by Kim Law
The fist gripping her palm tightened. “We can skip it if you’re in a hurry to leave.”
“I was thinking maybe we could get it to go.”
He stopped dancing and pulled back to study her, eyeing her in the waning light as if trying to figure out if she was saying exactly what she was saying. She wanted to strip off their clothes and move to the next course, no more waiting.
“Okay,” he nodded. “Let me get the server and pay.”
While waiting for him to return, she caught a glimpse of something sparkling at the edge of the ocean. Their table was sitting within thirty feet of the waves, and they’d enjoyed the sound of the water crashing against the beach throughout dinner.
She stepped to the perimeter of the open-air room and stared out into the night, trying to make out where the light had come from, praying it wasn’t a photographer. Then she saw it. A young boy, maybe eight or nine, had wandered out to the water and fallen. He wore something around his neck, and as the water swept over him and then back again, rolling him a few times toward the ocean, the necklace twisted and sparkled in the moonlight.
Air caught in her throat as he climbed from the receding water and began trudging up the beach once more. She scoured both directions for parents, but came up with none. What was this boy doing out there all by himself?
With no further thought, she kicked off her heels, stepped gingerly through the hedgerow, and hurried to make sure the boy didn’t get swept out with the incoming wave.
She reached him at the same time the water did, and clung to his arm to keep him from being dragged away from her.
“Are you okay?” She gentled her voice to make sure she didn’t sound panicked as she once again scoured the area for whoever should be watching him.
“I got water in my nose.” The child tried to pull away to wipe at his face, but she refused to let go.
She began moving them both away from the water. The beach wasn’t deserted, but no one seemed concerned with a missing child. Most stood in the distance, couples seeing nothing but each other. “Where are your parents?” she asked.
Without further provocation, the boy burst into tears and flung himself against her.
The force with which he hit her caught her off guard, knocking them both to their rears as yet again, the waves reached them, this time pulling her toward the ocean’s depths as well.
“I lost them,” the child wailed once the water had washed away and they both sat, soggy in the wet sand.
Oh, geez. She sputtered the saltwater from her own face and pulled the water-speckled glasses off.
Before she could do anything more than rise to her feet, a strong arm wrapped around her while at the same time hoisting the boy up off the ground. She looked up into JP’s hard features as she hurried to keep up with his long strides. She couldn’t keep the grin from covering her face. “You’re rescuing me?”
“What are you doing out here?” His tone was sharp enough to make her jump.
She couldn’t keep from giggling. Though it might have looked scary, the boy had been the only one in danger. She was a very strong swimmer. Plus, they’d barely been in the edge of the water. But the thought of JP being scared on her behalf thrilled her. “I was helping this young man find his parents.”
JP had them all on the grass now, and put the scared child down. She shrugged out of his arms and squatted down to the youth. Once they had him taken care of, she would properly swoon over the heroic measures of her date, but first things first.
The boy calmed, and she pieced together that he’d wandered away from his parents to chase a small school of shiny fish that had been swishing back and forth in the surf.
“I didn’t mean to get away from them,” he muttered as if knowing the trouble he would be in once they found his parents. His sobs had subsided now that the danger was past, and he turned a stubborn look up to the both of them as if daring either not to back him up when the time came.
“I’m sure you didn’t, sweetie,” Vega said. As she stroked the boy’s wet hair, she caught sight of frantically moving shadows heading their way.
Two adults rushed up from the beach, making a direct path to the boy.
“Oh my goodness,” the mother breathed a sigh of relief. “You scared us to death, Rickey. Don’t ever walk away from us again!”
“Sorry, Mom,” Rickey mumbled, his head down as he waited for his punishment.
Vega couldn’t help but smile at the mix of relief and fear crossing both adults’ faces. She stepped away from Rickey, and JP reached for her, planting her at his side.
He’d also pulled off the fake glasses, and since he wasn’t dripping wet, as she was, he was easily recognizable to anyone at all familiar with American politics or even popular celebrities.
Given that the family standing before them had a heavy New England accent, Vega wasn’t surprised when the mother’s mouth gaped with recognition. “Oh my goodness, you’re Jackson Davenport Jr., aren’t you?”
She looked from JP to Vega and then to her husband, her eyes round circles.
“My Rickey was just rescued by Jackson Davenport Jr.?” she continued. “I’m so honored, Mr. Davenport.”
“Please, call me JP, ma’am.” Always the Southern gentleman, JP nodded at the three of them. “But I can’t take any of the credit. It was this lovely lady here who was the rescuer, not me.”
Her husband reached a hand forward and shook Vega’s and then JP’s hand. “I do thank you both, whoever the hero. Rickey likes to explore, and we should have known better than to take our eyes off of him, even for a second. We’ll be forever in your debt.”
“No problem,” both Vega and JP murmured at the same time.
A crowd had formed at the edge of the restaurant, and a couple flashes went off as JP’s name was murmured throughout the group.
The arm around her tensed, but he didn’t release her. She didn’t know whether she more wanted to hide because he’d been recognized, or because her sodden hair was now clutching raggedly at her nape while her dress clung inappropriately, showing far more than she’d intended anyone but JP to see that night.
“We’re so grateful, Mr.…JP,” the mother gushed. Fear for her son had subsided and she was now enthralled with the man they’d found themselves enmeshed with. “And for you, too, Miss…”
“Thank you,” Vega said, but didn’t offer her name. “Really, it was no problem. I just hope Rickey is more careful next time.”
The boy turned a narrowed gaze up at her as if it were her fault his parents were now chiding him against the terrors he could have been plagued with. She gave the boy a quick wink, hoping that would ease his suffering.
Someone in the crowd mentioned getting a picture and story for the local paper, and JP dropped his arm to clasp her hand. He looked down at Rickey, his intention to bolt obvious. “You okay now, sport?”
The boy nodded, his eyes glowing at JP in a similar fashion to his mother’s. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
JP chucked him on the shoulder. “No problem. When I was little, I liked to explore too.”
“Wow. Really?”
The whole family now gazed at JP as if he’d unearthed a secret no one else had ever been privy to, and she had to fight the urge to make gagging faces at the starstruck looks.
As the crowd moved closer, JP politely finished the conversation and got them out of there, pulling her around the side of the restaurant before ducking through a cluster of palm leaves and taking a shortcut through the foliage.
“I forgot my shoes,” she moaned when her feet landed on the uneven gravel of the parking lot.
“Forget them.” JP didn’t slow. He reached back and lifted her in his arms. “I’ll buy you as many pairs as you’d like.”
He hurried them to his rental car and had her tucked safely into the passenger seat before she could figure out whether she liked being hoisted and carried away as if a damsel in distress. As he rounded the car, she decided she liked it, no
matter how ridiculous she might have looked.
The interior light blinked on as JP slid into his seat, then darkness once again fell with the closing of the door. He sat there, his breathing increased but not strained, and she swooned even more. What she should be doing was figuring out how to go back into hiding now that she’d been caught more than once with him, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the powerful man sitting across from her.
He’d come to her rescue twice tonight. First hauling her up out of the ocean, then getting them both away from the swelling crowd. And when the perfect opportunity had presented itself to take credit for saving a child? He’d done everything he could to make sure it didn’t happen.
Whether she was there or not, most politicians would have certainly stayed long enough to ensure the story hit the papers.
Wouldn’t they?
JP glanced around the parking lot then settled his gaze on her. “No one followed us, but I’d better get us out of here before they do.”
She nodded. “We clearly suck at hiding in public.”
A chuckle drifted through the space as the car came to life. He reached over and laid his hand on her knee, squeezing it lightly, and comfort swelled inside her.
Now that the excitement had passed, she snuggled deep into her seat and thought about the day as a whole. She would be plastered all over the tabloids within hours, if not already. That meant if they weren’t already, someone would soon start looking into who she was and where she came from.
A smart woman would cut bait and disappear without looking back.
“Where to?” he asked as he steered the car out of the lot. “I’m sure you’d like to clean up. You can use the lavatory on the plane, if you want. I’ll have Michael bring our things from the suite.”
She’d forgotten how bad she must look. She peered down at herself to see that patches of her thin dress were still clinging to her, and grimaced. The downward movement also dangled loose straggles of her hair in front of her face. She plopped her head back on the seat. “I look awful.”
JP glanced at her, his expression hidden in the dark. “Not possible.”
They pulled up to a light. A nearby sign reading Airport pointed to the left. The resort was to the right.
“So?” he asked. He swallowed. “The plane?”
He was really going to head back to the airport and take them home tonight? It would be the middle of the night before they arrived in Atlanta, but he acted as if there was nothing wrong with the idea.
And then she remembered the next day was a workday. “I suppose you need to get back so you can get to work tomorrow. I probably should too.”
He turned on his left turn signal. She thought she detected a slight slumping of his shoulders, but he didn’t comment on the fact that the date was now apparently over. “I own the company,” he said. “I can do as I please.”
“But don’t you have appointments lined up?”
The light turned green, but he didn’t press the gas. Instead he turned to her and the hand still on her knee tightened. “What do you want, Vega?” His voice was low. “That’s all that matters.”
He really would head back without once pressing her for sex. And he had to know she’d be heading to her home, not his, as soon as they returned.
Or was this somehow part of the game?
She was so confused. She brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed. He hadn’t once acted as she’d expected since she’d met him. Her chest suddenly tightened at the thought that if he turned left, they would begin the ending of their time together.
A horn honked behind them, and JP glanced in his rearview mirror but still didn’t move the car. He returned his gaze to her and she made up her mind.
“I want to turn right.”
One eyebrow lifted, highlighted in the streetlight. “Something else you want to do?”
She nodded, hoping she was making the right decision. They might have nowhere to go after this night, but she wasn’t ready for it to end so soon. “I want to make good use of that room you paid for.”
The air between them disappeared.
“Are you sure?” his voice was tighter than normal.
“Positive.” She smiled, impatient now. “In fact, if you don’t take me to the resort within the next few minutes, I’m going to seriously start doubting your manhood.”
He threw a glance over his shoulder and jolted the car forward. Tires squealed as they shot off to the right. His hand on her knee changed, heat from his fingers now imprinting into her skin, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud when he leaned over and planted a quick, hard kiss on her mouth.
“Never doubt me, sweetheart,” his voice returned to its normal rumble. “I’ll spend the rest of the night proving it if you need me to.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THEY ENTERED THE suite, but Vega barely had time to once again be awed by the opulence as JP pulled her through the main room. They skirted the couch and end table and bypassed the wet bar. They got to the room he’d changed clothes in earlier in the day, and when he swung open the door, she practically swooned.
“That is quite a bed.” The mammoth, king-size bed sat in the middle of the room, waiting for them. One lamp was on, but dimmed, a light breeze from the ocean lifted the sheer panels over the doors leading to the private patio, and the top edge of the bed’s thick taupe comforter had been turned back. Mosquito netting draped romantically from the ceiling to either side of the headboard.
The only things missing were rose petals and champagne.
“That, my dear,” JP began as he twirled Vega around to face him. “Is about to be put to good use.”
She held her breath, suddenly nervous as she waited for him to make his first move. She didn’t understand the nerves. The entire day had led to this moment, yet for some reason, she felt shy and new at this.
His arms reached around her, and she inhaled him. His woodsy scent combined with the salty air was a powerful aphrodisiac. His fingers began plucking the pins from her hair and dropping them to the floor behind her, one at a time.
“I’ve wanted to take your hair down from the moment I saw you.”
“It’s already half-down as it is.” Her nerves came through in her voice, mortifying her. “And it has saltwater mixed with it. Nothing sexy about it now.”
He leaned back and peered down at her. In her bare feet, she felt tiny next to him. “You okay?” he asked.
She shrugged, wanting to move past the moment. “A little nervous, I guess.”
It had been a long time since she’d made love to anyone, and in her wet dress and bedraggled hair, she suddenly felt very unattractive. That wasn’t the picture she wanted him remembering from this night.
His hands had all the pins out, but he stopped, both hands sunk deep in the tendrils, studying her as if seeing her for the first time.
“Nervousness is not something I’d associate with you. Quiet sometimes, letting people, like that ass you work with, walk all over you. Sometimes shocked at your own feelings…at the attraction between us. At the fact you raised your hand and bid on me.” His voice lowered. “But never nervous. Just shocked that you did it.” He stepped back, releasing her, and goose bumps lifted on her skin. “What can I do to help?”
God, she was getting more mortified by the moment. He was supposed to care only about himself, not worry about her. That’s the way Ted had always been.
At the thought, she pulled in a quick gasp and looked up at him.
“What?” he asked.
She shook her head, definitely not going to tell him she’d just compared him to the ex who’d turned her against men like him. At least he’d come out the winner of the two.
And that alone made even more anxiety consume her. He was different than Ted, even from the beginning of her past affair. Ted had wined and dined, but he’d never asked her what she wanted, or pretended to actually care about her feelings. He’d said the words, but his actions had never backed them up.
“Vega?” JP lifted one of her hands and pressed a kiss to her palm before curling her fingers over his. “You’ve got to help me here, babe. I can see something’s wrong. Tell me what I can do. Please.”
The plea was too much. She didn’t want to believe he was a truly good guy. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. She pulled away and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I’m just feeling ragged from the dip in the ocean. Maybe I could take a shower and clean up first?”
“Of course.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pushed her in the direction of the bathroom. “Whatever you need.”
“Thank you,” she murmured as she headed through the door, but when she turned to close it, he surprised her again.
He stepped up to her and caressed her jaw. “If you’ve changed your mind, that’s okay, too. We’ve had a perfect day already. If it needs to end now, I’ll take the other room and you can have this one. Just say the word.”
Her lips trembled. “Let me clean up, then we’ll see where we stand, okay?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll order something chocolate from room service to make up for losing our other dessert.”
“That’s perfect.” She leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to his mouth. “Thank you.”
JP closed the door behind room service and carried the covered platter to the master bedroom. He set it on the desk and removed his jacket and tie. The hum of the hair dryer suddenly shut off, sending the room into silence, and he eyed the closed bathroom door, wondering what would happen next.
He’d been telling the truth. If the night needed to end now, then that’s what would happen.
But he hoped like hell it wouldn’t.
The entire day had been one incredible journey after another, and yes, he wanted the last stop to be with him buried deep inside her, but if not, he could live with it. He’d already had a better date than he’d experienced in the last ten years. Maybe longer. There was just something about her that put him at ease, allowing him to lose the need to constantly be “on,” thus allowing for an entire day of being happy and relaxed. Those days were rare.
