.”

  And look where that got him. “Larissa is not Mirabelle.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  Spine stiffening, Carlos turned away. On other side of the glass the ocean looked particularly blue today. Perhaps he’d take a perimeter walk. Clear his head. Because doing so worked so well the last time....

  Behind him, the leather guest chair crinkled as Jorge shifted his weight. His cousin gearing up for another comment. How foolish for him to think the conversation over. He held his breath, waiting for what he knew was coming.

  “What happened to Mirabelle wasn’t your fault. No one could have loved her more than you if they tried.”

  And yet he still failed her. Did his cousin ever stop to think that Carlos might not want to fail again? Some mistakes were too awful to repeat. The most he and Larissa could ever be were two people incredibly and insatiably attracted to one another.

  Not that more could happen anyway. Even if he were capable of having a deeper relationship, come the end of the week, Larissa would leave for New York, and their affair would be in the past. Which, he thought rubbing a sudden pang in his sternum, was exactly what he wanted.