“I believe we have everything, Miss Johnson.” Vargas smiled and reached for some documents he had printed out. “Here’s a copy of your statement—this one is in English—and you’ve given me the address of the home you are renting, so I will notify you if your belongings turn up.” However, his smile fell when he turned back around and his gaze fell upon Annabelle. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” Annabelle smiled tightly and fiddled with her bracelet. She shifted her position in the wooden chair, which creaked with her movement. Every warning bell went off in Zachary’s head while he studied her, because she was all tweaked up again. She flicked her gaze to Zachary briefly and then to Vargas. “Do you have a phone that I could use, Detective? I need to call my friend back in the States and ask her to wire me some money. I’ll call collect, of course.”
“Of course, young lady. Give her this address. We have a Western Union location downstairs, and it will be open until seven o’clock.” He pointed to a smaller office that was adjacent to his. “My associate is not here today. Feel free to use his phone, Señorita Johnson.”
Annabelle nodded and smiled at the two men as she rose from her chair, but Zachary didn’t miss the sudden flutter in her energy signature when Vargas called her Señorita Johnson. Zach watched her disappear into the office and shut the door behind her, and tension settled in his shoulders. She was definitely lying about her name. His mouth set in a firm line and he swore under his breath.
Why would she lie about that?
“I have printed out the information for the U.S. consulate. It’s several hours’ drive from here, but if your girlfriend’s passport isn’t found, she’ll need to be issued a new one.” Vargas punched a few buttons on the keyboard of the computer, then swore in Spanish and banged the side of the monitor. “Pinche mierda!” He let out a sound of frustration. “I am sure the effort will be well worth it. Your girlfriend is quite lovely, Señor McKenna.”
“Yes,” Zachary answered absently while he continued to watch Annabelle through the office window. She kept her back to them, and he could tell she was talking to someone on the other end of the telephone line. He turned back to Vargas and nodded. “She is something else.”
“Forgive me for saying this, but it doesn’t seem like you know each other very well.” Vargas leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap while eyeing Zachary intently. “How long have you been dating?”
“Why do you ask?” Zachary kept his tone even and smiled.
“Just curious.” Vargas’s eyes twinkled. “Call it a hazard of the job, I suppose.”
“We’re still in the getting-to-know-you phase.” Zach met Vargas’s stare and those alarm bells started to go off again. He smiled and sat casually in the chair, trying to act as though the questions about their relationship weren’t highly uncomfortable. “Of course, figuring each other out is half the fun. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Sí.” Vargas laughed and wagged a finger at Zachary while giving him a knowing look. “And if you find the right girl, you can continue to try and figure her out for the rest of your life. I’ve been married to mi esposa for almost thirty years and I’m still trying to figure her out.” He let out a sigh and turned around the double frame on the desk. One photo was from their wedding day and the other looked to have been taken quite recently. “She is still as beautiful as the day I met her.”
Zachary nodded and smiled while the detective regaled him with the story of how he met his wife. While Vargas spoke, Zachary looked at the two pictures, taken thirty years apart, and a sense of longing filled him. It was true that he and Annabelle barely knew each other, and it pissed him off because if she had her way, they never would. Zach glanced over his shoulder at Annabelle, who had just hung up the phone and immediately captured his gaze. His gut tightened with need from that one look from her, and in that moment, Zach knew he would do whatever he had to in order to get Annabelle to stay with him.
***
The conversation over lunch was surprisingly easy. She’d panicked back at the police station when the detective used her phony last name. It dawned on her that if they did find her passport, it would have her real name—Annabelle Caedo—in black and white. At this point, she was praying they wouldn’t find it. Grace was sending some money, which Annabelle would use to buy a bus ticket to the American consulate.
She was worried that Zach would press her for more information about what she was running from, but he didn’t. He did, however, regale her with stories about the Amoveo and his friends back at the ranch in Montana, and Annabelle was riveted. These people were not the monsters her family spoke about. In fact, the more she heard about the Amoveo, the more it sounded like the Caedo were the monsters.
Annabelle took a swig of her beer and sighed contentedly as another warm ocean breeze floated over her. They sat at one of the paper-covered tables right on the edge of the beach, and even in the shade, it was hot as hell. Zachary had been right about the food; it was amazing, and the portions were enormous.
“You’re not finishing yours?” Zach asked after wiping his mouth with the napkin and tossing it onto his empty plate. “Didn’t you like it?”
“I loved it.” Annabelle rubbed her belly and leaned back in the plastic chair. She smirked and let out a short laugh at the way he was staring at her food. “Do you want the rest? I’m stuffed.”
“Are you sure?” Zach shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin. “What can I say, I love to eat.”
“By all means.” Annabelle gestured to her plate and giggled while she watched Zach switch her plate for his. “See? This is why I’m convinced God is a man. You eat like a horse and don’t have an ounce of fat on you. If I so much as look at a doughnut, I gain ten pounds.”
“You’re not one of those girls, are you?” Zach’s fork stopped in midair and he gave her a doubtful look. “If you tell me that you think you’re fat, I’m gonna throw you in the ocean.”
“No, but I’m not skinny, either.” Annabelle sipped her beer and couldn’t help but smile at Zachary. He was finishing off her food in record time and kept glancing at the glittering ocean, as though warning her. “Whatever. I’m somewhere in the middle. Kind of average, I guess.”
“You’re beautiful.” Zachary held her gaze, and her stomach fluttered at the unspoken invitation that lingered in the air. He leaned closer and dropped his voice to a gravelly whisper. “And believe me, Annabelle. There is nothing average about you. Aside from the fact that you see visions and are mated to an Amoveo stud.” He winked playfully, which only made her giggle harder. “You are also the most frustrating, fascinating woman I’ve ever met.”
Looking into his eyes, she knew how frustrated he was, because she was feeling the same way. How could the universe or fate or whatever put the two of them together? It was like some kind of twisted Romeo and Juliet situation—and it hadn’t worked out very well for those star-crossed lovers.
The jukebox came suddenly to life, breaking the spell. Silence hung between them while music filled the air, and she replayed the events of the past twenty-four hours.
“It’s funny, you know.” Annabelle sighed and tucked her windblown hair behind her ear while looking out over the ocean. “I feel more comfortable with you than I’ve ever felt with my own family. Most people make me nervous because I know that I might get a glimpse of their memories. I mean, most of the time I can block the visions, but sometimes they slip past me.”
“That must have made waitressing a little rough.” He pressed his lips together and gave her a sympathetic look. “Pick up someone’s plate or glass and see part of their past? Talk about a crappy tip.”
“It was hard at first because I really had to work at stopping the visions from slipping inside my head. I usually can keep them at bay unless I’m really tired or not focusing, then I can get blindsided.” She gave him a pointed look. “Which has been happening a lot lately.”
/> “Are they always about the past?”
“They were.” Annabelle stilled and her hand immediately went to the bracelet. “Until this morning.”
“What did you see?” Zach’s brow furrowed and he leaned both elbows on the table, his entire demeanor changed. “It was a vision of the future?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “We were…in the water.”
“And?” He folded his hands and pressed his mouth against them, trying to hide the cheeky smirk. “What were we doing?”
“Nothing.” She giggled. Annabelle held his heated stare as memories of the vision flooded her mind, and her body tingled in all the right places. He might not have been able to read her mind, but based on the look on his face, he knew exactly what they were doing in that vision. “Just swimming.”
“Right.” Zach leaned back in his chair and picked up his beer. “You’ll tell me eventually.”
“Well, aren’t you sure of yourself.”
“Not really, but there are a few things I am sure of.”
“Like what?”
“One: you are my mate.” Placing both elbows on the table, he leaned closer and the muscles in his stubble-covered jaw flickered. “Two: I’m more attracted to you than any other woman I’ve ever met, and all I can do is think about being inside of you and burying myself so deep that I don’t feel anything but you.” Annabelle’s heart skipped a beat and her blood hummed with awareness as she met his predatory stare. Keeping his voice low, he whispered, “And three…your last name isn’t Johnson.”
Panic raced through her and she stared at him, not quite sure she’d heard that last part correctly. All of it had her head spinning, but that final statement brought everything else to a screeching halt and she knew her time was running out. There was only one choice left. As soon as the money came through from Grace, Annabelle would get out of Loreto. However, seeing the determined look on Zachary’s face, she knew he wouldn’t let her go. She was going to have to slip out like a thief in the night while he was sleeping, and that made her feel even shittier.
Before she could respond, the waitress came over and stood between them.
“Finish?” she asked. “I take?”
“Gracias.” Zachary nodded and pointed to the empty plate in front of Annabelle, the one that had been his. “She practically licked the plate clean.”
“Hey!” Annabelle tossed her napkin at him and shot him a look, trying to be mad but failing miserably. She was doing her best to ignore what he’d said, but she knew he wasn’t going to let it go. “That’s mean.”
“Can I help it if you have a hearty appetite?” He tossed money on the table and wiggled his eyebrows at her. “You’re my kind of woman.”
“I’ll pay you back.” Annabelle looked at the money and then at him. Given everything that was going on, it was probably silly to worry about money. Hell, after all the ways Zach had helped her, the least she could do was pay him back. “I told Grace, the friend I called at the police station, where I am, and she’s wiring me some money later today, which will solve part of my problem. It will be there by seven tonight, and then I can pay you back. In the morning, I’ll get myself to the consulate so I can get a new passport. I should be able to get back to the States in a few days.”
Zachary looked away, and something that resembled disappointment flickered briefly over his face. Vanishing as quickly as it had come, he stared out at the water for a few minutes and then looked over at the little Jet Ski rental hut on the beach.
“Maybe…but you’re here now.” Zachary pushed his chair back and stood up, jutting a thumb toward the beach. “What do you say we rent a Jet Ski and take a ride out to that island?”
“Island?” Annabelle squinted and looked out at the seemingly endless ocean. Scanning the horizon, she looked to the right and finally spotted a small island that she’d never noticed before. “What’s on it?”
“Detective Vargas was telling me about it. No one lives there, but tourists and locals head over there for little day trips. He told me that he and his wife have spent some time there.” He trained those gorgeous eyes on her and a smile played at his lips. “What do you say? You up for a little adventure? He said there’s a lagoon with a waterfall. Why not make the most of our last day together?”
“Waterfall?” Annabelle swallowed hard. Just like the vision. She should say no. She should tell him she wanted to wait for the money to be wired in and then go get her own hotel room. That was what she should do—not what she was going to do. “Okay.” Sucking in a deep breath, she rose to her feet. “Let’s go.”
Smiling, Zach took her hand in his and led her onto the sandy beach. While he haggled with the shirtless guy renting the Jet Ski, Annabelle had a silent argument with herself, running over the nine million reasons why she shouldn’t be with him. And all of them were silenced the instant Zach flashed her that handsome dimpled smile.
One day, she thought. What harm could it do to share one day with him?
Annabelle tightened the life vest and waded into the water, then climbed on the back of the Jet Ski and wrapped her arms around Zachary’s waist.
“Hang on,” he shouted above the din of the engine.
“Wait a minute.” Annabelle squeezed him around the waist. “Please don’t let me fall off this thing.”
Zachary smirked at her over his shoulder, and without saying a word, he revved the engine. Annabelle yelped as the machine raced out through the waves and bounced over the water. Clinging to Zachary like her life depended on it, a smile bloomed across her face. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t fixated on the past or the future.
All either of them had was the here and now.
Chapter 8
The ride to the island took longer than Zachary expected and it was worth every single minute. He used Vargas’s directions and went around to the back of the island in search of the lagoon and waterfall the detective suggested they explore. He was beginning to think the guy’s memory was fuzzy, but as they rounded a rocky outcrop, Zach spotted the tree formation he’d mentioned. The cluster of palm trees, with a boulder directly beneath it that looked like a doughnut, signaled the location.
Zach pulled up to shore and caught Annabelle’s arm before she went tumbling into the surf.
“You okay?” He shut off the engine. She didn’t answer but shot him a doubtful look and stumbled up to the white, sandy shore. Zach laughed and brought the Jet Ski up to the sand, securing it so it wouldn’t float away. “What’s the matter? You’ve never ridden one of these before?”
“No, and I don’t ever want to again.” She took off her life vest and tossed it on the sand before sitting down. She put her hands behind her and leaned back, tilting her face to the sun. The cotton sundress she wore was soaking wet and stuck to every gorgeous curve with erotic perfection. The lines of her bikini top and bottom were clearly outlined, along with her full breasts and erect nipples. Zach stifled a groan and tried not to stare at her bare legs while she removed her sandals. Even soaking wet and sitting in the sand, she was the sexiest creature he’d ever seen. “Although it will be difficult to get back to the mainland without taking that buzzing contraption.”
“Maybe,” Zach said playfully. He took off his life vest and tossed it up on the beach right next to hers. Hands on his hips, he looked around, happy to find the island empty. There had been a few people on the other side, but this little corner of paradise was all theirs. He extended his hands to her. “Come on.”
Annabelle squinted against the sun and looked from his hands to his face. A smile played at her lips, and after a few seconds of contemplation, she placed her hands in his. Zachary pulled her to her feet, and his body tightened when her soft, wet form met his. The heat of her skin drifted over him in inviting pulses, and it took considerable restraint not to take her right there on the beach.
Without a word, he tangled her fing
ers in his and walked with her toward the doughnut-shaped rock. Though the brush was thick, a sandy path caught Zach’s eye, making it evident that this secret little spot had been enjoyed by plenty of others before them. Holding her hand tightly, Zach led her along the path and through the lush foliage. Annabelle hadn’t said much, and she didn’t really need to because her energy signature hummed around him, communicating a heightened sense of anticipation.
After walking for ten minutes, he began to think they might never find the waterfall. Just when he was about to express his frustration, the sound of rushing water captured his attention. Zach stilled and curled his hand tighter around hers as he pressed a finger to his lips. “Hear that?” he whispered. A smile cracked his face as he captured her wide-eyed gaze with his.
“The waterfall.” Annabelle’s lips curved and she leaned against him. Her breasts, still damp from their ocean adventure, brushed temptingly along his arm. He’d never seen a woman so beautiful and so totally unaware of it. “It’s close.”
“Not close enough,” Zach murmured.
“Keep going.” Annabelle’s cheeks pinkened as she rolled her eyes and pushed him ahead. “I’m hot and sweaty, and dunking myself beneath a waterfall is just the cooling off I need…and you too, from the sound of it.”
Zachary laughed and gave in to her demands, but his laughter was cut short when they rounded a curve in the path. A wall of thick foliage blocked their way, but when Zach pushed it aside, the world opened up. He let out a low whistle and wrapped his arm around Annabelle’s shoulders, pulling her against him. They looked around in genuine awe at the stunning oasis.
They stood at the edge of a massive lagoon with water so clear that the rocky bottom was completely visible. A few colorful fish swam here and there, and the entire body of water was surrounded on three sides by a rocky wall that had to be thirty feet tall at the highest point. Directly across from where they stood, at the center of the wall, was a rushing waterfall that looked all too inviting.
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