“Nothing. Why?”
Tim took an apple from the fruit bowl on the desk and tossed it in the air before taking an enthusiastic bite out of it. “Only one person can put that look on your ugly mug.”
“She hasn’t pulled any stunts since the bachelor auction.” He wouldn’t reveal her latest prank—the sexual boot camp thing—and he respected Maddie’s right to divulge the cherry episode if and when she wanted to.
Tim whistled. “All those hot babes—”
“It was an auction at a retirement home. Four grandmothers chipped in and bought themselves a date with yours truly.” Alex shook his head at the memory.
“You have to admit, she’s creative. You two are like a modern day Tracy and Hepburn.”
Alex turned serious. “I want to talk to you about something—”
“Fuck, I know that look.” Tim sighed and pointed to his white t-shirt with black lettering. It said, “Mind Closed Until Further Notice”. “This isn’t a terrorist camp. This place is a wet dream come alive. Will you give your spidey sense a rest for once?”
“We’re being followed,” Alex blurted out.
“For Godsakes.” Tim threw his hands in the air. “Why would anybody follow us? This island is harmless. And you haven’t been here long enough to piss anybody off.”
“You know better than anyone my instincts never fail me.”
“Well, Peter Parker, maybe your instincts are in overdrive and you see bad guys under every bed.” Tim took another bite of his apple and rolled his eyes. “Spill it, what else is there?”
Alex dug into his mind to remember what it was that had first set off his warning bells. “It’s Hollister. He’s been a recluse for over twenty-eight years and he has a reputation for shunning the media. Now he’s willing to give me an exclusive interview. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
“Hey, what’s with the modesty? Humor the guy. You ask the questions, spin some magic on the computer and I’ll snap a few pics. We’ll have lots of time leftover to babe hunt.”
Alex kept going as though he hadn’t heard. “And another thing, Hollister personally asked for Maddie to write a travel article.”
“So? He read her work and liked it.”
“Don’t get me wrong, her column is excellent. It’s Maddie’s personality in print.” Alex ran his fingers through his hair. “But why the hell would an old man with more money than God read ‘How to travel on a budget’ articles?”
“Okay, that doesn’t make a shitload of sense. There’s probably a good reason, they just haven’t revealed it to us puny mortals. Will you please lose the cloak-and-dagger stuff for once?”
“You want cloak-and-dagger?” Alex expelled a noisy breath. What he was about to say sounded absurd even to him, but he couldn’t ignore it. “Yesterday I saw a man lurking around Maddie’s door. When he saw me, he took off down the stairwell.”
“What were you doing hanging around her room? Are you two getting it on?”
“Don’t be crazy.”
“What happened to the Donovan I know? He would have picked up a flight attendant and had a spare lined up for tonight.” Tim shook his head. “Lately, you wouldn’t notice if Jessica Alba stood naked in front of you.”
“I say we find out who this guy is and why he’s tailing Maddie.”
Tim walked over to the window and whistled. “Check out the half-naked babes.”
“Will you focus for a few minutes?”
“I am focused.” Tim swung around and tossed the half-eaten apple into the garbage bin. “Focused on living it up instead of photographing kids who won’t see the next day, never mind their next birthday. I’m focused on forgetting about the funerals of those kids, and the smell of death. That’s what I’m focused on.”
Alex nodded in understanding. Maybe he was overreacting. And he couldn’t blame Tim for not wanting to think this lightweight project had something more to it than met the eye. They both deserved a break from the last few years of vigorous work on tough assignments. He had put Tim through hell in Iraq, where one wrong move would have turned them into desert dust.
His friend was right about unwinding and not reading too much into things on the island. His Middle-East memories were still horribly graphic. No wonder his suspicions buzzed more furiously than a Blackhawk’s rotor blades.
After a couple of uncomfortable silent beats, Tim asked, “You do remember what to do with your dick, don’t you?”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Let’s take a few days to unwind. We’ll talk about this later.” He was still convinced something was wrong with this whole setup, but he’d give Tim a break for now.
His buddy headed for the door. “I’m going to escape the bad guys and go for a dip.” He gave Alex a mock salute and left the room.
Alex headed to the kitchenette for a drink. As he popped the tab off a can of cold Keoki Gold beer, his Blackberry beeped. He took a quick swig, answered the call and heard his agent, Duncan Jones, greet him.
“Donovan, glad I caught you. How’s the weather?”
Alex grinned. “Steamin’.”
“Lucky bastard. So damn cold up here, dogs are frozen on hydrants. Look, I met with George today. You’re a top candidate for the new London bureau. You still interested?”
For crissakes, he was more than interested. He’d angled for the position since it had been proposed, which seemed like forever.
“Absolutely,” Alex answered with certainty. “I’m ready for a change.”
“I told George you were the man to ensure success in Europe.” Duncan’s raspy voice echoed with pride. “I have to tell you, though, Ned Hansen is also a strong contender.”
“Hansen’s married.” Alex had met Hansen’s wife and she’d been vocal about not relocating.
“His wife’s filed for divorce,” Duncan said.
“That’s rough. Didn’t they just have a baby?”
“Another casualty of the business,” Duncan said, with the smugness of an old bachelor. “You have a good shot at this job, despite the competition. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have more info. The suits still want the project to remain confidential.”
Alex said goodbye. Yes! It looked like this might actually happen.
He exhaled a long sigh of contentment and pushed his earlier tension aside. Too thrilled to sit at his laptop and get back to work, he changed into swimming trunks, grabbed a towel, a magazine and left his suite to join Tim by the pool.
Tall palm trees around the hotel’s ceramic-tiled pool swayed in the warm breeze. Their prongs shone a bright green against the clear powder blue sky. Potted orchids in sprays of yellow and white decorated the patio.
Alex headed to the tiki bar at the other end to try out a Mai Tai.
His eyes adjusted to the brilliant afternoon sun and he scanned the sunbathers around the pool. He took in a pair of long legs stretched out on a lounge chair. They belonged to a faceless woman under an orange beach umbrella. She swung her legs to the side of the chair and stood.
Nice.
He stopped.
The killer legs belonged to Maddie. She sauntered seductively around the pool, wearing a skimpy purple bikini. The sun reflected off her auburn hair, swinging about her creamy shoulders.
He’d known Maddie all these years, but he’d never seen her wear anything other than khakis and jeans.
She had an enticing navel, some fine curvy hips and delicate ankles.
Since when did ankles do it for him?
She was one of the prettiest babes at the resort.
Man.
Oh.
Man.
He had to curb the urge to wrap his towel around her when he noticed a few guys eyeing her. Eyeing? More like salivating. He shouldn’t judge, since he wanted to run over and tackle her himself. His admiration of her was now more than visual, so he strategically
placed his magazine, letting it dangle against his lower abs.
For the first time since he’d known her, he admitted to himself she wasn’t only attractive—Holy Mother of God—she was hot.
Hmmm, Maddie thought.
The butterflies in her stomach multiplied at the sight of Alex—who had finally joined the kick-back-on-the-beach set—striding toward her. God, he looked awesome in his electric-blue shorts. They were slung low on his trim waist and came to just above his knees, showcasing his sturdy legs. He was shirtless and she admired his ripped chest with its sprinkling of dark hair. A thin line of darkness trailed down toward his pleasure region. Yowza.
Lordy, his abs could cut glass. Rock-hard, six-pack heaven.
And then there was his olive skin—inherited from his Italian mother’s side of the family—which glowed bronze under the sun’s rays. His twinkling eyes and strong, stubbled chin were a potent combination of rugged charm and sex appeal that could make even a nun renounce her vows.
He looked relaxed and ready to party. If she had her way, it would be a party for two. Sex with him, she thought, would be nothing short of incredible.
He came up to her, holding a magazine somewhat awkwardly across his body. His shoulders relaxed when she flashed him a smile.
“Maddie.”
“Hey, stud. I see your chick-magnet muscles are in great shape.” She squeezed his arm and tilted her head toward the pool, where numerous thong-clad women ogled him with interest. “Were you working all day?”
His lazy grin displayed straight white teeth. “Guilty.”
She clutched his wrist and shook it. “Loosen up.”
He pointed to their handsome, sandy brown-haired friend, lounging in a chair a few feet away. “Like Moon Doggie?”
She tossed her towel at Tim and hit him in the head. Tim tossed it back to her, keeping his eyes on the women in the pool. “He’s been busy making time with the silicone buffet.”
“Okay, I’m ready to loosen up. What’s on the agenda?”
“Let’s warm up the stools at the karaoke bar tonight.”
“On one condition.” He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. “No sneaky attempts to pull me onto the stage to sing.”
It must have been sheer animal instinct that made her turn her head and graze the palm of his hand with her lips.
Her bones melted like an ice cube on hot cement, and she swayed.
The teasing glint in his eyes morphed to a smoldering intensity, trapping the breath in her lungs.
The sounds of laughter around the patio and the piped-in ukulele music faded away like clouds on the horizon.
She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She wanted to strip off her bikini and his trunks, press their bodies together and feel him buried deep inside of her.
He leaned toward her a fraction.
A thrill of anxious anticipation dusted her spine.
She trembled. Lordy, Lordy, I’m an eyelash away from his lips. I can almost taste…
Tim appeared behind Alex and slapped his back. “You springing for a steak dinner for us?”
Alex recovered his composure first and stepped back.
She wanted to smack Tim upside the head.
A cool breeze wafted in from the ocean, sending a shiver from the tips of her pink-painted toes to the top of her head.
Alex wrapped his towel around her shoulders. “You’re cold.”
Still weak with desire, she managed a tremulous smile. “Too much sun for the first day.” She scooped up her beach bag. “I’ll meet you two at the bar around nine. You guys go ahead and have your steak.”
“Where are you going for dinner?” His voice was unsteady.
“Makana’s media-relations officer invited me out.”
Tim waved. “See ya later, Mads.”
Alex, seemingly himself again, bid her goodbye. “Enjoy dinner.”
“Yeah,” she muttered to herself, darting to her room, “soon as I un-harden my nipples.”
Chapter Five
“Lead me not into temptation—I can find the way myself.”
—Rita Mae Brown
Later that evening, Alex gaped in disbelief at the scanty black silk dress draped over Maddie as she sashayed up the stairs to the front door of the Mad Monkey Bar. “What are you wearing?”
“A dress.” She twirled around slowly. “You like?”
“Who calls that scarf a dress?”
“Dolce and Gabbana.” She laughed. “Come on, Tim’s waving at us.”
They walked toward Tim, seated by the stage. Alex put his hand on the small of her back to guide her, as he so often had in the past, but now the gesture sent electrical shock waves up his arm.
Potted ginger plants and orange blossoms permeated the air with their fragrance. They didn’t overpower Maddie’s sweet, feminine scent as she strolled close to him.
The servers, dressed in black shorts and orange Mad Monkey T-shirts, carried trays of chi chis—vodka and pineapple concoctions served in coconut shells. Two karaoke enthusiasts were already on the stage, performing a Bon Jovi number.
Alex sat next to Maddie, nursed his rum and Coke and listened to her tease Tim without mercy about his romantic conquests. She deserved the gold medal in the rattling-Tim’s-chain category. Glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of that conversation, he leaned back and enjoyed the view.
“Why are you still single?” Maddie asked Tim.
“I escape before slipping into the brunch-with-the-parents vortex.”
“Wouldn’t you like to go home to a nice home-cooked meal?”
“Hey, I never get that hungry.” Tim picked up the menu, scanned it with ostentatious indifference and gave Alex a quick sideways glance.
Alex shrugged his shoulders.
“By the way, do you like Reece’s comic strip?” she asked.
“Oh no, you don’t, Saunders.” Tim turned to Alex. “Help me out here.”
Alex shrugged again. “I got nothing.”
“Hang up your matchmaker hat,” Tim said. “Okay, her comic strip is funny, especially when she takes the piss out of Donovan. She’s nice. Okay, she’s hot, but she definitely has looking-for-a-serious-relationship written all over her.” He sighed. “Hey, what’s with the eye rolling? I answered your questions.” He leaned over and retrieved his beer, which Maddie had taken.
As Maddie continued to badger Tim, Alex examined her features. Was it the relaxed atmosphere, or did she look exceptionally radiant tonight?
In her typical style, she wore minimal makeup. Not much was needed to improve her oval face. Her ivory cheeks had turned pinkish beige, probably a result of her day in the sun. Alex found the heightened color and even the freckles splashed across her upturned nose a turn on. The heat in his gut intensified as he watched her pucker her full lips to sip her mandarin cosmopolitan.
He shifted in his seat, took a long swig of his drink and studied the way her short dress—Mother of God, that dress was short—exposed her shapely thighs. If his stare emitted heat, her dress would have melted right off of her by now.
He had always considered himself a breast man, but since arriving on the island, his taste now veered south of the border.
Damn, she had great legs.
He wondered if the bartender had added more rum than necessary to his drink, or maybe it was what she’d hit him with the day before in the restaurant, because in neck-snapping speed he’d gone from seeing Maddie as a platonic friend to imagining her as his lover.
A startling picture of Maddie, naked on top of him with her breasts pressed against his chest and her sleek legs straddling him, flashed through his mind. Man, oh fuckin’, man. He so wanted to explore her with all his senses. Taste her. Smell her. Feel her come apart in his arms.
Shit.
How could he be thinking of Maddie this
way?
Obviously, his testosterone had taken its toll on his common sense. He gave himself a mental shot in the head and drained his drink.
Maddie’s chair scraped. She stood, leaned over toward him and tugged his ear. “Wait here. I have a surprise for you two.”
He turned to Tim and said with resignation, “She’s probably setting us up to do the karaoke thing. I already have my eye on the back door.”
Tim pointed to the stage. “There’s our girl.”
Alex and Tim stood to get a better view and listened as the twenty-something DJ raised his mike and announced, “Before we open our dance floor, we have one last gig.” He wrapped his arm around Maddie’s bare shoulder. “Let’s give it up for Maddie from the Big Apple.”
An inexplicable twinge of jealousy surged through Alex’s veins as he stared at the young man touching her skin, then at the guys in the audience hollering and whistling. He mentally chastised himself for the irrational emotion.
An upbeat, jazzy tune resonated from the speakers. Maddie raised the mike to her lips and belted out the lyrics. “Here in the night, passion’s in the air,” she sang in a smooth tone. “Hormones raging, and baby, you look amazing.”
Swaying her hips in time to the music, she crooned, “I’m feeling a little naughty. I want to unwind with you, baby. Ohhhh, yeah, I want to get it on all night.”
The audience clapped and sang the chorus, “I want to get it on all night.”
Alex caught Maddie’s eye and she winked at him. He reciprocated with a thumbs-up sign and mouthed, “You rock.”
Good thing the table was positioned in front of him and able to hide an entirely different kind of up signal.
“If you want me—” she paused, threw her head back and looked at Alex “—come get me, baby.”
The music faded and the crowd cheered. She bowed, jumped off the stage and headed for their table.
“Sweet.” Tim kissed her hand. “You’re what an American Idol should look like.”
Alex put his arm around her waist and looked down at her flushed face. “I’d vote for you.” Joy bubbled in her laugh. With some reluctance, he released her and willed himself to tamp down his mounting desire for her.
What a Girl Wants Page 5
