by Donna Hill
Jinx nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we let Rita go in first to check on her winnings and to check out the system.”
“Right. And when it’s time, Rita will make the switch.”
“If Suarez’s stuff is even in there. What if it’s in his suite”
“It’ll be a helluva lot easier getting into his suite than the ship’s safe.” At least he hoped so, considering his earlier fiasco with the cabin lock.
Jinx finished off his drink. “Speaking of the women in our lives…”
“Yeah, let’s go find our women.”
* * *
Eva held her breath and her body in a tight ball. She didn’t dare move an inch and silently prayed that Suarez wasn’t coming into the room to change clothes.
“You certainly travel in high style,” she heard Rita say.
“Only the best,” Suarez responded.
The closet door suddenly opened. Eva almost gasped.
Suarez pulled a silk robe from the hanger and closed the door.
Eva closed her eyes and shook in relief. What in the world was she thinking coming here without letting anyone know where she was
“I’m going to change.” He smiled full of innuendo. “Make yourself comfortable in the meantime.”
Eva heard the bathroom door open and then close. Should she risk revealing herself to Rita
She eased the closet door open. Rita was on the far side of the room, going through the items on the top of the dresser.
“Psst, Rita…”
Rita jumped, dropping the wallet on top of the dresser. She spun around. Her eyes widened in alarm then darted toward the bathroom door.
She hurried across the room, keeping a lookout on the bathroom.
“What are you doing here” she whispered.
Eva peeked out from behind the row of suits. “Seeing what I could find. Where are his bodyguards”
“One is out in front of the door. Don’t know about the other two.”
“You gotta get him out of here and keep him busy. So whatever you had on your mind, forget it, Rita. Understood” she said in no uncertain terms.
Rita vigorously nodded her head. “Just be quiet and stay out of sight.” Rita straightened and quietly shut the door. She quickly crossed the room and sat in the chair by the bed, composing herself just as Suarez emerged from the bathroom.
“I’m sure I can find something that you would be more comfortable in.”
She licked her lips. “Oh, I had my heart set on going to the show. I thought that was the plan.”
Suarez walked up to her, lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. “Plans can always be changed.”
Her insides melted; her resolve faltered. She wanted him, but she didn’t want to arouse his suspicions. Too much was at stake. But then she pictured her cousin crouched in the closet. Could Eva sit there and be quiet while she and Suarez got wet and wild on his king-size bed
She took a step back. “Of course plans can be changed. I enjoy spontaneity in a man. But I did have my heart set on the show, especially after you recommended it.” She drew in a breath and stepped closer. “And you don’t seem to be the kind of man that would disappoint a lady.” She drew a long nail tantalizingly down the center of his exposed chest.
Suarez’s dark eyes grew even darker. His cheeks flushed beneath his even bronze complexion. “As you wish.” He walked away, back into the bathroom to change.
Rita sighed in relief. She walked past the closet and out into the front room, taking a seat on the couch. She didn’t want Suarez to come out of the bathroom, find her sitting on his bed, and get any ideas that she’d changed her mind.
Moments later Suarez joined her. He straightened his tie. Looking down at her, he said, “Never let anyone tell you that I didn’t make a lady happy.”
Damn that Eva! “No one would dare say that.” She took his hand and stood.
Xavier placed a light kiss on her cheek. “I also admire a woman who has respect for herself. It forces me to respect her as well.” He chuckled. “You have forced me to respect you, beautiful Rita.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it. “Respect goes a long way. Always remember that,” he added, looking into her eyes. “Come. Let us go and be entertained.”
* * *
Once Eva was certain that they were gone and no one else was lurking about, she crept out of the closet. She tried to stand, but her legs gave out from being crouched for so long, and she wobbled to the floor. Wincing, she stretched her legs out in front of her and massaged her thighs and calves and wiggled her toes until blood started flowing again. She would have been a permanent pretzel if the two of them had hit the sheets and she’d been stuck in the closet the whole time.
At least she didn’t lose her cool, she thought, slowly standing to test out her legs. The closet experience with Jake taught her well how to remain calm under pressure and not get claustrophobic and flip out.
Jake. She sighed, arched her back, then continued snooping around. She expected all sorts of reactions when she told him about being pregnant: shock, surprise, elation, maybe even anger, but not nothing. Not a word, not an outward expression of any emotion. All that nothing made her feel like she was dying inside.
She knew Jake had issues about starting a family. She opened the drawer next to the bed and gently lifted the papers inside so as not to disturb anything. But Jake had never really discussed his feelings with her. She closed the drawer then stood in the center of the room and did a slow 360, taking in the room inch by inch. She also knew he and Jinx grew up pretty much on their own much like she and Rita. All he’d ever said about his home life was that it was bad. It was a touchy subject for both of them, and so it was easy to push the past to the side and act like it didn’t happen.
Eva crossed the room and went back to the closet, pulling out the locked suitcase. People don’t lock things if the stuff inside isn’t important. She could hear Jake’s voice as plain as day. She fought back a smile as she studied the lock. It wasn’t the lock that typically came with the suitcase. This one was specially made and from what she could see, brand-spanking-new. There were three locks on it: one on either end and one in the center. The one in the center was a combination lock. The suitcase was pretty heavy, but was it heavy enough to contain the money and the diamonds
No way of knowing unless they could get inside it. If anyone could, it would be Jake.
She snatched a piece of paper from the complimentary notepad on the nightstand by the bed and returned to the suitcase. Her years of sketching came in handy now. She quickly drew a duplicate of the suitcase, careful to include all the minute details, particularly the combination and the assembly around the locks.
Satisfied with her handiwork, she returned the suitcase to the closet, took one last look around to be sure she didn’t leave any signs of her entry. She went to the front door, listened for any sounds, and inched the door open, then remembered that she was dressed as one of the crew. She was in uniform.
Eva opened the door fully and boldly stepped out into the corridor. She pulled the door shut behind her as two couples walked in opposite directions down the hallway, neither of them paying her any attention.
She headed back to her room. Just as she reached the cabin door, Jake and Jinx were coming out.
“Jake—”
“Eva, I’m—”
“Why don’t I let you two chat.” Jinx looked from one to the other before walking off.
They faced each other.
Less than an hour ago, she was ready to do it on her own. Walk away from the job and the man. But now, standing in front of him, she knew that all she’d ever wanted was Jake Kelly. But something was different.
Jake’s always-ready grin, his devil-may-care charm were missing. In their place was an aura of tentativeness, a vulnerability that she rarely if ever saw. And that’s when it hit her. He was afraid, not of failing at this job but at failing her. She reached out her hand and took his.
The beginning
of a smile warmed his eyes. He angled his head toward the door of the cabin, and they went inside.
23
A Latin jazz band opened the show and enthusiastic partygoers took to the small dance floor doing salsa and mambo, dancing in the aisles when the floor became too crowded as they gyrated to the driving beats and sensual rhythms. Waiters couldn’t keep up with the requests for drinks and refills even as they dodged around. Sequins flashed and heels clicked to the beat.
Xavier and Rita had front-row seats. Xavier saw to her every want. Drinks and food flowed throughout the evening. Xavier was the perfect gentleman and an excellent dancer. Never once did he give her the impression that he was the vicious crime lord she’d heard about.
Xavier’s hand was at the small of her back as they left the lounge.
“I hope that you enjoyed yourself,” Xavier said.
“I had a wonderful time. Thank you.”
“Perhaps a nightcap … in my suite”
She turned to him, keeping her smile in place. She reached out and ran a manicured nail across his jaw. “Another night. Maybe tomorrow Besides, we have this entire cruise to get to know each other,” she said in a husky whisper.
The right corner of his mouth flickered. He raised his hand, and his bodyguard appeared.
“See to it that the lovely Rita gets to her cabin safely.”
“I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine on my own. Independent, remember”
He brought Rita’s hand to his lips. “Until tomorrow, then.” He turned and walked away, his other two bodyguards flanking him on either side.
Rita released a breath and walked in the opposite direction to her cabin.
When she opened the door, Jinx was sitting on the bed, like a father waiting up for his teenaged daughter to come home from a date.
She closed the door and tossed her purse on top of the dresser.
“You didn’t have to wait up,” she said, taking off one shoe and then the other. She put them in the closet.
“I wanted to hear about your evening.”
She faced him. “Do you, really”
“Yeah, I do.”
“How about we start with you showing up at the table like some jealous boyfriend. Do you know you could have blown the whole thing” She turned her back to him. “Unzip me, please,” she asked, her tone softer.
Jinx got up and unzipped her gown in a series of slow pulls, kissing her spine with each inch that was exposed.
Rita groaned. It would be so easy to simply screw his brains out and sidestep what she was sure was coming.
He eased the spaghetti straps off one at a time, caressed her shoulders. He kissed the back of her neck and relished her soft moan.
“Maybe I was jealous,” he said softly, and then unfastened the gold clip holding her hair in place. Her hair fell in soft waves across her shoulders. “Would that surprise you”
“Yesss, it would.” She arched her neck while his hands glided over her hips.
“Why Don’t you know how I feel about you, Rita”
She turned around into his arms, looked into his questioning eyes. “No. I don’t know how you feel about me.”
The statement was so innocent, it took Jinx by surprise. “How could you not know, baby Tell me how you couldn’t know.”
Rita lowered her head. “Because no one ever cared about me, Jinx.” She looked straight into his eyes. “Nobody but Eva. Men wanted me for what they thought they could get between my legs, and I guess I thought that was some kind of love, ya know.” She moved away from him to the other side of the room.
“I’m not other guys, Rita. I thought you knew that by now.”
Pain showed in her eyes when she looked at him. “I don’t know how to be any other way than the way I am—who I am.” She turned away.
“I wouldn’t want you any other way. I know about your past, and I don’t care.”
She vigorously shook her head. “No, you don’t.” Her arms instinctively wrapped around her body. Why couldn’t they just fuck and forget all this introspection
Jinx came up behind her. Cautiously he put a hand on her shoulder. “Then tell me, Rita. I want to know what you think I don’t already. And whatever it is, I guarantee you: it won’t matter. What will matter is that you’ve let it go and trusted me enough to put it in my hands.”
Something inside her broke—the wall, the distance, the lock on her heart. She couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that she couldn’t hold the floodgates closed any longer. She didn’t want to.
She crossed the room and slowly sat down on the side of the bed. She folded her hands in her lap, the top of her dress held up by the rise of her breasts.
“It was never easy…,” she began.
* * *
“I was worried,” Jake said, keeping his voice even as his wife paced the room.
“No need. I can take care of myself.” She looked at him. “Most of the time,” she added, her voice cracking. She swallowed. “But I don’t want to. I want us to take care of each other, Jake.”
He came up to her, ready to grab her and make all the worry in her face go away. But he hesitated. Sex had always been the quick fix, the easy remedy, the turn-on that turned everything else in their life off—at least temporarily. And as much as he wanted her, he didn’t want the real issue between them to get murky, obscured by lust.
“So do I,” he admitted. He slid his hands into the pockets of his pants.
Eva expected him to reach for her, to hold her and tell her how sorry he was. Instead he acted as if he didn’t want to be near her. Her stomach knotted with dread. She drew in a breath then turned her back to him.
“I got inside Suarez’s cabin.” There, they were back on solid, familiar ground.
Jake frowned, unsure he’d heard her correctly. “You did what”
“I got in his cabin.” She pulled the piece of paper with the sketch out of her pocket and tossed it on the end table. “That’s the suitcase that I found stashed in the closet.”
Jake barely glanced at it from his side of the room. He was still working on putting together in his head what she’d told him. All this time he was worried that she was off somewhere brooding about what went down between them, and instead she was breaking and entering into Suarez’s cabin—something he’d been unable to do. He wasn’t sure what pissed him off more.
“You … you got into his cabin and got a sketch of the briefcase”
She spun toward him, her face pinched as if her feet suddenly hurt. “What part of what I said didn’t you understand”
“The whole thing.” He folded his arms across his chest. “How”
“How what” She snapped her neck to the side.
“How did you get in”
“I lifted a master key card from one of the housekeeping staff like I was supposed to do from the jump.” She did a mime routine of her handiwork. Her smirk was triumphant. “It’s what I do.”
He snorted more in amazement than annoyance. “So much for technology, huh”
“Sometimes we have to go back to bare basics.”
They looked at each other.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Jake murmured. He moved toward her.
Eva withdrew from him. “What are you sorry about Sorry about how you feel” Slowly she shook her head. Hold me, she cried silently. Hold me and tell me it’s going to be all right.
“No. That’s not what I mean. I can’t help how I feel, but I can help how my feelings hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you. You know that.”
Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “I don’t know anything. I tell you that I’m pregnant. I didn’t even get an ‘Are you sure it’s mine’” she taunted, sarcasm turning her voice harsh and raspy. She sniffed. “So I’m not really sure what you’re sorry about, Jake. And you know what It doesn’t matter.” Her shoulders slumped. “You need to go over that sketch. Maybe you can figure something out. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.” She started for the bathroom. “And I’d appreciate it if
you slept on the couch.” She opened the bathroom door and shut it firmly behind her, turning the lock on the knob.
She pressed her forehead against the door and set free the tears that she’d been holding all night.
* * *
Rita and Jinx talked long into the night, sharing pieces of their past that they’d never told anyone other than Jake and Eva.
Rita felt suddenly lighter, as if her spirit had been set free. Jinx didn’t cringe or turn away when she told him about the men, the hotels, the jobs, the money. He didn’t loosen his hold of her when she told him about the sordid things she’d done and what she’d allowed to be done to her—hoping that this man would be the one to stay. All the time that she talked and cried and talked, he listened, murmuring softly to her, holding her tight, telling her that it was okay.
She in turn listened to him tell of his childhood, the loneliness, the fear, the having to grow up before his time, of never feeling worthwhile because there was never anyone to tell him otherwise.
“Let’s make a pact,” Jinx said.
“What” Rita whispered into the night.
“Let’s start our life today. Fuck what happened yesterday, last week, last year. We put all that behind us and start working on a new day.”
She turned around in his arms to face him. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“Not much is.”
“The only thing I can promise is that I’ll try.”
He brushed her lip with the tip of his finger. “That’s all I ask.” He hesitated. “I’m in love with you. Have been for a while.”
She didn’t respond.
“And maybe one day if you let it happen, you’ll feel the same way about me.”
How could she tell him that she already loved him and that she’d been running from it for years Running and running, afraid that if she slowed down, his love would catch her. And then what would she do She’d have to love him back … or leave him.
24
Jake awoke the following morning stiff and annoyed. He’d nearly fallen off the couch three times during the night, and each time his angst grew by degrees. The ship hit rocky waters during the night, and every roll and bounce increased his anxiety. Nightmares dominated what little sleep he could summon. On more than one occasion he’d crept from the couch over to the bed, hoping that Eva was awake and would tell him to join her.
