by Carolyn Zane
“What are you doing?” Emily murmured hazily into his mouth.
“Saving your adorable little rear end,” he rasped, chewing on her lower lip.
“Thanks.” She sighed as he carried her back into his room and shut the door in Roxanne’s curious face.
Chapter Nine
“Gin.”
“Again?”
“Yep.”
Emily tossed her cards onto the pile on the cabin floor, where she and Ty had been playing gin rummy for several hours.
“No fair.” She yawned sleepily, then eyed him with mock suspicion. “You must be cheating. How else could you beat me forty-two times in a row?”
“I think you’re just letting me win to protect my fragile male ego.” Ty grinned and, scooping up the cards, began to shuffle the deck.
“Ha!” Emily yawned again and let her back fall wearily against the floor.
Looking over at her heavily drooping eyelids, Ty smiled in wry amusement. No matter how tired they were, no matter how much they both wanted to curl up in bed and fall asleep, they couldn’t. It wasn’t safe. No, they had to keep playing, he thought and doggedly dealt another hand.
He was only human, after all. Rolling over onto his stomach, he studied his cards, disgruntled. Here he was, a red-blooded, all-American male, stuck in a room with a delectable, young, red-blooded, all-American woman at three o’clock in the morning, and he couldn’t touch her. And beating her at forty-two straight hands of gin rummy did little to improve his suffering state of mind.
What a waste of a perfectly seductive setting. But he’d made her a promise at the beginning of this ridiculous escapade and, being a man of his word, he’d stick to it. Trouble was, back then he’d had no idea how much he would come to care for this little wandering woman of mystery. Or want her. And right now, Tyler Newroth wanted her more than he wanted to draw his next breath of air.
Groaning out loud, he drew a card from the pile.
“That bad, huh?” Emily mumbled, trying to focus on her cards.
“Mmm-hmm.” No point in telling her that the image of pinning her down on the floor and doing serious damage to their card pile was the real reason for his groan. “You know, I have an idea that might improve your game.”
“Wassat?” she slurred, her head beginning to loll back against the couch.
“Stay awake!” he shouted.
Startled, Emily jolted upright, eyes wide. “Huh?”
Ty chuckled. “Gin,” he announced smugly, and laid his cards down on the floor for her to see.
“Already?”
“Yep. Your deal.”
“Forget it.” Emily tossed her cards at him with a grumpy scowl. “If I’d wanted to play cards all night, I could have stayed in my own room and probably even won some money.”
Ty snorted. “I’ve seen the way you play cards. You’d have ended up in the hole big-time. Besides, I doubt very much that they are still playing cards after all this time.”
“Oh, yeah? So what do you think they’re up to, Mr. Know-it-all Card Shark?”
“Come on, Emmie. Grow up.” Ty smirked and gathered the playing cards into a neat stack. “A man, a woman, a romantic cruise ship. Get real. They’re doing the wild thing.”
“The wild thing?” She stared at him in disgust.
“Sure. What else would they be doing until 3:00 a.m.?”
“Playing cards,” she insisted, a stubborn set to her chin.
“Yeah, right. Who would be stupid enough to sit around playing cards all night, when they could...be doing, uh...”
A smile twinkled in Emily’s eyes. “Yes, stupid?”
Slipping the deck easily into its box, he closed the lid and tossed it at her. “Hey, beating the pan—socks off you forty-three times in a row at gin rummy is not my favorite way to while away the hours. But I promised you, on day one, that I’d be a gentleman. And,” he said smugly, “I’m a man of honor. Not that I wouldn’t be interested—if you changed your mind—in...the, uh...”
“The wild thing?” Emily supplied helpfully.
“Yeah.” He grinned as she squirmed uncomfortably.
“I can’t even imagine poor Uncle Denny and Helga doing...that.” Emily’s brow wrinkled at the distasteful thought. The logistics boggled her mind.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Ty shook his head and shrugged. “That Uncle Denny strikes me as a bit of a rascal. And Mom, now there’s a party animal if I ever saw one.”
“Yuck! Stop it.” Emily giggled. “I don’t want to think about it.”
“Why not? Someday, if we’re lucky, we’ll be their age. And I, for one, hope that we will still have the inclination.” As long as he was with Emily, Ty imagined he’d have the inclination till the last gasping breath left his body.
Emily averted her eyes, embarrassed. “Well, I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
“In that case,” Ty drawled, taunting her, “why don’t you go down there and check on them?”
“No way!”
“Why not? Afraid you might catch them in the middle of a rousing game of strip poker?”
“Cut it out!” she yelled, laughing, and threw the deck of cards at his chest. “I’m going to lose my lunch.”
“Not again,” he moaned, easily catching the deck before it hit him. They almost didn’t hear the light tap at the door over their gleeful laughter.
“Emily? It’s me...uh, Mom!” Helga’s impressive stage whisper boomed through the door and into the room. “The coast is clear, kiddo. You can come back now.”
“Gee.” Emily sighed, burying her face in her hands. “Do you suppose she fooled Roxanne?”
Reaching over, Ty smacked her affectionately on her hip. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Roxanne is hours into her beauty sleep by now. Lord knows she can use all she can get.”
“Then I guess I’d better get going.” Emily scrambled to her feet and, grabbing the secret journal that Ty found so intriguing, headed to the door.
“Hey, wait,” Ty grunted. Pulling himself up, he limped after her on feet that had fallen asleep. “Oh, ow,” he moaned and, clutching her shoulders, leaned heavily against her.
“Mmm. Thanks.” He stamped his feet as the feeling began to return. “Now, then,” he teased, tilting her face up to his, “I want you to be sure to look for signs when you get back there.”
“Signs of what?”
Ty rolled his eyes expressively. “The wild thing. You know—” a grin twitched at the corner of his mouth “—a forgotten necktie, a stray handkerchief, a misplaced cuff link...a pair of boxers hanging from the lamp.”
“Argh!” Emily pushed at Ty’s strong chest with all her might. “You’re terrible.”
Ty’s grin blossomed as he pulled her close for a kiss that stopped her struggle. “Yeah, and that’s why you married me,” he whispered, and pushed her into the hall.
* * *
The first rays of dawn broke through the cabin window as Emily pulled her pillow over her head to block out Helga’s snoring. Unfortunately the pillow was useless against the renegade thoughts of Ty’s handsome face that kept her from peaceful slumber.
For what must have been the millionth time, Emily wished that she could tell Ty the truth—come clean and start over with him on more even footing. Then they would be equals, rather than the host and the parasite, as she now supposed herself to be. But it was too late. The die had been cast.
She would have to live with these frustrating circumstances, and it served her right for lying in the first place. Even though she’d told all these lies with the best of intentions—intentions that included saving humanity—she knew that she’d been wrong. To continue deceiving Ty the way she’d been doing nearly made her sick with wretchedness.
Any future she might have had with him under any other truthful circumstances was lost in a tangled web of lies. A single tear squeezed its way out of the corner of her eye and rolled wetly into her ear.
Maybe, she thought, fiercely brushing at the te
ars that followed, maybe it wasn’t too late for her and Ty to have some kind of relationship—on some level—that was based on trust. She knew that the very least she owed him was the truth after all he’d done for her and the two needy souls she’d foisted on him. Perhaps, when this cruise was over and she’d fulfilled her obligation to him in this matter, she would come clean and see where that got her. Couldn’t hurt, she thought, punching her pillow miserably.
Why, oh, why did she have to fall in love for the first time under these circumstances? It was true, she admitted as the morning light became brighter. She was in love. And not with the man she’d stuck her sister with all summer.
Looks like she would have more than one painful confession to look forward to when they returned, she thought mournfully as she finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.
* * *
Monday and Tuesday were spent in a blissful haze at sea. Swimming, sunbathing, eating mountains of delectable food, gambling, dancing, moonlight strolls, gentle kisses. Emily couldn’t remember when she’d ever been so happy. And, unfortunately, with every minute that passed, she managed to fall more deeply in love with Tyler.
Helga and Denny kept nearly constant company, and Carmen wouldn’t hear of leaving her newfound playmates to spend dull afternoons and evenings with the Connstarr management team.
So much of their time was spent as a couple who came and went as they pleased, taking leisurely time to get more intimately acquainted.
In between the normal shipboard activities, Connstarr held meetings, luncheons, get-acquainted parties and social gatherings of all kinds, designed to facilitate team building among its management staff. Emily was not only invited to attend all of these functions, but was encouraged to participate fully right alongside her husband.
For Emily, the only thing that marred her happy experience with the wonderful Connstarr crew was the unsettling feeling that Roxanne was watching her every move. Normally, Emily wouldn’t even have minded that, but there was something about the way that troubled woman watched her. Something nearly evil in its intensity. No matter where she and Ty went, Emily could count on Roxanne’s dark and brooding presence. Luckily it was rare that she ever needed to leave Ty’s side, but on the odd occasion that she did, whenever she returned, she could count on finding Roxanne plastered flamboyantly to her husband’s side, laughing a little too loudly, clinging a little too tightly, trying just a little too hard.
Emily was looking forward to arriving at the first port of call, Puerto Vallarta, where they would dock bright and early Wednesday morning. There she was sure they would be able to enjoy a romantic day, far removed from the predatory gaze of her husband’s boss.
Unfortunately she’d been mistaken.
Wednesday morning, as Emily took Carmen by the hand to lead her off the ship, Roxanne, managing to beat her way through the line in an effort to catch them, glommed on to Tyler’s arm.
“Thank heavens,” she huffed, winded by her Herculean effort to reach them before they were out of sight. “I thought I’d lost you.” Simpering, she smiled beguilingly up at Ty.
Emily caught his weary glance and shrugged miserably. So much for a cozy family day of shopping and seeing the sights in Puerto Vallarta. Instead they would be subjected to a performance test as Roxanne scrutinized their every move.
“It’s lucky you’re coming along with us today,” Roxanne tossed breezily over her shoulder at Emily. “You can translate for me while I shop.”
An angry muscle working in Tyler’s jaw brought a smile to her lips.
“Sí. Con mucho gusto, I will translate por me esposo’s mega grasa amiga,” she said pleasantly in a thick Spanish accent, earning a startled giggle from Carmen.
“Thanks.” Roxanne darted them a quizzical look, suspecting that she might have just been insulted. “I need to find the perfect little number to wear to the Connstarr Awards Banquet on Friday night. It’s only the most important night of the cruise,” she informed Ty importantly, “and I want to look spectacular.”
Emily blanched.
Turning her back on Emily, Roxanne continued her inane stream of chatter at Tyler. “And, unless you already have your banquet ensemble, we’d probably better get you outfitted, too. Doesn’t that sound like delicious fun? The theme for the awards banquet is Mexican,” she jabbered, pulling Tyler down the plank and farther away from his family. “Everyone will be wearing something with a local flavor. And since it’s simply the biggest event of the entire week, I want you to make an impression, too.”
* * *
Thankfully for all involved, the excursion finally ended, and after a completely exhausting day of being run around by the energetic Newroth family, Roxanne staggered to her cabin under a load of extravagant purchases and passed out on her bed for the rest of the evening.
When the ship pulled into Mazatán promptly at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning, Tyler vowed that he would have a day alone with Emily if it was the last thing he did. Quickly showering, he jumped into the first clean thing he could get his hands on in the suitcase and, checking the peephole for the all clear, pounded down the hallway to Emily’s room.
“Psst! Emily! It’s me!” he whispered through the door after knocking lightly.
The door opened and he slipped inside. Helga was still communicating loudly with the land of nod as Emily held a finger over her lips to silence him.
“I had the Connstarr sitter take Carmen to the Kiddie Korner this morning,” she whispered, pulling her sneakers on and rapidly tying the laces. “All set,” she announced, and quietly followed him to the door. “I’ve got my swimsuit on under my clothes.”
Ty’s body tensed involuntarily at the thought. “Me, too.” Taking her by the hand, he couldn’t help being amazed at how well they worked together. It was obvious that Emily craved a day without Roxanne as much as he did, and the thought warmed his blood as they headed up to C-Deck, midship.
How could the slender beauty at his side manage to look so elegant dressed only in a simple pair of light blue shorts and a matching top? Something about her effortless grace and easygoing manner drew him to her like no other woman he’d met before. Something special in her countenance relaxed and stimulated him at the same time. He had the eerie feeling that even though she remained an enigma, there was a familiar quality that he’d known all his life. It was almost as if he had finally stumbled across the other half of himself.
Checking quickly over his shoulder for Roxanne, he tightened his grip on Emily’s hand and scurried with her as fast as they dared down the gangway and onto the pier, where they hailed the first available cab.
“Just drive us around Mazatlán for a while,” Ty instructed the driver and, leaning back against Emily, sighed with relief. “We did it,” he whispered gleefully, pulling her hand to his mouth and kissing the backs of her fingers.
“But not a moment too soon,” she said ruefully, pointing back at the ship as they pulled away from the pier.
Ty looked in the direction of her finger and grinned. For there, gripping the ship’s rail and radiating a fury that he could feel even at this distance, stood a rather frazzled-looking Roxanne. Her poisonous glare was shaded in chic sunglasses as she scanned the masses for the Newroths. Discovering them just as their cab had pulled out into the early-morning traffic, she watched helplessly and pounded the railing in frustration as her prey escaped her clutches.
“She looked pretty steamed,” Emily said, worry tingeing her brow.
“Probably is,” he agreed affably. “But that’s not our problem, is it, now?”
“No. I guess not.” She twisted back around in her seat and looked up at Ty. “I just can’t seem to help feeling a little bit sorry for her.”
Ty stared down at her in disbelief. “After what she put you through yesterday? You’ve got to be kidding.”
Her features took on an impish quality. “I will admit that she is one tough negotiator when it comes to bargaining for goods and services. I’m sure glad you were ther
e when she got us thrown out of that one marketplace. I thought that several of those shopkeepers were going to string her up alive.”
“And I prevented that?” he grumbled good-naturedly. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
“Because it would have scared Carmen.” A bemused smile tugged at her lips.
“Better luck next time, huh?” he murmured as his eyes darted to her mouth. Mesmerized by the guileless expression he found there, he battled a sudden urge to kiss those captivating lips. Too bad there was no one here to play the part of newlywed husband in front of, he mused, tearing his eyes away from the beauty at his side.
Throwing an affectionate arm around her shoulders, he forced himself to enjoy the scenic beauty outside the cab instead.
* * *
“You’d better turn over,” Emily suggested, glad for the excuse to study Ty’s fabulous torso.
“Hmm?” Ty mumbled sleepily, and opened a lazy eye in her direction.
Reaching over, she pushed a tentative finger into the pink flesh on his chest. “I think you’re starting to burn a little bit.”
His skin was warm and smooth, and she ached to run her hand over its silky texture. The wind whispered through the palm fronds that stood behind them on the white sandy beach where they’d been lying for the past half hour after an impromptu picnic lunch.
“Um.” Rolling over toward her, Ty ran a hand over her hip. “You’re feeling a little warm yourself. His eyes locked with hers, and they lay like that for what seemed to Emily like eternity.
The muted roar of the clear, aqua sea as it rolled rhythmically to shore lulled her into the surreal feeling that they were alone in paradise. No Roxanne, no Carmen, no Helga, no responsibilities. Just the two of them, away from all of life’s everyday worries and cares.
Emily couldn’t ever remember feeling so completely intoxicated by life. She wished the magic could last forever, and that the rest of the world could be as deliriously happy as she was at that moment.
