“I miss them too. It’s strange to have time to myself.”
“What have you been up to? No one’s thrown you off the boat yet?”
“Not yet. It’s fun, that’s for sure.”
“You deserve it, Thomas. Just try to take it easy, because you’ll be back to reality soon enough.”
“Oh, I’m sure of that.” Thomas grinned. It was nice to work at a job that he looked forward to getting back to. If it weren’t for Natasha, he’d likely be homesick. But she was motivation to enjoy his trip at least a little longer. “If it gets too bad in the classroom just open up the game closet. That will keep them happy and give you a chance at some sanity.”
“Great.” Donald sighed. “Let me live vicariously through you. Have you met anyone?”
“Let’s just say that I’m glad I’m here.”
“I bet.” He laughed. “I’ll give the game closet a shot.”
“Good luck.” Thomas hung up the phone.
Even with the distraction of talking to Donald, Natasha remained on his mind. He didn’t have the slightest desire to eat. His stomach rumbled in protest and his chest tightened as he recognized that Natasha was far more than a fling. He might want to tell himself that it was just for fun, but his body sent him signals that it was much more than that.
He’d promised himself after his last divorce that he’d never go through something like that again. He’d accepted the thought of being alone. Now the moment he considered getting off of the ship without Natasha at his side, his heart ached.
He did his best to block out his thoughts with the flicker of the television screen.
The rock of the boat docking startled him out of sleep the next morning. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. For a few seconds he had no idea where he was. Even after he woke up, he wasn’t exactly sure where he was.
He grabbed the itinerary from the bedside table and skimmed over it. It was another island, according to the schedule. And there was supposed to be one of the highest rated beaches there.
He pulled on some clothes, packed a small bag to take to the island with him, and wandered out of his room. It was too much for him to hope that Natasha might still want to explore with him. He knew that. But still he looked for her long dark hair among the crowd.
They hadn’t even exchanged numbers. Maybe that should have been a hint to him that she wasn’t really that interested.
The more faces he saw, the less hope he held out that she would be there. Since he was already caught up in the crowd, he made his way off the ship. A few tour buses waited beside the dock. Several tour guides were lined up, available to anyone who was interested. He knew he had to make a decision. The tours would fill up fast, and if he didn’t have Natasha to guide him, he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t get lost on his own.
He started to walk toward one of the tour guides.
“You’re not planning to go exploring without me, are you?”
Her voice inspired him to turn around. “Natasha? I looked for you.”
“I guess not hard enough.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked into his eyes. “Or were you trying to avoid me?’”
“No.” He stared into her eyes. “Definitely not.”
Chapter 17
“Good. I was hoping to check out the island with you.” Natasha flashed him a big smile.
“So was I.” Thomas offered her his hand.
Her heart fluttered as she took it. The entire night before, she’d tried to convince herself not to meet him that morning. She even thought about staying on the boat. Things were developing too fast, and she knew what his boundaries were. But when the ship docked she couldn’t resist. She wanted to see him again—there was no way to get around it. “There’s a place I can show you—”
“I’d like to go that way.” Thomas pointed toward a path that seemed to disappear into the thick foliage.
“I’m not sure that’s a great idea.” She shook her head.
“So we can only go your way?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No, I mean—it’s just that I’m not sure where that path might lead. With that much flora, it might have a lot of snakes and other critters.”
“If we spot something dangerous we can always turn back.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “If that’s the way that you want to go, we can give it a shot.”
“Great.” He pulled her toward the path.
As they walked in the direction of it, Natasha noticed a young local watching them from one of the roadside stands. In his expression she read anxiety.
“Thomas, maybe this is a bad idea.”
“Nonsense, it’ll be fine. No one else is going this way. It’ll be nice and private. I bet there’s some gorgeous places hidden back here.”
She hesitated and looked back at the young man who continued to watch them.
“I’m not going in there.” She shook her head.
“So I’m supposed to trust you when you lead me to all kinds of exotic places, but when I want to take a chance, you don’t trust me?”
“That’s not the same thing, Thomas. You have no idea what’s down that path. My instincts are telling me it’s a bad idea.”
“Just take a chance.” He pulled her a little closer to the path.
She got the sense that he’d be very disappointed if she disagreed. Normally she’d go with the flow and enjoy a stroll down a new path, but something about the situation was making her nervous.
“Alright, just a little way down though.”
“Sure.” He started down the path with her right behind him. A few feet in, he stopped so suddenly that she walked into his back.
“Thomas, what’s wrong?”
“Back up slowly.”
She took a few steps back, but noticed that he didn’t move. “Thomas. What is it?” She tried to see past him. When she caught sight of what looked like the largest snake she’d ever seen on an island, her heart dropped. When she noticed that it wasn’t alone—there were at least five others—she recognized that they’d wandered into a nest.
“Thomas.” She grabbed his hand.
“Just keep stepping back. If I don’t move, they won’t strike, they won’t see you moving.”
“No, I’m not going to leave you here.”
“Natasha, listen to what I say. This isn’t a time to argue.”
“I’m not going to leave you.” She squeezed his hand. “I know what to do.” She started to drag her shoe through the sand.
“Don’t move.” He hissed his words.
“You’re going to have to trust me.”
“Natasha, this isn’t a joke. Those snakes want to eat me!”
“Just stay very still and when I say run, run. Understand?”
“Maybe if we yell we can get someone’s attention.”
“No, don’t yell, just be still.” She kept her hand tight around his.
Once she had a good pile of sand built up she took a deep breath. “Get ready.” She kicked the sand hard and high into the air. “Run!” She pulled his hand hard and began to run back down the trail.
He charged after her, chased by the sounds of hissing and snapping.
When she reached the end of the trail she stopped and turned back. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.” He frowned. “Are you?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“I guess I should have listened to you.”
“Neither of us knew what was down that path.”
“Maybe not, but your instincts told you not to go.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can be so determined sometimes.”
“It was an adventure, right?” She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his. “Why don’t we stick to the beaten path on this island.”
“I think that might be best.” He chuckled.
As they strolled through the shops and tourist stands, Natasha purchased multiple items. By the time they stopped for lunch she had several bags to carry.
“Here, let me take those for yo
u.”
She pulled the bags away before he could take them. “No thanks, I can carry them.”
He sighed and shook his head. “You’re really into this independent thing, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She met his eyes. “I really am. My entire life people have done things for me—taken care of me, protected me. I prefer to do things for myself now.”
She reached for the door to another shop.
Thomas grabbed the handle before she could open the door.
“I open the door for you. That’s non-negotiable.” He held the door open and waited.
“Is that so?” She folded her arms and eyed him for a long moment.
“Do you want to try me?” He stepped a little closer to her. “This one I’ll fight for.”
“Not in the least.” She dipped her head some and smiled at him. “I appreciate what a gentleman you are.”
“Not always.” He cleared his throat as she stepped past him and into the shop. “So what are you looking for?”
“I need to get a few things for Emma.”
“I thought you did?” He pointed to the bags in her hand.
“Oh yes, but I need a couple more things.” She smiled. “I have to make up for the fact that I didn’t bring her with me.”
“I see.”
She began to peruse the selection of items. When she went into shopping mode, she generally blocked everything else out. She looked for quality, good prices, and unique finds. One of her favorite things in the world to do was shop for Emma. Maybe the little girl had more than she could ever need, but Natasha didn’t care about that. After selecting a few more things for her, she came across a beautiful painting.
“Thomas, what do you think of this?” She held up the small painting for him to see. When she turned to look at him, she noticed the way he was looking at a large ship in a bottle. “Oh that’s beautiful.”
“It is, isn’t it?” He continued to stare at it. “I love how they’ve created an image of buildings on the sails. It’s as if the city is trapped inside the bottle. Very interesting.”
“You should get it.” She smiled. “It’s the first thing I’ve seen you even look twice at.”
“Oh no, I’m not here to shop.” He glanced at her. “The painting is nice too. Is it for Emma’s room?”
“I thought Lucas might like it.” She fiddled with the price tag that hung from the neck of the bottle.
“You’re buying him gifts too?”
She glanced over at Thomas in reaction to the tone in his voice. “I told you that Lucas and I are good friends.”
“I understand that. I guess I just don’t understand how it’s possible. Do you ever wonder if you still have feelings for him?”
Chapter 18
The moment the question left his mouth, Thomas realized that he’d just put himself in an impossible position. Not only did he sound jealous, but he’d challenged her to admit that she still had feelings for her ex. That could only work against him.
Natasha met his eyes with an even stare and seemed to be taking some time to think before she answered.
“Lucas and I share something very special because we’re Emma’s parents. I do have feelings for him. I want him to be happy. I want him to be part of Emma’s life. We were good friends before we married, and we’re going to continue to be good friends for the rest of our lives.”
“You don’t see how that might seem like you’re holding on to something?”
“I know what I feel inside. I gave Lucas a chance, he gave me a chance, we couldn’t make it work. I really don’t want to discuss it any more than that.”
“When my ex-wives and I broke up, we made clean breaks.”
“You didn’t have children.”
He gritted his teeth. “I’m aware of that. But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have made an effort to keep things distant between us if we did.”
“Lucas is my best friend.” She raised her shoulders in a mild shrug. “I have no reason not to be part of his life.”
“Doesn’t it hurt you to see him with his wife?’
“No. She’s an amazing woman and a great influence on Emma. I couldn’t be happier that Lucas found someone to spend the rest of his life with.”
“So you’re never jealous?”
“Not of him.”
“But of someone?”
“It’s not jealousy exactly. But sometimes I think about how he’s going to have a future with someone to love. It makes me happy for him, but sad for myself—that I might not ever have that.”
“Don’t think that. You’re a beautiful woman, inside and out. I can’t imagine you ever being alone.”
“Maybe not.” She smiled a little. “I do still dream of that one right person that will fill my life with the kind of warmth that I’d hoped to find with Lucas.”
“One right person, hm?” He leaned a little closer to her. “Isn’t that a bit of a fairy tale?”
“To you maybe. But it’s what I want—what I’ve always wanted. The type of relationship where when you’re together, any place can be home.”
“That sounds nice.” Thomas nodded and watched as she walked up to the register.
On the tip of his tongue were words that he didn’t dare to speak. He wanted to say that maybe the two of them could have that life together. He wanted to admit that being anywhere near her caused his heart to race with desire.
Instead, he turned his attention back to the bottle with the ship inside. Maybe being on the trip was amazing, but he still had a lot of kids depending on him back home. He needed to remember that this vacation, as wonderful as it was, was temporary, and so was his time with Natasha.
When she walked back over to him she was so bundled down with bags that he had to laugh.
“Alright, now can I help you with some of those bags?”
“I suppose.” She sighed and handed over a few bags. “I’m starving. Are you ready to eat?”
“I could eat.” He nodded and carefully carried the bags out the door.
“Oh darn, I forgot to get a receipt. I’ll just be a minute. I’ll meet you at the cafe, okay?”
“Okay.” He headed for the cafe at the end of the shops.
When he arrived, he set the bags down beside a small table outside. It occurred to him that there was probably more money in those bags than he had in his bank account.
The waiter walked up to him with a smile. “How are you today?”
“Great. Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“The woman I’m with likes to pay for everything. I’d like to pay for this meal. Can you arrange that for me?”
“Absolutely.” He laughed. “I’ll be back when she arrives.”
“Thanks.”
He settled back in his chair and watched the people that walked past. It was going to be a good lunch. As much as he enjoyed Natasha’s company, it was difficult to adjust to her need to be in control. Maybe she had plenty of money, but that didn’t mean that he shouldn’t be able to pay too.
Natasha arrived a few minutes later. She set her bags down beside the others and flopped down in the chair across from him.
“Shopping is seriously hard work.” She laughed.
“Maybe we should spend a little more time swimming instead of shopping after we eat.” He smiled at her.
“That sounds like a fantastic idea. I can drop these bags off at the ship and we can head right for the beach.”
“After we eat.” He pushed the menu toward her. “Order away.”
“Oh great, I’m starving. My treat.”
“Sure. Whatever you say.” He winked at her.
Then he looked over his menu. The prices were higher than he would like, but he wanted to make a point. Even if he didn’t have an unlimited bank account, he did have the ability to take her out to lunch, even if she didn’t know that yet.
After she placed her order he placed his own. Then he reached across the table and took her hand.
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“I want you to know that I enjoy everything we’ve done together. I’m looking forward to everything else we might experience.”
“Me too, Thomas. I never expected to have such a wonderful time.”
“I just hope that I’m not holding you back by tagging along all the time.”
“Thomas, don’t think that for even a second. You’ve made this the best cruise that I’ve ever experienced. Honestly.” She cleared her throat and looked down at his fingers, wrapped around hers. “There’s no one else I’d rather be spending my time with.”
When she lifted her eyes back to his, he saw the warmth in them—the affection.
And it startled him.
Chapter 19
When Thomas drew back in response to her words, Natasha’s chest tightened. She’d gotten so comfortable with him that she’d spoken freely without thinking about the position that would place him in. They hadn’t discussed anything—not the future, not how they would define what they shared—nothing. It was clear to her that he preferred it that way.
“Listen to me gushing. We should eat.” She focused her attention on her food and allowed the conversation to drift back toward more acceptable topics.
When they finished eating, she pulled out her wallet in an attempt to pay for the food.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but the gentleman already paid.” The waiter shook his head.
“Oh, he did, did he?” She smiled as she looked across the table at Thomas. “You’re quick, I’ll give you that.”
“I have to be—around you.” He chuckled. “No arguments, right?”
“Not at all. But now I’ll have to think of a way to repay you.”
“Hm, I’m not sure if I should be excited or terrified.” He grinned as he stared into her eyes.
“I’ll let you wonder for a while.” She winked at him and began to gather her things. “I’m going to take these back to the ship. Do you want to meet me on the beach?”
“Sure. Unless you’ll let me help you with all those bags.”
“No, I can do it.” She spoke in a sterner tone than what she’d intended.
The truth was that she needed some time away from Thomas to sort through her emotions, or she might just blurt out something that she’d regret.
Forty and Free: A Sweet Romance Series Bundle - Books 5 - 8 Page 19
